Updated 3/5/26

What follows is not meant to be the all-encompassing final word on the narrative of Lake Almanor and the region, but a collection of notes and stories of things, people and places that I find interesting. Their "footsteps" and "foundations" can still be seen today if you know where to look.  You can't spell history without "story" and those stories surround us. These also answer some of the many questions I regularly get from visitors onboard my boat. ​I hope you enjoy the look back.
* Note: As more stories are assembled this page will be update with the new information so be sure to check in.*

Before......

Before it was Lake Almanor, it was Big Meadows, and before it was Big Meadows it was Nakam Koyom (the Maidu words meaning "Big Meadows").
The Northern Maidu, native inhabitants of Plumas and surrounding counties, occupied the Feather River region and its many tributaries including Big Meadows. The area was a central hub for the Northern Maidu, featuring numerous villages and serving as a crucial, sacred, and resource-rich landscape. According to the Maidu Cultural and Development Group, there were as many as nine Maidu village sites in and around Big Meadows.

A Maidu village at Big Meadows. 1887

The population of the Northern Maidu before contact with Euro-Americans was estimated at about 4,000.  Their population was greatly reduced by the malaria epidemic of northern California in the years 1830-1833. In the 1880's a smallpox epidemic hit the Maidu population hard leading to a rapid decline in their population. The arrival of miners in 1850 brought diseases and other factors that continued to reduce the Maidu population.  The Maidu of the Feather River region, including those in Big Meadows faced severe consequences from disease, which resulted in their population being estimated at only 300 to 400 by 1862. 
The Northern Maidu put up no formal resistance to the arrival of white settlers. For the most part, the Maidu were quietly compelled to accept the ways of the pioneers, adopting use of their clothing, tools and even their language.  Many were employed as farm hands by ranchers or as laborers in the gold mines and some entered into service of The United States. One such story is that of Thomas Tucker, a Maidu born at Big Meadows in 1895 but moved to Susanville. He first attended the Greenville Indian School and when the U.S. entered World War I, he enlisted. On September 28, 1918, he was killed in action in France, becoming the first casualty from Susanville in the War.  When the local American Legion Chapter was formed in 1920, it was named in his honor, Thomas Tucker Post No. 204. His remains were brought back from France in 1921, and a funeral service was held on September 25, 1921, at the Susanville Cemetery.

Thomas Tucker's grave site in the Susanville Cemetery.

In 2025 the Mountain Maidu received recognition with two gateway signs that acknowledge their presence and their name for these homelands. Two 13-foot metal monuments, at the east and west entrances to Chester on State Route 36, announce to motorists that they are entering Óidim Ḱoýo, the “Maidu name for Chester area.” Or probably more accurately  "Maidu name for the upper part of Big Meadows" since the town of Chester didn't come into existence until 1894. 

Shannon Salem Williams and Harvey Merino of the Mountain Maidu Consortium at Chester's east gateway monument.

Chester’s west gateway monument.

They were erected by Caltrans, in partnership with the Maidu Summit Consortium, as part of a statewide project to beautify and increase awareness of local areas and the people that call them home. Each of the greetings, spelled out in bold yellow block letters, is mounted on nine black spires topped with triangles. The motif is an adaptation of a traditional Maidu basket pattern representing mountains as seen in the picture below.

Traditional Maidu baskets.

Pre-Lake Pioneers

A portion of the 1900 A. W. Keddie map of Big Meadows showing the names and locations of some of the Pioneers. The river channels and springs are shown in blue.

One of the most famous early pioneers of the area was Dr Willard Marion Pratt. Pratt was born on Mar 12, 1826, in Canton, PA and came to Big Meadows in 1867 and established a hotel.  He was married to Sarah Hewitt Hart Pratt and had 6 children.

The Pratt Hotel, the town that sprang up around it came to known as Prattville.

On July 4th, 1909, while the town people and visitors of Prattville were a mile from town enjoying a picnic and playing baseball with the rival team from Greenville, a plume of smoke was spotted rising from the town. With no fire equipment, the town was a complete loss. Despite the total devastation two business were rebuilt following the fire. The Sorsoli Saloon and the general merchandise store belonging to Timothy Lucy which was also home to the Prattville Post office. On December 23, 1911, Sorsoli sold his saloon and five town lots to the Great Western Power Company. Timothy Lucy continued to conduct business but with the flooding of Big Meadows to create Lake Almanor in early 1914, he closed his store on March 31, 1914. This also marked the end of the Prattville Post Office. The common consensus of the time was that the Great Western Power Company had set the town on fire to make way for the lake. No direct evidence was ever found however, later a schoolteacher's bell was discovered, labeled with a tag that read "Taken from the Prattville School on the day GWP burned the town about 1910." The author of the tag was the Great Western Power Company physician Dr. Fred Davis.  

