History

Logging Camp Remnants

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Camp B. Courtesy of Fruit Growers Supply Company

This is first part of a three part series examining logging camp remnants. Today, we will focus on Fruit Growers Camp B and C. These camps operated during the early to mid-1920s in the Martin Springs vicinity, north and east of McCoy Flat Reservoir. Both were substantial camps comprising some 250 men. Camp C boasted a boxing arena that seated 500 people!

Camp C, no date. Courtesyof Lenala Martin Collection

Today, there is plenty of remnants at Camp B. Among those are the concrete foundations of the commissary and cookhouse. Though it’s been some time since I last visited. the railroad service pits were somewhat in tact. There is scattered debris in the area, and I even found an old pocket watch.  Camp C is just the opposite. Without any remnants or any other tell tale signs it is difficult to locate. Why the difference? Camp B is located on land owned by Fruit Growers. Camp C was on land owned by the forest service, the latter required the site to be cleaned up after no longer in use.

Next up the examination of the Harvey line that had four camps–Bunyan, Puls Harvey and Stanford.

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History

Lassen County Fair Logging Competitions of the Past

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Red River Lumber Company’s entry

When the Lassen County Fair was revived, in 1922, it would go through  and still does evolves. Take for instance, logging competitions for decades it was a main stay attraction, but not any more.

In 1923, the first logging exhibition at the Lassen County Fair was held. After all there were three large sawmill operations—Fruit Growers Supply Company, Lassen Lumber & Box Company and Red River Lumber Company. It was certainly a noteworthy event. For many attendees it was the first time they were able to witness the current logging methods of the “big wheels.”  A competition was held between the big three companies. The Fruit Growers Supply Company won top honors in this category. It should be noted by 1927, the lumber companies began phasing out the “big wheels” for the motorized Caterpillar traction engines.

Lassen Lumber & Box Company’s entry.

Tim

History

A New Masonic Lodge

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The Masonic Temple under construction, October, 1924.

Like the proverbial phoenix rising above the ashes, Lassen Lodge F.&AM lost their lodge in a fire in 1921. On July 19,1924 the Masons awarded a contract for a new lodge with T.J. Reese of Fallon, Nevada. The cost $35,500 for the two-story native stone building. The Roman Doric design was the work of local architect, Ralph D. Taylor.  On August 21, a cornerstone ceremony was held. The contract stipulated a completion date no later than January 1, 1925. It should be noted that this was the last major native stone building constructed in Susanville

Tim.

News

Benjamin Pollard Story Update

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Grave of Benjamin Pollard, VFW Section, Lassen Cemetery, March 16, 2024

For those just tuning you can read about the Benjamin Pollard story that was posted earlier this year  here.

Mark Hakvoort of Hollands Kroon, in the Netherlands in their quest to honor and  to remember the aircraft and crews perished there during World War II contacted me about Pollard. You can learn more from their website here 

One of those who perished was Benjamin Pollard, whose body would eventually be brought back to the United States and buried in the Lassen Cemetery, Susanville. It was Mr. Hakvoort’s goal to locate descendants. Since that initial post we have been able to locate numerous family. Pollard has a niece who resides in France. On October 5th they will be holding remembrance ceremony for Pollard in the Netherlands and his niece plans to attend. I was thrilled that a connection could be made.

Tim

History

Lassen County’s Old Timers Fair Event

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Lassen County Fair, 1922. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner

Since this is Lassen County Fair Week, one of the oldest events was to honor the area’s Old Timers. At the 1924 fair the Nataqua Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West initiated this special feature. Of course, this event has evolved over the years.

On the evening of Sunday, September 14, the last day of the fair,  Native Daughters sponsored a banquet for the hearty pioneers at the Antlers (nee Elks) Club. To be considered an “old timer” the requirement was one you had to resided in the area prior to 1866. Thirty-seven old timers attended. It should be noted that in years past Native Daughters sponsored an old timers dinner on California’s Admission Day, September 9.

Tim

News

Ask Tim

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Flanigan—Robert M. Hanft

On a quarterly basis, I ask you the reader, if there is something you would like to learn more about or maybe its something you heard, but question its validity. So here is an opportunity to participate. I will do my best to answer any questions. It should be noted, it may take awhile for the answer to appear as a post. The primary reason, many of the daily posts are done nearly a month in advance. So by the time you read this I am already working on posts for the middle of August, or at least I should be. Whatever the case may be, I look forward to hearing from you. Of course, it should be noted that paid subscribers requests receive priority. In addition, you can always send a request at any time.

Tim

History, News

Another Pricey Auction Item

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The Emerson Hotel located at Main & Lassen Streets, the current site of the Hotel Mt. Lassen. Completed in 1901, destroyed by fire in1915.

If you thought $540 for the Lassen County Farm Bureau cookbook was tad expensive, well I was recently alerted about another much more pricey one. The latest involves Emerson family memorabilia, specifically that of May Spencer Emerson (1867-1955). The package includes a woman’s dress, necklace, purse and two historic invitations. One of those invites is for the 1901 dedication of the Emerson Hotel. Asking price $900.

Other people are involved in hopes to purchase said items for the Lassen Museum. This is one of those instances I go into a retreat mode, it has all the features of a sticky wicket drama–something I avoid.

Tim

History

Red River’s Great Purge

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Purge Nite. Courtesy of Frank W. Davis

Red River Lumber Company’s labor problems in Westwood during the 1930s is a perfect case study on how to do everything wrong. There was, of course the great purge of in which nearly 400 men, women and children were forced out of their homes in Westwood on July 13, 1938 over a labor dispute. By the end of that historic day the California Highway Patrol, with the National Guard on standby placed a blockade on the community, sealing it from the outside world until things could stabilize.

I do not think we will encounter anything like this. Yes, it was a scary time during the strike of 1938 at Westwood.

According to historian Gerald Rose about the historical significance of the Red River purge he wrote, “Not until the 1941 deportation of Japanese-Americans was there a larger forced migration of United States citizens.” 

Tim

History

An Early Ice Cave Description

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An Eagle Lake ice cave, circa 1916. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst

With this current hot spell, I decided on a cool topic. In 1915, the Lucky Land of Lassen was a pamphlet that  produced and distributed at the Panama Pacific International Exposition that was held in San Francisco. Of course it extolled all the wonderful virtues that Lassen County had to offer.. Of notable hightlight, it contained one of the earliest accounts concerning the lava beds and ice caves of Eagle Lake. This what the brochure contained:

“To the west of Spalding lies what is known as the ‘Lava Bed country’ about seven miles long and three or four miles wide. This is the wildest region in this section, and excepting the vegetation, it is almost as when the lava first cooled. It is full of caverns, wells and cracks, one of the latter being five miles long and three to twenty feet wide. In one place it has been sounded to a depth of 160 feet and no bottom found. In this crack there is an ice cave where plenty of ice may be obtained any year until August and some years throughout the entire summer.”

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Exploring Lassen County's Past