A Sunday Drive – Antelope Lake

July 26, 2019 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

For many years, when my Mother was alive we would have the weekly ritual of a Sunday drive. During the summer months, we would make some extended loops. One of these featured Antelope Lake on the side of Diamond Mountain for those who reside on the eastern slope. This would entail leaving Susanville via Highway 36, then going along the east shore of Lake Almanor. Once in Indian Valley just past Crescent Mills is the turn off to Taylorsville and Antelope Lake. It is very scenic especially through Genesee Valley, then one makes the climb up the grade and at the top you are near the splilway of Antelope. The paved road meanders around the lake, eventually takes you to Janesville Grade.

Antelope Lake, by the way, is in Plumas County and is a popular recreational spot for a number of Honey Lake residents. It is part of the State Water Project of the California Department of Water Resources. The projects original intent was to provide water to Southern California to augment that of the Colorado River. Antelope Lake was constructed in 1964. There is a 113 foot tall earthen dam. The lake has a surface area of 931 acres with a maximum capacity of 47,466 acre feet.

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History

A Scarlet Fever Panic

July 25, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

First Grade, Susanville Grammar School, 1914, teacher Mrs. Tom W. Wilson—B.R. Zimmerman Collection

It seems of late, that on a almost daily basis measles is in the news. There was a time when other communicable diseases made headlines. Locally, in the spring of 1916 a scarlet fever epidemic hit Susanville. Not to take any chances, school officials closed the Susanville Grammar School for a week, hoping that would be sufficient enough. It was.

History

Three Flags Highway

July 24, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Doyle one of the many communities along U.S. Highway 395. Courtesy of Marie H. Gould

For many decades U.S. Highway 395 was referred to as the Three Flags Highway. The name representative that the highway began at the Mexico border and ended at the Canadian border. It had its humble origins in 1931 when a group of Lancaster, California businessmen as a way to promote the possibilities of a singular highway that traversed the east side of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

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History

Interpreter Needed

July 23, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Unknown grave, Susanville Cemetery, July 19, 2019

It must be the dog days of summer, or is it sleep deprivation with roofers by day at my chateau and the Susanville Main Street reconstruction project at night?

For a respite, I have been working in the Susanville Cemetery in the afternoons. It is quiet there and the inhabitants are quite pleasant. There are lots of interesting headstones to be found there. However, there are several that leave me puzzled. They basically consist of chunks of unfinished stone. The one above has a hole drilled through it.

In the past, I have had a good luck in seeking an interpreter on an unusual headstone since the headstone’s inscription is in Japanese. A Japanese Lassen College student came to my aid to translate. As to the other stone monoliths, I let you draw your own conclusion.

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News

Where are we – Snowstorm Wetlands Habitat

July 22, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The Snowstorm Wetlands Habitat is located between Horse Lake and the Snowstorm Ranch. In this view, one can see Fredonyer Peak in the background. From what I understand it was created in the early 1980s. I had never seen it before. However, I have travelled Horse Lake Road, in those instances it could have been in dry years when it had no water. It also more visible those traveling westbound as it is in direct line of vision.

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History

Lassen County Fair Parade, 1965

July 21, 2019 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

Oh my, here it is the last day of the Lassen County Fair and I am now just getting ready to do a bit of fair history. It’s not intentional. However, my interest in the county fair began to wane ever since it was moved to July from the third week in August. It is just not the same.

In 1965, Bud Deaton of Herlong was the parade chairman. He was happy to announce that there were 110 entries for the parade. Judge Stanley Arnold and Dr. Robert Amesbury were the parade marshalls. It was a good thing it was a morning event. That afternoon, a thunderstorm poured down rain on the rodeo festivities at the fairgrounds.

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History, News

Buzz Aldrin & Constantia

July 20, 2019 Tim Purdy 5 Comments

Albert Ross’ home in Long Valley. Courtesy of Joan Drum

As today’s marks the fiftieth anniversary of the landing on the moon, I thought I would provide a bit of local trivia. On Apollo 11 was Buzz Aldrin. His family, Albert and Robert Ross were early settlers in Long Valley.

In 1884, Albert Ross constructed a 17-room mansion there at a cost of $14,000. This residence and well-known landmark was simply referred to as the White House. In the early 1890s, Ross moved to San Jose to benefit his children’s education and eventually sold the property in 1898. The ownership of the property would change several times. In 1922, the Galeppi family purchased what became known as the Constantia Ranch. The Galeppi’s, for various unknown reasons, did not reside in the famed White House. Fred Galeppi stated that during World War II, the house was still in good shape, and even had furniture. During the construction of Sierra Army Depot, in the early 1940s, Galeppi stated soldiers used the house for recreation, but over the years it slowly began to be vandalized. In the early 1960s, most recall 1963, the house burned down. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though various residents of the region have their own story.

The "White House" at Constantia, circa 1960 — The White House in 1960.

On final piece of trivia about Buzz Aldrin, his mother’s maiden name was Moon.

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News

Where are we?

July 19, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

While this year I did not lead a trek to Belfast for the Summer Solstice Sunrise event there, later that day we went on expedition to areas that I had not been to in a long time. While we were unable to access the McKissick Family Cemetery in Secret Valley, we did see some interesting sights along the way. The above photograph is a wetlands habitat. If you are able to enlarge it, one can see the nesting islands. So what is the name of this watery oasis in the desert?

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History

Big Wheels Demonstration

July 18, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

When the Lassen County Fair was revived, in 1922, it would go through an evolving process. One of the dramatic changes was the establishment of three large sawmill operations—Fruit Growers Supply Company, Lassen Lumber & Box Company and the Red River Lumber Company.

The following year, the first logging exhibition at the Lassen County Fair was held. It was certainly a noteworthy event. For many attendees it was the first time they were able to witness the current logging methods of the “big wheels.” A competition was held between the big three companies. The Fruit Growers Supply Company won top honors in this category. It should be noted by 1927, the lumber companies began phasing out the “big wheels” for the motorized Caterpillar traction engines.

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History

A NCO Railroad Special Ticket Rate

July 17, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

A November 22, 1915 NCO ticket stub. Courtesy of Dorothy Capezzoli

The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO) was a stingy operation and because they had no competition for many years, took advantage of the situation with its freight and passenger rates.

However, in January 1892 the NCO offered a generous one thousand mile ticket good for the whole year for an entire family at $30. At that time, Amedee was the end of the line and was 80 miles north of Reno. A one way fare between the two places was $1.35. So if one was doing frequent travel it was a bargain. With Amedee a thriving boomtown, the NCO knew there were would be a lot of passenger traffic, hence the special offer.