Prattville Pioneer Cemetery in its current location.

The first burial in what would become the Prattville Cemetery occurred on June 17, 1864 with the internment of James Lee.  In 1925, Great Western Power Company announced its intention to enlarge Lake Almanor, and thus the cemetery would have to be moved. In October 1926 Kenneth Murray of Greenville was hired to exhume 101 bodies and relocate them 300 yards to the west to what is now the current Prattville Pioneer Cemetery. The Maidu Cemetery was not moved and remained undisturbed under the water out in front of Prattville that is until the 1930's. PG&E has stated that this whole area was dredged, possibly disturbing graves and scattering remains widely over the lake bottom.

The ​​Atlantis of Almanor

Lost city of Prattville: You may not be able to find this historical marker, but how it got there is somewhat comical. On a September Saturday 1973, members from the local Clamper Lodge in Quincy were on the west shore of Lake Almanor to pay tribute to the first town in what had once been Big Meadows. In attendance were several granddaughters of Dr. Willard Pratt, founder of Prattville. Following the ceremony, which included a parade and a brass band and with no other means available to place the monument under water, a delegation of Clampers rowed out into the lake and “unceremoniously” tossed a concrete and bronze marker into the waters of the lake to honor Prattville and its residents displaced by the formation of Lake Almanor. In doing so the Clampers submitted to a long-held, self-proclaimed prophesy that they were to hold the “first ever underwater dedication” to commemorate the long-inundated town of Prattville.

The Becraft-Hamilton-Holmes Ranch, located on what is now called Lake Almanor East Shore.

The summer kitchen at the Becraft-Hamilton-Holmes Ranch along Hamilton Branch.

​ John Hamilton and Sara Jane Holmes were married on August 12,1856. The Hamiltons were the first settlers on the east side of the valley known as Big Meadows and lived there the remainder of their lives. The Hamilton Branch of the Feather River which flows into Lake Almanor along with two mountain peaks near Mt. Dyer bear their name to this day. They first homesteaded some land then acquired 400 acres of valley and timberland. John went into the dairy business and The Hamilton Dairy opened in Big Meadows in 1860. The Hamilton and Holmes families used the milk to produce butter that would be hauled in wagons over the Humbug Pass to Chico where it was sold. Hamilton had a shop where he built his own butter kegs and was also known to produce split rails for fencing, shingles for cabins and for barns where he would store wild grass hay, put up in summer, to carry the livestock through the winters.

ECV Hamilton Dairy marker located on the east shore.

The Hamilton Milkhouse located on the east shore of Lake Almanor.

The Hamilton Milkhouse, built over a year-round spring along the eastern side of Big Meadows in 1860. The structure, used to store fresh milk and cream, took advantage of the cool spring water as a sort of early refrigeration. The building was disassembled, log by log, and moved up hill, out of the path of rising waters that would become Lake Almanor. The building was reassembled next to the spring whose waters cooled its contents all those years ago and still stands today as the oldest structure on the shore of the lake.

Bunnell Hotel 1899

New Bunnell Hotel 1901

​In 1901 the Bunnell Hotel, located at the tip of a "mountain ridge", known today as the peninsula of Lake Almanor, opened. Luther Wellington Bunnell’s popular first hotel had burned to the ground in 1899 at a total loss and this replacement would become known as "the most elaborate structure ever to adorn Big Meadows." On April 11, 1906, Bunnell sold his properties to the Great Western Power Company while he continued to operate the resort for the remainder of the 1906 season. In subsequent years, the company continued to use the resort as their local headquarters, on the evening of June 6, 1914, all the buildings at Bunnell's were set ablaze for demolition. Despite the burning then flooding of the meadow, two pieces of the Bunnell legacy live on today. The first is the name for the end of the peninsula known as Bunnell Point, the second is a 1200 pound safe ordered by Bunnell and shipped from San Francisco to his mountain resort. It was removed from the resort by the Great Western Power Company sometime prior to the resort's burning then stored, unused. The safe was then used as a "trade in" to purchase a new modern safe for one of the PGE facilities from a Chico area locksmith. The safe remained in his business in Chico until December 2021 when long time Chester residents, Sharon and Will Henry spotted it. The Henrys realized the connection to the Chester/Almanor area and as luck would have it, the locksmith was closing his shop and hoped the safe would go to a museum. The
 Henrys said, “We know just the place.” The Bunnell Hotel safe now resides in the Chester Museum on First Avenue, having come nearly full circle after being "lost" for more than 100 years. 

