The Heath Ranch in Grasshopper Valley, north of Eagle Lake is on the market for $10.9 million dollars. Included in the deal is some 16,000 acres, two reservoirs—Cleghorn and Heath—two historic barns and corrals. If you want to live there, you are going to need some additional funds, since there is no house on the property.
The Heath Ranch was part of the holdings of Anton Gerig. In 1934, George Heath acquired it for $26,000.
Walker Mine was located in almost the geographical center of Plumas County, part of the regions copper mining belt. There is no connection with the Walkers of the Red River Lumber Company and the mine. In 1909, J.R. Walker, G.L. Bemis and A.H. Bemis filed on the mine site, but did not start development until 1911. It would eventually become a thriving community with over 500 men on the payroll. The good times did not last that long, and in 1942 the mine shut down. Today, not much remains there.
Big Jacks Lake presents a challenge as to how to describe where it is located. It is about six miles south of Dixie Valley, yet a lot of people are not aware of Dixie Valley is located. Big Jacks Lake is about eighteen miles northwest of Spalding Tract as the crow flies.
The size of the lake varies. In dry years it covers approximately twenty acres. In wet years it can swell up to over 300 acres. It was named prior to 1929 after Big Valley rancher, Hiram Courtney Jack (1878-1957). It should be noted that to the west is a Jack Lake and a Little Jack Lake.
Congratulations to Dave Zoller who correctly identified the lake.
In 1923, the Agricultural Extension office and Big Valley rancher, A.F. Babcock conducted an experiment for growing Russian sunflowers for silage. A thirty-acre plot was planted. It was the hope that the silage could be used for feeding dairy and beef cattle in Big Valley.
Test proved conclusively that it was a success. Twenty-eight tons were raised. The biggest challenge is getting the corn planted after the last chance of frost.
Awhile back I wrote about Lassen College’s first student newspaper the Jaysee. It turns out a few years earlier that the college had a publication called the Lassen Jay-See. On December 17, 2000 Francis “Fritz” Riddell sent me a copy for the archives. It was Vol. 1 No. 2 dated March 1938. It contained twenty-six pages of short stories by the students and fourteen pages of local advertisers to support the endeavor.
What is the name of the lake in the background. This does fall under the category of one of less travelled places in Lassen County. Even the most astute out doors person may find it a bit challenge. As a reward, I offer a complimentary copy of the 2020 Purdy’s Private Reserve Calendar due out in November.
It was on Labor Day 1955 (Sept. 5) when a fire broke out near Merrill Flat, south of Eagle Lake. The cause, a lightning storm hit the area. Conditions were extremely dry, the worst since 1924. The fire spread rapidly towards Eagle Lake and it even reached the shoreline and destroyed a cabin and barn at the Eagle Lake Resort. Over 800 men were recruited to fight the fire. Just as Mother Nature was responsible for the fire, it helped extinguished it with a light rain fall on September 8. In all, 19,000 acres was consumed by the fire.
With Labor Day behind us, this is an excellent time to check out Cinder Cone in the eastern portion of Lassen Volcanic National Park. After all the temperatures are bit cooler, and you want to take this into consideration whether to hike just to the base of Cinder Cone, or take the trail to the top. Both options are good choices.
Were you aware that at Lassen Park, is one of the few places in the world where all four types of volcano can be found—plug dome, shield, stratovolcano and of course cinder cone. From various scientific evidence, it was determined that the last time Cinder Cone erupted was in 1666.
It is September, which is traditional back to school time, though these days in California many schools start their fall session in mid-August. The students at Ash Valley undertook an unusual social studies project. In September 1936, they entered a wild flower exhibit at the California State Fair. The exhibit contained 60 different varieties, 20 of which were found in the school yard. For their efforts they received as trophy as they placed third in the competition in this particular division. The students who prepared the exhibit were: Grace Bath, John Bath, Martha Bath, Patricia Nixon and Mary Lou Nixon.
For those not familiar with Ash Valley it is located between Adin and Madeline.
In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Wagner Act. This was a gigantic leap forward for the labor movement. Of course, any type of sweeping reform like this gets challenged in court. In 1937, the Wagner Act was upheld and was a catalyst for union organizing. Of course, the sawmill workers of Lassen County embraced, it but there would be struggles.
By the late 1930s, a majority of the local workforce, outside the agricultural community organized their respective union, whether barbers or bartenders. The latter, however, would be included in the Culinary Workers Union. It Westwood the Local Union No. 654 from time to time would flex its muscle. Their protagnist was not the Red River Lumber Company, but H.S. Anderson Company who operated Red River’s commercial enterprises in Westwood. In 1940, H.S. Anderson had taken over the Westwood Club. They fired fry cook, Bill Knighton. In retaliation the four waitresses walked off the job and formed a picket a line. The Westwood Club would be forced to shut down for eight weeks until the issued was resolved.