History

Goose Lake – Our Northern Neighbor

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Goose Lake

Goose Lake which straddles the California and Oregon border could be consider Honey Lake’s distant cousin, thrice removed. It was not all that long ago, that it was finally declared a closed basin. That reference that the lake has no outlet. However, it had an outlet at one time, and when it overflowed to the North Fork of the Pit River. Some records indicate that the last time it happened was in 1881.

In the late 1860s, when settlement began in the Goose Lake Valley, water was diverted for irrigation never reaching the lake. The lake is shallow, having a maximum depth of twenty-four feet, similar to Honey Lake. In times of drought the lake dries up.

Just like Honey Lake, Goose Lake had its own ferry boat the Lakeview. It was launched in 1909, in part of the promotion of the Oregon Valley Land Company, which is an interesting tale in itself. The ferry ceased to exist in 1924, when the lake went dry.

Tim

History

Red River’s Westwood Club

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Westwood Club–Courtesy of David B. Martin

Company town’s such as Red River Lumber Company’s  Westwood, in a rural setting had its challenges. To prevent labor turnovers, recreational outlets needed to be provided. However, this one amenity was not a cure all. In the 1920s, with affordable automobiles and improved highways laborers had an upper-hand in mobility. One of Red River’s earliest endeavors in its newly constructed town of Westwood, was aptly the named the Westwood Club. This institution included a restaurant, lunch counter, soda fountain, cigar and newsstand, a barbershop, reading room and a billiard room. While many enjoyed the Club, it did prevent Red River’s high turnover rate with employees, or with management. If there was a bright aspect, that due to high volume of high traffic in and out of Westwood assisted in the construction of Highway 36 between Red Bluff and Susanville. It would also be catalyst to establish Highway 32 to Chico. The Westwood Club was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1944, the cause was never determined.

Tim

History

Susanville’s Emerson Hotel Revisited

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Emerson Notel under construction at Main and Lassen Street, Susanville, 1901-Mary Deal Folsom

I rescanned  this photograph in hopes the new scanner features would be an improvement. I think it was a toss up. On the the other hand, newer readers might be interested about the Emerson Hotel, which would be later replaced by the Hotel Mt. Lassen.

In the late 1800s, one of Susanville’s prime property in its business  district ,was  the corner of Main and South Lassen Streets, that was never developed for its full potential. In June 1900, the Susanville business district consisting of south side of Main Street from Roop  to Union Streets was wiped out by fire. It was a clean slate for rebuilding.  Susanville entrepreneur, Charlie Emerson had a grandiose plan for the  Main and Lassen Street location.

The Emerson Hotel located at Main & Lassen Streets, the current site of the Hotel Mt. Lassen.

On July 31, 1900 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the largest most expensive building to be constructed in town to date. It was  Emerson’s three-story hotel, encompassing a quarter of a block on the corner of Main and Lassen Streets. Emerson invested some $300,000 to construct and furnish  the brick building that contained 27,576 square feet. The ground floor was devoted to commercial and the upper two floors contained 76 guest rooms. A grand opening was held on June 3, 1901, and The Emerson became the town’s premiere social hub.

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History

In Memory of Mark Arnold 1881-1898

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Mark Street, Susanville, August 2, 2025

Mark Arnold’s life was cut short. In late April 1898, he had an attack of appendicitis at Hayden Hill. He never recovered and passed away in Susanville on May 7, at the age of seventeen.  A native of Susanville, and a grandson of the town’s founder, Isaac Roop, he was born on October 17, 1881 to Alex and Susan Arnold. He was laid to  rest in the Susanville Cemetery, but there is no marker for his grave.

His family did finally remember him.  In 1920. the Arnold family created two subdivisions just north of present day Memorial Park. There was Arnold Orchard Tract and the Arnold Addition.  Separating the two, was one block long street between Grand Avenue to the east and North Weatherow. They named it Mark Street, in honor of Mark Arnold.

The intersection of North Weatherlow and Willow Streets, Susanville, 1960.

The street would double in length when on July 6, 1952,  the City of Susanville approved the Compton Orchard Subdivision. The new subdivision created 51 building lots. Mark Street was extended by one block to connect with Parkdale Avenue. Other streets were extended as well, Arnold, Parkdale and Willow. A new street was created–Vista. Construction of the streets began in the fall of 1952.

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History

An NCO Feeder Line?

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Susanville, 1905- Dick & Helen Harrison

In January 1899, the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (NCO) after a decade of stalled construction announced its intention to  construct northward. Of course, the rumor mill went into overdrive as to whether that route would include Susanville. The NCO stated it was to build onward to the Madeline Plains.

This event coincided with the recently organized Citizens Improvement Club of Susanville. E.V.Spencer and L.C. Stiles were appointed to negotiate  with the management of the NCO, or in the instance the canterkous, Erasmus Gest, the general manager. They reported the meeting to be cordial, though the NCO was not going to extend any other assistance  than what it had done in the past–nothing. The bottom line if the people of Susanville wanted to construct a feeder line to connect with NCO they would have to do it themselves. It was estimated that to build and equip the line would cost $100,000.

