The flooded dairy, April 1938. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
In 1909, Cy Houghton arrived in Lassen County. After the establishment of Westwood, Cy went to work for the Red River Lumber Company. In 1934, he located to Susanville and opened a dairy, which is now Memorial Park. In 1938, the dairy received extensive damage from the Piute Creek flood. At one point he considered abandoning the dairy, but changed his mind. In 1942, Cy’s Dairy closed for business. Not one to be idle, Cy later went to work for Sierra Army Depot and retired from the place in 1957.
Another view. Most people know this site today as Susanville Supermarket. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
Standish Branch of the Bank of Lassen County inside the Wrede Hotel
For a time, Standish was a very prosperous community in the Honey Lake Valley. Not only did it have numerous businesses, but a hotel, and a creamery, too. Everything was so good, in fact, that it even had its own financial institution.
In 1892, the Bank of Lassen County was established in Susanville, the first of its kind in Lassen County. In the spring of 1915, the bank announced it was going to open its first branch in Standish. However, it encountered some delays, especially with the installation of big safe, inside the Wrede Hotel, where the branch office would be located. On August 30, 1915, the branch opened with W.H. “Wally” Fulton, as the manager. Fulton had a long association with the financial institution, and equally important was well-known in the Standish region, having been married to Kathryn Mapes. The Standish Branch operated for ten years, closing its doors on December 31, 1925.
Wally Fulton later moved to Susanville and in 1933 became the City’s Treasurer. He remained in that position until his untimely death in 1941 by suicide. He used a gun in the city vault, and waited until the noon whistle from the Fruit Growers mill to mute the sound of the gun shot.
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On January 16, 1911 M.O. Folsom unveiled his East Addition to Susanville subdivision containing 300 lots. Many of its north/south streets were named for trees, i.e., Ash, Cedar, Fir, Spruce. The east/west were numbered, i.e, First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth.
Ash Street, initially ended at Fifth Street. Travelers headed north either used Hall Street or Weatherlow Street to Chestnut. In 1947, Ash Street was incorporated into the Lassen-Modoc Joint Highway #14, the pre-cursor to State Highway 139. Ash Street was extended to connect the highway making for a straight route into Susanville.
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So it is a different from the French version. On this day in 1993 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for High Desert State Prison. Long before construction of its neighboring prison the California Conservation Center as it was originally called, was highly debated. So much in fact, the issue whether to build a second prison was put before the voters of Lassen County in June 1992, that won by a 58 percent voter approval. High Desert State Prison was designed to house 4,500 inmates and opened in September 1995.
A native of North Carolina and born on 29 April 1813, is in many ways considered the original dean of Lassen County’s legal community. Like so many, he slowly worked his way west. His first stop Montgomery County, Indiana where his four children were born. Then it was to Iowa for a brief spell. In 1849, Harrison set out for the gold fields of California and like so many others, had never mined before.
Fortunately, when he arrived in Shasta County he was able to fall back on his original profession as an attorney. He served two different terms as county judge in Shasta, and then moved to Red Bluff. There he served a term as Tehama County District Attorney. In 1862 he was lured to the mines of Unionville, Nevada. Again, he fell back on his previous profession and passed the Nevada bar exam.
In 1863 he returned to Red Bluff to spend the winter and the following spring moved his family to Susanville. On October 18, 1865 he was elected county judge of Lassen County. After his two year term expired, he continued with his mining interest. In June 1868, he was appointed to the position of Lassen County District Attorney, as Isaac Roop failed to qualify for that job. He remained in that position until his death on April 24, 1870. It should be duly noted that some of his descendants still reside in Lassen County.
While working on an article about the Ramsey family and ranch operations, I came across the above photograph in the Ramsey file that I had forgotten about. About fifteen years, or so ago, I went to Reno visit with Keston Ramsey. Keston was born in Susanville on August 1, 1908, the son of Max and Lola Hunsinger Ramsey. It should be noted among Keston’s many activities was that in 1945 he built and opened the Sky Tavern, the first ski resort on Mount Rose. He was also a co-cofounder of the Reno Junior Ski Program.
Roop’s Fort. Courtesy of Keston Ramsey
Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. Some of the photographs Keston shared with me was that of Roop’s Fort. Keston always referred to it as the old apple house. In should be noted that in 1863, Isaac Roop gave the property to his three children which he referred to it in the deed as the old Homestead place.
I thought some people might be interested in these two views, in light of the recent completion of Roop’s Fort Restoration program. It should also be noted, the original structure did not have a high pitched roof. It was modified by the Arnold family for the storage of apples and hay.
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In 1919, when the Fruit Growers Supply Company decided to locate its second lumber mill at Susanville, they thought that community would come forth to provide housing for its workforce. It kind of happen. Yet, Fruit Growers with over 1,000 employees for its Susanville operation, was too much for the community to handle. To be able to attract a stable workforce, Fruit Growers only option was to develop its own residential district next to the mill. Those streets all have names associated with the citrus industry, such as Sunkist.
For those not familiar with Fruit Growers, it is a purchasing agent for co-operative then known as the California Fruit Growers Exchange comprised of citrus growers. In 1907, the Exchange coined the brand Sunkist and in 1952, they renamed the Exchange to Sunkist.
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In November 1921, a fire started at the Native Sons of the Golden West Hall on the corner of Lassen and Nevada Streets. The two-story wooden structure quickly spread next door, which ironically housed the city’s fire hall, and it, too, was destroyed in the blaze. Continue reading Susanville’s City Hall→
Abe Jensen probably has the distinction of the youngest person to record a livestock brand, which event occurred on October 11, 1917, when he was only nine years old. Albert Abel Jensen, was a member of a pioneer family. He was the great- grandson of Henry C. Stockton, who was one of three original Lassen County Board of Supervisors appointed by the governor in 1864 to organize the newly formed county and was elected to that office on May 1,1864, serving one term. It should be noted that in 1863, Stockton settled to the west of Devil’s Corral, along the Susan River and operated a sawmill. The property still remains in the family, with Abe’s nieces and nephew in charge.
Abe was a Lassen High graduate of 1926, and continued his studies at Stanford where he graduated in 1930. He continued with the ranching activities like his father, Bert. It should be noted that Bert was instrumental in resurrecting the Lassen County Fair in 1922, and the property that is the current county fairgrounds belonged to Bert Jensen. Besides ranching, Abe served as the Lassen County Fair Manager from 1946 to 1968. In 1973, Abe, and his wife Adelaide moved to Reno, where he passed away in 1989.
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4th of July Parade, Susanville, 1912. Courtesy of Leona Byars
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. Continue reading Susanville Bans Fireworks→
