History

Lathrop City, Honey Lake Valley

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Mapes Ranch
Mapes Ranch, with Shaffer Mountain in the background, 1906. Courtesy of Madelyn Mapes Dahlstrom

You probably never heard of it. Guess what, most people in the Honey Lake Valley during the 1860s, never heard of it either. Today, it is known today as the Mapes Ranch, located four miles east of Litchfield.

In June 1859, George W. Lathrop and Thomas J. Harvey claimed 1,280 acres there. Located adjacent to the Susan River and the Nobles Emigrant Trail, it quickly developed into a station for travelers. On September 8, 1862, Lathrop sold this place to Uriah and James Shaffer for $4,250 and then the place was called either Lathrops or Shaffers Station. By 1863, it consisted of Shaffers station/trading post, Henry Lomas’ cabin and blacksmith shop, and a house belonging to Wilmans & Bass. At this same time, traffic along the emigrant trail increased dramatically as it was the shortest route to the mining discoveries in Idaho and Northwestern Nevada. With bright prospects, the residents plotted out a town and a name was needed. The place was best known as Lathrops. It was decided to name it Lathrop City. Henry Lomas, the “city’s” blacksmith recalled years later that the name was “Just too much for the town and it died a natural death.”

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History

Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints

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LDS Church
The LDS Church was located on the corner of Main and North McDow.

The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, also referred toas Mormons were slow to make an appearance in Susanville. It was not until1911, two missionaries, Elders Harry Janson and L.R. Halverson arrived in Susanville, though it appears their stay was brief. It was not until 1922, that the members of this church organized in Susanville. The initial families included those of Frederick Johnson, W.K. Davis, William Mortimer, Afton White, James C. White, John Heath and Peter F. Olsen.

Initial services were held in member’s homes. By 1924, their numbers had grown and they rented the Knoch Hall  for $2.50 a week. From there they moved to the Orpheum Theater and later to the OddFellows Hall.

Like so many religious institutions, they wanted a church of their own. On November 13, 1927, discussions were held to build a chapel. The site chosen was the northeast corner of Main and McDow Streets. On November 10, 1929, the church was dedicated by Heber J. Grant, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Thirty years later the members had outgrown the church. They selected a new site on Richmond Road. On November 5, 1961, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the $300,000 chapel.

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History

Tuesday Tidbit – Antelope Grade, 1947

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Antelope Grade, 1941

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but for me when it comes to old photographs it is the little things at times, that pique my interest. During the winter, I obtained a box from storage that contained a little bit of everything, but not necessarily what I was looking for.

This photograph was taken near the summit of Antelope Grade. What is interesting is you can clearly see the old and new grade, When researching the archives, it appears I have not wrote about the construction of the current Antelope Grade. I will have to add to my to do list.

Tim

History

The Chester Rodeos of Yesteryear

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Chester Rodeo, 1928—Margaret Purdy

Long before Chester’s big July 4, celebration, the first major special event that helped bring awareness to the fledgling community of Chester was a rodeo. In 1920, McKenzie & Stover sponsored the first rodeo in Chester at the Stover Ranch, and it was held there for the next eighteen years. Within a short time it became quite popular, initially attracting about a thousand spectators. As the word spread, by the early 1930s the crowds had swelled to between 2500 and 3000.

If the word-of-mouth advertisement was not enough to entice a person to attend, how could one not go wrong after reviewing this promotional literature of the event? “Cowboys, broncos wild steers, Indians, thrills, action and the shores of Lake Almanor takes on a scene of the old frontier. The wild west days of yore live and breathe in the 15th annual Chester Rodeo Pageant, Sunday July 28.

”Suddenly, like the roaring echo of Mount Lassen, the calm little logging hamlet, banked on either side by the tranquility of pine covered thickets of the Sierras, burst forth in gala Cowboy Rodeo Fashion almost overnight. A Cowboy’s curdling yipes-prancing cow ponies-the whirl of lariats-the snort of wild-steers careening, untamable broncos-strong wooden gates and corrals, wheezing and groaning with impending mass of animal flesh-a cloud of dust cheering grandstands; lack-a-day friends, it’s rodeo time.

