Seasoned residents of the Susanville region will recall the spring of 1971, when the Bank of America building at Main and North Gay Street was demolished. Many in the community had not recovered from the demolition of another iconic building the original Lassen High School, which was torn down in June 1968 for the current campus buildings.
Tim
To the untrained eye, one detects it is an early day photograph of once was the Elks Lodge as the west send of Susanville. As the lodge recently sold, I am not sure as to the current owners has a given this landmark building a name.
This photograph was taken in 1923 or early 1924. In 1922, the highway department constructed the retaining wall in front of the of the Elk’s In the summer of 1924 a fire wiped out the pine trees on the bluff behind the Elk’s.
To the left, 502 Main Street, is still here, but it was a remodeled in to a two-story building. Just above it on the corner, that house was moved to Janesville Grade for the realignment of the highway curve circa 1990.
Tim
Recently Mike Cole wrote in the comment section of Susanville Helipad:
“1972 was the first year for Bieber Helitack. I was a firefighter on the crew. The guy in white shirt was our pilot, fresh out of Vietnam Nam, his first name was John ( can’t remember his last name). Next up is FC Jack Waters, FAE Jack Perdue, and FGT (FC) Dave McNamara. We were issued nomex jumpsuits, before firefighters had nomex. I retired from CDF in 2006”
Thank you Mike, Tim.
While it is fairly common knowledge that the City of Susanville was named for the town founder’s daughter, Susan Roop, who later married Alexander T. Arnold. Many assume that the Susan River that flows through the community would also be named after Susan Roop. However, that is not the case, because the river was so named, prior to Isaac Roop’s arrival on the scene.
During the years 1851-1852, William H. Nobles located a new emigrant road from Shasta, California to Lassen’s Meadows, Nevada. This road passed through the Honey Lake Valley. Nobles named the Susan River for his wife, Susan Parker Nobles. While we know a lot about Susan Roop Arnold, very little is known about Susan Parker Nobles. She resided in Minnesota for the majority of her married life, moving to California when her husband, Nobles, died in 1876.
Twice in Lassen County’s history there have local militia units of the California National Guard. 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.
P.S. – Still in search of a home.
It being Easter Sunday, I thought it would only be appropriate to provide some of the early history of religion in our region. The Methodist Church had a profound influence on the Honey Lake Valley. In 1860, this church held their first service in Susanville. By 1905, there were Methodist Churches in Janesville, Johnstonville, Standish and, of course, Susanville, more than any other denomination.
The Roman Catholics first made its appearance in 1868, holding Mass at the home of Ned Mulroney a short distance south of Susanville, near Gold Run. The Catholic population in the region was small, so in many instances they may only see a priest one or two times a year. In 1892, they built their first church on Richmond Road. In 1909, it was moved to the site of the present church on Nevada Union Streets.
Other religious affiliations slowly made their presence known such as the Church of Latter Day Saints who first made their presence in Big Valley in the 1880s, before slowly drifting south towards Susanville. The Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians and others followd suit.
Tim
P.S. – Still in search of a home.
After Fruit Growers Supply Company closed their Susanville mill,it initially appeared that it would be sold to a liquidation firm. Fruit Growers had been in negotiations with Crook & Emmerson to sale them the mill, but negotiations stalled. Finally on June 12, 1963 they reached an agreement and the mill and adjoining residential section was sold to Crook & Emmerson for $875,000.
Crook & Emmerson’s new enterprise was known as the Eagle Lake Lumber Company. All went well until the early morning hours of June 13, 1965 when a fire broke out in the planing mill. The sprinkler system there was inoperable as the structure was being renovated. By the time the fire department arrived, it was too late, as a large portion of the plant was engulfed in flames. After three hours, the fire destroyed the planing mill, the dry kilns, the abandoned box factory and an estimated five to six million board feet of finished lumber. The estimated loss was between $5 to $6 million.
It should be noted that Eagle Lake Lumber Company evolved into Sierra Pacific Industries.
P.S. – Still in search of a home.
While many of the city street names have links to families from the pioneer era–Alexander, Brashear, Lassen, etc.–that is not the case with Cook Street in the Inspiration Point neighborhood. Continue reading Cook Street, Susanville
Yesterday, we explored that in February 1917 the county accepted the newly constructed courthouse as complete. There were still matters to contend with the existing courthouse. The county hired Younie & Buckwalter, auctioneers to dispose of the old courthouse and its furnishings. The auction was held on April 21, 1917. Of course, the majority items sold one would expect such as desks, chairs, etc. There was a particular item that caught my attention a bird cage that sold for seventy-five cents. There is one relic that survives to this day and is functioning-the bell. Susanville Methodist minister Rev. Westervelt purchased the courthouse bell for $12.50. On Sunday mornings at 10:30 the bell is to put into action calling the faithful church. Back to the auction, the total proceeds from the auction was $266.05. The cost of advertising and the auctioneers commission was forty dollars.
Tim
With the pending arrival of the railroad to Susanville in 1912, it started a frenzy of housing subdivisions. The first was Hill Long’s Long Addition. It was unique in many ways, it being one of the smallest and at that it was located inside the city limits. Continue reading Susanville’s Long’s Addition