Monday, July 23, 2007 “Looking Back” is a regular feature of the Modoc County Record, published weekly in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the July 12, 2007 issue. Looking Back 113 Years Ago – 1984 (1840 rsm) DOC LUNSFORD and Eli Sunnyfrank have been about town with banjo and accordion making music for the joy of all….. Joel Wilson and judge Eastin spent the week fishing on Parker Creek. They returned to town with a bountiful supply of several hundred trout and many weighed more than three pounds….A town can never have too many doctors and we welcome Dr. Cole who has set up practice on Main Street. There are now five doctors in Alturas….the grand and glorious Fourth has come and gone. It wasn’t too lively in Alturas this year and we look forward to next year when more thought goes into preparing the Independence Day Celebration. 100 Years Ago – 1907 LAND IS going cheap in Modoc. C.C. Auble has some prime Modoc farm land that is selling for $12 to $20 an acre. In Shasta County this land would be worth $50….There are Alturas businessmen who are afraid to invest in the town because they say it is going nowhere; that the railroad will forever end in Likely. Such an attitude will cause the town to stand still – nay, go backwards….A town meeting has again been called to decide on whether or not money should be expected to build a new bridge over Pit river. The present bridge is a disgrace to the town….The NCO railroad is asking for some big tracts of land in and around Alturas if they are to continue here with the railroad. Let them have it, we say. Land is cheap in Alturas. The future of the railroad would make or break this town. 93 Years Ago – 1914 C.A. BALLARD has purchased an auto machine to campaign about the county seeking votes as tax collector….Nettie Harris, superintendent of schools, will not campaign for reelection. This seems sensible to us, inasmuch as the good superintendent does not have opposition….Special weekend train rates to Fairport on Goose Lake have been arranged….There is much activity in the High Grade mining camp, although it recalls to mind the miserable collapse of this venture two years ago. It was the wrong type of crowd then, which chose to mine the public rather than the shafts….There is a rumor about that a Free Carnegie Library will be built in Alturas….William Lunsford informs us that while he was driving from Adin to Lookout he saw an eruption of Mt. Lassen and that black smoke towered a half mile above the peak 73 Years Ago – 1934 The NCO and SP buildings in Alturas have been leased by Chas Miller of Klamath Falls and will be outfitted to install a molding and box factory….Supervisor W.J. Dorris is starting the grading and guttering of the Alturas/Canby road by way of the south side of Pit River….Mrs. Nora Nichols, a teacher at Lookout has been awarded a $500 a year retirement income by the State of California….Cliff McCartor has been awarded the contract to haul MUHS students from South Fork to Alturas….Bill Mayben the jeweler has been given a government permit to buy up old gold and is paying cash….J.E. Niles has won an argument with the city council to have two street lights installed near his theater. . See you all again real soon Ron Morgan