Coppervale opened today, and hours for operation this week are from 9-4:30. For more information call 257-9965.
Susanville’s Browntown
In 1860, Zenas J. Brown (1812-1895), a pharmacist, received the nickname of Dr. Eight Square when he constructed an octagonal building in Susanville. Brown, in the scheme of things is known for a lot of things. In 1861, Brown created Susanville’s first subdivision, located in the vicinity of Lassen High School and aptly named Browntown. More importantly he credited with the planting of the area’s first orchard of apple and peach trees. In 1863, one of Brown’s peach trees produced the area’s first peach crop —four peaches devoured by Susan Roop and Mrs. C.W. Fuller. In the fall of 1864, Brown sold his subdivision and left the region.
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High Rock Springs
These springs in eastern Honey Lake Valley and near the Nevada border are quite unique. They are an ancient spring dating back to the time when the area was covered by Lake Lahontan in the Pleistocene epoch.
The second reason is it is a warm water spring with a constant temperature of 86F. The springs supports two kinds of fish. First is the Lahontan tui chubs. This, of course, is rather remarkable that the fish have adapted over the years to thrive in constant warm water in a confined space. Water from the spring then goes underground and re-surfaces 100 yards distant, maintaining a constant cooler temperature at 76F. At this point, again,which is also unusual, is found the Lahontan speckle dace.
It should be noted that in the 1920s, William Dicting was hired by the Jenkins to develop the springs. He spent eight years to hand drill through the rock to develop the water tunnel to increase water flow.
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Christmas Trees
Christmas trees had a slow start around these parts. During the 1860s and 1870s the Susanville Methodist Church would put up a community Christmas tree. By 1900, the area no longer a pioneer outpost and with more prosperous times some of the local populous would adorn their home with a tree.
After World War II Christmas trees became a regular holiday adornment in most homes. It also started to become big business. In 1950, Fruit Growers Supply Company implemented a Christmas tree farming lease program. In 1966, they sold over 70,000 Christmas trees for just over $100,000. Between 1950 and 1996 Fruit Growers sold 1,422,158 Christmas trees at an average price of $1.51 per tree.
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Main Street – Then & Now
Back in June I wrote about A Main Street Problem that involved filling in the gully area of Piute Creek. Since that time, I came across the above photograph, as the original post was taken on the knoll looking west. In an attempt to show the difference on Thanksgiving Day 2015 I took the below image for comparisons sake. For safety reasons, and my mobility a bit limited, I did not take the view from the center of the street for comparisons purposes. However, the 1908 photograph was taken in front of the high school, and I did the same.
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Honey Lake Heaven
The first wave of Honey Lake pioneer retirees, which has something in common with those “snow birds” of today who flock to warmer climes such as Arizona for the winter, also sought the same.
By the early 1900s, Honey Lake’s grey hair crowd flocked to Pacific Grove on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Why the attraction? Methodism. Pacific Grove was founded as a Methodist retreat. By 1900, the Methodist Church was the predominat religion of the Honey Lake Valley, with churches at Janesville, Johnstonville, Standish and Susanville.
With so many old timers taking up residence there, some seasonal and some year round, Pacific Grove was dubbed “Honey Lake Heaven,” their last journey in life. Yet, it was not exclusive to the older crowd, as members of the DeWitt and Spoon families to name a few, found Pacific Grove more appealing than the Honey Lake Valley and raised their families there.
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Winter Solstice
Today brings a smile to face, for it marks at least one turning point of the winter season, even though it takes a few weeks to actually see it progress. One of the things I dread about winter are the short daylight hours and now knowing that the pendulum will start working its way to bring more daylight. Actually, for those serious folks, on December 15, the sunset locally not starts to get later, by a minute on that date. However, the sunrise keeps getting later, and does not reverse the trend until January 9.
Around these parts, historically the coldest and snowiest months are just ahead in January and February. Nearly all the record breaking snowfalls occur in mid-January. For those interested in forthcoming storms and especially the snow conditions I recommend The Tahoe Daily Snow. On a final note, most forecasters call for the first El Nino storms to begin sometime in the week of January 11.
Finally, those interested in Eagle Lake conditions can see the web cam at Spauldings here.
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Soldier’s Bridge Military Camp
During the late 1850s and early 1860s residents of the Honey Lake Valley requested military presence for their protection with the conflicts with the Indians. Most of the times, their requests were ignored. However, when Horace Adams was killed by the Indians on June 18, 1860, at Honey Lake Valley, this time their requested was granted. Continue reading Soldier’s Bridge Military Camp
Isaac N. Roop, Esquire
Susanville’s founder wore many hats, one being an attorney at law. There is the interesting tale when Roop was to take the bar examination for the Nevada Territory. At that hearing, a lawyer from Carson City attempted to provide Roop with some assistance. The bar examination was fairly simple and one of the more difficult questions was the definition of a corporation. The Carson attorney informed Roop that “A corporation is a creature of the law, having certain powers and duties of a natural person.” When Judge Gordon Mott, who presided over the examination asked Roop to define a corporation Roop replied, “A corporation is a band of fellows without any soul of whom the law is a creature, who have some powers and take a great deal many more, and entirely ignore the statutory duties imposed on them.” Thus, with that remark Roop was admitted to bar.
In 1865 Roop was elected Lassen County District Attorney and was re-elected to a second term in 1868. He never served the second term, as he did not post the required bond.
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Penmanship
In education circles there has been a debate brewing over whether cursive handwriting should be taught.
By 1850, Spencerian Script had been widely adopted in schools as well as in the business community. With the advent of typewriters it began to fade away in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, schools began adopting the Palmer Method. It was considered more streamlined, less laborious and faster technique.
Of note, the Spencerian had some quirky traits, which one sees a lot in early documents of Lassen County. A double “s” such as Lassen, looks like a “p.” This was evident in the short-lived Lassen Post Office in the Willow Creek Valley that only operated from June 19, 1874, to July 14, 1875. Some records cite it as “Lapen,” due to the penmanship of Edward Bonyman, its first and only postmaster.