RFIEL 3 PIONEER STORY OF LASSEN NTY * CALIFORNIA n , i VADA h . ' . \A . •."'.''. M v C¥ A BORDER COUNTY ! SOUGHT INDIAN^ PUTLAWS, AND LEGAL AU i n y. *nci ■ J] )fN« i : ti b or sr i w lasseNs trail, : El : EM&NT* ' '.:'.: '.':■ VN - I OP LUCKY RILL, ' I EA1 BY MASSACRE, THE 1DARY LINE ■, .;:.. PEARSON ISSAiGSi. H_ ■ ■;w#;ifc il ^^i ■»&£ v* : J ' " ■■■ ' ■-' _- : _~ : - JSS «'* 3 *■'£. .. •: v *A "*^\* TH1 ! v-p ' n i ■■ ■ I ■ m FAIRFIELD'S PIONEER HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY CALIFORNIA TO 1870 THOMPSON S STUDIO, SUSANVILLE, CALIFORNIA FAIRFIELD'S PIONEER HISTORY of LASSEN COUNTY CALIFORNIA CONTAINING EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE LEARNED ABOUT IT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1870 THE CHRONICLES OF A BORDER COUNTY SETTLED WITHOUT LAW, HARASSED BY SAVAGES, AND INFESTED BY OUTLAWS. ALSO MUCH OF THE PIONEER HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, SHOWING THE EFFORTS OF THE SETTLERS TO OBTAIN FREEDOM FROM MORMON RULE THE HISTORY OF LASSEN'S TRAIL, ROOFS SETTLEMENT, THE MURDER OF HARRY GORDIER AND THE HANGING OF SNOW, EDWARDS AND "LUCKY BILL," TOLD IN FULL FOR THE FIRST TIME; THE BIOGRAPHIES OF GOVERNOR ISAAC N. ROOP AND PETER LASSEN, THE ORMSBY MASSACRE, THE BOUNDARY LINE WAR, THE PEARSON MASSACRE, AND MANY STORIES OF INDIAN WARFARE NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED By ASA MERRILL FAIRFIELD PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR BY H. S. CROCKER COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO rsui Copyright BY A. M. FAIRFIELD SUSANVILLE CALIFORNIA 1916 JUL 17 1916 :• \ ©CI.A431396 v f *o THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE PIONEER SETTLERS OF LASSEN COUNTY, WITH THE HOPE THAT IT MAY SERVE TO KEEP THEM IN REMEMBRANCE IN THEIR OWN LAND FOREWORD nriHE following pages have been written for neither gain nor JL glory, but to preserve the names and deeds of the men and women who sowed the seeds of civilization in the mountain val- leys of Lassen County, California. Though it is not on record that the women went on the war path, except in figurative way; yet they bore their part of the toil, hardships, and dangers in- cident to the settlement of a country cut off from the outside world during the winter months, and infested by savages and outlaws. The writer, them a boy about eleven years of age, crossed the plains in 1865, and came to Honey Lake Valley to live; and the most of his life since then has been spent here. As boy and man he was acquainted with the majority of the pioneers of the county, and many months of his life have been spent in listening to their tales of early days. In 1909, when this work was commenced, excepting the out- line given in the "History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Coun- ties/ 9 there was no history of Lassen county; and there was no likelihood that any would ever be written. Very few of the early settlers of the county were alive, and if their stories were saved and anything like a complete history written, it had to be done at once. For these reasons the writer undertook the work. An attempt has been made to tell the truth in plain language, and no pains have been spared to obtain the truth. A great deal, perhaps the most, of what is given in the following pages in the way of Indian troubles, historical reminiscences, etc., was learned from the men who took an active part in the events narrated, or from the men and women who lived in the country at that time. As a matter of course, after a lapse of fifty years, or more, their stories are more or less conflicting in the minor details; but in nearly every case it has been possible to find some account of what they told in the publications of those days, and in that and in other ways their stories have been verified. In what is given as original, unless otherwise stated, the date and the principal facts can be depended upon. In 1882 Fariss and Smith published a work entitled "History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties, California." Mr. Ed- mund R. Dodge, now a prominent lawyer of Reno, Nevada, col- [ix] FOBEWOED lected a great deal of the history of Lassen county contained in that work. To his ivork the writer is greatly indebted, for much of the information he collected at that time could now be found in no other place. Mr. Dodge obtained information from men who were dead when the writer commenced this work, and had access to at least one book which has been lost or destroyed since he used it. Isaac N. Boop, Recorder of "Nataqua," kept two books; one of which contained the land filings of the settlers, and the other a record of their political work, public meetings, arbi- trations, etc. The latter book can not be found, and what Mr. Dodge took from it is quoted in these pages. The book of filings was given by Mrs. A. T. Arnold, daughter of I. N. Boop, to Lassen county, and is now among its records. Peter Lassen, " Nataqua' s" Surveyor, kept a record of the surveys made by him, but no one knows what became of his book. Boop's little book, a few entries made in the records of Plumas county, and some documents in the office of the Secretary of State at Carson City, Nevada, relating to the part the citizens of Honey Lake took in the organization of Nevada Territory, are all the records of this section made before it became a county by itself. The history of the settlement of Western Utah, the organiza- tion of the territory of Nevada, and the political work of the Honey Lake settlers has been taken from the (< History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties," Thompson and West's " History of Nevada," and the newspapers published in Nevada and northern California at that time. Through the kindness of Mrs. B. H. Leaviit, the writer has had the opportunity of using the diary kept by her first husband, A. L. Tunison; and from it has been obtained many facts, dates, and accounts of expeditions against the Indians. The writer also wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance of Miss Eudora Gar- outte, the lady who had charge of the California department of the State Library at Sacramento while he was collecting informa- tion there; H. B. Van Horn of the California Adjutant General's office; Miss Jeanne E. Wier, Secretary of the Nevada Stata His- torical Society; J. C. La Plant and V. L. Bonner of the V. S. Forest Beserve Service and Charles F. Hart, all of whom made maps of the country along the Lassen Trail; Mrs. A. T. Arnold, who contributed old letters, documents, and newspapers; and George N. McDow, President of the Lassen County Abstract Com- [X] FOREWORD party, who made the map that is found in this hook, furnished the use of the maps in his office, and in other ways helped in this work. The writer is sincerely grateful to those who have helped him, and intends to give every person credit for the information given. With one or two exceptions, every one has told) all he could; but some have had the will and the knowledge that enabled them to give so much help that they deserve especial mention. To Fred Hines and William Bow the writer is indebted more than to any one else for information regarding the first eight or ten years' settlement of the county. Hines came here in 1856 and Dow in 1857. Both were determined men in the prime of life, and both took a prominent part in almost every important event that occurred during those years. Both were reliable men of excep- tionally good memories, and both did all they. could to help in this work. If it had not been for their knowledge and their will- ingness to help, much of the most important matter in this book could not have been written. Wm. H. Clark, who settled here in 1857, also gave considerable information about the early settle- ment of the county. Mrs. Smith J. Hill came to the valley with her parents, who settled on the site of Janesville in 1857, and her husband came there the next year. They told the story of the first setlement of that place and many events that took place in the valley during the next six or eight years. Joseph C. Wemple, Henry E. Lomas, Thomas N. Long, Wm. Milton Cain, Archibald L. Harper, Alvaro Evans, Mrs. A. T. Arnold, William H. Hall, John F. Hulsman, V. J. Borrette, J. Bristo Bice, Eber G. Bangham, Mrs. E. G. Bangham, Dr. H. S. Borrette, Wright P. Hall, Samuel B. Hall, A. W. Worm (now Wern), Charles Dawson, George W. Harrison, I. N. Jones, Mrs. Philenda Spencer, Hiram H. Dakin, Hiram N. Skadan, Daniel W. Bryant, Thomas H. Epley, J. Oscar Hemler, Mrs. Louisa Fry, William S. Brashear, Thomas Brown, W. W. Asbury, and A. G. Moon have told much of the settlment of the valley and the local events here narrated. Besides those already named Alec. T. Arnold, John J. Mcllroy, Orlando Streshly, William J. Seagraves, La Fayette Marks, Alvin E.De Forest, Isaac Coulthurst and Wife, Mrs. Frances Corneli- son, Mrs. W. M. Cain, Mrs. Dora Moe, Mrs. Mary A. Bass, John T. Long, Charles Barham, Jacob W. Broadwell, William B. [xi] FOKEWOBD Bailey, Harry F. McMurphy, William Brockman, James Doyle, Charles E. Hurlbut, Thomas J. Lomas, Boss Lewers, Thomas J. Mulroney, Leroy N. Arnold, John Baxter, Jeremiah Bond and Wife, Mrs. Eva Partridge, David B. Bankhead, John Todd, John H. Cornell, Willis Brochman, Mrs. G. W. Harrison, Mrs. A. C. Neale, John S. Borrette, G. E. DeForest and Wife, Freeman Lanigar, William D. Minchler, Harry Peyton, P. B. James, Mrs. Ella Forkner, and Mrs. Sarah A. McClelland have given more or less information and assistance. Alvaro Evans told the most of the history of Long valley, but J. C. Wemple, J. B. Bice, H. H. Dakin, William Beilly, Edwin Ferris, H. N. Skadan, and Mrs. Cordelia A. Wright also helped. The history of Milford was given by J. C. Wemple, aided by J. B. Bice. The earliest settlement of Janesville was told by Smith J. Hill and his Wife, and its later history was given by them and W. M. Cain, H. E. Lomas, H. N. Skadan, H. H. Dakin, and T. H. Epley. The settlement and history of Susanville and the upper part of the valley was told by Fred Hines, William Dow, Mrs A. T. Arnold, T. N. Long, A. L. Har- per, J. F. Hulsman, E. G. Bangham and Wife, Dr. H. S. and V. J. Borrette, Charles Lawson, W. P., S. B., and W. H. Hall, G. W. Harrison, and Isaac N. Jones. The history of the (i Tule Confederacy" was given by H. E. Lomas, John H. Summers, John D. Putnam, W. M. Cain, W. S. Brashear, and Charles T. Emerson. The history of Mountain Meadows was told by W. J. Seagraves, T. N. Long, and T. J. Wright. The settlement of Dixie valley was given by Mrs. James P. Eldridge, W. J. Sea- graves, G. W. Harrison, and T. J. Wright. The history of the early settlement of Horse Lake valley, Secret valley, and Made- line Plains was told by John B. McKissick, Albert L. Shinn, T. N. Long, and Charles Cramer. The history of Willow Creek valley was given by Bernhard Neuhaus, Mrs. Jennie Harrison, W. H. Hall, and William Dow. What is told of the settlement of Surprise valley was related by John Price, W. H. McCormick, and W. J. Seagraves. The story of Hayden Hill was told by L. H. Hopkins and Mrs. Mary E. Harris. The history of Big valley was given by Mrs. Mary E. Harris, Bichard A. Bicketts, Joseph Wilson, and N. Bieber. In finding the Lassen Trail the writer has been aided by A. Delano's (t Life on the Plains and among the Diggings," William [xii] FOREWORD Dow, Louis S. Smith, James S. Church, Abel and L. W. Bunnell, Charles F. Hart, Chester and L. W. Boggs, George N. McDow, Waldron B. Philliber, Homer C. Jack, James M. Streshly, V. L. Bonner, J. C. La Plant, T. N. Long, William E. Vinyard, Harry Fitch, Lewis M. Folsom, Walter J. Dakin, N. E. Sutton, Wil- liam Fish, and J. W. Zumwalt. The last named came over the "Trail" in 1849. No pains have been spared in finding where this road orig- inally ran. Its course has been learned from men who were well acquainted with different parts of it, and the writer believes that the route followed by Lassen in 1848 is given more exactly in this work than in any other place. In tracing the course of the Noble Road help has been given by the "History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties," by an article written by John H. Dreibelbis in "Hutchings Califor- nia Magazine," and by Fred Hines, W. W. Asbury, J. C. La Plant, W. M. Cain, and G. W. Harrison. In other places in this book will be found the names of people and publications, not given here, that have been of assistance in this work. The names of those who settled in the county that year have been given m each chapter. These lists are incomplete and per- haps there are mistakes in them, for at this late date it could not be otherwise, but it is a very good record of the permanent set- tlers of the county during those years. The length of residence applies to those whose names are given and to the wives of the married men. In a few cases one or the other of a married couple died in the county and the other one did not. Sometimes a person who is said to have lived in the county all his life moved away for a few years and then returned. There is not room in a book like this to tell about everything of that kind. Asa Merrill Fairfield. Susanville, California, April 20, 1916. [xiii] AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR ASA MERRILL FAIRFIELD was born in Douglas, Wor- cester county, Massachusetts, July 30, 1854. His parents, Enos Walling and Sarah Luvan (Parker) Fairfield, were both born in the same town. The Fairfields are of Huguenot descent, the French name being "Beauchamp." Five generations back of A. M. Fairfield, Jonathan Fairfield settled in the village of Pascoag, town of Burrillville, northern Rhode Island. It is supposed that he came to Rhode Island from Fairfield, Con- necticut. A. M. Fairfield's grandmother, Phebe (Churchill) Fairfield, was a descendant of Roger Williams, her mother's maiden name being Williams. Her father, Joseph Churchill, served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, probably in the Rhode Island Line. Sarah L. (Parker) Fairfield's parents were Captain Abel and Sarah W. (Darling) Parker, both of whom died in this county. She was the third generation from James and Eunice (Emerson) Parker. He was an Englishman who settled in Douglas, Mass. The children of their son Prince and his wife Olive were Joseph, Prince, Abel, Lovel, Zary, and Polly. A. M. Fairfield's parents were married in 1852, and a year or two later his father, who was a machinist by trade, concluded to leave the shop and go West. In the fall of 1855 the family moved onto a farm near Rockford, Illinois. January 28, 1857, a daughter, who was named Phebe Ellen, was born to them. In the spring of 1857 the family moved to the little town of Jeffer- son in Bremer county, Iowa, twelve miles north of Waterloo. They lived there four years and then moved to Waterloo and lived there four years. Here the father's health failed, and in 1865 they crossed the plains with a team to Honey Lake valley. The mother's family, the Parkers, who also came to Rockford and then to Jefferson, had emigrated to this valley in 1862. The Fairfields lived with them two miles northwest of Milf ord during the winter of 1865-66, and the children attended the first public school taught in that district. In the summer of 1869 they re- turned to Iowa, going by the newly constructed railroad, and settled in Waverly, Bremer county. The daughter died at this place in August, 1871. The son went to school in Waverly about [XV] THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR a year and a half and in the spring of 1871 began teaching. He taught three short terms of school in Iowa. In the fall of 1873 the family came back to Honey Lake valley and in the spring of 1875 settled on a place about three fourths of a mile southeast of Janesville. The mother died there in 1893 and the father died at Janesville in 1904. A. M. Fairfield began teaching at Janesville in the spring of 1875 and followed that profession the most of the time until the summer of 1899. This teaching was done in Honey Lake valley and in five districts — Janesville, Soldier Bridge, Richmond, Johnstonville, and Lake. During the past six years he has been engaged in collecting the material for this history and in writing it. He has lived in this county, excepting four years, ever since the fall of 1865 and most of that time has virtually known every- body in this valley besides many others living in the county. He was acquainted with the majority of the pioneers, and what he learned from them and his knowledge of the people and the conditions here in early days has been of much use in determining the truth of many things written in the following pages. A. M. Fairfield. [xvi] CONTENTS FOREWORD ix AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR xv DESCRIPTION OF LASSEN COUNTY xxi CHAPTER I. 1848 TO 1856 3 The Lassen Trail, The Beckwourth Pass Road, Description of Honey Lake Valley, The Indians, Early History of Honey Lake Valley, Noble's Route, Fredonyer's Pass, First Settlement, Dr. McClay Killed by an Indian. CHAPTER II. 1856 30 Settlement, The Drowning of Isadore Meyerwitz and His Wife, Roop House Register, Honey Lake Politics, Western Utah — Early Settlement and Politics, State of the Desert, Utah Territory Or- ganized, Settlement, Squatter Government, First County Organi- zation, Carson County Created. CHAPTER III. 1857 55 Settlement, Roop House Register, Western Utah Politics, Second Attempt at Territorial Organization, Honey Lake Politics, Ter- ritorial Meeting in Honey Lake Valley, Indian Troubles, The Potato War, The Pursuit of the Indians Who Stole Vary 's Cattle, Elliott and Ferry's Shooting Scrape, Barber Springs, Fight Over the Noble Road, Conditions in Honey Lake at the Close of 1857. CHAPTER IV. 1858 97 Settlement, Western Utah Politics, Judge Crane to His Constitu- ents, Result of the Movement of 1857, Honey Lake Politics, Laws of Honey Lake Valley, Indian Troubles, Treaty with the Smoke Creek Pi Utahs Indians, Expedition to Cold Springs in Pursuit of Indians, Captain Weatherlow's Fight with the Indians, Crawford Killed by an Indian, The Trip to Goose Lake Valley in Pursuit of the Indians, Another Indian Hunt, Chapman's Escape from the Mormons, Ferry's Horse Taken by Sheriff J. D. Byers, The Murder of Henry Gordier, The Arrest of Edwards, Lucky Bill, and Others and Their Trial, and the Execution of Edwards and Lucky Bill, The Black Rock Mining Excitement, The Fraser River Mining Excitement, Pursuit of Horse Thieves, The First Flag in the Valley, W. P. Hall's First Visit to Honey Lake Valley, Con- ditions at the Close of 1858. CHAPTER V. 1859 149 Settlement, Western Utah Politics, Movement of 1859, The Meet- ing of the Legislature of Nevada, Informal Meeting of the Legis- lature, Governor Roop's Proclamation, Indian Troubles, Life of Peter Lassen, Death of Lassen, Lassen 's Masonic Charter, Trouble with the Pit River Indians, Colonel Lander's Road Expedition, Fast Mail through Honey Lake Valley and Noble's Pass, Death of John Mote, The Killing of Van Hickey, A Common Occurrence in Early Days, Row at a Dance at Richmond, Honey Lake Val- ley's Reputation in 1859, The Winter of 1859-60, Conditions at the Close of 1859. [ xvii ] CONTENTS CHAPTEE VI. 1860 188 Settlement, Pioneers Who Are Still Living, Politics in the Provi- sional Territory of Nevada; Honey Lake Politics, Indian Troubles, The Murder of Dexter E. Demming, Cady and Blodgett Killed by the Indians, The Pah-ute War, The Battle of Pyramid Lake, Gen- erally Called "The Ormsby Massacre," The War in Honey Lake and Long Valleys, The Battle of the Truckee, Movements of the Never Sweats, The Murder of Horace Adams, Lander and Weath- erlow's Expedition Against the Pah-utes, Utt's Escape from the Indians, Colonel Lander 's Talk with Young Winnemucca, A Meet- ing of the Citizens of Honey Lake Valley, Young Winnemucca 's Talk with the Never Sweats, The Soldier's Bridge, The Shooting of ' ' Big ' ' John Chapman, A Bear Story, Conditions at the Close of 1860. CHAPTEE VII. 1861 239 Settlement, Nevada Territory Politics, Honey Lake Politics, In- dian Troubles, The Murder of James Lawson, White's Horses Stolen, Conditions at the Close of 1861. CHAPTEE VIII. 1862 257 Settlement, Nevada Politics, Honey Lake Politics, Indian Troubles, The Pursuit of the Indians Who Stole the Cattle of William B. Long and Others, Two Indians Killed at the Lathrop and Brad- ley Eanch, Fight with the Indians at the Lathrop Eanch, Hall's Trip to the Humboldt, The Burning of the Mud Flat Station, Horses and Cattle Stolen by the Indians from Susanville, The Murder of James Bailey and William Cook, Two Indians Shot Near Bankhead's, Four Men Attacked by the Indians Near the Shaffer Eanch, An Attack by the Indians on Mud Flat, The Pur- suit of the Indians, A Complaint from Susanville about the Indians, Soldiers Promised to Honey Lake, Fredonyer's Talk Against Time, Lassen's Monument, The First U. S. Mail Eoutes in the County, Eough Elliott's Fight with Douglas, Cornelison and Eafael Shot, William Fox Shot by Dr. E. F. Moody, Seaman Killed by Hyde, Conditions in 1862. CHAPTEE IX. 1863 305 Settlement, Nevada Territory and Honey Lake Politics, The Sage Brush, or Boundary Line, War, Indian Troubles, One of Old Win- nemucca 's Escapes from Susanville, The Winter of 1863-64, The First Death at Milford and at Janesville, An Attempt to Eecruit for the Confederate Army, The Knights of the Golden Circle, The Union League, A Cutting Affray at Janesville. CHAPTEE X. 1864 . 338 Settlement, Lassen County Politics, The Organization of Lassen County, Proceedings of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors — First Meeting, The First Grand Jury, The First County Court, A Set of Land Pirates in Armor of Brass, Indian Troubles, How the Tule Confederacy Got Its Name, The Killing of Wales and Boody, The Honey Lake Eangers, The Prices of Merchandise in Susanville in 1864, The Never Sweats. [ xviii ] CONTENTS CHAPTER XL 1865 364 Settlement, Lassen County Polities, Indian Troubles, The Murder of Lucius Arcularius, The Massacre at Granite Creek Station, The Murder of Bellew, The Death of Black Rock Tom, Black Rock Tom 's Pale Horse, The Death of Pearson, Walker Killed by Brunty, Spencer's Trouble with the Gamblers, The Road from Chico to the Humboldt and Idaho Mines, The Overland and Idaho Routes, Hanging of Charles Barnhart, Biddle Killed by Williams, High Water. CHAPTER XII. 1866 389 Settlement, Lassen County Politics, Indian Troubles, Fight with the Indians in Guano Valley, Streshly, Mulroney, and Hough's Mules Stolen by the Indians, Cattle Stolen from Honey Lakers at Soldier Meadows, Nevada, Indians Killed at Papoose Valley, 1 ' Old Tom ' ' Killed, Edward Mulroney Wounded by the Indians, Drake and Tussler's Fight with the Indians, A Row with the Soldiers in Susanville, ' ' Buckskin Mose, ' ' Robert Wisbern Killed, How Robber's Creek Got Its Name. CHAPTER XIII. 1867 407 Settlement, Lassen County Politics, Indian Troubles, Gaddy Shot at by an Indian, Old Winnemucca Pays Susanville Another Visit, The Murder of Charles League, Indians Killed in Dry Valley, Summers and Hurlbut's Horses Stolen, The Murder of Mrs. Thompson, The Marks-Myers ''Shooting Scrape," The History of the Black Rock Mines. CHAPTER XIV. 1868 441 Settlement, The Settlement of Big Valley, Indian Troubles in Big Valley, Lassen County Politics, Indian Troubles, John L. Crow's Horses Stolen by the Indians, The Massacre of the Pear- son Family and S. C. Cooper, The Pursuit of the Indians who Killed the Pearson Family and Samuel Cooper — The Susanville Party, The Pursuit of the Indians who Killed the Pearson Family and Samuel Cooper — The Long Valley Party, An Indian Scare in Long Valley, The Exterminators, Indians Hanged for the ' ' Pear- son Massacre," Honey Lake Very High. CHAPTER XV. 1869 466 Settlement, The Settlement of Dixie Valley and Vicinity, Hayden Hill and Its Mines, The Early History of Bieber, The Susanville Water System, Lassen County Politics, Indian Troubles, The Mur- der of Partridge and Coburn, Three Indians Killed for the Mur- der of Partridge and Coburn, Another Indian Hanged in Susan- ville, The Death of Governor I. N. Roop and a Short Account of His Early Life. CHAPTER XVI. IN CONCLUSION 485 Old Winnemucca 's Death, The Death of Young Winnemucca, Las- sen County Pioneer Society, The Diversions of Early Days, The Death Roll of the Pioneers, A. W. Wern's Tribute to the Pioneers of Lassen County, California, Conclusion. [xix] LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE AUTHOE Frontispiece^" PETER LASSEN Facing Page 166 f SUSANVILLE IN 1864 Facing Page 338 ^ ISAAC N. ROOP Facing Page 480 ^ MAP OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY Back of Book ^ XX DESCRIPTION OF LASSEN COUNTY The following brief description is given for the benefit of any one who is not acquainted with this section. A glance at the map will show Lassen county's location in California, and that it is bounded on the east by Nevada. It will also show that it lies east of the Sierra Nevada mountains and is a part of the Great Basin, that elevated, semi-arid country lying between the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains on the west and the Rocky mountains on the east. Big valley, Ash valley, and Mountain Meadows are drained by tributaries of the Sacramento river, but their characteristics are the same as the rest of the county. Its surface is very rugged, probably two-thirds of it consisting of hills and mountains, the highest peaks of the latter rising to an altitude of from 6500 to 8400 feet. Its western part is covered with heavy timber; and the east line of this heavily timbered belt, beginning at the southern end of the county, runs up the western side of Long valley, along the southern and western sides of Honey Lake valley, and then to the southern end of Eagle Lake. From there it extends in a northwesterly direc- tion to Dixie valley, thence to the south side of Big valley, and around the southern and western sides of it to the Modoc county line. There are a few small bodies of good timber east of this; but, as a rule, where there is any timber, it is juniper or scrubby pine. Excepting Pit river and its tributaries and a few mountain creeks that help to form the headwaters of Feather river, the streams of the county, all of which are small, flow into lakes, or sinks, which have no outlets. The valleys of the county are Honey Lake, Madeline Plains, Big valley, Long valley, Willow Creek, Ash valley, Secret, Horse Lake, Dixie, Mountain Meadows, Red Rock, Grasshopper, and Dry valleys. The altitude of these valleys ranges from about 4000 feet to 5300 or 5400 feet. Their climate is temperate with a touch of the semi-tropical, for there is a wet season and a dry one. The moisture and temperature depend, however, on the elevation and the proximity to the Sierra Nevada mountains; but the heat, cold, and the amount of rain and snow are very variable, sometimes the dry season being very wet and the wet [xxi] DESCRIPTION OF LASSEN COUNTY one very dry. Occasionally there is a year when there are slight snow falls through March and a part of April, and once in a great while snow falls to a considerable depth late in the spring, but it does not stay very long. As a rule, the crops are raised by irrigation, and the grains, fruits, and vegetables of the temperate zone are produced. A great deal of hay is raised, and stock raising is one of the principal industries of the county. Though politically in California, Lassen county, in every other respect, is a part of Nevada. [ xxii ] THE HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY CHAPTER I THE YEARS 1848 TO 1856 There is nothing to show when the first white man, or men, set foot within the limits of this county. In the fall of 1848 a small train of immigrants under the leadership of Peter Lassen went the entire length of the western part of it. It is reasonable to believe, though, that wandering bands of hunters and trappers had passed through here before that time. The Lassen Trail The writer believes that the following description of the orig- inal Lassen Trail is the most correct one in existence. The " Hesperian Magazine" of August, 1859, Bancroft's His- tory, and ''Fifty Years of Masonry in California" say that Lassen went east across the plains with Commodore Stockton in 1847, and the following spring started from Missouri with a train of twelve wagons. These immigrants were to settle on his grant at the mouth of Deer Creek, in the southeastern part of what is now Tehama county, California. (For a full account of the life of Lassen, see the year 1859 in this book.) At that time the emigrant road ran up the Platte and Sweet- water rivers, through the South Pass, and on to Fort Hall, which was near the Snake river and almost due north of Salt Lake City. The road to California ran southwest from Fort Hall to the headwaters of the Humboldt river, and then followed down that stream to its sink. Lassen came this road until he reached the Big Bend of the Humboldt river, and there he turned into the Applegate road which went into southern Oregon. Bancroft says that in June, 1846, "Levi Scott, Jesse Apple- gate, Lindsey Applegate, John Scott, Moses Harris, Henry Bogus, John Owens, John Jones, Robert Smith, Samuel Goodhue, Bennett Osborne, William Sportsman, William Parker, Benj. Burch, and David Goff" started from Polk county, Oregon, to find a route from there through the Cascade mountains, and out to the regular emigrant road to California. They succeeded in finding a road out to the Humboldt river, and went on to Fort Hall to meet the coming immigration. Bancroft says that there they got ninety or a hundred wagons to go with them instead of taking the northern route, and these they conducted into Oregon by the new road. F. and S. (hereafter the "History [3] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties" will be referred to in this way) say there were forty-two wagons and one hundred and fifty people. At the Big Bend of the Humboldt river, near what was afterwards called Lassen 's Meadows, they left the river and went west to Antelope springs, and then to Rabbit Hole springs. After going a little farther west, they went northwest across the desert to the Big Hot spring west of Black Rock mountain, which is at the southern extremity of the Black Rock range. They kept along the western side of this range up to Mud Meadows, and then turned west into High Rock canyon. They went up through this canyon, and on to a point about two and a half miles south of the Massacre Lakes; and turning to the southwest, went across to the 49 canyon, and down that into Surprise valley. Crossing the valley between the two upper lakes, they kept up the west side to the Fandango Pass, for many years called Lassen's Pass, and there went over into Goose Lake valley. They kept down the east side of Goose lake until they reached a narrow place in it, south of west of the Sugar Loaf. All the way down the lake they had kept close to the edge of it ; and here, near the northwest corner of Section II, Township 45 north, Range 13 east, they crossed the lake, going a little west of north. It is said that the old road can still be seen where it goes into the water on each side of the lake. The Oregon road then turned to the northwest and went around the north end of Clear and Tule lakes. Lassen followed the Applegate road until he reached the lower end of Goose lake, and here the Lassen Trail really begins. One old road turned off on the west side of the lake and ran almost south, crossing the Devil's Garden, and striking Pit river near the mouth of Rattlesnake creek. A. Delano, who went over the road in 1849, and in 1857 published a book entitled "Life on the Plains and Among the Diggings," says he never crossed the bed of the lake, but went right on down the river. Without doubt, both roads were used. The writer has never been able to learn how far north of the Applegate road the water was at that time. Lassen kept down on the north side of the river and crossed it near the mouth of the canyon below what is now called Canby. He then went over into Stone Coal valley and down that to the river, and again followed down the river, being obliged to cross it frequently and sometimes to go along the sides of the [4] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 hills above it. About ten miles above where Lookout now stands he crossed the river for the last time, going over to the east side of it, and then went down through Big valley, then called Round valley, keeping close to the river and passing through the present site of Bieber. As early as 1849 a road ran from the upper end of the valley north to the Applegate road. They left the valley at the Thompson place, where George Thompson and his family settled in the spring of 1872, and climbed the hill to the plateau above the river. They then went on almost south, keeping about a mile from the river until it turned west, over to Clark's valley and then on the same course to the west end of Little Dixie valley. From all that can be learned, it seems that the original trail went from Little Dixie about eight miles south of west to Beaver creek. There it turned and ran a little east of south to the west end of Poison lake, and then to Pine creek at the place where the road from Susanville to Dixie valley and that part of the country now crosses it. A little later on another road was made, which ran from the west end of Little Dixie to its southeast cor- ner, just touched Big Dixie, and ran about three miles farther to the southeast. Then it turned southwest, passed along the west side of Shroder lake, and kept on that course until it met the other road at the southwest corner of Poison lake. From Pine creek Lassen went a few miles southeast, turned south, passed Feather lake, crossed Susan river just west of Norvall Flat, passed west of Duck lake, and crossed Clear creek about a hundred yards above where the road crossed it in 1910, or before Westwood was built. He then went on to the Big spring in the north arm of Big Meadows, and kept on south until he got north of where the original Prattville stood. Then turning to the southwest, he crossed the river about a mile above that place, and kept on that course about seven miles farther, until he struck the north fork of Butt creek. He followed up Butt creek northwest to its head in Soldier Meadows, through these meadows (this is the Deer creek pass) to Lost creek, and down that to Deer creek. Delano says the trail followed down this stream eight miles to the last crossing, and two miles below that left the creek. After going about fourteen miles, they reached the top of the ridge between Deer creek and Mill creek ; and they followed down the summit of this ridge for twenty miles. He also says "Eight miles from the foot-hills was the [5] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA house of Col. Davis, where the Lawson Trail first struck Deer creek. About a mile below this was Lawson 's on the opposite side of the creek. At Lawson 's were two or three small adobe buildings, one of which was by courtesy called a store, having a little flour, whiskey, and groceries for sale. Flour was $50 a hundred, beef 35 cents, pork 75 cents, sugar 50 cents, and cheese $1.50 per pound." (Lassen's buildings were on the south side of Deer creek and perhaps a mile and a half from the mouth of it. In early days Lassen's name was pronounced " Lawson" and sometimes spelled that way. The early settlers pronounced the name of the county "Lawson." Men who were well acquainted with Lassen say that he pronounced his name "Lassen," the Danes of today say it is "Lassen," so it seems that the pro- nunciation of this county's name, like its weather, must be guessed at. — F.) The Lassen Trail was a "holy terror," so to speak. See on the map the distance from the Black Rock mountain to Clear creek by the road through Honey Lake valley, and see where Lassen took his train to get there. It took Delano two days over a month to go from the Humboldt river to Lassen 's ranch. After the experience of the 1849 immigrants it was called the "Death Route" and "Lassen's Horn Route," probably because it was about as much of a cutoff as going around Cape Horn would have been. A great immigration went over this road in 1849; some of them going this way because they were afraid of the forty miles of sandy desert between the Humboldt sink and Rag- town on the Carson river. From Lassen's Meadows to Rabbit Hole springs is something like thirty miles, and Antelope springs are about half way between them. At this time none of these springs had been opened up, and afforded very little water, and there was no feed worth speaking of at either place. It was nearly thirty miles across the desert to the Big Hot spring west of the Black Rock mountain, and five miles beyond that they found the first good grass since leaving the Humboldt river. They had jumped from the frying pan into the fire, and their troubles had only begun. At the hot springs in this vicinity a great many wagons were abandoned, and traces of them can still be seen here, and in the High Rock canyon, too. In fact, wagons, etc., were left all along the road. Their teams gave out or died, or were stolen by the Indians; and they had to leave their [6] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 wagons, and go on the best they could. Some cut their wagons in two, and made carts out of parts of them; and on these they hauled their families and what little else they could. Going from the Hot springs up to Mud Meadows they had a long stretch of sandy desert, and Delano says they let their wagons down into the High Rock canyon with ropes. From Surprise valley up through Fandango, or Lassen's, pass, the mountain looks a person in the face, and one would hardly want to go over the old road with a pack train. Probably it was rough traveling from Hot Spring valley to Big valley, although not so bad as in many other places. They say it makes a person's hair stand up to see where they came down into Horse creek at Little Dixie valley, and the marks on the trees show that they let their wagons down with ropes there, too. Because it was a very dry time, they went across Big Meadows without any trouble; the swamps being almost, or entirely, dry that year. Delano says they cut hay in Big Meadows and carried it along to feed their teams on the fifty miles of mountain desert to be traveled over after leaving there, and that twenty miles of the road between the last crossing of Deer creek and the Sacramento valley was on the top of a ridge. Sometimes the top of this ridge was fifty rods wide, and in other places it was just wide enough for the road; and sometimes it was hundreds of feet almost straight down from the top of the ridge. To make matters worse, this ridge was crossed occasionally by ravines which made hard, rocky, sideling hills to go down and up. William Fish, who knows that country well, says there are two places called "The Narrows," where at each place, for perhaps two hundred feet, it was hard work to drive along with a wagon without tipping over. He says there was water at different places near the summit; but probably the immigrants did not find it, and went a long ways down into the canyon after it. After leaving the ridge the ground sloped gradually into the valley. Live oaks grew along here, and the immigrants cut a good many of them down for their stock to browse on. It looks as though Lassen didn't know where he was going. They used to say that when he got to Goose lake, he saw Mt. Shasta one day and Lassen's Butte the next. He didn't know the difference, and traveled one day toward one of them and the next day toward the other. It is also told that out in the Pine [7] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA creek country he got lost, and the men in his train threatened to hang him. He told them that if they would let him go to the top of the ^mountain near by, he could find the way. They let him go, and from the mountain he was able to get on the right course again. The writer will not vouch for the truthfulness of either story, but he has heard both of them told a good many times. F. and S. say that Lassen led his train along safely until it reached Mt. Meadows, or Big Meadows; and there their pro- visions and animals both gave out, and they had to stop. This was about the first of November. The news of the discovery of gold did not reach Oregon until the last of August. Immedi- ately twenty wagons set out for California, and there being no other road, they followed the Applegate road out to Goose lake, and there took the trail Lassen's train had made a few weeks before. When they overtook Lassen, they helped him finish his journey. The following quotations tell the history of those who went over the Lassen Trail after 1848. F. and S. say: "The experi- ence of Lassen's party in 1848 was repeated the next year, when a large emigration came over that route, and became snowed in and out of provisions on the headwaters of Feather river. When word of their precarious situation reached the valley, the people of San Francisco, Stockton, and Sacramento, who remembered the sad fate of the Donner party, made a great effort in their behalf. Their condition was reported to Gen. Percifer F. Smith, who, with the consent of Gen. Bennett Riley, the military gov- ernor, placed one hundred thousand dollars in the hands of Major Rucker, U. S. Quartermaster, to purchase animals and supplies for their relief. The military authorities were the more moved to this act of humanity because Gen. Wilson, U. S. Indian Agent, was among the sufferers. John H. Peoples, who was afterwards drowned in one of the Trinidad expeditions, was selected to lead the relief party. About the first of October Mr. Peoples started with twenty-four pack-animals, three wagons, and fifty-six beef-cattle, having twenty-five men in his party. He found the emigrants in the snow on Pit river, out of food, and suffering with the scurvy. On the. first of December he brought in fifty families to Lassen's ranch, including Gen. Wil- son's, the last thirty miles being traversed through a blinding [8] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 snow-storm. The majority of the emigrants settled in the head of Sacramento valley, or went to the Trinity mines in the early spring. ' ' A. Delano has this to say : ' ' Those who left Missouri late in the season (1849) and could not arrive until November experi- enced incredible hardships. The previous trains had eaten up all the grass and thousands of cattle perished. Worn out with fatigue and weak for want of nourishment they arrived late in the season in the mountainous region of the Sierras. The snow and rain commenced much earlier than usual and fell to an unprecedented depth, and it seemed utterly impossible for them to get through. Many suffered from scurvy and fevers from using salt and impure provisions. Reports of these sufferings reached the settlements, and the government and individuals contributed largely, and sent out a detachment to afford all the relief they could, and bring the suffering emigrants in. The last of the emigrants on the Lassen route had reached the Feather river when the government train reached them with mules. Some had been without food for two or three days, and with others a heavy body of snow lay on the ground. Three men made a desperate effort to get through. For some days they had been on an allowance of but one meal a day, but baking up all the bread they had left, which was only a supply for two days, they started for Lawson's, a distance of seventy miles. The snow was between two and three feet deep yet they waded through it for a few miles, and came to a wagon containing two women and two or three children who had eaten nothing for three days. They gave all they had in the way of food to them and went on. They succeeded in reaching Lawson's. Many knocked their animals in the head and lived on the meat until the government train arrived. Strong men fell down exhausted, and women waded through the deep snow carrying their helpless children. The only food they had was their animals, and men became so famished that they cut meat from horses and mules which had perished from hunger and thirst by the road-side. When the government train arrived the women and children were placed on the mules, exposed to a furious snow-storm in which many of the animals perished; but the emigrants finally succeeded in getting through, when the government furnished them with boats to carry them to Sacramento as the roads along the valley had become impassable. ' ' [9] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Bayard Taylor in "Eldorado or Adventures in the Path of Empire/' says: "Public meetings were held in San Francisco by the citizens to contribute means of relief. Major Eucker took the expedition over the Lassen road himself. He found a large body of emigrants scattered along Pit river, many without pro- visions and others without animals, the Indians having stolen them. There were so many who needed his assistance that he had to come back to the ranches on Deer creek for more supplies, and leaving Mr. Peoples to hurry them up. They were very apathetic about trying to move rapidly. At the first part of the journey they threw away supplies that they needed; and now they hung onto useless goods and refused to lighten the loads of their teams. "While they were crossing the mountains to Deer creek a violent storm came on, and Mr. Peoples made them leave their wagons and hurry forward with the remaining ani- mals. They finally got into Sacramento valley with the loss of many wagons and animals. Major Rucker went at once to Deer creek and saw that they were favorably established for the winter. They built log houses; and the government gave them flour from its stores and bought cattle from the neighboring ranches, and this furnished them with food for the winter. ' ' Delano also says: "But a small portion of the emigration of 1850 came by the Lawson, or northern, route. The character of this route was now generally understood, and but few attempted it, fortunately. Those who did, almost without excep- tion, suffered severely. The Indians on Pit river were very hostile. In one night they stole twenty-seven mules from one train, which so completely broke it up that the emigrants were compelled to leave their wagons and pack what they could on the few mules they had left, leaving their wagons and goods to be plundered by the Indians. " After 1850 little or no emigration went over the Lassen Trail. A great deal of the road, though, has been used ever since ; but of course it has been worked and improved. In many places, through deep canyons and mountain passes, the remaining traces show the difficulties encountered by those who first used it. Relics of the emigrant days, such as chains and irons where abandoned wagons were burned, and goods buried because they could be carried no farther, are even now occasionally found. [10] THE YEARS 1848 TO 1856 The Beckwourth Pass Road In the spring of 1851 James P. Beckwourth, the old " moun- tain man, ' ' or trapper, discovered the pass which bears his name, although it is misspelled; and that fall conducted an emigrant train of seventeen wagons from the Truckee river through it to American valley, and then on to Marysville. This road entered the limits of Lassen county about a mile and a half from its southeastern corner, ran north down Long valley creek to the pass, and then went through it into Sierra valley. This road was much used during the emigration to California, and has been used ever since. Description of Honey Lake Valley Honey Lake valley, the Land of the Never Sweats, was the part of the county first settled ; and was for almost twenty years the only part of it that was settled to any great extent. Its size and location can be seen from the map. The mountains on its southern and western sides are heavily timbered; but those on the north and east are without timber, excepting a few scattering junipers. The lake is shallow, the water muddy, and more or less alkaline. The peninsula extending into the lake is locally known as "The Island," or, as lately called by some, "Honey Island.' ' The elevation of Honey lake is 3949 feet. The early settlers found the valley in some respects different from what it is now; and what is said about this valley applies, in almost every way, to the rest of the county. Excepting some natural meadow land along the streams, the country was covered with sagebrush. Those who came through here in early days remembered that more than anything else. On a great deal of land where little or no grass can now be seen, rye grass grew as high as a man 's head, and bunch grass grew everywhere. There was literally "thousands of feed." Uncle Johnny Baxter said that December, 1857, about a foot of snow came. He had a little bunch of cattle running around his place, which was about three- quarters of a mile down the edge of the timber from Janesville, or Bankhead's; and when they came near the house he threw some hay out to them. They sniffed at it a little and went away without eating it. There was plenty of dry grass above the snow, and they liked it better than they did the hay. For many years stock did well all winter without feed, and it was a matter of [in HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA astonishment how fat the range cattle got in the summer time. In the fall of 1856 Fred Hines traded for some poor emigrant oxen out on the Humboldt river. He drove them to this valley and left them on the range through the winter. He said that the next spring they were the fattest cattle he ever saw. The ground had not been tramped down, and was light and loose, and there were no trails or roads to carry the water off. During the rainy season the water went into the ground and made it} very soft. All over the valley it would ' ' mire a saddle blanket. ' ' One spring in the early 60 's, John F. Hulsman hauled a load of wood to Richmond with a couple of yoke of oxen. On the way home the wheel cattle walked faster than the leaders, and would turn out and try to pass them. Every time one of them got a little out of the road he mired down, and Hulsman had to pull him out with the leaders. This happened so many times that it took him nearly all the afternoon to get home, a distance of only a few miles. On account of the looseness of the soil, it was easily worked. In 1862 S. R. Hall put in thirty-five acres of grain on the south side of the river seven or eight miles below Susanville. He never plowed the ground, just harrowed in the seed, and he got thirty-five bushels of oats, and twenty-five bushels of wheat, to the acre. Either because not so much water flowed in them, or because the channels were not broken, the beds of the streams were not washed out as they are now. Where the road from Susanville to Janesville crosses the Baxter creek, a sixteen mule team and three wagons could have been driven across the stream without any trouble. At the old James D. Byers ranch on Baxter creek northeast of Janesville, where there is now a hole in the ground, they used to cut one hundred and fifty tons of hay yearly. In 1856 the falls in Susan river were about fifteen feet high, and were where the Toadtown ( Johnston ville) grist mill now stands, or perhaps a little lower down. In two years they washed back to a little above where the Lake Leavitt reservoir dam is now. In many other places deep channels have been cut where at one time the water ran almost on the top of the ground. Deer, antelope, sage hens, water-fowl, and rabbits were very plentiful ; and there were bears, mountain lions, and a few moun- tain sheep in the mountains. In the winter of 1859, and perhaps considerably later than that, a person in ' ' Rooptown ' ' could see [12 1 THE YEAKS 1848 TO 1856 bands of deer and antelope feeding on the hills to the north. Twenty years after that there were large bands of antelope in the country around Secret and Pete's valleys, and deer could be found almost anywhere in the hills and mountains. The Indians When Lassen county was first settled by the whites, the southern part of it and along the south side of Honey lake was claimed by the "Wassaw, or Wasso (Washoe), Indians. The Pah Utahs, or Pah Utes (Piutes), claimed the rest of the valley and the most of the eastern part of the county. The Pit Rivers lived along that stream, and probably the Hat creek and the Dixie valley Indians were branches of the same tribe. The Pah Utahs and Pit Rivers made raids nearly all over the county, and occasionally a band of Modocs or Bannocks came down as far as the southern part of it. In the spring of 1857, "Old Tom" and "Old Charley," Indian valley Indians, and their families lived in the upper part of Honey Lake valley, and may have been there three or four years before that. The Washoe Indians ranged along the base of the Sierras, west of the Pah Utahs, from Walker lake to Honey lake. The two tribes were bitter enemies ; and there never was a treaty of peace between them until 1908, or about that time. In 1859 Major Dodge, the Indian Agent, reported that they numbered about 900, and that they owned not one pony, horse, or mule. The Pah Utahs, who spoke the same language as the Bannocks, ranged over nearly all of what is now the state of Nevada, north- eastern California, and some of southeastern Oregon and south- western Idaho. Major Dodge reported in 1859 that there were between 6000 and 7000 of them. They lived principally along the rivers and around the lakes of the country belonging to them. When first known to the whites, "Old" Winnemucca, or Po-i-to (in a treaty made in 1858 it is spelled Winnemorha and Winne- morhas, and another authority has it Wonamucca) was their head chief, and under him were many sub-chiefs. His head- quarters were at Pyramid lake. Out in the Smoke creek country there was a band of renegade Pah Utahs under a chief the whites called "Smoke Creek Sam." This band was on friendly terms with the main tribe of the Pah Utahs, but they were never very much under the control of Old Winnemucca. [13] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The Washoes never gave the settlers much trouble after the "Potato War." The Pit Rivers were always very hostile, and committed many depredations until the most of them were killed or taken away. Except in 1860, the Pyramid lake Pah Utahs never had much trouble with any of the whites. A few years later on, Smoke Creek Sam's band, and that of Black Rock Tom, who ranged a little farther to the east, committed many depre- dations on the settlers of that section, and also on the travelers along the road from the Humboldt river to Honey Lake. Until the latter part of 1857, the settlers here had very little trouble with the Indians. Perhaps they stole a little whenever they had a chance, but at that time there was not much here to steal. The settlers had few animals, and did not raise much on the land. Among these Indians it seemed to be the custom to share with each other ; and when one had food, the others helped him eat it. At first they seemed to think this was the custom among the whites, too, and some of them may have taken vege- tables, etc., through ignorance. During the winter of 1854-5, when I. N. and Ephriam Roop stayed in the valley, an Indian stole a table-cloth that E. Roop had made out of flour sacks; and had washed and hung out on the line to dry. When he was caught with the goods, I. N. Roop yanked him around and booted him a little to show him he had done wrong ; and then Old Winne- mucca told him to leave and not come back there any more. Old Winnemucca was a friendly sort of a fellow, and in 1856 the settlers made a treaty with him. Capt. William Weatherlow says the terms of the treaty were ' ' that if any Indian committed any depredation or stole anything from the whites, the settlers should come to Winnemucca and make complaint to him and not take their revenge indiscriminately upon the Indians. And the whites agreed that if a white man should steal horses or cattle from the Indians or molest the squaws, that Winnemucca should come and make his complaint and they would redress his wrongs and punish the offender. The settlers also passed a resolution that no white man should molest or live with a squaw in the valley, under penalty of being summarily dealt with and driven from the settlement. The treaty was faithfully observed on both sides, in not a single instance was there a misunderstanding between the whites and the Indians. ' ' Of course this referred to Winnemucca and his Indians. r 14 1 THE YEARS 1848 TO 1856 This is speaking in general terms. The white men and the Indians could not live in the same neighborhood very long with- out finding some excuse for killing one another, even though there was no actual warfare going on between them. The Indian killed the white man because the latter had something he wanted, or he wanted to keep him out of the country. Sometimes he killed him out of revenge for the killing of an Indian, or for some other wrong done by the whites. The white man killed the Indian because he had stolen something or killed a white; and sometimes the Indian was killed for the fun of it, or because the white man wanted to say that he had killed an " Injun.' ' It is said that Joseph L. Meek, the "mountain man" and trapper, and his partner, when out one morning looking after their traps, killed some inoffensive Indians. When they got back to camp and told about it, some one asked if the Indians had molested their traps or stolen anything. Meek said "No, but they looked as if they were going to." Many frontiersmen looked upon an Indian as a wild animal and treated him like one. The only good Indian was a dead one. The Indians were blamed because they killed any white man out of revenge, whether he had wronged them or not. This was the way the Indians were raised, and they knew no better. White men were raised under the teachings of Christianity, and they have been doing the same thing ever since the settlement of America began. When a man has had his family or friends killed, or his stock driven off by the Indians ; he can not be blamed if he follows them, and takes ample revenge. But killing human beings in cold blood, without any excuse for it, is another thing. One thing that kept up hostilities between the two races was the fact that there always were white men who, out of revenge, killed an Indian every chance they had, whether there was war going on or not. Among the pioneers of this county there were several men of that kind ; and, no doubt, they honestly thought they were justified in doing it. A man who once lived in this valley told that in early days he met an Indian who had a good rifle. After some talk he bought the gun and paid the Indian for it. He went on a short distance, and then returned and followed the Indian and shot him. He took from his dead body the money he had paid for the gun, and went his way rejoicing ; thinking, no doubt, that it was a good joke on the Indian, and that he had done some clever financial work. [15] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA In the following pages it will be seen that in many cases, before a massacre by the Indians took place, one or more Indians had been killed for the fun of it; and the savages wreaked their vengeance as soon as possible, perhaps on innocent people. It was inevitable that the two races would fight, and that the Indians would be killed off or driven away; but in numberless cases a little more justice on the part of the whites would have saved a great deal of trouble and bloodshed. The Early History of Honey Lake Valley Honey lake and Honey Lake valley were named from the honey-dew found on the grass and some of the trees and bushes, but it is not certain who gave them the name. After much research in the pioneer literature relating to northern California the writer is satisfied that June, 1852, is the first time the name ever appeared in print, and that Mr. Noble, or some member of the party with him at the time, named them in the spring of 1852, or possibly in the spring of 1851. (See '* Noble's Route.") It is also uncertain what white men discovered the valley, or when that event took place. The following is a synopsis of what is told by F. and S. : James P. Beckwourth claimed to have visited the valley in 1845 with a party of hunters and trappers. His biography says he was in California in 1852, but tells nothing of the following incident. Beckwourth settled near his pass early in 1852, and soon afterwards a party of miners from Jamison creek, in pursuit of some Indians, stopped at his place. He told them that, judging from the course taken by the savages, they were headed for a large valley which he had visited in 1845. He then gave them a description of the valley, and said that it could not be more than seventy-five or a hundred miles from there. At their request he went with them. They rode hard until sundown, and during the night as fast as they could and follow the trail. About daylight the next morning they reached the top of the mountain southeast of where Milford now stands. They could see the Indians they were after just going out of the timber toward the lake; but there were a good many more in sight, so the white men went no farther. They didn't get any Indians, but they proved Beckwourth 's statement that he had seen Honey lake before that time. (Judging from the time it took them to reach the lake they saw, and from what old timers [16 j THE YEARS 1848 TO 1856 said about Beckwourth 's truth and veracity, it is doubtful whether they proved it or not. — F.) F. and S. make several more surmises as to who were the first white men who entered this county, but tell nothing for certain. It is said that in 1850 a man named Stoddard led a party from Nevada City in search of the lost "Gold Lake." They followed up Feather river until they got into the country south of Honey lake. They had met with a great many hardships on the trip, and had found no ' ' Gold Lake ' ' ; so they held a consul- tation, and decided to hang Stoddard at once. Finally they concluded to let him hunt for the lake one more day, and that was to be his last chance. It would seem, though, that Stoddard did not want to take any more chances, for that night he left them and went to the mines of the lower country. From this incident Last Chance valley is said to have been named. If this story is true, there is a possibility that some of this party may have gone up to the summit of the mountain and looked down into this valley. All of the foregoing, however, is only surmise, and the writer can find nothing to prove that any white man ever set foot in this valley before 1851. Noble 's Eoute F. and S. say, no authority given, : "Early in the spring of 1851, a prospecting party of eighty men, headed by a man named Noble, and now known as Noble's party, after crossing Indian valley, passed through the mountains to Honey Lake valley. The company soon returned and disbanded, but Noble, who was impressed with the value of the pass through the mountains which they had found, went to Shasta, then the chief town in the extreme northern portion of the state, and made known his discovery to the enterprising business men of that place. The pass was then called and has since been known as 'Noble's pass.' Realizing the fact that the opening of an emigrant route through the upper mountains with its terminus at Shasta would be of vast benefit to that town commercially, the business men of that place raised a subscription, and hired Noble and a small party of men to go out to the Humboldt, and divert as much of the stream of emigration as possible through the new pass, and to the town of Shasta. ' ' In Hutchings' California Magazine for June, 1857, an un- [17] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA named contributor says that Big Meadows, then called ' ' Lassen 's Big Meadows,' ' was the west end of Noble's pass; and that the old settlers of Indian valley claimed that to Peter Lassen is due the honor of having discovered the Noble's pass route, having known it long before Noble saw it. He was Noble's guide all through this route, Mr. Noble being entirely unacquainted with it. The writer also said that Lassen solemnly told the same thing to him in 1854. A part of the foregoing, at least, is certainly a mistake. The Noble route never went through Big Meadows and down Deer creek ; and if Lassen knew that route, he must have found it after he made the Lassen Trail. It doesn 't seem reasonable to suppose that if he knew of the Noble's pass route, he would take a party of emigrants up to Oregon and back, just to get from the Black Rock peak to Mt. Meadows. If he did, he should have been punished for it. "The Shasta Courier," late in June, 1852, says that Mr. Noble had promised for the consideration of Two Thousand Dollars, to show the route for a wagon road across the Sierra Nevada mountains that would be superior in every respect to the routes previously traveled. A party of citizens offered to accom- pany Mr. Noble in making a thorough search for the route, and they left Shasta, May 3, 1852. W. W. Asbury says that John Fallensly, John Dreibelbis, Jack Hammans, — Swain, and Chas. Kyle were among those who went with him. They got back June 24, 1852, and reported that Mr. Noble had fulfilled his promises to the letter, and in some respects more than fulfilled them. They called it three hundred miles to the Humboldt, and thought the distance could be traveled in eight days with a pack train. The greatest distance between watering places between the Humboldt and Honey lake was only twenty-five miles, and there was plenty of grass on the road. They said that Honey Lake valley was very rich and fertile, and well situated for cultivation. Several mem- bers of the company took up claims at this place, and intended to return in a few days and improve them. The party remained on the Humboldt river eight days. While resting at that place, a party of twenty-two men passed on their way from Yreka to St. Louis. With these men Mr. Noble left his party, and started for his home in Ohio. The following description of the Noble Route is taken from an [18 1 THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 article published in Hatchings' California Magazine for June, 1857, which was written by John A. Dreibelbis, who went over the road in 1852, and several times in 1853. Asbury and Hines describe it about the same as he does. This route followed the Applegate-Lassen Trail about thirty miles, nearly west, to the Eabbit Hole springs; and then between twenty-five and thirty miles northwest to the Hot springs west of the Black Eock peak. Here the Noble's Pass Route begins. Leaving the old road, it turned southwest and went nearly twenty-five miles to the old Granite Creek Station. From there it came on to Deep Hole springs, Buffalo springs, Smoke creek, Rush creek, Mud springs, and then to the Susan river, striking it, or some of its sloughs, about three miles from the lake. It kept up on the north side of the river, and crossed Piute creek just a little north of where Main Street now crosses it. It went on over the hill, up past the Big spring, crossed Bridge creek; and keeping on northwest, struck the Lassen Trail and followed it a few miles until it crossed Pine creek. It kept on the same course until it got to Poison lake ; and then turning to the west, went south of the lake and on to Black Butte creek, now called Butte creek. (In early days the Cinder Cone was called Black Butte.) It then turned south and followed up that creek, turned southwest, going just north of the Black Butte, and thence west four miles to Pine Meadows. (Per- haps this was Badger Flat.) From there it went northwest four miles to Hat creek, west two miles to Lost creek ; and then south- west fourteen miles to John Hill's ranch on Deer Flat on the north fork of Battle creek, going through Noble's Pass on the way. Sometimes the country between Pine creek and Butte creek was called Noble's Pass. It then kept southwest eight miles to McCumber's mill, probably on, or near, what is now called Macomber's Flat; and on three miles to Shingletown. It then went four miles to what he calls Charley 's Ranch, probably going northwest past the place where Ogburn's mill was after- wards built. Then it ran north of west six miles to Payne & Smith's, and then southwest seven miles to Dr. Baker's on Bear creek. From there it was four miles to Old Fort Reading, and that was only three miles from the Sacramento river. They called it three hundred and eight miles from the Humboldt river to Fort Reading. The Honey Lakers called this road from here west the "Old [ 19 ] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Hat Creek ' ' road ; and it was used by them until Fort Crook was established in Fall River valley in 1857, and then part of it was abandoned. They followed the old road from the Sacramento river up to Lost creek, and then followed the Fort Crook road down that stream to Hat creek, and down Hat creek eight or nine miles to the Hat creek hill. Then they turned east and struck the old road near Butte creek, south of west of Poison lake. When the emigration of 1852 reached Lassen's Meadows on the Humboldt, Noble 's party tried to get them to go over the new route ; but they had hard work to persuade any of them to leave the regular road. The experience of those who followed Lassen 's 1 ' cut-off ' ' had become well known, and in almost every train that came along there were men who had previously crossed the plains. F. and S. say that some of the returning Calif ornians threatened to do them great bodily injury, so to speak, if they did not quit trying to get people to travel their road. William Dow says he was in one of the trains that came along about this time. Part of his crowd wanted to turn off here ; but the rest were unwilling, and they went on down the Humboldt river. Finally the Shasta men succeeded in getting a small train to go over their road, and they reached the Sacramento valley without any mishaps or suffering. William W. Asbury, now a resident of Tehama county, was among those who went over the Noble road this year. He says that at the Humboldt river they were given a written description of the road; and though it was dim, they had no trouble in following it. The next year or two the road was improved a little, and before long the greater part of the emigra- tion into northern California was going over it. Later on some statistics will be given to show the amount of this travel. Fredonyer 's Pass Of this pass, now mis-called "Fredonia" pass, the "Alta. Calif ornian" of May 26, 1855, says: "From the most reliable data, it appears that Dr. Fredonyer came through the pass in the month of July, 1850, and was the first person who gave a written description of it, and the first and only person who made a map thereof prior to 1852." W. J. Seagraves says that when he went through Fredonyer 's pass in 1860, the following inscription was painted on a tree on the summit of the hill: " Fredonyer 's pass. Discovered in [20] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 1852." It looked as though it had not been there long; and probably this was the case, for Fredonyer had just located in Mt. Meadows. A. L. Harper also remembers the date as being 1852. Fredonyer must have known the date of his own discovery. First Settlement Evidently the men in Noble's party who took up claims in Honey Lake valley in 1852, forgot to "return in a few days and improve them," for no settlement was made in the valley that year. In June, 1853, Isaac N. Roop, acting postmaster at Shasta, lost his hotel and store by fire, leaving him penniless. Discour- aged by his loss, he concluded to try his luck elsewhere ; and came alone on horseback to this valley, probably with the idea of finding a place where he could carry on a trade with the emigrants. He located a piece of land at the upper end of the valley, and put up a notice on it, of which the following is a copy. This notice and the others given are taken from Roop's record of the filings made by the settlers. "Notice "I Isaac Roop do take up and claim the following described tract of land. Beginning at a pine tree on the south side of Susan river at the foot of the bluffs, thence running north some four hundred rods more or less to a pine stake set at the foot of the bluffs on the north side of Susan river, thence west to the timber thence south along said timber to the top of the bluffs on the north of Susan river thence up said river on the top of said bluffs two miles thence across Susan river to the top of the bluffs on the south side of Susan river thence down on the edge of said bluffs to the edge of the timber thence to continue in a south- easterly course to the place of beginning. (This being in the head of the valley) "Sept A. D. 1853. Isaac Roop. "July A. D. 1854 Built a house on the above claim. Left for Shasta Nov. A. D. 1855. "A true copy of the original this first day of May A. D. 1856 Isaac Roop Recorder" F. and S. say: "It will be observed that in the notice he applies the name Susan river to the stream that comes down from [21] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA the Sierra and flows easterly to Honey lake. It is claimed by some that this name was then given the stream, by him in honor of his only daughter, Susan, who was then living in the east. By others it is maintained that an emigrant girl named Susan De "Witt, who died on the road, and was buried a short distance east of the Buffalo salt works, in Nevada, has her memory per- petuated in the name of this stream. Still others say that a young lady bearing the name of Susan passed through with one of the trains in 1852, and that her name was bestowed upon the stream. These contradictory opinions are held by the early settlers, all of whom would seem to have been so situated as to know the facts in the case; and as it is impossible to decide between them, we let the matter stand as it is. One thing is certain : Koop, in his notice, left the first record of this name for the beautiful mountain stream, and it is not improbable that he bestowed this title upon it to better define the boundaries of his location. It is, however, also improbable that emigration would pass this river for two seasons without a name of some kind being applied to the stream/' Probably all of the foregoing stories were told and perhaps a few more could have been found at that time without much trouble. But the next thing to be considered is the value of these stories. Very few, perhaps none, of the pioneers of this county went through Honey Lake valley before Roop came in here. Those with whom the writer talked after this work was com- menced, were satisfied that the river was named in honor of Susan Roop, now Mrs. A. T. Arnold, of Susanville; and the fact that Roop named his town after her makes it still more probable that he also named the stream. Very few emigrants went over the Noble road in 1852; and the second year the Lassen trail was traveled, very few of the natural features along it had been named. It is not strange, however, that the naming of Susan river, or anything else, should have been disputed. In the course of this work, the writer has found more than one man who would, to show his own knowledge, dispute what could easily be proved beyond a doubt; and probably would dispute with his mother about the date of his birth. Roop went back to Shasta county and stayed there during the winter of 1853-4. He stayed here until late in November, because he wanted to see Old Winnemucca before he went below. [22] THE YEAKS 1848 TO 1856 After seeing the chief, he cached everything of value that he didn't want to take with him, and started over the mountains by the Noble road. Before he got across the Sierras, a big storm came on. Fortunately for him, he came to an old trapper's cabin in which there were a few old cooking utensils and a little barley; and here he stayed for nine days, until the storm was over. Dr. McClay Killed by an Indian Dr. McClay was the first white man killed in Honey Lake valley by the Indians ; and the following account of it was given by Fred Hines. The last of September, or the first of October, 1853, Dr. McClay 's train was camped on the flat, just below where Eoop afterwards built his cabin. The next morning, when they were hitching up to resume their journey, they discovered that some of their cattle were missing. Just as they made the discovery, an Indian they had brought from the head of the Humboldt river started to run toward the foothills to the north. Some of them followed him on horseback, and shot him as soon as they caught up with him. McClay, his son, and some of the men of the train, followed the trail of the cattle back along the road until they came to a swamp about ten miles down the river. There the trail went into the tules, for at that time it was a tule swamp all along there. They followed the trail into the tules, and rode around in them looking for the cattle. They had not hunted very long before an Indian rose up and shot Dr. McClay in the breast with an arrow. They returned and got a carriage, and took him back to camp. His wife pulled out the arrow, and he died that night. His body was taken to Shasta and buried there. Dr. Minor, with whom Mr. Hines crossed the plains, camped near the tule swamp the night before; and during the night one of his horses was shot by the Indians, it was supposed. The following quotations are from F. and S., and from Eoop's record of filings. ' ' In May, 1854, Roop and John Hill went from Shasta to the valley, to see if the snow was sufficiently melted to admit of the passage of a wagon loaded with supplies. On the way they overtook a prospecting party of about a dozen men, one of whom was Hyram K. Wilcox, who had left Shasta a few days before. They all came on to the valley together, arriving on the sixth of June, the prospectors soon becoming dissatisfied, and [23] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA returning across the mountains. Roop and Hill also went back to Shasta, and Roop soon returned with a load of merchandise and supplies, accompanied by his brother Ephriam Roop, William McNall (McNaull), Captain William Weatherlow, and others." William Armstrong was one of the crowd. "During the summer, this party built a rough, one-story log house, about 20 by 30 feet in size, which still stands in an orchard in the eastern suburbs of Susanville, and is owned by A. T. Arnold, Mr. Roop's son-in-law. This building was covered with a shake roof. Since it was used for a fort in the Sage-Brush War, it has been called Fort Defiance. In this building was placed the stock of goods that had been brought over from Shasta, and a brisk and profitable trade was carried on with the emi- grants." As it was hard work to haul freight into the moun- tains at that time, their stock must have been a small one. Probably it consisted of a few staple articles, and some tobacco and whiskey ; for in those days, if a trader did not have the last named goods, his patrons would be badly disappointed. The log house they put up stands on the east side of Weather- low St., about 140 feet back from the street, and 380 feet north of Main street. It is twenty-seven feet long, and eighteen feet, nine inches wide, outside measurement; and was intended to be eight feet high at the corners. That year, Roop claimed a water right on Pah Ute (Piute) creek, then called Smith creek, and posted up the following notice : "Notice "I the undersigned claim the privilege to take all the water out of Smith Creek at the junction of the two forks where this stake stands I shall build a dam some six feet high and carry the water along the south hill to the emigrant road. "August A. D. 1854. Isaac Roop. "Recorded the first day of May A. D. 1856. Isaac Roop Recorder ' ' "From this creek they dug the Roop ditch, about one-half a mile long, by which they conveyed water in close proximity to the log house. When working upon this improvement, it was always necessary to leave a guard at the house ; for, though the Indians were not openly hostile, their predatory habits compelled [24] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 the early settlers to be constantly on their guard to protect their property. When winter set in, Roop and the larger number of his companions returned to Shasta, while a few stopped in the valley until spring, though there was no necessity for their doing so." Roop put his dam in the creek about one hundred and sixty yards above where Roop street strikes it. It is not known how much of the ditch was dug that year, but they raised a few vege- tables. This ditch was the beginning of a water system that supplied Susanville with water until the early 70 's. Mrs. Arnold says that I. N. Roop and his brother stayed in the valley during the winter of 1854-5, but the former went below early in the spring. Captain Weatherlow stayed, too. "During the year 1854, Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith, in charge of an exploring party, passed through the valley. The war department had sent out, the previous year, several exploring expeditions to examine the various routes across the continent, for the purpose of ascertaining which was the most feasible for a trans-continental railroad. One of these detachments, under the charge of Lieutenant Beckwith, crossed Honey Lake valley, and went through Noble's pass to Fort Reading. They then went up the Sacramento and Pit rivers, and passed down the old Lassen trail, and again to Fort Reading. The observa- tions and conclusions of Lieutenant Beckwith are embodied in his report, which was submitted to congress by the secretary of war, and is to be found in the ' Pacific Railroad Reports, Volume 2. '" As early as 1851, Lieut. R. S. Williamson made a survey for a railroad through the country just north of Honey lake. "In the early part of the year 1855, Peter Lassen was living with Isadore Meyerwitz (or Meyerowitz), a Jew, on a ranch in Indian valley, located by them in 1850. In June, 1855, he started over the mountains on a prospecting trip, accompanied by Kenebeck, Parker, and another man, themselves mounted on horses, and their outfit packed on the backs of mules. They came into the valley three miles west of Janesville, where they pitched their camp just back of the ranch now owned by Richard Bass. ' ' (This is the upper end of Elysian valley.) Some of the earliest settlers say that they came over Diamond Mountain, and camped under the tree where Lassen was afterwards buried. "The next day Parker and the one whose name is unknown started out to [25] )( HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA make some kind of a trade with the Indians, going around the lake to the north in search of them, and encamped in the vicinity of the hot springs. At the same time Lassen and Kenebeck traveled towards the north-west, along the base of the Sierra, and after going about six miles, camped at a pile of bowlders, which are in front of, and but a short distance from, the first cabin he built in the valley. They prospected for a few days, and were so gratified at the result, that Lassen returned at once across the mountains to procure men and supplies to work the place systematically. ' ' ' ' In the latter part of June, Lassen came again to the valley, accompanied by Joseph Lynch, William Gallagher, and Samuel Knight. They brought with them a complete mining outfit and a supply of provisions. The first thing necessary was to bring water to the claim, and this they did by digging a ditch two miles in length, from the little stream now known as Lassen creek. (Wrong. Lassen's ditch was taken out of what was afterwards called Hill's creek.) This ditch has always been called the Lassen ditch. After they had worked a couple of weeks a cause of difference arose between Knight and Lassen, and the former took what property there was belonging to him and left the valley. About ten days after the ditch was completed the water supply failed, but during that time the claim had paid them good wages. They therefore decided to go to Indian valley and make preparations to return here and spend the winter. "In October, 1855, Lassen came back to Honey Lake valley, accompanied by Isadore Meyerwitz, Joseph Lynch, — Greenwood, and a Spaniard named Lazier. They brought a good supply of provisions, blacksmith and mining tools, a plow, and such other implements as they thought would be necessary or useful. They also brought a number of cows, oxen, and horses. Lassen then located a tract of land one mile square, embracing the place where they had encamped while engaged in mining, and now including the ranches of John Hulsman, Joseph Lynch, and David Titherington. This he did not survey until the following spring, and never had it placed on record. In a short time the Spaniard and Greenwood went back to Indian valley, leaving Lassen and Meyerwitz alone in the valley. Soon after, John Duchene came over from Quincy, where he had gotten into some difficulty, and hired himself to Lassen. Newton Hamilton and [26] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 Marion Lawrence, called generally Commanche George, came over the mountains, packing a good supply of provisions. It was their intention to locate land ; but they did not do so that season. They made their camp with the others, and began prospecting. "Fearing that the snow would fall to such a depth as to prevent his stock from sustaining themselves by browsing, Lassen cut about twenty tons of hay from the bunch grass that grew in such abundance, and stacked it near his camp. The next thing required was a shelter for himself and men during the winter. They then erected a long, low, log house, which has never been without a pioneer tenant to this day, Joseph Lynch having lived there constantly. The cabin, or house, is nearly fifty feet long, sixteen wide, six logs high, and covered with a shake roof. At either end is a room sixteen feet by twenty. One of these Lassen used for a general storeroom, and the other for an apartment to live in, and which he floored with lumber cut with a whip-saw. At one end of this room was built a rock fireplace, with sufficient capacity to admit cordwood. The openings to the outside world were a door and a three-foot-square window, over which barley sacks were nailed to keep out the cold. The small room in the center was used by Peter as a sleeping apartment, and where it is said he always kept a bed for a traveler or a friend. In this rude hut the pioneers of Lassen county, Peter Lassen, Isadore Meyerwitz, Joseph Lynch, Newton Hamilton, Marion Lawrence, and John Duchene spent the winter of 1855-56 ; and though this humble dwelling has furnished a pioneer with shelter for a quarter of a century, it gives evidences of remaining a monument to the memory of its builders long after the last one shall have passed away. ' ' Joseph Lynch lived there until his death in December, 1885, three years after the foregoing was written. This cabin was on the south side of Lassen creek, about one third of a mile west of where the mountain road from Susanville to Janesville crosses that stream. It was about four miles south and a mile east of Susanville. The cabin built the fall of 1855 was ten by twelve feet, or perhaps a little larger, and about seven feet high at the corners. It had a fireplace, and a door so low that one had to stoop to enter it, and no window. It was built of unhewn logs of unequal size, and looked as though it had been hastily con- structed. In after years additions were made to it. For a while [27] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Lassen did a little blacksmithing under a big tree right in front of it. This cabin was burned by Peter Vogt about the year 1896, because the logs had decayed and it had fallen down. It is hard to understand why F. and S. call Lassen and his five companions the pioneers of Lassen county. Just before that, they say that some of the Roop crowd stayed in the valley during the winter of 1854-5. Roop claimed land in the county two years before Lassen did, and put up a cabin the year before Lassen built his. Why wasn 't Roop the pioneer of the county ? Ephriam Roop, McNaull, and Weatherlow stayed in the Roop cabin all through the winter of 1855-6. I. N. Roop was there the latter part of the winter. " During the year a man named Moses Mason came into the valley and located a piece of land adjoining Roop's on the north- west corner, but did not remain upon it or make any improve- ments. The next year his notice was recorded, and read as follows : "Notice "I Moses Mason do take up and claim this valley on Smith Creek of some four hundred acres more or less. November A. D. 1855. M. Mason. A true copy of the original. May first, 1856. Isaac Roop, Recorder. The above claim joins Roop on the North-west corner.' ' "During the winter, Lassen and his companions busied them- selves in sawing out lumber with a whip-saw for sluices, and splitting rails for fencing. About five thousand rails were gotten out, and in the spring were used to fence a portion of his land. The weather was so mild and pleasant that the stock passed through the winter with but little need of the hay he had provided. "It is stated in the Sketches published in the 'Mountain Re- view,' that in December, 1855, William Hill Naileigh (better known as Captain Hill), McMurtre, Captain Gilpin, and two others were piloted into the valley from Gold Canyon, Ne- vada, by old Winnemucca, the Pah Ute chief, and that they prospected on Gold Run and discovered what was known as the Hill diggings. " In a lawsuit about the Lassen ditch in 1875, Cap. Hill testified that he came into the valley in 1855, and in 1856 discovered the Hill diggings on Hill's creek. [28] THE YEAES 1848 TO 1856 It is probable that the information gathered by Mr. Dodge for F. and S., together with that obtained by the writer, is all that will ever be known of the history of this county previous to 1856. So far as is known, every man who settled here before that time is dead. Isadore was drowned in the lake in 1856, and his body was never recovered. Lassen and Lynch lie under the big tree beneath which the former camped the first night he was in the valley, and Commanche George is buried in the sage- brush about a mile north of them. I. N. Roop, Naileigh, Weath- erlow, and Wilcox lie in the Susanville cemetery. Ephriam Roop died on the Isthmus of Panama while on his way to the East. The fate of the others is unknown to the writer. In all prob- ability they, like thousands of other pioneers, died in some county hospital or while prospecting in the mountains, and lie in un- marked and unknown graves. [29] CHAPTER II 1856 The news had gone abroad that gold had been found in pay- ing quantities in Honey Lake valley, and men, and perhaps a few women, began to come over the mountains early in the year. The most of them came from the mines on the headwaters of Feather river. Leroy Arnold said that in those days if a man owned a mine where the gold was ankle deep, he would soon hear of a place where it was knee deep and would leave his mine and go there. Some took up land, but the most of them went to mining. They worked on Gold Run, Hill's creek, Lassen's creek, and the gulches in that vicinity. Considerable mining was done there until 1861. Lynch says there were more men engaged in mining in 1856 than in any of the following years, and that possibty there might have been a hundred men working at it that year. More or less mining was done in that neighborhood for more than forty years after Lassen discovered the mines. A large majority of the earliest settlers of this county came from the mines of California, generally from those on Feather river. They had come to the coast several years before that, and by the time they got here they were used to the hardships of frontier life. They could ride and shoot, and were resolute, energetic, and self-reliant. Some one has said that the pioneers of California were the best body of men that ever settled in any country. "The weak in mind never started to come here, and the weak in body died on the road." Besides fighting nature, they had to fight Indians and outlaws; and only men of good nerve would stay in the country. The majority of the pioneer women were also strong in mind and body. The early settlers of Honey Lake valley needed both courage and the ability to endure hardships, for they were in a very dangerous locality. They were exposed on all sides to attack by the Indians and no help was near at hand. Between them and the settlement in Indian valley was a range of mountains generally hard to cross during the winter, and the settlements in the Carson country were more than a hundred miles away. Fortunately, the most hostile Indian tribes were either distant or not very strong, and the Pi-Utahs, as they were then called, were comparatively friendly. [30] THE YEAR 1856 Settlement. 1856 At the beginning of this year Roop and Lassen each had a cabin, and perhaps one or the other of them had done a little fencing. The former had a short irrigating ditch and the latter a mining ditch. These were all the improvements there were in the county. Early in the spring Commanche George (Marion Lawrence) located the land along the stream that flows out of Elysian valley, from the lower end of that valley to the Bald mountain to the north. Lynch claimed a tract along what is now called Parker creek, a couple of miles southeast of where Janesville now stands. Isadore located at the corner of the lake about three miles south- east of him. F. and S. say that Newton Hamilton took a section of land which he afterwards sold to Hasey, McMurtre, and Elliott. If that is so, the land must have been on Gold Eun creek, and its northern boundary about two miles south of Roop. These four locations were never placed on record. The greater part of the information in this book in regard to the claims of the settlers, was taken from Eoop 's book where those claims were recorded; but what is shown there frequently had to be helped by what the writer learned from Dow and Hines, and by what the writer himself had learned since 1865. Many of the notices of location in Roop's book read like this : "Notice. I commence at this stake and run east one mile, thence south one mile, thence west one mile, thence north to the place of beginning. Claimed by Daniel Reed. This II day of March, 1857." Being copies of the original notices, they are frequently lacking in punctuation and many words are mis-spelled. The descriptions are vague ; and when distances from any known places are given, they are guessed at. This year many men recorded claims on land they never saw, and left the valley a few days afterwards. Some stayed a short time, but made no improvements on the land they claimed. Many put no relinquishment of their claims in the record book, and the claims were put on the same land, one after the other. The writer has been able to tell where nearly all the claims were located; and if the reader will notice their direction and distance from known claims and landmarks, he, too, can tell their location nearly enough for all practical pur- poses. Unless otherwise stated, the claimant took a section of land. [31] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA March 14, 1856, Ebenezer Smith of Meadow valley, Plumas county, California, (known as ''Red Head," or ' ' Bricktop, ' ' Smith) located on the south side of the lake about half way between the present sites of Janesville and Milford. In April, Florence Smith, wife of E. Smith, claimed about 660 acres on the south side of the river southeast of Hoop. (N. B. Roop's southeast corner was on the south side of the Susan river, perhaps a quarter of a mile from it, and at the east edge of the bluffs opposite the mouth of Pah Ute creek. His east line ran north from that.) A. G. Hasey located just north of where the Richmond schoolhouse now stands, his southwest cor- ner at the edge of the timber; John Strode on the south side of the river about a mile and a half east of Roop 's east line, and a mile north of Hasey 's north line; W. T. C. (Rough) Elliott just north of Hasey, and M. T. Shores north of Elliott. In May, Paul Hulsey, or Hulsa, located west of Lassen ; Wm. Hill (Cap. Hill) in the little valley between Lassen and the west fork of Baxter creek; J. F. Hill, location uncertain; John Hollingsworth, north of the river and east of Roop; R. J. (Bob) Scott, where Milford now stands and north of it; Dow, Estep, and Aganett, two sections one mile west of Scott; W. M. Lyttle & Co., south of Hasey; Mathew Adams, location uncertain; George Lathrop, on the lake, three miles west of Scott ; George (Joe) Eppstein, joining E. Smith on the east; and Stephen Raney on the lake east of Eppstein. In June, Henry Denney and Henry Keelty claimed one sec- tion in Elysian valley south of Commanche George; William Weatherlow, on the north side of the river north of Strode, and about a mile and a half east of Roop ; John Griffin, on the south side of the river south of Weatherlow; Stephen O'Laughlin, the little valley on the west fork of Baxter creek, over the ridge east of Cap. Hill; Ephriam Roop, on the south bank of Susan river, having its northeast corner at the west base of "Curloo Butte " ; ( Curlew Butte is the little rocky hill on the south side of the river about three miles below Susan ville) and Henery in the forks of Susan river and Willow creek. In July, T. P. Kingsbury and D. A. Breed located two sec- tions between Commanche George and O 'Laughlin ; John Adams, east of McMurtre and south of Carter (McMurtre's claim lay east, or northeast of Hasey) ; R. W. Dezoe, west of E. Smith; [32] THE YEAR 1856 Joshua Abbott, one half section having D. P. Carter on the east and E. C. Gillett on the west, and crossing Susan river and taking in "Curloo Butte"; Samuel Burnie, or Brunie, in Antelope valley, "some three miles northeast of Hoop's House and at the foot of the mountain"; G. W. Byerly, on the north side of the river and east of Weatherlow; W. B. Galphin, north of Mc- Murtre; H. C. Nichols, east of Joseph Eppstein, "being the ground formerly taken up by Stephen Eaney"; and L. E. Cush- ings, south of Nichols. Ebenezer Smith claimed "this boiling spring situated on the northeast side of Honey lake for the pur- pose of building a bath house, and also a building spot sixty feet front facing the lake by one hundred feet back." In August, Florence Smith, by E. Smith, Agent, claimed a section east of I. N. Roop, having the river for its north line; the next day J. B. Mankins claimed almost the same piece of land; and the day following that, John C. Mankins claimed a section almost south of Roop, the eastern part of which took in a part of the two previous claims ; Dave Hescock, Francis. Lani- gar, and Charles Nixon, three sections east of E. Roop and Byerly; James and William Shelton, two sections east of the foregoing claim; T. C. Smith, north of J. B. Mankins and east of Roop ; Thos. N. Kingsbury claimed the section north of Elliott previously located by M. T. Shores; William Morehead claimed the land taken up by Strode, and forfeited by him, relinquishing it himself the following November; and C. T. Miller and Bro., the two sections previously claimed by Kingsbury and Breed and relinquished by them. In September, Capt, Weatherlow claimed the land taken up by Moses Mason in 1855 ; Thos. P. Kingsbury transferred to A. G. Hasey the land claimed by him in August ; L. M. Robertson took the land previously claimed by Weatherlow on the north bank of Susan river, but soon relinquished it ; William N. Craw- ford re-located the land taken by Griffin in June, but relinquished it before long. No settlement was made in Long valley until this year. During the fall, our old acquaintance, Ebenezer Smith, who seems to have been "on the job" when there was land to be taken up, located a tract of land in the southwest corner of the north end of the valley. It was about six miles south of what is now called the "Willow Ranch," or eleven and one third miles south of [33] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA where the road crosses the summit between Honey Lake valley and Long valley. Geo. W. Humphrey, afterwards a prominent stockman of Sierra valley, came in with him, but did not remain there very long. In October, Ladue Vary made a location at Deep Springs (Deep Hole), on the emigrant road between the Humboldt river and Honey Lake; J. W. San Banch, an old Northwestern Fur Company's trapper called "Buckskin," in Antelope valley; and J. H. Patty relocated the claim southwest of "Curloo Butte" taken by E. Roop in June, and forfeited by him. This fall Nicholas Clark and his son "William H. came into the valley from Plumas county, but stayed only a short time. In November, M. W. Haviland relocated the Weatherlow- Robertson tract on the north side of the river one and a half miles east of I. N. Roop ; A. D. Morton, on the north side of the river east of Haviland; D. P. Dexter, northwest of R. J. Scott; W. N. Crawford, north of Dexter, but relinquished it in two days ; Logan E. Whitaker, northeast of Scott; Wm. Morehead, west of Dexter, and one half claim on the lake west of Dexter ; "W. N. Crawford and L. M. Robertson one section west of Morehead; Thomas Mitchell relocated J. Wy croft's claim. This was the land where Janesville stands and that to the north of it. Anton Storff located north of Mitchell; R. J. Lennox relocated the most of the tract claimed first by Strode and then by Morehead ; W. W. L. Lennox "jumped" I. N. Roop's claim. In December, John W. Davis re-located the Hulsey claim; Joseph Libler located east of O'Laughlin, and A. U. Sylvester, east of Morton. The claims of Haviland, Morton, and Sylvester extended on the north side of the river from a mile and a half east of Roop, down below where the Johnstonville bridge crosses the river. Manley Thompson located a section east of Lynch, and built a cabin on it that winter. The middle of his south line was near where Buntingville is now. Before Weatherlow took the place left by Mason, E. Roop claimed it; but he was afraid of the Indians and left it in a short time. Late in the spring of 1856, L. N. (Newt) Breed came into Indian valley and bought a small stock of goods from E. D. Hosselkus and I. J. Harvey, and hired them packed into this valley. He put up a tent on the flat across the creek from [34] THE YEAR 1856 Lassen 's cabin, and sold goods that summer. In the fall he had a trading-post for emigrants at the crossing of Willow creek. In 1853, when he was seventeen years old, Fred Hines crossed the plains with Dr. Minor. He passed through this valley over the Noble road; and went on to Shasta, and mined there until July, 1856. Then he, Ladue Vary, and A. U. Sylvester came to this valley; Vary to prospect, and the others to trade with the emigrants. They went out to Lassen's Meadows on the Hum- boldt, and stayed there until the last of September, or the first of October. During that time, Hines and Vary came back to Deep Hole springs with a pack train. "When they went back, Hines concluded to go straight across from Granite creek to Rabbit Hole, and save a good many miles of travel. They did this, and about midway between the two places found some hot springs. Shortly after they got back to the Humboldt, an emi- grant train came along. They were going over the Noble road, and Hines told them how to keep his trail and find the hot springs. They followed his directions, and made a new road which was traveled after this instead of the old one. The Drowning of Isadore Meyerwitz and His Wife The following was told by F. and S., A. G. (Joe) Eppstein, and W. H. Clark. In the month of July, 1856, Isadore and his Indian wife were drowned in Honey lake. He and Sailor Jack built a sail- boat out of a wagon box or some old boards, something more like a box than a boat. It was a crazy affair, and their neighbors warned them against risking their lives in it. Evidently no attention was paid to their advice, for soon after it was finished, Isadore and his wife, George Lathrop, R. J. Scott, Reed, and Sailor Jack took a sail in it, starting out from near Isadore 's ranch. When they had reached quite a distance from the shore, a sudden gust of wind upset the boat and threw them all into the water. They all managed to get back to the boat, and some of them clung to it, the others getting up on the bottom of it. The Indian woman kept slipping from the boat, and every time she did this Isadore would put her back. Finally he got tired out, and she drowned. Soon after this, he gave up and let go of the boat. Lathrop left the boat and started for the shore. He swam until he was completely tired out, and gave up the [35] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA fight for his life. When he stopped swimming, he went down a little ways and then struck bottom. He then stood up and found that the water was only waist deep. The lake was very low at that time, and probably he had swum half a mile where he might have waded. The others stuck to the boat, and finally it drifted ashore near the mouth of the Big Slough. A few days afterwards Eppstein and two others rode entirely around the lake looking for the bodies of Isadore and. his wife, but they were never found. Of course different stories are told about this. Thos. B. Doyle says he has the following from good authority: There were seven persons in the boat — their names were given — and the boat was made out of the trunk of a tree. (Others tell this, too.) They started out on the lake near the Ebenezer Smith place. Perhaps William Goose was one of the men with Eppstein, and it took them a day and a night to ride around the lake. F. and S. say: "The first entry of any nature whatsoever made upon the civil records of the territory of Nataqua was in the matter of the estate of Isadore Meyerwitz, who had been drowned in Honey lake." The following quotations are from F. and S., and are from Roop 's record of public meetings, etc. : "Estate of Isadore Meyerowitz vs. Geo. Lathrop, Admr. "At a meeting held this 15th day of July, A. D. 1856, Geo. Lathrop was duly elected administrator for the Estate of Isadore Meyerowitz, Dec, and Wm. Eeed, R. J. Scott, and John W. Cushing were elected Appraisers. "Isaac Roop, Recorder.' ' The next entry is as follows: "July 27, A.D. 1856. "Isaac Roop was this day sworn in by due process as Re- corder. "Peter Lassen was this day sworn as Surveyor by Recorder. "Geo. Lathrop was this day sworn as administrator by the Recorder. "Roop, Recorder.' ' "In the appraiser's inventory of the deceased man's estate, his ranch, a section of unimproved land, was put in at $400 ; one [36] THE YEAE 1856 boat (probably the one from which he was drowned), $12.50; one set of double harness, $8.00; two spurs, $4.00; one purse with cash, $1.50; and numerous other articles, such as farm and house utensils, clothing, etc., amounting in ail to $625.75. The inventory was filed July 30, 1856." Lathrop's notice was written out on a little piece of paper, and tacked up on Roop's cabin by the side of the door. 1 'The first civil cause that came within the jurisdiction of the high tribunal, to be organized in accordance with sections 9 and 11, was the following: (For these sections see Honey Lake Politics, 1856.) "Florency Smith Be it remembered that on the 7th day of vs August, 1856, Florency Smith filed her J. B. Mankins Complaint of Forcible Entry and Detainer against J. B. Mankins before me, I. Roop, Recorder, in the words and figures as follows: 'That J. B. Mankins, on or about the 5th day of August, A. D. 1856, did willfully and knowingly take possession of a certain tract of land belonging to her, Florency Smith. The said land is fully described and boundaries defined in Record Book A page 3. And thereupon, on the same day and date, a call was made to the citizens to meet at the Roop House on the 10th day of August, 1856, and try said cause. "I. Roop, Recorder.' " "August 10, A. D. 1856. "The citizens appeared in pursuance of the above call, and on being organized into a board of arbitrators, neither of the parties appearing, it was resolved to proceed with the cause; and the proofs and allegations concerning said cause, together with the Record, being fully heard and examined by said Board (about this time the defendant J. B. Mankins appeared), and upon a consultation by said Board, the Verdict was as follows: "That the said Florency Smith recover and have restitution of the premises ; and further, that the said Florency Smith shall cause said premises to be surveyed within fifteen days from the date hereof, and that the Recorder make out a quit Deed to her for said premises, and signed by all present; and further, that if the said Florency Smith shall fail and neglect to have said premises surveyed within the time specified, then in that case [37] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA she forfeits all her right, title, and interest in and unto the same. Reed, Scott, Breed, Morehead, Hasey, Weatherlow, Gushing, Kingsbury, Ely, Grout, Devol, and Hank. "Three o'clock P. M. this tenth day of August, A. D. 1856. "Isaac Roop, Recorder." "On the 29th day of August, 1856, Isaac N. Roop, who had been acting in the capacity of recorder, appointed I. Ely and J. H. Patty his deputies, with full power to act in his stead, himself placing their appointment on record ; and soon after went to Shasta to remain until the following spring. J. H. Patty had placed but six claims on record when he was summarily ousted from his position by the following proceedings which appear on the record: "Honey Lake Valley Nov 16/56 "As it became necessary to hold an Election in this valley for the purpose of electing a Recorder pro tern to fill the vacancy of Mr I Roop until his return to the Valley or until tim vacates his office the Citizens therefore proceeds to Elect a Recorder pro tern "Wherein Win Hill Presids President "W W L Lennox Secty. * ' On Motion Mr Goodwin, Hasey & Davis was put in nomina- tion to fill the office. "they then proceeded to take the Ballot when Mr Hasey was declared unanimously Elected to fill that office. "there being no important business be four the meeting a motion of Mr Morton it was adgourned sine die. W WL Lennox Secty." ' ' The reason these proceedings were held does not fully appear ; but it may be judged that a change was desired by some for personal reasons. This thought is suggested by the fact that on the twenty-ninth of the same month W. W. L. Lennox copied verbatim the notice Roop had posted up and placed on record of the first location in the valley, and caused it to be recorded by the new official. He thus relocated, or "jumped," Roop's claim, including that portion which had been designated as a town site in section six of the laws adopted by the first assembly of the territory of Nataqua. It might have been done for other and better reasons. ' ' When Roop came back in the spring, Len- [38] THE YEAR 1856 nox told him he thought that he had left the valley for good; and that he (Lennox) might as well have the claim as any one else. He gave the claim back to Koop without making any trouble about it, and probably this was one of the best things he ever did in his life for the good of his health. ''November 23, 1856, the following power of attorney was placed on record by A. G. Hasey: 'Notice — Know all men by these Presents that I the undersigned have been and is hear by appointed to act as Agent or Substitute to represent the Claim of Mrs. L. M. Ellis. J Belcher.' " About the first of October Hines, Sylvester, and Vary, and some others, came back from Humboldt with the cattle they had obtained by trading with the emigrants. They camped on the river two or three miles below Roop's; and stayed long enough to build some corrals and brand the cattle, which they turned out and left here. Sylvester and A. D. Morton, who had come in with them from the Humboldt, each took a claim as before related. Hines went to Shasta and wintered there, and Morton went to Quincy. Sylvester stayed in the valley with Morehead, who had a cabin a couple of miles up the lake from where Milf ord now stands. "Weatherlow stayed that winter down on the lake with E. Smith, or had a cabin near his place. Some time during the winter a big wind-storm came on; and that night a large pine tree blew down across the corner of his cabin, pinning him down to his bed. If it had not fallen across the chimney, he would have been instantly killed. Smith was not at home, so his wife started out for help, and struck out for a cabin near the edge of the timber at the western corner of the lake. The wind was against her, and it almost blew her into the lake ; but she finally reached the cabin, and some men went down and sawed off the tree and got Weatherlow out. This accident laid him up for some time. Early in the year Hasey, Elliott, Shores, and others claimed two miles square on Gold Run, the southwest corner of the tract being about 600 yards south of west of where the Richmond schoolhouse now stands. During the summer the land was traded around, and finally L. C. McMurtre bought in; and then the whole tract belonged to him, Hasey, and Elliott. Just before Christmas they put up a log cabin near the spring at Richmond. During the year 1856, all the good land from the mouth of [39] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Willow creek to the head of the valley, from Milford around the foot of the mountain to Gold Run, and down that stream had been taken up, some of it three or four times. Claims on over 36000 acres of land had been recorded, and a good many claims were never put on record. According to the Register kept at the Roop House that year, after August 19th 278 men, 69 women, 89 children, 323 horses, 22 mules, 4515 cattle, 3700 sheep, and 88 wagons passed through the valley going west. Probably a good many went through before that time. None of them stopped here, they were going to the mines. The most of them went on to the Sacramento valley, and then turned and came back into the mountains. At the end of the year, Lassen, Roop, and Weatherlow each had a cabin ; the last named being across the street from Roop, and not far from Main street. E. Smith had one near some springs at the edge of the bluff about a mile and a half south of Roop, and one at his place on the lake. R. J. Scott had one at Milford, Morehead one a couple of miles further up the lake, and there was one close to the edge of the timber at the west end of the lake. There was the cabin at Richmond, the miners may have had some "shacks" in the hills, and of course there may have been one or two that the writer failed to hear about, though Hines knew what was in the valley late that fall. All the settlers whose names are given in 1856 came in here that year, unless they were mentioned before that time. The Roop House Register For several years the Roop House (Roop's cabin) was the only station on the emigrant road in the valley. Even when there were settlers down along the river, it was the most important place on the road; and the emigrants made it a stopping place for a time. For some years a register was kept here, and in it almost everything that took place was jotted down. It was a sort of diary, and it seems as though any one wrote whatever he pleased in it. In after years the book fell into the hands of those who used it for a scrap-book, and newspaper clippings were pasted over the most of it. A small part of the book, the record for the latter part of 1856 and the first part of 1857, had nothing pasted in it, and the most of what was written there is given here. It tells something of the life led by the few men around the [40] THE YEAR 1856 station, and of the efforts made to induce some of the passing emigrants to settle here. It is quoted just as written. The date of the first extract could not be seen, but probably it was August 17, 1856. "Kellog Orton & Heep started out Hill says he has got ten thousand potatoes Clay says money there is liquor money coming ! Cap getting Diner Lassen highly interested with Old Stephe Morehead & Eoop in close conversation about Town lots Hill Gon to Sleep Losson Gon don to Meet the Emegrant Devol Went Down to meet the Girles and got throod and came Back and sent Breed Eoops House Monday 18 1856 Charley started to go Down Without any Legins and Could not make the Rifle Angus 1856 Monday the 18 1856 Dane Last Night Roop Went out and asked the Girles in the house and there Was thirteen Girles Tuesday 19 Woods & Longs Train 20 men 3 women 1 child 15 horses & mules 420 cattle 5 wagons Mitchum & Co Train 18 Men 1 Woman 2 Jacks 26 Horses & Mules 270 cattle 3 Wagons A T Smith Train Au 19th 56 Big Meadows 130 Cattle 8 horses & mules 16 men 5 Women 7 children 5 Wagons Geo W Beers from Grand Rapids Kent Co Michigan formerly of New York City Aug 19 1856 Thos. J Bowling, Fort Royal Va I Was Frying Meat and A Sage Rooster Darned Hot They Benches was crowded with Girls Roop was Fixing Some plan to stop them in this Valley Tes and Cap Charley Devol and the Balance of the Boys could not say one Word to them nohow (Sugar no go) Roop House Thursday 21 Barnes Train 1 Waggon 20 Cattle 6 horses 1 Woman 3 children 4 men Elliott Train 10 Men 280 Cattle 12 Horses & Mules 1 Jack 1 Jenny 1 Waggon Friday 22nd R. H. Stuart Some for the Gall that Dresses Neat and Some For the Gall that Kisses Sweet I Tomkins r 4i i HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA August 1856 Lassen & Hill Returned from Working on Emegrant Road Breeds pack Train Came in Weatherlow. Grout. Sailing & Devol leaves for the Humboldt River or in that vacinity Girls very scarce non coming of any amount I should like to mary if I could find Some hansome young Ladie Just suited to my mind 1 should like to mary I know I could fancy Say, Susan. Betty. Katey. Louisa or Nancy It is not good for a man to be a lone Vereley. Vereley. I say unto you take unto yourself a wife that your days may be long in the land that the Lord thy God gave unto you for how can a man live to a good old age if he obey not this commandment. August 21st 1856 J. W. Johnson passed here to-day en rout for * ' Sweet Amer- ica" via the "big meadows" ''Deer Creek" and Lassen's peak. Family all 0. K. John Smith, Thomas Brown et al are just behind with large kid- neys and extensive ab-do- mens Regester August 1856 M Carter & Abbott arived Black smith Tools Damned high Old Iron. Wagon tire. &c. Scarce Arkansas Fools With Black smith Tools Crossed the Plains Without any Brains Stoped here for a day Then went their way Aug 25 Mr Long from Arkansas left here this morning for the "big Meadows" with his wife and two daughters. Why in 1 ' Gods Name ' ' cant some of the women stop here ? Johnson Patty Turned Black smith shoeing all day (Abbott & Carter Leaves) Roop House Thursday 28th Major A. T. Smith leaves here this day for the Meadows on the other side of the Mountain. Would advise my friend Bryant. Winfield to remain at this Point for a few days and recruit his Stock and enquire for me — Mr Roop can tell you if you have any Horse Shoe Nails let. Mr Roop have enough to Shoe his damn Old Horse Smith The Fool Killers Have Left Honey Lake Valley This Day . [42] • THE YEAE 1856 August, 1856 very late when I got up to mad to rise early. Patty Leaves early for the Camp Eoop House Augs 29 1856 Messr Jenkins & Dobbins arrive from Shasta Roop, Jenkins & Dobbins leaves for Shasta Roop House Sunday Aug 31st Another Sabbath has passed on the swift pinions of Time, and we are one week nearer eternity. A few years more and we shall have passed smoothly down the stream of Life and paid the debt of nature. How different then will this far famed Elysian valley appear ! What great and stupendous changes will have taken place! Where now stands Lassen's log Cabin, a modern pig sty will have been erected and round that sage covered Ranch will be a rail-worm fence, composed chiefly of piles of brush Who among this generation will be able to recognize this valley ? Echo answers ' ' nary bugger ' ' Brown September 2 1856 4 foot men this for Big Medders Sept 5 Roop House Honey Lake Valley Cap Sailing Devol Grout left Smoke Creek on Tuesday got out nine miles from mud Creek took Johnsons Cutt off Trav- eled 75 miles on it took to the blufs 4 miles to Willow Creek Cap left to take another look at the buggy Sept 6 Ely, John, Charley & sailing all left for Red Bluffs, by way of the Big Medders Sept 4 1856 a Dace Givn by the sitions of Honey Lek Valley at Roops Hous. 9 Ladys in attendence all enjoyed themselves finely 9 Prepperation for a danc. and a sad Disapointment. no lady could be find. after a hard search som wer found but ingaged so they could not com Men all Got the Slipper Roop House Sept 15th 1856 Messrs Rogers & Scimpshir left here this morning for some better country where Girls are more in demand — very sorry to see them leave but am somewhat comforted by the assurance that I have done all I could for them. Where is Roop? Poor Ike, he is losing deal. Sept 15 5 men from over the Mountain Prospecting for Ranshes. Patty is sick with the year ake [43] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 18 Kingsbury left— Flat 19 Brown's Train 1 M|an 1 "Woman 27 Children 4 Steers 1 Cow Roops House Sept 22 Sept 22 The great and unterified Vigalenee Committee once more in Session ! ! Business of all kinds is suspended and the greatest excitement prevails, causing the whole earth to shake from center to circumference ! The highest Hill is to be visited and wo ! wo ! to the unfortunate sinner who falls into the hands of this never- to-be- forgotten and much feared Committee. Being men who have had much experience in such matters having immigrated mostly from that great receptacle of all horse-thieves and cut-throats Carson Valley, they will not fail to inflict sum- mary punishment on all offenders Johnson Roops House Sept 27 1856 Buc skin Leavs for American Valley Roops House Sept 30, 1856. In bygone days and ere this land of golden dreams was known Ere men from every clime and strand had sought it for their home. A stranger came and in these wilds did make himself a ranch This valley claimed for many miles and likewise all the branch. One day the stranger sought the brook and sunk a hole I'm told From which some particles he took which proved to be pure gold Then came a rush and every man from all adjoining stations Did seek this place with pick and pan provided with their rations Then Carson valley grew quite sick and certainly did vomit And forth she sent in time quite quick some fellows who were "on it." To be Continued J. W. Brown. Roop House Octo 9th C. C. "Walden Tehama Sylvester Shasta Fred Hines Shasta Ladue Vary Trinity F. Batchellor alias Piccayune A. D. Morton 2 Wagons 1 Indian 3 dogs 50 head Cattle 15 horses 1 mule Nary woman [44] THE YEAR 1856 Roop's Ranch Oct 14, 1856. Honey Lake Valley about "gone in", Whiskey just "gin Eaut" Walden leaves tomorrow for Tehama in Company with Vary, Pick & H only % Gal of Gin to carry them over the mountain "Halo" Chamuc Buckskin going over the mountain for "Whiskey Roop's Ranch Oct 24th 1856 The last train from Pike County has just Arrived. A. D. Morton Left the Humboldt Sept 28 Arrived in the valley Oct 10 1 man 1 Hors 2 Catle women Children" The "Roop House Register" says that Wood & Long's train reached there Aug. 19th. This train came from Arkansas under the leadership of General Allen Wood, a veteran of the Mexican War. He and Wm. B. Long, his son-in-law, had been partners for several years, but Long came to California first. W. B. Long, Thos. N. Long, and John Clemmens went from Humbug valley to meet the train on the Humboldt river. A few days before this train reached Roop's, a couple of men went from there out to- ward Big Meadows, and cut out the brush at the places where creeks were crossed. When the train left Roop's, Cap. Hill and Lassen went with them on horseback as far as Clear creek. This was the first emigrant train, or any heavy wagons, to go from Honey lake to Humbug valley; but there was a trail, and light wagons had gone over it. There was a road from Humbug to Oroville. A. L. Harper crossed the plains with this train. T. N. Long says that when the train got to Roop's, there were two or three board shanties there, besides the cabin; and twelve or fifteen men around the place. Two men not previously mentioned, Asa Adams and Henry Talbert, came into the valley this year. Of those who came into the valley before 1857 I. N. Roop, Weatherlow, Wilcox, Meyerwitz, Lynch, Lassen, Lawrence, Nai- leigh, Eppstein, Nixon, Lanigar, Sylvester, and Hines virtually lived here the rest of their lives and died here. L. N. Breed lived here about thirty years, and sold goods most of the time. Hines held the offices of Supervisor and Sheriff, and for several years before his death was President of the Bank of Lassen County. Vary, Thompson, Asa Adams, Storff, Hasey, McMurtry, El- liott, Lathrop, Crawford, Haviland, and Tutt lived here from eight to eighteen years. [45] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Honey Lake Politics. 