In the spring of 1910, a new telephone company for the region was established—the California Northern Telephone & Telegraph Company. The principal figures behind the company were W.E. Hills, Scott Hendricks and A.J. Mathews. Their mission was to provide for long distance telephone service for northeastern California. On October 4, 1910 the City of Susanville granted the company a fifty-year franchise. In return the City received free phone service for the fire hall, marshal’s office and two-percent of the gross annual receipts.

In the summer and fall of 1910, company invested $30,000 to construct a telephone line from Susanville to Big Meadows (today Lake Almanor) and onward to Quincy. On September 12, 1911, the entire sysrem was completed, with hookups throughout the Honey Lake Valley. On that date, Susanville residents could call long distance anywhere in California! At the Susanville office, three operators were hired. Such operators were generally known as “hello girls.” Those initial operators  were Nina Turnbaugh, Lucille Pearce and Eva Lanigar. The first two worked the day shift and the latter the night shift. Telephone operators would be referred to as “hello girls” until the advent of World War II. In 1951, the operator’s job became easier with direct dialing, when rotary dial telephones were introduced in Susanville.

Subscribe

One of the inquiries received from the Ask Tim segment was for photographs of the old Honey Lake Feed Store on Richmond Road that was located across the Susanville Southern Pacific Depot.

It was built in 1917. At that time there was only one flour mill in operation, that was located at Janesville. It should be duly noted it was only in operation during harvest time. When Lassen Grain & Milling opened the Janesville Flour mill closed down permanently.

I do not have my notes handy, but if, and that is a big if, if memory serves me correctly Lassen Grain was acquired by Bronson &Doyle in 1929. In the 1940s, the flour mill portion ceased operation. The building was destroyed by fire in the early 1980s.

Tim

Not quite like the Bermuda Triangle, but it is an interesting piece of real estate, that really belongs to no one. Actually, the owner is the federal government, due to Roop’s carelessness. The Lassen County Assessor does not even recognize its existence of this parcel.

The property in question, is located at the west end of Susanville’s Main Street, which people are familiar is the triangle piece of property in front of the Elk’s Lodge, with the diverging Pine Streets going in different directions, creating kind  of like  a “fork in the road.” Currently, a community Christmas tree is placed there and in years past various other Christmas displays.

By the 1890s the local newspapers wrote editorials criticizing that it was an ugly patch of unkept property at the head of Main Street.  Relief came in 1902, when the Mountain Echo Band constructed a bandstand there. Four years later, the bandstand had been neglected and received community scorn for it being an eyesore, and was torn down shortly thereafter.

This parcel truly came into existence in 1922 with the construction of Highway 36. For years, the City of Susanville maintained it, by water the mowing the lawn. The Monticola Club would plant flowers along the lawn’s edge.  Today it is a dry patch of scorched earth.

Subscribe!

In 1875, Lafayette D. McDow constructed a house on what would later become of the southwest corner of Main and McDow Streets. McDow came to Lassen County in the 1860s, where he spent much of his time either operating a sawmill or mining on Diamond Mountain.

In 1920, McDow’s son, George and Russell Brownell subdivided property in the eastern portion of Susanville to be known as the Milwood Tract. Of course, McDow took the liberty to name the street after his family. His partner, Brownell did the same, when a street was named after him—Russell Avenue.

On June 28, 1928, the former McDow home was destroyed by fire. At that time, it was occupied by the J.A. Metz family. For Metz, the house was convenient, as he worked as the janitor of the nearby Lincoln School. This particular fire did not go unnoticed. It once again raised the annexation issue, since the outlying areas of Susanville were without fire protection. The battle was lost before it was begun, since opposition mounted with the main factor to become part of the city would raise taxes.It was not until 1947 when that area was annexed into the city.

Support