By June 26th, Maxey’s workers began, and townsfolk could watch the excitement. It was mesmerizing entertainment for Susanvillians.

Residents could hear blasting from town, which brought great excitement and promise.

The Fernley end of the line advanced, mile by mile, and track was laid behind to bring heavy equipment to speed the work. By March 1913, they had reached Flanigan, and turned their attention toward Susanville.

Susanville citizens were thrilled with the advancing rails, and formed a welcoming committee, the Railroad Day Committee, to greet the railroad. Several arrival dates were reported, but the committee soon grew weary of the repeated anticipation, and by the time the tracklayers had finally reached town on April 26, 1913, there was not a committee member present.

The tracklayers were undeterred, took off for the local saloons, and everyone was satisfied.

But the big job lay ahead. The twenty-nine remaining miles to Westwood would be the most difficult of the whole project. The Utah Construction Company built a warehouse and a corral, and with the tracks in place, the heavy equipment followed.

Soon spectators could watch as the steam shovel poked its way west, and the incoming steam engines constantly moved back and forth shuttling equipment, supplies and workers.

Susanville had changed forever, and though the railway brought prosperity and opportunity, it also brought unwanted characters who had their own ideas about prosperity and opportunity. The saloons were booming, the jails were full, and numerous ‘unsavory’ characters littered the streets.

This may have been a pyrrhic victory after all.

As the work headed up the canyon, difficulties became obvious. It was necessary to blast through Cemetery Hill, and the constant explosions, especially at night, grew tiresome.

In May of 1913, as the blasting began, citizens rushed outside, fearing an earthquake. In July, the blasting threw a seven-pound rock more than 1,000 feet and another stone went crashing into the Methodist Church window.

As the blasting neared the old County Hospital near the end of Miller Road, the patients were moved out and housed in tents around Roop’s Fort. After four months of piercing through the hill below the cemetery, the workers pushed on up the canyon.

With the blasting complete, equipment was moved to the west end of the cut to continue work.

Two 20-ton ‘dinkey’ locomotives were moved up Main Street, and down to the end of Roop Street to begin the effort. One track section was laid, the engines moved onto it, the back section was pulled forward by horses, and then the engine moved forward again.

This ‘leapfrogging’ continued at a very slow pace until the locomotives were in place.

Steam shovels were moved through town following the same procedure, and heavy machine parts were moved in wagons. It made quite a sight as people, going about their daily routine, were startled by the giant equipment.

The railroad bed thus far had changed very little in altitude, but Westwood was situated about 2,000 feet higher than Susanville. This, and the fact that the rails had to withstand the heavy engines pulling great loads of lumber from Red River’s mill, made extensive planning necessary.

The route alongside the Susan River had seemed the logical and most efficient way to go, but the necessary 1.5% grade was going to be a problem. The river sharply turns in some places, and this mandated the construction of two tunnels to ease the way, and the rails crossed over the river twelve times, with giant girders spanning the void.

There were several casualties during the run to Westwood. Tunnel cave-ins, and explosive mishaps plagued the work. In September 1913, one of the dinkey engines was derailed. The escaping steam scalded the engineer, and one worker was crushed beneath the overturned mass of metal.

Worked continued on, in spite of the difficulties. On December 12th, 1913, the first of many work trains crossed over the new bridge at Devil’s Corral. Then, right before Christmas, a huge snowstorm blanketed the area, and all work between Devil’s Corral and Westwood ceased.

The snowstorm brought a halt to traffic to and from Westwood. The stores were depleted, kerosene was limited, and without the railroad’s completion, the only way to bring supplies was through the snow using teamsters with their horses and wagons. Even that was very difficult. By the end of the year, the snow was 10’ deep at Westwood Junction.

Questions arose as to the practicality of building a lumber town in such a harsh and isolated place. But even so, Southern Pacific received a permit by the State Railroad Commission to extend their Fernley & Lassen line on past Westwood for twenty-four miles, with the eventual destination of Klamath Falls, Oregon.

As 1914 arrived, a warm rain fell near Susanville. The melting snow inundated the Susan River and the furious stream swelled with debris. The rail bridges needed to be cleared of every sort of flotsam. But the snow lingered between Devil’s Corral and Westwood.

To expedite the work, an army of 350 men was hired to shovel a path through the snow and clear fallen trees and rockslides. It was tough work, but the might of man surged on. Early February found the track eleven miles from the lumber town, but on Saturday, February 21st, 1914, the tracklayers reach Westwood.

