Wendel one of those railroad communities that in early years had an identity crisis. It was first known as Upper Hot Springs to distinguish of Lower Hot Springs five miles to the south. The later became known in Amedee in 1890,, when the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NC0)extended its line there. In 1899 the NC0 extended its line, the small station there originally called Smithon, though general usage was Hot Springs Station. Since it was close proximity to Amedee it was hampered any type development. In 1913 Southern Pacific’s Fernely & Lassen Branch crossed the NCO tracks at Hot Springs with little fanfare. It should noted that in 1915, Wendel designation applied to railroad stations and the post office.

Changes were on the horizon. In  1922, Wendel became NCO terminus. A couple years later, Southern Pacific purchased beleaguered NCO. Then on July 1, 1927 800 railroad workers descended there  to broad gauge the narrow gauge. For some time, there was hub of activity at Wendel. Then in the fall of 1929 J.E.Faustino recorded the Wendel townsite. Susanville’s Lassen Mail newspaper went on  the Wendel bandwagon during the spring of 1930 and published statement: “Certain people may prefer to scoff at Wendel as a possible metropolis of the plains, but the fact that there is more than sagebrush down there has been proven throughout past two weeks. There is good fortune in Wendel, and farsighted people will soon be watching this place to see what happens.”

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