1856 It has been told that early in 1856 settlers came into the valley and began to take up land. It was not long before they saw there must be some rules, or laws, made in regard to taking land, so they might get along without trouble. They also saw the necessity of establishing some sort of government. As to location, they did not know just * * where they were at. ' ' The valley was so near the line between Utah and California that it seemed a hard matter to decide which one they were in. Probably they knew that the 120th degree of west longitude was the eastern boundary of California in this locality, and that the line crossed lake Tahoe near its center; but they took no pains to find out whether they were east or west of that line. A very small part of the trouble and expense this question caused them and Plumas county in the years that followed, would have made a rough survey of the line from lake Tahoe to this valley, and settled it for all time to come. But neither they nor the Plumas county authorities seem to have thought about this. Probably the Never Sweats didn't think, or care, much about it. They guessed they were too far east to be in California, and they didn't want to be in that state anyway. They were east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and for several months in the year were practically shut off from intercourse with the people of California; and they believed they had nothing in common with them. So they decided to create a new territory east of the mountains, and have a government of their own; and have it where it was handy to get at. On the 26th of April, 1856, a little bunch of men met at the Roop House, organized a new territory, and drew up some laws for its government. F. & S. have the following, taken from Roop 's record : "A New Territory Formed at Honey Lake Valley. — Laws and Regulations for Its Government Adopted April 26, A. D. 1856 "Pursuant to previous notice, the citizens of Honey Lake valley met April 26, A. D. 1856, in mass convention, at the Roop House, for the purpose of forming such laws, rules, and regula- tions as are deemed necessary and advisable in view of the set- tlement of said valley. [46] THE YEAR 1856 ' ' The meeting being organized by the election of Peter Lassen to the chair, and Isaac Roop secretary, the following laws were unanimously adopted by the citizens : "Sec. 1. — Inasmach as Honey Lake valley is not within the limits of California, the same is hereby declared a new territory, and the boundaries thereof shall be as follows, viz. : Beginning at a point where the 38% degree of North Latitude crosses the East line of California; thence East to the 117 degree West Longitude ; thence North to the 42 degree North Latitude; thence running West to the 120 degree West Longitude (N. E. corner of Cali- fornia) ; thence south to the beginning; the said territory to be named Nataqua (i. e., woman). "Sec. 2. — Each actual male settler twenty-one years of age shall have the right to take up a claim of six hundred and forty acres. ' ' Sec. 3. — Any person taking up a claim shall put up a notice describing the boundaries of said claim as near as possible, and also cause the description to be placed on record. "Sec. 4. — All claims shall be surveyed within ninety days from the date of the putting up of the notice and recording, and said survey, together with the recording, shall be done in the presence of the claimant. "Sec. 5. — All claims so taken up and surveyed shall be improved or occupied by the claimant or his substitute. "Sec. 6. — All that tract of land lying between Roop's house and the timber on the West, and between the top of the bluffs on the North side of the Susan River and three hundred yards west of the Emigrant road, Roop shall cause to be laid out in a town plat, and each settler shall be entitled to one lot in said plat, provided he causes a building to be placed thereon by the first day of May, A. D. 1857. All portions of said plat not claimed and improved according to the provisions of this section shall belong to said Roop. "Sec. 7. — Any claimant shall have the privilege to settle on or improve a town lot or his claim, and that either shall be held as an improvement of his claim of six hundred and forty acres. "Sec. 8. — No person shall divert water from its original channel to the injury of any prior occupant. "Sec. 9. — All difficulties and disputes shall be settled by an arbitration composed of the citizens of the valley, and all decisions of this board shall be final. [47] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "Sec. 10. — No person shall sell, trade, or in any other manner dispose of any spirituous liquors to the Indians ; and any person or persons misusing, maltreating, robbing, or stealing from the Indians shall be considered an offender, and upon any person making a complaint in writing to the Recorder that such offense has been committed, the Recorder shall forthwith summons the citizens together, and they shall form a board of arbitrators, and after hearing all the evidence, they shall determine and assess such punishment as they may deem proper. "Sec. 11. — The Recorder shall be chairman in all such boards, and shall keep a docket of all proceedings had in said boards, said minutes to be recorded in a book. In the absence of the Recorder, a majority of said board shall elect a chairman, and majority shall decide all business of said board. "Sec. 12. — That there shall be a Surveyor and Recorder elected to hold their office until their successors are elected and qualified. "Sec. 13. — That there shall be declared a public road, as follows: beginning at the boiling springs on the North side of Honey lake, thence to run in a Westerly course on the North Bank of Susan River to the Roop House; said road to be one hundred feet wide, and named Emigrant Road. "Sec. 14. — That there be declared a public road as follows: beginning at the Roop House, and to run to the Big Meadows on the north fork of Feather river ; said road to be one hundred feet wide, and named Lassen Road. "Sec. 15. — That there be declared a public road as follows: beginning at the Roop House, and to run a westerly course to the East line of California; said road to be one hundred feet wide, and named Shasta Road. "Sec. 16. — That there be declared a public road as follows: beginning at a point on the Emigrant road three-quarters of a mile East of Roop's East line, and thence to run south to the south-east corner of Smith 's ranch ; thence southerly to the south- west corner of Hasey's ranch; said road to be eighty feet wide, and named Gold Run road. "Sec. 17. — That there be declared a public road as follows: beginning at the south-west corner of Hasey's ranch, and thence to run easterly to the south side of Honey Lake ; thence to the [48] THE YEAR 1856 Truckee Meadows; said road to be eighty feet wide, and named Honey Lake road. "Sec. 18. — That there be declared a public highway as fol- lows: beginning at the south-east corner of Meyerowitz's ranch, on Honey Lake road, and thence to run North to the Emigrant Road ; said road to be eighty feet wide, and named Central road. "Sec. 19. — That Isaac Roop was elected and qualified a Recorder, and Peter Lassen was elected and qualified a Surveyor, and each shall act in his respective office from this date. "Sec. 20. — 'That to a strict adherence to and fulfillment of the above laws and regulations, we, the undersigned, permanent settlers of Honey Lake valley, pledge ourselves and our honor, each to the other, to stand to and abide by the same, and defend them inviolate. "In testimony whereof we, the undersigned, hereunto set our hands and names this twenty-sixth day of April, A. D. 1856. Peter Lassen. Wm. Hill. Isadore Meyer owitz. L. C. McMurtre. G. W. Lathrop. E. W. Shaw. Isaac Roop. W. T. C. Elliott. Joseph Lynch. M. T. Shores. R. J. Scott. M. Mason. E. Dow. David Hescock. Paul Hulsa. A. G-. Hasey. W. S. Davis. E. Smith. John A. Strode. Marion Lawrence. ' ' I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the original. "Isaac Roop, Be'd. * ' The following was omitted by me : 1 1 On motion of Peter Lassen, it was resolved that, in order to fully promulgate these laws, the Secretary be directed to furnish the editor of the Shasta Republican with a copy of them for publication, with a request that other papers throughout the state copy. The convention then adjourned sine die. "Isaac Roop, Sec. Peter Lassen, Pres." "With this meager code of laws, and but the two officers to administer them, the new territory of Nataqua was launched upon the political sea. ' ' The new territory was a little over seven times as large as Lassen county. It was about 220 miles long and 150 miles wide. [49] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Beginning at the northeastern corner of California, it extended to about twenty-five miles south of lake Tahoe. The south line crossed the lower end of Walker lake, and the southeast corner was a little west of where Belmont, Nevada, now stands. The line on the east side ran near the present sites of Austin and Battle Mountain, Nevada, and the northeast corner was near the southwest corner of Idaho. These twenty men finished a large job in a short time, but they made a wild shot at their location. They didn't even live in the territory they had created. It was nearly thirty-five miles from their place of meeting to the western line of Nataqua, and the settlers furthest down the lake were almost twenty miles west of it. Besides that, they took in the people of Carson, Eagle, and Washoe valleys, and the other settlers in that vicinity, who at that time must have numbered at least six hundred. It is not on record that these settlers were ever notified of the fact that they had been taken into the new political division. The Never Sweats should have known, though, about the settlers along the Carson river, for some of them had come from there. Apparently they paid no attention to any of these things, but went about their business ; no doubt thinking everything was fixed up all right. Western Utah — Early Settlement and Politics In 1857 the Never Sweats joined the people of what is now western Nevada in trying to get the United States government to organize a new territory, and take them from under the Mormon rule. As the political affairs of the settlers of Honey Lake valley were for several years closely connected with those of the settlers farther south, the following brief history of western Utah, afterwards Nevada, is given in order that what took place in Honey Lake valley may be better understood. "State of the Desert" On the 18th of March, 1849, the Mormons assembled in con- vention in Salt Lake, and organized a territorial government over what they designated as the ' ' State of the Desert. ' ' The boun- daries named for this new territory included what is now Utah, Nevada, Arizona, a portion of Colorado, a slice from Oregon, and that portion of Wyoming lying south of the Wind Eiver moun- tains. It also included of what is now California San Diego and [50] THE YEAR 1856 Los Angeles counties, as far up the coast as Santa Monica. From there the line ran directly north to the ridge of the Sierra Nevada, and took in half of Kern county, a part of Tulare, all of Inyo and Mono, a part of Alpine, all of Lassen, and part of Shasta and Siskiyou. Utah Territory Organized On the 9th day of September, 1850, the day on which Cali- fornia was admitted as a state, Congress, by act, established the territory of Utah with the following boundaries: Bounded on the west by the state of California, on the north by the territory of Oregon, on the east by the summit of the Rocky mountains, and on the south by the 37th parallel of north latitude. In the Report of the "Nevada Historical Society' ' for 1907-8, R. L. Fulton says : * ' When California was made a state, the enabling act denned the eastern boundary as beginning at the point where the 35th parallel of latitude intersected the Colorado river and running thence northwest to the 120th meridian, thence north along the summits of the Sierra Nevadas to the Oregon line. But a California man, John F. Kidder, was sent to survey the state line, and when he reached the point where the line running* northwest reached the 120th meridian he found it in the middle of lake Tahoe, and instead of following the summits of the Sierras he followed the 120th meridian." Early Settlement of Western Utah In 1850 a party of Mormons from Salt Lake City started for California. They got to the Carson valley so early that they could not get over the mountains, and while staying there prospected and found gold. The news soon got over to Cali- fornia, and some miners came from there that year and went to work. Mormon Station was founded by Salt Lake Mormons, June, 1850. That fall the Mormons traded with the emigrants. Flour was $1.50 a pound, and beef 75c a pound. That fall they abandoned the place, and the Indians burned all the buildings. In Sam Davis's History of Nevada, Prof. Robert Lewers of the Nevada State University says: "In March, 1850, De Mont organ- ized a party in Salt Lake City to go to California, and upon reaching the Carson valley some of the party determined to locate there. Among them was H. S. Beatie, who built what was prob- ably the first house in Nevada. This was on the present site of [51] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Genoa, then called Mormon Station. Beatie and his partner went to California and bought supplies which they sold to the emi- grants. The Salt Lake traders returned to their home that winter. Beatie sold his house to Moore, and he transferred it to John Reese, a member of the mercantile firm of J. and E. Reese of Salt Lake City." The next spring (1851) John Reese left Salt Lake with ten wagons loaded with flour, butter, eggs, etc., intending to estab- lish a trading post somewhere east of the Sierras. He stopped first at Ragtown, a station on the Carson river down toward the lake, but shortly afterwards went to the place where the Mormon station was the year before and located there. The name of Mormon Station was kept until 1855, and then the ground was surveyed and the name changed to Genoa. Squatter Government The citizens of western Utah held a meeting at Mormon Sta- tion November 12, 1851. Two more meetings were held that year, and another one May 22, 1852. At each one of these meet- ings something was done toward framing some sort of a local government. They were under the government of the Mormon authorities, but they knew nothing about them and paid no attention to them. At these meetings they made rules for taking up land, elected some county officers, and petitioned to congress for a separate territorial government. First County Organization On the third of March, 1852, the legislature of Utah divided what is now the state of Nevada into seven counties. Juab county contained all of Storey county and the most of Washoe county. The same legislature elected judges for these counties, and George Bradley was made judge of Juab county. At that time none of these counties was organized, and for the next three years the settlers governed themselves. On March 21st, 1853, the citizens held their fifth meeting, and made some more rules about the taking of land, and changed the fees of some of the county officers. Carson County Created On the 17th of January, 1854, the territorial legislature of Utah passed an act creating the county of Carson, and authorized the governor to appoint a probate judge for it. In a couple of [52] v THE YEAK 1856 days the legislature divided Utah into three Judicial Districts. The governor appointed Orson Hyde as probate judge, and he got to the Carson valley in June, 1855. A lot of Mormons came with him. He called an election that year, and the various county offices were filled. Richard D. Sides was elected treasurer. In the report of the " Nevada Historical Society " for 1907-8, Miss Beulah Hershiser, A. B. says: "When Utah was divided into court districts Provo was the meeting place of the district that included all western Utah, and of course the Carson valley settlers would have to go clear there to attend court, and so they petitioned to the California Legislature to extend the jurisdiction of the state over the Carson valley. The California senate passed a memorial to congress in March, 1853, urging that Carson valley should be under the control of California ; because the desert was the natural boundary, and Utah was too remote. It further suggested that the eastern boundary of California be a line drawn from the intersection of the 42nd parallel and the 120th meridian to the intersection of the 35th parallel and the Colorado river. This memorial was adopted by the California senate, but not by the assembly. This caused the Mormons to organize Carson county in 1854, and a colony of Mormons was sent to put it into effect. Before Judge Hyde, whose task it was to organize the county, could proceed, he had to clear up the indefiniteness of the boundary question. In connection with an act to build a wagon road to the eastern boundary of the state in 1855, the California Surveyor General appointed Mr. Goddard to survey such portion of the state line as should fall in Carson valley. For this work Judge Hyde of Utah furnished supplies. As soon as Mr. God- dard felt convinced that Carson valley was in Utah, Judge Hyde, who had accompanied the party from Sacramento, hastened on to Mormon Station to hold court." The Mormons had been coming into the Carson valley every year; and in 1856, when the county officers were elected, all excepting one were Mormons. A good many "Gentiles" had settled in that section, too ; and as usual, there was a feeling of bitterness between them and the Mormons. The reader will notice that near the beginning of the next chapter it says that Francis Lanigar and his Wife spent the winter of 1856-57 with Peter Lassen. Since that was written it has been learned that they had four children with them — Jane, r 53 1 HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA John W., and Freeman. Jane married Frank Murphey and now lives in Surprise valley, Modoc county, California. John W. lived in this section, or not far away, until his death in 1909. Freeman has also been a resident of this section and has lived in Honey Lake valley for a good many years. The name and fate of the other child are unknown to the writer. [54] CHAPTER III 1857. SETTLEMENT Lodgings were extremely scarce in the land of the Never J Sweats during the winter of 1856-7, and not many of those who came here in 1856 stayed all winter. The following per- sons spent all, or nearly all, the winter here. R. J. Scott and Wm. Morehead stayed on their claims, and A. U. Sylvester spent part of the winter with the latter. E. Smith and his Wife and Capt. "Weatherlow stayed at Smith's place on the west side of the lake. Francis Lanigar and his Wife, Eppstein, Antone Storff , and Lynch stayed with Lassen. Hasey, McMurtry, and Elliott stayed on their claim. Dr. W. W. L. Lennox, Lathrop, Cap. Hill, and probably Gilpin and O'Laughlin stayed somewhere in the valley. E. Roop and McNaull stayed at Roop's, and I. N. Roop was there the latter part of the winter. Early in the spring men began to come into the valley from the other side of the mountains. Wiley Cornelison came here in March. He says there were thirteen men and two women in the valley at that time. Probably some of those who wintered here had gone to the lower country for a short time. The permanent settlement of the valley began this spring. Men came in then to take up land and stay here, and some of them brought their families with them. A good many of those who settled in the valley this year stayed here all the rest of their lives. The list of those who took up land in 1857 is a long one, but it is given because it will be of interest to those who know the country. It will be noticed that some men took up a good many claims of what was shortly afterwards valuable land, and soon abandoned them, or sold out for a song. In January A. D. Morton and M. W. Haviland came back, and some time during the month put up a cabin on the latter 's claim. It was on the north side of the river about a mile and a half east of Roop's east line, just about where the Jensen house now stands. This was the first cabin put up in the Toadtown (Johnstonville) country. The latter part of this month, or the first of February, Morton built a cabin on his claim. Probably he was helped by Haviland, Sylvester, Johnson Tutt, and C. C. Walden. This cabin was on the north side of the river, a little [55] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA northeast of Curlew Butte. January 2nd Stephen O'Laughlin sold his claim to Dr. Lennox, ' ' because I owe him money. ' ' Janu- ary 26th S. C. Perrin, John Teskey, and Asa Adams relocated all the land between the claims of Lathrop and Smith, previously claimed by Eeed and Cushings. Probably this was along the lake east of Eppstein. The last of the month Nicholas Clark bought E. Smith's claim on the lake for $400, and sold the east half of it to the "Know-nothing Boys" (Thos. Eaton and Ben. Ward). Mr. Clark's Wife walked over here from Elizabeth Town some time during the summer. They and their son, William H., spent the rest of their lives on this ranch, and it is still owned by their descendants. In February Gabriel Murphy located north of Manley Thomp- son on land that was afterwards partly covered by the Baxter and Bartlett ranch on Baxter creek; David P. Dexter relocated the land northeast of Scott that Whitaker had taken the year before; James Belcher relocated the claim southeast of Roop, "formily held by Florancy Smith"; Wm. Hill (Cap. Hill) gave notice that he constituted himself "substitute for Mrs. L. M. Ellis in place of James Belcher," and he also relinquished his claim east of Lassen; D. M. Munchie claimed a section west of Haviland; — Butts claimed Haviland's land, but relinquished it in about a week; N. Greenwood took a claim south of Morton; James Belcher relinquished his appointment as agent for Mrs. Ellis ; J. W. Tremer took a claim, the northwest corner of which was "a certain tree about two mile below the mound on Susan river"; J. H. Ferry, W. T. Eadwards, and Daniel Terry took three claims along the lake, location uncertain ; James F. Ray and John Meyer relocated the claim just relinquished by Hill ; R. F. Mastin, Wm. Powell, and Mrs. L. Cooper took three claims in Elysian valley, Mastin 's on the west, probably joining the land claimed by Denney and Keelty the year before, Powell east of him, and Mrs. Cooper east of Powell (Charles Cooper was with his Mother) ; John Griffin took a section just north of Belcher's last claim ; Joseph Libler claimed the ' ' water of the creek known as Camanchas Creek for farming and mining purposes" (east branch of Baxter creek) ; A. Fredonyer took a claim north of "Geo. Lathrops formerly Isadore Mayerowtz claim, situated in Honey Lake valley and state of California or Utah Territory as the case may be, ' ' but relinquished it in a few days ' ' because he [56] THE YEAR 1857 had since learned the same to be claimed and occupied by an actual settler. ' ' In a few days he took another claim along Susan river east of I. N. Roop. Some time during this month A. T., Leroy, and Cutler Arnold, and the latter 's son Henry, and Malcom and Albert Scott came into the valley, but did not stay very long. The fall before, while on a prospecting trip, L. Arnold and M. Scott came into the valley for a few days. In March Richard Thompson located a section south of Mor- ton, the center of his south line being about twenty-five rods south of the mouth of Lassen creek; Antone Storff claimed the water from Rosees creek, probably the creek three fourths of a mile northwest of Janesville; Wiley Cornelison claimed a half section northwest of Haviland; Daniel Reed made a location, place uncertain, and relinquished it in nine days; Cornelison 'located west of Haviland, but relinquished it in less than a month; Robert Hamilton, N. Clark's stepson, claimed a tract south of the land sold by Smith to Clark. William Dow, who had come from Michigan to California in 1852, and Henry Hatch came into the valley the last of March. Dow says that the Roop and Weatherlow cabins were then the only buildings where Susanville now stands. They stayed here a few days and claimed some land, and then went back to La Porte ; but in the course of a month they returned here to stay. In April Dow and Hatch claimed two sections on the north side of Susan river seven miles below Roop; Malcom S. Scott took half a section north of the land last claimed by Belcher and transferred by him to Cutler Arnold, but in eleven days Scott relinquished his claim ; Leroy N. Arnold located west of McMur- try & Co. and south of the Belcher- Arnold tract; Belcher took another claim a little northeast of Hasey & Co., but relinquished it the following July ; James Hood and Isaac Coulthurst took a tract on Susan river eight miles east of Roop's; J. T. Saum claimed Antelope valley northeast of Roop ; Daniel Reed located what was "formily knone as the Morhed claim" afterwards claimed by R. J. Lennox. This land, so Reed said, had been forfeited according to the laws of the valley, but after an arbi- tration he relinquished his claim; William C. Kingsbury and Richard F. Cahill claimed a tract east of Lanigar and Nixon and south of Hasey & Co. ; Albert A. Smith took a half section join- [57] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA ing Lassen on the north and west of Lassen creek ; W. H. Watson located down the river east of Sylvester, and in May he gave up half of his claim to Hugh S. Porter; Thomas J. Harvey took a claim in the ' ' forks of Susan river and Willow creek, ' ' but relin- quished it in July; E. P. Townsend made a location west of this; Geo. W. Williams relocated the land northwest of E. J. Scott which had been claimed by Dexter the previous November ; James R. Damrye claimed 320 acres joining R. J. Scott on the southwest; W. W. L. Lennox and Mary C, his Wife, sold the claim he bought of O'Laughlin to Lassen for $50 ; Morehead took a half section southeast of his place northwest of where Malford now stands ; John Tusky, or Tesky, claimed 160 acres northwest of Antones, probably Anthony Barla east of Murphy (see May) ; John Baxter located all the unclaimed tillable land on the creek west of Gabriel Murphy. The western part of this, which he sold to Matchelor, was afterwards the James D. Byers place; Samuel Brown took up 120 acres north of Scott, a part of the land that had been claimed by Damrye a few days before that ; F. M. Jackson made a location in the neighborhood of Scott, but didn't record it until June; T. J. Harvey also made a claim this month that he didn't put on record until July; Henry Lish claimed a section "at the foot of the lake." Some time this spring, or perhaps the fall before, Wm. Hill Naileigh (Cap. Hill), located a section joining R. J. Scott, and a little to the northeast of him. This was afterwards the L. P. Whiting ranch, now the property of the Wemple Brothers. F. & S. say that April 28th, 1857, the legislature of Cali- fornia passed an Act "To provide for the construction of a wagon road from Oroville, Butte county, to and intersecting at the most practicable point the line of the proposed National Wagon Road that has its terminus at or near Honey lake, Plumas county," and three commissioners were named to construct the road. The Act also provided for the issuing of $20,000 bonds each by the counties of Butte and Plumas, provided such measure received the indorsement of the people at the fall election. The surveys made by the government led people to believe that when a transcontinental railroad was built, it would go to Fort Read- ing ; and it was thought that if a good wagon road was built from Oroville to Honey Lake, it would be the means of turning the railroad in that direction, and making a shorter line to San Fran- [58] THE YEAE 1857 cisco. But the measure was defeated in both counties, and the project was abandoned. If this road had been built, perhaps the Central Pacific railroad would have been put through Honey Lake valley. In May Pelio Trutters claimed a tract joining Coulthurst on the southwest; Johnson P. Ford took a section east of Hasey & Co., and afterwards sold it to Asa B. Judkins and Dan. R. Cate ; Albert Scott located west and southwest of Dow and Hatch; Harry Jarder, probably Gordier, located east of Hood and Coult- hurst ; Daniel Reed made a claim on Susan river about four miles east of the mouth of Willow creek, and Eli B. Prater took the section east of him; Chas. E. Alvord claimed a half section northwest of A. A. Smith ; Anthony Barla located east of Gabriel Murphy, and James W. Duesler southwest of Cornelison ; Dan. R. Cate took a section which had for its northwest corner a certain tree about two miles below the mound on Susan river; Wm. Alford, John and Eadcene and James Beart claimed four sections northeast of Murphy and Barla; Rusel Alford located a tract east of Reed, and J. H. Ferry, W. T. Eadwards, and A. B. Norris three sections along the south side of the lake, place uncertain; "W. D. Fitts took 180 acres joining Mprehead on the east ; Kings- bury and Cahill claimed a half section east, or northeast, of A. A. Smith; L. M. Robertson and Wm. N. Crawford took the little valley southeast of Lassen, the tract first claimed by Hill ; Hugh S. Porter recorded the east half of the land claimed by W. M. Watson, and sold by him to Porter; (This was the first notice recorded by Roop since Hasey was elected Deputy Recorder.) A. Fredonyer located east of Roop, taking in both sides of the river and a water privilege ; Edward Rice took a quarter section west of the Lennox Brothers, and the same day they sold out to him, but it was not recorded until the third of July; H. Sehlke claimed a strip of land along Lassen creek between Thompson and Lassen ; C. Arnold claimed the privilege of taking water out of Susan river for the purpose of irrigating his ranch; Charles C. Walden claimed an irregular tract between Hasey, Lennox, and Thompson; E. Smith & Co. located east of Reed, "some five miles east of Willow creek and near the point where the emigrant road comes in the valley"; J. B. Hixson took a section on the south side of the river about three fourths of a mile west of where the emigrant road enters the valley ; C. Arnold claimed 160 acres [59] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA south of Florence Smith's first claim, but relinquished it in July; T. P. Kingsbury located on Smoke creek. George Lathrop and L. N. Breed sold to Reuben F. Mastin, for $150, the place in the upper end of Elysian valley that had been taken by Denney and Keeltey the previous year. In one way and another Breed had managed to get possession of this claim ; and Lathrop, who had bought or relocated Isadore's ranch, sold it to Breed, or traded it to him for part of the Elysian valley claim. Malcom Bankhead came into the valley and bought the land where Janesville now stands and that to the north of it from Thomas Mitchell. This summer he put up a building of hewn logs 20 by 30 feet, or something like that, and two stories high. This building was used by him, and others, as a hotel until 1872. Then Dennis Tanner tore it down, and put up a new building on the site of the old one. In the fall Bankhead went over to the mining town of St. Louis, and brought back his wife and four children. His Father, his brother William, two of his nephews, and Ralph Niesham also came with him. About this time Robert J. Scott, who had built a shanty and raised a few vegetables, sold out to Lassen ; and he built a cabin near what is now the upper part of the town of Milford. Some time this spring Peter Lassen, the Nataqua Surveyor, ran a base line from near the site of the Johnstonville gristmill to the bluffs near Susanville. It ran just north of Curlew Butte. Mention has been made of the fact that Roop began to record land claims again this month. After this he acted as Recorder the most of the time as long as any squatter filings were made in the valley. In June F. M. Jackson recorded his claim, which lay south- east of Goodwin and not far from Cap. Hill; Charles E. Tomp- kins, James Hunter, and Thomas Llewelen took the land along Baxter creek between the claims of Libler and Storff; Squire Lewis Stark and James P. Sharp bought Commanche George's claim on the east branch of Baxter creek, and relocated it ; Thos. Calloway took the northeast quarter of a section of land claimed by Dr. Fredonyer; — Johnson claimed half a section north of Haviland; Emory Scott located west of Daniel Reed; C. Arnold bought from Roop the privilege of taking water through his ranch; Dow and Hatch sold, probably to W. J. Tutt, the claim [60] THE YEAR 1857 they took in April, for a cow and a calf; Edwin R. Scott took a section joining the claim of Dow and Hatch, located in April; William Powell sold an undivided one half of a tract of 1200 acres in the eastern part of Elysian valley to H. A. and D. I. Willmans and A. D. McDonald. This spring John H. and A. Clark Neale came into the valley with cattle; and they and Dow and Hatch bought out Richard Thompson, the Neales taking the south half of the claim. Early in the month Cutler Arnold, with the help of his neigh- bors, put up a log building, perhaps 25 by 30 feet and a story and a half high, on the northeast corner of Main and Union streets. This was the first hotel in ' ' Rooptown, ' ' and for two or three years it was the only one. It is said that Arnold also kept a stock of general merchandise for sale in it. It was used as a hotel for some time, and after that was used for various purposes. For several years before it was destroyed, it was occupied by the Chinese, and was known as the "old China house." It was burned in the fire of September 23, 1882. This fire burned all the buildings on the south side of Main street between Lassen and Union streets. The log house was the only building burned on the north side of the street. F. & S. have the following, which will bear repeating : ' ' For two years this was the only place where meals were served to the public, for which the moderate price of seventy-five cents each was charged. The proprietor also pro- vided a few beds in the loft, to reach which required a little climbing. This portion of the establishment was not patronized as extensively as the table, for few men traveled in those days and in such localities without their blankets, and all they required in bad weather was the floor of some saloon or store to spread them on ; while on fair nights, the ground for a couch, and the stars for a roof, were all they felt the necessity of. Thus pre- pared, the weary traveler composed himself to sleep, soothed by the soft voice of the coyote, and the sweet lullaby of the night- owl, while various insects indulged in explorations about his person, and creaked forth their comments to their companions. With such surroundings no one could 'court the balmy' without success." Lodgers in Susan ville hotels can still have the coyote serenade. In July R. J. and W. W. L. Lennox recorded the sale of their claim south of Haviland to Edward Rice ; Jessey Gipson recorded a [61] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA notice to the effect that he had "jumped" the Crothers claim which joined Coulthurst on the west; U. J. Tutt relocated the second sec- tion claimed by Dow and Hatch in April, but he relinquished it in January, 1859 ; Cap. Hill took the land northeast of Hasey & Co. that Belcher claimed in April and relinquished when Hill claimed it'; the little valley between Lassen and the west branch of Baxter creek was again claimed — this time by James Greshly; Thos. J. Calloway and Robert Farish located two sections in Long valley, probably at the lower end of it, but held them only nine days ; in a few days Calloway took a half section in the same valley and a man named Smith located near him, but perhaps no one ever lived on these Long valley claims at that time; Antelope valley was taken by Samuel V. Conner and Jarvis Taylor ; J. P. Ray recorded notice of a claim made by him in June — it was on 200 acres of land between C. Arnold and Hasey & Co. ; Tutt and Walden again located the east section claimed by Dow and Hatch in April ; Wm. Wickhan took a half section northeast of W. H. Watson ; Thomas Johnson claimed 300 acres between Arnold and Hasey & Co., perhaps the land taken by Ray in June ; Arnold relinquished the land he took in May, and claimed the land taken by Florence Smith in April, 1856, and afterwards by Belcher ; M. S. Scott re- linquished the claim he took in April, and located another one which included the land just abandoned by Arnold; Edwin R. Scott relocated the west section claimed by Dow and Hatch in April, but relinquished it in September ; William Bankhead & Co. claimed the vacant land along the Baxter creek between Storff and Baxter & Co. ; Thomas J. Harvey recorded the claim he took in April, this being between Libler and the land taken first by Com- manche George. A part of his notice was as follows : ' * I put up my notice in April and planted my garding and would of had it recorded but had heard it often said that Mr Hasey was not a valied recorder "; Calloway took a quarter section which had the Upper Hot spring in the center of it ; Emory Scott relinquished the land he claimed in June ; W. H. Watson relocated the land east of Sylvester that he had taken the previous April ; William Eaton, F. W. Butler and W. M. Brown claimed the east half of Morton's section and the west half of Sylvester's, stating in their notice that the land had been purchased from Morton and Syl- vester by H. G. 0. Drake, A. G. Baker, H. Burlingham, and Z. N. Spalding, but they relinquished it in three days ; Thomas Johnson [62] THE YEAE 1857 and Robert Ferriss relocated the east half of the section claimed by Sylvester in December, 1856, claiming that according to the laws of the valley, it had been forfeited for several months pre- vious to this ; Milton Craig claimed 40 acres in the corner between Haviland and Cornelison ; Burlingham, Drake, Spalding, and Baker recorded notice of claim on the section they had bought of Morton and Sylvester ; Craig claimed 40 acres close to the bluffs, and about a mile south of Roop; Dow & Hatch and the Neale Brothers recorded a claim of 900 acres of land, the most of it being what they bought from Richard Thompson; Daniel Reed filed in Quincy on 160 acres of land in this valley, location uncer- tain ; Thomas Watson bought from Hasey, McMurtry and Elliott the southeast section of land claimed by them, and lived on it the rest of his life. On the eleventh of this month Roop, McNaull & Co. raised the frame of the first sawmill in the valley. It was built just below where the Susan river canyon first becomes nar- row and deep, going up the stream. It was a water power mill, and at first had an up-and-down saw, In August Sylvester located a half section east of Dow & Hatch and the Neales; the little valley between Lassen and the west branch of Baxter creek was claimed by Amos Conkey and James Williams, his brother-in-law, this being the fourth time it had been taken up since Cap. Hill located it in May, 1856. Shortly after this Sylvanus and Betsey Conkey, the Father and Mother of Amos, came from Sierra county onto the place with their family. Williams lived there more than twenty years, Amos almost thirty years, and his Mother still longer. L. M. Ellis claimed a mill privilege "at the foot of the mountain on the stream running through Scott's and Hill's ranches"; Gabriel Murphy filed at Quincy on 160 acres of land in this valley, location uncertain. Dr. Zetus N. Spalding and Wife came into the valley about the first of the month. They lived here the rest of their lives, and the most of the time he was one of the prominent men of the county. William C. Kingsbury brought in his Wife and two boys, Frank and Fred. They came on horseback, each one carry- ing a child. He soon went into partnership with Lassen. In September Emory Scott relocated the section originally taken by Dow and Hatch, and which had been relinquished by Edwin R. Scott in July; Reuben F. Mastin recorded a claim of 300 acres in the west end of Elysian valley, and also a water priv- [63] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ilege. This was the land he bought of Breed and Lathrop in May; Thomas Bear relocated that part of Fredonyer's claim which lay between the bluffs and the river. He put up a cabin on the south side of the road and a little east of Pah Ute creek. Mary Jane Duvall crossed the plains, and reached this valley August 13th. September 23d she was married to Isaac Coul- thurst. This was the first couple married in the valley. They have lived here ever since. September 28th Emma Lanigar, daughter of Francis Lanigar, was born on Gold Kun southwest of Richmond. This was the first white child born in the valley. She married a man named Andy Frazieur and now lives in Ore- gon. In October W. H. "Watson relinquished 40 acres of his claim, and took 40 acres northeast of Morton ; Dr. John A. Slater relin- quished 40 acres of his claim about three fourths of a mile north- west of Bankhead's house, and took another 40 acres in place of it j Dow, Hatch & Co. claimed all the waters of a stream four miles below Lassen's; R. L. Bryant relocated the section south- west of Dow and Hatch's old claim that Albert Scott had taken in May ; Robert Steen claimed half of the Antelope valley ranch because it had been forfeited, he said; Edward Rice and John Neiswender relocated the northeast section of the four square miles once claimed by Hasey, McMurtry, and Elliott. In November Anton Storff located north of Conkey's ranch; McNaull claimed a strip of land a mile wide and two miles long, having the river for its center, and extending up the river from Roop, McNaull & (Vs. "Mill Damn." He also claimed the waters of the river and its tributaries ; James Shores, or Shares, took a half section east of Wickhan, who was east of W. H. Wat- son; William Powell sold D. I. Wilmans the other undivided one half of the tract he sold to the Wilmans Bros, and McDonald in June ; R. F. Mastin sold Richard D. and Stephen Bass his claim in the upper end of Elysian valley. R. D. Bass lived here the rest of his life. In December F. M. Rinard bought a half section north of Roop and Fredonyer from Weikel, and recorded his claim ; Dr. Slater located 620 acres west of Bankhead and Asa Adams, and extend- ing from the timber north across the valley to the Bald hills north of Baxter creek. Dr. Slater crossed the plains this year, and came into the valley with his Wife and a child or two. He was [64] THE YEAE 1857 a prominent man until his death. Robert Rushing claimed 80 acres joining Slater on the southwest, and 80 acres along the creek above Slater ; A. B. Riffle took a claim east of James Shores ; Neale Bros, claimed 800 acres on the south side of the river east of the location made by them and Dow and Hatch in July ; Par- chiel (Zack) Taylor took a claim lying on both sides of the river between Willow creek and the ranch of W. H. Watson. It is probable that some time during this year William F. Raker and William Goose settled about three miles northwest of where Mil- ford now stands. It is claimed that they did, and Ross Lewers says that in 1858 the place looked as though they had been there some time. This year " Whitehead ' ' Ross bought E. Smith's claim in Long valley. A man named Kearns and his partner, friends of Ross, also came in there, took some land, and built a cabin about a mile and three quarters east of him. Ross was a somewhat noted character. He came from Tennessee, and dur- ing the Civil War he went back there and enlisted in the Southern army and was wounded. After the war he came to Austin, Ne- vada, and died there. Orlando Streshly, for many years a prom- inent man in this county, came into the valley and bought out A. G. Hasey at Richmond. His land lay west of that bought by Thomas Watson. The latter part of June Cutler Arnold went over into the mountains, and brought his family, which consisted of his Wife, two sons, Henry and Rolla, and four smaller chil- dren, to Honey Lake valley. They all came on horseback, and the trail was so bad that A. T. Arnold had to come along to help them over it. James P. Sharp bought a part of the Commanche George ranch, and became a partner of Squire Stark. With Stark 's boy, John, he came to the valley to live on the place, and Richard and Stephen Bass spent the winter with them. De- cember 23d, 1857, there was recorded in Plumas county a deed from Lewis Stark and Wife to Elizabeth A. Sharp, and the fol- lowing is the description of the land given in it: "A certain Ranch, piece or parcel of land, situated in Honey Lake valley, county of Plumas and state of California, known as the Co- manche George Ranch, and bounded as follows, to wit: On the South by the Ranch of D. I. Wilmans & Co., on the Northwest by a Ranch owned by Dutch Joe, on the east by the Ranch owned by Dr. Slater. On the Northeast by a line commencing at a stake near a creek known as the Irishmans creek and running in [65] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA a Southeast direction one mile to a lone pine tree on the South bank of Irishmans creek supposed to contain 640 acres of land. ' ' Isn't that a plain description? This fall Fullbright & Crawford, who had just crossed the plains, came into the valley with 600 head of long-horned Texas cattle, and located a tract of land about a mile and a quarter southeast of the present site of Milford. Charles and Abijah Adams brought in another large band of cattle from the States, and claimed a large tract of land about seventeen miles down the river from Roop 's, in what is now called ' ' The Tules. ' ' This place is now known as the ' ' Byers Ranch. ' ' John Baxter located a piece of land about three quarters of a mile southeast of Bankhead's house, and built a cabin near a spring at the foot of the hill. Harry G-ordier took a claim on Baxter creek south of the east end of the Bald mountain — the ranch after- wards owned by Thomas Mulroney. Joseph Todd took up the place east of Sylvester. The winter of 1857-8 Ladue Vary planted some peach stones, or set out some small trees, in the northeast- ern part of Rooptown. This was the first time anything of this kind had been done in the valley. Peter Lassen had a blacksmith forge in front of his cabin, but he worked only for himself. Roop put up a blacksmith shop at the sawmill, and did custom work. J. H. Ferry was his black- smith. In December, 1857, Hines and Tutt went out to Rabbit Hole springs, thirty miles west of the Humboldt river, with two ox teams, four yoke of cattle to the team. They each got a full load of iron from the wagons that the emigrants had burned there because their stock had given out. They hauled it to the valley and sold it to Roop — $1500 worth, and paid $30 a thou- sand for the lumber they took for it. This summer Dow and Hatch put up the first board house ever built in the valley. It was built of lumber which they whip- sawed, and was sixteen by twenty-four feet, and ten feet high at the corners. That fall they put on twelve feet more in length. It stood just east of the Curlew Butte. That winter Dow and Hatch, Dr. Spalding and Wife, her brother, Thomas Brown, her sister, Fanny Brown, afterwards Mrs. A. C. Neale, and "Whiskey" Smith lived in it. This building was used for a dwelling house until 1898, and burned down in the fall of 1911. In June Dow and Hatch brought the first stove into the valley. They brought it from La Porte on the back of a mule. [66] THE YEAR 1857 This fall Jonathan Scott brought in a pack train load of gen- eral merchandise and put it into the Roop cabin. This was the first regular store in the valley. This year James Jones crossed the plains with his family and settled in Honey Lake valley. He had three children, one of whom afterwards married Stephen White. These children are all dead. For some time after his arrival Mr. Jones lived at the Manley Thompson place, and another daughter was born here on November 10th, 1857. She was named Sarah Margaret, and was the second child born in the county. In 1875 she married George H. St. Clair, who died in 1902. Mrs. St. Clair now lives in Alameda, California. In 1860 a son, James H., was born in the valley, and he is still living. Names of people not previously mentioned who settled in the valley in 1857. N. B. An asterisk before a person's name indi- cates that he may have settled here the previous year. Thomas McMurtry, *David Lowry, James Conkey, "Big" John Chapman, Alec. Chapman, James Jones and Family, Field- ing Long, Joseph A. Knettles, Frank Johnson, — Mullen, — Snow, M. C. Lake, John R. Morrow, Wm. V. Kingsbury, John E. Fuller, John Weikel, Salmon Belden, David Blanchard, Dolphin Inman, Anthony Gray, Mrs. Johnson P. Ford, Mrs. Fullbright, R. Hewitt and Wife, and George Purcell. Of those who settled here in 1857 Cornelison, Hatch, Sharp, R. Thompson, Zack Taylor, R. D. Bass, Craig, Raker, Jones, Syl- venus and James Conkey, and Mrs. W. C. Kingsbury lived here the rest of their lives and died here. Leroy Arnold, W. C. Kingsbury, Streshly, A. A. Smith, Bax- ter, Lowry, Amos Conkey and his Mother, and Dow lived nearly all the rest of their lives in the county. The Wilmans Bros., Neale Bros., Cutler Arnold, Edward Rice, Squire Stark, S. Bass, Robert Hamilton, J. P. Ford, the Jones Family, and Thomas Brown lived in the county from ten to twenty years. Gray lived here six or seven years. Dow lived in the county over fifty years, and was a well known and prominent man. He is now a resident of Pacific Grove, California. Cornelison had a store at first, then a blacksmith shop, and for more than thirty years he ran a sawmill. Kings- bury was county Assessor. Streshly was Assessor and Sheriff. Smith was Surveyor, District Attorney, and County Judge. [67] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA Squire Stark was Justice of the Peace in Plumas county and this county for many years. Roop House Register. 1 ' List of Arrivals 1857 H. B. Ray Rabbit Creek 1st 1857 Henry Arnold Do Do April 3d 1857 stiles Train 650 cattle 306 horses and mules 119 men 1 woman 1 child 17 hands 3 wagons No of fools 201 To Roop You may perchance when time and age Have furrowed deep your wrinkled brow Turned back and thought upon this page Of some harsh thoughts or big bow bow It may be too these dim lines (Unworthy for a thought they be) Will quicken still as life declines Some friendly pulse to tell of me Then let this simple record pass For Oh I would not be forgot By good old ' ' chums ' ' who glass to glass Hath with me pledged this lovely spot May 28, 1867. (Name looked like "Sebrach" May 29. 57 Honey Lake is now the center of attraction Men are pouring in daily and the prospects are nattering that in a few years it will be some May 30 Hill and Hasey came to the Roop House Hill got slitly nebriated and Hasey is him self again Ho. Is. he say Roop House June 5 1857 June 3d Orevill Deligation In with the first Coach ever in the Valley W. A. Gamble Alex Brown S MlcDermutt H B Hunt Thos Calloway Charles J Brown Report the Road from Orevill to Honey Lake Valley Excellent 4th The Commissioners from Marysville Arive by Way of American Valley Indian Valley — Came down over a low pass Snow 10 feet Deep 7 Orovill Coach leaves at 10 o clock P. M. all O. K. A. Salute fired. Legets Train for the states 20 Men 240 Horses Roop House June 5 1857 Camped opposite the house 18 men Two Women Three Chil- dren bound for the States with 38 Horses one Wagon Two of [68 1 THE YEAR 1857 the hombres Satisfied Geo Taylor & Wm Eaton that they were To heavy on the Whiskey Game June 9th 1857 the Neighbors Gathered Togather & raised Cut Arnolds House got Drunk & retired Messrs Gilpen & Weatherlow excepted June 10th 1857 Messrs Gilpen & Wetherlow returned after a long and tedious Jouny of Five day by leaving their goods & Wares on the road to be devoured by the Gigantic Coyota after their arrival they make arrangements to start over the Moun- tains, Mr Wm Eaton to go & help fetch goods & Wares in June the 12th 1857 Taylor went hunting returned and reported to have shot an antelope but could not get it. Roop started with a fishing pole to assist in getting the crippled game it is believed that the fish and antelope will suffer June 13th 1857 Taylor Hill and H. B. Ray went to Smok Creek after Iron and when there they got they found they wer to lat the Iron was all gon But they made a rais some where of a tire and Chains For the States 16th Thomas. S. Bradford Alpheus Hunter C. C. Boundy Geo H. Brown for Pike For. God's. Country By — Bought a Knife and Gun for knife. — for the Gun $10 for the staits or some other sea Port or rather June 25 1857 Cut Arnold and family arrived to-day all well June 21st 1857 Arrived in Town Seven men from St Louis on a prospecting tour Sir Roop with his Troup Came down from the Mill Camp, to clean out the Town left Satisfied that it was a heavy Job Fish do not bite yet Roops, House Three men from Humbug Valy they intend to come back Shortly to settle there names dont know there names I think the men are Humbug if they come back a Gain to Honey Lake vally Roop House June 18 1857 Camped above the house eleven men 19 Horses from Yreka & Oregon bound for the White Settlements [69] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA June 20th 1857 It has been as cold as hell for the last fortnight no frost July 1st— 2— 3 & 4th Kained every day some days more Roop House Honey Lake Valley July 11 '57 Roop raised Mill today, Bob Sick" There was one more entry that had nothing pasted over it. It was dated July 20th, but it was so indistinct that it could not be read. The remainder of the book was a record of the trains that passed the Roop House in 1857. The record of the second train was ''Second Train Crawford & fullBrite 600 head of cattle & 4 Wagons 15 Men 4 Women 4 Children ' ' According to the Roop House Register there came through the valley from August 2, 1857 to October 4, 1857 ninety -nine trains, or parties, with 306 wagons and carriages, 665 horses and mules, and 16937 head of cattle. There were 835 men, 254 women, and 390 children. Two or three large bands of cattle and a few of the emigrants stopped in the valley. The rest of them went on over the mountains. They were looking for gold. Western Utah Politics. 1857 In 1856 an armed mob of Mormons had driven the United States District Judge from the bench in eastern Utah, and he left the territory. The relations between the Mormons and the United States government became hostile. Where the Mormons had the power (which was not the case in Carson county) murders were frequent, and a reign of terror was begun. What was virtually a rebellion caused President Buchanan to send General A. Sidney Johnston with a small army to Salt Lake in 1857 to re-establish the authority of the government. Brigham Young ordered all the Mormons living outside of eastern Utah to return at once, and help defend the ' ' City of Saints ' ' against what he called an armed mob. On the 14th day of January, 1857, the legislature of Utah enacted the following law: "Said county (Carson) is allowed to retain its present organization so far as county recorder, sur- veyor, precincts and precinct officers are concerned, and may con- tinue to elect these officers in accordance with existing arrange- ments and laws until further directed by Great Salt Lake County court, or legislative enactment. Section 5 — The record books, [70] THE YEAB 1857 papers and blanks, and seals, both of probate and county courts, shall be delivered over to the order of the probate court of Great Salt Lake county. ' ' April 13th the county court, with Chester Loveland for judge, adjourned until the first Monday in the following June ; but it was September 3, 1860 before there was another session of this branch of the Judiciary. On the 16th of July the California Mormon train, consisting of seventeen wagons and sixty-five people, left Eagle valley for Salt Lake City. On September 26th 123 wagons and 450 people left Carson valley for the same place. A few of them were from Cali- fornia and Oregon. This left Truckee and Carson valleys almost without inhabitants for a while. The land and buildings left by the Mormons were sold for a trifle. People from California bought up this real estate, and the valleys soon filled up with Gentiles and apostate Mormons. Second Attempt at Territorial Organization On August 3d, 1857, at a meeting in Genoa of the citizens of Carson and adjoining valleys, a call was issued for a grand mass meeting of the people living along the eastern base of the Sierras. It was to be held at Genoa August 8, 1857. The object of this meeting was to petition congress to organize a new territory out of portions of Utah, California, and New Mexico, and to provide ways and means to lay this subject before the President and con- gress of the United States. Judge Loveland, the Morman elder, and Judge Crane were invited to be present and address the meeting. On the appointed day the meeting was called to order by Ma- jor Wm. M. Ormsby, and Col. John Reese was elected president. By this time the Never Sweats had joined hands with the rest of the people living east of the Sierras, and their representatives were here. Isaac Roop was one of the four vice-presidents of the meeting. After organization a committee was appointed to present busi- ness before the meeting. They retired to do their work, and in their absence Judge James M. Crane addressed the meeting. Judge Loveland was not there. The committee then brought in some resolutions and a Memo- rial to the President and congress of the United States, and these were adopted. [71] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA The Kesolutions were to the effect that the people inhabiting the territory commonly known as the Great American Basin, lying east of the Sierra Nevadas, west of the Goose creek range, south of the Oregon line, and north of the Colorado river and its tribu- taries were convinced that the increasing population of this region were in danger from hostile tribes of Indians, and from the ab- sence of any law for the protection of life and property, and that some kind of a government should be established in the shortest time possible. That a memorial should be drawn up setting forth the reasons for this movement, and the same submitted to the consideration of the President and both houses of congress, and that the meeting select a delegate to represent to the President and congress the views and wants of the people of this section. That James M. Crane, on account of his long residence in and knowledge of this country, as well as his " candor, fidelity, and ability," be appointed to represent the people of this section in Washington. It was also resolved to appoint twenty-eight men to carry out the work laid out at this meeting, and five of those appointed were from Honey Lake valley. They were Major Isaac Eoop, Peter Lassen, Mr. Arnold, Wm. Hill, and Mr. McMurtry. (Probably it was Cutler Arnold, Wm. Hill Naileigh, and L. C. McMurtry.) In conclusion the members of congress from California and the territorial delegates from Oregon, Washington, Utah and New Mexico were asked to use their personal and official influence to obtain the passage of a bill organizing the territory asked for; and the newspapers of the Pacific coast, and several in the eastern and the southern parts of the United States were "invited and requested to publish these proceedings and memorial, and other- wise extend to us the benefit of their powerful influence and sup- port." The Memorial was a very long document, and contained a good many misrepresentations ; but it showed the condition of affairs in western Utah at that time, and also showed the ideas of the people living there in regard to their country. The following synopsis gives a good idea of what it contained. It began as follows : ' ' The citizens inhabiting the valleys within the Great Basin of the American continent, to be hereafter de- scribed, beg leave respectfully to present for the earnest consid- [72] THE YEAR 1857 eration of the President of the United States, and the members of both houses of congress this their petition ; praying for the organi- zation of a new territory of the United States. We do not pro- pose to come with any nourish of trumpets or mere words in this memorial, but we propose simply to submit a few plain statements as the inducements and reasons which actuate us in making this appeal to those who have the power to remedy the existing diffi- culties and embarrassments under which we now labor and suf- fer/ ' It then stated that the majority of the people of this section had been there six or seven years, and during that time had been without protection of any kind from Indians and outlaws ; and there was no reason to suppose it would be any better until some government was organized that could make laws and enforce them. They were law abiding citizens and did not wish to see "anarchy, violence, bloodshed and crime of every hue and grade waving their horrid scepter over this portion of our common country. ' ' "In the winter time the snows that fall upon the summit and spurs of the Sierra Nevadas frequently interrupt all intercourse and communications between the Great Basin and the state of California and the territories of Oregon and Washington for near- ly four months every year. During the same time all intercourse and communication between us and the civil authorities of Utah are likewise closed. Within this space of time, and indeed from our anomalous condition during all seasons of the year, no debts can be collected by law; no offenders can be arrested, and no crime can be punished except by the code of Judge Lynch, and no obedience to government can be enforced, and for this reason there is and can be no protection to either life or property except that which may be derived from the peaceably disposed, the good sense and patriotism of the people, or from the fearful, unsatisfac- tory and terrible defence and protection which the revolver, the Bowie knife, and other deadly weapons may afford us." Even during the favorable season of the year, on account of their location, they could get no benefit from the governments of the neighboring states and territories. The most of them be- longed to the government of Utah, but no intercourse could be held with the authorities of that territory, because it was nearly 800 miles to Salt Lake City ; and to get there it was necessary to [73] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA cross two deserts. Besides that in Western Utah no one paid any attention to the territorial laws. The Mormons, in their social affairs, conformed to the habits of life among the Gentiles; but their dealings with each other were regulated by the rules of the Kormon church. These were only a part of their grievances. Nearly one half of the county in which the most of the petitioners resided had only two justices of the peace and one constable. No one respected their authority, and very few knew or cared where they lived. The territorial legislature of Utah once made a county called 1 ' Carson ' ' out of nearly the whole of this region, but for some rea- son unknown to the petitioners they abolished the county and established in place of it an election precinct in which nobody voted, or cared to vote. There were 7000 or 8000 people living within the limits of the proposed new territory and their numbers were rapidly increas- ing. There were no less than two hundred valleys, running into one another, of the most fertile grazing and agricultural land. In the mountains were found "gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, coal and other minerals, metals and precious stones," and they be- lieved that proper exploration would show that they had one of the richest and most productive regions on the globe. For these reasons they expected to have a rush of population such as settled up California and Texas so rapidly, and unless congress at its next session organized the territory asked for, when the rush did come, there would be no laws to govern the settlers and the land would be full of ' ' unrestrained violence and bloodshed. ' ' 1 ' There are some portions of the Great Basin of this continent claimed by the state of California in which reside a considerable number of people who, in the winter time, can have no connection with it. This is the case with those who reside in Honey Lake valley. That valley lies east of the Sierra Nevadas, and within the Great Basin, and from this cause the people living in it have no intercourse with other parts of the state during the rainy sea- son for nearly four months every year. They, therefore, natu- rally belong to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas, and on this account they desire to join us in this movement. If they are forced to remain with California they can not know anything about the affairs of their state during the whole time its legisla- ture may be in session. It is, therefore, folly, and worse than [74] THE YEAE 1857 folly, to attach the people of this valley to a state about which they know nothing, and care nothing, for one third of the year, and that third the most important part of it to them. They there- fore cordially unite with us in this prayer and memorial to con- gress, asking not only that they may be attached to the proposed new territory, but that they may add their united voices in sup- port of the great necessities for the organization of the aforesaid territory. ' ' Those living in southern California east of the Sierra Nevadas and those of New Mexico (New Mexico then included Arizona) living near the Colorado river and its tributaries were also shut off from their respective capitals during the winter months. It was then submitted that in addition to the facts here pre- sented, all the routes across the continent between the Atlantic and Pacific states would be well guarded when this new territory was organized. The Indian population of the proposed new territory was not far from 75000 or 100000, and the most of them could be very easily controlled, if there was anything like an organized gov- ernment in their country. For these and many other powerful reasons that would readily suggest themselves, they prayed for the organization of a new territory. The petitioners suggested that the boundaries of the new terri • tory, which, by the way, was to be called ' ' Sierra Nevada, ' ' be as follows : Beginning at the northeastern corner of California, the line was to run east about two thirds of the way across the present state of Nevada, and then southeast to a point about forty miles north of where Phoenix, Arizona, now stands. From there it was to run south to Old Mexico, and west along the northern boun- dary of that country to the southeastern corner of California. Then it was to follow the eastern boundary of that state to the place of beginning. This boundary would take in a range of valleys connected together, and in the winter time the people who inhabited them were almost entirely shut off from communication with California, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, and Washington; but in all seasons they could enjoy free intercourse with one another. All the proposed wagon, military, stage, and railroad routes crossing the continent between the Atlantic and Pacific states and terri- tories enter and pass through these valleys ; and the most trouble- some Indian tribes roam through or live in them. For these and [75] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA similar urgent reasons and considerations they asked that the said territory be organized by Congress within the shortest pos- sible time. W. W. Nicols, E. D. Sides, Orrin Gray, J. K. Trumbo, and Col. William Rodgers were appointed to procure signatures to the memorial. The meeting adjourned "with the full determination of all to work in good earnest to accomplish the success of the under- taking. Great harmony and enthusiasm prevailed on the occa- sion. ' ' No ' ' flourish of trumpets ' ' about that. They certainly claimed everything in sight and "then some." The semi-arid country between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky mountains can hardly be called "the most fertile grazing and agricultural land;" and although the minerals and metals they told about were there, probably they knew nothing about any of them excepting the gold. They were not one fourth as many whites and Indians as they claimed living in the proposed new territory, and eight hundred miles to Salt Lake City was rather stretching the road. T. & W. (Thompson and West's History of Nevada) have the following: "Western Utah at the close of 1857 had perhaps two hundred or three hundred people. There was not much to attract settlers. The placer mines were poor, and as the emigra- tion grew less trading with the emigrants was not very profitable. The principal occupation was stock raising from the Truckee to the head of Carson river. There was only one Mormon in the country, and there was no organized government of any kind. The only law was that dealt out to ' Lucky Bill. ' ' ' Judge Crane went to Washington to "boost" the cause of the new territory, and in the history of the next year the results will be given. Honey Lake Politics. 1857 When the Honey Lakers found they had taken in a lot of settlers to the south of them who paid no attention to their gov- ernment, they dropped Nataqua and, as previously told, joined the people of western Utah in their endeavor to have the United States organize a new territory. Besides this they had some politics to attend to at home. In 1857 the valley was settled up quite rapidly and the land was taken up and improved. Before long there was settlement [76] THE YEAR 1857 enough in the valley to make the property worth noticing, and August 4, 1857, the board of supervisors of Plumas county organized it into a separate township, calling it Honey Lake town- ship. This, and other official acts, and the taxing of the people of the valley brought on trouble that lasted for the next six years. Everybody thought the valley was close to the line, but no one took the trouble to do a little surveying and be sure about it. A part of the Honey Lake settlers said they were in Cali- fornia, and the Plumas county officials said so, too. That was all. The people of the valley, however, were not all of the same mind during the years of trouble with Plumas. Some of them believed they were in California, and were willing to acknowledge its jurisdiction. Others paid their taxes rather than have any trouble. Another class owned property both here and in Plumas. They had to pay their taxes, for if they didn't, their property there would be taken to pay them. But forty or fifty men, most of them men who came into the valley first, endured hardships, fought Indians, and in other ways bore the brunt of the battle, would have nothing to do with Plumas county. They said it did nothing for this valley, made no roads, built no schoolhouses — just came in and collected taxes. They didn 't want to be in California, and didn 't believe they were ; and as long as the matter was in doubt they were going to pay no taxes, and were willing to fight it out — and they did. It seems as though a majority of the settlers here wanted to be in the new territory to be organized east of the mountains, but they were not willing to fight about it. The most of the settlers here filed their land claims with Roop, but some of them went to Quincy and filed their claims, deeds, etc., there, too. F. & S. say: "The action of the board of supervisors, in the creation of Honey Lake township and the appointment of jus- tices and constables (none of whom qualified), called out the following proceedings from the citizens of this valley: (Quoted by them from Roop's record.) "In pursuance of a notice, the citizens of Honey Lake valley met at M. Thompson's ranch on the twenty-ninth of August, A. D. 1857, and were called to order by appointing M. Thompson chairman, and L. N. Breed secretary. ' ' The following Preamble and resolutions were offered by Mr. Williams, and unanimously adopted: [77] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA " Preamble " Whereas, we, the citizens of Honey Lake Valley, entertain- ing very reasonable doubts of our being within the limits of the state of California, and believing that until the eastern boundary of the state of California is determined by the proper authori- ties that no county or counties have a right to extend their jurisdiction over us, therefore be it Kesolved by the citizens of Honey Lake Valley in Mass Meeting assembled that we consider the action of the Board of Supervisors of Plumas county an unwarrantable assumption of power. "Firstly, in appointing Justices of the Peace without our knowledge or consent. 1 ' Secondly, in dividing the Valley into precincts, and appoint- ing officers for the same. "Thirdly, in ordering an assessment of the property of the Valley. Therefore be it further resolved that we will resist any action of the authorities of Plumas, and individually and col- lectively pledge ourselves by all we hold sacred to assist and aid each other in resisting any infringement of our rights. "Resolved, That the officers appointed by the board of Super- visors to conduct the election in this place be requested to keep the Polls closed upon the day of election. "Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed as a com- mittee of safety, whose business it shall be to correspond with the authorities of Plumas county, to end meetings when neces- sary, and to take such action as they may think necessary, sub- ject always to the approval of the citizens of this Valley. "Resolved, That we cordially unite with the citizens of Carson Valley in their endeavors to have a new Territory struck off, whose limits shall be the Oregon line on the North, the Goose Creek range of Mountains on the East, the Colorado Eiver on the South, and the dividing ridge of the Sierra Nevadas on the west. "Z. N. Spalding offered the following preamble, which was adopted and signed by all present: "We, the undersigned individuals of Honey Lake Valley, feeling a just indignation at the course pursued by certain individuals, calling themselves citizens of this Valley, relative to a certain petition signed by them, and forwarded to Plumas county, praying them to consider this Valley under the juris- [78] THE YEAR 1857 diction of said county, and for the authorities to appoint certain officers, such as Justice and constable. ''Now, be it known — First, that the petition above mentioned was drawn up and signed by persons most of whom were, and are now, non-residents of this Valley, and had no interest identi- fied with the welfare of this community. That very few of the resident citizens of the Valley knew anything about the petition until it was announced that Plumas county had appointed officers for us, nolens volens. "Secondly, We are, and do consider this Valley, not in the state of California, and shall continue to do so until our bound- aries are defined and established by the legally constituted author- ities of the United States, and we will not recognize the authority of Plumas county or California to make ourselves or appoint our officers. "Thirdly, Were we under the jurisdiction of Plumas county, we would not suffer the office-making power to force upon us men odious to the citizens generally, and destitute of the requisite qualifications to fill any office. ' ' Fourthly, We disclaim the whole proceedings from beginning to end and shall not regard any mandate issuing from under the officers appointed by Plumas county to preside over us. "In token whereof, we severally pledge ourselves. Names. M. Thompson, Thomas Eaton, L. N. Breed, J. D. Sharp, Joseph Lynch, A. G. Eppstein, H. Dony, Peter Lassen, Wm. Hill, Ralph Niesham, G. A. Williams, R. J. Scott, Wm. Weatherlow, A. U. Sylvester, C. Arnold, H. A. Wilmans, D. C. Jackson, R. Hewitt, Thomas Mitchell, L. M. Robertson, I. E. Wick, Wm. N. Crawford, Ireton Warp, A. F. Chapman, G. Lathrop, Wm. Dow, Henry Denny, W. C. Kingsbury, M. W. Haviland, Stephen O'Laughlin, Anthony Barlow, W. Powell.' ' [79] William Dow says he did not attend this meeting. "On motion, the following persons were appointed on the committee to correspond with the authorities of Plumas county: Win. Hill, Mr. Williams, M. L. Robertson, Z. N. Spalding. "Moved, that the committee authorized to correspond with the Plumas county authorities be vested with the power to draw up a petition to Congress for the purpose of having a new terri- tory organized. Carried. "Mr. Jackson moved that the corresponding committee be invested with power to draft such laws out of the code of laws now governing the two districts, as may suit the people of said districts in common, but so to form them as not to permit an encroachment upon claims taken under former laws, and said laws submitted to the people for adoption or rejection on such day as the committee may designate. Carried. "Moved, that the citizens of this valley attend the place of voting on the day of election, and prevent the polls being opened. Carried. "Moved, that a committee of three be appointed to wait on Dr. Fredonyer (one of the justices appointed by the supervisors of Plumas county), and politely inform him that the citizens of this valley can dispense with his services. Carried. Com- mittee, Mark Haviland, R. J. Scott, Z. N. Spalding. "Moved that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the North California (Oroville paper). Carried. "Moved, that the meeting adjourn. Carried. "M. Thompson, Chairman. "L. N. Breed, Secretary." Evidently these people and some of the other citizens of the valley took the foregoing proceedings in earnest, as the follow- ing, taken from the "Marysville Express" of about a month later, will show; though, in all probability, the story grew on the road to Marysville. ' ' The citizens of Honey Lake valley are, for the most part, as violently opposed as ever to the exercise of any jurisdiction over them by the authorities of Plumas county. There is, however, some little inconsistency in their conduct, for when the tax collector of Plumas county came among them, they told him they were not in California but in Utah, and when Orson Hyde from Salt Lake visited them, they said they lived in California. A portion of the people tried to [80] THE YEAR 1857 hold an election there on the day of the last general election, but the rest got double-barreled shotguns, revolvers, and butcher knives and stampeded the whole ballot box establishment, 'horse, foot, and dragoons/ " Territorial Meeting in Honey Lake Valley The following account was taken from the "Shasta Courier" of October 17, 1857 : "A mass meeting of the people of Honey Lake valley was held in the town of Mataga (probably they got that name from Nataqua, and got it badly mixed) on Saturday, 3d of October, 1857. The meeting was called to order by Isaac Eoop. Peter Lassen was chosen president, C. Arnold, Geo. Pur- cell, and John A. Slater vice-presidents, and L. C. McMurtry and E. "Wick, Secretarys. "The object of the meeting having been stated, Messrs. I. Roop, W. Cornelison, J. Taylor, Wm. Weatherlow, and Mark Haviland were appointed a committee to report business. In the absence of the committee J. M. Crane addressed the meeting for an hour, and reviewed the policy of the government from 1798 to the present time. ,, The committee submitted a preamble and some resolutions which were adopted by the meeting. The preamble stated that it was well known that the people inhabiting the Great Basin between the Goose creek mountains and the Sierra Nevada, the Utah line on the north, and the Colorado river on the south had no protection from the Indians, or any protection for Jife and property. That the people of Carson valley, at a meeting held in Genoa, had petitioned Congress to establish a territory within the limits of those boundaries. "Resolved, That we endorse what the people have done at Genoa, and we pledge the faith of the people of Honey Lake valley to co-operate with them in this undertaking. That we endorse and approve of the election of James M. Crane as the delegate to Washington for the proposed new territory. That if any attempt is made by the authorities of California to bring the people of Honey Lake valley into subjugation before the line can and shall be made, that we resist all such attempts with all the power we can command. That the California authorities do not try to protect us and defend our lives and property, but try to extend their jurisdiction over us for the purpose of extort- [81] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ing revenue from our people. That Isaac Roop be and is hereby appointed to co-operate with Wm. M. Ormsby of Carson valley and Martin Smith of Lake valley, and bring before the legisla- ture of California a proposition to transfer all of her real or supposed claims to lands lying east of the Sierras to the new territory. That the thanks of the people of this territory are due and are hereby tendered to Judge Crane for the many per- sonal sacrifices he has made for us, and for his untiring efforts to secure for us a territorial government. ' ' Indian Troubles. 1857 It has been told that in 1856 a treaty was made between the whites of Honey Lake valley and the Pahute Indians, and that for several years it was strictly observed on both sides. Mrs. A. T. Arnold has a long statement made by Capt. Weatherlow in regard to the Indians and the Indian wars of early days, and in it he says : ■ ' The Pahute tribe of Indians occupied the valley at that time in common with the whites. They were on the most friendly relations, visiting the houses of the whites and trading furs and game for such articles of clothing, etc., as they desired. They were unlike any other tribe I had met in the country inasmuch as they were never known to beg for food or clothing, nor did they at every opportunity pilfer and carry off articles from the whites. "From the first settlement of the valley the Pit river Indians which inhabited the country north of Honey lake made frequent incursions upon the settlement, driving off stock and committing other outrages. Finding that we could have no safety or security for life or property without the Pit river tribe was driven off, I raised a company of sixty men in the year 1857, and went out against the Pit river Indians on several occasions when they had made descents upon the valley and driven off stock. Winne- mucca volunteered to go out with his warriors and aid us in fighting the Pit river tribe. The offer was accepted, and he and his warriors placed themselves under my command and rendered most efficient service. He obeyed orders strictly, and fought as well as any white man. He was also of great service in giving me information in regard to the Pit river tribe, their places of resort, etc." On the 9th of October, 1857, the Pit river Indians stole five [82] THE YEAE 1857 head of cattle from John Weikel, who lived a little to the north- east of Kooptown. Five men immediately started in pursuit, overtook them, and found that the cattle had been killed; but some twenty Indians appeared and showed fight, and the pur- suers were compelled to return. Capt. Weatherlow with thirty- two men, accompanied by Winnemucca and some of his warriors, started after the Indians again. They found them, and destroyed two rancherias and captured two squaws. Sixty or seventy Indians were put to flight and scattered in every direction. They were closely followed as far as the head of Pit river; but they succeeded in eluding their pursuers, and none of them were killed. The provisions of the pursuing party gave out, and they had to return to the valley. When they reached home they found that the Honey Lakers had got into trouble with the Washos, who may have been aided by some of the other tribes. The Potato War The following account was compiled from what was told Mr. Dodge by Wm. H. Clark and A. G. (Joe) Eppstein, from the "Alta Calif ornian," "The Sacramento Union," "The Marys- ville Inquirer/' and other newspapers published at the time, and from what has been told the writer by Mr. Clark and others.. William Morehead, who owned a ranch about two and one- half miles northwest of where Milford is now, had a patch of potatoes at the foot of the mountain about half a mile back of his house. The Washoes had been stealing vegetables and small articles from the whites; and one day early in October when Morehead had gone up to Roop 's place, they dug his potatoes and carried them away. When he returned and saw what had been done, he told his neighbors about it; and Joe Eppstein, Cap. Hill, Henry Denny, F. M. Jackson, and the two Eobertson brothers went to the Indian camp about four miles down the mountain, Mbrehead, who was lame, remaining behind. They got into a fight with the Indians, killed three of them and wounded another one; but were chased back to Hill's cabin by the Indians. They fortified themselves there, and the Indians went back to their camp. Goodwin's fort was not far away, and about twenty settlers gathered there. Shortly after this they made a dash on the Indian camp and captured some potatoes, but killed no Indians. Eppstein, who had gone to Indian valley, [83] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA returned with ten men, and some provisions which they greatly needed; and they decided to attack the Indians on the morning of the 17th of October. There were thirty-five or forty men, and they made T. J. (Old Tom) Harvey their captain. Among them were Cap. Hill, Eppstein, Joseph A. Knettles, Denny, the two Robertsons, Jack- son, Billy Clark, Lathrop, Tom. Watson, Storff, Charley Cooper, L. N. Breed, J. P. Sharp, A. C. Neale, Ben. Foreman, Van Hickey, Frank Johnson, and probably Fullbright and Crawford. The names of the others could not be ascertained. The Fullbright and Crawford cabin stood about half a mile below where the road runs now, and near the creek that is a little over a mile southeast of Milford; and they started from there early in the morning so as to reach the Indian camps and attack them just about daylight. These camps, two or three in number, were along the foot of the mountain several miles to the south- east. Lathrop, Eppstein, and Clark concluded to go to the farthest camp, because they thought they would find considerable plunder and not many Indians to fight. They hurried along ahead of the others, and got on the steep sidehill about three hundred yards above the camp while it was still dark. There they waited, and just at daylight they heard two or three guns fired by the men who were attacking the other camps. Then from the camp below them, where they expected to find plenty of buckskins but no bucks, seventeen of the latter came forth, all armed with rifles, and started for the upper camps. Their course was toward the three white men, who just then had a sudden longing to see their friends. They started up the hill on the run, and the Indians soon saw them and gave chase. Clark and Eppstein outran Lathrop, and he said ' ' Hold on, boys, we must keep together, " and the others waited for him to come up. A couple of the Indians had got pretty close to them, and Lathrop said " Let's fix these two." They dropped behind a granite boulder, and resting their guns on it, fired and brought the Indians down. Just then a bullet fired by one of the other Indians struck the rock in front of them, and filled their faces full of rotten granite. Clark says it stung, and he wiped his face with both hands ; and when he saw they were covered with blood, he was badly scared. They then ran on up the hill fol- lowed by the Indians. When they reached the top of it, they [84] THE YEAR 1857 could see the other men pursuing a band of Indians. They had driven them from the upper camps, and were coming down along the foot of the mountain. The Indians were now getting very close to the three white men, and Clark, who was ahead, was waving his hat and yelling to the other party to hurry. The latter thought they were Indians and were going to fire on them, but just then they saw their pursuers come over the hill. The whites fired and killed two or three of them, and the rest turned off and joined the other Indians. Right there was where the battle commenced. It was in the sagebrush near the foot of a steep bluff, something like five and one half miles below Milford. The Indians were driven up the bluff for a short distance, and there they got into a pile of rocks and made a stand. When they opened fire from the rocks, every white man jumped behind the nearest tree. The timber was scattering at that place, and there was neither time nor opportunity to pick out a tree to fit the size of the man. Newt. Breed, then a slim young fellow, happened to get behind a big tree; but Harvey, who was large and fat, was so unfortunate as to get a small one. After trying in vain to shrink himself up to fit the size of his tree, Harvey asked Breed to trade with him; but neither at that time nor any other was Breed known to trade a big tree for a little one, and Harvey had to dodge around his tree the best he could. After the fight had gone on for a while, Weatherlow, who had just returned from the Pit river expedition, joined them with a few men and some of Winnemucca's braves. As they were coming up one of the Indians was shot by mistake. The fight went on for some time. There were a good many Indians, their number was estimated at one hundred and fifty, and they made it very unpleasant for the whites. Finding that they could not dislodge the Indians, they started back along the edge of the timber. Eppstein, who had been shot in the thigh, they carried with them in a blanket. The Indians followed along in the timber above them, and kept up the fight. Both parties sheltered them- selves behind the trees the best they could, firing at each other whenever they thought it would do any good. After a four hours ' fight the whites got back to their starting place, the Indians having stopped their pursuit a while before they got there. The loss of the Indians was estimated at from seven to eleven killed and fourteen wounded. Eppstein was the [85] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA only white man hurt, and his was a flesh wound and not danger- ous. One thing that accounts for the small loss of the whites is the fact that during all of the fight the Indians were above them, and probably shot too high. Winnemucca demanded blood money for the killing of his man, and it took both presents and bluffing to quiet him down. It would not do to have the Pahutes hostile at this time. Fifteen or twenty of the settlers intrenched themselves at the Fullbright and Crawford place. The Indians remained in the neighborhood, and the whites prepared still more for defense. It was reported that they attacked the whites on the 18th. That day Morehead and McMurtry came in from Carson valley, and it took watchfulness and fast traveling to get through without being caught by the Indians. "While the fight was said to be going on, Messrs. J. Williams of Honey Lake valley and M. Milleson of Indian valley started for the lower country with the following petition to the governor of California: " Honey Lake Valley, Plumas County, State of California, Oct. 19, 1857. ' ' To his Excellency, J. Neely Johnson and the citizens of the state of California: We, the citizens of Honey Lake valley, would call your attention to the state of affairs now existing in our midst. We are now enduring all the horrors of an Indian war. The Washoe tribe of Indians whose rendezvous is at the lower end of Honey Lake valley have commenced hostilities upon us. Upon Saturday the 17th of October, inst. after an obstinate fight of four hours we were compelled to retreat owing to a dis- proportion of numbers. Since that time we have been engaged in recruiting our forces, removing our families, stock, etc. On the evening of the 18th inst. our forces were attacked at their fort and the battle is now raging. We have every reason to believe that the Pi-Utah tribe of Indians here-to-fore friendly, have joined the Washos and intend exterminating the entire white population east of the Sierra Nevada range. The Washos around us number four or five hundred warriors. The Pi-Utahs a still greater number. We are too small in numbers to contend against such great odds. There is in the valley now three to five thousand head of cattle, besides houses, grain, hay, etc. to a large amount in value. We therefore call upon the citizens of the state of r 86 1 THE YEAR 1857 California in the name of common humanity to aid us in repelling the foe now in our midst, and enabling us to maintain our posi- tion as a frontier settlement. We desire one hundred stand of arms from the state of California for our protection. J. Williams of Honey Lake valley, and M. Milleson of Indian valley, are hereby appointed to present our appeal to the Governor and the citizens of the state of California, and any attention shown to them will be gratefully remembered by us. "Signed Isaac Roop. M. C. Lake. John Weikel and 43 others." The two messengers reached Sacramento on the 23d or 24th inst. and found the Governor absent, and they could not deliver the petition. However they saw General Kibbe, the Quarter- master General, and he let them have "some 50 stand of arms." General Clark of the U. S. Army, who was also appealed to for assistance, said his forces were too far north to give the aid asked for. "The Sacramento Union " of October 27th, in commenting on the petition of the Honey Lakers for arms to fight the Indians with, said they did not see how the governor of California could help them as he had the right only to grant aid to the citizens of the state. They told about the meeting of the citizens of Honey Lake valley August 29, 1857, and said they prevented the election as they agreed to at this meeting. They told that the justices and constables appointed for the valley by the board of super- visors of Plumas county had been told that their services were not required, and that the Plumas county assessor had to leave the valley without making an assessment. They referred to the meeting held October 19, 1857, where the Honey Lakers said they would withstand any efforts made by Plumas county to control them before a line had been run to show where they were located. The "Union" thought the governor should not help them unless they were willing to abide by the laws of the state and the jurisdiction of the officers of Plumas county. On the 27th Mr. Williams had an interview with the Gov- ernor about the matter embraced in the petition from the citizens of Honey Lake valley and Indian valley. He admitted the course taken by the citizens of Honey Lake valley, but said they were [87] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA willing to come under the jurisdiction of California, if it were found they were within its boundaries. Mr. Williams had been in San Francisco and laid the case before Col. Henly, who sent out a quantity of blankets and other Indian goods, with the view of enabling Mr. Lassen, as agent, to settle all difficulties without further bloodshed. Some months before this, application had been made for arms for the volunteer company organized in Plumas county. These arms — sixty stand — were forwarded at once by General Kibbe. It was understood that Mr. Williams was satisfied with this arrangement. The goods were to go up in charge of Mr. Milleson. We will now see what took place in the land of the Never Sweats during the absence of their messengers. They had a genuine Indian scare on hand, and, as is usual at such a time, the stories grew as they traveled. It was reported that the last of September thirty well armed men had left Quincy to protect emigrants along the road east of Honey Lake. They were to go to Gravelly Ford on the Humboldt and punish the Shoshones. They killed and scalped a Pah Ute east of Honey Lake, and an- other one at the Humboldt; and the Pah Utes were going to take revenge upon the settlers of Honey Lake valley. Besides the Washos there were fifteen or twenty thousand Pah Utes; and these two tribes had induced the Indian valley Indians to join them in making a descent upon Honey Lake valley, and had threatened Indian valley. A few families left the valley. Mrs. A. C. Neale says that she went away with Dr. Slater and his family, but they soon came back. The attack on the settlers at the Fullbright and Crawford place was a false report. The Washos withdrew from the valley, and when the Plumas Rangers arrived to help the settlers, they found no Indians to fight. Prob- ably Mr. Lassen made some sort of a treaty with the Washos, for they never made any more trouble in this part of the country. It was a narrow escape for the settlers east of the mountains. If the Pah Utes had commenced hostilities, too, the Indians could easily have wiped out all the settlements in western Utah. The settlers in Carson valley also had some trouble with the Washos at this time, for Col. Wm. Rodgers was sent to San Francisco for arms and ammunition to defend the settlers against them. Along the last of October Capt. Jim, the chief of the Washos, came into Carson valley to negotiate for peace with [88] THE YEAE 1857 the settlers. He stipulated that justice should be enforced against the white men who violated the rights of the Indians, and agreed to give up to the whites any man of his tribe who committed depredations upon their property. There was no person author- ized by the inhabitants to enter into a treaty with the Indians; but Mr. Mott, an old gentleman who was held in great esteem by the neighbors, accepted the terms of the chief, and agreed to furnish his tribe with flour, etc., and in consequence good order prevailed. The Pursuit op the Indians Who Stole Vary's Cattle The following story was told by Fred Hines. In early days the country between this valley and the Humboldt, and later on up to southern Idaho, was much frequented by the Never Sweats ; and what they did in that section will be told in the following pages. It will be remembered that when Hines came in from the Humboldt in the fall of 1856, he left some cattle here on the range to winter. When he came back the next spring they were very fat; and he drove them to Quincy and traded them for goods, and hired L. F. Hough to pack them to this valley. He then fitted up some teams and hauled his goods out on the Hum- boldt about a hundred miles above Lassen's Meadows, and again traded with the emigrants. Morton and Sylvester went with him, but Vary stayed at Deep Hole springs and kept a trading post there. Tutt and Walden had a trading post on the Humboldt in 1856, and in 1857 they went out there again. About the last of October Sylvester, Tutt, Hines, Chas. Lewis, Walden, J. B. Gilpin, and several men who were helping drive their cattle, were coming back to Honey Lake valley. When they reached Deep Hole Vary told them that if they would stay there a day and give him time to gather up his cattle, he would go along with them. He had nineteen head of large emigrant oxen that he had traded for ; and they were running near a spring on the west side of the Granite creek range, about five miles from Deep Hole. The next day in the afternoon, Vary went after his cattle, but he could not find them and came right back to camp. The matter was talked over, and Hines and Sylvester told him they would go back with him that afternoon and see if they could not find them before dark. Fearing they would be out all night, [89] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA they put some crackers into their pockets. They took no weapons but their six-shooters. Soon after reaching the spring they found the tracks of the cattle and followed them until dark. Then they stopped on a sagebrush flat and hid themselves in the tallest brush they could find, ate some crackers, wrapped their saddle blankets around them, and wore away the long, cold night the best they could. The next morning they followed the trail, which was going in a northerly direction. Some time before noon some Indian tracks came into the trail of the cattle, and this was the first Indian sign they had seen. The cunning savages had, in the first place, scared the cattle into going the direction they wanted them to take without going near them, and then followed, keeping at quite a distance on each side of them until they thought they were safe from pursuit. That day Hines shot a sagehen and a couple of rabbits, and they ate part of them. They followed the trail until dark, and then camped as they did the night before. The next day they followed the trail all day toward the north, and ate what was left of the game killed on the previous day. On the third day Hines, who was in the lead doing the trailing, thought he saw an Indian coming down a ridge from the east, his course being such that it would cross theirs at right angles. He was not sure, though, that it was an Indian so he stopped and waited for the others to come up. He pointed out to them the object he had seen, and after watching it a while they came to the conclusion that it surely was one. Hines told the others that from the way the Indian was acting either he had not seen them, or if he had, was paying no attention to them. He thought the best plan was for the other two men to ride along on the trail of the cattle, and he would ride up the mountain on the side of the ridge back of the Indian until he judged he was opposite to him, and then ride over to him. This was done, and Hines made a good guess and came in sight of the Indian when within a hundred yards of him. He had a load of beef on his back — seventy-five or a hundred pounds — and this he threw down as quickly as he could and tried to get his bow and arrows ready to shoot. But Hines was too quick for him. He put spurs to his horse, drew his pistol, and got there before the Indian was ready ; and making him throw down his weapons, held him there until Vary and Sylvester came up. It was an Indian who had [90] THE YEAR 1857 been around the station at Deep Hole during the summer, and he had on a pair of old overalls that Vary had given him. They talked with him the best they could, and he made them under- stand that he would lead them to the cattle. Hines wanted to make him carry all the beef, but Vary thought it was too big a load and he carried only a part of it. The Indian left the trail of the cattle and they soon struck a smooth Indian trail. As they were traveling along this the Indian, who was a little ahead, broke into a run. Hines yelled to him to stop, but he only looked back over his shoulder and ran faster. Hines soon caught up with him and thought at first that he would shoot him, but be- cause he might help Vary recover his cattle Hines spared his life. A little before sunset they came to a small creek. They had been without water since morning, and both they and their horses were very thirsty. They fixed the horses' bridles so they could drink, and then lay down by the stream to quench their own thirst, the Indian among them. The latter got through drinking before the others did, and jumping across the creek, he started up the hill on the other side. Hines called to him to stop and he did so. Vary said "Never mind him. I want to go up the hill myself/' and Hines paid no more attention to them. Vary left his horse at the creek with his pistol hanging on the horn of the saddle, and walked with the Indian to the top of the little hill. When they got there the Indian pointed to a hole in the knee of his overalls and asked Vary for a needle and thread to mend it. The white man took out his pocket-book and sat down on a rock, and while he was doing this the other started off on the run. While this was going on, Hines had crossed the creek and was some little distance from his horse. His attention was called by hearing Vary say ' ' There he goes. ' ' This startled Hines and he never thought of going back after his horse, but thought he would run up the hill and take a shot at the Indian. Vary had immediately started in pursuit, but before he had run very far the rowel of his spur caught on a rock and threw him down. Just as Hines got to the top of the hill Vary arose with a big rock in his hand and threw it at the fleeing red man. If it had struck him fair, it would have broken his back ; but it fell a little short and just missed his heel. At first Hines could not shoot because Vary was in the way, and when he did get a chance his nerves were so shaky on account of the running he had done [91] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA and the Indian was so far off that he missed him. After shooting three or four times without doing any execution he stopped, and the Indian disappeared from view in the brush and ravines. He had left his load of beef at the creek. The men went back to the creek and got their horses and rode to the top of the ridge. It was now almost dark, and they at once noticed a fire in the direction the Indian had gone. Beyond this fire and a little to the left was another fire, beyond that there was one, and to the right there were two or three more. Off to their right and a little beyond them was a large flat on which grew some very tall sagebrush. It was light enough to see that it was an open country away from the hills, and they concluded to camp for the night on that flat. Hines told the other two that if they would take his horse, he would go afoot to the first fire and see what was there. He walked as far as he dared and then went on his hands and knees until he was close enough to see that no one was there. He then went back to the others, and after going quite a ways out into the flat they found a place where the sage- brush grew very tall and not very close together. They spread a blanket over some of these brush and under it they built a little fire out of some dry brush which they broke into small pieces. Then one of them went off a little distance to find out if their fire could be seen. They spent the night there, dozing a little once in a while. The next morning the question arose as to whether or not they should go any further. The Indians knew where they were, and forty or fifty of them might make an attack at any time. At last they left it to Vary because it was his cattle that the Indians had stolen, and they were nearly all the property he had. After some talk he said they would follow the cattle part of the day, anyway, before giving it up. They took the direction the Indian had gone, and soon found the trail of the cattle which was still going north. They followed the trail until two hours before sunset without seeing any cattle or Indians, and then Vary said they had gone far enough and would turn back. They turned around and rode until after dark, and again secreted themselves in the sagebrush for the night. It took three days for them to get back to Deep Hole, using for food the beef they took from the Indian. When their friends saw them they threw up their hats and shouted for joy. Several days before this the men left in camp [92] THE YEAE 1857 had made up their minds that the three men had been killed by the Indians. Lewis took possession of Hines and Sylvester's property, and sent a man to Honey Lake to get men to come out there and hunt for them. The next day after their return they sent another man to stop the help from coming. During that day they discussed the utility of a plan to have the men come on and have an Indian hunt as they had plenty of provisions. The next day they sent another man out to tell them to come on, but he met the other two coming back and they all returned to camp. The man sent out by Lewis reported that the Potato War was going on, and that he could get no men to come with him. The whole party then came on to Honey Lake valley. This story shows the desperate chances that men took with the Indians in those days. Their safe return was due to good luck more than anything else. Half a dozen Indians could have ambushed them in the brush or rocks, and filled them full of arrows at short range without much danger to themselves. Elliott and Ferry's Shooting Scrape In the early part of the winter of 1857-8 while J. H. Ferry, always called Blackhawk here, was working in the blacksmith shop at Roop, McNaull & Co's. sawmill, Rough Elliott was haul- ing lumber from there. One day the two men had a dispute about something, and a few days afterwards Elliott went into the shop and being younger and stronger than Ferry, who was a gray- haired man, backed him over the anvil and beat him up consider- ably. Not long after this a dog that Ferry knew belonged to Elliott came into the shop. As soon as he saw the dog Ferry said "I know whose dog that is", and went into a little room where he slept, got his pistol, and stepped outside. Elliott was close by, and as soon as he saw Ferry come out with his pistol he jumped behind a big stump near by. They went to shooting at each other, Ferry being in the open and the other man dodging around the stump. Ferry kept going toward Elliott, shooting at him whenever he saw enough of him to shoot at, and finally emptied his pistol. He then said "I'll get him now", and started back to the shop to get his rifle, Elliott shooting at him as he walked away. Before he came out with his gun the boys came down from the mill and stopped the fight, probably saving Elliott's life. [93] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Barber Springs In the fall of 1857 a man named Barber who lived in Carson valley and who had been mining on Gold Run started for home. One night he camped at the springs just over the divide between Honey Lake and Long valley. At that time the trail ran over the hill through a low pass to the west of where the road runs now. The next morning a gun was fired from a pile of rocks close by, and Barber was shot through the arm. The Indian caught up a gun and fired at some one he saw in the rocks, but with what effect was never known. Barber came back to the ranch of N. Clark and stayed there until he was able to resume his journey. For a long time after that the springs where he was shot were called Barber Springs. Fight Over the Noble Road During the year 1857 the Noble Road was the favorite route with emigrants going into northern California, especially with those who knew something about the different routes. John Kirk was superintendent of the western end of the Wagon road, and the Never Sweats, not having trouble enough with the Indians and the Plumas county authorities, entered into a wordy war with him about this road. At that time Honey Lake valley was the western terminus of the road because the railroad survey made by Lieut. Beckwith passed that point, and because it was thought by Col. Noble the best for entering California. The Honey Lakers were afraid that Kirk's report would cause con- gress to change the terminus to Carson valley ; and they claimed that he said and did all sorts of unfair things to make it appear that the Honey Lake road was not a good one, and that he was a great friend of the Carson route. "The Butte Record' ' says that a great number of emigrants raise their voices in indignation about the way that John Kirk tried to force them to take the Carson route. "The Sacramento Union" quotes the foregoing and then expresses the opinion that the complaints did not come from the emigrants, but from the friends of the Honey Lake route and from the traders on that route. The trouble appears to have begun and ended in words. Conditions in Honey Lake at the Close of 1857 The permanent settlement of the valley began this year and it was not deserted when winter came on. Men brought in their [94] THE YEAR 1857 families and the best land in the valley was taken up and settled on, but it was held in large tracts and the houses were far apart. The names of the women who came into the valley this year, as far as could be ascertained, have already been given. Possibly there may have been a few more of them. There was only one house built of boards in the valley. The others were log cabins covered with shakes and having a fireplace, sometimes partly made of logs covered with mud. There was at least one stove in the valley, and there may have been one or two more. Cooking was done at the fireplace, and this was sometimes helped out by a ' ' Dutch oven." The furniture was generally home-made; and before the sawmill was built it was made out of whipsawed lum- ber, or planks split out with an ax. Merchandise, tools, imple- ments, etc. were scarce and prices high. Everything of that kind was brought in with pack trains over the Diamond Mountain trail. Ned Mulroney and Robert Wisbern had a packtrain that brought goods into the valley. Orlando Streshly also had one and so did L. F. Hough. Some vegetables were raised, and ruta-baga turnips grew so well that for several years after this they were called " Honey Lake currency.' ' Perhaps a -little wheat and other grains were raised, but until 1860 all of it had to be thrashed with a flail. The nearest gristmill was at Taylorville where Jobe Taylor had built one in 1856. Once in a while when a person was out of flour wheat was ground in a coffee-mill. Of course flour was high. Charles Lawson says that he paid a trader who was located on the north side of the valley this fall $2.50 for flour enough to make one meal of biscuits for four persons. A fortunate thing was that game was abundant, and for the first few years people lived on it more than they ever have since that time. Another lucky thing was that the first two or three winters were easy ones. There was very little chance to make money, and those who had any brought it with them from the mines of California. Nothing was raised that could be sold excepting a few cattle, and they were cheap and there was not much market for them. The placer mines near Lassen's place paid quite well for a few years, but they were never very extensive. While there was a large emigration, in the fall quite a number of Never Sweats strung out along the emigrant road between the valley and the Humboldt river and up that stream for a hundred miles, or more, [95] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA and traded with the emigrants. They took with them flour and other provisions, ammunition, whiskey, and tobacco; and these goods they sold to the emigrants, or traded them for their foot- sore and tired-out animals. When these were rested they traded them for other wornout animals, of course getting a good trade ; and at the end of the season brought these animals into the valley. It can easily be imagined that these traders did not go out for their health, and between necessity and the traders the poor emigrants were ground between the upper and nether millstones. There were no light vehicles and the most of the traveling was done on horseback. Almost every one kept travelers over night, because there were no hotels excepting at some place like Eooptown. People generally carried their own blankets, and if much of a journey was to be taken, provisions were carried, too. There was no regular mail brought in. Whenever any one went to Quincy he brought back with him what mail there was for the valley. There was very little law excepting what the settlers made for themselves, and less Gospel than there was law. Everybody went armed with a six-shooter, and some men carried two of them and a big knife. If a man had to go very far from home, he carried a rifle. A man was supposed to defend his life and property and "shooting scrapes" were quite frequent. The frontier is always the resort of criminals and desperate characters, and on account of the doubt as to where its territory was located and the absence of any officers of the law, Honey Lake had its share of them. The newspapers published at that time say that some of the worst horse-thieves on the coast rendezvoused in this valley. They stole horses from the settlers and from the emigrants passing through here, and the Indians were blamed for a good deal of it. But white men were caught at it once in a while and they were quickly treated to a dose of frontier justice ; for in the new settle- ments of the West, horse-stealing and counterfeiting have always been considered the worst of crimes. In conclusion, though the settlers were kind and helpful to each other and to newcomers, there was very little social life. The only amusement was a dance once in a while when a few women could be found at attend. A great deal of whiskey was drank and gambling was carried on almost every where. [96 CHAPTER IV 1858. SETTLEMENT In January G. Craft claimed all the vacant land on Susan river lying between the Walden and Coulthurst ranches near Willow creek; W. H. Watson sold an undivided one half of his ranch to J. H. Scott; Scott claimed forty acres which Watson had relinquished from the southeast corner of his ranch the pre- vious October and a tract lying north of Watson and Wickhan; Hasey and McNaull located two sections at the head of Willow creek and the "mill seat that is up and down said creek far enough to raise the water 18 feet;" Frank Rinard claimed the land located by Cornelison and forfeited by him ; Thomas Dawsen took a claim on the north bank of Susan river about three fourths of a mile west of the Adams claim. In February W. H. Watson recorded a claim to a section of land, taken four days after Hasey and McNaull made their claim, on the head of Willow creek and a millsite on the creek; John Ferry claimed McMunchie's half of the section located by him and Williams west of Haviland; Hasey claimed all of Antelope valley; Storff located a tract on both sides of the river between Coulthurst and Walden & Co. ; R. F. Cahill took a claim about three fourths of a mile square southwest of Streshly's ranch. There was recorded in Quincy a deed from A. D. McDonald to T. G. Harmon for all of the former's interest in the 1200 acres in Elysian valley east of the Bass ranch. This tract was owned by McDonald and the Wilmans Brothers. The consideration was $300. In March Daniel Dawsen claimed a tract of one hundred acres lying between Thomas Watson, the Neale Brothers, Rice & Neis- wender, and the Bald hills, but relinquished it eleven days after- wards ; Nathaniel Headrick and Jasper Allison relocated the land that Libler had taken up in December, 1856, and which they claimed he had forfeited; Dolphin Inman made a location on the south side of the river joining Haviland on the north and Rice & Neiswender on the south; Antionie (Anthony) Gray relocated the southwestern part of the tract taken by Libler in December, 1856, probably bought it from him; Milton Craig claimed forty acres east of Cornelison and north of Haviland; J. Williams [97] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA claimed half of the land taken by McMunchie in February, 1857, he having bought the other half of it ; John H. Ferry took a half section between "Williams and Haviland, and his notice stated that it was the piece of land taken by McMunchie and by him for- feited. It looks as though it was the land claimed by "Williams five days before that. Dawsen took a claim about four miles southeast of the Neale Brothers and just north of the Bald hill ; Albert H. Smith claimed eighty acres about one mile south of the Neale Brothers. This spring John Byrd came into the valley from Colusa county, California, and settled eight miles below the present site of Milford. He brought with him 700 or 800 head of stock horses and stock cattle. These increased rapidly and until he left here in 1866 he was the largest stock owner in this section of the country. In April B. F. Grayham and F. Yager located a claim on the south side of the river joining the Neale Brothers on the east; Ladue Vary relocated the land north of Roop and Fredonyer which he had sold to Rinard and which the latter had relin- quished. Ella Grace, daughter of Dr. Z. N. Spalding and Wife, was born on the 18th of this month, the third child born in the valley. She died April 5th, 1860. Some time this spring Richard D. Bass, D. I. Wilmans, and Orlando Streshly brought their families into the valley. In June C. C. "Walden took a claim west of Tutt, probably a part of the land taken by Dow and Hatch in April, 1857. Dow and Hatch bought a half section of land on the lake west of the Clark ranch from Eaton and Ward. They gave a rifle, an aparejo, and a mule for it. There was a cabin on the place and it was fenced on two sides, and in the fall they got 5000 pounds of wheat and some beans, corn, and potatoes from it. Soon after Dow sold it to S. J. Hill for $1500 worth of half-breed Sam. Neale mares. Dow and Hatch built the first bridge across the river at Toadtown where the bridge is now. Thomas Brown says that he, the Neales, Hines, Spalding, Sylvester, John C. Davis, and some others helped to build it. It was a primitive affair and went out when the first high water came. Thomas J. Mulroney came in and bought the Rough Elliott ranch northwest of Streshly for his brother Ned. Robert Wisbern, Ned's partner, stayed on the place the following winter. Isaac Coulthurst built a house on his place this summer. [98] THE YEAE 1858 In July Einard took a claim northeast of Tom Watson which extended east to the Neale ranch; Dr. Spalding and John E. Fuller claimed 480 acres on the north side of the river east of Hines and Sylvester. Their southwest corner was a little north- east of Curlew Butte, and their land was half a mile wide and extended down the river a mile and a half. On the 12th an arbitration meeting was held at the Manley Thompson ranch. Joseph Lynch and Anthony Barla were partners in the place taken up by the former in 1856 and they could not agree. Dr. Slater and S. C. Perrin were chosen arbi- trators and they divided the land and water equally between the two men. In August Samuel E. Hall, then little more than a boy, came into the valley, and in September he and Jack Demming went into Willow Creek valley and located a couple of claims at the upper end of it. Demming 's place was where what is now called Summers creek comes out of the hills and Hall's was not far away. They were the first settlers in that valley. They did not spend the winter there, but the next spring Demming went back and commenced to improve his place. In September Wm. E. Campbell took a claim between the Conkey and Neale ranches; Edward (Ned) Mulroney claimed 160 acres, or more, near Gold Eun northwest of J. P. Ford and between him and Arnold. The Neale Brothers had cattle running on the south side of the river this summer, and fearing the land would be fenced up so the cattle could not get water at the river, they had their hired man, Wm. H. (Hank) Crane, plow a ditch from the river above the falls, then not far from where the Johnstonville gristmill is now, southeast across the flat to the bluff. This was the beginning of the Buggytown Ditch, but it is possible that this was done a year later. Smith J. Hill came into the valley and bought the Baxter place about three fourths of a mile southeast of Bankhead 's for a mule. Hill says that about this time he bought out Matchelor for James D. Byers. This ranch was on Baxter creek about two miles northeast of Bankhead 's. Byers did not come here to live until several years after this and James Anderson had charge of the place and the stock. [99] HISTOBY OP LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA This summer Dr. Slater taught a private school at his own house. His pupils were Susan and Hugh Bankhead, Maria Stone, and his own children, Eva and Daniel. F. & S. say: "In 1858 Malcom Scott opened a private school in a small building that stood on the south side of Cottage street, about midway between Gay and Lassen streets. ' ' Late this summer Matchelor, Henderson, and another man, who had all been living on the place Hill bought for Byers, got out some logs and put up a cabin on the west part of Manley Thompson's ranch. Thompson reported the case to the citizens of the valley, and thirty or forty men met at his place to hold an arbitration. At first the "jumpers'' said they would stay there anyhow and could not be driven off; but they soon saw that it was of no use to try to fight the whole crowd, and they said that if Thompson would pay them for the logs, they would leave. Probably he did this, for that was the end of the trouble. In October Wm. H. Crane, Wm. D. Snyder, C. W. Thompson, Kobert Cochran, and Cyrus Smith located two sections east of Coulthurst and also claimed the water privilege of Susan river and Willow creek. On October 17th, 1858, there was born to Isaac and Mary Jane Coulthurst a son, William R., the fourth child born in the valley. He died October 10th, 1876. This fall Lassen and Albert A. Smith went to Lassen's old ranch on Deer creek after some millstones. It appears that they allowed him to take anything of that kind any time he wanted it, so he loaded up the millstones and started for home. At the same time Dr. Spalding and Fred Hines went to Red Bluff to get some drugs, the first used by Dr. Spalding in his practice here, and coming back they struck in with Lassen and Smith. Lassen 's wagon was heavily loaded and Hines had to help him up the Hat Creek hill. He was up near the leaders driving and Lassen was behind the wagon carrying a big rock to chock the wheel when the team stopped. All at once a chain broke near the wagon which immediately started back down the hill. Lassen was old and clumsy and would have been run over and killed; but in his haste to get out of the way he accidentally dropped the stone where the wheel struck it, and the wagon stopped. It was a close call for Uncle Peter that time. Lassen rigged up a rude mill near the creek, about half way [100] THE YEAR 1858 between where the road runs through Milford and the foothill, or perhaps a little nearer the hill. He ran it with a sort of horse- power ; and crushed grain, but made no flour. This was the first attempt to build a gristmill in the county. This fall, some say 1857, Lassen and Kingsbury put up a house of hewn logs on the top of the hill west of where the Hulsman residence is now, and it was used as a ranch house for several years. This year a man named Wasson settled in Long valley at what is sometimes called the Upper Hot springs, or the Hot Springs ranch. This place was six miles almost due south of the "Whitehead" Eoss ranch. This month Elizabeth A. Sharp sold to Squire Stark for $500 the ranch she bought from him the previous year. This fall Ross Lewers came in and bought the Fullbright and Crawford ranch, and soon after took in Rough Elliott as a partner. J. P. Ford sold out to Judkins and Cate. In November M. and E. R. Scott "laid claim in and unto the whole of Antilope valley so called situated north or in the northern part of Honey Lake valley about three miles northeast from Susanville. ,, After the record of the notice Roop stated that he told M. Scott that some other parties had claimed the same land and filed their notice for record three days before, but Scott said he wanted his notice filed and he would take the chances. This is the first time that Roop's place has been called ' ' Susanville ' ' in any newspaper, record, or document that the writer has ever seen. For a while before this it was gener- ally called ' ' Rooptown, ' ' and for a couple of years afterwards it was sometimes called "Susanville" and sometimes " Rooptown.' ' Lynch sold his place two miles below Bankhead's to George W. Fry and Dewitt C. Chandler. This fall David Rice was on the Morehead ranch and John Bradley and Wife lived about five miles further up the lake. They may have come into the valley the previous year. Christopher Meyers bought in with Manley Thompson. Some time this fall Mrs. Amanda Gray, the Wife of Anthony Gray, came to the valley with her family. Her husband came here the previous fall. The family consisted of T. W., Mary, and Benjamin Hughes and Louisa, Minnie, and Robert Gray. Some time during the year James Fuller, perhaps his brothers, John E. and C. W. (Bill), were in with him, put up a board shanty about three and one fourth miles below Roop 's and began [101] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA to sell goods. It was on the north side of the road near the river, and not far from where Dr. Spalding had built his house which is still standing. Daniel Murray was his clerk, and before long he and Edward Powers bought Fuller out. This same year either these two, or Fuller, put up a blacksmith shop across the road from the store and Henry Hastings was the first blacksmith. The following people settled in Honey Lake valley in 1858. The names of some of them have already been given. A. B. Jenison and family, *Mrs. Richard Thompson and family, Thomas J. Mulroney, John S. Ward and family, John and Edward Bass, Lewis Stark and family, G. W. Howard, J. H. Breed, Thurston (Ken tuck) Thomas, * Christopher Meyers, * Will- iam Meyers, James D. Byers, *Edward Powers, *Daniel Mur- ray, Jacob Holley, *Ben B. Painter, *John Thayer. Per- haps William (Limekiln) Smith and several brothers named Wheeler settled here this year. Though Byers did not come to this county to live until several years later, he was, in a way, a settler here. He held county office and was a member of the legislature and was always a prominent man. The following lived in the valley all the rest of their lives: Mrs. R. D, Bass, John S. Ward and his son Frank G. (Bob), T. J. Mulroney, John Bradley and Wife, John Thayer, G. W. Fry, D. C. Chandler, John C. Davis, Thurston Thomas, J. D. Byers, Robert Wisbern, Mrs. R. Thompson, and A. B. Jenison and Wife. Ward was a lawyer and was a prominent man as long as he lived. Painter, Rice, Crane, the Fuller Bros., John and Edward Bass, Hill, Stark, Lewers, Murray, John Byrd, Breed, Hall, C. and W. Meyers, Mrs. Streshly, Mrs. Anthony Gray and family, and Mrs. John S. Ward and her children Trowbridge H. and Jennie lived in the county from six or seven to twenty- five years or more. W. H. Crane was a member of the legislature. Western Utah Politics. 1858 T. and W. (Thompson and West's History of Nevada) say: 1 ' The following letter from Judge Crane shows that the creation of the territory of Sierra Nevada was considered at Washington [102] THE YEAE 1858 about the same as an accomplished fact at one time, but the act was finally defeated. " Judge Crane to His Constituents. "Washington, February 18, 1858. "Fellow- Citizens : — It affords me much satisfaction to furnish you in advance information of great interest. The committee on territories has unanimously agreed to report a bill forthwith to establish a territorial government out of western Utah, under the name of Sierra Nevada. It will be bounded on the east by the Goose Creek mountains, on the west by the Sierra Nevada, or the east line of California, on the north by the Oregon line, and on the south by the Colorado river. "The bill will be pressed through both houses of Congress, by all parties, as having an immediate connection with the present military movements against the Mormons. It has been agreed upon that it shall form a part of the measure designed to com- press the limits of the Mormons in the Great Basin, and to defeat their efforts to corrupt and confederate with the Indian tribes who now reside in or roam through western Utah. For this and many other reasons, no time will be lost to organize a territory over western Utah, that there may be concentrated there a large Gentile population, as a check both upon the Indians and the Mormons. ' ' To the Hon. Wm. Smith, the able member of Congress from the Orange congressional district in Va. (well known in Cali- fornia) you and I owe an everlasting debt of gratitude for bring- ing about this auspicious result. "In connection with this subject permit me to say (if I am not writing to you unadvisedly) that you all sow and plant heavy crops of grain and vegetables this spring, for they will bring ready sale at good cash prices to supply the army and the Indians on their reservations. "As soon as I shall get my seat I think I can secure mail routes between Carson valley, via Gold Canyon, Kagtown, Sink of the Humboldt, to the Great Salt Lake, and from Honey Lake to the Humboldt, where the two lines form a junction. As to the establishment of other necessary mail routes in the territory I have no fears. In connection with this subject also, I have great hopes of having a bill passed to bridge the deep snow region of the Sierra Nevada, over the Honey lake and Placerville [103] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA routes, so as to keep open communication between our territory and California all the year round. The deep snow region on the Placerville route is, I think, about eight miles in extent, and on the Honey Lake route, via Shasta, about the same. Neither will cost over $50000 or $60000. "In conclusion, I hope the legislature of California will be as liberal and as generous to you as Virginia was to Kentucky in her days of infancy and trial, and as Georgia was to Alabama in her days of infancy ; and like them, withdraw her jurisdiction over valleys lying east of the Sierra Nevada, that they may all come under our territorial government. "Ever your faithful friend, * ' James M. Crane. ' ' * ' The foregoing will give the reader a fair idea of the state of mind that the settlers of western Utah were in, and the induce- ments that urged them to a separation. It further presents the pecuniary outlook that floated before the mental vision of the ranchers whose products from the soil was to feed 115000 Indians on the reservations, and the soldiers that were to keep them and the Mormons in check. Western Utah was a miner's and farmer's Paradise, where the roads to wealth were to be paved by the United States treasury, with coin, over fields of precious stones, and the richest gold and silver mines on the continent. These exaggerations had their effect, and the public was being slowly prepared for an excitement such as followed the eventual discov- ery of the Comstock Lode." Another Attempt to Reorganize Carson County "In 1858 another attempt was made to reorganize Carson county and it proved only partially successful. Governor Cum- mings commissioned John S. Child, probate judge, and he called an election for county officers. The election was Mormon or Anti-Mormon, but as there were no Mormons excepting one, it was really those who favored the hanging of 'Lucky Bill' against those who did not. Four of the six precincts were thrown out for illegal voting. All the Mormon ticket was elected excepting Sides and Abernathy. The people paid but little attention to the results of this election. Those who received the highest number of votes were declared elected, but their positions became mere sinecures." [104] THE YEAR 1858 Result of the Movement op 1857 "The movement set on foot in 1857 failed and Congress did not create the new territory asked for by the settlers of western Utah. But there was a hostile feeling between the Mormons and the citizens of the United States, and the people of western Utah proposed to use this feeling to help them in getting Congress to organize a new territory that should not include Salt Lake City. ' ' Honey Lake Politics — 1858 During the year 1858 political conditions remained about the same as they were the previous year. The only political action taken is shown by the following which F. and S. quote from Roop's record. They say: "To provide for their own government until such time as congress should incorporate them in a new territory, the people of the valley again met, in February, 1858, and adopted the following laws : "Laws of Honey Lake Valley. Adopted February 13, 1858. "Sec. 1. — Each White Male twenty-one years of age shall have the right to take up and locate vacant land to the amount of 640 acres. Provided, that within 30 days from the taking up and locating he shall have it surveyed, and a mound three feet high thrown up at every corner, and a stake set in each mound 6 ft. long, and the claimant's name placed on Record, and to occupy and improve to the amount of one dollar per acre claimed within twelve months from the date of locating, said one dollar per acre to be placed on the land claimed as follows: 12% cts. per acre within 30 days from the locating; 12% cts. per acre within the next 30 days; 25 cts. per acre within the next 60 days; 25 cts. per acre within the next 4 months; 25 cts. per acre within the next 4 months. Said improvement to consist in plowing, fencing, building, and the planting of fruit trees. "Sec. 2. — An actual residence within the district where the land lays shall be held an occupation of the land claimed. A substitute can represent. No one person can represent more than one claim. "Sec. 3. — Claims may be held in fractions, where such frac- tions have been made by prior surveys of claims, provided that the number shall not exceed 4, and the whole not more than 640 acres, and each and every fraction shall be improved agreeable to section one. [105] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA "Sec. 4. — All sales and transfers of land shall be acknow- ledged to by the Recorder, and to be placed on record. "Sec. 5. — No person or persons shall divert water from its original channel to the injury of any prior occupant. "Sec. 6. — Owners of hogs shall be held to pay all damages their hogs may do between the first day of April and the first day of November. "Sec. 7. — All difficulties, disputes, and suits at law, of any nature, shall be had before a Board of Arbitrators, and a majority of said Board shall render a decision ; and when a decision shall not be satisfactory to both or either party, the one so grieved may take an appeal within ten days thereafter, and have it tried before a Board in an adjoining district ; and if the former decision shall have been sustained by a majority of the second Board, then such a decision shall be final ; but if the decision shall have been reversed by a majority of the second Board, then the case shall be left to seven citizens, three to be chosen by each party, the seventh to be called by the six, and a decision the majority shall make shall be final. "Sec. 8. — There shall be an election held on the first Saturday in May in each district, for the purpose of electing one Recorder and three Arbitrators in each district. "See. 9. — The fees of the Arbitrators shall not exceed five dollars each a day, to be paid by the party losing the suit. ' ' Indian Troubles — 1858 In 1857 General Crook built Fort Crook in the upper end of Fall River valley. This was a piece of good fortune for the people of Honey Lake valley. The Pit river Indians had always bothered them a great deal, and as soldiers were stationed at the fort after this it helped to keep the Indians in check. Besides that the soldiers often had a fight with them, and in these fights, if General Crook was in command, a good many Indians were put in a condition not to make any more trouble. In the course of ten or a dozen years the tribe became so small that they did not have the power to make very much trouble. Treaty with the Smoke Creek Pi Utahs Indians The following is an exact copy of the treaty which is owned by the family of the late John F. Hulsman. [106] THE YEAR 1858 " Honey Lake Valley, January 5th, 1858. " Treaty formed this fifth day of January One thousand eight hundred and fifty eight (1858) between the chief of the smoke creek band of Pi Utahs Indians named Winnemorhas and P. Lassen Isaac Eoop J "Williams Sub Agents of J T Henley Super- intendant of Indians affairs for California. "P Lassen Isaac Roop and J Williams agree to give to Winnemorhas the chief of the smoke band of Indians the clothing blankets &c furnished by J T Henley upon the terms and condi- tions prescribed by him to us. "Winnemorhas the chief of the Pi Utahs Indians at smoke creek agrees in consideration of the Blankets clothing &c received by him to remain at Peace with the whole people of Honey Lake Valley and vicinity and also to refrain from stealing stock or other pilfering from the whites of the aforesaid vicinity and to return all stock stolen from them if possible for him to do so and further agrees all supplies from and intercourse with the whites shall cease if he fails to perform his part of the contract "J Williams P Lassen I Roop Sub Agents Winnemorha Chief of the smoke Creek Band of the Pi Utahs Ind Winnemorhas. His x mark "Abstract of articals delivered as presents to the Pi Utahs Indians of Honey Valley on Dec 11th 1857 and Jan 5th 1858— Viz. Over halls ... 90 Pr Hickory stripe 250 yds Blankets ...40 " Cotton Kerchief 90... Military coats . . 2 Blue Prints 50 yds Brown drill ... 25 yds Linen thread 2 Bals Buttons ... 8 gross Thimbals 90 Combs ... 2 doz Military Jackets 82 Needles ... 