Mt. Lassen California Volcanic Eruption July 14, 1914 Real Photo Postcard

Mount Lassen, also known as Lassen Peak, is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range, located in Northern California. The postcard captures a moment during its significant eruption sequence that began in May 1914 and continued until 1917. The date "July 14, 1914," written on the postcard, places this image early in the volcanic activity, which commenced with a series of steam blasts from its summit crater, making it the first major Cascade eruption since the 1850s.

The 1914 activity, primarily phreatic (steam-driven) eruptions, gradually intensified, attracting widespread scientific and public interest. While the most destructive events, including pyroclastic flows and lahars, occurred in May 1915, the initial 1914 blasts created new craters and dramatically altered the summit landscape. This prolonged eruption sequence was instrumental in the establishment of Lassen Volcanic National Park in 1916, aiming to preserve the area's unique volcanic features and active geological processes for scientific study and public appreciation.