The other week there was a post Go Exploring and that is what I recently did. One of the sites visited played a major role in Lassen County development, though there is no historical marker and in addition no reference on maps. The initial concept was in 1875, construction began in 1881 and the site was not abandoned until 1917.
In 1862, the John D. Kelley family arrived in Susanville from Washoe Valley, Nevada. The following year they located in the Tule District of the Honey Lake Valley. The property was known for many years as the Dill Ranch, now owned by Jay Dow.
On July 8, 1863, the family went over to Milford for a social visit. Kelley’s nine-year-old son, Elbern and Joshua Bristo Rice, then eleven, went down to play along the shore of Honey Lake. They then ventured out into the lake on a sand bar. Kelley went even further and got into deep water and did not know how to swim. Rice did not know how to swim either, and rushed to get help. By the time Rice returned it was too late, and Kelley had drowned. It was the first death at Milford and the second drowning in Honey Lake.
A native of North Carolina and born on 29 April 1813, is in many ways considered the original dean of Lassen County’s legal community. Like so many, he slowly worked his way west. His first stop Montgomery County, Indiana where his four children were born. Then it was to Iowa for a brief spell. In 1849, Harrison set out for the gold fields of California and like so many others, had never mined before.
Fortunately, when he arrived in Shasta County he was able to fall back on his original profession as an attorney. He served two different terms as county judge in Shasta, and then moved to Red Bluff. There he served a term as Tehama County District Attorney. In 1862 he was lured to the mines of Unionville, Nevada. Again, he fell back on his previous profession and passed the Nevada bar exam.
In 1863 he returned to Red Bluff to spend the winter and the following spring moved his family to Susanville. On October 18, 1865 he was elected county judge of Lassen County. After his two year term expired, he continued with his mining interest. In June 1868, he was appointed to the position of Lassen County District Attorney, as Isaac Roop failed to qualify for that job. He remained in that position until his death on April 24, 1870. It should be duly noted that some of his descendants still reside in Lassen County.
Some folks have expressed an interest to venture around portions of the eastern area of the Honey Lake Valley. Of course, this is not something you do in July and for that matter in August. Ideally, it is more of late September outing.
Stops could include Wendel, Amedee Cemetery, the remnants of Stacy and the Honey Lake Cemetery. Maybe, if we are lucky enough a visit to the High Rock Ranch, though I do not know the current owners. However, to do such an outing, does take planning on my part, hence I am sending out this feeler, first to see if there is enough interest to warrant such an excursion. There is also an option in which I could put together a self-guided tour packet as an alternative due to scheduling conflicts or other issues that might arise. Either leave a comment or contact me direct.
While working on an article about the Ramsey family and ranch operations, I came across the above photograph in the Ramsey file that I had forgotten about. About fifteen years, or so ago, I went to Reno visit with Keston Ramsey. Keston was born in Susanville on August 1, 1908, the son of Max and Lola Hunsinger Ramsey. It should be noted among Keston’s many activities was that in 1945 he built and opened the Sky Tavern, the first ski resort on Mount Rose. He was also a co-cofounder of the Reno Junior Ski Program.
Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. Some of the photographs Keston shared with me was that of Roop’s Fort. Keston always referred to it as the old apple house. In should be noted that in 1863, Isaac Roop gave the property to his three children which he referred to it in the deed as the old Homestead place.
I thought some people might be interested in these two views, in light of the recent completion of Roop’s Fort Restoration program. It should also be noted, the original structure did not have a high pitched roof. It was modified by the Arnold family for the storage of apples and hay.
Gallatin Beach has been one of the lake’s popular spots. Visitors were fortunate in the aspect that Malvena Gallatin not only allowed public access, but there were no fees or any other restrictions. Another property owner, especially if it was a timber company, would not have been so gracious. After all, others would have been concerned about fire danger. Fortunately, no problems were encountered.
It should be noted that Malvena Gallatin owned over forty miles of Eagle Lake’s 100-mile shoreline. In 1944, Malvena’s only grandchild passed away and Eagle Lake lost its special appeal as a family summer retreat. In 1946, she sold all of her Eagle Lake property to the Lassen Lumber & Box Company for $100,000, though she retained a small parcel that contained the summer home. The future of public access looked bleak. Lassen Lumber was only interested in the timber. Later in 1946, the Lassen National Forest reached a deal with Lassen Lumber to exchange timberlands elsewhere in exchange for the Gallatin property. The two agreed, and that is how Gallatin Beach became a public beach on public property.
