????I would find it rather doubtful that federal aviation officials would permit useage of this airstrip. However, for many years, it was maintained by the County of Lassen, though some pondered why.
Lassen County Courthouse, 1938. Courtesy of Jere BakerMark your calendars for Saturday, September 16, 2017 for fun and interesting times as Lassen County celebrates the 100 year of the dedication of its courthouse on South Lassen Street. The day first starts off that morning with another centennial dedication—Peter Lassen’s Monument. Among the many activities on tap that day include tours of the courthouse by members of the Lassen County Historical Society; a barbecue at the courthouse lawn; a cemetery tour at the nearby Susanville Cemetery and more to be topped off that evening with September 4, 2017the Susanville Symphony’s Concert on the Green at the courthouse.
Purge Nite. Courtesy of Frank W. DavisIt is only fitting that on Labor Day that we remember the great purge of in which nearly 400 men, women and children were forced out of their homes in Westwood on July 13, 1938 over a labor dispute, one that lingers to this day. Yet, by the end of that historic day the California Highway Patrol, with the National Guard on standby placed a blockade on the community, sealing it from the world until things could stabilize. According to historian Gerald Rose about the historical significance of the purge he wrote, “Not until the 1941 deportation of Japanese-Americans was there a large forced migration of United States citizens.” To learn more about Westwood’s labor history, read Red River: The Turbulent Thirties.
Will this be the cover photograph?First of all, I want to thank everyone who responded, there was a lot more interest than I had expected. As previously mentioned it will be a limited edition in the neighborhood of 50 or 60. The photograph selection is nearly complete, though I have not quite settled on the cover photograph. There is going to be a little special surprise to be included in the calendar. Those who forget to reserve one this is good time as any to send a note. More information to follow when the calendar is released.
Fun times at the north shore of Eagle Lake.Hope everyone is enjoying this Labor Day Weekend. Here is a little tid-bit gleaned from a 1914 Lassen County promotion, with one of its slogans: Lassen County Stands for “Opportunity.” It was duly noted that the population was less than 8,000 and the average annual income of heads of families is about $750.00.
Dodge’s Bay, Eagle Lake, 1916Before there was a completed tunnel at Eagle Lake, there was one company, the Eagle Lake Land & Irrigation Company who successfully tapped the lake and sent water flowing all the way to the Honey Lake Valley at Amedee. They did this a Hooker Hydraulic pump that had the capacity to move 60,000 gallons of water per minute. In summer of 1892, it was installed on the eastshore at Dodge’s Bay. While it was being installed, twenty-one miles of irrigation canal was constructed. On September 15, 1892, it was tested and water was sent flowing to Amedee—a reality. The company considered it a temporary measure—one to raise funds while they would embark on their own tunnel near the same location as the pumping plant. The company was so far in debt that in 1894 it was shut down. In 1903, the machinery from the plant was hauled to the Wilson sawmill near Susanville.
Lassen County Courthouse, 1922.When the Red River Lumber Company established its operations at Westwood it had a very congenial relationship with Lassen County officials. That all change in the fall of 1916 when United California Industries wanted to rent a hall in Westwood to discuss prohibition. Red River refused. A firestorm erupted by the Susanville press the Red River’s general manager, R.F. Pray. Pray was livid with the newspapers’ coverage and their commentary of the sordid affair. First, he noted, the newspapers had no right to publish the correspondence between United and Red River, as it was a private business affair not subject to public scrutiny. Pray in his rebuttal wrote, “When commencing operations on a large way in Lassen County three years ago, we informed the public and our employees that we were in engaged in the manufacturing of lumber and not in politics, that we refused participate in them, or be drawn in any political issue.” In conclusion, Pray inferred Red River did not deserve this kind of treatment recently played out in the press. After all, he reasoned, not only was Red River the county’s largest industry and it was the largest purchaser of local produce. Finally, if Red River had its way, last year they would have defeated the bond measure for a new county courthouse, reducing the company’s tax burden. Yet, Red River stayed out of the political arena and now Lassen County citizens are enjoying their modern facility that otherwise would not have materialized.
Part of the Gallatin boating fleet at Eagle Lake, 1918. Courtesy of Wyn WachhorstOf course, the first part of the month has an emphasis on the Lassen County Courthouse Centennial. As usual there is always a wide variety of topics explored each month. The month starts off with A Railroad for Milford, followed by the Eagle Lake pumping plant; Westwood’s Great Purge among other items. The item on Frederick Lander was scheduled in June, kept getting bumped, so finally it will appear this month.
An artist sketch of the lynching.There were two men while not county employees and/or officials did reside for a time in the original courthouse. The two men, Holden Dick and Vincente Olivas aka Mexican Ben were both being held on separate murder charges and the jail was located in the courthouse. Sometime in the middle of the night on January 24, 1886, a vigilante mob broke into the jail and removed Dick and Ben to a nearby woodshed and they were lynched. They were buried in the Susanville Cemetery, their graves unmarked and Spalding Arnold was probably the last person to know the location of the graves.
Yet, unmarked graves are not the domain of paupers and such. We will visit the grave of William Minckler, County Surveyor, and while there are Susanville street signs that bear his name, his grave has no marker—and he is related to Spalding Arnold!
Gallatin’s Boat at the south shore.With the upcoming Labor Day Weekend soon upon us, and after its conclusion the amount of boaters on area lakes starts to wane with the forthcoming changing of the seasons. In the past I have wrote about Oscar Rankin’s boat The Pelican. Among the larger boats to ply the surface of Eagle Lake was one belonging to the Gallatin family. It was substantial in size and weighed some 3,500 pounds, with a gas engine for motor power and shipped by rail to Susanville in May 1914. It was then hauled to the north end of Eagle Lake for launching. Once placed in the lake, the boat made its journey to the south shore at Gallatin’s new summer home, where a boathouse was waiting its first occupant.
