Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Lassen County Lassen County () is a county in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,730. The county seat and only incorporated city is Susanville. Lassen County comprises the Susanville, Calif ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the southern part of the county, at an elevation of . Its population is 16,728 as of the 2020 census, down from 17,947 from the 2010 census. Susanville, a former logging and mining town, is the site of two state prisons: the

California Correctional Center California Correctional Center (CCC) is a state prison in the city of Susanville in Northern California. It is a minimum-security facility. Also located in Susanville is the High Desert State Prison (California) (maximum security), and nearby t ...

, a minimum-medium security facility, which opened in 1963; and the

High Desert State Prison, California High Desert State Prison (HDSP) is a high-security state prison that houses level IV inmates located in Leavitt, Lassen County, California. Opened in 1995, it has a capacity of 2,324 persons. As of July 31, 2022, High Desert was incarcerating ...

(not to be confused with

High Desert State Prison, Nevada High Desert State Prison is a state prison in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, near Indian Springs, northwest of Las Vegas. It is the largest institution of the Nevada Department of Corrections and the newest, having opened on September 1, ...

), which opened in 1995. The

Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong The Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong (FCI Herlong) is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in California, opened in 2007. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Departmen ...

is nearby, having opened in 2001. The prisons and their effects on the community, including the addition of local jobs, were explored in the documentary ''

Prison Town, USA ''Prison Town, USA'' is a 2007 documentary film about Susanville, California Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River i ...

'' (2007), aired on PBS. Nearly half the adult population of Susanville works at the three prisons in the area, where 6,000 people are incarcerated.Taylor, Robert. "'Prison Town' a view from outside"
''Contra Costa Times'', 28 July 2007; hosted at ''The Mercury News''.

Etymology

It was originally known as Rooptown, named for

Isaac Roop Isaac Newton Roop (March 13, 1822 – February 14, 1869) was a United States politician, pioneer and member of the Whig party. In 1859, he was the first elected (provisional) governor of the newly proposed Nevada Territory. Early life Roop wa ...

, a pioneer of the Honey Lake District. Roop later renamed the town Susanville in honor of his daughter in 1857.Capace, Nancy (1999). ''Encyclopedia of California''. North American Book Dist LLC. Pages 447-48. .

History

The Susanville US post office was established in 1860. Susanville was incorporated in 1900. Formerly the center of farming, mining and the lumber industry, Susanville suffered from the loss of jobs as these industries changed or declined in the 20th century. Since the late 20th century, the only area of growth in the economy has been associated with the construction and operation of two state prisons in the city and one federal prison in the area. In 2007, half of the adult population of Susanville worked in the prisons: the

, a minimum-medium security facility, which opened in 1963; the

(not to be confused with

), which opened in 1995; and the

, which opened in 2007.

Geography

Susanville is located at the head of

Honey Lake Valley Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primaril ...

, east of

Lassen Peak Lassen Peak ( ), commonly referred to as Mount Lassen, is a lava dome volcano and the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of the Western United States. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, it is part of the ...

, The elevation is approximately above sea level. It is considered a gateway city to

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of 8.03 square miles (20.8 km), of which 7.95 square miles (20.58 km) or 98.93% is land and 0.09 square miles (0.22 km) or 1.07% is water.

Eagle Lake Eagle Lake may refer to: Cities, towns, townships etc. Canada * Eagle Lake, Haliburton County, Ontario * Eagle Lake, Parry Sound District, Ontario * Eagle Lake 27, Ontario (Indian reserve) * Eagle Lake, Kenora District, Ontario United States * ...

is located north of the town.

Geology

Susanville is underlain by

igneous rock Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma o ...

, which provides the parent material for its well-drained brown stony to gravelly sandy loams or loams. On the western outskirts under forest cover, the soils are often reddish brown. The most common soil series in Susanville's urban area is Springmeyer gravelly fine sandy loam.