500 "We the undersigned disinterested persons here-by certify that we ware present and witnessed the delivery of the above articals to the Pi Utahs Indians W C Kingsbury John Winnemorha Interpreter A A Smith His x mark [107] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "Abstract of articals delivered as presents to the Pah Utahs Indians of Honey Lake Valley on July 16th 1858 Over halls 54 Pr Hicory stripe 127% yds Blankets 10 .. Cotton Kerchief 30 Brown drill 7 yds Blue Prints 60% yds Buttons 3 gross Bdls Lin thred L.Bdls Combs 2 doz Thimbels 54 Needles 5.00 Milit Jackets 18 Cotton thread 4 doz "Witness A L McDonald . A A Smith W C Kingsbury" Expedition to Cold Springs in Pursuit of Indians Kelated by William Dow and Fred Hines About the middle of March six or eight head of cattle were stolen by the Indians from Charles Adams who had a ranch on the river about three miles from the lake. In the fall of 1857 when Hines was out on the Humboldt river trading with the emigrants, Adams came along with a band of cattle which he had driven from the states, and he was looking for a good place to winter them. Hines told him to come to Honey Lake, and he and his brother Abijah came in here with the cattle and took up a ranch. He remembered Hines and visited him every time he came to the upper end of the valley. When his cattle were stolen he at once came up to see Hines, and they talked the matter over. There were quite a lot of men around the Hines and Sylvester ranch, and they all told Adams they would do what they could for him. They said they would kill a beef, and then get some men together and go down and join with him in the pursuit of the Indians. Hines told him that he had better go home by way of the Bankhead place and see if he could not get some more men to go along. The men in the upper end of the valley got ready, and in a day or two William Dow, Fred Hines, John Neale, Henry Arnold, Wiley Cornelison, Capt. Weatherlow, U. J. Tutt, and perhaps a few others went down and camped between Willow creek and Susan river at their junction, arriving there near the middle of the afternoon. Just at dusk they heard a shot fired and saw a fire on the south side of the river opposite the mouth [108] THE YEAR 1858 of Willow creek. Thinking it might be some men from the south side of the valley who were signaling to them, Hines and Arnold went in that direction as far as the water would permit and fired their pistols several times. They got no reply, and after waiting a while went back to camp. The next morning Adams called to them from the other side of Willow creek and said he could get no more men to go along. He had not seen the fire, and they all came to the conclusion that it had been built by some one who was out hunting cattle and had got cold. They thought no more about it until subsequent events brought it to to their minds; but the reader will please remember it, "for thereby hangs a tale." They took the trail of the Indians, there were only five or six of them, and followed it until night and camped at the southwest corner of Secret valley. That night they went to the top of the highest mountain that was near them to look for Indian camp fires, and this they did every night during the trip. The next night they camped at the upper end of Snow Storm creek, and the night following that at Cold Springs to the north of Madeline Plains. The next day they spent in hunting around on a big mountain in the range that comes down from the west side of Surprise valley. The Indians had gone across a point of the mountain where the ground was frozen, and there the white men lost their trail. The following morning they took the back track and reached home in due time without meeting with any adventures. They brought back neither cattle nor scalps, and this was the luck of many parties of Never Sweats who went in pursuit of Indian thieves. Captain Weatherlow's Fight with the Indians During the spring of 1858 the Indians stole a good many cattle and horses from the Honey Lakers. The Washos, though perhaps not openly hostile, did considerable of this ; or, at least, it was laid at their door. I. N. Roop in a letter to the "Shasta Republican, ' ' dated April 22nd says: "The Indians are continually committing thefts in the valley. Within the last six weeks they have driven twenty-six head of cattle out of the valley besides the four that they killed here together with six horses and two mules. They [109] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA have been followed by the citizens to no purpose save once when a company commanded by Capt. Wm. Weatherlow some two weeks since started in pursuit of the Washos." The Indians had stolen some horses from Fullbright and Crawford and a party started in pursuit. Seven or eight men, one of them being Crawford, were from the lower end of the valley, and Capt. Weatherlow, Cap Hill, "Jonce" Tutt, and perhaps another man went from the upper end. In all of these expeditions after the Indians, if Weatherlow went along, he was looked upon as the leader. In fact, in most cases, he was the one who raised a crowd of men and followed the Indians after they had committed some depredation. The party followed the Indian trail down the valley and camped on the north side of the divide between Honey Lake and Long valleys. Along about two or three o 'clock the next morning part of them went south over the ridge to look for Indian camp fires. They thought they saw some five or six miles away and all of them excepting Weatherlow went back to move their camp over to the south side of the ridge. About daylight two Indians, one armed with a gun and the other with a bow and arrows, came to him, and being able to talk a little English, they asked him what he was doing there. He told them that he was hunting antelope. He then started off and they followed him. He tried to keep either one of them from getting behind him, but the one with the bow and arrows finally succeeded in doing it and Weatherlow turned and shot him with his revolver. The other Indian was too close to use his gun, so he dropped it and sprang upon Weather- low before the latter could shoot him ; and they had a rough and tumble fight that lasted for half an hour, the two rolling over and over on the ground, first one on top and then the other. Weath- erlow was a small man and the Indian kept him under the most of the time, but whenever he was on top he threw sand and gravel into the Indian's mouth and eyes and yelled as loud as he could, hoping that some of his party would hear him and come to his relief. The Indian had a knife slung on a string between his shoulders, as the Indians then carried their knives, and this he tried to get and Weatherlow tried to keep him from doing it. The white man got one of the Indian's fingers between his teeth and hung to it and caught hold of the Indian 's other hand, and so kept him from drawing his knife. But the red man finally [ no ] THE YEAR 1858 wore his opponent out, and when his finger was chewed off he got that hand free and soon had the white man at his mercy. In a minute or two more Weatherlow would have been killed, but just then Tutt appeared upon the scene. He ran up and caught the Indian by the hair, and with one stroke of his Bowie knife almost cut off his head. Tutt had started out from camp ahead of the others, and hearing Weatherlow 's shouts, he threw down his pack and ran to him as fast as he could, getting there just in time. Weatherlow was badly bruised in the fight, but he received no other injuries and in a few days was ready to go after Indians again. Charles H. Crawford Killed by an Indian Related by William H. Clark A short time after the expedition to Cold Springs the Indians, Diggers, or Diggers and Washos together, stole a yoke of oxen from Manley Thompson and drove them over the mountain to the southwest and killed them. Nine men, Wm. N. Crawford, Epp- stein, Denny, Elliott, Billy Clark, M. Thompson, Chapman, C. H. Crawford, Fullbright's partner, and Weatherlow, went in pursuit of the thieves. C. H. Crawford rode a mule, he being too fleshy to walk, and the others were on foot. They started in the morning and went over the mountain to what is now called Clark's creek, and went down this to the place where it flows into Last Chance creek. There they came upon a party of four Indians, two bucks and two squaws, camped by a big fire and they took the bucks prisoners. They were armed with guns and bows and arrows and their captors allowed them to keep their weapons. There was nothing to show that these Indians had anything to do with stealing the oxen. While the white men stood there talking a party of nine men on horseback under the leadership of Frank Johnson rode up and said they had come to help them hunt for the Indians. Johnson wanted to put up the captives at a distance of one hundred and fifty yards and shoot at them, but C. Crawford would not allow it to be done. He said that their party had taken the prisoners and that they would take them down into the valley and try to find out from them what Indians stole the cattle. Johnson said that if they could not kill the Indians there was no use of going any further. So they all started back up the north side of Clark 's creek, the pris- [mi HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA oners in the midst of the men on foot, and the mounted men about a hundred yards ahead. Before they had gone very far one of the Indians threw down his gun and ran down the creek and Chapman followed him. After running a short distance the In- dian jumped off a high bank into the willows, and though Chap- man fired at him several times with his six-shooter, he succeeded in getting away. They then went on up the creek with the other Indian and in a few minutes he, too, threw down his gun and started up the side of the mountain, Crawford following him on his mule. The men on foot followed him, too, shooting as they ran, but they all missed him. When Crawford got within eight or ten feet of the Indian the latter turned and shot him, the arrow striking him on the right side and ranging downward into the small of his back, going almost through his body. They surround- ed the Indian and kept shooting at him, but in their excitement they took no aim and no one hit him. Johnson got close to him, and if the others had not prevented it the Indian would have killed him with a knife. Finally Wm. Crawford shot him through the leg and got him down, and then they managed to kill him. They cut some poles and with these and some saddle blankets they made a litter, and the nine men carried Crawford over the mountain to the valley He was such a heavy man that it was a hard job, and their shoulders were worn raw by the poles. The wounded man asked Clark to pull the arrow out and he, not thinking what the result would be, did so and the head of the arrow was left deep in the wound. Dr. Slater said that if the arrow had been pushed on through his body it would have all come out, and besides that it would have let out the blood and he might have recovered. As it was he lived only three days. His tombstone says that he was killed on the 21st day of May. He was buried in the graveyard that is perhaps a third of a mile south of the road, and four miles southeast of Janesville. This is the oldest graveyard in the county. In addition to the fore- going, Thomas B. Doyle says Wm. Crawford told him that the Indians had no ammunition for their guns; that he shot the In- dian through both knees at a distance of four hundred yards, and then they all shot him and riddled him with bullets ; and that they came into the valley with Crawford about two miles north- west of Milf ord. [112] THE YEAR 1858 The Trip to Goose Lake Valley in Pursuit of the Indians Belated by Dow and Hines On Sunday, April 18th, 1858, the Pit river Indians stole two horses and two mules from Hines and Tutt and three horses and a mule from Jonathan Scott. The animals were running on the flat to the north of Haviland's ranch and their loss was not dis- covered until the next day. Just as soon as they found out that the stock was gone Dow, Tutt, and an Indian who had come from southern California with J. Scott started out to get the course the Indians had taken with the stolen animals. Dow and Tutt were considered to be among the very best Indian fighters of the valley and they did consider- able scouting. They followed the trail up past the Big Spring at the head of what is now known as the Antelope grade; and then wrote what they had learned on a piece of juniper bark and sent the Indian back with it to notify the crowd to get ready. Dow and Tutt followed the trail on over into Willow Creek val- ley, but came back home that night. The next day the men who were going in pursuit of the Indians met at the ranches of Dow & Hatch and Hines & Sylvester, which were just across the road from each other. The party consisted of Capt. Weatherlow, Tutt, Dow, Hines, C. C. Walden, Henry Arnold, Thad. Norton, Alec. Chapman, Storff, Amos Conkey, Frank Johnson, Rough Elliott, Charles Adams, Lathrop, and J. B. Gilpin. They started out the same day, taking with them three weeks ' provisions, but they did not get very far. They got a late start, and not knowing the country very well, struck Willow creek about the middle of the Big Swamp. It was frozen over, but would not bear them up, so they followed down the stream about four miles until they found a narrow place, and there they crossed the creek. They went back up the creek until they found the trail of the Indians, and it then being late, they camped for the night in a neck on the north side and a little west of the center of the valley. The next morning they got an early start and followed the trail along the west side of Fredonyer Butte. Along here somewhere the Indians had killed one of the mules. About ten o 'clock in the forenoon they came in sight of Grasshopper lake. They saw a big flock of brants fly up, and the man in the lead, who was doing the trailing, thought he saw a dark object on the lake and mo- [113] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA tioned for the others to stop. They had a spyglass, and with the aid of that they could see some Indians who appeared to be setting nets for ducks in the lake. They thought these might be the Indians they were after, so a man or two went up on a ledge of rocks to watch them through the spyglass and the rest of the party went down into a canyon and camped. Just before sunset the Indians left the lake and went west across the valley to what appeared to be a mound south of the middle of the lake, and half or three quarters of a mile from it. The whites sat around their camp fire until some time after midnight, and leaving Conkey to watch the camp, they set out to find the Indians. The lake lay between them and the mound, but from the actions of the Indians they thought it must be shallow and they took a straight course. When they reached it they found it was deeper than they ex- pected, and some of the men went around instead of going through the water. Those who waded got ahead of the others and had to wait for them to come up. When they got to the mound they found there were three of them, and the two southern ones looked very much alike. This bothered them ; but after talk- ing the matter over they concluded to divide and part of them go around the south side of the south mound and the rest go up on the east side, and if they found no Indians they would try the next mound. It was the right one and both parties reached the Indians about the same time. They were camped on the east side of a steep ledge and those who went around came out right above them — not more than eight feet away. It was then just after daylight, and one of the Indians raised up and poked the fire with a little stick. The whites immediately fired and killed all of them, three bucks and a squaw. Only one man fired the sec- ond time. One of the Indians sprang up convulsively when he was shot, and some one who had a double-barreled shotgun shot him as he raised up. They were Pit river, or Dixie valley, Indians, but not the ones they were following. The white men thought, however, that they deserved their fate, for there were marrow- bones and fresh rawhides in their camp. The party then went back to their camp, and after breakfast took the trail and followed it along the east side of the lake, through Dry valley, then over a little sand ridge onto the west end of Madeline Plains, kept on north, and that night camped by a spring at the northwest corner of the Plains. The next day they went down through a pass to [114] THE YEAE 1858 the south fork of Pit river, and camped that night on a creek that runs into it near where Alturas now stands. That night Dow and Elliott put on some moccasins they had taken from the In- dians killed in Grasshopper valley, and went up on the side of a mountain twelve or fifteen miles away to look for Indian camp fires. They went up the mountain until they could see all over that part of the country, but saw no fires. The next morning the trail led them up Pit river, and during the day they came to a place that looked as though the Indians they were following and the rest of their band had wintered there. The Indians who had been left in camp joined the ones with the stolen animals, and they all went on together. In this place Dow and Hines do not agree, but the matter is not important. Dow says they camped that night near the south end of Goose Lake valley at the place where the Indians had camped the night before. Hines says the trail had not been very fresh, and the next morning after they camped here some of the men became discouraged and wanted to turn back. Rough Elliott and Alec. Chapman almost had a fight over it. Finally it was agreed that they would follow the trail until noon, and if it was no fresher they would turn back. Early that forenoon they struck the Sheep Rock road which left the Lassen Trail at the lower end of the valley and went west to the Yreka country. In this road they found the fresh tracks of shod horses and this puzzled them. They knew it was too early for emigrants, and they thought that either the Indians had stolen some horses in Shasta county and brought them there, or that an- other party of white men had come from the west hunting Indians. They followed the Lassen Trail to the north, the new tracks and the tracks of the Indians they were following both being in the road. They were excited on account of finding the new tracks and also because they saw a signal fire, the first one they had seen on the trip, in the hills to the northeast, and they rode fast until they came to a steep hill that ran west to the lake. Here the tracks separated, the new ones going around the hill toward the lake and the Indian tracks straight up it. Here the Honey Lakers divided their crowd, nine men following the new tracks and the other six going up the hill. The foregoing is the way Dow tells it. Hines thinks they saw the signal fire before they reached the Sheep Rock road and that the six men started in that direction as soon as they saw it. The nine men went on around [115] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA the hill, which Dow and Hines think must be the Sugar Loaf, and before long came to some people camped on the north side of it near the road. They were the party with the shod horses, and were twelve Mormons, seven men, three women, two of them young ladies, and two children, from Eugene City, Oregon ; and they were going to Salt Lake City in obedience to a call from Brigham Young. The names of six of the men were B. Young, David M. Stewart, or Steward, Dr. Silas G. Higgins, Lorenzo L. Harmon, J. L. Adams, and Henry H. Winslow. The night before the Never Sweats got there, the night of the 24th, while they were changing their guard fifty or sixty Indians surprised them and stampeded all their horses, twenty-three in number. The next morning several Indians came to their camp and laid down their bows and arrows and wanted the Mormons to lay down their guns and be friendly. They said that some bad Indians had stolen their horses and after some talk they agreed to bring them back if the white men would give them a tent and some clothing. They wanted one of the white men to go with them, and Dr. Higgins volunteered to do this and had not yet got back. He told after- wards that he went with them to their main camp, probably in what is now known as Fandango valley, and there they found seventy-five Indians, as near as he could judge. These Indians said that some of the horses had been run off by other Indians, and they could return only part of them. Shortly after this they started back to the Mormon camp with twelve horses, ten or a dozen Indians going along and riding the horses. The rest of them went along, too, but they took another route. We will now see what was done by the smaller party of Honey Lakers. The trail which they followed over the hill led almost directly to the Mormon camp, and when they got about a quarter of a mile from it they came to a place where a high ledge of rocks ran parallel to the trail. There was a ravine between them and the ledge, and they saw a couple of Indians sneaking along it. Walden called out to take them prisoners, but Dow said they would take no prisoners, for a man had been killed by an Indian prisoner just before they left home. He and two or three others fired at the Indians, and thirty or forty more of them immedi- ately jumped up from behind the ledge and gave a war whoop. When the Honey Lakers at the Mormon camp heard the yelling and shouting they struck out in that direction as fast as their [116] THE YEAR 1858 horses could run and soon came upon Higgins and the Indians coming back with the horses. When these Indians heard the noise they suspected treachery, and setting up a yell, they jumped from the horses and shot them and the white man full of arrows. Higgins was sliot through the hip with a bullet, two arrows were shot into his arm and three into his back, but the latter did not go through into the cavity. In an account published in a news- paper of the day it was said that he was shot ten times. Eight of the horses were wounded so bad that they died, or had to be killed. The Indians then ran away and the whites followed them as fast as they could. The six men were chasing their bunch of Indians, too; but it was hard work getting over the ledge, the ground was soft so they could not run their horses very fast, and they got behind the others. All hands were now in sight of each other. The two bands of Indians were running toward the north in almost parallel lines, but gradually drawing together, and the whites in close pursuit. Dow shot a big Indian who had got be- hind, Tutt shot another one, and probably several more were killed while the chase was going on. The Indians soon came to- gether and shortly afterwards suddenly dropped into a canyon. The larger party of white men were still a little ahead, and seeing the leading Indians running up the hill on the other side, they rode right up to the edge of the canyon and found a sheer drop of twenty feet or more. They hastily pulled up and just then the air became full of arrows. Hines 's horse was shot in the neck and in the shoulder before he could get off and get behind it. An arrow struck Lathrop on the breast, but he had a powder flask in his shirt pocket and that saved his life. An arrow struck Adams's stirrup. Dow says eight horses were wounded, all of them slightly, excepting one of them that was shot in the throat. Probably the arrows were poisoned, because the wounds swelled a great deal, though none of the horses died. Hines thinks only two horses besides his were shot here and that the wounded horses belonging to the Mormons came to them and stood around while the fight was going on, and some of them died there. At the edge of the canyon there was a big rock pile, and the Indians hid them- selves behind and under it. The steep part of this rock pile was about one hundred and fifty yards long. It was in the shape of an elbow with the point to the west, and at each end of it one could go down into the canyon very easily. The white men [117] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA stayed at the top of the canyon and fired at the Icdians around the ends of the ledge, or wherever they could see them. The fight commenced a little after noon and lasted about four hours. The whites did not expose themselves very much and only one man was injured. Elliott got too far around the rock, and an arrow with a stone point struck him on the side of the lead, making a painful but not dangerous wound. After all of the Indians had either been shot or had run away so that no more living ones could be seen the whites thought some of going up to their main camp. They talked the matter over and finally came to the con- clusion that they might find more Indians there than they could handle. Besides that they didn't know what had happened to the Mormons during their absence, and thought they ought to go and see. But before they went away they wanted to see what was in the canyon, and Hines and Johnson started to climb down into it. Just then Weatherlow, who was down where he could see under the rocks, called to them to stop, for there was an In- dian down below waiting for them. Several men got their rifles ready, and then a couple more held Lathrop by the hand and he leaned out over the rocks and fired his revolver as Weatherlow directed him. When he fired the Indian jumped out into sight and the men with the rifles shot and killed him instantly. The two men then went down into the canyon and found that the Indian had only one arrow and that had no point, but he had it fixed to his bow and stood ready to shoot the first man that came down. He was a brave man, for he came to his death trying to fight with a poor weapon instead of running away. The two white men gathered up what bows and arrows they could find, the arrows all having stone points. Evidently the Indians had only one gun, for that was all the whites heard during the fight. They found seventeen dead Indians and these they scalped and brought the scalps home with them. Hines said so many parties had gone from Honey Lake after Indians and never brought any- thing back, they thought they would take something home to show that they had killed some this time. They never knew how many Indians were killed and wounded. There must have been fifty or sixty of them in the canyon, and probably there were more killed than they scalped and a good many wounded. On the way to the Mormon camp Dow told Hines about the Indian he shot before they reached the canyon, and said he wanted to see [118] THE YEAE 1858 what had become of him. They looked around and finally found him sitting with his back against a juniper tree apparently dead. Hines was going to him to take his scalp when Dow told him to hold on, for the Indian might not be dead and would hurt him. He stopped and Dow took a shot at the Indian, but he never moved. Then they went to him and found that he had been dead for some time. They found the Mormons at their camp. They had pulled the arrows out of Higgins and they thought he would die before morning. They made a stretcher out of a blanket and some poles to carry him on, and then they all went to an open place near a creek a little south of the lake and camped there. They were afraid the Indians would attack them in the night, and in an open place there was less chance of their being surprised. No Indians came around that night, and as Higgins was better the next morning, they concluded to stay there that day. Elliott wanted his wound attended to, so he and another man started for home that morning. During the fight their spyglass was lost and that day Tutt, Arnold, Norton, Dow, and Adams went back to look for it. They did not find it, but they found two horses, one belonging to the Mormons and one that had been stolen from Honey Lake valley. Of the eight animals stolen this was the only one they recovered. They saw no Indians that day. There must have been a good many of them in that locality at that time, and it seems strange that they did not kill every one of the little band of whites. Per- haps they had got all the fighting they wanted, and were willing to let them depart in peace without having any more trouble with them. The next morning they started for the land of the Never Sweats, taking the Mormons with them. They carried Higgins in a litter made of a blanket sewed between two long poles. A horse was put between the poles at each end and a couple of men led the horses. Hines footed it all the way home, his horse being so badly wounded that he could carry only the saddle and Hines 's blankets. Higgins stood the trip all right, and after Dr. Spal- ding had treated him a while he went below and had the bullet taken from his hip. Some of the Mormon party went to the lower country and stayed there, but the most of them went back to Oregon and settled near Jacksonville, where Dow afterwards [119] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA heard of them. Though the Honey Lakers brought back only one of the stolen animals, they made a good many of what they then considered to be the only good Indians, and so were well sat- isfied with their trip. Another Indian Hunt Some time this fall the Indians stole two or three head of cattle from a man who lived with Capt. Weatherlow, name unknown. The owner of the cattle, Weatherlow, Hatch, John Mote and two Indian valley Indians went in pursuit of them. They had no fight with the Indians and brought back no cattle, but they cap- tured a couple of squaws. Chapman's Escape From the Mormons The "Alta Calif ornian, ' ' dated May 29, 1858, quotes the fol- lowing from the ' ' Red Bluffs Beacon " : ' ' Before Mr. Adams and party left the valley (Honey Lake) Mr. Chapman and six others arrived there from Salt Lake City. Our informant learned from this party that they went to Salt Lake City last fall for the pur- pose of purchasing stock, and that on their arrival at the city were taken and thrown into prison, where they remained all win- ter, and until the late excitement prior to the evacuation of the Mormons, when they escaped, and were pursued some thirty miles, when they fell in with a party of forty-two teamsters from Col. Johnston 's command. ' ' Without doubt this was the man who was called ' ' Big ' ' John Chapman in this valley, and who was cousin to Judge John S. Chapman and his brother and two sisters who came to the valley in 1859. The following was told by Fred F. Kingsbury: In 1882 Kingsbury lived in Chico. One day as he was walking down the street he came to a saloon in front of which sat a man who ap- peared to have been drinking and who was surrounded by a crowd. As Kingsbury came up he heard him say "Does any one here know John Chapman?" No one made any reply, and he waited until the crowd had all gone away and then asked the man what John Chapman he meant. The fellow replied that he meant the one who lived in Honey Lake valley and asked Kings- bury if he knew him. Fred told him that he saw Chapman just after he was shot by Smith, and when he inquired what the other knew about him the man said that he was the one who saved him [120] THE YEAE 1858 from the Destroying Angels at Salt Lake City. He said that at the time he was herding horses not far from the city. One even- ing just after dark a man came to the corral where the horses were kept at night. He was without weapons and alone in a strange country, and had to throw himself on the mercy of the man who was telling the story. He told him that his name was Chapman and where his home was, and said that he and some others had heen put into jail by the Mormons, but did not say for what reason. He and another man were condemned to die, and that evening some of the Destroying Angels took them out of the city in a wagon to kill them, as they supposed. The prisoners, who were not tied in any way, sat together and not much atten- tion was paid to them. They talked the matter over in whispers and came to the conclusion that as long as they had to die any- way they might as well take a chance. When it got a little dark they made a break for liberty. The other man jumped out of the front end of the wagon, but his clothes caught on a single-tree hook and he was overpowered and put back into the wagon. "While this was going on Chapman jumped out of the hind end of the wagon and ran a little ways out into the brush and lay down. They hunted for him quite a while, and once or twice came very close to him, but finally they gave up the search and went away. When he could no longer hear them he struck out regardless of the direction he took, and kept going until he came to the corral. After listening to his story the narrator told him that some sol- diers had passed there that day on their way to California, and that he might overtake them. He saddled a horse, helped Chap- man to mount him and said ''Good luck to you." He rode all night and the next day overtook the soldiers. The next morn- ing the Mormons came to the corral and asked the herder if he had seen anything of a man during the night. He told them that he had not. They missed the horse and saddle and thought that Chapman had stolen them and started for California, and they immediately went in pursuit of him. The Mormons found him with the soldiers, but they would not give him up and he reached home in safety. From what the writer has learned in connection with this he believes that the foregoing story is almost right, although the nar- rator told it partly from hearsay and twenty-five years after it [121] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA happened, and Kingsbury told it more than twenty-five years after he heard it. Thomas N. Long says that a man named Horace Buckley went to Salt Lake City with the Chapman crowd. He never came back with them and some thought that Chapman, who was a little afraid of him because he was so wild and reckless, had killed him while they were gone. Perhaps Buckley was the man who was with Chapman when the latter made his escape from the Mor- mons. If he was, that would account for his failure to return. Ferry's Horse Taken by Sheriff J. D. Byers Notwithstanding the position taken by the Honey Lakers the Plumas county officials exercised a sort of jurisdiction over the valley. Early in the spring of 1858 a resident of Honey Lake named John H. Ferry, known as ' * Blackhawk, ' ' was sued in Plumas county and the plaintiff was given judgment against him. All the property Ferry had was a saddle horse, also called " Black- hawk, ' ' which was then running in a pasture owned by Eice and Neiswender. James D. Byers, the second sheriff of Plumas coun- ty, came here after the horse. He stayed over night with Rice and Neiswender and the next morning started for Quincy riding Ferry's horse and leading his own. Believing that the Plumas county officers had no business here, Ferry, Sylvester, and another man followed Byers with the intention of taking the horse away from him. The other two men were ahead of Ferry and they caught up with Byers about the time he reached Gold Run. Rid- ing up to him Sylvester caught him by the leg and threw him off the horse. Byers wasn 't the man to stand much of anything like that, and probably there would have been a man or two killed in short order, for the Never Sweats were also ready and willing to shoot. Just then Ferry rode up, and after seeing how matters stood, said he didn't want to see a man killed on account of a horse and told the others to let Byers take the animal and go. Thus ended what might have been a serious affair. The Murder of Henry Gordier In the spring and early summer of 1858 a series of events took place in western Utah which caused great excitement throughout that region. The first of these was the murder of Henry Gordier, a Frenchman, in Honey Lake valley, and the events that followed were the result of this. [122] THE YEAE 1858 The following story was nearly all told by "William Dow, but information was also received from Fred Hines, S. J. Hill and Wife, W. H. Clark, 0. Streshly, William and David B. Bankhead, Isaac Coulthurst and Wife, and John Baxter. All of these ex- cepting Hill were in the valley at the time, and the most of them took more or less part in what was going on. The details of this and the following story are much more complete than any ever published before this time. In the fall of 1857 a man whose name is said to have been William Combs Edwards killed Snelling, the postmaster at Snelling in Merced county, California. After the murder he fled across the mountains to western Utah and there called himself William Combs, but the early settlers of Honey Lake and the Carson country always call him Bill Edwards. Snelling was a Mason and the Masonic Lodge and the people of Snelling offered a reward of $1500 for the arrest of Edwards and notified the Ma- sons on this coast to look out for him. Edwards came to Genoa in what is now the western part of Nevada, and there made the acquaintance of William B. Thor- rington, better known as "Lucky Bill. " The latter was a man of considerable property, but he was a gambler and an unprincipled man who was known to be willing to protect and shelter any crim- inal. It is said that Edwards told Lucky Bill about the killing of Snelling, but claimed that he did it in self-defense. After staying a while at Genoa Edwards came to Honey Lake valley and lived with John Mullen and Asa Snow, who had a cabin on Lassen creek almost exactly where Breed had his trad- ing post in the summer of 1856. J. B. Gilpin had a cabin in the edge of the woods to the north and Rough Elliott lived northwest of Streshly. (Elliott was not called by that name on account of manner. He came to the valley from the mining camp of Rough and Ready, and at first was called "Rough and Ready." He could be very polite and "smooth" if he saw fit to do it.) It is said that Snow 's name was an assumed one and that he had killed a man before he came to the valley, but the writer will not vouch for the truth of this. It may have been a case of i ' Give a dog a bad name and hang him. ' ' Mullen had a few cattle and was said to be handy at picking up other people 's calves. Edwards spent the winter working in his placer mine, which was not far from the Mullen and Snow cabin. [123] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA In the fall of 1857, when the Mormons of Carson valley and that vicinity were selling their property in order to return to Salt Lake City, Coulthurst and Gordier, who had been partners in the mines of California, concluded to buy some of the Mormon cattle. Coulthurst went down there and bought a band of fine Durhams, the best lot of cattle that had ever been brought into the valley, and Gordier, who was a man of considerable means, took the most of them. At this time he lived on the Baxter creek south of the point of the Bald mountain. In the spring of 1858 Lucky Bill talked of going to Salt Lake to buy some cattle, but instead of going there he came to Honey Lake valley. A man named Sol. Perrin, who had known Thor- ington at Placerville, lived at the upper end of the lake four or five miles east of the Bankhead place, and when Thorrington was going past his house he hailed him and the two men had a con- versation. In the course of it Lucky Bill inquired about Gor- diers's cattle and said he had come to see if he could buy them. After talking with Perrin he went his way, but instead of going to see the Frenchman he went up the valley and stayed all night with Mullen and Edwards and then started for home. Perrin stopped him again and asked him if he had bought the cattle. He replied that he had not and that he had left the matter in the hands of some friends. Not long after this Mullen and Edwards began to talk around among the neighbors about buying Gordier 's cattle and finally talked to him about it. Later on they reported that they had bargained with him for everything he had. Not far from the middle of March they went to him and told him that he had a sick cow over on the south side of the river opposite the mouth of Willow creek, and that they would go along and show him where she was if he wanted them to do so. The three men went over there. Hines says that on the way home from Carson valley Ed- wards told him they struck the river a little too high up and turned and went down it. They were riding side by side and Mullen dropped back a little and shot the Frenchman through the head with his pistol. They took off his clothes and put them into an old Indian campoodie close by and set it on fire. This was the shot and the fire told about in the story of the expedition to Cold Springs after the Indians who stole the cattle from Adams. They put a rock on his body, bent his knees up against it, and r 1241 THE YEAR 1858 then tied a rope around him to keep it in place. Then they took the body to the river and sunk it in a deep hole. That night they started for Genoa. As soon as they were gone Snow, whom they had hired to work for them, took possession of the Frenchman's cabin and gave out that Mullen and Edwards had bought everything he had and that the three men had gone to Genoa to get the money from Lucky Bill to pay him off. The neighbors thought it rather queer that Gordier should leave so suddenly, but did not give the matter a great deal of thought at the time. Mullen and Edwards went to Genoa and stayed a few days and then came home by the way of Quincy. They said that at Genoa Gordier had met an old ship- mate and as soon as he got his money both of them started for France. Mullen and Snow immediately moved into Gordier 's cabin and took possession of all his property. Some of the cows had been loaned or rented to Malcom Bankhead and others, and these people they told to keep on milking the cows until they called for them. Gordier had a younger brother, some say there were two of them, on the other side of the mountain, and while the party was gone to Goose lake he wrote to some one in the val- ley and inquired about his brother. "When he heard that he had sold out and gone to France he wrote back and said there must be something wrong about it, for his brother would not leave the country without coming to see him. That and some other things that happened made people think that there was something not just right about the Frenchman's selling out. The Goose lake party got home not far from the first of May, and as this was the only diversion to be had in the country, the boys thought they must have a dance to celebrate the event. There were the three Mor- mon women and they managed to get three or four more and had their dance, probably at Arnold's hotel in Rooptown. At this dance the Gordier matter was talked over more or less, for by this time people were very suspicious that the Frenchman had met with foul play. Cornelison told the writer that the next morning after the dance a few of them were talking about it and one man said "Boys, do you remember the shot we heard the night we camped at the mouth of Willow creek ? ' ' Being answered in the affirmative he said "That was the shot that killed Harry Gor- dier." The evening before the dance Sylvester said to Hines, "Bill Edwards will be there to-night and in the morning you tell [125] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA him to come around this way on his road home, for I want to see him." Hines did so and Edwards, who was living at the cabin on Lassen creek, came down through Toadtown on his way home. Sylvester took him to one side and told him that people thought there was something mysterious in regard to their buying the Frenchman out, and if he and Mullen were going to live in the country, they had better show their neighbors that everything was all right. Edwards said they would do so and went on his way. He must have gone down and told Mullen at once, for the same day they went to Bankhead and told him they were going to leave the country for a while. They also told him to keep on milking the cows, and if any more of their cows came around with young calves to take them up and milk them, too. They rode away and Mullen was never seen again by any one in this valley. It looks as though that when they left here their idea was to go somewhere below and have Snow drive the cattle to them, for they left with him written orders, said to be from Gordier, on the men who had any of the cattle in their possession to turn them over to him. When Mullen left here he rode a horse that belonged to him. This horse was called "Bald Hornet' ' and was a bald-faced chestnut sorrel that weighed about a thousand pounds. He was a quarter- horse, and as he had run in the races at Quincy in 1857 and made a good showing, he was quite a noted horse throughout the moun- tains from Quincy to Sacramento. Evidently Mullen was afraid to ride a horse that was so well known, for after leaving here he traded him to Edwards. Probably when they got into the moun- tains and talked the matter over they came to the conclusion that their lives were in danger and they separated, Edwards going to Genoa and Mullen no one knows where. There was a rumor that he went to the Eraser river mining excitement and was killed there, but it was only a rumor and nothing more was ever heard about it. When it became known that the two men had left the valley the suspicion that Gordier had met with foul play became stronger than ever. In a day or two John Neale, Dow, Tutt, 1 ' Mormon Joe ' ' Owens, John Mote, a half-breed Cherokee, and a few others, seven or eight in all, went down on the south side of Susan river a little below the mouth of Willow creek to see if that fire and gunshot had anything to do with the disappearance of the Frenchman. They found that an old campoodie had been [126] THE YEAR 1858 burned where they saw the fire and they found some metal but- tons in the ashes. They also found some dried blood on the ground near the ashes. All around there the ground had been tram- pled by the feet of men and animals and the tracks of both led to a deep hole in the river. The ground there was trampled a great deal, too, as though work of some kind had been going on. Mote, and perhaps some of the others, dived into the hole to see if they could find anything, but the water was very cold and they could not stay down long enough to hunt around very much. Finally they gave it up and went home. But there was considerable excitement in the valley and they kept working at the case. Dr. Slater analyzed some of the dried blood and said it was the blood of a human being. A few days after the party from the upper end of the valley had been there William Bankhead and a crowd of white men and Indians went over to the river. They hunted around and dived into the river where the others did, but did not find anything. A day or two afterwards, Bankhead, Frank Johnson, and a few other men went there again and took with them the materials with which to make a small raft, and a long pole to the end of which they had fastened the hook from a logchain. They put the raft together, and as it would float only one man, Bankhead got onto it with the pole and they pushed it out a little distance from the shore. He scraped the bottom of the river a few times with the end of the pole and then the hook caught on something which he thought was the root of a willow. He pulled hard and brought it to the surface — it was Gordier's body coming up feet foremost — and when he saw what it was he almost fell off the raft. It had been in the water about six weeks and was a gruesome object. They tied a rope to it and allowed it to sink into the river and stay there until they could make preparations to take it away. As soon as possible an inquest was held, William and Malcom Bankhead and Frank Johnson being some of the members of the jury, and the verdict rendered was that Gordier came to his death at the hands of Mullen and Edwards and that they believed that Snow and Lucky Bill were their accomplices. The murdered man was buried in the graveyard about four miles southeast of Bankhead 's. (Mrs. Isaac Coulthrust says that she dreamed where the Frenchman 's body was and told the men to look there for it. ) The finding of the Frenchman's body put the fat into the [127] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA fire, so to speak, and almost every one took a hand in investigating the matter. Elliott and Gilpin had been very friendly with Mullen and the two men with him and Elliott knew that Edwards had killed Snelling, although he claimed he was justifiable in doing it. Elliott also knew that Thorrington had visited these men early that spring. A meeting was held in the upper end of the valley and Elliott was sent for. He was told that things looked a little suspicious for him and that he must help bring the guilty parties to justice. F. and S. say: " Elliott was one of a committee appointed to work up the case, the others being Junius Brutus Gilpin, John Neale, Frank Johnson, and Charles Adams.' ' They had an idea that the men they wanted had gone to Genoa, and as soon as he could get ready, probably before the middle of May, Elliott went down there to find out. After Mullen and Edwards went away Snow continued to live in Gordier's cabin and busied himself in picking up the cattle. It wasn't very long before he happened to be at Bank- head's when some of the committee were there and they took him out to one side and began to question him. He immediately became very angry and tried to draw his pistol, but they pre- vented him from doing it. He denied knowing anything about the murder of Gordier and was very impudent and abusive, cursing them and calling them every vile name he could think of. They took him along with them and from this time he was held in custody, just where it is impossible to tell, as long as he lived. The last place he was kept was at the cabin of L. N. and J. H.. Breed. This cabin was on the place taken up by Isadore about four miles southeast of Bankhead's. It was near a spring on the east side of the road running north and not far from where that road left the one that ran southeast down the lake. There are many stories told about the hanging of Snow and after the lapse of so many years it is hard to tell which one of them is true. Some say he was given a trial and sentenced to be hanged in a short time. That night they heard that the Plumas county officers were coming to take him away so they raised a small crowd and hanged him as quickly as they could. Others say there was nothing private about it. They say he was given a fair trial before a judge and a jury of ten men and the witnesses were sworn. Another story is that they commenced to try him and a mob broke up the trial and took him away and hanged him. [ 128 ] THE YEAB 1858 After getting all the information possible the writer believes that the truth is something like the following: John Neale and a crowd from the upper end of the valley went down to the Breed cabin. Probably they were joined by others as they went along and also by men living in that vicinity. There may have been a sort of trial or investigation that lasted into the night. Snow insisted that he was innocent and was very abusive and defiant, and finally dared them to hang him. About two thirds of a mile south of east of the cabin and a quarter of a mile from the lake there were two pine trees. The larger tree, the one farthest from the lake, had a large limb growing at almost a right angle with the trunk and twelve or fifteen feet from the ground, and to this tree the crowd went taking Snow with them. They intended to show him what hanging was like and probably thought they could scare him into making a confession. They pulled him up and let him hang a while and then let him down and questioned him. He said he knew nothing to tell and cursed and defied them. They pulled him up again, let him down and questioned him, and the result was the same. He was pulled up the third time and this time they let him hang too long — when they let him down he was dead. He was defiant to the last and died, so William Bank- head says, cursing them and telling them to bring on their strings. It is said that they dug a hole under the tree and buried him in it without even wrapping him up in a blanket, and his grave was never marked in any way. In spite of all that was said by any one else, the settlers who lived here at that time always believed that Snow knew all about the murder of Gordier. In an article taken from the "Marysville News" the "Alta Cali- fornian" says that Mr. Whiting of Whiting's Express told that this took place Monday, June 7th, 1858, and probably this is right or nearly so. The Arrest of Edwards, Lucky Bill, and Others and their Trial, and the Execution of Edwards and Lucky Bill The greater part of the following was told by William Dow and Fred Hines, but Wm. H. Clark, R. W. Young of Crescent Mills, Plumas county, D. R. and Theodore Hawkins of Genoa, Nevada, Joseph Prey of Reno, Nevada, who says he has been a resident of that state since 1854, Emanuel Penrod, who was one of the pioneers of the Comstock Lode, and Orlando Streshly each gave more or less information. [129] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA After leaving Honey Lake valley Edwards went directly to Genoa. He did not show himself in public and as soon as possible had a talk with Lucky Bill. From this time until his arrest he tried to keep out of sight and Thorrington kept him supplied with provisions. It is said that Edwards wanted his horse sold so that he could go to South America. T. and W. say that William B. Thorrington, "Lucky Bill," was a native of Chenango county, New York, and that in 1848 he went from there to Michigan with his parents. In 1850 he crossed the plains to California and in 1853 became a resident of Carson valley in western Utah. "His education was a moderate one, due to the fact that his excessive animal spirits would not permit close application to study when attending school in his boyhood. In frame he was large, weighing two hundred pounds, and with broad ample shoulders, stood six feet and one inch in height; his head covered with glossy curly hair colored like the raven's wing, was massive, with a high classic forehead, and large gray mirthful eyes, looking out from beneath projecting eyebrows, that indicated strong perceptive faculties. The country had no handsomer or merrier citizen than Lucky Bill, a name given to him because of the fortunate result that seemed to attend his every action. He had become comfortably wealthy. It has been noted that the Reeses turned over a large amount of property to him in January, 1855, including their Eagle Valley ranch." This was for $23000 previously loaned to them. "He became the successor to Israel Mott in the owner-ship of the Carson Canyon tollroad and the possessor of valuable ranch property in the valley. In character he was both generous and brave, and his sympathies were readily aroused in favor of the unfortunate ; or, which in frontier parlance would be termed 'the under dog in the fight', regardless of the causes that had placed the dog in that position. In addition to his farming and toll road pursuits, he was a gambler, and a very successful one, his specialty being the 'thimble rig game.' " (This was virtually the same thing as the walnut shell game.) T. and W. (Thompson and West's history of Nevada) then tell of two or three instances where he took the part of unfortunate emigrants who were being mis- treated, punished their persecutors, and then relieved their wants and sent them on their way rejoicing. The writer remembers of reading a story written by a woman who said that when she and [130] THE YEAR 1858 her husband reached Genoa on their journey across the plains, they were imposed upon by some hard characters. Lucky Bill happened to notice it and he drove away their tormentors and helped them to continue on their journey. She ended her story by calling the vengeance of Heaven down upon the heads of those who hanged him. D. R. Hawkins says : "To me, as a boy, Lucky Bill appeared a noble character ; grand in physique, gentlemanly in deportment, neat in dress, kind in disposition and to his family, generous and charitable, and the best story-teller I ever heard. I have sat up all night listening to his humorous anecdotes and quaint talks and never felt a blush at any crudity in his language although they were related to a bar-room audience. ' ' T. and W. also say : ' ' Numerous instances of generosity like this are remem- bered by the early settlers of Nevada of this strange frontiers- man, many of whose impulses were such as ennoble men. His associations in life, however, had been with individuals that had led him to look upon murder or theft as a smaller crime than would be the betrayal of a person who claimed his protection, though that man might be fleeing from justice after having com- mitted either or both of these offences. This peculiarity of Lucky Bill being known to all, both good and bad citizens, transformed him into an obstruction, sometimes to the execution of justice upon criminals, and this characteristic proved his ruin." To tell it plainly, he was a "sure thing" gambler and a man who would shelter and protect any one who asked him to do so, no matter how foul a crime that person was guilty of. Thor- rington moved from the state of New York to Marshall, Calhoun county, Michigan. A man named Mott Wells, who knew him in New York, said he left there on account of a forgery he com- mitted. Dow and some of the other Honey Lakers knew him, or knew of him, in Michigan. He was known there as a gambler and an associate of bad characters. In the spring of 1852 he went from this coast back to Michigan, and when he returned he induced three young girls to come with him. They got as far as Peoria, Illinois, and there were overtaken by the parents and the friends of the girls. Two of the girls went back to their homes, but one named Martha Lamb came on out here with him. The writer has seen several published accounts of the murder of Gordier and the events that followed it; but none of them told the facts in the case, and none of them told much about [131] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA what took place in Honey Lake valley. The facts in the preceding paragraph were told by Dow and other men of undoubted veracity. When Eough Elliott arrived at Genoa he went to Lucky Bill and told him that he and Edwards were great friends and that he wanted to see him. When they met Elliott seemed greatly pleased to see him and told some plausible story to account for his being there. He associated with the two men as much as possible and soon became very friendly with Lucky Bill and his crowd. A few days after Elliott had gone Gilpin took a fine mare that belonged to Charles Adams and went down to Genoa, too, and after he had become a little acquainted he told Lucky Bill that he had stolen the animal. He stayed there and he and Elliott together worked up the case. They went to Major Ormsby, a resident of Genoa and a prominent Mason, and told him about Edwards and what they were doing there, and he promised them the help of the Masons when they got ready to act. When they became acquainted Lucky Bill made a confidant of Elliott and told him a good many things about himself, and claimed to have considerable knowledge of what the criminals of this coast were doing. Elliott wrote all this and also what Edwards told him and saved it for future use. The news that Gordier had been murdered and that the Honey Lakers believed Edwards had gone to Genoa soon reached the Carson valley, and the people of that section were, many of them, on the lookout for him. J. A. Thomp- son, the expressman, who wrote to the ''Sacramento Union" from Genoa on June 14th, says: "The notorious Bill Edwards who murdered Snelling has been seen around here the last four days, and has been pursued by a number of persons. Yesterday they found him on the trail above Daggett's and captured his horse. They shot six or eight times at Edwards, he returning their fire twice. He fled to the mountains and got away. His horse proved to be the celebrated race horse 'Bald Hornet.' " When Elliott had learned what he wanted to know, he made his plans and sent word to the Honey Lakers to raise a crowd and come down there. In twenty-four hours after the message was received the following men were ready to start : Fred Hines, U. J. Tutt, Mat. Craft, William Dow, Henry Arnold, D. M. Munchie, Thad Norton, Richard Thompson, Antone Storff, Tom. McMurtry, John C. Davis, John H. Neale, "Mormon Joe" [132] THE YEAR 1858 Owens, John Mote, — Henderson, William N. Crawford, William H. Clark, A. G. (Joe) Eppstein, Frank Johnson, William Meyers, R. J. Scott, Cap. Hill, E. W. Young, — Hughes, Alec. Chapman, George Lathrop, Thomas J. Harvey, Thomas Watson, John Baxter, Mark W. Haviland, Capt. William Weatherlow, and — McVeagh. There is a possibility that instead of Hill another man went, but it is impossible to tell who it was. Probably the two members of the committee were the leaders, but there may have been others who took part in the leadership. Young and Hughes were from Indian valley. Young says he happened to be in the valley on business and was at Streshly 's place the morning that some of the crowd gathered there to make a start. Some of them were acquainted with him and they wanted him to go along. He tried to beg off by saying that his horse would not stand the trip, but Streshly said he would furnish him with a splendid riding mule and a gun. Young then agreed to go, and Streshly brought out an old pack mule and a gun about two feet long and of a very curious make. Those in the upper end of the valley started in the morning and as they went along the others fell in with them. The gather- ing place was at Cap. Hill's ranch a little northeast of where Milford now stands. The date of starting is uncertain. If they went through in two nights, as Dow thinks, the start was made on the 12th of June. If it took them three nights to make the trip, as Hines thinks, they started on the 11th. Dow says they started late in the afternoon and at dusk were at the creek in Long valley about nineteen miles on their way. They rested their horses a while and that night went on to Peavine springs. Hines thinks they left Hill's ranch about dark. There was noth- ing but a trail until they got to the Beckwourth Pass emigrant road ; and as it was a dark night they had to ride slowly, follow- ing one another single file along the trail, or picking their way through the brush. At daylight they reached a place on the Long Valley creek a little above where the Constantia station is now. They stayed there that day, keeping out of sight in the willows the best they could. To the west and not far away was the cabin of ' ' Whitehead ' ' Ross, the first building they had seen on the trip. He was not at home at the time, probably being away on one of his frequent visits to the mines or the towns of Sacramento valley. Something has already been told about this [133] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA mysterious person. He was a gambler, and some say he was a desperado and a road agent, or highwayman. Others say he was a good citizen until his brother was killed by the Mexicans, and then he went to gambling and took indiscriminate revenge upon Mexicans and native Californians whenever he had a chance. He always had plenty of money, but no one knew how he got it. It is said that he was once arrested and brought before a police judge on a charge of vagrancy to see if they could not force him to tell how he made his money. The judge asked him how he made his living. " Whitehead ' ' reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of twenty-dollar gold pieces and said * ' That is how I make my living.' ' -The vagrancy charge was dismissed. This has been told about Ross while the Honey Lakers were waiting for the darkness to come on. "Weatherlow and McVeagh both got sick at this place and went back home. At dark the thirty remaining Never Sweats started out again and traveled all night as before. Nothing occured to relieve the monotony of the journey excepting an accident that happened to Storff. Not long after they left camp he struck a match to light his pipe, and when it flared up his horse shied and threw him heavily to the ground. He was a fat man and was ' ' considerable shuck up" by the fall; and when they picked him up he looked at his broken pipe, rubbed the injured part of his anatomy, and groaned out, ''Oh, mein Gott, mein pipe, mein pelly!" They reached Peavine springs the next morning and stayed there the most of the day. Dow says that while they were there a brother of Theodore Winters came along on his way to Washoe valley. They didn 't want any one go ahead of them and let people know they were coming, so they stopped him and took him along with them. Hines says that while they were camped there a man came along on foot. He was some kind of a foreigner and knew very little English. They thought he might be a spy, so they held him there until they were ready to go on. Hines also says that in the afternoon another man came to them on foot. He said he was Theodore Winters of Carson valley and that Elliott had sent him out to meet the party from Honey Lake. He was to find out when they would reach Genoa, and then return and tell Elliott so he could have everything ready when they arrived. They didn't know anything about Winters and at first thought they would keep him with them ; but after they had talked it over [134] THE YEAE 1858 and looked at the matter in every light, they concluded they would have to send a messenger to Elliott, anyway, and they might just as well let this man go back. He said he had left his horse somewhere on the road to give him a chance to rest, and when they let him go he immediately took the road to Carson valley. It turned out that he was just what he represented him- self to be and went right back and reported to Elliott. It was a long ride from there to Genoa, so they took an early start. They had to go to the emigrant crossing — the Stone & Gates crossing, now Glendale — to get across the Truckee river. It was out of their way, but there was no nearer crossing. Near what was afterwards the foot of the grade going to Virginia City some one had built a stone corral, the second work of man they had seen since leaving home, and there they stopped and let their horses rest. In "Washoe valley they were joined by a few men, probably Masons who knew of their coming. They reached Genoa on Monday, the 14th day of June, just at day- light, or a little before. Some of the citizens were up and there were a few lights burning. Major Ormsby told them after- wards that he and his Wife sat up all night. At that time Genoa was a little place of one street on which there was a hotel, a store, a blacksmith shop, a couple of saloons, a feed stable, and some dwelling houses. Elliott met them just before they got into town and told them to tie their horses behind a long barn near by. Here they were joined by some more Masons. Elliott then divided up the party and told them what men he wanted and where to go after them. Hines thinks that the Honey Lake men made the arrests. The larger party surrounded Lucky Bill 's house and called him out. Dow says that as soon as he came out and saw Elliott in the crowd he said "My life is not worth a bit." He and his son Jerome gave themselves up without making any trouble. The son was a boy about seventeen years old. E. W. Young says Mrs. Thorrington plead hard for the boy, but didn 't say anything about her husband. Hines and three others went to a saloon after two men. They went into a hallway in the saloon, opened the doors of the rooms where the two men slept, and told them to get up and come to the doors. They did so and then Hines brought their clothes to them and they dressed themselves before going into the street. These two men, Orrin Gray and John McBride, were gamblers. After the arrests were [135] HISTORY OP LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA made a young fellow started to leave town on horseback, but the Honey Lakers stopped him and held him as long as they stayed there. They then stationed men all around the little town to keep any one from going out to warn the other men they were after. By this time the people of the village had begun to get up, and when they saw what had happened some of them waved their handkerchiefs from the windows. The prisoners were put into a large room in the second story of the Singleton Hotel and kept under guard while their captors had breakfast. The town was now pretty well waked up and excited. Many of the citizens told the Honey Lakers that now was the first time they could breathe freely for a long time, that the lawless element had them terrorized, and that they didn't dare say anything for fear they might be talking to some of the gang. (D. H. Holdridge, who was seventeen years old at that time and lived in Genoa, says that his father, Louis Holdridge, had sold a ranch west of the Sierras. About this time he went over there to get some money that was due him. Lucky Bill's gang heard about it and planned to kill him for his money while he was coming home through the moun- tains. Major Ormsby learned about their plan and wrote to Mr. Holdridge telling him to wait a while before coming home. He did so and on that account did not reach Genoa until after the gang was broken up.) D. R. Hawkins says that at the time he was a boy twelve years old. He woke up in the morning and found the town full of armed men. He and his Father went to the hotel and with the permission of the guards went up stairs and found Lucky Bill bound and reclining on the floor in the far corner of the room. His Father said "Well, Bill, what is all this about?", and the reply was "Mr. Hawkins, these men have come here to hang me and I guess they are going to do it. ' ' Mr. Hawkins also says: "Presently I passed down and onto the sidewalk and saw two men earnestly discussing the situation, and I stopped to listen that I might learn what was going on. One stood with his back against the house and his right hand resting on the muzzle of his rifle while his right foot was held up and placed against the wall. After standing thus for a while on one foot he dropped the other and in doing so the bowknot of his legging string caught on the hammer of the gun and set it off. Only a small hole was made in the palm, but the whole back of [136] THE YEAE 1858 his hand was blown away. Dr. Daggett, who always seemed present where needed, soon set about dressing the poor fellow's wound. At a later date I saw Dr. Daggett on the same spot save the life of Cisco whose wrist was nearly severed by Jerome Thorrington with a Bowie knife. " The man who shot himself was Tom McMurtry, a cousin to Mrs. Amos Conkey, and the accident crippled his hand. A short time after breakfast Elliott took part of the men and went up the river to the ranch of Lute Olds and arrested him and Ike Gandy and Calvin Austin. Gandy showed fight, but Elliott stepped up to him with his pistol and he gave up. They took the men to town and that afternoon the Never Sweats and their prisoners, accompanied by a few of the Carson country settlers, went down the river to the Clear Creek ranch then owned by K. D. Sides, L. B. Abernathy, and J. M. Baldwin. They went there because there was a hotel where they could board, and there was a large barn where they could keep their horses, their prisoners, and themselves. Besides this it was ten miles away from Genoa and Lucky Bill's friends, and they expected trouble with them. It was also in an open country where they could not be surprised. As soon as they reached the Clear Creek ranch they began to make arrangements to capture Edwards. They told Jerome Thorrington that if he would help them get Edwards, they would let him go free and do the best they could for his father. It has been told that they promised to let Lucky Bill go, too, but the Honey Lake men say they made no such promise. It is said that Jerome didn't want to betray Edwards; but his father told him that Edwards's testimony would clear him (Lucky Bill), and finally the boy agreed to do what they wanted him to. They told him to take a basket of provisions and go to the place where Edwards was camped and tell him that a party of men had come from Honey Lake after him ; and that his father wanted him to come that night to Thorrington 's ranch on the river and they would leave the country at once and stay until the trouble blew over. Just before dark the boy started for the hills to find Edwards. About the same time twelve men started for Lucky Bill's river ranch which was six or seven miles above Genoa. Elliott, Dow, Gilpin,; Henderson, Theodore Winters, Marion Little, who was Sides 's brother-in-law, and perhaps Tom. Watson were in the party. Between the Clear Creek ranch and the one [137] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA where they were going there was a big bend in the river, but they went straight across the country and saved both time and travel. As soon as they reached their destination they stationed Hender- son out by the river and Dow in a log corral on the other side of the house. The house had two rooms, the front one being used as a living room and the back one as a bedroom. Martha Lamb was living here with her baby. Elliott and Winters stood on each side of the door with clubs in their hands. Afterwards, while on their way home, Edwards told Hines that he started for the ranch without any suspicion, but the nearer he got to it the more he thought that everything was not all right. Just before he reached the house he put his revolver into the front of his shirt where it would be handy, cocked both barrels of his shotgun, and carried it so it would be ready for instant use. He and the boy got to the ranch about midnight. Jerome knocked at the door and the man stationed in the back room asked who was there. Edwards answered that it was a friend, and the man came to the door and opened it and stepped to one side. The boy came in and was followed by Edwards, who was immediately knocked down ; and the same blow, or one from the other club, broke both barrels of the shotgun from the stock. He was seized at once, his arms and legs were tied, and the wound on his head was bound up. Dow says the first words Edwards spoke were "I deserve it." After daylight Elliott and Gilpin, who were guarding him, were sitting on a bench counting the money taken from him — quite a large sum. "While they were doing this the prisoner drew up his legs so he could reach the rope with which they were bound and managed to untie it. He then jumped off the bed where he had been lying, rushed out through the other room, and ran for a slough not far from the house. The other men were standing in front of the outside door and when he ran past them they set up a yell and some of them fired at him, but didn't hit him. Elliott ran after him, and being a good foot- racer, gained on him rapidly. When Edwards reached the slough he jumped into it and Elliott, who was then close to him, jumped in on top of him. Both men were pulled out of the water and in a short time they started with their prisoner for Genoa where they had a blacksmith iron him. Joseph Prey says that the black- smith's name was G. W. Hepperley, and that the irons, one of them made from the handle of an old frying-pan, were riveted on [138] THE YEAR 1858 and a chain put between them. After this was done they went on to the Clear Creek ranch. The news of what had been done must have spread over the country very rapidly and, of course, all sorts of stories were told. One was that Edwards intended to assassinate Major Ormsby as he was going to Placerville, but the coming of the Honey Lakers prevented it. The whole country must have at once separated into two factions — those who favored Lucky Bill and those who did not. Probably the most of those who had once been Mormons and their friends were on his side. J. A. Thompson in a letter to the ' ' Sacramento Union ' ' says : ' ' One hundred and fifty citi- zens met to-day to try the men arrested. There is no excitement here, and all seem disposed to give the men a fair and impartial trial." The "Bee" says: "The people of Honey Lake and Carson valley say that the $1500 offered by the people of Snell- ing's ranch is no object — they will not deliver him up to stand the chances of a trial in California and that he shall not leave their hands alive. The inhabitants of the valleys breathe freer at present than they have done for two years, knowing that there was an organized band of robbers and murderers amongst them and that as they now have got the leaders in their hands it will be the means of breaking up the organization." The trial of the arrested men commenced on Tuesday, the 15th of June, and was held in the barn at the Clear Creek ranch. In the published accounts of what was done here at this time they call the men who held this trial a vigilance committee, but it was nothing of the kind. It might be called a People's, or Citizen's, Court. It was a gathering of men in a country where there was no law excepting what they made themselves, and they were trying to do justice and punish criminals. They went about it in an orderly way. John L. Cary of , Placerville was appointed judge and John H. Neale of Honey Lake and Dr. B. L. King of Eagle valley were associate judges. Elliott was appointed sheriff and Gilpin was his deputy. A jury was regularly impaneled, and the witnesses were all put under oath. P. and S. say: "The judges, jurors, and spectators sat in the court-room, armed with guns and revolvers." The other prisoners were tried before the cases of Edwards and Lucky Bill were brought up. Gandy was found innocent of any crime and was discharged. With him it was the case of "Old [139] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Dog Tray" — he was caught in bad company. Different stories are told about the punishment of the others. T. and W. say that two of them were fined $1000 each and ordered to leave the country, and the balance were discharged. Joseph Frey says these two were Olds and Austin and the latter had nothing with which to pay his fine. The Placerville correspondent of the " Alta Calif ornian ' ' says "Olds was found guilty of harboring horse thieves for which he was fined $875 and banished from the coun- try not to return under the penalty of being shot. Another man was fined $220 and banished with the same penalty attached." E. Penrod says that Olds was fined $800 and Austin $200, and that Olds was held for both fines. The Honey Lakers are quite positive that the men arrested in Genoa were fined $250 apiece, that a part of all the fines was paid, and that the money was taken to pay the bills of the crowd at the Clear Creek ranch. Tuesday night the report came that "Billy" Rogers was coming with a hundred men to rescue Lucky Bill. Preparations were at once made to give him and his men a warm reception, but they failed to come. Not many of Lucky Bill's friends put in an appearance at the trial. Thorrington 's trial began on Thursday. In his case there were eighteen jurors, six of them from Honey Lake, and they, too, were regularly empaneled. The accused man was allowed to have Major Eeese to defend him. William Dow, Joseph Frey, Emanuel Penrod, — Williamson, the two Hale Brothers, and — Taylor were among the jurors. The names of the others could not be ascertained. Elliott and Edwards were the principal witnesses. In addition to the other testimony given by him, Elliott read the memorandum he had made of what Edwards and Thorrington told him. Thompson and West 's History of Nevada has the following : ' ' The evidence under oath was taken down by C. N. Noteware, late secretary of state for Nevada ; and the writer of this has read it all. Not a thing appears there implicating Lucky Bill in anything except the attempt to secure the mur- derer's escape. The absence of any knowledge on the part of the accused of the guilt of Edwards is a noticeable feature in that testimony; that party, after having acknowledged his own guilt, swore positively that he had assured Lucky Bill that he was innocent, and no one else testified to the contrary, yet the jury, believing that he did know, decided that he was guilty as acces- [140] THE YEAR 1858 sory to the murder after the fact, and condemned him to be hanged." It says nothing about Elliott's testimony or about Lucky Bill's visit to Honey Lake Valley. Dow says Edwards testified that while Lucky Bill was in Honey Lake valley he helped plan the murder of the Frenchman. It was proved that Thor- rington made a visit to this valley, had that conversation with Perrin, and stayed while here with Mullen, Edwards, and Snow. He also fed Edwards after he came to Genoa and tried to help him get out of the country. The jury was instructed that twelve of them could bring in a verdict. They rendered their decision at eight or nine o'clock Saturday morning, June the 19th, and Thorrington was sen- tenced to be hanged that afternoon. The Placerville corre- spondent of the "Sacramento Union" says the verdict against Lucky Bill was that he was guilty of planning the murder of the Frenchman and harboring murderers, thieves, and desperadoes. Edwards was sentenced to be taken back to Honey Lake and hanged. Thorrington 's Wife and Martha Lamb were brought to see him before he died, and the woman showed more grief than the wife did. Young says that just before Lucky Bill was taken away to be executed Elliott went up to Jerome, who was standing near by, and offered him his hand saying " I '11 bid you good-by. ' ' The boy threw his hand back and said he would never shake hands with any man who helped murder his father. While the trial was going on a gallows had been erected about a mile from the Clear Creek ranch, and here the condemned man was hanged not far from three o'clock in the afternoon. The wagon was driven between the two poles and Thorrington stood up in the hind end of it. John C. Davis, who had been a sailor, tied the knot in the rope. Lawrence Frey, who was the driver, was to start the team and drop Lucky Bill out of the wagon, but it is said that he did not want his neck broken and so he swung him- self out of it. The Placerville correspondent of the "Alta Cali- fornian" wrote "He made no confession but took things coolly, putting the rope around his own neck. His last words were, ' If they want to hang me, I am no hog. ' ' ' His body was taken to Genoa and probably was buried there. It has been published that on account of his execution Lucky Bill's wife went insane, was confined for many years in the [141] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA asylum at Stockton and died there, and that Jerome became a gambler and a drunkard. Perhaps these things occurred, but they were not entirely the result of his death. Dow says that after Lucky Bill was sentenced he was guarding him. He heard him tell Jerome to let whiskey and gambling alone, and added "That is what has brought me to this." He also told the boy to take good care of his mother, and intimated that she would not be crazy when he was gone — virtually saying that his con- duct had already made her crazy. (Mr. Holdridge says that Mrs. Thorrington had quite bad crazy spells for some time before her husband was hanged.) Sunday morning the Honey Lakers started for home taking Edwards on the "Bald Hornet" along with them. He was not tied, and all the way home he rode along and talked just the same as the others. T. and W. say that Theodore Winters, Walter Cosser, and Samuel Swager were appointed a committee to go to Honey Lake and see that Edwards was hanged, but the Honey Lakers say they never came along with them. The first night they stayed at the Peavine springs and the next at the lower end of Long valley. The third day in the afternoon they reached the Breed ranch about four miles southeast of Bankhead's, and there they stopped. At first they thought they would hang Ed- wards right away that day. Some of the men in the company had been away from their homes all that spring and part of the summer hunting Indians and outlaws, and they were in a hurry to get through with it. Edwards begged for time to write some letters home to his folks in the States, but at first they were not willing to grant him this privilege. Hines and some others, who thought they were not treating him right, left the crowd and went on home. It was finally agreed to let him live another day and allow him to write his letters. He also left some rings to be sent to his relatives, but it is said that they were worn out by the men to whom they were intrusted. On the afternoon of the 23d he was hanged on a butcher's gallows that stood near the cabin. He seemed to think that he had forfeited his life and that it was right to hang him. As he stood with the rope around his neck he made a speech, and among other things said that Snow was innocent — that he was only a hired man and knew nothing about the murder, and that they never trusted him with any of their secrets. (In spite of this, [142] THE YEAB 1858 though, the Honey Lakers always believed that Snow knew all about it.) They had his grave already dug near by, but he said he would like to be buried in the upper part of the valley where he once had some friends. Orlando Streshly stepped up and told him he would see that he was buried where he wanted to be. Edwards told him he would like to be buried half way between Streshly 's place and his own mine. Streshly complied with his wish, and as near as can now be told, his grave is about three- fourths of a mile south of where the Richmond schoolhouse now stands, on the west side of the road and not far from it. Elliott received the "Bald Hornet" and the money found on Edwards for what he did. It was always said that he went to Merced county and got some of the reward offered there for the arrest of Edwards. In his old age the "Bald Hornet" fell into the hands of Cap. Hill who kept him until he died. As a result of the punishment of these men, quite a number of hard characters suddenly left this valley and others paid considerable more attention to their conduct than they had previously done. No doubt but that it had the same effect in the Carson country. It also made the feeling between the two factions there much more bitter than before, and that feeling still exists in the minds of some of the men who lived there at that time. The Salt Lake Mormons who were acquainted in the Carson valley were greatly angered because of the hanging of Lucky Bill. In the fall of 1858 Mr. Dow went back to the States and came back across the plains the following summer. He reached Salt Lake City in July, and while staying there for a few days he went down to Coon's ranch on the Jordan river. Coon told him what had happened to Lucky Bill and said that he got his information from Major Reese. He then asked Dow where he was from, and when told that he was from Honey Lake valley Coon said he must have known something about it at the time. Dow told him that he heard about it. The other man looked at him very sharply and asked him if he was sure that he was not one of the crowd that did the hanging. Dow said again that he heard about it, but was very busy just then. Dow was satisfied that if the Mormons had known that he was one of the Honey Lake party, they would have killed him before he got away from there. The same year Hines had a trading post on the Humboldt [143] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA river. One day a crowd of Mormons came along and stopped at his place a while. They cursed and abused the Honey Lakers for the part they took in the hanging of Lucky Bill, but Hines said it was too big a crowd for him and he kept still. T. and W. say that an unsuccessful attempt was made to collect the fines assessed by the court at the Clear Creek ranch. Concerning this Joseph Frey says : * * A month or two after the trial Theodore Winters and some others gathered up the Olds cattle and put them into the corral of Mott seven miles above Genoa. They expected a crowd would be raised to take the cattle away, and so Winters came to me and told me to go to Washoe valley at once and get all the men I could to come up there, at the same time telling me what men to get that could be depended upon. I had just been down to Washoe valley and back, but I took the same horse I had ridden and started out. They used my horse to gather up the horses of the men I went after, and I got fifteen or twenty men and came back with them. It was estimated that my horse was ridden one hundred and twenty-tight miles in thirty-six hours. There were thirty or forty men lying in Mott's barn waiting for a crowd to come and take the cattle, but they never came. A cattle man named Douglas furnished the money to pay the fine and probably took the Olds cattle for security. The next year, during the Virginia City excitement, Olds came back into the country and was not molested. When a United States court was established in Ne- vada he tried to get back the money paid for his fine, but was told by John Musser, the best lawyer in the territory, that in the absence of law a People 's court was the highest court known. ' ' Gordier brought considerable money, nuggets, etc., to this valley from the mines of California, and it was always supposed that some of it was buried near his cabin. But it is not known that any one found any of it until November, 1877, and then Miss Mary L. Dunn, afterwards Mrs. S. L. Frazier, picked up a nugget near where the Frenchman's cabin stood. She sold it to A. G. Moon for $240, and he took it to the States where it was made into jewelry. The next day Miss Dunn, George Boyd, Thomas M. Barham, and perhaps T. J. Mulroney found several smaller nuggets which were all worth something like $25. If any more nuggets have been found there since then, the finder did not take the public into his confidence. [144] THE YEAE 1858 The Black Eock Mining Excitement A little after the first of July, 1858, James Allen Hardin and a party of men arrived in Honey Lake valley from Peta- luma, California. They were going to the Black Rock range of mountains, which was mentioned in the description of the Lassen Trail, in search of a ledge of carbonate of lead and silver that Hardin had discovered while crossing the plains in 1849. The party went on to Black Rock, and although they didn't find the ledge, they started a mining excitement that raged with more or less fury for the next ten or twelve years. From this time on frequent mention will be made of Black Rock, but the whole story of this excitement will be told in the chapter for the year 1867. The Feaser River Mining Excitement In 1858 gold was discovered on the Fraser river in British Columbia. The news spread rapidly, and when it reached Honey Lake some of the Never Sweats felt their blood warm up with the old time fever. In July, 1858, William H. Clark, Thomas Eaton, Ben. Ward, Jonathan Scott, R. J. Scott, Mat. and John Craft, C. C. Walden, L. N. Breed, "Zack" Taylor, William More- head, John H. Ferry, and James Fuller started for the new mines. In the course of more or less time Clark, Breed, Walden, Taylor, Eaton, Ward, and Fuller came back to the valley, none of them having accumulated very great riches. R. J. Scott was killed on the road by Mat. Craft. It has been impossible to find out what became of the others. Pursuit op Horse Thieves William H. Clark relates the following: Some time during the year 1858 six horses were stolen from the settlers around the Clark ranch. Two of them belonged to George Lathrop and he and Peter Lassen raised a party in the upper end of the valley and went in pursuit of the thieves. They followed them over the mountain to the west, and some time in the night found them in a flat on what is now known as Clark 's creek, and below where Clark once had a dairy. Lassen told the men they would wait until it was light enough to see the sights of their guns and then they would take in the whole bunch of thieves. So they sur- rounded their camp and waited, and when it was light enough to see to shoot they fired on the sleeping men. They never hit a [145] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA man and the thieves jumped out of bed and ran for their lives. In those days of single-barreled, muzzle-loading rifles there was no chance for another shot with their guns, and if they fired their pistols it didn't do any good, and the men got safely away. The Honey Lakers found all of their horses and saddles and returned home with them. Shortly after this two men came into Indian valley with nothing on but their under-clothes, and said they had been sur- prised in the night by the Indians and had to get away as fast as they could, leaving everything behind them. Perhaps they did think it was Indians, for there is nothing on record to show that they stopped long enough to look things over very carefully. The First Flag In the Valley Mrs. Isaac Coulthurst says that in 1858 a man named Charles Kingman, who was Richard Thompson's son-in-law, got the women who lived in the neighborhood of the Streshly place to make a flag — the first one in the valley — and she put the first stitches into it. The other women who worked on it were Mrs. J. P. Ford, Mrs. W. C. Kingsbury, and Mrs. Streshly. (Accord- ing to later information Kingman was not here until 1859. — F.) W. P. Hall's First Visit to Honey Lake Valley In October, 1858, S. R. Hall was taken sick at the ranch of Dow and Hatch and he wrote to his brother, Wright P. Hall, to come to him. Mr. Hall left Howland Flat on the 15th of De- cember. When he reached the Presby place in Light's canyon it began to snow and kept it up for several days. Expressman Williams, who was carrying the mail and small articles from Quincy to Honey Lake, was there, too, and he and Hall stayed there until the storm was over and then started out on snow- shoes. When they got a little this side of the summit it snowed so hard that they could go no further. They stayed there two days under the shelter of a big rock and had nothing to eat but one can of sardines. The second night it cleared up, but the next morning the valley was covered with fog and they had to guess at their course. They struck out, however, down the side of the mountain and about one o'clock in the afternoon reached the Lanigar ranch on Gold Run. He gave the travelers some bread and milk and Hall said it was the best meal he ever ate in his life. They then went on to the Dow and Hatch ranch and found the sick man better. [146] THE YEAR 1858 Conditions at the Close op 1858 Conditions did not differ greatly from what they were at the close of the preceding year. More settlers had come into the valley, but they were still few in number and they were pestered by horse thieves and Indians who stole their stock and annoyed them in other ways. The land was taken up a little more closely and was considered more valuable, there were more improve- ments, and people were in somewhat better shape to live, but their manner of living was still rather primitive. They raised more grain than they did the year before, but it all had to be thrashed with a flail, and there was no gristmill nearer than Taylorville. Thos. J. Mulroney said that some time during the summer he brought a sack of flour from there to the valley on his back. In the fall William Bankhead and Ralph Neisham, so S. J. Hill says, took a small load of wheat to Genoa and had it ground. Grinding wheat in a coffee-mill was still practiced in case of a pinch. Some freight was hauled into the valley with teams this year, but almost everything was still brought in with pack trains. S. R. Hall says that during the winter of 1858-9 "Kentuck" Thomas had a pack train of twenty-five Indians that brought groceries into the valley from Taylorville. They did good work, but it was necessary to watch them all the time, for if an Ladian's load consisted of anything that was edible, he would eat it if he had a chance. One boy sixteen years old could pack a load that weighed a hundred pounds. A good many families were now living in the valley and they began to think about the education of their children. F. and S. say that "in 1858 Malcom Scott opened a private school in a small building that stood on the south side of Cottage street, about midway between Gay and Lassen streets. " It is probable that during the summer they got their mail as they did the previous year. In November, 1858, the "Plumas Argus" said the people of Honey Lake valley and vicinity were very anxious to have a mail route from Salt Lake City to Marysville via Honey Lake valley and Quincy. The trip could be made in eight days and all that was needed to make a good road was a little work between Honey Lake valley and Quincy. There is nothing to show that the route was established. Frank Davis brought some mail into the valley this year, but perhaps made no regular trips. [147] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Jonathan (Bully) Williams was bringing in the mail from Quincy in December and may have carried it all winter. This fall Hines and Tutt commenced to bring mail into the valley from the Clear Creek post-office in Shasta county. This post- office was below where Kedding is now, and Judge Bell was the postmaster. He let them take a United States mail sack and they got the Honey Lake people to have their mail come that way. Tutt brought it to Butte creek, probably near the Cinder Cone, and from there Hines brought it into the valley, sometimes going as far down as Bankhead's. Of course this and what Williams did were private enterprises. They charged from 25 cents to 75 cents, depending upon the season of the year, for bringing a letter or a paper and people were glad to get their mail at any price. The "Plumas Argus" said in November, 1858, "The entire Plumas assessment for 1858 was $1072926, of which sum $76777 is assessed on property lying in Honey Lake valley. This valley has a population of two hundred and fifty." [148] CHAPTER V 1859. SETTLEMENT In January W. P. and S. R. Hall located a section of land seven miles below Susanville, the one first claimed by Dow and Hatch, April 3, 1857. Their witness was J. W. Pool. In a short time Tutt and Walden recorded their relinquishment of the land. A few days after making this location W. P. Hall left the valley and did not return for almost a year and a half. This piece of land was in what was known for a long time as the Fuller ranch. One or more of the Fuller Brothers located it early this spring and sold it to George Fox Kelley in 1866. Some of the Fullers were still selling goods in Toadtown this month, and it is said that both they and Ed. Powers sold goods their this summer, but not the next year. Neale and Brother took an irregular tract lying east of their last claim and on the south side of the river. This must have given them a claim to the land on the south side of the river for three or four miles. Malcom S. Scott claimed, "for hay, grass, and other purposes," 160 acres in a little valley located one fourth of a mile north of a point in the Shasta road three and one fourth miles west of Susanville. He also claimed the waters that flow through the valley to Pyute creek. His witness was Cyrus Smith. Wm. H. Crane and his partners relinquished the claim they made the previous October in favor of Armstrong ; Mkry Jane Coulthurst relocated the south half of the section taken by Henry Gordier in May, 1857; John Tucker and J. H. Anderson took a tract beginning at Coulthurst 's southeast corner, it being half a mile wide from east to west and four miles long ; Isaac Coulthurst relinquished the north half of his ranch. In February Milton Craig claimed 320 acres west of C. Ar- nold's claim (now Cotts). Probably this was a little over a mile south of Susanville. Coulthurst relocated the north part of his ranch and relinquished his wife's claim to the Gordier land in favor of Smith J. Hill who had bought out the heirs of Gordier. James M. Armstrong took a claim bounded on the east by Cor- nelison, on the south by John Williams, and on the north by the foothills. In March W. C. Kingsbury sold to Peter Lassen all his interest [149] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA in the old Lassen ranch south of Susanville, and in payment received a deed to the west half of the ranch taken by R. J. Scott, May 10, 1856. His witness was Sarah E. Kingsbury and the deed was recorded the 21st of March by H. Crane. In April Thurston Thomas claimed a tract south of the old Lassen ranch; James Williams filed on the waters of a stream that ran through the ranch of Mr. Thomas and emptied into Lassen 's field on the south side. Recorded by F. Yager ; Daniel Dawson took a claim north of the Conkey ranch and his witness was L. Vary. Early this spring Frank Drake, perhaps in partnership with his brother-in-law, Orlando Streshly , started a store at the latter 's ranch three and a half miles south of Susanville. Their building, put up that spring, was two logs in length and a story and a half high and stood on the north side of the road. They used part of the lower story for the store and the rest of it for a hotel, and the upper story was used to sleep in. It was also used for a dance hall when they wanted to dance, and that was very often in those days. About this time Streshly named the place Rich- mond in honor of Richmond, Va. In May Dr. P. Chamberlain came to the valley with his family and located a place on the lake five miles southeast of Bankhead 's. He practiced medicine in this valley for many years. His son. M. P. Chamberlain, followed the same profession here later on. In June George Lathrop and Thos. J. Harvey located two sec- tions of land running east and west on the lower end of Susan river, but they may have been on the land before this. They built their cabin on the slough farthest to the north and at the place where the emigrant road from the Humboldt river first came near it. At first known as the Lathrop place, and after- wards as the Shaffer place, it was for ten or twelve years a noted station on this road. Since then it has been owned by French and Litch, Kelley and Winchel, and now, 1915, it is known as the Mapes place. Joseph Kitts and Wm. D. Snyder of Honey Lake valley, Territory of Utah, claimed 1200 acres in Smoke Creek valley; I. Roop claimed all the water of Susan river from the Devil's Corral down to his mill for the purpose of rafting sawlogs; Thomas H. Bryant, W. W. Johnson, John Bryant, D. A. Sackett, G. Tilford, A. Brown, T. H. Sitton, J. A. Harden (probably it was Hardin), E. L. N. King, and [150] THE YEAB 1859 Quigley located two tracts of land " lying in Long Valley, Ne- vada Territory, " the first tract being a mile above the crossing of " Buckley's Creek' ' and the other the one that Lassen sur- veyed the previous July for Hiram S. Sewell, John Benon, Eathen Wright, and Aron Wright, exact location uncertain. As J. A. Hardin was one of the locators they may all have come from the vicinity of Petaluma. The first day of June there was born to Richard D. and Mary E. Bass a son, John Edward. On the 13th of June Smith J. Hill and Susan Bankhead were married by Squire Stark at the home of the bride. This was the second wedding in the valley. Some time this summer Edward (Ned) Mulroney brought his Wife and his little son, John P., onto his ranch near Richmond. Some time this year a son, Matthew, was born to Anthony and Amanda Gray. In July Sylvester R. Ford claimed a section east of Weather- low and north of Vary. This' land was just north of Susanville. From this time on until November Weatherlow was deputy re- corder. J. H. Lewis recorded a claim made by him for the Honey Lake Silver Mining Company to nine square miles of land at the lower end of Mud Meadows. This was west of the north end of the Black Rock range of mountains. The sale of Lassen 's real estate took place in July and Thomas H. Fairchilds, who was the partner of Fred A. Washburn in a mine at Rich Bar, came to the valley to buy some of it. He bought, as he supposed, the Lassen ranch south of Susanville, but after the sale he was told that he had bought the place where Milford now stands. Lassen had built a cabin about a quarter of a mile up the creek from where the main street of the town is now and near a spring, and Fairchilds and Washburn, who had also come to the valley, took possession of their ranch and moved into the cabin. David Titherington bought the ranch south of Susanville for a little over $600 and soon afterwards John S. Ward came in as his partner. In August Joshua H. Lewis and John Frisby located two sections extending two miles eastward from the Lathrop and Harvey ranch ; John Tucker relinquished all his claims to other lands in the valley and took 160 acres south of Titherington and another quarter section between him and Richmond and east of the road ; T. Powers and W. W. Carpenter claimed a tract eighty rods wide and four miles long in the "lower end of Honey Lake [151] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA valley." Their northwest corner was forty rods "due north of the Big Boiling spring." Charles Nixon and Francis Lanigar claimed a strip eighty rods wide and two miles long extending up Gold Run from their ranch. They also claimed "said Gold Run for Manufacturing and irrigating purposes." Henry Ar- nold claimed one half mile wide and two miles long extending up Granite creek from the desert; Frank Tilford recorded his claim to Spring Canyon near Mud Meadows, said claim having been made the previous January ; Xenophon V. C. Rollins made a location west of Lathrop and Harvey; E. L. N. King took a section west of Rollins ; Julian Ort located a claim a little south- west of King; and George Steel a section west of him. Frank Thomas and U. P. Furguson claimed one half mile wide on each side of Susan river and extending two miles up from the upper end of the Adams ditch. This ditch was taken out of the river about a mile and a half below where the Big slough leaves it, ran north of that slough for some distance, and then crossed to the south side of it and ran straight to the lake. This ditch marked the southern boundary of the tract of land claimed by the Adams Brothers. J. W. Doyle located on the north side of the river below Thomas and Furguson. In September Dr. T. W. Shearer took a claim in Willow Creek valley beginning "at a point on Willow Creek where said creek comes up to the mountain opposite the long point of timber where there is now a foundation for a house." His claim was to run down on both sides of the creek far enough to take in a sec- tion of land. Mbrgan W. Shearer claimed a mile and a half of Willow Creek valley beginning at the lower end and extending up the creek, and John W. Shearer, George W. Shearer, L. D. Sanborn, and Wm. W. Hill located all the land lying between the two foregoing claims. It looks as though the Shearer family had "corralled" a goodly share of that valley. J. C. King and J. M. Shearer located Round valley lying south of Willow creek. Charles T. (Tule) Emerson located a claim north of Susan river and east of Lewis and Frisby. Mr. Emerson says that he and Colburn Brown, his partner, bought out a man named Bagby before this location was made. Colburn Brown took a claim north of the river and west of Lathrop and Harvey. For a good many years this place was known as the "Tule" Emerson ranch. Mr. Emerson says that late that fall he and Brown and J. W. [152] THE YEAE 1859 Doyle built a log cabin a little below where the Soldier Bridge was afterwards built and a little shack further to the east. He also says that previous to this there were only two cabins in that neighborhood — one of them belonging to the Adams Brothers and the other to Lathrop and Harvey. Possibly there was one on the John M. Kelley place. About this time John M. Kelley came in with a large band of cattle and made a location on the north side of the Big slough next to the lake. Stephen White came in with him. This land was claimed by the Adams Brothers, but it is not known whether he bought the land from them or "jumped" it. He built a cabin this fall. At this time George Purcell had a claim north of Kelley. Charles E. Sanders claimed an undivided one half of the tract located by Powers and Carpenter the prev- ious August and said that the latter told him to take possession of his half of the claim. F. Thomas and J. W. Sanbanch took two claims on the north side of the river west of Lathrop and Harvey and extending two miles up the river. This covered the location made by Brown. Col. Hardin, J. J. Grinter, F. Alber- ding, C. I. Kobinson, E. G. Bangham, E. Lynn, M. Campton, G. Tilford, M. S. Thompson, David Chapman, I. G. Kitts, J. Kitts, A. Painter, Wm. Utt, and James M. Keller claimed a piece of land 4200 feet square on a silver lead. In all proba- bility this was in the Black Eock country. It has been told that Demming went back into Willow Creek valley this spring and improved his place. This fall Otis N. Johnson and Edwin P. Todd went into the valley with some cattle belonging to Edward Eice and built a cabin in the upper end of it just where the creek comes out of the timber. Before winter set in they left there and went over to Eice 's springs. The following is an account of the settlement of Long valley during the year 1859 : In July Ambrose, Noah, and Jonathan A. Eobinson and a brother-in-law, James Morgan, settled at what has always been known as the "Warm Springs" ranch. Morgan stayed there that winter and then went to Virginia City. These men claimed all the land from the Warm Springs to the Hot Springs ranch. C. M. West, who came in with the Eobinsons, settled about three fourths of a mile from where the Plumas Junction is now. Alvaro, Allen, and J. Newton Evans and Eobert E. Eoss, who crossed the plains this year with eight hundred head of cattle, came into Long valley and bought out "White- [153] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA head" Ross and Kearns and his partner. Alvaro Evans says he paid Kearns $75 for his cabin and claim. Ross's brother, Albert E., crossed the plains with them and stayed in the valley. Jacob McKissick also crossed the plains this year with a large band of horses and cattle. He bought out a man called "Oregon Jake ' ' who had hauled a little lumber onto a place just north of the Evans ranch. John C. Wright and John White took up the Willow Ranch and that fall or the following winter built a cabin there. They also claimed the land at a spring near the foot of the mountain back of their cabin. This fall George Greeno took a claim in what might be called the extreme northwest corner of the valley, but did not settle there until the next year. James Freeman and his family and John Lowe, Jr. came into Long valley this fall. In 1862 the latter moved to Honey Lake valley. Marshall Bronson and family lived at the Hot Springs ranch during the winter of 1859-60. This year Eber G. Bangham crossed the plains to Honey Lake valley. In a short time he went back to Granite springs and traded with the emigrants for a while. Probably Robert Johns- ton was his partner in this. Late in the year they bought William Dow's ranch in Toadtown. This summer Ross Lewers bought a small steam sawmill in Indian valley, brought it here, and put it up on the west branch of what is now known as the Parker creek about a mile and a half above the road. This was the second sawmill in the valley. "Uncle Tim" Darcey was his first engineer, but in a short time Thomas H. Epley took that position and Mat. Lusk and A. M. Vaughan worked in the mill. Part of the frame of that mill is in the barn on the F. L. Parker place one and three fourths miles below Janesville. The mill was run until the next spring and then it was moved to Washoe valley and put up about two miles and three quarters due south of Franktown. Lewers says this was the first steam engine in what was afterwards the state of Nevada, and Epley, who went with him, says he blew the first steam whistle. Lewers sold the most of his lumber to people from Virginia City and got $50 a thousand for common lumber and $75 for clear. He sold some clear dry siding in Gold Hill for $250 a thousand. In the fall of 1860 Lewers went to Ireland and Epley rented the whole outfit for a thousand dollars a month. That was the day of cheerful prices. [154] THE YEAE 1859 Rooptown grew a little this year. A. W. Worm put up a building near the northwest corner of Gay and Main streets and opened a store. A. B. Jenison built the first frame house in town. It was on the south side of Main street near Weatherlow. F. and S. say: "It was 16 by 30 feet in size, sided up with planed shakes, and was ornamented with a rustic cornice, making it a fine residence for those pioneer days. In 1859 the first reg- ular saloon was opened on the north side of Main street, midway between Gay and Union, by B. B. Painter and George Mitchell, and was known as the Black Rock. ' ' Dr. James W. H. Stettinius, who came into the valley that fall with Col. Lander, taught school in a frame building on the south side of Main street near Gay. The same history says : "In 1859, Clark Rugg & Harper opened a blacksmith shop on the south side of Main street, in a log house near where Smith's hotel now stands." This was between Gay and Union streets. In October Stephen P. and Willshire Sanders claimed a tract half a mile wide and four miles long above the Emigrant ford on Willow creek; A. C. Hill took a claim east of Susanville be- tween Bear and Cornelison; T. H. Fairchilds located a section south of the Lassen land bought by him and Washburn; J. W. Hodgkins took a claim above the ranches of ML C. Lake and William Fuller, these two ranches being in the little valley claimed by O'Laughlin in 1856; E. L. N. King located a claim in Willow Creek at the mouth of Round valley ; this year Miller and Hoffer owned the James Doyle ranch northwest of Milford. Some time this fall Julius Drake and John Neiswender started a saloon and a bowling alley at Richmond; Streshly opened a blacksmith shop with Tim. Darcey as blacksmith for a while; and Charles Saunders opened a wagon shop. These were all on the south side of the road and started about the same time. In November William Andrews relocated the claim taken by M. S. Scott the 22nd of the previous January; Salmon Belden relocated the claims of Ford and Smith which he had purchased ; M. Doty and James Archy claimed Pyute valley and all the little valleys running into it. Perhaps this was what is now called Piute Meadows seven miles northwest of Susanville. The 18th of this month A. C. Neale and Fanny Brown were married, the third couple to be married in the valley. [155] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA In December P. Taylor & Co. claimed three sections running north and south, the Big hot spring being just a little south of their north line; Governor I. N. Roop appointed Dr. J. W. H. Stettinius his " legally authorized Deputy Recorder in and for Honey Lake valley"; E. G. Bangham and George Johnston claimed a half section of land on Susan river — location uncertain ; A. J. Demming, Z. N. Spalding, and C. P. Sheffield & Co. located the whole of ' ' Little Antilope Valley ' ' ; John H. Banker took a half section on Gold Run above Lanigar and Nixon ; E. L. Varney claimed ten acres east of Gov. Roop's sawmill; James Hunter claimed all the vacant land on Piute creek lying between the ranches of Roop and Weatherlow, but immediately relinquished his claim as he found there was no vacant land between them. The same day he claimed a section lying on both sides of the river above Governor Roop's claim. This month A. A. Holcomb kept the Susanville hotel in the Cutler Arnold log house. During the summer and fall of 1859 and the following winter a change was made in the Roop, McNaull & Co. sawmill, and the usual number of stories are told about it. Some say a new mill was built near the old one, others say the old mill was repaired. In the spring of 1859 a party from Petaluma, probably led by J. A. Hardin, passed through the valley on their way to Black Rock to prospect. One of the party, Col. Lewis, soon came back to the valley and in company with ' ' Dad ' ' Wyatt, the man who escaped when Lassen was killed, bought the old sawmill and repaired it, or built a new one. It is also said that Wyatt was only a laborer in the mill. One story is that Roop owned an interest in the mill and another one is that he owned it all and Lewis was only working for him. Whatever the truth may be in regard to the ownership, somebody put a sawmill into shape to run and put in a circular saw. Almost everything about the mill was made of wood. The motive power was a twenty foot water wheel with a twelve foot breast. The pulleys were made of wood with iron axles. The parts of the machinery that could not be made of wood were brought over the mountains that fall and winter. In December while they were bringing in the saw, the first circular saw in the valley, a deep snow came on and they had to leave it in the mountains. Marcus E. Gilbert, an " emigrant " who had crossed the plains that summer, went after it. After being told where and how to find it, he took a handsled [156] THE YEAK 1859 and started out on snowshoes although he had never traveled on them before. He was gone a long time, nearly two weeks, but he finally returned with the saw. Everything being taken into consideration, it was thought at the time to be quite a wonderful feat. The mill was ready to run late in the winter or early the next spring. Part of this year, or perhaps all of it, L. N. Breed sold goods and whiskey in a little shack that stood on the east side of Piute creek and on the south side of the road. One day in the fall a crowd of emigrants from Missouri came into his place and a big fellow asked him what he charged for a horn of whiskey, the term meaning a drink. Breed named his price, probably twenty-five cents, and the man immediately drew a great ox horn from beneath his coat and said he would take one. The cheapest way to get out of it was to treat the crowd and this Breed did when the laugh had subsided. During the latter part of the year Dr. Slater and F. S. (Sprig) Chapman built a large log house about three quarters of a mile northwest of Bankhead's. It stood on the south side of the road that goes along the foot of the mountain to Richmond and a short distance from where this road leaves the main road going to Susanville. It was perhaps twenty by forty feet and one and a half or two stories high, and was made of logs hewed square and dovetailed at the corners — quite a fine building for those days. It is said that the building was fitted up for a Masonic Hall and that the Masons met there once, but did not organize. A dance was given in this building between Christmas and New Year, 1859, and was called a Masonic dance, that is, given by the Masons or in honor of them. It was reported that 1200 wagons and 4000 persons passed through the Honey Lake gateway during the summer and fall of 1859. Honey Lake valley received a very large emigration this year, perhaps the largest in its history. Of those who came into the county in 1859 the following lived here all the rest of their lives and every one of them died here: Eber G. Bangham, Dr. H. S. Borrette and his daughter Louise, George Greeno, Marshall Bronson and Wife, Robert Johnson and Wife, Samuel H. Painter and Wife, David Tither- ington, Jeremiah Tyler, Ephraim V. Spencer, John White (of [157] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Susanville), James Lawson, Loyal Woodstock, Horace Adams, *Timothy Darcey, Frank S. Strong, Thomas H. Fairchilds, Fred A. Washburn, William Leith, Otis N. Johnson and Wife, John Lowe, Jr., *Edward W. Bartlett, *Frank Thomas, *Nathan Phillips, *Thurston Thomas, Jacob McKissick, Alec. T. Arnold, Mrs. Evaline Allen (Mrs. Fred Hines), and Luther D. Spencer. Of the following part of them lived in the county almost a lifetime and some of them are still living here : Abraham L. Tunison, A. W. Worm (now Wern), William Milton Cain and Wife, Benjamin F. Sheldon, Alvaro, Allen, and J. Newton Evans, Robert E. and Albert E. Ross, F. A. Sloss, Stephen White, Joseph C. Wemple, J. Bristo and George Rice, George R. Lybarger, Charles Lawson, Mrs. Belle (Painter) Bond, Mrs. James Lawson, Mrs. Lucretia Chapman, Judge John S. Chapman, Lutie Chapman (Mrs. A. A. Smith), Mollie Chapman (Mrs. F. A. Sloss), and Benjamin E. Shumway and Family. (The children were Emerson B. and Mary Etta.) The following lived in the county from two or three to twelve or fifteen years. Probably the last twelve or fourteen lived here the shortest length of time excepting T. H. Epley and W. H. Dakin. Valentine J. Borrette and Family, Fred A. Borrette, Dr. P. Chamberlain and Family, F. S. Chapman, *William Corse, Charles T. Emerson, Judson Dakin, Cyrus Lawson, # Edward Mulroney and Family, *Hiram Utt, John C. Wright, John White, A. M. Vaughan, George W. Perry (called Buckskin Mose), C. M. West, E. R. Nichols, George Johnston, Samuel Marriott, Frank Drake, A. C. Hill and Family, John C. Dakin, Hugh and Andrew J. Rutledge, Ambrose, Noah, and Jonathan A. Robinson, A. A. Holcomb, Jacob S., Edwin C, and S. W. Hardesty, James Huntington, Jesse S. Hollingsworth, L. D. Sanborn, J. H. Anderson, John Tucker, John and James Barton, William Ham- ilton, Joseph Kitts, Marcus E. Gilbert, Peter Cahill, W. F. Warren, Colburn Brown, John Ml Kelley, M. J. L. and Edwin P. Todd, Matthew Lusk, Fred Morrison, Byron B. Gray, John Dow, Henry Kingman, C. A. Kingman, Freeman Kingman, Rob- ert M. Cain, Thomas H. Epley and Wife, and William H. Dakin. Western Utah Politics. 1859 The Never Sweats did no independent politics this year. They dodged the Plumas county assessor and tax collector and [158] THE YEAR 1859 helped the people of "Western Utah in another attempt to get a new territory formed. The Gold Hill placer diggings were discovered in January, 1859, and the Comstock Lode the following June. One or two days before the discovery of the latter, the miners of Gold Hill met, June 11, 1859, and adopted some rules and regulations for the government of that district. These rules were recognized but a short time, for there was such a rush to the mines that every- thing but mining excitement was forgotten and everything else swept away. Movement of 1859 As we have seen, the movement by the people of Western Utah in 1857 to have congress create a new territory was a failure ; but there was a hostile feeling between the Mormons and the citizens of the United States, and the people of Western Utah determined to use this feeling to help them gain their end. Some of the men who were watching for a chance to grind their political axes, so to speak, took the first opportunity to set the matter going again. T. and W. say they "gave direction to the popular feeling by calling a mass meeting for the 6th of June, that year, at Carson City, to take such action as would be best calculated to open the territorial question again. That meeting apportioned Carson county into voting precincts, called an election for July 14th to choose a delegate to visit Washington, and provided for a convention to convene at Genoa on the 18th of July to count the votes for the delegates and give the success- ful candidate his credentials, and take such other, not well defined, action as the emergency demanded. They also called a nominating convention of regularly appointed delegates from the various precincts to meet at Carson City on the 20th of June, whose duty was to place in the field candidates to be elected, at the same time with the congressional representative, as delegates to the Genoa convention. ' ' This mass meeting was held six or seven days before the Comstock Lode was discovered, and this goes to show that the movement was by the settlers of the country instead of a transient population; for the influx of such a class after the discovery of silver swept away this half formed government. The convention met at Genoa July 18th, 1859, and was called to order by A. G. Hammack. Col. J. J. Musser was chosen [159] HISTOEY OP LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA temporary chairman and John F. Long secretary. The com- mittee on credentials was Peter Nye of Walker's river, C. N. Noteware of Carson, John Neale of Honey Lake, Thomas Ander- son of Humboldt, and Warren Wasson of Long valley. Neale was chairman of the committee. Among those whom the com- mittee reported as entitled to seats in the convention the following were from the Honey Lake district: W. T. C. Elliott, one vote, J. Bowdone, one vote, A. F. Chapman, two votes, J. Williams, one vote, John Robinson, two votes, A. M. Vaughan, three votes, W. S. Bryant, one vote, J. 0. Robertson, one vote, William Naileigh (Cap. Hill), one vote, I. Roop, one vote, J. H. Neale, one vote, and A. A. Smith, one vote. John S. Ward and Lewis Stark sent proxies. Honey Lake district had sixteen votes out of a total vote in the convention of sixty. There were six districts and no other district had more than twelve votes. Some of the permanent officers of the convention were J. J. Musser, president, and F. M. Proctor, Peter Nye, Isaac Roop, and J. L. Cary, vice- presidents. The convention adopted a "Declaration of Cause for Separa- tion. ' ' It was ' ' in some respects an exaggerated statement of the condition of affairs at that time, and causes leading the people to ask for a separate government. ' ' It was a sort of declaration of independence by the citizens of Western Utah. They framed and adopted a constitution to be submitted to a vote of the people on the 7th of the following September, and an election was ordered at the same time to fill the offices created by it. They counted the votes for the delegates to Washington and found that Maj. F. Dodge had 378 votes and that Crane had 439. F. and S. say that 84 votes were cast in the Honey Lake district. James M. Crane was declared elected. They fixed the boundaries of the proposed territory of Nevada as "commencing at a point on the Sierra Nevada mountains where the 42nd degree of north latitude touches the summit of said mountains; thence southerly with said summit to the 35th degree of north latitude; thence east on said parallel to the Colorado river; thence up said river to its junction with the Rio Virgin; thence up said Rio Virgin to its junction with the Muddy river ; thence due north to the Oregon line ; thence west to the place of beginning. ' ' This put Honey Lake valley into the proposed territory. [160] THE YEAE 1859 They adopted a Memorial which amounted to about the same thing as the one sent to congress by the meeting held here in 1857, only it was a great deal shorter. It was signed by A. L. Dorsey, Chairman. They also divided the proposed territory into districts and those in the neighborhood of Honey Lake were described as follows : ' ' District No. one shall begin at a point on the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains where the 42nd degree of north latitude crosses the summit, thence southerly with said summit to the head water of Elysian creek, thence down that creek to the big bend in said creek, thence in a straight line to the mouth of Willow creek, thence north to the Oregon line, thence along said line to the place of beginning. District No. two shall begin at the mouth of Willow creek, thence along the eastern shore of Honey lake to the north end of Pyramid lake, thence northeast to Eabbit Hole springs, thence north to the Oregon line, thence along said line to the east corner of District No. one, thence south to the place of beginning. District No. three shall commence at the head of Elysian creek, thence following the summit to a point opposite the dividing ridge between Honey Lake and Long valley, thence down said ridge to Long Valley river, thence on a direct line to the north shore of Pyramid lake, thence along the south line of Districts No. one and two to the place of beginning. ' ' It will be observed that this convention made all the necessary arrangements for the organization of a Provisional Territorial Government. The election was held on the seventh of September, but the returns were not preserved and it is impossible to tell how many votes were cast. The following persons ran for office: For governor, Isaac Roop and John A. Slater, both of Honey Lake valley. For secretary of state, A. S. Dorsey, auditor, John D. Winters, treasurer, B. L. King. T. and W. say: "The above, with the exception of Dr. Slater, were probably elected ; but none of them were ever called upon to serve excepting Governor Roop. From a newspaper clipping, found in the Governor's scrap book, it appears that the majority for the constitution was about 400 votes. The following election certificate tells its own tale: 'I, J. J. Musser, president of the constitutional convention held in Genoa, in July, A. D., 1859, and chairman of the board of canvassers appointed by that convention to canvass the votes [161] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA cast at the election for officers under the constitution of Nevada territory, held throughout said territory, on the 7th day of September, A. D., 1859, do hereby certify, that said board of canvassers failed to meet at the appointed time and place to discharge the duties assigned to them. I further certify that the votes cast at the said election were received by me, and that I have examined and cast up the vote of said election returns that came to me unsealed, from which I do hereby certify that a large majority of the votes cast on that occasion were in favor of the constitution, and also that Isaac Roop was elected governor of the said territory by a large majority.' " ''Immediately after the foregoing election, John S. Child held a session of court at Genoa on the 12th of September, with P. H. Lovel as his clerk. This was the first legal court held in Carson county after April 13, 1857, when Charles Loveland presided, just before the Mormons let for Salt Lake." Judge Crane, the congressional delegate, died suddenly at Gold Hill from heart disease, on the 27th of September. Another election was called for November 12, 1859, to fill the vacancy, and at that time J. J. Musser was elected and soon afterwards started for Washington. After he had gone Isaac Roop subscribed to the following oath of office: 1 ' Territory of Nevada, — ss. "I do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the territory of Nevada, and that I will to the best of my ability perform all the duties of governor of said territory during my continuance in office. " Isaac Roop." "Subscribed and sworn to before me this thirteenth day of December, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. "P. M. Preston, "TJ. 8. Commissioner, Second Judicial District, U. T." The Meeting of the Legislature op Nevada The date set for this meeting was December 15th, 1859. Governor Roop made the journey from Susan ville to the Carson valley on horseback. It was very cold weather and when he reached Huffaker's he was almost frozen to death. He rode up beside the house, but could not get off his horse. Before long the folks in the house saw him and came out and carried him inside. [162] THE YEAR 1859 When they found out his condition they put him into a cold room, put his hands and feet into cold water, and made him drink cold water until he was thawed out. He felt no ill effects from his experience and this treatment probably saved his life. On Thursday, December 15th, he went from Carson City to Genoa to meet the members elected to the Council and the House of Delegates of Nevada Territory. There was not a quorum of the members of either house present. They knew the conditions and were in favor of waiting to see what action congress would take in regard to organizing the territory of Nevada. By staying at home they saved themselves a cold, disagreeable journey. Informal Meeting of the Legislature Those who were present, however, decided to hold an informal meeting. A report of this meeting was printed in the "Terri- torial Enterprise" published at Carson City December 24, 1859. They convened at the house of James Blake of Genoa, Thurs- day, December 15, 1859. 0. H. Pierson was elected temporary chairman and H. P. Thompson, secretary. ML S. Thompson of Black Rock, G. W. Hepperley, and B. Sears of Genoa were appointed to select permanent officers. This committee reported for Speaker of the House, 0. H. Pierson of Carson City, for Clerk, H. F. Thompson of Genoa, and for Sergeant-at-Arms, John A. McDjougal of Genoa, and on motion they were duly elected. "On motion of M. S. Thompson, a committee of three were appointed to wait upon Governor Eoop, and notify him that the House were waiting for his message. Soon the Governor made his appearance; and after a few brief remarks, presented his message to the Speaker, which was read by the Clerk." "Proclamation To the people of Western Utah included within the boundaries of the proposed territory of Nevada. "Having been duly elected by you as Executive of the pro- visional territorial government of Nevada territory, and deeming it my duty to address you upon the subject of our separation from the curse of Mormon legislation, I present to you my reasons why an organization of the provisional government, would, at the present time, be impolitic. ' ' At the time we were compelled to assemble, in our sovereign capacity, to endeavor to rid ourselves of the Theocratic rule of [163] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Mormonism, we had no protection for life, limb, or property. We had in vain petitioned congress for relief against the unjust and illegal attempts of Mormons to force upon us laws and customs obnoxious to every American. We had no Courts, no county organizations, save those controlled by the sworn satellites of the Salt Lake Oligarchy. Our political rights were entirely at the will of a certain clique composed of those who were opposed to the first principle of our constitution, 'freedom of the ballot- box. 7 Under these circumstances, we endeavored to relieve our- selves from these impositions, and believing that a provisional territorial government would best assure us protection to life, limb, and property, we held our election and made all necessary arrangements for the formation of a temporary Government, until congress should give us justice and protection. ' ' Since our election, we have been deprived, by a dispensation of Providence, of our esteemed Delegate to Congress, James M. Crane, whose whole energies were devoted to the best interests of our people, and who carried with him to the grave the kindest wishes of us all, and who should have inscribed on his tomb-stone, 'An honest man, the noblest work of God.' ' ' Within the past few months, an attempt has been made by Judge Cradlebaugh, to establish a United States District court in this district. Coming among us as he did, with the prestige of his noble stand against Salt Lake Legislation, we at once yielded to him and his Court all the respect ever accorded in any community. But notwithstanding all his endeavors, backed by all the good wishes of the people, the so-called laws of Utah territory have proved to him an insurmountable barrier. "We have now en route to Washington, as Delegate to con- gress, to represent us and our wishes, John J. Miusser, unani- mously elected by the people to fill the vacancy occasioned by the decease of the lamented Crane, in whom we all place the most implicit confidence. "The recent discoveries of Gold, Silver, Copper, and Lead Mines, have caused an influx of population totally unexpected at the time of our late Convention. The new immigration is com- posed of the bone and sinew of California, all men who are disposed to pay all due obedience to Laws which extend to them reasonable protection. [164] THE YEAE 1859 "Under the circumstances, but few members of the Council and House of Delegates have assembled in accordance with the call for their election. "Now, therefore, I, Isaac Eoop, Governor of the provisional territorial government of Nevada territory, believing it to be the wish of the People still to rely upon the sense of Justice of congress, and that it will this session relieve us from the numer- ous evils to which we have been subjected, do proclaim the session of the Legislature adjourned until the first Monday of July, 1860, and call upon all good citizens to support, with all their energies, the Laws and Government of the United States. "Done at Genoa, December 15th, .A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. "Isaac Eoop, Governor." After the reading of the Governor's message and its accept- ance by the Legislature, they adjourned until the following day. At their next session they appointed a committee composed of J. Williams, J. K. Trumbo, W. W. Smith, and Governor Roop to draft a memorial to congress to facilitate the formation of the new territory of Nevada. They also adopted several resolutions. The first one stated their faith in the ability, integrity, and determination of Musser, and their belief that under the cir- cumstances it would be best to adjourn and trust to the justice of congress. The second one indorsed the memorial sent to the Federal government, and again asked congress to grant their petition. The third indorsed the Governor's message. They then tendered a vote of thanks to the officers of the Legislature and to Mr. Blake for the use of his room, and adjourned until the first Monday in July, 1860. Mr. Musser failed to get congress to take immediate action in the formation of the new territory of Nevada, and he came back to Carson county. Indian Troubles. 1859 During the year 1859 the Never Sweats had no war with the Indians. Stock was stolen from the ranges — considerable from the lower end of the valley — but only once was enough taken at a time to cause any action on the part of the settlers. John Byrd, also called "Old Jack," "Uncle Jack," and "Captain" Byrd, lost more stock than any one else. His ranch was the farthest [165] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA one down the valley, he had more stock than any one else, and it ranged to the north and east of his ranch where it was exposed to the raids of the Indians. Byrd says that this summer the Indians made a raid into the valley and drove off a large number of his cattle. He imme- diately got together all the volunteers he could and went in pursuit. The trail was easy to follow because there were so many cattle and because the pursuers kept passing weak ones that had given out and been left behind. The white men rode as fast as they could and on the second day came in sight of the Indians. For several miles before this the savages had been shooting the cattle and this they kept up until the whites were almost within gunshot. They then abandoned the remaining cattle and got away without any loss to themselves. Byrd says that he lost one hundred and twenty American cattle this time and that the Pi-Utahs were the guilty ones, but the latter must have been only surmise. He also says that he raised forty or fifty volunteers, and that among their number were "William Maskelyne, William Hamilton, Thomas Fairchilds, Judson Dakin, and Jacob McKissick. If this is true, his stock must have been stolen in the fall, for Dakin and McKissick crossed the plains this year. But one thing was done by the Indians this year that caused an excitement throughout northern California and Western Utah. This was the murder of Peter Lassen and a man named Clapper which took place early in the spring on the western side of the Black Eock range of mountains. Life of Peter Lassen The following concerning the life of Lassen was taken from "The History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties," "The Life of Rear Admiral John Drake Sloat" by Major Edwin A. Sherman, "The Hesperian Magazine' ' for August, 1859, "Hutch- ings' Magazine" for February, 1859, "Fifty Years of Masonry in California," the writings of General John C. Fremont, the newspapers and periodicals of that time and since, and from what has been told by the pioneers of Honey Lake valley. Peter Lassen was born in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, August 7, 1800. At the usual age he was set to learn the black- smith trade and finished his apprenticeship when he was twenty- seven years old. [166] THE YEAR 1859 In his twenty-ninth year he came to Boston, Massachusetts; and after a residence of several months in Eastern cities, during which time he supported himself by working at his trade, he moved to Katesville, Chariton county, Missouri. Here he lived for nine years, carrying on both the farming and the black- smithing business. In 1838 he formed a military company and had them ready for duty. In the spring of 1839, one year after Captain John A. Sutter left Missouri for California overland by the way of Oregon, Lassen left Katesville in company with twelve others, two of whom were the w T ives of missionaries, to cross the plains to Oregon. The party fell in with a train belonging to the American Fur Company which increased their number to twenty-seven, and they all traveled along together. They left the two women at Fort Hall which was north of Salt Lake near the Snake river. In the following September or October they reached The Dalles and from there went down the river to Fort Vancouver, then a port of the Hudson Bay Company. From there they traveled up the Willamette river to Camponit, now Oregon City. Lassen now found his company reduced to seven men. They could not settle there to suit themselves and the next spring they decided to start for California. As their force was too small to cross the mountains into California they concluded to go by water. They were fortunate enough to find a vessel ready to sail — the Lospanna — which had arrived from England in May with mis- sionaries, or, as another account says, with supplies for the missionaries in that district. This vessel intended to touch at California on her return and they embarked on her. They were twice in danger of being wrecked, but finally reached Fort Koss in safety. Here they obtained a pilot and set sail for Bodega, another Russian post. At this place the Mexican commander sent soldiers to prevent their landing, but these were ordered away by the Russian governor. They then wrote to the American consul at Monterey, telling him that they were American citizens and desired to land in the country, but had been refused pass- ports and had been opposed by the government. They had no money and could proceed no further by ship, and they asked him for protection and advice. They said they had concluded to land under the protection of the Russians, and if they did not hear from him in fifteen days, they intended to start out and protect [167] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA themselves with their guns. After staying at Bodega fifteen days they were enabled to reach Yerba Buena, now San Francisco, though another account says that before going to Yerba Buena they went to Sutter's Fort, now Sacramento, and stayed there a few days. Lassen went to San Jose and spent the winter there working at his trade. In the spring of 1841 he bought some land near Santa Cruz and built a saw mill which was the first one ever built and successfully operated in that county. Previous to this a sawmill had been commenced at Fort Ross, but was washed away before it was finished and never rebuilt. After cutting forty or fifty thousand feet of lumber he sold his ranch and mill to Captain Graham for one hundred mules, intending to return with them to the United States, but being unable to raise a company the idea was abandoned. In the fall of 1842 he drove the mules up to near Sutter's Fort and ranched them while he worked at his trade for Sutter and took his pay in stock. In the summer of 1843 while working for Sutter, he, John Bidwell, and James Burheim pursued a party of emigrants on their way to Oregon, and overtaking them at Red Bluff took from them some stolen animals. The upper end of the Sacramento valley was then unsettled and Lassen was greatly pleased with the country. After their return Bidwell made a map of it and named the streams, and from this Lassen selected a tract of land and applied to Governor Mlicheltorena for a grant of it. He obtained his grant, which was called Bosque jo and was on Deer creek in what is now Tehama county, and in December, 1843, started to go there with one white man for a companion. On account of high water he had to camp at the Buttes until February, 1844. Other accounts put each of the last two dates a year later. The testimony is about equally divided. Two months afterwards the white man with him became tired of the solitary life there and left him. Lassen lived there along for seven months surrounded by many hundreds of Indians in perfect safety and without seeing a white man. He had between two hundred and three hundred head of stock and during his entire residence there not one was ever disturbed by the Indians. All the labor of building his house and cultivating his land was done by the Indians. This was the first settlement north of Cordua, now Marysville. In 1844 Lassen applied for another grant of land in Tehama county, [168] THE YEAR 1859 but failed to get it. Hittell's History says "Merritt, Lassen, and W. C. Moon quarried and manufactured a lot of grindstones on Stony creek in the summer of 1845. "When they were finished, they carried them twenty miles on mules to the Sacramento river and loaded them into a canoe and drifted with them down the river, selling them whenever they could. ' ' On the south side of Deer creek Lassen laid out a town which he called ''Benton City" and erected several buildings, part or all of them being built of adobe. He had a blacksmith shop, a gristmill, and a store. In the fall of 1849, so A. Delano says, he had a little flour and whiskey and a few groceries for sale there. For several years Benton City, or Lassen's Eanch, as it was usually called, was the most important point in northern Cali- fornia. In the spring of 1846 Fremont stayed there for three weeks with fifty of his men. In April, eight days after he had left there to go to Oregon, Lieutenant Gillespie of the United States Navy arrived with dispatches for him. Lassen, Samuel Neal, M. Sigler, and perhaps another man (Fremont says that Gillespie had five men with him when he started from Lassen's), after killing meat enough for the party, started with Gillespie to overtake Fremont. May 8th Neal and Sigler, who had been sent on ahead, rode into Fremont's camp on the west side of Klamath lake and told him that an officer was on his trail with dispatches from the government, and if he did not receive help at once, would be killed by the Indians. Fremont immediately started back with two messengers and a small party of his Indians and trappers and rode sixty miles that day. Just at sundown Gillespie reached their camp. That night the Indians attacked them and killed three of Fremont's Indians. If Gil- lespie had not found Fremont that night, the Indians, without doubt, would have killed him and his party, Fremont would have gone on to Oregon, and the history of the United States might have been changed. The Mexican War came on soon after this and Lassen took an active part in it. In 1847 he crossed the plains to Missouri with Commodore Stockton for the purpose of getting some emigrants to settle at his place, and also, if possible, to get the charter for a Masonic lodge to be established at Benton City. It has been told that he [169] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA came back the next year over the Lassen Trail with the emigrants, and the history of his charter and lodge will be given a little later on. ^The Ked Bluff Beacon" says: "In the spring of 1850, Peter Lassen having disposed of one half of his ranch to Palmer, took several teams of oxen and went to Sacramento City to pur- chase some provisions and while there conceived the idea of selling his cattle and buying a steamboat, the most unfortunate speculation of his life. Mr. Palmer sold his interest in the concern to General Wilson, and while Peter with his purchase (the little steamer Washington) was cordelling up the river with his Indians, other parties were taking away and selling his cattle. The steamboat project proved a failure — his cattle were all gone — the parties to whom he sold half his ranch and stock had paid him nothing, and he had incurred a debt that nothing short of selling his ranch would pay. He accordingly sold to Henry Gerke of San Francisco his remaining interest in the place together with his claim against Wilson which enabled him to pay all his debts and remove with a few cattle to Indian valley in Plumas county and afterwards to Honey Lake. Here he still resides making an occasional visit to Ked Bluff for provisions and to his old ranch where he is allowed to help himself to whatever pleases his fancy." It is said that Lassen and Isadore Meyerwitz, a Russian or Polish Jew, were the first men who went into Indian valley with the idea of settling there. They were there for a short time during the summer of 1850 and selected a place to locate. In 1851 Lassen and a man named Burton built a log cabin up to the roof, covered it with brush, and opened a trading post which did quite a business with the emigrants that summer. They also raised a few vegetables, said to be the first ever raised in the valley. They went out of the valley for the winter, but the next spring Lassen came back with Isadore and George Edward St. Felix, or George Edward M. Felix, and took possession of their old place which was afterwards known as the Hickerson ranch about three miles north of Greenville. This year they raised a large quantity of vegetables which they sold at fifteen cents a pound for all kinds. What Lassen did after leaving Indian valley has already been told in these pages. [170] THE YEAR 1859 Death of Lassen The following letter was published in "The Mountain Mes- senger ' ' of Downieville, Sierra county, California : "Honey Lake Valley, April 30, 1859. ' ' This valley was thrown into great excitement by the arrival on Tuesday morning (it should be Thursday morning) of Mr. "Wyatt, one of the Black Rock silver hunters, who narrowly escaped massacre by the Indians. "The circumstances are as follows: There has been a party of men stopping in this valley all winter, to be ready as soon as spring opened to prospect Black Rock Canyon for a supposed silver mine. This canyon and watering place is about one hun- dred and twenty-four miles distant from this valley, towards the Humboldt, on the wagon road. Messrs. Jameson (Probably this was Jenison.), Weatherlow, Lathrop, and Kitts started on Sun- day, the 17th inst. ; Peter Lassen, Messrs. "Wyatt and Clapper, following two days later, and were to rendezvous at Black Rock springs, at which place the prospecting was to commence. Lassen, "Wyatt, and Clapper arrived at the appointed place on Sunday, the 24th inst., and not finding the advance party, concluded to await their coming. "On Monday Mr. Clapper rode on to Mud lake, eight miles distant, to look for the other party; but not finding them, returned, and during the day found signs of two white men in the vicinity of their camping-ground, and believing them to be those of Captain Weatherlow and Mr. Jameson, one being a large and the other a small track. They also saw the tracks of shod horses, which the Indians have not. They then arrived at the conclusion that the advance party were over the mountain at another camping place, and concluded to go there the next morn- ing and see them, having encamped at the mouth of the canyon, within one hundred yards of some projecting rocks. In the even- ing they saw an Indian, on horseback, making a circuit of their camp, then disappearing. After a while he made his appear- ance in another direction and dismounted. With much difficulty he was induced to come into camp. He could not speak English, but Lassen said he spoke Piutah. While he was in camp they heard the report of a gun, when the Indian immediately said 'Piutah,' and gave the whites to understand there were six of them. [171] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 1 ' The Indian then left them, and they retired to rest, suppos- ing themselves safe anywhere in the Piute country. Just at day- light they were fired upon from the rocks near by, killing Mr. Clapper in his bed. Lassen and Wyatt sprang upon their feet and commenced gathering up their things ; and not knowing that Clapper was killed, seeing he did not rise, supposed him asleep. Wyatt put his hand on his face to wake him, but found it cov- ered with blood. Turning him over, he saw that he was shot through the head. Lassen said, 'I will watch for the Indians while you (Wyatt) gather up the things.' While doing so the Indians fired on them again, and Lassen fell, to rise no more. He spoke but once. ' They have killed me, ' then fell on his face and gasped but once. Thus fell the 'old pioneer' whose whole history and life almost is connected with the exciting and wild scenes of the west ; and when this and other generations shall have passed away the traveler will look on the snow-clad buttes, and hear of the fertile meadows that bear his name, and remember with reverence the venerable voyageur. 1 ' When Wyatt saw Lassen fall he dropped everything but his rifle, caught his horse and fled with precipitancy. He arrived here on Thursday morning, without having taken food or rest. A party of twenty men started this morning to recover the horses and property, if possible, and ascertain the whereabouts of the other party, Great fears are entertained for their safety. Another party will follow immediately, with a wagon to bring in Lassen's and Clapper's remains. The advance party will pro- ceed, if possible, to trail the Indians to their lurking place and chastise them. Z. N. Spalding/ ' The following is an extract from what was published in the 1 ' San Francisco Chronicle ' ' fifteen or twenty years ago : 1 'The authority for the following narrative of the killing of Peter Lassen is Ephraim V. Spencer, who has lived in Lassen county for thirty-five years. The story was told to him over and over again by a man named Lemericus Wyatt, who was in Mr. Spencer's employ for two years, in fact until he died. Though Wyatt was an illiterate man, his story was well worthy of cre- dence. He had the reputation of being both truthful and hon- est. The reasons for his knowledge of the incidents connected with the killing of Peter Lassen the story itself fully reveals. [172] THE YEAR 1859 " Early in the spring of 1859 'Uncle Pete/ with Lemericus Wyatt and a man who went by the name of Clapper and whose Christian name Wyatt never knew, set out on a prospecting trip for silver. They went to what is known as Black rock, in the northwestern part of Nevada and about 140 miles northeast of Susanville. They had three horses, two pack mules and a full prospecting outfit, including rifles. At the Black Kock range they camped one evening beside a small stream ever since known as Clapper creek. The camp was in a nook of the canyon, over- looked by high bluffs on three sides. There was a little feed for the horses, and the place was a very pleasant, if in those times dangerous location for a camp. " While the men were getting supper an Indian came to the camp carrying a good muzzle-loading rifle. He had neither pow- der, caps nor bullets, and by dumb show made his wants known. Wyatt and Clapper strenuously objected to furnishing the red- skin with the ammunition, but Lassen, who, as usual, was friendly with the Indian, said that no harm could come of it ; that all the Indians knew 'Uncle Pete' and would never hurt him, especially this Indian, as he was a Pah Ute. Much to the regret of Las- sen's companions, the pioneer gave the Indian a good supply of all he asked, and the visitor immediately made off. "They picketed their animals for the night a short distance away and then made a common bed for themselves on the ground, Clapper lying in the middle. Just as day was breaking Wyatt was awakened by the report of a rifle. He sprang to his feet and called to his companions. He jerked the blankets off Clapper and caught him by the shoulder. In so doing he turned the man over. Blood spurted from Clapper's temple, showing that he had been shot clean through the head. Wyatt started to run, calling upon Lasesn to do so too. 