History

The Harvest Festival

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Courtesy of Dolores Gasperoni
Make sure to click to enlarge. Courtesy of Dolores Gasperoni

In 1913 a new fraternal organization was organized–Susanville Lodge 1397, Loyal Order of Moose, commonly referred to as the Moose Lodge.

The following year, the lodge decided the town needed a celebration. The Fourth of July was the only regularly celebrated event. The annual county fair had not been established. So the Moose Lodge decided on a harvest festival. In July 1914, they announced their intention to hold a four-day festival to commence on California’s Admission Day, September 9.

On the northwest corner of Main and Gay Streets (now the Bank of America parking lot) an open air pavilion was constructed. Also at Main and Gay , the lodge constructed an arch over Main Street.

The arch was a temporary affair, and a windstorm two weeks later, blew it over.
The arch was a temporary affair, and a windstorm two weeks later, blew it over.

A one block segment of Main Street, between Lassen and Gay was transformed into a street carnival. There were popular concessions such as a mirror maze, glass blowers, a musical show with six chorus girls, three comedians and a wheel of fortune. The farmers of Honey Lake Valley displayed specimens of their crops. Fehr & Worley of the Big Store (now Margie’s Book Nook) took the opportunity to show off their line of farm machinery.

Saturday evening was the climax of the festival. It was complete with a confetti battle and the merriment of locals dressed up for the “Parade of Horribles.” Some of the costumes were outlandish, but more important, it was an opportunity to have fun. A case in point Charlie Emerson playing the role of a blind organ grinder, and Dr. J.S. Wren as his monkey.

The Moose Lodge later reported while it was not a financial success, but that it was a successful venture as everyone had a good time.

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History

Desmond Meadows – Lassen County

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Desmond Meadows, 1906. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
Desmond Meadows, 1906. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

On January 22, 1859, Malcolm S. Scott claimed the meadows along Piute Creek, west of Susanville, that he named Spring Valley. Scott later abandoned his claim and the claim was taken over by Emanuel Brannon during the following year. Interest in the meadows fell by the wayside until 1873, when Robert M. Bean took possession of the meadows. Somewhere along the banks of Piute Creek, between Desmond Meadows and Susanville, Bean established the first brick kiln yard in Lassen County. In the year 1878, Bean manufactured 130,000 bricks. Hard times quickly fell upon him. Because of his creditors and the death of his wife, Alice, Bean sold the meadows to Jonathon Lovell, a Susanville blacksmith. Ownership of the meadows changed hands numerous times during the early 1880s. In 1886, it was purchased by John and Hannah Desmond from M. C. Bishop for $1,500. Married life for the Desmonds was not pleasant. In 1890, the couple separated and Hannah remained at the meadows. For the next ten years, to support herself and her family, Hannah operated a firewood business. The County of Lassen was one of her major customers, purchasing eighty cords annually at a $1.50 per cord. On November 19, 1900, Desmond sold the meadows to Anton Bantly for $2,000.

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History

Lassen Lumber & Box Company

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The Lassen Lumber & Box Company's office on Alexander Avenue, Susanville, 1923. Courtesy of Ivajean Wheeler
The Lassen Lumber & Box Company’s office on Alexander Avenue, Susanville, 1923. Courtesy of Ivajean Wheeler

The Lassen Lumber & Box Company (Lassen Lumber) was the smallest of the big three lumber companies, the other two being Fruit Growers Supply Company and Red River Lumber Company. It was also different than the other two, as their source of supply for timber was the Lassen National Forest.

This time the citizens of Susanville were eager to court this new company, having lost out to the Red River Lumber Company and the smaller Western Timber Treating Company. As an incentive they offered the company 40 acres, with water rights and $8,000 cash. They accepted. Construction began on the sawmill and box factory in the spring of 1918 and on July 27, 1918 the first logs arrived at the mill.

For Susanville the payoff was big, during the summer season Lassen Lumber employed upwards to 450 men with a monthly payroll of $65,000. The mill would operate until 1953 when it was closed. More about the history of the company will appear in future posts.

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News

Oktoberfest Cemetery Tour

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Jensen Family
Jurgen Jensen family will be a part of the tour: Left to right: A.R. “Bert”, Delia, Effie and Jurgen, 1902. Courtesy of Abe Jensen

During the summer, I have been doing preliminary work on an Oktoberfest Cemetery Tour. This will be similar to the St. Patrick’s Cemetery Tour wherein this time the focus will be the German immigrants who are now permanent residents of the Susanville Cemetery.

Tentatively, the graves selected are: Jacob Schmitt, Jurgen Jensen, Antone Bantley, Hans Wiencke, William Brockman, Ben Neuhaus, Daniel Cramer, John Hulsman and Andrew Miller. An interesting note descendants of all these families  still reside in Lassen County.

Currently, it is scheduled for Saturday October 1, 2016. It would truly be appreciated if those interested in attending would let me know. If there is a lack of interest, then there is no reason for me to finalize the presentation.  You can either post in the comment section or email me.

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

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History

Indian Valley Railroad

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Indian Valley Railroad. Courtesy of the Plumas County Museum
Indian Valley Railroad. Courtesy of the Plumas County Museum

One of the biggest issues T.B. Walker had against the Red River Lumber Company’s location at Westwood, was it lacked a railroad link directly to California.  For a time there was a glimmer hope with the Indian Valley Railroad.

