History

Shaffer Mountain, Lassen County

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Looking up towards the top on the east flank of the mountain. June 13, 2018

On September 8, 1862,  the Shaffer Brothers—James and Uriah- purchased George W. Lathrop’s 1,280-acre ranch and station, that he established in 1859, for $4,250.  The station did a brisk business as a major stop on the Nobles Trail/Humboldt Road. However, trade dropped off dramatically with the construction of the transcontinental railroad to the south.  In 1868, in conjunction with a depressed economy, the Shaffer Brothers were forced to file bankruptcy. The property was auctioned and purchased by their brother-in-law, Daniel Samis, for $5,347.  A month later, on May 19, 1868, Samis sold the property to Thomas J. French and Andrew Litch for $2,500, a substantial loss for Samis. Even though there stay in Lassen County was brief, the mountain that they resided near its base is named for them.

It should be noted that the location of the ranch and station is that of Mapes Ranch, east of Litchfield. In addition, the California Division of Forestry had a lookout on top of the mountain from 1931 to 1949.

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History

The Big Tree – A Follow Up

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The record load of 26,860 board feet being unloaded at the Fruit Growers millpond, Susanville, August 21, 1953. Courtesy of Hank Martinez

Yesterday, it was noted that the massive sugar pine tree felled by the Red River Lumber Company contained 27,570 board feet. To gain a better understanding, the above photograph is a massive truck load of logs being unloaded at Fruit Grower’s Susanville millpond that contained 26,860 board feet!

A question was raised about timber fallers. A good timber faller can determine precisely where the tree will fall. Well, a not so good faller, is another tale. I recall in one instance working in the woods with my Dad. My father gave the faller instruction as to where a particular tree was to land. Needless to say, it did not happen and some one was not happy with the final result.

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History

That is a big tree!

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This mammoth tree was cut in 1922 on Fruit Growers property west of Eagle Lake.

In November 1928 the Red River Lumber Company reported that they had felled a 650 year-old sugar pine tree at Camp 74, in Plumas County, west of Chester. It required three railroad flat cars to bring the tree to the mill in Westwood. It was 101 inches in diameter at the stump and 84 inches at the second cut.* The tree contained 27,570 board feet. Red River noted that this was the largest tree ever brought into the mill.

*For those not familiar trees are bucked/cut into 32 foot lengths.

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News

Lassen Monument Rehabilitation

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The new entrance, September 20, 2018.

It has been 100 years since the second monument was placed, and lately a lot has been going on there giving the place a new look. The goal is to have everything complete some time in October. It is a collaborative effort and when the project is complete, I will provide details about those involved in the project. In the meantime, we will examine the lives of Marion “Commanche George” Lawrence and Joseph Lynch. While one has a grave marker, the other does not. Stay tuned.

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History

County Agitation

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Bieber, circa 1900

While there are the rumblings to attempt to split the state, there have been from time to time attempts to split counties. After all, Lassen County was originally part of Plumas and Shasta Counties.  Take for instance, from that on occasions Big and Fall River Valleys wanted to succeed from their respective counties and form a new county.  In 1889, Susanville’s Lassen Advocate was annoyed by the rumors about this particular split and noted that it would not occur as those places did not have a sufficient population to support a new county.

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History

Amedee Hot Springs

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Amedee Bath House
Amedee Bath House courtesy of John M. Gibson

The springs were originally referred to as Lower Hot Springs. In the 1880s they were also known as Brubeck Springs, for the owner of the property, L.W. Brubeck. The name was changed to Amedee with the establishment of the town. A unique feature of the springs was a geyser. In 1854, Lt. E.G. Beckwith, during his exploration of a transcontinental railroad route visited the hot springs and noted that the geyser consisted of a column of water twenty inches in diameter. The geyser was quite an attraction when the town was established. Amos Lane, bartender and inventor, devised a clock to measure spurts of the geyser that rose and fell at intervals of 38 seconds. At times the geyser would shoot as high as eight feet. The geyser ceased to exist in May 1893, as the ground around the springs cracked and allowed the steam to escape.

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History

Dry Farming

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The Caudle homestead, near Stacy, 1910.

In the early 1900s what some historians refer to as the Golden Age of Agricultural, the Dry Farming experience had taken hold. Dry farming is a method of growing crops without the benefit of or very limited irrigation. For some homesteaders they initialy turned to this system, while waiting for a variety of irrigation projects in Lassen County to be completed. By coincidence, everything went fairly well since between 1900 to 1916 was an extremely wet weather cycle. Then beginning in 1917 witnessed the beginning of a twenty year drought, and many a homesteader abandoned their property.

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News

Lassen Industrial Bank

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Lassen County Clerk, Maude Tombs cancelled check

The banking industry has certainly changed over the years, and in my opinion not for the better. To accommodate and serve customers banks went out of their way to make life a bit easier. Take for instance, Susanville’s Lassen Industrial Bank, in 1914 offered banking by mail, a novel approach for its time. In the 1920s to handle the needs and convenience of the mill workers of Fruit Growers Supply Company and Lassen Lumber & Box Company, the bank arranged special hours for them. On pay-days of the mill workers, the bank was opened in the evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 for regular business.

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History

Red River’s Vast Plant

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A bird’s eye view of the Westwood operation.

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned how Red River Lumber Company sold a mill site at Chester to the Collins Pine Company.  What I did not include, was the Red River offered its plant at Westwood to Collins, which the latter declined. Red River was so desparate to unload its Westwood plant, but no one wanted it for various reasons. The plant itself, as one can see from the above illustration, just how large a facility it was. It did not help either that many of its facilities were showing their age. Then, of course, there was one other huge factor was the lack of timber tributary to Westwood.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past