'Uncle Pete,' however, remained standing by the bed shading his eyes with his hand and holding his rifle easily with the other, trying to discover where the shot came from. While he was still peering into the rocks a second shot rang out and Lassen fell. Wyatt ran back to Lassen and partly raised him from the ground, but life was ebbing fast and nothing could be done. Wyatt looked about for a place of safety, knowing that he was a target for the same murderer. He made for the horses, but before he reached the place where they were picketed he saw that they had pulled their picket-ropes and [173] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA stampeded. He hurried after them, running for his life toward the mouth of the canyon and the desert beyond. A sharp re- minder of the need of haste, in the shape of a bullet, passed through the leg of the fugitive 's trousers, but did not draw blood. "Wyatt was then sixty years old, weighed about two hundred pounds, and was both clumsy and slow on his feet. When he reached the entrance to the canyon his courage fell. Stretching from the base of the mountain away over the white alkali plain was a cloud of dust which hid from sight his only hope of safety — the- runaway horses. "As he peered hopelessly after the retreating cloud he saw something which made his heart leap into his mouth. Out of the dust the form of his own fine black pacing horse suddenly ap- peared. The animal had faced about, apparently struck by some sudden impulse. For a second or two it seemed to take its bear- ings, and then on a mad gallop retraced its steps until it reached the advancing Wyatt, and invited the old man as plainly as signs could indicate to mount. ' ' Wyatt rode the whole one hundred and forty miles to Susan- ville bareback at breakneck speed, without a mouthful to eat and with nothing but a picket rope to guide his faithful animal. ' ' It must have been a terrible trip. The condition of a man of his age and weight after riding a barebacked horse that distance may be imagined. To the physical suffering add hunger and thirst and the fear of pursuit by the Indians or of meeting an- other band of them, and an idea can be obtained of the horrors of that journey. The fact that Wyatt 's saddle horse allowed him- self to be caught is one of the strangest things of the whole affair. Wyatt said the horse was always shy and hard to catch, and was the last one of the horses he had any idea of getting hold of. It seemed to him almost like a miracle. Weatherlow and his party got to Black Rock two days in ad- vance of Lassen and the other two men and camped on the hill seven miles from Mud lake. Lassen and Clapper were killed only a mile from their camp. Weatherlow 's party prospected until their provisions were nearly gone and then started for home, thinking Lassen had taken another route and could not find them. On the second day they met the Honey Lakers who were coming out to see what had become of them, and were told of the murder of Lassen and Clapper. The relief party got back to Honey Lake [174] THE YEAR 1859 on May the eleventh. Ross Lewers and John H. Neale were the only members of the party whose names could be ascertained. The bodies of the murdered men were in an advanced state of decomposition and were buried where they were found. Every- thing went to show the truth of Wyatt's statement. The Indians who committed the murder were not pursued as they had eleven days the start. Captain Weatherlow says: "The killing of Lassen and his companion caused great excitement in the settlement, and much feeling against the Indians. Several of the settlers attributed the murder to the Pah-utes, but from my own knowledge of the friendly relations between the chief Winnemucca and Peter Lassen and the high esteem in which Lassen was held by the In- dians and from the fact that there was no apparent change in the conduct of the Pah-utes who continued to visit our houses and exchange civilities and friendship, I did not believe that the Pah-utes had committed the murder nor that they were at all cognizant of the fact. I attributed it entirely to the Pitt river tribe which the whites had fought and defeated and who fre- quented the Black Rock country in small hunting bands. There had been no difficulty of any kind between the Honey Lake peo- ple and the Pah-utes that would have provoked them to so wan- ton an act of revenge, especially upon Peter Lassen, who had ever been their firm friend. But the Pit river Indians against whom we had fought would certainly have exulted in surprising and cut- ting off any small party of whites, and to them alone did I at- tribute the murder of Lassen. ' ' "The Grizzly Bear" of May, 1912, says that about a month later P. H. Lovell sent the following letter to the Placerville 1 ' Semi- Weekly Observer ' ' : "Genoa, May 20, 1859. "Editor of Observer: Our Indian agent, Major F. Dodge, has just returned from Honey and Pyramid Lakes, whither he has been to inquire into the late Indian depredations to the north of Honey lake. The major is not satisfied that the Indians alone are implicated in the matter, from the fact that two sacks of flour, some dried beef, blankets, and part of a keg of whiskey, were found in the camp of the murdered party — a thing unprecedented in Indian depredations. Peter Lassen and Edward Clapper were killed on the spot. Lemarkus Wyatt, one of the survivors of the [175] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA party, with whom the major had an interview, had returned to Honey Lake. The four others reported killed have also returned to the lake safe, together with the party of twenty who, it was reported, went out to bury the dead. The major held a council with the venerable Piute chief Winnemucca, with about three thousand of his nation, at Pyramid Lake. ' ' "The Grizzly Bear" also says: "Later, Winnemucca went to Genoa and reported to Major Dodge that he could learn nothing further from the Indians regarding the affair. This leaves one to infer that it was Dodge's opinion that Lassen and Clapper were killed by the other men." "Weatherlow says: "Major Dodge, the Indian agent of the Pah-ute tribe, had never visited the valley to my knowledge, but shortly after the killing of Lassen's party he came to Honey Lake, remained but one day, and returned to Carson City without hav- ing had an interview with the chief Winnemucca or made any earnest inquiry into the causes or the perpetrators of the murder. Shortly after the departure of Major Dodge there appeared a statement in one of the newspapers (I think the "Sacramento Union") with authority from Major Dodge to the effect that he (Dodge) did not believe that the Indians had killed Lassen at all, but that he was murdered by white men. This was a charge of the most unwarrantable nature against the four white men who were the only ones within hundreds of miles of the place where the massacre took place, and I as their leader and commander called Major Dodge to an account personally for the charge. He retracted his charge and promised to do so publicly through the press. Whether he did so or not I can not say, as I have not heard of Major Dodge visiting our valley since. The suspicion which rested upon the minds of some of the settlers that the Pah-utes had murdered Lassen apparently died away, and the same friendly relations existed as before." The report that Lassen had been killed, and by white men, spread rapidly over the country. At first a good many believed it, but in a short time very few put any faith in the story. The writer, however, has met one or two men who believe it to this day and they think they have good reasons for doing so. He has heard these reasons given, but to him they do not warrant any such belief. Bancroft 's History says that in the Sacramento val- ley there was much hard feeling toward him (Lassen) on the [176] THE YEAE 1859 part of those who suffered while going over the Lassen Trail. Ex- cepting this, there is nothing to show that he had any enemies among the whites. "The Eed Bluff Beacon" told that he was allowed to go to his old ranch and help himself to whatever pleased his fancy and Fred Hines told the same thing. During a residence of almost fifty years in this county the writer has never heard an old settler say anything against Lassen, or say that he had trouble with any one. That Weatherlow or his party had anything to do with the murder is not even to be thought of. There seems to be absolutely no reason for the belief that Lassen was killed by white men. It has often been said that the Indians would not kill Lassen. It is true that he was good friends with many of them. Hines says that in 1856 he and Vary were camped at Deep Hole springs. Some time in the night Lassen came in, turned his horses loose and went to bed. The next morning they could not be found in the neighborhood of the camp. Lassen did not worry much about it and along in the afternoon some Indians brought them in. Hines knew that on several other occasions the Indians brought Lassen's horses to him when they had wandered away. But Las- sen had enemies among the Indians as well as friends. In 1851 the Pit Rivers killed a party of Indian valley Indians and car- ried off some of their squaws. Lassen raised a party of thirteen whites and all the able-bodied Indians in the valley and went in pursuit. Early in the morning of the third day Lassen saw In- dians stealing along among the trees and in a short time he killed three of them. He and his party completely defeated the Pit Rivers and they never gave the Indians of Indian valley any more trouble. The foregoing is told in "Hutchings' California Maga- zine" for June, 1857. Doubtless the Pit Rivers remembered this and would have been only too glad to kill him. Besides that, there were many renegate Indians in the Black Rock country who would have killed him and his party, or any other white men, for a ragged shirt, or for the fun of it. "The Hesperian Magazine " for August, 1859, says: "The news of his death was received with sorrow throughout the state and many of the Masonic lodges published tributes of respect to his memory." At a meeting of the P. and A. Ml of Honey Lake valley held [177] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA at Susanville May 22nd, 1859, the following were among the reso- lutions adopted; 1 ' Resolved, That in the death of Peter Lassen the community has suffered the loss of an enterprising citizen, a warm-hearted friend, a true and faithful brother, and one of the most ardent members of the Masonic Fraternity in the State of California. " Resolved, That we sincerely sympathize with the brethren of Western Star Lodge, No. 2, at Shasta, California, of which he was a member. ' ' In November, 1859, Johnson Tutt and perhaps Antone Storff and Joe Kitts went to Black Rock and brought Lassen's body to the valley. On the 27th he was buried with Masonic honors un- der the great tree where he camped the first night he stayed in the valley. It is said he often wished that this might be his final resting place. In 1862 a monument was erected over his grave and during that year an account of it will be given. Clapper's body was left where it was buried that spring at Black Rock and much dissatisfaction was expressed throughout the valley because it was not brought in, too. John S. Ward, John H. Neale, and Albert A. Smith were the administrators of Lassen's estate. It has been told how his ranches were disposed of. A few articles once owned by Lassen are still in existence. Fred F. Kingsbury of Sacramento has a pipe which Lassen brought from Denmark and which was an heirloom. William C. Kingsbury, Fred's Father, who was Lassen's partner, was using it when the latter went on his last prospecting trip. L. M. Fol- som of Susanville has a clock that is said to have been owned by Lassen. Orman Folsom bought this clock from some one a good many years ago and afterwards gave it to his son M. 0. Folsom, who, in the course of time, gave it to his son, L. M. Folsom. Lassen's Masonic Charter Taken from ''Fifty Years of Masonry in California" "Other Masons had arrived from time to time and in 1847 Lassen went back to Missouri with the avowed object of bringing back to California with him a train of emigrants and the charter of a Masonic lodge, if possible. "In Missouri he met Brothers Saschel Woods, L. E. Stewart [ 178 ] THE YEAR 1859 and others, and an application being made to the grand lodge of Missouri for a charter to them it was duly signed, and issued May 10, 1848, as "Western Star Lodge, No. 98, duly granted by the grand master and other officers with the seal of the grand lodge of Missouri attached, and granted to Brother Saschel "Woods as Worshipful Master, L. E. Stewart as Senior "Warden, and Peter Lassen as Junior Warden, to be located at Benton City, Upper California. ' ' ''Having attained his objects, Brother Lassen returned with an emigrant train of twelve wagons by the way of Fort Hall, and at the head of Pit river was overtaken by a party of Oregonians on their way to the, gold fields, and with their aid reached Las- sen 's ranch in safety. Lassen's company had not heard of the discovery of gold in California until meeting this party from •Oregon, and he was also ignorant of the fact that a Masonic lodge had been instituted at Oregon City, Oregon, on September 11, 1848, also by a charter from the grand lodge of Missouri, or that Brother Joseph Hull, the master, and several other Brethren of that lodge were in the Oregon party; and neither party knew until long afterward that any of the others were Masons, or that Peter Lassen had in his possession a charter for a lodge which he had brought through with him in his train. "Brother Woods accordingly opened said lodge in Benton City on October 30, 1849, and proceeded to work. "When it came to the numbering of the charters by the grand lodge of California at the first Annual Communication in May, 1850, Western Star Lodge, No. 98, was deprived of its seniority. Its charter was in California before the charter of California Lodge left Washington to come by the Isthmus of Panama. The committee on credentials of the convention which formed the grand lodge of California had been misinformed as to the date of the opening of California Lodge and awarded that lodge No. 1. "The gold mining industry changed the condition of the population at Benton City, and it (Western Star Lodge, No. 2) was moved to Shasta City in 1851, and in November of that year sent in its first returns from that place. In 1853 the hall and records and all the property of this lodge were burned, but they fortunately succeeded in saving the original charter brought from Missouri by Peter Lassen. ' ' [179] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Trouble With the Pit River Indians In the Dixie valley country there are traces of two battles with the Indians, but the date at which they took place can not be learned. One of them, at least, occurred after Fort Crook was built, and perhaps both of them took place in 1859, or within a year or two of that time. Charles F. Hart has this to say about them: "Opposite Muck valley, at the bottom of Pit River Canyon, are old wagons broken to pieces. Old settlers say the Indians attacked some immigrants at Spring Gulch, captured their wagons, and rolled them down the gulch and over the cliff to the bottom of the canyon. What became of the immigrants, I never heard. "About one-fourth of a mile below the Horse Creek Crossing are more ruins — old tires and decayed pieces of various parts of wagons — where Indians drove off the immigrants, captured their goods, rolled off the wagons over the cliff ; and were dividing up and enjoying the spoils when the immigrants returned with re- inforcements of soldiers from Fort Crook and killed or captured nearly all of them. Old Indians have it yet that Horse Creek ran red with their blood into Pit River that time. Fort Crook was in Fall River valley about thirty miles away, near what is Glenburn now." September 3, 1859, the Pit River Rangers attacked the Indians on Beaver creek and killed about seventy. Late in the year Gen. Kibbe captured 533 bucks, squaws and pappooses and their chief, ' ' Shavehead, ' ' of the Pit River tribe. They were taken to the Indian reservation in Mendocino county. It is said that a great many of these Indians, if not all of them, made their way back home across the mountains. Thomas Brown says that in the fall of 1859 Company A of the 1st Regiment, United States Dragoons, almost a full com- pany, under the command of Lieutenant Carr, was stationed at Fort Crook. Some time during the fall they came to this valley and camped in the forks of Susan river and Willow creek. They stayed during the time of the emigration and then went back to Fort Crook. Colonel Lander 's Road Expedition In the fall of 1859 Col. Fred W. Lander, Supt. of the U. S. Wagon Road Expedition, came into the valley from the Hum- [180] TEE YEAR 1859 boldt river with quite a large body of men — some say one hun- dred. He was sent out by the United States government to im- prove the emigrant road. He opened up the springs and built reservoirs, changed the road in places, dug out the rocks, cut down the banks of the creeks, etc. He went below for the win- ter, but came back in the spring and took part in the Indian war of 1860. Fast Mail Through Honey Lake Valley and Noble 's Pass In the summer of 1858 the first overland stage line was estab- lished and part of their route was down the Humboldt river. At that time there was considerable talk and argument about the ad- vantages of the different roads to California. There was also some talk of building a railroad across the plains and some sur- veying had been done. That fall and winter Hines and Tutt were carrying the mail between this valley and Clear Creek, near old Fort Kedding. In January, 1859, the overland stage was to bring the President's message to California as quickly as possi- ble, and the Never Sweats took this opportunity to show people that they had the shortest route across the mountains. Tutt put on relays of horsemen from Clear Creek up to the snow and Hines did the same from the Humboldt river to Susanville. During the previous summer Dave Blanchard and Wiley Cornelison had a trading post on the Humboldt river about twenty miles above Lassen's Meadows, and Cornelison stayed there the following winter. He was to take a copy of the President's message off the stage at his place and the Honey Lakers were to get it to Clear Creek as soon as they could. Mark Haviland on his race horse, Honey Lake Chief, was the last man on this end of the Humboldt line. Hines was to take it from Susanville to Butte creek and turn it over to Tutt. When the message reached Susanville Hines started out with it and when he got to Hog Flat the snow was up to his chin. He found some limbs sticking up above the snow, and thinking there might be a log below, he broke off some of the dryest of them and started a fire on the snow and kept it going until it reached the log. He then burned the log until the snow was melted away from it. When night came he put the saddle blanket onto his horse and gave him a feed of the grain he had brought along. He then put the machier of his saddle back of him against the snow- [181] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA bank, sat down on his saddle with his feet to the fire, and spent the night the best he could. The next morning he concluded to leave his horse and try to make the rest of the way on foot, as he knew by experience that sometimes the snow was not so deep from Pine creek west. He tied everything he did not need to the saddle, turned his horse loose, and started him for home. He then went on toward Pine creek, but the snow was very soft, and by the time he had traveled a couple of miles he made up his mind that he would give out before he could go much further. Being afraid that he would perish if he persisted in his attempt to reach the place where he was- to meet Tutt, he made his way back to where he had spent the night and found that his horse had gone only forty or fifty yards and stopped. He tied the message to the limb of a tree and went back to Susanville. I. N. Roop raised a crowd of fifteen or twenty men and they broke their way through the snow across the mountains. Some of the crowd came back at once and some stayed all winter. Roop got back the next spring and Amos Conkey stayed until the next fall. Hines never heard anything more about the message, and it is very probable that the Never Sweats never crowed any about the fast time they made across the mountains with it. Death op John Mote Early in the spring of 1859 the remains of John Mote, a half- breed Cherokee who went with several expeditions from this val- ley, were found on the side of the mountain between Susanville and Willow Creek. One of the Shaffer Brothers found his gun, coat, and bones. It was an easy matter to tell whose coat it was, for it was a very large one and had bear's claws for buttons. How he came to his death was never known. The Killing of Van Hickey Some time during the spring of this year a man named Van Hickey was killed by Thomas J. Harvey. The two men were partners in some cattle, and a dispute having arisen in regard to their business, Harvey shot the other man. Accounts of the af- fair differ, some claiming that there were no witnesses. Van Hickey seems to have been a disreputable sort of a fellow, who had made some trouble for the settlers, and there being very little law in the country, not much attention was paid to the shooting. [182] THE YEAR 1859 Smith J. Hill, who seems to have the best remembrance of the matter, says that Harvey, Van Hickey, and George Lathrop were riding between the Big slough and the point of the Bald moun- tain, Lathrop being between the other two. Harvey and Van Hickey got to quarreling and the former dropped behind Lathrop. rode up beside Van Hickey, and shot him. The wounded man died shortly afterwards. Word was sent over to Dr. Slater to call a meeting of the citizens. He did so, but only five men were in attendance. Lathrop was not present and the men who testi- fied gave hearsay evidence. Harvey pleaded self-defense and was allowed to go unmolested. Hill says he was the only man who voted for conviction. A Common Occurrence in Early Days In the fall of 1859 J. H. (Jut) Breed and Frank Strong had a trading post at Smoke Creek. When Alvaro and Newt. Evans and R. E. Ross came along with their cattle they camped at this place. After getting the cattle out to feed Alvaro went down to the station to get some supplies and inquire about the road ahead of them. He talked a while and had a few drinks, for in those days every trader sold whiskey, and then Breed asked him if any one in his crowd could play poker. Evans, who was an old Califor- nian, though Breed didn't know it, told him that he thought he could play a pretty good game himself. They sat down on what- ever came handy, with a box between them, and began to play, and before long Evans had all of the other man 's money. Breed, however, was not satisfied and asked Evans to lend him a few dol- lars so he could keep on playing and he would pay it back when the game was done. Evans accommodated him and the game went on in about the same way as before, and Breed soon "went broke" again and quit. Evans loafed around a while waiting for Breed to pay the money he had borrowed, but there was "nothing doing." Finally he asked Breed for it and the latter replied that he was not going to pay anything to a man who cheated, and at the same time applied a vile name to him. Evans started for him and the other turned around and reached for his pistol, which was hanging on the wall. Evans grabbed up a gun from among a pile of them near by and covered him with it. Just then Strong, who was not far away, came running toward them, [183] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA shouting, "Don't shoot, don't shoot! I'll pay it!" Evans got his money and went back to camp. The next time the two men met nothing was said about this affair and they were on good terms as long as they both lived in the country. Strong after- wards told Hines that Evans happened to get hold of his (Strong's) rifle — a good one — and he also said he believed that he saved Breed's life. ROW AT A DxVNCE AT RICHMOND Among the men who came into the valley with Colonel Lander there were many ' ' tough citizens. ' ' Three or four of them had a row at the Powers store in Toadtown and stabbed a Honey Laker named Adams several times, though none of his wounds were serious, and kicked another man in the face. The same day the Lander men who had taken part in this row were badly whipped by some other Honey Lakers, and this evened up the score to some extent. A dance was given at Richmond on the night of the 14th of October and about fifteen of the Lander crowd went there to have some fun and break it up. They found what they were looking for. As luck would have it, there happened to be present at the dance a bunch of Never Sweats who were always willing to help anybody look for trouble — Ed., Steve., and John Bass, Sam. Stin- son, Ned Mulroney, who didn't strike a man with impunity but with his fist; Alec. Chapman, "Big" John Chapman, Bill Corse and perhaps some others, and Jake Brown, Jesse "Woodward, and Jim Conant from over the hill — all mighty men with the fist and all of them ready to fight at any time. Thomas Mulroney says that during one of the dances a Lander man kept bumping into John Bass, and when the dance was fin- ished Bass took him by the nose and threw him down stairs. The fun then commenced and they began to fight all over the house and on the outside, too. One of the strangers drew a pistol in the hall, which greatly frightened the women. Some one grabbed him and shook him until he dropped it and then threw him down stairs. Another outsider was knocked down stairs. When he got up some one else knocked him out onto the porch, and another blow sent him from there to the ground. The Never Sweats ' ' lit on that bunch like a hawk on a June bug" and hammered them until they were satisfied and willing to go home. [184] THE YEAE 1859 The next day the bully of the Lander crowd, a big Dutchman, went over to Richmond to get revenge. "Big" John Chapman was there and it didn 't take long for the two men to get to fight- ing. Orlando Streshly says he never saw a man so promptly and thoroughly whipped as the Dutchman was. Whenever he went down he struck the ground so hard that he fairly bounced off it, and after he had been knocked down six or eight times he begged the crowd to take Chapman off before he killed him. It is not on record that the Lander aggregation made any more trouble in the valley after this. Honey Lake Valley's Reputation in 1859 You and I, kind reader, know that very few people excepting good ones lived in the land of the Never Sweats at that time. But the best of people are sometimes slandered, and evil tongues must have been spreading false reports about those good folks. Isaac N. Jones, long a supervisor of this county, crossed the plains this year. When he reached Lassen's Meadows the train in which he was traveling consisted of ten or twelve wagons and perhaps fifty people. They were going to Yreka and the nearest route to that place lay through Honey Lake valley. People who claimed to know the country said that if they went through there they were likely to be robbed or killed, or at least have their horses stolen. One man in the train, who had been in California before, said he didn 't believe the Honey Lakers were any worse than the Indians and he took the road leading to this valley. The rest of the train went on to Ragtown and up the Carson river. When they reached Honey Lake Smith's station the name was enough — they kept away from him. They went on to Placerville and Marysville and up the Sacramento river to Fort Redding. Then they turned back to the northeast and went over the mountains v to Fall River valley and from there north to Yreka. A glance at the map will show how much they went out of their way. When they reached their destination they found that the man who went through Honey Lake valley had been there three weeks. In 1862 Jones came to live in the wilds of Honey Lake among those barbarians, and either because they were good people, or because he was like them himself he has lived here ever since. The Winter of 1859-60 From the time when the settlement of the valley began until this winter the seasons must have been dry. This is evident from [185] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the fact that in the fall of 1859 the lake was entirley dry. They went with teams from the mouth of the river across the lake in every direction. This winter was always remembered by those who were living here at the time. The snow was not extremely deep, but it came on early and stayed until late in the spring and the cold was steady and severe. Eber G. Bangham says that the first snow fell on the 21st of November. It was twelve or fourteen inches deep and kept about that depth until February, when another storm added a little to it. On the 5th of April, 1860, another storm left two feet of snow on the ground. It began to go off the next day and the new snow ran off rapidly, but there were snowdrifts be- low Rooptown long after that. About the first of December a heavy cold fog came on, and it was always told by the old settlers that they didn 't see the sun for six weeks. It was just in the val- ley. Uncle Tim Darcey told the writer that he spent the winter at the Lewers sawmill and that it was sunshine there all the time during the six weeks. The valley below looked like a sea of clouds. The fog made so much frost on the grass that the cattle could not eat it, and at that time the range was so good that very little hay was put up. There were a good many "emigrant" cattle that were not used to rustling for themselves in the valley that winter and the most of them starved to death. Conditions at the Close op 1859 In some respects conditions were better than at the close of the previous year. The large emigration that came into the valley this year increased the population considerably, but the country was still very sparsely settled. Some improvements were made all the time on the roads and the ranches and probably the build- ings put up were of a little better quality. But a large majority of the people were poor and had to get along with the least they could. The first settlers in a country are generally poor people who come in there to better their condition. Store goods were more plentiful, though perhaps not much cheaper. More grain and vegetables were raised, but the grain was still thrashed with a flail. Not much hay was put up because there were no mowers and there was such good feed on the range that stock did not require much feed during an ordinary winter. Prices were high enough, but there was no market excepting home [186] THE YEAR 1859 consumption and what they could sell to emigrants. Potatoes and ruta-bagas were five cents a pound and butter seventy-five cents. Oxen were worth from $175 to $250 a yoke and extra good ones were worth $300 a yoke. Dairy cows were worth from $35 to $75 a head. Probably a band of cattle sold for $12 or $14 a head. But the market for stock was no better than it was for farm produce. Pack trains still ran into the valley, but more freighting was done with teams than during the preceding year. J. P. Sharp, Richard Owens, and Edward Bass hauled freight with ox teams from Marysville for Drake and Streshly and received seven cents a pound freight. Fast traveling was done on horseback, but this year Smith J. Hill brought the first buggy and sulky into the val- ley. Hines said he used to take the girls out riding on the run- ning-gears of an ox wagon, but after Hill got his buggy he would come along and take them away from him, much to his disgust. The mail was brought in more regularly than before. Hines and Tutt brought it in from Shasta county during the winter of 1858-9 and the following spring. Williams brought it in from Quincy the same winter and the summer of 1859 and the follow- ing winter. H. L. Spargur brought the mail and express from Oroville and Quincy, coming in on showshoes during the winter months. His prices were the same as those charged by others, fifty cents for a letter or a paper, or perhaps more if the weather was bad. Grant Tilford was the expressman from Carson City to Susanville in December, 1859. There was no postoffice at Su- sanville and Governor Roop took charge of the mail that was left there and distributed it. It has been told that Dr. James W. H. Stettinius taught school in Susanville during the winter of 1859-60 and it is probable that there was some kind of a school at Bankhead 's, but it is impossible to tell where or by whom it was taught. Dancing was the chief amusement and the winter of 1859-60 A. A. Smith and F. A. Sloss taught a dancing school, Smith play- ing the violin and Sloss teaching the dancing. In the Bank- head neighborhood they held their school in the building that Dr. Slater and Chapman had put up that fall. [187] CHAPTER VI 1860. SETTLEMENT In January R. F. Cahill claimed a tract of land formerly held by Mullen and Snow. The western part of it was on Gold Run north of Lanigar and Nixon 's place and it lay southwest and south of Richmond. William Braton, Antone Storff, Joseph Lynch, W. C. Kingsbury, John Borrette, Isaac Roop, M. S. Thompson, A. B. Jenison, E. Rice, 0. Streshly, I. Coulthurst, A. A. Smith and L. Vary claimed 3900 feet on a ''mineral lead" which had been discovered by the first three of the above named men about half a mile south of Richmond. This discovery made quite an excitement and nearly all the men in the valley went there. They held a meeting and appointed A. A. Smith recorder and he charged something like $5 for recording a claim. The excitement died out in a short time, probably because it was found that the rock was of no value. A tract a mile wide and extending two miles up " Lake's creek" was taken by J. L. Jelm and W. Jansen. This was on the creek above the valley located by 'Laughlin in June, 1856. Lake 's creek was the west branch of Baxter creek and before this was called ' ' Irishman 's creek. ' ' Wil- liam Andrews, William and Charles West, M. L. Thompson, Theo- dore A. Lynn and S. B. Lusk located a tract a mile wide and six miles long beginning at the lower end of Bridge Creek valley and running west up the valley. Neale and Brother recorded a change in the boundaries of their land. From this notice it appears that they claimed the land on the south side of the river from the west side of the Richard Thompson location in March, 1857, to the Fuller place seven miles below Susanville. A. J. Demming aban- doned his place in Willow Creek valley soon after his brother was killed by the Indians and this left the valley without any set- tlers. In February Isaac Roop, M. S. Thompson, A. D. McDonald, A. B. Jenison, E. L. Varney and B. Shumway claimed all the water in Susan river commencing at the upper end of James Hunter's claim and extending a mile up the river. They intend- ed to build a dam and improve the river as soon as the spring high water had gone down. E. Brannon, Fred Morrison and E. R. Nichols claimed all of Round valley and all the water in the [188] THE YEAR 1860 stream running through it as far as Willow Creek valley. No one remembers that they ever lived on their claim. In March Francis and Harriet Lanigar and Charles Nixon claimed ninety-six acres west and southwest of their ranch on Gold Kun. J. E. Shearer located a half section north of Harvey, Lathrop & Company's claim. In April Strong, Breed & Co. claimed two sections in Smoke Creek valley. E. Brannon relocated the section on the south fork of Pahutah creek that was taken by M. S. Scott in January, 1859, and "jumped" by Major Andrews the following November. This spring another step was taken in the digging of the Buggytown ditch, and it might be called the commencement of what really was that ditch. The following account was given by William H. and W. P. Hall. When this valley was settled the water from Lassen creek emptied into a slough that ran along close to the foot of the hill on the south side of the river bottom. Some of the water from Gold Run found its way into the same slough. As early at least as 1860 the Neale Brothers started a ditch out of the slough north of where the Johnstonville schoolhouse now stands, and carried it around the hill into a slough just north of the house on the old Isaac Stewart (Charles Ripley) place. This house was a short mile below the Johnstonville bridge. Water from this ditch was used on the Stewart place by Asa Adams during the summer of 1860. That fall or the next spring W. P. Hall and John E. Bachelder bought what is now the Leavitt place two miles below Johnstonville from the Neales, and they and the Neales enlarged the ditch in 1861. The original ditch would irrigate only fifteen or twenty acres. S. R. and W. H. Hall, John C. Bavis, and James Doyle worked on this ditch. Hall and Bachelder took water for their use out of the slough into which it emptied. In the middle of the summer the slough where the ditch commenced dried up and they tried to get water from the river into it. They repaired the small ditch said to have been made by W. H. Crane when he w T orked for the Neales in 1858 or 1859, but could get no water through it for it ran up hill. Then they dug a ditch out of the swamp higher up, but the water soon failed. The next year they went still higher up and got water out of another swamp. George R. Lybarger and Dewitt C. Chandler opened a store [189] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, GALIFORNIA on the road about half a mile east of Bankhead's. At that time the road ran along the edge of the timber straight to the Thomp- son ranch, now owned by Ira E. Bailey. They sold goods there about a year. Smith J. Hill built the second house in what is now Janesville. It was on the south side of the road a little west of the creek, was fourteen by twenty-four feet and a story and a half high, and was built of square hewed logs. It was used as a dwelling house until 1900 and was pulled down two years afterwards. The Neale Brothers and John C. Davis opened a store near the house on the Neale ranch. It was about one fourth of a mile east of Lassen creek and half a mile from the river. Probably goods were sold there until the spring of 1862. This spring Marshall Bronson claimed a place near the sum- mit between Long and Sierra valleys and lived there for many years. William Hood and James Goble settled at the Hot Springs ranch. It is not known whether they bought it from Wasson or whether he abandoned it. In the spring of 1859 Wasson sowed five or six acres of wheat there. It was so dry that it didn't come up until the following spring and then it grew and made a crop. This was the first grain raised in Long valley. William Ross located the Constantia ranch this spring. In May Jerry Tyler claimed a section south of W. C. Kings- bury and southwest of Fairchilds and Washburn. Soon after this he bought out Kingsbury. This month Wright P. Hall went to Marysville and bought two saddle horses and ten dozen milk pans and packed them into the valley, he and his Wife arriving at the Neale ranch June first. Hall and Bachelder made butter that summer and sold it here and in Virginia City. When Dr. H. S. Borrette crossed the plains in 1859 he brought with him a Boyer's patent grist mill. It weighed about two hundred pounds and was a hollow corrugated steel cone with another corrugated cone inside of it. It was made on the prin- ciple of a coffee mill and was made to grind finer by tightening it up. He ran it by water power at the sawmill above Susan ville during the summer of 1860 and it made good flour and corn meal and chopped feed. Finally some one let a bolt run through it and that spoiled it. This was more like a gristmill than anything that had been in the valley before that time. This summer W. C. Kingsbury and William Corse, and per- haps some others, built a sawmill on Gold Run just where the [190] THE YEAR 1860 creek bottom widens out into a valley. Fairchilds and Washburn commenced a sawmill a little below the place where Lassen had his gristmill. It was completed in March, 1861, and was de- stroyed by fire May 5th, 1883. Colonel Lewis ran the sawmill above Susanville this summer. Some time during the summer the crickets made their first invasion of the valley since its settlement. They came from the hills north of the valley, crossed the river about four miles below Susanville, and then went on toward the south. They didn't do much damage, for there wasn't much in the way of crops for them to destroy. William J. Seagraves, who had just crossed the plains, says that in the fall of 1860 Dr. Atlas Fredonyer had a tent and a sort of trading post in Mt. Meadows just below the "Narrows," two and a half miles from the upper end of the valley. About this time he located a tract of land a half or three quarters of a mile up the valley from his camp and above the "Narrows." Although men had come in with stock before this, Fredonyer was the first settler in this valley and the first man to spend the winter there. Probably he stayed there the winter of 1860-61. In Long valley Wright and White sold the Willow Eanch to George Robinson and moved into a cabin which they built near a spring at the foot of the mountain back of that place. Daniel McKissick settled on the southern part of the Jacob McKissick ranch. This place was afterwards known as the R. E. Ross ranch. George Greeno built a cabin on the side of the hill near the road leading into Honey Lake valley. At that time the road ran through the pass to the west of the point over which it now passes. Dr. House lived with Greeno the following winter. In October Daniel Schneeberger claimed a section of land "lying on Bank Head's Creek beginning about one mile south- westerly from Bank Head's House." I. Roop appointed E. R. Nichols his deputy recorder. E. M. Cheney took a claim of 58 acres east of the old Roop sawmill and on the south side of the river. Jacob Boody came into the valley with his Wife and step- daughter, Dora Epley, and bought the Dr. P. Chamberlain ranch on the lake about five miles southeast of Bankhead 's. Besides the improvements already given and those made on the ranches there was considerable done in Susanville and Rich- mond. F. and S. say: "The next year (1860) Charles Nixon [191] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA built a one story frame house, 20 by 30 feet in size, in which a stock of goods was placed. This was the first building erected solely for mercantile purposes, and still stands (1881) just to the east of Cutler Arnold's log hotel. During the summer of 1860 Dr. Z. J. Brown came into the valley with a small stock of drugs, and displayed his healing wares to the suffering public beneath a canvas tent. In the fall he had so prospered that he erected a frame building where Smith's Hotel now stands. It was octagonal in shape, and from this peculiarity the proprietor was endowed with the title of Dr. Eight Square." This building stood on the south side of Main street about a third of the length of the block from Gay street east. A stable built of lumber was put up for the Cutler Arnold hotel. It stood near the middle of the lot north of the hotel, and was the first public feed stable in Susanville. Michael C. Brannan put up a rather low two-story frame hotel, called the "Brannan House," near the northeast corner of Main and Lassen streets. This was the first frame hotel in town. Brannan ran the hotel a while and then rented it to David Patterson and Horace McCauley. In its time this building was used for many purposes. For some years the United States Land Office was in the upper story and the Masons and Odd Fellows used it for a hall. The lower floor was used as a store and a post-office. V. J. Borrette says that this year Governor Roop owned a log cabin near the southeast corner of Main and Gay streets and there was a frame building on the southeast corner of Main and Union streets. It should have been told above that the "Brannan House" was pulled down in the fall of 1879 or the spring of 1880 and that in 1880 the Odd Fellows erected a two-story frame building on that corner. At Richmond Frank Drake put up a two-story frame hotel, probably 30 by 60 feet and 18 or 20 foot posts, the largest build^ ing that had been erected in the valley up to this time. It was on the north side of the road about a hundred yards east of the log building used as a store and a hotel. The new hotel was com- pleted in September and they had a dance to celebrate the occa- sion. There was a big crowd present, for in those days, and for a good many years afterwards, most of the people in the valley went to a dance whenever they had half a chance. Ed. A. Townsend played the violin and after supper Dr. H. S. Borrette [192] THE YEAR 1860 played the cornet for the first time in this part of the world, though not for the last time for twenty years or more. Tickets for the dance and supper were $5, the price for a regular dance for twenty years after that. D. I. Wilmans ran this hotel for the first year or two. In a short time the glory of Richmond departed and a few years afterwards the hotel was turned into a hay barn and used for that purpose until it was blown down by a great wind on the 24th of March, 1908. This was the first year of Richmond 's greatest prosperity and it was the live business place of the valley. There were a good many men working in the mines south of it, it was the end of the Diamond Mountain trail, and there was considerable travel to and from Indian valley, Quincy, Oroville, and Marysville. The greater part of the merchandise brought into the valley was packed over this trail, and much of it was unloaded at Richmond and then hauled with wagons out onto the Humboldt road and traded to emigrants. Frank Drake had a large stock of goods, there was a blacksmith shop run by Tim. Darcey, and a wagon shop run by Saunders. F. A. Sloss had a saloon and a bowling alley and there were several dwelling houses. There was a crowd loafing around the most of the time and generally there were enough "tough" ones amongst it to keep things lively. In November Perry M. (Whack) Craig, son of Milton Craig, fell out of a boat and was drowned in the mill pond above Susan- ville. Governor Roop had given the land for a cemetery and this boy was the first one to be buried in it. T. and W. give some figures from a census taken in what is now Nevada in 1860, and they show something of conditions in all the country along the eastern slope of the Sierras. There were sixty-six saloons, no preacher, four school teachers, six printers, nineteen doctors, and no lawyer practicing his profes- sion. In Long valley there were three public houses, ten miners, and sixteen ranchers. It was claimed that over 1900 persons were taken in Honey Lake valley and along the border by the California marshal that should have been taken in Nevada. Or- lando Streshly estimated that there were 600 or 700 people in Honey Lake valley in 18fi0. "The Grizzly Bear" says: "During the year a record kept of the emigrants passing Honey Lake gateway into the Sacra- mento valley, showed 450 wagons containing 277 families. There [193] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA were with them 135 young women of marriageable age, 376 children, and a total of 1951 people. They had 1200 horses, 4200 cattle, and 7000 sheep." Of those who came to the county in 1860 the following lived here all the rest of their lives or are still living here : James Doyle and Wife, John F. Hulsman, Wright P. Hall and Wife, Albert S. Wright and Wife, Thomas Montgomery, L. P. Whiting, John H. Summers, Frank Summers, Robert Gow- anlock, Jacob Boody and Wife and Dora Epley (Mrs. Hiram M. Moe), Philip Boody, Eli Newton, C. C. Goodrich, Daniel McKissick and Family, John B. McKissick, Hiram L. Partridge, *John Cornelison, Charles M. White, Alexander Painter, and William Ross. The following lived in the county from ten to twenty-five or thirty years: John E. Bachelder, E. M. Cheney (Cheney valley was named after him), Davis C. Hall, and William Hood. The following lived in the county only a few years: C. P. Sheffield and Family, John W. Epley, T. C. Purdom and Wife, Andrew Ramsey, W. J. Ramsey, James E. Ellison, *H. P. Bates, *Edward A. Townsend, Dr. Z. J. Brown, *E. Brannan, *E. L. Varney, James Goble, and *Michael C. Brannan. Pioneers Who Are Still Living The "Lassen County Pioneer Society' ' called any one a pio- neer who settled in the county or was born here before July 1, 1860. The following list gives the names of those who are living at this date, May, 1915. Probably there are many others still alive, but they are not known to the writer. Asa Adams, who settled here in December, 1856, was alive not very long ago and was in San Bernardino County, California. See end of Chap. 2. The following were here in 1857 : William Dow, Isaac Coul- thurst and Wife, Mrs. Smith J. Hill (Susan Bankhead), Hugh, David B., John W., Agnes J., and Margaret Bankhead, Thomas Brown, Mrs. Fanny (Brown) Neale, George Arnold, Mrs. Emma (Arnold) Pritchard, Mrs. Emma (Lanigar) Frazieur, Fred F. Kingsbury, John W. Stark, Mrs. Eva (Slater) Partridge and her Mother, the widow of Dr. John A. Slater, Mrs. S. M. (Jones) St. Clair, and Mrs. Helen (Conkey) Williams. The following were here in 1858 : Smith J. Hill, William H. [194] THE YEAE 1860 Jenison, Mrs. Ellen (Jenison) Spargur, Stephen S. Bass, John P. Mulroney, Ross Lewers, Mrs. Amanda Gray, T. W. Hughes, Mrs. Minnie (Gray) Muller, Robert Gray, Mrs. C. H. Archibald (Mrs. John S. Ward), Mrs. Jennie (Ward) Chapman, and Mrs. Minnie (Streshly) Long. The following were here in 1859 : Joseph C. Wemple, William Milton Cain and Wife, Mrs. James Lawson (Mrs. Morris), J. Bristo Rice, George Rice, Wade H. Lawson, George R. Lybarger, Mrs. Mollie (Chapman) Sloss, Charles T. Emerson, Charles Law- son, Cyrus Lawson, John S. Borrette, Harry Borrette, Fred A. Borrette, Mrs. Belle (Painter) Bond, John Edward Bass, Mrs. Arthur Ruggles (Ida F. Spalding), A. W. Worm (now Wern), Matthew Gray, and Emerson B. Shumway. The following were here in 1860, but part of them came in after the first of July: Mrs. Mary J. (Stickney) Hall, Wife of Wright P. Hall, James Doyle, Wife, and son, Thomas B., George M. Cain (born in September), Charles Hill, Mrs. Dora (Epley) Moe, Mrs. Cordelia A. Wright, Mrs. Martha M. (McKissick) Tipton, Mrs. David C. Hyer (Helena Streshly, born in January), James H. Jones, born in April, Dora May Epley (Mrs. B. B. Price), daughter of Thomas H. and Mary Epley, born in Susan- ville, April 10, 1860, and said by her parents to be the first white child born in that place, and Mrs. Mary Epley. Edward Mul- roney, the son of Ned Mulroney, was here before 1861. It may be that William Meyers (1858) and Mrs. T. C. Purdom, now Mrs. M. J. McLear (1860), are still alive. Politics in the Provisional Territory op Nevada. 1860 Very little was done in politics this year. In regard to the organization of a new territory, they just waited for the action of congress. Governor Roop still continued to serve, but his acts were principally in connection with the Indian troubles. The first of February he appointed M. S. Thompson as his aid- de-camp. He was to rank as Colonel of Cavalry. Judge Child urged the people of Carson county to hold an election, and this they did in August, filling the vacant county offices and electing members of the legislature. In September Judge Child held a session of the county court, the first in three years. T. and W. say: "The Court considered the matter of the county indebtedness, and ' ordered that all county scrip issued to this date be declared void and repudiated. ' ' ' [195] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA People were too busy with the Indians and with mining to pay much attention to politics. There was a great rush to the mines of Virginia City, Gold Hill, and that vicinity. E. L. Fulton in a Eeport to the Nevada Historical Society says : ' ' The mines of the Comstock Lode were discovered in June, 1859, and the next spring Nevada had 7000 people. Within twelve months twenty quartz mills were built, and as many sawmills were cutting lumber in the hills. All the machinery was hauled from California and the freight over the mountains cost from five cents to ten cents a pound." Honey Lake Politics. 1860 In Honey Lake valley political conditions were nearly the same as those existing in the country to the south of them. Dur- ing the greater part of the year there was more talk about Indians than about politics. Plumas county maintained a sort of authority over them, levying taxes which some of the Never Sweats paid and some did not. It is said that one fall, perhaps this one, Rough Elliott refused to pay his taxes and the Plumas authorities went to his ranch with the intention of taking some of his stock. Elliott was not at home when they got there, but his Wife, a sister to R. D. Sides, went out with a shotgun and stood them off and they went away without taking anything. There was no danger of her getting hurt, for at that time women were very scarce and more valuable than horses, cattle, or taxes. There must have been an election held in the valley this fall by order of the Plumas county authorities, for V. J. Borrette was elected Justice of the Peace for Honey Lake township, Plumas county, at an election held in Plumas county on Tues- day, the sixth day of November, 1860. John D. Goodwin, clerk of the county court, issued his certificate of election and he qualified before Lewis Stark who was then a Justice of the Peace living in this valley. Indian Troubles. 1860 During this year there was an abundance of trouble with the Indians for the settlers on the eastern slope of the Sierras. In telling of the relations existing between the settlers of Honey Lake valley and the Pahute Indians after the murder of Lassen Weatherlow says : ' ' The same friendly relations existed as be- fore. The treaty was respected on both sides. The Indians were [196] THE YEAR 1860 kindly treated and no white man attempted to molest their squaws or wrong them in any way. This friendly state of affairs continued until the discovery of rich silver leads in the "Washoe country brought a host of miners, prospectors, and adventurers of every kind to Carson and Virginia City who were brought in contact more or less with the Pah-ute tribe, and who knowing nothing of the treaty the Honey Lake people had made with Winnemucca, or cared nothing to observe it, frequently treated the Indians with injustice and cruelty, utterly disregarding the common rights even of an inferior race. The Pah-utes fre- quently complained to us of their wrongs and evidently expected that the terms of our treaty should extend to the whites who were nocking into the southern portion of the territory. Of course the people of Honey Lake could offer them no redress nor interfere in their behalf. Winnemucca and his people nothwith- standing the misunderstandings they were frequently having with the people of Virginia City and the prospecting parties through the mountains still remained in apparent friendship toward the settlers in our valley, but the same earnest feeling of confidence in the justice of the whites did not exist. The red man according to his nature and teaching held any and every white man in a measure responsible for the wrongs he had re- ceived at the hands of any unprincipled white man. Still no threats had been made toward the settlers of Honey Lake, nor had any overt act of hostility been done toward us by the Pah- utes until the month of January, I860." The Murder op Dexter E. Demming Told by William Dow and Fred Hines The first outrage committed by the Indians was the murder of Demming at the extreme upper end of Willow Creek valley about eighteen miles by the road from Susanville. In the fall of 1858 S. E. Hall and A. J. Demming went into Willow Creek valley and each located a ranch at the upper end of it. They did not stay there the following winter, but the next spring Demming went back and built a cabin on his place. That year his brother Dexter crossed the plains and went on below, but after staying there a short time he came back and lived with Jack until he was killed on Friday, January 13th, 1860. Dow says that Jack Demming came to Susanville on the 12th [197] HISTORY O* 1 LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA on snowshoes after some supplies with which to make fence rails and stayed over night, going home the next day. Hines says he came to Toadtown on the 13th with a couple of axes he wanted to sharpen. It took him some time to grind them on the small grindstone that Hines had and he got a late start for home. He said he wanted something to read and Hines let him have " Lor- enzo Dow's Sermons" and "Dr. Kane's Arctic Explorations. ' ' He got home just as darkness was coming on, and when he reached the top of the hill on which his cabin stood he saw by the snow- shoe tracks and the blood on the snow that something was wrong. Looking into the cabin he saw that everything in it was gone excepting the homemade furniture, and further search showed him that the horses were gone, too. He then thought that his brother might have been wounded and gave a yell, but he received no reply. He put what he had brought with him down beside the cabin door, got onto his snowshoes and started back to this valley, giving a couple of yells as he went down the hill in front of the cabin. It took him three or four hours to get back to Toadtown and he arrived there just before people went to bed. At that time E. G. Bangham and Henry Hatch lived in the board house built by Dow and Hatch in 1857. Hines and Sylvester and probably Tutt lived almost directly across the road from them. Dr. Spalding lived on his place just below them and William and John Dow and A. L. Tunison lived in a little cabin near him. Daniel Murray was keeping store there and Henry Hastings ran a blacksmith shop. The next morning ten men, William and John Dow, Tunison, Priest, Demming, Luther Spencer, Tutt, Prank Strong, Bangham, and Dr. Spalding, started for the scene of the murder. They had no snowshoes and the snow being so deep in places that they had to break a trail, they made slow progress and it was late, nearly sundown, when they reached the Demming cabin. When Jack left home his brother was doing some washing. He had just made a pair of snowshpes and he said he was going down to the valley to practice on them as soon as he had finished his work. Evidently he had done this, and while he was gone the Indians came and took the two guns that were in the house. They went into the cabin, or behind it, and waited for him to come back, and when he was about twenty feet from the door [198] THE YEAR 1860 they shot him with a load of buckshot. When it hit him he gave a convulsive spring and struck twelve or fifteen feet away from the snowshoes. The Indians dragged his body into the cabin and stripped it and threw it into a little cellar under the building. They then took everything that would be of any use to them, bedding, clothing, etc., and the two horses and went away. What Jack left beside the cabin door was gone, too, and this showed that the Indians were close enough to hear him yell and came back, but he was out of their reach when they got there. It was a close call for him, for if he had reached home a little sooner, they would have got him, too. The first thing to do was to dispose of the dead man's body. All they could find to work with was a small piece of iron and a board. They managed to loosen up the ground in the cellar with the iron and then scoop it out with the board and in this way dug a shallow grave. They wrapped the body up in a blanket that one of the party happened to bring along and putting it into the grave, covered it up as best they could. Demming said it was all right for he intended to move his brother in the spring. William Dow wanted to go in pursuit of the Indians at once. He said they had taken so much plunder that they could not have gone very far, and if the white men would start right out after them, they could overtake them that night and then wait until daylight and take them in. But the rest of the party thought it was not advisable to do this. The weather was very cold, the snow was deep, and they were not prepared for such a trip. Besides this Demming was in no shape, physically or mentally, to go along, and it would not do to divide the party and leave some of them with him. So they started back right away and reached home about five o'clock Sunday morning. Some of the early settlers say that a while before this murder was committed Jack Demming was at an Indian dance a few miles below Susanville. Among those present was a Pit river Indian who wore a high-crowned Mexican hat. Demming made a good deal of fun of the hat and finally jammed it down over the Indian's eyes and the crowd all laughed at his struggles to get the hat off. The Indian was very angry, but there were so many white men present that he did not dare to do anything then. Perhaps it was not known for certain, but the whites supposed that this Indian had something to do with the murder. [199] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Ben Neuhaus and others say that the Indians thought it was Jack Demming they were killing and were sorry that they killed his brother. It is also said that Jack Demming killed a good many Indians when there was no excuse for his doing it. Of course the people of Honey Lake valley were greatly excited and angered by this murder, and believing that it was committed by the Pah-utes, demanded that Captain Weatherlow take his Honey Lake Rangers, which he says was a company of sixty men still in organization, and march against them at once. The following petition was sent to Governor Roop : "Susanville, Nevada Ter., Jan. 15, 1860. "Dear Sir — We, the undersigned, would most respectfully urge the necessity of your Excellency's calling out the military forces under your command to follow and chastise the Indians upon our borders. We make this request to your Excellency from the fact that we have received information that we fully rely upon, to the effect that Mr. Demming has been murdered, and his house robbed, on or about the 13th instant, by Indians, within the borders of Nevada Territory. Your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc. A. D. McDonald, William Bray ton, E. Aubrey, E. A. Rower, W. M. C. Cain, William Dow, N. Purdy, F. Drake, Chas. King- man, Wm. Hamilton, D. Chandler, G. W. Fry, E. Brannan, Wm. Hill, J. E. Shearer, Geo. W. Shearer, Jas. Belcher, E. R. Nichols, Cyrus Smith, I. N. Boswick, S. S. Smith, W. C. Taylor, J. M. Painter, C. Brown, Fred Morrison, G. W. Mitchell, John D. Robinson, S. H. Painter, Milton Craig, A. A. Holcomb, Wm. Hobby, A. D. Beecher, Dr. Jas. W. Stettinias, Dr. H. S. Borrette, B. E. Shumway, L. Vary, Joshua H. Lewis, Wm. Arullary, Thomas Bare, Z. C. Dow, Thos. Sheffield, E. G. Bangham, Henry Hatch, F. H. Moshier, U. J. Tutt, G. W. Lathrop, 0. Streshly, J. Borrette, Dan Murray, J. H. Hollingsworth, E. L. Varney, Jas. A. A. Ohen (or Cohen), A. L. Tunison, Jas. Huntington, M. S. Thompson, Clark Doty, Alex. McLoud, Wm. D. Snyder, S. D. Patten, A. W. Worm, John Altman, A. B. Jenison, L. D. Sanborn, J. S. Haggett, W. Taylor, C. A. Fitch, F. Long, Mark W. Haviland, John Morrow, H. Kingman, J. E. Ellison, M. C. Thaderson (or Shaderson), J. W. Shearer, J. L. O'Donnell, J. W. Doyle, H. E. Arnold, L. J. Spencer, B. B. Gray, B. B. [200] THE YEAR 1860 Painter, P. W. Shearer, James McPadden, J. H. Anderson, A. Ramsey, J. E. Parker, John Taylor, T. Campbell, F. A. Sloss, S. Conkey, C. Hall, Antonio Storff, C. T. Emerson." Captain Weatherlow says : " I told them that the Pah-utes had always been friendly and as there existed a treaty between Winnemucca and ourselves which thus far had not been broken it was better to go and see Winnemucca and ascertain the truth of the matter. I believed it might have been the Pit river Indians whose country lay to the north of Honey Lake and who frequently made hunting excursions as far south as Willow creek. A meeting of the citizens was then held and its was agreed that I should send a Lieutenant of my company (Tutt) with fifteen men to trace the murderers and ascertain if it was the Pah-ute or Pit river Indians. I did so. The party was out four days, tracked the Indians through snow, recovered the horses, and came back and reported that it was the Pah-utes who were known as the Smoke Creek band which had drawn away in a measure from Winnemucca 's control and recognized a chief known as Smoke Creek Sam as their leader." This is the story of that trip after the Indians as Dow, Tutt, and Strong told it. Just as soon as they could get ready, in a day or two, Tutt, William Dow, Priest, Demming, Strong, Lute Spencer, and another man started out after the Indians. They found that the night before they killed Demming the Indians camped at the old Rice cabin about a mile north of the place where the murder was committed. (This must have been the cabin built by Johnson and Todd in the fall of 1859.) The night after the murder they camped at the head of a canyon only a few miles northeast of there, and if the white men had followed them as Dow wished, probably they would have killed all of them. The Never Sweats were on foot and it was slow work travelling through the snow. The first night they stayed at the Rice cabin and the second one on the side of the mountain southeast of Horse lake. The next day they found the Indians camped at Snow Storm creek. Long before the whites reached their campoodie the Indians saw them and got into a big rock pile near by. There they had a good natural fort and they had the two Demming guns, or perhaps more, and some ammunition, and the white men were out on the flat without any shelter. When they got within shooting distance the Indians stood up r 201 1 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA on the rocks and made insulting gestures and dared them to come on, and when a man came close enough they took a shot at him. The Honey Lakers stayed there several hours working every plan they could think of to get at them, and Spencer showed a great deal of bravery and took some desperate chances trying to kill an Indian. Finally they came to the conclusion that the Indians had the best of it and there was no use of staying any longer. One of the men said that he and Spencer crawled toward the rock pile and got pretty close to it. Before long he happened to look back and saw that the others were going away. He called to Spencer and told him about it and then jumped to his feet and ran faster than he ever did before in his life. "When he got out of range he stopped and looked back. Spencer was so angry because the rest of them quit that he deliberately got on his feet, threw his gun over his shoulder, and strolled away with his nose in the air as carelessly as though there was not an Indian within a hundred miles of him. They went back to the Indian camp and got the things they had taken from Demming. Among them were the books, the axes, Demming 's fiddle, and the two horses. They had food enough for only one day more, it looked as though a big storm was coming on, and so they started for home as soon as they could get ready. A little after dark they reached the plateau east of Pete's valley, and as it was very cold and the wind was blowing fiercely, they found a big juniper tree and camped in its shelter that night. The next day they came into the valley. The reader must remember that this, and probably all the winter expeditions in pursuit of Indians, was made by men on foot. Frequently the weather was bitterly cold and sometimes the snow was deep. They had to get along with few blankets and food of the simplest kind and they were in luck if they had enough of that. Of course they had no tents and their only shelter from the winter storms was what they could get from brush and rocks and from the trees, if they were fortunate enough to be where there were any. They wore leather boots without any overshoes and frostbitten feet must have been a common thing. Subduing the wilderness may sound romantic on paper, but in reality there was very little romance about it, especially that part of it which related to the chasing of Indians in the winter. [202] THE YEAE 1860 Lieutenant Tutt made his report on the 24th of January. Captain Weatherlow says: " Another meeting of the citizens was held and they again demanded that I should take my company and march out against the Pah-utahs. I told them that at that time there were 3000 head of stock at Pyramid lake protected by only a few herders, there were settlers located in small valleys remote from each other and distant from the settlement at Honey lake, and that small parties of prospectors Were scattered through the mountains in every direction all of whom would be hopelessly exposed and murdered if I made an attack upon the Indians at that time. It was then agreed that I should go and have an interview with Winnemucca, inform him of the murder and demand redress." On the 28th Governor Roop appointed Captain William Weatherlow and Thomas J. Harvey commissioners to visit Winne- mucca. They performed their duty and on their return made the following report which, with the correspondence also given, is taken from T. and W's. History of Nevada. "Susanville, February 11, A. D. 1860. "Your Excellency: We, the undersigned, your commission- ers, appointed Jan. 28, A. D. 1860, to proceed to the camp of the Pah-ute tribe of Indians, respectfully report that we proceeded across the country from this place in the direction of Pyramid lake ; that on the third day of our travel we were met by a band of about (30) thirty Pah-Ute Indians, well mounted, who, with a war-whoop surrounded us and prevented us from proceeding to the main camp. We were detained over night by the same party of Indians, under a strict guard, the said Indians utterly refusing to give us any information as to the whereabouts of their chiefs. On the following morning we were released from imprisonment and ordered to return to Honey Lake valley. We travelled two or three miles in the direction of Honey Lake valley, and there being a dense fog, we came to the determination to travel across the country to the crossing of the Truckee river, and follow down said river to Pyramid lake. Arriving at Pyramid lake we found an encampment of the Pah-Utes, but from the contradictory reports of the said Indians, we were unable to ascertain where either of the chiefs could be found. We then travelled down the lake about ten miles, and found another encampment, which proved to be the camp of Winne- [203] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA mucca, the war chief of the Pah-Utes. We represented to the chief that we Were sent to them by the whites, to ask of the chief the delivery of the murderer or the murderers of Mr. D. E. Demming, in accordance with a treaty made and entered into between the Pah-Utes and the citizens of Honey Lake valley, at the same time inviting the chief to return with us and settle our difficulties amicably. The chief acknowledged that according to the said treaty, we were warranted in making the demand, but after making many excuses, he refused to interpose his authority in preventing depredations upon the whites on the part of his followers. We then asked him to appoint some future time to visit us. He said that he would not come at all, and that the citizens of Honey Lake valley must pay him $16000 for Honey Lake valley. We have ascertained that he is at this time levying blackmail by demanding from one to two beeves a week from the herders of stock, there being two or three thousand head of stock in his immediate vicinity, herded by so few that they dare not refuse his demand. We find also that the owners of said stock can not drive them to the settlements from the great depth of snow between Pyramid lake and Honey lake, Washoe and Carson valleys. We believe that the Pah-Utes are determined to rob and murder as many of our citizens as they can, more especially our citizens upon the borders. Finding it impossible to bring the Indians to any terms of peace, notwithstanding the advan- tages offered them, we determined to return as speedily as possible and make this our report to your Excellency. William Weatherlow, T.J. Harvey.' ' Probably it was on this trip that the lives of these two men were saved by a young Indian called Pike who had been raised by Harvey. As the story is told they had been captured by the Indians and Pike talked them into letting Harvey go. Harvey told Pike that Weatherlow was a good man and asked him if he didn't remember that whenever they two visited him he, Pike, was given a bed and food and treated as well as any one. Harvey refused to go away and leave Weatherlow. The Indians held another council and finally gave the two men their property and told them to go. [204] THE YEAR 1860 In his statement Captain Weatherlow says: "Who had in- structed the chief to demand that particular sum ($16000) or indeed any sum of money from the settlers of Honey Lake, I can not imagine, but certain it is that up to that time Winne- mucca was always willing that the whites should occupy the valley and gave them land freely, his one desire in return seemed to be to have a house and learn to till the soil and live like a white man. "On our return to Honey Lake I stopped at the camps of the herders at Pyramid lake and informed them of the approach- ing danger and advised them to remove their stock as soon as possible. They said the snow was so deep they could not go away and they might as well remain and take the chances of losing their cattle by the Indians as to attempt to drive them through the snow. But they begged me that the Honey Lake people should make no demonstration against the Indians until they could remove. I promised to protect them all I could. ' ' The next day after the commissioners made their report Governor Roop asked assistance from the General commanding the Pacific department and thoroughly explained affairs in this part of the country. His letter to General Clark was as follows : "General Clark, U. S. A., Commander of the Pacific Department. "Sir: We are about to be plunged into a bloody and pro- tracted war with the Pah-Ute Indians. Within the last nine months there have been seven of our citizens murdered by the Indians. Up to the last murder we were unable to fasten these depredations on any particular tribe, but always believed it was the Pah-Utes, yet did not wish to blame them until we were sure of the facts. On the 13th day of last month Mr. Dexter E. Demming was most brutally murdered at his own house, plun- dered of everything and his horses driven off. As soon as I was informed of the fact I at once sent out fifteen men after the murderers (there being snow on the ground they could be easily traced) with orders to follow on their tracks until they would find what tribe they belonged to, and if they were proved to be Pah-Utes not to give them battle, but to return and report, as we had some two years ago made a treaty with the Pah-Utes, one of the stipulations being that if any of their tribe committed any murders or depredations on any of the whites we were first [205] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA to go to the chiefs and that they would deliver up the murderers or make redress, and that we were to do the same thing on our part with them. On the third day out they came onto the Indians and found them to be Pah-Utes, to which I call your attention to the paper marked A. Immediately on receiving this report, and agreeable to the said treaty, I sent Capt. William Weatherlow and Thomas J. Harvey as commissioners, to proceed to the Pah-Utes headquarters and there inform the chief of this murder and demand redress. Here allow me to call your atten- tion to the paper marked B. It is now a pretty well established fact that the Pah-Utes killed these eight men, one of them being Mr. Peter Lassen. How soon others must follow is not known for war is now inevitable. We have but few good arms and but little ammunition. 4 'Therefore, I would most respectfully call upon you for a company of dragoons to come to our aid at once, as it may save a ruinous war to show them that we have other help besides our own citizens, they knowing our weakness. And if it is not in your power at present to dispatch a company of men here, I do most respectfully demand of you arms and ammunition, with a fieldpiece to drive them out of their forts. A four or six pounder is indispensable in fighting the Pah-Utes. We have no Indian Agent to call on, so it is to you that we look for assistance. ' ' I remain your humble servant, " Isaac Roop, " Governor of Nevada Territory. "Susanville, February 12, 1860. ' 'P. S. Sir: — If you should forward to us arms, ammunition, etc., I hereby appoint Col. J. H. Lewis to receive and receipt for and bring them here at once. "I. Roop. ' ' No attention was paid to this appeal — at least no troops were sent and no arms and ammunition were furnished. Cady and Blodgett Killed by the Indians Told by Dwelley and LeGrow During the winter of 1859-60 Asa S. LeGrow, Melzer B. Dwelley, Hank Tufts, — Cady, Joseph Blodgett, and others — quite a large party — had a camp in the lower end of Long Valley. Dwelley, perhaps LeGrow, and some of the rest of the [206] THE YEAE 1860 party belonged in Sierra valley, but that winter they were ranging their cattle near where they were camped because there was less snow there than at home. The Indians had been troublesome that winter and in the spring the Sierra valley men drove their stock home as soon as they could get feed there. After several drives had been made, they got back to camp early one afternoon and Cady and Blodgett went out to drive up the horses. They belonged to Dr. Weber, who had cattle running in Dry valley just east of there, and Blodgett had them on shares. A little dog went with them and in a couple of hours he came back to camp. The men there thought that something must be wrong and as soon as they could, about dark, they started out on the trail of their two friends. They soon found the trails of other horses running into the trail they were following, and believing these had been made by the Indians, they went back to camp. Upon further search later on it was found that they had both been killed by the Indians. The Pah-ute War. 1860 Taken from Thompson and West's "History of Nevada, " Captain Weatherlow's Statement, the Newspapers of the day, and from what was told by the early settlers of Honey Lake and Long Valleys. The winter of 1859-60 was the hardest one the whites had seen in the Great Basin. "The Territorial Enterprise," pub- lished in Carson City, in December, 1859, when telling of the arrival of Governor Isaac Roop from Honey Lake said: "The Indians in Truckee Meadows are freezing and starving to death by scores. In one cabin the Governor found three children dead or dying. The whites are doing all they can to alleviate the miseries of the poor Washoes. They have sent out and built fires for them, and offered them part of their provisions. But in many instances the starving Indians refused to eat, fearing that the food is poisoned. They attribute the severity of the winter to the whites. The Truckee river is frozen hard enough to bear up loaded teams." We have seen how near Governor Roop came to freezing to death on that trip. The unkind treatment which the Indians received at the hands of many of the newcomers in Nevada awakened their anger [207] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA against the whites, and when the hard winter came on numbers were led to believe that the Great Spirit was angry because there were so many white men in their country and in consequence the storms and cold weather were freezing and starving them. In the latter part of April and the first of May, 1860, nearly all the Pah-ute Indians gathered at Pyramid lake to hold a council. They wanted to decide what to do in view of the fact that the whites were taking their land and killing off all their game. There were a good many chiefs there with their forces, among them the chiefs from Smoke creek, the Black Rock coun- try, and Humboldt Meadows. Old Winnemucca, whose Indian name was Po-i-to, was the head captain over all, the medicine chief of the tribe. He didn't have much to say one way or the other, but was known to be in favor of war. He was a shrewd politician and as long as things were going his way he was will- ing to keep still and make it appear that somebody else was responsible for what was done. There was, however, one chief among them who knew enough to foresee the result of a war with the whites. This was Numaga, whom the whites called 1 ' Young Winnemucca, ' ' the war chief. He was not, as the whites always supposed, the war chief of the Pah-utes. There was but one general chief, and that was Poito, at Pyramid lake. Young Winnemucca was the chosen leader of that branch of the tribe living on the reservation and did not claim any other authority. He and Old Winnemucca were in no way related and were never friendly. Numaga was an Indian statesman of intellect, eloquence, and courage combined. He had lived in California and could speak the English language, and understood the superiority of the white race over the Indian. His power outside of his own band was only that of a superior mind working to better the condition of his race. ' ' They knew he was capable, they believed him to be sincere, and it resulted in giving him influence more potent throughout the tribe than Poito 's commands, consequently the whites came to look upon him as the war chief, and he would have attained that position had he outlived Old Winnemucca, alias Poito. ' ' Before the council Numaga went to all the Indians and talked to them and tried his best to keep them from beginning a war that would result in their destruction. They listened to [208] THE YEAE 1860 him respectfully, but their silence told him that they were opposed to him. He then went away by himself and lay face down on the ground without food or drink for three days. Some of the Indians told him that he had better go and live among the whites ; others threatened to kill him and he told them to do so for he did not care to live. When the council met the chiefs all got up and told their wrongs and demanded war. After they had all spoken Numaga walked in looking like a ghost and poured forth such a torrent of eloquence as these warriors had never before listened to. He told them that no doubt they had great wrongs, but the white men were as many as the stars above their heads and like sands in the beds of the rivers. If they whipped the white men of Nevada, those from California would come to help them and they would cover the land like a blanket. He told them they would be driven from their homes into the barren rocks of the north where their ponies would die, and where the old men and women would starve and they would have to listen to their children crying for food. As Numaga was making this last appeal to them to keep from going to war with the whites, an Indian dashed up to the council ground on a "foam flecked" pony and he stopped in his talk. "The newcomer walked into the circle; and pointing to the southeast, said: 'Moguannoga (He was chief at the Humboldt Meadows and the whites called him Captain Soo.) last night with nine braves burned Williams' station on the Carson river and killed four whites.' " Numaga then looked sadly in the direction the warrior had pointed and told them there was no longer any use for council, they must prepare for war, for the soldiers would now come there to fight them. On the seventh of May while the council among the Indians was going on and the great influence of Numaga was beginning to make an impression upon the Indians in favor of peace, Cap- tain Soo's party left secretly, reached Williams' station about sundown, killed the men and burned the station. This station was on the Carson river and on the overland road about ten miles northeast of where Fort Churchill was afterwards built. Captain Soo was smart enough to know what the result of this act would be. It was like burning the bridges behind them. Captain Weatherlow has this to say in regard to the begin- [209] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ning of the war: ''While these events (outrages committed by the Pah-ute Indians on the settlers in the neighborhood of Honey Lake) were taking place we neither saw nor heard of the Indian Agent, Major Dodge. From my knowledge of Winnemucca's character, his sense of right and justice, and his faithful observ- ance of the treaty with the Honey Lake people for years, it is my firm belief as well as the openly expressed opinion of the citizens of Honey Lake that if the great chief Winnemucca had been visited in the early commencement of the misunderstanding between his people and the whites, or even after hostilities had actually commenced he had been visited by Major Dodge, or some other authorized agent of the general government who came with full power to treat and perform the promises of the government, the whole war with its subsequent massacres and scenes of blood could have been easily averted. But unfortunate- ly for the whites as well as for the Pah-utes no such mediator came and the war with all its horrors raged on." When the report of what had been done at Williams' station reached Dayton, Silver City, and Virginia City it created great excitement and the news was soon carried to the outlying towns. There were prospectors scattered all through the mountains and men took their lives in their hands to warn them and the outside ranchers of their danger. The one thought was to punish the Indians and companies were organized in Genoa, and in Carson, Silver, and Virginia Cities. They left the latter place on the ninth of May and on the tenth reached the scene of the murder and buried three of the victims. They then took a vote to see whether they should go back or go ahead into the Indian country. This force consisted of four companies numbering one hun- dred and five men, or something like that. Each company had its own officers, but there was no one selected to command the whole force although Major Ormsby and others urged them to do this. They went into the fight without any leader although Major Ormsby is usually regarded as having been the commander of the entire party. It was a body of poorly armed, undisciplined men. Probably the general opinion among them was that the Indians would not fight, and some of them would have stayed at home if they had thought there was going to be any fighting done. Others thought that all there was to do was to capture some squaws and ponies and run the Indians out of the country r 210 1 THE YEAR 1860 without any danger to themselves. But the most of them were brave men and boys, some of them heroes when the occasion came, and with a little discipline and under good leadership would have made a brave fight. The Battle op Pyramid Lake, Generally Called "The Ormsby Massacre " This battle, fought on the 12th of May about two miles south of Pyramid lake, was no battle at all — it was a massacre. The whites saw a party of Indians about their own number and thirty of them charged up a little hill onto a plateau. When they got up there the Indians had disappeared, but just out of gunshot, just as before, there was a thin circle of mounted Indians. For a short time it was doubtful whether the Indians had got them there by design or not; but that uncertainty vanished when in front and on both flanks Indians arose from behind every bush, gave a yell, and poured in a volley of arrows and bullets. The other members of the command did not come to the aid of those on the plateau and after staying there about ten minutes, during which time they only looked after their animals, some of which bucked the revolvers out of the holsters and made others drop their guns, they all retreated toward their already fleeing companions. They at first retreated towards the timber in the bottom to the west. This was already the hiding place of Chiquito Winnemucca, a chief from the Black Rock country. A number of Indians now reinforced those in the timber, Numaga among the rest, and as the Indians pressed forward he got between them and the whites, waved them back, and tried to obtain a parley with the white men. Chiquito Winnemucca refused to obey the order and ran past him fol- lowed by the other Indians. Quite a number of times the whites tried to make a stand but with little success. Many of them fought bravely, but in the end it turned out a panic and when they reached the upland it was every one for himself. The Indians chased them as far as where Wadsworth now stands killing them all along the way. When this place was reached it got so dark that the whites were able to hide so the Indians could not find them. Major Ormsby and forty-five other white men were killed. The Indians claimed to have had three war- riors wounded and two horses killed. [211] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA •On the morning of May 15th the white men on foot got into Bnckland's station and those on horseback reached Dayton, Virginia, and the towns further back and created a great panic wherever they went. The news was telegraphed to San Fran- cisco and soon the whole coast knew about it. The people of the surrounding country gathered at Virginia City, Dayton, Silver City, and other towns and fortified themselves the best they could. Warren Wasson went from Genoa to Carson to find why they could get no dispatch over the telegraph line. He thought that the Indians had cut it. When he got to Carson he found that the telegraph operator there had paid no attention to the calls from Genoa, and thus far no Indian had been seen in Carson or Eagle valleys. T. and W. say: "He also found that a party was being organized, under Theodore Winters, to carry a dispatch from General Wright of California to a company of cavalry supposed to be at Honey Lake valley, ordering that company to march at once for Carson. Wasson volunteered to carry the message alone; and mounting a fleet, powerful horse, rode in fourteen hours through the enemy's country a distance of one hundred and ten miles to Honey Lake, without a change of horse, and without seeing an Indian. He delivered his orders and the company marched south." A. L. Tunison says that a detachment of twenty-six soldiers came into the valley on the 16th of May and it is probable that those were the ones that went to Carson. The War in Honey Lake and Long Valleys Alvaro Evans says that he was in Virginia City when the news of the Ormsby Massacre reached that place. As soon as he heard it, the next day after it happened, he bought a horse and started for his home in the lower end of Long valley. He left town about sundown and when between the Truckee river and Peavine springs he caught up with Cutler Arnold, who was going home to Susanville, and they went along together. They reached the Evans ranch about three o'clock in the morn- ing and found all the residents of that part of the valley col- lected there excepting the Kobinsons. They had also gathered in all the cattle and had them on the flat east of the house. The next morning R. E. Ross went up to the Warm Springs ranch and notified the Robinsons that they were all going to Sierra [212] HE YEAR 1860 ralley. He found Mrs. Ambrose Robinson, the only woman in that part of the valley, busily engaged in churning and she said that she could not go until she had finished that work. That same day they all went to Sierra valley and took their cattle Mith them. The Ross and Evans party took up some land four or five miles from the Summit, built a cabin on it, and stayed there all summer, returning to Long valley in the fall. The "Warm Springs ranch house was burned by the Indians that spring, but the other three houses in that part of the valley, the Evans house, the McKissick house, and the one on the "Willow Ranch, were not molested that year. When the news reached Honey Lake it caused great excite- ment and dismay. As is usual in such cases the further it traveled the larger it grew. It was reported that there were 1500 warriors in the battle with the Ormsby party and men who claimed to know said there were at least 1000 Pah-ute warriors around Pyramid lake ready to fight. It was reported that twenty head of cattle had been stolen, by the Indians it was sup- posed, from Antelope valley near Susanville and the settlers thought it probable that the hills were full of savages who were likely to make a descent upon them at any time. There were eighty men prospecting out near Black Rock and in Susanville the first thought was to warn them of their danger. The business men offered $150 a day to any man who would go, but no one wanted the job. When it was found that no one could be hired to go Ephraim V. Spencer, whose brother Luther was among the prospectors, made up his mind to go himself. He had no saddle horse and when he tried to buy one he found none to sell. Some of the owners of saddle horses wanted them to leave the country with and others would not sell to him because they didn't want him to attempt the trip. They all told him that no man could elude the Indians and get through to Black Rock alive. Finally some man told him there was a saddle horse picketed out on the flat below town. Spencer was head sawyer in the sawmill above town and that night he shut the mill down. (This story was told by Mrs. L. P. Spencer, the widow of E. V. Spencer.) About midnight he took his saddle on his back, went down on the flat and saddled up the horse, and striking out down the valley reached the Lathrop and Harvey place about daylight. [213] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA His horse had not given out, but he was tired and Spencer saw he was not the horse for such a journey. About a quarter of a mile from the house there was a saddle horse picketed out and he went down there and swapped horses. He then went to the house, called Lathrop up and told him what he was going to do, and asked him for a cup of coif ee and something to eat and some food to take along with him. While Lathrop was getting hhn some breakfast Spencer stood in the door holding the horse hy the rope. Pretty soon a man who had been awakened by the noise came out of another room. He looked at the horse at the door, rubbed his eyes and looked again, and then looked at the horse picketed in the field. The horse Spencer was holding was a bay and the one he left in the field was a buckskin so it was very easy to see that the horses had been changed. He then asked Spencer what he was doing with his horse and told him to put him back where he found him. The other man replied that he intended to ride that horse and that if any one interfered with him he would have serious trouble. The man almost cried and said he wanted the horse to ride out of danger from the Indians, but Spencer only answered him by saying that the other one would carry him to Susan ville. After eating his breakfast and getting a few provisions Spencer started out and to save time he cut across corners whenever he could. At that time A. W. Worm and Thomas Bear were keeping the trading post at Deep Hole springs and the latter had gone to Susanville for supplies. "Bige" Adams came along and found Worm alone and told him the news of the trouble with the Indians. Spencer must have struck Bear somewhere on the road for they came to Deep Hole together that night. Worm says that about twenty of the Black Rock prospectors also came in that night. At day- light Spencer resumed his journey and succeeded in finding a camp of five men, his brother being one of them. He had not seen an Indian during the entire trip. He had been riding for thirty-six hours without any sleep so he went to bed and those in camp saddled up their horses and started out to find the other men. Whenever they found a camp these men joined in the search and soon they were all together and ready to leave. The Indians had not molested them, but an old man named Smith coming into camp one night with a pack mule had been mistaken for an Indian and killed. [214] THE YEAR 1860 On their return they kept out on the desert and saw no Indians excepting once when they saw a large band of them near the edge of the desert. Once, though, when they stopped to water their horses they found Indian tracks made so recently that they were not yet filled with water. Some of the prospectors belonged in this valley and some in the Carson country and when they got almost to Honey Lake they scattered, four or five of them coming in with Spencer. Many of the emigrants who had settled in the valley the year before immediately picked up and left in haste for the other side of the mountains. A great deal of stock was driven away for safety. The people in the upper end of the valley went to Susanville and used Cutler Arnold 's log hotel for a fort, keeping the women and children in at night. They had some idea of hauling logs and building a fort but it was not done. Many of them stayed there and stood guard at night for a long time. The settlers in the central part of the valley and the lower end of it gathered at Bankhead's. They cut down small pine trees and made a stockade sixty-three by ninety feet and twelve or fourteen feet high around the log house about three fourths of a mile northwest of Bankhead's that Dr. Slater and F. S. Chapman had built the previous December. This was "Fort Janesville." The stockade was loopholed for rifles and at the southwest corner, and perhaps at another one though it doesn't show now, there was a small enclosure set out from the corner that enabled the men in the fort to send in a flank fire on any party that came close to the stockade. Dr. P. Chamberlain, D. I. Wilmans, James Jones, John Bradley, R. D. Bass, Smith J. Hill, W. M. Cain, Malcom Bankhead, and probably many others, with their families, took refuge in the fort. Some stayed a night or two and went over to Quincy, or further, and others went back to their ranches. Some stayed there all summer. Of the families that left the valley some stayed away until the danger was over and others never came back. Four or five years after this Indian war Fort Janesville fell into disuse. People helped themselves to the doors and windows of the building or anything else they wanted. Along in 1866-67 the Indians took the house away, part of it at a time, and used it to build some campoodies about half a mile to the southwest. Perhaps the whites carried some of the logs away and soon the [215] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA building was all gone. The writer went to school near there in 1867 and he doesn't remember any building inside the stockade at that time. The stockade stood for a good many years and fell down a log at a time. During this panic Governor Eoop again made application to General Clark for troops to be stationed in the valley to protect the settlers, or at least for arms and ammunition to enable the few settlers who remained to protect themselves and their prop- erty. Weatherlow's company was reorganized and ordered to hold themselves in readiness to take to the field at a moment's warning. About this time Lieutenant Chapman came in from Fort Crook with a detachment of U. S. dragoons. He stayed in the valley three days and then received orders to return to Fort Crook, and this he did without having accomplished anything here. This left the valley as unprotected as before. Some of the settlers wanted to raise a company and join Colonel Jack Hays at Carson and help fight the Pah-utes. Others wanted all the men to stay at home and protect the few women and children who remained and also the property. John Byrd raised a com- pany of twenty men in the lower end of the valley and J. C. Wemple remembers the following names of those who were among them : John Byrd, Captain, Dr. P. Chamberlain, Wm. H. Clark, Wm. N. Crawford, George Greeno, T. H. Fairchilds, Charles Kingman, Fred. Kingman, Henry Arnold, — Anderson, A. G. Eppstein, and J. C. Wemple. On the 29th of May Weatherlow 's company went down to the Jack Byrd ranch eight miles below where Milford now* stands. Byrd and his company were there and Weatherlow proposed to him that they join forces and wait for the Indians at a canyon north of Pyramid lake where, when beaten by Hays, they would pass in their retreat. He believed that in this way they might receive a blow that would direct them away from the unpro- tected settlements. Byrd agreed with him, but the younger members of his company objected to this arrangement so he went on the next day. Weatherlow stayed there a couple of days and jerked some beef and on the first of June set out for Pyramid lake with his command of thirty-five well armed men, he says, but Tunison, who was with him, says there were only twenty-six men when they left the Byrd place. We will now return to the country around Carson and Vir- [216] THE YEAR 1860 ginia Cities. As a result of the Ormsby Massacre hundreds of people left the territory of Nevada and went to California. Many of those who remained were so badly frightened that they would have been of no use in helping to fight the Indians. In California the news produced intense excitement and every one was willing to go to the assistance of the people of Nevada. Within thirty-six hours after the news reached Downieville 165 men were raised, armed, and equipped. In five days they marched over the mountains to Virginia City. Organized companies came from Nevada City, San Juan, Sacramento, and Placerville. The Governor of California sent the men of Nevada for their own use 500 Minnie muskets with plenty of ammunition. All the towns of Nevada furnished their share of men and the citizens contributed to provision the forces. These forces were organized into eight companies of infantry and six of cavalry. Colonel John C. Hays was the Colonel com- manding and the whole force consisted of 544 men. They left Virginia City on the 24th of May and on the 31st had reached the place where "Wadsworth now stands.' There they were joined by 207 United States troops under Captain Stewart. By mutual consent, Colonel Jack Hays assumed command of both divisions. The Battle of the Truckee On the morning of the 2nd of June eighty men were sent down the river on a scouting expedition. When they got down where the land sloped abruptly to the valley part of them stayed on the upland and the others went on down into the valley. In a short time those on the hill signaled that the enemy were in sight. Three hundred Indians were coming and they chased the whites back to the main body. The Indians kept firing at the whites with a rifle of long range, probably the one taken from a man named Elliott who was killed in the Ormsby fight. One man was wounded by these shots. When the fight began the Indians had the advantage in the ground. They were on the hill in a place cut up by gullies and the whites were out on the open ground. About two thirds of the whites were in the fight and the rest were held in reserve. The Indians fought for five hours, but at last were driven from the field. There was a large force of Indians — no one knows how many — and it was the most stub- born fight ever made by the Indians on this coast. The whites [217] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA lost three men killed and one wounded. The Pah-utes never acknowledged the loss of but four killed and seven wounded. No white man in the fight ever saw more than three dead Indians ; but Joseph F. Triplett of Elko, who was in the fight, claims that several of the leading Indians told him soon after the war that forty-six Indians were killed. On the fourth of June the command marched on towards Pyramid lake burying the bodies of the Ormsby men wherever they found them. The Indian village was deserted and not an Indian could be found in the country, but the trail led north and on the fifth the pursuit was resumed. They passed along on the east side of the chain of mountains between Pyramid and Mud (Winnemucca) lakes. "While going along this range five men were sent up the side of the mountain as scouts. When they got near the top one of the men was killed by the Indians. The cavalry went there as fast as they could, but when they reached the place the Indians had taken his horse, arms, and clothes and fled. This was the last hostile act of the campaign. On the sixth they started to return. On the seventh the volunteer forces under Hays were disbanded; but the troops under Captain Stewart remained at Pyramid lake where earth- works were thrown up that received the name of Port Haven, in honor of General Haven of California who had volunteered as a private in Colonel Hays' command. T. and W. say "After the battle the Pah-utes remained in considerable force in the vicinity of Pyramid lake, maintaining a hostile attitude, and committing depredations, but the punishment given and the force displayed admonished them to keep the peace." They also say that Major Frederick Dodge, the Indian Agent, aided by Mr. Wasson, who had been engaged by Captain Stewart as a scout, tried to pacify the Indians, entice them to their reserva- tions, and supply them with provisions, blankets, etc. Movements of the Never Sweats J. C. Wemple says it was reported here that the Indians lost about forty men in the last fight. The Byrd company reached Pyramid lake two days after the battle took place. They stayed there a day and a half and then started for home. Nothing of particular interest took place during the entire trip which lasted something like two weeks. [218] THE YEAK 1860 T. and W. say: "There was a force of possibly thirty men under Captain Weatherlow from Honey Lake valley, in the mountains west of and toward the north end of Pyramid lake; and the following letter of confident power and prowess tells all concerning him and his command : "June 4th, 1860. 1 ' Dear Gov. : With my small party I am scouting around Pyra- mid lake. The last two days have been on the north side of it, and am now on the west side and within two miles of the lake. I have not seen an Indian, although I am in view of the ground on which Major Ormsby fought the Indians. Would to God I had fifty men, I would clean out all the Indians from this region. Thus far I have been waiting for the troops from Carson to attack them, and then cut off retreating parties, but the movements of the troops are so desultory that I fear the Indians will scatter off before anything is done. If there is any more men in the valley who will come, and can get a fit-out, send them along for my party is too small to venture much; yet all are anxious for a brush with the red-skins. You need feel no alarm of being attacked in the valley; there is no Indians to make it, at least on the north. Eespectfully yours, etc., Capt. Weatherlow. Gov. Isaac Hoop." "It would seem that the Captain got out of the way just in time, from the north end of the lake, to escape an opportunity of having the brush his men seemed so desirous of; and if his courage was equal to his assertion, it is fortunate that he did not have fifty men." Weatherlow 's courage was equal to almost anything, and if he and his thirty men had been lying in wait in that canyon when the Indians went through it, he might have fired on them small as his force was. The first day after leaving the Byrd ranch Weatherlow 's company went to High Rock Springs. It rained all that day. The next day they went on to Pyramid lake and occupied the canyon. Weatherlow says "So much was I impressed with the necessity of striking the Indians in their retreat north that I sent a message to Col. Hays asking him to reenforce me. This he never received, or at least the reenforcement never came. In the meantime the battle at Pyramid lake did not take place on the [219] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA day fixed for it, and after laying in ambush, short of provisions and without a fire for fear of showing our position to the Indians for over three days during a severe sleet storm, I supposed the fight would not come off and left the position. On the day after leaving it the Indians passed through the canyon. They had a fair retreat of over forty miles in open country and escaped comparatively unharmed. They boast to this day that they have killed more whites than they have lost men. From the escape of the Indians without receiving a severe blow the chance of the speedy close of the war was for the time lost." Weatherlow scouted on the north and east sides of the lake and then went home, arriving there on the tenth, without seeing an Indian on the trip. "On the news of the volunteers having returned to California reaching our valley a second panic occurred. Nor was this unreasonable for the Indians who had escaped north held the country around the valley. A small party of prospectors who had been driven in by the hostiles had seen them in force some 400 strong at Wall Springs on the emigrant road. "The troops removed from Honey Lake had left us entirely defenseless. At this critical juncture Col. F. W. Lander, Supt. of the U. S. overland wagon road, arrived in our valley with his company of some fifty men well armed and equipped. Their presence was a welcome relief to our unprotected settlement, for the Indians had grown so emboldened by success that they entered the valley within a few miles of the chief settlement and in broad day killed Mr. Adams, one of our most respected and worthy citizens. Governor Roop with a number of the principal settlers waited upon Col. Lander and besought him to aid them in protecting the valley against the Indians." Among other Indian depredations was the following : In the fall of 1859 Isadore Goumaz, a brother of Philip J. Goumaz, who was foreman for the Lee Brothers, with a man to help him, took a band of cattle belonging to the Lees, 200 or 300 head, to the lower Hot Springs in this valley. He kept the cattle there that winter, herding them back to keep them from straying where the Indians would be likely to steal them, and in the spring moved them to Mt. Meadows. He left his camp just as it was — didn't take away anything. Probably he was gone four days, and when he returned he found that the Indians had paid the [220] THE YEAR 1860 place a visit during his absence and entirely destroyed his camp. They burned what they could not carry off, the wagon being burned along with the other things. The Murder op Horace Adams Told by Wm. Milton Cain and A. L. Tunison. In 1859 Charles Adams brought another band of cattle from the States and his brother Horace came to the valley with him. He was killed by the Indians June 17th, 1860. There was very little land fenced on the Adams ranch and they kept up a saddle animal, picketing it out in the daytime and keeping it in the corral during the night. This morning Horace got up first and went at once to get the mare and picket her out. Just as he reached the middle of the corral one of the two Indians who lay concealed behind it fired at him from a distance of fifteen feet killing him instantly. "Bijah" Adams, who was the only man on the ranch besides Horace, had just got up and when he heard the shot he sprang to the door in time to see his brother go down. He ran outside at once and fired his pistol two or three times and then ran back into the house, grabbed his gun, ran out and jumped onto the mare, and started after the Indians. One of the Indians fired at him as he came out, but missed him. He crowded the Indians so hard that one of them dropped his gun and Adams got it, but the place was covered with sloughs and it was difficult to get around very fast with a horse and the Indians got into the tules and he could not find them. Adams then went back to the house and set some posts on fire to attract attention. Some one on the south side of the valley saw the smoke and went over there. Col. Lander with a pack train and about fifty men, thirty of whom were armed with Sharp 's rifles and dragoon pistols, arrived at Susanville about the first of June and camped at the Neale ranch four miles below there. When the settlers called on him and asked his aid in protecting the valley from the Indians, he said he would take part of his force and go out to reconnoiter the Indian position if the settlers would raise a company to join him. Lander said he was an Indian Agent and was authorized to make treaties with them. He said he should only seek an interview with Winnemucca, but if he found it impossible to do that or the Indians kept on fighting the settlers or interfered with his road work, he would fight them. [221] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The murder of Mr. Adams was reported to him on the 18th and in less than half an hour he started with twenty men in pursuit of the Indians. They rode all night and found the route the Indians had taken and probably where they were going. They then returned to camp after a ride of fifty miles. The foregoing account of Col. Lander's movements and the following account of the expedition taken by a part of his command and Captain Weatherlow's Honey Lake Rangers was taken from a letter published in the ' ' Daily Alta Calif ornian ' ' of July 17, 1860. It was signed by "Knight'' who was a member of the expedition. Lander and Weatherlow's Expedition Against the Pah-utes On the evening of the 19th of June, a few hours after Lander got back from his scouting trip, Weather low with thirty Rangers and Lander with thirty-five of his men, all mounted, started out into the country to the northeast of this valley. They made forced marches for two nights in succession, halting for a few hours in the heat of the day. When they got out near Madeline Plains (so called in the report of Lieut. Beckwith's survey) they found some moccasin tracks and Weatherlow's scouts saw two mounted Indians reconnoitering the camp. The next morning Captain Weatherlow with one company started out for another scout leaving Lieut. Tutt in command of the Rangers. By sun- rise the whole command had packed up and started. Col. Lander and one man went up the hill to the left where he could overlook a canyon and there saw an Indian in ambush watching their movements. He at once ordered the train up the hill to cut off the canyon and approach it from a commanding position. Lieut. Tutt opposed this style of approach and said that Capt. Weath- erlow had left orders for the command to go through the canyon. Lander said that if a large party of Indians was met, the whole command would be cut off, but as it was a joint command he would follow the orders Capt. Weatherlow had given. He claimed the privilege of leading the train and calling up Mr. Snyder, the commissary of the train, went on with him. When they entered the rocky walls of the canyon Lander said ' ' Remember, gentlemen, I do not bear the responsibility. ' ' Fifteen of the best men were sent to the rear behind the pack train. After they had gone nearly a mile Capt. Weatherlow [222] THE YEAR 1860 and his company who, as Lander supposed, turned back to meet them and would have taken the trail over the rocky side hill in preference to the canyon, Tutt having misunderstood his orders. It was too late to remedy this and they went on. When they were nearly through the narrow canyon and were just ready to come out on the open ground, the Indians fired on the head of the column where Lander and Weatherlow were riding, mortally wounding Alexander Painter, a brother of Samuel H. and B. B. Painter. The bullet entered the body below the heart and lodged beneath the skin near the spine. He made no outcry, but rode off a short distance to the right near his brother Benj. B. and after dismounting said to him, "I am shot — don't wait for me; leave me my rifle and shot pouch and go on." The Indians, how many there were of them they could not tell, kept up a continued fire and the bullets flew thick and fast, but they did no harm. Lander sent some men with a flag to a hill on the right and had the pack train sent out of the line of the fire and told the men to hold the hill at all hazards. He then took ten men and started out to drive the Indians away. They ran like scared dogs as the mounted men approached, going over the rocky hill sides where neither horse nor foot could follow them. The train then went out to the edge of a white plain from which the Indians had evidently retreated on the approach of the white men, perhaps taking their women and children with them. The force stayed there that night and were not molested by the Indians. Lander moved the camp to a long, rocky hill that ran out from the mountain and then prepared a decoy for the Indians. They had built defenses of stone along this and he thought they would come down there and try some long shots at the whites. About ten o'clock a large number of Indians came down this hill and hid themselves among the rocks. Lander waited for them to hide themselves, ten horses were saddled and led around to the opposite side of the hill, and fifteen men led by Lander went along the base of the rocks. The plan was to encourage the Indians with the footmen and let the cavalry cut them off from the mountain. A skirmish was kept up with a scattering fire and several Indians were seen to fall. Before the cavalry got up the hill the Indians saw them and fled precipitately. Col. Lander now mounted his horse and with a flag rode out [223] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA toward the foot of the mountain, leaving his rifle in plain view- leaning against a cedar tree. Seeing no chance for a fight and no chance to get in their rear, he thought he might obtain one object of the journey and have a talk with the chief. The Indians, instead of coming forward to talk, kept creeping behind trees toward him rifle in hand. They refused to parley so the white men advanced toward them again and they fled back along the side of the inaccessible mountain. Just at dark an Indian appeared out of the pass leading to Honey Lake — by good fortune two of their best and freshest horses stood saddled — and seven or eight men were made ready to support. The Indian was supposed to be one of the murderers from Honey Lake val- ley. At a given signal two of the most skillful riders 1 started in full chase after the Indian and in open view of the enemy on the hill. As soon as the Indian saw the men in pursuit he threw off his soldier cloak and made for the hills, but he was too late. The race was a hard one — his comrades on the hill saw his danger, but dared not come to his help. They counted thirty-one Indians come out of the mouth of the canyon, but they dared come no further. Just then the Indian turned and fired at the foremost of his pursuers who saw his object and threw himself over to the other side of his horse and the ball passed harmlessly over the horse's back. The rider then raised and fired, bringing the Indian to his knees with a ball from his pistol. As he rode up the Indian clutched at the rope hanging from the horse's neck and the rider again drew his pistol and fired, the ball entering the neck of the Indian, who held his grip and with his last gasp gave the warwhoop which was answered by his comrades on the hill who did not dare to come to his relief. A rope was then tied to his leg and he was dragged into camp. The dead savage was recognized by the Rangers as "Big Jim," a noted warrior of the Smoke Creek band, one of the murderers of Mr. Adams, and the leader of the parties who had made their incursions into the valley. That night they buried Mr. Painter under a cedar tree at the foot of the hill. That day the Indians were seen to carry off several of their dead, but the whites didn't know how many of them they killed. The Pah-ute who was killed at sunset was buried in an open grave and covered with cedar boughs. They did not [224] THE YEAR 1860 scalp or mutilate him. During the night the Indians went away and in the morning they could see no signs of them. The whites went on in the direction of Granite springs along the emigrant road. On reaching it they found that the fortified point at Wall springs had been abandoned by the Indians whom they met in a much stronger position in the mountains. Nothing of interest took place on their road home and they reached camp on the 30th of June. There are other accounts of this expedition — Weather low 's, E. Y. Spencer's, and one published in the "Territorial Enter- prise," but in most respects they do not differ greatly from the one already given. The "Enterprise" says that Governor Roop and W. L. Jernegan of the "Enterprise" were members of Weatherlow's company and that Lander gave the American flag carried on this expedition to the family of Alexander Painter. Col. Lander also ' ' publicly complimented Capt. Weatherlow and his company for their conduct while under fire." It also says that on several occasions Col. Lander laid aside his weapons and went toward the Indians and tried to talk with them, but they always retreated and said they wanted "heap fight." Weath- erlow says they fought the Indians for five hours and when Lander tried to talk with them they shot at him. Spencer says that three or four hundred mounted Indians charged them three times, but did not come within reach of their rifles. When Lander tried to talk with the Indians Winnemucca climbed up on a big rock where they could all see that he was dressed in white man's clothes and said "If you want to fight, you come up here. You no want to fight, you go home." A little explanation will make Knight's story plainer. Mr. Spencer says they went into the country near the head of Smoke Creek Canyon. He also says that the canyon where Painter was killed ran in a northerly direction, was broad, and had higher, steeper walls on the left-hand side than on the right. Judging from what is told about that country by W. D. Minckler, the expedition must have gone from the head of Smoke Creek Canyon over to the creek that drains Painter Flat and followed up the canyon through which it flows. The fight took place just where the canyon comes out into the flat. Painter was buried on the flat which bears his name about a mile and a half north [225] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA of east from where he fell and ' ' Big Jim ' ' was buried near him. Mr. Spencer was a member of the expedition. The last of June Capt. Lance Nightingale came in with twenty-five men. He stayed here about a week and then went out towards the Humboldt on an Indian hunt. The third of July First Lieut. Hamilton came from the San Francisco Pre- sidio with fifty men of Company I, Third Artillery. These soldiers stayed in the valley for the protection of the settlers. On the Fourth of July Col. Lander and his men started out to work on the emigrant road between Honey Lake and the Humboldt river. Before leaving he told the people of Susanville to send, if possible, some friendly Indians to the Pah-utes and try to get Winnemucca to come in and make a treaty with him. The Wagon Eoad party built some reservoirs at Rabbit Hole springs and at Antelope springs, and also did some work at Hot, Buffalo, and Mud springs. These improvements were of much benefit to the emigrants who passed over the road in after years. The Pah-utes stole a large band of cattle from Captain John Byrd this summer. He again raised a party of settlers, among whom were Asa S. LeGrow, M. B. Dwelley, William H. Dakin, William Hamilton, Thomas Fairchilds, and Fred Washburn, and prepared to follow the thieves. He also sent a messenger to Ft. Churchill, asking immediate attention and assistance. (This Fort was about twenty-five miles south of east of Virginia City.— F.) It was twenty-four hours after the stock had been taken before the party was ready to start, but they had no trouble in following the trail. It led to the north through a level country and the pursuers made good time. The second day, after they had ridden sixty or seventy miles, they got near enough to the Indians to see them running away from the cattle. Very fre- quently during the day they had passed cattle that had been killed and once in a while an animal had its heart or tongue cut out. They also saw Indians watching them from the high places, and probably these signaled to the ones who were ahead with the cattle. On the approach of the white men the Indians, as usual, killed all the stock they could and then took to the hills and watched their enemies from a safe distance. No Indians were killed. Byrd says he lost one hundred and [226] THE YEAR 1860 fifty-four head of good cattle as the result of this raid, and other people whose stock ran on the same range also suffered loss. Utt's Escape from the Inddians Knight's letter from Rabbit Hole springs, dated July 31, 1860, gives the following account of the escape of Hiram Utt from the Indians about the 20th of July: "One of the Honey Lake party out prospecting near Black Rock, Mr. Utt, a few days before our arrival had a narrow escape from massacre by a party of Indians. He had become separated from his comrades and was about four miles from camp. A rain storm had come up and he took shelter with his mule beneath a ledge of rocks at the mouth of a small canyon; while there he was suddenly sur- prised by four mounted Piutes, three armed with bow and arrows and one with a rifle. He leveled his rifle at the later but the gun would not go off ; he then sprang upon his mule, and dashing the rowels deeply into its sides started at full run for the camp. The savages with a yell pursued him and headed him off. The one with the rifle dismounted, and in order to make sure work of it, lay down in a little gully, and resting his gun on the bank, was proceeding to take deadly aim at Mr. Utt. The latter also sprang off his mule, recapped his rifle, and trusting to luck, fired while the Indian was still taking aim. The bullet struck the Indian directly in the forehead and killed him instantly. It was cer- tainly a lucky shot for Mr. Utt, who again mounted his mule and rode towards camp. Two of the Indians followed and tried to cut him off, but he kept them at a respectful distance with his revolver and thus reached his comrades in safety. We afterwards saw the body of the dead Indian at the spot where the encounter took place/' Colonel Lander's Talk with Young Winnemucca The story of this "talk" was told in Knight's letter written from Neale's ranch in Honey Lake valley, August 26, 1860. The Lander party had finished its work on the road from Honey Lake to the Humboldt river. On the evening of the fifth of August word came that four Pah-utes had come to a trading post about two miles up the river, and knowing that Col. Lander wanted to interview them and have a talk with Winemucca, Mr. George Butler and two others started out and succeeded in F 227 1 HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA capturing them and bringing them into camp. Their arms were taken away, but they were treated kindly and finding that they were not to be hurt they were willing to remain in camp until Lander, who was at Rabbit Hole springs, had been notified that they were there and came to have a talk with them. They said that Old Winnemucca was up in the mountains among the Oregon Indians, that Young Winnemucca was in the Snow moun- tains near the Truckee river, and that their people were scat- tered in small bands through the mountains. They promised to bring one of the little captains, who was in the neighborhood, Chief Naanah, to have a talk with Lander. After a delay of two days he came into camp and had an interview with the Colonel. It was a private talk, but the result was that two Indians started out on borrowed horses, furnished them by the Colonel, with the agreement that they would visit their great chief Winnemucca and tell him that Lander wished to talk with him and get him if possible to return with them. They agreed to return in "six sleeps" and meet the train at a certain place (Granite creek) on the route home. Many of the party predicted that neither the Indians nor the horses would ever be heard of again, but the Colonel from his knowledge of the Indian char- acter had confidence that they were sincere in their promises. It proved that he was correct, for on the evening of the 21st at the very place and time agreed on, the Indians came into camp with the borrowed horses accompanied by Winnemucca and some six or eight of the leading men of the tribe. After cordial greetings on both sides and partaking heartily of dinner, prep- arations were made for a talk. Young Winnemucca was then about thirty years old, six feet tall, with a Roman nose and broad chin and a mouth showing strong will and decision of character. He and Lander lighted their pipes and smoked some time in silence and then Lander asked him through the interpreter to talk plain and straight and tell all that he wanted the great father at Washington to hear. Winnemucca started in slowly and spoke in a deep guttural tone, but he soon warmed up and his whole form seemed to expand with his pent up emotions. He said he was glad to meet the big captain and take him by the hand and have a good talk. He desired peace — not for himself for Winnemucca could die for his people, but for the squaws and papooses who were tired [228] THE YEAR 1860 of hiding away in the rocks ; they were poor and hungry and he was sorry for them. The white men were coming into the country and taking up the finest valleys, driving the red men from their fishing grounds and giving them nothing in return. The white man dug money from the ground and covered it with one hand while he held out his other hand empty to the Indian. The white man had plenty, but the Indians were poor, and when they asked for flour and meat the white man drove them away. The Indians were whipped and kicked and ill treated by the bad white men and they came to him with the stories of their wrongs. He was their leader, their war chief, and they looked to him to redress them. He was compelled to fight the white men while they were yet few in number. Presently they would be so strong that he could not fight them. He had been a good friend to the whites for many years. The other tribes, Shoshones, Pannacks, and Pit River Indians had stolen horses and cattle and killed white men yet presents had been made these bad Indians. The Pah-utes had been good yet received nothing. By and by the white men came to Washoe and they were bad men. They took the horses and squaws of the Indians and one of the chief's sons was killed. The Indians were very mad and they made fight, but now they were willing for peace. Col. Lander told him that the big father at Washington was very mad when he heard that the Pah-utes were killing his people, and he would send his soldiers to fight them for ten snows or until they were all gone if they killed any more white men ; but if they were good and would steal no more cattle from the settlers or the emigrants and kill no more whites, perhaps the big father would pay them for their lands in Honey Lake valley and Carson. They might fish at Pyramid lake and hunt in the mountains and the white men would not disturb them. Winnemucca listened with great attention to the words of the Colonel and said it was good, but there had been much talk by the whites and no good had come of it. He would try the whites again. He would send his runners out into the mountains and tell his people not to kill the whites. His people were scat- tered far and wide and it might take two or three moons to tell them all, but he would send them word and they would all be good for one year, maybe two years, and wait and see what the big father would do — whether the white man lied or not. He [229] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA said he had visited the cities of California, all the large ones, and saw that the white man lived well. He had plenty and his squaw and papoose sat down in his wigwam and were not afraid. He also desired to have a big house and teach his people to till the earth and raise wheat and corn and squashes. The white men promised to teach them, but they lied. He most positively denied that his people had any hand in the killing of Peter Lassen last fall or the murder of Mr. Demming at Willow Creek during the winter. He said that Lassen was a good man and his friend. The murder was done by bad Indians under a chief named Mia-a-cow, living near Goose Lake, who was a great rascal. Col. Lander told them that Major Dodge would come and talk with them also and tell them what the big father would do. The Indians stayed there that night and in the morning after they had been given a few presents they got on their horses and departed. Winnemucca was the last to go, and as he went away he extended his hand to each one of them and said "Good bye — Goodbye" in a musical voice. Every look, act, and gesture marked him as the leading spirit of his tribe and a mighty chieftain. When they got back to Honey Lake Col. Lander received information that two Pah-utes who had come into the valley on the strength of his talk with Winnemucca had been arrested by the soldiers under the command of Lieut. Hamilton and were detained in custody. The Colonel, fearing that the arrest of the Indians would defeat the consummation of a treaty, rode up to Lieut. Hamilton's quarters. The Lieutenant was absent at the time, but the officer in command, ascertaining the circumstances of the case, at once liberated the Indians who came down to Lander's camp where they remained all night and were kindly treated. Eumors came into his camp, however, that some of the citizens of the valley had sworn vengeance against the Indians and were determined to shoot them on sight, hence the Colonel was compelled to keep an armed guard for their pro- tection and at early dawn dispatch them to rejoin their tribe. He then wrote a letter to Major Dodge, the Indian Agent to the Pah-ute tribe, and sent it by a special messenger to Carson City. Lander told him that he had an interview with Young Winne- mucca and had agreed to do all he could to have the government [230] THE YEAR 1860 pay the Indians for their lands. This arrangement made with Winnemucca was agreed to by all the Indians. It enabled the emigrants to get through unharmed. It would also allow Dodge to go into any part of the Indian territory and see Old Winne- mucca, the medicine man, who was now with the Pit Rivers, but was expected to arrive at the Big Meadows on the Humboldt river in a couple of weeks. He told Dodge that it was left with him to have an interview with the Indians and set things to rights. There was no danger in going among them if they expected him. The rest of Lander's letter told about the other things that he and Winnemucca had agreed upon and also told about the Indians captured by the soldiers in Honey Lake valley. This letter was left open so the expressman could show it to the people of Long valley, and it was hoped that it would prevent them from provoking the Indians to further fighting. A Meeting op the Citizens of Honey Lake Valley The following facts in regard to this meeting were taken from a letter written from Marysville by Knight, September 10, 1860. Before Col. Lander's party left Honey Lake valley! for Marysville where it was disbanded, a meeting of the citizens was held at the hotel in Richmond for the purpose of an expression of opinion with reference to a cessation of hostilities with the Indians and the propriety of an armistice as agreed upon with the Pah-utes. The meeting was largely attended by the principal farmers and citizens of the valley. Mr. John H. Neale was appointed chairman and Mr. A. D. McDonald secretary. The chairman read a letter from Col. Lander acknowledging a polite invitation to be present at the meeting, but declined the same inasmuch as the object of the meeting, as he was informed, being for the discussion of the propriety or impropriety of his acts in regard to the armistice, etc., his presence might tend to prevent a full and free expression of their sentiments which it was desirable should be given, etc. The meeting was then addressed by Mr. J. H. Lewis who said that having heard that two Indians who entered the valley, possibly upon the strength of the armistice, had been threatened with violence by some of the settlers who swore they would kill them outright, he had signed the call for the meeting in order [231] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA to ascertain the real sentiments of his fellow settlers, whether they were ready to jeopardize the whole overland emigration and nullify by individual acts of vengeance on the Indians all that Col. Lander had accomplished by his interview with them. Messrs. J. S. Ward, Frank Drake, John Byrd, Dr. Spalding, Col. Lewis, and J. H. Neale, who had been appointed a com- mittee on resolutions, then brought in their report which was read and adopted. The Preamble stated that because of the fact that it had been the misfortune of the people of the Nevada Territory to be harassed by the depredations of the Pah-utes and other tribes of Indians on the frontier for the last three years (supposed to have been incited by the Mormons of Salt Lake), and for the last six months to labor under the events of a disastrous Indian war, they Resolved That they were especially grateful to the United States government for placing a small military com- pany in the valley, and protested against the removal of that company until a lasting peace had been declared; That the presence of that company was necessary, to keep both the Indians and the citizens in order during the armistice con- cluded with the war chief Winnemucca by Col. F. W. Lander, Supt. of the U. S. wagon road expedition, and undoubtedly to be ratified by Maj. Dodge, Indian Agent to this tribe; That they thought the energy of Col. Lander in protecting the settlers during the war, carrying on the work he was sent to do, and obtaining an interview with Winnemucca and making an armistice with him merited their admiration and respect; That they heartily agreed to the armistice and pledged them- selves to maintain it under the terms agreed upon by Win- nemucca and Col. Lander and that all the persons present constituted themselves a committee to restrain any one from doing anything to re-open the war until the action of the general government could be had in the premises; That Messrs. Drake, Thompson, and Conkey be appointed a committee to receive the accounts of those persons who by reason of loss or expense in the service of the community felt justified in apply- ing to the general government for redress or pay; That a certified copy of these Resolutions be forwarded to the "Ter- ritorial Enterprise/' "Plumas Argus,' ' and "Standard" with the request that the same be published and the citizens in the [232] THE YEAE 1860 southern part of the Territory be requested to hold meetings to indorse or oppose the action of this meeting. Great unanimity prevailed, though it was a hard matter for some of those present to forget their own wrongs or forego their thirst for revenge. But they all agreed that Col. Lander had done well in making this arrangement with "Winnemueca. It would have agreed more with the feelings of the citizens, and probably with those of the Colonel, if the war could have been carried on until the tribe was exterminated or they had come in to apply for peace. But as the government did not seem to be willing to carry on the war, Col. Lander thought it best for the protection of the citizens to make some provision for their safety. The armistice would enable the settlers to perfect their farming operations for the season and stop hostilities until the government could take some action in the matter. Young Winnemucca's Talk with the Never Sweats Two or three weeks after Young Winnemucca's visit to Lander he came into Susanville with twenty-four warriors. He found Governor Roop and told him that he had made a treaty with Lander and that he wanted to have a talk with the people of this valley and have it understood that they were to be good friends from that time on. To make the occasion as formal as possible the Governor got twenty-four of the principal citizens and they all went into a large room in the second story of the Brannan hotel. After the men of the two races had seated themselves on opposite sides of the room Winnemueca, who could speak English, again said that he had made peace with the white government and he wanted the white people to under- stand that he was friendly and he wanted to smoke the pipe of peace. They got a pipe and passed it around, each one taking a whiff, and after that they all shook hands. E. V. Spencer told that Winnemueca said "Now Injun no more steal cattle, Injun no more kill white man, Injun no more fight. Injun good Injun now." Roop said "White man no more kill Injun, no more fight from this on. We are good friends. " Winne- mueca said that ' ' Smoke Creek Sam ' ' had twenty or thirty men who killed and plundered the whites and that he had senti some men to kill ' ' Old Smoke, ' ' as he called him. If he did send men [233] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA on that errand, they never found "Old Smoke" and he and his band did a great deal of mischief after that. After this meeting in Susanville word was sent all over this part of the country that a treaty had been made with the Pah-utes. People returned to their ranches and turned their stock out on the ranges. The Pah-utes came into the valley as before and for a number of years both the Winnemuccas came into the valley occasionally to visit the old settlers. This is the only war the whites ever had with the Pah-utes as a tribe, and probably this could have been averted had the proper measures been taken in time. Perhaps some depredations were committed by the Pah-utes after this in spite of the efforts of their head chiefs to keep them from molesting the property of the white men, for, as Winnemucca once said, "Some bad Injun. Maybe some time some bad white man." A good many outrages, which it was afterwards found had been committed by the Indians of other tribes, were laid to the Pah-utes, and as a result of these reports one, or both, of the "Winnemuccas nearly lost their lives while visiting Susanville. But this war showed them the strength of the whites and they never forgot it. A few years after this when some of the renegade bands of this tribe were making trouble for the whites, a good many of the Pah-utes joined the soldiers in hunting them down. They were afraid that if the whites got angry they would exterminate the whole tribe, and they looked upon the Indians who were making the trouble as their enemies, too. The Soldier's Bridge This bridge, which gave the name to that section of the country and to the school district in that neighborhood, was for many years a useful and noted landmark. It was built across the Susan river about one fourth of a mile below what is now known as the Tanner lane east of Standish. Some of the early settlers think it may have been built in 1859, but Thomas Brown, whose remembrance of the facts connected with its building is very clear, is positive that it was built in 1860 and part of his story is corroborated by the newspapers of the day. Many of the old settlers who are in a position to' 1 know about it think his account is right, and besides that, during the summer of 1859 the water was very low. The sloughs in that section were all [234] THE YEAE 1860 dry and there was so little water in the river that it was not necessary to have a bridge then. Mr. Brown says that in the summer of 1860 (Tunison says the Fourth of July) First Lieutenant Hamilton came into the valley from the San Francisco Presidio with fifty men and camped on the river just above where the bridge was afterwards built. He established a military post there and this bridge was built in order to help him get his supplies and material across the river. It was a simply constructed affair — just some timbers laid across the river on which was a floor of puncheon. George Lathrop hauled the material of which it was built from the south side of the valley. In the fall Hamilton went back to the Presidio with thirty men. The remaining men were left in command of Second Lieutenant E. R. Warner and they stayed here through the following winter at least. A year or two after the bridge was built the soldiers put up a building 18 by 30 feet, or something like that, and a stone corral on the north side of the river near the bridge. This was for the accommodation of the soldiers whenever they passed through the valley or stayed there for a short time. At the February, 1867, meeting of the board of supervisors J. N. Pine was given the privilege of moving the bridge about a quarter of a mile up the river. It is not known whether it was moved that year or not, but some time after that it was moved to the site of the present bridge across the river in the Tanner lane. The Shooting of "Big" John Chapman Early in the spring of 1860 an unfortunate affair took place which perhaps might have been prevented if a few men had interfered at the right time and persuaded the principals in the matter to talk things over a little. This was the shooting of Chapman by Albert A. Smith. Chapman was from Arkansas, was a large, powerful man, a fist fighter, quarrelsome, always looking for trouble and often finding it, and was considered to be a desperate man. Smith was from the state of New York, was rather short in stature, and was a quiet man. Both of these men aspired to the hand of the same lady and Smith was the favored suitor. It was just before the war broke out, political feeling was running high, and the two men were on opposite [235] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA sides regarding the great question of the day. It is also said that there were people who were interested in getting Chapman into trouble, hoping some one would kill him, and they carried tales back and forth between the men. Finally Chapman threat- ened to shoot Smith on sight and this word was at once carried to the latter. On Wednesday, the 7th of March, Chapman, who was living at the Squire Stark place, went up to Richmond where Smith lived. He first went to the store and stayed there a short time and then went across the street to the saloon run by F. A. Sloss. Smith was there and was watching the other man 's movements. At this time it is impossible to tell just where Smith stood when Chapman came through the door, but it is certain that he fired at least one shot before his enemy saw him and that crippled Chapman so he never fired a shot. The wounded man walked out of the saloon and part way across the street and then went down on his knees. Some one helped him to get up and go to the store, and there they took him up stairs and put him to bed and called Dr. Stettinius, who was a fine surgeon, to attend to his case. He was shot four times, through the breast, in the jaw, in the wrist, and in the back. On the 10th the citizens met at Richmond and gave Smith a trial. A judge, some say it was Dr. Slater, others say Squire Stark, was chosen and a jury impaneled. It was proved that Chapman had threatened to kill Smith on sight and the latter was exonerated. Reliable men say that after the shooting Chap- man told them that he came to Richmond with the intention of killing Smith and that he didn 't blame Smith for shooting him. At first it was thought that Chapman would get well, but he' died on Friday, the 16th, at nine o'clock in the morning. He was buried on the north side of the hill, near the top, about one fourth of a mile south of east of Richmond. Smith married the lady about whom the trouble occurred and lived in the valley for more than thirty years after that. He held several county offices and was post-master at Susanville. It is said that Chap- man had a brother living in Plumas county who swore that he would kill Smith if he ever met him. But the men never hap- pened to meet and in the course of time Chapman dropped the matter. A great many conflicting stories have been told in regard to the foregoing. What is here related is given on the authority of [236] THE YEAE 1860 what was told by F. A. Sloss who was present when the shooting took place, Orlando Streshly who helped to take care of the wounded man, and what was found in the diary of A. L. Tunison who was present at Smith's trial and who wrote the principal facts in the case on his return home. A Bear Story V. J. Borrette says that during the winter of 1860-61 a grizzly bear paid several nocturnal visits to the people of Susanville and that vicinity. One night he was prowling around a house that stood about one eighth of a mile south of where the bridge now crosses the river. Not very long after dark a boy who was sleeping there heard a noise outside of the house and went to a window and threw it up. Just then the bear reared up on his hind legs in front of the window and the boy found his face close to that of the bear. He was scared half to death, and shutting down the window, he ran up stairs and locked himself into a room and stayed there all night. The next morning when he went up to the mill and told his adventure he was still pretty shaky from fright. Ladue Vary had a claim north of town and his cabin stood on Weatherlow street a short distance north of Piute creek. A man named Sam. King was living there and one night shortly after the boy got his scare he heard something walking around the cabin — a wild beast he supposed. He loaded an old musket with buckshot, opened the door a little ways, and fired at some animal he could dimly see. He then hastily closed the door without waiting to see the result of his shot. The next morning he found not far away a dead grizzly that weighed eight hundred pounds. Conditions at the Close of 1860 The natural growth and improvement of the country had gone on during the year and in one or two respects conditions had changed a little. Farm produce brought good prices, but there was still no outside market for it excepting that Virginia City and the mining camps in that vicinity began to take a little butter, hay, etc. Rough Elliott sold quite a lot of grain at twelve and a half cents a pound and hay was sold as high as twenty dollars a ton. One man paid a five dollar doctor bill [237] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA with ten pounds of flour and half a dozen ruta-bagas. Some grain was still thrashed with a flail, but there were two or three small thrashing machines in the valley this fall. " Uncle Johnny' ' Baxter had one and John F. Hulsman says that Henry Arnold thrashed around Kichmond with a six horsepower machine. It had a sort of tub power and would thrash three or four hundred bushels of grain a day. Because of the improvement of the roads more freight was brought in with teams. Freight was cheaper and more stores were opened in the valley. The greater part of the merchandise was brought from Marysville. Mail was still brought in by private conveyance and H. L. Spargur brought it from Oroville and Quincy part of the time this year. The mail that came across the plains on the overland stage was taken off at Carson City and brought here, but probably this mail was not very regular during the Indian troubles of this year. Wages were low in comparison with other things. A man got two dollars a day in haying and harvesting and forty dollars a month working on a ranch. Teamster's wages were $75 a month and upwards according to the size of the team driven. Social conditions remained about the same as during the previous years. [ 238 ] CHAPTER VII 1861. SETTLEMENT It has been told that the "Lassen County Pioneers Society" fixed the end of the pioneer days at the first of July, 1860. This may have been the end so far as people were concerned, but there was a great deal of pioneer work of various kinds done in the county for many years after that. There were very few land claims filed this year with Governor Roop, Recorder for the valley. The most of the land which was then considered to be of any value had been taken up. In March Alex Gilman, or Gilmore, claimed an irregular tract south of the upper end of the Adams ditch on Susan river. This year the Susan ville sawmill was run by E. V. and L. D. Spencer who bought it from I. N. Roop. F. and S. have this to say about Lassen Lodge No. 149, F. & A. M.: "March 21, 1861, the grand master of California issued a dispensation to John S. Ward, David Titherington, Absalom M. Vaughan, Richard D. Bass, D. I. Wilmans, Stephen D. Bass, and A. D. McDonald, to organize a lodge of Masons at Richmond, Honey Lake valley. At that time, owing to a mining excitement, the town of Richmond had sprung up suddenly into the most important and populous settlement in the county, com- pletely overshadowing and distancing Susanville. The first meeting under the dispensation was held April 18, 1861." In April G. Stacy claimed a piece of land bounded on the east by the land of Luther Spencer, on the west by that of M. S. Scott, on the south by Woodstock & Brannon, and running north to the bluffs. This land was one half or three fourths of a mile east of Susanville. This year L. P. Whiting started a small nursery on the Conkey ranch seven miles south of Susan- ville on the mountain road. This was the first nursery in the valley. J. C. Wemple and Judson Dakin built a board cabin at Milford. (The place was named this year by Mr. Wemple.) It was a little north of the creek and a couple of hundred yards above the road. As soon as the cabin was finished they began to get out the timbers for a gristmill which was completed the last of October or the first of November. It was on the creek [239] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA just opposite to their cabin and was run by a large overshot water wheel. E. V. Spencer had bought the millstones that Lassen brought up from the Deer Creek ranch and they bought them from him. They put them into the new mill and they were used there as long as it was run. This was the first regular gristmill in the valley. In 1865 Dakin sold out to James M. Steinberger who carried on the business with Mr. Wemple until the fall of 1878 and they then sold out to Hiram H. Dakin. He ran the mill until the fall of 1882 and then he moved to Janes- ville where he, J. D. Byers, and Hiram E. McClelland had built another gristmill. The Milford mill was not used any more and in the course of time it tumbled down. In June V. J. Borrette and B. B. Gray located a section of land beginning at the mouth of Willow creek, extending half a mile up the river, and having a length of two miles to the north. They also claimed the waters of Willow creek to be used to irrigate their land. This year and the next Wiley Cornelison had a store and a blacksmith shop at the Thompson ranch three miles southeast of Bankhead 's. David Blanchard was his partner the first year. Timothy Darcey was the blacksmith. This month when the grain was six or eight inches high a big lot of grasshoppers hatched out in Antelope valley northeast of Susanville. From there they went across the valley, passing through Dr. Spalding's ranch, and doing more or less damage to the crops where they went. In July A. Ramsey located 400 acres east of Coulthurst's lower claim. He also claimed a section lying to the north of his claim and that of Coulthurst for his son, W. J. Ramsey. Besides this he gave notice that he had taken possession of the waters of Willow creek 480 rods above the ford where the emigrant road crosses it. T. J. Harvey sold his part of the Lathrop and Harvey ranch in the northern part of the valley to a man named Bradley. This year C. C. and William G. Goodrich settled in Mt. Meadows about half a mile below the ' ' Narrows, ' ' or about two miles and a half below the upper end of the valley. A man named Duffey, or Guffey, built a cabin about a mile and a half southeast of them and another one named Manuel settled a couple of miles south of them. A family, two men, a woman, and two or three children, lived up the canyon above Duffey. [240] THE YEAE 1861 Dr. Robert F. Moody came into Susanville this year and soon went in with Dr. Brown. He afterwards bought out Dr. Brown and sold drugs in Susanville for almost forty years. Fred Hines and L. N. Breed kept the Smoke Creek station this summer and fall. George W. Perry and Parker had a blacksmith shop where Rugg and Harper had one the year before. (See 1859.) In September several men went into Willow Creek valley to locate, so Tunison's diary says, but he tells no more and the writer could find no one who knew anything about them. B. B. Painter and Chandler claimed half a section south of Lathrop and Bradley. The tenth of this month Eber G. Bangham and Louise Borrette, daughter of Dr. H. S. Borrette, were married. This was the fourth wedding in the valley. F. and S. have this to say: "In 1861 he (Dr. Brown) bought a piece of land from Governor Roop, embracing that on which Fort Defiance stands, and transplanted quite an extensive orchard of apple and peach trees, claimed to be the first in the valley, though Mr. L. Vary is credited with having planted a number of peach stones some time before this." In 1863 the trees set out by Dr. Brown bore four peaches — the first ever raised in the valley. Miss Susan Roop and Mrs. Fuller, the Mother of the Fuller Brothers, ate all of them — the county's entire crop of peaches. ''The next school (in Susanville) was taught in 1861-62 by Miss Fannie Long, in a building on the north side of Main street, where the Black Rock saloon was kept." It should have been told before this that Albert Smedley Wright, who crossed the plains in 1860 and lived a short time in this valley, early this spring took up a small piece of land in Long valley near where the county line is now, built a cabin on it, and put in a garden. The grasshoppers ate up his garden and that fall he bought in with C. M. (Doc.) West who had moved a couple of miles to the north of where he first settled. Osmer Marsh and Robert Ingram came into Long valley this year. During the fall U. L. Shaffer, perhaps in company with his brother, P. J. Shaffer, bought a large quantity of wheat in Indian valley and had it ground at Taylor 's mill. He built a warehouse [241] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA at Richmond and packed the flour over there with his own pack train, though in this he may have been assisted by other trains. There was a great deal of this flour — some say 300,000 pounds. That winter and the next summer it was hauled to Virginia City with teams. It may be that Shaffer brought a lot of flour into the valley during the fall of 1860. This year was the last of Richmond's palmy days. Several more buildings had been put up there — among them, Shaffer's warehouse and a few dwelling houses. The Masonic lodge met there for more than a year. It is said that a man named Cragin taught school there this summer. But this year and the next the placer mines on Hill and Lassen creeks gave out and the mining excitement in the country around Virginia City and that on the Humboldt river, which broke out in 1861, took the miners away. The travel from the lower country to the Humboldt mines went through Susanville and that place grew and Richmond went down. Some goods were sold at Richmond during the first part of 1862, but the stock was not renewed. The hotel was run for a few years after this and they had a school there, but no other business was done. July 27th Henry E. Lomas and John Nichols reached Rich- mond, having just crossed the plains. Soon after this they sold a span of horses to Smith J. Hill and took his note which was to be paid the first of November. Hill wanted them both to come to Bankhead's and he wanted Lomas to open a blacksmith shop there and Nichols to open a harness shop. Instead of doing this they went on to San Francisco, but when Hill's note was due Lomas came back to the valley and hired out to him for a year. He then went to Virginia City and bought the tools and stock for a blacksmith shop. When he got back they built a shop right across the creek from Hill's house. Lomas and Malcom Bankhead went to work in it and that winter they bought Hill out. Late this year Dave Blanchard built a small store across the road from the blacksmith shop and near the creek and began the sale of merchandise. This building, after- wards used a stable, stood until it was pulled down when the new Masonic Hall was built in 1911. Preston R. James says that he came to Janesville this fall. A man named Cragin was teaching a private school in the Fort. There were about twenty-five children in attendance, and the [242] THE YEAE 1861 tuition was $5 a month for each pupil. He turned the school over to James who taught it the remainder of that year and for some time during the next year. Mr. James taught school in the valley more or less until the middle 70 's. Henry E. Lomas says that late this fall the settlement at Bankhead's was named Janesville in honor of Mrs. Jane Bank- head, the wife of Malcom Bankhead. Mr. Lomas 's memory is very clear in regard to this matter and many other old settlers agree with him, but there is another story about it that will be told later on. Late in the fall C. T. Emerson and Colburn Brown built a house at the point of the mountain about a mile and a half northwest of the Lathrop and Bradley ranch. This was long known as the "Tule" Emerson place. In December M. C. Lake traded his place in the little valley on the west branch of Baxter creek to C. W. (Bill) Puller for a little hotel on the south side of the Truckee river, a toll bridge, and the land where Reno now stands. Fuller took up this land in 1859, put up some small buildings, and built a ferry-boat for the river. He afterwards built the bridge which was a low one and had to be fastened down when high water came. During the winter of 1861-62 Thomas N. Long kept saloon in a little building on the north side of Main street between Union and Weatherlow streets. The next spring he moved into the Cutler Arnold log hotel. The winter of 1861-62 was the wettest one in the history of California and Honey Lake valley got its share of the water. The water at Toadtown was higher than it ever was before or since. The country along the Susan river was flooded and it is said that there was water from the point of the Bald mountain across to the foothills on the north side of the valley. The following named persons who came into the county in 1861 virtually lived here the rest of their lives, or are still living here : William H. Hall, Robert F. Moody, Arthur K. Long, E. H. Fairchilds, John C. Partridge, Philip Wales and Family, Edward T. Slackford, John D. Arnold, William B. Long and Family, Thomas N. Long, John T. Long, George R. Wales, Archibald L. Harper, Libbie Hankins, and Mrs. Frances E. (Barnes) Cornelison. Preston R. James, Mrs. Hulda (James-Hankins) Holmes, [ 243 ] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA and George Hankins lived in the county from eighteen to twenty- five years. The following lived in the county from two or three to twelve or fifteen years: Amos H. Barnes and Family, Henry E. Lomas, Abraham G. Moon, John Nichols, Daniel W. Bryant and Family, Mrs. Emma (Bryant) Vance, John Burkett and Wife, John Bradley, Jacob M. Epley and Family, William Dicken, Dr. J. W. M. Howe, E. York Eundel and Family, George W. Wilson and Family, Sherrill Wilson, Harrison Sain, William Maskelyne, S. P. Tunnel and Family, Jesse Williams, *William Kantz, *Vesper Coburn, William Fox, *L. F. Prebble, Warren Lockman, M. P. Preddy, Richard M. Menifee, William E. Hill, George James, Amzi A. Holmes, and Mrs. John H. Neale (Sallie Hollinghead) and Family. Nevada Territory Politics. 