Lassen County Free Library

March 18, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

The Lassen County Free Library was established in 1915, through the efforts of Susanville’s Monticola Club, with Charlotte C. Cahlan, one of the leading figures.

In 1917, Lenala A. Martin was hired as the county librarian a position she would hold for forty years! Under her guidance by the early 1920s she had an ambitious campaign to establish branch libraries in every known outpost in Lassen County. During the summer months, even the logging camps had library branch. Where ever a library branch was established, a distinctive metal sign with an orange background with white lettering was placed on the outside entrance. She even made sure that books were available at the county jail for those incarcerated.

In future we will explore the many facets of the library over the years, until its demise by the County of Lassen, who deemed it not worthy.

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History

California Here We Come

March 17, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Great Northern’s Tracklayer entering Big Valley. Courtesy of Orville Watkins

In 1893, The Great Northern Railroad reached Seattle, Washington, from its origins in Minnesota. Its founder, James J. Hill, known as the “Empire Builder” wanted more. He wanted to extend his line south to tap into the lucrative California market. During the early 1900s over a half dozen railroad surveys were made in the Lassen-Modoc region. Speculation was rampant. In 1909, it was rumored that the Great Northern would purchase the region’s NCO Railroad which would provide Hill a link into California. It never materialized, and Hill retired from the railroad in 1912, and passed away in 1917.

In the late 1920s, Hill’s dream would become a reality with the construction of the Inside Gateway, where a 200 mile railroad construction project would connect the Great Northern and Western Pacific Railroads. The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the project in 1929.The Great Northern would build an 88 mile rail line from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Bieber where it would connect with the Western Pacific, as they would extend a branch line from Keddie to Bieber.

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Railroad Logging Video

March 16, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Camp B. Courtesy of Fruit Growers Supply Company

Recently, a subscriber sent me a link to a You Tube video with various historic film clips of railroad logging. For those so inclined you can watch it here. However, it should be duly noted for the record, the clip of the cookhouse scene of Fruit Growers Supply Company is wrong. The film notes that it was Fruit Growers operation at Hilt, but in reality it was Fruit Growers Lassen Operation at Camp B, located north of McCoy Flat Reservoir. The cement foundation of the building was still intact the last time I was there, along with railroad service pits, etc. I do have a copy of the 1925 film of the entire operations on the Lassen that includes logging scenes, and the entire sawmill process. The opening scenes are of interest since it shows the current Susanville Ranch Park back in 1919, then goes to Eagle Lake during its high water era.

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Fruit Grower’s Logging, 1925

March 15, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

horse logging — Horse logging with big wheels, at Fruit Growers Camp B, north of McCoy Flat Reservoir.

In the spring of 1925, Fruit Growers Supply Company announced a major change in their logging operations. In April, the company sold some seventy logging horses, thus a major phase out utilizing horses and Michigan Big Wheels. The company replaced the horses with six Catepillar tractors, after having two in operation the previous year. The tractors were more efficient, as they could go in terrain the horses could not. Horse logging also required additional workers known as “swampers.” Their job was to remove any debris or vegetation that could result in an injury to the horses legs.

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St. Patrick’s Dinner

March 14, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Over the last two decades numerous organizations in the area now hold St. Patrick’s dinners. However, none can compare to the one sponsored by Sacred Heart Church. It was first held in 1917 and is the longest continous event in Susanville. Not even the Native American’s annnul bear dance can beat that.

This year the event will be held on Saturday evening, March 16 beginning at 4 p.m. at Monsignor Moran Hall on North Weatherlow Street. The menu, of course, has evolved over the years. For decades the traditional corned beef and cabbage was never served. In 1974, Father William Storan was appointed the parish priest. In 1975, he requested that corned beef and cabbage be placed on the menu and that the church would slowly phase out spaghetti and roast beef.

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Standish Post Office

March 13, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The Standish Post Office was established on April 21, 1899 with Harriet F. Torrey as the first postmaster. It is one of a handful of Lassen County post offices established prior to 1900 that are still in existence.