”Join the throngs as they sit side by side in the tense moment, viewing the spectacle! Feel the thrills of your favorite cowboy. Give voice to your emotions as a wild bull bites the dust and is tamed to the tune of a husky cowboy’s bull-dogging yodel! Be red-blooded American and rejoice as history of the old wild west repeats itself. Plan now to have the adventure of a lifetime.”

In 1938, Stover & McKenzie held their last Chester Rodeo. It should be noted two years later saw the dissolutioon of that venerable partnership.

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History

Lassen Park’s Inferno Ski Race

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1937 Ski Jump across the park highway. Courtesy of the National Park Service

In the 1920s, three sports became mainstream in the nation’s recreation sector—golf, snow skiing and tennis. By the 1930s, in the region there were nearly a half dozen ski clubs, that were very active and creative, too.

In 1936, the Mt. Lassen Ski Club of Mineral created a mid-summer ski tournament. It was held on Lassen Peak, Lake Helen being the base, during the Fourth of July weekend,. However,  depending on conditions, it was sometimes held a bit earlier or later than the patriotic date. The club introduced a new event, known as the Inferno Race. This was no ordinary race, and definitely not one for novice skiers. The course was interesting and required a great deal of stamina just to reach the starting point, the summit of Lassen Peak, a climb of 2,200 feet. Usually only a dozen or more skiers participated in this slalom race, which had four gates, and two turns and one jump across the park highway. The event continued through 1941, but conditions created by World War II brought an abrupt halt. This is one of many prime examples that after World War II was never resurrected.

It should be noted that there some individuals who climb the peak to the top and ski down during the summer months.

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History

Susanville’s Edsel Dealership

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80 N. Roop St.
80 N. Roop Street, Susanville, May 3, 2015

For a brief time, Susanville had its own Edsel Dealership though it did not last long. In 1957 it was housed in a brand new building at 80 North Roop Street.  Of course, Ford’s Edsel automobile was a failure and the model soon abandoned. Many seasoned residents will recall this building housed the California Department of Motor Vehicles for many years. It is now the home to Lasco and Rooptown Bicycles.

Tim

History

Gov. Brown Opens New Facility at Susanville

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Humboldt Times, July 14, 1963

Supposedly, today marks the closure of the California Correctional Center on the eve of its dedication sixty years ago. The following is an extract from the Humboldt Times of Eureka California about the dedication:

”Before a throng of enthusiastic home townsmen, plus scores of interested correction officials. from other Western States, Governor Edmund G. Brown Saturday [July 13, 1963] dedicated the California Correctional Center the nation’s newest concept in corrections.

The $9 million institution for 1200 inmates is a pioneering idea, the first of four such centers to be built in California.

”In a former timber economy now reverting to agricultural and recreation, business leaders of Susanville and Lassen County look upon the new facility as their own. They threw a banquet for state Senator Stanley Arnold of Susanville, author of the enabling legislation for the entire program, and the laurels were almost unprecedent.

”Besides the stimulus of actual construction, the new facility has 260 Department of Corrections employees and 30 from the Division of Forestry. These are permanent, mostly with families, and their annual payroll is more than $1,750,000”

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History

Susanville’s Fruit Growers’ Subdivision

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Sunkist Street, 1921. Courtesy of Ed Standard
Sunkist Street, 1921. Courtesy of Ed Standard

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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History

Northern Counties Utility Company

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Birch Street, Westwood. Courtesy of Hank Martinez

In 1945, when Fruit Growers Supply Company took over the town of Westwood from the Red River Lumber Company it presented all kinds of problems. It should be noted for the record, Fruit Growers did not want Westwood or its mill, but it was packaged deal to obtain Burney Tract which contained a billion board feet of timber.

Westwood provided all kinds of challenges for Fruit Growers. What worked for Red River, did not for Fruit Growers. To provide water, telephone and electrical service to the community Fruit Growers formed the Northern Counties Utility Company. It was necessary for the company to avoid the involvement with its lumber and timber operations.  The residents were not happy with any change, and in the past their utility cost were included in the rent. Fruit Growers did not initially charge a separate utility bill. This, of course, was an accounting nightmare for Fruit Growers. In 1945, the utility company lost $35,549.65. Fruit Growers covered the loss from revenues from rental properties, but it was still a out-of-pocket loss for Fruit Growers. In 1956, when Fruit Growers sold Westwoof it was no longer their problem.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past