Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916, without much fanfare. Congress appropriated a bare bones budget and initially Yosemite National Park oversaw Lassen. In 1922, L.W. Collins became Lassen Park’s first superintendent. By the late 1920s, numerous improvements were made at Lassen, one of the biggest was the park highway completed in 1931.
To celebrate that event and others Collins decided to hold a park dedication extravaganza. On July 25, 1931 Lassen Volcanic National Park held its dedication. Park Superintendent L.W. Collins had big plans, which were widely criticized. To highlight the dedication Collins wanted to create a fake eruption to resemble the volcanic eruptions of 1914-15 that made national headlines and led to the creation of the park.
On that Saturday afternoon over 5,000 people had assembled at Kings Creek Meadows, to listen to various speeches but also to see the artificial eruption. Thousands more gathered at various other points outside of the park to witness the spectacle. When the charges were ignited on the summit, the crowd heard the noise, but saw nothing. Gusty winds blew smoke away from them, but those near the community of Viola was presently surprised to see the smoke coming from the summit. A second pyrotechnic was scheduled that evening. Those who saw it, said it did not look remotely at all like the real thing, though some stated it was still pretty remarkable.