Remember When for the week of 6/11/19
120 years ago
Mother Nature provided a surprising sure-fire cure for rheumatism, according to a story published in the Alturas Plaindealer.
Jack Thomas discovered the remedy by accident but it’s one which probably would not be too popular with those affected by the crippling disease. It seemed he was sitting near the stovepipe in his home when it was struck by lightning.
Thomas was knocked senseless, and his wife was considerably dazed. When he awoke, to his surprise, he was completely cured of his chronic malady. Thomas said his remedy is not patented and anyone could use it free of charge. He added, however, he does not want to take another dose of the cure.
70 years ago
Sunset magazine travel editor Barnaar Bates was in Susanville exploring the Three Flags Highway, a popular route from Reno to Canada, for a feature article.
While in the area, Bates visited Antelope Grade, Inspiration Point and Peter Lassen’s grave taking notes and photographs. His article was set to appear in the October issue of the publication, but flash articles ran in the September, October and November issues. Sunset Magazine had a West Coast circulation of 450,000.
45 years ago
The California Division of Forestry officially opened the new Fredonyer Peak Lookout with a dedication ceremony honoring the late Richard R.K. Smith, the ranger formerly in charge of the district in which the lookout was located. More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including Smith’s widow and family.
30 years ago
Milford residents worked to recover from the damage caused by an usual flash flood that buried roads and private property in silt and rock, clogged washes and cut deep trenches along roadsides.
A cloudburst dumped 2.75 inches of rain in 15 minutes, leaving one property owner’s land buried under three feet of mud and debris.
One homeowner reported seeing a two-foot wall of water rushing toward his house. The flooding crossed Highway 395 in several places, forcing closures of the highway for hours. Damage from the 1987 Clark Fire was largely responsible for the runoff, as the ground cover had not grown back enough the hold the soil in place.
25 years ago
A Northern California senator’s bill to regulate the state’s mountain lion population was shot down by the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee.
The bill by Senator Tom Leslie would have asked voters to give the Department of Fish and Game the power to change the state’s mountain lion policies.
20 years ago
Lassen Community College wrestler Paul Berry, who faced up to five years in state prison following his conviction for marijuana sales and a possible retrial on a second charge, could have taken a plea bargain and spent only a year behind bars in county jail.
But according to his attorney, Richard Murphy, Berry turned down the deal because Deputy District Attorney Dan Howe asked Berry to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit.
That and other actions had Murphy and Deputy Public Defender Peter Bianchi pondering the fairness of the legal system in Lassen County.
15 years ago
Nearly one month after a train/car accident took the lives of two Westwood teens, investigations began on improving the railroad crossing on County A-1.
The goal of Supervisor Bob Pyle and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad locomotive engineer Scott Palmer was to get crossing arms at the location of the accident.
Last year
Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative broke ground on a 2.5 Megawatt solar project for the Sierra Army Depot on May 24.
The solar project is estimated to take five months to complete and is anticipated to wrap up late this fall. The 2.5 MW installation will help the Sierra Army Depot meet its net-zero requirements.
