Tuesday’s are a wild card day, some times there is a post and some times not. For newer readers, when I started this site back in 2015, I did a daily post seven days a week. After five years, I scaled back to six days. However, I wanted to make sure something went on this Tuesday, to monitor the issue with the host sever.
The above photograph is Milford Street, Standish looking west, known today at the Standish-Buntingville Road or County Road A-3. The building to the right was the Wrede Hotel. It is now replaced with gas pumps at the Wayside.
Note: This originally appeared on January 8, 2018, so it might be familiar to some. For some odd reason in August 2021 it garnered a lot of attention from first an internet search and then spread on social media. While seasoned subscribers may recall it, there are new ones who may find it of interest.
From time to time discussions have been held whether the cloud seeding in the Lake Almanor Basin area by Pacific Gas & Electric Company affects the areas to the east. In 1979, Lassen County officials thought the cloud seeding was part of the drought problem in southern Lassen County. In October 1979, Henry LaPlante of PG&E stated that the company has been treating selected storm systems for more than 25 years. He said the intent of the seeding was to increase the high elevation snowpack. Furthermore, LaPlante wrote, “There is no scientific evidence which indicates that cloud seeding activities in our Almanor area reduces the amount of precipitation in any other area.”
Left to Right: Garfield Vogt, Les Cottingham, Orrin Myers, Fred Hansen, Roy Hopkins, Unknown—Vivian Hansen
The Standish Meat Market was an early day enterprise of Fred Hansen. When it first opened it was located on the north side of Todd Hemler’s Standish Livery Stable. What a peculiar arrangement to the say least. As business increased Hansen moved to a second location and branched out in carrying groceries. One of his newspaper advertisements caught my attention with the statement “Local-killed Meats.”
Since no one replied to the recent Ask Tim post, Standish will be a topic. This is due in part while searching for a photograph of the water flume in the Susan River Canyon, I came across a portion of my manuscript on the early history of Standish. After reviewing the same, I can attest that my early writing skills were rough around the edges. At least the historical documentation was there!
The May 1907 meeting of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors was a lively one. The hot topic was a new county jail and courthouse. The board received numerous petitions from throughout the county. One common thread that residents was for better roads. Many thought the county should be investing in a rock crusher and replacing wooden bridges with steel. There was, of course, resentment from the public who resided far Susanville over the cost of the newly established Lassen County High School.
The petitions from Bieber and Standish had another odd twist. Both petitions urged the board that the county seat be relocated. It was their opinion that Standish be made the county seat on the grounds it was more centrally located. The board took no action on these topics. In addition, it would be some time before the board would even bring up the topic of a new jail and courthouse.
Twice in Lassen County’s history there have been local militia units of the California National Guard. The first was the Honey Lake Rangers of the 1860s. The last time was during World War II. Initially, there was to be one large unit for Lassen and Modoc counties. That plan was neither feasible or practical and was dropped.
A new strategy was drafted. Inside each county, especially in large rural counties like Lassen, several local militia units would be formed. There duties were to protect the area in case of enemy invasion. Their involvement was confined to the boundaries of the county. Uniforms, guns and ammunition would be provided to each unit. They would also be trained in guerilla warfare. In Lassen County it fell upon the Farm Advisor (T.S. Brown) to organize these units.
On May 20 1942, the first organization meeting was held in Susanville. Local units were created for Susanville, Bieber, Doyle, Janesville and Standish. By the first of June, the Susanville Militia had 70 members. It became known as Thomas Tucker Militia—named after Thomas Tucker the first casualty from Susanville in World War I. Fortunately, this volunteer force never had to be activated. At the conclusion of the war, each individual’s enrollment in the militia was automatically cancelled.
In the early morning hours of July 17, 1929, the largest fire in the history of Standish occurred. At that time, a next door neighbor to the Standish Creamery saw the roof of that building on fire. Quickly, a volunteer farmer-firemen bucket brigade assembled to combat the blaze. It became readily apparent early on that the creamery could not be saved. All efforts focused on containing the fire and to prevent it from spreading to nearby residences and stores. By the time the sun rose, the creamery was a pile of smoldering rubble. Approximately, $1,500 worth of butter and cream went up in the flames. The total loss was valued at $20,000 and was only partially insured. It was owned by the C.E. Emerson Company of Susanville. Cause of the fire, a defective flue.
A town is born, Litchfield. Courtesy of John M. Gibson
In early 1912, when the news, survey and construction began on the Fernley & Lassen Railroad that would traverse the Honey Lake Valley with its ultimate destination of the new lumber town of Westwood, spread like wildfire through the investment community. Land speculation was rampant. It was none other than the DeWitt Postmaster, W.B. DeWitt, of the Standish-Tule District became a tour guide of bankers from Southern California willing to invest in the region. It was this particular district that had an appeal that could be a major agricultural shipping point. The established community of Standish had been ruled out, it being three miles from the railroad. Two sites were in the running—the B.F. Gibson ranch and the Purser ranch, the latter a few miles west of Wendel. It was the Gibson ranch that appealed to the investors, and thus the foundation was laid for a new town Litchfield—named in honor of Gibson’s father-in-law, Andrew Litch.
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This was an interesting Lassen County measure presented to the voters in the 2002 General Election. Simply put it asked the voters to rezone 2400 acres in the Belfast area of the Honey Lake Valley to “Mountain Resort.” Like so many grandiose plans for Belfast, this envisioned a wide range of recreational amenities. Top on list was a 18 hole golf course along with such outdoor recreational facilities such as a grassed football stadium, soccer field, baseball field, skateboard park, frisbee gold course, paintball park, a year round rifle range, pistol range, Skeet and Trap range, BMX track, fishing ponds and lakes. All this done without taxpayer dollars. The final vote Yes=3910 (52.90%) to NO=3481 (47.10%).
Stock certificate courtesy of Dick and Helen Harrison
In 1906, the fraternal organization Foresters of America built a two-story hall in Standish. As was customary of the day, the first floor was rented to a commercial enterprise, which in turn the rent money used to pay off the construction debt, plus for maintenance of the property. The second floor, of course, was a hall used for various functions. However, the Foresters’ struggled with the building and they found a solution. They turned to the community to form the Standish Hall Association. The Association needed to raise $5,000 to purchase the building, sold stock to raise the funds and were successful.
One of the first tenants was Susanville merchant, Charles Emerson, who expanded his operations to have a second store at Standish. For nearly a decade, all went well. Whenever, Emerson asked for improvements, the Association refused. Emerson’s solution, by members stock to gain a controlling interest. In 1920, Emerson wrote to L.C. Stephenson to purchase his stock and wrote, “The building is practically run by an old man named Wrede. I am a rentor of the store, lower floor and pay monthly rent. The cellar is wet and small and they will not fix it. The front lets in sand and dirt when the wind blows and they will not fix it. Now I am trying to get enough stock to be able to vote and have some say.”
Emerson used the old fashioned barter system. He would give store credit to owners of shares, in exchange for their stock. Emerson was successful and eventually purchased the building.
The Standish store, no date. Courtesy of Camilla Moody.
Seasoned residents will know the building as Neil’s Mercantile, though its doors have been shuttered for decades. There have been plans for the structure, but nothing has ever materialized.
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