Albert Halen’s Survey Office near the corner of South Lassen

and Main Street around 1892. – Lassen Historical Society photo

The injury caused him to be discharged from the Navy and plagued his physical wellness for the rest of his life.

The injury and loss of a Navy life also sent Albert on a new career path. He studied engineering in Holland, Germany and England, and after finishing school and graduating in England, he came to the United States to begin his new life.

Albert Halen

But Halen was gone. He finished his work in Lassen County and then moved on to Wyoming to begin again. In 1903 he moved to Utah’s Unita Basin, finally settling in the town of Moffat. Moffat, Utah was later renamed ‘Gusher’.

It was in Utah that Halen’s career really took off. He became the United States Land Commissioner in Vernal, the Registrar, Land Receiver, County Surveyor, Justice of the Peace, and engineer.

On the first of January in 1926, Halen retired and planned to spend time at his home in Gusher, Utah. But that was not to be. He had been suffering with asthma and heart problems, and he had planned a trip back to California to regain his health. But Albert Halen was found dead in his room at the Commercial Hotel in Vernal, Utah on January 6th, 1926. He had prepared to leave that very day for California.

According to Hernandez the Susanville Fire Department has the final decision in determining whether an area is ‘safe from the spread of fire’ and conforms to the intent of the code.

The applicable City Code Section, 8.28.030, says that, “It is unlawful for the owner, agent, lessee or other person having charge or control of any piece or parcel of land within the city to allow weeds or rubbish to grow, or to remain thereon, or upon the street or sidewalk in front of such piece or parcel of land.”

Weeds, grass, or other combustible growth may be abated by mowing, disking, or scraping. If mowed the combustible growth must be cut and maintained to a maximum height of 4 inches.

All hazards must be mitigated prior to the June 26th, deadline and abatement by open burning is not permitted.

Guidelines for removal of hazards on all properties within the city:

• Mow or disk space around all buildings 30 feet wide at minimum.
• Mow or disk space 50 ft. wide minimum completely around the perimeter of the property to the street or sidewalk. Mow or disk 30 ft. wide minimum cross-breaks every 50 ft. maximum, (property can be completely mowed or disked in lieu of cross-breaks.)
• Mow or disk space extending 30 ft. minimum beyond the foliage of any group of trees.
• All rubbish, trash, trimmings, rubble or litter shall be removed from the property.
• All woods, fuel, or lumber shall be neatly stacked or removed from the property.
• All weeds, grass, or other combustible growth shall be cleared at least 10 ft. from around any combustible storage.
• Greenbelt, pastures, and environmentally-sensitive areas shall be assessed on an individual basis. Contact the fire department if you believe that this applies to your property.
• Mow or disk space may be required to be larger if a potential fire hazard exists.
• Remove down branches from trees and trim lower branches up to 6 ft. from the ground or 1/3 the height for smaller trees.

For more information regarding the Susanville Weed Abatement Program please contact Assistant Chief Tom Hernandez at 530-257-5152.

Cowboy singer songwriter Dave Stamey -photo provided

Cowboy Singer Dave Stamey Returns for Another Performance June 4th

Legendary cowboy singer and songwriter Dave Stamey will return to Susanville for one night only, June 4th, with a concert performance at 6:00p.m. in the Monticola Club on south Lassen Street in Susanville.

Cowboys and Indians Magazine has called Stamey the ‘Charlie Russell of Western Music’ and Western Horseman Magazine has declared his Vaquero Song to be one of the greatest Western songs of all time. True West Magazine named him Best Living Western Solo Musician four years in a row.

Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He has been voted seven times Entertainer of the Year, seven times Male Performer of the Year and Five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists.

He has delighted audiences in twenty-three states and says that he finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses.

Sunrise Rotary will provide a no-host bar, and complimentary refreshments will be available.

Tickets are $25 and are available at Side Iron BBQ at the Pioneer and next door at Margie’s Book Nook.

For more information call 1.530.260.0707.

Fishing on Lake Almanor in the 1950’s – From an Eastman Studio postcard

Many Deer Fall Into Big Flume In Lassen Area

Watchmen Assist Animals Out Of Water

May 25, 1951

From 40 to 50 deer a day are reported falling into the new PG&E flume which runs along the mountainside just above Hamilton Branch about four miles from Walker Lake to the Hamilton Branch powerhouse.

The PG&E is maintaining a 24-hour watch on shifts to have one man on duty all the time near the lower end of the flume. Deer are migrating now and fall into the flume which is cut into the mountainside. A walkway arrangement has been erected to help the deer being swept down the fast water in the flume to get out.

A two-rail fence in the flume backs up the walkway and the back man, but a few deer are being swept through and drowning. The bodies are kept out of the nearly vertical penstock pipe leading down into the powerhouse by a screen over its opening.

Many of the surviving deer, after being swept several miles down the flume with rough concrete sides are hauled out bruised and bleeding.

The Lassen County Fish and Game Conservation League has wired the situation to the state fish and game commission in San Francisco.