The first train from Susanville brought a shipment of hay for the hungry work horses, and cattle stationed in Westwood. There was still three feet of snow on the ground, and the animals, necessary for work and feed, were suffering. With 950 workmen cutting timber and running the mill, these animals were vital.

Westwood was linked to the rest of the world. Lumber was shipped with as many as 40 cars per day, and the town was thriving. People could depart Westwood on the train at 11:30 a.m. and arrive in Reno by 7:25 p.m. From a little lumber town in the midst of the wilderness, you could go anywhere, and once again, the world had changed.

“Officers observed the male had a severe injury to his chest and began medical aid treatment until medics and Susanville Fire Department personnel arrived on scene,” explains SPD Captain Michael Bengoa-Bollinger.

The male victim was transported to Banner Lassen Medical Center while Officers remained on scene to conduct their investigation.

“After speaking with witnesses at the scene, Officers were directed to and contacted a person who was identified as the alleged assailant in another backyard. The subject was identified as Terry Peter.”

Peter was taken into custody without incident.

While officers were still collecting evidence and taking statements, at around 3:45a.m., Banner Lassen Medical Center contacted the dispatch center and advised them that the victim had succumbed to his injury.

“Peter was transported and booked into the Lassen County Jail on a single count of Homicide. Lassen County Sheriff’s Office responded to conduct the Coroners Case and scheduling of the autopsy at the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Reno, Nevada.”

Because this incident is in the initial phase of the investigation, future details of the incident and the name of the victim will be released after notification to next of kin has been completed.

The case will be referred to the Lassen County District Attorney for review.

According to Ackley, Lassen County’s District Attorney Melyssah Rios worked alongside four

other north state District Attorneys to reach the settlement with PG&E.

The money was disbursed to the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce, the Westwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lassen Fire Safe Council, the Lassen County Office of Education, Lassen Community College and Lassen County Volunteer Fire Departments.

“We hope you will be able to attend the meeting as we discuss suggested goals for our community and appreciate your input.”

Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information or to submit questions for the board to address please contact

the Chamber office at 530.257.4323.

The fact that a collision has taken place between the Settlers in Honey Lake Valley and the Washo Indians, is fully established. A committee from the Settlers appeared a day or two since, with a petition quite numerously signed, asking for aid from the Executive of California. But we do not see how the Executive can act in the premises, if Honey Lake, as claimed by some of these same petitioners, not long since, is without the limits of California. California can only interfere to protect her own citizens; those citizens may volunteer to assist their fellow men in distress.

An attempt was made by the authorities of Plumas County, in August last, to organize a township in Honey Lake. The Board of Supervisors did organize a township; appointed two Justices and two Constables, and appointed an election precinct. Upon learning what had been done, a majority of the Honey Lake Settlers convened and passed a series of resolutions, which were copied into this paper from the North Californian.

After appointing a committee to correspond with the authorities of Plumas, the meeting adopted the following resolve: On motion it was Resolved, That the citizens of the Valley attend the place of voting on the day of election and prevent the polls being opened. The last resolution was literally carried out, as we understood that an attempt was made to open the polls, which was defeated by those who attended the previous meeting. Judges of Election were elected, a magistrate was present to swear them in, but those who declared that Honey Lake Valley was not in California, prevented the polls from being opened by force of numbers. We believe the Assessor went over to make a list of property in the Valley, but the anti-Californians there soon made the Valley so uncomfortable for him that be deemed it prudent to leave without making any assessments. The Justices and Constables were also notified that their services were not required in that Valley.

Not the least curious part of the proceeding is the fact that Mr. Williams, who is the bearer of the petition to the Governor, appears, from the proceedings, to have been the man who offered the series of resolutions before the meeting held in Honey Lake Valley in August last, from which we have quoted.

Under these circumstances, the Governor ought not to furnish aid, unless the petitioners acknowledge themselves citizens of California, and willing to abide the laws of the State, and the jurisdiction of the officers of Plumas county.

If Honey Lake is in Plumas county, and that is where all the maps we have consulted place it, the application for aid should, have come from the authorities of that county. The petition states that the women and children had been removed to Indian Valley, which lies west of the summit of the Sierra Nevada, and which, the Honey Lake Settlers admit is within the limits of Plumas county. The Indians will not follow them into that Valley. But they seem very much disposed to drive the independent settlers, (who have appropriated a section of land each,) out of the Valley of Honey Lake.