The Bunnell Resort Safe now resting in the Plumas County Museum in Chester Ca.

Trails West historical marker near present day Rec 2 Boat Ramp referencing a "ridge" now known as the peninsula of Lake Almanor.

Robins Nest early 1900's.

The Bidwell House present day.

The Bidwell House, named for General John Bidwell, famous founder of the city of Chico, CA, this unique and antique bed and breakfast was built in 1901, on the edge of the meadow and the banks of the Feather River, as a summer home for the General and his wife Annie. Named "Robins Nest" it was completed in 1904 and sat on 800 acres the couple owned in Big Meadows. Earl McKenzie acquired the Robins Nest in 1926 when Great Western Power Company was enlarging the dam, which would have flooded the house. McKenzie skidded the structure overland through the Stover and Olsen ranches to its present site using “Cats” borrowed from Red River Lumber Company. The house served for thirty years as summer headquarters for the McKenzie-Stover Cattle Company.​ Later, the home served as a private residence before undergoing massive renovations. In 1991, it reopened as The Bidwell House Bed and Breakfast and continues to welcome guests to this day. The current owners Eva and Filip Laboda have operated the Inn since 2006.

Meadow View Hotel around 1890.

John and Annie were not the only Bidwells in the region. At the south end of Big Meadows, Agustus R. Bidwell, a nephew of John Bidwell, and his wife Clara, of Greenville, established the Meadow View Hotel in 1882. The property was seen as an investment for Bidwell, and the hotel was leased. In 1902, it was acquired by Great Western Power Company who subsequently closed the hotel. For a brief time in came back to life, and in 1909, Great Western made improvements to the building, and it became their local headquarters. In the fall of 1913, Great Western closed it down. Due to an unusually heavy precipitation in January 1914, the new reservoir, later to be named Lake Almanor, began filling up unexpectedly, surrounding the hotel on what was known as Nevis Island. The high spot the hotel was built on is still easily detectable by sonar along present day Lake Almanor's east shore.

The Meadowlark on the waters of Big Meadows.

In 1889 A.R. Bidwell commissioned the building of a vessel from a foundry in Greenville. The Meadowlark had a 23-foot, steel riveted hull and was propelled by a rear paddlewheel that was powered by a small centrally located steam boiler. The now disassembled Meadowlark rests at the Chester Museum.​

Planning for a Reservoir 

Julius M. Howells, a well-known hydraulic engineer, first had the vision of transforming the immense mountain meadow into a vast lake for hydroelectric development. In 1901 Howells combined forces with Guy C. Earl of San Francisco and his brother Edwin T. Earl of Los Angeles and the three men, with the help of Augustus R. Bidwell, began to acquire the land in the eastern arm of Big Meadows mostly occupied by ranches held by pioneer families as well as Maidu. By spring of 1902, the men's aggressive campaign had resulted in most of the lands being purchased, in one way or another. Not all the land transactions were simple, in some cases the men sued to obtain ownership.
In 1887, Congress passed the General Allotment Act also known as the Dawes Act which, among other things stated that Indians not on tribal reservations were entitled land allotments up to 160 acres. In 1902 the men sued six Maidu Indians—Jennie Meadows, Ellen Jenkins, John Jenkins, Hester Jenkins, Robert Shafer and Jim Lincoln—to seek condemnation of their government allotted lands. On November 22, 1902, a court trial was held, and the Maidu were awarded a judgment, giving them the assessed value along with an additional $1,600 in compensation. At the conclusion of the trial the Maidu were paid cash, and one report has the Maidu celebrating the judgment. In 1908, it would come to light that those six Maidu had never owned the land that was condemned!
​ Regional animosity was building towards Great Western Power. Disputed land deals, in some cases under false pretenses, and restrictions imposed on the newly acquired lands left a bad taste in the mouths of locals as well as visitors. To begin with, Great Western Power required people to get special permits to take part in time held traditions, like fishing and camping, on lands now in their control. This proved to be cumbersome prospect as the permits were only available from their office in San Fracisco. This policy would become even more restrictive when, in 1908, they prohibited fishing and camping on their lands at Big Meadows entirely.

Here is another version drawn from the 1900 A.W. Keddie map, this time showing an overlay of Lake Almanor.

