On February 28, 1865, fourteen Milford residents petitioned for a school district for their town that would divide Lake and Long Valley school districts. In March 1865, the Board of Supervisors granted their request. In July 1865, Ezra P. Soule and Henry C. Stockton built the first schoolhouse for $500. In 1883, the voters narrowly passed a special tax for $160 to construct an addition to the building. Milford’s population continued to grow and a larger school was needed. On May 12, 1888, the voters approved a $1,400 bond measure and a new schoolhouse was constructed adjacent to the old one. By the 1960s, rural schools were on the brink of extinction, and Milford was no exception. In 1965, the upper grade students were transferred to Herlong Elementary. In 1966, the school only taught grades one through three. The Milford school closed in 1967. Of note, both schoolhouses still remain, each one converted into a private residence.

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On November 6, 1956, Jeanette Worley sold the Knoch Building to  Tony and Hersoula Legatos for $69,500. It marked the end of era of the Knoch family’s influence in Susanville history.

It all began in 1864, when her grandfather David Knoch opened a general mercantile store at 722 Main Street. In 1877, Knoch made Jules Alexander, a junior partner in the business. Eleven years later, Alexander married Knoch’s only daughter, Rae. They had two children; Jeanette who married Jesse Worley and Edythe who married Justh Fehr. Continue reading The Knoch – End of an Era →

In February, I inaugurated  a book-of-the-month, that featured Sagebrush Reflections. After all proceeds from book sales not only help support operations, but help finance future publications, in this case the stories behind the brands of the Pioneer.

With that in mind, how well do you think you know Susanville? This book is a comprehensive look of one of the oldest communities of the western Great Basin may have you thinking twice. Weather is a universal topic, yet do you know what year there was only one winter storm or the other extreme with a record 36.7 inches of precipitation? This is the tip of the iceberg of topics explored.

Of course, major historic events from its fires that led to the creation of the city to when lumber was king and with its decline, the prison industry became a hot topic. Interspersed are fascinating tidbits—telephones introduced in 1911 to the last passenger train in 1933.

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I may never forgive Congress when they corrupted holidays to make three-day weekends.  One of the victims was Memorial Day.  As it was the custom, prior to the change, everyone went to the cemeteries on that day. Now, it is whenever you get around to do it, though unfortunately time has taken its toll and fewer people observe the original intent of the holiday.

However, I still follow tradition. Actually, it takes me several weeks to take care of everything.  One project that I am slowly working on is the polishing of headstones. It is slow and tedious but the final result is worth the effort.  During the St. Patrick’s Cemetery Tour I did a brief demo on the grave of Minnie Ramsey.  The technique is simple, a pumice stone and lots of elbow grease. One can spray the surface with water, but that is a messy procedure, and dissolves the pumice stone quickly. If you want to go the extra mile, once the grime is removed, spray with WD 40. Let it sit for awhile ten minutes or so, and then use a damp cloth to do the final cleaning. This removes any residue of the WD 40, which is necessary otherwise dust, etc would cling to the stone.

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