News

Upcoming Tour Dates

April 13, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Goggle sign — When traveling the back country around these parts. Google maps and GPS not the best move. Use some common sense. Though it should be noted that AAA maps indicated Shinn Ranch Road was maintained. May be it was back in the 1870s when the Shinns lived there.

Sooner or later we should start experiencing some nice weather conditions. After a long wet winter many are anxious to get out and about. With that in mind here are some of the tour dates scheduled:

Saturday, May 13 – Inspiration Point Tour. Susanville’s first park, provides a wonderful vista to explore the regions geology, as well as mining, and plenty of other topics in between.

Saturday, June 17 – Mural Tour. This is in uptown Susanville and not only the history behind the mural, but the history of the building that it is on. Should there be plenty of interest, this may be held once a month during the summer inconjunction with the Farmer’s Market.

Wednesday, June 21 – Summer Solstice Sunrise Tour. Visit Belfast and see what happens, it only happens on this one day, every year since ancient times.

Saturday, September 16 – Lassen County Courthouse Centennial. A lot of activities are planned that day, including a Susanville Cemetery tour that will feature a cross section of county officials interred there.

Note: For non-subscribers there is a five dollar fee.

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History

Doyle, 1948

April 12, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Town of Doyle was surveyed and subdivided in 1911. However, there was plenty of activity there, since the Western Pacific Railroad had already established a station. So, the new town of Doyle was serviced, not by one, but two railroads, the other being the NCO. Yet, changes were on the horizon and Doyle like so many rural communities suffered from the effects of World War I. Many of its residents, and the regional homesteaders, never returned seeking new opportunities elsewhere.

In the 1940s, Doyle experienced a revival, due in part of the establishment of the nearby Sierra Ordnance Depot. In 1948, the Doyle Civic League proclaimed: “There is a boom on in Doyle.” The League cited among other things that the community boasted three grocery stores, three gas stations and two taverns with cafes.

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History

Providence Mine – Hayden Hill

April 11, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Hayden Hill’s first mine, was named the Providence. In the early 1870s, Hayden Hill was sometimes referred to as Providence. The following whimsical account is from the Mountain Tribune of Bieber, April 22, 1882 that explains how the name came to be: “While at Hayden Hill this week in search of information, we inquired of Ben Bradshaw which was the first claim located on the Hill and he informed me that the Providence was the oldest claim. Being curious to know why it was so named he said it was located and owned by ‘seven preachers and two white men.’ We record this fact for the benefit of the future historiographer of the Hill.”

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History

The Tax Man Cometh

April 10, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

As county property taxes are due today, throughout time there are those who protest the taxes and the valuation of their properties. Today, we examine one episode that involved Lewis W. Brubeck and his Amedee Hotel property.

S.N. Griffith had the hotel constructed in the spring of 1892, at a reported cost of $25,000. On August 26, 1892, Brubeck acquired the hotel for $5,000. On July 10, 1899, Brubeck filed a protest over the hotel’s assessed value with Lassen County. In his affidavit, he stated not only had the property depreciated over the years, but the railroad’s intention to extend its line north, the property value would even be worth less. Brubeck informed the Assessor that he would take $2,000 cash for it, though the Assessor had it valued at $3,000. Brubeck’s appeal was rejected. In November 1900 he sold the property, though the record is not clear whether he received his asking price of $2,000.

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History

Bird Flat School

April 9, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This rural Honey Lake Valley school was located approximately halfway between Milford and Doyle. It was established on January 7, 1896. That summer the residents built the schoolhouse. The school opened in the fall with fourteen students, Tillie Downing was its first instructor. From 1934 through 1938 the school was closed for lack of students. It re-opened in 1939. In 1959, it closed for the last time and annexed to Long Valley. The schoolhouse, situated along Highway 395, has had many uses since its closure, presently it has since been converted into a private residence.