The Race is On

Julius Howells wasn't the only engineer interested in hydroelectric development of Big Meadows, another group, unknown at the time, was working on a very similar plan.  In 1902, with most of the lands in control, Mr. Howells left early in April to post the notice of water rights at the proposed dam site "Where the river, leaving the broad flat meadow land, suddenly dropped into its narrow and rapidly deepening gorge." On the night train to Reno, Mr. Howells met two men who said they were mining engineers.  At Loyalton, Mr. Howells disembarked the train and proceeded overland to Greenville, where he picked up Augustus R. Bidwell. It was at that point the Mr. Bidwell was let in on the secrete of the future hydroelectric development. Once at the site the two men became suspicious, finding fresh footprints in the snow. The two men posted their notice then split ways, Mr. Howells went to Butt Creek to post an additional notice and Agustus Bidwell headed for Quincy to file the papers with the County Clerk H.C. Flournoy. After a journey covering 32 miles of mountain roads in the dark, Bidwell delivered the notice to Flournoy at his home, some 3 blocks from the courthouse, late in the evening. Next morning, when Flournoy opened his office, the "mining engineers" from the train were at the door with their notice, but it was too late, the Clerk had Bidwell's notice in hand and placed it in record as his first order of business cementing the Howells-Earl claim on the water.

The original dam design at Big Meadows as envisioned by the Great Western Power Company involved a series of concrete arches.

Early on in the construction of the original dam design. Three of the concrete arches can be seen in the upper left.

Five of the finished concrete arches from the original design can be seen here.

"The Dinky" early on at the secondary location selected for the dam that would transform Big Meadows.

Building of a Reservoir (Stage 1)

The Great Western Power Company was formed on September,18, 1906 with all the lands, rights and titles being transferred to it, and work began on the dam at Big Meadows in 1912. The Great Western Power Company encountered numerous problems with the construction of their dam that would create Lake Almanor including a temporary halt due to technical difficulties in foundation preparation and a regional shortage of concrete materials.   Following the breach of a concrete dam, with a similar design, that killed 800 people in Pennsylvania, in 1911, flaws were found with the original dam design, and it had to be abandoned. A new dam site was selected, upstream of the original, within the canyon to gain access to more stable bedrock. The move made it necessary to completely re-engineer the structure, shifting from a masonry arch to a hydraulic-fill design, but by the summer of 1913 work was fully underway. However, due to financial constraints, the dam’s height was reduced by about half, resulting in a smaller reservoir.

Construction of the intake tower showing one of the seven gates being lowered into place during the building of the dam at Big Meadows.

This picture taken from on top of the original intake tower at the dam looking north across Big Meadows.

The original intake tower in 1914 as the waters began to rise.

​On December 24th, 1913, a heavy amount of snow fell, blanketing the area of Big Meadows, followed by a warm rainstorm that struck the region in early January,1914, melting the snow and filling the reservoir, albeit prematurely, catching some by surprise. Great Western Power’s headquarters, then called Nevis, which was the former Meadow View Hotel built by Agustus Bidwell, was surrounded by the rising waters, creating an island.

Meadow View Hotel in 1914 surrounded by the waters of the newly formed reservoir. Today's Rocky Point is seen in the background.

An early view of the newly formed Lake Almanor. The peninsula can be seen at center.

Early view of the newly formed Lake Almanor. The peninsula is center left while Dakasu Island is center right.

Water Pressure Wasn't the Only Thing Building Up

Six successive pictures of one of the more minor eruptions that preceded the May 22, 1915, event. Taken by Benjamin Franklin Loomis near Manzanita Lake.

The eruptions began small in 1914 and continued all the way until 1917, but the eruption of Mount Lassen on May 22, 1915, was a powerful, explosive event that made significant impacts to the surrounding area. The May 22nd event produced a vertical column that extended to 30,000 feet and sent ash and debris as far as 200 miles away. The event was easily seen by onlookers as far away as Red Bluff and Reno. This also would mark the last major volcanic activity in the Cascade Range until the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

The eruption as seen from Manton.

The eruption of Mount Lassen was historically significant in that it was one of the first eruptions to be captured on film in the United States, providing valuable insight and documentation of volcanic activity never before recorded.

The eruption of Mount Lassen as seen from Red Bluff.

The volcanic column as seen from Anderson.

Did Lake Almanor Cause the Eruption?