1861 Although J. J. Musser failed to influence Congress to organize the new territory at once, his visit to Washington was not with- out results. T. and W. say: "His influence, though, left its impression, and served to give form and direction to a growing sentiment in Congress inimical to leaving other citizens of the United States under the unfriendly jurisdiction that had already, by the Mountain Meadow Massacre, been demonstrated to exist in Utah under Mormon control. The subsequent development of the Comstock mines causing a large increase of population (E. L. Fulton says there were 17000 people in the mines of Nevada in 1861) but served to increase that feeling at Wash- ington, and the breaking out of the southern rebellion culminated it in the congressional act of March 2, 1861, creating the ter- ritory of Nevada." Its boundaries were established as follows: "Beginning at the point of intersection of the 42nd degree of north latitude with the 39th degree of longitude west from Washington (116 degrees from Greenwich) ; thence running south on the line of said 39th degree of west longitude until it intersects the northern boundary line of the territory of New Mexico (now Arizona) ; thence due west to the dividing ridge separating the waters of Carson valley from those that flow into the Pacific; thence on said dividing ridge northwardly to the 41st degree of north latitude; thence due north to the southern boundary line of the state of Oregon; thence due east [244] THE YEAE 1861 to the place of beginning. ' ' This law, however, provided that if any of the territory covered by this description belonged to California, it should still be held by that state unless it con- sented to give it up to Nevada. Honey Lake valley lay to the east of the ' ' dividing ridge ' ' and so it was taken in as a part of the new territory while it really was a part of California. In February, 1861, the county court of Carson county " declared that Honey Lake valley was within the limits of Carson county, and appropriated $250 to assist any one in legal resistance to the collection of taxes within that valley by the officers of Plumas county, Calif ornia. ' ' On the 22nd of March, 1861, James W. Nye of Madison county, New York, was commissioned governor of Nevada ter- ritory, and on July 8th he reached Carson City. July 11th he issued a proclamation declaring the government of the territory established. July 24, 1861, another proclamation announced the districts for voting purposes. T. and W. say: "One of the errors fallen into when the territory of Nevada was organized was that Honey Lake valley, owing to the uncertainty of the location of the eastern boundary of California, was within the limits of the territory. It had always taken a prominent part in the affairs of western Utah, was the home of Hon. Isaac Roop, governor under the preliminary territorial organization of 1859-60, and when Governor Nye called an election for members of the first legislature, it was made the ninth council district, and apportioned one councilman and one representative." It was called the Pyramid district and included ' ' all the territory north of Truckee valley, from a point where the Truckee river enters the mountains below Gates and Gage's crossing (Glendale) and west of Pyramid lake." It had a population of 1073. The governor called an election to be held August 31, 1861. At this election the Union vote was 4300 and the Democratic vote 985. John Cradlebaugh was elected delegate to congress, receiving 1806 votes. Four others ran against him for this office. In the ninth district Isaac N. Roop was elected to the territorial council and John C. Wright was elected territorial representative. In this district a man named Olney received a majority of the votes for delegate to congress. F. and S. say that Roop received 62 votes out of 68, Wright received 52 votes [245] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA out of 58, and that Wright was a resident of Long valley, an unnaturalized Englishman, and left this section a few years later. The legislature was summoned to meet at Carson City October 1, 1861. As the western boundary line of Nevada was still in doubt, October 25th Governor Nye advised the appoint- ment by the legislature of Nevada of a commission to confer with California and obtain, if possible, a running of the Sierra Nevada mountain line of division between the two sections. By a joint resolution of the two bodies, passed November 9, 1861, such a commission was to be named in a joint convention of both houses, but they failed to make the appointment. T. and W. say : "In the meantime, Deputy U. S. Surveyor, John F. Kidder, surveyed the lines as designated by congress, from Lake Tahoe northerly to Honey Lake, for which he was paid $550. ' ' F. and S. say: "They (the Nevada authorities) had even gone so far as to have John F. Kidder and Butler Ives survey the line both north and south from Lake Tahoe, an action which was not recognized by the California authorities. There was a dispute in regard to the situation of the town of Aurora, also, it being at one and the same time the county seat of Esmeralda county, Nevada, and Mono county, California. The Kidder survey placed Aurora in Nevada Territory. ' ' By an act approved November 25, 1861, the territory was divided into nine counties. Honey Lake valley was in Lake county and its boundaries were as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of Washoe county and running easterly along the northern boundary of said county to the mouth of Truckee river; thence due east to the summit of the first range of moun- tains east of said river; thence in a northerly direction along said range and the main granite range of mountains to the Oregon line; thence west along said line to the summit of the Sierra; thence south along said summit to the place of be- ginning. ' ' By the act of November 29, 1861, the location of the county seat was to be decided by the voters of the county at the next election. By the same act, Hon. Gordon N. Mott of the Supreme court was assigned to the First Judicial district which was composed of Lake, Washoe, and Storey counties. At a joint session of the legislature held November 27, 1861, for the purpose of selecting commissioners to organize the various counties, and supervise the election to be held for county [246] THE YEAR 1861 officers January 14, 1862, William Weatherlow, William H. Naileigh, and Daniel Murray were chosen for Lake county. These gentlemen did not provide for the election as intended, and the county was not organized until a year later. Honey Lake Politics. 1861 It has been told that Honey Lake valley was taken into Nevada territory in a provisional way and that an election for members of the legislature of that territory was held in the valley. Plumas county also held elections here this year, and George E. Hale, Cutler Arnold, and Dr. Z. N. Spalding were elected justices of the peace. Dr. Spalding did not qualify, but the other two men qualified as officers of Plumas county. Officers of the law had their troubles in those days, too. A. L. Tunison's diary has the following brief entry: "February 16, 1861. Helped Court take some potatoes of Jones. Women was armed with pistols, knives, shovels, and clubs which we had to take away from them. Three women." Plumas county collected taxes from those who would pay and occasionally sent officers into the valley after criminals. Indian Troubles. 1861 There was no Indian war this year. During the first part of the year the Pahutes came into the valley as usual and both the Winnemuccas visited their old friends. Probably they tried to keep their followers from molesting the property of the settlers, for they wanted to live in peace with them. But the Indians were like white men — some of them could not stand temptation, and the cattle running on the ranges certainly were a temptation to the hungry Indians. There were a few of the Pit River Indians left and they never missed a chance to gather in a white man's property; and many of Smoke Creek's band were not averse to increasing their wealth at the expense of their white neighbors, even in time of peace. Henry E. Lomas says that in the fall of 1861 he was camped out in the Granite creek country. One day he was out a ways from camp when he saw a big Indian coming toward him. He was a little frightened, but stood his ground while the Indian slowly came up to him, and from some- where in his clothes brought forth a piece of greasy paper nearly worn out where it was folded. This paper he handed to Lomas, who read it. It stated that this was Smoke Creek Sam, one of [247] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the meanest and most treacherous and dangerous Indians in that part of the country, and that it was better to give him a little of something than to have trouble with him. The paper was returned to the Indian who folded it carefully and returned it to his clothes. Lomas then took him to camp and gave him something to eat and perhaps gave him a little present. The noble chief went away smiling, and this goes to prove "That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain." In the spring the Pahutes ran off quite a lot of cattle at different times, or at least it was laid at their door. V. J. Borrette says that in the early part of the year he and Luther Spencer bought Antelope valley northeast of Susanville from B. B. Painter and Ladue Vary. One day while they were building their house they came into Susanville leaving their provisions, two yoke of oxen, and a lot of traps of different kinds at the camp. While they were gone some Indians came down from the hills and took the largest and gentlest yoke of cattle, packed all the food and whatever else they could find that they wanted on their backs, and then went their way rejoicing. To do the packing they used all the ropes and straps they could find, and took the lines and straps off some harness that had been left there. They just cleaned out the camp. When they found out what the Indians had done they tried to raise a crowd to follow them, but no one seemed to take any interest in it and nothing was done. Some of the early settlers say that this summer the citizens of the valley held a meeting and after talking matters over concluded to establish a sort of "dead line" between themselves and the Pahutes. They made the summit of the mountains east and northeast of the valley their "dead line" and notified the Indians that they would kill any of them who came nearer than that. Other early settlers say that nothing of the kind was done. There is no way of deciding which is the truth, and probably all of them told the truth the way they knew it. The following was related by W. M. Cain and H. E. Lomas. Not far from the middle of December Dewitt Chandler and his hired man were killing a beef at the Chandler and Fry ranch a couple of miles southeast of Janesville. There were some Pahute Indians camped on the rock pile in the field below Janesville, and one called Jim, his father, and two or three other bucks and [248] THE YEAE 1861 some squaws went over and stood around while the work was going on. When it was nearly done the young man who was helping went into the house for something, and while he was gone Jim began to help himself to the liver and some of the other offal. Chandler wanted this for his hogs and he told Jim to let it alone. The Indian at once faced him and patted himself on the chest as if to defy him and at the same time made some insulting remarks. Chandler caught up a stick of hard wood and struck the Indian on the back of the head and knocked him down. He afterwards said that he had no idea of killing him, but he struck harder than he intended to. The other Indians began to string their bows, but when Chandler called to the man in the house and told him to bring out his pistol they left as fast as they could. The squaws soon dragged Jim away, and if he was not dead then he died in a short time, for his skull was broken. The Indians took his body to the rock pile where they were camped and buried it. They killed his dog and burned it on his grave along with some of his other property, and then they burned the whole camp and moved away. This affair caused considerable excitement in the valley for many of the settlers thought the Indians would take revenge on them. There was some talk of holding an inquest — some say that Squire Stark did hold one at Janesville. They also talked of arresting Chandler and giving him a trial, hoping this would appease the wrath of the Indians. But nothing was done and the excitement gradually died away. There were several reasons for this. Chandler did not intend to kill the Indian and it was thought that he was justified in protecting his own property. Jim had always been impudent and offensive and he had a horse which he said he got by shooting a white man at the Ormsby Massacre. During the Indian troubles of the previous year many horses and saddles and other property had been taken from the whites by the Indians and when peace was made they were not given up. It was very aggravating to the settlers to see an Indian riding a horse or a saddle that he might have killed a white man to get, and besides that the most of the Never Sweats thought that the only good Indian was a dead one. Notwithstanding these troubles there was no Indian outbreak this year although what occurred in 1861 may have had its effect upon the troubles of the following year. This summer [249] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA and fall there was a large travel on the road between Honey Lake and the Humboldt mines, but no one was molested by the Indians. When Tunison came in from the Humboldt in Novem- ber he camped near Breed's station on Smoke creek and Smoke Creek Sam took supper with him. There were a good many Pahutes loafing around the station, but they were peaceful and this state of affairs continued until the next spring. The Murder of James Lawson Mr. Lawson and his family crossed the plains from Missouri in 1859 and settled in Honey Lake valley. In the spring of 1861 he went to stay for a short time at the Jerry Tyler place about three fourths of a mile west of Milford. On the 17th of March he got up at two o 'clock in the morning, this being the first time he had arisen so early. (Some say that he got up because the dogs were making a great deal of disturbance and that he went to the door at once.) After building a fire he opened the door and stepped out, but before his foot touched the ground he fell dead with seventeen buckshot and one rifle bullet in his body. As Mr. Tyler was in the habit of getting up very early in the morning, the suspicion at once arose that he was the one whom the assassins intended to kill. The news of the murder was sent all over the valley as soon as possible and early that day a large crowd gathered at the Tyler ranch. The tracks of three men were found going toward the lake and these were followed. One of the tracks was made by a boot of peculiar shape and another was made by a gum boot. Near the lake they found a place where a horse had been tied — some say there were three of them. The pursuing party followed the tracks down along the shore of the lake and after going a few miles they turned and went straight toward the mountain. The tracks ended at a cabin that stood just above the road about six miles below Milford on what was afterwards known as the Shannon and Bell place. In the cabin three men were found asleep — W. F. Warren, called "Curley", Peter Cahill, and Markus E. Gilbert. The men who had followed the tracks woke them up and then began to hunt around the cabin. They found the men's boots under the cabin, among them a boot of peculiar make and a pair of gum boots, and these fitted the tracks that had come from the Tyler place. It is said that some [ 250 ] I THE YEAE 1861 of the men had at once recognized the track of the boot worn by "Cur ley" and that the shoes on one of the horses owned by these three men fitted the track of the horse they had with them. Gilbert and Cahill had crossed the plains in the employ of Tyler and during the journey he had considerable trouble with them. They had lived the previous year at the place where they were found. The three men were taken up to the Tyler ranch and when they were told who had been killed "Warren threw up his hands and said "My God. Have we killed that old man!" When Tyler approached Cahill he grabbed a big Bowie knife that the former was carrying and tried to stab him. The men were separated and a guard was put over each one of them. Warren was guarded by Frank Strong and is said to have made a con- fession to him. Rough Elliott, who at that time was looked upon by many as a sort of leader, wanted to hang the men at once, but the majority of the settlers present were not willing to do this and they were sent to Carson City. According to the best information now at hand they were given two trials at that place. At the first one they were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. They got another trial and their lawyer, E. V. Spencer, entered the plea that the Nevada court had no juris- diction in the case — that Honey Lake valley was in California. This plea was allowed and the prisoners were taken to Quincy, Plumas county, California. The records of that county show that Warren made some kind of a confession while at Carson City. Through the kindness of Judge J. O. Moncur of the superior court of Plumas county the writer is able to give the following account of the proceedings against them in that county. The defendants were indicted by a grand jury of which Lewis Stark was foreman on October 10, 1861, for the murder of James Lawson on March 17, 1861, at the house of Jerry Tyler in Honey Lake valley. The witnesses examined before the grand jury were W. T. C. Elliott, Jerry Tyler, and William H. Clark. The defendants demanded separate trials and W. F. Warren was tried first. His trial commenced October 21, 1861, was completed about two days later, and was held before Robert H. Taylor, District Judge. Patrick O. Hundley, district attorney of Plumas county, and Judge Peter Van Clief conducted the [251] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA prosecution, and Tom. Cox and John R. Buckbee conducted the defense. The witnesses examined for the prosecution were W. T. C. (Rough) Elliott, Jerry Tyler, F. A. Washburn, Samuel Wood, William Clark, Judson Dakin, and John Dakin; and for the defendant E. V. Spencer, W. T. C. Elliott, J. C. Wright, Thomas Fairchilds, William Clark, and William Hill Naileigh. The jury failed to agree. Warren was tried again October 25, 1861, before the same judge. The same counsel appeared as in the first trial. The witnesses for the prosecution were W, T. C. Elliott, Jerry Tyler, F. A. Washburn, John Rolfe, John Dakin, Thomas Fairchilds, Samuel Woods, Stephen White, James Docum, Wiley Cornelison, John Neale, John Byrd, and John Bass. The defendant's wit- nesses were E. V. Spencer, J. C. Wright, Jesse Williams, William H. Clark, R. C. Chambers, Thomas Fairchilds, Smith J. Hill, and Coleman Brown. The trial was completed October 29, 1861, and the jury failed to agree. Warren's third trial commenced about July 22, 1862, was held before L. E. Pratt, District Judge, and the same attorneys appeared to prosecute and defend. There is nothing to show who the jury or the witnesses were. The trial was concluded on the 25th and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. On the same day the other two defendants were discharged on motion of P. 0. Hundley, the district attorney. William H. Clark says that during the trial at Quincy Warren said he made his confession the day after the murder when he was frightened because he thought he was going to be hanged. He said that he told what he did because he thought it would save his life and claimed that it was not the truth. Mr. Clark also said that the testimony of the witnesses for the prosecution was contradictory and that public sentiment seemed to be in favor of the defendants. The friends of the accused men always insisted that they were innocent and some of them said the ones who committed the murder intended to kill Mr. Lawson. After the trial Gilbert, Warren, and Cahill came back to this valley. The first two did not stay very long, but Cahill lived here several years. Gilbert was a resident of Sonoma county, California, for many years and died at Santa Rosa in 1910. [252] THE YEAR 1861 White's Horses Stolen The following was told by Fred Hines. About the middle of April, 1861, Charles M. White, who lived where Haviland built the first house in Toadtown in January, 1857, had a span of fine horses stolen from his stable by Clark Rugg and John Morrow. It has been told that Rugg and Harper opened a blacksmith shop in Susanville in 1859 and Rugg had been there ever since. He seems to have been a natural thief. Morrow had crossed the plains to Indian valley in 1856, but came to this valley to live the next year. He was an industrious man, but was rather slack in his morals. He was paying some attention to a grass widow who lived in Susanville and that took him there quite frequently. During these visits he became acquainted with Rugg and before long they were great friends. Rugg was not satisfied in Susan- ville and wanted to go to Salt Lake City and also wanted to take White's horses along with him. Morrow was a man who would do anything for a friend so he went along to help him. The night of the 16th of April they took the horses out of White's stable and started on the emigrant road for the Hum- boldt river. They went together as far at least as the Lassen Meadows on the Humboldt, and there Morrow turned off and went to Humboldt City ten or twelve miles to the southeast. Rugg went on with the horses up the Humboldt nearly to Gravelly Ford, but becoming frightened about the Indians he turned back. A few days after the horses were stolen L. N. Breed started from the valley to go to Humboldt City. When out near Smoke creek he noticed that the tracks of two horses came into the road and he saw them in the road all the way to the Humboldt river. He also Morrow in Humboldt City. In a day or two Breed set out for Honey Lake and not long after reaching here he heard that White 's horses had been stolen. He hunted up White and told him about the tracks he had seen in the road and about seeing Morrow. It was late at night, but White at once rode down to see Hines because Morrow used to make his headquarters there. Hines told him that Morrow had been there that afternoon and said he was going over to Neale's store and then up to Tom. Watson's about half a mile east of Richmond. Hines had partly undressed to go to bed, but he put on his clothes, went out and saddled his horse, and the two men went down to the next place and got William Dow. [253] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA The three men went first to the Neale store and there they were told that Morrow had been there that afternoon and bought some tobacco and had then gone on up the road. They went on up to Watson's, but he had not been there. The before-men- tioned grass widow had moved down to the Thompson ranch three miles southeast of Janesville, and for that and one or two other reasons they concluded that the man they were looking for had gone down there and they followed him. William Ellison, called ' ' Blue Bill, ' ' lived near the Chandler and Fry place and from him they learned that Morrow had left his horse with him and gone away. They reached Thompson's just about daylight and woke him up and asked him if Morrow had been there. He said he had not. Just then some of them saw a man on foot out in the field to the north of them and he was making a circle as if trying to reach "Blue Bill's" cabin. They headed him off and found he was the man they wanted. He was very much excited and drew his pistol, but Hines told him to put it up and not to try anything of that kind. They disarmed him and took him up to "Blue Bill's" and put him on his horse. Then they took him to the Hines and Sylvester ranch and put him in a room up-stairs. On the 11th of May, or about that time, he was given a pre- liminary examination at Richmond before Squire V. J. Borrette and bound over to the higher court. His bail was fixed at $5000, but he could not raise this and was sent to jail, probably at Quincy. A man was sent out to Lassen's Meadows, and Rugg was arrested as soon as he got back there and brought to Honey Lake with one of the stolen horses. The other horse had broken down somewhere on the road. Both men were tried at Quincy and found guilty. Hines was subpoenaed as a witness, but he did not recognize the authority of Plumas county and would not go. Rugg was sent to San Quentin for five years and Morrow for four years. About a year before Morrow's term had expired some of the prisoners made a break for liberty while the lieuten- ant governor was inspecting the state prison. They put the lieutenant governor in the lead and at first the guards did not dare to fire on them. When they did shoot Morrow got a bad wound across the abdomen from a rifle bullet, but he managed to get up to Indian valley and there was captured by John Young and sent back to prison. Probably he would never have been [254] THE YEAE 1861 captured if he had not been wounded, and Mr. Hines thinks he got further away from the prison than any of the others who escaped. After being released from prison he came back to Honey Lake and stayed about a year and worked for Hines part of the time. One day when he was hauling lumber he met Breed on horseback and the latter said ' ' How do you do, John. ' ' Morrow never said a word, but wound the lines around the brake, climbed off the wagon, and started for Breed. He didn't wait for Morrow to reach him, but put spurs to his horse and rode away in considerable haste. He was afraid of Morrow and told Hines that he should not have employed him and kept him here in the valley. One day Morrow had a fight in Susanville with Old Man Varney who wore a wig, although his antagonist did not know it. When he hit Yarney the man went one way and his wig the other. Morrow looked first at him and then at the wig and said "God. Didn't I scalp him quick!" Mr. Hines afterwards heard that Morrow and some others stole some horses near Carson City and were captured while making their way east with them. For this they were sent to the Nevada state prison at Carson City. It was reported that Rugg went to Mexico after getting out of San Quentin. Conditions at the Close of 1861 While some of the conditions remained the same as during the previous year, the gradual improvement for the better went on and each year life became more comfortable for the settlers. The mining towns on the Comstock lode were rapidly filling up and they made a better market for the Never Sweats. Prices were high, but as yet they were in no condition to profit much by it. There were no mowers in the valley and there were not men enough to cut much hay by hand. There was not land enough cleared up to raise a great deal of grain, but now that a better market had come this work went on rapidly. This year flour had to be brought into the valley again for the gristmill was not finished until late in the fall. It was usually very high in price, but once this fall Shaffer sold it at Richmond for $7 a hundred and that was extremely cheap for flour in those days. V. J. Borrette bought some seed wheat from Sylvenus Conkey r 255 1 HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA this spring and paid ten cents a pound for it. Freight to Vir- ginia City was five cents a pound and a little more than that to Marysville. Langdon and Whiting brought the mail and express into the valley from Oroville and Quincy during the winter of 1861-62. Probably there was considerable feeling in the valley in regard to the civil war, but it had not become so bitter as it was later on. [256] CHAPTER VIII 1862. SETTLEMENT The days of squatter filings were almost done in the land of the Never Sweats. Only five filings were made with Roop this year and these were the last ones ever made. In January C. Arnold, Henry Arnold, Leroy Arnold, A. Curtis, and M. S. Scott located a half section just to the north of the upper Hot spring and three and one half sections south and southwest of it. This land was bounded on the south by the lake and the Susan river. William Long, Arthur Long, and Gould claimed an irregular tract which contained something like three sections of land and lay south of the hot springs about five miles southeast of the preceding claim. In February U. J. Tutt located a section having the High Rock spring in the northwest corner of it. This claim was about twelve miles east of the forgeoing location. Antone Storff, Fred Borrette, and Alexander and Ezra Moe claimed the creek "com- mencing from Antonio Storff 's house, and water ditch running 1200 feet up the creek on Ruff Elliott water creek for Quartz mills and mining purposes.'' This must have been about a mile south of Richmond. During the preceding winter Charles and "Bige" Adams had put up a water power sawmill above the little valley on the west branch. of Baxter creek. This spring W. M. Cain hauled the castings for it from the foundry at Gold Hill, Nevada. They must have commenced sawing very early in the spring for lum- ber was taken from there to the Humboldt mines in April. Wil- liam V. Kingsbury, known as "Smoke Creek Sam," and H. P. Bates built a water power sawmill on Lassen creek about a mile and a half above where it is crossed by the mountain road from Susanville to Janesville. It was known as the Bates mill, but the settlers called it "Bates's Rawhide Mill" because the belts were made of rawhide with the hair on. This spring Jarvis Taylor and another man started a butcher shop in Susanville on the north side of Main street between Lassen and Gay. This was the first butcher shop in Susanville. The Neales divided up their ranch and Williaw Dow bought John H. Neale's part of it. [257] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA In July Malcom Bankhead went over to the Lathrop and Bradley ranch and put up a blacksmith shop. In the fall he and Henry E. Lomas divided up their business, the latter taking the last shop built. Lomas ran this shop until 1865 and then turned it over to his brother Thomas J. and went to White Horse valley in southeastern Oregon. In August G. W. Lathrop and Wife sold half of the Lathrop and Bradley ranch to U. L. and P. J. Shaffer and on the 8th of the following month sold the other half of the same ranch to the same men. The Shaffers opened a store there and kept a station for travelers, as Lathrop had done, until they sold out in 1868. Old settlers still call it the Shaffer place. While they lived on this ranch there was a great deal of travel to and from the Black Rock, Idaho, and Humboldt mines, and from its loca- tion it was quite a noted station. At Milford H. C. Wilkins and Everett, who had a store at the Summit in Sierra valley, built a store across the creek from the gristmill and nearly opposite to it. Mr. Everett stayed in Milford and ran the store there. At Janesville during the winter of 1861-62 H. E. Lomas had built a stable on the south of Main street perhaps 300 yards west of the creek. It had never been used and this spring he sold it to L. N. Breed who made a dwelling house out of it. On the 17th of May there was born to Susan Hill, the Wife of Smith J. Hill, a daughter who was named Jane Agnes. This summer Preston R. James and his brother-in-law, A. A. Holmes, put up a two story frame building east of the creek and on the south side of Main street. It stood perhaps 150 feet from the street and about the same distance from the creek. In the fall they opened a hotel in this building and ran it two or three years. P. R. James taught school in the old Fort this fall. Some time this year Malcom Bankhead and Family moved to Oakland, California, and the most of them have lived there or in that vicinity ever since. Susanville. Early in the spring John Burkett erected a build- ing that he used for a saloon and a restaurant on the south side of Main street the fourth lot west from Gay street. He called the saloon the "Humboldt Exchange." George Heaps and Joseph Hale ran a faro game in it this year and perhaps part of the next. In March John H. Neale commenced a building on [ 258 ] THE YEAE 1862 the north side of Main street the third lot east from Gay. When it was completed he put into it the most of the goods that were in the store on the Neale ranch. Some time during the year I. J. Harvey and E. D. Hosselkus went into business with him. It was called Neale & Harvey's store, and they had the largest stock of merchandise that had ever been in Susanville. They sold goods here for several years. This building was burned in the fire of November, 1881, and F. and S. say that it was A. Otto's blacksmith shop when it was burned. This spring a man named Cogswell built a livery and feed stable on the southwest corner of Main and Gay streets. In July T. N. Long and Al. Leroy commenced a building on the southwest corner of Main and Union streets. It was a story and a half frame building, 25 by 45 feet, and in it they opened a saloon perhaps as early as December. It was called "The Magnolia" and was the most pretentious building ever put up for a saloon in the town. After being used a few years for a saloon a stock of merchandise was put into it, but it was always called The Magnolia Building. It was burned September 23, 1882, in a fire that burned everything facing the south side of Main street between Lassen and Union streets and the old Cutler Arnold log hotel on the corner diagonal from The Magnolia. This summer Governor Hoop sold three lots on the north side of Main street just east of the Brannan House to Harry Thompson who built a house on the northwest corner of them. He could not pay for the lots and Roop took them back and moved into the house. He set out some trees and put a couple of fish ponds into the front yard. This was the Roop residence for several years and used to attract considerable attention. In after years it was moved away and now, 1915, stands on the west side of Lassen street next to the house on the southwest corner of North and Lassen streets. Some years before this Governor Roop had some timbers hewed to make the frame for a gristmill. They were then hauled to the river and piled up on the north side of it near where the bridge south of town is now. The gristmill was not built and some time this year Roop used these timbers in building a stable at the rear end of the lot on the southeast corner of Lassen and Nevada streets. This he leased to William M. Wentworth who ran it as a livery and feed stable. This year M. Bienstock and Samuel Peyser had a store and a tailor shop in a building that stood on the south side of [259] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Main street between Gay and Union streets and near the east end of the block. They also used the building as a dwelling house. This fall V. J. Burris started a butcher shop on the south side of Main street between Lassen and Gay and near the middle of the block. "William J. Young opened a photograph gallery on the north side of Main street and perhaps one third of a block east of Roop street. This was the first photograph gallery in the county. In October Governor Roop sold some land at the northeast corner of Cottage and Lassen streets to the trustees of the M. E. Church for one dollar. There is nothing to show that they ever erected a building on it. Probably the first flag- pole in Susanville was put up this year. It was a small one and was set up in the middle of Main street near Gay. In continuation of what was told in 1861 about Lassen Lodge, No. 149, F. & A. M. the History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra counties says: "A charter was granted in May, 1862, and the lodge was instituted in due form, June 24, 1862. In October a dispensation was obtained for that purpose, and the place of meeting was changed to Susanville. This was done because Richmond had 'gone up like a rocket, and come down like a stick,' and Susanville had been left to glory over the decay of her rival." It is said that Governor Roop was a Royal Arch Mason and that he installed the first officers of this lodge. When the Idaho mining excitement broke out in 1862 the people of this section saw that it would be a good thing to have the travel to these and the Humboldt mines come this way. The citizens of Chico wanted to be on the road, too, and they joined hands with them in the work of getting a short route between that place and Susanville. Part of what is called the ' ' Humboldt Road" from Chico to this valley must have been built this year. The following tells how they tried to show the advantages of the new route. The "Sacramento Union" of October 30, 1862, tells that a correspondent writing from Big Meadows about two weeks before that says that James Berry started from Chico with the mail at 11:30 P. M., and got to Big Meadows (65 miles) at five o'clock the next morning. At seven o'clock A. M. A. H. Barber started on horseback from Big Meadows and reached Susanville (45 miles) by noon. October 18th James L. Eastwood located an irregular tract of land on the north side of Susan river. It extended from the f 260 1 THE YEAR 1862 river to the foothills and was about two miles and a half below where the Johnstonville bridge is now. This was the last filing in Roop's Record Book. This year Thomas J. and Edward Mulroney and William Leith bought the ranch that Gordier located on the Baxter creek. T. J. Mulroney spent the rest of his life on that place and Mr. Leith stayed in that neighborhood as long as he lived. Miss Philenda Montgomery taught a private school at the S. Conkey ranch during the winter of 1862-63. The lake was very high this year and kept rising every year excepting 1864 until 1868. Mt. Meadows. William B. Long bought out Fredonyer this spring, but did not take his family there until later on. A man named Mc Williams settled to the southeast of the Goodrich ranch and P. J. Quinn and his Brother claimed the land along the creek between the Devil's Corral and Fredonyer 's pass. Willow Creek valley. " Sandy' ' Young, and perhaps Hy. Good, came into the valley this year with about a thousand of General John Bidwell's cattle. They built a cabin on the south side of the valley just below where Round valley opens into it and kept the cattle there until 1864. Long valley. William E. (Paul) Jones came into the valley and located on the creek above the Hood place. Thomas Smith took up a place just south of the Willow Ranch and that fall or the spring of 1863 he sold it to James McDermott. C. M. West and Albert S. Wright built a hotel at the junction of the Sierra valley and Honey Lake wagon roads. This was called the "Junction House" and for at least twenty-five years it was a well known station for the accommoda- tion of travelers. Edwin Dalton came into the valley this year. In the fall of 1861 J. H. Breed bought his brother's share of the Smoke Creek Station and probably got the part that belonged to Hines a little later on. He stayed there the following winter and in the spring sold out to I. J. Harvey who had been em- ployed to buy the property for a United States Army Post. During the winter of 1862-63 William V. Kingsbury established a trading post at Smoke Creek and afterwards kept a station, or hotel, in connection with it. He stayed there until late in the 60 's. The following is his advertisement, which was something out of the common, as it appeared in "The Sage Brush" of January 12, 1867 : [261] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "WELL WHILE YOU ARE ABOUT IT LOOK HERE ! ! "The Celebrated Smoke Creek Station, situated on the Humboldt, Idaho, East Bannock, Reese River, Salt Lake, Sur- prise Valley, New York, London, Paris, Japan and China road, in fact from which point you can go anywhere if you want to, is still running, commanded by that well known individual, SMOKE CREEK SAM. "Owing to the immense travel to the above localities, we have made arrangements to accommodate it all, in a superior and gentlemanly like manner. We are endeavoring to induce the directors of the Pacific Railroad to locate the terminus of the road at Smoke Creek, it being we think, the most central point for it. San Francisco may 'buck* a little against it, but geo- graphical position will tell. "It is unfortunate for San Francisco to be located so far away from Smoke Creek but we cant help it now. — Speaking of 'square meals/ torch light processions, baled hay and 'sich' like, there is where we understand ourselves. We can converse upon those subjects, in connection with that commercial article called cash, with the most perfect aplomb and nonchalance. "We most respectfully invite those going anywhere to call on us. Kingsbury & Co." There was a large emigration to the valley this year. It was the largest one that ever came in excepting that of 1859. The following came into the county this year and lived here all the rest of their lives or are living here yet. This does not mean the children. John P. Garrett, Samuel Hoffman and Wife, Hiram N. Skadan, Mrs. J. C. Wemple, Abel Parker and Family, Francis L. Parker, John Fitch, Israel Jones, John D. Kelley and Family, Hiram Winchel, Isaac Hallett and Wife, Isaiah Hallett, Thomas Montgomery and Family, Philenda Montgomery, Isaac N. Jones, John F. Todd, La Fayette Marks, Frank M. Hostetter and Family, Isaac M. Stewart, John N. Barry and Family, Patrick Bagin, Otis N. Johnson and Wife, James L. McDermott, Charles A. Batterson, Amzi Brown, William M. Wentworth, Kinsey Talbott and Family, John Pickard and Wife. The following lived here from twenty to forty years. Edwin Dalton, Hiram H. Dakin, J. M. Parker and Family, Emma [262] THE YEAE 1862 Parker (Mrs. H. H. Dakin), Josephine Parker (Mrs. B. F. Sheldon), Leonard Hicks, Samuel Peyser and Family, John G. Newington, and Thomas W. Pickard and Family. The following lived here from two or three to ten or fifteen years. Judson Dakin, Sr., Smith Parker, James K. Belk and Wife, Thomas Holden, A. A. Dakin, Cyrus Fletcher and Family, Chandler K. Fletcher, Charles W. Dake and Family, William Harris and Family, John Harris, * Samuel S. Stinson and Fam- ily, James L. Eastwood, M. Bienstock, Czar Giddings, H. F. Thompson, J. L. Wedekind and Family, C. Frank Wedekind and Wife, George Wedekind, U. L. Shaffer, P. J. Shaffer, Cyrus Mulkey and Family, Carl Osborn, Asher D. Spalding, Levi McCoy and Wife, Elisha Pickard, John Campbell and Family, Griffith G. Miller and Family, Jacob C. Miller, Julius Drake, William E. (Paul) Jones and Family, Thomas Housen, F. V. Burris and Family, H. L. Spargur, I. J. Harvey and Family, Capt. William N. De Haven and Wife, Frank Peed, Thomas Smith, H. F. Tarrant, William J. Young, E. J. Carpeaux, A. H. Brown, A. R. Leroy, Joseph Belknap, *William Taylor, James Thompson, Henry E. Adams, Henry Bolan (or Boland), John H. Cowan, Jacob Hill, James Arnold, James Hutchings, John Thoroughman, Thomas Towell, John McDaniel, Thomas J. Bran- nan, John S. Shook, Cyrus Smith, *S. W. Hammond, P. J. Quinn, Miles Harper, Matilda Christie (Mrs. Amos Roach), John R. Lockwood, Mrs. Geo. W. Perry and Son, Mrs. Mary Johnston and Robert Johnston's three children. Nevada Politics. 1862 January 14, 1862, elections for county officers were held in all the counties of Nevada excepting Lake county, the county governments were organized, and the political machinery of the territory went to work. The officers elected at this time were to hold office only until the following September. The reason why Lake county did not hold an election was given in 1861. In 1861 the Nevada legislature failed to appoint a commission to confer with California in regard to the running of the Sierra Nevada mountain line between the sections. Later on this com- mission must have been appointed, for the "Sacramento Union" of March 19, 1862, says that a Memorial from Governor Nye of [263] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Nevada, dated March 11, 1862, was presented to the legislature of California on the 18th. It was as follows: "To the honorable the legislature of the state of California: We your memorialists, duly elected by the governor and the legislative assembly of the territory of Nevada for the purpose of representing to your honorable body the reasons why the bound- ary line between California and the territory of Nevada should be made to conform to the suggestions in the act of Congress organizing the same, would respectfully show that the organic act aforesaid in describing the limits of the territory whose inter- ests we seek to represent, declares that the southern boundary thereof should be the 37th degree of north latitude, extending thereon from the 39th degree of longitude west from Washington to the dividing ridge separating the waters that flow into the Carson valley from those flowing into the Pacific. Thence on the said dividing ridge northerly to the 41st degree of north latitude, thence due north to the southern boundary line of the state of Oregon : provided, that so much of the territory within the present limits of the state of California shall not be included within this territory until that state shall assent to the same by an act irrevocable without the consent of the United States.' ' The Memorial went on to say that the country east of the Sierras was mountainous and incapable of supporting a very large pop- ulation, that their interests were with the people of Nevada and they would always carry on their business with them, that it was 300 miles to the capital of California and nearly 100 to that of Nevada, that Plumas county had never succeeded in enforcing their laws there to any great extent, and that their population would be a great help to the people of Nevada. They gave many more reasons for changing the line so it would follow the ridge dividing the waters of the Pacific from those of Nevada, and then respectfully asked that the legislature of California pass such an act. The document was signed by James W. Nye, Isaac Roop, and R. M. Ford. The "Union" of March 22nd says that on the evening of the 21st a meeting was held in the assembly chamber of the capital to listen to the Nevada territorial commissioners on the subject of the western boundary line of Nevada. Mr. R. M. Ford read the Memorial. Ex-Governor Isaac Roop then spoke setting forth the advantages Nevada would derive if the strip of land east of [264] THE YEAR 1862 the Sierras were ceded to her. He told nearly the same things that were said in the Memorial, excepting that Plumas and Shasta counties claimed each a portion of Honey Lake valley, fifteen miles of the western half of the said valley, the only spot where revenue could be collected. The citizens all wished that this strip of land should belong to Nevada, their trade and social relations were all with Nevada, they had refused to pay taxes although law-abiding citizens, and they were isolated and reaped none of the advantages of those who did pay taxes. He unrolled before the audience a petition from the citizens of Esmeralda praying for the cession. Governor James W. Nye was received with great applause. Among other things he said that three murderers had escaped conviction in Honey Lake valley on the plea that the territory of Nevada had no jurisdiction over their cases. A survey at an expense of $1000 was had when it was found that their crimes had not been committed in that territory. More than $50000 had already been expended in trying to find the meridian fixed upon by the constitutional convention of California. F. and S. say : " In July, 1862, Associate Justice Gordon N. Mott came to Susanville to hold a term of the district court for the First Judicial District of Nevada Territory. The counties of Storey, Washoe, and Lake (changed that year to Roop) were all in one district, and Judge Mott, one of the three supreme judges, was assigned to this district." September 3, 1862, a general election was held in Nevada Territory at which county officers, members of the state legis- lature, and a delegate to Congress were elected. Twenty-six territorial representatives and five members of the Council were elected. Gordon N. Mott was elected delegate to Congress. They held an election in Lake county this time and elected all the officers to be voted for. C. Adams (probably Charles Adams) was elected territorial representative. "When the Nevada legislature met at Carson City in the fall of 1862 Representative Adams did not take his seat, but Lake county was represented in the Council by Governor Roop who held over from the year before. He was the last member from this region to sit in the Nevada legislature. For more than a year Nevada had tried, without success, to have California relinquish her claim to the territory east of the [265] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Sierras. They had even hired John F. Kidder to survey the boundary line both north and south from Lake Tahoe. (See Nevada Territory Politics, 1861.) This session of the Nevada legislature ' ' passed a joint resolu- tion asking the California legislature to cede to Nevada such territory as had been included in the original boundary descrip- tion by act of Congress. " T. and W. say : " Beyond the election of officers the county (Lake) still remained unorganized until after the legislature assembled. Honey Lake valley in which the wealth and population of the county existed, was claimed by Plumas county, California, as being within its limits, and this had retarded the organization of Lake county. When the legis- lature met it was determined to fully organize the county, and maintain the jurisdiction of Nevada over the disputed section. Accordingly, the legislature changed the name from Lake to Roop, by act of December 2, 1862. The Governor, on the 14th and 15th of the same month, appointed and issued commissions to all the county officers that had been elected in September, also a commission to John S. Ward to act as Probate Judge. By act of December 19, 1862, the legislature ordered a special term of the First District Court to be held in Roop county on the third Monday in January, 1863." Honey Lake Politics. 1862 The Lake county people failed to hold their election in Janu- ary and nothing of importance took place until July when Judge Mott held court in Susanville. In regard to this F. and S. have the following : ' ' There had never been any legal practice in this section, nor were there living here any regularly authorized attor- neys, nor any one who made any pretense to the profession of the law, except a young man named Israel Jones, who had read law for a brief period before coming here in 1862, but had never been admitted to practice in any court. The men who had acted the role of attorneys in the valley were Isaac N. Roop, John S. Ward, E. V. Spencer, Z. J. Brown, and A. D. McDonald, who had con- ducted causes before the various justice courts and boards of arbitration, at the request of their friends. The only law books in the valley were two volumes of Wood 's California Digest, and the nearest lawyers were in Quincy, too far away to do much harm. [266] THE YEAE 1862 "Judge Mott opened his court in the old Magnolia building, on the south side of Main street. The first business was the examination of a class of applicants to become members of the bar, which consisted of Messrs. Eoop,. Ward, Spencer, and Jones. The examination was brief, being confined more to plain, practical business propositions, such as any intelligent business man could answer, than to abstruse and technical points of law. The most difficult interrogation was to define the term corporation. Just before the court convened, an attorney from Carson City called Mr. Koop aside and instructed him on the proper answer to this question, telling him, 'A corporation is a creature of the law, having certain powers and duties of a natural person.' When the governor was called upon to answer the question, he said, 'A corporation is a band of fellows without any soul, of whom the law is a creature, who have some powers and take a great many more, and entirely ignore the statutory duties imposed upon them.' The whole class was admitted." The same history says that while Roop was serving as district attorney of Lassen county * ' the grand jury presented an indictment against a man who had stolen a horse. Eoop drew up the document in a few minutes, and presented it to the foreman, who read it and remarked : ' Gov- ernor, I 'm afraid this is rather brief. That complaint would not hold in any court.' 'Why not?' asked Roop; 'I've got whereas in three times. ' ' ' There is one mistake in the foregoing, though not an important one. T. N. Long says they did not commence to build the Magnolia until July, 1862, so Judge Mott must have held court in some other building or at a later date. At the election of September 3, 1862, the following officers were elected for Lake county: Sheriff, William H. Naileigh (Cap. Hill) ; Clerk, V. J. Borrette ; Recorder, Dr. Z. N. Spalding ; Treas- urer, Frank Drake; Assessor, E. A. Townsend; Collector, Henry E. Arnold; Surveyor, E. R. Nichols; School Superintendent, A. A. Holmes; Commissioners, Franklin Strong, Smith J. Hill, and Joseph C. Wemple. Plumas county held an election in Honey Lake valley at the same time. Henry E. Lomas says that at Janesville the election was held in Blanchard 's store, the election for the Plumas county officers being held in one corner of the room and the election for the Lake county officers in another corner. Lomas and A. G. Moon say the Never Sweats voted for both sets of officers. In [267] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA some ways those same Never Sweats were a most accommodating bunch. B. F. Sheldon and William J. Young were elected jus- tices of the peace for Honey Lake township, Plumas county, and qualified at Quincy. The usual trouble about paying taxes to Plumas county went on again this fall. The only notice that county took of this section was to send in the assessor and tax collector, and hold an election once in awhile. S. J. Hill says that about half the people of the valley paid taxes to Plumas county and the rest did not. Hill paid quite a large amount of taxes for a couple of years and Rough Elliott boasted to him that he paid no taxes at all. When Sheriff Pierce came to Hill this fall for his taxes the latter told him that he ought to collect taxes from other people, too, and if he could get out of paying them by saying he lived in Nevada, he was going to do it. He then refused to pay any tax and the Sheriff went away without making any trouble. James D. Byers, who was Pierce 's deputy, told the writer that one fall, probably this one, Pierce and himself went with a posse to collect Elliott 's taxes or take away some of his stock. Elliott had gathered a crowd of men from the lower end of the valley and was waiting for them at his place below Milford. When the Plumas officers asked for his taxes he refused to pay them or to give up any of his stock. Byers said that Pierce and Elliott did the talking and it was neither gentle nor refined. Pierce was a hard man and on some occasions Elliott showed plenty of nerve, and in those days such men were very careless about their language. While the talk was going on the other men sat on their horses as quietly as they could, for the first movement that looked like an attempt to reach for a w T eapon would have started a fight that might have resulted in the death of several men. Each party was expect- ing the other to shoot and neither side wanted to be very far behind when the trouble began. Some of the "old timers" say that just when the quarrel was the hottest Mrs. Elliott came out of the house and asked them all in to dinner. Finally they accepted her invitation and while they were eating their anger cooled and some sort of a compromise was effected. But they didn't get much out of Elliott and he came out ahead once more. Only once was any property taken from this valley by the authorities of Plumas county on account of the refusal to pay taxes. W. W. Kellogg, since 1873 an attorney of Quincy, who [ 268 ] THE YEAR 1862 was a deputy sheriff under Pierce, says that this fall he and Pierce came to Susanville and stayed over night. The next morning they went to the ranch of Kobert Johnston and Henry Hatch four miles below town. Kellogg went into the corral and yoked up an off ox and called to another one to come under the yoke. One near by came to him and was yoked up. No opposition was made to their taking the cattle and they drove them away. They took them to Taylorville and sold them after notice of the sale had been given. L. C. Stiles bought them and in after years used to joke Kellogg about getting a mis-mated yoke of cattle, for they were not mates. Fred Hines says that when they got up to his place Pierce stayed in the road with the oxen and Kellogg came to the house. He asked Hines to pay his taxes and was told by him that he paid no taxes to Plumas county. The deputy sheriff said "I can take your cattle if you don't pay." The other man said "All right. There the cattle are in plain sight and you can take them if you want to." Kellogg then told him that he had better pay up and save trouble and was again told by Hines that he paid no taxes to Plumas county. He then went back to Pierce and after talking a few minutes they went on their way without taking any of the cattle that belonged to Hines. Byers told the writer that once while collecting taxes in this valley he went to Bankhead's and found twenty men gathered there. They told him that if he tried to collect any more taxes they would hang him. He had a six-shooter and a couple of der- ringers and while they were talking he climbed up on the fence and listened. When they got through he told them that there were enough of them to hang him, but he would take as many of them as he could along with him and they might start in as soon as they pleased. They were pretty well acquainted with him and didn't start in. During a visit to the valley, probably in 1857, he was told that a couple of men had threatened to kill him the first time they saw him. These men were living in a log house that still stands by the Parker creek about two miles below Janes- ville. He went to their place, walked into the house without knocking, and saw the two men sitting on a bench in front of the fireplace. He walked up behind them, pushed them apart, and sat down between them, managing to take the larger man 's pistol out of its holster as he sat down. After some quarreling the man reached back for his pistol and found that it was gone. [269] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Byers told him that he had it, and the man asked him if he was a thief and was answered in the affirmative. They talked for some time and the two men made a good many threats, but fin- ally they quieted down and when Byers left them they didn't want to kill anybody and never molested him in the future. Byers was sheriff of Plumas county from 1856 to 1858. For a while E. H. Pierce was his deputy, and when Pierce was elected sheriff of the county Byers was his deputy for a year or two. While he was an officer of Plumas county Byers came into this valley quite often and was well known to the Never Sweats. In 1858 he bought a ranch on Baxter creek two miles east of Bank- head's and commenced to raise cattle and horses, and this busi- ness he followed until his death in 1902. He was a tall, raw- boned man whose nerve was undisputed. He once came over here with a warrant for a man in Long valley. When he got to the Byrd ranch eight miles below Milford his horse gave out. Byrd had no riding horse at hand excepting a full-blooded Spanish stallion called ''Joaquin" — a horse that would buck hard every time he was ridden as long as he lived. At that time it was cus- tomary for a man to go to one who had a big lot of horses and bor- row a wild one to ride for a short time. The breaking of the horse was considered pay for his use. Whenever a stranger who seemed to think that he could ride came along and asked Byrd to lend him a horse, he told him to take Joaquin. Of course the horse began to buck as soon as the man struck his back, and then 1 'Old Jack" Byrd would yell "Stick to him, sir. Stick to him, sir. By Almighty, stick to him. If you do, you are the first man that ever did!" As a rule, about that time the rider jumped a piece of ground in that vicinity. Byers was in a hurry, so they saddled up Joaquin and he climbed onto him. The horse bucked a ways up the hill south of the cabin and then Byrd man- aged to get ahead of him and turn him. He then bucked back down to the cabin and just as Byers had taken his feet out of the stirrups, thinking the horse was going against the building, he stopped and was all right. Byers resumed his journey and for a few miles all went well. He then noticed that the horse kept throwing his nose down between his fore legs. He leaned over carefully and saw that the cinch was very loose. If he had shown any signs of uneasiness, the animal would have bucked him off at once ; so he got his rope in readiness, slowly pulled his feet out of [270] THE YEAR 1862 the stirrups, and threw himself from the horse's back, getting as far away from him as he could. He then cinched up his saddle and went on. He found his man in the house and nobody else was there but a woman. When he arrested the man he showed fight and the two had a rough and tumble battle around the room. Finally Byers got him down and told the woman to bring him a club or something of the kind. She brought him the rolling-pin and he hammered the fellow over the head with it until he gave up. At another time he came into the valley in pursuit of a man and caught up with him about six miles and a half below Susan- ville on the Janesville road. He was on horseback and the man he was after was on foot. When he rode up beside the man and told him he was his prisoner the other reached back and drew his pistol. Byers had no time to get his gun so he pulled his foot out of the stirrup and kicked the man in the stomach. This doubled him up and he dropped his pistol and surrendered as soon as he could get his breath. Generally speaking, there was no personal enmity between the officers of Plumas county and the people of this section. Mr. Kellogg says they always treated him well and in after years he had a friendly feeling for all of them. He and Byers were dep- uties for Pierce during the "Sage Brush War" and the people of Lassen county elected Byers for their first sheriff. Indian Troubles. 1862 During this year the Indians made up for the peacefulness of the preceding year. From early in the spring until late in the year they were busy on the northern and eastern borders of the valley and along the emigrant road to the Humboldt river. Of course they committed depredations elsewhere, but at the places mentioned the people of Honey Lake valley suffered the most, and our story is about them. These depredations were commit- ted by the Pit river Indians, the renegade Piutes under Smoke Creek Sam, and other bands of Indians that lived along the emi- grant road and to the north of it. Possibly some of the mischief was done by the Pyramid lake Piutes, for their chiefs could not always keep them in sight and the sub-chiefs were not always "good Injuns." Some time during the first part of March Thomas Bear, who was keeping a trading post and a station at Deep Hole springs [271] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA about sixty miles east of Honey Lake valley, came to Susanville after supplies, leaving his hired man, Dave , alone at the station. While he was in the valley a storm came on and delayed his return. A party came in from the Humboldt and told him that there was no one at his place when they came along. He and a man named John Williams at once started out on horseback and got to the station a little after noon on the second day. Bear began to get some dinner and the other man went to looking around the premises. Some say that nothing had been taken from the station but the guns and ammunition, others say that it had been plundered of a lot of flour, blankets, etc. It would be a queer thing if the Indians didn 't take everything they could find that was of value to them, for they generally did that and burned the buildings, too. There was nothing about the house to show that the missing man had been harmed. After some hunting Williams found a little distance from the house a piece of matting that Dave used to spread down before the fire to lie upon, and this had blood stains on it. He soon found some moccasin tracks and these he followed until he got near one of the springs. When he got near enough to see into the spring he saw a human hand rising and falling in the water. The Indians had split his head open with an ax and then carried him to the spring and crowded him under the sod that fringed the edge of it. Some say he was scalped, too. After burying him Bear, or Bare (it is spelled both ways), Williams, and another man started for Honey Lake. When they got within five or six miles of Smoke creek they saw eight Indians coming down the hill toward them carrying a white rag on a stick. The white men stopped a few minutes to consult together and the Indians stopped, too. When the whites came on the Indians advanced to meet them and kept in a bunch in the road as if to prevent them from going on their way. Bear, who was a fearless man, took the lead, poked the Indian leader in the stomach with his gun, and thrust the others aside with it. Four of the Indians stood on each side of the road and the whites passed between them without being molested. After they had gone a little ways they looked back and saw the Indians bring their guns to their faces as if they were going to shoot at them. Bear immediately raised his gun and they lowered their weapons, and this was repeated several times before they got out of range. Then the Indians started out across the hills as if they were try- [272] THE YEAE 1862 ing to reach the Smoke Creek canyon first and ambush the white men there. The latter rode as fast as they could and evidently out-stripped the Indians, for they got through the canyon in safety and reached the valley without further adventure. About this time some stock was stolen from the Granite creek station and some from Deep Hole. V. J. Borrette had six horses running near the mouth of Wil- low creek and about the middle of March he concluded to hunt them up. He and a friend, Byron B. Gray, borrowed some rid- ing horses and saddles and started out after them. They thought they knew right where the horses were and that it would not take very long to find them, so they took neither food nor firearms. They hunted around all day, but didn't find them, and just at sundown they got up on the bluff above Willow creek where it comes out into this valley. Borrette told Gray that they were a long ways from home, that probably the horses were further up the creek where they would find them in the morning, so they would camp there that night. They made a bed out of their sad- dle blankets, picketed their horses just out of reach of it, and lay down and went to sleep. They were very tired and slept the next morning until the sun shone in Borrette 's face and woke him up. He saw that the horses were gone and spoke to Gray who half woke up and said he could see them down on the creek. The other man told him to wake up and look again. They both got up, and after a little investigation, found from the tracks that five Indians had come up the canyon from the creek, cut the picket ropes close to the pins, and led the horses down the canyon. They followed the trail until it struck the rocks and there they lost it. Just then Borrette happened to think that neither one of them had a gun or a knife and it would do them no good if they over- took the Indians. Henry Arnold was running some horses and cattle in that part of the country and had a camp between Willow creek and the Soldier bridge, so they took their out-fits on their backs and went down there for help. When they arrived at Arnold's camp he told them that he had no firearms excepting an old shotgun and that had been broken the day before. After trying in vain to get some one to help them they packed their saddles to Susanville and paid $75 apiece for the borrowed horses. Borrette after- wards found his horses where they had hunted for them. [273] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA A few days after this Jack Byrd had several head of cattle run off by the Indians. He found some of them that they had killed. They had taken only the hearts and tongues and left the rest of the animal. The Pursuit of the Indians Who Stole the Cattle op Wil- liam B. Long and Others From the narratives of William Dow, A. L. Harper, William H. Hall, and A. G. Moon, the testimony of William B. Long, and the diary of A. L. Tunison. Late in the fall of 1861 James Briden started from the Hon- cut with a large band of cattle for the Humboldt. On account of the weather he could get no further than Honey Lake valley with them, so that winter he ranged them in the country from Willow creek to the lower Hot Springs. The cattle of William B. Long and A. K. Wood, son of General Wood, the Neale Brothers, the Adams Brothers, J. D. Byers, Samuel Marriott, and Blood ranged this winter in the same locality. During the first part of the winter the Long and Wood stock was looked after by Arthur K. Long, brother of William B., and a man named Thomas Williams, but some time in January A. L. Harper went there to help them. They had twenty-five head of mares running near the mouth of Willow creek and very early in the spring the herders missed them and sent word to Long. He went from Susanville down there and after some hunting found their trails going out of the valley, and the moccasin tracks among those of the horses showed that they had been driven off by the Indians. He never found the mares nor heard anything more about them. Some time after this Harper missed some steers and sent word to Long about it. In the course of two or three weeks Long sent a message to the herders and told them to gather up the steers and said he would be down there as soon as he could. In the meantime the herders found the carcass of a steer that had been shot to death wdth arrows and some others with arrows in their flesh. These they caught and pulled the arrows out of them. About the middle of March William B. Long, Briden, Henry Sidorus, Harper, and probably some others whose cattle ranged there, began to gather them up and put them into the long can- yon that runs into the hills a little northwest of the Lathrop and Bradley place. In a week they had a large band of cattle there, [274] THE YEAE 1862 estimates running from 200 to 1000 head. These cattle belonged to everybody who had any running around there and they in- tended to take them to Mt. Meadows for safety. On the morning of the 25th of March Long went over on foot to see the cattle and found them all gone excepting seven of Briden's Spanish steers. He followed their tracks for a while, but finding it was of no use to go on in that way, he went back and got his horse. He then took the trail and went ten or twelve miles toward Secret Valley. He found several cattle mired down but not injured and thought he saw the tracks of five or six Indians. He then came back and sent men to Janesville to raise a crowd to pursue the Indians and went himself to Susanville. Governor Hoop called a meeting of the people who lived in that end of the valley and quite a number of the men agreed to go with Long. By the morning of the 27th something like fifty men from all parts of the valley had gathered at the T. C. (Tule) Emerson ranch about a mile and a half northwest of Lathrop and Brad- ley's. They elected Dave Blanchard captain and Henry Arnold and Johnson Tutt lieutenants. Some of those who went on this expedition were William B. Long, Arthur K. Wood, George Tay- lor, William Dow, Samuel Shultz, William H. Hall, Lyman Mer- win, Dave Hare, A. G. Moon, Byron B. Gray, Keefer, A. L. Harper, Miles Harper, York Rundel, Luther Spencer, John Part- ridge, A. L. Tunison, Stephen White, Warren Lockman, John Bradley, George W. Perry (Buckskin Mose), a Spaniard named Steve Rafael, a young man who worked for Dr. Slater, name unknown, and some say one or two Chinamen. They had horses enough to pack their provisions and blankets and a few of the men, perhaps a fourth of them, were mounted. As soon as they could get ready they started out across the hills to the northeast. It had been an extremely wet winter and the ground was very soft. Where it was the driest the horses sank into the mud up to their fetlocks and where they crossed the creeks, for there was water in every canyon, they went in up to their bodies. Sometimes the pack horses mired down and their packs had to be taken off before they could get out of the mud. Where the men could not step on the rocks they went into the mud ankle deep. They saw the tracks of only eight Indians and evidently these were too few to handle so many cattle, for every little ways some of them left the band and they could not [275] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA get them back. They crossed the creek that flows from Mud Springs three or four miles east of Secret valley and there they found about sixty head of cattle dead in the mud, and some live ones which they pulled out. The leaders of the band had sunk into the mud and the others had gone over them and mashed them down so deep that they had smothered. That night they camped northwest of Mud Springs, having traveled about twenty miles. It snowed some that night. The next day they went to the northeast across a mountainous country and at night struck Smoke creek seven or eight miles above the station. Every little while during the day they had found a few cattle mired down. These and all the cattle that mired down or gave out from this time on were mutilated or killed by the Indians. They knocked them on the head, pushed an arrow into their bodies, cut open their sides, hamstrung them, or ruined them in some other way. Sometimes they took the heart and tongue of an animal or per- haps a little of the meat and tallow. It snowed on them all that day and they reached camp, which was where they struck Smoke creek, cold, wet, and hungry, after a march of about twenty miles. Here they found a young steer which they killed and ate. It snowed on them nearly all that night. Harper says they camped that night within a mile and a half of some of the Indians they were after. The next day they concluded that they could get along better without the horses to bother them, so they sent the pack train and the men on horseback by way of the road to Deep Hole, probably thinking that the trail they were following would lead them close to that place. They also wanted to get some more provisions if they could. That same morning Perry, Partridge, and a Chinaman took the road back to Honey Lake because their boots had got stiff and hurt their feet so they could not travel fast enough to keep up with the others. Their force was now reduced to thirty-three men, and each one of these took a pair of blankets and enough food for three or four meals and once more started out on the trail of the cattle which kept to the northeast toward Buffalo Meadows. Late in the forenoon Steve White saw an Indian on a ridge about three quarters of a mile ahead and he fell back and told the others. They thought they had come up with the whole band of Indians and there might be a good many of them, so they stopped and held a consultation. Some of the party wanted to wait until night and then attack [276] THE YEAR 1862 them and the others wanted to go ahead and overtake them as soon as possible. Finally the majority decided to go on. They went to the foot of the ridge on which White had seen the Indian, sneaked part way up it, and crawled the rest of the way. Long, Harper, Taylor, Keefer, and some of the older men went up a little canyon and the others crawled up on each side of it. The four men named got to the top of the ridge first and though they found no Indians there they found about forty head of cattle. The Indians were driving them in two bands and this was the hind one. Long and Harper went on through the cattle looking for Indians and left the other two men a little behind. When they got through the band and looked over the edge of the ridge they saw three Indians about a hundred yards away. They sneaked up to within seventy-five yards of them and saw one Indian standing up and the other two cutting meat from the body of an animal. Harper drew a bead on one of them, but he didn't shoot at once, and never could tell why he didn't do it. In the meantime the other men had come up and just then Long motioned for them to come on. Taylor, who had his dog Bob with him, was the first one of them to get where he could see over the ridge. When he saw the Indians he yelled ' ' There they are. See the sons of . Sic 'em, Bob ! ' ' The Indians dropped to the ground as quick as a flash and rolled down the steep side hill into the canyon out of sight, and when next seen they were run- ning up the side of a hill three or four hundred yards away. A good many shots were fired at them, but the snow was blowing and they were so far away that none of them were hit. All of the men then threw down their loads and started on the run after them. When they had gone a couple of miles they concluded to send a party back to bring up the loads so they would not have so far to come back to camp. Eight or ten men returned and got the blankets, etc., and left two men to guard the cattle that the Indians had left on the ridge. The others went on after the three Indians who followed the trail of those ahead. At the lower end of Buffalo Meadows, or near there, they came to a place where evidently the Indians in the lead intended to camp for the night and wait for the others to come up, but for some reason they had taken alarm and gone on. Until they reached this place the Indians had killed only the cattle that could go no further, but after this they killed all of them that they could. Some of the cat- [277] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA tie left behind by them were found standing up, but they were so badly mutilated that they had to be killed. The trail went north- west from Buffalo Meadows. Since losing sight of the three Indians with the hindmost cattle not an Indian had been seen, but about half an hour before sundown when they had chased them ten or twelve miles they saw them a mile and a half away on the other side of a big canyon. They had seventeen head of the strongest cattle and they were running them as fast as they could. Some say there were only five Indians with the cattle, others tell all the way from that number up to fifteen. Harper says they saw the tracks of only nine Indians at any time. It was getting late and there was no hope of catching up with the Indians that night and they didn't know how far back they would have to go to find the men who were bringing up the loads that were left behind. Besides this they had very little food left and they concluded to give up the pursuit. It was long after dark when they reached camp. The men sent back had brought the outfit up to where the Indians intended to camp and they stayed there that night. They traveled about as far as usual that day. It snowed all day and during the night nearly a foot of snow fell. They built sagebrush fires and heated up the ground, and then spread down brush and made their beds on it. Between the warm ground and the snow on their beds they were so warm that they all took colds the next day. That night they stood guard for the first time since leaving home. Dow, who- slept with Hall, stood guard the first part of the night, and when he came to bed he crawled in just as he was and with his boots covered with snow. Hall wasn 't used to hunting Indians and he had undressed when he went to bed. The snow felt pretty cold to him and he com- plained to Dow about coming to bed with ten pounds of snow on his boots. When Dow found that the other man had taken off his clothes he asked him what he would do without any clothes or boots on if the Indians attacked them suddenly in the night and he had to get out of bed and run or fight. Probably that ended the conversation. The next morning Long, Dow, and Tunison (the latter says there were ten of them) went across to Deep Hole to turn back the pack train. The others went back to Smoke creek, picking up the cattle as they went along, and camped about two [278] THE YEAR 1862 miles above the station, being too tired to go any further. It snowed nearly all that day and night. The next day they moved down to the station and waited for the pack train to join them. The Spaniard and the man who worked for Dr. Slater had a fight that day. There had been some trouble between them before that and some little thing brought on a row. The Spaniard had no scabbard for his knife and he had made one by cutting slits, one above the other, in a piece of rawhide. During the fight he tried to draw his knife, but the rawhide had dried and shrunk down on it and he could not get it out and probably that saved the other man 's life. That night the pack train and the mounted men came in and also a party of thirty or forty men under the command of Jack Byrd. They intended to follow the trail, but after talking with the men who went back the third day they concluded to follow the road. The next day, April 1st, they all went to the valley excepting a few men who stayed to drive in the cattle. Byrd and his party went on toward home. Some of the Honey Lakers stayed that night at the Lathrop and Bradley ranch, some at Emerson's, and some went on home. It was no trouble for men like Dow and Tunison to go on to Toadtown after having walked in from Smoke creek that day. The Indians had decidedly the best of this affair. Probably the whites would have killed the three Indians they found on the ridge if Taylor had not yelled when he saw them. After having crawled up that ridge they must have been greatly disappointed at the way matters turned out, and without any doubt he was chaffed and " cussed" unmercifully by the other men. For a long time after that "Sic 'em, Bob" was a common expression in Honey Lake. As it was, all that the white men had to show for their trouble and suffering was forty-four or forty-five head of cattle which they recovered, and four or five of them died on the road home. Long claimed that he was out 220 head — lost in this raid by the Indians and before this — and others who had cattle running in this vicinity lost a good many, too. After they got back from this trip Long's herders found that the Indians had camped for a week at the head of the canyon above the Lath- rop and Bradley ranch waiting for the cattle to be gathered up. [279] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Two Indians Killed at the Lathrop and Bradley Ranch From the narratives of A. L. Harper and William W. Asbury and A. L. Tunison's Diary. The Honey Lakers got back to the Lathrop ranch, for that is what it was called, on Tuesday, April 1st. During the afternoon of the Sunday before this two Indians were seen coming toward the house on that ranch. In the house at that time, as nearly as can be ascertained, were Lathrop and his Wife, Samuel Marriott, a lame man named Hobbs, and a Chinaman. They thought that the Indians were spies and they planned to get them into the house and question them and then tie them and take them out and kill them. The Indians came into the house and put down their guns when told to do so, but when questioned would only say that there were twelve more of them at the Hot springs. Before long the white men started in to tie them. In the scuffle that followed Hobbs was left alone with the larger Indian while the rest of them were wrestling with the other one. The Indian tried to draw his knife and Hobbs called for help. Lathrop ran to his aid, caught up an old Minnie rifle that belonged to the Indian, and told Hobbs to let go so he could shoot him. But Hobbs was like the man who had the tiger by the tail, he couldn't let go. The Indian was big and strong and he kept his adversary between himself and Lathrop. Once while this was going on Mrs. Lathrop, who had been put into the back room to keep her out of danger, looked through the door and told her husband not to shoot Hobbs. Finally the white man succeeded in pushing the Indian away from him and Lathrop shot him, the bullet going through his body and the side of the house, too. Lathrop then helped tie the other Indian and when this was done he looked around for the one that had been shot. He had gone out of the house and walked a couple of hundred yards north toward the emigrant road and sat down under a sagebrush. Lathrop went out there and when he got close to the Indian the latter 's eyes turned green with rage and he cursed the white man and called him vile names. Lath- rop put his pistol to the Indian's head and killed him. He then returned to the house and they took the other Indian outside. The Chinaman wanted to kill him because he knew that the Indians had killed three Chinamen ' ' a long time ago. ' ' Marriott shot him with a shotgun, but did not kill him dead and they let [280] THE YEAB 1862 the Chinaman finish him. They took him out to the other Indian and buried both of them there. They then put the carcass of a steer on the grave, put some brush on it, and burned it. The next day some of them went to Susanville and took the ponies of the two Indians with them as they did not want to keep them on the ranch. In the pouch of the Indian shot by Lathrop they found some short pieces cut from endgate rods. The Indians managed to get hold of a few guns, but it was hard for them to get any ammuni- tion and these pieces of iron were to be used for bullets. Fight with the Indians at the Lathrop Ranch This story is a continuation of the previous one. It is said that a day or two after these Indians were killed two Piutes came to Lathrop 's ranch and told him they had seen them killed and buried and that in a few days they were going to kill him and burn his house and kill all the whites in the valley. "Whether this is true or not, Lathrop got frightened and sent to Susan- ville for help and Frank Drake, Fielding Long, and Robert Johnston went down there. B. E. Shumway was living there at the time. The afternoon of the 2nd of April the men who were bringing in the cattle recovered from the Indians reached the valley. Part of them stayed that night at the Lathrop ranch and the others went up to the Emerson place. James C. La Tour, William James, John Hyder, * ' Texas, ' ' Slidell, Osborn, and George (Dutch) Harris, Shasta county teamsters coming in from the Humboldt, stayed at Lathrop 's that night. Lathrop, Bradley, and Tom Harvey were there and perhaps a man or two more. It is impossible to be exact about their number or their names. Drake got up at daylight the next morning, and happening to look toward the northeast, saw a party of mounted men, Indians as he supposed, outlined against the sky as they came over the hill. He awoke the boys and told them that the Indians were coming and then got on his horse and rode up to the Emerson ranch and told them about it. The men there went to Lathrop 's as fast as they could, but being on foot didn't get there until the trouble was over. The men awakened by Drake arose and dressed, prepared their guns, and got out of sight. Just about this time the Indians, [281] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA twelve in number, who had ridden very rapidly, reached the flat in front of the house and rode around as if looking for some- thing. Finally they stopped at the place where the Indians were buried and then two of them rode toward the house. One of them was ''Pike," the young Indian Harvey had almost raised and who had saved the lives of Harvey and Weatherlow in 1860. Harvey told this to the other men and said he hated to see the boy shot and would go out and try to save his life. No one made any objection and he went out to meet the two Indians. Lathrop had met them as they came near the house and one of them asked him what had become of the Indians who came there a few days before that. He was told that they had gone away. The Indian said ' ' You heap lie. Me stay out on the hill. See um come here, no see um go away." Lathrop made no reply to this, but asked them to get off their horses and eat some of the food he had brought out and to ask the other Indians to come there and eat, too. They motioned for the others to come up and then dis- mounted. The rest of the band rode up, got off their horses, put down their weapons, and began to eat. So far things had gone well for the Never Sweats and it looked as though they were going to get some Indians this time. While this was going on Harvey had got out there and told Pike to go with him to the house and get some coffee. When they got close to the door the white men came around the corner of the house and fired on the Indians. Pike started to run and Shumway shot him in the back with a handful of five-shooter bullets; but he kept on running until he got to the corral, and he stayed there until the Indians came to him with the horses. As soon as the whites fired they rushed toward the Indians who all ran away, the most of them taking their guns, but only one getting his horse. They ran out as far as the grave of the Indians, the white men following and shooting at them with their pistols. The Indian with the horse, though the whites were shooting at him all the time, circled around behind them and drove the ponies out to the other Indians and they mounted and rode away. One of them was slow in get- ting on his horse, and Long, Johnston, Harris, and Slidell ran toward him. He raised his gun and fired at them. Those in front had swung out to one side and Harris caught the bullet. Slidell was the only one who had brought his gun along and he snapped it at the Indian, but it failed to go off. It was a rifle with the [282] THE YEAR 1862 hammer on the under side, the cap had dropped off, and he had no more with him. The Indian kept trying to mount his horse by- getting on a sagebrush, but every time he tried it the bush mashed down. Slidell kept following him up and snapping his gun at him until he left his pony and ran away. The whole thing was over in almost no time. The Indians went out to the corral and got Pike and rode off to the east where they gathered up some horses that were running there. Drake rode out toward them and they invited him to come on if he wanted to. Thus ended what looked like a good chance for the Honey Lakers to get revenge upon the Indians. It seems to have been a very badly managed affair. Harris was mortally wounded and died on the sixth of April. The Indians left four guns and one pony. From their actions it was supposed that seven Indians were wounded and that they died later on, but it was also reported that Pike got well and no one ever knew for certain that any of the others died. John F. Hulsman says that early this spring Winnemucca and eight or ten warriors came to the Ward and Titherington ranch (the Lassen ranch south of Susanville). Hulsman gave them something to eat and let the chief sleep in his bed. Winnemucca said they could kill no game with their bows and arrows and they must have something to eat. He said that if the white men would give him some ammunition, he would see that it was put to a good use. The Indians would kill game with it and would not have to kill the white men's cattle. Ward and Titherington hitched up and went to town and with the help of Roop and some others got a lot of blankets and ammunition which they brought out and gave to the Indians. They at once packed this on their ponies and went away, the chief saying that they would do no mischief and would not bother anybody. On the 5th of April a man out hunting stock was chased by three Indians. He was within a hundred yards of them when he first saw them, but he had a good horse and soon was out of their reach. This spring a few soldiers were stationed at Smoke creek, probably under the command of Lieutenant Wells. They stayed there until the following spring and then a much larger force was sent to that place. [283] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Hall's Trip to the Humboldt April 8th William H. Hall and fifty-four others left Lath- rop 's ranch for the Humboldt mines, there being a great mining excitement in that section. On the third day out they fell in with Thomas Bare, who traveled along with them, and the next day they reached the station at Deep Hole. Here a sad spectacle met their view. The Indians had returned and dug up the body of Dave , whom they had killed about a month previous to that time, and pieces of it were scattered around. This sight drove Bare almost crazy and he swore that henceforth he would kill every Indian he could, no matter where he was. It rained the following night and they could not cross the desert on account of the sticky mud, so Hall and James Bailey, the Father of William R. Bailey of Janesville, this county, went out hunting for mountain sheep. They could not find any and at eleven o'clock they started for the station. As they were going along about half a mile from camp Bailey said "You go over the hill and I will go around it, and we may strike something here. ' ' When Hall reached the summit of the hill he saw a pile of rocks seventy-five yards ahead of him and there was an Indian's head sticking up above it. The Indian stood up and they both took aim and fired at the same time. The bullet from the Indian's gun struck the ground about three feet behind Hall, but the latter 's gun failed to go off. He saw another Indian holding a couple of horses on the side hill below him and he turned and ran down the hill toward the station. He says that he was not afraid himself, but he wanted to get help so they would not kill Mr. Bailey. He must have been in earnest about "getting there," for it is said that he stepped twelve or fifteen feet at a time while he was going down the hill. When he reached camp a dozen men got on their horses and went around the hill to Mr. Bailey and then chased the Indians. But they had too much of a start and the white men never got anywhere near them. When they resumed their journey Bare, who was also going to the Humboldt, went along with the crowd. He was a little ahead of the rest of the party when they got to Antelope Springs, and captured an Indian whom he found trying to get into the house there. He told the others that he was going to take his cap- tive to the Humboldt river, but instead of going along the road he took him up a trail behind a ledge of rocks. He was punching [284] THE YEAE 1862 him with his cocked gun to make him go and the Indian turned around and caught hold of the muzzle of it and tried to take it away from him. In the scuffle he got the muzzle of the gun against his body and Bare pulled the trigger and killed him dead. When the party reached the Humboldt river everybody, Indians and all, seemed to know about the affair, and Hall says the Indians in that section kept up a war for three years on account of it. The Burning op the Mud Flat Station Told by A. L. Harper Along in December, 1861, Samuel Marriott started for the Humboldt with four or five ox teams loaded with freight. On the evening of their arrival at Rush creek they unyoked their cattle and drove them down on the flat below to feed. "When they got back to the wagons they found some Indians plundering them, but they ran away as soon as they saw the teamsters com- ing. The next morning it was raining and snowing by spells and this weather continued for three or four days. When the storm was over the cattle were scattered and all of them could not be found, but Marriott used what he had, and by taking part of a load at a time, managed to get his freight back to the Mud Springs Station and store it in one of the buildings there. Hobbs, Robert Ross, and two men coming in from the Hum- boldt stayed there that winter. About the middle of March Hobbs came out to Honey Lake valley. Early one morning a few days after he had gone Ross heard the dog bark and a shot fired. An Indian had crawled up behind a bunch of willows until he was only fifty or sixty yards from the house. The dog discovered him, and not liking Indians, made an attack on him and the Indian had to shoot him in self defense. The bullet struck the dog back of the head and went the whole length of his body just under the skin. Ross thought that the Indians might be around and he jumped out of bed, grabbed his gun, and went out without putting on his clothes, for he wanted to get there before the Indian had time to reload his gun. The dog was still fighting the Indian and Ross got a shot at him. He ran a little ways and then dropped his bow and arrows and a rabbit skin cloak. He succeeded in going a short distance further and there was met by two other Indians who helped him [285] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA mount his horse. He hung to his gun and carried it away with him. The blood on the ground showed that he had been severely wounded. In some way the Honey Lakers heard about the shooting of the Indian, and thinking there might be trouble about it, they hitched up five ox teams and went out there after Marriott's freight. When they got there they loaded it as rapidly as possible and left the place — the men who had been staying there going along with them. A night or two afterwards the buildings at the station were all burned. H. L. Spargur was coming in from the Humboldt and intended to stay there that night, but he saw the buildings burning and struck across the hills leaving the station to one side. This must have occurred during the first week in April. Horses and Cattle Stolen by the Indians from Susanville Told by John T. Long One night in the latter part of May eight or ten Indians, as near as could be told from their tracks, came into Susanville. They went into Mr. Jenison's chicken house and walked along the street past the few houses then in the place. When they went away they took a work steer belonging to Milton Craig out of a corral near the Roop cabin. This was one of an extra fine yoke of cattle. They also took six horses owned by William B. Long from the little flat just north of the cabin. They stayed on the Antelope hill the next day and the people in town could see them walking around a fire. From the signs left there they built a fire and had a feast and jerked what was left of the steer's flesh. Nobody went out after them, it being the only case on record where the Never Sweats stood anything of that kind from the Indians without giving them a fight if there was any chance to do so. That same spring a man named William R. Hill lived with his family in the little valley on Piute creek about half a mile northwest of Susanville. One evening as they were milking their cows near the house a band of Indians came into the corral. They didn't try to hurt any one, but drove the cattle out of the corral and went off to the northeast with them toward the Antelope hill. One of the Hill boys ran down the canyon to Susanville and gave the alarm and several men took their guns [ 286] THE YEAE 1862 and set out toward the hills. They succeeded in heading the Indians off and fired on them when they came along. They never returned the fire, but left the cows and departed in great haste. It is hard to understand why they were so inoffensive. "While the men were gone the rest of the people living in town, not knowing what would happen next, gathered at Arnold's hotel. On the fifth of June eighty soldiers (cavalry) came into the valley, but they stayed only a few days. The last of June or the first of July a party of men were coming along the emigrant road from the Humboldt river to Honey Lake valley. Dr. H. S. Borrette was with them. Near Deep Hole an Indian joined the crowd and rode along with them. Among the men there was one whose brother had been killed by the Indians and he had sworn vengeance on them. This man worked around until he got on the right hand side of the Indian so his gun, which he carried on the saddle in front of him, would be pointed toward the red man. He rode in this way beside the Indian until he managed to get him out on the left hand side of the crowd where there was no danger of hitting any one else. Then he aimed his gun the best he could while it was in that position, fired and killed the Indian. It is very probable that some other white man had to suffer to pay for this. The Murder of James Bailey and William Cook It has been told that Mr. Bailey went out to the Humboldt mines in April. He settled up his business in Star City and in company with his partner, William Cook, started with five yoke of cattle and a wagon for their homes in Shasta county. On the night of the eighth of July they reached Antelope Springs fifteen miles west of Lassen's Meadows on the Humboldt river. Appearances indicated that they got there late at night, and after turning their cattle loose, they made their bed a short distance from the wagon and went to sleep. Early the next morning Cook took a little keg and a dipper and went to a spring not far away. It looked as though Bailey was rolling up the bed when some one slipped up behind him and struck him on the head with his own ax. This did not kill him and he fought his way to the wagon and tried to get his gun, but he failed to do it and was killed a short distance from the wagon. There [287] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA were some bushes on the point of a hill between the wagon and the spring and the tracks showed that ten or twelve Indians had been concealed there. When Cook heard the noise of the fighting at the wagon he started to help Bailey, but the Indians who were in the bushes rushed out to meet him and killed him. It is not known whether any Indians were killed or not. Cook had a pistol and probably he gave a good account of himself before he died. Both men were stripped of their clothes and mutilated and left where they fell. The Indians took their weapons and the cattle and everything the wagon contained excepting some ground coffee which they scattered around the ground. They carried away quite a sum of money which the men had with them. They left the yokes and chains and did not burn the wagon. That night John C. Dow and John Prichard, who were coming from the Humboldt mines, reached the scene of the murder. They rolled the bodies of the men in some blankets and buried them where they found them and they still lie there. When the news reached the Humboldt mines ten men, Captain Weatherlow, William Jackson, and John Pool being among the number, started out on the trail of the Indians and followed them to the northwest into the Queen's river country. They found a camp of nine Indians and succeeded in surrounding it and killing eight of them. The ninth one, who was a big fellow, got into the rocks, and thinking himself safe, climbed out onto a point and began to yell and make insulting gestures. Jackson borrowed Weatherlow 's gun, a Sharp's rifle, and taking careful aim, shot the Indian through the body killing him instantly. One of the Indians had on a pair of Mr. Bailey's trousers and in one of the pockets was a promissory note for $50, but it was so badly worn out that the name of the maker could not be read. A. L. Harper says that the Indian killed by Jackson had the gun that Peter Lassen was carrying when he was murdered. It was taken to Susanville and the people there recognized it because it had a black walnut stock the whole length of the barrel. It was given to Governor Koop and Mrs. Arnold says that Harper's account is correct. The following story was also told by Mr. Harper. The last of July seven or eight Indians came into Star City with some fine nuggets. The people of the place were much excited about it and two or three parties tried to hire the Indians to tell [288] THE YEAR 1862 where they found them. Finally, after they had tried all sorts of plans, such as shutting them up, feasting them, etc., the Indians agreed to show them the place, but they wanted a good many blankets for doing it. But they kept coming down with their price and at last four of them said they would go with a party of twelve or fifteen white men and show them where they found the gold. For their pay they were to receive a few ponies and some provisions and their board while they were on the trip. They went up the east side of the Humboldt river, but after they had traveled a few days two of the Indians left in the night and before long another one did the same thing. Harper doesn't know whether the other one got away or they killed him. The party then started back toward Star City. When they got down to Gravelly Ford they ran across a band of Indians who were fishing camped by the river and they killed a lot of them, perhaps ten or twelve, and scalped them. They brought the scalps into Star City with them and some of the crowd wore them on their belts around town. There were a good many tame Indians who frequented the place, and probably some wild ones, too, and they all knew where the scalps came from. The sequel to this will be told later on. Early in September a man coming to this valley from Red Bluff with a load of fruit had three arrows shot into him by the Indians. About the same time an emigrant train camped in the valley and they reported that they had buried fourteen men, women, and children on the Humboldt. They supposed that the Indians had killed them. A week afterwards a man was killed at Fredonyer's house in Mt. Meadows, twenty arrows being shot into him. Two Indians Shot Near Bankhead's September 26th two Washoe Indians came into Lomas and Bankhead's blacksmith shop in what is now Janesville. James Doyle of Milford says they had a couple of old guns and they wanted Bankhead to fix them. They were of no account and he threw them down on the ground and said he could not fix the old things. The Indians didn't understand English very well and they went around the place saying " old things" until the women got frightened. H. E. Lomas tells the rest of the story. He says the Indians were very impudent [289] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA while they were in the shop, and because there had been a great deal of trouble with the Indians that year, it made him a little nervous. Their actions frightened the few women who lived in the place. A man named Tunnel was in the shop at the time and he felt himself insulted by what they said and did. When they started off up the road Tunnel and another man went around and got in ahead of them and lay behind a log by the side of the road at the top of the hill about half a mile west of Fort Janesville. "When the Indians came along they fired on them killing one and wounding the other. The wounded one, who was lame, ran straight up toward the mountain and escaped. He went down the valley where some one dressed his wounds and he got well. The men who did the shooting put the body of the dead Indian on a log and burned it. This affair was not very creditable to the whites, but there was some excuse for it from the fact that they had been driven almost to desperation by the Indians that year. Besides the stealing and murdering done by them, for which they escaped punishment the most of the time, they would come into the valley with property taken from the whites and sometimes boasted of it. The young bucks delighted in being as mean and impudent as they could and seemed to think that the whites dare not resent it. There is a limit to what men can stand, and between fear of invasion by the Indians and anger at what they had already done, the Honey Lakers had reached that limit. Four Men Attacked by the Indians Near the Shaffer Ranch Told by H. E. Lomas and the "Quincy Union." On the 28th or 29th of October Mr. Lomas was putting a roof on his cabin at the Shaffer Ranch (Lathrop and Bradley had sold out to the Shaffer Brothers) when a man came to the station from the emigrant road. He was very much excited and said that four of them had been attacked by the Indians not far out on the road to the northeast. There were two teams, one an ox team and the other a mule team, and they were going from the Humboldt to Red Bluff. The ox team was somewhat behind the other one, and when they were about two miles from Shaffer's fifteen Indians rose up from among the sagebrush some thirty yards away and fired on the teamster and a passenger that he had. "While the latter was trying to get his gun out from under [ 290 ] THE YEAR 1862 some blankets he was slightly wounded in the wrist by an Indian more brave than the others, who had come close to the wagon. He got the gun, however, and handed it to the driver who fired at the Indians. One of them fell, but soon got up and ran off. Several shots were fired by the passenger, who had a revolver, but upon the nearer approach of the Indians they were com- pelled to leave their wagons and go to Shaffer's. They came in one at a time, and as each one arrived he was received like one risen from the dead by those of the party already there. They raised a small crowd and went back to the scene of the fight and found the coast clear of Indians. They recovered the wagons and the teams, but the ox wagon had been plundered of the driver's trunk which contained $250. An Attack by the Indians on Mud Flat From the narratives of A. L. Harper, William E. Bailey, William W. Asbury, William Pool, H. E. Lomas, A. L. Tunison's diary, and from what was written from Susanvijlle to the "Quincy Union.' ' The last of October a party started from the Humboldt mines to go to Honey Lake valley. There were eleven of them, John Green, George H. Dobyns, Joseph Block, ' ' Bobby ' ' Jordan, John Spencer, John McCoy, Theodore C. Purdom, G. Loomis Kellogg, and perhaps Dr. Baker. The names of the other two can not be ascertained. Purdom and Kellogg belonged in Honey Lake and the rest of the party, so far as is known, were from Shasta county, and all of them were on the way to their homes. Some of them had been in business in the Humboldt mining towns and the others were prospectors and teamsters. Dobyns had a four- horse team, Purdon and Kellogg, who were partners, had another one, and there was some kind of lighter rig drawn by two horses or two mules. Stories regarding the details of the affair are conflicting, but the writer has been able to get the truth in regard to the principal facts. The Indians were troublesome, but large parties felt secure from attack by them. The night of the last day of October the party stayed at Smoke creek. One of them showed three Indian scalps, said to be some of those taken from the Indians killed at Gravelly Ford the last of July, and said he wanted more of them. He had a Sharp 's rifle and two revolvers and he thought [291] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA he could whip all the Indians they could bring to him, and he wanted some brought. When the fight began his horse ran away with him and so the red men escaped with their lives. The next morning all the men excepting Green rolled their guns up in their blankets because they thought they were out of danger of an attack by the Indians. Green said he was going to stick to his gun until he got home and was ridiculed for his timidity. When they came down off the bluffs onto the east end of Mud Flat, about nine miles from Shaffer's, a band of Indians, estimated at from fifteen to fifty, rose up from behind some sagebrush that had piled up a short distance from the road and poured a volley into them. Purdom was shot just under the shoulder blade. It was a serious wound and he fell from the wagon. The horses then swung around and tipped the wagon over. Green, Spencer, McCoy, and another man were on horseback and a little distance ahead of the wagons, but the three first named immediately turned and rode back to them. (Lomas says that Spencer was in one of the wagons.) In the fight that followed Kellogg was shot through the heart and instantly killed. McCoy was shot through the hip and Spencer was struck between the shoulders, almost on the neck, but either the bullet had not much force or he had on a good many clothes, and it only raised a big lump. It is said that Block ran toward the Indians, some say making Masonic signs, others that he offered them money to spare his life, but they killed him before he got very far. It was not much of a fight on the part of the whites, and the man they had laughed at that morning for his cowardice did the most of the fighting. He fired at the Indians several times and killed one of them at least. (Another story is that not an Indian was killed.) He got between them and the white men, a correspondent of the "Sacramento Union" writing from Susanville says he got off his horse and threw rocks at them, and kept them back until his companions, part of them, got into the light rig and drove off. Harper says they were going to leave Purdom there on the ground, but Green made them come back and get him. McCoy's wound made it very difficult for him to ride and Green held him on his horse until they reached a place of safety. Lomas says he came to the station across his horse face down. George R. Dobyns says that his Father cut his horses loose from the wagon [292] THE YEAE 1862 and got Jordan on one of them, then mounting a race mare, he took his blacksnake whip and drove the other horses toward Shaffer's as fast as he could. Another story is that Jordan hung onto the hind end of the light wagon for three or four miles before they would stop and let him get in. The Indians pursued them for some distance, but they reached the station in safety. The two dead men were left behind where they fell. The next day five or six men took Shaffer's wagon and brought in the bodies of Kellogg and Block. The former was not mutilated a great deal, but Block was scalped and badly cut up. Purdom and Kellogg 's team had been taken away and the two wagons plundered. It was known that Block had $500 in money on his person and the Indians got that. They took from Dobyns' wagon an express box containing some jewelry and considerable money, and from the other wagon a sack in which was all the money Purdom and Kellogg had received for their Humboldt mines. Mrs. M. J. McLear, who was Purdom 's wife, says it was a goodly sum. Lomas and another man made some boxes and buried Kellogg and Block out in the sagebrush north- west of the Shaffer station. It was north of the road to Susan- ville and west of the Humboldt road, perhaps twenty or thirty rods from each one of them. They were never moved from there. Purdom recovered to some extent, but two years later he died in San Francisco from the effects of his wound. McCoy was crippled for life. The Pursuit of the Indians This murder caused great anger in Honey Lake valley. On the third and fourth of November meetings were held in Susan- ville for the purpose of raising a company to pursue the Indians. The following account is from the diary of A. L. Tunison who went with the expedition. There were twenty-six well mounted men under the com- mand of Captain John Byrd and nineteen soldiers under Major McMillan and they started from the Shaffer ranch on the 12th. Excepting Byrd, "William Dow, and Tunison the names of none of the men were given. They went to Smoke creek, Painter Flat, the east end of Madeline Plains, and then northwest and camped in one of the north arms of the Plains. The next day they went north and camped on a branch of Pit river. That [293] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA afternoon they went out on a scout and again at night, and the last time they saw one camp fire and one blind or signal fire. "November 17th. Twelve of us went to Tula valley on branch of Pit river ten or twelve miles on foot to form on one side of a supposed camp of Indians, and twenty-one mounted men went on horseback to come up on the other side of the supposed camp, but before getting there saw a trail of Indians and followed them. Came up with them and killed seven Indians, and squaws and papooses. " They then returned to Tula valley, went from there northeast across two branches of the Pit river, and then east towards Surprise valley. They went into that valley and down it to within three or four miles of Wall lake. "November 22. Traveled thirty or thirty-five miles in a southeast direction without water. Left one pack mule which tired out. Camped on Deep Hole creek. Went on to Deep Hole, several soldiers got pretty tight here. Indians stole six head of cattle from here four days ago." November 26th they arrived at Shaffer's and Tunison went home the next day. A short time previous to this the Indians robbed a camp at the Big spring fifteen miles west of Susanville. It was thought by some that the attack on the whites at Mud Flat was made by Smoke Creek Sam's band. Others claimed that the Indians who made it had followed the party from the Humboldt river and were taking revenge for the killing of the Indians at Gravelly Ford. A Complaint from, Susanville about the Indians From the "Sacramento Union" of November 20, 1862 Their Susanville correspondent says in part : ' ' The only aid we have received from any one is when the government sends a few soldiers in the summer during emigration when we do not need them, excepting when Lieutenant Warner with twenty men stayed here one winter. A fort was established at Ft. Churchill but that was too far away to do Honey Lake any good. There is a barrier of snow to the west several months in the year, and not knowing whether we are in California or Nevada, the Indians steal our stock and murder our people. We are abandoned by California except when her officers collect taxes which they do not fail to demand. Last winter and spring we were constantly harassed by the Indians. At last Captain Price with part of a [ 294 ] THE YEAR 1862 company was sent here, but he stayed only a few days and then he returned to Ft. Churchill and reported everything quiet in the valley. At the time Captain Price was in the valley the Indians were stealing all along the Humboldt road and it was not safe for a company of less than ten or twelve armed men to travel that road. Is it possible that Governor Stanford and Governor Nye and General Wright are so ignorant of Indian character as to think they would find bands of Indians prowling around the valley when we were ready to receive them ? On the first day of November eleven men were attacked by fifty or seventy-five Indians when within eight miles of the valley and two men killed and three wounded. The Indians got several of their animals, some provisions, and several hundred dollars in money and escaped. Last week Captain Byrd was chased by five Indians while he was lboking after some horses. All these depredations are looked upon with apathy by those whose duty it is to protect us. Soldiers are stationed on the road from Carson to the Humboldt, and people can travel along the road with safety. Thousands of people from northern California travel through here on their way to the Humboldt mines, and risk their lives and property in doing so. If the governor of Nevada could see anything outside of Storey and Washoe coun- ties, things might be different. This condition of things should be remedied at once." Soldiers Promised to Honey Lake The "Sacramento Union" of November 22, 1862, says the following letter was received by Governor Nye of Nevada Ter- ritory from General Wright: "Headquarters of the Pacific, Sacramento, Nov. 13, 1862. ' ' Governor : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's communication of the 9th inst. Rest assured that I shall afford all the protection in my power to the settlers. I have received a petition from the settlers of Honey Lake valley asking for the presence of United States troops and I have given orders for a detachment of cavalry to take post at or near Susanville, and in the spring I will make arrangements for a permanent post in that section of the country. f 295 1 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "With great respect, I have the honor to be your Excellency's obedient servant, G. Wright, Brigadier General, U. S. A., Commanding. "To his Excellency J. W. Nye, Governor of Nevada Territory, Carson City. ' ' The last of November the Indians stole ten head of stock from Deep Hole springs. This closes the long list of their depre- dations for this year. Fredonyer's Talk Against Time Dr. Atlas Fredonyer's name has been given several times among those who filed squatter claims on land in this valley. Mention has also been made of the pass between this valley and Mt. Meadows which he claimed to have discovered. He was the first actual settler in Mt. Meadows, the high mountain between Eagle lake and Horse lake was named after him, and on some of the old maps a road that circled around in California and Nevada sixty or eighty miles north of here was called "Fredonyer's Koute." F. and S. have the following: "Atlas Fredonyer was indicted May 7, 1862, for an incestuous and criminal assault upon the person of his own daughter. His case came on trial May 12, before the court of sessions, Judge E. T. Hogan presiding. Patrick 0. Hundley, being then district attorney, prosecuted the case; while the prisoner volunteered to conduct his own defense. The evidence was conclusive and damning. Mr. Hundley made a strong argument, which carried conviction to the mind of every juror. Fredonyer then opened his case, and by subterfuge and windy argument, endeavored to prolong the trial and gain time. All this while a young man from Honey Lake valley, who was confined in Fredonyer's cell for horse stealing, was making a laborious effort for liberty. Fredonyer held the court for four days, while the young man sank a shaft and tunnel under the floor of the jail. Uust as he got the avenue of escape completed, and while Fredonyer was still talking against time in the courtroom, three other prisoners, confined in different cells, told the sheriff that a fresh, earthy smell came from Fredonyer's apartment. An examination proved the cor- rectness of their impressions, and the plot was frustrated just in the nick of time, for the birds would have flown that night. [296] THE YEAE 1862 When the matter was related in the courtroom Fredonyer closed his argument very suddenly, and for his pains received a sen- tence of six years in the state prison. Subsequently, James Duesler, always interceding for the good, bad, or indifferent, started a petition, and had Fredonyer pardoned; but he never returned to Plumas county. ' ' Many of the best men among the settlers of this valley believed that Fredonyer was innocent and that it was a "put up job" on him. Lassen's Monument On June 24th, St. John's Day, the Masons had a celebration at Richmond and erected a monument over the grave of Peter Lassen. This monument is still standing, but it shows the effects of the elements. It stands ten feet north of the great tree and is quite an elaborate piece of work. It is constructed from native volcanic ash rock, is two feet and seven inches square at the base, and ten and one half feet high. On both the north and the south sides of it is the following inscription : "In Memory of Peter Lassen, the Pioneer, who was killed by the Indians April 26, 1859. Aged 66 years." Under the inscription is a gun crossed by an arrow and a powder horn hangs from a gun. Besides this a number of Masonic symbols are carved on the monument. That night there was a "Grand Ball' at the Richmond Hotel. The First United States Mail Routes in the County In January, 1862, the U. S. government advertised for pro- posals for carrying mail on all the routes in California from July 1, 1862, to June 30, 1866. Among them were two newly established routes into this county. One of them was from Oroville, by Cherokee Flat, Butte Mills, and Longville, to Susanville in Utah Territory, 106 miles and back, once a week. The other route was from Red Bluff, by Lost Camp and Pine Grove, to Susanville, 135 miles and back, once in two weeks. Dean and Harbison of Plumas county were given the contract on the first route at $2500 a year. They must have sub-let this contract to the Davis Brothers, for Edward and Frank Davis ran a two-horse stage and carried the mail between Oroville and Susanville during that summer and fall. When the roads got bad A. L. Harper carried it on horseback until the snow stopped [297] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA that. During the winter it was carried on snowshoes, George Baker bringing it to Humbug valley (Longville) and Harper from there to Susanville. The first post office in the county was established at Susanville. Governor Roop was appointed post- master and he held the office until his death in 1869. His office was always in a little building on the north side of Main street about the middle of the street between Lassen and Gay. Previous to July the mail and express were brought from Oroville to the valley this year by a man named Fargo. Rough Elliott's Fight with Douglas Told by Joseph C. Wemple In the summer of 1862 Rough Elliott brought to his ranch below Milford tfie first reaper ever seen in that part of the country. It was a combined mower and reaper. Mr. Wemple and John C. Dakin rented the Fairchilds and Washburn ranch that year and Elliott let his hired man, Hobbs, come over with the reaper and cut some of their grain. Wemple and Elliott did not agree in their measurement of the land cut over, the latter making it seven acres more than the other man did, and he wanted to bet $100 that he was right. Wemple had only $90, but he went over to the store and bet that with him, putting the money into the hands of the storekeeper, Mr. Everett. Each one was to select a man to decide the matter. Wemple selected a man of some education named Douglas, who worked for Fair- childs, and Elliott took Hobbs. They agreed that Wemple was right and the stakes were given to him. Elliott felt injured over the matter and tried to work some plan to get even on the money he had lost. A few days after this he and Hobbs, who was a footracer, were in Milford and they proposed to run a race to see who should buy the drinks for the crowd. They ran and Hobbs won. Elliott then wanted to make a match with him for $250 on a side, the race to be run in two weeks, and Hobbs agreed to run. He and Douglas had come to the country together so Hobbs asked him to put up the money for him (Hobbs). Douglas thought that the other man was honest so he put up a note that he held against Fair- childs. Elliott and Hobbs pretended to have a row and the latter came to Wemple and asked him to board him while he was training for the race. This was done as a blind to avoid [298] THE YEAR 1862 suspicion. Elliott did not train at all and that did not look just right. Just before the race Wemple bet him $10 that he would be beaten because Hobbs was a good runner and was training well. On the day of the race Elliott had plenty of money and tried to get Wemple to bet more, but the latter told him that he had ten dollars of his money and would get no more. When the race was run Hobbs kept a sideways watch on Elliott and dropped back so as to let him come in ahead. The fraud was so apparent that Douglas immediately said "Mr. Elliott, you can not draw that money down. My friend Hobbs has gone back on me. He has thrown the race. ' ' He then went to the stakeholder and told him to give back to Elliott his own money, but not to let him have the note. Several times after that Elliott abused him shamefully, calling him a coward, etc. The next time he began to abuse him Douglas said he would not stand it any longer, and if he was not armed they would go outside and settle it. Elliott said he was not armed and that he did not need any weapons for his kind, and they went out in front of the store to fight. Douglas struck the other man and knocked him back six or eight feet, but he threw his hands behind him and did not go entirely down. He jumped up and drew a knife from the back of his neck and struck Douglas on the left side of the neck just missing the jugular vein and cutting a gash four inches long. Several men caught hold of Elliott and kept him from killing the other man. A. M. Vaughan, who was one of Elliott's best friends, was there and it looked for a while as if there would be a general row, but they