All Those Old Bones

August 10, 2026 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Mastadon tusk, Standish Pit – R.F. Davis

In the Honey Lake Valley area of Belfast, Standish to the State Wildlife Refuges to Wendel are known for the discovery of prehistoric bones. Secret Valley and the eastern Madeline Plains are noted for their finds. The late Francis Riddell confided to me of the “Dinosaur Playground” a site that remains undisturbed. For all I know I may be last person living that knows of its existence.

The Standish Pit of the Lassen County Road Department has unearthed a lot of remains. The late J.R. “Dick” Uptegrove of the Public Works/Road Department would on occasion send the specimens to the University of California, Berkeley for analysis. One of those specimens found near Wendel was the remains of a Camelops of the Pleistocene era. Fast forward the original Lassen College mascot was a Camel, so it was not far fetched, since the camels ancestors roamed this region.

Tim

History

A Snippet – Lassen Dairy

August 9, 2026 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

In 1919, the Fruit GrowersSupply Company purchased the Long Ranch just north of Susanville for a sawmill site. Things dramatically changed and Fruit Growers considered using it a winter horse pasture and dairy. Ultimately, the property was leased to Frank O’Kelly who founded Lassen Dairy. The property is now Susanville Ranch Park.

While I do not know the complete history of Lassen Dairy,, while searching through Fruit Growers archives I did find this memo dated: December12, 1934:

“For some time there had been considered a revision of the lease under which the Lassen ranch is operated by Frank O’Kelly. Due to reduced income from dairy products he has been unable to meet the annual $2400.00 annual rental and the Company accepted for 1933, $1800.00 which at least offset taxes and expenses. The Operating Committee had approved the Manager’s recommendation, that rental charged for 1934 be $1600.00, and that a new lease be made with Mr. O’Kelly for five years at an annual rate of $1600.00, such rental to be increased to $1800.00 annually should the retail .price of milk advance to 10 cents a quart.”

Tim

History

Timberlands & Indian Allottments

August 8, 2026 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

A Red River timber faller preparing to do his job 1915.

Awhile back, I received this message: “I was born in Susanville. I am related to the Peconom family, Joaquins, Dixons. I was just reading about the vast land owned by the Red River Lumber Company (800,000 acres). No where do I see how many of these acres were manipulatively stolen from the Indians. I have checked the government land records for the 160 acre parcels that many of my ancestors owned. They were quickly sold for $200, an old pickup truck, or maybe shack somewhere. I think you need to be honest about the real history of Lassen/Plumas counties.”

For starters it is complex story how Red River and other large timber companies like Collins and Weyerhauser acquired their lands.These include the 1897 Forest Lieu Exchange Act and the Timber and Stone Act of 1878. As to writer’s statement, some background is needed. In 1887, Congress passed the General Allotment Act also known as the Dawes Act. It is a complicated story, however, for Indians not on tribal reservations they were entitled land allotments up to 160 acres. Locally, a majority of these Indian allotments were timberlands. In 1914, two years after Red River established Westwood, the Bureau of Indian Affairs held a public auction of lands the writer referred to. Red River purchased those lands that were located in Mountain Meadows.

Tim

History

That Is A Lot of Scrap Iron

August 7, 2026 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers log train, Pine Creek Valley, 1940.

In the fall of 1952 when the logging season ended for the Fruit Growers Supply Company’s Susanville operation something peculiar happened. Normally, the locomotives used in its logging operations would be stored for the winter at is Susanville plant to undergo routine service. Not this time, and they were stored at Camp 10. With timber supplies widely scattered, truck logging was more economical, thus it was the end of line for its railroad logging.

Loading logs with a McGiffert, at McCoy Flat, 1952.

In June 1953 Fruit Growers sold its locomotives, three McGiffert loaders and forty-eights miles of railroad iron to United Engineering of San Francisco, best known to naval shipbuilding yard in Alameda during World War II. Fruit Growers did not reveal a price. but the rail removal was a slow process and not completed until October 1954.

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History

Yorks, Grasshopper Valley

August 6, 2026 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In 1883, John Calvin York purchased the 440 acre Madeline ranch and stage-stop in Grasshopper. Over the years it simply became known as Yorks.

