In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Wagner Act. This was a gigantic leap forward for the labor movement. Of course, any type of sweeping reform like this gets challenged in court. In 1937, the Wagner Act was upheld and was a catalyst for union organizing. Of course, the sawmill workers of Lassen County embraced, it but there would be struggles.
By the late 1930s, a majority of the local workforce, outside the agricultural community organized their respective union, whether barbers or bartenders. The latter, however, would be included in the Culinary Workers Union. It Westwood the Local Union No. 654 from time to time would flex its muscle. Their protagnist was not the Red River Lumber Company, but H.S. Anderson Company who operated Red River’s commercial enterprises in Westwood. In 1940, H.S. Anderson had taken over the Westwood Club. They fired fry cook, Bill Knighton. In retaliation the four waitresses walked off the job and formed a picket a line. The Westwood Club would be forced to shut down for eight weeks until the issued was resolved.
In 1861, Carlton Goodrich settled at Mountain Meadows and would become one of the largest property owners there, as his ranch totaled over 7,000 acres. He located his ranch house just west where the highway crosses Goodrich Creek, approximately across from where the old chimney stands. It became known as Mountain House and was a popular stop for weary travelers. In April 1875, Sylvester Daniels paid Goodrich a visit while touring the region and wrote, “I love these mountain folks. No aristocracy among them.” When Goodrich died in 1886, due to estate issues and the subsequent sale to John Crouch, the popular establishment closed. When the Red River Lumber Company established its Westwood operation, in 1912, they transformed the old Goodrich ranch into a dairy.
The reservoir as it appeared in 1914. Minnesota Historical Society
In the late summer, and some times in the fall the Board of Directors of the Fruit Growers Supply Company would make an annual tour of their mill operations and timber holdings in Northern California, which they still do, minus the mills. It should be duly noted that Fruit Growers is the co-operative purchasing agent for the citrus growers marketing co-op known as Sunkist. The reason for these holdings, was to provide wooden boxes for the shipment of citrus, prior to the advent of the cardboard box.
In mid-August 1955, the Board made their annual tour, and no one thought much about it. This was about to change with a sudden announcement. On August 25, 1955, H.A. Lynn, President of Fruit Growers made the following announcement: “A diminishing supply of company timber and the reduce requirement for box shook, the company will permanently close the Westwood Operation.”
It came as a shock, but then it was not. After all, it was a widely held belief, just how long could the lumber industry survive. In another announcement that year, Sunkist would no longer use wooden boxes for shipping, and made the conversion to cardboard.
The logging and mill operations at Westwood would continue as normal for the remainder of the 1955 season. In 1956, the process would begin to phase out and close the Westwood mill.
It just a few short years after Red River Lumber Company established Westwood in 1912, it became for awhile Lassen County’s largest town. This title would be short lived when Fruit Growers and Lassen Lumber established mills in Susanville, the greater Susanville region rivaled Westwood.
It was not until the summer of 1916 when an accurate head count was done to ascertain Westwood’s population. The Lassen County Board of Supervisors ordered a special census be conducted for Westwood to fulfill a requirement by California Political Code Section 4055. Westwood resident, Leo H. Donnelly, was commissioned by the Board take the census. On September 5, 1916, Donnelly reported to the Board that Westwood had a population of 2,319. Red River officials had estimated there were only 1,600 residents. The town continued to grow.
The 1920 United States Census indicated there were 3,300 inhabitants in the Westwood Township. This included a small group of people residing on ranches in Mountain Meadows who were not associated with Red River. In 1921, Frank Graham, who held a variety of positions with Red River over the years, prepared a list of interesting statistics concerning Westwood. Graham stated it was not sawmill camp or sawmill town, but “ a little city that that has sprung up in the woods during the last few years.”
Graham duly noted the town’s population at 3,638 that another 800 inhabitants lived in logging camps making for a grand total of 4,438. Among other items, Graham observed there were 700 dwelling houses, 350 telephones and 400 cars. In summation, Graham remarked, “Not bad for a lumber jack town.”
Westwood still had more growing pains. In July 1924 in order to have a better understanding how many people were in the community, Fletcher employed the services of Mrs. Sherwood (Winnie) Zinn to conduct a special census. In her findings she reported a population of 4,647. This included those who resided at the Goodrich Dairy, company ranches and Town Camp. In relaying this information to Willis, Fletcher wrote: “This count, along with absent and unfound citizens would justify a reckoning that we have over 5,000 people here.” Over the years, folklore of imaginations run amuck held that in Westwood’s heyday it boasted a population of 10,000. However, the Zinn census portrays an accurate record. The 1930 U.S. Census indicated a population of 4,602 and a similar number in 1940 before the population began a slow decline. In the meantime, while the population stabilized, production from the plant continued to increase. Innovations with machinery made the operations more efficient, thus no need to increase the workforce. In 1956, with the pending mill closure the population plummented to 600.
4th of July 1915 celebration at Westwood. Courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society.
This was unlike other patriotic events taken place across the nation that particular year. In 1914, after the completion of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad to Westwood, the Red River Lumber Company was eager to host an event to its neighbors to showcase their new town. However, it always turned out as a logistical nightmare, as other events prevailed. Instead of attempting to do something hasty in the short term, the company focused its attention on July 4, 1915. It was a grand success. A special train came from Susanville to Westwood for the day and those who traveled by car, allowed for thousands to attend not only traditional activities associated with the Fourth, but to sight-see and explore the new town.