soon quieted down. Wemple walked up to Elliott, put his hand in his face and called him a dirty coward, and he never resented it. They carried the injured man down to Wemple 's house and tried to stop the bleeding of his wound, but with such poor success that it looked for a time as though he would bleed to death. Finally Wemple stopped the bleeding by putting some damp cotton covered with pulverized gunpowder into the cut. While they were doing this Elliott took to the woods and did not come back for a week, or at least until it was sure that Douglas would not die. As there were no courts here then, nothing more was said about it and Elliott escaped punishment. Ever since the Carson valley affair he had been looked upon by many as a sort of leader. He was thought to be a desperate [299] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA man and was feared by some, and in one way and another had quite a following. After Douglas got well he worked a while longer for Fairchilds and then went over to Dogtown (Magalia) and hung out his shingle as a doctor. CORNELISON AND RAFAEL SHOT October 9th, or a little before that, the people in that part of the valley gathered at Fort Janesville for a social dance. Some time during the night Wiley Cornelison got into a row with a Spaniard named Steve Rafael and struck him. The Spaniard drew his pistol and shot Cornelison in the side, the bullet passing around and lodging in the muscles of the small of the back. Rafael was then shot in the arm by A. M. Vaughan and ran outside followed by a crowd, but they failed to catch him and he mounted his horse and rode away. He stayed in the valley for some time after this and was not arrested because many thought that he acted in self-defense. It was reported here that he went out into the Humboldt country and some time afterwards was shot for stealing stock. Dr. Slater probed Mr. Cornelison 's wound and found the bullet, but he did not dare to remove it and Cornelison carried it the rest of his life. The writer has been told several stories about the foregoing; but they were so conflicting in regard to the cause, exact location, and result of the difficulty, that he has confined himself to the known facts in the case William Fox Shot by Dr. R. F. Moody This affray took place in Susanville on the 15th of June. Fox, who was a quarrelsome man, had threatened the doctor's life and this time drew a pistol on him. Moody, however, got in the first shot and gave his antagonist a flesh wound that disabled him. Probably the doctor could have killed him just as easily, but he wanted to save himself without killing the other man. It is said that this cured Fox of being a bad man and he gave Moody no more trouble. Doubtless he thought he had good reasons for pursuing such a course. Seaman Killed by Hyde On the 21st of December Charles W. Seaman was shot in Susanville by George Hyde. John T. Long, who was then a small boy, says he stood on the southwest corner of Main and [300] THE YEAE 1862 Gay streets and saw Hyde come out of a saloon just west of him, probably the one called the "Humboldt Exchange. " Sea- man was standing on the other side of the street almost exactly opposite talking to some men. Hyde walked across to the group, drew his pistol, and shot him once in the breast. He died a few days afterwards from the effects of the wound. The shooting was caused by Seaman's attentions to Hyde's wife. The next day Hyde was brought before William J. Young, a justice of the peace living in Susanville. Squire Young's docket shows that he was held to answer for the crime of ' ' assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to commit murder" and was admitted to bail in the sum of $3000. But there is nothing to show that he was ever brought to trial and those who lived here at the time say that he was never punished in any way. Conditions in 1862 This year the really good times for the Never Sweats began. Until they had a market for what they could raise it had been "purty pore pickin' " in this section, as has been related. For quite a number of years after the valley was settled it was said to be an easy matter to tell a Never Sweat wherever one saw him, for his rig was largely patched out with rawhide, bale rope, and wire. It is also said that whenever one of them drove into a feed corral in Virginia City, Marysville, or any other town where they were known, the owner of it began to pick up his curry combs and brushes, feed boxes, and such little things, for fear that when the poor Never Sweat went away he might make a mistake and put them into his wagon. Ruta-baga turnips were said to be Honey Lake currency. Orlando Streshly used to tell a story something like this : One day he was plowing in a small field and it began to rain. The traces of his harness were made of rawhide or buckskin and the rain softened them so they began to stretch. In a short time when he started his team on one side of the field the traces stretched so much that the plow stood still while the team went across to the fence on the other side. He took off the harness and hung them over the fence stakes and left them there still attached to the plow. When he went there the next day he found that the traces had dried and shrunk, and being unable to get away from the fence stakes, had pulled the plow up to them making a furrow clear across [301] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the field. As a rule, it is hard times for poor people who settle on the frontier in any country, and in some ways it was worse than usual for those who settled in the remote mountain valleys. Mr. Lomas says that when Surprise valley had been settled only a year or two a man from there stopped at Shaffer's. He was ragged and patched beyond anything that Lomas had ever seen before and the men present laughed in spite of all they could do, although they were sorry for the poor fellow. When he noticed it he said ' ' Boys, I know what you are laughing at ; but if you laugh at these clothes, I wonder what you would do if you saw me with my working clothes on. " It is needless to tell that this remark made every man in the room a friend to him. But now a time of greater comfort and prosperity had come to the people of this section. There was a gristmill and several sawmills in the valley and a U. S. mail at last. Although it came in but once a week in the summer time and was rather uncertain in the winter, it was an improvement on former days. Some of them had to go twenty-five miles to get to the post office, but that was not very far then. According to the various documents recorded at the time Susanville was in California, Nevada Territory, Utah Territory, or no territory at all; but at Virginia City, Carson City, or Marysville, they knew where Honey Lake valley was and a letter addressed to that place reached its destination. Although some grain was still cradled, Rough Elliott, Nich- olas Clark and Son, Manley Thompson, A. T. Arnold, C. T. Emerson, J. S. Hollingsworth, and perhaps some others, brought in combined mowers and reapers this year. Edward Mulroney brought in a thrashing machine of the latest make and Nicholas Clark and Son and Robert Hamilton brought in another one. Improved machinery meant less hard work and a greater pro- duction of hay and grain. The land was new and fertile and much of it was easily made ready for cultivation. Good grain was sometimes raised on unbroken land. In Virginia City and the adjoining towns and in Union ville and the mining towns of the Humboldt where there had been a rush of people during 1861-62, there was a demand for every- thing one could haul there — even jack rabbits — and the prices would satisfy almost anybody. The best years for this section were 1861 and the three subsequent years, but prices were high [302] THE YEAR 1862 until the Central Pacific R. R. reached Reno in 1868. This spring Shaffer sold flour at Richmond for $16.50 a hundred and what he hauled to Virginia Ctiy brought $28 a hundred when it first arrived there, but in a few days it fell to the trifling price of $22. In June flour sold in the valley for $14 a hundred. In Virginia City that spring barley was 15c a pound, hay $200 a ton, and potatoes 12%c a pound. W. M. Cain, T. N. Long, York Rundel, and others who teamed it, got five cents a pound freight from here to Virginia City this year. In 1863 ranchers from the Carson valley came here for seed wheat and paid lie a pound for it. Abel Parker, the grandfather of the writer, got 9c a pound for barley at Milford. S. R. Hall sold potatoes at the Humboldt for 12y 2 c a pound. He bought some clear, un- planed lumber on Gold Run for $30 or $35 a thousand, hauled it out there, and sold it for $250 a thousand. The previous year William Dow delivered some common lumber at Unionville for $200 a thousand. Freight to Virginia City was 3%c a pound. Charles Lawson says that in 1864 he bought all the crop of barley raised by the Washburns at 8c a pound loose, and they wouldn 't even help him sack it. He sold it in Virginia City for 13c a pound. In 1865 grain got down to four cents a pound in the valley and freight was a little lower. During these years cattle and good work horses greatly increased in value, but for a long time a good broken plug saddle horse could be bought for $35 or $40. The nearer the railroad got to Nevada the lower prices of farm produce were on the Comstock, and when it got to Reno the people of this section had to compete with those of Sacramento valley, and prices went to the bottom compared with what they had been in the early 60 's. Excepting in a few respects social conditions remained the same in the county for more than thirty years after its settlement. Ministers of the Gospel came into the country and in the course of time a few churches were built. Of course schools increased in number as the population increased. In the latter 60 's the most of the men discarded their pistols and Bowie knives and there was less drinking and gambling. Dancing remained the principal amusement and in the early days they made a stren- uous business of it, so to speak. Mrs. E. V. Spencer told of a dance she attended in the early 60 's where they danced all night and after breakfast the next morning pulled down the curtains [303] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA and danced all the forenoon. In the afternoon they moved to another ranch and danced all night again. Some time in the 80 's there was a dance somewhere in the valley every night during the holidays, and four or five couples who lived near Milford went to every one of them. Those pioneers were a tough lot, physically at least. If any one would throw up his hat and yell ' ' We are going to have a dance, ' ' a good crowd would gather on very short notice. For a long time women were scarce and in order to make a dance a success all of them had to attend it. The married ones brought their children and sometimes the beds in the house where the dance was held were full of sleeping little ones. There were no wallflowers and the women used to go away and hide so they could get a little rest. A dance in those days was in many ways a different affair from what one is now. The large emigration which came here in 1862 greatly increased the population of the county, and the high prices obtained for what they had to sell brought on an era of prosperity that caused the country to improve rapidly. [304] CHAPTER IX 1863. SETTLEMENT There were no squatter filings made here this year nor hereafter. The old order had passed away. About the middle of September E. Dyer, a government surveyor, came into the valley and began to survey the land. The first land surveyed was that where Janesville stands and to the north and east of it. He next surveyed the Township north of that, and then the one in which Susanville is situated. All the settled part of the valley was surveyed this year. After the land was surveyed it became necessary to file on it at a U. S. Land Office, and the government gave the preference to the men who were living on the land. A man was allowed a certain time, probably six months, in which to file on any quarter section that he already claimed, and if he did not file within that time some one else could take it. Then the trouble commenced. The most of the ranchers claimed more than a quarter section and, very naturally, they hated to give it up. Some of them hired men to file on land for them and in this way obtained a title to all the land they claimed. Others tried to hold by force that part of the land not allowed them by law, and when some one filed on it, " jumped it," as it was called, they took weapon in hand and drove off the intruder if they could. Sometimes this worked, but not always. Public senti- ment was against the " jumper" in most cases, for the majority of the people were in the same boat, and very often, as of old, the neighbors turned out and helped drive off the man who was "jumping" land. Quite a number of shooting scrapes occurred over these affairs and several men were wounded. Another source of trouble was the fact that the fences were not on the surveyed lines and some of the ranchers wanted to put them on those lines to the detriment of their neighbors. This condition of affairs lasted for several years before people seemed to under- stand that a man owned only the land that he held by a good title. Susanville. George Heaps and Joseph Hale bought the "Humboldt Exchange" saloon from John Burkett and changed the name to "Pioneer" saloon. These two men ran this saloon [305] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA for many years and it was a favorite place of resort. From that day until this there has always been a saloon of that name there, and though several buildings have been burned another one has always been built in its place. F. and S. say: "In 1863 a schoolhouse was built on the site of the present building (south- west corner of Cottage and Weatherlow streets.) It was a frame structure, one story in height, and 20 by 30 feet in size. This building was used until 1872, when the school becoming too large to be accommodated in it, the old house was moved away and a fine, two-story frame school building was erected. A fireproof store building, the first in town, was built of stone, by Andrew Miller and Rufus Kingsley, over the front door of which they placed a stone tablet bearing the inscription '1863.' " This building was on the south side of Main street about the middle of the block between Lassen and Gay, and was con- structed by J. W. Hosselkus and Joseph Roop, brother of I. N. Roop. The schoolhouse referred to was begun in the fall of 1862 and finished during the following winter. In 1900 the second building was moved away and a large two-story brick building erected on the site of it. During the summer the first bridge was built across the river south of town. Some time before this a large log hewed flat on the top had been put across the river for a footbridge. Once a man led his horse across it, and at another time it was crossed by a wild horse that ran away with the man who was riding it. Joseph Strauss had a brewery on the south side of Main street, just east of Piute creek, which may have been put up the previous year. This fall H. K. Cornell, who had bought the place, rented the brewery to Charles Bader. This fall W. J. Young sold his picture gallery to Townsend. Besides the places already told about there was a barber shop near the southwest corner of Main and Gay streets, Cutler Arnold had a store a little west of that, and Nathan Phillips had another one still further to the west. Meyer Asher and Meyer Greehn opened a store this year, and P. D. Hurlbut and Lewis Knudson ran a shoe shop during the winter of 1863-64. In the spring or early summer H. C. Stockton brought a sawmill from near Horsetown in Shasta county and set it up on Susan river a mile and a half above the Devil's Corral bridge. It was a water mill and was run until almost the end of the century. [306] THE YEAR 1863 Mrs. Matilda Montgomery, the "Wife of Thomas Montgomery, taught a private school this summer and E. P. Grubbs taught the public school the following fall and winter. In June Mrs. A. T. Arnold and Dr. Spalding organized the first Sunday school in the schoolhouse. The town raised the money to buy an organ and some books. At that time an Englishman named Carberry was preaching here, the first preacher in the valley, but he was not a regularly ordained minister. Late in 1864 he left here to go to Surprise valley and was never heard from after that. His fate is unknown. Janesville. Smith J. Hill put up a frame building on the north side of the road between Blanchard's store and Bank- head's house, and his brother, Jacob Hill, used it for a saloon and a shoe shop. In the spring of 1867 this building was moved about three quarters of a mile to the northwest, just beyond the Sloss creek and on the south side of the road to Susanville. It was used for a schoolhouse more than twenty years before it was burned down. Thomas H. Epley says that U. L. and P. J. Shaffer built a steam sawmill on the creek just above Janesville during the winter of 1862-63. In January, 1867, this mill was sold to D. R. and L. F. Cate and in September Mr. Epley and Oscar Hood bought them out. They ran the mill with B. H. Leavitt for a head sawyer until the spring of 1869 and then it burned down. Wiley Cornelison built a blacksmith shop across the road from Bankhead's house and ran it for a year or two. This building was used for a blacksmith shop by him, James M. Wiggin, A. Otto, E. W. Vance and H. H. Wienckie, and others, for more than twenty years. Amos H. Barnes and Family moved into the Bankhead house. He built an addition to it and opened a hotel which he kept until he moved to Reno in the early 70 's. Soon after he left the house was pulled down and a two-story frame hotel was built where it stood. Bascom D. (or Henry Bascom) McColm taught school in the Fort this fall and A. M. Vaughan finished out his term. Smith J. Hill and his "Wife say that in May, when their daughter Jane Agnes was a year old, Hill and L. N. Breed named the place where she was born " Janesville ' ' in her honor. They and some others are positive that this is right. H. E. Lomas and many other early settlers are equally positive that his story is right. All of them are reliable people and the reader [307] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA is left to judge for himself which "Jane" the place was named after. This fall Libbie Hankins, a girl fourteen or fifteen years old, the daughter of Mrs. A. A. Holmes, died in Janesville. Her death was the first one in the place and her funeral the first one ever held there. The funeral sermon was preached by a woman named Harding who was a Spiritualist. Toadtown. Daniel W. Bryant tells the following: In 1863 P. W. Cunningham and Fred S. Johnson agreed to move a gristmill belonging to Dr. John Briceland from Cow creek near Millville in Shasta county to Toadtown (Johnstonville). Cun- ningham and Johnson wanted a gristmill and they started out to look after one. Briceland 's mill had been undermined by the stream and was about to fall into it, and he wanted to find a place to which he could move. He agreed with the two Honey Lakers that they should move the machinery of the mill to this valley and have a one half interest in it. They moved the most of it over that year and put up a building where the Toadtown gristmill now stands — that part of the mill that extends north and south. In March, 1864, Mr. Bryant went from the Baxter ranch three miles northeast of Janesville to superintend the putting in of the machinery. Johnson P. Ford, with the help of Cunningham and William Sanders, put in a breast wheel. It took until the spring of 1865 to get the mill ready to run. It was a mill of the kind in common use at that time, and had only one set of millstones. Mr. Bryant ran the mill about three years. Probably in the early 70 's it was sold to Samuel R. Hall and in a few years he sold out to William H. Hall and Henry Snyder. These two ran the mill until 1907 and then Hall sold to Snyder. Milford. Fairchilds and Washburn divided up their prop- erty, the former taking the sawmill and the latter the real estate. Washburn at once went into partnership with his brother, Freeman C, and this year they built the first black- smith shop in Milford. It was on the south side of the road a little east of the creek and Charles Batterson was the first blacksmith. This year and perhaps the next J. N. Pine and H. W. Wal- bridge kept a sort of store near the Soldier bridge. John D. Kelley and Hiram Winchel claimed a tract of land near the lake. [308] THE YEAE 1863 It was the northern part of the location made by John M. Kelley in 1859. H. E. Lomas says that there was at Shaffer's this year the station and its buildings, his cabin and blacksmith shop, and a house that belonged to D. I. Wilmans and John Bass. Some one laid out a town there and its future looked promising. They came to him and wanted him to choose a name for the place. He told them that it was usually spoken of as " Lathrop 's, ' ' so why not call it " Lathrop/ ' Instead of calling it that they called it " Lathrop City" and he thinks the name was too much for it, for the place died a natural death. In December Daniel C. Wheeler and two Germans whose names he has forgotten located a section of land where Amedee now stands and to the south of it. During the winter of 1861-62 the high water had carried a good many fence rails down the river into the lake and these had drifted over to the east side of it. The next spring they hired a man to haul these rails and with them they fenced their land on three sides, the lake making, a fence for the other side. After the fence was completed Wheeler traded his part of the property for some other land that the three of them owned together. In 1868 he came back to this county with sheep and in a few years bought a ranch three miles south of Susanville. Ever since that time he has been a prominent sheep owner of this county and western Nevada. The Germans improved the land on the lake and then sold out to Pearson and Sutherland. Toadtown. Under this head it should have been told that in the fall of 1863 a small schoolhouse was built on the site of the present one and that the first school in Toadtown was taught there by Daniel Murray during the winter of 1863-64. Long Valley. David Cameron bought in with Hood on the Hot Spring ranch. Frank Williams located a tract something like a mile and three quarters northeast of the above ranch and three and a half miles south of the Warm Springs ranch. Osmer Marsh bought the Warm Springs ranch, but the Eobinsons kept the land they claimed to the south of it, including what was afterwards known as the James Miller place. Some claim that Williams and Marsh went into the valley the previous year. John W. Doyle and Henry Berryman came into the valley and the former took up a ranch to the north of the Jacob McKissick place. Albert E. Ross bought the place where the Kearns cabin was, about one and three fourths miles east of the Evans ranch. [309] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Willow Creek. During the summer a party crossed the plains under the leadership of a man named Lee. He had several sons- in-law, and they and the old man laid out a town in the upper end of the valley. It was on the south side of the creek about a hundred yards below where it comes out of the timber and was called "Leesburg." They built four or five cabins and lived there nearly a year, but no boom struck the place and they departed for a warmer climate. In the fall P. D. Hurlbut and Lewis Knudson claimed some land on the north side of the valley and three miles from the lower end of it, but probably they made no improvements this year. The only change in Mt. Meadows was that the Quinns sold out to a man named Seaman who lived there with his wife for a year or two. Tunison says that several parties went into Surprise valley this year to settle. If they reached there, it is doubtful if they stayed the following winter or made any improvements. The following settled in the county in 1863, and the length of residence applies to those whose names are given and their wives. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are living here at present. Clinton De Forest and Family, Alvin E. De Forest, Thomas J. French, William S. Brashear, John Decious and Family, Adam D. E Hedge and Family, Francis M. El ledge, David Johnston and Family, James Haley and Wife, H. N. Haley and Family, Antone Bantley, P. D. Hurlbut and Family, John W. Hosselkus, Mrs. Sarah Laird (afterwards Mrs. C. T. Emerson and Mrs. J. W. Hosselkus) and Family, Mrs. Mary Harris and Family, George H. Dobyns and Family, James E. Cain, Henry Berryman, James Trussell, Samuel Trotter, Mrs. Samantha Fletcher (Mrs. Jeremiah Tyler) and Family, Isaac S. Wright, Samuel Johnson, Lewis Knudson, C. W. Wooton and Family, Henry C. Stockton and Family, John W. Doyle, William Greehn, Jeremiah Baldwin and Family, Mrs. Frances Shaw (Mrs. J. P. Garrett) and Family, and Rufus Kingsley and Wife. The following lived in the county from twenty years to almost a lifetime. H. K. Cornell and Family, James L. Haley, Mrs. Amos Conkey, David Cameron and Family, James M. Stein- berger and Family, Lorenzo H. De Forest, Joseph W. Decious, William I. Decious, and James Ridgeway and Family. [310] THE YEAE 1863 The following lived in the county from two or three to fifteen years. Andrew Miller, Matthew McCulley, John McCulley, *Lee Button, Franklin Dewitt and Family, James Christie and Family, Andrew J. Downing, George W. Downing, Alfred Hill, *John Malise and "Wife, Thomas Harris, James M. Wiggin, Chappel M. Kelley, Robert Briggs, S. K. Shannon, John D. Putnam and Family, John Lambert, Henry Tussler, Elijah Tussler, Daniel C. Wheeler, J. D. Peer and Family, * Frank Williams, John Mc- Naughten, Samuel McNaughten, J. M. McNaughten, *Bascom D. McColm, Richard Withy, H. W. Walbridge and Wife, J. N. Pine, W. H. Yan Alstyne, Mark Stewart, W. W. Clemmons, Mrs. Jane Bryant (Mrs. M. C. Lake) and Family, George W. Long, J. I. Steward and Family, *Henry H. Wright, Amos Roach, *Robert McBeth, Nathaniel Winn, ^Lawrence Fritz and Wife, *William Waterland and Family, *J. B. Ball (Ball's Canyon was named after him), Mathias Glazier, *E. Fitzgerald, Henry H. Reppert, Daniel Reppert, John Reppert, Hiram Teft and Family, Samuel Latten and Family, Samuel Read and Wife, S. J. Eldridge, Sarah E. De Forest (Mrs. Cyrus Lawson), Andrew J. Hunt, and Austin Byrd. Nevada Territory and Honey Lake Politics. 1863 Judge Mott came to Susanville and on January 20th admin- istered the oath of office to the county officers elected the pre- vious September. He also held a term of the district court, but there were no cases to be tried and court was adjourned until the next regular term. The Sage Brush, or Boundary Line, War The following was written from the narratives of William Dow, Fred Hines, V. J. Borrette, Dr. H. S. Borrette, William W. Kellogg, Allen Mead, John W. Stark, John S. Shook, "Mrs. A. T. Arnold, A. L. Tunison's diary, Thompson and West's History of Nevada, and the History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties. The names of some others who furnished information are given further on. Roop county was promptly organized by the newly appointed officers, and it was not long before trouble commenced with the authorities of Plumas county. Hon. John S. Ward, probate judge of Roop county, issued an injunction restraining William [311] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA J. Young from acting in his official capacity. Young, who lived in Susanville, had been elected a justice of the peace for Plumas county the year before. He paid no attention to the injunction and Ward fined him $100 for contempt of court. Then Hon. E. T. Hogan, county judge of Plumas county, issued an order restraining John S. Ward and William Hill Naileigh (Cap. Hill), sheriff of Eoop county, from exercising jurisdiction in any way in Honey Lake valley. They refused to obey this order and Judge Hogan issued warrants for their arrest. This was on Wednesday, the fourth of February, and the next day Sheriff E. H. Pierce and his deputy, J. D. Byers, started for Susanville to serve them. On Friday an injunction issued from Judge Ward's court was served on him by William K. Parkinson, a deputy sheriff of Roop county. This injunction restrained Pierce from exercising jurisdiction over any portion of Roop county. It must have been while the two Plumas county officers were here this time that Byers snatched a warrant from the hands of a Roop county officer just as he was about to serve it. He was arrested upon the charge of having obstructed an officer in the discharge of his duty and was defended by Israel Jones, a young lawyer who had taken the Plumas county side of the controversy. He secured the release of Byers by bringing the warrant into court and showing that the Roop county judge had, in his haste, neglected to sign it. Pierce paid no attention to Ward's injunc- tion, and on Saturday he arrested Cap. Hill and sent Byers to Ward's residence to arrest him and bring him to the Lanigar ranch about four miles south of Susanville, and this Byers did. There they had to wait a short time for a horse for Ward to ride, and Pierce, Cap. Hill, and two witnesses started ahead, leaving orders for Byers to come on with Ward as soon as the horse came. While this was going on the Never Sweats had not been idle. Governor Roop with six men followed the Plumas county officers, but before they had gone very far they met John Dow on horse- back with an ax on his shoulder and he went with them. It is impossible to tell who all the men with Roop were. G. R. Lybar- ger says he knows positively that Robert and George Johnston were with him and John Dow certainly was. There is a proba- bility that the other four were among the following : C. C. Wal- den, Dave Blanchard, Luther Spencer, Joe Hale, Henry Arnold, and Alec Brown. Before they got to the Lanigar ranch Roop [312 1 THE YEAB 1863 halted his men and went on ahead. Byers and Ward were still there, but were just ready to leave, and when the latter attempted to mount his horse Roop stopped him. Roop and Byers then had a row and their talk had almost reached the shooting point when (so Freeman Lanigar says) Francis Lanigar, who was standing near, said " Gentlemen, remember that you are both Masons." They then cooled down and Byers and his prisoner started up the trail toward Indian valley. Roop went back and got his men, started in pursuit, and overtook them at the foot of the moun- tain. They surrounded them and Byers, seeing it was useless to resist, made some jesting remark about being unable to fight men armed with axes and gave himself up. Roop started back with his prisoner and when they got to the Lanigar ranch Byers sent a man after Pierce with a note telling him what had hap- pened. The Honey Lake people say that Byers was taken to Susanville at once. Byers told the writer that he went to Rich- mond and stayed there until the next day, holding Ward as his prisoner all the time, but finally released him on parole. Hines says he was at Richmond the next day (Sunday) after Byers was captured and both men were there then. Perhaps the others forgot about that part of it. There was no place in Susanville where Byers could be kept in confinement, probably they didn't want to do it anyway, so they put him in charge of Miss Susan Roop who had come to Honey Lake from the East the first part of January. He was to board at Roop 's and report to the young lady once in a while. He was allowed to go around town where he pleased, so he visited with his friends and acquaintances and waited for the next move in the game. When Pierce got Byers 's note he released Cap. Hill on parole, and forcing his way through the deep snow on the mountain, went to Quincy as soon as he could. Without any loss of time he raised a posse of, Stark says, 93 men in American valley and fifteen or twenty more joined them in Indian valley. Two or three days after the first posse started twenty men more fol- lowed them with a small cannon. Mr. Stark, the son of Squire Lewis Stark, who with a Mexican helper and eight or ten mules packed their outfit, says they went from Taylorville to the Presby place, seven miles from the upper end of the North Arm of Indian valley, the first day. Allen Mead of Taylorville, who was one of the posse, says some of them stayed at the Presby place [313] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA and the rest stayed at the James Ford ranch in the upper end of the North Arm. William W. Kellogg, who was with the party as one of Pierce 's deputies, says that the crowd met at the James Ford ranch instead of Taylorville. N. B. Forgay of Greenville says that there were only 45 men who left Taylorville, that there was no second posse, and that they started from Taylorville at two P. M. and reached Honey Lake the next morning at six o 'clock. Mr. Forgay also came over with the Plumas men. This shows how men who are trying to tell the truth differ in their stories fifty years after an event has taken place. They must have had a hard time getting over the mountain. Stark says they stayed a day or two at the Presby ranch breaking a road through the snow so they could get over the mountain in one day, and they almost ate Presby out of house and home. They got to the Lan- igar ranch on Friday, the 13th, and camped there for the night. Pierce with three or four men immediately went to Susanville and arrested Ward and Cap. Hill again, but released them with the understanding that they should give themselves up whenever he wanted them. He then returned to camp. The news that Ward and Hill had been arrested again spread rapidly and about nine o'clock that night some men from Toad- town went to Susanville and there were joined by others until there was a party of thirteen men. A. L. Tunison, Byron B. Gray, Luther Spencer, Captain Weatherlow, V. J. Borrette, Dr. H. S. Borrette, and Charles White were among them, and it is probable that Henry Arnold, Thomas Bare, either John or Wil- liam Dow, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, and Frank Strong were there, too. These men took Ward and Hill into the cabin on the east side of Weatherlow street that Roop had built in 1854 and stood guard over them that night. The next morning about ten o'clock, or a little later, Pierce and his men reached town. They crossed the river at the ford a couple of hundred yards above where the bridge is now and came along Weatherlow street until they reached Main street. They found a line drawn across Weatherlow street on the north side of Main and four or five Never Sweats standing near it. It is said that Bare was one of them and that he told Pierce if they came any nearer they would be fired on from the fort, i. e., the Roop cabin. Stark thinks it was Cornelison who did the talking. Pierce and his men then went up Main street and camped at Went- [314] THE YEAR 1863 worth's feed stable near the southeast corner of Lassen and Nevada streets. Nothing was done that day but to parley a little. Ward and Hill said they could not give themselves up because their friends would not let them, and the men in the fort posi- tively refused to let Pierce have them. There was no trouble of any kind that day and no doubt the Plumas men went where they pleased. They went to the ponds in the yard of the Koop resi- dence on Main street to water their horses. One of them, Wil- liam Bradford, asked Miss Eoop how many men there were in the fort and she told him that there were a hundred. He said they could not stay there long and she replied that he need not fool himself for they had plenty of provisions. After the fight was over and he knew how many men there were in the fort at first, they talked about it again. He reminded her of what she had told him, and she asked him if he thought she was " emigrant' ' enough to tell him all she knew about it. (In early days a person was an "emigrant" until he had been in California a year, and was supposed to be "green" in mind and body. It was even claimed that he could not do so much work as a Calif ornian. ) Susanville had grown to be quite a little town. It extended from Weatherlow to Lassen one way, and from Nevada to Mill the other. On Main street there were a few buildings on two blocks still further west and four dwelling houses on the south side of Mill street between Weatherlow and Gay. There were two hotels and a restaurant, two saloons, five stores, one of them a drug store, or rather a store where patent medicines were sold, a gallery where pictures were taken, a barber shop, one or two shoe shops, two livery and feed stables, and thirteen or fourteen houses and cabins, and from its location it seemed as though in time it would be the principal town in this part of the country. The Sage Brush War was a queer one. Honey Lake valley at this time had quite a population and only forty or fifty men, or something like that, were fighting Plumas county. Many of them were old time Never Sweats, men who came into the valley during the first days of its settlement. For reasons heretofore given they had been fighting Plumas county ever since and were going to keep it up until the end. Only half a dozen of those who took part in the fight had come into the valley after 1860. This applies to those who went into the fort. A good many peo- ple in the valley were in sympathy with the Plumas county [315] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA authorities, and others would have nothing to do with the trouble. The "war" was a good deal like two men fighting in the street, and while some few people looked on and took sides in the matter, travel along the street and business went on as usual. It has been told that the people of this valley had little or no personal feel- ing against the officers of Plumas county. In a letter to the writer Mr. Kellogg says "I will add that during all of the time of the trouble with Roop county, etc., Mr. Pierce and myself were personally treated most gentlemanly by the people there. We were very friendly. Nothing was said or done to mar any friendship." It was the same in the case of the other officers. The posse was largely composed of men who had relatives, friends, or acquaintances here. They came with the belief that there would be no fighting and that the people here were just "run- ning a bluff." When they got here and found that the Honey Lakers were in earnest and that they would have to shoot at people whom they liked, they were sorry that they were here. Perhaps they were also sorry because those people were going to take a shot at them. That night the Honey Lakers sent out for assistance. A. W. Worm says he rode all night looking for recruits. On the morn- ing of the 15th there were something like thirty men at the fort, and not many more than that at any time during the day. Ross Lewers says there were only thirty-two. These were the hundred men that Pierce told about in his report. Some of them were in the fort, some at the south end of it behind some logs they had piled up there, and some in a log house about sixteen feet south of the fort. This log house had been built a few feet high and then left. The fort was 16 by 24 feet on the inside and eight feet high at the corners, and would not hold a hundred men if they were cut up and packed into it. As nearly as can be told at this time the men at the fort the day of the fight were Rough Elliott, Captain Weatherlow, Cap. Hill, William Dow, Fred Hines, John Dow, A. L. Tunison, John S. Ward, Frank Strong, Henry Arnold, V. J. Borrette, Dr. H. S. Borrette, E. G. Bang- ham, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, W. K. Parkinson, Robert Johnston, A. B. Jenison, B. B. Gray, John S. Shook, Charles White, Luther Spencer, Thomas Bare, S. J. Hill, J. W. San Banch (Buckskin), E. L. Varney, Al. Leroy, Alec. Brown, Amzi Brown, Joseph Bel- knap, Wiley Cornelison, Dr. P. Chamberlain, Samuel Marriott, [316] THE YEAE 1863 Dave Blanchard, and Ross Lewers. Governor Roop was at the fort part of the time during the day. The rest of the time he was trying to effect a compromise and stop the fighting. No one but Mr. Forgay seems to be able to remember the names of many of the Plumas men. He gives the following list: D. Chapman, H. Carrol, Amos Reeves, Jack Cunningham, Levi Wilcox, Miller, Horace Bradford, Jack Kensey, Ob. Fields, Jackson, Jasper Palmer, Al. Boyd, N. B. Forgay, Robert Varner, Ben. Payne, R. Grabel, John Pope, "Kentuck" Harris, Oscar Peck, Ely Campbell, Edward Davis, Jacob Jordan, John Pettinger, John Ratliffe, Alex Moore, Samuel Grass, Thomas True, Winchen, and Leroy Jennings. Captain William N. De Haven was one of them and the names of some of the others are given in the narrative. The Honey Lakers elected Rough Elliott captain, and he acted in that capacity during the fight, though he consulted with the other men. They took up the floor of the fort, set some posts a little ways from the walls, and nailed the planks to them. They then filled the space between with earth, and this protected them from bullets as long as they kept behind it. Between nine and ten o'clock Sunday morning, the 15th, Pierce with part of his men came down and took possession of a frame barn that stood just north of the Cutler Arnold log hotel. This barn was about the middle of the lot at the southeast corner of Union and Nevada streets, and was between 150 and 160 yards southwest of the fort. As the inch boards with which the barn was covered were a poor protection against bullets, they pro- ceeded to fortify themselves by pulling up the floor of the barn and nailing it against the side next to the fort. There were some long hewed timbers about a foot square not far from the barn and they concluded to use them in their fortification. There was a little snow on the ground and Kellogg with seven men, he says, went out with a rope and tied it to one of them, intending to snake it on the snow to the barn. Some say they got one stick and had gone back for another one when Elliott stood up on the logs at the south end of the fort and told them if they tried to take that timber to the barn they would be fired on. They paid no attention to what he said and started with it. Several men at the fort shot at them and William Bradford fell with a bullet in his thigh. They went on with the timber and Kellogg went back [317] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA after Bradford. Some say that they took two sticks of timber to the barn and piled them up in .front of it, and others say they never got the second stick to the barn. When the Honey Lakers fired the Plumas men returned the fire and the battle was on. The shooting continued for four hours or more, but the most of it was at random. As a rule, the Never Sweats fired at the barn and the other side fired at the fort. Both sides were well pro- tected, if they kept behind their fortifications, and the men in the barn were so careful to do this that none of them were hurt during the fight. There was one man, however, on the Plumas side who did not shoot at random. A man whose name was Arch. Little, Stark says, lay behind something at the northeast corner of the barn and shot to kill. Hines and Strong were behind the logs at the south side of the fort and whenever this man saw the spaces between the logs darken he fired at that place. He did such good shooting that he drove those two men away from there and they went to the north side of the fort. While they were there he, or some one else, fired a bullet that either grazed Strong's shoulder, or tore off a piece of a log that struck him on the shoulder making it black and blue. There was a window in the side of the fort next to the enemy and a door opposite to it. Whenever the door was opened the men in the barn could see through, and they shot at the window when it looked as though there was somethng between it and the door. Dr. Borrette's coat was hanging near the door and several bullets went through it. Charles White was sitting in the fort and a bullet came through the window or between the logs and went through his leg just above the knee. It was only a flesh wound, but he went on crutches for a while. V. J. Borrette was standing up looking at the barn through a crack when a bullet knocked some of the chinking out from between the logs and hit him in the stomach. He "doubled up like a jackknife" and it was some time before he could get his breath. While Hines and Strong were at the north end of the fort they saw Byers going toward the rear end of Neale and Harvey's store. Hines told the other man to take a shot at him, but he refused to do it. Hines told him they had brought men in from Plumas to shoot them and he could not see why it was not right for the Honey Lakers to shoot at any of them, and he was going to shoot at him anyway. It was a long shot for a gun of those days, for the store was on Main street [318] THE YEAR 1863 almost at the upper end of the block above the barn, but the bullet tore up the ground just behind Byers who got into the store without any loss of time. A year or two after this when Byers was sheriff of the county, he was passing along the road where Hines was building a fence. As he passed he sighted along the fence and said ' ' Fred, that is a straight fence. A man who can build a fence like that ought to be able to shoot pretty straight. ' ' Hines laughed and told him that at one time he thought he was a pretty good shot. Probably some one had told Byers where that shot came from. The men at the fort saw John H. Neale, who was a friend to the Plumas county authorities, going from his house south of the Arnold hotel toward the store. Some one said "Let's scare him a little and make him hurry up." A few of them fired at the ground close to his feet and he took con- siderable interest in getting out of the way, much to their amuse- ment and very little to his own. At that time some of the towns- people used to come for water to a spring on the north side of Main street and south of the fort. While the shooting was going on the men in the fort would dodge out to the unfinished cabin and then along under the hill to the spring, and find out from the people Who had come for water what was going on in town. "Ward was just going out there when Hines stopped him and told him about the man who was doing the good shooting on the other side. He also told him to be very careful to stoop low when he went from the fort to the cabin. "Ward heeded the warning as he was going out and got under the hill in safety, but coming back he didn't keep down and a bullet struck him. It went under the collar bone and made quite a bad wound. Brad- ford had been taken to the Brannan hotel and Miss Roop, who was somewhat experienced as a nurse, was taking care of him. "Ward was taken to Roop's residence and she took care of him, too. A. "W. "Worm started for Janesville after Dr. Slater and was captured by Kellogg, but when he told his errand he was allowed to go his way. During all the time the fighting was going on Roop had been going back and forth between the fort and the town. He talked with the Plumas county officers and tried to make peace. Pierce was angry and was very rough, but Byers rather stood up for the Honey Lakers and told him that they thought they were fighting for their rights and deserved some consideration. Fin- [319] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA ally it was agreed to suspend hostilities for a while, and Drake, Lewers, and Streshly carried out a white flag and stopped the fighting for three or four hours. During the truce Tom. Bare, who was a lame man, went limping past the barn. Some one in it asked him if he wouldn 't like to buy a sound leg. He replied that he would, and if any of them had one when the fight was over he would buy it from him. "While the battle was in progress things were going on in the town and throughout the valley just about the same as usual. Probably the Plumas men who were not in the barn went where they pleased, and no one has ever told that there was a single row between them and the men of the valley during the day. The place was full of men who had come into town to ' ' see the fun. ' ' T. N. Long says he did business all day at the Magnolia while his partners were in the fort. H. E. Lomas walked up from Janesville and reached there in the afternoon during the pause in the hostilities. He went to the hotel for his dinner and men from both parties were there eating together with no show of ill feeling between them. Some of the citizens who didn't like to see trouble were trying to get the leaders of the two parties to compromise, and finally they and Roop succeeded in doing it. When the truce had expired no agreement had been reached and it was extended until the next morning. The Honey Lake men now went to work in earnest. If Pierce and his posse wanted to do any more fighting, they were going to see that they had all they wanted of it. It always seemed to the writer that, so far, they had only "put up a bluff " and stood off Pierce's men. Hines went down through Toadtown and set all the women to baking bread. Bangham went to Janesville after powder and men. There was a dance going on at that place and he had hard work to get men to leave it, but about midnight he left there with what powder he could get at the store and fifteen or sixteen men. During the night reinforcements for the Honey Lakers came in from all parts of the valley. S. J. Hill says he sent a wagon up from Janesville with several armed men and four extra shot- guns. The Honey Lakers went across the street north of the barn and dug some rifle-pits. They also took possession of the log hotel to the south of the barn. In the upper story of it there was some flour and this they piled up on the north side of the room as a protection against bullets. They made some holes [320] THE YEAE 1863 through the same side of the room, and if the fighting was resumed the next day, they intended to heat some iron ramrods and shoot them into the hay that was overhead in the barn. When the fire drove the men out of it they would be at the mercy of those in the hotel, the rifle-pits, and the fort. Probably that caused Pierce to come to terms, for he saw that a good many of his men might be killed if he commenced to fight again. The following from " Thompson and West's History of Ne- vada and the "History of Plumas, Lassen and Sierra Counties " tells how the trouble was settled. The reports sent to the gov- ernors of California and Nevada repeat some things already told, but they could not be left out and tell the whole story. "The record of the meeting of both parties at which the compromise was effected was forwarded, with the statement of the committee, and was as follows : " A state of war existing between the author- ities of Plumas county, California, and the authorities and citi- zens of Eoop county, Nevada Territory, a committee of citizens of Honey Lake valley, and the leaders of the belligerent parties, convened at Susanville for the purpose of making some arrange- ments for the establishment of peace, and to stop the further shedding of blood. Frank Drake was appointed president, and H. U. Jennings, secretary. Mr. Pierce, sheriff of Plumas county, made the following proposition, to wit: Both parties to suspend hostilities and disband their forces, he taking his men home with him, and report the case to the governor of California, request- ing him to confer with the governor of Nevada Territory, that the question of jurisdiction may be settled peaceably; pending such settlement, neither party to claim jurisdiction; also that the citizens of the valley shall draw up a full statement of the case, and forward the same to the governors of California and Nevada Territory, requesting them to settle the difficulties peace- ably and as soon as possible. "Mr. Elliott thought the proposition a fair and honorable one, and that it would lead to a speedy settlement of our present difficulties. He was therefore in favor of Mr. Pierce's propo- sition. "Mr. Pierce (sheriff) moved the appointment of a committee of four citizens (two of each party), to make the statement to each of the governors. Carried. [321] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "Mr. Elliott moved that we adopt Mr. Pierce's proposition for a settlement of our difficulties. Carried, unanimously. "The chairman appointed upon the committee of correspon- dence, Messrs. Roop, Murray, Jones and Young. On motion meeting adjourned. "Frank Drake, Chairman. "H. U. Jennings, Secretary. "The above proceedings is an agreement of settlement be- tween the contending parties of Roop and Plumas counties. "E. H. Pierce, "Wm. Hill Naileigh." Sheriff Pierce's statement recited a few preliminary pro- ceedings and continued as follows : ' ' On the fourth day of Feb- ruary, in my official capacity as sheriff of Plumas county, I received warrants for the arrest of the said John S. Ward, county judge, and William Hill Naileigh, sheriff, of the so-called Roop county, Nevada Territory, issued by the Honorable E. T. Hogan, county judge of Plumas county. On Thursday, February fifth, I proceeded to Susanville, Honey Lake valley, for the purpose of serving the said warrants, and on Friday, the sixth instant, an injunction was served on me, purporting to issue from the court of the First Judicial District in and for Nevada Territory, signed by John S. Ward, probate judge of Roop county, and served by Parkinson (William K.), a deputy sheriff of said county, restraining me and all other Plumas county officers from exercising jurisdiction in or over any portion of the so-called Roop county. This injunction I refused to obey. On Saturday, the seventh instant, I arrested William Hill Naileigh, and sent my deputy, Mr. Byers, to the residence of Mr. Ward to arrest him, and to meet me at Lanegar 's rancho, which he did. Having to wait a short time for a horse for Ward to ride, myself, Naileigh, and two witnesses started ahead, leaving orders for Byers and Ward to follow as soon as the horses arrived. As Ward was about to mount his horse, Isaac Roop interfered, and said that Ward could not go, and took hold of Ward to prevent his leaving, which caused a tussel between Roop and Byers, ending in Roop desisting for a time and allowing Byers to proceed. Roop then went back to a point half a mile down the road, where he had seven men on horses, posted and armed with shot-guns. With this addition he again followed Byers, overtaking and surround- [322] THE YEAE 1863 ing him, drawing their guns, again demanding the surrender of "Ward. Byers, seeing resistance was useless, concluded to return to the rancho, still retaining possession of his prisoner. From this point he instantly sent a messenger after me with a note, informing me of all that had occurred since I left. "The great depth of snow on the mountains made it impos- sible for me to proceed, and as I had turned, satisfied that I could not cross the summit, I was met by the messenger. On reading the note, I told Naileigh he was at liberty to go where he pleased on his giving me his word that he would be forthcoming at any time I demanded his presence. This he agreed to. I then re- turned to the ranch where Byers had taken his prisoner, and discovered that I would have to cross the mountains, at all hazards, for assistance. This I done, and summoned a posse of ninety men, in American and Indian valleys ; returning, reached Honey Lake valley on Friday, the thirteenth of February. On reaching Susanville, I found the mob fortified in a log house that had been built and used as a fort against the attacks of the Indians (this was the old log cabin built by Roop in 1854, and since this event has been called Fort Defiance), numbering from seventy-five to one hundred men, all armed and prepared for a desperate resistance, having by their own admission six hundred shots in the fort. They sent out a white flag, and laid off their lines. All of this day was spent in endeavoring to adjust mat- ters amicably. ' ' On Sunday, the fifteenth, with a force of forty men, I took possession of a barn within a distance of perhaps two hundred yards of the fort. They then gave me notice that if I did not vacate the barn at once they would fire on it. I then proceeded to fortify the barn, and put it in as perfect state of defense as the nature of the circumstances would permit, by using the floor and sleepers for breastworks. "Deputy Sheriff Kellogg (William W.) went out with a detachment of five men, taking with them a rope to draw in a large stick of hewed timber, which laid about one hundred feet from the barn. After making the rope fast, they were told from the fort that if they moved the stick they would be fired on. Tak- ing no notice of this order, they commenced moving the timber, when ten shots were fired from the fort, one of which took effect in the thigh of William Bradford, shattering the bone at a dis- [323] HISTOKY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA tance of five inches below the hip joint. Bradford fell ; the rest went on with the stick to the barn. Kellogg returned at once to the assistance of Bradford, and, while bringing him in, was fired on five times. At this, my men instantly returned the fire from the barn, which was kept up by both parties for about four hours. Deputy Sheriff Byers, while passing through the town, was fired on five times. At two o'clock P. M., a deputation of the citizens from the town, with a white flag, came to the barn and requested permis- sion to pass to the fort, to see if they could not get a cessation of hostilities until five o'clock, with the hope of settling matters without further bloodshed. This armistice was agreed to by both parties. Failing to agree when the hour expired, the time was extended until nine o'clock the next morning. During this time the mob were continually receiving reinforcements from all parts of the valley. I received word about this time that I would be reinforced by one hundred men in about ten days. At twelve o'clock, midnight, I was waited upon by a committee of citizens of the town, with a petition signed by sixty-five of the residents of Susanville, imploring me to suspend operations, as the mob threatened to burn the town in the event of my not yielding to their dictations. I agreed to stop all further proceedings on these conditions: That they, the mob, should immediately dis- band, and all parties cease to exercise jurisdiction until the mat- ter could be properly laid before the governors of California and Nevada Territory. This was mutually agreed to. My reasons for making and agreeing to this proposition, were simply these : That I thought the fight too great a one for the county of Plumas to carry on, and had I gained my point, perhaps at the expense of forty or fifty lives, the question of jurisdiction would have still remained unsettled. Their loss already, as reported to me, was one man killed and four wounded, one of which latter was Judge Ward. ' * The above is a narration of facts precisely as they occurred. All of which is respectfully submitted. "Sacramento City, March 2, 1863. "E. H. Pierce, 1 • Sheriff of Plumas County. ' ' Mr. Kellogg says he wrote the foregoing statement. It will be noticed that he says there were ninety men in the posse. That [324] THE YEAR 1863 is the number given by Tunison and other men who were there and probably is not far from right. The committee appointed for that purpose by the people of Honey Lake presented their statement of the case to Governor Stanford and Governor Clemens of Nevada Territory. It told the principal events that occurred and differed from Mr. Pierce 's statement in only a few immaterial points. It called the men in the fort the "Nevada forces " and the "Nevada party" instead of calling them a "mob" as he had done. It said that the warrants for the arrest of Ward and Naileigh were issued upon the com- plaint of William N. De Haven; that Naileigh, sheriff of Roop county, issued a proclamation calling on all able-bodied citizens to arm, and hold themselves in readiness to aid in the execution of the laws, and put down insurrection, etc.; that Pierce came into town at the head of a hundred men armed with deadly weapons ; that the Nevada forces warned the Plumas county men three or four times before they fired on them ; and that only five or six shots were fired by the Nevada party at that time. In conclusion it said : ' ' Without wishing to blame or excuse either party, the committee would state that in all probability each party thought itself justified by law in all its actions. The eastern boundary of the state is not definitely known ; some are of the opinion that it is east of us, and others that it is west. For the sake of our schools it is necessary that we should know where to apply for our school money. When we are assailed by Indians, as we frequently are, it is necessary that we should know where to apply for assistance. For very many important reasons, it is absolutely necessary that the question should be settled, and that as soon as possible. ' ' It was signed by * ' Israel Jones, Dan Mur- ray, Isaac Roop, Wm. J. Young, Committee." A cannon was brought from Plumas county to Susanville and a good many stories are told about it. It was packed into the valley by Charles F. Stark and also by John R. Perkins. It was left in the snow on the mountain and it was brought to Susanville. Pierce took it home on his return, it was taken home the next year, and it was left in Susanville. It was burst in Tay- lorville the next Fourth of July, that event took place several years later, and it was burst in Susanville on the Fourth of July, 1864. Almost as many stories are told about the man who did the good shooting for Plumas county. Stark thinks his name [325] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA was Arch. Little and that he lay behind some hides hanging on a fence that ran out from the barn. Forgay says that his name was Jack Kensey and that he shot from inside the barn. Mead doesn't remember his name, but says that he lay behind the two sticks of timber that had been dragged up to the barn. It is just a question of memory. The following is the truth about the cannon as near as can be learned. When Pierce found that the Never Sweats were in- trenched he sent Ben Payne across the mountains after reinforce- ments and a small cannon that belonged in Taylorville. He raised fifteen or twenty men and returned with them and the cannon. Stark says his brother, Charles F., packed it over on a mule. Pierce sent some men with a wagon to meet them at the foot of the mountain above the Lanigar place, and the cannon was put into the wagon and hauled to town. When it arrived there the trouble was over and there was no use for it. The Plumas men all insist that it was taken back to Taylorville and burst there, but they do not agree as to the time. The Honey Lake people say that it was left in Wentworth's corral in Susanville. T. N. Long, Lafayette Marks, and others, say that on the Fourth of July, 1864, Jarvis Taylor, Jeff. Davis, and A. D. Elledge took it over on Gay street just north of Main. They put in a large charge of powder, tamped wet sand on top of it, and then touched it off and blew it to ' ' smithreens. ' ' The Steward House was then being built on the northwest corner of Main and Gay streets. A piece of the cannon hit one of the porch timbers projecting out in front and almost cut it in two. Another piece came down through the roof of the schoolhouse which stood near where the brick school house does now — the southwest corner of Cottage and Weatherlow streets. One piece struck west of the schoolhouse and another went clear across the river. Mrs. A. T. Arnold has one piece of it and the family of Mr. Elledge has another one. Which story is right? Quien sabef The Honey Lakers have the relics. F. and S. say: "William J. Bradford, the man so badly wounded, was given the warrant for $1000 which Lassen county issued to Plumas under the provisions of the Act organizing the county. This action was taken by the supervisors of Plumas county in pursuance of the Act of the legislature of March 31, 1866." [326] THE YEAR 1863 Orion Clemens, the territorial secretary, was acting governor of Nevada at this time, and also on January 14, 1864, when he made his report to the Nevada legislature in regard to the Boundary Line War. In this report he said that hostilities ceased when the agreement was made to refer the subject to the governors of California and Nevada for settlement; but the excitement was still great and was beginning to extend beyond the immediate locality of the disturbance, and it was possible that serious consequences might ensue. He therefore telegraphed to his Excellency, Leland Stanford, governor of California, in relation to the affair, and sent Hon. J. K. Love joy to Susan ville to investigate the facts, and who submitted a written report upon his return. Shortly after this, a special messenger, William K. Parkinson, Esq., arrived, bearing the statement from William Hill Naileigh, sheriff of Roop county. Mr. Naileigh stated the facts, asked the advice of Mr. Clemens, and promised to obey his direction in the matter, a promise which he faithfully kept. Judge Robert Robinson, of Sacramento, was appointed by Gov- ernor Stanford to confer with Mr. Clemens and agree upon a basis of settlement. Judge Robinson went to Carson City, and after finding out that the California authorities would not consent to the summit boundary, they drew up an instrument relating to the running of the line between California and Nevada Territory, and the judge went back to Sacramento to report. The foregoing is from T. and W. F. and S. say: "The basis of settlement agreed upon was: That California and Nevada should each appoint a represent- ative to run the boundary line. That until the line was estab- lished, Plumas county should have jurisdiction as far west as the eastern end of Honey lake, at which point the 120th degree of longitude was located upon De Groote's map. That provi- sion be made by both legislatures to transfer judgments, and sustain all acquired rights whenever it was found that the survey removed any person or property from the jurisdiction of one government to that of the other. That until the eighth of April, 1863, Governor Clemens would exercise no authority over the disputed territory east of the line surveyed by John F. Kidder, placing Aurora within the limits of Nevada Territory, but after that date he would proceed to organize Esmeralda county, and exercise jurisdiction over the disputed territory east of that [327] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA line. This declaration of Governor Clemens was made for the reason that Commissioner Robinson would not consent to recog- nize the Kidder line as a compromise line until the completed survey was made. 1 'The commissioner's report, and all the documents relating to the controversy, were submitted to the legislature by Governor Stanford, with a special message urging immediate action. This resulted in the Act of April 27, 1863, directing the surveyor- general to survey the eastern boundary line of the state, com- mencing at the intersection of the 120th degree of west longitude and the 39th degree of north longitude; and appropriating $25,000 to defray the expenses of the survey. John F. Kidder was appointed by the surveyor-general to undertake the work, and Governor Clemens appointed Butler Ives (May 16, 1863) to accompany him, on the part of Nevada Territory." That summer and fall these two ran the line from Lake Bigler (Tahoe) north to the Oregon line. The line they surveyed passed to the east of Honey lake and settled the fact that the disputed territory in Roop county was in California. A. T. Arnold says that when the surveying party got to the Fort Sage mountain (State Line Peak) they were frightened by the Indians and sent a young man to Susanville to get more men to go with them. Mr. Arnold, Henry Arnold, Joseph Hale, Al. Leroy, James Phillips, and James Huntington went with them to the Oregon line. A long strip of land about thirty miles wide on the eastern side of Roop county was left in Nevada. For a long time it appeared on the map as Roop county, but being com- paratively unsettled it was put under the jurisdiction of Washoe county. Finally it was merged into that county and Roop county went out of existence. The line between California and Nevada was also run from Lake Bigler to within one degree of the southern end of Nevada and there the work was stopped on account of cold weather. This passed several miles to the west of Aurora, leaving that town and a rich mining district in Nevada. The rest of the line was surveyed in 1865. In 1876 Von Schmidt surveyed the eastern boundary of California and his survey moved that part of the line north of Lake Tahoe a few miles to the east, giving the border counties of California a little more territory. [3281 THE YEAR 1863 The long fight was done and the Never Sweats had lost. In spite of all they had done against it they were in California and there was no longer any hope that they were not. But there was still a chance to keep out of Plumas county and, as we shall see, they went about the accomplishment of this as soon as possible. Before the matter was settled conclusively the people of this section, as citizens of Roop county, Nevada, held an election September 2, 1863, to choose men to represent them in the Nevada legislature. William V. Kingsbury was elected to the council, John C. Partridge to the house of representatives, and Hiram L. Partridge to the constitutional convention. T. and W. say: "When the legislature met on the 12th of January, 1864, the boundary question had been settled, and as Honey Lake valley, the residence of these gentlemen and the section they represented, had ceased to be considered a portion of the ter- ritory of Nevada, they were not permitted to take their seats in that body." Plumas county must have collected taxes in Honey Lake valley this fall about the same as usual. Hiram H. Dakin tells the following in regard to it. In the fall of 1863 he was working for Rough Elliott. One day along the first of November Pierce and Byers came to the ranch and stayed about an hour. They talked with Elliott for some time and while the conversation was going on Dakin sat on the corral fence. There were some horses and cattle in the corral and Pierce told him to open the gate and let them out. He replied that he was working for the other fellow and didn't let them out unless Elliott told him to. Elliott then told him that he could sit on the fence or go away, just as he pleased, but not to open that gate. He then turned to the Plumas county officers, and after referring to their canine parentage, told them if they wanted serious trouble to just turn that stock out. The two officers went out to one side and talked a while, and then got on their horses and rode away without saying anything more to Elliott. As soon as the Never Sweats found they were surely in California they went to work to have themselves set off into a new county. It was an easy matter to see that the people of this section ought to have a county of their own because, at that time, for several months during an ordinary winter it was T 329 1 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA almost impossible to get across the mountains to Quincy except- ing on snowshoes. It was a question whether or not there would be taxable property enough in the new county to support a county government, but the people themselves were willing to try it. The people of Plumas county didn't want to lose any of their territory, but they didn't want to do an injustice to the Honey Lakers, many of whom had lived in Plumas county, so they made little objection to the formation of the new county. Indian Troubles. 1863 Comparatively little trouble was made by the Indians this year. Probably more or less stock was stolen from the ranges by the hungry red men, but no travelers along the Humboldt road were attacked by them, no one was killed in Honey Lake valley, and only one man, so far as is known, was killed in this section. Miss Susan Roop arrived at Carson City from the East December 26, 1862. Governor Roop was there as a member of the legislature from this section, but as the session was to last only a few days longer, he and his daughter went to Virginia City the next day. They had not been there long before they met Old "Winnemucca on the street and he was so glad to see Roop that he threw his arms around him and hugged him vigorously. Roop said to him, "I have told you that I had two boys and a little girl. This is the girl. ' ' The chief said ' ' I thought you got um mahala. " Roop told him that he must go home to Honey Lake in a few days and did not want to be bothered by the Indians. The chief said that if he would wait five days he would not see any Indians. Roop then said that he did not want the man who took him home to be molested when he came back, and the reply was that the Indians would not trouble him either. They left Carson City on the fourth of January and reached Susanville without seeing any Indians. Amos Conkey went back with the man who brought them here and they had the same good fortune. A few days afterwards the Indians killed a man in Red Rock valley. A party went in pursuit, but failed to find any of them. One night about the middle of January the Indians stole two horses from Isaac Coulthurst's corral and shot one of his hogs with arrows. They also tried to catch C. T. Emerson's [330 1 THE YEAR 1863 mules, but they broke out of the corral and got away from them. On the night of February eighth they had better luck and suc- ceeded in stealing one of them. The last of February two men who were in Willow Creek valley saw a couple of Indians and shot at them, wounding one, as they supposed. The Indians left their ponies and took to the rocks. A short time after this the Indians stole four head of cattle from Deep Hole. This spring a permanent military post was established at Smoke Creek, thus making good the promise of General Wright the fall before, and during the summer buildings were put up for the officers and the soldiers. Troops were kept at this post for several years afterwards, and when under the command of Captain Smith (shortly after going there he was promoted to Major) did some good Indian fighting. Some time during the year Captain Hassett camped with twenty-five or thirty soldiers at the foot of the bluff above Susanville, and stayed there all winter and perhaps longer. There was about the same number of soldiers at the Soldier bridge this fall. For several years after this whenever there was an excitement about the Indians a few soldiers came into the valley and camped at one or the other of these places for a short time. One of Old Winnemucca's Escapes from Susanville Some time during this year, as near as can be told, Winne- mucca paid a visit to his old friends in Susanville. The Indian troubles of the previous year had left in the minds of the people of Honey Lake a feeling of ill will toward them greater than usual. He had not been in town very long before it began to look as though it was dangerous for him to stay there, and his friends thought it best to get him away as soon as possible. William H. Hall says he came to Susanville that day and soon met Cap. Hill with whom he was great friends. Cap. said he wanted him to help get a Masonic friend out of trouble. He knew he was a Mason because he had given him the Masonic sign of distress. He then said it was Winnemucca and that the citizens of the town, some of them, wanted to hang him. He wanted to keep the chief from being hurt, but wanted as few people as possible to know that he had anything to do with it. Cap. Hill surely must have thought that Winnemucca was a Mason, for he, like other men in the valley at that time, had lost relatives in an [331] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Indian massacre and, also like them, killed a redskin whenever there was any excuse for doing it, and sometimes just because there was a good chance to do it. Hall said he was willing to help the chief get away and they made up a plan for doing it. Hall, John Robinson, and three other young fellows rode out to the north side of town and Hill brought the Indian out there with as little fuss as possible. He started off down the old emigrant road on the north side of the river, the young men following him. In a short time he began to run his horse and they struck out after him yelling and firing their pistols. They did this in order to keep between him and any one else who might pursue him, and also to make people in town think they were trying to kill or capture him. They kept up the chase for a couple of miles, and then seeing that no one else was coming, fired a final volley and scattered. None of them said anything about it and the matter was dropped. Telling that an Indian knew Masonic signs may sound rather fishy, but this is not the only time it has been told. Governor Roop said that Old Winnemucca gave him Masonic signs the first time he saw him. George W. Harrison of Susanville tells the following: His father, Judge W. R. Harrison, and family crossed the plains in 1858. They had reached Box Elder creek above Fort Kearney, and that afternoon the Judge, as was his custom, went on a little in advance of the train to select a camp- ing place for the night. Not far ahead was an Indian camp and as he drew near it an Indian came out to meet him. Not know- ing what might happen, several men of the train hurried on and caught up with him just as the two met. The Indian imme- diately threw his arms around the white man and some of the latter 's friends, thinking that he was going to be hurt, drew their pistols. As soon as he could the Judge told them to put up their weapons, for he understood it and it was all right. The Indian was a Sioux chief called "Black Bear" who with his braves was on the warpath against the Pawnees. Judge Harrison said the chief gave a Masonic sign as soon as they met, and when he returned it the Indian threw his arms around him. The whites camped close by and that night Black Bear and his warriors came over and smoked the pipe of peace. The next morning he presented the Judge with a war club which was made by putting a stone into the end of a split stick and wrapping it [332 1 THE YEAR 1863 with rawhide, and the Judge in return made him a present of his sheath knife. The chief's wife brought a lot of jerked meat to Mrs. Harrison and was given some sugar and coffee. The chief told the whites that they need not fear trouble with the Indians as long as they were in his country and that his runners would go along and keep them in sight until they came to the territory of the next chief. The war club is now in the pos- session of one of Judge Harrison's daughters who lives in Iowa. In the early 60 's a Susan ville man named Frank Peed made a business trip to Fall River valley. He had not been there long before a Pit River Indian told him he had better get out of that section as soon as he could for the Hat Creek Indians were watching for a chance to kill him. Before the Indian told him this he made Peed understand that he knew something of Masonry. It is also told that when he got part way home he suddenly came upon a band of Indians. He was afraid to go up to them, and when they saw him he made a Masonic sign. They then motioned for him to come on, and when he hesitated they unstrung their bows. He went to them, and after talking a while they told him they were on a fishing trip and that he could proceed on his journey without any danger from them. Per- haps he thought they might change their minds, for when he got out of their sight he caused his beast to strike a lively gait and to keep it up until he reached Susanville. "Fifty Years of Masonry in California" tells the following concerning the man who was master of the lodge opened under the charter brought to California by Peter Lassen. It says that Brother Woods with a small party of men were captured by the Indians on the road back to St. Louis from Santa Fe. "While the Indians were making ready to burn them Woods got his arms loose and gave a Masonic sign. The chief immediately sprang to him and cut him loose and eventually they were all set free. This was just before he met Lassen. Lafayette D. McDow crossed the plains in the early 50 's and while on his journey he fell in with some Indians who evidently knew something of Masonry. It is said that the head men of the Hudson Bay Company taught the rudiments of Masonry to the chiefs of all the tribes with which they came in contact. [333] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The Winter of 1863-64 This winter was the driest one ever known in this valley. T. N. Long says that the road from here to Oroville was open all winter to people on horseback, and nearly all winter for teams. Mrs. A. D. Elledge says there was only one storm in Susanville this winter and that was a small one. It snowed a little, but left no snow on the ground. It rained in the spring and people put in their grain, but although it rained during the summer, there was little or no crop on dry land that had no water for irrigation. Mr. Long says that twenty-six people died in or near Susanville that winter of a sort of mountain fever. They were nearly all adults. Amzi Brown was among those who died. George Kelley was the only one who was seriously ill and recovered. The second story of the stable at the southeast corner of Lassen and Nevada streets was used as a hospital. Until this time there had been only three people buried in the cemetery at Susanville, and none of them had died a natural death. They were Perry M. Craig, Charles W. Seaman, and a man who fell on a pitchfork while working on a ranch near Susanville. The First Death at Milford and at Janesville From the time that Isadore and his wife lost their lives in the lake in 1856 no one else was drowned there until 1863. On the eighth of July Elbern G. Kelley, a boy eight years old, the son of John D. Kelley, and another boy who was older (J. Bristo Rice) went swimming at the sandbar in the lake east of Milford. The Kelley boy got into deep water, and being unable to swim, he began to drown. The other boy ran for help, but he had a long ways to go and assistance came too late. This is the first death that took place near Milford. On the 24th of July Dr. John A. Slater died of congestive chills at his home about a mile northwest of Janesville. His death was the first one in the neighborhood of that place. An Attempt to Recruit for the Confederate Army In July a man named Elkins, perhaps John, came to the valley from Shasta City. After staying around at different places for a few days he went to Susanville. Shortly after his arrival at that place he went into the postofftce and found the postmaster and Cap. Hill there. He entered into a conversation [ 334 ] THE YEAR 1863 with Eoop, and after some talk, showed him a list of the names of southern men who lived in Shasta county and told him they were southern sympathizers. Roop knew several of these men, and in the light of what took place afterwards, it is probable that some of them had told Elkins that he was also a southern man and in favor of the South. Elkins asked for the names of the men in the valley who were friendly to the southern side, and finally asked the other two men if they would ' ' take salt. ' ' They were used to having a man ask them to take a drink, but never before had they been asked to take salt and they didn't know what it meant. But the question had aroused their curi- osity, and having a desire to know what his business was, they told him they would. He said if they would come to his room that night and bring some of their friends, he would fix things up with them. He got very drunk that afternoon, and when Roop, Hill, Ward, and another man or two went to his room in the second story of the Brannan House, he was unable to talk to them and they went away no wiser than when they came. About two o'clock Miss Roop heard some one groaning, but probably she thought it was somebody who was drunk, and paid no particular attention to it. The next morning Elkins was found dead in the street with a broken neck. It was supposed that his whiskey gave out in the night and that he intended to go down stairs after more. He made a mistake and went onto the front porch and walked off that into the street. The papers found on him showed that he was a recruiting officer and that he had come into the valley to raise a company for the Southern Confederacy. He was buried in the cemetery at Susanville and Roop wrote to his friends in Shasta county, but they never moved his body. There was a great deal of excitement about the war and the Union men were sorry that he died before more was learned about his plans. The Knights of the Golden Circle Charles Barham says that. in the summer of 1863 he and another man came from the Sacramento valley to Honey Lake to initiate men into the order of the "Knights of the Golden Circle.' ' This was an order composed of southern sympathizers who lived in the northern states. They had lodges throughout the North and their object was to aid the cause of the Southern [335] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Confederacy. At a meeting held in the log house in Fort Janes- ville he initiated twenty-two men, and not long afterwards he initiated five more in Last Chance back of Milford. The man who came to the valley with him went on out into the Humboldt country to carry on the work there. In this part of the country the order must have ''died a borninV' for there is nothing to show that they ever did anything here. The Union League This fall or the next spring one or more lodges of this order were organized in the valley. This was an order composed of Union men, and its object was to aid the government in putting down the rebellion and also to counteract the influence of the "Knights of the Golden Circle." Probably no more came of it here than from the other organization just mentioned, but it shows how the people of the land were divided against each other. A Cutting Affray at Janesville Told by David B. Bankhead One day this fall Davie Lowrie came to Janesville and got drunk, something that was a common occurrence with him. He was a large, dull-witted Scotchman, one of the pioneers of Cali- fornia, and was thought to be a harmless sort of an old fellow. While he was in this condition he sat down on the steps of the Holmes Hotel and Mrs. Holmes, who wished to get rid of him, motioned to three boys near by to try to get him away. These boys were David Bankhead and John Phillips, each about fifteen years old, and Malcom Bankhead aged ten. They threw some little clods of dirt at him and in a few minutes he got up and started across the street towards Blanchard's store. In the middle of the street he met Ed. Phillips, John's brother, who was a halfway vaquero and not very bright. He either spoke to Ed. or struck at him, and the latter threw him down and ran away laughing. John said "Look at my fool brother run away from that man," and then picked up a bar of iron and told Lowrie that if he said anything to him he would hit him on the head. Lowrie got up and went into the store and shortly after- wards the three boys went over there, too. As they stood in the door David Bankhead noticed that Lowrie, who was standing near the right-hand counter with his arms folded, had a knife [ 336 ] THE YEAE 1863 in his hand. John went into the other side of the store for a match to light his pipe. Lowrie came past the other two boys, and as he did so David pushed his little brother back saying 1 ' He has got a knife. ' ' Lowrie walked up to John, and without saying anything, cut him across the upper part of the chest making a wound two and a half inches long. The boy struck at him two or three times before he found out that he was hurt. He then said that he was killed and called for his brother to take him home. It was a bad wound and the blood gushed out every time he breathed, but with the assistance of two men he walked to Bankhead's and there his wound was dressed. He seemed to get over the effects of it, but seven years afterwards he died in Surprise valley, and it was thought that his death was brought on by this injury. Lowrie afterwards told the narrator that for doing this he was arrested and taken to Quincy and locked up for five or six months. He lived in the valley more than twenty years after this, but never hurt anybody else. Twelve or fifteen years after this " Uncle Tim" Darcey slashed him with a knife cutting off the lower part of his ear and making an ugly gash almost the whole length of his jaw. Darcey gave him but little more warning than he had given the boy. 337 CHAPTER X 1864. SETTLEMENT Susan ville. During the spring and summer J. I. Steward built a two-story frame hotel on the northwest corner of Main and Gay streets. It was called the ' ' Steward House ' ' and was much the largest hotel that had ever been built in town. Mr. Steward ran it for two or three years, and it was used as a hotel until it was burned in the big fire of July 18, 1893, while owned by D. Knoch. The stable on the lot at the southeast corner of Lassen and Nevada streets was given by Governor Roop to the Masons, and early in the summer they moved it across the street to the northwest corner of Main and Lassen streets. The following fall and winter it was repaired a little and early the next year the Honey Lake Rangers used the lower story for an armory and the Masons occupied the upper story. In the fall of 1865 work was begun on it and continued until the next sum- mer. The building was re-covered and the upper story was fitted up in good shape. The ground floor was used for various purposes, but the second story was always used as a Masonic Hall until the fire of 1893, and perhaps a little longer. After that fire it was moved and put on the north side of Main street about midway between Lassen and Gay. It was burned in the fire of March 19, 1895. In the fall Jacob W. Smith began the erection of a brewery on the south side of Main street, the third lot east of Gay. This building was burned in the fire of March 17, 1865, before it was finished. He then put up another build- ing in the same place and in it followed the business of brewing until 1872. H. K. Cornell and William S. Hamilton built the first warehouse in the place on the north side of the road just east of Piute creek. In it they stored flour which they hauled from Millville and sold here. Some time during the year D. Goldstein and William Greehn opened a store, Griffin and Wil- liams opened another one, and Philip H. Meyers and W. W. Clemmons started a blacksmith and wagon shop. In March Wil- liam Brockman and Jorgen Jensen opened a blacksmith and wagon shop on the southwest corner of Main and Lassen streets and continued in the business for almost two years. Shortly after this each one bought a ranch about two miles below Susan- T 338 1 Pi ~e H .o THE YEAE 1864 ville. Jensen spent the rest of his life there and Brockman still lives on his ranch. In the latter 60 's Meyers bought a place a mile south of town on which he lived about fifteen years. The Susan ville public school was taught this fall by W. H. Van Alstine. The public school at Eichmond was taught this fall by Miss D. K. (Kitty) Funk. School was held in the building put up by Shaffer for a warehouse. Toadtown. The first school in the Susan River District was taught this fall by Mrs. Caroline A. Johnston, the wife of David Johnston. A few months later on the school was taught by E. W. Pratt. Janesville. In the spring, possibly the previous winter, L. N. Breed bought Dave Blanchard's store and stock of goods. During the following summer he built a one-story building right across the street from it, and here he kept a store for the sale of general merchandise until 1873. He then put up a two-story building on the same site. He sold goods in the lower story of this and the second story was used for a lodge room by the Masons and the Odd Fellows until 1911 when each of these orders built a two-story hall in the town. Breed was the mer- chant of Janesville for seventeen or eighteen years. It is impos- sible to tell positively who taught school this fall. Some think it was taught in the Fort by A. M. Vaughan. In February Thomas H. Epley and Family returned to the valley and bought the place on the lake originally taken up by Isadore. The Lake District built a schoolhouse on the south side of the road and on the eastern slope of a little hill about four and a half miles southeast of Janesville. William A. Hatcher taught the public school there in the fall. Milford. W. (Bogue) Adams built a saloon on the west side of the road running up to the gristmill and just below the rock pile. In the fall E. T. (Bert) Fairchilds put up a two-story frame hotel just above and adjoining the saloon. These were the first establishments of the kind in the place. Fred A. Wash- burn filed on 160 acres of land covering the Milford townsite, and all the titles to the lots in that place come from him. This summer the crickets went across the upper part of the valley again. [339] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Long Valley. Andrew W. Dinwiddie and Family went onto the place taken by Frank Williams the previous year, probably bought it. Ambrose and Noah Robinson were killed when the steamboat Washoe blew up on the Sacramento river. This year, or shortly afterwards, Andrew J. Wilkerson came into the valley and rented the Willow Ranch, and Anton Rager located a place above that ranch. Robert M. Dooley took up a ranch about two miles south of the Willow Ranch. J. P. McKissick came into Long valley this fall and Edwin Ferris went to the Summit close to the Lassen county line. Willow Creek. This spring Hurlbut and Knudson returned to their ranch and commenced to improve it. Knudson lived there the rest of his life. A. L. Tunison had been going back and forth between Honey Lake and Willow Creek since 1860, but had settled on no land in the latter place. This spring he and William H. Hall made a location just below Hurlbut and Knudson. In the fall Hall sold his part of the claim to Tunison who lived there for many years. David Hursher and Brother brought in cattle from Yolo county in charge of Henry Didlot and kept them there until the next year. Mr. Barnes of Yolo county brought in quite a large band of horses in charge of Frank Stetson. Barnes and Hursher built a joint cabin on the south side of the valley on the lower end of the Tunison ranch. That fall Barnes moved his horses back to the Sacramento valley. During the summer and fall a good many people went into the valley, and the following winter there was quite a settlement in and around Leesburg. Eli W. Harris, Mrs. Jennie Harrison's stepfather, and Family and his partner, James Scott, crossed the plains this year and spent the winter at Leesburg. Griffith G. Miller and Wife, Jacob C. Miller, his brother, a man named Jordan and Family and his partner, Henry Wright, also lived there. Thomas W. Pickard and Wife, and perhaps Henry Davis, were on the old Demming place, and James Haley and Wife, and part of the time their sons, Nelson and James, were on a place joining Pickard on the east. Robert Gowanlock and Richard Quilty lived somewhere on the creek in the timber above Leesburg, and James Mariot Parker had a ranch on the south side of the creek about two miles below there. Thomas Pearson lived in a little valley that lies south of the lower end of Willow Creek valley. [340] THE YEAE 1864 Mt. Meadows. John H. Seagraves, who had bought an interest in the Long ranch, lived there this year. Surprise Valley. There was a large emigration into the valley this year and a great deal of stock was taken there. Because of the lack of rain during the previous winter stock was dying off in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, and the owners of it would allow any one to take as many cattle as he pleased and give him half of what he could save. A great deal of the stock driven into the valley this year was taken in that way. Thomas Price of Butte City, California, says that late in the fall Thomas Bare built a cabin in the lower end of the valley on what was then called Wood creek. This was the first building erected in the part of Surprise valley that is in Lassen county. W. H. McCormick of Eagleville, California, says that a little later, perhaps the next year, two men who had come into the valley this year, John Bordwell and Hill, settled in that part of the valley. Their claims went into the Bare ranch which was afterwards bought by the Gerlach Land and Stock Company. The first soldiers stationed in Surprise valley went in there this summer. Frank Murphey and Marion Lawrence (Comanche George) claimed the Buffalo Salt Marsh in northwestern Nevada this summer. Those whose names are given in the following lists settled in the county in 1864. The length of residence does not apply to the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are living here yet. Thomas M. Barham, Mrs. Cynthia Broadwell, Jacob W. Broadwell, Lucy Broadwell (Mrs. G. R. Lybarger), Abner McMurphy and Wife, Harper H. McMurphy and Family, John R. Dunn and Family, J. Oscar Hemler, William S. Ham- ilton and Wife, Benjamin H. Leavitt, John R. Perkins, Charles Barham and Family, Judge W. R. Harrison and Family, S. N. Harrison, W. R. Harrison, L. C. Stiles and Wife, William M. McClelland and Family, Jorgen Jensen, William Brockman, Elliot Winchester, Nicholas Lute, Bernhard Neuhaus, Henry Didlot, Mrs. William Leith, William Leith, Jr., Alzina Leith (Mrs. E. T. Slackford and Mrs. P. Lynch), John H. Glasscock and Wife, Vincent B. Glasscock, Jerry M. Leaky, J. P. McKis- sick and Family, * Charles League and Family, Jefferson Hart [3411 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA and Family, L. M. Crill, Mrs. Nathan Phillips (Mrs. Frances Sanders), Jacob W. Smith and Family, Charles Cramer, Golette Dubois and Family, Robert M. Dooley and Family, Charles B. Clark, Andrew W. Dinwiddie and Family, and Harry F. McMurphy. The following lived in the county fifteen or twenty years or more. Silas McMurphy and Family, Elliot Winchester, Jr., Frank David, Thomas J. Glasscock, John W. Glasscock, Joseph D. Smith, Hiram B. Parks, Josiah Sherer, William Reilly, Isaac Broadwell, Philip H. Meyers and Family, Thomas Meyers, Charles Meyers, Cyrus Meyers, E. P. Soule and Family, Henry Tyrrell, Tro E. Ward, and Kitty Funk (Mrs. A. W. Worm). The following lived in the county from two or three to twelve or fifteen years. Marcus Barham, Grove Tyrrell, Robert St. John, D. Goldstein, William Hatcher, * James G. Hutton, Elias Hart and Family, Harper Hart, Alice Hart, John Sailing, Daniel Samis and Family, Thomas J. Lomas, George W. Funk, Michael McGuire, L. L. Glasscock, E. D. Bowman, M. W. Pratt, Finney Rutherford and Wife, A. A. Kneisley and Family, John Purcell and Family, Judge A. T. Bruce, Frank Dinwiddie, James Lyon and Wife, George Lyon, Joseph Lyon, * Cephas Tuttle, *B. J. Robinson and Family, *S. Friedman, Jane Funk (Mrs. J. E. Coalman), Fanny Funk (Mrs. Luther D. Spencer), A. J. Wilkerson, Mrs. Judson (Christie) Dakin, and Thomas H. Epley and Family. Lassen County Politics. 1864 When the California legislature of 1863-64 met, James D. Byers, who after the Sage Brush War had lived on his ranch about two miles northeast of Janesville, was sent to Sacramento to help get a bill passed by the legislature creating a new county east of the mountains. After thoroughly discussing the matter a bill was passed, April 1, 1864, organizing a county out of the eastern part of Plumas and Shasta counties. It was named Lassen county in honor of Peter Lassen. Mr. Byers told the writer that the men in charge of the bill offered to name it Byers county, but he told them to give it the name it now bears. There is every reason to believe that before he left Honey Lake there was an understanding among some of the leading men, Byers among the number, that it should be called Roop county, the [342] THE YEAR 1864 name it had borne while it was considered to be a part of Nevada Territory. Although Roop and Byers were on friendly terms, probably the latter held a grudge against Roop for his capture while taking Ward to Quincy and took this opportunity to get even. According to the census of 1860 the territory covered by the new county had a population of 476 white people and in 1864 must have contained a thousand. The organic Act, in brief, is as follows: Section 1. There shall be formed, out of the eastern portion of Plumas and the eastern portion of Shasta Counties, a new county, to be called Lassen County. Section 2. The boundary of Lassen County shall be as follows : Commencing on the boundary line dividing Sierra and Plumas Counties, at a point on the summit of the ridge which crosses said boundary line, and which divides Long Valley from Sierra Valley ; thence following the summit of said ridge (north- westerly), which separates the waters of Feather River from those which flow into the Great Basin and Honey Lake Valley, to a point due south from the Town of Susanville; thence due south to the summit of the ridge separating the waters which flow into the East Branch of the North Fork of Feather River, running through Indian Valley, from those which flow into the North Fork of Feather River, running through Mountain Mead- ows; thence following the summit of said ridge to a point due south from a point where the old and present traveled road from the Big Meadows, via Hamilton's Ranch, first crosses the said North Fork of Feather River; thence due north to the southern boundary line of Shasta County; thence west along said bound- ary line to a point due south of the Black Butte Mountain; thence due north to the southern boundary line of Siskiyou County; thence east along said boundary line to the eastern boundary of the State ; thence south along said State line to the south-east corner of Plumas County; thence west along the boundary line of Sierra and Plumas Counties to the place of beginning. The governor of the state was to appoint a county judge for Lassen county, whose term of office was to continue until January 1, 1866, and until his successor was elected and qualified. There was to be an election for county officers and for the location of the county seat on the first Monday of May, 1864. At this [343 1 . H1ST0KY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA election the qualified voters of the county were to choose one district attorney, one county clerk, who was to be ex-officio the auditor, recorder, and superintendent of public instruction, one sheriff, one county surveyor, one county treasurer, one county assessor, one coroner, who was to be ex-officio public adminis- trator, three supervisors, and two justices of the peace and two constables for each township in the county. Frank Drake, H. C. Stockton, and L. N. Breed were appointed Commissioners to designate additional precincts to those already established in the county, and they were to have the powers of a board of supervisors. They were to divide the county into supervisor districts, and were to canvass the election returns and issue certificates of election to those receiving the highest number of votes at this election. They were also to declare the place receiving the highest number of votes the county seat of the county. The Commissioners were to meet at Kingsley and Miller 's store in Susanville, Honey Lake township, on the second Monday in April, 1864, and after being duly sworn by some officer qualified to administer oaths, they were to perform the duties imposed upon them by this Act. They were to choose one of their number as chairman and another as clerk, who was to keep a record of their proceedings and deposit that record in the office of the county clerk as soon as the clerk should have entered upon the discharge of his duties. They were to prepare for the election by designating the places of voting, appointing judges and inspectors, and giving the necessary notices. The returns of the election were to be sent to Kingsley and Miller's store on or before the Monday following the election, and the Commissioners were to be there to receive them. After can- vassing the votes they were to issue certificates of election signed by the chairman and secretary, and each person elected was to qualify and give his bond within ten days after receiving the certificate of his election. Section 11. All other county officers elected under the pro- visions of this Act, except Supervisors, whose terms of office are hereafter provided for, shall hold office for two years from the first day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and until their and each of their successors are elected and qualified; [344] THE YEAE 1864 provided, that Justices of the Peace and Constables shall hold office for two years from the first day of January, eighteen hun- dred and sixty-four. Section 12. The County Judge shall reside and keep his office in the township where the county seat is located, and shall receive a salary of eight hundred dollars per annum, which shall be paid quarterly, as other county charges. He shall hold the Courts required by law to be held by County Judges, the same commencing on the first Monday in March, June, September, and December; provided, however, the County Judge may call and hold special terms of Probate Court whenever public necessity may require. The District Attorney shall receive a salary of four hundred dollars per annum, to be paid quarterly, and such other fees as are allowed by general law. All other county and township officers not specified in this Act shall receive as compensation the fees allowed by law in Plumas County in this State. The regular meetings of the Board of Supervisors were to be held at the county seat the first Mondays in March, June, Sep- tember, and December of each year. The President of the Board might call special meetings if no more than two of them were held in any one year. The Supervisor elected from District Number One was to be President of the Board and was to hold office one year from the first day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-four. The one elected from District Number Two was to hold office two years from that date, and the one from District Number Three was to hold office three years from that date ; and after that each Supervisor was to hold office three years, and the one holding the oldest commission was to be President of the Board. Their compensation was to be twenty cents a mile both ways and three dollars a day while in attendance upon the regular meetings of the Board. Section 15. Lassen County shall be a portion of the Second Judicial District, and the District Judge shall hold one term of Court in said county, commencing the second Monday in October, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and every year thereafter two terms, commencing on the first Monday in June and the second Monday in October. Section 16. For Assembly representative purposes, Lassen County shall be attached to the County of Plumas ; for Senatorial [345] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA representatives purposes, to the Twenty-Fourth Senatorial Dis- trict, and for Congressional representative purposes, to the Third Congressional District. The Commissioners were to appoint three qualified electors of Lassen County, one from each of the Supervisor Districts, who were freeholders in their respective districts, to select two sites which they should deem the most suitable for the county seat, and after making the selection they were to report to the Commissioners the sites they had selected. All assessments for the current legal year were to be made by the Assessor of Lassen County, and all taxes were to be col- lected by the Sheriff, who was to be the ex-officio Tax Collector. The Board of Supervisors were authorized to levy and collect an annual tax for State and County purposes not to exceed the sum of two dollars and fifty cents on each one hundred dollars of taxable property in the county. The County Recorder of Plumas County was required, upon the application of the Recorder of Lassen County, to cause to be made and delivered to him suitable books of record, containing certified copies of the records of all deeds, patents, mortgages, claims, powers of attorney, mechanics' liens, and other instru- ments recorded in the Recorder's office of Plumas County, and affecting property situated in Lassen County; and the books containing the certified copies were to have the same force and effect as the original records in Plumas County. Lassen County was to pay for the books and the copying of the records. All actions of any kind pending in any of the Courts of Plumas County at the time of the organization of Lassen County in which the defendants were residents of Lassen County, or the property involved was situated in Lassen County, were to be removed for trial to the proper Courts of Lassen County, except- ing those that had been commenced for the collection of taxes and licenses. Lassen County was required to provide for the payment of its proportion of the indebtedness of Plumas County at that time. The Treasurer of Lassen County was required to draw from the Treasury of his county and pay to the Treasury of Plumas County the sum of one thousand dollars on the first day of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-six ; and also the further sum of one thousand five hundred dollars on the first day of [346] THE YEAR 1864 January, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven ; and on the payment of these sums the Treasurer of Plumas County was to give a receipt in full for the payment of the indebtedness specified in this section of the Act. Lassen County was required, within eighteen months after its organization, to cause that part of its western boundary line which ran due north to be surveyed, and to give to the Super- visors of Plumas and Shasta Counties timely notice of when such survey was to be made; and all expenses of the survey were to be paid by Lassen County. Section 24. All Acts and parts of Acts in this State are hereby repealed, so far as they conflict with the provisions of this Act. Section 25. This Act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. The Organization of Lassen County Taken from the records of the County In pursuance of an Act of the legislature of the state of California entitled "An Act to create the County of Lassen, to define its boundaries, and to provide for its organization ' ' approved April 1st, A. D., 1864, the Commissioners appointed to organize said county met according to the requirements of said Act at Miller and Kingsley's store in the village of Susanville in Honey Lake Township on Monday, the 11th day of April, A. D., 1864. John S. Ward, acting Justice of the Peace in and for said Township, administered the oath of office. The Commissioners then organized by electing Frank Drake chairman and L. N. Breed clerk. On motion of L. N. Breed they adjourned to the Masonic Hall for the transaction of business. Board met at Masonic Hall and proceeded to divide Lassen County into three supervisor districts, as follows: District No. 1. — "All that' portion of territory belonging to Lassen county situated and lying west of a line commencing at the summit of the mountains on the line between Plumas and Lassen counties, south of a large pine tree that stands near the monument of Peter Lassen, and running north to said tree; thence to the western boundary of Hines' ranch; thence to the lower end of Willow Creek valley; thence due north to the Siskiyou county line." District No. 2. — "All that portion of territory belonging [347] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA to Lassen county situated and lying east of the boundary line of District No. 1, and between that line and another line com- mencing at the summit of the mountain on the line between Plumas and Lassen counties, south of the eastern boundary of Clark & Hamilton's ranch, and running north to the eastern boundary of said ranch; thence in a north-easterly direction to the Hot springs, situated about four miles east of Shaffer's ranch; thence east to the boundary line between California and Nevada Territory." District No. 3. — "All that portion of ter- ritory belonging to Lassen County situated and lying south and east of the eastern and southern boundary line of District No. 2. ' ' The Commissioners then created the following townships: Susanville Township. — "All that portion of territory embraced and situated in District No. 1." Janesville Township. — "All that portion of territory embraced and situated in District No. 2." Honey Lake Township. — "All that portion of territory embraced and situated in District No. 3, and north of the ridge dividing Honey Lake valley and Long valley, where the present traveled road crosses said ridge. ' ' Long Valley Township. — ' ' All that portion of territory embraced and situated in District No. 3, and south of the boundary line of Honey Lake township." They then established the following precincts and selected the place in each one at which the election should be held : Precinct Junction, Summit, Susan River Susanville, Place of Voting Junction House. Byrd 's Ranch. Lathrop City. Susanville. Devil 's Corral, Stockton 's Mill. Fort Crook, Precinct Milford, Toadtown, Janesville, Mud Springs, Mt. Meadows, Willow Creek, Place of Voting Milford. Sehoolhouse. Janesville. Mud Springs. Goodrich 's. Lee 's Burg. Long Valley, Boss & Evans. The following Inspectors and Judges were appointed Precinct Junction, Long Valley, Summit, Milford, Janesville, Susan Biver, Toadtown, Mud Springs, Susanville, Mt. Meadows, Devil 's Corral, Willow Creek, Fort Crook, [348] Inspector Paul Jones, W. S. Boss, Shannon Joseph Wemple, Lewis Stark, XJ. L. Shaffer, E. G. Bangham, Jenkerson, P. Chamberlain, Goodrich, A. Seaman, Lee, Judges M. Bronson and Wright. A. Evans and J. McKissick. L. P. Whiting and Thomas Fairchilds. A. H. Barnes and N. Clark. J. N. Pine and Dr. McCollom. A. C. Neale and Z. N. Spalding. Tunnel and T. Bobinson. Frank Peed and W. C. Kingsbury. George Long and H. H. Beppert and P. J. Quinn. James Haley and THE YEAR 1864 The Commissioners then appointed Rufus Kingsley from District No. 1, James D. Byers from District No. 2, and A. Evans from District No. 3 as a committee to select two sites for the county seat of Lassen county to be voted for at the election to be held on the second day of May, 1864. The Board adjourned until Saturday, the 16th day of April, A. D., 1864. Board met at the Masonic Hall pursuant to adjournment and the committee appointed to select two sites for the county seat of Lassen county presented their report, which was received by the Board, declaring Susanville and Janesville as the sites selected for that purpose. The Board then ordered that the proper election notices be posted, and adjourned to meet at Miller and Kingsley 's store on Monday, the ninth day of May, A. D., 1864. Board of Commissioners met pursuant to adjournment — present Drake and Breed. They proceeded to open the election returns and canvass the votes of the different precincts. They counted the votes from Junction, Long Valley, Milford, Janes- ville, Susan River, Mud Springs, Toadtown, Susanville, Willow Creek, Mt. Meadows, and Devil's Corral. No returns were received from Summit precinct. The Board disagreed as to counting the votes from Fort Crook, Surprise Valley, and Willow (Creek) precincts. Breed wanted to throw out the vote of these precincts without opening the returns, but Drake objected, and the Board adjourned until the 12th day of May. When they met at that date all the members of the Board were present. They called in E. R. Nichols and A. A. Smith as witnesses to inform them as to the location of the Fort Crook and Surprise Valley precincts, and after some voting the returns from the disputed precincts were rejected. The Board then proceeded to estimate the vote of the county. Susanville having received the highest number of votes for county seat was declared the county seat of Lassen county. They also declared the following gentlemen duly elected the first officers of Lassen county: E. V. Spencer, District Attorney; A. A. Smith, County Clerk and ex-officio Auditor, Recorder, and Superintendent of Public Instruction; James D. Byers, Sheriff; E. R. Nichols, County Surveyor; E. D. Bowman, County Treasurer; A. H. Brown, County Assessor; Z. J. Brown, Coroner and ex-officio Public [349] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Administrator ; H. C. Stockton, Supervisor, District No. 1 ; E. G. Bangham, Supervisor, District No. 2; A. Evans, Supervisor, District No. 3. The following were declared elected Justices of the Peace : Long Valley township, William Ross and CM. West ; Honey Lake township, B. F. Sheldon ; Janesville township, S. W. Ham- mond and J. P. Ford; Susanville township, William J. Young and George L. Wedekind. The following were declared elected Constables: Long Valley township, F. H. Mosier and J. Robinson ; Honey Lake township, Charles Batterson; Janesville township, William Hamilton and George Johnston; Susanville township, W. H. Crane and F. Wedekind. The Board then ordered that a certificate of election be issued to each person elected at the election held on the second day of May, 1864; that the Chairman of the Board keep the election returns in his possession until the County Clerk enters upon the duties of his office ; that the Chairman of the Board make out a statement of the election returns, and file the same with the County Clerk when he enters upon the duties of his office; that the Chairman of the Board make an abstract of the election returns, a statement of the persons elected, certify to its cor- rectness, and transmit the same to the Secretary of the State of California as soon as practicable. The Commissioners having finished their business it was ordered that they adjourn sine die. L. N. Breed, Clerk. Frank Drake, Chairman. In May Governor Low appointed I. J. Harvey of Susanville as County Judge. His term of office was to last until after the judicial election to be held the following year. Proceedings of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors — First Meeting — June, A. D., 1864 The Board met according to law Monday, the sixth day of June. E. G. Bangham was the only member of the Board pres- ent. Stockton came on the ninth and the Board adjourned until the next day. Evans arrived on the 14th. On the tenth the Board levied a tax of $1.25 an each $100 of taxable property in the county for county purposes, and $1.25 on each $100 for state [ 350 ] THE YEAR 1864 purposes. (The Assessment Roll for 1864 showed the value of improvements on land to be $239558, and the value of personal property to be $439301. The tax on this would be $16971.47.) All the roads of the county traveled by the public at that time were declared public highways. The county was laid off into seven Road Districts, and the following road overseers appointed : District No. 1 — Loyal Woodstock ; District No. 2. — Henry Hatch; District No. 3. — A. Kniesley; District No. 4. — F. A. Sloss ; District No. 5. Ross ; District No. 6. Lee ; District No. 7. — J. N. Pine. The following School Districts were laid off: Susanville Dis- trict, Susanville and down the river for a couple of miles ; Rich- mond District, the country south of the Susanville District; Susan River District, down the river from the Susanville District to the lake and country to the north ; Janesville District, that cor- ner of the valley and down to within a couple of miles of the lake ; Lake District, from the Janesville District down along the lake to Long valley ; Long Valley District, all of Long Valley. In August the Lake and Long Valley Districts were consolidated. On the eleventh the Board ordered notices to be posted stat- ing that until the 18th proposals would be received by the Board for selling to the county a suitable site in the town of Susanville for the location of the county buildings. On June 18th Isaac Roop's gift of a block of land in Susanville for a public square was accepted. At the meeting of July second the Board ordered notices posted stating that until August eighth proposals would be received for the building of a county jail. On August eighth the following proposals were received and opened: (1) Ed. Carpeau proposed to build said jail for the sum of $7000 — to be built of stone. (2) R. L. Ingram offered to build it of stone for $7826. (3) Westley (J. W.) Hosselkus offered to build it of brick for $6850, or of stone for $8000. (4) Thompson and Gid- dings offered to build it of stone for $3950. The last bid was accepted on the condition that Thompson and Giddings give the county a $5000 bond for the faithful fulfillment of the contract. The First Grand Jury The first Lassen county grand jury served during the Septem- ber term of the County Court. Its members were A. Kneisley, William R. Hill, Charles Adams, S. S. Stinson, Samuel Latton, [351] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA D. Chandler, Thomas Epley, Frank Drake, E. M. Cheeney, Smith J. Hill, S. P. Tunnel, Paul Jones, C. M. Kelley, William Craw- ford, M. Craig, P. A. Sloss, E. Bronson, N. Pine, and John C. Wright. Jerry Tyler was excused from jury service. Frank Drake was foreman. The First County Court The first County Court of Lassen county was opened by Judge I. J. Harvey on Monday, June sixth, but it is probable that there were no jury trials before the County Court until the September term, for not until then is there any record of paying trial jurors for this court. The trial jurors for this term (September) were Loyal Woodstock, Robert Johnston, George Wilson, John Borrette, J. P. Jones , H. Sain, George Johnston, John H. Cowan, Charles E. Alvord, Frank Strong, Z. J. Brown, L. Spencer, Fred Hines, William Course, Warren Lockman, F. Long, Frank Drake, Charles White, S. J. Eldred, Tro E. Ward, and A. G. Moon. See * after the opening of the District Court. September 17th William Hill Naileigh was appointed Cor- oner to fill the vacancy caused by the failure of Z. J. Brown to qualify. The salary of the Superintendent of Schools was ordered to be $200 per year. F. and S. say that the first term of the District Court was opened at Susanville, October 10, 1864, by Hon. Warren T. Sex- ton of Butte county. Present were the Judge; A. A. Smith, County Clerk; James D. Byers, Sheriff; and E. V. Spencer, Dis- trict Attorney. The first case entered on the record was that of John G. Newington vs. C. M. Kelley et al. *Besides those given under the head of "The First County Court' ' the following were also summoned as trial jurors and answered to their names : Lew. Leith, John R. Lockwood, Charles M. Drum, Samuel Weatherlow, M. W. Pratt, and Jesse Williams. At the December meeting of the Board of Supervisors the name of the Toadtown precinct was changed to Johnston ville. It was also ordered by the Board that any one could pay one half of his county tax in county warrants, or one fourth of his state and county taxes in the same way. When Lassen county was organized it was supposed that there were about a thousand people in it. The amount of taxable [352] THE YEAR 1864 property was small, and even with a high rate of taxation, not enough revenue could be raised to pay the expenses of running the county and erecting the necessary public buildings. War- rants were given for the payment of the county debts, but there was no money in the treasury to pay them, and before long they were of little value. Jurymen, witnesses, etc., paid gold coin for their expenses in Susanville and in return for their services received county warrants. Enos W. Fairfield, the Father of the writer, served about a week on the grand jury in the spring of 1867. He traded the warrant he received for a pair of halters and thought he made a good trade. In seven years the county debt amounted to $31,000. The following from the " Humboldt Register" of July 30, 1864, tells how the Lassen county officers helped out the county revenue and what their neighbors thought about it. "A Set of Land Pirates in Armor of Brass" "Honey Lakers, for the purpose of more effectually preying upon the rest of the world, last winter got up a county organi- zation. They had no legitimate resources for the revenue neces- sary to conduct a county government and they knew it. But they have tax collectors and other officers, and these lie in wait for teams passing to and from Humboldt, and come upon the teamsters for taxes upon their property. Teams owned here and upon which taxes are regularly paid here, are obliged to submit to this outrage and measures should be taken to stop it. Civil- ized men fare better passing among the Indians. ' ' Probably they told the truth about taxing teamsters in Sus- anville. For several years after this a teamster was compelled to pay taxes on his team in Virginia City, Reno, Oroville, Chico, perhaps any town in Nevada or California, unless he had a re- ceipt to show that he had paid the taxes on it somewhere else that year. It is said that Chinese miners paid taxes to almost every man who came along. Every white man was to them a tax col- lector of some kind, and when traveling they were supposed to pay taxes at every county seat they went through, and some- times between those places. Men who lived here at the time say that Sheriff Byers's deputies used to hold up the emigrants who passed through Susanville and make them pay taxes on their [353] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA teams. Roop said that poor men who were coming into the country ought to be helped instead of being robbed, and put a stop to it. There was a presidential election this fall and political feeling ran high. Tunison's diary tells that October 20th there was a Union meeting in Susan ville. The Home Guards (Honey Lake Rangers) paraded and Maj. John Bidwell, Republican candidate for congress, spoke at night. There was another Union meeting at that place the night of the 22nd. October 26th the Democrats had a meeting and a barbecue in the timber just back of Janes- ville. The way Tunison has it in his diary shows the feeling at that time. "October 26. The copperheads had a barbecue at Janesville yesterday. To-day they marched up to Susanville. I saw them promenade the street of Susanville." The last day of October the Union men of the neighborhood raised a flagpole at the Toadtown gristmill. It was 106 feet high and was dressed eight square to within 15 feet of the top — dressed with a plane. November second there was a Union meeting at Janesville. Judge W. R. Harrison was the speaker of the day and he was followed by John R. Buckbee. Three hundred and twenty-two men and women were in attendance — a very large crowd for the time and place. There was a dance that night at the Thompson ranch and nearly one hundred couples were present. Indian Troubles. 1864 , The people of Lassen county seem to have had a peaceful time with the Indians during this year. Probably they stole a few cattle from the ranges, but did no other damage. How the "Tule Confederacy" Got Its Name In 1859 John M. Kelley located a section of land on the north side of the Big Slough near the lake. When the land was sur- veyed he could not hold it all — could hold only 160 acres and had to live on that. William S. Brashear, Chappel M. Kelley, and Robert Briggs crossed the plains in 1863, and Kelley wrote to them to stop in this valley and file on the land he claimed. They came here and each one filed on a quarter section of the land, but they had to skirmish a little with some other men who wanted it. The next year John Sailing crossed the plains and claimed some land near them, and Joshua E. Briggs, who had also crossed the plains that year, stopped with him to rest his team. All of the [354] THE YEAR 1864 above named men excepting John M. Kelley had been in the Confederate Army. In the fall of 1864 E. R. Nichols, the county surveyor, was doing some work for them, and when told this fact he said it was a regular Southern Confederacy. This led to some joking in regard to it and finally Nichols suggested that it was a ' ' Tule Confederacy ' ' and the name has been applied to that part of the valley ever since. The Killing of Wales and Boody In June an unfortunate affair occurred which resulted in the death of Philip Wales and Jacob Boody, two men who were neighbors and who lived about half way between Janesville and Milford. A short time before the tragedy occurred Boody took a wagon to Wales, who was a carpenter and wagon maker, to have it repaired. When the work was done he went after his wagon, but Wales refused to let him have it until he paid for the work, and it was left there. On the sixth of June Boody went to Milford and came home late, reaching the Wales ranch after dark. It is told that that about this time Wales heard a noise at the barn, and thinking that some one was meddling with his horses, took a pistol and went out there to see about it. There are a good many surmises as to what took place after he reached the barn, but nothing is definitely known about it. When the neighbors first got there, perhaps two hours afterwards, Wales was in the house on the bed. He was dead and there was a bullet hole in his breast. Boody was dead, too, and was lying in the road with a bullet hole in the upper part of his leg and a charge of shot in his back and side. The next day the people of that vicinity gathered at the Wales ranch, and Dr. P. Chamberlain held an informal inquest. The bodies were examined and those who were supposed to know anything about the matter were questioned, but no further infor- mation was gained. No arrests were made and the county author- ities took no more notice of the affair. To this day there is nothing to prove how or by whom the two men were killed. The Honey Lake Rangers In the spring of 1864 the Union men of Honey Lake valley concluded to organize a company of Home Guards. There were several reasons for taking this action. About the time the Civil [355] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA War began the Southerners had tried to get possession of the United States forts, vessels, etc., at San Francisco, hoping by means of these to overawe the Union men of California and hold the state for the South. What was done in this valley by south- ern sympathizers in 1863 has already been told. The issue of the war was still in doubt, southern sympathizers were active, and there were many rumors flying about. One of them was to the effect that at any time the attempt to capture the state might be renewed. Of course this was only a rumor, but the Union men of the valley thought it would be well to be prepared for trouble if it came. Besides this, in case the Indians should again become hostile such an organization would be useful in fighting them. Through the kindness of H. B. Van Horn the following was obtained from the office of the Adjutant-General of the state of California. The citizens of Lassen county petitioned County Judge I. J. Harvey to apoint some one to open a book and enter thereon the names of volunteers for the organization of a volunteer com- pany in Lassen county. On July 4, 1864, the Judge appointed Frank Drake, a resident of the county, to open such a book. This he did and posted notices in four conspicuous places in the county. In a short time notice was given to the volunteers that a meeting would be held at the schoolhouse in Susanville on Wednesday, the 20th of July, 1864, at two o'clock P. M., for the purpose of electing officers and organizing said company. They met pursuant to the notice, and the meeting was called to order and presided over by Frank Drake, A. T. Bruce being Secretary pro tern. Fifty-six names were on the muster roll and forty men were present and answered to their names. They decided by vote to organize a cavalry company under the name of "The Honey Lake Rangers. " They then proceeded to elect their officers, and after this was done a committee was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws for the government of the com- pany. The members of this committee were W. N. De Haven, John S. Ward, and William J. Young. This organization was mustered into the service of the state of California September 28, 1864. It was a cavalry company and was called Company A, Fifth Brigade, National Guard of California, Brigadier General John Bidwell, Commanding. It was also called "The Honey Lake Rangers." It was equipped [356] THE YEAR 1864 with .54 caliber rifles, Star pistols, and artillery sabres and scab- bards. Uniforms were also furnished and saddles and bridles, but the men had to furnish their own horses. Following is given the first muster roll of the company. The officers were the ones elected at the meeting of July 20, 1864. Officers Frank Drake, Naileigh, William Hill, Sanders, Wilshire, Burke, Thomas C, Junior De Haven, William N., Clemmons, William W., Nichols, E. Richard, Giddings, Czar, Brannan, Emanuel, Gray, Byron B., Perry, George W., Arnold, Leroy, Bruce, A. Taggart, Borrette, Henry S., Clark, Charles, Arnold, Henry E., Arnold, Matthew, Arnold, Alex. T., Alvord, Charles E., Borrette, Valentine J., Byers, James D., Bowman, Ed. D., Barnes, Trueman B., Bangham, E. G., Brown, Alex. H., Course, William, Crane, William H., Chamberlain, Marcus, Chamberlain, Philander, Cowan, John H., Conkey, James, Captain, Commanding, First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, First Sergeant (Orderly), Second Sergeant, . Third Sergeant, Fourth Sergeant, Fifth Sergeant, First Corporal, Second Corporal, Third Corporal, Fourth Corporal, Bugler, Farrier, Privates Campbell, Samuel, Dow, William, Davis, John C, De Haven, Henry A., Funk, George W., Ford, Johnson P., Gilbert, Mark, Hulsman, John F., Hill, William A., Huntington, James, Hines, Fred, Harrison, Socrates, Harrison, William R., Judkins, Asa B., Jones, Newton, Kingsley, Rufus, 357 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Kneisley, A. A., Lockwood, John R., Lockman, Warren A., Lyons, George, Long, William B., Labarte, Edward B., Lybarger, George, Lyons, Joseph, Moon, Abram G., Maguire, Michael J., Neale, Adam C, Peed, Frank, Parks, Hiram B., Phillips, Nathan, Priddy, Maurice, Roop, Isaac N., Rundel, York, Sparger, Henry L., Spencer, Luther, Spalding, Z. N., Spencer, Ephraim V., Smith, Albert A., Sodtrough, P., Straus, Gotleb, Strong, Frank, Stockton, H. Clay, Thompson, Henry F., Tunison, Abram, Ward, John S., Wilson, Sherald, Wilson, George, White, Charles, Wentworth, William. The following is from a muster roll dated September 25, 1865. There were eighty names on it, the same number as on the previous roll. Some of the privates dropped out and new ones took their places. The names of the officers and those of the new privates are given. Officers Frank Drake, Naileigh, William Hill, Smith, A. A., Bangham, E. G., De Haven, William N., Clemmons, W. W., Crane, W. H., Rundel, R. Y., Brockman, William, Gray, Byron B., Perry, George W., Judkins, Asa B., Roop, I. N., Borrette, H. S., Strong, Frank, Captain, Commanding, First Lieutenant, Senior Second Lieutenant, Junior Second Lieutenant, First Sergeant (Orderly), Second Sergeant, Third Sergeant, Fourth Sergeant, Fifth Sergeant, First Corporal, Second Corporal, Third Corporal, Fourth Corporal, Trumpeter, Farrier. [358 THE YEAR 1864 Privates Campbell, Sylvester, Partridge, John C, Brown, Thomas, Pursell, George M., Johnston, George, Pratt, Miller W., Johnston, Robert, Ward, Tro. H., Kingsbury, William C, Woodstock, Loyal, Leroy, Albert R., Wright, Henry. This Company was re-organized under the Act of 1866 and again mustered into the service of the State on August 1, 1866. The muster roll of the Company as re-organized shows the officers to be exactly the same as on the roll of September 25, 1865. Comparison with the original muster roll of the Com- pany shows the following changes: Names Dropped from, the Original Roll Arnold, Leroy, Long, William B., Bruce, A. Taggart, Labarte, Edward B., Burke, Thomas C, Priddy, Maurice, Brannan, Emanuel, Peed, Frank, Clark, Charles, Sodtrough. P., Chamberlain, Marcus, Straus, Gotleb, Cowan, John H., Wilson, Sherald, Hill, William A., Wilson, George, Kneisley, A. A., White, Charles, Lockman, Warren A., New Names on the Roll Brown, Thomas, Kingsbury, W. C, Cunningham, P. W., Leroy, A. R., Davis, Nathan, Miller, John G., Elledge, Adam D., Miller, William T., Hutton, James, Partridge, John C, Hamilton, William S., Pursell, George M., Hammond, S. W., Pratt, M. W., Hart, Jackson H., Smith, Cyrus, Harrison, George, Ward, Trobridge, Johnston, George, Woodstock, Loyal, Johnston, Robert, Wright, Henry. Several muster rolls were sent in, and the changes in officers and men will be given. [359] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA On the next roll there were thirty-one names. Naileigh was Lieutenant, Commanding, E. R. Nichols was Fourth Ser- geant, and John C. Davis was Farrier. New names since re-organization were Benjamin F. Wilson, J. W. M. Howe, E. W. Vance, Stephen J. Eldred, Leroy Arnold, and C. F. Williams. On the roll of September 1, 1866, there were seventy-eight names. Frank Drake was Captain, Commanding. New names were as follows: Brashear, William S., Long, William B., Broadwell, Isaac, Peed, Frank, Chapman, John F., Pine, John N., Hall, Samuel R., Steward, Joseph I., Hughes, S. B., Vary, Ladue, Hauff, Earnest, Wildner, John, Johnson, Samuel, Wright, Albert, James, Preston R., Wright, A. S., Kingsbury, William V., Worm, A. W. On the roll of October 12, 1866, there were forty-two names. Naileigh was Lieutenant, Commanding, E. R. Nichols was Third Sergeant, and W. H. Crane was Fourth Sergeant. New names were A. T. Bruce, Albert Conkey, William H. Hall, Joseph Todd, and William H. Van Alstine. The following notice appeared in ' ' The Sage Brush ' ' of Janu- ary 12, 1867 : "Honey Lake Rangers, "Take Especial Notice. "You are hereby commanded to return your arms to the Company Armory on or before the last Saturday of the month. "A demand for a part has been made by the State, and every member of the Company failing to comply with this call will be chargeable with such arms as he has withheld. "Wm. Hill Naileigh, Lieut. Com. "Honey Lake Rangers. "W. N. De Haven, Orderly." [360] THE YEAR 1864 The muster roll of September 9, 1867, shows sixty-one names. Albert A. Smith, Captain, Commanding, Naileigh, William Hill, First Lieutenant, Bangham, E. G., Senior Second Lieutenant, Crane, W. H., Junior Second Lieutenant, Gray, Byron B., First Sergeant (Orderly), Nichols, Elton R., Second Sergeant, Brockman, William, Third Sergeant, Partridge, John C, Fourth Sergeant, Dow, William, Fifth Sergeant, Perry, George W., First Corporal, Vance, E. Walter, Second Corporal, Arnold, Leroy, Third Corporal, Conkey, James, Fourth Corporal. New names were John Borrette, G. H. Dobyns, Frank L. David, Thomas H. Holden, Charles League, Warren Montgomery, Charles B. Moore, Benjamin B. Painter, Jerry Tyler, and M. G. White. The last muster roll was dated June 30, 1868. At roll call there were only nine men present. They were A. A. Smith, Cap- tain ; William Hill Naileigh, First Lieutenant ; William H. Crane, Junior Second Lieutenant; Alpheus T. Bruce, George Funk, Albert R. LeRoy, Isaac N. Roop, Z. N. Spalding, and John S. Ward. On this roll was written ' ' Charles League killed by the Indians November 3, 1867. Rufus Kingsley, Died December 26, 1867." In October, 1867, Jeremiah Bond hauled a part of the Com- pany's equipment to Oroville and turned it over to George B. Perkins. In the beginning eighty officers and men were fully equipped. On the last muster roll was the following report of the equipment : ' ' 29 sabers, 5 rifles, 20 cartridge boxes, 18 belt plates, 23 cartridge box belts, 24 waist belts, 22 waist belt plates, 4 gun slings, 12 cap boxes, 12 saddles, and 6 bridles." The writer was unable to learn what became of them. The Honey Lake Rangers were mustered out of service June 30, 1868, and this ends the history of Lassen County's part of the National Guard of the State of California. As an organiza- tion this Company never saw any active service, although A. A. Smith was in command of a party that went in pursuit of some [ 361 ] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Indians in the spring of 1868 and some of the Rangers were with him. They drilled once in a while, and paraded a few times at Union meetings and at Fourth of July celebrations. Though they did no fighting, perhaps the fact that there was a body of men here armed and ready served a good purpose. The Prices of Merchandise in Susanville in 1864 The following prices were taken from the books of a firm that did business in Susanville this year. Of course the prices of these things were higher previous to this, especially before the 60 's. It will be noticed that tobacco and whiskey cost about the same as at the present time. In comparison to the wages paid the cost of living was much higher then than it is now. 2 lbs. Butter , 350 Cigars 2 lbs. Tobacco 41/2 Gals. Whiskey ; 1.50 29.25 1.00 13.50 2 Cans Oysters 2.00 2 lbs. Crackers 50 8 yds. Calico 3.20 1 Pr. Buckskin Gloves 2.50 1 Paper Needles 50 50 lbs. Flour 4.50 5 gals. Coal Oil 11.87% 1 Box Candles 10.00 4 lbs. Putty 1.00 13 yds. Sheeting 6.50 2 Deep Dishes 2.00 2 Sauce Dishes 1.00 2 Plates 75 6 Tin Plates 1.25 2 lbs. Coffee 1.00 2 Gross Screws 2.00 6 Sticks Braid 2.25 1 Doz. Eggs 75 1 Can Peaches 1.25 1 Spool Linen Thread .25 lPr. Socks. 1.00 1 lb. Baisins 50 1 Linen Handerchief. 1 Lamp Chimney 3 lbs. Nails 1 5 1 1 Neck Handkerchief lb. Sack Salt lb. Tea Door Lock 6 doz. Agate Buttons. 1 Comforter 4 lbs. Prunes 1 Can Lard 10 lbs. Dried Apples 1 lb. Tobacco 1 Paper Pins 1 Pt. Turpentine . . 1 Overshirt , 1 Box Blacking 1 Vest 1 White Shirt , 1 lb. Pepper 1 Bottle Whiskey.., 5 lbs. Sugar , 14 lbs. Potatoes 1 Gal. Coal Oil 1 Broom , 1 Pencil 0.50 .75 .48 2.00 .62 1.25 2.00 1.00 5.50 2.00 3.50 2.50 1.00 .25 .62 3.00 .50 8.00 3.00 .50 1.00 1.50 .70 2.50 1.00 .25 [362] SY5 lbs. Peaches $ 1.00 2 lbs. Starch 1.00 271/2 lbs. Bacon 9.62 1 lb. Ginger 50 THE YEAR 1864 1 lb. Saleratus $ 0.37 1 Gal. Syrup 2.50 y 2 Gal. Vinegar 75 1 Ax Helve 75 2 Spools Thread 25 In the fall of 1865 the writer saw the clerk in the store at Milf ord refuse to sell a little boy a common slate pencil for ten cents. He wanted twenty-five cents for it. Probably the "freight" was the cause of this high price. The Never Sweats "The Humboldt Register" of April 30, 1864, says "That is the trite sobriquet given here to the people of Honey Lake val- ley. It is so easy to get a living there, that people acquire indolent habits, we suppose. Well, that will do to introduce our anecdote, anyhow. A man advertised for three able-bodied men. People who advertise get everything they want and in a few days three men — stout fellows — came in company and applied for the place. 