Oakes and Philbrook’s furniture store under construction at 800 Main Street.
On June 6, 1900 a destructive fire wiped out a major portion of Susanville’s business district on the south side of Main Street from Roop to Union. But prior to fire, the Susanville School District had hired Reno contractor C.E. Clough to construct a two-story brick school to replace the wooden one on Cottage Street at a cost of $12,500.
As noted yesterday, was the construction of Emerson’s three-story brick hotel. Clough kept really busy. On August 29, 1900 the Methodist Church hired him to build a brick church for the wooden destroyed earlier by fire at a cost of $4,739. Next up was Oakes & Philbrook Furniture Store at the southeast corner of Main and Gay Streets. That building along with the Methodist Church are the only two still remaining.
The Susanville Grammar School, nee Washington, as it appeared in 1948.
Emerson Hotel under construction, 1901. Courtesy of Mary Dale Folsom
After the devastating fire of June 6, 1900, a new Susanville would arise from the ashes. In addition, the town witnessed a substantial use of brick for the preferred building material.
On July 31, 1900 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the largest most expensive building to be constructed in town to date. It was Charlie Emerson’s three-story hotel, encompassing a quarter of a block on the southwest corner of Main and Lassen Streets. Emerson invested some $300,000 to construct and furnish the brick building that contained 27,576 square feet. The ground floor was devoted to commercial and the upper two floors contained 76 guest rooms. A grand opening was held on June 3, 1901, and The Emerson became the town’s premiere social hub.
Emerson Hotel
The Emerson Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1915. Ten years later, it was replaced by the Hotel Mt. Lassen at a cost of $300,000.
Cady Springs Overflow, Susan River Canyon, October 1972.
While many may be aware that Cady Springs located three miles west of Susanville in the Susan River Canyon is a major source of the City’s water supply. It was initially known as Big Springs. On March 28, 1864, Susanville resident Luther Spencer filed rights to Big Springs with the intent as future water supply for the town. At that time, the source for Susanville’s water came from Piute Creek. Spencer’s good intention never came to fruition.
In 1869, a group of Susanville residents formed the Susanville Water Works with the same proposal as Spencer. Their first priority was to survey a ditch to convey the water, which they did. When they reached out to the community to raise funds to construct the ditch, they found none. In due diligence, in 1872, a initial work began on the ditch, and thus Susanville’s new water supply.
In 1896, Frank Cady purchased the Susanville Water Works and owned it until 1930 when he sold to the Republic Electric Power Company and it was in the era when the springs became known as Cady.
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The Arnold Planing Mill along the Susan River near the Richmond Road bridge was one of the most photographed landmarks in the area before it was destroyed by fire in 1914. Of course, enhancing the view was the Susanville Grammar School (later renamed Washington) on the hill above. Then there was the wooden Richmond Road bridge that was replaced in 1915.
Richmond Road Bridge, circa 1910. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
The Susanville Volunteer Fire Department went all out to put on a two-day grand Fourth of July celebration for 1916. The festivities began at 9:30 a.m. on Monday July 3 with a band concert with the music provided by the Westwood Orchestra. This was followed by horse races, foot races, more band concerts, a boxing match topped off with an outdoor evening dance.
The activities kept coming the next day. There were firemen’s competitions between Alturas, Susanville and Westwood. There were more boxing matches, baseball games, band concerts with a parade that afternoon.
At 8:30 p.m. was the grand fireworks exhibition. The location and viewing points were unique, no doubt with fire safety in mind. The fireworks display occurred at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Prospect on the bluff above the Susan River. The public was urged to view the fireworks on the opposing bluff where the Susanville Grammar (nee Washington) School. An hour later a Mardi Gras and carnival dance capped the celebrations.
The grammar school, 1915. Courtesy of Royce Houston
D. Wood & Sons Butcher Shop, Susanville, 1914. Courtesy of Verna M. Wood
In the spring of 1910, the Hunsinger & Wood Meat Market wanted to inform their customers that they have a nice supply of pickles, cheese, cooked ham and smoked fish. This they believed would solve anyone’s lunch problem.
On Thursday, June 24, 1926 the City of Susanville ordered a ban on fireworks due to the high fire danger. The city, as a precautionary measure, asked the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to burn the vegetation bordering the city limits.
