Sunday, September 24, 2006 Looking Back is a regular feature of the Modoc County record, published weekly in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the September 14, 2006 issue. Looking Back 127 Years Ago – 1879 THE BLACKSMITH shp at main and Carlos is being torn down. If Alturas is to grow, this civic center must soon be replaced. It’s the town meeting place, the center of political discussions and the center of progress in the town…. A cavalry troop has returned from the Lava Beds and reports an encounter with some Warm Spring Indians. They told the lieutenant in charge that they were just heading south to visit their Pit River friends, but they are about in the cause of new trouble. (Weekly Alturas Herald) 116 Years Ago – 1890 THE HAYING in Modoc is about wound up and as far as wee can learn, large crops were stacked thus insuring a comfortable winter for stock of al kinds. Hay in this section of the county is worth $6 a ton in the stack, and some are selling even cheaper…. Jimmy Laird has sent to Paris for a set of leather medals for the Alturas Democratic delegates. He has also ordered a supply of salve for the numerous sorehead Republicans around town…. Fent Smith’s dog bit one of Mr. Fishers little boys on the hand last Wednesday. Fisher has vowed to kill the dog on sight and any dog caught in the school grounds hence forth will be killed on suspicion. 92 Years Ago – 1914 THE TRUE portion of the magnificent new Modoc Courthouse as work is progressing splendidly. It will be a lasting monument of architectural beauty for this county for many years to come…. European war pictures are being shown at the Empress Theatre. Viewing the battles is truly a remark able thing when it can be done in the comfort of our theatre. …. The Reno Commercial Club is planning excursions from that place in Lakeview via the NCO Railroad. The ;rice is $7.50….James Williams has bid on all the property and milling machinery at the fort Bidwell Mining and Reduction Company for $2,100. 72 Years Ago – 1934 A $40,000 blaze has destroyed the Gooch-Watson mill at Bieber…. It would appear that winter has arrived. Heavy rains started falling in the town with snow in the foothills and many roads are closed for the winter…. Hal Want, coach at Alturas Grammar School, put his youngsters up against the high school frosh and says they did really well despite the 19-0 loss. He named Shelon Hardin, Don Rachford, and Robert Ehrman as outstanding…. Ernest Cook reports that twice the amount of bucks are being kiloled near Eagleville than were taken last year. The firs weekend saw 43 trkophies claimed near Camp one. 52 Years Ago – 1954 THE FIRST week of deer hunting has placed an unofficial estimate as about the 500 mark in Modoc…. Modoc had fumbled in their first game with Fall River. At one point they accounted for seven in a row, but they won the game 12-6. John McKenney and Wayne Cramer were named the outstanding linemen and Ronnie Tatlow was credited by Coach Ed Carver as his most improved player….Ground beef was on sale in Modoc at three pounds for $1 at the Modoc Meat Company. I remember two board and room houses in Modoc when I was a kid. Perhaps there were more, but the two that I remember belonged to Mrs. Boyd and then my grandmother, Bertha Goldsberry. Both were widows and they made their living cooking and providing beds for single persons. Hal Want was a teacher at Modoc Grammar School and he received board and room at my grandmother’s. He was also my sixth grade teacher. He developed those three young men into fine athletes. Sheldon Hardin continued to play at MUHS and then at the University of Santa Clara and later became the head football coach at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Robert Ehrman left Alturas when he started high school and continued his career at Sacramento High School and then San Jose State College. The war interrupted his school and athletic career. He renewed it all after the war and was an outstanding track athlete recognized throughout the Nation. I worked with Bob for years in the Sacramento City Unified School District. We were friends in Alturas and later in Sacramento. Don Rachford went to work for the Ralph Smith Box Factory in Alturas as a cutoff man. I worked with Don for a couple of summers in the box factory. He was an excellent baseball player for many years with the Alturas Tiger’s baseball team. Hope to see you all again next week. Ron Morgan