On May 23, 1910, Nevada millionaire, George Wingfield purchased the 320-acre Clinton DeForest ranch at the base of Diamond Mountain to construct a summer home. This, of course, was unheard by the local populace.
No time was wasted and construction of the $25,000 home, complete with at that time, modern electric and plumbing fixtures. The house, was the project of Wingfield’s wife, Maude.
Besides the house, there was guest house, a greenhouse, blacksmith shop and two fish ponds, along with a wildlife preserve. In due time, Wingfield enlarged the holdings by another 1,300 acres. In one acquisition he purchased the timber holdings of the Lassen Mill & Lumber Company. Included was a tugboat used on Honey Lake. Wingfield which he converted the boat into a pleasure vessel and even had a special boathouse constructed on the shoreline of Honey Lake.
On July 24, 1923, the Wingfields sold the property to the Lassen Mill & Lumber Company for an undisclosed amount. The latter’s sole interest was for the timber estimated at 20 million board feet. The following year the property was converted into the Susanville Country Club, but that is another story for another time.