October 25, 2015. Sorry, unable to walk over in the morning for better lighting.
Susanville’s uptown/historic district has an eclectic blend of interesting architecture. During the 1920s, during the boom era brought on by the lumber mills certainly left its mark.
Charles McGowan one of the original owners of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company had a very striking residence. The home was constructed in 1924, and he moved his family into their news residence in July of that year. For whatever reason in the summer of 1929, the house was converted into three apartments, and remains that way after all these years.
November 8, 2015
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On August 9, 1898, the Ladies’ Literary Society held a fundraiser on the courthouse lawn to benefit the Mountain Echo Band. The event was well attended, and was to be followed by midnight banquet at the Masonic Hall, which had recently been acquired by David Knoch. At around 10:30 p.m. the alarm of fire originated with the clanging of the fire bell three blocks to the north. At first, those gathered at the Courthouse thought it was a false alarm. They could not see any signs of smoke or flames. By the time when it was realized the Masonic Hall was on fire, everyone quickly dispersed. Continue reading Knoch Building Fire→
If you do not have any plans, you may want to attend the fundraiser for the Coppervale Ski Hill tomorrow, Friday, November 6 from 4-8 pm. It will be held at the Lassen Community College Cafeteria /Student Union, featuring a teriyaki chicken and rice dinner with a salad, roll and a drink as well as live music, door prizes, a raffle and a silent auction. The auction will have prizes that range from boat rentals to wakeboarding, skiing lessons and a homemade bench made of old skis.
All proceeds will help keep Coppervale open. Tickets are available at the LCC Student Union or at Margie’s Book Nook. The cost for this event is $12 for adults and $8 for children $8. For more information, please call Norm Wilson at (530) 258-7635.
P.S. If you want to know the history behind Coppervale it can be found in Volume 4 of the Red River Series, which includes the history of the roadhouses between Susanville and Westwood.
Originally known as Chalk Ford because of the chalky nature of the ground. The solid ground at this location on the Pitt River made it the easiest place, in the mid 1860s, for travelers to cross the river. In May 1873, Theodore Pleisch claimed 160 acres and built a cabin there. In 1874, development began slowly and the town’s first two houses were built by Anton & William Gerig. In 1876, Max Posner opened the Josephenson General Store, that town’s first store. In 1877, Nathan Bieber (1858-1922) arrived there to manage the Josephson General Store, owned by his uncle, Max Posner. Bieber had a natural talent as a merchant and made the store a success. Lafayette S. Barnes, editor of the Adin Hawkeye dubbed Bieber the “young prince merchant.” On November 17, 1877, Bieber purchased Pleisch’s property, where the town had slowly developed, for $600. The town continued to grow and on May 6, 1881, its first newspaper, the Mountain Tribune, made its debut—an effort to elevate the area from a mere frontier settlement to that of a town. However, the 1880 census tallied only 43 residents. In 1884, the town plat of Bieber was surveyed and recorded. In 1932, a revised townsite had been made to conform to the actual layout of the streets and houses versus that of the 1884 survey.
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At the October 2015 meeting of the Eagle Lake Interagency Board, the Bureau of Land Management reported that Chico State University was exploring avenues to close down the facility. At that time, the Bureau of Land Management reported that they would be willing to take back the property they donated to the University back in 1964. However, they stated in order to do so, the University would have to remove all improvements, i.e, buildings etc. At the moment, from my limited knowledge on the topic, it appears everything is at a standstill, as the University does not want to be burden with the costs of removal. It also appears the Bureau of Land Management is being a difficult, not allowing another institution to intervene.
The field station was the creation of biology instructor Doctor Vesta Holt. The first classes were taught at Spaulding Tract in 1945. In the early 1950s, with increased enrollment studies were moved to the south shore at the Eagle Lake Resort. After the Merrill Flat Fire of 1955, operations were moved to Susanville and Westwood and until a new home could be located. It was not until 1964, when a new home was located just north of the abandoned Bly Tunnel and in 1968 dedication ceremonies were held at the new facility.