'Ready to commence to-morrow, ' he asked. 'Yes,' said the spokesman of the trio. 'O, I forgot! Where have you come from?' 'From Honey Lake,' they replied. 'Honey Lake be d d' said he as he walked off, 'What do you suppose I want ? I want men to work. Honey Lake, ' and he would not hear another word." 363 CHAPTER XI 1865. SETTLEMENT Susanville. Susanville 's first big fire took place this year on the 17th of March. It started in Wentworth and Wil- son's livery stable on the southeast corner of Main and Gay streets and burned that, and then going east burned the following buildings in the order in which they are given: Friedman's saloon, Jacob Smith's dwelling-house and brewery, Dr. R. F. Moody's eight square drug store, Samuel Peyser and M. Bien- stock's building, which was used as a dwelling-house, a store, and a tailor shop, and H. F. Tarrant's store. Everything on the south side of Main street between Gay and Union streets was burned excepting the Magnolia building. At that time the citi- zens of the place had nothing to fight the fire with and could do very little toward stopping it. The loss was about $20000, with- out any insurance. The first of July, or not far from that time, the first number of "The Sage Brush" was published in Susanville. This was the first paper published in the county. It was a four-page, six- column paper, published every Saturday morning by A. C. Long- more — subscription price $5 a year. Longmore's office was on the north side of Cottage street a little west of Lassen. F. and S. say that Longmore sold out to A- T. Bruce whose name appeared as editor on August 10, 1867. September 5, 1868, John C. Par- tridge bought the paper and changed the name to "Lassen Sage Brush." Some time after this he sold a half interest in the business to Daniel C. Slater, his brother-in-law. January 1, 1873, they changed the name to "The Lassen Advocate." E. A. "Weed, who then owned the paper, changed the name to "Lassen Advocate" in October, 1878. David Knoch opened a store on the north side of Main street between Lassen and Gay and a little west of the center of the block. In a year or two he moved across the street and for many years was one of the leading merchants of the town. E. D. Bow- man and John R. Lockwood commenced the business of selling goods on the south side of Main street between Lassen and Gay near the center of the block. They followed this business only a few years. Some time this year A. C. Neale opened a drug store [364] THE YEAE 1865 a little to the west of the Steward House. It was the best estab- lishment of the kind that had ever been in the place. Neale could not put up prescriptions and this work was done by Dr. Spalding. J. W. White, a Methodist preacher, came to the val- ley this year. He was the first ordained minister to preach here. This year the Richmond School District built a schoolhouse. Mrs. Orlando Streshly, assisted by Mrs. Frank Drake, raised enough by subscription to put up the building, some giving money and others materials. This building is still used as a school- house in that district. Milford. L. P. Whiting, who had moved to Milford in 1862, this year started another nursery a short distance northeast of town and followed the business of raising trees and fruit nearly all the rest of his life. The Milford School District built a school- house on the south side of the road in the western part of town. Miss Philenda Montgomery (Mrs. E. V. Spencer) taught the school there that fall and the writer was one of her pupils. The Soldier Bridge School District extended east from a line drawn north and south across the mouth of Willow creek. A schoolhouse was built about two miles in a southerly direction from Shaffer's station, and in the fall a school was taught there by Miss Lurana Walker (Mrs. James P. Sharp), who had crossed the plains this year. A private school had been taught in the neighborhood before this. In February Patrick Bagin sold the Mud Springs station to Charles B. Clark. In a year or two Clark ran the Steward House, too, for a while. Long Valley. A. S. Wright sold out to C. M. West and came to Honey Lake valley to live. Anton Rager sold to Joseph Rager. Willow Creek. In the spring Thomas Summers and Wife came into the valley and lived at or near the Hurlbut and Kund- son place. Richard Quilty took a place on the south side of the creek between Parker and Leesburg. Gowanlock located about three miles northeast of Leesburg and built a cabin on the side of the hill north of the valley. Harris and Scott claimed some land and built a cabin between him and Leesburg. John Camp- bell and family came into the valley this year. John Wright came in with a band of horses and settled in the little valley left vacant by the death of Pearson. People called him "Coyote Jack," and since his time the valley where he lived has been called "Jack's [365] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA valley. ' ' In October Bernhard Neuhaus located at Leesburg and lived there almost all the rest of his life. Very few people crossed the plains to this section in 1865 or any other year after that. Those whose names are given in the following lists settled in the county in 1865. The length of residence does not apply to the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are living here yet : Collins Gaddy, Bnos W. Fairfield and Family, Asa M. Fairfield, Justus R. Bailey and Family, Philip J. Goumez, David Knoch and Family, George W. Harrison, James Dunn, and Charles P. McClelland. The following lived here almost a life time : Lurana Walker (Mrs. J. P. Sharp). The following lived here from two or three to ten or twelve years: Lafayette Wiggin and Family, E. Walter Vance, John Samis, Howard Putnam, *W. J. Matney and Family, T. R. Tierce, William Gamble, and James Watts and Family. Lassen County Politics. 1865 At the March meeting of the Board of Supervisors two new School Districts were set off — Milford and Soldier Bridge. The Board ordered the County Surveyor to survey the west line of the county from a point on the mountain due south of Susanville to the northwest corner of the county, and thence east to state line. This work was done during the following summer and fall. The second grand jury called in Lassen county met March sixth and adjourned on the tenth. They found eleven bills. Seven men were indicted for gambling and one for hurrahing for Jeff. Davis. When the cases came to trial before the County Judge every bill was broken and thrown out of court because the District Attorney had not made the papers out right. At the June meeting of the Board William J. Young, J. P., handed in his resignation and William R. Harrison was appointed in his place. The Board ordered that after that date all state and county taxes must be paid in gold and silver coin. Probably the county was getting too much of its own money in payment of taxes. On the Fourth of July there was a grand celebration at Susanville. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Patterson and an oration was delivered by Captain William N. De Haven. The [366] THE YEAE 1865 Honey Lake Rangers paraded and the ladies of the county pre- sented them with a splendid silk flag. An election for county officers was held on September sixth and 489 votes were cast. Frank Drake was elected Sheriff ; A. A. Smith, County Clerk and ex-officio Auditor, Recorder, and Su- perintendent of Public Instruction; E. D. Bowman, County Treasurer; I. N. Roop, District Attorney; Elton R. Nichols, County Surveyor ; James Hutchings, Coroner and ex-officio Pub- lic Administrator ; "William C. Kingsbury, Assessor ; and Thomas H. Epley, Supervisor of District No. 2. At the September meeting of the Board Dr. J. W. M. Howe was appointed County Physician, the first one appointed in the county. At the special Judicial election held October 18th J. D. Goodwin was elected Joint Assemblyman for Lassen and Plumas. William R. Harrison was elected County Judge. The following Justices of the Peace were elected: Susanville, C. E. Alvord and C. C. Goodrich; Janesville, H. E. Lomas and James Hutchings; Long Valley, J. McKissick and M. Bronson; Milford, J. C. Wemple. At the December meeting of the Board the County Auditor was ordered to draw a warrant for $1000 on the General Fund in accordance with the organic Act. E. S. Dennison was allowed to build a toll bridge across what was known as ''Grease creek" in the southern part of Surprise valley. C. Giddings was allowed $209 for finishing the jail and for wood furnished the county. It is impossible to tell exactly when the jail was completed, but probably it was some time in November. It cost about $4800. Indian Troubles. 1865 There was a great deal of trouble with the Indians this year throughout northeastern California, northwestern Nevada, and probably in those part of Oregon and Idaho adjoining these sec- tions; but only those events which took place in the country where the Never Sweats lived and traveled will be related. The latter part of January it was reported that the Indians had robbed a camp and killed some stock in Secret valley, and about a month later they drove off some more stock from the same locality. This was the third time in about a month that they had taken stock from there and Smoke Creek. They also [367] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA drove off some of Jack Byrd's stock. George Thayer, the express- man, was killed north of Smoke Creek while on his way from Honey Lake to Surprise valley. The Murder op Lucius Arcularius During the winter of 1864-65 the Granite Creek station on the emigrant road between Shaffer's and the Humboldt river was owned by Andrew Litch, who afterwards lived many years in Honey Lake valley, and Lucius Arcularius. The latter, known to both white and red men as " Lucius," was a man who was liked by everybody. The only fault ever found with him was that he was too kind to the Indians. He hired them to work for him and loaned them guns and ammunition with which to hunt rabbits; and Mr. Lomas says "All this was quite at variance with Honey Lake gospel." Not far from the first of March Arcularius started from the station on horseback and alone to go to Susanville. Lafayette Marks says that two or three days after he started some one going toward the Humboldt stopped at the station and the men he had left there inquired if they had met him on the road. The traveler replied that he had seen nothing of him. Some of them then went to the Smoke Creek station and were told there that he had not passed that place. Lomas says that W. V. Kingsbury, who kept the Smoke Creek station, came to Shaffer's and made inquiries about Arcularius. Harper says that some one went to Susanville and told the story of the missing man and that Joe Hale and Nick Curran, and perhaps others went out to look for him. However this may have been, a party started to follow his tracks after he left Deep Hole springs. They had no trouble in following them to Wall springs, but from there they were hard to trace. Finally, after hunting for several hours, they found his body with two bullet holes in it about three hundred yards from Wall springs. It would seem from appearances that two Indians lay in ambush and shot him. His horse turned sharply to one side and ran about a hundred yards and then he fell off. The Indians stripped him of his clothes and threw him into a bunch of grease brush. They took away everything he had, and as his horse was not found, prob- ably they got that, too. The party went to the Granite Creek station and fixed up a box and came back and buried him. [368] THE YEAE 1865 The Massacre at Granite Creek Station Soon after the middle of March Litch left the station in charge of A. J. Curry, Cyrus Creele, and Al. Simmons. A week or ten days after he was gone an Indian who used to come there quite often came into the house and said in a tantalizing sort of way, " Where Lucius? "Where he gone? When he come back?" A fellow called "Puck" Waldron, who happened to be there, grabbed up a gun, and putting it into the Indian's face, told him to look into it. He then pulled the trigger and killed the Indian dead. Probably there was another Indian or two outside who saw them take the body out and bury it, and these must have gone away after more Indians and come back as soon as they could. The following from "The Humboldt Eegister" (Published at Unionville, Nevada) of April 15, 1865, tells the sequel. ' ' The Butchery at Granite Creek Station "On the 7th, a small party, composed of W. R. Usher, Fox of Jesse, M. S. Bonnifield, Col. L. A. Buckner, and John Wood- ward left Unionville for a reconnoissance of a portion of the Honey Lake road. They overtook and joined another party, thirteen men from settlements along the river, out on the same mission. On the ninth the party reached Granite Creek station, eighty-five miles from here, owned by Andrew Litch and Lucius Arcularius. Arcularius had been killed by the Indians at Wall spring a month ago, and Litch was here for authority to act as administrator. The house, furnished with five guns and a good supply of ammunition, was left in charge of A. J. Curry, Cyrus Creele, and Al. Simmons. On the first of April a large column of smoke was seen rising from the vicinity, and the supposition is the station was that day attacked by the Indians. The walls of the house occupied by the men were built from thick pieces of sod. They had made ten loopholes for their rifles on the side attacked. The attack was made from a stone corral about thirty paces off, in front of the house. (To the east and lower than the house.) The whole front of the corral is bespattered with lead of the bullets fired from the house. By appearances the fight is supposed to have lasted about half a day. Curry was killed by a shot through a loophole — a body in the house having been recognized by persons acquainted with him. The legs from below the knees were missing. [369] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA "The Indians must have exhausted their ammunition, for they fired long missiles before leaving, made from the screw ends of wagon bolts, cut about an inch long and partially smoothed. Two of these were found — one in a bellows near the house, and the other planted two inches deep in wood. Near the lodging place of the latter was a blood stain, and it is supposed the mis- sile had killed a dog belonging on the place — a savage animal, intolerant of Indians. His skin was tanned, but left on the ground. "The Indians gained possession of a storehouse adjoining the dwelling by tearing out a wall. (The station house was on a little flat above the desert and faced toward the east. It was built of sod and had a shake roof. Ten or twelve feet back, or west, of it was a stone building, perhaps ten feet long and six feet wide, which was used for a storeroom. The Indians dug through the back wall of this building.) This enabled them to reach and fire the roof (of the larger building), and then it is supposed that Creele and Simmons resorted to flight, taking that desperate chance in preference to burning. (They took their guns, but didn't carry them very far.) Creele struck out across the flat towards Hot Springs. The flat is all alkali, very wet, and the tracks are left plain. Three Indians, two on horseback and one on a mule, pursued him and captured him ; brought him back to the house, and all the conditions attest that he was burned to death. A portion of the skull, a jaw-bone, and some small pieces of bone were found; the other portions of the body having been reduced to ashes. At the point where the arms would be, were large rocks piled up, everything indicated that he had been thus weighted down ; and then a large pile of sawed lumber was built up over this — stubs of the sawed lumber near these marks were found — and the poor fellow thus burned up. * ' Simmons took the road to Deep Hole station. He ran about thirty or forty rods, and there the mark of a pool of blood de- notes that he fared not quite so badly — having been shot down. The body was dragged off a short distance and much mutilated. The remains of all the men, such as were found, were buried by this party on the ninth." In the foregoing narrative the explanations made in the paren- theses were given by Lafayette Marks who says that he was at f 370 1 THE YEAft 1865 the scene of the massacre not long after it took place, and whose account of it agrees closely with the above. He says the men at the station seem to have expected trouble and prepared for it. They had plenty of arms, ammunition and provisions, and had a barrel full of water in the house. The marks of bullets on the corral, which he and Charles Lawson think was about sixty yards away, showed that they wasted their ammunition and that the most of it was gone when the end came. Marks and others think the siege must have lasted two or three days. Alvaro Evans says that when the Indians got into the storeroom they picked up an old mattress that was lying outside, set fire to it, and put it against the roof of the house. The "Kegister" continues: "The party then went to Deep Hole station to see how its occupants had fared. This place was occupied by three brothers named Partridge and a Chinaman. (If there were three men by the name of Partridge there, two of them may have been brothers.) They were entirely ignorant of the fate of the Granite Creek station, though only ten miles off ; and had not apprehended danger. They had seen the smoke on the first, but thought it nothing serious. 1 ' The party from here spent a day — the tenth inst. — helping the Partridge Boys to cache goods they could not bring away, and on the eleventh started with them, bringing their live stock for this side of the county. At Granite creek they stopped and made further observations. The place with all its property, had been worth not less than $400. (Probably $4000 was meant.) All was burned. A large wagon was destroyed, the spokes being sawed out of the wheels. A large lot of good lumber was piled up on the haystacks and fired. The stove was broken up, and the bottoms of the pots broken in. Nothing escaped but a keg of syrup which had been overlooked. A reaper, haypress, and other tools were demolished. "Everything showed that the boys had made a gallant and protracted fight. They would have held the house, it is believed, if it had not been fired. Curry's body having been recognized, and the skeleton of Simmons being easily recognized by pecul- iarly marked teeth, the ashes, the piled rocks, the stubs of the burned lumber denoted that it had been Creele's fate to breathe [371] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA his last in flames and smoke. Charles Kyle and family with their stock, and all other settlers thereabouts left their homes and came this way. ' ' There is a sorrow ripening for the redskins, and as it is known that all tribes furnish fiends for these marauding parties, conviction is gaining ground that it is not good for the country to encourage the breeding of Indians. Men who have lost friends by the hands of these miscreants promise an early and a fearful vengeance. ' ' The last of May, 1865, Captain Byrd started for Idaho with 1100 head of cattle and 165 horses. Besides himself and his son, Austin Byrd, there were twenty men to handle this stock. In the party were Thomas Harris, Thomas Votaw, William J. Sea- graves, William H. Dakin, John S. Howard, Alex. Hostetter, Wheeler, Belt, L. Gillespie, " Nigger" George, an Indian named Humphrey, and a Frenchman. Andrew J. Hunt joined them at Cow Creek. They went across the country until they struck the emigrant road to the Humboldt river and then followed that. In two or three days Votaw and Harris went back to attend to the Byrd stock left in Honey Lake. In the Black Eock country there was a long drive across the desert without any water and the stock got very thirsty. When they were near enough to the Rabbit Hole springs so that the horses could smell the water they out- traveled the cattle. Byrd told Austin to let the horses go and keep up with them, and to stay at Rabbit Hole until the rest of the stock came up. The horses reached the springs some time during the night, but the water was so far down in the holes that they could not get any of it and Austin let them feed along toward the foothills. About daylight he heard an " Indian yell" and then another one, and the horses all stampeded up the can- yon with the Indians after them. Young Byrd stampeded on the back track down the canyon for fear they would be after him, and kept it up for five or six miles until he met the rest of the party. Jack Byrd took Dakin and several other men and followed the trail of the horses until he was satisfied that they had been driven off by the Indians. He did not go any further because he thought it was best to stay and take care of the cattle. He claims that the band stolen here consisted of one hundred and twenty-seven well-broken saddle horses. [372] THE YEAR 1865 They resumed their journey and on the third of July reached Cow Creek, Owyhee county, Idaho, without further mishap. This was a mile and a quarter below Camp Lyons, a military post then occupied by a part of five companies of the First Regiment Oregon Volunteers. As the feed was good there and they thought they were close enough to the Post to be safe from attack by the Indians, they concluded to stay for a while and Dakin, Hunt, Howard, Hostetter, and "Wheeler were hired to take care of the stock. The night of the 15th of August the Winnetts, a band of the Snake river Indians, stole twenty-three head of their saddle horses. Austin Byrd went to Camp Lyons for help and was told by the officer in command that he could not aid him at that time. His men were so badly scattered that he could hardly take care of the Post and the Indians had stolen some of his horses. Byrd, Howard, and Dakin then followed the trail of the horses toward the Malheur mountains as far as they dared to go. It was not very safe for a few white men to be out that way just then. Shortly after this a few soldiers got out and rode around a little, but they found no horses and killed no Indians. "While the three men were following the horses the Indians drove off some of their cattle. The soldiers saw it done, but were afraid to interfere. Byrd and his men followed them as far as they dared to go and then came back and made preparations to take the cattle to a safer place. While they were getting ready the Indians killed a good many of their cattle. A band of them would get on a bluff and occasionally a few would dash down among the cattle, kill several, and then run back. About the first of September they got fourteen men together and took the stock across the Snake river and four miles up the Boise. When they rounded them up they found they were out about one hund- red head. The next year Captain Byrd drove all his stock out of Honey Lake and left this section for all time to come. In 1891, while living in Walla Walla, Washington, Byrd filed a petition in the Court of Claims of the United States asking for $41,950 to pay for stock taken from him by the Indians in 1859, 1860, and 1865. He died the next year after he filed this claim, and in the course of time Austin Byrd fell heir to it. Harry Peyton of Washington, D. C, was his lawyer. The claim was cut down to about one half of what it was at first, but he never recovered any damages from the United States. The foregoing [373] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA was told from testimony given by the two Byrds, William H. Dakin, and others, who were witnesses for the Plaintiff. William J. Seagraves was a witness for the United States Government and in many respect his testimony differed mate- rially from that of the other witnesses. He testified that the loss of Byrd's stock was caused by carelessness and incompet- ency in handling it. He also testified that at Rabbit Hole he was put in foreman of the drive and held that position until they reached Idaho. Austin Byrd made another affidavit after this in which he denied almost everything that Seagraves said. On the 14th of March Captain Wells with a company of cavahy surprised at daylight a camp of Pah Utes on the banks of Mud lake within the Pah Ute reservation, and killed every Indian found in camp. Major McDermit reported to Governor Blasdel that thirty -two Indians were killed. On the night of the 30th of May two men, George Shortridge and Bissell, were killed in the lower end of Surprise vallej^. Olin Ward says they lived at Lake City in that valley and had been to Susanville for flour. That night they camped near Thomas Bare's cabin and the Indians killed them. Some man coming down the valley found them the next day. A man who had camped at Duck lake came along the next morning and never saw them. He went on up the valley a ways and met some men who had heard of the killing and were going down there, and turned and went back with them. For a long time people suspected that he did the killing. The "Grizzly Bear ' ' says that the two men ' ' were ambushed and killed, Short- ridge being scalped. The Indians stole six horses and all the supplies that they could find, and made their escape. It was afterwards claimed the murder and robbery were committed by white men disguised as Indians.* ' On the seventh of August Col. Charles McDermit was killed while returning to Camp McDermit, then known as Quinn's River station, from a scout on Quinn's river. He was shot by an Indian lying in ambush and lived only four hours after being wounded. (In early days Quinn's river was called "Queen's river" and probably that is what is was originally named. — F.) September 12th Captain Payne and Lieutenant Littlefield with eighteen men of Company E, First Nevada Cavalry, had [374] THE YEAE 1865 a fight with the Indians at Willow creek in Queen 's River valley. About twenty miles northwest of Buffalo Springs they reached the top of the mountain overlooking Queen's River valley, and from there saw Indian camp fires. They separated, each officer taking half of the force, and about daylight each party got to within a mile of the Indian camp and charged it. The Indians ran, but kept up the fight, and one soldier was wounded. Thirty- five Indians were killed right there, and they thought that fifty must have been killed in all. The soldiers captured a lot of guns, ammunition, bows, arrows, provisions, and some things that the Indians had taken from the whites they had murdered. The Murder of Bellew On the fourth of November three or four ox teams that were hauling goods from California to the Humboldt over the Honey Lake road, were approaching Cedar springs, thirteen miles from Rabbit Hole springs. One of the teams had gone some distance in advance of the others and was captured by the Indians. The driver, a man named Bellew, was killed and mutilated and the wagons plundered and set on fire. The Indians went off toward Black Rock. 1 ' Black Rock Tom ' ' and his band went on the warpath about the middle of March, and were joined by the Indians living in the mountains to the north and northeast and by renegade Sho- shones and Bannocks, and they kept up hostilities in Paradise valley and on the northern frontier. In May Charles Adams, a Honey Laker, started a colony in Paradise valley. In a fight there with the Indians the following July M. W. Haviland, a member of the colony and another of our Honey Lake acquaint- ances, was wounded. The peaceably disposed Pah Utes were afraid that the warlike attitude of this band would bring the anger of the whites upon the whole tribe and cause their destruc- tion. Because of this, Captain Soo, the chief of the Humboldt river Pah Utes, determined to aid the soldiers in killing off the hostile Indians, regardless of tribal relations. The news of Bellew 's murder was taken to Dun Glen and Lieutenant Penwell was ordered out with twenty-six men in pursuit of the Indians. Captain Soo, who had been the leader in the Williams massacre in 1860, acted as their guide. When he examined the signs about the scene of the murder he came to [375] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the conclusion that Black Bock Tom was the guilty party, and the command moved north in pursuit. On the ninth of Novem- ber they overtook the Indians, and found them intrenched upon a mountain west of Pah Ute Meadows. After an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge them, they fell back about seven miles into the valley and camped for the night. The next morning they started for Dun Glen without having killed any Indians or lost any men themselves. On the 13th of November Lieutenant R. A. Hosmer of Com- pany B, Second California Cavalry, with sixty soldiers, four citizens, and Captain Soo with fourteen of his warriors started from Dun Glen to make another effort to punish the bold outlaw. On reaching the sink of Queen's river a hundred miles north- west of Dun Glen, the wagons were left in charge of fourteen men and the rest continued the march. At daylight on the morning of the 17th, after having passed through the swampy sink of Queen's river during the night, Captain Soo declared, as the summit of some low hills was reached, that he could see the smoke of the enemy 's camp fires some nine miles away to the northeast. He also insisted that the smoke came from the camp fires of Black Rock Tom. The march was continued, and when they got to within five miles of the point where he said he could see the smoke, it could be seen by all. The Indians did not see them until they were about two miles from them, when Lieu- tenant Hosmer said "Come on, boys, we can't go around. The best man will get there first." The command then struck out, every man for himself, for a two mile charge. Captain Soo, who was riding on an old McClellan saddle given him by the soldiers, finding that some of the whites were likely to pass him, reached down and cut the girth of his saddle with a knife and threw out the saddle from under him. He kept on barebacked, and was the first to charge in among the enemy who were doing their best to escape. A skirmish battle that extended over sev- eral miles of country followed. Along the last of it Captain Soo used an old cavalry saber with good effect. Only one prisoner was taken, and that was a squaw whom a citizen was trying to kill, but was prevented by a soldier. Only six Indians and five squaws escaped, among whom was Black Rock Tom. David O'Connell was killed and Sergeant Lansdon and another man were wounded. The bodies of fifty-five Pah Utes were found, but [376] THE YEAE 1865 this does not account for all the Indians killed. Many of them must have remained hidden on the battle ground which extended over an area of possibly three square miles and which contained many gullies and quantities of sage brush. After the battle was over a corporal was called by a comrade as he was coming down the side of the mountain. He went to him and found him trying to stop the blood that was flowing from the wounds of an Indian mother. Beside her lay an infant that had been struck by an accidental shot and near by was another child about two years old. The private wanted the corporal to help him carry the squaw down to the camp, for he thought it was too bad to let her die and the children starve. The corporal said he was in a hurry and told him to call a citizen near by to help him. Soon after reaching the foot of the hill he heard several pistol shots in the direction of where he had left the two men and the squaw, and looking up that way saw the soldier coming down alone. When he came up the corporal said " Where is that squaw?" "That was a fine specimen you called to help me," was the reply. "The bush-whacker shot the whole lot of them, babies and all, before I knew what he was up to." A part of Company B from Dun Glen and Company I from Camp McDermit, both of California regiments, met at Kane springs in December for a scout under Captain Conrad. Black Kock Tom had gathered in the scattered families of his fol- lowers, and joined by those of other bands that were committing depredations, had rendezvoused at another place on Queen's river. The snow was lying on the ground at the time, and one night while out the command was forced to lead their horses in a circle to keep from freezing. They were allowed to build no fires to keep the Indians from knowing that they were there. Finally the Indians were discovered on, or near, Fish creek and surrounded before daylight. One squaw, a boy, and an old man were captured, and the balance, about forty in all, were killed. None of the white men were killed. This ended organized hos- tilities on the part of any band of the Pah Ute tribe, but some of the more desperate went in with the Shoshone and Bannock renegades and kept up the fight the following year, some of them going into Paradise valley. [377] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The Death of Black Rock Tom Black Rock Tom, who was absent when his band was de- stroyed, went down to the sink of the Humboldt and gave himself up to Captain Soo. "The Humboldt Register " of December 30th has the following: "Black Rock Tom all Right'* "Several messengers have come lately from Captain Soo to citizens here, asking them to come down to the Big meadows and be put in possession of the notorious cut-throat known as 4 Black Rock Tom.' Those who have been accustomed to attend to such business were busy, and Tom remained on the meadows doubtless each day feeling more secure. When Captain Street came that way Tuesday, Soo notified him of the opportunity to capture this leading marauder. Street took him in charge.' ' Some citizens then went to Tom and told him that the people were going to take him away from the soldiers and hang him, and that he had better make his escape if he wished to live. Street put him in charge of a squad of soldiers and gave them particular orders not to allow him to escape. Probably the soldiers knew what the citizens had told Tom and they gave him a chance to get away. He took the opportunity and the soldiers shot and killed him. The following is also from the ' ' Register ' ' of December 30th. "Black Rock Tom's Pale Horse All hunters of Indians who came to an engagement any- where between this and Owyhee, and almost all parties attacked on that road during the past season, remarked a white horse of extraordinary qualities, the rider of which seemed to take great pride in his efforts 'to witch the world with noble horsemanship.' The white horse was ever spoken of as a wonder of strength and fleetness. The rider — a stalwart Indian — delighted to dally just out of musket range from the white men, caricoling most pro- vokingly, and darting off occasionally with the fleetness of the wind. The rider was Black Rock Tom. He has quit this vale of tears, but the horse has not been taken. Tom did not bring the pale horse on his last trip, and the much-coveted animal is still in Indian hands." [378] THE YEAE 1865 A part of the foregoing was told to show how northwestern Nevada was freed from the marauding Indian bands that infested it. Many of these Indians were desperadoes and rene- gades from the neighboring tribes and would have preyed upon the travelers and outside settlers of that section as long as they were allowed to live. They were like wild beasts and were treated like them — followed to their hiding places and exter- minated. This had to be done sooner or later, and it saved life and property to do it as quickly as possible. The Death of Pearson Between Christmas and New Year, 1864, a man named Thomas Pearson left his home near the lower end of Willow Creek valley and came over to Honey Lake. He started for home on New Year's Day when the sun was about two hours above the mountain. It rained that afternoon and night, and it is supposed that when darkness came on he got lost and wandered around until he was tired out and lay down where his body was found. According to Tunison's diary he was found ten or twelve days afterwards about half a mile from his own cabin. He had a six-shooter with him and all of the loads but one had been fired, probably with the hope of attracting some one's attention. It is said that he was buried near his cabin, but if that is true, he was afterwards moved to the cemetery at Susanville. Walker Killed by Brtjnty Early in the year William Walker came into this valley and went to work for James Doyle on his ranch about a mile north- west of Milford. Mrs. Walker was working at Janesville in the family of John Brunty whose wife was sick. After Walker had worked a few days Mrs. Doyle became ill, and he told her husband that he would go and get his wife to come there and work until Mrs. Doyle was well. On the ninth of March Doyle let him have his revolver and an ox team and he went to Janes- ville. Mrs. Walker refused to go away from Brunty 's, and of course her husband was very angry on account of it. Some time during the day he and Brunty met in a saloon that stood on the south side of the street perhaps a hundred yards east of the Barnes Hotel. Walker seems to have been quarrelsome, and [379] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the two men soon got into a row about something, probably about Walker's wife. Brunty struck at Walker and the latter drew his pistol. The bar tender, Billy Hamilton, then stepped be- tween them, but Walker put the pistol over his shoulder into Brunty 's face. Before he could shoot Brunty caught the pistol around the cylinder with his left hand, and the hammer came down upon that instead of the cap. Brunty then drew his own pistol and reached around Hamilton and shot the other man through the body. The wounded man lived only a few hours. Brunty was arrested and brought before Squire James Hutch- ings. M. W. Pratt says that Brunty hired him to plead his case. While he was talking to the Court he held the defendant's pistol in his hand, and cocked it without thinking what he was doing. In trying to show what was done during the fight, he threw down the pistol and pulled the trigger and the bullet went just a little above the Squire's head. He was a Republican and Pratt was a Democrat, and some of the Republicans accused the latter of trying to thin out the opposite political party. Brunty was exonerated on the grounds of self-defense, but it was a needless killing. There were men enough present to stop the fight before Walker could do any more shooting, and Brunty was in no danger. He lived in the valley a while after this, and in company with a man named Barrington ran a saloon in Milford. Spencer's Trouble with: the Gamblers When Lassen county was organized there was a hard crowd in Susanville and had been for some time. In fact there were a good many "tough citizens" throughout the county, and the reasons for this have been given in the previous pages. There were a lot of gamblers in Susanville, and it was thought that some of them did a little work on the outside in the way of holding up stages and travelers. Occasionally some of them would leave town and shortly afterwards reports of stage rob- beries would come in. After a while the gamblers would come back with plenty of money and say they had been to Carson or Chico or some other town, and had "made a winning." There were several faro games running in town, and as this was against the law, the first district attorney elected in the county, E. V. Spencer, thought it was his duty to stop them. At that [380] THE YEAE 1865 time there was a great deal of gambling done in the country and few people thought it anything out of the way. Probably an older lawyer would have said nothing about it; but Spencer was young and inexperienced, and he thought there was nothing else to do but to stop the games. When the grand jury met on March 6th, 1865, he called their attention to these cases and seven men were indicted for gambling by them. Six of them were George P. Heaps, Joseph Hale, Charles H. Drum, "William Van Kirk, Joseph Baker, and John Anderson. The name of the other one could not be learned. The grand jury made its report on the tenth and bench warrants were at once served on the indicted men, but they were allowed to go free until their trials came off. That night Baker and Anderson left for parts unknown. Spencer's office was on the ground floor of the Steward House on the west side of the building, and one night some time previous to this he happened to be standing in front of his office leaning against one of the posts that held up the porch. The light from the house shone on him, and before long there was a flash and the report of a pistol across the street in front of the Pioneer saloon, kept by Heaps and Hale, and a bullet buried itself in the post near his head. He stepped into his office, put on his pistol, and went over to the saloon; but he found no one who seemed to know anything about it. One evening not long afterwards he went into the dining room of the Steward House to get his supper. He had his pistol on him when he started, but he thought it looked out of place, so he went back to his office and left it there. He found no one in the dining room but some gamblers who were all sitting at the same table. He sat down at another table facing them and in a few minutes a large coffee cup thrown by Joe Baker struck him a glancing blow on the forehead, cutting a gash that left a per- manent scar. He did not see where the cup came from, but he rose up and looked into the muzzles of six pistols in the hands of the men at the other table. They did not shoot, however, and he walked out to his office and got his pistol. He then returned to the dining room, but no one was there. Probably the affair was arranged with the idea that Spencer would get up with his pistol in his hand, and they would shoot him and claim that it was done in self-defense. The fact that he had [381] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA his pistol drawn would make it look as if they told the truth. His getting up without any pistol spoiled their plan. Before their trials came on the gamblers sent word to Spencer by some of his friends that if he went on with the prosecution he would be shot down in the court room. Frank Drake was one of the men by whom word was sent, and he and others advised Spencer to let the matter drop. The District Attorney, however, could not see it in that way and insisted on going on with it. Heaps afterwards told him that for ten days before the trial the best saddle horse in the county, owned by him and Hale, stood in the barn with the saddle on ready to carry away the man who shot Spencer. The cases were to be tried before Judge I. J. Harvey, and when court opened Luther Spencer, A. G. Moon, Frank Drake, and a lot more of Spencer's friends came into the court room well armed, and ready to shoot if necessary. Spencer himself came in and sat down at the end of a table where he could see both the Judge and the spectators. He then placed two revol- vers on the table in front of him and told the Judge he under- stood that he was to be shot down in the court room if he prose- cuted the gamblers; but he proposed to do it, and if there was any shooting done, he intended to take a full hand. The Judge nodded his assent, and did not rebuke him or tell him to take away his weapons. When the cases were tried, owing to the fact that Spencer was inexperienced in making out legal papers and that three or four able lawyers were opposing him, the indictments were set aside. Heaps, Drum, Baker, Van Kirk, J. I. Steward, Anderson, and Hale were discharged, but their cases were to be submitted to the next grand jury. Steward had been indicted for a misdemeanor. Of course these proceedings amounted to nothing in the cases of Baker and Anderson. The grand jury of the following June indicted Hale, Drum, Heaps, Steward, and Van Kirk. When their cases came to trial they all pleaded that the jury which indicted them was not a legal one because one of its members, Antone Storff , was not a citizen of the United States. This was found to be true, and the indictments were again set aside. The cases of Hale, Drum, Heaps, and Steward were to be submitted to the next grand jury. Another grand jury was at once summoned, but it failed to indict any of them and the matter was allowed to drop. The [382] THE YEAE 1865 most of the above was taken from what was told by Mrs. Philenda Spencer and from the county records. There is another story told in regard to this. Abraham G. Moon, who for twelve or fifteen years was a well-known citizen of this valley, writes as follows : ' ' At that time I was rooming with E. V. Spencer in the rear of his office in the Steward House, and I probably was as intimate with and knew as much about Spencer's affairs as any one. I do not know of any shot having been fired at him. The story of the cup-throwing is as you have it. I had it from Eph. himself. He said when Baker threw the cup he ran. When he (Spencer) got to his feet Baker was going through the door and Van Kirk was standing on the opposite side of the table with his hand in his vest pocket. Eph. came directly to our room, buckled on his six-shooter, removed the pistol from its holster, and stuck it in the belt in front in plain sight. He said that was no concealed weapon. When on the street he wore it in that way until the legal farce was over. "Of course there was talk, threats, on both sides. I don't know of any direct communication from the gamblers to Eph. I was in the Courtroom when the cases were called — was sum- moned as a juror — was not wanted — did not see any guns on the table — did not hear any shoot talk. I know there was one gun in the room and have good reason to believe there were a good many more. "The gamblers employed J. R. Buckbee of Quincy. The indictment was quashed. Another grand jury found bills — they followed suit. Another jury followed. By a small majority they chucked the whole thing into the scrap. I don't think there were fifty voters in the county that believed there could have been a conviction if there had been a trial." Other early settlers tell the story almost the same as Mr. Moon does. The Road from Chico to the Humboldt and Idaho Mines Mention has been made in the foregoing pages of the fact that in 1857 an attempt was made to construct a wagon road from Oroville to Honey Lake and that the first stagecoach that ever came into the valley brought in some men who were inter- ested in that project. It has also been told that in 1862, on account of the travel from Sacramento valley to the Humboldt [383] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA and Idaho mines, a road was built part of the way from Chieo to Snsanville and was called the Humboldt road. The following from the " History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties" tells when and how this road was completed. "The Overland and Idaho Routes "The manner in which a large stream of emigration was turned in the pioneer days from the Carson and Truckee routes to pass through this county and Noble's pass has already been detailed in the early history, as also has the exploration of a route for an overland railroad by Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith, in 1854. A few years later the war department decided to lay out a military wagon road across the continent, following from the Humboldt river the line laid out by Lieutenant Beckwith and terminating in Honey Lake valley. It was while engaged in laying out this road, in the summer of 1860, that Colonel F. W. Lander arrived at the valley, and was enabled to render such valuable assistance in terminating the war with the Pah-Utes. The particulars of an attempt made in 1857 to construct a road from Oroville to Honey Lake, to connect with the military road, will be found on page 58. "When the Idaho excitement broke out, in 1862, the people of this section realized the advantages of establishing a route for the transportation of passengers and goods to the new mines by the way of Noble's pass, and began to take steps to secure such a route. (The reader will remember that Noble's pass was on the road from Honey Lake to Shasta City, and far north of the road from Chico to Susanville. — F.) By the Act of April 14, 1863, the legislature granted a franchise to John Bidwell, J. C. Mandeville, R. M. Cochran, and John Guill, to construct a toll road from Chico to Honey Lake, on the eastern boundary of the state. They incorporated the following year as the Chico and Humboldt Wagon Road Company, and completed their road to Susanville. Early in the spring of 1865, parties went from Susanville to Ruby City and return, going by way of Shaeffer's, Mud Springs, Deep Hole, Granite Creek, Soldier Meadows, Summit lake, Mint springs, Gridley springs, Pueblo, Trout creek, Willow creek, White Horse Creek, Crooked river, Castle creek, Owyhee river, Jordan creek valley, and Wagontown to Ruby City, a distance, as measured by a rodometer, of 332 miles. The [384] THE YEAE 1865 same spring Pierce & Francis, backed by General Bidwell, started a weekly saddle-train from Chico to Idaho, by this route, to carry passengers and mail. ("The Grizzly Bear" of April, 1915, says: "The first saddle train from Chico to Idaho, via Susan ville, left Chico on April 3d (1865) in command of Captain Pierce, an old pioneer of the mountains of the Pacific Coast. Passengers riding on the hurricane deck of a mule paid a fare of $66. This included the use of a roll of blankets to sleep under and the carrying of a supply of provisions. There were forty passengers in the first saddle train.") Later in the year Major John Mullen became manager of the enterprise. Several stages were constructed, the route was stocked, and on July 11, 1865, the first stage from Chico to Euby City passed through Susanville. I. N. Roop was advisory agent of the line, and W. N. De Haven local agent. This trip occupied sixteen days, because of the newness of the road and the hostility of the Indians. This latter difficulty was so exaggerated by the news- papers that the new route met with but little favor from the traveling public. ' ' On the seventh of July, 1865, a convention of 300 teamsters was held in Sacramento, at which a committee was appointed to investigate the Susanville trail. The committee reported it the best route yet found, and the consequence was that many loads of freight passed over the road that fall. In September a meet- ing was held in Susanville, subscriptions were taken, and the money so obtained was expended in improving the road. The government stationed a few troops along the road, but not enough to be of much use in case the Indians were determined to make trouble. On this account, and because the road was not well prepared for winter travel, the stage line was discontinued in the fall. This, and the natural suspension of freighting during the winter, greatly discouraged the citizens of Honey Lake valley. "Major Mullen went to Washington that winter, and with the assistance of General Bidwell, who then represented his district in Congress, and the delegate from Idaho, secured a tri-weekly mail route from Chico to Boise City, which was let for $45,000 per year. The same influence secured the passage through the House of a bill appropriating $50,000 for a military road from Susanville to Ruby City; but the bill was referred [ 385 ] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA back again to the committee, and died a natural death. The discovery of the Black Rock mines about this time (their first discovery was in 1849 — F.), and the great rush to that region, also increased the importance of the Susanville route. In May, 1866, the Sage Brush said : " 'The immigration to Idaho and Montana has commenced. Every day trains of men, mules, horses, and sometimes jack- asses, pass through our town on a weary pilgrimage to the distant mining camps/ In another article is the following: 'We must pause in our account of the discovery of the Black Eock mines, in order to give some account of the town of Susanville — a town which, by reason of these discoveries, and its situation on the great thoroughfare leading from California to Black Eock, Idaho, Montana, and Humboldt, bids fair to become, next to San Fran- cisco, the most important town on the Pacific Coast. ' "In May, also, the California and Idaho Stage and Fast Freight Company was incorporated, with a capital stock of $200,000. John Mullen was president. About midnight, July 1, 1866, the first stage left Chico, and arrived in Euby City in three days and five hours, a distance of 427 miles. Susanville soon acquired considerable importance as a staging center. Eight stages per week arrived there from Chico, Eed Bluff, Oroville, Virginia City, and other points. The reports of the fabulous richness of the Black Eock and Owyhee mines drew a constant stream of travel through this section, and it was nec- essary to increase the facilities of the stage line. This was done, a daily stage was put on, and James D. Byers was appointed general superintendent of the line. They ran daily till winter set in, and then the deep snows so interferred that only about two trips a week could be made. ' ' When the contract expired the next year, the Central Pacific had completed its track east of the Sierra nearly to the big bend of the Humboldt, reducing the distance to be staged by one-half. For this reason, the government refused to renew the mail contract, freight and travel were diverted to the new route, and Susanville was compelled to relinquish its dream of rivaling San Francisco in wealth and importance. ' ' The History from which the foregoing is quoted also has the following : [386] THE YEAR 1865 "Hanging of Charles Barnhart "A case of summary justice occurred June 25, 1865, at Mud flat, beyond Granite creek, in a party headed by Captain Pierce, of the firm of Pierce & Francis, proprietors of the Idaho stage line. This party had started out with a number of wagons and pack animals to work upon the road. On the morning in ques- tion Captain Pierce sent William Rogan to Charles Barnhart for a rope to be used in packing. Barnhart refused to give him the desired article, and when he laid his hand upon the rope to take it, drew his revolver and killed Rogan on the spot. There were present thirty citizens and ten soldiers, and they at once formed a court, tried the murderer, and sentenced him to death. During the hour of life granted him, Barnhart behaved in a most reckless manner, exhibiting that bravado that men of his class are pleased to call courage. A gallows was improvised from wagon tongues, the prisoner was placed in position with a rope around his neck, and was then asked to prefer a dying request. He said he wanted them all to get in front of him, so that he could take a good look at them before he left. His request was complied with, and he left immediately afterwards. ' y It is said that the murderer and his victim were both buried in the same grave. Biddle Killed by Williams About the first of April a fight which resulted in the death of one of the men took place in Susanville. John Williams and George Biddle had a quarrel in the Pioneer saloon and soon came to blows. Biddle was partially intoxicated and it is very likely that Williams had been drinking, too. Williams was young, stout, and active and the other man was past middle age and not very strong. The fight was over almost as soon as it commenced, for the other men in the saloon stopped it as quickly as possible, but the younger man had struck or kicked his oppo- nent in a vital spot. He had no intention of doing him serious harm, and when he saw that Biddle was badly hurt he was very much frightened. Williams lived with his parents two or three miles west of town and he went home as fast as he could. It is said that he never came back to town and left the country at once. There is nothing on the records to show that the author- T 387 1 HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ities took any notice of the case and probably that is the reason why they did not. Biddle died a few days after the fight. High Water Tunison says that November 22nd the flats around Toadtown were all covered with water. He helped to drive some horses out to high ground. They were standing in the water and there was water for four hundred yards on either side of them. On the night of the 21st the water wheel of the gristmill floated out of its place, the bridge just below the mill was carried away, and a great deal of fencing went down the river. The same night David Johnston, Daniel W. Bryant, J. P. Ford, and George W. Perry, who lived along the river, had to move their families out. [388] CHAPTER XII 1866. SETTLEMENT This year the government established the first United States mail route between Susanville and Virginia City. Gran- ville Woods had the contract which began in July. He ran a stage line and carried the mail until that fall or the next spring, and then Charles Cramer bought the line and ran it until July, 1870. In 1869 he had a partner named Kline. About this time a post office was established at Janesville with L. N. Breed as post master, one at Milford with Charles Batterson as post master, and another at the Evans ranch in the north end of Long valley. Alvaro Evans was post master at the latter place for a couple of years, and then the office was moved to the ranch of John W. Doyle who was the post master for a great many years. For perhaps a year or two previous to this a man named Keating had carried the mail and express between Susanville and Virginia City, and the stores at Janesville and Milford took off the mail for their neighborhoods and distributed it for the accommodation of the public. Mrs. A. T. Arnold says that as early as the spring of 1866 J. D. Carr ran a stage line from Susanville to Surprise valley. The first year or two his trips were very irregular on account of the Indian troubles, and he went only when he could get some one to go with him. As time went on and the road got safer they became regular, and in February, 1869, he advertised to make a trip from Susanville to Ft. Bidwell and back every week. Carr may have run this line until 1871. At the March meeting of the Board of Supervisors the Janesville School District was divided, the line between the two districts running north and south through the center of the section west of that in which Janesville is situated. The school- house in the Janesville District was half a mile below town and fifty yards north of the road. Francis L. Parker taught school there that summer. The schoolhouse in the other district, the Stark District, was near the edge of the timber about half a mile west of where the two branches of the Baxter creek unite. "Puss" Stark taught their school that year. [389] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Willow Creek. Henry Davis bought out James Haley, and in the fall or the following spring Pickard abandoned his place. Mt. Meadows. George W. Long bought Seaman's claim — the land along the creek between the Devil's Corral and Fre- donyer's Pass. S. B. Hughes and his Wife lived on the Long place in Mt. Meadows this year and probably for the next two years. Those whose names are given in the following lists settled in the county in 1866. The length of residence does not apply to the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are still living here : Jeremiah Bond, George N. Bennett and Family, George Fox Kelley and Family, Clarence Kelley, Frank A. Kelley, Charles Moore and Family. The following lived here from fifteen to twenty years or more : Andrew Liteh, George W. Glasscock and Family, William Wil- liams, Leroy Perkins, George Payne, Charles W. Moore. The following lived here from a year or two to twelve or fourteen years: Jonathan Lovell and Family, George B. Hill, Frank Murphey, Judge William T. Ward, * Simeon Crane and Family, C. H. Sleyton. Lassen County Politics In April the Board of Supervisors ordered that the report of T. H. Epley and S. J. Hill as road viewers be accepted, and the road as recommended be declared a public highway. To wit : Beginning at the village of Janesville and running parallel with the main street in a northwesterly direction about five hundred yards, thence in a northerly direction to the east side of the Sheffield (Pullen) ranch, thence running in a northeasterly direction about &ve hundred yards, thence running in a north- westerly direction to the summit of the Bald Hills and con- necting with the Toad Town road. It was also ordered that a public road be opened from a point near the Lassen Flouring Mills on Susan river to a point at or near the northwest corner of Joe Todd's (Davis) ranch, in as direct a line as possible and keep the same on good ground. In June Preston James was appointed Constable of Janesville to fill out an unexpired term. The resignation of B. F. Sheldon as Justice of the Peace of Honey Lake Township was accepted. In December the Board [390] THE YEAR 1866 appointed Dr. Z. N. Spalding County Physician. The first named road is still traveled as then laid out. Indian Troubles. 1866 This year was another busy one for both Indians and whites in northeastern California, northwestern Nevada, and the ad- joining portions of Oregon and Idaho. In a year or two the citizens and soldiers together had killed off the most of the Indians who, from the beginning of their settlement, had com- mitted depredations in the valleys of northeastern California and along the roads from Honey Lake valley to the Humboldt and Idaho mines. January 12, 1866, Captain G. D. Conrad of Company B, Second California Volunteer Cavalry, with thirty-five soldiers, nine citizens, and twelve Piutes had a fight with the Indians near where Fish creek runs into Queen's river. The first night out they were joined by twenty-five men from Company I, same regiment, under Lieutenant Duncan. Dr. Snow, a citizen doctor, went with him. The night of the eleventh they had to run in a circle on the desert to keep from freezing. The Indians got into a place covered with rye grass and tules and full of gullies. They used poisoned arrows and fought bravely for two hours and a half. Their leader was Captain John, a chief of the Warner lake Shoshones, who killed Colonel McDermit and a soldier named Kafferty the previous year. Captain Rapley shot him through the head. Thirty-five Indians were killed and two squaws were killed by mistake. Seven soldiers were wounded. One Indian was wounded in the back. It was said that every Indian died rather than surrender. The Indians' camp and their supplies were destroyed. Fight with the Indians in Guano Valley During the winter of 1865-66 the Indians had been making raids into Paradise valley and bothering the settlers in the country to the west of it. Major S. P. Smith, stationed at Smoke Creek, an officer who generally found Indians when he hunted for them, organized an expedition to follow a band that had just wounded a settler and driven some stock from Surprise valley. "The Humboldt Register" of March 17th says that on the second of February Major Smith left Smoke creek with Lieu- [391] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA tenant Robinson and thirty-six men of Company D, Second Cavalry, California Volunteers. At Ft. Bidwell they were joined by thirty-two men of the same company and regiment and nine men of Company F of the same regiment. The next day they were joined by Major Mellen and Captain Starr with ten men of Company F of the same regiment. Nineteen citizens of Surprise valley went with the soldiers. On the fifteenth of February they found the Indians in Guano valley in the extreme northern part of Washoe county, Nevada. The Indians were at the mouth of Rock Canyon on the east side of the valley. The soldiers got onto a table-land where they could have a fair fight, and when within a mile of the Indians Major Smith divided his command giving Captain Starr with twenty men the left, Major Mellen and Lieutenant Robinson with twenty-one soldiers and nineteen citizens the center, and sent six citizens to the extreme right to hold the mouth of the canyon. He also left a guard in camp with the pack animals. (Something wrong in that count of the citizens.. Bancroft's History says there were fifty-one soldiers and thirty citizens in the expedition. — F.) At half past nine the order to charge was given ; and the boys broke through the Indian ranks, scattering and shooting down everything that wore paint. The Indians fought sullenly and asked for no quarter, but at length they took shelter under a bluff of rocks. The men then dismounted and marched up to the rocks under fire and brought down every Indian that would show himself. They fought seven hours, but could not kill the whole band because a good many of them were in the rocks where they could shoot without being seen. It was thought that there were two hundred or two hundred and fifty Indians in the fight. There were eighty warriors and thirty-five squaws killed. The squaws were dressed the same as the bucks and were fighting, and they had to kill them to tell whether they were men or not. The whites recovered sixty horses, one a valuable animals belong- ing to a lady in Surprise valley. They captured and turned loose nine squaws and ten children, and destroyed three tons of dried beef. The whites lost one private killed and Major Smith and six privates wounded. This fight was a little out of the range of the people of Lassen county unless some of the Indian depredations were com- mitted in the lower end of Surprise valley. It is given here [392] THE YEAR 1866 because it is said to be the last fight ever made by some of our old Indian acquaintances. W. H. McCormick and C. T. Sharp, both among the very first settlers in Surprise valley, say that the Indians engaged in the battle were Smoke Creek Sam and his band and that he was killed. Probably they had been joined by other Indians. McCormick says that out in that country the chief was known as " Smoke Creek Jim." He also said that he was piloted over the battle ground by a trooper who was in Major Smith's command. The soldier said that during the fight, after both his legs were broken, Sam would pull himself up with his gun and yell to encourage his men. He died soon after the fight, having been wounded fourteen times. In 1912 Sharp told William T. Cressler, to whom I am indebted for the information, that he was among the settlers who went with Major Smith, and that he was the only one of them who was alive at that time. He said that Joseph Marks, Samuel Matney, C. C. Kachford, himself, and four or five other settlers were in the Guano valley fight, and that Matney, known as "Tuledad," scalped Smoke Creek Sam. Probably this Indian and his band did more devilment in a small way than any other band in this section, and their destruction saved the lives and property of a good many white men. Along the last of March the Indians drove some stock out of "Willow Creek valley. Streshly, Mulroney, and Hough's Mules Stolen by the Indians The following narrative was taken from the testimony of Streshly, Hough, and others. In the spring of 1866 Orlando Streshly, a Honey Laker, went to Idaho with three six-mule teams loaded with freight. Two of the teams had reached Silver City and the other one was at Osborn's ranch twenty miles west of there, and about a mile and a half from Camp Lyons where there were two companies of soldiers. The team camped at the Osborn ranch not far from the first of April. The next morning half the mules were gone — stolen by the Indians. The three left were in the yard close to the house ; the ones taken had gone down on a flat about a hundred and fifty yards away. Streshly followed the tracks of the mules as soon as he discovered their [393] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA loss, and they led him to Camp Lyons; but there he lost them, for the herd at the Fort had been turned out before he got there and they had trampled out the tracks he was following. He went back to the Osborn ranch and got Asa Adams, also from Honey Lake, and they both went back to Camp Lyons. They could not follow the tracks any further so they went back to camp. The next day Adams went down to Inskip's ranch, six- teen miles below there, where the pack train of Edward Mul- roney, another Honey Laker, had camped the previous night. When Mulroney 's packer got up that morning he found that his mules were all gone, but he immediately started in pursuit and got part of them and also one of Streshly's. This animal was slow and she had been whipped unmercifully by the Indians to make her keep up, but failing to do this they left her. The packer said he saw the tracks of the other Streshly mules. They were large animals and had on heavy work shoes, and their tracks could easily be told from those of the pack mules. He thought the Indians rode Streshly's mules when they stole Mulroney 's, for their tracks were behind those of the others when they were driven off. Three weeks after this Levi F. Hough of Indian valley lost twenty-eight pack mules, a bell mare, and two saddle horses on Jordan creek six miles from Silver City. They followed the animals sixteen miles southwest, and there they turned and crossed a lava bed about five miles wide where it was impossible to track them on the rocks. They went to the other side of the lava and there found the tracks again. Streshly and Hough and three or four of their hired men and six soldiers from Camp Lyons followed them to the lower crossing of the Owyhee river, between twenty-five and thirty miles west of Camp Lyons, and there they could see the tracks of the two shod mules going into the water behind the pack mules. It was of no use to go any further, so they returned to camp. Not long after this Mr. Streshly was in Boise City, and there he learned from a stable keeper that some Bannock Indians had brought in two mules that answered the description of the ones he had lost, and sold them to a party that was going to Montana to prospect. This was in the country of the Bannocks, so it was supposed that they stole the animals lost by the Honey Lakers and Hough. These Indians were at peace with the whites, and [394] THE YEAE 1866 at that time the government was feeding a great many of them in that section. The stealing appears to have been done by small parties of Indians, perhaps without the knowledge of their chiefs. They took the stock of travelers and teamsters, but did not molest the large bands of horses and cattle running in that part of the country which belonged to people living there. Cattle Stolen from Honey Lakers at Soldier Meadows, Nevada From the testimony of Eobert Johnston, Samuel Swearingen, Henry Talbert, E. V. Spencer, and A. L. Tunison's diary. The second of May, 1866, a train of twelve ox teams reached Soldier Meadows, west of the Black Rock range and about 180 miles from Susanville, and camped near the station at the lower end of the Meadows. Six of the teams belonged to Robert John- ston and the others belonged to Jesse Williams, Henry Wright, James Walters, and A. L. Tunison. They stayed there the next day and let their cattle rest. When they got up the morning of the fourth they found that seventy-three or seventy-five oxen out of one hundred and fourteen had disappeared. They had been feeding on the flat close by without any guard. There were twelve or fifteen men in camp, and Johnston, Samuel E. Swear- ingen, Lee Button, Henry Reppart, "General" Weiler, a man called "Curley" and another one called "Alex" at once fol- lowed the tracks of the cattle which led them in a northwesterly direction. After going a short distance, two or three miles, they saw a band of Indians on the rocky side of a large mountain. Some of them were on foot, others on horseback, and Johnston estimated their number at twenty-five or thirty. They got within a quarter of a mile of the nearest Indians who abused them and told them to come on. The white men were on foot and not very well armed, so they did not accept the "invite," but went back to camp. Along the trail they found seven or eight head of cattle shot to death with arrows. At that time there was a military post at Summit Lake, twelve miles north of where they were camped, and a few soldiers were stationed there under the command of Captain Mehers. Johnston immediately sent a man to him and requested that some soldiers be sent in pursuit of the Indians. f 395 1 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA E. V. Spencer, a young lawyer named Martin, Henry Talbert, Henry Parish, James Elliott, and Edward Labott, who had been prospecting west of there in the High Rock canyon, were camped on the east side of Mud Meadows about two miles below the Johnston camp. Johnston went to them, told what had hap- pened, and asked them to go after the cattle. The six prospectors got ready as soon as they could and started on horseback after the Indians. Swearingen and perhaps another man went with them but the former said he went only part way. Probably there were no horses with the ox teams, or more men would have gone with them. The trail led to the northwest, and after leaving the valley it went up the side of a steep mountain. From there on it followed a sort of rocky table-land very much cut up by deep canyons, and over which it was impossible to travel very fast, even if there had been no trailing to do. Where the ground was soft the trail was easy to follow, but the Indians often drove the cattle over rocky ground where they left little or no trail, and it took time to hunt it up on the other side of the rocks. Besides this, the cattle were driven through places where it would seem impossible for them to go. They judged from the pony and moccasin tracks that there were about a dozen Indians, and they appeared to be getting away as fast as they could. The first day out the pursuers found an ox that had been killed with arrows and a little piece had been cut out of the brisket. They made about twenty-five miles that day, and camped because they could not follow the trail during the night. The next day they followed the trail, still going toward the northwest, over almost the same kind of a country as that of the previous day. They began to wonder why the soldiers did not overtake them, and debated the question whether it was safe for them to go any further. They knew that Captain Mehers had only a few men and there was nothing certain that he would send any of them. The night of the second day they were about fifty miles from camp, probably near the head of High Rock canyon, and might run into a large band of Indians at any time. They had taken only two day's provisions with them, so they concluded to give up the pursuit. The next day they went back to camp, and on arriving there found that Captain Mehers had only seven or eight men and refused to let any of them go away from the post. The foregoing testimony was given in 1896 when Robert [396] THE YEAR 1866 Johnston was claiming pay from the government for the loss of his cattle. According to Spencer and Tunison the officer at Summit Lake would send no soldiers after the Indians who stole the cattle, and the other witnesses seem to have said nothing about it. In 1905, while testifying in behalf of Mr. Johnston, "William Brockman said that he came to Soldier Meadows several days after the cattle were stolen. He and some others followed the tracks of the cattle for ten or twelve miles and then returned because they had no hope of overtaking the Indians. He also said that he saw a small squad of soldiers, perhaps ten or twelve, coming back from the pursuit of the Indians. Perhaps they were from some other army post. As soon as the news reached Honey Lake Henry Hatch, John- ston 's partner, William Dow, and A. L. Tunison went out there and found the train camped at Summit Lake. They had hauled their wagons there with the remaining cattle. Tunison says that Johnston lost thirty-five head of oxen, Williams fourteen, Wright twelve, Walters six, and that he lost eight. Part of the freight was taken on to Idaho, and the rest of it left at Summit Lake where it wasted or was destroyed. Mr. Johnston said that the officer there would not let him leave it near the post on the land owned by the government for fear that they would be responsible for it. These men put in their claims against the United States government for damages done by the Indians, but up to this time few, or none of them, have received any pay. Indians Killed at Papoose Valley Told by William Dow Late in June Joe Hale was hunting horses in Cheney valley. While engaged in this he passed the camp of "Old Tom, ,, an Indian valley Indian, and one of the first of this tribe who came into Honey Lake with their families. At this camp Hale noticed some Indians who looked as though they didn't belong in this locality, and when he returned to Susanville he told what he had seen. The same day William Dow, Robert Johnston and Wife, Rolla Arnold, and A. U. Sylvester came into town from Pine creek where they had been fishing. On their way home Mr. Dow, who was on horseback, left the road and went along south [397] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA of it to do some hunting. He saw a band of about a dozen Indians and tried to get up to them, but as he rode toward them they kept edging off. He called to them and they answered that they were Indian valley Indians, but he could see they were Piutes. When he got into town and told about seeing these Indians, Hale said "Those are the same Indians that I saw at Old Tom's camp," and expressed the opinion that they had traded with him for a lot of ammunition. People were satisfied that they were wild Indians and that they might be going out to the Summit lake country where the ammunition would be used to kill white men. Several men said that if Dow would go along and guide them, they would see that these Indians made no fur- ther trouble. The next morning when he got to town there were only four men ready to go with him — Joe Hale, Byron B. Gray, Charlie Drum, and E. V. Spencer. They went out and struck the trail jlist a little this side of Bridge creek, and camped that night at what is now known as Martin springs. It looked as though the Indians had camped there, too. Somewhere they had divided into two or more bands, and the next day the white men followed one of them to where they crossed Pine creek at what is now known as Champ's headquarters. By a direct route this would be thirty-five or forty miles from Susanville. They then came back and went down Pine creek to Eagle lake and camped there that night. The next morning Dow and Gray had some sore-footed horses and could not keep up with the rest of the party. "When those in the lead got to Papoose valley at the southern end of Eagle lake, they saw some squaws camped there and went down and spoke to them. They could speak good Eng- lish and said that they were Indian valley Indians and that the men were out hunting. The white men then turned back and met Dow and Gray and told them that these were some of the Indians they were hunting for. They also said that nothing could be done at present, for the men were all away from camp, and they had better wait until night and then take them in. They camped at a little spring just southeast of Papoose valley and the fol- lowing morning, a little after daylight, they went over to the Indian camp and killed four bucks. One other buck was shot, but he got on his horse and escaped. Another buck and some squaws got away without injury. The white men returned to Susanville that day. [398] THE YEAE 1866 "Old Tom" Killed Told by William Dow and Fred Hines Something was told about this Indian in the preceding article. He was here in 1857 when Mr. Dow came into the valley, and for some time after that he and the other Indian spoken of were the only Indian valley Indians who lived here. He had long been suspected of selling ammunition to the wild Indians living in northwestern Nevada. For some time previous to his death whenever he went to a house in the nighborhood of his camp and found no men there, he would demand ammunition from the women in a threatening manner. He generally wanted powder and caps, and he picked up all the tea lead he could find. Another thing that looked suspicious was the fact that he had the skins of animals which he could not get in this part of the country. Added to all this, just about this time a large band of Indian valley Indians came into Susanville and told that Old Tom was selling ammunition to the wild Indians. After killing the Indians in Papoose valley the whites went into Susanville and told what they had done. That same day Old Tom's case was discussed and six or seven men went out to his camp, which was then on Gold Run near the old Lanigar place, then owned by John R. Perkins. Perkins went along with them, and after going a short distance south from his house they scattered out and went through the timber. Finally Perkins ran across him. Evidently he had heard something of what was going on, for when he saw Perkins he started off as fast as he could. Perkins followed and caught up with him, and told him they wanted him to come in and make some explanation about selling the ammunition. He refused to come and started away, but was headed off. The same thing was done two or three times, and at last Tom threatened to yell to some other Indians who were camped near by if he was stopped again. He started off once more and then Perkins shot him several times with his pis- tol. He ran a short distance and fell down dead. Edward (Ned) Mulroney Wounded by the Indians Some time this spring Mulroney and Wisbern's pack train started for Silver City, Idaho, in charge of Robert Wisbern. Wis- bern was killed at Camp McDermit in northern Nevada on the T 399 1 HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 28th of June, and soon after the news reached Honey Lake Mul- roney started from Susanville on the Chieo and Idaho stage to look after the pack train. Somewhere between the 15th and 20th of July he reached White Horse valley in southeastern Oregon, about 225 miles from Shaffer's station in Honey Lake valley. Henry E. Lomas was living there at the time, he, Frank Drake, Henry Tussler, and Wood Hough having gone there from Honey Lake the year before. Lomas tells the following : He and some of the others had just got back from a trip to Camp Alvord, about thirty miles away, where they had been for some poles to use for ridgepoles in a sod house they were building. When they reached home they found the stage was there from Chico and Susanville, and Ned Mulroney was a passenger. The arrival and departure of the stage was quite an event in their little colony, especially when one of their acquaintances was on board. About sundown the stage started for Silver City. It was a six-horse coach driven by a man named Kelley, and Mulroney was the only passenger. The Indians were very bad and Captain Smith detailed two soldiers, both Irishmen, to go with them. When the stage got ready to start they both climbed inside. Kelley said "Look here. Who is going to ride outside with me?" Mulroney said "Let them ride inside. I will ride with you." He after- wards said that at the time he thought from appearances that the soldiers would not amount to much in case of trouble with the Indians. In two hours they returned to the station. When they had gone about eight miles they were attacked by the Indians, and there were so many of them that Kelley made up his mind he had better turn around and go back to White Horse. He did so, and Charles Lawson says the team made so short a turn that one hind wheel of the stage never left the track. The Indians gave chase, shooting at them as they ran, and Mulroney and the driver returned their fire, but the soldiers did nothing. The other men told them to shoot, and if they could not do that, to yell and let the Indians know there were more men than they could see. Of course the driver ran his team as hard as he could and probably outran the Indian ponies, but one Indian who was mounted on a white horse had no trouble in keeping up with the stage. (Per- haps it was the horse once owned by Black Rock Tom.) He rode up beside it and shot Mulroney in the left leg, the bullet passing [400] THE YEAE 1866 under the kaeepan. After a time, either the Indians gave up the chase or the stage team ran away from them, and then the sol- diers wanted the driver to stop and let them out and whip the savages. Kelley cursed them and made them keep still. When they got back to the station these heroes, in a very dramatic man- ner, thanked Kelley and Mulroney for saving their lives. Mul- roney 's wound kept him at White Horse for a while and left him with a stiff leg the rest of his life. Tunison says that Captain Walker with some soldiers followed the Indians who attacked the stage. He overtook them, but their force was so large that he had to retreat. Drake and Tussler 's Fight with the Indians The names of the Honey Lake colonists in White Horse val- ley have already been told. They went there in 1865 and took teams, tools, provisions, clothing, and all sorts of supplies with them; but the next year just before harvest time they saw it would be necessary for them to have mowers and reapers and some other tools. Frank Drake and Henry Tussler went back to Honey Lake and rigged up two four-horse teams, loaded them with the neces- sary machinery, and started for White Horse. A few days before the 20th of July, probably the 18th, as they were going up the hill toward the summit about eight miles south of Camp McGarry at Summit Lake, they heard a shot fired and each one accused the other of doing it accidentally. They soon found out, however, that they were attacked by the Indians, and they both began to shoot. Tussler asked Drake what they should do and he replied that they had better get off on the upper side of the grade and fight from the shelter of the wagons. They both got down, and while doing this Tussler discovered that he had been struck by a bullet which had broken his leg. When Drake heard this he told Tussler to get back onto his wagon if he could, lie as low as pos- sible, drive his team, and shoot whenever he had an opportunity to do so. He said he would do the same and in that way they might keep off the Indians until they could get to the summit, which was only a short distance ahead of them, and from there they could be seen by the soldiers at the post. They both got onto their wagons and drove slowly up the steep grade, firing a shot whenever they thought it would do any good. Before long [401] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Drake lost his off lead line and his team climbed the side of the grade to the left. When the fore wheel struck the bank the coupling-pole broke, and they pulled the front wheels from under the wagon bed and the end of it dropped to the ground. Drake *s team was in the lead and at that place the other team could not pass him, so there they were. Drake had a Henry rifle, a gun almost like a "Winchester rifle, and plenty of cartridges. He fas- tened his team with the lines the best he could, took his rifle and all of his ammunition, and went back to the other team. He told Tussler he wanted him to get on his horse and go to the post and tell the soldiers. Tussler was willing to do this if the other man would go, too ; but Drake told him he was going to stay there, and that the Indians should not have their loads as long as he was alive. Finally Tussler consented to go, and Drake got his saddle horse out of the team and helped him to mount it. Then he fired at the Indians who were trying to head him off until he got out of sight over the summit. While doing this he was shot three times, through one thigh from front to back, through the other from side to side, and through the side between the hip bone and the rib, all flesh wounds. Both his boots were full of blood when he got Tussler started, but he said nothing about it. After the other man got out of sight Drake tied up both teams as securely as he could, and then got under the hind end of the wagon and watched for Indians. He counted eight of them. Pretty soon he saw one of them going around as if trying to get behind a bush about fifty yards down the canyon. He watched the bush and when he thought it was about time for the Indian to get there, took careful aim at the top of it. Soon the Indian's head appeared above it and he pulled the trigger, but the cartridge failed to explode. Just then a bullet went through his hat and grazed his head. He threw in another cartridge and fired, this time hitting the Indian square in the forehead. Shortly afterwards he saw another Indian running across in front of him. It looked as though he was out of range, but Drake concluded to take a shot at him anyway. He fired and the Indian went down, throwing his gun as he fell. After two or three attempts he got up, picked up his gun, and ran away. This one was found dead a mile or more from the place where he was shot. Then another one came in sight, and from long range shot Drake's riding horse. [402] THE YEAR 1866 Tussler rode as fast as a man in his condition could, and suc- ceeded in reaching the house of a citizen who lived near the post. The man saw that something was wrong and went out to him, and Tussler told his story and then fainted. The man, after car- rying him into the house, went to the post and told the officer in command what had happened. The latter immediately went to Drake's assistance with a troop of cavalry, (Lomas says that in less than five minutes after the officer received the word they were on their way.) leaving orders for an ambulance to follow. By the time the soldiers reached the wagons Drake had driven the Indians away, and there was not one in sight. He was still under the wagon, but was covered with blood and dust and lay so quiet that the first man to reach him called to the others, " Frank is gone." Drake turned and said "No, boys, I am all right. ' ' They gave him some brandy and he told them what had happened after Tussler left him. When they got ready to take him to the post they asked him if there was anything he wanted done, and he replied that he would like to have them bring up that dead Indian so he could look at the son of a . They took him to the post, gave him the quarters of one of the officers, and showed him every attention. After he had rested the command- ing officer told him they had brought the wagons in and would have the broken one repaired, and that he had sent a detachment of soldiers to "White Horse to tell his friends about the fight. He then inquired if there was anything else they could do for him. After protesting a while about their taking so much trouble for him, Drake said there was just one more thing he would like to have done, and that was to have the wounded horse brought to the post. The officer said the horse would die before morning. Drake told him that the horse was just as good as so much beef to the Indians, and as long as they hadn't got anything yet, he would like to keep them from getting even that. The horse was brought in and died the next morning. When the news reached White Horse Captain Walker detailed two soldiers to go with Lomas and some of the other men, and they went to Summit lake to see the wounded men and brought the wagons back with them. The surgeon at the post did the best he could for Drake and Tussler. The former's wounds got well in a very short time, but Tussler did not get off so easily. In ten days they opened [403] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA up his wound and found that the bone had not knit, and that the flies had got into it. He was taken to Susanville in a freight wagon, a painful trip for a man in his condition, where he could have better care. There his leg was broken over twice and he almost lost his life. At last he got well, but he had one short leg and was crippled for life. The foregoing was related by Henry E. Lomas who knows the facts in the case better than any one else. Probably he is the only one of the White Horse colony who is still alive. A Eow with the Soldiers in Susanville In the fall of 1866 (or the fall of the previous year) an inci- dent occurred in Susanville which shows the readiness of the early settlers of Honey Lake in case of trouble. At that time soldiers were stationed at several places between this valley and the Humboldt and Idaho mines to protect travelers on those roads. Once in a while a company of them passed through Susanville on their way to or from one of these military posts. If the weather was very stormy, they were generally allowed to occupy the lower room of the Masonic Building. One company, however, misused the room so badly that Cap. Hill, who was the janitor, swore that no more soldiers should stay in it. The next company that came along was refused admittance, and it appears to have awakened the wrath of some of them. That night it was dark and stormy and S. N. (Soc.) Harrison, who had just left the Steward House and was going up the north side of Main street, passed two soldiers. As they went by him he heard enough of their conversation to learn that they were hunting for Cap. Hill. He knew that Hill was at the Steward House, so he hurried past the soldiers and went there and told him and his friends who was looking for him. The barroom was full of men, E. G. Bangham and Dr. H. S. Borrette being among the number. Shortly afterwards the soldiers came in and went up to the bar where Hill was standing. (The bar was in the northeast corner of the room and there was a billiard table just west of it.) They didn 't know Hill, and when they came up to him he grabbed one of them by the throat, backed him up against the bar, and shoved a Derringer into his face, at the same time saying with an oath, "You are looking for me, are you?" The soldier drew his pistol and put the muzzle of it against Hill's body, but George W. [404] THE YEAR 1866 Perry caught his hand and prevented him from shooting. While this was going on the other soldier jumped upon the billiard table and pulled his revolver. The cape of his overcoat being in the way, he threw it back with the hand that held the pistol. As his hand went up above his head, Albert Smith, who was sitting with his feet on the billiard table reading a newspaper and who had hardly noticed the row, drew his pistol, and pointing it at the soldier, told him to keep his hand up. He obeyed this order and both soldiers were at once disarmed. There was a Lieutenant of the company in the room and he tried to interfere, but Hill told him to keep his hands off, and that he was not running things there if he was an officer. The Lieutenant then said he would take care of the soldiers if he was allowed to do so. He sent for some more of his men, put the two who had made the trouble under arrest, and kept them in the guardhouse all night. "Buckskin Mose" The George W. Perry spoken of was called ' ' Buckskin Mose. ' ' He was a blacksmith and at one time had a shop in Toadtown south of the bridge near the gristmill. Either he or his Wife afterwards wrote a book called "Buckskin Mose." He picked up all the stories about the Indian fights that had taken place in this section, and the book related these with more or less romance thrown in. Henry Arnold, B. B. Painter, and "Mose" himself were the principal heroes in the book, and according to it they must have killed the most of the Indians slain in "these parts ' ' for almost twenty years. The queer part of it is that if the book had told the truth, it would have been of historic value ; but the way it is written one must know what the truth really is in order to find any of it there. EOBERT WlSBERN KILLED In the spring of 1866 Wisbern, Edward Mulroney's partner, was on his way to Silver City, Idaho, with their pack train, and for an assistant had a man named A. G. Bradley. On the 28th of June, while at Camp McDermit, they got into a quarrel and both drew their pistols, but were separated. The quarrel was soon afterwards renewed and Wisbern, who is said to have been an overbearing sort of a man, struck and kicked the other man. This greatly exasperated Bradley and he drew his knife and [405] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA drove it through Wisbern's heart. Those who saw the difficulty- say that Bradley acted on the defensive and seemed to want to avoid trouble. He immediately ran to the post and gave him- self up to the commanding officer. Wisbern was buried near the post the next day. The above was taken from "The Humboldt Register. " It also said that the military authorities took Bradley to Unionville, but did not say what was done with him. How Bobber's Creek Got Its Name Told by James Doyle In September, 1866, though possibly it might have been the year before, James Doyle, who lived a short distance northwest of Milford, started with eight yoke of oxen and two wagons to go to Oroville for his winter's supplies. About two hundred yards west of what is now called Robber's creek, as he was going along beside his team with his whip across his back and an arm around each end of it, his lead cattle shied away from some bushes near the road. Just then two men armed with shotguns stepped out from behind the bushes, pointed their weapons at him, and told him to throw up his hands. At first he thought they were Indians and he started back to the wagon to get an ax; but when they spoke to him again he saw they were white men, so he stopped and held up his hands. Mr. Doyle says they robbed him of $400, and he told them they were welcome to it and would be welcome to more if he had it. Probably, like the Irishman who ducked his head when a cannon ball just grazed it, he thought that nothing was lost by politeness. They then asked him if he had anything else, and he told them that was all excepting some tobacco and some nice biscuits his Wife had made for him to eat on the road. They took both the tobacco and the biscuits and went into the woods. Just as they got out of sight the stage from Oroville to Susanville came along. Doyle told them what had happened and the driver whipped up his team and got out of that "neck of the woods" as rapidly as possible. The next morning the same men held up the Chico and Idaho stage and robbed the passengers. There were seven passengers on the stage, "Sandy" Young, General Bidwell's foreman, being one of them. They robbed him of $700 and a gold watch. Mr. Doyle also says that the robbers were pursued by a posse that killed one of them and captured the other who was sent to the state prison for life. [406] CHAPTER XIII 1867. SETTLEMENT Susanville. It is probable that some time this year Dr. Z. N. Spalding bought out A. C. Neale and kept the first real drug store in town — one where prescriptions were filled at any time. Janesville. In the spring a building that stood on the north side of the street about halfway between the hotel and the creek was moved three fourths of a mile up the road. It was put on the south side of the road a little southeast of the Fort. Miss Eva Slater, afterwards Mrs. John C. Partridge, taught the first school in it. This building was used as a schoolhouse until it was burned down about twenty years afterwards. Milford. Mrs. Mary Harris died in April or May. She was the first grown person to die there and be buried in the Milford cemetery. Egbert, the two-year-old son of T. H. Fairchilds, had died there previous to this. Long Valley. William E. (Paul) Jones bought the Junction House and moved there. This year, or perhaps the year before, Charles Cramer and Kline located a ranch in the extreme northeastern corner of Long valley. Thaxter True and Family came into the valley and settled below the Antelope ranch just inside the Lassen county line. Alphonso A. (Pete) Evans came into the valley. Willow Creek. Summers bought out Davis and got his place and the Pickard place, too. This year a wagon road was built over the Antelope hill. Previous to this the wagon road went up Rice's canyon. Secret Valley. John B. McKissick says that " Uncle Jake" McKissick took cattle into the valley this fall, but put up no buildings until 1870. He then put a few improvements on a place in the northwestern part of the valley. Those whose names are given in the following lists settled in the county in 1867. The length of residence does not apply to the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are still living here: J. C. Blake and Family, Mrs. David Titherington, Henry Houchins, William Dunn and Family, S. S. Williams and Family, J. B. Sanders and Family, Thomas B. San- [407] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ders, Jonathan Smith and Family, Anthony Otto and Family, Robert Hayden and Wife, and Robert Hayden, Jr. The following lived here fifteen or twenty years or more: Morgan Williams and Wife, Isaac Adams and Family, Thaxter True and Family, George Boyd, William Waltz, Albert Otto, and E. R. Cary and Family. The following lived here from two or three to twelve or fif- teen years: J. Baker Titherington, Miss Marietta Smith (Mrs. William Dakin), *J. D. Abel, *Oscar Hood, Lucius Post and Family, W. Carson Wright and Family, Alphonso A. (Pete) Evans, and * Joseph (Big Joe) Smith. Lassen County Politics In January the Board of Supervisors advertised in the ' ' Sage Brush" that sealed proposals for the construction of a Court House would be received by them until the fourth of February. The following proposals were received: A. A. Smith offered to build it for $12950, F. S. Johnstone for $12900, and William Williams for $9850. The last named bid was accepted, and the building was completed some time during the following October. It has been in use ever since. Previous to this time the Super- visors hired rooms in different parts of the town for the use of the county officers and for a court room. In the fall of 1864 the Magnolia building was used for a court room, and it was also used a while for the same purpose in 1865. At its February meeting the Board allowed J. N. Pine the privilege of moving the Soldier bridge up the river about a quarter of a mile. This is where the line between Sections 15 and 16, Township 29 North, Range 14 East, crosses Susan river, and is its present location in what is now called Tanner's lane. In February Frank Drake resigned his position as Sheriff, and the Supervisors immediately appointed Cap. Hill (W. H. Naileigh) Sheriff to fill the vacancy. In March $1500 was paid to Plumas county, this being the last payment of Lassen 's share of the indebtedness of Plumas. April second Marshal Bronson was elected Supervisor of the Third District. In June the Board accepted a road which had been laid out from the Thomas H. Epley ranch on the Janesville and Milford road, three and one half miles from the former place, to the Shaffer ranch. It ran northeast and north until it intercepted [408] THE YBAE 1867 the road from Janesville to Shaffer's, then ran northeast until within two and one half miles of the Shaffer ranch, and then north the rest of the way. At the same meeting of the Board James Ford was allowed $1000 to aid in building the Honey Lake and Indian valley Wagon Koad via Light's Canyon and Gold Run. This road was accepted on the seventh of September. An election for state and county officers was held on Septem- ber the fourth — 285 votes cast. The following is the result of the election : Joint Member of the Assembly, John R. Buckbee ; Sheriff, Thomas N. Long; County Clerk, A. A. Smith; County Treasurer, John R. Lockwood; District Attorney, I. N. Roop; County Surveyor, E. R. Nichols; Coroner, Z. N. Spalding; County Assessor, Smith J. Hill. Constables. Susanville, 0. Cogswell and Ladue Vary; Janesville, J. H. Breed and Hiram Winchell ; Long Valley, J. N. Woods. Supervisor, District No. 1, E. D. Bowman. The following is the result of the Special Judicial election held October 16th : County Judge, A. T. Bruce. Justices of the Peace. Susanville, J. Smith and J. Drake; Janesville, Abner McMurphy and Sylvanus Conkey. September seventh E. R. Nichols resigned his office as County Surveyor. Indian Troubles. 1867 In a small way the Indians kept up their depredations this year. They stole a few head of stock occasionally from travelers and from the ranchers and off the ranges. They prowled around the stations on the Humboldt and Idaho roads, once in a while attacking, and sometimes killing a lone traveler or teamster. Gaddy Shot at by an Indian About the middle of February Collins Gaddy was coming in from the Black Rock mines with a two-horse team. When near Stovepipe Springs he came to a little stream of water where there was a high ledge of rocks close to the road. He was walking beside the wagon on the side next to the ledge, and when he reached the creek he sprang over it. Just as he did this an Indian who was hidden in the rocks fired at him. That spring saved his life, for the bullet went behind him and went through the bed of the wagon, killing a puppy that he was taking home. Gaddy said that when he heard the shot he looked in that direc- [409] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA tion and the Indian was so close he could have shot his eye out with a pistol. But he had no weapon, so he ran around the hind end of the wagon and when he got to the other side threw him- self over into it and lay down. He then yelled to the horses, and not having any load, they soon carried him out of danger. It seems queer that a man should be so foolhardy as to start out on a journey through a country infested with hostile Indians with- out taking some kind of a weapon. The fool-killer was likely to get him if the Indians didn't. About this time the Indians drove off cattle from Mud Meadows and Deep Hole springs. A band of them was seen prowling around Mud flat, and one of a scouting party of sol- diers was shot while on guard not far from Summit lake. Old Winnemucca Pays Susanville Another Visit Told by the "Sage Brush," John J. Mcllroy, A. L. Harper, Mrs. A. T. Arnold, A. E. De Forest, I. N. Jones, C. E. Hurlbut, and T. J. Lomas. The following is from the "Sage Brush" of August 17, 1867, and gives an account of Winnemucca 's visit to Honey Lake. "This noted chief of the Piute tribe of Indians, having their headquarters on the Indian reservation at Pyramid lake, made Susanville a visit on Tuesday last. He came with letters pur- porting to have been written by the Indian Agent at their reser- vation and others of Washoe and vicinity. He brought with him some fifteen warriors whom he stationed about two miles from the town to await the result of a conference with the citizens of Susanville, wishing to gain permission to proceed into the adjacent hills of the surrounding country for the ostensible pur- pose of hunting. A letter written by Mr. Alvaro Evans of Long valley to Governor Roop urged the granting of the passport. The citizens of Honey Lake valley have suffered much from the ravages of the Piutes, and having declared eternal war against them, became considerably excited at their presence, and set about making immediate preparations for 'taking them in.' In less than half an hour some eight of the citizens of the valley were in their saddles, armed with Henry carbines, and with swift pace crowding down upon the band. The Indians took the alarm at the first sound of the tocsin, and succeeded in gain- ing the foothills before the war party could reach them. They [410] THE YEAR 1867 passed into the timber on the mountains to the north of town, and were thereby enabled to elude their pursuers. Winnemucca, being personally known to several of our citizens as an 'honor- able' Indian, was removed to the jail for safe keeping. 1 ' The Agent at Pyramid lake and all others whom it may con- cern, should be cautious about the sending in of their pet Indians into this locality. Enough has been said to satisfy outsiders what course the people here are liable to pursue. No Piute can under any circumstances be allowed to remain among us. What the object of the Indians was we are left to surmise. They have no love for Honey Lakers, and may be the advance guard of a large marauding party, seeking lodgement upon the Ft. Crook and Eed Bluff routes of travel. ' ' The foregoing quotation tells briefly a part of what occurred during this visit. In the past years the Indians had caused them so much trouble that the Honey Lakers had sworn vengeance. Probably the most of these depredations had been committed by the Pit Rivers and the renegade Piutes living north of the reser- vation, but the Honey Lakers were in no mood to discriminate and it was not safe for any Piute to come into the settled part of the valley. Old Winnemucca wanted to visit his old-time friends and he also wanted to hunt around Eagle lake. He was smart enough to know the danger, so he got all the papers he could, thinking they would serve to protect him. Probably he talked to his acquaintances along the road and told them what he wanted to do, for it is said that Robert Johnston followed him to Susanville to see if he could prevent him from going any fur- ther north. William Dow and Tunison were coming from Oregon with cattle and Johnston was afraid that the Indians would attack them. When he got close to Susanville Winnemucca sent his warriors to the edge of the hills a mile or more northeast of town, no doubt telling them to be on the lookout for trouble. Tak- ing one Indian with him he went on into the town, and having found his old friend Governor Roop, he dismounted and entered into a conversation with him. When the people of Susanville heard that Winnemucca was there a good many of them became much excited and a crowd gathered around Roop and the Indians. A few of them got their horses and guns and things began to look rather dangerous for the redskins. Joe Hale and Hank Wright seemed to be the leaders of the crowd and they wanted to take [411] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOBNIA the Indians and hang them. Roop told them that he had smoked the pipe of peace with Winnemucca, that he had many times been at the mercy of the chief and the latter had always taken care of him, and that they would have to kill him before they hanged the Indians. Captain Weatherlow, Cap. Hill, John Ward, Cut- ler Arnold, and some other prominent men who were old timers, joined Roop and they kept the crowd back. Just about this time the Indian who was with Winnemucca and who was still mounted on his horse, got frightened and started off down the road toward Toadtown with Wright and some others in pursuit. The Indian was mounted on a small, beautiful horse that looked like a thor- oughbred, and he knew how to ride him. When they got across Piute creek Wright, who was in the lead, raised his gun to shoot. As he did this his horse stumbled and gave him a hard fall. De Forest thinks that Wright went no further, but Mcllroy says he went on to the Dobyns place. The white men went on, some one being considerably in the lead. George Funk had stopped his team in front of the Dobyns place, about a mile below where the road crosses Piute creek. The Indian went past before he had time to do more than notice him; and when the white man who was following him came along Funk, thinking that it was another Indian, almost shot him before he discovered his mistake. Mc- llroy says that a small party of soldiers followed close in pur- suit of the white men, and that Funk stopped them at a bridge near the Dobyns place. He cursed and abused them and said he would shoot the first man who crossed it. They all believed him and stayed where they were. I. N. Jones, who then lived about a mile and a half below Susanville, saw the Indians going toward town and expected they would have trouble. A while after they passed he hunted up his rifle, and when he heard a horse cross the bridge close by on a run he hastily put a cap on his gun and ran outside. The Indian was passing the house, running his horse easily and keeping just out of gunshot of the man who was nearest to him. Jones snapped his gun at him three times, but had been loaded a long time and failed to go off. The two went on down the road and more men soon followed. When the man close to the Indian got down to the Johnston place near the gristmill his horse gave out. A horse with a saddle on stood near the gate and he took it and went on. At the gristmill the Indian took the left hand road and after going a short distance went [412] THE YEAR 1867 into the willows. Thomas J. Lomas came along at that time on his way from the Shaffer ranch to town. He saw a man with a gun looking through the willows and soon met another man rid- ing furiously. They hunted the Indian out of the willows and he rode off toward the northeast, keeping just far enough ahead of his pursuers to make them think they were going to overtake him. When he reached the hills he let his horse go and left them as though they had been on foot. A party went after the Indians who stopped northeast of town; but they must have taken the alarm when they saw the chase going on down the road, for they struck out into the hills to the north and were soon out of danger. The officer in command of the soldiers talked about shooting people who molested the Indians, and this was told to Hale and the others as soon as they got back to town. Of course this made them feel very hostile toward him and he soon had a row with Hale. Some say that Hale met him on the street and insulted him shamefully, others that the row took place in the saloon and that Hale raised a chair to strike him, but was prevented from doing it. The officer went away, but the soldiers and the citizens kept on quarreling. The latter asked what was going to be done with Winnemucca and were told that they intended to hold him as a hostage. Hale said ' ' Well, why don 't he come out and say so ? " The officer then came out of the Steward House and lined his men up across the street near the Pioneer saloon, and the citi- zens, with their rifles in hand, lined up not far away. The officer began talking to Hale as if he was a dog, but Joe told him to stop that and talk like a gentleman or he would shoot him. This brought the officer to his senses and his explanation was made without any more trouble. The Honey Lakers were thoroughly aroused, and had the soldiers taken any hostile steps, probably they would have all been killed. T. J. Lomas heard the conver- sation between Hale and the officer. Winnemucca was taken into Roop's house for safe keeping. Later on, Mrs. A. T. Arnold says, all the men went away and left her with a pistol to guard him. While they were gone Hale came to the door. She told the chief to go into the bedroom and then told Hale to come in at his peril. The soldiers stayed in town a few days and then took Winne- mucca to Ft. Bidwell, staying one night at the Hurlbut and [413] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Knudson ranch in Willow Creek valley. It nowhere appears that Winnemucca ever visited Susanville again. Perhaps he thought he was too popular — his presence attracted the attention of too many people. The Murder op Charles League Told by "The Eastern Slope," Alvaro Evans, Mrs. J. A. Forkner, and Mrs. Sarah McClelland. In the latter part of October Charles League, a resident of Honey Lake valley, hauled a load of freight to Summit lake in northwestern Nevada for Griffin and Williams. He arrived at his destination in safety, and after unloading his freight, started for home. On the evening of the second of November he reached the Flowing Springs station where Charles P. McClelland and Louis M. Crill were taking care of stage stock for the Chico and Idaho line. Robert Elliott stayed there that night, too. During the night the dogs barked and made a great deal of fuss as though there were Indians around, and the next morning they tried to keep League from starting out. Their talk had no effect on him and he hitched up his team and took the road to Honey Lake. After he had gone McClelland went to looking around the house and found some arrows that had been shot at the dogs. Shortly before this some signal fires had been seen on the moun- tain, and all this made them sure that a party of Indians was lurking around. It is said that soon after League started Elliott saw a smoke in the direction he had gone and called the atten- tion of the other men to it. They became alarmed for League's safety and McClelland and Crill took their rifles, mounted their horses, and followed him. After going about a mile and a half they saw five Indians going up the side of the mountain leading League 's four horses with their harness on. They followed them for some distance, and finding they could not be overtaken, shot at them, but were too far away to do any execution. They then turned their attention to League and found him lying in the road near his wagon. Evidently the Indians had shot him from ambush, stripped him of his clothes, and hastily departed. Per- haps the smoke was caused by an unsuccessful attempt to set the wagon on fire. McClelland then went across the desert to Hardin City where Alvaro Evans was building a quartz mill, and told [414] THE YEAE 1867 him what had happened. Evans at once sent a messenger to Camp McGary and then sent a spring wagon after League 's body. He made a rough coffin and the remains were taken to Honey Lake. The commanding officer at Camp McGary came with twenty- five soldiers, half a dozen men from the camp at Hardin City joined them, and they took the trail. They followed it south along the summit of the mountain for a part of two days until they were north of "Wall springs. A snow storm then came on and they gave up the pursuit. The newspapers accused the Pyramid lake Piutes of committing this murder, but Evans says that the Pit Kivers were the guilty ones. Indians Killed in Dry Valley A week or two after League was killed Alvaro Evans left Hardin City and went to his home in the north end of Long val- ley. While on his way there he crossed the trail of some Indians near Wall springs, and they were going south toward the Pyra- mid Lake reservation. When he got home he sent word to Old Winnemucca, with whom he was well acquainted, to come and see him right away. When he came Evans told him about the murder of League and about the trail toward Pyramid lake, and told him to let him know as soon as he learned anything about the Indians who made that trail. He also told him that if he didn't do something about it, the Honey Lakers would rise and clean out the Piute reservation. (Old Winnemucca had good cause to hunt up that band of Pit Rivers. Besides the killing of League, the occasional depredations of small bands of Pit Rivers in the Long valley country were laid to the Piutes. — F.) The morning of the last day of November, shortly after Alvaro Evans had left home, Winnemucca came to the ranch with twelve warriors and said that the Indians who killed League were camped in Dry valley about six miles east of the Evans ranch, and that if the Evans Boys would arm his men, he would go up there and kill them. They gave the Piutes some guns and pistols, and Allen Evans, J. N. (Newt.) Evans, Ans. Marsh, Eli- jah Miller, and five or six other men living in that part of the valley, went along to see the fun. They all started from the ranch about two o 'clock the next morning and in an hour reached what is called "The Sierra camp." The chief said "Wait till [415] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA daylight. Then we kill them. ' ' About daylight he and his braves went up to the camp of the Pit Rivers. When they got close to it an old Indian came out and saw them and ran back and awoke the others. They came running out and fired at the Piutes, kill- ing one of them, and this had the effect of sending them back to the white men for protection. The latter immediately charged the Pit Rivers, of whom there were ten bucks and five or six squaws and children. They took to the junipers, but the whites followed them and killed nine of the bucks and captured the squaws and children. The other Indian got away. During the fight the horse ridden by Allen Evans was shot through the withers a couple of inches below the top, and the whites re- ceived no other damage. One of the newspapers of western Nevada in commenting on this affair said "Here is the way to fight Indians ; ten killed out of eleven — more severe punishment than the whole military force of the government has been able to display in the state for the last twelve months.' ' Winnemucca took the captives home with him to the reser- vation and about six weeks afterwards they all ran away. A Piute named George, who had worked for the Evans Brothers and then gone back to the reservation, followed them. He over- took them on the east side of the Fort Sage mountain (State Line Peak), and killed them all excepting a little boy six years of age and a girl of twelve. Probably they hid in the brush and he did not find them. Charles Cramer, who lived in the northeastern corner of Long valley, says that two men from Virginia City were out hunting and found the little girl and brought her to his house. They took her home with them and raised her. The next day after the Indians were killed Allen Evans was hunting cattle in that locality. While riding around in the brush he heard a noise that attracted his attention. After considerable searching he found a little boy sitting on his feet in the snow with a rabbit- skin robe over him. Evans took him on his horse and brought him home. On examination it was found that both his feet were frozen hard clear up to his ankles. He was put into an outhouse and some Indians who were camped close by took care of him. In a short time the frozen flesh began to decay and one morning he was missing. Evans supposed that the Indians killed him and took him away. [416] THE YEAE 1867 Summers and Hurlbut 's Horses Stolen From Tunison 's Diary On the night of December 7th the Indians stole two horses from Willow Creek valley. One belonging to P. D. Hurlbut was stolen from the stable and one running outside from Thomas Summers. They shot an arrow into a colt belonging to another man and scattered the cattle a good deal. The horse belonging to Summers got away before they had taken it very far. On the 8th Hurlbut, Knudson, Summers, and Tunison fol- lowed the trail of the Indians north toward Eagle lake and found out that two of them were on horseback and that there were per- haps six of them in all. Four days later William Dow, Robert Johnston, Tunison, Hurlbut, Gowenlock, and two or three other men, went to the upper end of the valley and left their horses at Quilty's place. From there they went on foot and tracked the Indians to the place where they killed Hurlbut 's mare. They tracked them a little further and then went back to Quilty 's. The following day they tracked them on to another camp, and from there to one at the east end of Eagle lake. The 14th they started out on horseback and followed the trail to the north end of the east arm of the lake, and there the trail left it. They camped there, and Dow, Tunison, and Gowenlock went on a scout over into Grasshopper valley. They got up before three o'clock the next morning and all of them tramped until sunrise, but saw no Indians — nothing but tracks going north. That day they re- turned home, having hunted Indians with the same result as that obtained by many an expedition sent out by the Never Sweats in days gone by. The Murder op Mrs. Thompson In May Richard Thompson, a very early settler in the valley, was indicted by the grand jury for the crime of murdering his Wife, Margaret Thompson. It was charged that the crime was committed at their home two miles south of Susanville during the early part of March. He was tried at the June term of the District Court, found guilty of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to be hanged. This sentence was commuted to impris- onment for life, and he was sent to the state prison at San [417] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Quentin. After staying there about three years he was pardoned on account of his poor health. He then returned to Honey Lake and spent the rest of his life here. The Marks-Myers "Shooting Scrape" While this encounter was going on it looked as though it might prove to be a serious affair, but it ended in such a harmless way that people regarded it as a joke. Below are a few of the stories told about it. Several people who lived in the valley at that time remember it something like the following: On the 31st of March while Joseph Myers was sitting in Bowman & Lockwood's store in Susanville engaged in reading, La Fayette Marks, with whom he had previously had some trouble, approached him from behind and threw his arms around him. Myers was armed with a pistol and a knife, and he drew the latter and jabbed Marks in the arms with it until he let go and ran out of the store. As he went through the door Myers fired at him, but hit the door casing instead of the man. Marks went after his pistol and returned to the store, and getting behind a pile of flour, took two or three shots at Myers who was on the other side of the pile. His pistol then failed to work, and as his opponent was about to get his battery into action, Marks lay down behind the flour. Myers then put his pistol over the flour until it almost touched the other man's back and pulled the trigger, but the weapon failed to go off. While he was trying to get his pistol to revolve Marks ran out of the store and across the street. As he was doing this sprinting act Myers shot at him and just grazed one of his ears. This was the only blood drawn during the pistol practice. Tunison doesn't tell how he got his information, but says "April 7. Shooting scrape in Susanville last week. Two men fired four or five shots each and one hit once. No harm done." A man who was in town when the trouble occurred says that the shooting began out in front of the store. Marks fired a shot or two and then, for some reason, ran into the store and lay down behind a pile of flour. Myers followed and put his pistol close to him, but when he pulled the trigger it failed to go off. While he was working with it Marks ran out of the back door and got away. [418] THE YEAR 1867 The records of the county show that the principals in this bloody affray were arrested and shortly afterwards the grand jury indicted both of them. Myers was tried first and was acquitted. Marks was then tried and found guilty of "assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to do bodily injury," and was fined $500, or 250 days in jail. This fine was reduced twice — the last time to $125, or 60 days in jail — and probably it was then paid. The History op the Black Rock Mines Of all the stories told on this Coast about lost mines the following is one of the strangest. When these mines were dis- covered there was a wagon load, perhaps two or three wagon loads, of almost pure silver ore in sight which a few years later could not be found. In the same vicinity, still later on, they found large ledges which some assayers said were very rich, while others, equally good or better, said there was not a trace of precious metals in them. Rock from these ledges worked at one time gave large returns. At another time rock from the same ledges, sometimes from the same load, yielded little or nothing. Finally, when a quartz mill was built in that district and run for weeks on the best rock, not even a color was obtained. Another run was made with the same results. Another mill near by made a run without getting anything, and the district was abandoned. As is usually the case, more than one story is told about the discovery of silver in this district. "In Miners' Mirage-Land, ' ' written by Idah Meacham Strobridge, tells the story in one way, and "Thompson and West's History of Nevada" tells it in a slightly different way. The following story of its discovery is the way it has always been told by the men of this part of the country, men like A. B. Jenison, who was intimately acquainted with James Allen Hardin, the discoverer of the mine, and other prospectors who knew him and also knew the Black Rock country. A part of the story of the discovery was told to the writer by William H. Jenison who had it from his Father, A. B. Jenison. Hardin crossed the plains in 1849. In the course of time the train with which he was traveling reached the Black Rock range of mountains in what is now northwestern Nevada, about ninety miles in a straight line northeast of Susanville. This is [419] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA a short range extending north and south and terminating at the southern end in a bold, black peak facing the desert. This mountain gives the range its name. While on his way from eastern Oregon to the Truckee river and thence over the Sierras to California, Fremont camped at the hot springs west of this mountain (about the first of January, 1844), and it so attracted his attention that he took its latitude and longitude and gave it in his narrative of that journey. To the east of the range is the northern part of the Queen's River desert and west of it is a narrow arm of the same desert. We will now go back to the train. By the time they reached this point they were "scarce for almost everything," especially provisions and ammunition. Hardin, who was a sort of hunter and scout for the train, started out in the morning to see if he could kill some kind of game. Jenison told it as though he went alone, Mrs. Strobridge and T. and W. say there were two men with him, and Andrew Hardin of Petaluma, a nephew of J. A. Hardin, says his uncle told him there was one man with him. (Ross Lewers tells that John Lambert, at one time superintendent of the Sierra Nevada mine in Virginia City, said that he was with Hardin when the ore was discovered and that they melted it in a bake oven.) The road runs on the west side of the range, and the hunters traveled across the foothills parallel to it. Nothing grows on this range but greasewood, and the mountain is volcanic rock and volcanic ashes with sand hills down next to the desert. This was a poor country for game and they found none. When three or four miles north of the Double Hot spring (Hardin told Jenison he could not remember whether he was west of the road among the sand hills or east of it in the foothills, though probably it was the latter) they passed the lower end of a little ravine which had been cut out by the water. Something bright in the bottom of it and along its sides attracted their attention, and upon looking more closely, they found it was some kind of metal which they thought might be lead. Andrew Hardin told the writer that his uncle said there was a wagon load of it. It looked as though it would make bullets, and as they were short of ammunition, they took several pieces, perhaps thirty or forty pounds, along with them. When they got into camp they found it melted easily, so they made bullets of part of it and used them. Hardin took a small piece of it with him to California. Jenison did not say [420] THE YEAE 1867 what become of the rest of it. In the other two stories it is claimed that Hardin and all those in his train, and Mrs. Stro- bridge says those in another large train camped close by, were positive that the metal found was silver and that there was enough of it to make them all rich. But in the light of what afterwards took place it would seem that no one who saw it then had any idea that it was silver, or that it had any particular value. Hardin settled at Petaluma in Sonoma county and went to work at the carpenter's trade. A few years afterwards the piece of metal found in the desert, which in the meantime had been carelessly thrown around, fell into the hands of an assayer who found that it was carbonate of lead and silver, and very rich in the last named metal. About this time, or perhaps a little later, A. B. Jenison and Frederick Alberding moved into the neighborhood of Petaluma from the Rogue River valley in Oregon. They became acquainted with Hardin and heard the story of the silver ore, and after talking the matter over concluded to organize an expedition to go back and find the place where he got it. "The Petaluma Journal" of July 9, 1858, says "A party of some fifteen or eighteen persons left this locality a few days since for the east- ern slope of the Sierra Nevadas, where they go in search of what they believe to be an immense deposit of silver ore. ' ■ The paper said that A. J. Harding was the leader of this expedition and that they expected to be gone about two months. T. and W. say the following were the members of that expedition: "M. S. Thompson, Allen Harding, A. B. Jamison, Fred. Alberding, H. Whiteside, Charles Humphries, Major James Pingley, Holt Fine, P. McGuire, and Oman." In the above Hardin's name is not spelled right, "Jamison" should be Jenison, and Oman's given name was George W. The other names may be right. It is possible that a man named Clyman and several others were also in the party. Hardin was sure that he would have no trouble in going to the place where he found the silver ; but when he reached that locality, either the face of the country had changed or he had forgotten how it looked, and he utterly failed to find the little ravine where he had seen a wagon load of the precious metal. They hunted for it until fall and then Hardin and some of the party went back to Petaluma, and the others stayed in Honey Lake valley. The next spring Hardin came [421] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA back with another crowd. Colonel Lewis and "Dad" Wyatt were in this party, and Thompson, Alberding, Jenison, and some of the first party who had wintered here, went with them to Black Eock. They had no better success this year and in the fall the most of the party went below. T. and W. say that Hardin came again the next year, and a relative of Hardin's told the writer that he came into this country three times in search of the mine. If he came in 1860 it must have been late in the fall, for it will be remembered that in the spring of 1860 there were seventy or eighty men prospecting in the Black Eock country when the Piute war broke out. Thompson was there, but no mention is made of Hardin. Alvaro Evans is positive that Hardin was at Black Eock in the summer of 1866. Of course the Never Sweats took an active part in what was going on. In 1858 most of the men in Honey Lake had done more or less mining and some of them were still engaged in it, and the report that there were tons of silver at Black Eock started many of them in that direction. Some of them may have gone out with Hardin's party in 1858; but whether they did or not, they headed that way early in 1859. Captain Weath- erlow and his party went out there about the middle of April, and Lassen 's party soon followed. In 1859 Hardin and some of his party and some Honey Lakers recorded the location of a ledge at Black Eock. From the time of Hardin's first visit in 1858 until the district was abandoned there was more or less excitement in Honey Lake in regard to these mines. Thompson, Jenison, Ladue Vary, Leroy Arnold, and other Honey Lakers, prospected there more or less for six or eight years, and some of them kept it up until all hope was gone. From 1860 until 1866 very few came from the lower country to prospect at Black Eock. In 1862 the excitement flamed a little higher than usual, but it died away and the next three years matters in that locality went on as before. Some time during the first part of January, 1866, a man who is said to have been a Honey Laker discovered a ledge that he and the other prospectors there at the time thought was the Hardin ledge, so long sought for in vain. The news of the discovery spread like wildfire in every direction, and men from western Nevada and northern California lost no time in getting there, all anxious to find another rich ledge or to get a part of [422] THE YEAE 1867 those already found. The most of the travel from California to the mines passed through Susanville which by the road was about 125 miles from Black Rock. The Noble Road, at that time called the "Emigrant Road" to the Humboldt, was followed to the original Granite Creek station. From there the road turned north for a ways and then went east across the desert to the western side of the Black Rock range, about fourteen miles from its southern end. Considerable of this story can best be told by quotations from the newspapers of that time. "The Humboldt Register" of January 13, 1866, has the following: "A Movement on Black Rock. The Hardin Ledge Found "During the past week we have conversed with parties who have been up in the Black Rock region and who report the discovery of the Hardin ledge for which so diligent a search has been made for the past four or five years. Also the ledge near there which other parties found about the same time, but could not again find on going back. Judge Harvey of Susanville saw this latter ledge and thinks it rich; but does not know. Some assays from it show a value of $130 to $200 a ton in silver. The ledge crops a width of about one hundred feet, but Harvey thinks it is broken over and is about fifty feet wide in the per- pendicular. A great deal of talk is indulged in here and parties are going out soon to prospect. Several men in this county have been out repeatedly in search for the lost ledge, and they will not be content without a look, even if they don't get a foot." (The other ledge referred to must have been the one discovered by John Foreman and two others in 1852. It was on the moun- tain across the desert west of Black Rock and was the same kind of ore as that found by Hardin. Mrs. Strobridge says that when Foreman went back there in 1859 he could not find the ledge.) Later on ledges were discovered that were two hundred feet wide and could be traced for miles. Fred A. Borrette says the first milling test of the Black Rock ore was made at Dall's mill at Franktown in the Washoe valley. A. B. Jenison hauled five hundred pounds there and had it crushed, and it paid at the rate of $306 per ton. I. N. Jones says there were two Thacker Boys at Black Rock, John and James. The latter told him that [423] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA he was the first man to haul any ore away from there. He loaded an ox team and at first went out on the Humboldt. They would not crush the ore there and he went on down into the neighborhood of Virginia City. ' ' In Miners ' Mirage-Land ' ' says that one of the Thacker Boys took several tons of the ore to Union ville where it was worked at the John C. Fall mill. Noth- ing was obtained from the rock and the mill was blamed for it. The same book says that they were not satisfied with this and another man named Giddings took about a thousand pounds of the ore to Dall's mill. Hiskey, the foreman, who was a good judge of ore, told him his rock was worthless and laughed at him for bringing it so far to be worked. He refused to work it say- ing that it would be robbery to do so. Giddings hung on and insisted that they should work it. At last, to satisfy him, Hiskey agreed to do it, but told him that if they got anything out of the rock, he would not charge him a cent for working it. The rock was worked and brought great returns and the mill man kept his word. "The Eed Bluff Independent ' ' prints a letter to T. M. Boar- man from Honey Lake valley, dated February 7, 1866. It says that the Black Rock country is alive with people. Some speci- mens of the rock have been taken to the mills at Humboldt and produced $2700 a ton. An expedition, among whom was B. Neel, went out from Red Bluff several years ago, but didn't find any- thing. Other parties have hunted since then, but have found nothing until about four weeks ago. "The Sage Brush' ' de- scribes the ledge as being fabulously rich, equal to the Poorman ledge at Owyhee. February 19th Tunison says "Great excite- ment about Black Rock nowadays." Judge Harvey, E. D. Bowman, Lawrence Bass, Major Smith, and others, had the rock assayed and milled at different places with varying results, and of course the old prospectors made tests for themselves. They hired a man named Isenbeck by the month to stay at Black Rock and make assays of the ores. He was supposed to be a good assayer and mill man and he got from good to great values out of nearly all the samples brought to him. After a while some of the boys began to say that he could find silver in a piece of grindstone. The "Register" of March 17, 1866, says "Johnny Thacker is on his way from Black Rock with about six tons of ore for [4241 THE YEAR 1867 Torrey's mill. He expects it to work up into the hundreds, and, as is his habit, offers to back up his judgment. The working will prove Black Rock as to quality anyhow." On the 24th, probably referring to the same load of ore, it says : "A portion of Harm's rock from the Black Rock mines has been worked — enough to show that the ledges contain gold and silver, but not enough to indicate the value of the ores. Isenbeck, who came through with Harvey, and undoubtedly an excellent assayer and experienced mill man, was permitted by Mr. Torrey, by request of Harvey, to superintend the working of this rock, on account of its peculiar character. After running three tons through the pans, it was agreed that a different process was necessary in amalgamating. The chlorides floated too easily to be caught by the quicksilver. Accordingly the tailings and the pulp of the other three tons of ore were run into a large vat, to evaporate some of the superfluous moisture from it. Together with hun- dreds of others we look with much interest for the result of a satisfactory working of this rock. Judge Harvey showed us before leaving for home, a little bar from the ore worked. It weighed 11.40 ounces, and showed by assay .806 fine in silver — $11.87, and .022 fine in gold— $5.18, total value $17.05. A con- siderable quantity of gold was panned afterwards from the battery, which if worked would have largely increased the value of the bullion. Torrey and Isenbeck are confident that by experimenting a process can be worked out, by which this char- acter of ores can be made to give up almost entirely what gold and silver they contain. "Jo Voshay has gone to work on his claim about twenty miles north of Black Rock. Black Rock is all the go now. Thursday forenoon a snowstorm was on, which turned about meridian to rain; but it did not deter a number of prospectors from setting out for the new Dorado. "When you see a man sitting in front of a roll of blankets and a frying pan, and behind a Henry rifle, you need not ask him where he is going — he is 'going to Black Rock or burst/ Great excitement is re- ported in Petaluma on account of the discovery of large ledges of silver near the boundary line between Lassen county and Nevada. ' ' On the 31st it says "A portion of the party that went out last week to prospect in that region has returned. Those we [425] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOKNIA have spoken with have no faith in the reputed richness of the ore there fonnd. They describe the ledges as monstrous in