The private cemetery at 1-0-1 Ranch as it appeared in the 1930s. Courtesy of the National Park Service.
While I continue on my road to recovery. I will provide some news updates, even though the “locals” may be aware of it. However, this web site has a wide following, even internationally. Consider this someone from Tokyo researched Spoonville, another from Brazil searched the Bank of Lassen County. In October, an article will appear about readership topics.
Now to the topic at hand. The historic 1-0-1 Ranch at Mountain Meadows has been sold. According to news sources on July 31, 2015 Dye Creek Land & Cattle Company sold the 2,318 acre ranch to Sierra Pacific Industries, the latter, of course, always seeking to enlarge its timber holdings.
Included in the sale is the Coppervale Ski Area which Lassen Community College operates under a long term lease. Hopefully, Coppervale will be busy with skiers this winter.
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Westwood’s aviation history is an obscure topic. A crude landing field was established in the late 1910s on Mountain Meadows, about a mile south of the Goodrich Ranch. Initially, its use was nominal, due to its poor condition. In one instance, Joe Hunter received a call from a pilot in Red Bluff about the current condition who replied that it is a mud bog and unfit for landing.
In the 1920s, Fletcher Walker’s two sons—Fletcher Jr., better known as “Cub” and Kenneth—developed a strong interest in airplanes and became pilots. This interest in flying gained momentum in the area, so that in June 1928 the Westwood Auto Club spent $100 to clear the landing field of brush and fill in holes to make two 2,200 foot runways, thus the formal Westwood Airport was created—a first in Lassen County.
This caught the attention of Ted Campbell of San Francisco manager of Beacon Airway to examine the aviation field. He made an inspection to examine the possibility of establishing regular air service to Reno and other points on the Transcontinental Airway route. Yet, the prospect that Westwood residents would have nearby access to regular air service never materialized.
Yet, the Walker boys, as they were commonly referred to, were an adventurous lot. In 1928, They accompanied Dr. Thomas A Arbuthnot of the Pittsburg Medical College on a 10,000 mile African expedition from Cairo to Tanganyika, which they filmed their experiences. It was made into a film, The Wild Heart of Africa which made its debut in May 1929 in New York City. After that expedition they returned to their other passion, flying. In December 1928 they purchased a Travelair Bi-Plane, equipped with a 225 horsepower Wright Whirlwind motor. Cub spent a lot of time and energy in helping many Northern California communities in establishing airports.
The wrecked Walker plane.
On August 23, 1929, the worst aviation disaster occurred at the Westwood Airport’s brief history. Cub and Kenneth routinely flew over Red River lands to photograph them. In this particular instance they were returning from such an expedition. At approximately 6:00 p.m. they were approaching the landing field when suddenly the plane malfunction and plunged crashing on impact. Frank Stevenson and Mike Pappas witnessed the crash from afar as they were placing duck blinds on the far shore of Walker Lake. The two men rushed to Westwood to inform the family and gather a party to go out to crash site. Cub was instantly killed from a broken neck and the rescue party on their arrival found Kenneth regaining conscious and attempting to get out of the cockpit and later fully recovered.
The airport continued to see use in the early 1930s, but by the end of that decade, it had become a footnote in Westwood’s history.
Some may remember when I posed a question earlier, who was the most influential person in Lassen County. Well, it is T.B. Walker, founder of the Red River Lumber Company. His impacts are far and wide, and still lingers today. The historic Lassen County Courthouse came to be with Walker’s influence at the ballot box to pass the bond measure. Off tangent for a bit, there are some who think Isaac Roop is the most revered figure Lassen County has ever experienced. If you look at the record, Roop made a killing so to speak as a realtor, selling land that he did not own. Benevolent and generous, I do not think so, he sold—not donated—the courthouse block, and put in a covenant that if no longer used by the county it reverts back to his heirs. Enough said. Continue reading T.B. Walker→
In reality, Westwood had two distinct communities—the town proper and the neighborhood on the other side of the millpond. Mill B and the initial housing quarters were constructed on the east bank of Robbers Creek. All of the permanent facilities, including Mill A and the town proper were built on the west bank. The older community had been referred with several designations. In the early years, some called it Oakland, others Baytown. Whatever the case may be, residents of Westwood stated it was where the “foreigners” lived—mainly Italians and Mexicans. References in a pre-politically correct era dubbed the place Dago Town. Eventually, using a less derogatory tone it evolved into Old Town—being the original location of Westwood.
