Volume XIII Issue 174 | Thursday, April 1st, 2021
From the Files of the Lassen Historical Society: The Memorial Park Canon
by Susan Couso

Visitors to Susanville’s Memorial Park are greeted with a WWI relic in the form of a 155MM 1917A1 artillery piece. This howitzer was part of a plan by the U. S. government to donate outdated and unused military equipment to local governments for display.

The ‘Susanville Cannon’ became part of the memorial to veterans at the formal dedication of Memorial Park on July 3rd, 1949.
According to people who pretend to know about these things, a howitzer is actually a type of cannon. It all depends on the type of ammunition and the arch of the trajectory, velocities, etc. So, I feel comfortable with the description, ‘cannon’ or ‘howitzer.’

Some of these artillery pieces were so tall that soldiers needed to use long ladders to reach the firing mechanism, but the 155MM 1917A1 had the advantage of a mechanism within normal reach.

The gun was designed by Lt. Colonel Louis Filloux, a French military officer. Filloux was credited with several important innovations in war machines. World War I inspired the greatest number of new French designs in weaponry, and in 1917, the 155MM 1917A1 cannon was built by the Puteaux Arsenal in France.

The massive cannon weighed 23,700 pounds, and had a range of 17, 717 yards, firing a 95-pound shell!

It soon became obvious that the 1917A1 was far superior to the U. S. made weapons. As the U. S. moved into France near the end of WWI, the ‘Yanks’ took over the Puteaux manufacturing plant and began producing this superior artillery for their own use. They paid the French $560,000 for non-exclusive rights to the design, and production began in the U. S. also.

The first U. S. 155MM 1917A1 guns were ready to leave for France, when the war ended, and 1,503 cannons, purchased from the French, were brought to the U. S. in 1919. So, there were a lot of howitzers with no place to go.

After World War I ended the huge guns were moved into storage, but as World War II erupted, they were once again revived for duty. Alterations were made to accommodate ‘modern’ needs, and most were equipped with airbrakes and new metal wheels with pneumatic tires. But by 1942, models like the new M3 were introduced, and the old 115MM 1917A1 models were slowly set aside.

The Susanville Cannon has been sealed and altered to prevent firing, and to protect all of those curious people who might stick their fingers into dangerous orifices. But these safety measures cannot thwart the adventurous who wish to climb to the tip of the massive barrel.

A long-ago nod to our veterans has now become a rather unique emblem for Susanville’s Memorial Park.
Still on its trailer waiting to be unpacked, the Susanville
Memorial Park canon in a 1948 Eastman Studios photo
Lassen Historical Society Offering Two $1,000 Zellamae Miles Scholarships
The Lassen County Historical Society is offering two $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors in Lassen County who plan to attend an accredited college or university.

Interested students can pick up an application for the Zellamae Miles Memorial Scholarship from their high school counseling office or click here to download the packet. The deadline to turn in the application is Tuesday, April 20th.
Qualifications:

  • Be a graduating senior who has attended high school in Lassen County for at least three years.
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or above during the last three years.
  • Show evidence of school and/or community service and leadership.
  • Please return the completed forms to Lassen County Historical Society Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 321, Susanville, CA 96130 or to the Lassen High Counseling Office.


The Lassen County Historical Society promotes interest, education and research into Lassen County’s past, present and future. It strives to collect and preserve records, data, pictures and material pertinent to the history of Lassen County. Anyone interested may become a member.

The Historical Society operates our local museum, which is unique in that it is staffed entirely by volunteers, and admission is free. The museum is located at 115 North Weatherlow.
Lassen Crime Stoppers, a local organization which pays up to $1,000 for tips and information leading to the arrest of someone who commits a crime, has released this week’s list of names and photos of subjects ‘wanted’ by local law enforcement agencies.
To report information about a crime you can anonymously call a simple telephone number, (530) 502-TIPS, and if that information pays off for local law enforcement you will be paid up to $1,000 in cash.

Help clean up Lassen County by anonymously working with the Susanville Police Department, the Lassen County Probation Department and the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office through Crime Stoppers.
Crash! Bang! Fairgrounds’ Demolition Derby Scheduled for May 15th
Lassen County Fair Manager Kaitlyn Downing has announced the return of the ever-popular Destruction Derby to the fairgrounds on May 15th.

Now what the event needs are some brave individuals willing to hit the track and take on the competition for a total purse of $6,500.

1st Place in the Main Event takes home $2,000, 2nd Place $1,250, 3rd Place $800, 4th Place $250 and 5th Place $100.
1st Place in each heat will earn you $100.

The Stock Class payout is $800 for First Place, $400 for Second Place and $200 for third.

Trophies will be awarded to the 1st place winners in each heat and in the main event. A trophy will also be given out for the best appearing car and will be chosen by the crowd.


Tickets go on sale soon for the event.
AFWD and Smart Workforce Center Announce Healthcare Heroes Virtual Hiring Event
The Alliance for Workforce Development and the Smart Workforce Center will be hosting a Healthcare Heroes Virtual Hiring Event on April 20th, from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m., featuring local healthcare facilities from Eastern Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, and Modoc counties.

During this virtual event participants will have the opportunity to connect with multiple healthcare facilities all in one place, view a variety of job openings, interact with recruiters via chat and video (optional) and apply instantly to open positions all from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Available positions will range from entry level to highly skilled, including Admissions, Medical Records, IT, CNA’s, LVN’s, RN’s, Physicians and everything in between.

There will also be a booth during this no-cost event for those that are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field and would like to learn more about the career training opportunities available to them.

This event is open to anyone with a resume. If you need assistance with resume writing and review or have questions about this event please visit www.afwd.org or www.thesmartcenter.biz to chat directly with a representative for assistance.

Taken in July of 1864, this iconic photo is one of the oldest pictures of Susanville still in existence.
Dispatch from the Land of the Neversweats
April 1, 1864

The inhabitants claim that this is the original Garden of Eden, and some even go so far as to show the very canon through which Adam and Eve were expelled, and point to a footprint in the solid rock as evidence of the fact. Whether such be the case or not, it is certainly the most beautiful valley of its size that our State can boast of.

To a person lately from the parched plains of Sacramento valley the contrast is great, riding along for seventy-odd miles through clover, Peavine and red top grass from three to five feet high, while on one side are the lakes with their mirrored surfaces, and on the other the lofty peaks of the Sierra Nevadas with their tops covered with snow, and as you ride path is crossed every mile or two by the clear crystal brooks formed by springs high up the mountains, and now swollen by the melting of the snow.

Although ice is generally considered a luxury, here it would be useless as regards the water, for it is uncomfortably cold already.

There are about seven hundred ranches located, and plenty of good land for as many more. We counted one hundred and forty-seven log cabins finished and in course of construction, and upon nearly all of these ranches were fine fields of grain and vegetables.

Near the head of the valley, Ruble and Peterson have five acres in potatoes which look very fine.

At the ranch of Clark and Boyde we were regaled with fresh vegetables in the shape of green peas, turnips and radishes, and at the milk ranch of Dickerson and Farmer we partook of the first new potatoes raised in the valley.

There is already here two saloons, one store, one blacksmith shop, one butcher shop and while on our way in we passed a sawmill going up.

Thayer and Loring are running a weekly express from Susanville to the valley, and keep them supplied with the latest papers.
If you are a fan of our daily history stories you should join the Lassen Historical Society! It's a fun way to be a part of our county's rich history. When you sign up you'll receive regular Historical Society newsletters with interesting stories and information. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in area history.

Through your membership you help preserve local history. You can download a membership application by clicking here.
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