There are a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts in our neck of the woods. For some, they would identify the site rather easily, and for others will be clueless.
Where are we?
Susanville – A Celery Capital?
With the impending arrival of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad in the early 1910s, there were a lot of promotional materials produced to extol the virtues of the region. In a 1909, Sunset booklet, it noted that Susanville could be a major player in celery production. They cited one case of Frederick Borgwardt, a Susanville resident, who planted a small plot of thirty by fifty feet with choice variety of celery, from which he gathered eight hundred bunches. When you consider that this plot could be contained a hundred and thirty-five times in an acre, and that the celery sold at five cents a bunch right in Susanville, the profit may be readily seen.
As a friendly reminder, tomorrow is the beginning of Susanville’s Farmer’s Market for the season. Hope to see you there!
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Rice Canyon, Lassen County
Today, I am out for a little adventure to Rice Canyon and Fort Sage Mountain, and all points inbetween. Many folks may not realize that the route through Rice Canyon, was the main road north leaving Honey Lake Valley. All the equipment and machinery used in the construction of the Bly Tunnel at Eagle Lake came this route. It was not until 1947, when the current Antelope Grade on what would eventually become Highway 139 was completed. By the way, it was named for Ed Rice who settled near there in 1857. The best known resident back in the day was the family of Charlie Piute whose family cemetery is located near there.
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The Lassen County Seat Question
This being Election Day, I thought I pass along some local election folklore. One of which that at one time, Hayden Hill was in contention to become the county seat. Only once was there was some rumbling of moving the county seat from Susanville. In 1893, after the town’s business district was destroyed by fire, there was some talk to relocate the county seat to Amedee.
In 1864, when the election was held to organize Lassen County, the county seat question was on the ballot—Janesville or Susanville. That was a tricky election and it took some time to count the ballots. After all, the county had a polling precinct at Fort Crook (Shasta County) and one for all of Surprise Valley (Siskiyou County). Those votes were finally rejected and Susanville won the county seat by seventy-one votes.
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Susanville Cemetery Entrance
It is with a great pleasure to announce that a new entrance to the Susanville Cemetery has been installed. For those not aware the original entrance, circa 1916, was destroyed by trees knocked in a windstorm on February 5, 2015. Personally, I want to thank Peter Heimbigner and the crew of the Lassen County Public Works Department, Mike Somerville’s Advance Ag Welding Program at Lassen High School and former Lassen County Supervisor Jim Chapman for making the replacement happen.
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Juniper Lake
A follow up on yesterday’s topic of exploring if you have not visited Juniper Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, you might want to add it your list. The road is a bit rough, but worth the drive. The lake covers 592 acres and is the largest lake in the park. In the 1870s, it was originally designated Lake Louise, but along the way it became known as Juniper. As remote as it is, it does have an interesting history, especially with the antics of C.P. Snell and his varied attempts to develop a resort. Snell had purchased 475 acres there, and it was not until the 1950s when the park acquired the property.
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Go Exploring
There are a handful posts that I repeat each year, and for good reason. With summer weather upon us, it is an ideal time to check out the many wonders that surround the residents of the Lassen Region. I hope this editorial from the Lassen Advocate of June 21, 1929 will inspire you to explore the wonderful country around us.
Know Your Country
If you were wondering what to do with your weekends this summer, have you ever given any thought to the fact that you don’t know your own county and the wonderful lake and mountain country immediately contiguous.
Within a few hours of Susanville there are numerous beautiful lakes as well as some beautiful streams and excellent camping spots.
How many have been to Drakesbad and to the top of Mount Lassen? How many have been to the ice caves near Eagle Lake and Wilson Lake?
There are many trips that can be taken from Susanville in the morning returning the same evening and traversing in the meantime a lot of new country that you have never seen before. Beauty spots near a mountain stream with clear sparkingly water are numerous where one may have their picnic lunch.
Try and see your own neck of the woods this summer. You will find many a pleasant day in store for you.
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Eagle Lake Nessie
Native American mythology of the western Great Basin has that a serpent lurks in the waters of the various lakes, whether it be Eagle, Pyramid or Tahoe. Some versions assert the lakes are connected by underground channel, and this is why sightings of the serpent are rare as the serpent is constantly traveling from lake to lake.
According to the Lassen Advocate of August 13, 1976: “Suspicions of a possible Loch Ness monster in Eagle Lake were aroused Tuesday, Aug. 10, at about dusk when a group of people apparently saw a mysterious creature twice surface near the Eagle Lake marina. According to Gene Moore of Hemet, California who was fishing from shore, it looked like a 15 to 20 foot creature that almost looked like a big eel.
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June Preview
As usual a most interesting lineup of stories for the month. Tomorrow, we start with the 1976 account of the spotting of Eagle Lake’s own Loch Ness monster and end the month with the interesting transformation of the Zarbock homestead in eastern Honey Lake Valley. In between there is the tale of Lake Earl versus Lake Almanor to Finn Barry’s Colony Ranch. Of course, there is the annual Summer Solstice Tour.
Stay tuned.
Memorial Day
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