This is the first featured “mobile home” located at 250 South Roop Street, Susanville. It was originally located at 30 South Roop Street and was built in the mid-1870s. In July 1921, Dr. C.F. Compton acquired the residence and divided it into two sections—one side being living quarters, the other half his chiropractic office. In 1936, Compton sold the building.

In 1940, Cliff Gledhill purchased the property and he sold the house to E.W. Smith. Smith hired Baker McQueen to move the house to its current location. Gledhill had a cement building constructed on the old site and on May 22, 1940 it opened as a Western Auto Supply Store.

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Actually, “redux” is not exactly the word I had in mind. Many are familiar with the Roseberry House , 609 North Street, Susanville, which the historic home is a Bed & Breakfast. The house was built by local contractor Charles Odette in 1903 for T.A and Viola Roseberry. Many people, however, are not familiar that in that same year, Odette built a duplicate of the Roseberry House for George and Annie Bailey in the Tule District near Standish. However, the Bailey house is not visible from the County Road, since it sits back about a quarter of a mile.

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Of all the “mobile homes” this one was unique in a certain way. First a little background. The original Koken residence was on the corner of South Roop and Cottage Streets. It was moved to down Cottage Street, a short distance, to its present location of 607 Cottage Street. The reason for the move, was Safeway was building a store on South Roop Street, the building known today as the office Lassen Municipal Utility District (LMUD). Safeway needed the corner lot for parking for its customer, and site is still a parking lot.

Unlike the other buildings to be featured, this was the only that its exterior was dramatically altered, since it is now a two-story structure, which I am the occupant on the second floor. When the house was first moved, it was converted into a beauty shop. After the Hotel Mt. Lassen was destroyed by fire, one of its former occupants, Dr. Ray Packwood, an optometrist relocated his practice there. Packwood had previously purchased the lot behind the house, where he constructed a three-car garage, with an apartment above. However, I do not know when Packwood remodeled the Koken residence and added the second story.

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Long before the Earth Day movement, spring cleaning inside and outside of one’s home was the de riegeur of the day. Personally, I got a head start during the winter sorting through and tossing stuff, since it was one of the few things I could do during my recovery.

Anyhow, long before there was even a municipality of Susanville, by the early 1870s there was always a movement on hand for the residents to clean up the outside of their homes. Most of the residents complied. However, there was no public dumping ground. It would not be until that the City of Susanville acquired a forty-acre parcel for public dumping ground. This dump remained in use until the mid-1960s. Fast forward many years later, the site was cleaned up and is now part of Skyline Park.

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Some may recall last month about the story of building the current Masonic Temple in Susanville. That article contained a rare photograph of the building under construction. At that time, I gave the photo credit to Uncle Boyd, but I knew nothing about him, or even a last name.

It was in that same month, Dr. Greg Boomer was cleaning his office in preparation of his successor. Boomer came across five professional photographs taken in 1924. They were attributed to Greg’s wife, Connie’s family. When the Boomer’s opened practice in Susanville, Connie’s Aunt Hazel Benham sent them in case they might want to use them. Hazel was married to Boyd Benham. To make a long story short, in September 1924 Boyd’s father, Ed Benham moved his family to Susanville when he assumed the role of manager of the Liberty Theater. A member of the Benham clan was a professional photographer from Marysville who took the photographs while on a visit.

The reason for this account, is that from time to time, I am asked how I locate various historical photographs. This is one of many examples.

Also, a big thank you to Connie & Greg Boomer for sharing the photographs.

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