Susanville, California

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Another view of Uptown Susanville

Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) (Template:Langx, bush creek country)<ref name="maidu-ethnogeography">Simmons, W. S., Morales, R., Williams, V., & Camacho, S. (1997). Honey Lake Maidu Ethnogeography of Lassen County, California . Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 19(1), 2–31. ISSN 0191-3557 [1]</ref> is the only incorporated city in Lassen County, California, United States,<ref name=gnis/> of which it is also the county seat. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the southern part of the county,<ref name=CGN>Template:California's Geographic Names</ref> at an elevation of Template:Convert.<ref name=gnis/> Its population is 16,728 as of the 2020 census, down from 17,947 from the 2010 census. The Susanville urban area contains 8,995 people and 4,233 households.

Susanville, a former logging and mining town, is the site of the High Desert State Prison, California (not to be confused with High Desert State Prison, Nevada), which opened in 1995. The Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong 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 (2007), aired on PBS.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref><ref>POV - Prison Town, pbs.org; retrieved May 13, 2010.</ref> Nearly half the adult population of Susanville works at the three prisons in the area, where 6,000 people are incarcerated.<ref name="taylor">Taylor, Robert. "'Prison Town' a view from outside", Contra Costa Times, July 28, 2007; hosted at The Mercury News.</ref>

Etymology

It was originally known as Rooptown, named for Isaac Roop, a pioneer of the Honey Lake District.<ref name=gnis/> Roop later renamed the town Susanville in honor of his daughter in 1857.<ref name="Capace, Nancy 1999 Pages 447-48">Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of California. North American Book Dist LLC. Pages 447-48. Template:ISBN.</ref>

History

The Susanville US post office was established in 1860.<ref name=CGN/> Early in its history, Susanville was a hub for overland freight transit, as it marked the meeting point of Nobles Emigrant Trail from Nevada and the Humboldt Wagon Road leading west to Chico.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Susanville was incorporated in 1900.<ref name=CGN/>

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:<ref name="taylor"/> the California Correctional Center, a minimum-medium security facility, which opened in 1963; the High Desert State Prison, California (not to be confused with High Desert State Prison, Nevada), which opened in 1995; and the Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong, which opened in 2007.

Geography

Susanville is located at the head of Honey Lake Valley, Template:Convert east of Lassen Peak,<ref name="Capace, Nancy 1999 Pages 447-48"/> The elevation is approximately Template:Convert above sea level.<ref name=gnis/> It is considered a gateway city to Reno on U.S. Route 395.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.03 square miles (20.8 kmTemplate:Sup), of which 7.95 square miles (20.58 kmTemplate:Sup) or 98.93% is land and 0.09 square miles (0.22 kmTemplate:Sup) or 1.07% is water.

Geology

Susanville is underlain by igneous rock, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

Susanville has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with cool winters and hot, mostly dry summers, except for occasional afternoon thunderstorms. Records have been kept at several stations since 1895, including Susanville Airport and Susanville 2 SW, southwest of the town center. There are two other area stations with shorter records.

Temperatures reach Template:Convert or higher on an average of 30.8 days annually, and drop to Template:Convert or lower on an average of 148.7 days annually.<ref name=NOAA/> Freezing temperatures have been recorded in every month of the year, and summer nighttime temperatures are usually cool, but extreme cold is rare. The highest recorded temperature in Susanville was Template:Convert on July 25, 1928, and July 19–20, 1931, and the lowest recorded temperature was Template:Convert on February 1, 1956.<ref name=NOWData/>

Annual precipitation averages Template:Convert, with an average of 38.7 days with measurable precipitation.<ref name=NOAA/> The wettest calendar year has been 1907 with Template:Convert and the driest 1976 with Template:Convert, though the wettest "rain year" was from July 1937 to June 1938 with Template:Convert as against Template:Convert between July 1906 and June 1907 and Template:Convert in the driest rain year from July 1975 to June 1976. The most precipitation in one month was Template:Convert in March 1907, and the most in 24 hours Template:Convert on January 31, 1897.<ref name = NOWData/> The most snowfall in one year was Template:Convert in 1937, with the most in one month being Template:Convert in January 1895.

Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2010

At the 2010 census Susanville had a population of 17,947. The population density was Template:Convert. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Census 2000 Gateway</ref> of 2000, there were 13,541 people in 3,516 households, including 2,250 families, in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,882 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup 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, 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:<ref name="cityofsusanville_citycouncil">Template:Cite web</ref>

Position	Name
Mayor	Mendy Schuster
Mayor Pro Tem	Russ Brown
City Councilor	Patrick Parrish
City Councilor	Curtis Bortle
City Councilor	Dawn Miller

List of mayors

This is a list of Susanville mayors by year.

1975 Jim Chapman<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016 Kathie Garnier
2018 Kevin Stafford <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020 Mendy Schuster
2022 Quincy McCourt
2024 Mendy Schuster

State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Susanville is in Template:Representative,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the United States House of Representatives, Susanville is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>

Transportation

File:Susanville Railroad Depot.jpg

Susanville Railroad Depot, on the National Register of Historic Places,<ref name="nomination form">Template:Cite journal</ref> in 2013

Susanville lies at the junction of California State Routes 36 and 139. Highway 139 heads north to the Oregon border as a direct route to Klamath Falls. Highway 36 runs west to Red Bluff, then east to where it terminates with U.S. Route 395 just outside Susanville's city limits. U.S. 395 connects Alturas to the north and Reno to the south.

Susanville Municipal Airport, Template:Convert southeast of Susanville, serves as a public, general aviation airport. Lassen Rural Bus, operated by the Lassen County Transportation Commission, provides bus service within the city. Sage Stage, operated by Modoc County, connects Alturas, Susanville, and Reno, Nevada, with connections to Redding, California and Klamath Falls, Oregon as well as connections to/from Reno International Airport.

The Quincy Railroad stopped serving Susanville on the former Southern Pacific Railroad line in 2004. A Union Pacific Railroad caboose is on an intact section of track next to the rail depot.

Economy

One California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facility, High Desert State Prison,<ref>"High Desert State Prison." California Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 25, 2011. "475-750 Rice Canyon Rd. Susanville, CA"</ref><ref>"California Correctional Center." California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved on September 25, 2011. "711-045 Center Rd. Susanville, CA 96127-0790"</ref> is in Susanville.<ref>"Susanville city, California Template:Webarchive." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 25, 2011.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Top employers

According to Susanville's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>City of Susanville CAFR</ref> the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	High Desert State Prison	1,250
2	Lassen County	441
3	Susanville Indian Rancheria	295
4	Lassen College	267
5	Banner Lassen Medical Center	197
6	Diamond Mountain Casino	179
7	Walmart	150
8	Susanville School District	101
9	Lassen Nursing & Rehabilitation Center	101
10	Lassen Union High School District	85
11	Northeastern Rural Health	81
12	Safeway	80
13	City of Susanville	62
14	Susanville Supermarket IGA	48

Notable people

Dugan Aguilar (1947–2018), Maidu/Achomawi/Northern Paiute photographer
Hardin Barry, baseball player and lawyer, returned to practice law after a one-season career in professional baseball<ref>Hardin Barry, Statistics and History, Baseball-Reference.com, USA TODAY, 2013, accessed September 13, 2013</ref>
Frank Cady, actor (Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies).<ref name=nytimesobit>Template:Cite news</ref>
Aaron Duran, writer, media producer grew up in Susanville.<ref>Aaron Duran – Media Guest of Honor, 34.orycon.org, Oregon Science Fiction Conventions.</ref>
Jack Ellena, former Los Angeles Rams player, born and raised in Susanville and ran a summer camp near town<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mike Leach, former Texas Tech head football coach was born in Susanville.<ref>Mike Leach profile, NNDB.com; accessed March 22, 2015.</ref>
Mitch Lively, former player for the San Francisco Giants, was born in Susanville
Kevin Mangold, professional jockey, stunt double, actor, author
Freddy Nagel, bandleader<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ryan O'Callaghan, NFL player (Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots).<ref>Profile, archive.patriots.com; accessed March 22, 2015.</ref>
Frank Shamrock, mixed martial artist<ref name="Woods">Woods, Michael, Brothers Ken, Frank Shamrock itching to fight, ESPN.go.com, October 12, 2008; accessed September 13, 2013.</ref>
Ken Shamrock, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler<ref name="Woods"/>
Mike Skinner, NASCAR driver<ref>Mike Skinner website Template:Webarchive; accessed September 13, 2013.</ref>
Benjamin "Coach" Wade, reality television contestant<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>