The Swain residence, before it became the Elks Lodge, 1913–Frances Swain
For nearly the first eighty years of the building’s existence it was street level. So what happened? A major change came in 1922 when Highway 36 was constructed it would enter Susanville on South Pine Street. Prior to this highway one left town via North Pine Street.
Pine Street, 1921
In 1965/66 the California Division of Highways did a 8.3 mile highway realignment from Susanville to Willard Creek. The curve near the Elks Lodge saw a drastic change. The retaining wall was removed thus lowering that segment of Pine Street below the Elks Lodge. to what is today. One of the other dramatic change was a new bridge span over the Susan River at Devil’s Corral.
Pine Street, 1922–Hazel Moller
On a trivial note, when Lake Lahontan covered the Honey Lake Valley, the property of the Elks Lodge would have been lake front.
Main Street, Susanville, October 1924—Boyd Benham/Connie Boomer
Of course, editorials have a hint of bias. This particular one that was published in the Lassen Advocate in 1924 caught my attention. While truthful, its also misleading. Newspapers then were great civic boosters and promoted their locale. Susanville was still in its boomtown heyday, but to some outside the region was still known of its Wild West atmosphere of saloons and bawdy antics. While the Advocate’s editorial provided the appearance, that it getting things under control, and it looked good on paper, the reality was a different story.
There was Susanville proper as in the city limits, which was relatively small. The southern boundary was Susan River, eastern Weatherlow Street, northern Piute Creek and western Inspiration Point. The greater Susanville region as a much larger territory. While the editorial proclaims how Susanville is cleaning up after bootleggers proper those bootleg operations outside the city limits continued as usual. The three main areas was Rooster Hill (Indian Heights), Milwood and the area around the Susanville depot. This territory was under the jurisdiction of the county to enforce. Some times they did and some times not. Some county officials thought that prohibition since it was a federal offense, and it was up to federal officials to enforce it. Anyhow, here is the editorial.
Lassen Advocate, 20 February 1924 – Enforcement in Susanville. Not only the bootleggers of Susanville, but the consuming public at large is beginning to feel the pinch of an honest endeavor to stop illicit in traffic in Susanville.
Taylor Clement who has been on night duty relieving the regular nightwatchman has been giving the bootleggers a run for the money at night and they have been complaining. He makes his regular rounds every 15 to 20 minutes and has kept bartenders and proprietors busy by dumping their liquor. And he does not make his calls at any stated times. They never know when he is coming. A few nights ago, he through h is actions forced the proprietor of a Gay Street establishment to close. Later in the evening espying three men under the grammar school hill he threw his light on the same three men that had left the Gay Street resort. They broke a bottle that they had with them.
Between Marshall Lannie Long in the day time and Taylor Clement at night the bootleggers are between the devil and the deep. Even some of the heavy consumers are complaining that they can not buy a drink as often as they used to.
Looking west on Main Street, at Lassen, 1906. You can see the bandstand in the background. By the way, the gentleman crossing the street is Dr. W.E. Dozier. Photograph courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
Awhile back we explored the origins of the triangle at the west end of Susanville’s Main Street. For a refresher, you can read about it here.In the coming weeks we will explore how this intersection evolved over the years.
The 500 block of Main Street was criticized by many of its unkept appearance, with sagebrush creating a median. The Mountain Echo Band had an idea to change the scruffy landscape. In September 1902, an octagonal bandstand was constructed there and even adorned with electrical lights. On September 14, 1902, the bandstand was dedicated by the Mountain Echo Band with their first concert. Two weeks later it was focal point of a royal pageant during one of the infrequent county fairs. A few years later the Mountain Echo Band disbanded and the bandstand fell into disrepair. By 1906, one observer said the relic had become eyesore on the community. In 1908, it was torn down.
500 Block, Main Street, Susanville, 1911—C.R. Caudle Collection
Up Next: For nearly 80 years, the prominent Elks Lodge was street level.
For several years prior to 1912, the Pioneer had a biergarten next door. Courtesy of Philip S. Hall
In past, we have explored how instead of demolishing buildings, the buildings were moved to another location. In 1920, W.H. Tuttle purchased the Pioneer Saloon (722 Main Street, Susanville). Tuttle wanted to replace the wooden structure with a new two-story fireproof one.
The late George McDow, who was ten years old at the that time recalled the event of moving the structure: “We kids watched with great interest as they pulled the old wooden structure into Main Street with a horse-powered winch. Turning the building around one-quarter turn, they led it down Main Street hill on planks and rollers by means of the winch anchored at the top of the hill. On reaching the bottom of the hill between Union and Weatherlow Streets, it was turned back the quarter turn to its original position and moved backwards onto a vacant lot, where it still stands.”
In 2024, the building is still there, albeit in an altered state. The location is 924 Main Street.
B.R. Zimmerman residence, 45 South Pine Street, circa 1890. Courtesy of B.R. Zimmerman Collection
One of Susanville’s original streets, when the town was surveyed in 1863, it was the most western street. So named for the pine trees that are on the western edge of town. An odd thing about Pine Street, it initially went from Main south to the Susanville Cemetery. What is known as North Pine Street did not come into existence for a number years, and even then it only extended to North Street. For years it was known as Prattville Road, and this was route out of town, and the next town then in existence was Prattville, which the original town no longer exists as it demolished to make way for Lake Almanor in 1914.
North Pine Street, January 1916. Courtesy of Dolores Gasperoni
Beginning in 1922, the street underwent substantial changes when it intersected with Highway36 and more on that shortly.
