News

My broken hip

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Peering through the roof of the sunrise chamber
Peering through the roof of the sunrise chamber

On Saturday evening, August 15, 2015 I broke my right hip. Feel free to use your imagination as to the what I was doing.  That night I was transported to Renown in Reno. It should be noted that another Susanville resident and friend of mine, Dave Foster also broke his right hip and was transported to Renown. Early Sunday, Dr. Bray operated on Dave, and then did me. Currently, we are both at Hearthstone in Sparks for rehab.

Every now and then there might not be a daily post, because the drafts are in a word file on a different computer. However, during my recovery I have drafted articles requested by subscribers: Susanville Coca Cola Plant, Secret Valley Paiute, Part One of Susanville Bordellos to name a few, bit will be awhile before they go on line.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during my recovery.

Tim I. Purdy

P.S.  Help me with my recovery, and subscribe for as a little as $5.00 a month.

History

Historic Weather Predictions

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View of Richmond Road January 1916 from Winchester Hill. Susanville received four feet of snow in January, followed by below zero temperatures. After that it was the beginning of a twenty-year drought, with Honey Lake going dry in 1919, and not filling up until the spring of 1938.
View of Richmond Road January 1916 from Winchester Hill. Susanville received four feet of snow in January, followed by below zero temperatures. After that it was the beginning of a twenty-year drought, with Honey Lake going dry in 1919, and not filling up until the spring of 1938.

Weather prognosticators are an interesting bunch. Last year was a record crop of acorns, I don’t recall ever seeing so many. Some people took that as a sign that we were in for a heavy-duty winter. We had the opposite, it being fourth driest on record. Continue reading Historic Weather Predictions →

History

T.B. Walker

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Westwood
Westwood. Courtesy of Hank Martinez

Some may remember when I posed a question earlier, who was the most influential person in Lassen County. Well, it is T.B. Walker, founder of the Red River Lumber Company. His impacts are far and wide, and still lingers today. The historic Lassen County Courthouse came to be with Walker’s influence at the ballot box to pass the bond measure. Off tangent for a bit, there are some who think Isaac Roop is the most revered figure Lassen County has ever experienced. If you look at the record, Roop made a killing so to speak as a realtor, selling land that he did not own. Benevolent and generous, I do not think so, he sold—not donated—the courthouse block, and put in a covenant that if no longer used by the county it reverts back to his heirs. Enough said. Continue reading T.B. Walker →

History

Hayden Hill, 1910

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HH 1909
Hayden Hill, 1909. Courtesy of Beth Coppedge

Hayden Hill was Lassen County’s only mining community. Like so many others it went through boom and bust cycles. In 1908, a new vein of gold was discovered and another resurgence was on its way. The Golden Eagle the Hill’s largest mine, hired 100 men for the initial operation and more were added to the payroll. In addition, the Lassen Mining Company’s Juniper Mine enjoyed good fortune and they had over 100 men on the payroll. Continue reading Hayden Hill, 1910 →

History

Susanville – Richmond Road

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Richmond Road
Richmond Road, 1906

Prior to the Fernley & Lassen Railroad’s arrival in 1912, Richmond Road, just across the Susan River was a bucolic dirt road. It consisted primarily the homes of the Cains and Winchesters, with their apple orchards. Though during the 1890s, along the Susan River was the town’s first Catholic Church, its Chinatown and of course the iconic landmark Arnold Planing Mill. Continue reading Susanville – Richmond Road →

History

Thompson Peak

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Thompson Peak
Thompson Peak, 1952

In December 1856, Manly Thompson located near the base of this mountain and built one of the first cabins in the region. Like so many of the original settlers of the Honey Lake Valley he moved onto he did remain in the region and moved on. On October 27, 1875, Thompson sold his 276-acre ranch to James P. Sharp for $6,000 and moved to Elko, Nevada. His lasting legacy of the region is his name applied to this prominent peak.

Recently, I had accidentally stumble upon this most interesting website concerning Thompson Peak. It is worth the gander. For me it brought back some interesting memories when my brother, Gary and others, including yours truly, gave serious consideration of climbing its rock face back in the mid-1970s.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past