The First Lodge at Drakesbad Guest Ranch
1887--Edward Drake's first cabin in Hot Spring
Valley
Roy Sifford reports that "Drake had been there [Hot Spring Valley] since '87 had a log cabin, built a bath house and built a good, new log cabin of some size which was used for many years for the office and headquarters" (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine n.d.). Roy Sifford places the cabin shown above "near the site of the present lodge. To the right would be up valley [west] - to the left down valley [east]" (Sifford Manuscript:1).
1900 -1920
On June the 20th, 1900, the Siffords' "took possession of Hot Spring Valley, the beautiful log
house that Drake had made, the bath house, a barn and that possible meadow
land" (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine, 9 Oct 1984). Both
the lodge and the smaller structure on the left were built by Drake.
The lodge faced generally to the east and was
fronted with a covered porch. There was another covered porch on the south
end of the building, and a fireplace and flue at
the north end. The west (rear) of the building was an
unbroken wall without windows or doors and lacked a porch or overhang.
Sifford states that the large pipe that served as the fireplace flue was
part of a mining flume from the Dutch Hill mine at Seneca (Sifford
Manuscript: 6a.). The south porch
contained a bench and wash basins for family and guests to wash up before
meals.
1902--Drake's "New Log Cabin" showing south end of the
lodge
Annie K. Bidwell (in hat) on porch. She visited
in 1901 and 1904 Lodge in 1907
1907 The Leichters
Lodge n.d.
In 1912 the Siffords formed the Drakes Spring
Company and used the funds obtained from investors to begin a number of
improvements that included the construction of a kitchen and dining room, a
barn, the rock and cement pool, 20 wooden tent platforms, and completion of
the bridge over Warner Creek. 
1910--Standing on porch L-R Ida May, Pearl, and
Roy. Alex at far right
(Photograph courtesy of Susan Watson)
1913 Camping permit
1904 Glen French in his tent
In 1914 the first telephone line was run from
Chester to Drakesbad. On May 14, 1914, the Mount Lassen volcano came to life
in the first of a series of eruptions. Two years later in 1916 Lassen
Volcanic National Park was created.
1920-1930
1923-- The lodge and guest tents
1924--Guests on the front porch on the east side of the
lodge
1925--Ida May Sifford on the south porch of the lodge
(Photograph courtesy of Susan Watson)
1927--Snow pile at the rear (west side) of the lodge 