Climate

Susanville has an

alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions o ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dsb'') with cool winters and hot, mostly dry summers, except for occasional afternoon thunderstorms. Records have been kept at several stations since 1893, including Susanville Airport and Susanville 2 SW, southwest of the town center, along with two other stations with shorter records. Average January temperatures are a high of and a low of .Station: Susanville 2 SW, CA
Climatography of the United States No. 20 1971-2000, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Golden Gate Weather Services, accessed 22 April 2013. Average July temperatures are a high of and a low of . Temperatures reach or higher on an average of 36.9 days annually, and drop to or lower on an average of 164.6 days annually; freezing temperatures have been recorded in every month of the year and summer nighttime temperatures are usually cool, but extreme cold is rare and temperatures under are reached only on 2.9 days per winter. The highest recorded temperature in Susanville was in July 1931, and the lowest recorded temperature was on February 1, 1956.Monthly Averages for Susanville, CA (96130)
Weather.com, accessed 22 April 2013 Annual precipitation averaged from 1971 to 2000, with an average of 66 days with measurable precipitation. Susanville Airport has averaged a somewhat higher between 1893 and 2012. At the airport the wettest calendar year has been 1907 with and the driest 1976 with , though the wettest "rain year" was from July 1937 to June 1938 with as against between July 1906 and June 1907 and in the driest rain year from July 1975 to June 1976. The most precipitation in one month was in March 1907, and the most in 24 hours on January 31, 1897. Annual snowfall averages at Susanville 2 SW and at the airport, though the median at Susanville 2 SW is only .Susanville, California (048701) Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary
General Climate Summary Tables: Precipitation, Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, accessed 22 April 2013. The most snowfall in one year was in 1937, with the most in one month being in January 1895.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Susanville had a population of 17,947. The population density was . The racial makeup of Susanville was 11,269 (62.8%) White, 2,249 (12.5%) African American, 212 (1.2%) Native American, 198 (1.1%) Asian, 111 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 2,928 (16.3%) from other races, and 580 (3.2%) from two or more races. There were 4,259 people (23.7%) of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The census reported that 9,439 people (52.6% of the population) lived in households, 108 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 8,400 (46.8%) were institutionalized. There were 3,833 households, 1,357 (35.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,645 (42.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 499 (13.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 233 (6.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 327 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 16 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,161 households (30.3%) were one person and 405 (10.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46. There were 2,377 families (62.0% of households); the average family size was 3.05. The age distribution was 2,559 people (14.3%) under the age of 18, 2,547 people (14.2%) aged 18 to 24, 7,633 people (42.5%) aged 25 to 44, 4,024 people (22.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,184 people (6.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 273.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 327.3 males.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 13,541 people in 3,516 households, including 2,250 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 3,882 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 76.0% White, 12.5% African American, 3.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.9% Pacific Islander, 3.5% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.6% of the population. Of the 3,516 households 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 29.9% of households were one person and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10. The age distribution was 20.0% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 198.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 231.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,675, and the median family income was $45,216. Males had a median income of $29,973 versus $27,044 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,238. About 11.0% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The current city council members are:

List of mayors

This is a list of Susanville mayors by year. * 1975 Jim Chapman * 2016 Kathie Garnier * 2018 Kevin Stafford * 2020 Mendy Schuster

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Susanville is in , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Susanville is in .

Transportation

Susanville lies at the junction of California State Routes 36 and

139 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 139 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 139 (New Jersey bus) 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 13 ...

. Highway 139 heads north to the

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

border as a direct route to

Klamath Falls Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...

. Highway 36 runs west to

Red Bluff Red Bluff(s) may refer to several places in North America: Places Canada *Red Bluff, British Columbia, a community near Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada ** Red Bluff First Nation, a First Nations band government headquartered near Quesnel, ...

, then east to where it terminates with

just outside Susanville's city limits. U.S. 395 connects Alturas to the north and

to the south. Susanville Municipal Airport, southeast of Susanville, serves as a public,

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airport. Lassen Rural Bus, operated by the Lassen County Transportation Commission, provided bus service within the city. Sage Stage, operated by Modoc County, connects Alturas, Susanville, and

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

, with connections to Redding, California and Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Quincy Railroad no longer serves Susanville on the former Southern Pacific Railroad line since 2004. A

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

caboose A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in railway switch, switching and Shunting (rail), shunting, keeping a l ...

has been placed on an intact section of track next to the rail depot.

Economy

Two

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacram ...

facilities, High Desert State Prison and

, are in Susanville.

Top employers

According to Susanville's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Notable people

* Dugan Aguilar (1947–2018), Maidu/Achomawi/Northern Paiute photographer *

Hardin Barry Hardin Barry (March 26, 1891 – November 5, 1969), nicknamed "Finn", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begi ...

, baseball player and lawyer, returned to practice law after a one-season career in professional baseball *

Frank Cady Frank Randolph Cady (September 8, 1915 – June 8, 2012) was an American actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three American television series during the 1960s – ''Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and ...

, actor (''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'', '' Green Acres'', and ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

''). *

Aaron Duran Aaron Duran (born 1976 in Susanville, California) is an American writer and media producer in Portland, Oregon, of Mexican and Italian descent. Duran currently hosts the weekly podcast ''Geek in the City Radio'' (FKA ''Film Fever Radio''), with ...

, writer, media producer grew up in Susanville. *

Jack Ellena Jack Duane Ellena (October 27, 1931 – March 23, 2012) was an American football player. Ellena played offensive tackle for coach Red Sanders at UCLA from 1952 to 1954. He was a member of the Bruins team that lost the 1954 Rose Bowl and was na ...

, former Los Angeles Rams player, born and raised in Susanville and ran a summer camp near town * Mike Leach, Mississippi State's head football coach was born in Susanville. * Mitch Lively, former player for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

, was born in Susanville * Kevin Mangold, professional jockey, stunt double, actor, author * Freddy Nagel, bandleader *

Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan Thomas O'Callaghan (born July 19, 1983) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also ...

, NFL player (

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

, New England Patriots). *

Frank Shamrock Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) an ...

, mixed martial artistWoods, Michael
Brothers Ken, Frank Shamrock itching to fight
ESPN.go.com, October 12, 2008; accessed September 13, 2013. *

Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...

, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler * Mike Skinner,

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver * Benjamin "Coach" Wade, reality television contestant

References

External links

*
SusanvilleStuff.comLassen County Chamber of CommerceImages of Susanville
from th
Eastman's Originals Collection

Special Collections Dept.
University of California, Davis. {{Authority control 1900 establishments in California Cities in Lassen County, California County seats in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1900