The Susanville Post Office on North Lassen Street adorns one of the older murals in town. While I am slowly working on the mural tour, this particular may not be included due to the hours of operation at the post office.
Construction of the Susanville Post Office began in 1937, and was one of the last Works Projects Administration (WPA) in the area. Another part of Roosevelt’s New Deal projects was Treasury of Fine Arts program. These funds were used to hire artists to adorn federal buildings. In 1939, San Francisco artist, Helen Katherine Forbes (1891-1945) was commissioned to do a mural in the Susanville Post Office entitled, “The Deer.”
Alexander Avenue came into existence in 1912 as part of the Lassen Townsite subdivision. It was named for Jules Alexander who came to Susanville in 1877 and eventually became a successful merchant. He left that field, and became involved in banking until his death in 1935. Alexander was also a major investor in the Lassen Townsite Company.
Alexander Avenue is one of those handful of city streets that witnessed a major realignment. In the early 1970s, the street was straightened between Main and Cornell, thus moving Sherman’s Texaco Station to the other side of the street, as Alexander had separated it from Walker’s.
Then there is the lingering issue, will Alexander Avenue be extended all the way to Richmond Road, as has been suggested in previous planning documents.
Camp A, Fruit Growers Supply Company, located just north of McCoy Flat Reservoir, 1921
There have been some interesting comments posted of late, so I take this opportunity to answer a few.
Seasoned residents may remember a row cabins near Cherry Terrace along Piute Creek, where Al & Joy Robbins is located. There was one large cabin, which was occupied by Dan Marmo. The smaller cabins, came from Fruit Growers Supply Company logging Camp 10, after it closed in 1952. Marmo rented out the cabins, some of those folks less fortunate than others. On occasion even a Lassen College student could be found there. There are still some of these old logging cabins located throughout Susanville.
One of the panels on the LMUD building, part of a forthcoming mural tour. The building depicted iwas the home of the Telephone Company . December 26, 2016
The Telephone Company building, is a reference I had not heard in years. However, it just so happens I am writing about it. The is the two-story stone building located on the northeast corner of Main and Gay Streets. It was built in 1914 and originally known as the Star Hotel. For a number of decades it housed Susanville’s first telephone company. When Safeway came to Susanville in 1928, it was housed there.
The slogan was incorporated in the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce stationery.
Harry Coleman possessed that wonderful “can do spirit” trait. He came to Susanville to manage Fruit Growers Story Club. In 1925, he became the post commander of the Thomas Tucker Post of the American Legion. Yet, it was previous year, that Coleman and four other post members made their ambitions known. In 1924, they attended the annual State Convention of the American Legion in Santa Cruz. They were not only there to promote Lassen County, but to put their bid in to become the host city for the 1926 convention. Initially, locally Coleman and company had a lot of critics who were skeptical about Susanville being a convention city. After all, it involved being host to some 2,500 people—more than double the town’s population.
The local Legionnaires began their campaign and traveled to various post throughout the state to obtain their support. In the beginning of 1925, four cities were in contention, including Susanville—the others being San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Stockton. By spring, San Francisco withdrew its bid and supported Susanville.
Their advertising campaign was called “Watch Our Smoke” a reference to Mount Lassen’s famed eruptions. One of their many selling points was how the community was joined together to build a new three-story hotel for the convention—and that is how the Mt. Lassen Hotel came to be.
Seasoned residents will remember with fond memories of the B&B, a fine restaurant and bar located in the Knoch building. Before it became the B&B it as the B.B. Liquor Store. The B.B. stood for Brouillard’s Beverages, after the owner, E.H. Brouillard.
Some may recall in the banquet room, there was a rather large canvas mural 6’ x 20’ of Mount Lassen. It was painted by J.E. Lane, and the mural still exist, it being in storage. It should be noted that two other works of Lane have graced the walls of the Lassen County Courthouse since 1917. One is of Susanville as it appeared in 1864. The other is of Warner Valley, with Lassen Peak in the background. Why the County Board of Supervisors selected the latter has always confused me. First Warner Valley is in Plumas County. And, secondly, Lassen Peak is in Shasta County.