In the summer of 1943, a contest was held to rename Old Town. Thirty-nine people suggested ninety-two names. The new name selected was Pine Town submitted by Roger Mentick who received a $15 prize in War Savings Stamps.
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In the spring of 1917, Fletcher Walker brought up the topic that Westwood was in need of a house of worship with his father, T.B. and wrote: “We have come to a time when it seems inadvisable to put off further the building of a working church. The Sunday school had 255 last Sunday and the condition of the school in one of the old cook houses is such that the congestion prevents efficient work.”Continue reading Westwood’s People’s Church→
Millponds at lumber mills are a relic of the past. Those who have recollections, especially if living nearby can attest during the summer months of the odiferous stench from them. Continue reading Westwood Millpond→
Garfield Oates began his career as a mechanical engineer with Diamond Iron Works in Minneapolis. In the fall of 1912 he was sent to Westwood to supervise the construction of Red River’s sawmill, as it was designed by Diamond Iron Works, who supplied most of the machinery. After the completion of the mill, Red River offered him a position of resident engineer which he accepted. Oates designed many of the landmark buildings of Westwood including the Auditorium, Masonic Hall and Theater. He was very active in community and served many years as the president of the Westwood Auto which was a defacto Chamber of Commerce for Red River. After all, Red River did not need a chamber, since it was company town, so there was no need to attract businesses to locate there. Yet the Auto Club promoted Red River products. He died in 1934 after a four day bout with a gall bladder attack.
One never knows for sure where your final resting place may be. In one instant, there was a dis-internment of a grave of a person who died in 1924 from the Susanville Cemetery and reburied nearly 70 years later to a cemetery in Oroville.
Then there is the case of Amy Laughead. She was a first cousin to Red River’s founder, Thomas Barlow Walker. Her claim to fame, is that of her son, William B. Laughead, who developed the famous Paul Bunyan caricature that later became the trademark for Red River. Amy is a perfect example of you just never know where your final resting place might be. She died in February 1939 at Westwood and was buried in Sacramento. Seven months later, her son had her remains disinterred and brought to the Westwood Cemetery. When he died in 1958 he was buried in the plot in Sacramento where his mother was originally interred.
As we enter our fourth year of drought, let us hope it does not last as long the 1917-1937 drought. The most severe was the winter of 1923-24. Susanville received less than five inches of precipitation this year. It was so dry that winter that in the middle of March, a one-inch snow fall at Susanville caused great excitement. There was even a greater commotion when eighteen inches of snow fell. It disappeared in a matter of hours. That was the extent of precipitation for the winter. Continue reading The Drought→
In August 2013, I led a Westwood Cemetery tour as part of that community’s centennial celebration. The graves that were highlighted, provided a different aspect to Westwood and the Red River Lumber Company.
Robert Stinson was born in Quincy in 1882, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a commercial photographer. It was a tough trade to operate a business in a rural region. So like many others it became necessary to be itinerate traveling from community to community for business. In 1913, Red River hired Stinson as their company photographer, who at the time was located in Red Bluff. Stinson’s main job was to make a complete photographic inventory of all the buildings being constructed in the town, as well as the sawmill plant. A portion of this collection exists in the T.B. Walker papers housed with the Minnesota Historical Society. Stinson just happened to be at the right place at the right time, when Lassen Peak set off a series of volcanic eruptions beginning in 1914. Unfortunately, for Stinson and other photographers such as P.J. Thompson, are overshadowed by that B.F. Loomis, but that is another story, for another time. Stinson stay at Westwood was brief and left Red River in 1915 to be replaced Otto Kratzer. On a final note, Red River always had an in-house photographer, though they also hired others for commercial work.
