Tuesday, February 06, 2007 Looking Back is a regular feature of the Modoc County record, published weekly in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the February 15, 2007 issue. Looking Back 113 Years Ago 1894 N. FITZGERALD is a different kind of Modoc politician. The New Era man interviewed him this week when he heard he was running for County Assessor. Mr. Fitzgerald said, I would like to have the office if I can get it. . Fred Smith was riding his horse from Lookout to Alturas when he was thrown from his horse. When he regained conscious ness he was so bewildered that he didnt know where he was going and followed a sleigh track to Egg Lake on foot. He stayed at a ranch house there for several days laid up for repairs. 99 Years Ago 1908 SEVERAL SALOON type men were indicted by the Grand Jury on charges of furnishing alcohol beverages to young boys at the fourth of July Races last year. But the District Attorney failed to prove that there were any races last July or otherwise push for prosecution and all men were acquitted .Forest Supervisor Chris Rachford said that the total number of grazing permits on Modoc Forest this year will be for 20,000 head of cattle, 21,000 sheep all in the Warner Mountain reserve. Costs will be 25 cents per head for cattle, 35 cents for horses and eight cents for sheep .A diphtheria epidemic has cancelled the Mask ball at Canby .Horse prices are going up now and some ranchers now believe it may have been worth all that feed to keep horses they didnt need through winter months. 89 Years Ago 1918 AN NCO train wrecked north of Wendel Tuesday killing fireman E.S. Taylor and seriously injuring the engineer, George Shay. It was the first fatal or serious accident in the history of the NCO .It was six below zero in Alturas last night, the coldest night of the entire winter, which has been relatively mild. 69 Years Ago 1938 IT WAS announced this week that a box factory will be constructed in Alturas. The word came from John Fossett and E.E. Crom who said it will be located in North Alturas where the old box factory existed .The Alturas Chamber is heading the fight against the proposed forest service range cuts .Fire Chief Bill Mayben claims the Alturas Fire Department has saved this city thousands of dollars over the past year both in service and in frugal operation. He says one good way to help repay the AFD will be to attend their annual dance .Flu and pneumonia are widespread in the county this week. Dr. Philip McKenney reports that he had to make house calls on horseback last week when his car wouldnt start .One of the most severe blizzards in Modocs history was experienced last week causing mail service to be discontinued . Drifts up to 20 feet high are reported in some sections o the county 44 Years Ago 1963 FIFTY-MILE HIKES have become a fad under President Kennedys tutelage and the latest hiker is Mrs. Teresa Baker, mother of six, who walked fifty miles, Alturas to Lakeview, in 18 hours and 15 minutes .Spring came early in Modoc this year, with temperatures in the 60s in Alturas all week .Alturas teachers are considering unionizing under the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. 43 Years Ago 1964 I wish to add Just a word about Teresa Baker. The Bakers lived within 30 feet of our house and although I did not live in Alturas, I knew Teresa and her husband Paul quite well. She was one of the Modoc Women who thought that women were equal to men in most endeavors and took many routes to show this to be true. She was a great friend of my mothers and kept her eye on Mom as she aged. Teresa died just several months past, and she left a legacy in Modoc County that women are not subservient to men in any classification. This was shocking to Alturas men at first, but they are now getting used to the idea. Ron Morgan