This is one of the longest seasonal streams, in terms of length and some times flow, in Lassen County.
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A Rare Giant Felled
On the front page of the Lassen County Times of November 8, 1978, there was a bit of irony one of the falling a large sugar pine tree, which running next to it a story of the Westwood Cemetery dispute involving logging.
On November 6, 1978 Ernest Cluck felled the 432 foot sugar pine tree that contained 16,000 plus board feet. It was part of timber sale that Beaty & Associates sold to Sierra Pacific of Susanville, though article failed to mention where the tree was located.
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Westwood Cemetery Dispute
This was one of the biggest stories of 1978. It was not only an emotional issue, but a political one, too. It all began, in May, when Beaty & Associates made their intentions known that they would be logging adjacent to the cemetery, but harvesting trees in the cemetery. A group known as the Concerned Citizens of Westwood requested intervention from the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to prevent the logging in the cemetery for they feared it would be transformed into a “valley of stumps.” The County was hesitant to interfere, as they did not have the authority, as the county did not hold title to the property. It was cited even with adverse possession with the burial rights, it did not cover timber or mineral rights. Beaty later rescinded its plan to log the cemetery. Several years later, some large pine trees were removed as a safety issue. One of those trees, had a bronze marker attached to it, to memorialize the 1929 death of Fletcher “Cub” Walker Jr. who died in a airplane crash near the cemetery.
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When will it open?
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Doyle & Crowder Mill
First of all, I disclose that I do not know a lot about this sawmill, but I am working on it. The mill built around 1903, was located in what was referred to as Cannon field near the top of Doyle Grade. It had one major customer, the Western Pacific Railroad to provide them with railroad ties while the railroad was being constructed through the region. In 1918, due to the scarcity of machinery brought on by World War I, the Lassen Lumber & Box Company of Susanville purchased and dismantled it to build their new mill in Susanville. In the 1950s, some people going through the old sawdust pile found several gold coins.
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4th of July
A happy fourth of July to all. Remember to use common sense over the holiday week and if you must use fireworks please use carefully. This is not a time for injuries, or setting off a fire.
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Roop County, Nevada
After nearly 100 years after Lassen County was created in 1864, some historians thought it really should have been named Roop County. However, that would have been problematic, since across the stateline in Nevada was Roop County. Nevada officials were critical of the Roop name, J. Wells Kelly, who compiled the First Directory of Nevada Territory questioned the choice of the name and stated that it should have been named Lassen County. Kelly wrote: “Every dictate of gratitude and propriety, suggested the name of Peter Lassen—the noble old pioneer who, the first to enter, finally lost his life in exploring these wild regions—as that which should have been bestowed upon the county.” The after effects of the Sagebrush War reduced Roop County to a long narrow strip of land from Pyramid Lake to the Oregon border. Since it was a sparsely settled territory, with no town, the Nevada Legislature, on February 18, 1864, attached it to Washoe County for judicial and revenue purposes. On January 16, 1883, it was officially abolished and made a part of Washoe County
Spalding vs. Spaulding
From time to time, people ask why Spaulding Tract is not spelled as Spalding after the John Spalding family who was the initial developer of the subdivision on Eagle Lake’s west side. It is more of a technical issue involving property title. In essence, there are two Spalding subdivisions. The 1914 subdivision was smaller in scale and never had any financial success, as only one was lot sold. A decade later, the current Spaulding Tract that we know, overlaps sections of the original one, thus the “u” was inserted into the Spalding name to distinguish the two.
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Japanese Internment Camp for Lassen County?
Information from Forced Farming in America, Agriculture at the Tule Lake Relocation Center, 1942 – 1946, by Michael David Schmidli. Copies available at Margie’s Book Nook
500 Cottage Street – Susanville
On the other hand, I will still provide some historical material related to the property, since there have only been two structures located there. Susanville first’s church, the Congregational Church was built there in the mid-1870s. In 1906, Susanville merchant, Charlie Emerson purchased the abandoned church, and moved it to 607 Cottage Street where he converted into a warehouse. In August 1915, that building caught fire and destroyed most of that block. In 1929, Wes Emerson built the house on the old church lot.
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