Lassen Grain & Milling Company, circa 1918. Courtesy of Dick & Helen Harrison
One of the inquiries received from the Ask Tim segment was for photographs of the old Honey Lake Feed Store on Richmond Road that was located across the Susanville Southern Pacific Depot.
Honey Lake Feed, 21 October 1978
It was built in 1917. At that time there was only one flour mill in operation, that was located at Janesville. It should be duly noted it was only in operation during harvest time. When Lassen Grain & Milling opened the Janesville Flour mill closed down permanently.
Honey Lake Feed building as seen from Inspiration Point, circa 1980–David Bricker
I do not have my notes handy, but if, and that is a big if, if memory serves me correctly Lassen Grain was acquired by Bronson &Doyle in 1929. In the 1940s, the flour mill portion ceased operation. The building was destroyed by fire in the early 1980s.
Flood waters from breached earthen fill trestle, April 1938. Courtesy of Betty B. Deal
Construction of the line was stalled during the early 1930s, while Red River went through its financial reorganization. Finally, in July 1933, construction began at the west end near Hog Flat. A station was established where the Piute line connected with the Southern Pacific, and named Blair, after Kenneth Walker’s wife. At Hog Flat, Red River established logging camp #2. That summer Red River logged eight million board feet of timber and sold it to Fruit Growers. The following year the line was extended further east to Big Springs, and Camp #8 was established.
The year 1935 was a pivotal one for the Piute. Early in the year it was announced Red River would complete the line to Susanville—a distance of twelve miles from its terminus at Worley Ranch to the Fruit Growers plant. Continue reading Piute Logging Railroad – Part II→
The completion of the Western Pacific’s highline in 1931 was not the only railroad development to make news. In the 1930s, Red River’s most unusual railroad logging line, the Piute, came to fruition—so named as it followed Piute Creek in its approach to Susanville.
Red River owned a large swath of timber west and north of Susanville. While they had already logged over its easily accessible timber in Mountain Meadows and Lake Almanor, the Piute line was not intended to service Westwood. The Piute was built to generate much needed revenue to sell timber to other parties, such as Fruit Growers and Lassen Lumber & Box. However, they had a back-up plan; should Red River’s timber sales fall flat, they could mill the timber at Westwood. Continue reading The Piute Logging Railroad→
Horse Lake, 1916, photograph taken by William Wales
For those not that familiar with the region, Horse Lake is somewhat north and east of Eagle Lake depending on one’s perspective which part of that body of water they have in mind. This is an intermittent lake, like, Honey, during wet precipitation years remains full, and in drought years, goes dry.
In my research one can come across the so-called devil in the details. While a lot of research one views a lots of dry material. Every now then, there is that hidden gem. Case in point, while researching Pete’s Creek, I came across one such gem.
Horse Lake, June 21, 2019
In 1916, the newly formed Honey Lake Valley Irrigation District hired William Wales, a civil engineer, to do a thorough investigation of all water supplies of the region that the district might be able to tap into. Wales was very thorough and their was not a drop water he did not examine—even Butte Lake in far western Lassen County that he believed could be diverted all the way to eastern Honey Lake Valley.
Wales proposed a Petes Valley Reservoir. It was his opinion to drain Horse Lake for additional source of water. It should be noted that in 1893, William Harrison had dug a ditch to divert overflow water into Petes Creek, as he owned a ranch at Petes Valley. Wales noted Harrison’s previous work, but a more substantial and deeper channel would need to be done. Wales duly noted the water at Horse Lake was more or less wasted due to evaporation. He estimated the water rights to Horse Lake was worth $4,000.
200 S. Roop St., Susanville, July 20, 2016. Courtesy of Annie Henriques Blank
Recently, three historic homes in Susanville are now on the market. There is the original McGowan residence on South Roop Street, picture above. It was built in 1924, for the president of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company.
The Taylor/Compton House, Weatherlow Street—Jere Baker
The Taylor residence on North Weatherlow Street, and subsequently owned Dr.C. Compton is now on the market. A short distance from that property is the original home of Thomas Hill built in 1913.
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 May, 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.
Fruit Growers Susanville plant under construction, 1920–Ed Standard
Saturday, April 16, 1921 was the dedication of Fruit Growers Supply Company’s new mill facility at Susanville. Of course, there was usual amount dignitaries on hand to celebrate the moment and give speeches. Thomas B. Dozier, a Fruit Growers’ attorney served as master of ceremonies. Dozier’s opening statement was simple, “We will supply the boxes from the Snowkist woods for shipment of Sunkist—all from California.” Dozier informed those assembled that the California Fruit Growers Exchange (renamed Sunkist in 1951) represented 10,500 growers, who produced three-quarters of the citrus in the United States.
For those not familiar with the place, it is located at the junction of Highways 70 and 395. Long before the highways existed, it was known Junction and later a stage-stop known as Junction House. It should be duly noted those “junctions” were located near Long Valley Creek, adjacent to the NCO railroad and the roads leading to and forth from Reno.
Since the 1850s, the region has always been referred to as a junction to Beckwourth Pass and the Sierra Valley. It has been told that emigrants in the 1850s, when they arrived at this spot, shouted “Hallelujah” whey they saw Beckwourth Pass—at 5228’ its the lowest pass over the Sierra.
The junction as it appeared in the 1950s.
In 1932, Orville Stoy took up an 80-acre homestead there. Stoy built a gas station and it became a popular stop, known as Hallelujah Junction. In time, a bar, restaurant and motel were constructed. There was even the “Hallelujah International Airport” that consisted of a couple of airplane hangers and a runway that was an abandoned stretch of Highway 70. In 1973, the State of California purchased Hallelujah Junction. It was obliterated for the construction of the four-lane freeway from there to the Nevada State line. In 1991, a gas station and convenience store was built at the junction of Highway 395 and 70.
McCoy headquarters at Bridge Creek, circa 1906. Courtesy of the Worley/Crum family.
Beginning in the 1870s, sheep ranchers, mainly from Butte &Tehama counties would bring their sheep to higher elevations for summer grazing to this region. Western Lassen County was ideal for such.
Of course, tenders to these flocks needed some type of housing. Since the accommodations were seasonal, many were log cabins.
Griffin Logan’s cabin was a typical sheep camp cabin. Logan Mountain was named for him. Courtesy of National Park Service
The 1920s and1930s were turbulent times for the sheep industry. Wool prices plummeted. Many outfits went bankrupt. The annual tradition of moving sheep from winter to summer ranges would be abandoned. Those summer headquarters suffered the same fate.
The Camp Lasco commuter train. Courtesy of Ron Linebarger
In 1918, the Lassen Lumber & Box Company built a sawmill and box factory at Susanville with an average annual production of 30 million board feet of lumber. Unlike the Fruit Growers Supply Company and Red River Lumber Company, who owned their timber, Lassen Lumber’s main source of timber came from two timber sales they had purchased from the Lassen National Forest. In 1919, they started railroad logging on the northside of Peg Leg Mountain. From 1919 to 1922, they operated three logging camps. In the fall of 1922, construction began on its largest logging camp—Camp Lasco. It opened in the spring of 1923, and became a seasonal home to 250 plus loggers and their families. The camp remained in operation through the logging season of 1930. In the winter of 1930, the Company leased the camp to the Western Pacific Railroad who was in the process of constructing the railroad’s Northern California Extension
High Noon at Lasco, 1923.
The nation’s Great Depression took a toll on Lassen Lumber & Box. The company suspended its logging operations. They either purchased logs from its neighbors Fruit Growers or Red River, or in the majority of instances hired gypos, i.e., independent contract loggers.
