by Susan Couso
The project to build Lake Almanor brought electricity to thousands of people. In the early years of the 20th Century efforts began to build Canyon Dam at the south end of the beautiful valley, called Big Meadows, which had become the home for many homesteaders.
It was also a home and gathering place for many Maidu who had enjoyed the abundant wild game and resources of the area for hundreds of years.
As the dam retarded the flow of the North Fork of the Feather River, the homesteaders and Native People were displaced. And Lake Almanor, named for Great Western Power Co. vice-president Guy Earl’s three daughters, Alice, Martha and Elinore, was formed.
With the formation of Lake Almanor, new life came to the area, but also death.
In May 1915, three men, Charles Lupprecht, Daniel Meeder and Charles Prall were drowned when their boat caught fire and they were forced to jump into the water.
In July, a young San Francisco boy, Rupert Clark drowned where Big Springs empties into the lake. Clark was fishing and slipped off a log on which he was standing.
The cold water was deceptively dangerous.
In August of 1915, the lake had become a scenic place. The construction silt had settled. The water was clear and clean. The air was fresh, and the fish were thriving. It was the perfect time to go fishing.
The Big Springs area was a popular spot, and on Sunday, August 29th there was a large group of Susanville citizens gathered on shore to enjoy the beauty of the lake and escape the Honey Lake Valley heat.
Dr. William E. Dozier, George E. Winchester and Walter Bradley decided to take Dozier’s canvas boat out onto the serene lake to do a little fishing. The three men, all in their mid-forties and reasonably fit, knew how to swim.
They had come to the lake on Saturday so that they could get an early start snagging the lake’s trout, and they were on the water before anyone else arrived.
It was a lovely day, and soon the Susanville crowd began to show up. Just a little before noon, a wooden boat with three other men was nearby, and a log raft, occupied by Wright Spalding and Ernest Bourne was on the other side of the canvas vessel.
At about noon, the other fishermen headed for shore and lunch. Spalding and Bourne went for water from the springs as the ladies of the group cooked the meal. Suddenly, shouting was heard from the lake. The capsized canvas boat had thrown the three men into the water and then sank.
Spalding and Bourne rushed to their raft and as they waded as far as possible, they pushed it ahead of them. Then they climbed onto the log contraption and began to row, but it was unwieldly and difficult to maneuver.
The other fishermen, who had been nearby, had gone ashore also. When one young man in the group saw the accident, he rushed to their boat and began to row, but he was inexperienced and made no better progress than the rafters.
He furiously continued his efforts and finally reached Dozier, who had swallowed copious amounts of water and was exhausted. He returned Dozier to shore, and then the fatigued rescuer went back out for the others.
The efforts to save Winchester and Bradley were to no avail. The men had succumbed to the cold deep water of Lake Almanor.
Dozier, after regaining his composure, explained what had happened. Bradley, sitting in the stern of the boat, tried to reposition himself. In doing so, he lost his balance, tipping the boat and throwing all of the occupants into the water.
Dozier was the first to surface. He managed to grab hold of the end of the boat and when Bradley surfaced, he told him to hold the other end. But Bradly panicked and tried to climb onto the vessel, sinking it slowly down into the water.
When Winchester arose from under the surface, he saw that there was no hope with the boat and turned towards the raft for salvation.
Then the panicked Bradley began swimming towards the raft. Spalding and Bourne shouted to the men to save their strength… they were coming, but the men were frantically trying to reach safety.
Winchester made it only about forty or fifty feet before sinking, and Bradley was within thirty or forty feet from the raft when he went down.
Dozier watched the others head for the raft and turned his attentions to himself. He was tangled in fishing line and equipment and one of the oars was entangled with him.
He saw the boat coming towards him and figured the two other men would make it to the raft, so he headed for the boat, dragging the line, fishing tackle and oar along too.
Mrs. Spalding rushed to Red River Camp 14, which was nearby, to use the telephone and summon help from Susanville. Dr. Drucks responded, bringing Mrs. Fanny Winchester and her daughter, Henrietta. Sheriff Hunsinger arrived with others to help. But there was really nothing to do.
Coroner Chamberlain came from Quincy for the inquest, and the bodies were taken to Susanville, arriving about 4 A.M. Monday morning.
It was a devastating blow to the area. Winchester was a long-time resident of Honey Lake Valley, and well liked. Bradley was another well-liked local businessman. The death of these two men who left behind family and friends was the sad result of a beautiful day at Lake Almanor.
They are both buried in the Susanville Cemetery.
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