{"id":67,"date":"2013-11-17T19:09:17","date_gmt":"2013-11-17T19:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tulelake.server293.com\/?page_id=67"},"modified":"2017-03-25T17:06:38","modified_gmt":"2017-03-25T17:06:38","slug":"tulelake-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/anderstomlinson.com\/tule-lake\/towns\/tulelake-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Tulelake, California"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking At Tulelake From Across The Lost River On Christmas Day<\/strong>
\nThe City of Tulelake, California is a young city. It sits on land in Siskiyou County,
\njust south of the Oregon border, that was reclaimed from Tule Lake by the Klamath
\nReclamation Project which diverted water down the Klamath River. Tulelake is on
\nHighway 139 which connects Bend and Klamath Falls, Oregon along with Alturas and
\nReno, California. Some thousand people live in Tulelake at an elevation of 4,066
\nfeet above sea level. This is rural American farmland and wildlife refuge.
\nThis is big sky country moving across a fertile volcanic landscape.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

A Town of the New West<\/strong>
\nWith the opening of the 1922 homesteads, plans were drafted by the Reclamation
\nService for a town site if it could be economically and socially feasible.
\nHomesteads allotments in 1927, 1928 and 1929 proved to be successful.
\nSouthern Pacific Railroad had laid track connecting Alturas, California
\nwith Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Tule Lake Basin was looking like a good
\nplace for the town site. Years passed before the first public auction of
\nTulelake lots was held on April 15th, 1931. 121 lots were sold on that
\nday for between $65 and $350. The city area expanded with additional auctions
\nin 1932, 1936, 1941 and 1948. Tulelake was incorporated in 1937. The 2010
\nCensus noted that there were 347 households and 437 housing units in Tulelake.<\/p>\n

Visit Klamath Reclamation Project<\/strong><\/a> for info about events
\nhelping create the City of Tulelake.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

Tulelake Has Had Its Ups and Downs<\/strong>
\nAs early as 1922 there were plans for creating a “government town” south of
\nthe Oregon- California border. This would wait until the economic conditions
\nand population would trigger developments. Klamath Project Director Herbert D.
\nNewell, namesake for Newell, California, announced there would be a town
\ncreated three miles south of the border. J.W. Taylor, homesteader and engineer,
\nlaid out the to-be town’s streets, property lines and blocks in 1930. The Havlina
\nmoved wood frame buildings to Main Street from nearby fields. These would become
\nseveral cafes, auto repair, tire dealer, pool-hall and migrant worker cabins behind
\nMain Street with toilets and showers. A lumber yard and post office opened in 1931.
\nAmerican Legion Post 164 was built in 1932. Other developments in the 1930’s
\nincluded the two story Clyde Hotel, Shasta Lunch, clothing store, Marcha Theater
\nand Tulelake Hotel.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake,<\/a><\/p>\n

Tulelake, California Has Always Been a Story of Water <\/strong>
\nFor a long time the site of present day Tulelake, California could have been under
\ntwenty or more feet of water. And then water was diverted away from the Tule Lake
\nBasin and down the Klamath River. When The town of Tulelake was more than a drawing
\nand people started to arrive there was no water. People could go to Malin and take
\naway fresh drinking water from Kalina’s store. The Southern Pacific railroad would
\nalso bring water by water tank cars from Perez, thirty miles south, and leave the
\ncars at the Stronghold and Tulelake sidings for public consumption.
\nWells were drilled to 1900 feet in 1938 and 2,200 feet in 1941 without good results.
\nThe water had large amounts of methane and was famous for being able to explode
\nor catch fire. It was proposed to separate the methane from the water and sell both.
\nA 2,254 foot deep well was drilled in 1951. At first it was fresh usable water but
\nthat did not last long. Goldfish were known to die. A nearly 3,000 foot deep well was
\ndrilled in 1953 and was able to produce fresh water under it own pressure.
\nThe current water tower was built. Tulelake had its own water supply.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

What Happens in Tulelake Stays in Tulelake<\/strong>
\nIn the 1930’s Tulelake was divided into two business camps. Tavern and bar
\nowners advocated a “wide-open” town with booze and gambling attracting migrant
\nworkers, sportsmen, out-of-towners and locals who enjoyed the night life.
\nThese interests were opposed by the grocery and retail business owners who
\nwarned residents to be safe and off the streets by 11 pm. There was no local
\npolice and the nearest peace officers were the Siskiyou County Sheriff 100
\nmiles away. On October 3, 1936 a petition was delivered to the Siskiyou
\nCounty Board of Supervisors to incorporate Tulelake as a city. Included
\nwas a list of businesses including 7 restaurants, 15 potato cellars,
\n3 auto garages, 3 warehouses, 5 service stations, 3 tourist camps, 2 hotels,
\n6 liquor stores, 2 welding shops, 2 lumber yards, theater, steam plant,
\n2 barber shops, 2 dry goods stores, hardware store, electrical contracting
\nbusiness, plumbing business, blacksmith shop, shoe store, fuel yard,
\nChevrolet agency, Plymouth agency, Bank of America, 2 churches, telephone
\nexchange, Southern Pacific Depot, beauty shop, dentist, attorney, branch
\ncounty jail, library branch, California Oregon Power Company, newspaper
\nand printing plant, post office, water distribution system, 116 high school
\nstudents, 178 elementary school students and a drug store.
\nSome called Tulelake “Little Reno of Northern California.”
\nThe Sportsman Hotel opened in 1945 with a lunch counter, restaurant, bar
\nand casino featuring slot machines, poker, roulette and black jack. Gambling
\nas a legal enterprise was ended in 1948 by order of the state and county.<\/p>\n

