Clear Creek, Lassen County

June 27, 2018 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Clear Creek, circa 1906. Courtesy of Mark Reed

Clear Creek is one of the area’s idyllic settings. In the early 1900s, when Clinton Walker was cruising the timber in the region for the Red River Lumber Company, he spent many a summer camped at Clear Creek, as a “home base.” Clinton’s daughter, Harriet, recalled many pleasant memories as a child camping there. Harriet stated at times they all got tired of eating fish caught from the springs. Then one day, her father surprised everyone when he returned to camp with a “mountain calf.” I had never heard of such a creature and asked what was a mountain calf. Harriet whispered “Bambi.”

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History

Sacred Heart’s Big Day

June 26, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

First Confirmation, 1898. Courtesy of Milton Mallery

One hundred twenty years ago today was a red letter day in the annals of the history of Susanville’s Sacred Heart Church. The occassion was the arrival of Bishop Thomas Grace. The first order of business was the concencration of the church as the Church of the Sacred Heart. It should be noted that the construction of the church began in 1892, and was not completed until 1894. At the same time Bishop Grace administered First Communion and Confirmation.

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History

Drakesbad

June 25, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In keeping with the Go Exploring theme, a trip to the Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park, should be on your list. People have been going to this place since the 1870s, and there is plenty of hydra-thermal sites nearby such as Boiling Springs Lake and Devils Kitchen. If you want to dine there, you will need to call ahead, and they even make sack lunches for your hiking pleasure.

History

Jacks Valley

June 24, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Someone inquired recently about the various sites at Jacks Valley. After all over a sixty year span a lot of diverse activities took place: a saloon an agricultural inspection station, dancehall, sawmill and a truck logging camp of the Red River Lumber Company. Of course, lest I forget the cement water trough along Highway 139. In the back of my mind, I recalled doing a sketch map, and lo and behold it was in my file where it should be.

History

Finn Barry’s Colony Ranch

June 23, 2018 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Hardin “Finn” Barry was born March 26, 1891 in Susanville. In 1912, after he graduated from Santa Clara College, and he went to play Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Athletics for one season. In the spring of 1913, he and his college friend Robert Murphy purchased a ranch in the Tule District of the Honey Lake Valley It was a disaster. In 1920 Finn abandoned the ranch and moved to Reno to study law. In 1921, he was admitted to the Nevada Bar and in December opened a law office in the Knoch Building in Susanville which he maintained the rest of his life. Continue reading Finn Barry’s Colony Ranch →

History

Lake Earl versus Lake Almanor

June 22, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The 1902 plans for a reservoir to flood Big Meadows, now Lake Almanor gave it a designation as Lake Earl, after one of the investors of the Great Western Power Company. Over the years, the name was abandoned. When newly created reservoir began to fill up it was christened Lake Almanor, after Guy Earl’s three daughters. One of the daughters, Alice Wilder recalled the origin of the name: “Mr. Julius Howells [the engineer] was a welcome guest in our home who said children call me Uncle Julius. He asked my father to name the new lake. My father and mother spent many hours finding a name they liked. It had to have a name pleasing to the ear, it had to be readily pronounced, spelled and easily read. They did not want a foreign name and were not fond of surnames. They wanted to name it after their four children. Alice, Martha, Elsinore and Guy. Many combinations to these names were attempted. It was hard to get Guy in. Finally my father settled for a name that was simple and musical and of which three of the four children would be part-and also in the right order-eldest, next eldest and youngest. The lake was named Almanor. The AL for Alice, MA forth Martha and The NOR for Elsinore.”

History

Constantia Snowstorm

June 21, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

For the first day of summer, I thought I would share this picture of Constantia taken on June 21, 1907. Unfortunately, I do not possess any other documentation and no reference made in the newspaper, other that it was unseasonably cold. I went through my various notes of Phil Hall, who provided me with the photograph. His parents at that time resided at Constantia. However, anyone who has resided around these parts, have experienced numerous strange weather events. In a related matter, Claude Wemple told me in a 1978 interview that Milford received four inches of snow on July 4, 1902.

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History

A Reno Rodeo Story

June 20, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In 1926, my grandfather, Ira Purdy, sent the above post card to his wife, Margaret, and son, James, who was only a year old. He described the Reno Rodeo as a wild bunch of folks. He continued that he was on his way to Susanville to find a job. With the lumber mills in full swing this was not a difficult task. He found employment at Doyle & Hunsinger Ford, as a mechanic, many folks would know as the former Doyle Motors. Shortly thereafter me moved his family to Susanville, where they resided ever since. Some times it is interesting how much information one can glean from the back of a postcard.

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History

Lakeview Terrace Tract

June 19, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The view from the approach of Lakview Terrace Estates, February 13, 2018

This was a dubious land subdivision that was laid out northeast of Amedee in February 1893. It was promoted to investors outside the area and for a good reason. The prospective buyer was presented with maps and photographs of the prosperous new town of Amedee. They were informed the new addition was on ground slightly higher that of the town, thus with its views made it desirable residential property. When buyers actually inspected lots they purchased, they were in for a real surprise. As the Amedee Geyser reported: “Truly the view from the terrace is a magnificent one, but the suburban resident to reach his home with the assistance of a fifty foot ladder will lose enthusiasm over the scenery.”

In the fall of 1893, a warrant for H.B. Griffith’s arrest was issued , who was the promoter of the subdivision, on the grounds for selling property under fraudulent pretenses. Griffith caught wind and fled the state, thus avoiding criminal charges.

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News

Smoke Creek Tour

June 18, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The outcropping of the Black Diamond Mine.

In early June, I had an informal meeting with BLM officials to see if they were interested in reviving tours of Smoke Creek and other places that I had been involved with them some twenty years ago. They were quite receptive and we plan to move forward. There is, of coursed, some behind the scenes work that will need to be addressed. So stay tuned.

Quite a few have expressed interest in the Apache tears/black diamond mine, in the Smoke Creek Desert. Whether, I undertake it on my, or with BLM has not been determined. Whatever the case may be, it will not take place until late September or early October when the temperatures are ideal for such an excursion.