Thursday, October 05, 2006 Looking Back is a regular feature of the Modoc County record, published weekly in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the September 28, 2006 issue. Looking Back 116 Years Ago – 1890 WILLIAM HAYTON brought a monster rutabaga for us to view. It weighs 17 pounds. We regret our technology is such that we cannot produce a picture of the giant potato, but those who care to may view it at our office…. Joe Danhauser brought Henry Bauman to town Tuesday in pretty bad condition. He had a cold and could not speak. He is being attended by Dr. Gibson. 92 Years Ago – 1914 THE SECOND Modoc Agricultural Fair is underway in Alturas and may now be appropriately called the Modoc Fair. The weather has been on e of sunshine and genial warmth and Main Street is decorated for the occasion with streamers of colored lights at intervals across the street. There are very few outside exhibitors and all winners will be announced next week…. Dr. E.F. Auble has won the support of the Shasta County Searchlight for state senator. Auble was praised as the man responsible for promoting most of the roads in northern California…. The Board of Supervisors set the county tax rate at $2.15. The Alturas rate is .35 cents…. Mt. Lassen erupted today for the 48th time since May 30 and the tremors could be felt here in Alturas…. The NCO has reduced its train fares from Reno to Lakeview, a distance of 288 miles, to $11.90 a reduction of $3.25 75 Years Ago – 1931 DOROTHY HOTCHKISS and Marguerite Shue will debate against Virginia Timmons and Hilda Pratt before the Alturas PTA on the subject: “Resolved: the world was a better place to live 50 years ago”…. Many fine bucks are being brought to town this week and most are good six pointers weighting over 200 pounds. A few little 175 pound deer have been claimed too…. The government purchased 6,000,000 head of cattle but this does not mean that the producer is out of the woods. More will have to be purchased from the drought stricken farmers. A sheep purchase program will also begin in the western states. The government will buy only females over one year of age and will pay $2 flat per head…. Food prices in Alturas this week: coffee, 4 lbs., $1; spuds, No. 1’s, 45 cents for 25 lb. sack; flour, 50 lb. sack, @1.89; premium hams, 31 cents a lb.; and bacon, 37 cents a lb. 52 Years Ago – 1954 The DFG reports the deer kill in Modoc for the first five days of the season at over 5000…. Leonard Kelly and Ralph DeGarmo took first place honors in the Bly, OR rodeo. Kelly was first in saddle broncs and DeGarmo was first in the bareback. 32 Years Ago – 1974 AN APPARENTLY man caused fire on the Devil’s Garden Ranger District, 35 miles north of Alturas, has burned 1,115 acres by yesterday afternoon and U.S. Forest Service crews were hoping for containment by last night. They did not venture to estimate when the fire would be controlled…. Members of the Modoc Joint Unified School District Board determined that trees must come out in front of the Alturas Elementary School due to sidewalk damage. The shade trees that line the sidewalk on Fourth Street were all removed to make way for the new Fourth Street curb. That is al for this week. I hope to see you all again next week Ron Morgan