Amedee, January, 1911. The “x” indicates the town’s old dance hall. Courtesy of Madelyn Mapes Dahlstrom
According to the weather gurus, this week we may experience a decent storm. January, typically, is when some of the record breaking storms occur. Take for instance in 1911, when in one storm Susanville received eight feet of snow. What was truly remarkable was Amedee, on the desert east side of Honey Lake received the same amount. Johnstonville resident, Robert E. Trussell, who was fourteen at the time, recalled you could not see a single fence post in the valley.
Construction of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad, west of Susanville in eight feet of snow.
In January 1914, snow pummeled the region. This caught Southern Pacific Railroad officials off guard. Talk about panic mode, and they recruited 1,000 men to shovel eight feet of snow, so as to not hinder the construction of the railroad to Westwood, to honor the contract with the Red River Lumber Company.
North Pine Street, Susanville, January 1916
In January 1916, single storm dumped four feet of snow in Susanville. Westwood on the other hand had eight feet of snow. This storm was followed with bitter sub-zero temperatures. The snowstorm paralyzed the NCO railroad in eastern Lassen County that resulted in a twenty-one day blockade.
A sample map from Susanville Strolls. I might need some assistance to draft new ones.
First of all, I want to thank those for such wonderful feedback. Folks, I think we are not exploring Susanville’s neighborhoods, but all the wonderful regional trails and other kinds of self guided tours to be created. I am excited, and the possibilities are endless It will be my goal to create separate page for these self guided tours, so they will be easy to find. In addition, unlike print format, updates can be made, such if a walker sees something of interest, that could be included.
445 North Roop Street is the oldest “house” still standing and part of the red light district prior to the railroad. November 7, 2015
One route I have already plotted out mentally. Using the intersection of North Roop and North Streets as a starting point. It is interesting to note that the 200-300 blocks of North Roop contain a wide variety of architecture—bungalow, craftsman, Italianate, Queen Anne to post World War II residences, and a hodepodge in between. Continuing further down street, then making a turn onto Chestnut, overlooking what was once known as Vallejo Meadows. Thence from Chestnut, a right at Parkdale, which was created in 1947 and either to North or a detour to Maple Streets. This particular stroll is approximately one mile.
Roop Street Remains, September 3, 2018
Finally, those who want to join me while I do a preliminary runs, on any given route, let me know. My schedule is flexible, so I can accommodate.
Well, I think I am experiencing some January doldrums. This got me to thinking about a mid-1970s publication entitled Susanville Strolls published by the Monticola Club. The booklet contains eleven different neighborhood walks. Included is a map for each one, and an interesting narrative of what can be seen along the way. What I am tinkering with is doing an updated version and publish each one on this site, so anyone could do the self-guided tours at their leisure. Let me know, what you think to see if this would be a worthwhile endeavor to undertake.
The aftermath of the fire. Courtesy of Margaret A. Purdy
On July 24, 1947, the Hotel Mt. Lassen was destroyed by fire. The fire was so intense that it completely gutted the structure. Fred Abbay, the owner of the hotel, estimated the loss of the hotel, its contents and the businesses housed there at $700,000. Initially, it was uncertain what would become of the property. A structual engineer was brought in to ascertain whether the exterior walls were sound. It was determined that they were. In the fall, Abbay announced his intention to rebuild the hotel, utilizing the existing walls. The rebuilt Hotel Mt. Lassen opened its doors to the public on May 21, 1949.
In 2019, the big question, since the place has been closed for nearly a decade, will it ever re-open?
This happens to fall under the year’s end clean up category. While the quality of the photograph has a lot to be desired, there are two items of interest. First it was taken in the late 1920s, either December or January when the area experienced a pogonip, notice the frost on the trees. In the 1930s, tennis courts were built on the site of the Courthouse Annex. It should be noted the current occupants of that structure prefer the high falutin name of Administrative Building.