With summer weather upon us, it is an ideal time to check out the many wonders that surround the residents of the Lassen Region. The editorial from the Lassen Advocate of June 21, 1929 is a time less piece worthy of republishing. After all, August will be here before you know it and the summer days begin to wane. Take the paper’s advice and go exploring.
Know Your Country
If you were wondering what to do with your weekends this summer, have you ever given any thought to the fact that you don’t know your own county and the wonderful lake and mountain country immediately contiguous.
Within a few hours of Susanville there are numerous beautiful lakes as well as some beautiful streams and excellent camping spots.
How many have been to Drakesbad and to the top of Mount Lassen? How many have been to the ice caves near Eagle Lake and Wilson Lake?
There are many trips that can be taken from Susanville in the morning returning the same evening and traversing in the meantime a lot of new country that you have never seen before. Beauty spots near a mountain stream with clear sparkingly water are numerous where one may have their picnic lunch.
Try and see your own neck of the woods this summer. You will find many a pleasant day in store for you.
On July 2, 1914, Janesville was renamed Lassen. A group of local developers petitioned the United States Postal Service to change the name from Janesville to Lassen. They were successful. It was their goal to rid the region of towns that ended with the suffix of “ville.” They felt the suffix carried a stigma of a small village, or worse yet, brought about the connotation of Hicksville.
Many of residents were not pleased with the new name. In December 1914, over 100 residents signed a petition to restore the post office’s name back to Janesville. The Postmaster General denied it. The area suffered an identity crisis, a place with two names—Janesville and Lassen. In 1918, the Lassen Mail wrote: “Janesville or Lassen, which shall it be? It isn’t a question of which it shall be but which it is. The post office is Lassen and the rest of the town is Janesville and it would require a special act of the California Legislature to make it anything else.” The editor did exaggerate a bit on the procedure. In 1923, the town’s residents petitioned the Postal Service and requested the name of Janesville be restored and this time the request was granted on September 22, 1923.
In February, I inaugurated a book-of-the-month, that featured Sagebrush Reflections. After all proceeds from book sales not only help support operations, but help finance future publications, in this case the stories behind the brands of the Pioneer.
It was not that long ago when one of the main components of the lumber industry was the manufacturing of wooden boxes to ship the nation’s vegetables and fruits. The Fruit Growers Supply Company was not your ordinary lumber company. Established in 1907, it is the co-operative purchasing arm of Sunkist. To protect the citrus grower’s interest in securing a supply of woodden boxes at a reasonable price, they went into the lumber business by accident at Hilt, Siskiyou County. With increased citrus production, in 1920 the company expanded and built a mill at Susanville. The demand continued and in 1944 Fruit Growers purchased Red River Lumber Company’s mill at Westwood along with the Burney Tract. Ten years later, the wooden box went by the wayside and the grower’s converted to cardboard.
To learn more about this book and to order simply click here.
Here is the July lineup, as usual lots of different topics for everyone.
| Fruit Growers Supply Company | 7/1/16 |
| Janesville Renamed Lassen | 7/2/16 |
| Go Exploring | 7/3/16 |
| Eagle Lake – Gallatin Beach | 7/4/16 |
| Roop’s Fort Revisited | 7/5/16 |
| Eastside Tour | 7/6/16 |
| William R. Harrison, Esquire | 7/7/16 |
| Elbern Kelley, A Honey Lake Tragedy | 7/8/16 |
| McCoy Flat Reservoir | 7/9/16 |
| Thomas Abner Ramsey | 7/10/16 |
| Johnstonville School – Then & Now | 7/11/16 |
| Eagle Lake Ice Caves | 7/12/16 |
| Lonely Graves – Henry Stratton | 7/13/16 |
| Lassen County’s Bastille Day | 7/14/16 |
| Your Topic | 7/15/16 |
| Missouri Bend School | 7/16/16 |
| Eagle Lake – Gallatin Peak Fire | 7/17/16 |
| Plumas County – Chester | 7/18/16 |
| Susan River – Brockman Slough | 7/19/16 |
| Lassen County Fair, 1922 | 7/20/16 |
| Susanville – Ash Street | 7/21/16 |
| Lassen Park’s Butte Lake | 7/22/16 |
| Bank of Lassen Co. – Standish | 7/23/16 |
| A Honey Lake Valley Earthquake | 7/24/16 |
| Westwood’s Golf Course | 7/25/16 |
| Lassen County – Lake Greeno | 7/26/16 |
| Dixon’s Willow Creek Dam | 7/27/16 |
| A Belfast Revival? | 7/28/16 |
| Fruit Growers Supply Co. – Truck Logging | 7/29/16 |
| Buddy, Can you spare a dime? | 7/30/16 |
| August Preview | 7/31/16 |