The road has been plowed, but what do you do if there is an oncoming vehicle?
The caption states taken “near Westwood,” but when it was taken remains unknown. When winter snows arrived on the east slope of the Sierra, travel across the mountains came to an abrupt halt. It was that natural barrier why east slope residents since the 1850s sought for their own self governance.
What is intriguing about this photograph is the road is plowed. In the late 1910s when Westwood was established, there was a competition with that community and those in Susanville to see who would be first to cross over Fredonyer in the spring. In addition, no doubt with a ting of spring fever, the two communities led a joint effort to clear each other’s side of the mountain of the snow.
When Highway 36 was completed between Susanville and Red Bluff in the late 1920s, when winter arrived the California Highway Department closed the highway. After intense lobbying, in 1929 the state agreed to plow the road for snow removal, thought initially it was sporadic.
Model Laundry, 435 N. Roop Street, April 1938–Betty B. Deal
A lot of people have been curious about stone and cement work at the intersection of Roop and Cherry Terrace in Susanville. It was the original home of the Susanville Creamery. Then it was transformed into Model Laundry which remained there until 1950, when it relocated into their new building on the northeast corner of Main and North Spring Street. You can learn more about the original post at Roop Street Remnants. However, the original post did not include a picture of the building, hence this update.
435 Roop Street and the remains of Model Laundry., September 3, 2018
Southern Pacific’s railroad trestle at South Lassen Street, December 1955.
The floods of December 1955, locally and throughout California was a notable event to say the least. It began with warm rains on December 15th and by December 20th, 4.41 inches had fallen in Susanville. The snow elevation remained high, and on December 20th there was 21 inches of snow on Fredonyer summit. The rain continued turning the Susan River into a raging menace. Conditions worsened as the river brought assorted debris with the floodwaters. The debris became a major obstruction when it collided with the Southern Pacific’s railroad trestle at Susanville’s Lassen Street. On December 23rd Marvin D. Coltran, a member of Southern Pacific’s bridge gang fell into the water there. Efforts were made to reach him, but the river’s swift current swept him away.
Riverside Drive, Susanville, December 1955
Relief from the rains arrived in the form of snow on December 28, when four inches fell in Susanville. In December 13.03 inches of rainfall was recorded in Susanville.
This is a tragic tale of a indigent burial in the Susanville Cemetery. It incensed those in attendance to petition the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to make sure it never happened again. The petition, which is transcribed below, fails to mention the deceased. Who that person was, we might never know. California law did not require that births and deaths be recorded until 1905. There are gaps in the local newspaper, so that avenue could not shed any light on the subject. The minutes of the Board of Supervisors might have information, but those early records are in storage during the courthouse renovation process.
February 6, 1889 — To The Honorable Board of Supervisors of Lassen County
”The undersigned citizens, your petitioners, hereby report to you of a certain burial made this day by the County Officer that we witnessed the same day and hereby most earnestly and candidly condemn the same—as the most atrocious, outrageous and indecent ever by us witnessed. There being no box nor covering for the coffin and the dirt thrown on the coffin lid and the treatment before burial of the corpse. The most inhuman barbarous and disgraceful. We therefore ask that hereafter the person who shall bury the county dead give bonds for at least a decent burial.”
Finally, it should be noted that of twenty-six people who signed the petition, nineteen of them would eventually be buried in the Susanville Cemetery.
1926 American Legion Convention delegates arriving at the Susanville Depot. Courtesy of Nellygrace Stoll.
Yesterday, the topic was about the chamber of commerce wanting a new Susanville Depot, instead all they got was an addition to the existing depot.
The world was changing rapidly. Between the affordability of the automobile and the construction of highways changed the way the public traveled. The automobile provided freedom to go places whenever a person wanted to do so, and no longer restricted to train schedules. The golden era of passenger train travel was drawing to a close.
The increased use of automobiles and trucks began to take its toll on railroads. In 1933, Southern Pacific railroad officials studied those impacts on the Westwood Branch. To eliminate mail and passenger service it was estimated it would save the railroad $25,000 annually.
On September 29, 1933 a two-day public hearing was held to abandon passenger service. In the late October it was approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission. There was one stipulation. In times when highways were closed by winter storms, the railroad would be obligated to provide passenger service. The last passenger train left Susanville on November 30, 1933.
Susanville Depot, 1929—Hank Martinez
It should be noted, while regular passenger service was discontinued, there were on occasion into the 1950s were exceptions ,made and passengers rode in the caboose.
The send off of the first recruits of World War I from Lassen and Modoc Counties at the Susanville Depot. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
In February 1926, the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Southern Pacific officials for their desire for a new depot in Susanville. It was their opinion that they had been short changed since day one. After all, the depots in Litchfield and Westwood were three times the size of Susanville. In their plea, the Chamber wrote:
”Susanville wants a new station and not a makeshift addition to the present one. It is recommended that this new station be of native wood with cedar logs for columns and its construction and architecture be typical of a lumbering community. In other words, the town does not want the stereotypical production of yellow stations which are turned out like so many sausages or tin lizzies. It wants something distinctive and judging by the amount of business in sight, as the cinnamon bear said to the cinnamon bun, ‘I don’t see why we should not have one.’”
The Chamber put forth a strong argument, stating just the growth warranted such. The population had swelled to over 20,000 and prior to the railroad was only 4,000. The Chamber cited how inadequate the current depot in handling freight, citing numerous problems. The Chamber went on:
”Passenger Needs: Passengers require a new and separate passenger station. We believe that such a station should be built with the idea of the rate at which Susanville is growing and adequate for traffic needs not only for the present but for the next five years at least. We believe further that in-so-far as consistent with the general policy of the Southern Pacific, that such a station should be designed to meet the peculiar climatic conditions of the city which in this respect is so radically different than most cities of California.
