While T.B. Walker and his Red River Lumber Company had a profound impact on Lassen County, Leon Bly and his Eagle Lake irrigation plan ranks right up there with Walker.

The Lassen Industrial Bank was established in the spring of 1912. It met with such success that in 1914 they opened a branch at Bieber and in 1917 another branch at Fall River Mills.

With tremendous growth caused by the lumber industry, the bank built a $100,000 two-story building at the corner of Main and Gay Streets. But the good times did not last long. The bank had nearly over extended itself with loans to the farmers of Bly’s irrigation project, that had failed shortly after the tunnel was completed in 1923. This caused, the bank to start foreclosures on those farmers, and many of those properties were worthless without water. By the summer of 1928, the rumor on the streets of Susanville was in full blast, that either the bank was going to be sold, and worse yet go into bankruptcy. In early August 1928, A.P. Giannini of the Bank of America came to the aid with a $100,000 cash bail out, in which on December 1, 1928, officially took over the Lassen Industrial Bank.

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In the mid-1920s an impromptu airstrip was developed at the north end of Spring Street.  At first Red River Lumber Company, owner of the property had no objections. That changed with their intentions of the proposed Piute railroad logging line. Continue reading Susanville Airport →

During the Civil War of the 1860s, communities in support of the North, applied Union to street names, squares, etc. Susanville was a perfect textbook example.

Typical of the era, map makers were one dimensional. Susanville’s original plat, shows Union Street extending beyond Cottage and connecting Weatherlow Street at the Richmond Road bridge.  There were two problems. First the proposed street would dissect the block that was home to the Susanville School District. The other was the physical restraint of the hillside for Union to connect with Weatherlow. During the messy title problems of the 1870s, caused by  the town’s founder, to rectify this particular situation, that segment of Union to Weatherlow was abandoned.

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In 1913 a new fraternal organization was organized–Susanville Lodge 1397, Loyal Order of Moose, commonly referred to as the Moose Lodge.

The following year, the lodge decided the town needed a celebration. The Fourth of July was the only regularly celebrated event. The annual county fair had not been established. So the Moose Lodge decided on a harvest festival. In July 1914, they announced their intention to hold a four-day festival to commence on California’s Admission Day, September 9.

On the northwest corner of Main and Gay Streets (now the Bank of America parking lot) an open air pavilion was constructed. Also at Main and Gay , the lodge constructed an arch over Main Street.

A one block segment of Main Street, between Lassen and Gay was transformed into a street carnival. There were popular concessions such as a mirror maze, glass blowers, a musical show with six chorus girls, three comedians and a wheel of fortune. The farmers of Honey Lake Valley displayed specimens of their crops. Fehr & Worley of the Big Store (now Margie’s Book Nook) took the opportunity to show off their line of farm machinery.

Saturday evening was the climax of the festival. It was complete with a confetti battle and the merriment of locals dressed up for the “Parade of Horribles.” Some of the costumes were outlandish, but more important, it was an opportunity to have fun. A case in point Charlie Emerson playing the role of a blind organ grinder, and Dr. J.S. Wren as his monkey.

The Moose Lodge later reported while it was not a financial success, but that it was a successful venture as everyone had a good time.

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On January 22, 1859, Malcolm S. Scott claimed the meadows along Piute Creek, west of Susanville, that he named Spring Valley. Scott later abandoned his claim and the claim was taken over by Emanuel Brannon during the following year. Interest in the meadows fell by the wayside until 1873, when Robert M. Bean took possession of the meadows. Somewhere along the banks of Piute Creek, between Desmond Meadows and Susanville, Bean established the first brick kiln yard in Lassen County. In the year 1878, Bean manufactured 130,000 bricks. Hard times quickly fell upon him. Because of his creditors and the death of his wife, Alice, Bean sold the meadows to Jonathon Lovell, a Susanville blacksmith. Ownership of the meadows changed hands numerous times during the early 1880s. In 1886, it was purchased by John and Hannah Desmond from M. C. Bishop for $1,500. Married life for the Desmonds was not pleasant. In 1890, the couple separated and Hannah remained at the meadows. For the next ten years, to support herself and her family, Hannah operated a firewood business. The County of Lassen was one of her major customers, purchasing eighty cords annually at a $1.50 per cord. On November 19, 1900, Desmond sold the meadows to Anton Bantly for $2,000.

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