While it is nearly a month away, mark your calendar for a brief, but exhilarating early afternoon tour to get you into the spirit of things.
You will be introduced to some of Lassen’s eccentric permanent residents. Of course, one has to pay a pilgrimage to the one and only “Count” who died in 1662. That is not a typo and the marker was placed by unknown parties back in the 1930s.
Stay tuned for the details.
Today, at 8:15 a.m. marks six weeks since I underwent surgery for my broken hip. I arrived home one day last week, though I need the aid of a walker to get around, among other things. Slowly, but surely progress is being made. I have been assured that I should be able to attend the Lassen County Planning Commission meeting on October 7, followed by the Lassen College Board a week later. As I write this, though, that seems likes an eon away, having yet to be able to venture down the stairs and to the outside world.
While I was in rehab, I did make the best of my idle time when I was not in occupation and/or physical therapy sessions. One major accomplishment was the drafting of the Inspiration Point Tour presentation. When I will be able to do this walking tour, unfortunately, at this time I do not know. It may be a small practice run in November, and then a regular tour next spring. Too many unknowns, as not just with my walking ability, but weather and other factors to be considered.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to say a very big thank you to everyone, who lent a helping hand during this most interesting episode of my life.
On September 24, 1902, Miss Lena Long won a lively contest to be crowned Queen, which was part of the festivities of the first Lassen County Fair to be held in ten years.
Since I am writing this from a remote location, I do not have access to my files, a more detailed post is in the future. Just stay tuned and thanks for your patience.
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Susanville was in the midst of re-building its business from the devastating fire of June 1900. It was from that fire the led to the creation of the City of Susanville. Actually, the town suffered from many fires, and that history can be found here. What is interesting with this photograph you will notice the vacant lot between the Cohn Bros. and the Pioneer. It should be noted that the Pioneer used the lot for a beer garden, until O.M. Doyle constructed a two-story stone building that eventually became home of the Grand Cafe. The building to the right to the Pioneer, is still standing, the front having been modified and is home to Margie’s Book Nook.
Note: This article originally appeared on March 29. I am selecting some early posts, to fill in https://tipurdy.org/subscribe/while I am on the road to recovery. For five dollars by subscribing, you can receive a daily email on that day’s topic, and in doing so, help preserve a bit of history.
In February 1917, this new company was organized with Fred Bagin spearheading it. When the news broke, it made the grain growers of the Honey Lake Valley rejoice. After all, the flour mill at Johnstonville had been closed nearly a decade and the Janesville mill was operating at half capacity, and only during the harvest season. Continue reading Lassen Grain & Milling Company
In June 1915, Lassen County voters approved a $125,000 bond measure to build a new courthouse, to replace the old wooden constructed in 1867. Since it was deemed to use the existing site, the old one would need to be moved, while the new one was constructed. So in September 1915, the courthouse was put on rollers and moved fifteen feet to the property line along Lassen Street. It would remain in place there and used until the new courthouse was completed, mainly for storage, and the county offices found temporary housing in the Lassen County Jail.
In November 1916, the county advertised for bids for the sale of the old courthouse in anticipation of moving into the new facility. Plenty of people inspected the building. The county did not know when the building would be available. In January 1917, the county received two bids for the structure one from Sierra Packing Company for $50 and the other from Charlie Emerson for $60. The county rejected both and decided to auction it off. When that event would happen no one knew. There were delays in moving into the new building, one of the big obstacles was that of the cost of furniture. During the first week in April moving into the new courthouse began in earnest.
On April 28, 1917, the auction was held with George Bennett’s winning bid of $85. Bennett immediately sold it at a higher undisclosed amount to Dan Armstrong who tore down the building and used it for scrap lumber.
Since I am in early stages of recovery, it is too difficult to plan anything, since I have no idea when I will be home.
In the good news department, in between physical therapy I have drafted out the talk. Topics include, but not limited to Lake Lahontan and the difficulties of mining on Diamond Mountain. They are all inter-related.
On August 1, 1869 the first Mass to be held in Lassen County was at the home of Ned Mulroney near Susanville, with the 27-year-old Father Charles Lynch officiating. Since a circuit priest had to cover a large territory in Northeastern California and Nevada, Mass in many instances was only held once a year when the priest made his rounds.
In the 1880s with a larger Catholic population, and the Diocese territory smaller, Mass was be held in the Lassen County area twice year. There was also a movement to have their own house of worship instead of the courtroom in the Lassen County Courthouse or the hall in the Steward House Hotel.
This changed in the spring of 1892, when William Cain, a non-Catholic, donated a parcel land across the Susan River on Richmond Road, the current site of Poulsen’s Welding. In May construction began, the labor from church volunteers. As Father Thomas Horgan later recalled the driving force for the church came from three families—Bantley, Neuhaus, and Mulroney.
The new church had a seating capacity of 120, quite ample for their being about 100 parishioners. On June 26, 1898 Bishop Thomas Grace dedicated the Susanville church as the Church of the Sacred Heart.
Weather prognosticators are an interesting bunch. Last year was a record crop of acorns, I don’t recall ever seeing so many. Some people took that as a sign that we were in for a heavy-duty winter. We had the opposite, it being fourth driest on record. Continue reading Historic Weather Predictions
Today, it being Saturday and its August, it means it is Farmer’s Market at the Susanville Depot. However, it was not always scene of lively times. On October 12, 1979 the Southern Pacific closed the depot. Continue reading Susanville Depot Closed