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In 1898, Albert Ross sold his well known Long Valley Ranch to Henry Butters Constantia named. Henry Butters for $15,480. Ross sold the property at a loss. In 1884, he constructed a 17-room mansion there at a cost of $14,000, that many referred to as the White House.*
Butters, then, was the president of the Northern Electric Railroad. It was Butters who christened the place Constantia, named for a city in South Africa noted for its vineyards. Butters transformed the ranch into a small village—complete with a general store, Wells Fargo Office, dwellings for the employees and he had a Catholic Church constructed, St. Mary’s Chapel.[1]
*One of the Ross descendants is none other than famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
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The Shinn Ranch in remote eastern Lassen County is not a place one just happens upon. It has been close to twenty years since I was last there with a film crew doing an episode of Off Road California. I have been curious as to what damage it sustained in the 2013 Rush Fire.
It was in 1870, when fifty-year old Oliver Shinn located there with his family of five children from Baker, Oregon. He remained there until his sudden death in 1883. According to his obituary, “Mr. Shinn was awakened from a sound sleep at about 10 o’clock Thursday night by coughing and upon getting out of bed, dropped dead on the floor. It seems that he troubled an aneurism of the pulmonary artery and in his efforts to clear his throat this was ruptured, causing instant death.” The following year, his widow, Louisa Shinn sold the 640-acre ranch to George D. Winters for at that time a substantial sum of $6,000. The Winters family had extensive holdings, which included the nearby Smoke Creek Ranch.
One of the interesting features found there was a grove of cottonwood trees that encompassed some fifteen acres. The trees were planted by Winters in 1889 in order to increase his property holdings there. On April 3, 1893, Winters was issued a 160-acre land patent that he filed under a section of the Timber Culture Act “to encourage growth of timber on the Western Prairie.”
While Oliver and Louisa Shinn kept a low profile, their children did not. More about that in the near future.
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Not sure what to give that special someone, but want to keep the budget balanced too? Why not a gift membership to tipurdy.org. At five dollars a month it is a bargain. You can decided whether for a month, quarter or even splurge for a year.
The recipient not only receives a daily email notification of the latest topic, but is entitled to hard to find papers on the Eagle Lake Ice Caves, too. On top of that they can partake in members only tours varying from a summer solstice observance at an ancient solar observatory to a light hearted Halloween Tour. Even if that person on your list is not local, they still receive materials associated with the tours.
Information on subscriptions is found right here. Have a question drop me a line at tim@tipurdy.org.
This time around the posts for this month should appear as scheduled, since I do not have as many challenges getting around as I did in September and October.
The Gift of Local History
11/1/15
Shinn Ranch
11/2/15
Constantia Established
11/3/15
Eagle Lake Biological Field Station
11/4/15
Bieber
11/5/15
Going Places
11/6/15
Knoch Building – The Fire
11/7/15
Susanville – 200 S. Roop St.
11/8/15
Amedee
11/9/15
Desert Homesteaders
11/10/15
Bassett Hot Springs
11/11/15
Susanville Ranch Park, Part I
11/12/15
Susanville Ranch Park, Part II
11/13/15
Johnstonville
11/14/15
Sacco-Sergi Wedding
11/15/15
Soldier Bridge School Conclusion
11/16/15
Mark Haviland
11/17/15
Riverside Hospital
11/18/15
Something Special
11/19/15
Lassen County Cornish
11/20/15
The Other Susanville
11/21/15
Champs Flat
11/22/15
R.J. Scott
11/23/15
Hilt, California
11/24/15
Amedee School
11/25/15
Folsom Ranch Thanksgiving
11/26/15
Susanville Bordellos
11/27/15
High Rock Ranch
11/28/15
Grand Café
11/29/15
December Preview
11/30/15
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This 1931 gathering was held at the home of Blanche & Ike Knoch, frequent hosts of such events. Be sure to click on the photograph for a larger image. Courtesy of Hank Martinez
Back in the 1920s and 1930s certain segments of Susanville’s Society entertained in a variety of formats. While there were numerous card groups to pass the time, others craved something a bit more exciting. These, of course, were costume parties and the themes as varied as the host/hostess.
It is interesting to note that these “freak parties,” as they were called, were quite popular during prohibition and less so afterwards. Whether alcohol refreshments were served, is anyone’s guess, but Susanville residents enjoyed their libations during prohibition.
In any event, maybe there is some creative type who might like to host a freak party in the near future. If you do, be sure to send me an invite. It certainly appears to be enjoyable way to spend an evening versus other entertainment venues available.
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