History

Honey Lake Gold Mine

Leave a comment
Honey Lake Gold Mine, 1936. Courtesy of Jere Baker
Honey Lake Gold Mine, 1936. Courtesy of Jere Baker

The following account was provided by Jere Baker and originally appeared in Lassen County at 150.

In 1929 the Honey Lake Valley Gold Mining & Development Co. was incorporated.  Two years prior to that event, Hilding Sundberg, a mining man from Oakland, California took possession of an abandoned gold mine called the Badger Group located some six miles southeast of Milford on the Diamond Mountain range at an elevation 6,000 feet. Sundberg began work on the property with a new cross-cut tunnel, reaching a small vein of gold 300 feet in. The property was incorporated in 1929 with Sundberg as the new president and general manager of the new company. A second tunnel was cut 720 feet into the mountain, 500 of which were driven along a ledge of gold ore. Assayed samples taken from tunnel no. 2 showed an average of $55.00 a ton. A third tunnel was started at the mining company’s base camp at the 5,000 foot level. Sundberg took a calculated risk that a horizontal tunnel driven far enough would reach the same vein of gold, whereby the entire body of ore could be mined by gravity at a much lower cost. Continue reading Honey Lake Gold Mine →

History

Susanville – 200 S. Roop Street Revisited

Leave a comment
200 S. Roop St., Susanville, July 20, 2016. Courtesy of Annie Henriques Blank
200 S. Roop St., Susanville, July 20, 2016. Courtesy of Annie Henriques Blank

Susanville’s uptown/historic district has an eclectic blend of architecture. During the 1920s, during the boom era brought on by the lumber mills certainly left its mark.

Charles McGowan one of the original owners of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company had a very striking residence. The home was constructed in 1924, and he moved his family into their new residence in July of that year. In November 1928, McGowan resigned his post as Vice-President of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company as he was in the midst of taking a new position with the Castella Box Factory in Shasta County.  In the spring of 1929, he had the house converted into three apartments, and remains that way after all of these years.

Subscribe!

History

A Janesville Windstorm

Leave a comment
Janesville Masonic Hall,circa 1912.
Janesville Masonic Hall,circa 1912.

The residents of Janesville became giddy when the news broke in late August, 1910 that their local masonic lodge was to build a new hall, next to the Janesville Hotel. By September plans were underway to hold a dance in the new hall scheduled for November 4.

By early October, the skeletal two-story frame of the building had been erected. Then on Monday, October 3rd, Charlie Wilbur, the contractor told this crew to stop work, due to the poor weather conditions, especially the high gusty winds. Then out of nowhere, gust hit the structure practically demolishing it.  The next day Wilbur’s crew were busy picking up the pieces and work resumed on the building. However, the celebratory dance scheduled in November had to be postponed for another time.

Support by subscribing

History

Datura – Lassen County

Leave a comment
Members of the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club at the Honey Lake School, 1898. Courtesy of Betty B. Deal
Members of the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club at the Honey Lake School at Datura, 1898. Courtesy of Betty B. Deal

Datura was an interesting little wide spot in the road east of present day Standish. Its existence came into being first as a stage stop in the 1890s and also referred to as Four Corners or Cain’s Corner. For a brief time, it appeared that it actually might be a substantial outpost. By 1894, William Henry Harrison Fuller opened a store there. On May 11, 1895 the Datura Post Office was established with Fuller serving as the first and only postmaster. George M. Cain followed suit and opened a livery stable where stage coaches could change horses. The newly formed Honey Lake School built their first school at Datura.

During 1897/98 the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club held their meetings at Datura to formulate the plans for their utopian community of Standish. On April 21, 1899, the Datura Post Office closed and its operations moved to Standish. As Standish developed, Datura slipped into oblivion.

Support by subscribing.

