Sunday, February 05, 2006 Looking back is a regular feature of the Modoc County Record, a weekly newspaper published in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the January 26, 2006 issue. Looking Back 79 Years Ago 1926 LAUERS STORE will display costumes this week that can be rented for the Annual Firemans Ball . Cattle are now selling steadily at eight cents. FOB Alturas, and represents the highest prices paid in years. Two plans were submitted this week for providing funds to pay for the proposed Legion Memorial Park to be constructed in Alturas. The Board of Supervisors has disclosed which plans shall be accepted but declared the building would eventually be built. 66 (sic) Years Ago 1936 RESIDENTS OF Alturas were lined up at the bridge casting bets whether or not the water would go over its banks as 2.3 inches of rain has pelted Alturas this week . The City Council took action last week to eliminate the old swing bridge in Alturas which has been termed a hazard. Consideration of an auto bridge at this point is being made. 49 Years Ago 1956 VOLUNTEERS WORKERS waged a 24-hour battle in Alturas over the weekend that helped keep the swollen waters of the Pit River from spilling its banks and inundating the town but despite emergency measures conducted by literally hundreds of workers several sections of town were engulfed by the raging torrents here Saturday . Exactly what course should be taken to prevent another flood threat in Alturas will be the topic for a probe Monday at the Board of Supervisors, City Council and our Defense Chiefs meeting. The City of Alturas was flooded in 1936. It covered all areas of the town except those that lived on Tank Hill and other areas at least 10 feet above the Pit River. I remember that incident quite well because I had to report to my after school job with Lowell and Williams Grocery to assist in cleaning up a big mess. When things got back to normal, Lowell & Williams had a big sale on unlabeled canned goods. The people flocked in to purchase many cans, contents unknown, but real cheap. The labels had been washed off by the flood waters. That old swinging bridge across Pit River was great fun. It was located at a place called Fisher Ford and autos crossed the river with no bridge. During the spring, many were stuck. Joe Gloster with his tow truck pulled the most of them out and he liked the no bridge ford because of the business for him that it generated. Fisher Ford was about a half mile east of the bridge on Main Street. There were only two ways to cross the Pit River then and now until you traveled south and west to the bridge near the dump ground. This was the old road to Canby and Centerville, and also it was part of the West Side Road to Likely. At the pasture where we kept our horses, adjacent to that road, we had to catch a horse and then swim the River to bring them in to the barn area. They would go to feed on the luscious pasture on the other side of the river from the barn pasture. I think they did this to annoy us more than anything else. See you all again next week. Ron Morgan