Very briefly, it became known as Hazel, when the family petitioned to have a post office established there. It was granted on May 14, 1895, but postal officials revoked it on July 9, 1895. The post-office was named for York’s latest addition to the family, his granddaughter, Hazel Mae York born there on February 14, 1895.

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History

The Demise of Camp 10

August 5, 2026 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Camp 10, 1950. The family cabins can be barely seen in the background.

The dismantling of Fruit Growers railroad logging Camp10 near Pine Creek was a slow process. It was problematic too. Camp 10 was situated on lands owned by Fruit Growers, but Lassen National Forest, too. As Fruit Growers was winding down its long term Pinc Creek Unit timber sale, there was a provision of the Hazard Reduction Plan. Even though Camp 10 was shuttered at the end of the 1952 logging season, and 1953 it was still intact. Fruit Growers sold the majority of cabins that eventually ended up in Susanville as people used them for storage and rentals.

It was not until the spring of 1954 that Fruit Growers and the forest service reached an agreement as to the demolition of Camp 10. In August Fruit Growers burned all the existing structures but the cookhouse was excluded. According to Fruit Growers’ archives the cookhouse was sold for $500, but the records failed to disclose the buyer.

Tim

History

Lassen Street’s McDow Buildings

August 4, 2026 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The George McDow residence, January 15,1911- Courtesy of George McDow, Jr.

On the 100 block of Susanville’s South Lassen Street are two buildings well over a century old that are distinctive of each other, but had common owner, George McDow.

Lassen County Abstract building, constructed in 1911.

In 1911, McDow next to his residence had an office constructed to house the Lassen Abstract Company, the first land title office in Lassen County. Lassen Abstract operated for nearly fifty years, whose owners at the end where Art Anderson and George Pancera with Electa Lazard who managed the operations.

It is now known as Fink’s Funeral Home, 115 South Lassen Street, Susanville. September 21, 2019

In 1935 Carlos Lucero purchased the McDow residence and remodeled it into a mortuary which is still used as such, though it has undergone numerous ownerships.

Tim

History

A Historic Moment

August 3, 2026 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers Susanville Box Factory as it appeared the day it opened on April 9, 1921—Ed Standard

On April 16 1921, there was dedication ceremony for Fruit Growers Supply Company mill. While the sawmill was placed into operation everything at least from the public perspective was full steam ahead. However, a facility that initially hired 1500 men to operate it would require a lot of work for every component to function. Case in point, and the reason for the mill existence was the box factory not placed interoperation until earlyJune., but was not fully at capacity until September. On brighter note, on June 1, 1921 shipped its first railroad car of lumber. The accounting department must have been pleased that with several million dollars expedpenditures to acquire the timber and built the mll, revenue was finally generated.

Tim

History

A Surprise Visitor

August 2, 2026 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

When I transcribed this newspaper article in the early 1980s. there was one item just went over my head. More on that at the end of the post.

Lassen Advocate – June3, 1921 – Large cougar prowling in neighborhood of Camp A. A large cougar has been seen several times recently in the neighborhood of Camp A of the Frut Growers Supply Company. The animal has been trying to get at the pigs at the camp and killed several deer. Ray Ashton went out Tuesday with a view of taking shot of the cougar but the heavy rain spoiled his chances and he returned without seeing the big cat.”

Meat Locker/Cold Storage, Cap Harvey, 1947

Logging camp food was legendary. Subpar food could break logging camp operations. Yet, Fruit Growers were raising pigs at a logging camp to feed their workers was news to me. After all there were refrigerated rail cars to transport perishable food items.

Tim

History

The County Purchasing Agent

August 1, 2026 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

In 1916, when the Lassen County Courthouse and the County Hospital was under construction, the Board of Supervisors were faced with a new challenge-how to furnish them. They were concerned that every elected official to occupy the new building would run amuck and end up with a hodgepodge of furniture and equipment. Cost was an issue too,. The solution to create a new county position- a purchasing agent. It did not go over well, but the board stood by their controversial decision.

Elmer F. Koken (1871-1968) held the position for decades. During the financial depression of the 1930s, critics wanted the position eliminated as a cost cutting measure. The board said no. The board stated the purchasing agent scrutinized every purchase and saved the county money. Mark Totten served as the last purchasing agent. In the late 1980s, the position was abolished with the creation of a County Administrative Office who assumed that role along many other functions.

Tim

P..S. It is August 1. In Susanville, it is historically the hottest week of the year..