On June 30, 1916, the Indian Valley Railroad (IVR) was incorporated to build a line from Paxton on the Western Pacific Railroad to the Engel Copper Mine near Taylorsville–a distance of 21 miles. Sixteen months later the rail line was completed. It should be noted, that it was originally proposed as a narrow gauge line, but Willis Walker of the Red River Lumber Company objected. After all, Walker was keen enough to see the possibilities for a link to Westwood, and with that would force the Southern Pacific Railroad to be more competitive in their rates.

Early on the IVR had its sights on Westwood. In 1918 a survey to extend the line to Westwood was conducted, There was speculation that the IVR would extend its line to Westwood, and in 1918 the IVR did survey a line to that place. With Red River’s main branch railroad logging extending along the east shore of Lake Almanor to Canyon Dam, there was not much territory separating the two lines. In 1927 a request was sent to the Interstate Commerce Commission to put in this proposed line to be known as the Northern California Railroad. It was rejected. However, in the works was the Western Pacific and Great Northern Railroads to connect their respective lines with a new railroad from Keddie, Plumas County to Klamath Falls, Oregon. This was approved in 1930, and Red River Lumber Company would finally have a second railroad connection it had always sought.

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History

Isaac Roop Highway

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The Association's letterhead.
The Association’s letterhead.

In essence this is one of those instances where history repeats itself. During the 1850s Congress passed several bills for a transcontinental railroad and wagon road to connect California to the Union. Numerous routes were surveyed, though most ended at California’s eastern border, with the assumption the State of California would decide the best route. The Honey Lake-Fredonyer-Deer Creek route was deemed one the best, since there was no high elevation summits to cross, thereby reducing  the problems associated with winter, i.e., Donner. In 1859, with the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada was a game changer. Politics and the influence of money the Donner Pass route was selected, a costly one at that.

Fast forward a hundred years later. In June 1956 Congress approved the Federal Highway Act, also known as President Eisenhower’s Interstate and Defense Highways. In 1957, Susanville resident F.W. Loosley saw an opportunity and proposed the Isaac Roop Low Pass All Weather Highway, as a viable alternative to Donner Pass. One of the most obvious was it would reduce construction costs and even more importantly annual maintenance, especially where snow removal was a concern. The proposed Roop Highway would go from Winnemucca, Nevada to Viewland, Lassen County, California via Gerlach. There it would merge initially with U.S. Highway 395 to Johnstonville and then connect with State Highway 36 over Fredonyer to Red Bluff. (This should not be confused with the Winnemucca to the Sea Highway.) It received widespread support in California and Nevada. The wheels of commerce, those along the then Highway 40 put pressure because the proposed interstate would bypass them, and they won.

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History

A Gift

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1940
1940

In April 1952, Hannah Hulsman gave a unique gift to the community, though it would several months later when it became publicly known.  Without further adieu, the following is the editorial from the Lassen Advocate of July 17, 1952:  Lassen’s Grave.  “A long-time hope of many people of the area has been achieved with assurance of preservation of Peter Lassen’s grave for posterity.

“The entire community owes Miss Hannah Hulsman a genuine vote of thanks for her generosity on donating this historic spot to the Native Daughters of the Golden West. It is a public spirited move for which she will long be remembered.

“The Native Daughters are an appropriate organization to assume charge of the beautiful and history laden spot. It is a scene of beauty–the old and new monuments beneath the thriving pines, green meadows before and dark mountain range behind. Although the giant ponderosa pine on the property is dying and apparently must come down, the smaller pines around will still have a beautiful setting.

“The Native Daughters no doubt will have community cooperation if they need it, in helping make this grave site into an attractive picnic area. The Masons have a particular affection for the memory of Peter Lassen, because he started the first Masonic lodge in California. The monuments were erected by them. And the entire community is interested in such a memorable service project.

“Again many thanks to Miss Hulsman and the Native Daughters for making history continue by preserving one of its major California shrines.”

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History

Susanville, 1916

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Susanville view, 1916. Courtesy of Hazel Moller
Susanville view, 1916. Courtesy of Hazel Moller

In January the region was hit a big snowstorm and cold temperatures.  Over four feet of snow fell in Susanville, and to get an idea how cold a storm system it was, Sacramento had three inches of snow. The Susanville residents took the storm in stride, as they had been used to such storms every year since 1907. What they would not be prepared for, was this was the last major snowstorm for the next twenty-one years.

When spring arrived, the big news was Leon Bly announced to the world his Eagle Lake project. He assured everyone this time it would be different than the previous twenty attempts. In addition, to Bly the other big news was the first work on a state highway that would connect Red Bluff and Susanville, though it take until 1929 before it was completed.

The Fourth of July was a big celebration that the town had not had for a couple of years. In 1914 and 1915, Westwood was the host to celebrate the nation’s birthday. This time it was Susanville to be the host, and a good time was had by all. By this time a good nature rivalry between the two communities had developed and in the wild, wacky baseball game, Westwood beat Susanville 10-4.

In the fall, Jules Alexander launched a campaign for the preservation of Peter Lassen’s grave, which a campaign fund soon began to erect a new monument. It would take nearly year, but in the fall of 1917, a new monument was installed and dedicated in conjunction with the dedication of the new Lassen County Courthouse.

Just as the year had begun, it ended in much the same way. On Christmas Day Susanville was coated with four inches of snow.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past