The next morning around eleven a.m. all hell broke loose when a forest fire broke out about four miles south of Susanville. By noon the Roy Ramsey ranch house (known today as Les Allen) was in the fire’s path. Fortunately, the nearby Ramsey irrigation ditch was able to fend off the fire. Next in harms way was the Lassen County Hospital which narrowly escaped the fire’s fury.
In effort to keep the fire from reaching town, a back fire was set. It was not good. It did the opposite, starting a branch fire just below Hobo Camp, and in the worst case scenario, jumped the Susan River and headed towards Inspiration Point. A fire crew was stationed on Quarry Street, at the base of the bluff as attempt to keep the fire under control, though a flare up nearly threatened the Elks Lodge. On the other hand the timber on Inspiration Point bluff was not spared. By Monday the fire was finally suppressed. Amazingly, not a single structure was lost, though the Red River Lumber Company did loose considerable timber.
Main Street, Susanville, 1945.
One may ponder why I used these two photographs for illustration. If you examine them, the 1915 shows the bluff forested, the latter thirty years later, with pine trees missing due to the aftermath of the fire.
Note: This is a perennial post, because in a rare instant, it is a viewpoint that has merit. In Susanville’s early years as an incorporated city, it was remarkable what the council did. One of their actions, I still support today, and that is the prohibition of fireworks. The first time they banned fireworks was in 1906, following the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake and fire. It was also a nod to the insurance companies who suffered tremendous loss from that event. It was their belief, as well as many other communities, that this preventive measure would reduce the risk of fires.
In 1912, the City once again banned fireworks. The Lassen Advocate applauded the city and wrote: 21 June 1912 – “No Fireworks on the Fourth. We desire to congratulate our Board of Town Trustees on their action in placing the ban on all kinds of fireworks on July 2, 3, and 4. This action has been taken by large and progressive cities for years past, and we are greatly pleased to note that the smaller places are falling into line. Fireworks do no good and may do a world of harm. Fires may be started that will blot out blocks of cities or towns; little boys and girls all over the United States have lost fingers, hands eyes and in many instances, their lives from the dangerous pinwheel and firecrackers. Let them yell all they will, let them spend their money for ice cream, candy—anything on earth but the fireworks.”
In 1916, the Monticola Club appeared before the Susanville City Council asking for a ban of fireworks for the 4th of July. Their answer was no. The council assured that the utmost care would be done, but they were not going to deprive children of the festivities. In 1926, for some unknown reason the City banned fireworks for fire, health and safety reasons. In a near future post we will explore how a forest fire in late June 1926 threatened the town.
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Main Street, Susanville, 1885. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
On the night of June 19, 1889 a substantial earthquake was felt in the region, followed by twenty-eight aftershocks. Of course, most everyone assumed the culprit was Lassen Peak. However, upon further investigation the epicenter was Eagle Lake.
Thomas Ford, editor of Bieber’s Mountain Tribune traveled to Susanville during the earthquake. Ford wrote: “Arriving at Susanville at six o’clock in the evening, we found things pretty shaky; experienced four shocks that night and was told that it had not been a very good night for earthquakes either. The people did not appear much disturbed by them; were going right along with their business as if nothing had happened, and were philosophically disposed to take their chances on what might happen. Many were the accounts or what had happened since the shaky season began—such as Eagle Lake sinking two feet, the waters of Willow Creek being higher than ever before, water in the reservoir muddy, ashes found in wells, beer shooting up fifteen feet out of the tank of Frank Runge’s brewery, etc. Different theories as to the causes of earthquakes were advanced, and when asked our opinion we replied that we were not acquainted with earthquakes, and did not desire a more intimate acquaintance or further introduction.”
In 1869, Elliott Winchester petitioned Lassen County for aid for his indigent father, Anson. He was awarded $10 a month.
Yesterday’s feature about the Winchester barn brought to my mind, Anson Winchester, whose descendants still reside in the region. Anson Winchester was born on December 3, 1790 at Worchester, Massachusetts. He was an elderly man when he came to the Honey Lake Valley, when his son Elliott located there in 1864.
Anson died on September 19, 1877 at Johnstonville and is buried in the Susanville Cemetery. He is one of about dozen individuals interred there who were born in the 1700s. It is remarkable to think that four centuries are represented in that cemetery!
