Yesterday, we explored the history of the Spalding Drug Company. When Spalding Drug closed it went through various ownerships and occupants. Looks can be deceiving, yet the building straddles separate property lots. Long time residents will recall that the former Spalding Drug was replaced with The Bootery. On east side, the smaller parcel was occupied by The Smart Shop.

Anyhow, its hard to believe how time quickly marches on. It was on this date, twenty years ago, that this building was destroyed by fire. It could have devastating for me. I had moved out of the second floor  of the building only seven months before the fire. My photographic archives were stored there.

Today, it still remains a vacant lot. There have been proposals, even at least to turn it green space, but as I understand it, the property owners are unwilling to sale.

Tim

Seasoned residents of the area will have fond memories of a one time iconic local institution the Spalding Drug Company. .It was established in 1865, by Zetus N. Spalding and his brother-in-law, A.C.Neale. Spalding was the pharmacist and Neale tended store and its customers.  The partnership did not last long and two years Spalding bought out Neale. In 1886, Spalding formed another partnership with his son, John Bridger Spalding who was only 19 years old.  In the 1890s, John B. to give the business a more cosmopolitan flair, he renamed it the City Pharmacy. In 1898, Zetus Spalding died an accidental drowning while fishing the Susan River. John B. restored name to the Spalding Drug Company.

In 1906, J.B. Williams commenced work on a native stone building for his jewelry business. Spalding by coincidence was Williams neighbor. Spalding became intrigued and joined forces with Williams for construction of two-story native stone building to house both of their respective businesses.

Among other changes was in 1912,  when Spalding entered into partnership with his son, Wright and E.E. Bourne. In 1930, the Spaldings bought out Bourne. John B. Spalding passed away in 1934 and then store his operated by Wright’s family-his wife Ruth and son John. In 1967, the Spalding Drug Company closed its doors after a century in business. 

This, of course, is a brief outline. For an example, many will have fond memories of the soda fountain.

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I have addressed this unique property on the west end of Susanville’s Main Street, just below the Elk’s Lodge. While reviewing the Lassen Advocate of May 22, 1914, I came across this tidbit:

“J.A. Adams is circulating a petition for making of what he calls a ‘park’ at the head of Main Street in front of the J. Henry Swain’s residence, where the wagon-ways branch to north and west. A bit of landscape gardening in the triangle at that point might prove to be attractive, but those who remember the old bandstand abuses of twenty or more years ago, will doubt the merit of the proposal, as the town  can not afford to hire  a caretaker at present.”

Tim

The Smith Hotel, I have found intriguing in the sense of the lack of records. Yet, it was one of the more substantial buildings in Susanville during its day.

The founder, Jacob Smith, a German immigrant whose true spelling of his last name was Schmitt, arrived in Susanville, in the fall of 1864.  Records about his early activities conflict.  According to Fairfield’s history, Smith operated a brewery from 1865 to 1872.  Yet in December 1868 the Lassen Advocate reported that Smith and Doctor R.F. Moody were partners in a drug store. Moody filled the prescriptions and Smith sold them. The Advocate in April 1869 reported that Smith sold his drug store to Dr. Z.N. Spalding and had returned to brewing beer.

In the summer of 1877, Smith hired Henry Tunison to construct his “fire-proof” three-story hotel on the south side of the 800 block of Susanville’s Main Street.  However, only the first floor was made of stone. It was never revealed how much structure cost, but in October 1877 Tunison filed Mechanics Lien for $628.25 against Smith for the construction work.

So much of fire-proof,  as it was destroyed in the big fire of 1882. Some records state that Smith, along with his wife, Sophia, remained in the hotel business and others he continued as a brewer. Dick Harrison, a great-grandson was under the impression that Sophia operated a boarding house, but not a full-fledged hotel.

Tim

Personally, I have special affinity for architecture, but my honest opinion I disagree with this newspaper article as follows.

In July 1908, it was announced that Susanville pioneer merchant David Knoch hired Enhorning & Harrison to  construct a house at 100 North Roop Street. The Lassen Advocate noted: “The Knoch residence on the corner of Roop and Nevada streets is a one-story edifice, 32×62 feet and will contain five rooms, bath, closet and pantry. It will be bungalow style, with a round tower on the corner. The building be wired. throughout, and strictly up-to-date in all its furnishings and appliances.”