\"street<\/a><\/p>\n

A Place Where Everyone Knew Each Other’s Names <\/strong>
\nThe town’s grocery store in rural America has always been a meeting place.
\nEarl Ager started one of the first Tulelake businesses in 1930. He built a
\nwarehouse on the new Tulelake railroad siding and sold Case tractors. The
\ndepression, and a hard frost, made it hard for farmers to afford their
\ntractor payments and Ager went out of business in 1932. Ager married Dorothy
\nFrydendall in 1934 and together they started a grocery business at the Clyde
\nHotel in 1935. They built a large store in 1940 with ice cream fountain, cafe
\ncounter, groceries, general merchandise and a community phone on Modoc and Main
\nin 1940. The Ager’s sold the store to Jock Giacomelli in the mid 1950’s.
\nEarl’s market became Jock’s. today, the store is now run by Jock’s son
\nTony Giacomelli. Tony was instrumental in the creation of this website which
\nwent online in 2004.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake,<\/a><\/p>\n

Tulelake High School Kids at A Spring-Break Party <\/strong>
\nLife in small town rural America revolves around the kids. The first Tulelake
\nschool building was built in 1931. Tulelake Elementary School opened up in 1933
\nand a three room Tulelake High School was built in 1934. Tulelake Basin Unified
\nSchool District’s student enrollment peaked in 1952 at 737. A larger High School
\nwas built across from the fairgrounds in 1957.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

The 1950’s Was a Dynamic Period in the Life of Tulelake, California <\/strong>
\nOn March 4, 1950 3,000 folks turned out to watch mayor W.R. Moore turn on 18
\nstreetlights from Highway 139 to East-west Road at 6:46 pm. A big event for
\nTulelake was development of the Tulelake – Butte Valley fairgrounds in 1952
\nand its opening in 1953. The Otis Roper Community Park also opened to the
\nin 1953. Tulelake’s population was peaking at around 2,500.<\/p>\n

\"tulelake<\/a><\/p>\n

Each Season Has Its Own Characters and Actions <\/strong>
\nSeasons and weather move through the Tulelake Basin on their own accord. Skies
\nand temperatures can change quickly. With the seasons come waterfowl migrations
\nand farming. Today, Tulelake\u2019s fields are as green as fields can get. Farming
\nbegan in the Middle East some 11,000 years ago. Coming out of an ice age there
\nwas a great drought that lasted 1,000 years. Hunters and gathers could not survive.
\nCultivated crops became the salvation of human civilization. In spirit, these
\nfields are related to agriculture\u2019s dawn.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

Main Street small town USA<\/strong>
\nTulelake experienced growth and when 86 World War II veterans drew their names
\nout of a pickle jar on December 18, 1946 and won homesteads. There were also
\n86 alternates selected. \"main<\/a>Main Street was jumping.
\nWorking together Tulelake moved into the 1950’s
\nwith optimism and a can-do spirit. Today, like
\nmany rural main streets life is not as busy.
\nTimes had changed. California instituted a sales
\ntax so products just north of the border, to this
\nday Oregon does not have a sales tax,
\nwere now cheaper. The car dealers left.
\nAnd shoppers went to big box stores
\ntwenty-plus miles away in Klamath Falls. Life in Tulelake, and everywhere,
\nwas changing. Today Tulelake has a quiet Main Street. There are no stoplights
\nin town. There are are an elementary and high school. Conversations at Jock’s,
\n the local food market, revolves around the events and deeds of Tulelake children.
\nIt is a small town. It is a farming town with a fair share of federal employed
\nresidents. Highway 139 and the Volcanic Legacy All-American Road bring visitors.
\nThere is much to see around Tulelake – a crossroads of history.<\/p>\n

\"all<\/a><\/p>\n

All of this within 39 miles from this rest stop<\/strong>
\nThe adventure begins as history comes alive off the beaten path. If you sense
\nyou have a homesteader’s spirit, or the urge to be part of nature, Tulelake,
\nCalifornia is a destination that has much to offer.<\/p>\n

To see more Destination around Tulelake<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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\"cropland<\/a>
\nCropland and pasture habitat<\/strong><\/a> are found mostly at the lower elevations (4,100-4,200) within the central and southern portions of the Upper Klamath Basin watershed. This category includes diverse areas within the Upper Klamath and Tule Lake \u0003Basins such as towns, smaller communities, rural residential areas, farms and ranches. The wildlife associated with these habitats have adapted to living close to human development and activities.<\/p>\n

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\"tule<\/a><\/p>\n

\"merrill<\/a>
\nMerrill, Oregon<\/strong> <\/a> is at the northwest corner of the Tule Lake Basin and a mile north of the California border. Oregon Route 39, and the fabled Lost River, run through it. Like all of the Tule Lake Basin communities, and most of rural America, Merrill has a rich agricultural history. Merrill is the oldest city in the Tule Lake Basin.<\/p>\n

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\"malin<\/a>
\nMalin, Oregon<\/strong><\/a> is nine miles northeast of Tulelake and eight miles east of Merrill, Oregon. In 1909, scouts from the Czech Colonization Club in Nebraska surveyed western federal irrigation projects. They decided the Klamath Project was the best location for a new Czech Colony. Malin was named after a Bohemia farming community.<\/p>\n

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\"newell<\/a>
\nNewell, California<\/strong><\/a> was born out of the War Relocation Authority’s Japanese-American Internment and later Segregation Center. This would become a city that housed as many as 18,000 internees. A substantial infrastructure was in place with the camp closure in May 1946: five deep wells, red cinder roads, many surplus buildings, water, sewer, electricity, Southern Pacific Railroad lines and Highway 139. A concept was raised of creating a township to serve the new Veteran Homesteaders. Five years later, June 1951, lots in Newell were for sale.<\/p>\n

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