View of the north side of Susanville, 1947. Courtesy of Fred Lendman
The Paul Bunyan Road as a city street was a long undertaking. The road of course first started out as a railroad to deliver logs to the Springfield Cedar Mill, that evolved into the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company. When the mill closed in 1967, traffic on the road greatly diminished, though with agreement Sierra Pacific Industries utilized it on occasions. However it was a private road. When the Cherry Terrace subdivisions came into existence in the early 1960s, both the city of Susanville and county of Lassen set their sights on the Paul Bunyan Road as a means for better traffic. At the November 6, 1978 meeting of the Susanville City Council it was revealed that some of the first easements for right-of-way for this road was approved. However, it would be still decades away before it became a reality.
Paul Bunyan Days at Willard Creek, April 1970. Featured is the log rolling contest-student still standing is Howard Hanns and the student falling is Marshall Benedict. Photograph courtesy of D.B. Martin
Lassen College’s forestry department began in 1938, though now its major emphasis is on fire science, than forestry. It was in this era of the late 1930s and early 1940s that the forestry students developed a small winter recreational area known as Willard Hill. For several decades it was a very popular spot for sledding, etc.
Paul Bunyan Days was a logging competition held not only at Lassen College, but other community colleges that had forestry programs. Tom Gilfoy who graduated from Lassen in 1951, said it was Ralph Throop who was instrumental in starting Paul Bunyan Days. At that time it was held behind the high school, since the college was located on the same property. Tom stated they made an impromptu dam on the Susan River for log pond events. Years later Paul Bunyan Days was moved to Willard Creek. Mike Moyers who later taught at Lassen stated that around 1981 or 1982 was when the last Paul Bunyan Days was held. In 1984, the forestry program at the college was terminated due to lack of students.
If anyone has more information, I would like to hear from you.
It seems as though my sorting/file pile seems to get larger than smaller. In the filing bin was a map of the Amedee Cemetery. What is peculiar is that the cemetery is on private property, but Lassen County Surveyor Thomas W. Ogilvie prepared it and the Lassen County Board of Supervisors accepted on June 6, 1955. In addition, Amedee’s heyday had long been over, and only nine burials occurred there. Yet, the 1955 map includes 79 new plots, while Amedee’s population consisted of one person.
Finally, if you notice a trend of cemetery topics in the next few weeks, it is because of Memorial Day weekend, and I am focused on cemetery work in preparation thereof.
Last week I wrote about Coulthurst Hill. This is a just a little anecdote, since Isaac Coulthurst did not spend all his time in that unusual “man cave.” In the late 1880s he filed for a 123-acre homestead on the southeastern corner of Eagle Lake. On October 4, 1892 he sold the property to Albert Gallatin who was busy acquiring property around Eagle Lake. While Gallatin primary use of the property was for the grazing of livestock, his wife had other plans for this particular piece of property. In 1913, she built a 4,000 square foot summer home there, the first one to be constructed at Eagle Lake.
This year marks the centennial of the dedication of the Lassen County Courthouse. Of course it has under gone numerous changes in the past one hundred years. In September 1978 prison inmate Robert Clawson who was in the courtroom on pending kidnapping charge broke free of the bailiff and fled. He exited the courthouse by jumping out of the window on the second floor landing in the flower bed, From there he ran away, but was later apprehended. From this episode many of the windows were replaced with smaller openings to prevent future escapes.
One of the problems when Lassen Volcanic National Park was established, Congress was real stingy with funds with an annual appropriation of $5,000 a year, though for the first several years they did not even provide that. To make matters worse the initial administration of Lassen was handled by Yosemite National Park officials.
Yet, Lassen Park advocates were a persistent bunch and they explored a variety of avenues. Take for instance in 1919, when former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt died, consideration was given to rename Lassen after Roosevelt. Not only would it be a memorial in his honor, but it was considered a venue to overcome its financial dilemma with Congress.
A minataure 1921 panaroma of Susanville depicting the neighborhood where the sale will take place.
When: Saturday, May 13, 2017 starting at 9:00 a.m.
Where: 500 Cottage Street, Susanville, California
The gramaphone and cabinet are many of the items for sale.
Details: This is phase two of my mother’s estate sale, since there was more assorting to be done after phase one, since the basement and the garage had not even been touched. Everything at bargain prices, in preparation to place the property on the market. Come one, come all, spread the word.
The Belfast District. Courtesy of Bernard McCallister
This rather obscure hill located in Honey Lake Valley’s Belfast District has an interesting tale behind it. Isaac Coulthurst was one of the first Anglo settlers of the region, but in time his sanity came into question.
In 1873 Coulthurst stated that the Lord commanded him to go to the top of this hill. Coulthurst held communion with the Lord in a cave there. He spent a portion of the winter in that cave. Coulthurst stated it was warmed by supernatural heat, but the cave became unbearably hot in the summer. It was then that he discarded his name of Coulthurst and changed his name to the “Second Coming of Christ.” His wife, Mary, had him declared insane. Twice he was placed in mental institutions, each time he spent only a few months. In 1881, a third examination was held on his competency. The courts two examining physicians stated he was fine in all aspects, especially keen in business dealings. They admitted to his religious peculiarity but did not think he would derive any benefit from being institutionalized. After that court hearing, the court proceeded with the divorce proceedings that had been filed by his wife and the court approved it. Coulthurst agreed to the divorce and to pay alimony, but would not divide the property with her. Coulthurst’s refusal to divide the ranch property was based on his belief that it would be the site of a new Jerusalem. Coulthurst contended that a large city would be built there, the streets paved with gold. In 1893, Coulthurst transferred the ranch to his son, Henry, with the provision that his son clothe, feed, maintain, and support him during his natural life. Coulthurst signed the deed “Christ the Lord.”
An interesting footnote when Coulthurst died in 1919, he was the first person interred in the Lassen Cemetery.
Pikes Point, Eagle Lake circa 1917. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst
In late April I made a whirlwind visit to the San Francisco Bay Area. The adventure was two fold–one a needed change of scenery and the other to obtain some new historical data pertaining to Eagle Lake.
The first stop was a visit to Wyn Wachhorst and a review of a fascinating photograph collection of Eagle Lake between the years 1914 to 1920 of the Gallatin family activities there. After some discussion with colleagues, we may attempt a re-photographic survey–then versus now–to examine how the landscape has evolved over the last 100 years. The completed project would be done in a powerpoint presentation and made available to various interested groups. Stay tuned.
The next excursion was to visit Michael Clynne a U.S.G.S. geologist. In a recent finding the Brockman Flat Lava Flow extends to the east side of the lake at Bly Tunnel and Pelican Point is part of that lava flow. In addition, Gallatin Peak is a spillover of the Sierra Nevada. More about these revelations in future posts.
