Sea-Scouts on Lake Almanor in 1932 – Meriam Library. California State University, Chico

As the dam retarded the flow of the North Fork of the Feather River, the homesteaders and Native People were displaced. And Lake Almanor, named for Great Western Power Co. vice-president Guy Earl’s three daughters, Alice, Martha and Elinore, was formed.

With the formation of Lake Almanor, new life came to the area, but also death.

In May 1915, three men, Charles Lupprecht, Daniel Meeder and Charles Prall were drowned when their boat caught fire and they were forced to jump into the water.

In July, a young San Francisco boy, Rupert Clark drowned where Big Springs empties into the lake. Clark was fishing and slipped off a log on which he was standing.

Fishing on Lake Almanor – an Eastman Studio’s postcard view from the late 1930’s

The cold water was deceptively dangerous.

In August of 1915, the lake had become a scenic place. The construction silt had settled. The water was clear and clean. The air was fresh, and the fish were thriving. It was the perfect time to go fishing.

The Big Springs area was a popular spot, and on Sunday, August 29th there was a large group of Susanville citizens gathered on shore to enjoy the beauty of the lake and escape the Honey Lake Valley heat.

Dr. William E. Dozier, George E. Winchester and Walter Bradley decided to take Dozier’s canvas boat out onto the serene lake to do a little fishing. The three men, all in their mid-forties and reasonably fit, knew how to swim.

They had come to the lake on Saturday so that they could get an early start snagging the lake’s trout, and they were on the water before anyone else arrived.

It was a lovely day, and soon the Susanville crowd began to show up. Just a little before noon, a wooden boat with three other men was nearby, and a log raft, occupied by Wright Spalding and Ernest Bourne was on the other side of the canvas vessel.

At about noon, the other fishermen headed for shore and lunch. Spalding and Bourne went for water from the springs as the ladies of the group cooked the meal. Suddenly, shouting was heard from the lake. The capsized canvas boat had thrown the three men into the water and then sank.

Spalding and Bourne rushed to their raft and as they waded as far as possible, they pushed it ahead of them. Then they climbed onto the log contraption and began to row, but it was unwieldly and difficult to maneuver.

The other fishermen, who had been nearby, had gone ashore also. When one young man in the group saw the accident, he rushed to their boat and began to row, but he was inexperienced and made no better progress than the rafters.

He furiously continued his efforts and finally reached Dozier, who had swallowed copious amounts of water and was exhausted. He returned Dozier to shore, and then the fatigued rescuer went back out for the others.

The efforts to save Winchester and Bradley were to no avail. The men had succumbed to the cold deep water of Lake Almanor.

Dozier, after regaining his composure, explained what had happened. Bradley, sitting in the stern of the boat, tried to reposition himself. In doing so, he lost his balance, tipping the boat and throwing all of the occupants into the water.

Dozier was the first to surface. He managed to grab hold of the end of the boat and when Bradley surfaced, he told him to hold the other end. But Bradly panicked and tried to climb onto the vessel, sinking it slowly down into the water.

When Winchester arose from under the surface, he saw that there was no hope with the boat and turned towards the raft for salvation.

Then the panicked Bradley began swimming towards the raft. Spalding and Bourne shouted to the men to save their strength… they were coming, but the men were frantically trying to reach safety.

Winchester made it only about forty or fifty feet before sinking, and Bradley was within thirty or forty feet from the raft when he went down.

Dozier watched the others head for the raft and turned his attentions to himself. He was tangled in fishing line and equipment and one of the oars was entangled with him.

He saw the boat coming towards him and figured the two other men would make it to the raft, so he headed for the boat, dragging the line, fishing tackle and oar along too.

Mrs. Spalding rushed to Red River Camp 14, which was nearby, to use the telephone and summon help from Susanville. Dr. Drucks responded, bringing Mrs. Fanny Winchester and her daughter, Henrietta. Sheriff Hunsinger arrived with others to help. But there was really nothing to do.

Coroner Chamberlain came from Quincy for the inquest, and the bodies were taken to Susanville, arriving about 4 A.M. Monday morning.

It was a devastating blow to the area. Winchester was a long-time resident of Honey Lake Valley, and well liked. Bradley was another well-liked local businessman. The death of these two men who left behind family and friends was the sad result of a beautiful day at Lake Almanor.

They are both buried in the Susanville Cemetery.

The Almanor Basin underburn: approximately eight hundred acres south of West Shore and approximately 1,800 acres in Warner Valley, north of Chester.

The Front Country underburn: approximately five hundred acres near Panther Springs.