​ As people searched for answers as to what may have caused the large increase in volcanic activity up on the mountain, some pointed their fingers squarely at the newly formed reservoir in Big Meadows (Lake Almanor) and the link between it and the eruption.  One theory speculated that pressure exerted by the weight of the water now being held by the dam had caused seismic movement which caused the eruption, while another claimed the impoundment had forced water into deep fissures leading to super-heated lava creating a massive amount of steam and pressure that caused the mountain to blow its top. Scientific data, however, disputes these claims proving that the timing of the reservoir's creation and the eruption were purely coincidental.

Almanor or "Al-manure"

​The change of habitat for fish and wildlife has been a topic of discussion since the construction of the dam. A fish ladder was not incorporated into the dam to allow fish passage up stream on the Feather River. This topic has made recent news with a program in the upper North Fork of the Feather River (above the lake) by CA Dept. of Water Resources. The newly formed reservoir faced other challenges supporting its fish population, including lack of dissolved oxygen. (Which is still a concern to this day) A massive fish die off was recorder in the summer of 1916. Following studies determined that in fact the fish were healthy but the shallow warm water of the lake along with the massive amounts of decomposing organic matter such as logs, stumps, brush and grasses were depriving the fish of oxygen. This mass of vegetative material had an additional side effect; it gave off a foul odor as it decomposed leading some locals, especially those opposed to the lake's construction, to unofficially name it "Lake Al-manure". Thankfully as time went by and the decomposition cycle was completed the unpleasant smell subsided.

Building of a Reservoir (Stage 2)

The drought of 1924 proved to be tough on Great Western Power’s hydro-electric operations. Channels were dredged out into the lake to direct water to the outtake and help maximize the water flow out of Lake Almanor.  The drought, in combination with a desire to increase down-stream hydro-electric production, prompted Great Western Power Company to announce it would raise the dam at Lake Almanor by forty-five feet. This would nearly double the size of the lake making it one of the largest reservoirs in North America at that time. The water storage would allow for additional powerhouses to be built as well as protect the systems from future droughts. Construction occurred from 1925 to 1927, which replaced the initial hydraulic-fill dam with a larger version of the same type. The new dam would be longer, taller and wider that the original, with an updated intake tower. The new gated intake tower would be built directly on top of the original that dated back to 1912 and would accommodate the increased water levels. The enlargement significantly increased Lake Almanor's storage, with total capacity reaching approximately 1,300,000 acre-feet near completion, and usable storage approaching 1,000,000 acre-feet at the normal maximum water level of 4,494 feet. The expansion was completed by 1927 and PG&E acquired Great Western Power Company along with all of its infrastructure, including Lake Almanor in 1930.

​Erstwhile Great Westerners are proud to have brought with them into the Pacific Gas and Electric fold Lake Almanor, the great power reservoir at Big Meadows, in Plumas County.
 W H Spaulding, Attorney for PG&E, April 1931

Building of a Reservoir (Stage 3)

​In the fall of 1961, PG&E disclosed that it intended to raise the dam by sixteen feet and further increase the storage capacity.  It was a massive undertaking and extremely costly, partially due to the fact that there had been a seepage problem since the dam was first constructed. To rectify that problem over the years, several dikes were built in front of the dam, along with other alterations. Reinforcement of the dam required moving of some 800,000 cubic yards of earth; 275,000 tons of rock fill, and 90,000 square feet of Gunite to prevent water seepage from the increased water pressure. Work on the new and improved Lake Almanor dam was completed in the fall of 1963 bringing its height to 130 feet.

The Naming of the Reservoir at Big Meadows

In 1902, Julius M. Howells official recording was for the creation of a new reservoir at Big Meadows to be named Lake Earl after Edwin and Guy Earl, founders of Great Western Power Company. Twelve years later, in 1914 following the completion of the dam, the newly formed reservoir would be It would be christened Lake Almanor for Guy Earl’s three daughters. Alice, Martha and Elinore ​(Almanor)

Alice, Martha and Elinore Earl, daughters of Guy C. Earl, Vice President of Great Western Power Company.

Alice, Martha and Elinore later years sitting in front of the Belden Powerhouse

A Meadow Known for It's Springs

Big Meadows, now Lake Almanor has always been known for its springs, featuring names like Bailey, Pratt, Winter, Bunnell, and simply Big. These springs fed water into the meadows and ultimately into the Feather River. Then, as it is now, these springs were often frequented by fish and anglers alike, taking advantage of their cool waters. Some were large enough to allow water recreation while others served as mandatory stops along trails and wagon roads for early travelers.

