History

Lassen County Gray Wolves

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Deer Hunt
A successful deer hunt near Skedaddle, 1906. Courtesy of Marge C. Foster

It was on November 29, 1883 that Charles E. Jones reported that he had killed two gray wolves on Skedaddle Mountain that he stated each weighed approximate 150 pounds. According to Jones he stated the wolves had been a “terror” to the sheepmen there. In 1890, A.J. Hall reported seeing a lone gray wolf on the mountain.  In the course of time, with increased livestock operations, the wolf population witnessed a steady decline. It was in 1924 that the last gray wolf in California was killed near Skedaddle Mountain. Fast forward to January 2012, a lone gray wolf from Oregon dubbed OR7 made its first appearance in nearly a century to the north Skedaddle, in the Madeline Plains. Reaction, of course, is mixed depending on one’s perspective.

On a related footnote, the last big horn sheep killed on Skedaddle Mountain happened in 1883.

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History

Honey Lake’s Bridge to Nowhere

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Proposed Cromwell-Milford Road

Earlier this year I wrote about the proposed town of Cromwell, the current location of Herlong. In the spring of 1912, Fred Cromwell, the promoter approached the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to construct a new road from Milford, with a 1800 foot bridge across Honey Lake to his new town. The Board took the matter under advisement with a wait and see approach to see what would materialize of the development. It was a good call, because by the end of the year the proposed community of Cromwell was abandoned.

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History

Where are we?

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Well this is an accidental back up plan. I had originally intended the new bridge construction over the Lake Almanor spillway this summer. I took a photograph at the view point, but alas, it became a forest through the trees moment.

This ranch established in 1860s, is one of a handful that still remains in the family.

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History

Bly Tunnel sealed

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Bly tunnel inlet, July 1924. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst

In 1871, Hayden Hill postmaster, A.W. Blair was the first person to conceive the idea to tap Eagle Lake to irrigate the sagebrush lands of Honey Lake Valley.  Nearly fifty years later, it was Leon Bly, who finally succeeded in building a tunnel where others had failed. In 1923, the mile and a half long tunnel, costing $975,000 was completed as far as Bly and the contractors were concerned. However, the contractor only put in a cut of three feet below the surface at the intake, instead of eight feet. From that time on the tunnel was plagued with problems. In 1973, the Bureau of Land Management revoked the right-of-way for the tunnel and deemed it a safety hazard. Using tailings from the tunnel construction, they put a temporary plug to the tunnel. Finally, on November 26, 1986 the BLM hired Western Roads, Inc., to place a permanent concrete plug at the tunnel’s inlet.

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History

Susanville Street Changes

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What the city looked like then.

Yesterday, we examined how the city changed the house numbers. Well, there were a few casualties along the way. Some street names were changed. What was originally Fir Street became Elm Street, to avoid conflict with First Street. What was initially Prattville Road became North Pine Street to the end of the city limit. A segment of River Street became South Gilman Street.

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History

Susanville’s House Numbering System

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Lassen County Abstract building, constructed in 1911.

Susanville’s house numbering system was done in two separate phases. The first began in 1925, when the postal service announced free mail delivery. Prior to this, everyone went to the post office to pick up their mail. Thus, the city had to install street signs, to assist the mail carrier. Continue reading Susanville’s House Numbering System →

History

Christmas Tree Time

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Charles Beckett standing next to a 10 foot silvertip, November, 1976

Well, here it is the day after Thanksgiving and some folks use the holiday weekend to obtain a Christmas tree. A fixture in Susanville for many decades was Beckett’s Christmas trees.  In 1938, Charles Beckett founded the enterprise. Beckett had two locations for growing the trees, one locally on Worley, nee Roop Mountain, just west of Susanville, plus 4,000 acres in Siskiyou County, as well as some leased properties. Beckett stated silvertips were the most popular tree, which referred to as “the Cadillac of Christmas trees.” In the 1970s he sold approximately 40,000 trees annually, with some good years that doubled that figure.

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Happy Thanksgiving

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Dining Room, Folsom Ranch, Willow Creek Valley, circa 1900. Courtesy of Mary Dale Folsom

First of all, I want to thank the donors and subscribers to this site. It means a lot to me, in addition for the moral support. By providing these daily posts, it is one way for me to give back to the community, and equally important to share all of the knowledge I have acquired over the years.

I thought the above photograph would be rather appropriate for a day like this. The Folsom family operated a ranch in the Willow Creek Valley from 1871 to 1907, before retiring from agricultural pursuits. Today the property is that of the Willow Creek wildlife refuge.

It should duly noted that M.O. Folsom left a lasting impact with his real estate investments, acquiring them just at the right time. For example he owned Clear Creek, before Red River emerged on the scene. He also owned the land that became the mills sites for Fruit Growers Supply Company and Lassen Lumber & Box Company. The list is endless.

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History

The naming of Drakesbad

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Drakesbad, circa 1930. Courtesy of the Sifford Collection

1914 was a banner year at Drake’s Springs resort in the Warner Valley near Lassen Peak. This, of course, was due to the fact the mountain came to life with volcanic eruptions. Alex Sifford, the innkeeper was overwhelmed by it all. That year, Sifford along with Jules and Rae Alexander incorporated Drakes Springs Company as a vehicle to raise money by selling stock.

For marketing purposes it was decided to rename Drake’s Springs. It was Rae Alexander who came up with a new name. It was the general consenus to retain the Drake name. Mrs. Alexander’s parents were from Germany and the German word for spa and baths is bad. In June 1914 the announcement was made that the new resort would be known as Drakesbad.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past