First and foremost, bungalow style homes do not have a semi-circular porch. Second, I knew owners Lyle “Dan” & Nadene Wemple and frequently visited them during the late 1970s. The interior of the house basically remained the same as it was built–bland. There were was no wood work features and/or cabinetry associated with a bungalow.

On a side note Enhorning & Harrison kept busy, besides Knoch residence, they built the Borrette next door in that same year. In 1909 they constructed houses of 120 and 130 North Roop Street.

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It was on December 2, 1987 that the last issue of the Lassen Advocate rolled off the press. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Russell ordered the shut down of the 122 year-old newspaper. Richard Myers publisher, said, “They just took over, marched in with a locksmith and changed all the locks on the doors and told us to leave.”

Of course, there were the chatter of all arm chair quarterbacks as to what went wrong.  There was debt of new building, now home of the Susanville Police Department. Also, on October 18. 1978 the Lassen County Times made its debut and now the Advocate had competition.

Tim

While the Susanville Elks Lodge has owned its iconic building for 100 years, construction began in 1884 making the landmark building 140 years old.

On March 22, 1884, J.G. Leonard purchased the vacant lot at the west end of Main Street from Sarah Hosselkus for $450. Leonard, a dentist originally studied to become an architect, and designed this unique structure. All, the rooms , with the exception of the kitchen/dining were octagonal in shape. In November 1884, Leonard hired Charles Odette to construct it.  In February 1885, Leonard moved into the house, though it was not finished. However, when C.H. Lawrence filed a Mechanic’s.Lien for lumber sold ($1,463.77) it stated the house was completed on March 10, 1885.

Anyhow, Susanville, then a small town was not large enough to support a full-time dentist. That prompted Leonard to ride the circuit, practicing his profession in the outlying regions of Lassen, with extended trips to Modoc and Plumas Counties. Leonard went bankrupt  due to cost to construct the house. It did not help matters, as many of his patients paid in trade rather than cash. In 1890, William Greehn who Leonard owed$2,800  was awarded the house in the bankruptcy proceedings. It became one of Greehn’s many property rentals. The rent $15 a month.

On April 11, 1908 Greehn’s Estate sold the house to Joel Swain for an undisclosed amount. Swain, who owned s popular saloon finally finished the house. Swain died in 1918. In 1922, his widow sold the residence to the Antler’s Club, an off shoot of the Elks organization. In 1924 the  local Elks groups received their charter and it has been their home ever since. Like so many organizations they go through peaks and valleys. This year happens to be a low point for the local Elks Lodge. It is my understanding due the building’s upkeep has caused financial burnden for the lodge and they proposed to put it for sale.

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In the spring of 1874, Iowa resident Sylvester Daniels came to Janesville to spend some time with sister Polly Parks. The primary reason for the journey was to inspect the country as possible relocation of is family. He kept daily journals, whether such entries was done doing. chores, but equally important was the observations of people and places.

On his first visit to Susanville he wrote on June 9, 1874: “There are some pretty good looking ranches along the Susan River. Susanville is the County Seat of Lassen County. They can boast all they are mind to of this country, but it not here. So far as I have seen there is very small portion of this country that has a soil. All that the greatest part is good for is what mineral can be got out of it  and the climate. There is million acres good for nothing so far as man can see, only to hold the world together. It looks to me that here is about as many folks in this valley, it will support..”

In December 1875, Daniels liked what he saw up north in Surprise Valley He relocated there, died in at Lake City in 1908. His descendants still reside there.

Tim

It was on Christmas Day, 1925 when the Saint Francis Hotel in Susanville opened its doors to its west wing expansion. Work began  in September. While it only added an additional nine guest rooms, six with private baths, it allowed more complimentary features. Not only were the lobby and restaurant facilities more than doubled in size, adorning the top floor on the Main Street side was a balcony. The balcony was removed by the Goni family in the 1950s.

Tim