Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, Susanville California

Date added: April 21, 2025

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Lassen County was formed in 1864, and local government was established in the community of Susanville. The area was slow to develop because of its isolated location at the northern end of the Sierra Nevadas. In the early 1880s, the community saw hopes of the railroad coming to town. However, several times, the town was bypassed, and other routes were chosen. It wasn't until T.B. Walker, a well-known lumberman from Minnesota, began to acquire timberlands in Lassen County and operate the Red River Lumber Company that negotiations with Southern Pacific Railway finalized the plan for a line that would run through Susanville. On April 26^th, 1913, the Fernley and Lassen Branch of the Southern Pacific Railway opened Susanville's first railroad depot, it operated out of a boxcar. On September 14^th, 1913, the combination passenger depot and freight shed opened its doors. Spurred by increased demands on railroad activity, the existing Susanville Railroad Depot was opened on September 14^th, 1927.

The railroad, with its depot in Susanville, made it feasible to develop businesses in the Susanville area. The Lassen Lumber and Box Company built a substantial mill near the depot in 1918. In 1921, Fruit Growers Supply Company also built a mill close by. Both businesses produced lumber and wooden boxes to be shipped from the depot. The county became the third largest producer of forest products in the state. Because of new jobs, new families moved to Susanville. The community began to develop better roads, water, sewer, and electrical services. The ability to ship local products by rail was a significant force in the development of the area. The existing Susanville Depot was built in response to this development and continues to serve as a reminder of the railroads' contributions.

The Fernley and Lassen Railroad carried freight through Susanville from 1913 to 1956. Passenger service was provided from 1913 to 1933, thus, the 1927 depot had a brief period of full usage. The decline in rail activity was due to the Depression, a reliance on the automobile, and a decrease in lumber production. A further decline began with new means of hauling lumber increased, such as the use of diesel trucks.

The Susanville Railroad Depot's use as a train station effectively ended in 1956 when a flood damaged a trestle at the west end of Susanville, making it impossible for trains to enter or leave the city from the west. Traffic over the line at that time did not justify making repairs. The depot was used as a Southern Pacific office and for storage until October 12^th, 1979 when Southern Pacific closed their agency in Susanville.

The depot remained vacant and deteriorating for a number of years. In 1987 an agreement was made between Southern Pacific and the Susanville Fire Department to burn the depot as a firefighting practice session. A local committee of citizens fought to save the structure, and eventually, Southern Pacific offered the Susanville Depot Committee a twelve-month lease with an option to buy the depot.

The Susanville Depot was acquired by the Trust for Public Lands, and ownership was then transferred to the newly formed citizens' group, Lassen Land and Trials Trust in November 1988.

Restoration did not begin until 1993, after several grants were secured to financially assist the project. The project was completed in 1994.

The Susanville Railroad Depot is once again a center for community activity. It serves as a visitor center and museum. It is the eastern terminus and trailhead for the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail, which occupies the old railroad right-of-way for the Southern Pacific, Fernley and Lassen Branch. Community events and educational activities take place at the depot; activities include the "Rails to Trails Festival", "Whistlestop Lectures", school tours, living history reenactments, a seasonal farmer's market, and more. The Lassen Land and Trails Trust uses the depot as its headquarters.

The Susanville Railroad Depot sits at its original location. The bay window still has an advantageous view of the railroad tracks that run just outside the building.

Building Description

The Susanville Railroad Depot, built in 1927, is a typical railroad station. It is a 72.5 foot long by 28-foot wide building with a stucco exterior sitting on a concrete foundation. The depot is located at 461 Richmond Road with North Railroad and South Railroad Avenues running on each side of the 1.32-acre parcel. There is no access to the depot parcel from the east as the adjoining parcel is an abandoned railroad bed owned by Union Pacific that remains vacant. The depot is the only structure on the parcel that also features a paved parking lot, landscaped grounds, and railroad tracks. The appearance of the property has changed very little over the years.

The 1927 depot was an addition to the original railroad station that was built in 1913. The addition was designed to provide a ticket office, waiting room, express office, lavatories, and public telephone booth. The 1913 structure was at that time remodeled to serve as a baggage room and freight shed. In 1989, fire destroyed the older structure, leaving the 1927 passenger depot standing alone.

The design of the 1927 depot captured the basic symmetry of old depots of that time, adopting an extended roofline with simplicity of detail in its design. Stucco, originally painted in a buff color, was used on the exterior walls. The original hipped roof had asbestos shingles with a roof edge treatment of metal-lined "Dutch" rain gutters and a boxed cornice with a plain frieze used as a signboard with another row of cornice molding below it. There is a bay window centered on the track side of the building in the ticket office, paired wooden entrance doors, double-hung multi-light sash windows, and sliding baggage and express room doors on both the front and back sides of the depot. The exterior appearance of the depot has changed little since its construction. The exceptions are new composition shingles on the roof, and the absence of the rain gutters.

The interior of the depot was divided into three main areas: a waiting room, ticket office, and express office (from west to east). At the west end of the waiting room were the men's and women's lavatories, which included a women's retiring room in the women's restroom. The public phone booth was situated between the entrances to the lavatories. A wood-paneled counter divided the waiting room from the ticket office. Another partition and counter divided the ticket office from the express room, creating a public hallway. The interior floors were linoleum in a large tile pattern over concrete. The rooms have 16-foot coved ceilings, and the walls were clad with tongue-and-groove wainscoting with picture railing and decorative moldings throughout. The cabinetry was clear pine with brass hardware. Many of these interior features are still intact.

The most notable modifications were made sometime between 1950 and 1960. They included the removal of the wood-paneled counter that divided the waiting room from the ticket office. In the express office, the ceiling was lowered in one-half of the room that was partitioned off. Because of the partition, the public hallway between the ticket office and the express office has disappeared.

When Southern Pacific closed the Susanville Depot in 1956, it was primarily used for storage until 1979. After that time, the structure stood vacant and the victim of vandalism. The depot was saved from being burned in a firefighting exercise in 1987 and was eventually acquired and renovated by Lassen Land and Trails Trust in the 1990s.

Renovation that began in 1993 restored the damage to the depot's original features. Some of the fixtures, such as sinks and lights, had to be replaced. The linoleum floor is now painted concrete. New features to the interior of the building are the furnace and security system. Because of the renovation, the building is in good condition and is historically quite intact.

Improvements to the parcel where the depot sits include a paved parking lot, curbs, and sidewalks along with lawn and landscaping containing vegetation native to Lassen County on the north and east sides of the building. A redwood deck has been added to the west end of the depot. Railroad tracks are still in place on the south side of the depot.

The depot setting in south Susanville has changed very little over the years. Most of the surrounding houses were built in the 1930s. The original railroad bed that served as the western line out of Susanville is now maintained as a trail. A Union Pacific caboose is positioned just across the street from the depot on Richmond Road.