Lassen High faculty and student skiers, 1917. D.M. Durst Collection
Something a little bit different. On the third Saturday of June, the Lassen High Alumni Association holds it all alumni picnic in Susanville. Alumni come far and near to attend this event, some 400+. For me its always been fun, and I can conduct a lot of historical research in one afternoon. For your reading enjoyment, I provide you with the Alumni’s April newsletter, which has a lot of interesting reading material, including a Remember When column penned by yours truly. Clink on the link below to open the PDF file.
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. For instance, this item was composed on March 3, 2016. So by the time you read this, I am already working on posts in the middle of June. 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.
The topics readers wanted to learn about are a wide range from the Susanville Coca Cola Plant to the Shinn Ranch. However, recently I have received a request about the Lone Pine Mine on Gold Run which ties in with the Wild Horse Mines of Smoke Creek. Also of note, mining on Diamond Mountain is one of the many topics to be discussed on the forthcoming Inspiration Point Tour.
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Sandra Jonas who has spent years researching Susan Roop Arnold has come full circle and published her work. While I recently purchased a copy, and I have not yet had an opportunity to read it. As a matter of fact, I have a bit of back log of reading material. It has been nearly a month now since I received the last of Glenn Wemple’s memoirs to review, which I do need to focus on, along with a host of other matters.
Sandra will be doing a book signing on Saturday April 16, 2016 from 1-3 at Margie’s Book Nook, 722 Main Street, Susanville. If you are out of the area or cannot make it give Margie’s a call, 530-257-2392 to have them reserve a signed copy for you.
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Early day Ravendale. Courtesy of Dorothy Capezzoli
It was the last of three towns established on the Madeline Plains. It was reported that the end of February 1910, that the new station of Ravendale was rapidly being built and rumor had it that it was to become a division point for the NCO railroad. It was also stated that J.H. Williams and G. Horton were surveying a town plat. Whatever the case may be, it was not until November 15, 1913, the official town plat of Ravendale, on lands owned by Jim Coe, was surveyed and recorded with the County. According to Madeline Plains historian, Don Garate, the name Coeville had been suggested for the new town, but Laura Coe already chosen a name—Ravendale.
By the way, in Susanville you can purchase Don Garate’s book Red Rock to Ravendale at Margie’s Book Nook.
Packaging tape with the Paul Bunyan trademark.Courtesy of John Webb
In the logging camps in Canada and Northeastern United States as folklore would have it, tales of the mythical Paul Bunyan was born. Stories were passed around in the camps, no written account.
In 1900, W. B. “Bill” Laughead, a cousin to T.B. Walker, went to work in Red River Lumber Company’s logging camps at Akeley, Minnesota. There he undertook many jobs starting as a camp chore-cook and ending as a construction engineer. After eight years of working in the woods, he decided to move to Minneapolis working odd jobs and experimented with free-lance advertising work. It was at this time, Laughead drew the first known character drawing of Paul Bunyan, in part of an advertising campaign for Red River’s new California operation. Laughead created the company logo, of a circular design, with his Paul Bunyan’s face, accompanied on the outside with the words Paul Bunyan’s Pine and it became Red River’s registered trademark. The logo was placed on many products and even on its logging trucks. For a short time, Red River even bottled their own soda beverage, with the embossed bottles displaying the trademark. When the company expanded into other operations, they changed it to a Paul Bunyan Product.
In the 1940s, during the dissolution process of Red River, Kenneth Walker continued in the lumber business. In doing so, the trademark was transferred to him, since his own enterprise was the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company.
In 1859, Jacob “Uncle Jake” McKissick located in Long Valley in a short distance of what would be later the town of Doyle. In the summer of 1877 he had this ranch house constructed, a rather large home for a bachelor.
Harrison’s “mighty beast.” Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
1907 was a a most interesting one in certain circles. There was a national financial crisis, but California and Nevada were experiencing a building boom. For the Golden State it was still in the midst of rebuilding the San Francisco Bay region from the previous year’s earthquake. For the Silver State, a mining bonanza it had not experienced since the discovery of the Comstock. These two episodes created a lumber shortage. Lassen County’s timber resources had basically remained untapped due to the lack of a railroad infrastructure to develop it. Continue reading Harrison’s Traction Engine→
Yesterday, I came across an article in the New York Times about the Wendel family. However, while quite interesting, it was not the same Wendel clan for the railroad town of the same name. The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO) named it after German investor Charles de Wendel. Some twenty-five years ago, Armin Wendel a family descendant contacted me about this town, which he thought was a major U.S. city. He assigned an assistant to make arrangements for a visit. That person contacted me about the Wendel International Airport, and was there a Holiday Day Inn where her boss could stay among many other inquiries. Needless to say Armin was disappointed when I relayed the conditions of the town along with photographs and he never made the journey.
It should be noted, there were two Wendels on the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO). The first Wendel Station was established in 1913 in Lake County, Oregon and its existence was brief. In October 1914, the Lassen Advocate reported that the NCO and Southern Pacific (SP) Junction name was to be changed from Caloreta to Wendel. In addition, the post office located there was known as Purser, and that name would also be changed to Wendel. While the NCO adopted the name change, the SP did not change it to Wendel until 1917.
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I am pleased to announce that the index of Book A, of Lassen County Brands is now online. This covers the period from October 20, 1864 when Thomas Watson was the first person to record a livestock brand to February 13, 1918, when the last brand recorded was for F. Lanigar & Son.
The index is quite interesting, especially who recorded their brand and who did not want. Take for instance the Hagata brand appears, but not the Wood brand or Wemple. Of some trivia, in 1875, Sarah Sornberger of Big Valley was the first woman to record a brand. In 1876, Charles Willard registered the first brand designated for sheep. While many associate sheep with the Basques, it was not until 1907 when Baptiste Alsaga became the first Basque in Lassen County to register a brand.
A view looking at the former Ridenour property with the Sella dairy in the foreground, 1950s. Courtesy of Wendell V. Loughead
After World War I, a new sport captured the nation and Lassen County got swept up in that craze. Golf. It was A.G. Breitwieser of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company, C.W. Hallowell of the local hardware store and James Christie of the furniture store that became the main instigators.
In the spring of 1924 they negotiated a lease with S.D. Ridenour for a portion of his ranch three miles south of Susanville for a 9-hole golf course. In a short time, their group became formerly known as the Susanville Country Club.
On May 11, 1924, the golf course was opened, hours sunrise to sunset. The fee 75 cents a day.
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