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History

Introducing Ebenezer C. Brown

April 8, 2017 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Ebenezer Cooley “Ben” Brown lived an interesting, varied life. The Louisiana native wore many hats during his tenure in the Honey Lake Valley, a rancher, shop keeper, tugboat captain, to name a few.

Orphaned at an early age, in 1874 he left his native Louisiana for Baker City, Oregon to work on a ranch, save some money and further his education. His brother, Rutherford Brown had come to California in 1861, first working in mines, and later became an attorney. Ben followed in his brother’s footsteps, at least with the mining portion and for eight years prospected various places in the West, with not much success. His brother, Rutherford came to his aid. In 1884, he purchased the Hamilton Ranch in the Honey Lake Valley from Pheobe Masten Hamilton Slater for $12,000. (The property is known today as the Fleming Unit of the Honey Lake Wildlife Area.) Continue reading Introducing Ebenezer C. Brown →

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Westwood’s El Solano Hotel

April 7, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

One of the peculiar oddities back in Westwood’s early history there were no accommodations for the traveling public. The Red River Lumber Company who controlled the town wanted it that way. This would hinder any “undesirables” to try infiltrate the town, i.e., such as union organizers. However, Red River needed to provide some sort of accommodations for people visiting on official business with the company. Red River constructed the El Solano at 501 Birch Street to meet those needs.

In the 1930s, during Red River’s financial crisis, the company converted its American Legion Hall into a hotel known as the Blue Ox Inn, and thus the El Solano diminished in status. It would later be converted into apartments. In the fall of 1965 the Assembly of God Church renovated the building, and the second story removed. Today, it is a private residence.

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History

Eagle Lake’s Highest Level

April 6, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Gallatin Beach and Peak, 1916. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst

In the spring of 1917, Eagle Lake reached its highest level ever known at 5,125 feet. For the previous ten years the region had experienced one of its wettest known periods. Since the Anglo settlement of the 1850s the region had been void of any prolonged drought. There would be one and maybe two years of below normal precipitation years. Between 1875, when the Government Land Office provided the first accurate level of the lake, to 1917, the lake’s water level had risen fourteen feet. At that time, the lake covered a surface area of 29,000 acre-feet. Between the Bly Tunnel and successive droughts in 1937, its surface area had been reduced to 16,000 acre-feet.

So after this wet winter we have experienced, the level of lake as of April 3, 2017 stood at 5095.78, and the level of the lake has risen nearly five feet since November 1, which information was provided by Lassen County Surveyor Don Willis, who monitors the lake’s level every month.

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History

Buffalo Meadows Cemetery

April 5, 2017 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Those who know me well, are aware that I have a special affinity for cemeteries. The Buffalo Meadows Cemetery in the Smoke Creek Desert, I know very little about, and I would certainly like to know more. According Asa M. Fairfield he noted that an immigrant girl by the name of Susan DeWitt died near the salt marsh and was buried near there. Fairfield went on that some thought that it was this Susan for whom the Susan River was named for. If anyone can shed more information about this cemetery I would certainly like to hear from you.

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History

Chicken Nuggets

April 4, 2017 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Vic Perry’s Store on Wheels, Standish, 1911. Courtesy of Alphozene Terril

This story has nothing to do with the kind of chicken nuggets people purchase at fast food outlets. Early on in my research career, I heard a lot of stories, some were true and others, not, but nonetheless they were good tales.

One particular tale was told to me many times, and that a particular incident occurred more frequently especially in the Gold Run and Richmond area. It was not unusual for a person who while prepping a chicken to eat, during the dressing stage, would find a small gold nugget stuck in the chicken’s craw. To add credence to this story, I came across the following tidbit: Lassen Advocate, March 25, 1897 – Vic Perry, the rustling poultry and egg denier, so reports say, recently killed and dressed a chicken for market, in the craw of which he found two dollars and seventeen cents worth of gold. We do not mention the matter as one that is particularly noticeable in this section, however remarkable it might be in other localities but simply present it as an ordinary every day sort of a fact.