The Standish Jail. There was a similar one at Hayden Hill. There was  one at Bieber but it was replaced with a small cement structure in 1931. Unfortunately, I am unable to furnish information about them. I have never been able to locate any records in the Lassen County archives.

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In the early 1900s, locally, businesses as well as fraternal organizations incorporated as a means to raise funds. A perfect example was that of the Standish Hall Association. Incorporated in 1908, it financed a two-story building in Standish. Typical of the era, the second floor was used as a hall for fraternal organizations. The first floor, of course, was rented to commercial enterprises, with those proceeds used to maintain the building, etc.
The Standish Hall still exists in a state of arrested decay and better known to many as the former home of Neil’s Mercantile.

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Just a mile east of Standish was a wide spot in the road known as Four Corners and some times referred to as Cain’s Corners. It was a stage stop in the 1890s, known as Datura. In 1886, William Henry Harrison Fuller went to work as a blacksmith for Otto P. Ranker, whose property adjoined the intersection. Fuller injured his right hand while employed by Ranker and forced Fuller to retire. Fuller purchased fifteen acres at the intersection from Ranker for $150. Fuller then went into the apiary business and did quite well, producing two tons of honey each year. Fuller also opened a general store. Also at Datura, George Cain opened a livery stable for stagecoaches to change horses. On May 11, 1895, the Datura Post Office was established with Fuller as the first and only postmaster.

During 1897/1898 the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club held their meetings in the original Honey Lake School located at Datura to formulate the plans for their utopian community of Standish. On April 21, 1899, the Datura Post Office closed and its operations moved to Standish. As Standish developed, Datura slipped into oblivion.

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In November 1897, the Colonial Irrigation Company of the Honey Lake Valley, part of the Standish Colony operation began work on the controversial Colony Dam on the Susan River, near that community. The construction of the dam outraged their neighbors downstream in the Tule District, who claimed it obstructed their water flow and riparian rights. The Tule folks took the matter to court and not only asked for an injunction, but demanded the $12,000 dam be removed as a nuisance. Lewis Brubeck, who owned the Smith place in the Tules (now the Fleming Unit of Fish & Game), also filed a separate lawsuit against the Company in 1898, as the waters of the river had been diverted, never reaching his property. The Brubeck verdict was important to the Tule people, for while Brubeck only received a damage award of $750, the court placed a restraining order against the Company, preventing the Company from irrigating any other lands until Brubeck’s lands were thoroughly irrigated.
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This post is rather brief today, since I do not have that much information about this early business at Standish. To me this is one of those pictures that one could use your wildest imaginations. After all, who would ever thought of combining the Standish Livery Stable and the Standish Meat Market in the same building. Seems rather suspicious to me.

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Datura was an interesting little wide spot in the road east of present day Standish. Its existence came into being first as a stage stop in the 1890s and also referred to as Four Corners or Cain’s Corner. For a brief time, it appeared that it actually might be a substantial outpost. By 1894, William Henry Harrison Fuller opened a store there. On May 11, 1895 the Datura Post Office was established with Fuller serving as the first and only postmaster. George M. Cain followed suit and opened a livery stable where stage coaches could change horses. The newly formed Honey Lake School built their first school at Datura.

During 1897/98 the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club held their meetings at Datura to formulate the plans for their utopian community of Standish. On April 21, 1899, the Datura Post Office closed and its operations moved to Standish. As Standish developed, Datura slipped into oblivion.

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The building was originally a Forester’s Lodge. It was quite common in that era, to construct a two-story building. The second story used as a hall/lodge room, while the first floor was rented out for commercial interests to pay for the building, but maintenance as well. The building soon evolved into the Standish Hall Association.

Susanville merchant Charlie Emerson was quite the entreprenuer. Shortly after the lodge building was constructed, Emerson opened his second general merchandise at this location. In 1928, Bill Lewis took over Emerson’s and renamed it the Standish Supply Company.  Lewis was succeeded by Claude Heard. When Heard relocated to Litchfield, Neil Winchell took over the store, and it became Neil’s Mercantile. In one of those moments, its almost hard to believe but Neil’s has been closed for some thirty years now.

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