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Tom Mezger (1960)
G'day Greg,
In reply to your question re: the remains of the structure in your photograph,it was known as the Flournoy mansion as David N. Hershey married Ella Flournoy from Modoc County, either the Alturas or Madeline Plain regions. Named one of their daughters, "Davidella."
The Hershey sisters owned, (amongst other holdings} a "section" bounded on the north by CR. 13, CR. 14, south, CR. 95, west and 96, east. As a small boy, my family rented & lived in the Anderson home, south of CR. 14 and midway between roads 95 and 96.
On Google maps, there is a dirt road leading south about 1/4 mile from road 14 and our home was in the grove of "Valley" oak (Quercus lobata). The two story home we lived in was demolished in the late 50's.
The entrance to the mansion faced south and in the late 40's, was a derelict magnet to a young boy!
Several old wooden steps lead to the front wide front porch and the entrance doorswere battered but still attachedd to the hinges and a wee boy could slip in between them through a crack between them.
On either side of the porch were gnarled pear trees reaching up beyond the outside another porch on the second floor and open to the South.
I have a photo of the home taken from the SE looking NW and when found, will post it and continue with my adventures in that old home, the vineyard to the West and the tomato separator plant just to the east, then too, collapsed, and overgrown with Honeysuckle and mature Fig trees scattered about the wooden remains of the large shed filled with rusted, iron machinery used in the farming processes.
Spent many wondrous hours wandering the south part of the section, in and out of the mansion & particularly, (will later continue this story) of one night on the seond story porch with my father, waiting with a flashlight for the creatures to show themselves from below.
Tom Mezger
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