Standish – Wrede Hotel

December 18, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In the summer of 1937, V.R. McClure announced his intentions to tear down the Wrede Hotel and replace it with a restaurant and bar. For whatever reason, he procrastinated and did not do the demolition until the fall of 1942.

The structure was originally known as Pringle Hall. When it was built in 1898, it was the most substantial structure in the new town of Standish. The downstairs housed Mike Phillips general mercantile store, while the upstairs was a hall, used for a multiple purposes. This is where the initial church services were held until a church could be built. It was also used for dances and various lodges held meetings.

As Standish grew more facilities became available. Frank Wrede purchased the building from James Pringle and expanded it. The upstairs was converted into hotel rooms. The downstairs had a store, restaurant and a branch office of the Bank of Lassen County.

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History

Susanville Roundhouse

December 17, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The Southern Pacific Roundhouse, Susanville, 1947. G. Dunscomb Collection

Yes, I must confess my ignorance on this topic. This railroad’s roundhouse is unique in the sense it was isolated. It was not something a person would drive by, and it went relatively unnoticed unless you worked for the railroad or was involved with the nearby lumber mills.

Equally, puzzling is the rarity of photographs of trains along the Fernley & Lassen line. What makes that peculiar when one takes into consideration the large amount of tonnage shipped. During its existence, I would safely estimate some three billion board feet of manufactured lumber was shipped across these rails, that with the exception of the rails left at the Susanville Depot are all gone.

If anyone has information that they would like to share about the roundhouse, it would be greatly appeciated.

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History

Swamp Angel

December 16, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

No this has nothing to done with some foul, slimy creature crawling out of a lagoon. There are a lot of localized place names that over the years have been forgotten and abandoned. One example is Murphy field, where Bob Murphy and Finn Barry after graduating from college tried their hand at farming in 1916. It did not take long for Finn to give up the farm and went on to become an attorney. Continue reading Swamp Angel →

History

Susanville’s Thompson’s Photography Studio

December 15, 2015 Tim Purdy 3 Comments

Thompson Studio, 1921. Courtesy of Frances Wier

It has been awhile since I wrote about the professional photographers of the area who left a valuable historical record behind.

In September 1912, Peter Julian “Jack” Thompson announced he was going to relocate his photography studio from Loyalton, which had been in operation there for ten years, to Susanville. However, due to some delays he did not open for business here until February 1913. Continue reading Susanville’s Thompson’s Photography Studio →

History

Paradise City – Lassen County

December 14, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Hayden Hill, 1909. Courtesy of Dallas & Joyce Snider

Paradise City was one of the earliest mining camps adjacent to Hayden Hill. In 1872-73, according to the Lassen County Assessment Rolls, Joseph Miles owned a house and lot in Paradise City—though no records of any subdivision is known for that place or for Hayden Hill. Paradise City was also the location of the Providence Mining Company’s quartz mill. It was the first quartz mill constructed at Hayden Hill. This mill would crush the rock so that the gold could be extracted. Incidentally, that mill was hauled to the Hill from its original location at Hardin City in the Black Rock Desert.

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News

Don’t forget these books!

December 13, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Besides gift subscriptions, do not overlook a wide variety of local history books, too. There is something for everyone, since so many wide-ranging topics are covered. Many, but not all titles are available locally either at Margie’s Book Nook or Doyle’s Gift Shop. Not local, or want the ease of online ordering you can do that, too. Its all a click away here.

P.S. Don’t forget the 2016 Lassen High Alumni Calendar!

History

Save Our Center

December 13, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

soc campaing — It was headline news everywhere.

Less than 10 years after it opened, it was disclosed that the State of California had plans to shut down the California Conservation Center at Susanville. Of course, the community fought to keep it and on December 13, 1972 the Save Our Center campaign was launched. State Director of Corrections Ray Procunier stated that the California Conservation Center near Susanville was to be closed effective April 1, 1973. Procunier cited a decline of the inmate population by 4,000. In doing so it would eliminate 270 jobs. Procunier stated, “The cutting off of that payroll is to have an impact of the economy of that community, but Susanville is not the best location in the world for a correctional institution because of its remoteness.”

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News

The Gift of Lassen History

December 12, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Main Street, Susanville, 1894. Courtesy of Ivor Lanigar.

Not sure what to give that special someone, but want to keep the budget balanced too? Why not a gift subscription 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 such as a summer solstice observance at an ancient solar observatory. Those that can’t attend tours, or live too far away, as there are supporters not just across the United States, but Canada, England and New Zealand, receive material concerning the field trips.

A view from the ancient solar observatory, June 2015.

Information on subscriptions is found right here. Have a question drop me a line at tim@tipurdy.org.

History

FGS Logging Camps E, Y & 9

December 12, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Camp E395 — Camp E, Fruit Growers Supply Company. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner

Fruit Growers Supply Company had a total of eleven railroad logging camps. Technically, the longest operating, Camp 10, should have been named Camp 11.

Of these camps, three were quite small and operated for only one logging season during the 1920s. The first was Camp E at Merrill Flat. It was followed by tiny and peculiar Camp Y. Then there was Camp 9, which from most accounts only housed timber fallers. Unlike the other camps that had portable wooden buildings these camps had canvas-wooden tents.

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Uncategorized

2016 Lassen High Alumni Calendars

December 11, 2015 Tim Purdy 3 Comments

Leona Jackson, Class of 1913, Mill Street, Susanville

It is that time year, and I am pleased to announce that the Lassen High Alumni Association 2016 calendars are now available. The calendar, for those new to the Association, is the resurrection of Lassen High School’s Graphics Art Class that produced calendars from 1977 to 2000. Those calendars contained vintage photographs of the region.

Again, like the 2015 calendar, the 2016 is in a portrait format versus the previous landscape. So the calendars are narrower and longer. However, the calendar still contains a great selection of historic photographs. Some of the scenes depicted include: Eagle Lake high water mark, 1916; Susanville, 1947; Lassen Peak eruption, 1917; Methodist Church, 1950, Westwood, 1916.

For the first time, you can order your calendars right here. In addition, they are available in Susanville, at Margie’s Book Nook. During the months of November and December the calendars can be purchased at Doyle’s Gift Shop, Milford. For mail orders, send $13.00, plus $2.50 for shipping to Lassen High Alumni Association, P.O. Box 471, Susanville, CA 96130.