The former Burroughs Building, built 1891, 100 South Lassen Street, Susanville, March 17, 2024
Back in January we explored the Susanville City Hall Centennial. The City Trustees considered moving city hall to a new location. In 1921, the City had created a Planning Commission. The Commission recommended the purchase of the Spencer/Burroughs block on South Lassen Street—just north of the Lassen County Courthouse. The majority of the block was vacant, but it would include a two-story combination lawyer’s office/residence. The vacant block would make an ideal public park/playground, something the residents had desired.* The building could be easily renovated into a city/fire hall or a new structure could be built. The Planning Commission ventured so far that they met with Harry D. Burroughs and the recommended price for the property was $20,000. The Commission’s proposal never went any further.
*In 1924 Fruit Growers built the first park/children’s playground adjacent to Riverside Drive, more about that forthcoming.
Centennials are important milestones. It was on Saturday May 21, 1924 that the Susanville Lodge #1487 of BPOE, better known as the Elks, received its charter. It was, by the way, a big day in Susanville.
It was a full day of merriment beginning at sunrise and lasting until the wee hours of Sunday morning. One hundred thirty eight members were initiated that evening. At 12:30 p.m. a special passenger train arrived bringing Elk delegates from the San Francisco Bay Area. Upon. arrival a excited procession picked them at the depot and proceeded to the lodge at the west end of Main Street.
Lassen Industrial Bank built this Susanville landmark in 1922. Some fifty years later Bank of America tore it down.
The most unusual event was that of Professor Stillman Taylor who was to do a high dive off the top of the Lassen Industrial Bank building, into a three foot deep bathtub of water. It was reported that after Taylor said his prayers a dummy was substituted for the dive.
Folsom/Houghton property, 1946–Special Collections, U.C. Davis
By the 1880s, the village of Susanville desired a public park. Then a township, its governing body was the Lassen County Board of Supervisors. That board balked at the idea.
In 1900, the City of Susanville became its own separate entity, but a city park was low priority. In the spring of 1928, the Rotary Club got on the park bandwagon. It set its sights on the Folsom property behind the American Legion Hall on North Street. M.O. Folsom offered the property at $6,000, with $750 down and $750 per year at six percent interest. The Rotary Club enlisted the aid of J.W. Gregg, a landscape architect with the University of California and paid for his expenses to visit Susanville. Gregg volunteered his time to design plans for a park on the Folsom property. The plans and his offer were then presented to the City. The City, while impressed, took the matter under consideration.
The Rotary Club continued with its efforts. In 1929, it put together a 10-year strategy plan for a park, and sought support from other civic organizations. At a park meeting on September 23, 1929, Frank Cady offered to donate $4,500 to purchase the Folsom property for a park. Folsom reduced his askig price to $3,500 as long as it was used as a park.Another $1,000 was needed to purchase an adjacent parcel from Med Arnold.
The wheels were set in motion. The Rotary Club approached the City Council which was agreeable to accepting the donation of the property should Cady purchase it for theCity. The Council agreed to move forward to implement Gregg’s plans. There was one slight problem—the property was located outside the city limits. The Council stated it would be necessary to form a park district. That would allow an venue for assessment fees for construction and maintenance.
The park district issue was presented to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors, as the proposed district fell under their jurisdiction and the Board agreed. The procedure called for a public hearing and setting of an election date. On December 2, the public hearing was held. The adjacent property owners were against it. The Board decided against the district. It was the Board’s opinion that Susanville residents would receive more benefits from the park, but the county would have the greatest burden of costs. The County vetoed the park district, and city decided to place the matter on hold.
P.S. – In the1920s, Folsom allowed this property to be flooded for ice skating.
In September 1933, the City of Susanville had transferred the right-of-way of Main Street to the State of California. This was in accordance with State legislation for integration of city streets that were part of the state highway system. In the beginning all worked well.
After World War II when life returned to somewhat normalcy, the City learned a few lessons of what they could and could not do—the hard way. In 1947, to alleviate congestion on Main Street, the City proposed to install stoplights at the intersections of Main with Lassen and Weatherlow. When the State Highway Division learned of this, it objected. The State said Main Street did not meet the requirement of 100 cars per hour passing through the intersections. Their solution to relive the congestion, introduce parallel parking on Main Street, then striping to make four lanes—two in each direction. That went over like the proverbial lead balloon with the merchants.
Over the next couple of years it was a highly debated topic. The resistance group was no match for the State.. In 1949, State Highway Engineer R.N. Putnam informed the City that it must discontinue angle parking on Main Street.
On July 10, 1950, the City Council moved forward to adopt parallel parking for Main Street. The Council no doubt was concerned that if it was not in compliance with State law, the State conceivably could withhold the City’s apportionment of gasoline tax money. The parallel parking ordinance went into effect on August 10.
There was, of course, public uproar. It was not until the summer of 1952, the issue had simmered down, and slowly everyone adjusted to the fact that parallel parking was here to stay.
One of the many wrecks at the retaining wall entering Susanville.
Susanville’s main thoroughfare has been an interesting political foot ball since the town incorporated in 1900. Initially, the major debate was fire issues. As the town progressed, some wanted civic improvements, others did not. Of course, those opposed, while they wanted nice items such as sidewalks, gutters, and paved streets, they did not want to pay for them.
The town’s Main Street would be and still is a contentious issue. The bickering between California Highway officials and the City began in 1920. The issue then, was the during construction of Highway 36 and its approach into Susanville.
The first battle was the approach. The City refused to give the State Highway Department the right-of-way to the town’s Main Street. The state would only build the highway to the city limits. To connect the highway to Main Street resulted in a nasty “S” curve. This was an internal problem with the city and problems with property owners not willing to grant right-of-ways to correct the situation. The retaining wall entering Susanville was the scene of numerous wrecks. But changes were on the horizon when the cash strapped city made a major concession that has ever since affected its main thoroughfare. More about that tomorrow.