Large springs issue at the northeast edge of Big Meadows, about 5 miles by road northeast of Prattville. The water issues from ba- saltic lava, a few feet above the meadow level, in an area of willows and quaking aspens about 100 yards in diameter. After flowing down over rimes of coarse lava gravel it forms a sluggish stream 100 yards or more in width in the meadow. A very rough float measurement LARGE COLD SPRINGS. 331 at the riffles indicates that the discharge is about 56 second feet (29,000 gallons a minute). The water is cold (46°) and of very good quality. It has been used to some extent for irrigating the meadow and forms a tributary of North Fork of Feather River. 
​Springs of California by Gerald A. Waring

Big Springs around 1897

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Trails West historical marker near Big Springs.

Hunting and Fishing at the Lake

The Westwood Rod & Gun Club clubhouse originally built near the current day tip of the peninsula.

Hunting and fishing have always been part of the Lake Almanor story. Just a few years after the original dam was constructed, the first organizational meeting of the Westwood Rod & Gun Club was held on March 13, 1922. A site for the original clubhouse was selected on Bunnell’s point, close to what is now known as the tip of the Lake Almanor peninsula.  By April of that year, construction began on the two-story clubhouse. Three years after the clubhouse was built the organization received word that Great Western Power had plans to raise the dam at Lake Almanor, doubling its size. The main clubhouse, along with several adjacent cabins were floated on a barge, leased from the Great Western Power, and relocated to the Big Springs area on the eastern shore of the lake. The Rod and Gun Club remained active until 1945 when it was disbanded. This building would become the main building for the Davis Lake Resort located on Big Springs Road. The resort changed hands several times over the years and the building was ultimately torn down in 2010.​

Landing a nice one at Lake Almanor.

A glimpse of what life and fishing was like in the early days at this fish camp.

Chester AKA "Little Reno"

Chester California

​Chester received its name from Burwell Johnson, raised near Chester Illinois, and Oscar Martin, whose family was from the Chester Vermont area, in 1894 when they established a post office on the Johnson Ranch near what is the North Shore Campground today. The post office would be moved several times over the years, first to the Olsen Ranch in 1908, then to the newly built Corner Store at the intersection of the Red Bluff-Susanville Wagon Road (future Main Street) and the Prattville Road (future First Avenue) in 1912. Then it moved across the river to a business front built by Guard Young in 1950. During Prohibition in the 1920's and early 30's, Chester developed quite a reputation, known for bootlegging and gambling, among other vices, earning it the nickname “Little Reno". Establishments such as the Bear Club, The Blue Fox, The Red Feather Saloon and the Lassen Club serving up liquor, some featuring craps and poker tables as well as slot machines. Even Stover's Meat Market was said to have slot machines inside for patrons. Chester also became a vital hub for travelers on their way to the newly created Lassen National Park in 1916 as well as visitors of the newly formed Lake Almanor, providing meals, lodging and supplies. One such supplier was Dinty Moore (no relation to the stew that I could find), known as the "Queen of local sporting goods". Her sporting goods store boasted "the newest lures, freshest bait and latest updates on the hot spots for Rainbow and German Brown Trout".

Chester's original Bear Club "Famous for Dancing, Cocktails, Steaks and Entertainment"

Dinty Moore's Sporting Goods next to the barber shop.

Chester was also known for its floods, which would inundate the town destroying property and infrastructure. Historically the area around lake Almanor including Chester would experience flooding every 3-4 years with a major event happening once every 10 years. 1936 saw massive road projects with a realignment of the new Hwy 36, a new bridge over the Feather River and the road surface change from dirt to asphalt. The new improvements didn't last long as the massive flood of 1937 washed the new paving "downstream towards the causeway. Again in 1956 the town suffered, ravaged by another huge flooding event that sparked interest in a canal that could divert water and spare Chester in times of flooding. ​

Main Street Chester 1937.

Main Street Chester 1956.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers came in and improved the Feather River channel, followed by a deep flood control ditch built from the river through the west side of Chester in what might be considered the first "Chester Flood Control Channel" That channel failed in the December 1964 flood which took out the Main Street Bridge over the Feather River and was the catalyst for the current flood control channel that carries high water from the river into the lake before it reaches town. ​

The Main Street Bridge over the Feather River, December 1964.

Groundbreaking was planned for late June 1975, and the Chester Flood Control Channel also known as "The Super Ditch" was completed by mid-August 1976. The project included a 40-foot high, 970-foot-long earthen dam and a 2-mile-long channel that diverts water away from Chester and into Lake Almanor.

