The wreck of April 24, 1944 at Pine and Cottage Streets.
One never know how scenarios may turn out. A perfect example was when an oil truck over turned at the west entrance of Susanville near noon time on April 24, 1944. Fortunately, the driver, 27 year-old Hayward resident, Donald Fedick, escaped without injuries. The truck and fuel tank were totaled, a loss estimated at $12,000. The fuel tank spewed forth 6,000 gallons of fuel oil down the gutters of Susanville. Consider it a miracle, especially when one takes into consideration how prevalent smoking was then, that a stray match or cigarette was not tossed into the gutter setting off a massive blaze.
Established in 1917, Sacred Heart Church’s St. Patrick’s Dinner is the longest continuous event in Lassen County. Of course, anything that has staying power for over a century has undergone changes. A case point is that a number of different church organizations that has sponsored it over the years. In 1955, it was the Catholic Ladies Altar Society who were in charge. That year, it was held on Sunday March 13 at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. The menu was a Italian style dinner, as in previous years, that included appetizers, salami, Italian peppers, olives—a dinner of spaghetti, roast beef, tossed salad, cake and ice cream.
Harvey Valley is located in the north central part of Lassen County about half way between McCoy Flat Reservoir, to the south, and Big Valley to the north. It was so named after various members of the Harvey family—George, James, Mary, Nettie, Samuel, Silas and Thomas—who were residents of Adin and Hayden Hill and in 1906 filed timberland locations which a mountain and valley were named for after them.
One of the very first ranger stations on the Lassen National Forest was located there. R.H. Abbey, the first ranger to occupy the station wrote in his diary: “This station house was a cheaply constructed 1 large room house, 14 x 16, with 2 windows. It was built out of thin shiplap lumber with roof of same material. It was equipped with a very small cook stove and homemade bunk for a bedstead.”
In 1936, Harvey Valley became a focal point in a government study to improve and maintain grazing capacity. Noted range scientist, August L. Hormey, conducted his experiments on livestock grazing. This was where the rest-rotation grazing system was developed.
Yet, there is more to the story of this remote locale. In 1948, the Lassen National Forest and California Department of Corrections established Inmate Camp No. 21. The camp consisted of 58 inmates from Folsom Prison who were supervised by ten forest service personnel and four state guards. The inmates were trained as a “Hot Shot” firefighting crew. When not fighting fires, the inmates worked on various conservation projects from soil erosion to improving timber stands. It operated for sixteen years.
Red River Lumber Company had a large employee turnover.
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and sometimes referred to as the “wobblies,” is a labor organization that formed in 1905. As a matter of fact, certain Starbucks shops are affiliated with it. The IWW had an image problem in its early years. Some considered it radical in its thinking for the time. Others considered it a communist organization. It gained notoriety for its strikes that were marred with violence.
The biggest problem IWW faced in Lassen County was that all three big lumber companies paid the prevailing wage, if not above, and provided better housing than found in other regions on the west coast. The employees had few grievances, so there was no incentive to be a part of the labor movement. It was because of these conditions that Lassen County sawmills remained union free during the 1920s.
A sketch by R. Herrera from the early days of the Madeline Plains
In the 1930s witnessed Franklin Roosevelt’s economic recovery program for the nation, which brought about with it a whole new terminology. It could actually be called alphabet soup, with such acronyms as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), National Recovery Administration (NRA) and the Works Projects Administration (WPA). In Margaret “Peg” Woodrich’s small booklet about the history of the Madeline Plains, she added the whimsical non-existent program Information, Wind and Water (IWW).
A view of Diamond Mountain, from Lassen High School’s agriculture fields, 1916. Courtesy of D.M. Durst Collection
Early in the history of Lassen Union High School did stress an emphasis on agricultural, after many of its students were part of the ag community. In the 1930s, it had expanded the program. On Wednesday, April 29, 1936, E.F. McCarthy, the high school’s agricultural instructor held a visiting day for the public to the student’s experimental farm.
In a statement by McCarthy: “Irrigating of alfalfa has occupied the attention of the students during the past several days. Work at the farm had progressed rapidly and various projects have reached the stage where those who inspect the farm on visiting day will obtain a clear insight into the work being done.
“Seven hundred chickens including 250 New Hampshire Reds and 450 White Leghorns were recently received and the study of poultry has now been added to other subjects included in farm experimentation and demonstration. The farm already has been stocked with hogs and calves for study purposes.”
Back in November when I was at Rosewood Rehabilitation in Reno, I did have access to a computer. Not to be accused of a being slacker, with my “down time” I carried on the best I could do with the daily post.
Lo and behold I came across this interesting postcard of Main Street, Susanville, 1915, even though it has a 1920 postmark. It is a P. J. Thompson photograph, and I have always enjoyed his photographic work.
The reason why I know the photograph was taken in 1915, is that the Emerson Hotel was destroyed on August 5, 1915. Across the street from the Emerson is the Knoch Building. It was not until the fall of1914, when the third story of Knoch Building was added. With that structure saw the installation of the town’s first elevator. In addition, it had to be taken some time in the spring or summer of 1915 as there is foilage on the trees.
In honor of my father’s birthday, (Leroy W. Purdy), this post will be brief. He began his logging career working at Camp Harvey. His next venture was with his brother James, and they formed Purdy Brothers Logging. This grew into a larger outfit known as Susanville Logging. Circumstances beyond his control saw that company dissolved in the early 1960s. The next re-incarnation was L&M Logging. Just some random related photographs for your enjoyment.
Beginning on January 4, 1926, Lassen Union High School inconjunction with Lassen Junior College instituted night classes for those 18 years and older. This was an outreach effort for those who had taken some high school, but due to circumstances had dropped out. The courses offered were bookkeeping, typing, woodwork and millinery. In addition, the schools met an additional need since there was a large workforce of immigrants who worked in the lumber mills. For this group two courses were offered, one for English and the other a Constitution class. Classes were taught twice a week, starting at 7:30 in the evening.
For some odd reason in the recesses of my mind, I thought there was a Comfort Cabin Spring. However, I have no record of such. In 2003, the late Pete Smelcer and I had a lively exchange about the landmark named Bosco Hill near Ash Valley. Pete had sent me some photographs of that area, including the one above. Personally, the cabin does not look that comfortable me, but I am sure there is an interesting story how it got its distinct name.
A reader wanted to know about the grave of Charles Crawford which inscribed on his tombstone “killed by Indians, May 21, 1858”. I will put together information about him and his gravesite, the Lake Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Lassen County. Its my desire to go there a take current photographs, part of my recovery tour.
As to place names, I have done a lot on this topic. Alaska Canyon in the Madeline country has intrigued me as to why it was so named. In addition, its one place that I have never been to. Another Madeline Plains name is that of Skeleton Flat (Section 26, T 36 N R14 E, MDM). According to some, its origin were a result of the Pearson Massacre that occurred near Amedee in 1868. The Pearson Massacre was the last major Indian/White conflict in the region. It was followed by numerous campaigns by the settlers to exterminate any Indians associated with the Massacre. As the story is told, a posse encountered Indians there and killed them. The skeletons, and later scattered bones, could be seen for many years after the event.
