In 1908, the Susanville rumor mill circulated that the catholics wanted to build a new church. Thats kind of odd, since the existing Sacred Heart Church had just only been built 1892. In reality, they wanted to move its existing church to a new location from its Richmond Road site. Since that location was somewhat out of the way, and it was prone to vandalism.

Antone Bantley was designated to locate and negotiate the purchase inside the Susanville’s City limits. Bantley found a site on the corner of Nevada and Union Streets. The church purchased it for $325 from the L.C. Stiles Estate.

On May 26, 1909 the Lassen Weekly Mail reported, “The work on moving the Catholic Church is progressing. It will be a week or ten days before it is finally landed on the new site, judging from the progress already made. “ During this era, the church did not have a resident priest and relied on a circuit rider. On October 24, 1909, Father Thomas Horgan celebrated Mass at the new location.

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This post has nothing to do with manufactured homes. This, being Holy Week, my intent was to write the 1909 story of moving Sacred Heart Church to a different location, i.e. making it “mobile.” Numerous structures, locally, and mainly residential were moved from one location to another. This practice to this day, goes on nation wide.

How it works today. A property owner has an old house, which is in the way of a planned development.  Instead of a paying costs for demolition, offers the house for sale, usually one dollar. Of course, there is a catch. To buy the house at that price, one has to pay the cost to move the structure to a new location.

Happy Easter to my friends, Hannah who lives in a 1920s mobile home and my friend Scott, with his architectural expertise, has to deal with my definition—eye roll please. Not intentional, but it may torment Scott, since I send a occasional message with a photograph of such structures.

Tim

Any one who has ever been involved  with a organization, whether community oriented or fraternal, knows full well that they have a tendency to have peaks and valleys. However, there times when the organization reaches a low point and never recovers.

This was the case with Mount Lassen Council #2549 of the Knights of Columbus—Susanville’s first catholic organization.  Unfortunately, there is not a lot of records about this particular organization.  Its initial membership was 70, with men recruited from Susanville, Westwood, Quincy and Portola. Delegates from Chico, Los Angeles and Reno were on hand with the formation of Mount Lassen Council #2549 of the Knights of Columbus.  It was instituted on March 26, 1924.  After Mass was celebrated, the members paraded up Main Street from the Sacred Heart Church to the Elks Lodge to have their photograph taken. From there they went to the Knoch Hall were various degrees were conducted, and to organize the new council. The day was topped off with a banquet at the St. Francis Hotel.

Initially meetings were rotated between Susanville and Westwood. However, by 1930 interest in the organization had waned, and on the eve of its tenth anniversary of formation the chapter was dissolved.

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