The dam on the Feather River is the start of the Chester Flood Control Channel. The control house and "V" weir can be seen here.

The first step in the 2-mile-long Chester Flood Control Channel.

Headlines of the Feather River Bulletin from March 27, 1902, read; "Big timber land deal in northern Plumas" "Sixty thousand acres of timber lands in northern Plumas has been sold to Pennsylvanians." "The deeds have been filed for record by which the 60,000 acres passes to T.D. Collins and J.G. Curtis, millionaire lumber men of Pennsylvania." And with that, the foundation for Collins Pine Company was laid, but it would still be years before the company would make an impact on Chester.

Collins Pine's Chester Mill in the 1950's

The Collins Pine Museum

Demand for lumber during WW II would spur the construction of a mill in Chester beginning in 1941. The opening of Collins Pine Company in 1943 helped solidify the town of Chester and its population. The family-owned Collins Pine Company had many logging operations around the country, but the 60,000 + acres it owned near Chester would become one of the first experiments in sustainable forestry.  The company’s operations were also entirely powered by burning leftover sawdust and wood chips, creating steam power that runs an electric generator. This sustainable approach has helped Chester produce a steady, long-term supply of lumber while preserving habitat and providing a stable community that endures in the 21st Century.  Open since 2007, The Collins Pine Museum located on the Collins sawmill site in Chester, resembles the former Collins Pine Company sawmill, which operated from 1943 to 2001.​

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Lake Resorts

Wilson's Camp Prattville in the early days.

Wilson's Camp Prattville present day.

Wilson's is the oldest, continued operating business on the Lake Almanor. Wilson's Camp Prattville Resort was established in 1928 by Frank and Nettie Wilson, both Plumas County residents.  They leased and later purchased 33 acres along the shores of Lake Almanor and established the resort.  When Nettie retired at age 83 in 1972, her son Kenneth D. Wilson and wife Carol began their management.  Then, in 1999, Kenneth A. Wilson Jr., his wife Debbie, and their three sons Kenny, Cody, and Calvin began operations, continuing a tradition of family ownership for nearly 100 years.

Lake Almanor Inn

1950's advertising brochure for The Almanor Inn.

Once located on the west shore, what was to become known as The Almanor Inn was originally founded by a Bunnell. "Lute" Bunnell, nephew of L.W. Bunnell, founded what he called "Bunnell's On The Lake" in 1917. Lute only lasted a couple of seasons with the small resort before it was taken over by the Utz family and transformed into a bustling place touting deluxe amenities and all forms of recreation at the resort, and in the area including day trips to Lassen Park, swimming, boating, tennis and of course hunting and fishing. One of their advertising flyers proclaimed, "Deer Hunters Note: The deer you kill are our guests in our large walk-in refrigerators FREE OF CHARGE UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO LEAVE FOR HOME." While another line stated the only thing missing from the resort were "RATTLESNAKES and POISION OAK".

In 1932 Adelaide and Fred Smith established the Plumas Pines Resort on the west shore of Lake Almanor, located between the Lake Almanor and the relocated Prattville Cemetery. On July 15, 1932, Adelaide became the postmaster of the new Almanor Post Office, which was seasonal, only open during the summer months.  In the spring of 1950, Fred having passed away several years prior, she sold the Plumas Pines Resort to V.Y. Briggs. Adelaide Smith retired as the Almanor Postmaster on September 30. 1951. The Sperbeck family operated the resort for 12 years prior to selling it to Glenn Geer in 1999. The Geer's maintain it as a family operation to this day.

The Davis Lake Resort as seen from Big Springs Road.

The Davis Lake Resort near Big Springs as viewed from the lake side. The cabin at left still stands today.

The Davis Lake Resort on Lake Almanor located near Big Springs was known for, what was called, "The Fort", a large wooden sea wall that protected their boats and docks from the harsh prevailing wind driven waves that would crash against the shoreline. The resort's main building was the former Westwood Rod and Gun Club building that had been barged across the lake from its original location near the present-day tip of the peninsula.

"The Fort" in the background with these couples standing on the Davis Lake Resort boat ramp. The concrete ramp can still be seen during low water periods.

The docks and "The Fort" at Davis Lake Resort, Lake Almanor.

Near the Davis Lake Resort this private lot owner built his own canal and harbor to protect boats from the waves. this shot is looking south towards Canyon Dam.

