Antelope Lookout—Nevada State Journal, July 25, 1978
In a 1925 agreement between Fruit Growers Supply Company and the Lassen National Forest which came from a fire started by the company, in1924, on the west flank of Antelope Mountain, a lookout was built on that mountain was part of the settlement.
In 1978, it was a replaced by a two-story six-sided structure, which was dubbed the “world’s first solar-powered forest fire lookout.” Officials believed that the solar power could deliver power more cheaply in the long run, than utilizing gas or diesel generators. The lookout was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the development work was done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Lewis Research Center. A similar lookout was schedule to be built at Pilot Peak in Plumas County.
Bly tunnel inlet, July 1924. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst
Over the years I have fielded a wide variety of research requests and still do. With that in mind, we explore two different inquiries one dealing with the Bly Tunnel and the other at High Rock Springs.
In August 1990, Peter Moyle of the University of California, Davis wrote, “I spent four weeks this summer at the Eagle Lake Field Station teaching a field course in fish biology. One of our class expeditions was to the tunnel, to check out rumors that it contained “blind cave fish.” To our surprise, it did have fish although they were the same species found in Willow Creek. We also found that the chemistry of the water is the same as that of Eagle Lake, so the tunnel is still a chain on the lake.”
High Rock Spring, April 1975
In February 2021, Zachary Bess, wrote, “I am a fish biologist with the University of Nevada Reno. I am currently working on a multi-year publication project concerning all of the native fish species in Nevada. Your webpage is the only page on the internet where I have ever seen an actual picture of High Rock Springs!
“To my understanding, High Rock Springs tui chub went extinct in 1989 when tilapia were accidentally introduced to the spring in an attempt to begin a fish farming enterprise. This is mentioned in several agency documents from the 1990s. It was a genetically unique type of tui chub and was actually a candidate for listing with the US Fish and Wildlife Service prior to its extinction. I was interested in going out there to see if the speckled dace are still in there just out of curiosity.
“Eagle Lake is the only place on the eastern side of the Sierra where rainbow trout are found naturally. The Pit River and Lost River have several species that are only found in these water bodies. The fish in High Rock Springs were similarly unique considering that they got in there by means of Lake Lahontan.”
Hayden Hill Post Office & Store, 1903–Lassen County Historical Society
What a better way to gauge Hayden Hill’s mining boom and bust cycles with its frequent opening and closure of its post office. On April 13, 1871 the post office was established with Augustine W. Blair serving as the first postmaster. Blair’s tenure there was brief and would later have a interesting career in Nevada’s legal community. However, before Blair’s departure he left an enduring the legacy to the region. Blair was the first person to come up with the idea to tap Eagle Lake for irrigation.
On October 15, 1875 the post office was discontinued. It then operated from 1878-1887; 1888-1912 and revived in 1915 and on July 31, 1919 it closed for the last time..
On the east side of Hayden Hill was Letterbox Canyon. It was so named when the post office was not in operation, a mailbox was nailed to a tree at the bottom of the canyon along Willow Creek. The mail contractor would then pick and leave mail at this location, during the times when Hayden Hill’s post office was closed.
Lassen County Courthouse, circa 1890s. Assembled are county officials, along with the grand jury.
While watching the ongoing renovation/restoration process the Lassen County Courthouse, I thought I would share a bit of trivia, about the first courthouse, located on the same site. In February 1867, William R. Williams was awarded a contract, per specifications, of a courthouse at a cost of $9,850. It was accepted as completed on October 28, 1867. Not many people are aware, there is a small stream named for him—Williams Creek that flows into the Susan River at Devils Corral.
Susanville’s 800 block as it appeared in 1870s, with the Magnolia to the far left. Courtesy of Verna M. Wood
It should be noted prior to the construction of the courthouse the county rented several places to conduct county business. The courtroom and board of supervisors meetings were held in the Magnolia Saloon building, current site of the St. Francis Hotel.
It was a year ago when the North Complex fire erupted— that had the most impact here was the Sheep Fire that ravaged. Diamond Mountain which burned 29,571 acres. So today, is a gallery of various photographs of the mountain before the fire.
Diamond Mountain, circa 1940. Courtesy of Margaret A. PurdyDiamond Mountain, 1950s.A view of Diamond Mountain, from Lassen High School’s agriculture fields, 1916. Courtesy of D.M. Durst CollectionView of Richmond Road January 1916 from Winchester Hill. Susanville received four feet of snow in January, followed by below zero temperatures. After that it was the beginning of a twenty-year drought, with Honey Lake going dry in 1919, and not filling up until the spring of 1938.
Tim
P.S. – The Dixie Fire is causing havoc here. I am currently in an evacuation warning zone. So any inquiries have not been answered, that is why. I have more than sixty posts scheduled so there will not be any interruption, but reminder as a rule Tuesday, is my day off from posting. Thank you for your understanding.
The fire came over Janesville grade on the evening of August 16, 2021
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.
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.
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.
1926 American Legion Convention delegates arriving at the Susanville Depot. Courtesy of Nellygrace Stoll.
*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.
Walker Lake aka Mountain Meadows Reservoir—David Zoller