The county wanted to oblige, but it had no funds. They deferred to take any action and turned the matter over to the federal immigration officials. J.C. Borden of the Immigration Bureau was brought in to investigate the situation. What he found on his arrival was that of the forty-five applicants only a handful were eligible to receive aid to pay for their return to Mexico. Yet, the issue was also moot, as Borden noted, because all the Mexicans had gone back to work. He informed the Board, should the issue arise again, that under a federal ruling any alien who had been in the United States for three years and becomes indigent can be returned to his native land with the cost borne by the federal government. Yet, Red River’s actions caused a lot of anxiety and speculation among its Mexican workforce. In January 1931 rumors circulated that it was going to eliminate all Mexican labor. Red River issued a statement to ease fears among its Mexican employees: “The policy is to employ this [Mexican] labor on certain classes of work as they are very satisfactory in certain moderately well paid positions, do not move around looking for other positions which cuts down the cost of labor turnover. They are considered essential and desirable as part of the plant personnel. It is not the policy to employ outside Mexicans while work is scarce, but it is the policy to take care of those who have been here for some time and have proven to be good workmen and citizens.”
The deportation issue did arise again, as unemployment was persistent with the stagnant economy. In the fall of 1931, Lassen County transported more than one hundred Mexicans to San Francisco, who were then handled over to federal authorities to deport them to Mexico. The county deemed it was cheaper to pay the transportation costs than to provide aid. Many of the Mexicans were willing to leave, and those who had the means left on their accord. The issue was not isolated to Lassen County for 50,000 Mexicans throughout California had been deported that year.
Westwood’s Old Town, home of many of its immigrant workforce. Courtesy of Hank Martinez
Note: This was one of my early posts, that a few people expressed an interest. It should be duly noted that mills of Fruit Growers and Lassen Lumber & Box also hired large contigencies of immigrants.
One of the more unusual annals in Red River’s history was deportation. Red River hired a large percentage of foreigners whether it be Scandinavians, Italians or Mexicans. With the downturn in the lumber market, the company was forced to layoff some of its workers. If they thought that the layoff was temporary, they allowed the affected worker to remain. By 1930, however, Red River sought alternatives, as they could no longer bear the financial burden.
In December 1930 Red River notified the Lassen County Board of Supervisors of the lay offs and sought aid to provide for the unemployed Mexicans in Westwood, with the emphasis to pay the costs for their deportation. This had not been the first case where aid for the indigent and/or deportation had been raised by Red River. In the fall of 1929, the first deportation occurred at Westwood. Six members of the Phil Trudeau family, who were in the country on a visitor’s permit, were returned to Canada and eight Mexicans were deported to their native land.
On January 5-6, 1931, the Board of Supervisors held a two-day hearing concerning the deportation of Mexicans at Westwood. There were forty-five indigent Mexicans at Westwood who had been laid off and Red River took care of their needs. Again, Red River felt that it was either the county or the federal government’s obligation to provide them with food and other basic necessities and not the company. The Mexicans did meet the requirements to receive government aid. Even though they were not citizens, they were legally here and had been previously employed.
To mark the end of mill operations at Westwood, in 1956, the last board cut in the dry lumber department there was signed by the last of the workers. It was piece of Douglas fir 5 1/2 inches wide by 9 inches high. Some of the records of Fruit Growers Westwood operation were transfered to that company’s office at Hilt. In 1999, it was discovered in the old Community Center at Hilt. At that time, the board was taken to Fruit Grower’s headquarters in Sherman Oaks, California and put on display. Whether it is still on display is not known.
In the mid-1920s, Red River Lumber Company had two hydro-plants in operation to generate power for Westwood. This abundant power supply created an unusual man-made landmark. Red River was able to conserve its sawdust/wood waste pile, which took on a life of its own as it started looking like a small mountain. This created a nice reserve of free fuel that was readily available at any time should there by interruptions from the hydro-plants. To comprehend just how large it was, a Ripley’s “Believe it or Not” column once designated it as the world’s largest waste pile. In 1941 it lost its status to Portland General Electric Company who reported having a 130-foot high pile of sawdust. Continue reading Red River’s Saw Dust Pile→
After the rioting broke out from the court hearing a small group of CIO sought shelter in their building, (it being a small structure measuring 16 by 24 feet). It was only a matter of time that angry mob would descend. Aid arrived in the nick of time before matters got completely out of control with Lassen County Sheriff Olin Johnson and his deputies. Johnson had Jack Granger, a respected AFL member, be his spokesman. Granger’s is plea to the angry mob stated: “Fellows I ask you on behalf of Sheriff Johnson and those women and children in the building to open way and let them be taken out of here. We are aware of the hysteria that got us all and there is no thought of fear. Let’s play ball with the Sheriff.” The mob obliged and all those inside—29 to be exact—were escorted unmolested from the structure by the sheriff deputies. It was still a harrowing experience as the crowd had slashed the car tires of the sheriff deputies and they had to drive away on the rims!
The AFL resented the CIO headquarters; many considered it a symbol of the labor problems of Westwood. Exactly what the AFL’s intention were was anyone’s guess. Once the evacuees were escorted out of the building, the mood of the crowd changed and then someone yelled, “Let’s do something.” Within in moments, the American flag on top of the building was lowered. Then in a wild frenzy the mob began dismantling the building. Within thirty minutes it had been reduced to rubble.
Tensions between the two labor groups would continue for years. Even after the AFL in a 1941 special election to become the sole union to represent Red River Lumber Company employees, resentment lingered with many CIO’s for decades.
