History

Moon Valley – 2024

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Flanigan, 1984
Flanigan Real Estate Promotion sign, 1984

Moon Valley Ranch was just one of many sudivisions throughout the State of California that forced the State to take preventive measures to prevent this type of future subdivision—namely the California Subdivision Act of 1971. Its a perfect example why there are disclosure laws in the real estate industry today. Numerous folks still invest in that property, purchasing parcels site unseen, only to realize that they bought a lot on a sagebrush plain or a rocky hillside covered with juniper trees. However, there are others that find its pristine setting magical, and buy a parcel as a special get away. Of course, Moon Valley, is a temporary home for illegal marijuana grows.

Abandoned townsites are a matter of there own. There have been speculators to revive the same to make a quick buck. The town of Flanigan, in eastern Honey Lake Valley, was a shining example. Some Reno realtors purchased the majority of the vacant town lots. This venture happened in the early 1980s, but never got quite off the ground. It was their intention to donate lots to such celebrities as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. They would then advertise to prospective buyers, that could be neighbors to these famous personalities. These novelty lots would be priced at around $200 to $300. They had not anticipated a federal law that put an end of their enterprise. This was the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act of 1968. The law mandated improvements such water, streets, sewers, utilities, etc would be required for any lot sold for over $100, and that it meets the criteria of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. End of story.

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History

Sunny California Snow Surprises

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Secret Valley CCC Camp, January, 1937–C.H. Bennett Collection

“If you have a yen to go to California, land of sunshine and flowers, take a look at these two pix of Co. 740, Litchfield, Calif., camp, and see that snow thrives there as well. Not a light snow that disappears beneath the sun’s first rays, but a heavy snow that lasts and has to be piled, shoveled and plowed. Men from Missouri were shown all this snow and now they are sorry that they were skeptical.—Charles Bennett reporting. Happy Days, January 23, 1937”  The reference to Company 740 was the CCC camp at Secret Valley, not known for heavy snowfall.

Secret Valley CCC Camp—C.H. Bennett Collection

Personally, I liked Bennett’s commentary. When I traveled to Minnesota to research the T.B. Walker papers, I also spent time visiting with my Dad’s numerous cousins. Of course, many of them, had this preconceived notion that since I am from California, in their mind it is all palm trees and sunny beaches and that it does not snow in California. With some cousins I stated I was from Susanville, Nevada not far from Reno, which then I endured a deluge of questions about gambling.

Another trait they shared, was they were clueless how large California is. One cousin mentioned that on some Sunday afternoon I should stop by and meet a cousin who resides in Ventura. I just politely nodded my head and was not going to attempt to explain how far that was from Susanville. This was after I made an excursion to Wilmar, Minnesota, about 45 miles distant from where I was staying, and some thought that was a major trip. I had tried to explain where I live 45 miles does not get you anywhere.

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History

Chaos & Cooperatives

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Covina orange packinghouse—Sunkist

Last week we delved into the Wolfskill family’s influence on the citrus industry. By the 1880s, in one way it was flourishing and in others floundering. The growers were producing great quantities of fruit. That fruit was in great demand back east. The development of additional transcontinental railroad lines provided access. Refrigerated railroad cars delivered the fruit in good condition. The problem was actually selling the fruit!

Haphazard distribution, unscrupulous agents and disastrous prices were threatening growers’ livelihoods. Brokers, upon whom the growers were dependent, worked on a commission basis with agents in the East. Growers paid a handling fee of fifty  cents a box—whether or not the oranges sold. They had no control over where the fruit was sent. As a result, some markets were flooded with citrus while others left waiting. It was a marketing nightmare.

Cooperatives provided the answer. Several small groups of growers banded together to market their fruit. Some, like Claremont Fruit Growers Association, did their own marketing. Others, like Pachappa Orange Growers Association, pooled their fruit instead of competing individually.

The financial depression of 1893 forced these growers’ associations to meet and discuss how they could work together to save their industry and to agree on a uniform marketing strategy. This was no easy task. They were, after all, competitors. Initially, they could not even agree on a meeting place, but finally settled on Los Angeles. In the the end it was successful.

The foundation was laid to stabilize the Southern California citrus industry. On August 29, 1893, a regional marketing cooperative was formed combining seven organizations into the Southern California Fruit Growers Exchange. It evolved to accept lemon growers, and citrus growers to the north to become the California Fruit Growers Exchange to reflect its broader membership.

In 1907, the Exchange created  a subsidiary cooperative, Fruit Growers Supply Company. Fruit Growers, is a purchasing  co-op to supply member growers to buy bulk supplies from fertilizers to nails, then needed for wooden boxes. Since only members of the Exchange   reaped the benefit of Fruit Growers, was an enticement for other growers to join the Exchange.

Next Week: One More Hurdle: A Brand New Name

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History

Lassen County’s First Newspaper

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The 1878 staff of the Lassen Advocate

The first bona fide newspaper the Sage Brush made its debut on the streets of Susanville on July 15, 1865. This was a substantial undertaking since Lassen County may have had barely a thousand residents. It should be noted that the County of Lassen subsidized the publication at $100 a month until it was able to sustain it on its own.

It was a typical rural press newspaper. It was four pages in size, published weekly. A Washington hand press was used, and the type set by hand.

