At the moment, I am searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. There was the retrieval of three Banker Boxes from storage that consisted of Lassen County archives that I retrieved in 1980 from going to the dumpster. The majority of the records are the original papers of the meetings of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for the years 1911-1919. Of course, there are exceptions and there documents from the 1920s to 1940.
At the moment, I have two stacks of documents. The first, will be scanned and and I have the information surrounding them to share. They are quite interesting involving a variety of topics that are no longer before the supervisors. The second is same, but those topics I have to research further.
On Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 4:41 p.m. a 4.7 magnitude earthquake centered at Round Valley struck. For those not familiar with Round Valley, it is due north of Susanville, as the crow flies about nine miles and is privately owned. Then on Tuesday night, December 30 at 9:49 p.m. a second 4.9 earthquake occurred there.
It should be noted that east side of Eagle Lake a consist of fault blocks namely Mahogany and Blacks Mountain. You can read about the 1889 Eagle Lake earthquake here. There was a notable quake in 1921, though not as strong.
Personally, I really felt the first one (2025) since, I was preparing dinner (garlic noodles) when it struck. My milk bottle collection rattled and my mantle clock stopped. The second one, I was in bed, but I heard things rattle.
This was a quite surprise, the feature of Indian Valley Hot Springs that was published in 2022 was the most searched of all articles for 2025.
Operating a bath house to a full scale resort utilizing hot springs has in my perspective is a risky endeavor. When times are good, they are real good, but same applies to bad times, and in many instances its the low points where the operation shuts down. Some times revived and some times not.
Indian Valley Hot Springs at Greenville is a perfect example. Greenville was a thriving mining community during the late 1800s. The hot springs became a popular attraction and bathing place. As the mining activity dwindled by 1900, the bath house fell into disrepair and closed.
In the spring of 1926, B.C. Johnson decided to see if he could make a go of it. He spent six weeks in getting the property in shape. Johnson highlighted the fact, that not only could a person have an enjoyable soak, but one could also “soak” in the natural beauty of Indian Valley. How long Johnson operated it I do not know.
A partial view of Indian Valley in the 1960s.
For those interested, awhile back it was on the market with an asking price of $4.95 million. With last year’s devastating Dixie Fire that destroyed a large segment of Greenville, the value might have dropped.
The Colony Dam, Susan River, November 1897. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
July – Lassen County Fish & Game Warden C.O. Fisher had some terse words to the farmers along the Susan River watershed. Fish & Game wanted plant some 300,000 trout into the river. Before the planting could be done the farmers needed that there diversion dams and ditches to become into compliance since many were in violation of California Penal Code Sections 629, 636 and 637.
August – On August 26, California Governor William Richardson paid Susanville a visit. It was his twenty county tour to inspect the state highway construction projects.
September – Susanville was chosen to host of the State American Legion Convention in 1926. It was estimated that it would bring 2,500 people for the week long event.
Ravendale, in better times.
October -One consistent theme throughout the year was the prevalence of bootleggers. In October. Lassen County Sheriff Carter paid a visit to Ravendale resident Jim Ingram. The sheriff and his deputies confiscated a still and 80 gallons of whiskey. Ingram pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to pay a fine of $500 or spend 500 days in the county jail. Ingram choose jail time.
November – The Lassen County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of a Veterans Memorial building. It would be a multi-purpose facility, not only provided a much needed auditorium, but it would house the offices of the chamber of commerce, farm bureau and horticultural agent.
December – On December 4 the organization meeting of the Susanville Rotary Club was held. The initial officers were: John B. Spalding, President; J.A. Pardee, Vice President; C.H. Bridges, Treasurer; E.L. Shirley, Secretary and Harry Coleman Sergeant at Arms. It was decided upon weekly luncheon meetings to be held on Wednesday. They selected the Hotel Mt. Lassen as the meeting location, yet it still was under construction. It should noted that the local Rotary Club did not receive its charter until the spring of 1926.
Doyle & Hunsinger and Lassen Auto Building, Susanville, circa 1927
January – Changes in car dealerships. E.W. Smith announced he would relinquish the Ford dealership in favor of Chevrolet. Howard Doyle of Reno, secured the Ford dealership in Susanville that would be operated by his so n Clem and Leland Hunsinger. Later in the year, both would construct combination showrooms/garages and while those car dealerships no longer exist, the buildings still do.
February – A group of Susanville businessmen formed the Susanville Hotel Company. It was their intention to raise $300,000. The purpose to construct a three-story hotel with 64 rooms. it was the beginning of the Hotel Mt. Lassen.
March – The golfing craze continues. As the Susanville Country Club membership was full, the Gold Run Golf Club was organized. They leased the old Ridenour Ranch at the lower end of Gold Run and built a golf course. Stienbrook and Moore owners of Janesville’s Diamond Mountain Inn had plans to construct a golf course there.
