First of all, I am not a very good prostitute when it comes to self promotion whether it books or this website. As subscribers know well, I do not push subscriptions, and they are also voluntarily. This is just a simple request, if you know some one who might be interested, spread the word and with a little nudge encourage that friend to subscribe.
Thank you, and tomorrow, will resume the regularly scheduled programming.
Tim
At the conclusion of November 1931, Robert M. Cook, editor and publisher of the Lassen Mail embraced the early winter weather conditions. Cook reported that it had been cold and snowy all month, even a light snowfall on Thanksgiving. On November 22, the morning was a brisk nine degrees. Because of the cold temperatures and heavier than usual snowfall in the mountains, Cook thought that was the ideal scenario—the. solid frozen snowpack would be ideal next spring/summer to insure water for irrigation.
Tim
It being the day after Thanksgiving, I am experiencing a short attention span. While rummaging around in the photograph archives, I thought I would share these two photographs of 101 Ranch and the cemetery located there. For those not familiar with the locale, it is just west of the Coppervale Ski Area and located there is a office of Sierra Pacific Industries. I am not sure when the ranch house was torn down. It was one of those kind of blink of an eye moment, one day it was there and the next it was gone. The cemetery is a short distance from the former ranch house and it used to be visible from Highway 36, but now I and another person have not been able to spot it.
One of the individuals buried there is David “Pegleg” Johnson for whom Pegleg Mountain is named for.
First of all, I hope no one finds this story offensive, there is literally a lot of “tongue and cheek” humor in the following newspaper article. After all, this was type of writing was common a century ago. With that mind, the following is from the Lassen Mail of October 20, 1926:
”The sale of indigestion tablets should take a big jump this week and antidotes for ptomaine poisoning and kindred stomach ill should be much in demand for the men of the Methodist Church are cooking a “big feed” for the women of the congregation this evening at the first get together meeting of the season. The women are rather dubious, but if for nothing more than curiosity, there were will be no doubt a large crowd present. The massacre begins at 6:30 p.m.”
Happy Thanksgiving, Tim
In 1925, Lassen Union High School established a football team. Their first season was certainly rough around the edges. The playing of the game was so new to everyone, it would take time to slowly learn it.
On Armistice (Veteran’s) Day 1926, Lassen was scheduled to play Chico in Susanville, but the latter was not able to attend. Rather than cancel and disappoint the fans an impromptu team of Lassen Junior College was created. There was a wee bit of problem, the college’s student population was so small they did not have enough players to form a team. It was mutually agreed that some of the high school students could play on the college team. It was an entertaining game for the fans, and college won 12 to 8.
It should be noted during the late 1940s, Lassen College had a bona fide football team.
Tim
Can anyone enlighten me how Pigeon Cliffs, located in the Susan River Canyon, just west of Susanville received its name? When I was a youngster, I spent an incredible amount time exploring the Susan River Canyon. However, I never seen any pigeons at the cliffs. I have never come across any historical notations about the cliffs period. Another case in point, Inspiration Point never entered the local vernacular until the 1920s. Prior to that, it was the bluff behind Susanville.
Tim
In September 1913, construction of Malvena Gallatin’s summer home on the southeast corner of Eagle Lake was well underway. At that same time, her step-son, Albert Gallatin, Jr. hired Charles Caughell to survey bungalow sites on the lake’s south shore. He stated that the family had received requests from residents of San Francisco, as well as from Susanville. It was Gallatin’s intention not sell the lots, but rather give a 99 year lease. He also consulted with Lassen County Supervisor, L.R. Cady about the possibility of a new road to the south shore of Eagle Lake. Cady assured him he would do everything in his power to make it a reality. Neither the bungalow sites or road work transpired.
Tim
A long time ago, when I was first assisting Tom Armstrong on his research of the NCO Railroad, he told me about the “Other Susanville.” There is another Susanville, just up Highway 395 near John Day, Oregon. However, it has seen more livelier times.
It was a mining camp dating back to the mid-1860s, though its post office was established in 1901 in a dubious manner. Its biggest claim to fame was in 1913 and the discovery of the Armstrong nugget, that weighed 80.4 ounces and was believed to the largest of its kind found in Oregon. The nugget is on display at US Bank in Baker City, Oregon. After the 1930s, prosperity there dwindled and in 1952 the post office was closed. Today, its only inhabitants are prospectors during the summer, and a few curious seekers.
Fruit Growers Supply Company had a total of eleven railroad logging camps on its Lassen Operation, west of Eagle Lake.. Technically, the longest operating, Camp 10, which closed in 1952, should have been named Camp 11. Then again, Fruit Growers had given consideration of a Camp 11, further north of Camp 10.
Anyhow, there were three camps that were quite small and operated for only one logging season during the 1920s. The first was Camp E at Merrill Flat. It was followed by tiny and peculiar Camp Y. Then there was Camp 9, which from most accounts only housed timber fallers, which was located on the Eagle Lake side of Antelope Mountain. Unlike the other camps that had portable wooden buildings these camps had canvas-wooden tents.
