History

The early history of Papoose Meadows

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Papoose Meadows, circa 1910. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst
Papoose Meadows, circa 1910. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst

The first Anglo settler at Papoose Meadows, near Eagle Lake was that of 24 year-old Kentuckian, Cyrus Myers who claimed the property in 1873.  He was one of the earliest settlers of the Eagle Lake basin.  After all, it was not until 1875 that the Dow and  Spalding families located near Pine Creek. In September 1876 Myers traded this property along with the improvements he had made (that consisted of a frame barn, a log barn, one log cabin, two outhouses, 800 fence rails and ten tons of hay) to Susanville resident and Lassen County Clerk, Wright P. Hall for sixty-five cows. Continue reading The early history of Papoose Meadows →

History

Pyramid Land & Stock Company

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Patrick Flanigan -- Wren's History
Patrick Flanigan — Wren’s History

Patrick L. Flanigan was one of those rags to riches to rags stories. In 1877, at the age of 17, he came west to Reno where he found employment milking cows. Five years later he obtained a loan from the Washoe County Bank to purchase 1500 sheep. Thus, like many before and after him became an itinerant sheep man and moved his sheep from place to place where ever he could find feed and water. (When the Taylor Grazing Act came into effect in 1934, put an end to this practice.) Flanigan, like so many others, lost over 50% of sheep during the harsh winter of 1889-90. Continue reading Pyramid Land & Stock Company →

History

The Depression Scavengers

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Remains of E.C. Brown's tugboat used on Honey Lake, circa 1940. Courtesy of Margaret Nye
Remains of E.C. Brown’s tugboat used on Honey Lake, circa 1940. Courtesy of Margaret Nye

Lassen County, in many ways, did not experience the harshest aspects of the nation’s financial depression of the 1930s. This is not to infer that all was good. Many of the ranchers were still self sufficient for many of their needs. While the sawmills did curtail operations, they continued to operate, where numerous mills on the Pacific Coast closed. Lassen County also benefited from one of the last major railroad construction projects in the nation, the Inside Gateway linking the Western Pacific Railroad with the Great Northern at Bieber.  For Big Valley it was a prosperous era. Continue reading The Depression Scavengers →

History

Susanville’s Halltown

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The Hall residence, 1895. Today, the location is the 1600 block of Susanville's Main Street, the current location of Grocery Outlet.
The Hall residence, 1895. Today, the location is the 1600 block of Susanville’s Main Street, the current location of Grocery Outlet. Courtesy of Howard Hall.

Wright Patrick Hall is known for many things, especially that as a long serving Lassen County Clerk, and also that as the Lassen County Treasurer/Tax Collector. He first came to Susanville in 1860, and then moved to Nevada for a brief stay before returning.  On May 22, 1877,  he  purchased 480 acres one half mile east of Susanville from Heiro K. Cornell for $700. In 1885, Hall began selling lots with Main Street frontage. In 1895, Hall hired surveyor William D. Minckler to plot 160 acres known as Halls Addition, but everyone called it Halltown. The bottom land of Piute Creek separated Halltown from Susanville. It was not until the 1920s that the two communities slowly grew together.

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History

The other Tunison

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Tunison Ranch, Willow Creek Valley.
Tunison Ranch, Willow Creek Valley, known today as the Hagata Ranch.

In the past I have wrote about Tunison’s which was a road house between Susanville and Westwood, and which the lone chimney near Goodrich Creek, is the last remnant of that establishment. It should also be noted that William “Bill” Tunison, was one of the longest serving Lassen County Board of Supervisors whose served from 1936-1964. Continue reading The other Tunison →

History

Camp 10 – Cookhouse

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Camp 10, Cookhouse, December 15, 1950.

Recently, I sent a  email to subscribers with the attachment of a photograph of the Fruit Growers Supply Company’s cookhouse at Camp 10, which is depicted above. Several people indicated they wanted to know more, so without further adieu  . . .

Fruit Growers operated ten railroad logging camps in the region west of Eagle Lake.  In 1928, Camp 10 was established at the northern end of Pine Creek Valley and was not only its largest camp, but also in length, for it remained in operation until the end of the logging season of 1952. In the summer, its population could swell to 200, and by winter reduced to one lone caretaker.

On August 29, 1950 at around 2:00 a.m. the camp was awakened by a fire–the cookhouse engulfed in flames. In addition, it spread to the commissary, warehouse, office and oil shed. Fortunately, there were no winds where the fire could spread further. When all was said and done, Camp 10 timekeeper, George Farris commented, “It was the most spectacular fire I had ever seen.”

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News

Your Topic

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Bremner sawmill, Susan River Canyon, 1891. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
Bremner sawmill, Susan River Canyon, 1891. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

On a quarterly basis,  I ask you, the reader, if there is something you would like to learn more about or maybe its something you heard but question its validity.  So here is an opportunity to participate. I will do my best to answer any questions. It should be noted, it may take awhile for the answer to appear as a post. The primary reason, many of the daily posts are done nearly a month in advance.  So by the time you read this, I am already working on posts in the middle of February.  Whatever the case may be, I look forward to hearing from you. Of course, it should be noted that paid subscribers requests receive priority. In addition, you can always send an request at any time. Such is the case with the Bayley Creek Sawmill on the north side of Fredonyer Peak.

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News

Ardene Purdy 1931-2017

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Tanner Ranch
Tanner Ranch, with Skedaddle Mountain in the background, 1997. Courtesy of Bob Sorvaag

My mother, Ardene Tanner Purdy, passed away on January 7, 2017. She came from hardy Lassen County pioneer stock and more about her and heritage in the future. Some may notice that a number of the  historic photographs featured in these posts are  credited to her mother,  Lola Murrer Tanner.

My apologies if I have not answered anyone’s emails recently; along with this snafu between the web host server and my local, about the daily notifications.  Please be patience, while I work through these issues.

Tim I. Purdy

History

It is a Long story.

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Known today as the Susanville Ranch Park, for many years it was the John T. Long Ranch.
Known today as the Susanville Ranch Park, for many years it was the John T. Long Ranch.

Most of the topics I have been writing deal with places, and not so much the people.  Well, I am working on providing a better balance. Thus, herewith is the brief introduction of the many Long families of Lassen County.  Of course there are many geographical names in the area that have the “Long” attachment, the majority are attributed to dimensions, and not a surname.

On the other hand, there were several different Long families in the the Lassen area, and not related, though many had shared first names, which at times caused confusion.  After all, there were occurences when a message was sent in 1910 for George Long the stage operator to pick up a railroad passenger at Wendel, or was it the other George Long, the butcher, who was courting an out of towner? Whatever the case may be, they both showed up, but the precious passenger, did not show.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past