Remember When

120 years ago   

Winter made its presence known in Susanville. It began to snow last night at sundown and snowed furiously until about noon today. The air is warm and the snow soft, but it drifted up so badly last night the roads are blocked again.

120 years ago  

According to newspaper reports, some stages on the northern route were stuck so deep in the snow that all that was visible of them was the top of the pole which the driver stood straight up before abandoning the stage. A card was tacked on the poles bearing the legend, “U.S. Mail.”

70 years ago   

Put out of commission by a fire after a short but optimistic existence, the Orpheum Bowling Alley was to be restored to full use again.   

C.W. Nichol, proprietor and general contractor, planned to reconstruct the floors in the rear of the building that had all but burned from under the alley. The lobby area was also slated for remodeling.

45 years ago   

The California Division of Highways sought public input on proposed improvements to Highway 395. The improvements consisted of reconstructing the roadbed and widening the roadway to 32 feet along a 36.7-mile section south of the Lassen-Modoc County line.

30 years ago   

A plan to form a more unified house number system was being reviewed by the Lassen County Board of Supervisors. Area emergency service officials and the U.S. Postal Service brought the plan to the board’s attention.

25 years ago   

The Lassen County Transportation Commission had requested a study of the intersection at Main Street and Johnstonville Road after a series of complaints by local motorists. After review, the commission planned to provide a solution to remedy the possible safety hazard.

15 years ago   

A Phantom moved in at the Susanville airport — a real Vietnam era F-4 Phantom fighter was made available to the city if officials could find a way to transport if from the Air National Guard base in Reno.   

The Phantom is an Air Force version with fixed wings, unlike the Navy version with wings which fold up for use on an aircraft carrier.   

The General Electric J-79 gas turbine engines had already arrived at Lassen College for use in the SPOT program.

10 years ago   

Richard Murphy, a candidate in the Lassen County Superior Court judge’s race, was not completely candid with the newspaper about his stock fraud convictions in 1972 and a second one-year suspension for sending a quarterly report to the state bar telling them he was not practicing law. He did it on his attorney at law letterhead, which he said the bar deemed a violation of his suspension.

Five years ago   

“I can see nothing but positive coming from this whole process,” Allen Gliege, former Susanville Airport manager said last week of the City Council’s investigation of illegal airport activity.   

“If it wasn’t for their support,” Gliege said of the council and the city’s recent mayors, “we wouldn’t be here.”   

Gliege said he would be happy to have city officials investigate the airport and encouraged them to see anything they want.

A year ago   

The possibility of knowing a contestant on a top- rated TV show is rare, but in the city of Susanville many can say they know Ben Wade, a contestant on the 18th season of the hit “Survivor.”   

Wade can well be on his way of becoming the face of Susanville — a face that is recognizable and friendly.   

“This show was made for me,” said Wade. “I wanted to change the game from what it is to what the producers had in mind. Rather than a game of deceit and lies, I want the game to be about actual survival.”

120 years ago   

According to newspaper reports, everyone who was enjoying the great outdoors 120 years ago in Susanville. Sleighing was the most popular sport, and the paper reported everyone and his best girl was out in the warm brilliant sun.

87 years ago   

Lassen County residents struggled to remove the nearly 10 feet of snow that fell during a three-week period in Jan. The lack of manpower hampered the distribution of food, medical supplies and warm clothing to senior citizens.   

Although the newspaper could not confirm any deaths, reporters announced that there were rumors that more than 10 people had starved or froze to death in the northern part of Lassen County.