An inquiry was posted regarding the Bremner Dam and Log Slide and whether remnants remained. During the drought of 1976-77, Susan River dropped to record lows to reveal a portion of the foundation of the dam. Whether any remains will surface this summer remains to be seen, though doubtful since there was not much left in 1977. However, one can see portions of the road to the dam, below Pigeon Cliffs.
Tim
That was how the Sacramento Bee described the event, when a lumber truck overturned at the west entrance of Susanville spilling a load of lumber on August 16, 1982. A truck carrying a load of Collins Pine lumber crashed into the retaining wall on the west entrance in Susanville, careened out of control, rolled over scattering lumber across Cottage and South Pine Streets. The driver sustained minor injuries. Faulty brakes were to blame for the accident.
Tim
First of all, I want to thank Dan Dieter and John Gibson for the information they provided. The first from Gibson, was about Litchfield Depot’s first agent, James “Jimmie” Barnes. In one sense, Barnes was better known as an operator of a dance hall across the tracks near the location of 7-Acres. The hall was on the second floor. According to many an attendee, such as John Theodore, the place would be so packed that it felt as though the building was swaying. In 1931, Cindercone Dance Hall at Standish was the go to place.
Dieter provided me with a reference to a public hearing in 1953, about the closure of the depot. On January 20, 1953 the newly organized Standish Farm Center met with main topic being the proposed closure of the Litchfield Depot scheduled for February 13. Only days prior to the scheduled closing the California Public Utilities Commission, who regulated railroads in the state, informed the Southern Pacific Railway that due to the actions of the Standish Farm Center and the Lassen County Farm Bureau, that the Litchfield Depot would remain open. When it finally closed and was dismantled is still something to research.
On Saturday, August 14, 1926 an informal open house of Susanville’s new American Legion building was held. After all, next week would be very hectic with the State American Legion Convention being held in Susanville. It was because of that convention that made the building a reality.
On March 6, 1926 the Lassen County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to open bids submitted by contractors for the building. The county awarded bid of contractor T.J. Rees for $.26,750.* A second contract for plumbing and heating went to E.W. Woodward for.$1,770. It was the intention to have the building completed by July 4. That did not happen. It was not until mid-September when the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce and the Lassen County Farm Agent moved their offices into the Legion building.
*Rees also built the Hotel Mt. Lassen and Masonic Hall in Susanville.
There was a question posed about a dike/levee across Walker Lake also known at Mountain Meadows Reservoir south of Westwood. The above map shows a railroad logging line of the Red River Lumber Company, which the raised railroad bed, would appear as a dike/levee. Note, this map is prior to 1922 and the creation of the lake. So it appears, that at times when the lake is low, the railroad bed appears. Whether this still occurs, is not known, but one would think a century later, it would have finally eroded away.
Tim
On Saturday morning, August 12, 1978, 23-year-old Marc Doener of Monterey had a very memorable experience at Thompson Peak, that rises above Janesville. Doener attempted to hang glide off the top of peak. It did not go as intended. He lost control as he started to jump, the glider flipped plunging him into a 3,000 foot descent. Amazing when the Search and Rescue team found him he only sustained minor injuries, including a sprained ankle, cuts and scratches.
Tim
Naming of a locale can be an interesting tale, and Lookout is of no exception. For those not familiar with Lookout, it is located in Big Valley, on the Modoc County side, north of Bieber. It is for better or worse known the Leventon Blacksmith Shop and the 1901 Lookout Lynchings.
Near what would become Lookout is a small bluff above the Pit
River. The Indians had a camp there for several reasons, one of which it provided them a grand view of the area, i.e. a look out. Early Anglo settlers referred to it as Indian Look Out.
By 1874, a nucleus of a settlement had transpired. So much, in fact a post office was established named Riverside. It was short lived. In 1880, the Brownell Brothers who operated a general merchandise store in nearby Bieber, deemed it worthy enough to establish a second store at Riverside. According, to folklore, they had the fore runner of Burma Shave signs, and had signs posted “Look Out for our Store.”
The final version had to due with establishing a post office in 1879, as the Riverside was defunct. According to one account, a committee of Bob Whitely, Samuel Breeding, John Marcus, Peter Robinson and W.D. Morris were assigned the task to come up with a name. They climbed the hill where the former Indian encampment was located and Breeding stated, “This makes a good look out.” Thus, the name Lookout was submitted to the postal authorities and Lookout became the name.
Finally, I want thank a friend and fellow colleague, the late Lois Potter who provided a bulk of the information. She worked hard to preserve the history of Big Valley.
In 1888 when the Bremner dam and sawmill was constructed on the Susan River (two miles west of Susanville) it created a sizeable reservoir backing up water for over a mile. This was really beneficial in the spring months with high water flows, logs were cut and floated down the river to the mill.
On the north side rim of the canyon there was a heavy stand of pine timber. The dilemma how to log it? In the summer of 1891, some one came up with a solution. Because of the steep incline an impromptu dirt log slide was developed, and it worked!
With Honey Lake now being transformed into a dry lake bed, its hard to imagine the lake as a fishery. In April 1875, Thomas J. Mulroney noted that remarkable numbers of white fish and suckers were coming up Baxter Creek from Honey Lake. In 1908, the California Board of the Fish and Game Commission stocked Honey Lake with blue gill, crappie and yellow perch. In 1912, it was reported the fish were thriving. In 1909, there was even an attempt to transfer black bass from Eagle Lake to Honey Lake.
On other hand, when the lake first went dry in 1859 it was reported “Immense quantities of fish have been destroyed and are now decaying on the deserted bed. In 1887, a similar incident was reported when the lake dried up. A number of residents in the Buntingville area were taken ill from the “intolerable stench” of decaying fish. The Lassen Advocate reported on August 25, 1887; “Honey Lake is fast drying up and the stench from dead fish contaminates the air for miles around.”
While sifting through photographs for the coming years’ calendar I came across the above photograph. It is interesting that in the formal studies of the various Native American tribes of the region this encampment, probably only seasonal in nature, is never recognized. Most peculiar indeed. During the 1950s and 1960s the forest service noted it as an attraction at Eagle Lake, and even appeared on their maps. Ditto, as they did the same with the Eagle Lake ice caves, showing several different locations. Back to the Indian ruins. Not many people are aware of a little known fact that the Eagle Lake basin contains petroglyphs, which is rather unusual as well.
Tim