The newspaper’s founder, A.C. Longmore remained at the helm until August 10, 1867 when he sold it to A.T. Bruce. Bruce’s ownership was short-lived and sold the paper in the fall to John C. Partridge.  Partridge changed the name to the Lassen Sage Brush. Yet, besides operating  the newspaper, he had many other interests. He spent five years as a U.S. Deputy Surveyor and did many of initial Government Land Office surveys of northern Lassen County, as well as Modoc County. Because his work as a surveyor required him to be away for long periods of time, he sold a half interest in the newspaper to George Pierce. It did not work out well, by June 3, 1871, Partridge was once again sole proprietor. In March 1872, he brought in another partner, D.C. Slater, who also happened to be his brother-in-law. More changes were on the horizon when on January 4, 1873,  displayed an entirely new format. Not only that, but a new name as well—The Lassen Advocate. The Advocate would chronicle the news of the region until 1987 when it closed due to bankruptcy.

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Mess Hall, Secret Valley CCC Camp, 1936—C.H. Bennett Collection

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 February, 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

Moon Valley – The Promised Land

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Moon Valley
Cover of the Moon Valley brochure

The Occidental Petroleum Company’s published a very enticing portfolio of the wonderful virtues of Moon Valley for perspective buyers. The advertising of the region made it too good to be true. “Now you get it all at Moon Valley Ranch: prime recreation land, within 4 miles of a 2,500 acre lake, in Northern California, the next recreational capital of the West and profitable investment property almost certain to appreciate as California’s recreation-hungry population continues to explode . . .And what a price now you can buy 20-acre parcels for less than $199 an acre–$150 down, $29 monthly.” Their portfolio expands on all the nearby wonderful recreational areas, such as skiing and golfing at Westwood, though they did not mention that Westwood was some seventy miles away. Also they did not disclose the fact that the golf course at Westwood was only proposed. The Company was correct in their advertisement that is was “The magnificent, away-from-it-all Moon Valley Ranch” to “land-that-time-forgot.”

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History

The Wolfskill Factor

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A Southern California citrus grove—Sunkist, Inc.

William Wolfskill, native of Kentucky, (1798-1866) had an interesting life. He leaves many legacies to California history. In his westward journey he became a Hudson Bay trapper and even traipsed around Northeastern California, that would later have an impact on the timber industry—but he is credited to establish California’s first commercial orange grove.

In 1831, he settled at Los Angeles. Wolfskill like what he saw and two years later acquired a small tract of land, complete with its own vineyard. In time. this vineyard and winery did quite well.

In 1841, Wolfskill intrigued with thirty-five orange trees owned by his neighbor Dom Luis Vignes (and thinking that oranges just might have commercial value) planted a two-acre grove with trees from the San Gabriel Mission. His experiment was successful. He expanded his acreage to seventy acres. The year of his death, 1866, his orange crop sold for $25,000.

It wasn’t Wolfskill’s skill as a grower, however, as much as it  was his marketing abilities—and the effects of disease—that led to his success. Wolfskill took an advantage of a scurvy epidemic in Mexico to export his citrus and another new market was brought on by California Gold Rush. In the early 1850s, oranges were selling a few pennies a pound in Los Angeles, were going for much as a $1 pound in the Northern California gold fields, and that is where Wolfskill sent his fruit.

Wolfskill’s son, Joseph is credited with shipping the first oranges to eastern markets. In 1877, his fruit took one month to travel via Southern Pacific Railroad to St. Louis, Missouri. Wrapped in paper and packed in ice (which had to be replaced eleven times en route) they arrived in very good shape—and made young Wolfskill a very good profit.

Next Week: Chaos among citrus growers and the birth of an co-operative.

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History

The Susanville Arch

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The arch was a temporary affair, and a windstorm two weeks later, blew it over.

Community archways have been around for a long time. Of course, in this region the best known one is the Reno Arch, which the first one dates back to 1928.  Susanville had its own Arch, even though it was short-lived.

1913 a new fraternal organization was organized–Susanville Lodge 1397, Loyal Order of Moose, commonly referred to as the Moose Lodge. They decided to hold a Harvest Festival in conjunction with California’s Admission Day, September 9.

It was a four day festival. On the northwest corner of Main and Gay Streets (the former Bank of America parking lot, now owned by LMUD) an open air pavilion was constructed, where many activities were held. To give the event a special festive air, the lodge constructed an arch over Main Street at the Gay Street intersection.

Tim

History

A Change of Name

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Lassen County High School Basketball Team, 1914. Notice L.C.H.S on the basketball ball. Left to Right:Will Raker, Donald Shanks, Claude Wemple, Burton Spalding, Ira Baldwin.

Name changes can be a tricky issue. After all people are a creature of habit, so name changes can be disruptive. This is different from were names slowly fade away. Take for example Seven Bridges in the Honey Lake. Valley, if you know the locale, you are dating yourself. Anyhow, back to the name topic at hand—Lassen High School.

When high school was created in 1902 it was known as Lassen County High School. When it was established it was the only high school in the county. That changed in 1916, when two new county high schools opened—Big Valley and Westwood. California state law required Lassen to drop “County” and adopt “Union” to embrace all the districts in the county—thus is became known as Lassen Union High School.

A lot of people grumbled about the name change, since it was all they ever knew. Years later there is a generational change. The older insist its Lassen Union High School and the younger simply refer to their alma mater as Lassen High School.

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Exploring Lassen County's Past