Remember When for the week of 5/7/19
120 years ago
Travelers crossing the Sierras brought word to Susanville of “large droves” of cattle being driven across the mountains from Butte and Tehama counties. The cattle were expected to spend the summer in the open northern ranges.
“It seems as if some little danger might be expected to result in the stock interests in Lassen County,” editorialized the Advocate.
But the writer concluded that the impact would probably be much less than the “annual influx of sheep.” In the end, the paper called for the establishment of a general stock license for grazers, which was called “the only just and proper system.”
60 years ago
Mother nature treated Lassen County to a spectacular light show, setting off 13 forest fires spurned by lightning, 11 of which were in the Lassen National Forest. Luckily, they were only spot fires, burning only fractions of acres.
Forestry officials said heavy rain helped keep fires down.
45 years ago
For the first time in 23 years, the average property tax rate in California dropped from the year before.
The rate dropped from $11.46 per $100 assessed to $11.15.
A homeowner would pay $362 in property taxes after taking the homeowners exemption. In Lassen County, the average tax rate was $9.31, an increase of 34 cents over the previous year’s average. Statewide, the net taxable assessed value of properties was $59.6 billion, which by law is 65 percent of the full market values of the properties.
30 years ago
California Governor George Deukmajian honored five Lassen County correctional officers, four of them for heroism, at a ceremony held in Sacramento.
Awarded bronze stars for heroism were Lt. D.M. ‘Mack” Roberts, Lt. Rick Smith and officer Tom Williams. Lt. Larry Olesen was named California Department of Corrections Supervisors of the year.
25 years ago
Area residents reacted with outrage after vandals cut down the Shoe Tree, a Lassen County landmark for decades.
The fallen monument, located near Ravendale, attracted attention from locals and tourists alike as people hung their discarded shoes from its limbs. “Each shoe has its own story,” said one resident. “I’ve heard that hobos will find a good pair of shoes that fit them and then throw their old, worn out pair back on the tree.”
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Department reported it had no leads on the tree cutters.
20 years ago
The discovery of a body in a Susanville home launched a suspicious death investigation by the Susanville Police Department.
Officer Kevin Jones could not release many details or a name in the case because the investigation was ongoing.
15 years ago
A spear-hunting incident turned ugly sending one man to the Washoe County Medical Center in critical condition.
On May 16, an unidentified woman said a young man was stabbed when a spear went through a door located between Margie’s Book Nook and the Pioneer Hotel in Uptown Susanville.
Susanville police officers found 20-year-old Sidale Ridgebear, of Susanville, lying on the sidewalk in front of the building suffering from a laceration to the upper arm area.
Further investigation revealed he was stabbed with a “spear-type instrument.”
Officers later apprehended a suspect in the stabbing.
Last year
The Lassen High School track and field teams are nearly finished with the spring 2018 Northern Athletic League season.
The Grizzlies participated in their final NAL meet May 2 with opponents Yreka and Central Valley at the Central Valley High School track.
With only the NAL championships remaining until the purple and gold move on to division, section and state competitions, things are certainly heating up in all events.