The North 49 Prescribed Fire Project: approximately four hundred acres in the Ashpan Snowmobile Park area along Forest Service Road-17, and approximately 320 acres along Forest Service Road-17 near Manzanita Chutes.

The Eastside underburn: approximately 2,000 acres in the Halls Flat to Hat Creek Rim area near Jelly Springs.

The Bailey underburn: approximately 1,700 acres two miles east of Hwy 44 on Forest Service Road-21 and south of Pine Creek Valley.

The Signal underburn: approximately 2,000 acres two miles north of Spaulding on County RD 105 in the Dow Butte area.

The Lassen National Forest land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and that strategy includes reducing forest fuels and using prescribed burning on the landscape.

Prescribed burns are conducted within a “prescription” that is determined by appropriate fuel moisture, temperature, humidity, wind, and ventilation. Experienced fire and fuels specialists on the Lassen National Forest build prescribed burn plans using the most up-to-date science and modeling along with their combined on the ground fire and fuels experience.

Fire personnel implement, evaluate, check, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined in the prescribed fire plans.

Prescribed fire helps us protect people’s livelihoods, property, and critical infrastructure, such as powerlines, and telecommunication links, thus reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire impacting our local communities.

Prescribed fires reduce hazardous fuels, minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease, provides forage for game, improves habitat, recycles nutrients back to the soil, and promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants, contributing to overall forest health.

The Forest Service will post signs on roads likely to be affected by operations as work begins in each of the project areas this season. Weather is expected to be below average temperatures with intermixed precipitation as we enter a fall cooling trend.

Fire activity is expected to be low to moderate during the initial burn periods. Fire specialists anticipate daytime smoke impacts during these times, and in the early morning and late evening as smoke settles into valleys and low-lying areas. Please use caution while driving through these areas and slow down for the safety of firefighters and the public. Check for smoke impacts in your area at www.airnow.gov.

To see any available maps for these prescribed fire projects, click here and visit Lassen National Forest’s website.

“Residents wishing to burn must have a valid burn permit in their possession, and all regulations must be followed.”

Burn permits can be issued at the Susanville Fire Department at 1505 Main Street with a check or money order, or the City of Susanville City Hall at 66 N. Lassen Street.

Members of the public must provide their own transportation, meals and refreshments. A vehicle suitable for off-highway travel is recommended.

On October 26th, the council will hold a business meeting beginning at 8:00a.m. in the conference room of the Eagle Lake Field Office. A virtual option via Zoom will be available, with meeting details to be made available two weeks prior to the meeting.

Agenda items include continuing discussion and comment on development of the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan, a land use plan that will direct management of northwest California public lands managed by the BLM Arcata and Redding Field Offices.

Other agenda items include updates on proposed business plans for recreation sites managed by the Arcata and Redding field offices.

Managers from the Eagle Lake, Applegate, Redding and Arcata field offices will also report of activities and projects. The council will accept public comments at 11:00a.m.

The 15-member council is composed of varied public land interests including recreation, livestock grazing, timber and forest products, environmental organizations, wild horse and burro management, local government, the academic sector, state natural resource agencies and the public at large. It focuses on lands managed by the Northern California District, which includes land in far northwest Nevada.

More information is available from BLM Public Affairs Officer Jeff Fontana, 530-250-0189.

Log Decks at Paul Bunyan Lumber Co., 1948 ~ From the Eastman Collection at UC Davis

Logging Firms Stack Up Timber

October 5, 1949

A total of 32 1/2 million feet of logs is on hand in the three Susanville lumber mills, with all of them planning to keep up logging operations until snow drives them out of the mountains.

Paul Bunyan Lumber Co. has 3 ½ million feet; Lassen Lumber and Box Co., nine million, and Fruit Growers Supply Co has in excess of 20 million feet of logs decked and in the pond.

The Westwood Fruit Growers Supply Co. has about 30 million feet of logs now on hand, bringing the total in this area to 62 ½ million feet.

Susanville Logging co. mill has closed for the season. Although logging is still going on at Worley Mountain, the mill is not scheduled to reopen until spring.

A night shift has started in the box factory and planing mill of the Westwood Fruit Growers operation last week. The sawmill night shift was laid off the previous Friday night.

The reduction of workers in the one department was just about absorbed by the beginning of the other, according to C. H. Vincent, resident manager. About 75 men were involved.

The company and two private logging contractors, Bartle and Lindsey are scheduled to continue logging thought the end of November, according to Mr. Vincent.

Two other private contractors wound up operations this week.