The Government Land Office was located in Knoch Building from 1899 to 1925-Philip Hall
April – Established in 1871 the Susanville Government Land Office played a pivotal role processing homesteads, i.e. federal land patents for Lassen, Modoc, Plumas and eastern Sierra Counties. The Department of Interior used an archaic law to close land offices. Locals fought back. They cited the Susanville office generated $9,000 in revenue and $5,800 in expenses. In addition, there were still 1,280,000 acres of eligible land to be filed on. The office closed on April 30.
May – In May the Susanville School District voters approved a $65,000 bond measure to construct an elementary school on Richmond Road. Once completed in 1926, the school district had four schools. School trustees had found it necessary to name them. It was decided name the schools after U.S. Presidents. The original brick school was named Washington. The school adjacent to it became McKinley. The school, in the Milwood District, was named Lincoln. And finally, the fourth school on Richmond Road was named Roosevelt.
June – On June 12, Dedication ceremonies were for new Masonic Lodge located at Lassen & Nevada Streets. The $35,000 native-stone structure replaced the wooden hall destroyed by fire in 1921. This would be last major native-stone building constructed in Susanville.
In closing of 2025, there is no longer a Tanner Ranch in the Honey Lake Valley. In 1870, William M. Tanner located on 160-acres along the Susan River once the site of Soldier’s Bridge.In 1883, Tanner sold forty-acres to Andrew Litch for $450 that later became the site of the town of Litchfield.
Tanner Ranch, though, had multiple locations, due to family deaths.. In 1928, John and Lola (Murrer) Tanner acquired the Capezzoli Ranch on Mapes Lane. Later they would acquire adjoining ranches–Hartson, Stampfli and Whitehead.
A view of the old Hartson Ranch, 1975
In 1945, John Tanner passed away. In 1973, Lola died, and the ranch was passed onto to their three daughters, Ardene, Joyce and Mary. It was Mary, who was the last of three daughters to pass away in 2024. It was time for next generation to move forward. On September 29, 2025 Tanner Ranch sold to Matt and Randy Harkness and with it concludes a 155 year-old history of the Tanners in the agricultural community of the Honey Lake Valley.
The Tanner girls-Joyce, Mary, Ardene with Bud Driver, September 1942, Tanner Ranch
Susanville sunrise, October 29, 2025. Courtesy of Dan Newton
This is such a great photograph taken last fall, that I thought might be inspiring for the first day of the year, but alas malfunctions you did not receive notification on New Years Day.. For me I am looking forward 2026, since previous post was about Tanner Ranch, that consumed a lot of my energy in 2025, which I will repost. Onward ho.
I hope to revive cemetery tours, I have an interesting one scoped out for Lassen Cemetery. I am also open to suggestions.
Lastly, I thank you for your patience about the daily notification glitch. I struggled for nearly week to resolve it. My knowledge of the inner workings of plugins and so forth has a lot to be desired. But we made it. I will blame it on the recent earthquakes, that changed the settings!
The Colony Dam, Susan River, November 1897. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
July – Lassen County Fish & Game Warden C.O. Fisher had some terse words to the farmers along the Susan River watershed. Fish & Game wanted plant some 300,000 trout into the river. Before the planting could be done the farmers needed that there diversion dams and ditches to become into compliance since many were in violation of California Penal Code Sections 629, 636 and 637.
August – On August 26, California Governor William Richardson paid Susanville a visit. It was his twenty county tour to inspect the state highway construction projects.
September – Susanville was chosen to host of the State American Legion Convention in 1926. It was estimated that it would bring 2,500 people for the week long event.
Ravendale, in better times.
October -One consistent theme throughout the year was the prevalence of bootleggers. In October. Lassen County Sheriff Carter paid a visit to Ravendale resident Jim Ingram. The sheriff and his deputies confiscated a still and 80 gallons of whiskey. Ingram pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to pay a fine of $500 or spend 500 days in the county jail. Ingram choose jail time.
November – The Lassen County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of a Veterans Memorial building. It would be a multi-purpose facility, not only provided a much needed auditorium, but it would house the offices of the chamber of commerce, farm bureau and horticultural agent.
December – On December 4 the organization meeting of the Susanville Rotary Club was held. The initial officers were: John B. Spalding, President; J.A. Pardee, Vice zPresident; C.H. Bridges, Treasurer; E.L. Shirley, Secretary and Harry Coleman Sergeant at Arms. It was decided upon weekly luncheon meetings to be held on Wednesday. They selected the Hotel Mt. Lassen as the meeting location, yet it still was under construction. It should noted that the local Rotary Club did not receive its charter until the spring of 1926.
