T.H. Long Building aka The Telephone Building. Courtesy of Phil Long
December 1, 1928 was interesting day in Susanville, especially at the intersection of Susanville and North Gay Streets. On this date, Bank of America took over the Lassen Industrial Bank. Safeway opened its store in the telephone building. Safeway would move several times, first to the Del Mar building on the 600 block of Main Street. In 1939, Safeway built its first store at 60 South Roop, known today as LMUD. In 1963, Safeway relocated to the 1600 block of Main Street, now the current home of Grocery Outlet. Then in the early 1990s to its current location.
Ice skating on the Fruit Growers millpond, 1921. Courtesy of Ed Standard
Way back in the day, and I am talking over a century ago, the two most popular spots to go ice-skating was Leavitt Lake and Honey Lake. There were on times, in Susanville, where the current Memorial Park is located, it would flood naturally, and with winter conditions freeze and the locals took that opportunity to ice skate there.
When the Fruit Growers Supply Company constructed their mill in Susanville it came with the pre-requisite millpond. In the winter, when the millpond froze, some took advantage to ice skate on the pond. It all seemed relatively harmless. On Monday evening, January 23, 1922, about twenty-five people were skating on the pond. Percy N. Wemple, age 11, ventured too far out, where there was still open water and fell in. O.O. Winn without hesitation jumped into save Wemple. However, Winn struggled to get out. F.L. Shank came to the rescue and both Winn and Wemple were pulled out. They were both rushed to Riverside Hospital. The shock of the cold water, was too great for young Wemple and he could not be revived. After this incident, Fruit Growers prohibited skating or any other activity on the millpond.
This is one of those interesting Ebay finds, that I could not resist. With the railroad quickly approaching Susanville to its south, major improvements were made to Richmond Road. To the left, the Lassen Townsite began development of its huge subdivision, starting with the construction of Riverside Drive. If you examine just beyond the intersection of Richmond and Riverside, one can see some disturbed ground. That was the original location of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which was moved in 1909 to Nevada and South Union Street.
Susanville’s The Big Store as it appeared in 1916. Photograph courtesy of the Worley family
In 1866, David Knoch purchased a lot on Main Street for $1,400. This address would later become known as 722 Main Street, the current home of Margie’s Book Nook since 1995. For the next 76 years three generations of the Knoch family operated the store. The current building was constructed in 1893, though it did received substantial damage from the 1900 fire.
In 1912, Fehr & Worley took over the helm of the general merchandise store, which they renamed the Big Store. Times were rapidly changing with the arrival of the railroad and lumber mills. In 1919, Fehr & Worley did the first remodel of the building changing its exterior and interior. They also opened a new department inside the store, and a first for Susanville—a delicatessen.
Mary Fern Long at the Carroll Street bridge, Richmond Road circa 1917—Leona Byars
While this photograph may not be distinct in the scene displayed, it still has some significance. The photographer, Leona Jackson Byars, daughter Rose Murrer Bagin, was best friend with Mary Fern Long who married Jim Nutting, an attorney and one time Lassen County District Attorney.
In the background on top of the hill is the 200 block of South Gay Street. Many of today’s existing homes have not been built.
The Johnston House, circa 1909. It was located on the north side of the 700 Block of Main Street, and the wooden buildings on that block were destroyed by fire in 1919. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
One of Susanville’s first ordinances, was a real attention getter and would dramatically change the town’s business district. Adopted in 1902, Ordinance No. 17 prohibited the construction of wooden frame buildings in the heart of the town’s business district—the four blocks on Main Street between Roop and Gay. It required building plans be submitted to the city clerk and to designate whether the building materials were brick or native stone. Roofs were required to be metal, slate or tile. This it was deemed to reduce fire, something that was dominate issue in the town’s history. In 1912, the ordinance was amended to include the block from Gay to Weatherlow.
In 1914 the ordinance was challenged in court. O.M. Doyle who wanted to build on the southeast corner of Roop and Main Streets, but thought the cost of non-flammable building materials was prohibitive. The judge in the case upheld the city’s ordinance. Doyle then had a two-story property constructed on the property in question, that became known as the Del Mar, which still stands today.
The real estate firm of Engel & Volker has listed the Hotel Mt. Lassen for sale, which has been vacant for a long time. Asking price $3.4 million. For the curious you can see the listing here .
Since the topic of cannabis is on the ballot in Lassen County, I thought some historical perspective might be of interest.
The headlines news on the front page of the Lassen Mail of November 23,1928 “Dope Plant Grown In Susanville.” The discovery was made by Sheriff Jim Leavitt, when investigating a dance at the Brunswick Pool Hall across from the Susanville Depot. Leavitt confiscated ten kegs of whiskey and ten pounds of marijuana. In addition, the owners of the Brunswick, Emma and Pete Ovalle were arrested on a narcotics charge for the possession of marijuana, besides the alcohol charges.
Marijuana was something new to the residents. The local press described it as a Mexican tobacco that is smoked like a cigarette, and said it has an exhilarating and soothing effect for the smoker and can also make on feel “goofy.”
The next day, officials conducted another search of the premises surrounding the Brunswick Pool Hall. They found marijuana being grown along the Susan River. It was determined that the marijuana grown there did not contain the elements of other varieties found in tropical climates. In addition, it was asserted that even if one smoke a ton of marijuana grown locally, it would not produce any kind of “kick.” Due to those circumstances, the narcotics charge against the Ovalles was dropped. As to the illegal alcohol possession they pled guilty and paid the $300 fine.
From time to time there is some local banter about Michael Shulman’s book Local Dollars, Local Sense. The gist of it if everyone invested just one percent of their money locally, it would greatly enhance the local economy.
A century ago, that was certainly the case locally. At the same time, this is when chain stores were opening in Susanville. Some held the opinion that these stores were a “menace” since their profits did not remain in the community. It should be noted the town’s two banks, Lassen Industrial Bank and the Bank of Lassen County were local institutions—they had a vested interest in the area’s economic prosperity.
It is also noteworthy how the citizens, raised funds as incentives to have the Lassen Lumber & Box Company and Fruit Growers Supply Company establish their lumber mills in Susanville. For Lassen Lumber the citizen’s offer was a 40-acre mill site, with water rights and $8,000 cash. For Fruit Growers 243 residents pledged a cash bonus of $41,130. Both investments paid off handsomely for the community.
The Lincoln School Remodel—Lassen Advocate, November 21, 1975
At the end of the 1966-67 school year, Lincoln School was closed, being replaced by the newly constructed Diamond View School. For a brief time Lassen College used the facility while its new campus was under construction.
In July 1975, Victor Bullard of Placerville purchased the shuttered Lincoln School. Bullard had the building remodeled. An addition was made to the front of the building, replacing the old exterior staircase. On December 1, 1975 the Eagle Lake District of the Lassen National Forest became the new occupants of the building. Previous to this, the District’s office was located in the former Paul Bunyan Lumber Company office.