“We believe these requests are reasonable and feasible and that they are justified by the volume of traffic. We request your earnest and earliest consideration of them.”
A month later, Southern Pacific officials arrived to make an inspection after the receipt of the Chamber’s letter. They took the matter under advisement. Later in the year, they announced they would build an addition to the depot, by extending the depot by 75 feet. It continued with the same buff (yellowish) color typical of Southern Pacific depots. If it was of any consolation, at least it was not a typical Southern Pacific depot.
Main Street looking west towards the intersection of Weatherlow, 1937–Margaret Purdy
In the fall of 1926, Susanville installed stop signs at the intersection of Main and Weatherlow Streets, citing safety concerns and to control speeding somewhat. It was by and large ignored. That was going to change. City Police Chief, Lannie Long made it known that beginning on November 21, it would be enforced and tickets issued.
Motorists for the most part obliged and those who did not yield to a full stop were initially given a warning. However old habits are hard to break, and soon motorists started going back to their old ways and and breezing through the stop signs. A crack down had begun and tickets issued. During the week of December 16, 1926 nineteen tickets were issued for failure to stop, including well known local attorney Hardin “Finn” Barry. The fine $5.00. By spring motorists were generally in compliance, and tickets became less frequent.
On December 2, 1938, Father Patrick J. Moran became the fourth priest at Susanville’s Sacred Heart Church. A dynamic figure, he would leave an indelible mark over the next twenty-eight years.
Father Moran’s first crusade would be a vigorous campaign to raise funds to build a new church to replace the existing church that had been built in 1892. The existing church could no longer accommodate a flourishing parish.
Another problem with the old church it was cold and drafty in the winter months—with its only source of heat and ornate pot-belly wood stove.
The original altar at Sacred Heart, circa 1910. Courtesy of Milton Mallery
After Moran’s first winter, enough was enough. Father Moran had the following notice published in the Lassen Advocate on November 26, 1940: “That weekday Masses will be celebrated each morning at the parish house during the cold months as it is impractical and unnecessary to heat the church each morning for the services. However, Sunday services would be held in the church.”
It would not be until 1949, when the new church was completed.
Red River’s snow roller in action. Courtesy of Calvin Sharp
Any weather prognosticators out there? Meteorologically speaking December 1 marks the first day of winter. The winter of 1915-16 was brutal. Snowfall was heavy throughout the region, and it was unusually wet. One storm in January dumped over four feet in Susanville. It was necessary for the Southern Pacific Railroad to bring in a rotary snow plow to keep the rail line open between Susanville and Westwood. In Westwood, Red River came up with a contraption they called a snow roller to compress the snow. Once all the snowstorms subsided in early January, it turned bitter cold with long periods of below zero temperatures. Because of the water content in snow, Red River officials dubbed the condition as “Blue Snow.”
Smoke Creek Desert looking towards Sheepshead, fall, 1977
First of all, I want to acknowledge the late J.S. Thompson, who was not only a good friend, but one of his main interests was early Nevada military history that he graciously shared with me.
United States military presence in the Honey Lake Valley was sporadic during the Indian conflicts of the 1860s. Initially, Fort Crook, now Fall River Mills, during the 1850s was the nearest military outpost. In 1858, Fort Crook soldiers had an encounter with Pit River Indians at the northwest corner of Eagle Lake, but never ventured to the Honey Lake Valley.
Relations between the Native Americans and the Anglo settlers had deteriorated by1859. The murder of Edward Clapper and Peter Lassen in the spring of that year in the Black Rock Desert, did not help matters—the Indians rightfully/wrongfully were accused. Between that episode and increased traffic on the Nobles Emigrant Trail, the military made an appearance. During the summer of 1859, a military outpost known as Dragoon Bridge or Willow Creek Station was established along the Nobles Trail where it crosses Willow Creek in the Honey Lake Valley. These troops came from the San Francisco Presidio.
Tensions between the Anglos and the Indians did not improve. On January 13,1860 Dexter Demming was murdered by the Indians in Willow Creek Valley, north of Susanville. It was like a slow burning fuse that would ignite into the Pyramid Lake War of 1860. After Demming’s death the Honey Lakers petitioned California Governor Milton Lathom for military assistance. By the time their letter was received in Sacramento, Lathrom was out of office, he only served five days as governor!
Not all was a loss. In the summer of 1860 the San Francisco Presidio sent troops to the Honey Lake Valley and established Soldiers Bridge along the Susan River near present day Litchfield.
Susan River, near the Soldier Bridge military site. November 19, 2015
In 1861, the area had no military presence. Things changed quickly with the mining discoveries of the Humboldt in Nevada and the quickest route was via the Nobles Emigrant Trail. This prompted military officials to establish a permanent military outpost at Smoke Creek near the California/Nevada border. The troops, it should be noted came from Fort Churchill, Nevada.
For whatever reasons a mobile military unit named Camp Johns established a base camp near Susanville in June 1864. They did a reconnaissance of the area to Modoc and Northwestern Nevada. The troops came from Fort Churchill and returned there in August. They were replaced with a new set of soldiers with the same mission, and the camp was renamed Susan. It lasted briefly, and the soldiers returned to Fort Churchill in October.
That was the end of actual physical military presence of the region until the establishment of the Sierra Army Depot in 1942. However, there were Camp McGarry and Fort aka Camp Sage that I will write about in future posts.