Early docks at Lassen View Resort

Docks at Lassen View Resort looking up Hamilton Branch

In 1923, J.N. Boshoff contacted Red River officials about converting a portion of their abandoned Camp 32 at Hamilton Branch into a small resort. Boshoff then converted some of the cabins at Camp 32 into bath houses for changing and others into overnight sleeping accommodations. He dubbed his new enterprise Hamilton Park. Boshoff leased the property from Red River for the next fourteen years. Hamilton Park eventually became known as Lassen View Resort. 

A 1939 view of the store at Lassen View Camp which later was called Lassen View Resort.

Sign at Lassen View Resort

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The resort was purchased in 1977 by the Pleau and Chavez families who continued its operation until their retirement in 2006. Lassen View Resort was also made famous by Toni's Hamburger Hut from 1980 to 2005, where you could get great burgers and other tasty treats but no ketchup! The property was sold and is now a private residence.  Jim and Toni Pleau, Reuben and Julie Chavez along with Paul and Wanda Garrido are the original founders of The Lake Almanor Enhancement Committee in the early 1980 which became The Almanor Fishing Association. ​

The Hamburger Hutt at Lassen View Resort

Jim and Toni Pleau and Julie and Reuben Chavez.

In the back of Big Springs looking west.

Modern Developments

The original Lake Almanor Country Club Gate on Peninsula Drive.

Ed Clifford was a Seattle lawyer who also did some real estate development.  In 1953, he filed incorporation papers for the Lake Almanor Country Club and filed a plat for Unit 1. Prior to that time, however, he had developed some land along the East shore purchased from the Walker family in 1948 and 1949. Ed’s idea for the Lake Almanor Country Club was a private country club in a common‑consent subdivision where owner‑members would need to be approved by a member committee before purchasing a lot. Golf course construction began in the summer of 1962.

The entrance sign greeting visitors to Almanor West. Replaced following the Dixie fire in 2021.

Originally purchased in the 50's by Ed Clifford and other developers from the Walker family, the 615 acres that make up Almanor west would sit idle until the early 70's. The initial lot sales began in 1974 with 650 lots but has since increased to 695 lots. Originally the golf course was basically a greenbelt. In 1977 the preparation for a 9 hole course began and took several years to complete. The Clubhouse was added in 1980 and the course officially opened in 1981.

The Mystery of The Flag in The Lake

"Flag Island" Picture and print by Almanor Girl.

This is an early picture of "Flag Island" notice the wooden flagpole.

​Flag Island, which is known as Goose Island, located in the western basin of Lake Almanor in front of Prattville. This rocky outcropping once rose from the meadow along the Feather River channel and only became an island as it was surrounded by the rising waters of Lake Almanor. On some early maps it is referred to as Sunken Island or Costar's Point. (Rob Costar owned and operated the Costar-Stover General Merchandise Store in Prattville while his younger brother Alburn Costar ran a fly shop in town tying flies to sell to visiting fishermen.) When the present-day lake is full or near full it isn't even an island at all, but just a shallow spot marked by a ring of white buoys.  Sometime in the early 2000's, someone placed a flagpole on the highest point of Goose Island and hung an American Flag on it. Early on the flagpole was crafted from a thin log, later being replaced by a galvanized pipe. (I have spoken to several people who say there had been a flag displayed on the island sporadically going back into the 1980's)

June 24, 2021, marked the first changing of the flag by the Almanor Fishing Association.

​The flag would fly day in and day out throughout the year enduring all mother nature had to throw at it. Coming out of winter into spring each year the flag would be tattered and torn then, as if by magic, a new flag would replace the old one. This cycle carried on year after year until 2021, that spring the flag didn't get changed. As the island and the flag had become the backdrop for the Almanor Fishing Association's annual Veteran's Fishing Day boat parade, volunteers from AFA assembled at the island the afternoon before the event and changed out the flag for the first time, a tradition that continues to this day. Who originally placed the flag? One of the stories is that people from Plumas Pines Resort placed the flag as a way to mark the island following a tragic boating accident in 1989. I have heard many other stories but always second and third hand accounts that didn't proof out. Over the years, the island has, most likely has had multiple "flag keepers", for instance, in 2013 the task was undertaken by seasonal guests of Wilson's Camp Prattville.

Research Credits and Contributions:
Marilyn Quadrio, Director of the Chester Museum
Plumas County Museum
Tim I Purdy
​Plumas Sun
​Photo Credit:
UC Davis Special Collections
​CSU Chico Digital Collections
​Plumas County Museum
​National Park Service
​Cathy Altenburg
Bryan Roccucci