History

An Amedee Legacy

1 Comment

Anderson, C. Derek

In 2010, an ardent fan of jazz great, Dave Brubeck, wanted to do something special and unique for Dave’s 90th birthday. Many people may not be aware, but Dave had deep roots in the Honey Lake Valley, and yours truly is a distant relation.  In 1881, Dave’s grandfather, Lewis W. Brubeck took up a homestead  on the east side of Honey Lake, which included a group of hot springs, that when the railroad arrived there in 1890 became the town of Amedee. Dave’s father, along with his aunts and uncles were born at that location.

One member of the family, would become the only permanent resident–Mabel Brubeck, Dave’s Aunt. At the age of 12, she died of pneumonia. Even though the town of Amedee, which at one time was one of Lassen County’s largest communities, had no cemetery. Those that died there, were transported to distant locations for internment.  What prompted Mabel’s parents to bury their daughter on the hillside overlooking Amedee is not known.  For a number of years, I corresponded with Mabel’s brother, Raymond Brubeck, who resided for many years in Sacramento.  When I asked Ray, about Mabel, he did not know. It should be noted, Ray was born two years after his sister had passed away, and the family for their own reasons never talked about Mabel.

Support by subscribing.

History

Hallett Creek – Lassen County

Leave a comment
Map of the Hallett Creek adjudication.
Map of the Hallett Creek adjudication. Don’t forget, you can click to enlarge.

There has been a long history of water grabbing, locally, and around the West, and I am referring from taking water out of one basin, to be used in another. Take for instance, in 1906 Janesville resident Wiley Cornelison constructed a small tunnel along the Diamond Range, just past Thompson Peak. What he did was divert some water from the east branch of Thompson Creek into Hallett Creek. It should be noted the diversion was only done in the spring when there was sufficient flows in both streams. As a rule, Hallett Creek normally dries up by July of each year.

Seventy years later, things got ugly about this diversion and Hallett Creek itself and the State Water Resources Control Board intervened to prepare an adjudication.  What perplexed me about the litigation, where the numerous briefs filed by outside parties such as the Sierra Club. Why such a big fight, over an intermittent stream? In 1986, I happened to be on an excursion to Death Valley and discovered the answer.  I met a Los Angeles attorney who was quite familiar with Hallett Creek. The big issue was transfer out of the Feather River watershed, i.e., Thompson Creek, into Hallett Creek into the Honey Lake Basin. The outcome of course, could have an impact with the water issues of the Owens Valley.

Support by subscribing.

History

Prattville Cemetery

2 Comments
Prattville Hotel, 1899. Mary Dale Folsom
Prattville Hotel, 1899. Mary Dale Folsom

Some times, there is no such thing as a final resting place. In most cases what occurs, is a family relocates a graves(s) from one cemetery to another. This was not the case with the Prattville Cemetery, now located on the west shore of Lake Almanor.

The town of Prattville was established in 1867, it what was known as Big Meadows.  During the summer months, folks from the Sacramento Valley flocked there to escape the summer heat. One must remember this pre-air conditioned times.

The first burial in what would become the Prattville Cemetery occurred on June 17, 1864 with the internment of James Lee.  In 1925, Great Wester Power Company announced its intention to enlarge Lake Almanor, and thus the cemetery would have to be moved. In October 1926 Kenneth Murray of Greenville was hired to exhume 101 bodies and relocate them 300 yards to the west. A.D. Greig of the Susanville Granite Works was in charge of relocating the thirty-five monuments in the cemetery. Those who have attended my cemetery tours, I always point out that are large percentage of graves are unmarked.

Support by subscribing.

News

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Leave a comment
The historic photographs are always popular and a bargain at $13.00
The historic photographs in the calendar are always popular and a bargain at $13.00

Just want to surprise someone with an inexpensive gift. The 2017 calendar, is one of many items available on this site, and also locally at Margie’s Book Nook and at Doyle’s Gift Shop.  Of course, I have a wide variety of books, too.

Why not a gift subscription to tipurdy.org. At five dollars a month it is a bargain. You can decided whether for a month, quarter or even splurge for a year. Continue reading Last Minute Gift Ideas →

Exploring Lassen County's Past