The following is an interesting description Susanville that appeared in its 1956 business directory. Thought some might enjoy.

Welcome to Susanville—A City of Uncomplicated Living. A beautiful. modern little town nestling under the bluffs of Inspiration Point, surrounded on three sides by towering snow clad peaks, is bisected by the clear bubbling waters of the Susan River. Located on State Highway 36 at the intersection of U.S. Highway 395, 35 air miles west of the Nevada border and equidistant from the Oregon border and the elbow bend in California.

To the north, south and west of the city is the land that traveled Californians love. All the mystery, legend and folk lore of the romantic, the startling and the beautiful lies just over the hill from Susanville. You don’t have to wait to reach Lassen Volcanic National Park, nor the Feather River Canyon; as the fabulous wealth of breath-taking beauty that abounds in the myriad lakes, streams and timber bordered meadows start practically at our city limits.

To the southwest we have Honey Lake with its miles of green plain, beyond which lies the sage brush country Zane Grey loved to describe. We are doubly blessed with the wide open plains, and wide open mountain roads where we can pull off the road of any favored scenic spot.

Join us in this country where the water tastes like water and not like liquid from the test tube of a disgruntled chemist; a land where your nerves get a chance to breathe, and where your only road reads “Watch for Deer on the Highway.” That’s Susanville, California.

Tim

Today, something on a lighter note, though the issue was a serious one. A century ago, the City leaders were a progressive lot. One item they sought was to have paved streets and sidewalks. This was an expensive proposition, and would be paid by a special tax assessment on the property owners. Of course, not every one was thrilled. However, one clever resident suggested that Susanville adopt the City of Redding’s policy of imposing heavy fines on speeders. A speeding ticket in that City cost $10. Since speeding was a problem in Susanville, the collection of hefty fines could easily pay for the sidewalks!

Tim

Believe it or not, over a century ago many professional occupations such as dentist, doctors and lawyers struggled financially. While compiling the history of the northern California operations of Fruit Growers Supply Company, I met Tom Gilfoy who illustrated that aspect, In 1950-51, Tom attended Lassen Junior College. He would spend the next two summers working in woods for Fruit Growers Supply Company. He said he made more money during those summers, than he did his first few years as an attorney.

Anyhow, when I had request for information on the Emerson Ditch, I knew it would require sorting through the Emerson files in my archive. While I did locate information on the ditch, I found an assortment of interesting documents.

Dr. A.P. Deacon was a Susanville dentist in the early 1900s. His office was located on the first floor of the Lassen Street side in the Emerson Hotel. Like his fellow predecessor, Dr.J.G. Leonard, whose home would later become the Elks Lodge struggled with patients for payment of services rendered. This had a ripple effect wherein Deacon fell behind on his rent payments with C.E. Emerson. In 1904, he moved his practice to Willows, California and the prospects there were not any better. Unable to make a payment to Emerson, on August 31, 1905, Deacon wrote this letter;

”Friend Charley – Tomorrow is the date that the first of my notes [promissory] is due, but I am very sorry to say that I am unable to pay it at present. I will, however, send you whatever amount I can spare each month, until I am out of your debt. Thank you very much for your opinion of me, if some of the people up there would make an effort to pay me that I do to pay my bills, we would all get along much better. I have the highest regard for Dr. Dozier as a man could be, of course he had his faults, but then none of us are perfect, and I sincerely hope that he has cut out the booze and his former type of companions, and is doing well. Everything is quiet here, but the prospects are good. “

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