The town was named after Myles Standish, of the Plymouth Colony fame. In the 1890s, the Associated Colonies of New York wanted to create utopian communities in the West, and Standish would be their second development. The Standish Colony was designed using the philosophical beliefs of Myles Standish and the economic structure promoted by LDS leader, Brigham Young. For it to succeed it needed a water supply to irrigate the surrounding land. In 1898, the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Irrigation Company was incorporated and purchased Edward Purser’s Susan River Irrigation System. However, it was plagued with litigation over water rights, that led to the demise of the Standish Colony and Associated Colonies in 1901.

On a final note, the first book I intended to write was the history of the Tule and Standish districts. Well, most know that did not happen. A few years back I did survey of over 1,000 people to see if there was still an interest. Only 40 people expressed one, so that is why I never finished the history of Standish.

Milford Street, Standish, 1908. Courtesy of Prentice Holmes

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Red River’s Saw Dust Pile

March 12, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

In the mid-1920s, Red River Lumber Company had two hydro-plants in operation to generate power for Westwood. This abundant power supply created an unusual man-made landmark. Red River was able to conserve its sawdust/wood waste pile, which took on a life of its own as it started looking like a small mountain. This created a nice reserve of free fuel that was readily available at any time should there by interruptions from the hydro-plants. To comprehend just how large it was, a Ripley’s “Believe it or Not” column once designated it as the world’s largest waste pile. In 1941 it lost its status to Portland General Electric Company who reported having a 130-foot high pile of sawdust. Continue reading Red River’s Saw Dust Pile →

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A Preview of Things to Come

March 11, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The 1931 Fake Eruption of Lassen Peak. Courtesy of the Plumas County Museum

Well, folks I finally did it, and succumbed to my own “Pandora’s Box” so to speak. You the reader are the beneficiary. I am delving into all kinds of archival records that I have not inspected in years.

There is the tale of Long Valley resident, Cary Sturgess, a mathametician who was half-albino, straight down the middle—which there is supporting documentation. Some interesting material surfaced about Viola Roseberry’s Native American basket collection of the early 1900s and how much she was paid to display them at San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. I hope that if I dig a bit deeper, to locate material of the Eagle Peak Ski Area near Doyle of the 1970s.

History

Eagle Lake Cabin Site Company

March 10, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

An artist’s rendering of the proposed hotel

After the failed first Spalding subdivision, it was brought back to life as Spaulding Tract, The story of the inserted “u” for another time. In 1924, this time around, the Spalding family with a new subdivision on the west shore of Eagle Lake, hired real estate developers to promote it. This gave birth to the Eagle Lake Cabin Site Company.

Promote they did. These folks were shrewd, and knew first hand the local residents were not their market, because they knew there was nothing there to get excited about or invest in. The Eagle Lake Cabin Site Company produced a brochure to entice folks primarily in Southern California of this hidden gem, more spectacular than Lake Tahoe. To lure people to buy lots, as an enticement was the proposed grand hotel to be built, similar to the famed El Tovar Inn at the Grand Canyon.

The lots initially sold for $50 each. When the company began selling lots in the spring of 1925, they were confident that the entire tract of 5,964 lots would be sold out in six months. While they did not reach that goal, they did sell over 3,000 lots.

In 1926 sales dramatically taped off. This was due in part of the new lot owners when came to inspect Spaulding Tract. First they encountered poor roads and when they finally arrived there were not any visible signs that gave the slightest hint the place was a resort community. So digusted many of the lot owners refused to pay property tax for a non-existant resort community. Thus, the Eagle Lake Cabin Site Company faded into oblivion.

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A Ravendale School Story

March 9, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

There was time, that Ravendale on the Madeline Plains was more than a wide spot on Highway 395. Like so many locales, it had experienced some interesting times.

One of these accountss involved the Ravendale Elementary School during the 1938-39 school year. Frances O’Brien had a contract to teach school that year for $1,320. When the school opened in the fall, six students had enrolled. The enrollment then dropped to four, and then to two, and by January 1939, there were no students. The trustees questioned whether they were obligated to pay O’Brien’s contract since there were no students. The matter was referred to California Attorney General Earl Warren. Warren informed the trustees that they had to pay O’Brien’s contract whether she had any students or not. Warren did state that the trustees and O’Brien could negotiate a compromise. Whatever transpired is not known. The school re-opened in the fall of 1939, with thirteen students. However, Emma Metcalf replaced O’Brien as the teacher.

Seasoned California residents know that not only did Attorney General Earl Warren later became the Governor of California, but he went higher up on the ladder and became the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.