During the remainder of 1899, Spencer worked diligently for a railroad branch from Hot Springs (Wendel) to Susanville. Spencer consulted with the affected property owners along the proposed route to seek right-of-way. Spencer proposed that the line would not stop at Susanville but continue west into the timber region. He said this would create thousands of jobs in the lumber manufacturing business, and that everyone’s investment for the railroad would rapidly pay for itself. But it was a futile attempt. After all, the community could not even raise $450 for a town hall, let alone a $100,000..

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History

Charles Gardner-Red River Timber Cruiser

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The grave of Charles Gardner, Westwood Cemetery, 2013.

In August 2013, I conducted a Westwood Cemetery Tour. Since Westwood began as a company town of the Red River Lumber everyone worked together in a common goal.

With that in mind,  in every operation, everyone plays an important role, as one cannot exist without the other. But before you can build a mill, first you  need timber. That is where Charles Gardner, along with brother Irvine, better known as “Ippy.” The Gardner brothers, along with E.G. Scammon were part of the early California timber cruisers working under T.B. and Clinton Walker to not only examine timberlands, but also had the tedious jobs of going to a variety of county courthouses to examine land titles, so see who owned what parcel, values, taxes, etc. In a relatively short time frame of just over a decade Red River owned nearly 800,000 acres timberland in California making it the third largest landowner in California, only behind the railroads, who received their land for free from the government. Even after the Red River assembled its timberland, there was still plenty of work for the timber cruisers to do. Chief among them, was to plot out every year which sections of land that would be logged.

As it was in the past, timber is still part of Red River’s heritage, as certain heirs of T.B. Walker have retained their share of the timberland. It is now operating under Red River Forests, which is managed by Beaty & Associates.

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History

A Jolly Candidate Loser

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Granville Pullen-Courtesy Philip S. Hall

Years ago, California counties each had several townships and they  had a Justice of Peace and Constable. The justice court, then,  presided over many cases such as minor infractions of the law.  They also performed many marriage ceremonies and even presided coroner’s inquests when necessary.

On the November 3, 1914 ballot, there were seven candidates of Justice of Peace of Township No. 2  and they were: Clinton DeForest; Granville Pullen, T.T. Gross, R.R. McMurphy, Guy P. Thomas, Frank Alexander and Gilbert DeForest. The Lassen County townships, it should be noted did not have the same boundaries as the County Supervisorial Districts. Township No. 2  at that time included Janesville, Johnstonville and Secret Valley.

Clinton DeForest won election with 102 votes. Granville Pullen garnered 54 votes. When Pullen filed his expense account he paid $2.00 for candidate cards and $1.00 for Auto hire. In the total he put “$3.00 Fun”. Out nothing, got nothing. He stated that he had much fun on the campaign trail.

A final footnote. The salary then for the Justice of Peace was $25. a  month and the Lassen County Superior Court Judge was $4,000 annually.

Tim

History, News

St. Francis Hotel – A Year Later

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St. Francis Hotel fire, November 1, 2024-Susanville Fire Department

It was a year ago today, that Susanville’s St. Francis Hotel went up in flames. It was an arson fire, and suspect, Tahne Willow Orr was later arrested. Orr would later enter a guilty  plea and on July 22, 2025 she was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Ruins of the St. Francis Hotel, August 3, 2025

Cleanup of the burned out ruins was another matter. The City of Susanville would have to go through the abatement process to get job done as the owner was difficult. In July, Lassen County Superior Court appointed Dan Collins as Receiver to oversee the clean up that was estimated at $496,146.50.

Saint Francis Hotel, circa 1940.

The actual work on cleaning up the site began in late September and it is almost complete. It is strange to see the site as a vacant lot. When I have an opportunity I will take a photograph to share with the out of area readers.

Tim

 

History

Almost Thrice Buried

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Original Lassen Monument, August 11, 1959

Today marks the 225th anniversary of Peter Lassen’s birth. A lot of ink has used chronicle his life, and some on his demise. Lassen met an untimely death on April 25, 1859 in the Black Rock Desert some 125 miles east of Susanville. In November his remains were brought back for burial in the Honey Lake Valley and placed near the majestic Ponderosa pine tree where he camped there in 1855.

Lassen’s funeral was chronicled in the Territorial Enterprise newspaper of Virginia City. The paper noted: “The remains of Peter Lassen, the old pioneer, were buried with Masonic honors, Sunday November 27, on his own ranch at Honey Lake. The attendance upon that occasion, was a very large one for that place.”

From time to time visitors were critical that the residents of the region did not maintain Lassen’s gravesite. In 1889, the Reno Evening Gazette commented: “A reporter visited the grave of old Peter Lassen and says the monument which is very soft rock rock is fast crumbling away and if neglected in a few years there will be no monument left to the mark the grave of the old pioneer. The monument bears date of April 14, 1859. We think that the citizens of Lassen County should in some manner raise sufficient money to purchase and erect a handsome monument in place of the old one.”

From that time forward suggestions were made to do something, not only for better care of the monument, but improvement to the grounds as well. Nothing ever materialized but talk, and no action. In the early 1900s, a proposal was made to move the monument and Lassen’s grave to a more fitting location–Sutter’s Fort, Sacramento. While a controversial hot topic for awhile, it too subsided.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past