Friday, March 30, 2007 “Looking Back” is a regular feature of the Modoc County record, published weekly in Alturas, California. The following is transcribed from the March 22, 2007 issue. Looking Back 113 Years Ago – 1894 2600 HEAD OF Sheep are ready for shearing at Amadee at a rate of four cents per head…. J.T. Laird has always kept his store doors open but the other night some hungry individual entered and stole a quarter of beef. He says he is going to keep his larder locked from now on….The Dorris Brothers have an old mare on the ranch that crossed the plains in 1860. She has become so frisky that the Dorris’ had to quit using her to rake hay with as she would run away each time she was harnessed…. Peter Heard and Wm. Toney came over from Lake City with a four-horse team and managed to return the same day. That is quite an undertaking for this time of year. 93 Years Ago – 1914 JOHN WALL of Alturas is heading up a citizens complaint against the NCO Railroad and an order to show cause has been issued for the company to reduce its highly excessive freight rates….A big schooner of beer and a hot sausage will cost only five cents at D.W. Thomas’ shop in New Pine Creek….The Hess mine has 18 employees getting the mine in shape and it should have some paying quantities of gold before long….Nettie B. Harris has announced for the office of Superintendent of schools….Renshaw and Close will soon deliver Overland Autos to Herbert Beardsley, Joe Bohrnsen, M. Gosch, Al Tornquist and Wm. Munroe….Modoc Boys went by train to Lakeview to play basketball. The train was two and a half hours late, but the Modoc boys won anyway, 49 to 20. 73 Years Ago – 1934 THE PWA has granted approval for the construction of a dam in West Valley. This is good news to the folks in Likely who have long awaited the storage of water for irrigation purposes there…. A heavy rainfall was most welcome this week, but temperatures in Alturas have again climbed to unseasonably warm and are hovering near 80….Ruth French, Betty Williams, Paul Baker and Reginald Leonard finished the first seven semesters of their high school in scholarship standing (MUHS)…. Mrs. Musick and Betty De Camp are directing the junior class play, “Believe it or Not”….A commercial Boeing airplane flew over Alturas yesterday and drew concern that it may be lost and had no place to land in Alturas…. The first carload shipment of ore from the Juniper mine on Hayden Hill was reported this week by George Harper of Adin. 53 Years Ago – 1954 J. W. Judy, Alturas Realtor, has announced plans to build 50 Veterans homes near the Modoc football field that will sell for an estimated $10,500 each…..Steve Wistos and Doug Graham have completed renovated their Fourth Street Market and a grand opening is planned to display their store….The Highway 81 Association is planning a caravan of 100 cars to Reno to boost for the road from Sparks, NV to Modoc County ….Juvenile problems at MUHS continued this week with the arrest of four boys at the school for possession of alcohol beverages in their wall lockers….The annual Block M Scamper Boxing fest will feature 20 fights Saturday night at the high school. That story about Mr. Judy building those homes for Vets reminds me that I once owned those 12 acres of land. I purchased the acreage on a tax sale the year I got out of the army. In 1949 Dude and I were married and we needed a new car. I traded those 12 acres for a brand new 1949 Chevy two door sedan. The price of the Car was $1,870. I thought that I made a great deal. I later learned to think before selling or purchasing anything. However I only paid a little over $500 for the tax sale on those 12 acres of unused land. Hope to see you all again next week. Ron Morgan