History

Plumas Pines Resort

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Plumas Pines
Plumas Pines Resort, 1961

Usually, there are a few of us who get together to make an annual luncheon trip to Plumas Pines at Lake Almanor. However, between everyone’s schedule and then my broken hip that I am recovering from, we will have to wait until next year.

It is interesting to note that development of what is known as Prattville today, versus the original town of Prattville, which was destroyed to make way for Lake Almanor, had its humble origins dating back to 1916. It was none other than the forest service who offered 88 lots for a special use permit fee of ten dollars a year.

In 1932, Adelaide and Fred Smith established the Plumas Pines Resort. The Smith’s operated it for the next twenty years. Since that time it has had numerous owners, but its always worthy a visit.

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History

Lunch Time

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Lunch time
Loggers having lunch. Courtesy of the Fruit Growers Supply Company

I know hardly anything about this photograph, however, for reasons unknown I just like it. It is a woods crew of Fruit Growers Supply Company working from Camp Ten in 1932. Notice the two men on the far left with quart bottles of milk. Does anyone know how the milk was kept somewhat cool?

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News

Random Notes

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TR4
The TR4 before the Wolcott curse.

Good Monday morning. It is now mid-September, with fall fast approaching.  Actually in certain parts of the world, they do not necessarily observe the equinox/solstice and pronounce that the new season begins on the first of the said month. In this instance, fall begins on September, winter December 1 and so forth. There is some merit to this system, as the changes are already evident.

While reading the Reno Gazette Journal the other day there was an article about the Cascadian subsuction zone that could trigger a magnitude earthquake of 9.0 off of the Pacific Northwest ocean, which extends as far south as Mendocino.  The fault lines extend to Lake Almanor and points south. Of course, earthquakes and faults are one of the many topics for the Inspiration Point Tour.

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History

1-0-1 Ranch Sold

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Mountain Meadows Cemetery
The private cemetery at 1-0-1 Ranch as it appeared in the 1930s. Courtesy of the National Park Service.

While I continue on my road to recovery. I will provide some news updates, even though the “locals” may be aware of it. However, this web site has a wide following, even internationally. Consider this someone from Tokyo researched Spoonville, another from Brazil searched the Bank of Lassen County.  In October, an article will appear about readership topics.

Now to the topic at hand. The historic 1-0-1 Ranch at Mountain Meadows has been sold.  According to news sources on July 31, 2015 Dye Creek Land & Cattle Company sold the 2,318 acre ranch to Sierra Pacific Industries, the latter, of course, always seeking to enlarge its timber holdings.

Included in the sale is the Coppervale Ski Area which Lassen Community College operates under a long term lease. Hopefully, Coppervale will be busy with skiers this winter.

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News

Brand Project Update

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Brands
The interior wall at the Pioneer courtesy of Lassen Ale Works

Some time has lapsed since I last provided an update.

While reviewing the draft, it is in need of some work. While there is some real interesting material, my prose, is just a bit on the “dry” side and is in need of some “pizzaz.”

In addition, while I had hoped for a fall 2015 release, it is not going to happen. So, if you had plans to include this on your holiday shopping list, you will need to come up with an alternative, which I will have for you.  However, the 2016 Lassen High Alumni Calendar is in production, which should be available in October.

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History

Eagle Lake Water Levels

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Gallatin Beach
Gallatin Beach, Eagle Lake, 1940. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner

At the June meeting of the Eagle Lake Interagency Board meeting it was thought that Eagle Lake would reach a new historic low water level. On August, 31, 2015, Matthew May, Associate Lassen County Planner recorded the level at 5091.16, just shy of the record low of  5091. May noted that the level had dropped 2.4 inches in the last month. Stay tuned for further developments.

Once I have an opportunity I will post some photographs of the lake’s east shore taken in the 1930s by my grandmother Lola Murrer Tanner, who was born this day in 1899 at the family ranch in Willow Creek Valley. Also the 2016 Lassen High Alumni Calendar includes a new before published record high water scene taken in 1916, which will be released in October.

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News

Inspiration Point Tour Update

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Downtown Susanville 1894
Notice the tall pines that once adorned the Inspiration Point Bluff. On the tour you will learn what happened to them. Susanville’s Main Street, 1894. Courtesy of Ivor Langiar.

Since I am in early stages of recovery, it is too difficult to plan anything, since I have no idea when I will be home.

In the good news department, in between physical therapy I have drafted out the talk. Topics include, but not limited to Lake Lahontan and the difficulties of mining on Diamond Mountain. They are all inter-related.

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History

Snag Lake

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Snag Lake
Snag Lake, 1911. B.R. Zimmerman Collection

Snag Lake located in the eastern portion of Lassen Volcanic National Park, was originally called Snaggy Lake, and over the years its named shortened to Snag. The lake was formed 200 years ago from the lava flows that created the Fantastic Lava Beds. Trapped in the lake, after it was created, were a number of pine trees that died and are commonly referred to as “snags.”

The lake is only accessed by hiking or horseback. However, those who make the trek agree its worth it. I made the trek in the early 1980s, traversing most of the eastern half of the park.

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History

Honey Lake Valley & the Civil War

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Tanner Ranch
Tanner Ranch, with Skedaddle Mountain in the background

The far west was certainly not immune to the various political/social impacts of the nation’s Civil War.

In future posts we will be exploring numerous events and conflicts that transpired locally influenced by the Civil War.

Take for instance, there was once a district in the region known as the Honey Lake Valley known as the Tule Confederacy, as large contigent of settlers were southern sympathizers. Yet, by 1900, the term had been shortened to the Tules. In the last few generations this term, too, has faded away. Some may also heard the region known as Seven Bridges.

Lastly, as a final remnant is Skedaddle Mountain. It was so named by a term the southerners of the Civil War used to “flee.”

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History

Sacred Heart Church

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Sacred Heart Church
Sacred Heart Church, 1905. Courtesy of Sacred Heart Church

On August 1, 1869 the first Mass to be held in Lassen County was at the home of Ned Mulroney near Susanville, with the 27-year-old Father Charles Lynch officiating. Since a circuit priest had to cover a large territory in Northeastern California and Nevada, Mass in many instances was only held once a year when the priest made his rounds.

In the 1880s with a larger Catholic population, and the Diocese territory smaller, Mass was be held in the Lassen County area twice year. There was also a movement to have their own house of worship instead of the courtroom in the Lassen County Courthouse or the hall in the Steward House Hotel.

This changed in the spring of 1892, when William Cain, a non-Catholic, donated a parcel land across the Susan River on Richmond Road, the current site of Poulsen’s Welding. In May construction began, the labor from church volunteers. As Father Thomas Horgan later recalled the driving force for the church came from three families—Bantley, Neuhaus, and Mulroney.

The new church had a seating capacity of 120, quite ample for their being about 100 parishioners. On June 26, 1898 Bishop Thomas Grace dedicated the Susanville church as the Church of the Sacred Heart.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past