Tufa formations, Wendel Hot Springs, February 7, 2016
When you start exploring the countryside from Wendel and beyond, one can see a lot of interesting objects. One of the more interesting items are tufa formations. Actually, the Pyramid Lake region has some most spectacular tufa deposits to be found anywhere.
The tufa is composed of calcium carbonate that accumulates from a underwater spring, for an extended period of time. In this case, it was the ancient Lake Lahontan that allowed for the perfect condition for the tufa to form. When the lake receded, then the deposits were revealed.
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Construction of Riverside Hospital, 1920. Courtesy of Ed Standard
When Fruit Growers decided to establish a mill at Susanville, there were a number of factors to be considered. Due to its size, they had to meet the 1913 Workmen’s Compensation Insurance and Safety Act. At Hilt, Fruit Growers had to establish a hospital and since Lassen County had built a new hospital in 1916, it was initially thought it could handle their needs. However, that was not the case. Continue reading Riverside Hospital→
Susan River Canyon, 1920. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
First and foremost today marks my six month anniversary from my fall from grace and the broken hip. Progress is made every week, and I am now walking on my own, without the aid of a cane or any other apparatus. However, I am not ready for prime time just yet.
One subscriber had a request for the brochure on the markers along the Bizz Johnson Trail. I hope to get that scanned and placed online as a PDF file. This got me to pondering about doing a walking tour from South Lassen Street to Trestle 3. There was a lot of activity in that short stretch from the jungles, Arnold Ditch, first hospital and so forth. If you are interested you can always drop me a line or post a comment.
In 1913 the United States Government Land Office (GLO) intervened. California was on a major verge to overhaul water rights, yet that was of little concern to the GLO. At issue, at least with the GLO, was the State’s law was vague and failed to state whether water from a lake with no outlet could be appropriated. Until that issue was resolved, the GLO had no choice but to revoke Standish Water Company’s rights-of-way of its canals across federal lands. In essence the Company was forced to cease and desist, thereby forfieting revenue from water sales to recover its initial investment. This issue with the State was not to be resolved in a timely manner. In November 1914, the voters of California were presented with an initiative to overhaul the State’s water right system. It was approved and the Department of Water Resources was created. This new agency had complete control over the issuance of water appropriations, which previously was done at the county level. It was necessary reform, since the counties recorded water right claims but had no authority to determine concerning multiple applicants over a single water source. Continue reading Standish Water Company – Part II→
On this date, in 1869, Susanville’s founder, Isaac N. Roop passed away at the age of 47 from pneumonia. He was buried at the Susanville Cemetery. His daughter, Susan Arnold had made arrangements for the placement of a headstone, but it was destroyed in a fire at Marysville and that was the extent.
There are, of course, numerous unmarked graves in the Susanville Cemetery due to a variety reasons. However, nearly five decades later it bothered Lassen County historian, Asa M. Fairfield, that Roop’s grave remained unmarked. Fairfield recruited the Masonic lodges of Janesville and Susanville and the Lassen Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West to rectify the situation. A large granite monument was placed at Roop’s grave. On California’s Admission Day, 1914 witnessed the unveiling of the Roop Monument. Fairfield was disappointed that only about 70 people attended the ceremony.
Lassen College on the Lassen Union High School campus.
Lassen Community College’s Gunsmithing Program will observe its 70th anniversary this year. It is the oldest program of its kind in the nation. Currently, I am seeking additional historical material. If you happen to possess and/or know someone who can assist, please let me know.
The following is from the Lassen Advocate of 5 September 1946 providing a glimpse of the humble origins of the program.
After two months of online tutorials from Lynda.com on this date a year ago, was my first posting. So it was only fitting to take a gander, and update it.
The above photograph was taken by Herman Brince a professional photographer in Lassen, Modoc and Plumas counties during 1878-79. I have always been impressed with his work, though only dozen or so are known to be existence. Whatever, became of his negatives is unknown, but we do know that he died in New Zealand in 1882. However, in 2003, one of his photographs, an 1879 picture of Susanville’s Masonic Lodge surfaced on Ebay, which I purchased, but that is another story.
Adin’s humble beginning date back to 1869, when its namesake Adin Gainey McDowell, settled there. Adin flourished during the 1870s because of its close proximity to the mining town of Hayden Hill. As a matter of fact, it was Modoc County’s largest town for awhile.
Beginning this year, I now have a column in the Northern California Traveller. In a forthcoming issue will be a lively account of Adin’s history.
Wendel Store, circa 1925. Courtesy of Alda Riesenman
Occasionally, for fun, I thought I would do some now and then photograph studies. The railroad community of Wendel went through some epic boom times, especially when the Southern Pacific took over the NCO Railroad and broad gauged the tracks, from the previous narrow gauge. The Wendel Store and Station burned down in 1936.
Gerlach is Becoming a Metropolis. The town of Gerlach on the end of the Western Pacific is already the metropolis of northern Washoe County and is growing so rapidly that it will have a voting precinct of its own this fall.
It will be the old Salt Marsh precinct, but a change will be made of the polling place to that point. The Buffalo Meadows farmers are kicking about the additional twenty mile drive to the polls, but as they previously had to go thirty-five miles, it is thought that the extra distance will not hurt them.
There is a strong attraction possessed by Gerlach, which now boasts four saloons and more coming.
Long Valley, some forty miles to the north, is also settlig up rapidly. There is a reclamation scheme in progress there and it is forecasted that the valley will be thickly settled and prosperous before many years pass.
Gerlach is now the freight division point for the Western Pacific and is the shipping place for the southern end of Surprise Valley, California, to which place a county road was recently constructed.
For those who have have been enjoying skiing at Coppervale this season, you need to thank Bert and Mary Bain who established it.
First a little background. Back in the 1930s several road houses were established along highway 36 between Susanville and Westwood. They initially started out simple first with a gas station and restaurant, and later expanding. You can find a complete account of these in Red River: End of an Era.
At the same time, skiing, and more particularly ski jumping was all the rage throughout Northern California, where numerous professional events were staged. In 1934, the Paul Bunyan Ski Club even sponsored one which they built a ski jump on Fredonyer. In the spring of 1935, Bert and Mary Bain purchased The Meadows. First they expanded operations with an enlarged restaurant, but added a bar and dance floor. To attract amateur skiers, Bain had a ski jump constructed across the highway from The Meadows. Bain recruited noted skiers Sid Knudson and Phil Brown to design and build a small jump for his guests, and thus the Coppervale Ski Hill was born.
