Red River’s 1917 Logging Season

March 10, 2021 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

This map was recorded in official records of Lassen County indicating where Red River would log in 1917.

The 1917 logging season for the Red River Lumber Company was somewhat different than previous years. After all, it should be duly noted the majority of its logging was focused on its contract with the Great Western Power Company to log and clear Big Meadows of timber to make way for its new reservoir Lake Almanor.

Now with that obligation out of the way, Red River began logging its timber just adjacent to Westwood. Red River planned to increase its output by logging 150 million board feet in 1917 versus that of 137 million the previous year. This, of course, reflected the demand for lumber with wars ravaging Europe and elsewhere. This undertaking required operating five logging camps and building some twenty-five miles of railroad spur lines.

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A Surprise Tuesday Tidbit

March 9, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Actually, I had something ready to go , but due to some unforeseen circumstances I had to pull it for a later date.

In a conversation on Sunday about the Purdy Brothers logging episode and the one log load. I happen to witness my Dad’s last one log load. It was a huge sugar pine located near Poison Lake, i.e. Swains Hole. For those who knew my father, lets just say this was a very colorful episode. One party that was not pleased was the Sierra Pacific’s mill in Susanville. They no longer had the sawing capacity to handle such a large log and had to dynamite it in to two pieces.

Tim

P.S. – A piece of evidence was found many years later in Dawson Arnold’s basement!

History

Postcards of the Past

March 8, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

A century ago, sending a postcard was a quick, convenient way to send someone a note, whether to let know relatives they made it to their destination safely, etc. Something akin to today’s email. What made a lot of postcards of the past were the image could be quite unique. When one had their film developed, they could have their images printed on postcard size stock, ready to send. The above photograph is a perfect example. It was not a professional postcard, just a picture someone took to send to their friend.

The above professional postcard of the Reno Rodeo, is a family treasure of sorts. It was sent in April 1926 by my grandfather, Ira Purdy, to his wife, Margaret in Sacramento. Ira wrote, “leaving Reno for Susanville to look for work.” When Ira arrived in Susanville, he found employment as a mechanic for Doyle-Hunsinger Ford dealership and where they spent the rest of their lives. It was one of the few paper trails they left.

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History

An Early Purdy Brothers Logging Episode

March 7, 2021 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

Frank Phelps at Soda Springs with a one log load, 1949—Leroy Purdy

In 1948, James and Leroy Purdy formed Purdy Brothers Logging Company. During their early years of operation they did extensive logging around theTruckee region. Since today, marks my father’s birthday (Leroy) I just waned to share two pictures taken in 1949 while they were logging at Soda Springs. After all, one does not see that many photographs of one log loads!

Tim

History

Where Are We—Bailey (Bayley) Creek

March 6, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Bailey Creek at the popular picnic area of yore, October 8, 2020

Bailey Creek is located on the north flank of Fredonyer Mountain and flows out into the Madeline Plains. It was originally known as Bayley Creek, for George H. Bayley, a stockman of the Likely region of Modoc County. For a number of decades it was the location of the Old Timers Picnic, which consisted mainly of past and present residents of the Madeline Plains.

In 1899, George Bayley constructed a reservoir upstream. That was original intention for the visit there last fall, but a new locked gate prevented us from going there. It just so happens the reservoir along with 280 acres is for sale.

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History

George Wingfield’s Meadowbrook Ranch

March 5, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Wingfield’s Meadowbrook Ranch—-Betty B. Deal

George Wingfield (1876-1959) for whom Wingfield Road is named for, was very prominent in the affairs of Nevada. He made his fortune in the early 1900s in the Goldfield, Nevada mines. By 1907 he had an estimated worth of $25 million. What distinguish Wingfield from his counterparts who met with incredible wealth from Nevada mines, is Wingfield remained in Nevada and made considerable investments in the state. He was also a formidable power player in Nevada politics. Wingfield also established a banking empire in Nevada, though he would nearly loose everything in the Great Depression. Wingfield would make a second comeback with the Getchell mine near Winnemucca.

In 1910, Wingfield purchased the Clint DeForest property at the base of Diamond Mountain for a summer home. It is known today as Mountain Meadows Ranch. It was an elaborate estate complete with a wildlife preserve. What is interesting when one considers the amount of money spent developing the property, and enormous cost of yearly maintenance, he did not spend that much time there. In 1923, Wingfield sold the property to the Lassen Lumber & Box Company.

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History

Susanville’s Richmond Road, 1905

March 4, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This particular photograph for some reason I have a fondness for. The right foreground is the Arnold Planing Mill that was destroyed by fire in 1914. Further down the road to the left is Sacred Heart Church, built in 1892. The church was moved in 1909 to the corner of Nevada and Union Streets. When the church was built there was some local criticism about the location, especially, though not seen in this picture, but to the far right was Chinatown. It is interesting to note, when the church was moved, it was located in Susanville’s original town of the 1870s.

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History

Where Are We?

March 3, 2021 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

While for many it it is an out of the way location, it was for decades where the Old Timers Picnic was held.

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History

The Unexpected Early Flooding of Lake Almanor

March 1, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The Great Western Power Company encountered numerous problems with the construction of their dam that would create Lake Almanor. The first dam they started to construct they were forced to abandon. A new dam site was selected and by the summer of 1913 work was fully underway. However, due to financial constraints, the dam’s height was greatly reduced, which meant the new reservoir would only be half the size.

On Christmas Eve, 1913, Mother Nature intervened. An estimated five feet of snow had fallen at Big Meadows, the location of the new reservoir. In January a warm rainstorm struck the region. The snow quickly melted and the reservoir began filling up prematurely. This caught the Baccala family, whose ranch was located along Bailey Creek, off guard. Their place flooded, stranding nearly a hundred head of cattle, and an automobile, among other personal effects. Further down, towards present Prattville, was Great Western Power’s headquarters, Nevis, which was was the former Meadow View Hotel. The surrounding area flooded, creating an island. Relief came somewhat in the form of snow. Did it ever snow! Some areas of Big Meadows reported nearly twenty-feet by mid-February.

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News

Untold Stories — At a Bargain Price

February 28, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

As tax times is now in full swing, I just discovered that I have a large inventory of Untold Stories. To be quite honest, it is because of this inventory and the previous books, that I saw the writing on the wall. The message was clear, the demand for local history books had dwindled to the extent that on the last two books, I never even recovered cost. Thus, with this title, it became the last book I published.

Anyhow, to learn more about the book and purchase it at a bargain price see books.

Tim