The George McDow residence, January 15,1911- Courtesy of George McDow, Jr.
On the 100 block of Susanville’s South Lassen Street are two buildings well over a century old that are distinctive of each other, but had common owner, George McDow.
Lassen County Abstract building, constructed in 1911.
In 1911, McDow next to his residence had an office constructed to house the Lassen Abstract Company, the first land title office in Lassen County. Lassen Abstract operated for nearly fifty years, whose owners at the end where Art Anderson and George Pancera with Electa Lazard who managed the operations.
It is now known as Fink’s Funeral Home, 115 South Lassen Street, Susanville. September 21, 2019
In 1935 Carlos Lucero purchased the McDow residence and remodeled it into a mortuary which is still used as such, though it has undergone numerous ownerships.
Fruit Growers Susanville Box Factory as it appeared the day it opened on April 9, 1921—Ed Standard
On April 16 1921, there was dedication ceremony for Fruit Growers Supply Company mill. While the sawmill was placed into operation everything at least from the public perspective was full steam ahead. However, a facility that initially hired 1500 men to operate it would require a lot of work for every component to function. Case in point, and the reason for the mill existence was the box factory not placed interoperation until earlyJune., but was not fully at capacity until September. On brighter note, on June 1, 1921 shipped its first railroad car of lumber. The accounting department must have been pleased that with several million dollars expedpenditures to acquire the timber and built the mll, revenue was finally generated.
Groundbreaking ceremony at Sacred Heart. Courtesy of Mario and Pauline Vial
After a decade of Father Moran’s since 1939 announcement for a new church it became a reality.
In the spring of 1948, it was announced that work would begin that year for the new church–the plans modified for a Spanish-American architecture style building. The new church would be three times the size of the current one.
Sacred Heart Church
In the summer of 1948 the old church was advertised for sale, but there were no takers. It was decided to dismantle it as quickly as possible so construction would begin. However, delays were encountered and groundbreaking did not occur until September 3, 1948. On Sunday, July 9, 1949 the first Mass held in the new church, though there was work still to be done. On May 21, 1950, the new Sacred Heart Church was dedicated by the Most Reverend Robert J. Armstrong, Bishop of the Sacramento Diocese.
The 1950s were challenging times for the Fruit Growers Supply Company., especially with its sawmills. They were faced with dwindling timber supply and equally important the conversion from wooden box to cardboard. There was no need for three mills, each required costly upgrades.
The Fruit Growers’ Board of Directors had an Operating Committee. One their tasks was an annual inspection of the mills and the company’s timber resources. In the fall of 1954, when the Committee arrived at Westwood the hot topic as to wether to keep Susanville or Westwood open. It was the consensus one would have to close.
Fruit Growers’ Susanville mill.
Westwood had an upper edge with recently installed Craveneerplant. The Committee withheld their decision until they returned Los Angeles, but it was apparent that Susanville would close.
After serious consideration it was decided to close Westwood and to build a Craveneer plant in Burney. It was noted Susanville still had sufficient timber resources, so it was spared. In 1955, Sunkist, the parent company of Fruit Growers announced complete conversion to cardboard and the wooden box as a shipping container was relegated to the past. It is interesting to note, that Fruit Growers considered converting the Susanville mill into paper/pulp plant to manufacture cardboard boxes.
The Maryland Hotel is a thing of the past. The Maryland was located at 135 South Lassen Street. Its name rather misleading, not quite a hotel, but not quite a boarding house either. However, during its tenure it served the community well. When the lumber mills were the predominate industry in Susanville, a large number of single men, either worked in the mills or in the woods. It should be noted the lumber companies sought to hire married men with families, as it was deemed they were more stable, unlike single men who went from one operation to another seeking the proverbial greener pastures.
The Maryland catered to single men. Uptown Susanville was different then. Within two blocks of the Maryland there were four coffee shops/cafes-Mt. Lassen, Pioneer, Grand and State. Next to the State was a laundromat. There were grocery stores, too-Purity, Red & White and Safeway. In 1983, the property was acquired by the nearby mortuary and it was demolished to make additional parking.
Susanville’s Steward House, 1881. Courtesy of Dallas & Joyce Snider
Susanville has an ambilavent attitude when observing the nation’s birthday. Did these two seperate early day observances set the stage?
In 1868 it was noted: “Susanville had a very dull Fourth. No preparations were made for celebrating the day and the only patriotic demonstrations that we had were generated by the young boys in town. It was a very orderly, as well as very quiet Fourth, and in this respect might be considered something of a success.”
The Pioneer, Susanville, 1901
How things quickly change and in 1871 the Sage Brush newspaper reported,: “The Glorious Fourth is the occasion of unrestrained indulgence of intoxicating liquors, and all the disgraceful scenes that naturally result there from. Some creatures in human shape inbruted and stupefied with whiskey, reeled about the street shocking the ears of all decent people with their frightful profanity and obscenity. Others who passed this stage only to reach another even more repulsive, sat about in barroom chairs limp and foul , unresisting prey to every blue bottle. Or with black and swollen faces turned up to the burning sun and reeking in their filth , they laid about the streets the most sorrowful, the most humiliating spectacle being could contemplate.”
Standard Gas Station, 900 Main Street, Susanville, 1938-Jere Baker
To be quite honest, today my mind is blank as to what topic to cover, may be it is moving fatigue. So I randomly went to a file cabinet and I just pulled a file. I do not know anything about this Standard Gas Station located on the corner Main and South Union Streets. There was an era when Susanville had nearly twenty service “gas” stations. Hopefully, I will be a bit more creative tomorrow.
Some communities celebrate a founder’s day, the date in which an individual located. It was on June 23, 1854, IsaacRoop set up a trading post on the Noble’s Emigrant Trail. Shortly thereafter, along with his brother Ephraim they constructed a cabin. Roop’s trading post had a home. It is interesting to note that in August 1854 Roop filed the region’s first water right claim to Smith Creek, later to be called Piute. Who was Smith and why stream was designated such is still mystery.
The Gem Saloon, Susanville, 1908. B.R. Zimmerman Collection
The first Trustees of Susanville (now Council) not only had the difficult task of the basic organization of the town, but it was compounded that they did not have any operating revenue. It instituted a business license and the lucrative liquor license fees. After all, in 1900, Susanville had five saloons. Of course, this action did not sit well for some business owners. Not only did litigation ensue, there was a disincorporation movement as well. At the November 1902 Trustees meeting they tabled the matter for calling for special election to disincorporate. They cited there were was no need to incur the expense of the election due to the pending litigation.
In July 1925, the Susanville Hotel Company hired T.J. Rees, a Fallon, Nevada contractor, to construct a three-story 70 room hotel, on the former site of the Emerson Hotel, on the corner of Main and Lassen Streets. The estimated cost was $300,000. It was interesting to note, that the new hotel opened with little fanfare on April 27, 1926. There were skeptics who considered it a “white elephant” and would never be a paying proposition. A lot money has been poured into the building with little or no financial returns.
On a side note, Rees was in Susanville to construct the Masonic Temple. In the same time period, Rees was awarded construct the American Legion building which was completed on August 12, 1926.