width, and cropping from three to ten miles on the surface. If they are good silver ore, the boys say it is heaviest deposit of it ever yet found in the world. One thing puzzles people. The assayers here can make out but a bare trace of silver in any of the Black Rock ores yet tried, wliile Isenbeck and Mosheimer make certificates of fabulous results. Black Rock is as much a mystery as ever." We again quote from "The Humboldt Register." April 7th it says: "Black Rock will perhaps be heard from in a few days — unless somebody is interested in keeping back the truth. An arastra has been running for several days; and if there is silver it ought to show. We saw a dab of amalgam which Steve Bass had carefully worked out by hand from an exact pound of rock. The amalgam looked well — felt well. It was cupelled and made no sign of silver. Black Rock is not understood; the ledges may pay — but the thing doesn't look promising by the light we have." On the 21st it says "A handsome specimen Jo Voshay sent us the other day from his claim in the Black Rock region. He took several hundred pounds of this sort of rock to the East last year, and it worked well up into the hun- dreds — don't recollect the figures. Black Rock promises well, but has not yet been entirely proved." In May A. T. Arnold hauled a four-horse load of Black Rock ore to Dall's mill. It was worked and paid fairly well. During the year 1866 the Black Rock excitement was at its greatest height. From the early spring until winter Black Rock was "all the go." Everybody talked about the mines and every one who had any speculation in him, or any blood likely to catch the mining fever, owned more or less "feet." When two men met they soon commenced to talk Black Rock, and generally one, or both of them, exhibited specimens of the ore which he carried in his pocket. There was all kinds of "dicker- ing" going on in claims. Like whiskey, it was all good. Some men made the most of their opportunities and got what they could out of it. If they could not sell for money, they traded "feet" for plug horses or "any old thing." The outcome showed that a person did well if he traded his mining claims in that country for "chips and whetstones." r 426 1 THE YEAR 1867 Hereafter all quotations in this article not credited to any- thing else, are taken from "The Eastern Slope, " a paper pub- lished at that time in Washoe City, Nevada. June 23d, 1866, it says "Harvey, "Ward, and Buckbee have been in town for the past week. They brought a considerable amount of Black Eock ore to get a working test at Dall's mill and flattering results are being obtained. " July 28th. "The migratory part of our citizens are leaving Excelsior and rushing to Black Rock where there are a thousand times as many induce- ments as there ever were at Excelsior. Ledges of unlimited extent pay $50 a ton from the top down and this exceeds any discovery ever made before in the mining world." Some time during the month of June H. N. Skadan hauled a load of provisions, lumber, and shingles from Milford to Black Rock for T. H. and E. H. Fairchilds. He brought back a load of ore for Manley Thompson, and took it to Dall's mill to be worked. Thompson told him that it didn't pay anything. J. D. Byers took some ore from the same district to the same mill. Five hundred pounds paid at the rate of $400 a ton, but when the rest of it, four and three fourths tons, was worked it paid only $40 a ton. August 11th. "The Evans Boys of Long valley are about building a mill at Hardin City, a city of fifteen houses and 15000 rats, and expect to have it in running order by October first. The people of Black Rock think they have treasure enough there to build a railroad from Chico to Vallejo with silver rails, pay off the national debt, and buy Ireland for the Fenians." Nothing small about that. September first it published an article taken from the "Mining and Scientific Press," written by J. Mosheimer, well known in Nevada as a scientific and practical miner. He says that numerous assays of Black Rock ore have been made in different places. Some assayers have been fortunate and others have obtained nothing at all. This has been the case with some San Francisco assayers. He says he has assayed more than a hundred samples from Black Rock, and is sure that seventy-five out of that number have contained gold and silver from a low percentage to $900 per ton. The ledges in Black Rock are from twenty to sixty feet wide. Some strikes in these veins are very rich, and he thinks that half of those discovered will pay for [427] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the working. Especial credit is due Mr. Harvey for his per- severance in testing those ores. The writer says he has in his possession a bar which was extracted from 3800 pounds of ore at Dall 's mill in "Washoe valley. The ore was from the Merrimac ledge and paid $48.85 per ton in gold and silver. Another lot from the Monadnock paid $256. This ore was not selected, and was taken from not more than two feet below the surface. The writer says he has no further interest in the matter than to verify the assertion that the Black Rock mines are real mines, and he thinks that several mills will be put up there before the summer closes. The newspaper then says that since the fore- going was written extensive prospecting has been done in the Black Rock region, new and rich discoveries have been made, and arrangements have been made for the speedy erection of several mills. November 24th it says that the Snow Storm ledge has developed richer ore than that famous ledge has ever shown before. December 8th. A letter from Black Rock dated Novem- ber 22nd tells that new discoveries are being made that surpass anything heretofore found, and that the Evans Company's mill is almost ready to commence work. "The Sage Brush" of December 7, 1866, says "The mill at Black Rock started to run this week, with what results we have not yet learned. Black Rock is all right, so the Freyberg men tell us." December 14th it says "The mill at Black Rock is running. Judge Harvey has gone out to bring in a load of bricks. Our scientific fellow citizen, Judge Harrison, assisted by Messrs. Ward and Bowman, has been engaged during the week in experimenting on Black Rock ore. The result of these experi- ments has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the most incred- ulous, the richness of these mines. The Merrimac is rich, but the Black Wax is richer. Judge Harrison has just called and shown to us the metal taken from an ounce of Black Wax ore. The result of this test would almost warrant the belief that the ore is worth $7 per pound. ' ' A letter written from Black Rock about the middle of December said the miners in that section were every day gaining confidence in the richness and per- manence of the mines. [428] THE YEAR 1867 The Evans Quartz Mill Mention has several times been made of a quartz mill built at Hardin City by the Evans Company. The following in rela- tion to the building of it was told by Alvaro Evans. The Evans Brothers were men of means, and people kept coming to them for help in developing the Black Rock mines. The men who owned ledges there showed* them big silver buttons that Isenbeck claimed he obtained by assaying their ore, and at last the Evans Boys concluded to assist them. In the spring of 1866 they sent a man with a team of four yoke of cattle to Black Rock and told the miners to load it with ore, and he would take it to John Dall "s mill at Ophir on the west side of Washoe valley. Accord- ingly they loaded the team with the best ore from the Snow Storm, Black Wax, and other ledges that were considered to be the best in the district. The team then came back to Long valley and Alvaro Evans accompanied it to the quartz mill. At that time Dall's mill was run by Superintendent J. B. Hiskey. He at once took some ore from the Snow Storm ledge and assayed it, and told Evans that it went $1000 to the ton. Two other assayers, Wiegan of Gold Hill and a Virginia City man, assayed some of the same ore and could get nothing out of it, though they said something might be there that they knew nothing about. The Virginia City man offered to bet a thousand dollars that there was nothing in the ore. Hiskey said he would take the bet, and would make the assay in the presence of the other man and get the same results. The other man backed down — said there might be something in it, but he couldn't find it. The Dall mill was engaged in crushing ore from the Ophir mine in Virginia City. The ore was treated by the "Bartola" process. It was crushed and roasted and then put into hollow cylinders with old iron and rolled around. Hiskey worked eight hun- dred pounds of the Snow Storm ore by this process and got $800 out of it. This excited Evans, and he inquired what it would cost to put up a five stamp mill. Hiskey thought it would cost between six and seven thousand dollars, and Evans imme- diately ordered the batteries and machinery for such a mill from San Francisco. He then came to Honey Lake and had a sawmill south of Richmond saw out some lumber for him. This was hauled to Black Rock and the quartz mill was put up as soon as possible. If ' ' The Sage Brush' ' made no mistake, it was ready [429] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA to run the first week in December, 1866, and a man named Cheatam, who had been recommended by Hiskey, went to Hardin City to superintend the running of it. The rest of the story will be told later on. During the first part of the year 1867 the Black Rock excite- ment continued, but in a different way from that of the previous year. By this time the country had been thoroughly pros- pected and everything that seemed to be of any value was claimed by some one. The rush to the district was done, and the excitement was kept up by reports that the ore worked was paying well. Still, as some of the papers said, there was a sort of mystery and uncertainty about it. There were so many con- flicting reports in regard to the assays and the returns from the rock crushed that the prevailing idea was that the value of the mines was yet to be proved. February 15th, 1867. ''Reports from Black Rock continue flattering and if the mines stand the test, Washoe county in two years will be the richest county in the state, and in three years Black Rock will be yielding more bullion than all other dis- covered mines besides. William Kingsbury alias "Smoke Creek Sam" has just arrived from the mines and reports the boys in good spirits. Prof. Robinson, the assayer, is taking out large chunks of bullion. The mill will be ready to run as soon as Mr. Evans arrives with the salt. February 23rd. "It is re- ported that they obtained $8000 from twenty tons of rock by mill process, and one pound of pure silver from four pounds of rock." "The Sage Brush" of March 30th, 1867, says "News from Black Rock is like the mail. It doesn't come very often, but is good when it comes." The first part of April Bowman and Jenison went from Susanville to Washoe valley with samples of choice ore which they were going to work in the presence of doubters. Some time this year the Fairchilds Brothers had a couple of tons of Black Rock ore worked at the Dall mill and it yielded $500. "The Eastern Slope" of June 22nd said that the practical working of the Black Rock ore was no longer an open question, and that they now worked it in San Francisco by mill process with as much certainty as they did the ore from the Comstock. June 29th. "Hon. C. C. Goodwin left Honey Lake on the morning of the 18th inst. in company with Isenbeck for the scene of his labors in Black Rock. Isenbeck was the first [430] THE YEAR 1867 assayer who succeeded in working Black Rock ores by the fire process, and he is now returning to the mines determined to establish the fact that these same refractory ores can be profitably milled. Success to him" "The Humboldt Register" of July 20th calls Isenbeck the prince of humbugs, and says that he is again on his way to Black Rock with a fresh installment of victims to insanity. "The Eastern Slope" said it would not defend Isenbeck because it didn't know him, but it thought that the mines at Black Rock were much richer than those of the Humboldt country. "The Sage Brush" and "The Humboldt Register" told that in August Judge Goodwin had forty tons of what was supposed to be rich ore hauled from Black Rock to the Ophir mill. It was crushed there and then taken to Dall's mill where it was worked by the united skill of Hiskey and Isenbeck. They worked small quantities of ore from each of the ledges so as to find out which one was the best. They then intended to work the ore from the best ledge. September 7th "The Eastern Slope" says that the results thus far obtained at Dall's mill are a complete vindication of Mr. Isenbeck. It also proves that Black Rock is richer than the Comstock. For the truth of this people are referred to John Dall and James Hiskey, and are invited to visit the mill and see for themselves. The paper could not give the exact figures, but it was authorized to say that Snow Storm crushed from $170 to $200 per ton, Black Prince from $150 to $175 per ton, and Emerald $350 per ton. These tests were made by Isenbeck, Cockran, Hiskey, and Good- win, superintended by Dall. September 21st it says that Mr. Isenbeck has on exhibition in that place fourteen small bars of bullion, the result of working Black Rock ores, the aggregate weight of which is 488 ounces, the exact value of which has not yet been ascertained. It says that Mr. Isenbeck has labored under many disadvantages owing to the lack of machinery adapted to his peculiar process, but that enough has been done to show the character of Black Rock as a mining country. In conclusion it says that it looks upon the little five-stamp mill of Judge Goodwin and his associates as the pioneer of the greatest metallurgical work in the United States and perhaps in the world, and that Black Rock is destined to revolutionize the monetary affairs of the nation. (Do you mind that?) On the strength of these results Atchison & Company, San Francisco [431] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA and Humboldt men, and Judge Goodwin & Company determined to build some quartz mills in the neighborhood of Black Rock for the purpose of working the ores of that district. The first named company selected the Double Hot spring, six or seven miles south of Hardin City, as its building place. Goodwin & Company concluded to build a ten-stamp mill at Granite Creek meadows about thirty-five miles from the mines. In that location there was said to be plenty of wood and water. At this time Isenbeck was working at the Evans & Company mill reconstruct- ing it upon a plan suited to the working of the ores after his own process. October 26th "The Sage Brush" says "Atchinson & Company 's mill is on the road to Black Rock with a fair pros- pect of being in a working condition at a very early date. Judge Goodwin's mill is ready for shipment, but probably too late to be placed on the ground this fall. Black Rock is the coming country as sure as the world stands." November 2nd it reports that the Evans and Bass mill at Black Rock has commenced work under the superintendence of Isenbeck, and that results will be given a few days from that time. On the ninth it says that Atchinson & Company's mill is in progress, and it looks as though work would begin that fall on the Goodwin mill. The Beginning of the End "The Eastern Slope" of November 23d, 1867, reports the failure by Mr. Isenbeck to work the Black Rock ores at the Bass & Evans mill. They think it is because the country is a water formation and that the water takes up the metal in solution when worked with it. That such is the case is evidenced by the fact of the numerous assays and the returns from Dall's mill made over and over again. They think that no one could satisfy Mr. Hiskey that he was deceived in the thirty or forty tons of ore from Black Rock that he has worked, or make Mr. Dall believe that he has furnished hundreds of dollars of bullion coming from rock that was utterly barren. The ' ' Virginia City Trespass" of November 20th says that yesterday they published intelligence from the Black Rock mines on the authority of Charles Isenbeck, who has just returned from that country, where he has been superintending the working of various ores from the mines thereabouts at the Evans & Company's mill. This morning they received a call from L. Bass, who is a partner [432] THE YEAE 1867 of Evans in the Black Rock mill, who makes a statement utterly in contravention of what Isenbeck informs them, thus making it a question of veracity between the two gentlemen. Bass said "lam part proprietor of the Black Eock mill. I engaged Charles Isenbeck to go there and superintend the working of the Black Rock ore at a salary of $1000 a month provided he could procure paying returns from the ore. I paid him $500 in advance and he went to the mill. I furnished him with everything he de- manded that would insure success in reducing the ore. He worked between ten and twelve tons. Instead of the quicksilver gaining 122 pounds of amalgam, as stated by Isenbeck yesterday, it lost the usual amount in working; and all the amalgam found was about half a pound, which upon examination and assaying proved to be nothing but copper, with no trace of gold or silver therein. After this test by Isenbeck I called upon him to return the $500 advanced upon contract which he promptly refunded to me, he not having been able to procure any precious metals from the ore by his process. Isenbeck is the third person who has asserted that he could get rich returns from the ore, and each has failed. I have yet to see a quarter of a dollar in silver or gold actually produced from working the Black Rock ores, and never any signs of either except in fire assays, one of a dozen of which have perhaps shown gold and silver in paying quantities. I believe yet in the richness of our vast deposits of ore, and hope for some method whereby the same can be profitably worked ; but as yet none has been discovered. At this time Hiskey of Dall's mill at Franktown is engaged in working four and one half tons of ore from the Snow Storm ledge and the returns thereof I will make public. I desire that only the truth be told relative to the district, as untruth will only militate against the best interests of the country in which I am as deeply interested as any one." The " Trespass' ' says it takes no hand in the fight, hoping that the wealth of the country may be as great as Isenbeck says it is and Bass hopes it is. The following is from "The Sacramento Union " under the heading of "The Black Rock Failure.' ' "In regard to the recent failure of a test of this rock in which fifteen tons of Snow Storm ore was worked without any silver, as mentioned in the Union lately, 'The Sage Brush' says 'Frank Johnson informs the 'Brush' that no importance need [433] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA be attached to the failure as no effort was made to acquire any extensive result. Here is more mystery. Talk about mystery in Heaven; we think Black Rock will eclipse any mystery yet developed or undeveloped. On the heels of this comes a letter from the Freyberg Institute, Germany, pronouncing the ore one one-hundredth part pure silver, equal to $320 per ton.' " Ross Lewers says that a man named John Maurer, who had once worked for him, went to Germany in 1866 or 1867. Lewers sent thirty-two samples of Black Rock ore with him, and he had them assayed at Freyberg. The report of the assay was in German, and Rough Elliott, to whom it was given, neglected to have it translated before it was accidentally burned. Maurer said that only one sample assayed anything of value, and that was only good for paint. The Evans Quartz Mill — Continued The miners turned out and dug greasewood roots to run the reverberatory furnace and for fuel for the engine, and they worked the ore by the "Bartola" process, the same that had been used at Dall's mill. They made a run of thirty days and when they cleaned up they never got a color. The Evans Brothers then took in Lawrence Bass and Chancellor Derby as partners, and some time after the middle of February, 1867, they made another run of about the same length as the first one and with the same result. When it was said that the ore could not be worked at Black Rock on account of the water there, Mr. Evans took five gallons of it to Virginia City and had it analyzed. They told him there was nothing in the water that would prevent the successful working of the ore at that place. Isenbeck said he could work the ore and make it pay, so they hired him as Mr. Bass told; and he made a failure of it after having had the mill fixed up to work the ore by his own process. Alvaro Evans says they had about half a barrel of whiskey at the camp, and the whole crowd got drunk and abandoned the place for all time to come. About the first of December the Atchinson & Company mill was ready to run, and undiscouraged by the failure of Evans and Bass they commenced working the ore from their mine. December 14, 1867, "The Eastern Slope' ' published an article written by J. B. Hiskey. In this article he states that [434] THE YEAR 1367 an editorial in the ' ' Mining and Scientific Press ' ' says that while nearly all assayers of established reputation have pronounced the so-called ores from the Black Eock district to be utterly worthless and no ores at all, ever since the discovery of the mines a class of men with little or no experience have been persistent in their declarations that the ores were of extraordi- nary richness. These men have even exhibited to hopeful share- holders bars and buttons which they claim have been taken from the ores by assaying and working processes. Hiskey says the last sentence must be intended for him, for outside of Isenbeck he is the only person who has ever exhibited bars of precious metals and claimed to have taken them from the Black Rock ores. The " Press" further says that after two years of effort they have finally obtained possession of a sack of Black Rock ores which a brief examination justifies them in saying are utterly worthless. The card of Mr. Ross advertising Isenbeck 's failure closes the article in the " Press.' ' Mr. Hiskey says he would like to ask the editors of the "Press" if they have any proof that Black Rock is not a rich mineral region. He thinks that condemnation without investigation should stop. The "Press" is not alone in its error. Almost every tenpenny assayer condemns Black Rock because an ordinary fire assay fails to produce results. He makes no claim to extraordinary ability, but he asserts and stands ready to prove that he has worked many tons of Black Rock ore, and generally with good results. If either of the editors of the "Press" will visit him, he will undertake to show him to his complete satisfaction how bars and buttons of precious metals can be taken from the Black Rock ores. It is true that a little mill has been built at Black Rock and that it has made two or three runs which were failures. It is equally true that old men, little boys, and Chinamen in that region never fail to get their button out of ores in small quantities. He thinks the cause of failure is that the milling has been conducted on too scientific principles, and intimates that every mill in the state run by a purely scientific expert has failed. In conclusion he says he has no ax to grind and no Black Rock "feet" to sell, but that he can not help thinking that bars and buttons will be taken from Black Rock in paying quantities after the "Scientific Press" is forgotten. [435] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA January 25, 1868, "The Eastern Slope' ' quotes the following from The New York "American Journal of Mining.' ' "During the excitement numerous samples of ore were sent to Messrs. Adelberg & Raymond with the whimsical request that they should assay the rock according to the method practiced in Freyberg. As they practice all methods at Freyberg, this request was mysterious at the time; but the cause of it now appears to have been the pretension of Isenbeck to be a Freyberg metallurgist. The assaying of the wax gave no silver and the material was pronounced to be mere bituminous clay. We presume that the matter will soon die out and be forgotten, but there seems to be still rumors of great results obtained in Washoe from Black Rock ores. Some of the ore was sent to Prof. A. E. Verrill of Yale College. He said it contained a little silver, but not nearly so much as it was said to carry. He also said it was a sort of clay containing some chloride of silver, salt, bitumen, etc." "The Eastern Slope" of February 1, 1868, says "Mr. Atch- inson of the firm of Atchinson & Company in Black Rock has thus far failed to secure any favorable result. We learn that he proposes to make one more attempt after which in case of failure, he will remove his mill to the Winnemucca district, Humboldt county. Cheatam, who gained his experience in Black Rock ores at Dall's mill, is now at the Atchinson mill waiting for chemicals with which to make his final attempt on the untractable ores of Black Rock. We have not, and never had, any faith in working Black Rock ores at Black Rock; and secondly, our faith in Black Rock is no more affected by past failures than by past abuse engendered by spite and jealousy." The paper then says that Black Rock may prove a failure, but they well remember the time when all the knowing ones scoffed at as wildcat all claims on the Comstock. These claims now occupy a respectable place in the opinions of practical miners, and they anticipate that it will be so with Black Rock. Without any doubt the Atchinson mill was moved, for there is nothing on record to show that they obtained any good results from that run. At least three quartz mills were erected and run in the Black Rock district, and not one of them ever got anything out of the ore. Alvaro Evans says their company lost [436] THE YEAE 1867 $17000 there. In 1870, or perhaps a year or two later, the machinery of the Evans mill was hauled to Hayden Hill in this county. The glory of Hardin City had departed and so had the hopes of those who saw " millions in it. ' ' This * ' city, ' ' named in honor of J. A. Hardin, stood at the western edge of the Black Rock range thirteen or fourteen miles from its southern extremity. "In Miners ' Mirage-Land, ' ' published in 1904, has this to say of it: "Its buildings are quite dismantled and destroyed. The winds of the Desert — the rains of the years have nibbled and gnawed at the adobes until only the faintest traces that they once were, remain. Of the mill itself, part of the whitish-gray stone of its walls, and most of the tall chimney, stand out in sharp relief, discernible miles away against the darker back- ground of Hardin Mountain." Probably the Black Rock mines were abandoned by every- body before the middle of the year 1868. Three men of the old crowd, however, went back. A. B. Jenison prospected in that section until 1884. Leroy Arnold prospected in the Black Rock country and northeast of it from 1876 until 1900, a short time before his death. Neither of these two men discovered anything of value. Ladue Vary went back there in the early 70 's and in 1884, "Walter J. Dakin says, or about that time, discovered a ledge containing gold and silver about thirty-one miles north of west of the Queen's River crossing. For this mine he was offered $30,000. One would naturally suppose that after all these years of toil and privation in the desert he would gladly have sold for that sum and spent the rest of his life in comfort. But no. After all this hard work he was going to have some- thing for what he had found, and would take nothing less than $100,000 for his mine. No one would give that for it, and he lived there in the same old way for more than twenty years longer. His place was called Varyville, and there he raised a little hay and a garden. He leased his mine on such favorable terms that although considerable bullion was taken from it, he got nothing to speak of himself. In 1906 he became so feeble that he was taken to the county hospital at Winnemucca, Nevada. [437] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY/ CALIFORNIA After he had been there about a year* he died jbf the smallpox. He was ninety-six years old, and had lived and prospected in that section the most of the time for almost fifty years. Daniel B. Boyd, who was the County Treasurer of Washoe county, Nevada, for a great many years, said that in 1872 he was working in a store at Franktown, Nevada. He had come there from Downieville, in the neighborhood of which he had mined for something like twenty years. One day an overland teamster (one who hauled freight from the Sacramento valley over into Nevada) brought a ten-mule load of Black Rock ore to Dall's mill to be worked. He thinks that James H. Kinkead was interested in having the ore brought there. In a conversa- tion with Mr. Boyd the teamster said the ore looked as though it might have something in it, and Boyd took some of the fine ore that was left in the wagon bed, panned it out, and got a color or two. He then asked the teamster if he had hauled any other rock or mineral before he loaded with the Black Eock ore and the reply was that he had not. Mr. Boyd swept all the fine rock he could get out of the wagon box and panned it out very carefully. He got some gold and a lot of fine bits of metal. He pulverized these in a mortar and then panned it out and got about $2.50 in fine gold. The following was told by William H. Jenison, son of A. B. Jenison. "Billy" Jenison was almost raised in the Black Rock country and knew it well. He also knew what kind of ore Hardin found there. Along the last of April, 1909, when the mining excitement was running high in Nevada and a great deal of prospecting was being done in that state, he concluded to take a look at the Black Rock country once more. When he arrived at the place where Hardin City once stood he found that some other prospectors had already been there that spring. He did not know who they were and never found out, but appearances indicated that they had gone away about a month before his arrival. When they got ready to leave they threw their specimens down on the ground in a pile. There was quite a lot of the rock they had picked up, and in the pile he found a piece of ore that was exactly the same kind as that carried away by Hardin in 1849. It was the first piece of it, excepting the one Hardin had, that any one had seen since that time. Of course he could not tell whether it was a piece of float, or [438] THE YEAE 1867 whether they had found the ledge and didn't know what it was. It may have been a piece of the ore that was left where Hardin 's train camped. It is probable that long before this the reader has begun to wonder how so much bullion came out of rock that had nothing in it; and how some assayers got big buttons, and "old men, little boys, and Chinamen, never failed to get their button out of the ores in small quantities." It is easy to answer the first question. At that time Dall's mill and the other mills in that neighborhood were crushing rich ore from the Comstock mines. Their batteries and pans were not very thoroughly cleaned and the Black Eock ore picked up the gold and silver left in them. (Alvaro Evans said that the alkali dust on the Black Rock ore cut the gold and silver loose from the old irons in the ' ' Bartola ' ' process.) That accounts for the fact that sometimes half a ton of Black Rock ore would yield a goodly amount of silver and after that three or four tons of the same load would yield little or nothing. The first batch of ore worked cleaned the batteries and pans of what silver there was from the Comstock ore, or the greater part of it, and not much was left to make the next lot pay. Men who were at Black Rock during the time of the greatest excitement there think that Isenbeck made all the ore that he assayed pay well because he had a good job and wanted to "hold it down." Perhaps the "old men, little boys, and Chinamen" obtained their buttons the way Mr. Boyd got that gold. There is something mysterious in the part Mr. Hiskey took. He seems to have been perfectly honest in what he said and did, and it looks as though he greatly deceived himself in this matter. The writer has talked with many men who prospected at Black Rock and has read everything he could find on the subject. He is of the opinion that Mr. Hardin found the large quantity of that silver ore just as he said he did. He was not hunting for gold or silver and didn't expect to find any, and was not excited about it. He simply thought he had found something that would make bullets. Cloud-bursts are of frequent occur- rence in the Black Rock region during hot weather. Men who knew that section well in the 60 's and who went back there twenty-five years afterwards, say it then looked like a strange country because cloud-bursts had cut out new canyons and [439] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA filled up the old ones. Probably a year or two before Hardin found that ore a cloud-burst had torn open the side of the hill and exposed it to view. Before he came back in 1858 another cloud-burst covered it up. This view was taken by M. S. Thomp- son, Leroy Arnold, and other men who prospected in that dis- trict. The next cloud-burst that comes along may uncover it again, and, on the other hand, it may lie buried there forever. [440 CHAPTER XIV 1868. SETTLEMENT Susanville. F. and S. have the following: "Silver Star Lodge No. 135, I. 0. 0. F. — This lodge was instituted June 19, 1868, by Charles N. Fox, G. M., with Z. N. Spalding, William Brockman, I. J. Harvey, J. Jensen, Jacob W. Smith, Samuel Peyser, and David Knoeh as charter members.' ' Long Valley. James Chamberlain and John L. Martin bought the Willow Kanch from George Robinson in November. Horse Lake Valley. Benjamin E. Shumway was in the valley this year, but made no improvements. James R. Withing- ton and his foreman, Charles Moore, were in there with cattle, but they put up no buildings. Perhaps a man named Coon was in there with horses. John B. McKissick says that some time during this year Daniel McDonald located what is now the Van Loan ranch on Madeline Plains, two and one half miles northwest of McDon- ald's Peak, and Theodore Winters located the Williams ranch four miles west of where Madeline Station now is. It is not known whether they put up any buildings or not. J. 0. Hemler says that Jacob McKissick and J. D. Byers took their cattle onto Madeline Plains and made their headquarters at what was after- wards the McKissick ranch at the southeast corner of the Plains, but did no building. This summer William J. Seagraves went through Dixie valley with a prospecting party. There were no settlers in the valley at that time and probably it was not named. The sight of a band of wild-looking Indians caused them to move out of that neighborhood instead of staying there to prospect as they intended to do. James Coen says that two men, father and son, named Graves were in the valley of the same name this year. The Settlement op Big Valley Lassen went through this valley with his emigrant train in 1848, but it is probable that it had been visited by hunters and trappers before that time. In 1849, and perhaps for several years after that, it was called Round valley. The settlement of this valley was somewhat later than that of Surprise valley, [441] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA which was much further from the other settlements, and Fall Eiver valley not far away was settled eight or ten years before Big valley was. This may be accounted for by the fact that Port Bidwell in Surprise and Fort Crook in Fall Eiver valley afforded protection to the settlers in the valleys where they were located. The location of Big valley and the size and shape of the part that lies in this county can be seen on the map. In Modoc county it extends from one to four or five miles north of the county line, the mountains on the north side of the valley running to the northwest. At its northwestern corner there is an arm of the valley called "Gouger Neck" that runs up the river for eight or nine miles. Several miles before Ash creek reaches the river it begins to spread out and finally makes a large swamp. This swampy country extends down along the river until it leaves the valley. The mountains on the southern and western sides of the valley are higher and more heavily timbered than those to the north and east. Although the valley is drained by a tributary of the Sacramento river it is a sage brush country and in other ways is like the valleys of the Great Basin. Some of the soil is adobe and some of it is sandy. Its agricultural products are the same as those of Honey Lake, but its slightly higher altitude makes its winters a little colder. Indian Troubles in Big Valley The writer has been unable to learn of any Indian fights that took place after the settlement of the valley had begun. J. A. Carmichael, who lives in the northwestern part of the valley on the county line, says that his Father located there with his family in 1870. At that time there were a good many things to show that the people of an emigrant train had been massacred close by, but it occurred long before they came and the few families then in the valley could tell nothing about it. There was then, and still is, a rock corral on the Bull Run slough about half a mile south of the county line, and in 1870 there were broken wagons, pieces of harness, and broken crockery scattered around the ground. Mr. Carmichael also says that there were some peo- ple killed by the Indians on Pit river about twelve miles south of the Modoc county line. A man and his Wife and their two boys, accompanied by a German, who were going to Marysville, were attacked by the Indians and only the boys escaped. Everything [442] THE YEAE 1868 they had was destroyed and their stock run off. He does not know the exact date, but it took place before he came there. Mrs. Mary E. Harris says that in 1867 some men who were going through there had a fight with the Indians on Juniper creek not far from the present site of Bieber, and that a man named Cox was wounded in the fight. Joseph Wilson, who settled in Big valley in 1871, tells the fol- lowing: In 1864 Milton Riggs and twelve or fourteen other men went from Fall River valley into Big valley. They reached the valley early in the afternoon and camped on the west side of the river just where it runs into the mountain. Before night quite a large party of Indians appeared upon the scene. They were a savage-looking crowd, some of them being entirely naked. Indian- like they first asked for something to eat and when food had been given them the spokesman of the party, a big, fierce-looking fel- low, wanted to know what the white men were there for. They told him they had just come to look at the country, and in a short time the Indians went away. The next morning Riggs and seven or eight of the crowd took a few pack horses with them and started up the river to find a ford. After going about four miles they found a place where they could cross, but evidently the Indians knew what they were looking for and thirty or forty were there to meet them. They told Riggs and his crowd that they didn't want any white men in the country and ordered them to leave as quickly as they could. The white men didn't stay to argue the case with them, but went back to their camp and started for Fall River valley as soon as they could pack up. Mr. Wilson was in Fall River valley at the time. In 1868 Alexander Parker went from Scott's valley into Big valley, but was afraid to stay there. Mrs. Harris and Mr. Wilson both say that in the fall of 1868 Patrick Gordon and A. B. Turnbull and their families settled about three miles south- west of where Lookout now stands, a little north of the line between Lassen and Modoc counties. Turnbull 's father, Thomas Turnbull, Sr., and Gordon's son John were with them. They were the first real settlers in Big valley. Those whose names are given in the following lists settled in the county in 1868. The length of residence does not apply to [443] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives : *William Davis, *John Parks and Family, Henry Kirby and Family, John Smith. The following lived here twenty years or more: Edward Kingsbury, David Houk and Family, Louis Thibault. The following lived here from two or three to ten or twelve years: Charles Moore and Family, James R. Withington, John L. Martin, James Chamberlain and Wife, Levi Chatfield and Family. Lassen County Politics In April the Board of Supervisors ordered that the Janes- ville and the Stark School Districts be consolidated and called the Janesville District. E. P. Soule was appointed Justice of the Peace for Susanville. In May the Board ordered A. W. Din- widdie to take the proper steps for keeping a toll bridge over Long valley creek in Lassen county. In July the Board declared the office of District Attorney vacant, the person elected having failed to file the bond and take the oath of office as required by law. It was ordered that W. R. Harrison be appointed District Attorney of Lassen county for the balance of the unexpired term of I. N. Roop. November third J. D. Byers was elected Supervisor for the Second District. Indian Troubles. 1868 John L. Crow's Horses Stolen by the Indians Told by Dr. Samuel H. Crow In the spring of 1868 J. L. Crow of Clover valley was feeding some horses in the Tules in Honey Lake valley. They were fed hay at the ranch of William S. Hamilton and were allowed to run at the Upper Hot spring, perhaps a mile and a half north- east of the ranch. They were in charge of a man named Zeke Nelson. One night not far from the 27th of March the Indians stole twenty head of them, perhaps the whole band. About the same time they also stole some horses from the nighborhood of Mud springs. Nelson went to Clover valley and told Mr. Crow who, as soon as he could conveniently do so, raised a crowd of twenty men in Sierra valley and started in pursuit of the thieves. In Long valley they were joined by Elijah Miller, Frank Din- [444] THE YEAR 1868 widdie, an Indian called ' ' Crapo Joe, ' ' and perhaps some others. The Indian came back in a few days. The first night out they camped at High Rock, twelve miles east of the Lower Hot springs. That was the night after the Pearson Family and Cooper were killed, and if they had known about it, in all probability the next day they would have caught up with the Indians who did the killing. They followed the trail of the Indians into Secret valley and Mrs. L. W. Sharp says that here they found a party from the Tules — Hiram Winchel, "Big" Joe Smith, and several others, part or all of whom went with them. John B. McKissick says that Sylvester Summers, Henry Warden, and himself went with the Crow party from Secret valley. They followed the trail across Madeline Plains and on north and crossed the lower end of Surprise valley. Mr. Crow went from there to Ft. Bidwell and got some soldiers to go with them. They followed the Indians to Steens Mts. and at night, just as they were going to camp, the army scouts came in and reported that they had found the Indians. They all packed up as soon as they could and went after them. When the Indians saw them coming they shot the horses full of poisoned arrows and then ran into the brush. The whites followed them and after going a short distance found some sticks piled up in a peculiar way. When the officer in com- mand of the soldiers saw these he said that the Indians intended to fight and made them all dismount. While this was going on the Indians got so far away that they never got a shot at them, excepting that an Indian named Ralph, who lived with Mr. Crow, shot at a squaw and missed her. She allowed him to get close enough for that because she thought he was one of her own party. The most of the horses died shortly after being shot. They started for home with five or six of them, but one died before they got there. Mrs. Sharp says that Winchel brought home some horses that had been shot with poisoned arrows, but they did not live very long. The Massacre of the Pearson Family and S. C. Cooper The story of this massacre was told to the writer by Mrs. Lurana W. Sharp, the widow of James P. Sharp, who had pre- viously talked the matter over with Mrs. Louisa Fry, the widow of George W. Fry, and Mrs. James Slater, who at the time of this occurrence was the wife of William S. Hamilton, These [445] HISTORY OP LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA three women lived on the ranches nearest to the scene of the mur- der and took part in the events that followed it, all of the cir- cumstances connected with it were strongly impressed upon their minds, and without any doubt they know more about it at this time than everybody else alive. In the fall of 1867 Thomas Pearson and his partner, John Sutherland, both Englishmen, moved from their home in Red Rock valley, six miles east of the lower end of Long valley, to the east side of Honey lake near the Lower Hot springs. Pearson had a wife and a daughter named Hattie, a girl about eighteen years old. Sutherland was a single man. Their house was half a mile southwest of where Amedee now stands and not far from the lake. They made this move because very little snow fell dur- ing the winter in the neighborhood of these springs, and there was better feed for their dairy cows. At that time James P. Sharp lived to the southwest of the Upper Hot spring on the south side of the most eastern slough in the Tules, and they hired him to go down and cut some hay for them. By the middle of April they were getting extremely anxious to go back to their home. Some time during the winter two Indians had been killed between the Lower and the Upper Hot springs. It was supposed that the killing had been done by two white men who were hunting in that vicinity at the time, for one Indian was killed with a rifle and the other with a shotgun and the two hunters were armed with those weapons. Mrs. Pearson was afraid that the Indians would think her husband and his partner killed them because it happened so near to their place ; and she told the neighbors that she was careful to be kind to all the Indians who came there, and even allowed the squaws to sleep on the kitchen floor. The stealing of Mr. Crow's horses about the last of March made' them still more uneasy. To add to their troubles the lake was rising rapidly and it looked as though the water would be in the house in a day or two. On the 16th of April Pearson went up to get Sharp to help move him, but the latter had gone to Susanville that morning. Pearson said he was in a hurry to move because the lake was coming up so fast, and Mrs. Sharp told him he had better go over to the Hamilton ranch about three fourths of a mile to the west and see what he could do there. She thought he might be able to get Hamilton 's hired man and a team to help him. He went over [446] THE YEAE 1868 to the other ranch and succeeded in getting the hired man, Cooper, and a team for a few days, and they went down to the Pearson place as soon as they could get ready. That night Mrs. Sharp stayed at the Hamilton place and the next morning he went home with her and helped milk the cows. While he was there they saw a light at the Upper Hot spring and he took a spyglass and went up stairs to see who was there. After looking for a while he came to the conclusion that some Indians were there around a fire. Mrs. Sharp told him not to say anything to his wife about it, for she was afraid of the Indians and it would make her worry. Mrs. Sharp says that she herself had never been afraid of the Indians, but that day she was alone and was uneasy and wandered around outside the house all day until some one came. As soon as Pearson reached home with Cooper and the team they began to load the wagon and the family made preparations to move the next day which was Friday, the 17th of April. Their hay was all gone and the cows were restless, so the next morning Sutherland and another man, whom J. 0. Hemler says was Henry Berryman, arose early and started off with them. The day before they had all been out hunting rabbits and had returned to the house with no loads in their guns, and left them in that con- dition. Sutherland afterwards told that when he got some dis- tance from the house he had a presentiment that he ought to go back and load the guns, but he failed to heed it and went on with the cows. After breakfast they finished loading up their goods and started. Not far from the house was a piece of low land which the rising lake had covered with water. The ground had become soft, and here Hamilton's two-horse team, driven by his hired man, Samuel Cooper, got stuck in the mud and they were a long time in getting out of it. Pearson and his partner had a band of sheep running between the lake and the mountain which they were leaving there for the time being in the care of a young man twenty or twenty-one years old named John Wol- lenburg. Just as they got out onto the firm ground he ran down and asked Mrs. Pearson what time it was. She looked at the clock and told him it was twenty minutes past twelve and he went back to the sheep. The party then went on, Cooper in the lead, followed by Pearson with a spring wagon and behind him his Wife and Daughter in another spring wagon. They took the T 447 1 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA road down the lake to the southeast and before going very far they came to Wollenburg 's tent. Just as they drove past it Wollenburg heard the report of some guns and he looked back and saw some Indians run out of the tent and heard the women scream. He saw Cooper jump or fall off his wagon on the side opposite the tent, and saw Pearson jump off his wagon and run back to his "Wife and Daughter. He didn't wait to see anything more. He had no weapons, for those his employers had given him were left in the tent and the Indians were using them, so he ran away as fast as he could. He ran down to the lake in order to get behind some high sand bluffs that were close to the shore. The Indians chased him for a ways, but he had the start and naturally did some good running, and they soon gave up the pursuit. He ran into the lake and when his boots got full of water he threw them away. When he left the water he had to travel over ground covered with thorny brush that tore his feet and legs cruelly, and when he reached the end of his journey they were in a terrible condition. Owing to his lack of boots he made slow progress and it was four o'clock, or later, before he arrived at the Sharp ranch. Mr. Sharp got home that day about two o 'clock and later on went over to the Hamilton place. Mrs. Sharp was out of doors and saw the young man coming. She saw he was barefooted and knew at once that something was the matter. He came up to the edge of the deep slough that was between him and the house and she asked him what the trouble was. He told her that the Indians had attacked the Pearsons and what he had seen, but of course could not tell the result of it. He then went up the slough toward the crossing and Mrs. Sharp started for the Hamilton ranch. On the way she met her husband coming on horseback and he turned and went back to Mr. Hamilton's. Mrs. Hamilton went about three fourths of a mile west to the Chandler and Fry place and they sent to the lower place on the lake to the south for Chandler. After going to the Hamilton place Sharp immediately rode over to the Shaffer Station and gave the alarm there. George Pry, Dewitt Chandler, Uriah and James Shaffer, Eli Newton, "Big" Joe Smith, and some other men of the neighborhood, gathered at the Sharp ranch and hastily made ready to go to the scene of the tragedy. It was late when they started and darkness had come on before they got there. Wollenburg, who was too tired to go along and who went [448] THE YEAE 1868 to the Hamilton ranch with Mrs. Sharp and stayed there that night, said that the Indians had fired from the tent. Sharp knew where the tent was and they went there first. They found that Cooper's team had run away during the fight, but they did not go far before one of the wheels went down into the mud and stopped them. While they were hunting around in the tent in the darkness Chandler struck his foot against something. One of the party struck a match and they saw it was Cooper's head. They thought that possibly some of the Pearsons had got back to the house and saved themselves, so they went down to the edge of the water and called to them, but got no reply. They did not dare to go across to the house for fear that the Indians were there wait- ing for them, so they came back to the Sharp ranch and all but Fry, who went home, stayed there that night. The next morning the same men and Hiram Winchel went back to the Lower Hot springs and some one, Mrs. Sharp thinks it was Mr. Fry, took a team along to bring back Mr. Hamilton's wagon, for the Indians had taken away all six of the horses. Before they got to the tent they saw the bodies of Cooper and the Pearsons lying naked on the ground. Mrs. Slater says they found Cooper's body the night before. His body was the farthest away. It looked as though he had drawn his pistol and wounded an Indian before they succeeded in killing him. Appearances indicated that the Indians had carried the wounded one away, for there were little pools of blood showing where they had stopped to rest. When Cooper left home Hamilton told him that he had better take a rifle with him ; but he thought it was not necessary, and said he would take his revolver for he " might see a darned Indian." His head was cut off, his heart cut out, and he was otherwise mutilated. Evidently as Pearson ran toward the women the Indians shot some arrows, perhaps half a dozen, into his back. He was between the Indians and the women, who had jumped out of their wagon and were running back up the valley. It seemed as though he was trying to protect his family as long as he lived, and they must have killed him before they did the women. Mrs. Sharp remembers of no other wounds on his body excepting those made by the arrows. The women lay close together. The Mother was shot in front at close range with a shotgun, and the charge struck her in the region of the heart. Her body was not very badly [449] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA torn in front, but where the shot went out her back was just riddled. She must have fought for her life the best she could, for her finger nails were bloody as if she had clawed with them. Her hair was pulled down and a good deal of it was torn out by the roots, and her gold earrings had been cut out. The girl lay farther away from the wagon than any of the rest of the family. She had a gunshot wound, a bullet, under one eye, and had been struck on the forehead with some blunt weapon, perhaps the head of an ax. She was not mutilated at all — they did not even cut out her earrings. It looked as though the Indians had gone away in great haste and perhaps that is the reason why she was left in that way. Some sheets had been brought along that morning, and the bodies of the dead were rolled in these, put into the wagon, and the party returned to the Sharp ranch, arriving there a little after noon. Mrs. Hamilton had come home with Mrs. Sharp and the two women got dinner for the men. The dead were in no condition to be taken into a house where people were living and they were left in the wagon until after dinner and then were taken over to the Shaffer ranch. The two women went along and washed and laid out Mrs. Pearson and her Daughter, and some of the men did the same for the dead men. Mrs. Sharp could not tell who it was, but George Fry helped through it all. Mrs. Slater says she took clothes enough along with her to dress all four of the bodies. Early that morning Mr. Hamilton started for Susanville with a spring wagon and brought back three coffins for the Pearsons. Hiram Winchel had some lumber and he planed it and made a coffin for Cooper. On the 19th they were all taken to Susanville and buried at once. The Pearsons had two daughters older than the one killed who had married two brothers by the name of Jackson. At this time these men were in the hardware business in Sacramento. Mrs. Hamilton had learned this from Mrs. Pearson, and she wrote to them and told them the fate of their relatives. The two women came here at once and took the bodies to Sacramento, and it is supposed that they were buried there. Mr. Cooper still lies in the cemetery at Susanville. These were the last white folks killed by the Indians in Honey Lake valley. On the 20th, or the day before, Winchel, "Big" Joe Smith, and several others, went down to where the murder took place [450] THE YEAE 1868 and made a careful examination of the ground. Judging by the tracks of the Indians they came to the conclusion that there were nine of them. Of course no one knows why the Indians committed this mur- der, but several reasons were given. One was that it was done in revenge for the killing of the two Indians near there the pre- vious winter. Another was that Cooper was a hard man with the Indians, that he abused and mistreated them, and that he was killed because of this. When he was killed he was wearing some kind of a garment he had taken from the Indians a year or two before that in a fight with them out toward the Humboldt river. After the Indians had killed him they killed the others just for the pleasure of it, or because they could not resist the temptation of killing whites when they had a good chance to do it. "The Eastern Slope" of April 25th says the deed was done in revenge for the killing of the Pit river Indians in Dry valley the previous year by Winnemucca and his braves and the Long val- ley men, that shortly afterwards thirty head of horses were stolen from Winnemucca valley, and that the bodies of four murdered Piutes were found in the same vicinity. Francis C. Dickinson (Tule Frank) says that on the night of the 19th of April the Evans Brothers, the two Graham Brothers, Blum & Barrows (two Spaniards), and himself lost a hundred head of horses from Winnemucca valley, the head of Dry valley, and that vicin- ity. They recovered only a few of them. The Graham Brothers and the Spaniards followed the Indians out to the north of Fish springs, but they found too many Indian tracks and came back. The Pursuit of the Indians Who Killed the Pearson Family and Samuel Cooper — The Susanville Party The following account was written from what was told by Charles Lawson and Thomas Brown. Lawson's narrative has been followed because he gave a much more complete account of the expedition than Brown did. Where the two men differ both stories are told. The news of the "Pearson Massacre" was brought to Susan- ville by some one on Friday night. A company of fourteen or fifteen men was raised at once and during the night they made hasty preparations for their expedition. Early on Saturday [4511 HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA morning, the 18th, they left Susanville under the leadership of Albert A. Smith. (Brown thinks it was Sunday.) Smith was County Clerk and Captain of the Honey Lake Rangers. Some of the men in the company were Thomas Brown, Horace Wright, Elisha Vaden, John McDaniel, Henry Wright, William Corse, Cyrus Lawson, Joseph Meyers, and Charles Lawson. They went down the north side of the river and camped that night at the Shaffer ranch. There they were joined by one man from the Tules. Because he carried two guns they called him "Crossfire" and no other name is known for him. The other men joked him about his weapons, but he was a brave man and did his part well. Brown says that one of the Fairchilds Brothers from Mil- ford joined them here, too. Some of the men wanted to go on out to Mud Flat that afternoon, but Smith would not go. He said they would stay there and start out fresh in the morning. It was supposed that the Indians they were in pursuit of were Pit Rivers and that they would leave the valley by passing around the eastern side of the Hot Springs mountain. It was thought that whether the Indians went north or kept out on the desert time would be gained by taking the emigrant road which ran north of the mountain, and besides that, it would be better trav- eling along the road. Before they got to Mud springs they struck the trail of the Indians going north and after following it a short distance found where they had camped the previous night. The coals and ashes of their fire were still warm, and if the white men had gone on the day before, they would have caught them at this place and the murderers might have received their just deserts. From this place they followed the trail to the north, and somewhere near noon as they were going up the hill on the north side of Secret valley, they stopped for a while. Charles Lawson wanted to fix the sight on his gun and he and his brother went up on the top of a little ridge close by. In a few minutes they saw an Indian mounted on a gray horse, one of Hamilton 's, and another one on foot coming toward them. They slipped down the hill and told the others and Smith ran to the top of the ridge and leveled a spyglass at them. Just then they saw him and ran up the canyon at the right of the ridge. The whites pursued them, but kept on up the ridge and followed the tracks of the four horses they had been trailing. Before going very far they reached some junipers, and there they almost ran f 452 1 THE YEAE 1868 into the main band of the Indians who scattered and ran away as soon as they saw them. Instead of telling his men to charge Smith told them to get behind the bushes so the Indians could not see them. They obeyed his command and stayed there until the Indians got out of reach, and thus another opportunity to "take in' , the redskins was lost. The men cursed and growled while they were held there, and one man offered to charge the Indians if five men would go with him. Before leaving home the men had agreed to obey Smith's orders and probably this kept them from making the charge. The men growled about this all night and the next day. "When the Indians ran they shot a lot of arrows into two of the horses they had with them and left them there. Their packs had been taken off and cached under some rocks not far away. When the arrows were pulled out of the horses they fell down and died almost immediately. The Indians took the other two horses about a quarter of a mile to the east of the trail and left them there tied to some junipers with their packs on. Charles Lawson wanted to leave them there and see if the Indians would not come back after them, but the others wanted to see what was in the packs and the horses were taken along with them. Their packs and those of the two horses killed contained the things taken from the Pearsons. The Honey Lakers went on up the hill to a place called "Rye Patch," and as it was then getting late, they concluded to camp there for the night. A few minutes after they stopped they heard the lowing of some cattle that were coming up the hill toward them. Meyers and another man went down to see if there were any Indians with them, but found none. They now unsaddled, and as Charles Lawson stood holding his horse he saw through the dusk the Indian on the gray horse riding past about a hundred and twenty-five yards away. He raised his gun and took aim at him, but just as he pulled the trigger Smith struck up his gun and the bullet went into the air. (Brown says they camped in Secret valley that night, and that during the night a party of Indians was heard passing, but it was too dark to attack them. They supposed it was a part of the Indians they were pursuing who had been delayed by the bulk of their plunder. The next morn- ing they found a heavily loaded pack animal that had been abandoned because it was exhausted.) The next morning they started for Madeline Plains six miles distant. When they reached [453] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA the top of the hill overlooking the Plains they could see seven or eight miles ahead of them, but there were no Indians in sight and the Plains were covered with water. It had been a wet, snowy winter and there was a great deal more mud and water than usual in the country at that time. The most of the men were dissatisfied and discouraged because they considered that they had been compelled to lose two good chances of getting the Indians. They thought from the looks of the country ahead that there was little chance of overtaking the Indians again, and if they did it would do them no good. After talking the matter over for a while they determined to turn back and go home. Brown thinks they camped there that night and Lawson is equally certain that they went back to Secret valley to an old stone cabin. Whichever way it was is immaterial, but that night the Long valley party under Newt. Evans, then consisting of twenty men, caught up with them. Evans wanted the Susanville crowd to go on after the Indians with him. Charles Lawson was angry and disgusted because they had turned back and was going home anyhow. After considerable talking had been done Lawson said to Evans, ' ' If you will go ahead with me and let me do the trailing, and the others will follow as far as I go, I will join your party.' ' Evans agreed to this, and Charles Lawson, Brown, Meyers, William H. Crane (whose name was omitted in the list of those who went from Susanville), Horace Wright, McDaniel, "Crossfire," and perhaps another one of the Susanville men, joined the Long valley men. Newt, and "Pete" Evans, the Piute, and enough of the other Long valley men to make up a party of sixteen, prepared to follow the Indians. All the rest of both parties went back taking with them the two horses they had recovered and the goods plundered from the Pearsons. "Uncle Jake" McKissick was among those who went back. The names of the others who went on or turned back could not be ascertained. Tuesday morning the pursuing party took a straight course to the place on Madeline Plains where Smith's company had turned back. Two or three miles from the edge of the Plains they struck water from a few inches to three feet deep, but it was clear and they could see the tracks on the bottom. After wading about a mile they came to a mound standing up out of the water. (This mound is now called "Red Rock Butte.") Here the Indians had camped the night their pursuers stayed at Rye [454] THE YEAR 1868 Patch, and here they killed the gray horse, the only one they had left. They took six horses at the time of the massacre. The white men could now account for five of them, but never knew what became of the sixth one. It may have been killed the night after the Indians left Honey Lake valley. The night the Indians stayed at the mound they ate the horse's head and feet, and cut the rest of the flesh from the bones and took it along with them. After a short stay at this place the whites followed on north about five miles to Sage Hen springs — now called by that name — going through deep water, snow, and mud, a difficult and almost impossible journey. At this place the Indians had built some little scaffolds out of sticks and barbecued the horse meat. From here they went over the hill about three miles to Maiden valley which lies southwest of Cold springs. Every little ways they came to patches of snow forty or fifty feet wide and six feet deep which in the afternoon was soft from the heat of the sun. The Indians had no trouble in crossing this snow because they were on foot, and probably crossed it in the morning when it was hard ; but the horses could not get through these drifts and the white men had to make a long detour whenever they came to one. Even then it was hard work to get along and both men and horses were pretty well exhausted when they reached Maiden valley. The snow, however, was soft enough to show the tracks of the Indians and these they counted several times. There were sixteen of them, one of whom was lame, probably the one shot by Cooper. From this it would seem that all of the band did not take part in the massacre. At Maiden valley they found good grass and there they stopped. Ahead of them to the north they could see a high mountain ten or twelve miles away (Warm Spring mountain), and Newt. Evans thought they had better get some supper and then five or six of them strike out on foot and go to the top of the mountain, leaving the rest of the men to look out for the horses and guard them. Accordingly after they had eaten Newt. Evans, McDaniel, Lawson, "Crossfire," the Piute, and perhaps another man, started out and reached the top of the mountain about ten o'clock at night, or a little later. From there they could see the camp fire of the Indians four or five miles to the northeast on a flat close to the Warm springs. Occasionally they would throw up fire signals. While the scouts were looking at the [455] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA fire Evans asked the Piute about his ammunition and the Indian said that he had only one load for his gun — the rest he had left at camp. Evans told him to go back and get it. Lawson says he told Evans that it was a bad thing to send the Indian away from them, for he would go to the camp of the other Indians and tell them what was going on. He believes the Piute did this, for when they went down to the camp fire they never found an Indian. Evans thought some one had better go back to their camp and tell the boys to come on with some provisions; but they were all dead tired, and when Lawson said he could go they told him he could not make it. He had a six-shooter so he left his gun and set out. It was a hard trip, for it was dark and the country was strange to him. Every little while he fell down and he lost both bootheels; but there happened to be a natural pass from the Warm springs to Maiden valley, Law- son has always been noted as a hard man to lose in the moun- tains, and he finally reached his destination. The men heard him coming through the brush and were ready to shoot until he made them understand who he was, and then they let him come into camp. He told them what was wanted, and as he was too tired to go with them, he gave them the best directions he could as to where they should go to find the other men. He told Meyers to take the gun he had left, and all the men except- ing Lawson and two or three others took some provisions and went on. About daylight they found the men they were looking for, and after eating some breakfast, they once more took the trail of the Indians and followed it six or seven miles to the south fork of Pit river. The river was very high and the cur- rent was like a mill race where the tracks of the Indians went into it. After looking around for some time and failing to find any place where they dared attempt to cross the torrent, they gave up the pursuit and came back to Maiden valley that night. The Piute didn't come back until after they did, and when asked where he had been so long, he replied that he had got lost in the darkness the night before. The next morning they took the back track and in due time reached their homes after another hard journey through the mud, water, and snow. (Brown says that McDaniel was the scout that came back, and that the men who left camp after he returned were lost in a snow squall and didn 't find the scouts who were watching the Indians. The scouts [456] THE YEAE 1868 returned to camp early the next morning, but the others did not get in until noon. The Indians escaped to the north.) The "Virginia Enterprise' ' published an account of this expedition. In it many facts were given which Lawson has related, but which Brown appears to have forgotten. The Pursuit of the Indians "Who Killed the Pearson Family and Samuel Cooper — The Long Valley Party J. 0. Hemler says that early in the morning of the day after the Pearson Family and Cooper were murdered, his uncle, J. D. Byers, and himself were out on the flat between the Bald moun- tain and the lake looking for cattle. While they were riding around in the brush they saw a man on horseback coming from the direction of the Tules. He was riding rapidly, and as soon as Byers saw him he said that something must be wrong and they rode to meet him. It was John D. Kelley, and he told them what had happened and said he was going to Janesville after help. Byers said they would go back with him and the three men rode to the Lower Hot springs. When they got there the bodies of the dead lay on the ground where they fell. After looking around a while Byers put Hemler 's saddle onto the horse which he himself had been riding and told him to go to Long valley and tell Alvaro Evans about the massacre so the settlers in that section could look out for themselves. Hemler says that he was badly frightened, but when they asked him if he was afraid to go he told them he was not. Byers told him he need not be afraid, for there was no Indian pony that could outrun the horse he was riding, and also told him to ride his horse so as to always have some ability to run still left in him. It is easy to believe that Hemler made good time until he reached the divide between Honey Lake and Long valleys, and there he caught up with Sutherland and Berryman driving the dairy cows. The latter asked him where he was going and Hemler told him, and also told him why he was going there. Berryman would not believe him and said he must be joking. Hemler called his attention to the condition of his horse and asked him if he thought he would ride a horse like that unless something was the matter. He asked Berryman to ex- change horses with him and told him he would return the horse when he came back. The exchange was made, and Hemler rode on after telling Berryman to break the news to Sutherland, for [457] HISTORY OF EASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA he did not have the heart to do it himself. When he reached his destination he told his story to Alvaro Evans who at once sent for E. E. (Boh.) Ross, and the two men took the matter in hand. They sent out and called the men of that section together and had some families come in from the outside. They also sent up into the mountains for a band of saddle horses. George W. Bennett, who lived in Red Rock valley at that time, says that on the 18th Allen Evans came to his house and told him about the massacre. He went home with Evans and stayed that night with him. On the 19th a company of twenty- five men started from the Evans ranch in pursuit of the Indians. Newt. Evans was Captain, and Berryman, Jacob McKissick, "Pete" Evans (It is said that he was engaged to be married to Hattie Pearson.), a Piute Indian they took along to do the trail- ing, and others whose names will appear later on, were in the company. (J. B. Rice says that John Fitch, T. J. Glasscock, E. H. Pairchilds, and several others from Milford and that vicin- ity, perhaps six or eight in all, joined the Evans company.) It is also said that Isaac Hallett went with one of the parties that pursued the Indians. The first day out the Evans party scouted around the Fort Sage mountain (State Line Peak) and then went to the Lower Hot springs. From there they swung around the west side of the Hot Springs mountain and that night camped northwest of Skedaddle valley. They camped on a point where the wind struck them and it was very cold. Some of the younger men wanted to build a fire, but the Captain and some of the older men objected to it. About three o'clock in the morning Bennett, John Titus, Blaisdel, Robert Cameron, and " Shorty' ' got up and started back for Red Rock valley. The next day the others went on and at night met Smith's company. Their subsequent move- ments have already been told. An Indian Scare in Long Valley Written from what was told by Daniel W. Bryant, Alvaro Evans, George W. Harrison, and A. L. Tunison. On the 20th of April word was brought up along the south side of the valley and to Susanville that the people of Long val- ley were in danger from the Indians. In a short time all sorts [458] THE YEAR 1868 of rumors were flying around — the Indians were going to clean out Long valley, they were besieging the Evans ranch and also the Dinwiddie ranch. At the latter place there were some women and children and the whites could hold out only that night. Per- haps there was trouble in other places, too. The word reached Susanville late in the afternoon, but preparations were made to go that night to the aid of those who were said to be in danger. About nine o 'clock between fifteen and twenty men, mounted on all sorts of horses, started out, G. W. Harrison, Joe Hale, George Funk, Antone Storff, Hiram Parks, and Al. Leroy being among the number. It was far from being a pleasure trip to some of them. Harrison says he rode one of Funk's team horses that had on heavy shoes. He had been working in a printing office for some time and was not used to riding, and the next day he could hardly go. But he stood it because he thought he was going to help save some one's life. Probably there were others in the crowd who had the same feelings both mental and physical. About midnight they reached the Byers ranch on Baxter creek east of Janesville, and there they stopped a while and got something to eat and fed their horses. They then resumed their journey. On their way down the valley they were joined by other men, and when they arrived at the Evans ranch the next day about noon there were thirty or forty in the party. Tunison says that on the 20th, probably it was late in the evening, he went from Johnston's to Buggytown and aroused every family. About midnight fifteen men left Robert Johns- ton's for Long valley. Tunison and Bryant are the only ones of this party whose names are known. This party went through Janesville and at daylight took breakfast at Milford. They reached the Evans ranch about the same time that the other party did. On their arrival the Honey Lakers found that the Indians were not besieging the Evans ranch or any other ranch, and that no one, either white or red, had been killed. One man says the report started from the fact that some Indians, Pit Rivers or Bannocks, passing through there had killed a beef in Red Rock valley, and that made the settlers afraid they would commit more depredations and perhaps kill some one. It may have been that or the stealing of the horses in that section that started the story, and like all other Indian scares, the farther it f 459 1 HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA traveled the larger it got. The news must have gone in the other direction, for men were there from the upper end of Long valley and from Sierra valley. Alvaro Evans says that when the Honey Lake men reached his place he had five Indians working for him. In the afternoon he went out and told them who was there, and that if the Honey Lakers saw them they would kill them all. He told them they had better go south through the hills, and then strike across the valley and go to the Pyramid Lake reservation. The Indians had no ponies and started out on foot. About midnight Evans was awakened by the barking of the dogs and a racket outside, and when he got up he found Andrew W. Dinwiddie and a man named Lemons, who lived in Sierra valley, at the door. Dinwiddie told the following story: It ap- pears that the Indians went through the hills and came out near the bridge which then crossed the Long Valley creek five or six miles south of the Evans place. Dinwiddie, who lived about half a mile south of the bridge, saw them coming, and taking his rifle, went out alone to meet them. He met them just after they crossed the bridge, and when he spoke to them one of the Indians, a Piute called George, said he was a ' ' good Indian ' ' and the next three told him the same thing. He let the four pass as being all right. The fifth one, however, didn't say he was "good," but showed fight and he and Dinwiddie clinched and scuffled around for a while. The white man could throw the Indian, but could not hold him down, and could get no chance to use his gun. Fin- ally he made up his mind that the only way he could get the bet- ter of the Indian was to back him up to the edge of the creek, push him over it, and then shoot him. While he was trying to do this George picked up the gun and shot the Indian. He then said that the Indian killed was a Pit Eiver and a bad Indian, and the four "good" ones went on their way. Dinwiddie and Lemons immediately mounted their horses and came to the Evans ranch. The next morning the dead Indian lying beside the road caused another small Indian scare. On the afternoon of the 21st they organized a company of thirty men with Robert E. Ross as captain. The next day they went to Dry valley and around to Fish springs, about twenty miles, and camped near the little lake. During the day they "saw lots of Indian tracks going north. " The following morning [460] THE YEAR 1868 Harrison, Bryant, Jud. Hamilton, and two others, left the crowd and started for home because they didn't like the way in which the hunt after the Indians was carried on. Tunison tells the rest of the story. "The remainder of us struck north and traveled about twelve or fifteen miles and camped on Plum creek. Saw lots of Indian and horse tracks going north and followed as far as traveled — found one white man coming back. Saddled up near night and rode on about six miles further and made dry camp. Stood guard two hours latter part of night. Found camp where the Indians had made their first camp. April 24. Went on to Smoke Creek six or eight miles. The Indians that we were tracking were seen near Buffalo springs yesterday go- ing north. Fifteen of us started on after the Indians and the remainder of the party went back to the valley. Our party went on to Buffalo springs and camped. April 25. Took the Humboldt road and nooned at Wall springs. Went to Deep Hole and took our supper. There two of our party left us. One was sick (Oscar) and Smith — scared out. After dark we went up the Deep Hole creek five miles and camped. I was elected Captain at Deep Hole. 26th. Traveled up Deep Hole creek about ten miles and turned toward the left towards Sur- prise valley. Went to the Summit and turned toward Buffalo and traveled in that direction six or eight miles, and camped in an old Indian camp near the Summit of the Buffalo range. 27th. Sargeant and I struck out — went a couple of miles and found the Indian trail going north. Went back to camp and packed up and followed the tracks north twelve or fifteen miles and left them. About forty Indians' tracks and over twenty horse and mule tracks. We then struck for Buffalo Meadows down the east branch of the creek, which runs through an awful rough and crooked canyon about ten miles — camped at the Meadows. 28th. Harris left us here for Surprise valley with J. Johnson and one Wagner, who met us here. Started for home — struck the Humboldt road at Buffalo springs. Part of our party went by way of Sheephead springs, and five of us on the Humboldt road. Camped at Smoke creek. Caught a duck in Smoke creek. 29th. Nooned at Mud springs and camped at Shaffer's. 30th. Three of our crowd started for Sierra valley by way of Hot springs, and Lou., Charley, and I went to upper end of valley." [461] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Evidently this company found more Indians than they could use. It will be observed that neither of the expeditions that went out this spring killed or captured a single Indian. Tunison says that about the first of May the Indians killed three men near Buffalo Meadows. After this they made no more trouble in or around Honey Lake valley, or along the emi- grant road between there and the Humboldt river, during the remainder of the year. The Exterminators The outrages committed by the Indians this year served to inflame the minds of the people of this section still more against them. For several years it was none too safe for a Piute to come into the valley, especially around Susanville. About the last of May ' ' The Sage Brush ' ' said ' ' The people of Long valley have caused all Indians, of whatever description, to emigrate from among them. No Indian is allowed, under any pretext whatever, to come into the county/ ' About this time a secret society called ' ' The Exterminators ' ' was organized in Susanville. It was a regular lodge. They elected officers and the members were sworn to kill every Indian they could. This was to be done in order to avenge the murder of Cooper and the Pearsons. They held meetings all that sum- mer, but the excitement gradually died away and the order went out of existence. Indians Hanged for the "Pearson Massacre" "The Butte Record" of September 5th, 1868, has the following : "Indian Matters North "Gov. Hoop of Susanville, Lassen Co. has forwarded us a letter from Gen. Crook, dated at Camp Warner, Oregon, Aug. 22nd, from which we make the following extract concerning Indian affairs in that vicinity : ' I found most of these Indians in Big Valley on Pit River. Many of them fled to the mountains on our approach. I had a talk with some of their principal men, who are on friendly terms with the whites, and they confess that nine of the Pit River Indians killed the Pearson family, and that three of this party had left there, but that the remaining six [ 462 ] THE YEAR 1868 were still among them. But they know where they are, and I requested Capt. Munson to go down to Fort Crook in the course of a couple of months, when they will have gotten over their fright and settled down, catch the murderers and hang them, which will have a tendency to prevent their engaging in any outside speculation of that kind in the future. Our scouts were all around Eagle Lake and the Warner Range generally on our way home but found no sign of Indians, so that I feel satisfied that our Indian troubles are over with in this country. ' ' ' The following is from the "Reno Crescent' ' of October 10, 1868. "From 'The Sage Brush' we learn that Capt. Munson brought three Indians, who had been delivered to him as part of the murderers of the Pearson family, to Susanville one day last week and delivered them to the civil authorities there. On examination nothing was proven against them and they were set at liberty. However, the people of Susanville were con- vinced of their guilt and no one was surprised to find their bodies suspended next morning, to an old building near town; their souls having gone to the 'happy hunting grounds' during the preceding night. A Honey Lake friend tells us that one old buck claimed a commutation of sentence on the ground that he only killed a young Mahala (Hattie Pearson) and did not share in the plunder. The redskinned fiend! Hattie Pearson's exist- ence was of more consequence than that of all the Indians that ever lived. ' ' Thomas N. Long, who was then the Sheriff of Lassen county, says that Captain Munson turned the Indians over to him and he immediately put them into jail. Some of the prominent citizens of Susanville, Governor Roop and others, came to Long and told him that he had no right to put the Indians into jail, and that they would pay for the services of a guard if he would take them out of jail and put one over them. He refused to do this, and there was considerable talk of mobbing him and taking the prisoners away from him. At that time Collins Gaddy lived in Susanville, and he had considerable influence with a certain element. He took sides with Long and that served to keep the crowd quiet until the excitement died away, and the idea was given up. There was no one in town before whom the Indians could be given a preliminary examination, and as soon as this was [463] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA discovered they sent for E. P. Soule, Justice of the Peace, who was doing some carpenter work at Milford. They did not get ready for the examination until late the second day after the Indians arrived — nine or ten o 'clock at night. When the Indians were brought before Squire Soule at the court house, a dispute arose between Governor Eoop and Judge Harrison as to which one was the district attorney of the county. After a good deal of dispute Squire Soule recognized Harrison as the legal prose- cuting attorney, and Roop volunteered to defend the Indians. Of course there was no testimony against the prisoners and the Court had to turn them loose. The room was full of excited men and Long knew what was coming. He did not care particularly what became of the Indians, but he did not want himself or any of his deputies mixed up in the matter. His deputy, R. York Rundel, wanted to take a hand with the crowd, but Long told him to help him take the handcuffs off the Indians and then get out of the way. They got the irons off, but while doing it were almost trodden under foot by the crowd who were eager to get at the Indians. The two officers managed to get through the crowd and down the stairs, and when they reached the gate Rundel wanted to stay and "see the fun. ' ' Long told him it would be all right if he kept out of the crowd and took no part in what they did, and he stayed. The next morning the bodies of the Indians were hanging to an oak tree that stood near the northeast corner of Main and Pine streets. Mr. Long says that he and some others thought from the appearance of the Indians brought in here that they were only some renegades that the Pit Rivers delivered up to General Crook to satisfy him, and that they had nothing to do with the mas- sacre. He says they were poor specimens of red men and didn't look at all dangerous. Others say they were ugly, determined- looking fellows. It was reported that these Indians confessed to Captain Munson that they participated in the murder of Cooper and the Pearson Family, but the writer has been unable to verify this. Long says that while they were in jail they would not talk at all. One of the men who helped hang them says that one Indian wanted to be shot because he had killed only one Mahala. When he said this a white man struck so vicious a blow at him with a butcher knife that if he had not dodged it would have [464] THE YEAE 1868 cut him almost in two. Nothing more was said by any of the Indians, excepting that the one hanged last said of the one whose turn came before his, "See um heap kick." The writer could find nothing in the newspapers of the day to show that any more of the nine Indian murderers were ever killed or captured. Honey Lake Very High About the first of June, 1868, "The Sage Brush " printed the following in regard to Honey lake. ' ' This body of water is said to be from twenty to twenty-five feet deeper than ever pre- viously known. The lands about the lake, in some places for the extent of a mile, where they had been previously cultivated are now inundated, and the water is still rising. Honey lake, like many other similar bodies of water on the Pacific slope, has no visible outlet. A vast quantity of water has fallen this season upon the mountains and throughout the valley, but not enough to raise the lake to its present level. And then the streams leading into the lake are nearly run down to their common depth. It must be that the underground outlets of the lake are in a measure closed, or that extensive springs, as has been reported, have broken out within the lake. At all events, the hay and farming land for miles about the lake is threatened with destruction. " The writer was then living in the valley, and though only a boy at the time, he well remembers the talk about the rising of the lake. At that time it was higher than it was ever known to be, either before or since. There was all sorts of talk going on in regard to it. Some thought there was an underground outlet to the lake and that it had become stopped up. People used to believe that there was an outlet, and also that there were large springs in the bed of the lake. So much land around the lake was covered with water that people were afraid it would keep on rising until all the good land in that part of the valley was useless for cultivation. They thought they would have to dig a canal and drain the water of Honey lake into Pyramid lake, for the latter was said to be the lower of the two. In a year or two the lake began to go down, and this went on until the summer of 1889 when it was entirely dry again. [465] CHAPTER XV 1869. SETTLEMENT Long Valley. Robert Ingram bought a ranch, probably the one south of the Warm springs ranch. Willow Creek Valley. Adam Jacobs claimed what was once the Parker place east of Quilty, Hugo Sehminck located east of Jacobs, and Jacob C. Miller located south of Quilty. Big Valley. Richard A. Ricketts, who still lives in Big valley, says that Joel Purdem and Jason Jones and their families were the first settlers in the Lassen county part of Big valley. They came in from Oregon in March and located in the lower end of the valley. Mr. Ricketts with his Wife and three children located in the same neighborhood on the 29th of May. Teddy 'Laherty, John Cannon, and White and Wife settled in the lower end of the valley some time that year. Mr. Ricketts says that of the first three settlers in that part of the valley he was the only one to stay there. Joseph Wilson says that Alex- ander Parker came into the valley this year with 3000 head of cattle and twenty-eight men, and this time he stayed there. Mrs. Mary E. Harris, now of Alturas, California, tells the following. April 15th, 1869, her father, Adin G. McDowell, with his Wife and their two boys, Mrs. Harris and her husband, L. W. Harris, and their child, located at what was afterwards the town of Adin (Modoc county) in the northeastern corner of Big valley. Samuel Nebeker and his family were also in the party. The next spring the town was named in honor of Mr. McDowell. She does not agree with Ricketts, but says there was not a settler in the Lassen county part of the valley at that time. In the fall B. F. Studley and Newton Stanley and their families settled on Willow creek about three miles southwest of Adin. H. J. Ehlers, Rev. H. D. Haskins, John Ogden, J. Miles, Rev. J. C. McKendree, Adin G. McDowell, and L. W. Harris discovered gold on what is now known as Hayden Hill this fall, and the winter of 1869-70 H. J. Ehlers, L. W. Harris, and J. C. McKendree and their families and J. Miles, H. D. Haskins, and T. J. Harris lived there. The first settlers at Lookout were two men named Whitty and Courtright who came there with their families in 1870. The same year Asa White and family and [ 466 ] THE YEAE 1869 Moss settled about two miles south of where Bieber now stands. W. A. Bunton and family located at the foot of Hayden Hill on the north side of it. W. H. Stevens, Norton Stone, and James Hall settled with their families on Butte creek south of Adin. Moses A. Carmichael located in the northwestern part of the valley near the county line. In 1872 the Providence School District was organized. This was the first public school taught in that part of the county. Mrs. Clara V. Wilson, the wife of Joseph Wilson of Susan- ville, says that early in the fall of 1869 Warren Pratt, her first husband, his brother, Newton Pratt, James and Robert Glenn, and four others went from Ft. Jones in Siskiyou county to Big valley leaving their families at home. They took two wagons and had a hard time getting over the mountain roads with them. Each man took a piece of land in the edge of the timber near the Bull Bun slough. They brought some tools with them and each one put up a cabin on his claim. These cabins were roofed with shakes, but had neither floors, doors, nor windows. They saw no Indians, but they heard that some mischief had been done by them in other parts of the valley so they stood guard every night. They stayed there about six weeks, and then on account of their business at home and fear of the Indians, they returned to Ft. Jones and never went back to Big valley. The Settlement of Dixie Valley and Vicinity The most of this was told by Mrs. James P. Eldridge, but some information was given by T. J. Wright. Late in the fall of 1869 George W. Long, H. Carson Wright, J. W. Tuttle, R. F. Gates, and McMillan went into Dixie valley. Part, or all of them, claimed land and put up some log cabins. Long's cabin was on the north edge of the central part of the valley, that of Gates about three fourths of a mile to the east, and Wright's was northeast of Long's. It is not known whether or not any of them spent the winter in the valley, but probably they were all there the next year. In 1870 John D. Kelley and Wife and his partner, Hiram Winchel, Daniel and Charles Cramer, and George Riddle settled in the valley — Kelley and Winchel on the west side of it, and Riddle to the east of them. The Cramers settled on the northeastern side of the valley. This year Long and perhaps some of the others put [467] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA up some hay. James P. Eldridge and Wife and a man named Sharp spent the following winter in the valley. About the same time Little valley, just below Dixie, was settled by Samuel Graves, Joseph Layton, and Old Man Ralston. Long afterwards bought these men out. In the fall of 1871 J. P. Eldridge bought out a man by the name of Jones, who had a claim five miles below Little valley, and lived there for the next forty-one years. George W. Harrison says that the last of June, 1870, Andrew Miller, H. K. Cornell, and himself went on a prospecting trip. They went to Eagle lake, then to what is now known as Dixie valley, and then to Hayden Hill. Mr. Harrison is positive that there were no cabins in the valley at the time of their visit to it. He says that hay was put up there that year. He thinks that the settlers put up their cabins that fall, and that Long and Wright named the valley about the same time. He does not dispute the statement that Mr. Long and the others claimed land there in the fall of 1869, but thinks that Mrs. Eldridge is mistaken or was misinformed in regard to the time when the cabins were built. Horse Lake Valley, Secret Valley, and Madeline Plains. This year B. E. Shumway put up a cabin on his place north of the lake in Horse Lake valley. This spring and the previous fall he built a wagon road from Willow Creek valley through Horse Lake valley to Mud springs on Madeline Plains. Before this there had been no road between these two places, but light rigs had gone through there. Later on he continued this road work. At Mud springs he struck the "Townsend Road" and this he repaired to Cold springs and from there on to Tuledad. Shum- way did this work for T. N. Long and Charles Cramer, who a year or two afterwards, probably in 1871, ran a stage line from Susanville to Port Bidwell. In June, 1869, T. N. Long and Samuel Johnson went across Madeline Plains from Mud springs to Cold springs. At the latter place Shumway had set up four posts to hold up a brush roof as a shelter for his horses and built a pole corral. They went around north of the McDonald Peak and came south along the west side of it. They stayed one night near the McDonald, or Van Loan, place, but saw no sign of any buildings there. Excepting what was at Cold springs, [468] THE YEAE 1869 they saw no camps on the Plains, but Sol. Geller may have had a sheep camp on a creek several miles west of Mud springs. The foregoing was told by T. N. Long. The following facts were learned from John B. McKissick, Frank E. Home, and Albert L. Shinn. In 1869 James Watt settled at Mud springs and had a tent set up to the north toward where Termo is now located. Jackson located at the southeast corner of the Plains at the western base of Mt. Observa- tion. There were no buildings at that place until 1870 when Jacob McKissick bought him out and built a house and a corral. In 1870 Oliver Shinn, Father of A. L. Shinn, and family settled at the head of Smoke creek, and Frank E. Home located at the southeastern extremity of the Plains and put up a stone house. E. A. Harris established a stock ranch on Eed Rock creek at the east end of the Plains, and T. N. Long says that Joseph Evans came to Cold springs with stock. Long claimed the land around Cold springs and this year he had a house built there. Daniel McDonald was on his place. Shinn says that J. P. and Daniel McKissick each had a house in Secret valley, but J. B. McKissick claims that there was only one house in Secret in 1870 and that belonged to Jacob McKissick. Those whose names are given in the lists below settled in the county in 1869. The length of residence generally applies to the husband and the wife, but not to the children. The following lived here all the rest of their lives or are still living here. David A. Edwards and Family, Samuel G. Alexander and Family, Stephen A. Doyle and Family, F. H. Lindsay, Adam Jacobs, John R. Woolen and Family, Robert M. Smith, and Mrs. Hannah Chisholm (Mrs. Stevinson Lax) and Family. The following lived here from a year or two to fifteen years. M. D. Bull, Thomas McFadden, Joseph Lomas, George Bangham and Family, A. G. Bechtol, Hugo Schminck, and *A. H. Pratt. Hayden Hill and Its Mines The following was told by Leonidas H. Hopkins who went to Hayden Hill in 1873 and who was prominently connected with the place and the development of the mines there. In the fall of 1869 H. J. Ehlers, Rev. H. D. Haskins, John Ogden, J. Miles, and Rev. J. C. McKendree came to Big valley from Yreka. There they were joined by Adin G. McDowell and [469] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA L. W. Harris, and the party started out to hunt for the "Lost Cabin" mine. They searched for some time in vain. One night they camped on the southwestern side of what was afterwards known as Hayden Hill, intending to start for home the next day. The following morning the man who was acting as cook, per- haps it was Haskins, was left to pack up and the rest of the party straggled around over the hill looking at the rock. The cook finished his task before the others returned, and the thought came to him that it would be a good plan to clean out the spring near which they had camped for the benefit of those who might afterwards come there. While doing this he noticed something that looked like mica, and there was considerable of it amongst what he shoveled out of the spring. When the other men returned he called their attention to it and said it didn't look exactly like mica, but could not be gold because there was so much of it. They panned out some of it and took it with them to Yreka, and there it was found to be gold. Part of them at least, and perhaps all of them, returned at once and located what they called the "Providence Mine." It has been told who lived there the winter of 1869-70. The next spring J. W. Hayden and Seneca Lewis came in and located several mines on the north and east sides of the hill. For a while the place was called Providence City, and then it was named Hayden Hill in honor of J. W. Hayden. In 1870 a good many men went there from northern Cali- fornia and western Nevada, and if the usual course was followed, every ledge on the hill was located by somebody. Charles Cramer, who was in partnership with his brother Daniel, says he went there this year and built a hotel and a feed stable. Probably they were abandoned or moved away when the excite- ment was over. The seven men who discovered gold there organized the Providence Mining Company. F. and S. say they realized "some $40000 from washing the decomposed quartz." The same authority says that "they were drawn into a mill enterprise with a San Francisco company, whose super- intendent knew nothing of practical mining. After crushing 100 tons of wall rock, in which there was no pay except the vein matter on the surface, they removed their mill and con- demned the hill. The eight paying mines there now (1882) show how valuable was their judgment. ' ' This company hired Eobert [470] THE YEAE 1869 Johnston and Frank Murphy, perhaps in 1871, to haul the machinery of the Evans Company quartz mill from Black Rock, and they built their mill on Willow creek east of the hill and two or three hundred yards below the mouth of a little stream that empties into the creek. They abandoned their mine in 1873 or 1874. Hayden and Lewis were left in possession of the hill and they claimed it all, regardless of the fact that they could not hold it when others came in. In 1875 two men named Ament, father and son, and their Wives, Amos Swan, and Al. Simpson came to the hill. They creviced around and dug out pockets and worked their dirt and rock in an arastra, the first one there, but Mr. Hopkins doesn't know who built it. In 1876 G. F. Hoes, who owned the Evening Star mine, worked his rock with an arastra, and the next year Hoes and Lee L. and W. F. Harbert worked the ore from the Brush Hill mine in the same way. F. and S. say " Lewis was the original discoverer of the Brush Hill mine, from which the Hoes and Harbert brothers have taken $100,000." This was up to 1882. In 1877 L. H. Hopkins located the Golden Eagle mine. His father, William H. Hopkins and C. H. Nash, both of whom had located mines on the hill, consolidated their interests with his and formed the Golden Eagle Mining Company. In 1879- or 1880 they built a five-stamp mill on the Golden Eagle mine, and under their management and later on this mine produced several hundred thousand dollars. In 1878 and 1879 there was a greater rush to the hill than in 1870, there being two or three hundred people there during those years. In 1878 the Hayden Hill post office was established with L. H. Hopkins as post master. In 1879 Thomas A. Rose- berry and George H. Knight put in a stock of general mer- chandise, the first store in town. They carried on the same business in Adin at this time. The first number of "The Mountain Tribune," May 6, 1881, has the following advertisements for Hayden Hill: "Roseberry & Knight, General Merchandise; Mrs. Anderson, Anderson Hotel; B. S. Bradshaw, Restaurant; R. Sailing, Butcher Shop, Fashion Saloon, and Livery and Feed Stable; W. P. McBride and W. C. Graves, Blacksmith Shop." [471] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Hayden and Lewis lived the rest of their lives in a cabin on the north side of the Hill. They discovered a good many ledges, but never made anything out of them and both died poor. The Early History of Bieber The most of the following was written from information given by Nathan Bieber after whom the town was named. He is still in business there — the only merchant of early days left in the place. The crossing of Pit river where Bieber now stands was called "Chalk Ford" on account of the chalky nature of the ground at that place. This ford was first used in 1864 or 1865. The writer could not learn when the first bridge was built, but one was there in 1877. The land on which Bieber stands was claimed as a home- stead by Theodore Pleisch in May, 1873. He built a cabin on the east bank of the river about a hundred yards above the ford. The first store and the first dwelling house there were erected by Nathan Bieber in 1877. The store was located about five hundred feet east of the ford and the dwelling house about two hundred and fifty feet south of the store. The first blacksmith shop was built by W. F. Lamburth in 1878, and was about two hundred and fifty feet northwest of the store. The same year Andrew Koegel put up a saloon one hundred feet north of the store. In 1878 Mr. Bieber 's residence was used as a hotel, and two years later Lewis Powers built the first hotel in town about a hundred feet east of the saloon. The first livery stable was built by Karl Gerig. The town was laid out by William R. Schooler. F. and S. says that in 1879 Mr. Bieber secured the location of a post office at this place, and that in 1881 Thomas P. Ford founded the "Mountain Tribune." The first number was issued May the 6th. The first school was taught by Mrs. M. P. Woodin, the wife of James Woodin, during the fall of 1880. School was held at first in the Town Hall, but afterwards a schoolhouse was erected about a thousand feet northeast of the store. The first church was not built until many years after the town was founded. One of the first numbers of "The Mountain Tribune* ' says that the town of Bieber was laid out in 1877. "Only four buildings were erected that year and two more in 1878. In [472] THE YEAE 1869 this condition the town languished until the following spring, when the Brownell Bros., general merchandise, in company with the Odd Fellows, built a store and hall. A general impetus to business seemed to prevail, and during the summer the principal portion of the town, as it now stands, was built. Brownell Bros, began business in Bieber May 21, 1879. Shubert & Gibbins put up a wagon shop in 1880. S. E. Perkiss commenced a cheese factory in June, 1881, and during the same summer L. Powers erected a new hotel on the corner of Powers and Main Sts. The first number of "The Mountain Tribune" had the fol- lowing advertisements: "N. Bieber & Co., General Merchan- dise; Brownell Bros., General Merchandise; Lewis Powers, Bie- ber Hotel, William G. Stearns, City Hotel, Shubert & Gibbins, Carpenters, Wagon Makers, and Undertakers; William P. Lam- burth, Blacksmith ; William Goerig, Sr., Livery and Feed Stable ; William G. Stearns, Chalkford Saloon, Swigard & Kenyon, Old Chalkford Saloon; John A. Brown, Attorney at Law; L. L. Ralls, Justice of the Peace; D. R. Brownell, Notary Public and Insurance Agent." Miss Nellie Lyon was the School Teacher. The Susanville Water System In August, 1854, Isaac N. Roop posted up a notice on Smith's (Piute) creek to the effect that he was going to put a dam into the creek, build a ditch along the south hill, and carry the water to the emigrant road. This ditch was taken out of the creek about 160 yards above where Roop street, if extended, would cross it. When more houses were built in Rooptown a branch of this ditch was taken to each one of them. After a while the place grew up the hill so far that Roop had to take out another ditch about half a mile above the first one. This ditch carried the water as high as the northeast corner of Main and Roop streets, and by means of covered ditches the whole town was supplied with water until the early 70 's. February 17, 1866, Charles Nixon filed on what was known as the "Big Springs" on the north side of the river three miles above town, for the purpose of supplying Susanville with water. May 31, 1869, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, W. H. Crane, and A. A. Smith filed on the same springs for the same purpose, but there is nothing to show that they did anything further in the matter. [473] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA During the summer of 1869 Charles Belden and Moses D. Bull undertook to bring the water from these springs into Susan ville. It was to be done by means of an open ditch, excepting that the water was to be carried around the points of the hills and across the canyons through bored-out logs. They had a reservoir near the cemetery and from there the water was to be distributed. The work was a failure, The logs leaked where they were put together and in other ways failed to answer the purpose for which they were intended. May 10, 1872, E. V. Spencer, W. H. Crane, and J. C. Part- ridge, Trustees of "The Susan ville Ditch Company," filed on the same springs and for the same purpose that the others had taken them. This company, which was composed of people who lived in Susanville, made a success of the work. The water was brought in an open ditch, flumes being used when it was neces- sary, to the western part of town and there it was distributed through iron pipes. The work was completed in 1873, and with some additions and improvements the system has been in use ever since. Lassen County Politics April 17, 1869, the Board of Supervisors appointed Charles Cramer Assessor to fill the vacancy in that office. At the General Election held September 1st, 310 votes were cast. County officers were chosen as follows : District Attorney, W. R. Harrison; Sheriff, T. N. Long; County Clerk, J. H. Breed; Treasurer, John R. Lockwood; Assessor, J. C. Wemple; Sur- veyor, William C. Kingsbury; Coroner, Dr. Z. N. Spalding; Supervisor, 3d District, Jacob McKissick. John Lambert was elected to the Assembly for Plumas and Lassen counties. No County Superintendent of Schools was voted for. It appears that for the first time this county officer should have been elected, but there was a failure to nominate. March 15, 1870, the Board appointed T. N. Stone to fill the vacancy, but a few months later he resigned and L. M. Crill was then appointed. The first man elected to this office in the county was Dr. Z. N. Spalding, who was elected September 6, 1871, and served two terms. At the Special Judicial Election held October 20th, 225 votes were cast. W. T. Sexton and C. F. Lott ran for District [474] THE YEAR 1869 Judge and the latter was elected. In this county Sexton received 123 votes and Lott 96. John S. Chapman was elected County Judge. The following Justices of the Peace were ielected: Susanville, H. K. Cornell and C. B. Clark. Janesville, Abner McMurphy and E. G. Bangham. Long Valley, Marshall Bronson. Indian Troubles. 1869 The Murder of Partridge and Coburn Told by Lafayette Marks and Others During the spring and early summer of 1869 the station at Deep Hole springs, sixty miles east of Honey Lake valley on the emigrant road to the Humboldt river, was kept by Hiram L. Partridge, and Vesper Coburn worked for him. There were a few Indians who had belonged to the old marauding bands still roaming around in northwestern Nevada, and the friends of the two men had repeatedly warned them of the danger of stay- ing there. About the last of July Christopher C. Eachford, after- wards Sheriff of Modoc county, who was coming in from Star City, arrived at Deep Hole. The door of the house was open, but there was no one around the place. He looked the premises over and found that the oxen and the wagon were gone. He then went down onto Squaw creek and there he found the wagon and the bodies of the two men. From their appearance he thought they had been dead several days. (They were killed the 27th of July.) Eachford carried the news to Surprise valley. Olin Ward, for many years a prominent stock man of that section, said that Eachford told the foregoing to him. At the time of the murder and for several days previous to it a band of Piute Indians had been camped in Surprise valley, and had to the knowledge of the citizens, made two trips to Deep Hole springs; but no suspicion of hostile intentions were entertained, though signal fires were on the hills every night. The same night that Eachford reached the valley every Indian disappeared, and though the soldiers from Camp Bidwell sought industriously they failed to find them. Probably the same day that Eachford was there a party of Honey Lakers, also coming in from the Humboldt, reached Deep Hole late in the evening. Finding no one there they took pos- [475] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA session of the place for the night. They thought it strange that the premises had been left alone and the next morning they began to look around. Before long they noticed a comparatively fresh wagon track going from the station out into the brush, and after following this some distance, Tunison says two miles, they found the dead bodies of Partridge and Coburn. Judging from appearances, they had hitched a yoke of cattle to the wagon and gone after a load of sage brush for fuel, leaving their guns at the station. When they saw the Indians coming they went to the oxen, pulled the bows from the yoke and set them free, and then ran for home. They didn 't get very far, perhaps a hundred yards, before Partridge was killed. Coburn got a hundred yards further and a bullet broke his leg just above the ankle. Even after this he must have tried to run, for the broken bone was forced through the flesh. When found he had a small knife, one blade of which was opened, tightly grasped in his hand. He was shot twice and Partridge five times. The Honey Lakers took the bodies to the station and buried them and then came on to Susanville. John C. Partridge, Hiram's cousin, Collins Gaddy, Lafayette Marks, and Cap. Hill immediately started for Deep Hole with a couple of buggies and two coffins. The bodies of the two men were brought to Susanville and buried there August 5th, Partridge being given a Masonic burial. Three Indians Killed for the Murder op Partridge and Coburn After the murder at Deep Hole a careful watch was kept on all the Indians who frequented that part of the country with the hope that something would turn up to show who the guilty parties were. The ''Reno Crescent" of October 9, 1869, says ''Since writing the notice of the arrest of two Indians, charged with being guilty of the murder of Partridge and Coburn, we have seen the desperadoes. One of them is a Washoe, familiarly known about Franktown as Dick Sides, whose hide would not be worth the trouble of hanging up to dry after showing his pretty face to a camp of Piutes. The other is said to know the whereabouts of the murderers." October 16th it says "Several Indians have been arrested by the officers of Washoe county, suspected of the murder of Partridge and Coburn at Deep Hole [476] THE YEAE 1869 springs. Two of them are now in Reno in the hands of Deputy Sheriff Edwards. They will have an examination, and be held to answer or discharged, as the testimony may indicate guilty or not guilty.' ' Alvaro Evans tells the following. Through some Washoes the Reno constable heard that the Indians who killed Partridge and Coburn were camped at Steamboat springs and he went out there and arrested them. They were taken to Reno and kept in jail a few days and then given an examination before John S. Bowker, Justice of the Peace. There was no evidence against them, but it appears that they were held for a few days after the examination. Just about the time the Squire was going to turn them loose he met Evans on the street, and knowing that the latter was acquainted with a good many Indians, he asked him to come down to the jail and see if he knew any of them. Evans went there with Antone Gallagher, who had been riding for the Evans Brothers at Pyramid lake. Gallagher recognized one of them as an Indian who had shot an animal belonging to the Evans Boys and then stood him off with a pistol when he tried to look at the beef. Two of the Indians accused the other one of being the murderer, and he accused them of committing the deed. Evans told Squire Bowker to hold the Indians and he would write to Honey Lake and let Cap. Hill know about it, and the Honey Lakers would come down and take care of them. When Hill got the letter he and Charles Cramer started out and went to Reno, picking up William E. (Paul) Jones at the Junction House. The three Indians were turned over to them and the next morning they left town for Susanville. Evans says he heard the following account of what followed. Two men who were painters and who had come to Reno from Susanville, followed and overtook them at the top of the hill north of Reno. They were going to take the Indians away from the Honey Lakers, but after a parley it was concluded that the best thing to do was to kill them. They told the Indians that the wagon had broken down and had them get out and go toward an old shaft near by to get some timbers. When they went to the shaft they were shot and thrown into it. Several other stories are told about this affair. In the different accounts one, two, or three men went along from Reno to help kill the Indians. One man told that the Honey Lakers [477] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA were followed by eight or ten single rigs and a few double ones. When they arrived at the top of the hill word was passed along the line that the axle of the hind wagon, in which the Indians were riding, had broken down. They all stopped, and before the men with the head team knew anything about it the Indians had been killed and thrown into one of the shafts. Of course this exonerated the Honey Lakers from any blame in the matter. The "Crescent" of October 30th says "Three gentlemen, Messrs. Jones, Cramer, and Hill of Honey Lake valley left here Friday evening (the day before) in company with a couple of Piute Indians. The Indians, we believe, employed Jones & Co. as guides to show them a cut-off to Honey Lake valley. A few miles out their stock stampeded, but we guess the Indians found the cut-off. No reward offered for either horses or Indians. 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou the prophets?' " The following story was told to the writer by a reliable man who said that he had it from Paul Jones. At that time Jones was living at the Junction House twenty- five miles north of Reno. Hill and Cramer drove so fast that when they reached his place their team was tired out and they asked him to let them have his team to drive to Reno and back. He was working a colt and on that account was afraid to let them take the team. Hill told him to come along and drive his own team and they would pay him for it. After considerable talk he told them he had no time to spare, but that to accom- modate them he would go, and didn't want any pay for it. Accordingly he went with them and that night they got into Reno. Upon their arrival the three Indians were turned over to them, although the Washoe county officials had no legal right to do it. Jones said that when they started for home the next morning quite a number of Indians followed them on foot out of Reno, and he drove pretty fast to get away from them. Hill said he would be if he was going to haul Indians ninety miles just to hang them. The others tried to talk him out of the notion of doing anything else, but he had been drinking and was angry and would not listen to them. When they got to the top of the hill the Indians were told to get out because the wagon had broken down. They refused to do it and were then yanked out. When the shots were fired it frightened Jones's [478] THE YEAE 1869 team and he had to circle them around in the sage brush to keep them from running away, and this kept him so busy that he didn 't know for sure who killed the Indians. After throwing the dead Indians into the shaft the other two men got into the wagon and they resumed their journey. When Hill and Cramer reached home they said that Indians had jumped out of the wagon and attempted to escape. In doing this they ran into the shaft and all of them were killed. The Honey Lakers under- stood. If no one but these three men were present, it is very probable that Hill shot the Indians. It has been told that he generally killed an Indian whenever he had an opportunity to do so. The " Crescent " of November 13th says "It is currently reported that the Piutes are greatly incensed against certain citizens of Honey Lake, who are supposed to have killed the three Indians taken from this place, and threaten that in case they cannot punish the guilty to be avenged on such white men as they can get hold of. Many persons located in the new and sparsely settled portions of the state feel that they hold their scalps by a very uncertain tenure. There is serious danger that an indiscretion on the part of our officials will cost some good men their lives.' ' It then condemns the practice of treating Indians as though they were not human beings, and says that white men who fail to respect the rights of the Indians are lower than the most degraded of the human family. On November 24th the " Crescent" said "Brother Partridge (John C. Partridge was editor of the "Lassen Sage Brush' ' at that time.) devotes nearly a column to us and to the defense of certain persons suspected of coldblooded murder." The "Cres- cent" said it was not an admirer of savages, neither was it an admirer of whites who emulated the brutality of savages. The Indians charged with the murder of Partridge and Coburn were arrested in Reno by the officers of the law under the impression, which still exists, that the offense was committed within the jurisdiction of that county. It did not know by what means they were taken from the custody of the officers, and had only to say that if surrendered voluntarily and without a proper requisition, then the officer so surrendering was guilty of mal- feasance in office, an error of magnitude from which might, and from which it had just cause to fear would result in serious [479] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA consequences. The guilt or the innocence of the Indians was a question of no moment in this connection. If they were guilty of a crime under the law, they should have been punished under the law, not for the sake of the savages, but for the sake of our own civilization. Unless the "Lassen Sage Brush" had some- thing more to say, this was the end of the war between Reno and Susanville. None of the Washoe county officials were punished because they gave up the Indians without a requisition, neither did the Piutes kill Honey Lakers or any one else in revenge. These were the last whites killed by the Indians in this section of the country. The day of Indian troubles was done in this county. Another Indian Hanged in Susanville Some time during the fall after the killing of Partridge and Coburn an Indian who had been living around the station at Deep Hole, "Partridge and Coburn 's pet," some called him, came into Susanville. At that time anything in the shape of an Indian from that part of the country aroused the anger of the people of this valley, and he was promptly arrested by one of Sheriff Long's deputies. He was kept in jail for a short time, and as there happened to be no one in town before whom he could have an examination, a plan was formed to get him out of the Sheriff's hands. Some one got Squire McMurphy of Janesville to order the prisoner brought before him, and Cap. Hill was deputized as constable to do this. "When the prisoner was given to Hill he took him down to Main street, bought some sweet crackers, and gave the Indian all he could eat of them. He then put a rope around the Indian's neck and led him away toward Janesville, going by the Richmond road. When he reached the river bridge south of town ten or a dozen men took his prisoner away from him and led him to an old well dug by Abner Boyd near the southwest corner of the block bounded on the north by Court street and on the west by Lassen street. A fence rail was thrown across the well and the rope on the Indian's neck was tied to it. Just then some one in the crowd said that the rope was too good to hang an Indian with — it would make a good halter for a horse. So he untied the rope from the Indian and the rail and put a bale rope in the place of it. The Indian was then pushed into the well and when he stopped [480] C$CL^cSZr*^> THE YEAE 1869 struggling some one cut the rope. After this was done Hill ran back to town yelling that they had taken the Indian away from him and hanged him. Mrs. E. V. Spencer told the writer that many years after Partridge and Coburn were killed a Pit river Indian told her how it happened. The Indian's story, whether true or false, was as follows : A band of Pit river Indians were going through the Deep Hole country in pursuit of two or three white men who had with them some Pit River squaws they had stolen. The Indians were very angry with these men in particular, and all white men in general, and when they ran across Partridge and Coburn without any weapons they killed them just because they were white men. The latter part of November twelve Indians Jcame into Willow Creek valley and camped. Tunison went to their camp and ordered them to leave the next morning. Part of them left the next day and the rest of them the day after that. They dared do nothing else but obey. Their day was done. The Death of Governor I. N. Roop February 14, 1869, Governor Isaac Newton Roop died in Susanville, aged forty-seven years, lacking about a month. I. N. Roop was born in Carroll county, Maryland, March 13, 1822. He was the son of Joseph and Susan (Engle) Roop and was of German descent, his ancestors having emigrated to Mary- land in colonial days. In 1838 the family moved to Ashland county, Ohio. Here his father engaged in farming and stock- raising until 1858 and then removed to Keokuk county, Iowa, where he died at an advanced age. Shortly after reaching Ashland county I. N. Roop went to work for himself, his first business being in connection with a saw and gristmill. In this place he was married to Miss Nancy Gardner, December 24, 1840. His Wife died in Ohio, June 20, 1850, at the age of twenty-seven years, leaving three children, Susan, Mrs. A. T. Arnold of Susanville, California; John, a doctor now living in Oklahoma, who during the War of the Rebellion was in the Seventh Iowa Infantry and served as an aide to General Grant ; and Isaiah, who was in the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, and was wounded at South Mountain. He died of the small pox while in the army. [481] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA In September, 1850, Mr. Roop started for California. He came by the Nicaragua route and was a passenger on the ship that brought the news of the admission of California into the Union. He went to Shasta county where his brother, Josiah Roop, was carrying on a general merchandising business. He became his partner and served as post master at Shasta City. In a fire which occurred there June 14, 1853, a large hotel which he had built and his store building were both burned. He lost $10,000 by this fire and was left without a dollar in the world. The fire took place at nine o'clock in the forenoon, and after he had saved the books belonging to the post office, he left his own property and helped to save the lives of the school children. What he did after this has been fully told in the foregoing pages, for the history of the pioneer days of Lassen county is almost a biography of I. N. Roop during those years. Governor Roop was an able, energetic, and generous man. He always took a leading part in the affairs of this section and for many years was considered to be the most prominent man here. The idea of his life seemed to be the advancement of this part of the country. He died comparatively poor, although if he had carefully looked out for his own interests, he might have gained considerable wealth. It is said that he aided some one in almost every emigrant train that ever passed through Susan- ville instead of trying to make money by taking advantage of their necessities, as many did. Among the resolutions on his death adopted by Lassen Lodge No. 149, F. & A. M., of which he was a member, were the follow- ing: "Resolved, That the benevolent impulses, the charitable disposition, the generous promptings — emanations of a noble heart — the enlarged mind, the persevering will, and the manly attributes that adorned the intellect and character of the de- ceased will ever be deeply esteemed, fondly cherished land remembered by his brethren of Lassen Lodge. "Resolved, That as Masons, we deplore his death, and as citizens we feel that the community of which he was so long a leading and useful member, has experienced an irreparable loss." In an Obituary published in the "Lassen Sage Brush" John C. Partridge, the editor, who knew him intimately for a good many years, said "Governor Roop was a man of enlarged mind and noble charities, true in his friendships, kind in his disposi- [482] THE YEAE 1869 tion, and manly in his character. If human weaknesses were his, they were of the heart. If to poor human nature it is given to err, his errors were the promptings of a generous soul unmixed with meanness and unclouded by the darker shades of malevolent passions. The genial smile, and the hand of hospitality ever ready to be extended, will be missed by the stranger when he visits the town of Susanville. The death of Governor Roop will create a vacuum difficult to be filled. The community in which he lived so long could better have lost other men than him. Peace to his ashes. " ' 'The Reno Crescent" quoted a part of the Obituary given in the "Lassen Sage Brush" and its editor, J. C. Lewis, then said "We, too, would add our tribute to the inherent worth of Governor Roop. His early youth was a fight against poverty and the best energies of his manhood were wasted in frontier life. Yet his natural abilities were wonderful, and the stormy buffets of the world could not weaken one fiber of the infinite tenderness of his great heart. Could his youth have been blessed with learning, and his mind trained into healthier channels, he would have lived a peer of the ablest in the land, and when he died the bells of a nation would have tolled. As it is his flowers will be neglected, his pets will miss his whistle, and his friends will feel the void his absence makes. And yet it is well as it is, he filled his place, and if no funeral plumes waved over his bier, and no costly monument is raised above him, still could he be for an hour recalled he would not wish a change. He sleeps close by the town his energy called into being, all 'round him his neighbors and friends are resting, and Heaven itself would be no place for him were his friends excluded. 'After life's fitful fever he sleeps well.' " Governor Roop received very little gratitude from the people of this section. Almost everything was named in honor of Peter Lassen who was not the pioneer settler of the county, who lived here less than four years, and who never did anything in par- ticular for the country. A street in Susanville is the only thing in the county that bears Roop's name, and no monument was placed over his grave until forty years after his death. The Governor was buried in the cemetery at Susanville. Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Arnold had a monument made for him in Marysville, but it was destroyed by fire before they could get it [483] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA out of town. Nothing more was done about it until 1914. That year a simple, massive monument, made from native granite, was erected over his grave by the Masons of Honey Lake Valley and Lassen Parlor, No. 99, N. S. G. W. The monument was unveiled September 9, 1914. The cer- emonies were conducted by the Masonic fraternity assisted by the N. S. G. W. and the N. D. G. W. An invocation by Rev. J. H. Westervelt of the M. E. Church, the singing of ' 'America' ' by the audience, an address by J. A. Pardee, a prominent lawyer of Susanville, and a prayer and the benediction by Rev. Wester- velt, constituted the brief programme given. After the address the American flag that draped the monument was removed by Mrs. S. L. Damon and Miss Laura Lowe, representatives of the N. D. G. W. May this monument remain there to tell the name of the pioneer of the county as long as the granite-ribbed mountains from which it was taken keep their silent watch over the valley he loved so well. [484] CHAPTER XVI IN CONCLUSION. Old Winnemucca's Death Taken from a letter to the ' ' Reno Gazette ' ' OLD Winnnemucca died near Coppersmith's ranch, or sta- tion, on the south side of Surprise valley October 21, 1882. His daughter and his son Lee were with him. When the writer of this letter visited him he was lying beside the fire in his wickiup, wrapped in a rabbit skin robe, with his feet buried in warm ashes and a mahala fanning him with a bush. When his son was asked if he gave him medicine, he said the old chief would not take any, neither would he eat anything. Nearly two months before that he and his young squaw and her two-year old papoose started from Pyramid lake to Ft. Bidwell. On the way Winnemucca was taken sick and was obliged to camp near Coppersmith's station. He accused the squaw of bewitching him, and finally ordered her to be stoned to death. But first she was ordered to go to a spring and wash herself so that she might be clean when she appeared before the Great Spirit. She went to the spring and hanged herself to a post, but was cut down by a Piute who was on the watch before she was dead. The evening before Old Winnemucca died about a hundred Indians took the squaw to the spring where she had been ordered to bathe. Some of the other squaws washed her from head to foot and sprinkled her all over with fine ashes. They then started for a range of hills a few miles from the Coppersmith station, leading the squaw naked and barefooted. Upon reaching the chosen spot they built a circle of fires, lighting up a space about a hundred feet in diameter. In the center of this was a stump, and to this they tied the squaw by one foot with a band of rawhide. Then each buck brought in a certain number of stones about the size of a man's fist and laid them in a pile within the circle of fires. When all was ready the Indians joined hands and began a monotonous chant which lasted a few minutes, when one of them stepped into the ring and began to harangue them. As he continued to speak the poor squaw gave vent to piercing shrieks. This lasted for some minutes, then at a signal all was silent except the wails of the intended victim. [485] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Then the speaker sprang toward her and grasped the child and swung it around his head while they all yelled like demons ; but the squaw did not make a single sound. Suddenly he dashed the child upon a rock killing it instantly. He then resumed his place in the circle, which swung around chanting as before, until the one who killed the papoose came opposite the pile of stones he had collected. Stepping forward he picked up a stone, and going within ten feet of the victim he threw it at her with all hisj strength. The missile struck her on the side and was answered by a shriek of anguish. He returned to his place and the circle swung around until another Indian was entitled to a throw. It seemed that it was forbidden to strike her on the head, and this was kept up until she lay upon the ground a mass of mangled flesh. Then the speaker took a big rock, and as she lay on her back he went up and crushed her skull. Then for a few minutes pandemonium reigned, after which they dis- persed and collected wood for a pile upon which they placed the remains of the squaw and her baby and set it on fire. A few were left to keep up the fire and the rest returned to Old Winnemucca to comfort his dying moments with the assurance that his young squaw had preceded him to the Indian's happy hunting grounds. This story was related by a half-breed called " Grizzly John" who was an eyewitness to the scene. The Death op Young Winnemucca Sam Davis's History of Nevada says that Young Winne- mucca died of the consumption at Wadsworth, Nevada, Novem- ber 5, 1871. Lassen County Pioneer Society From the " Lassen Advocate" of February 16, 1882 1 'At a meeting of a number of the old settlers of Honey Lake Valley at Johnston & Wood's Hall, in Susanville, Feb- ruary 14th, 1882, for the purpose of taking into consideration the practicability of organizing a pioneer society, Dr. H. S. Borrette called the meeting to order, and on motion of A. A. Smith, Hon. J. D. Byers was chosen chairman ; W. H. Crane was selected as secretary. A brief but feeling address was made by the chairman, concluding with the statement that the meeting had been called for the purpose of, as he understood it, organ- [ 486' ] IN CONCLUSION izing a society of pioneers who settled in the territory of what is now Lassen County prior to January 1, 1860. "Dr. H. S. Borrette read the following paper: 'The territory now forming the boundary of Lassen County was but a few short years ago a wilderness occupied by the Piute and Washoe Indians. Up to the year 1856 but very few whites had permanently settled in Honey Lake Valley, and those were principally occupied in stock raising or as traders — yet these few settlers formed a nucleus of pioneers battling for years with the savages and undergoing the many privations and annoyances of border life, until they were finally joined by others, making the settlement of sufficient strength to compel the Ked Man to retire, and give to the hardy pioneer peaceable possession of the territory. But as the years rolled on — from the many exigencies and diversities of interests — many of the first settlers removed from our midst, and the few that remain are being absorbed in the general mass and are becoming lost to view; but the ties of friendship that bound them together as pioneers for the protection of life and property can never be effaced from memory; and although seas and continents may separate them, the kindest thoughts and well wishes with the hand of friendship will always be extended to all the old friends of pioneer days; and to this end it is desirable that a pioneer association or club be formed, to be known as the Lassen County Pioneer Association, and the object to perpetuate and cement the friendship of the long-ago. ' "E. V. Spencer being called upon spoke in favor of an organization, and alluded with feeling to many of the incidents of early settlement, and the differences caused by them, and hoped that all the old settlers would join in forming the society, and in meeting together once a year, and recounting and keep- ing fresh the many occurrences of border life. "A. A. Smith, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, N. Clark, Dr. P. Cham- berlain, D. Titherington, E. Gr. Bangham, and W. H. Crane spoke briefly in favor of the organization, and on motion a committee consisting of W. H. Crane, E. V. Spencer, and Dr. M. P. Chamberlain was appointed to draft a constitution and a code of by-laws, to be submitted to a meeting to be held March 4, 1882, at the same place. [487] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA "There were present of the old settlers William H. Clark, William Dow, Robert Johnston, Loyal Woodstock, Leroy Arnold, Edward Rice, Samuel R. Hall, Frank S. Strong, John Baxter, James D. Byers, William H. Crane, Dr. H. S. Borrette, E. V. Spencer, N. Clark, Dr. P. Chamberlain, David Titherington, E. G. Bangham, A. A. Smith, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, Thomas J. Mulroney, Dr. M. P. Chamberlain, J. E. Bass, and A. B. Jenison." From the "Lassen Advocate' ' of March 9, 1882 "The Old Timers ' ' Second Meeting of the Lassen County Pioneer Club "At a meeting of the Pioneers of Lassen County, held at the Steward House Hall, March 4th, 1882, James D. Byers presided and W. H. Crane acted as Secretary. "W. H. Crane, from the committee on Constitution and By-Laws, reported a code of laws which after some amendments, principally as to dates, was adopted. "The following were elected officers for the first term: James D. Byers, President; E. V. Spencer and N. Clark, Vice- Presidents; Richard D. Bass, Treasurer; Wright P. Hall, Sec- retary; L. N. Breed, A. A. Smith, and Dr. Z. N. Spalding, Trustees. 1 ' On motion of L. N. Breed a committee of Three, consisting of W. P. Hall, James P. Sharp, and William Dow, was appointed, to whom all applications for membership are to be ref erred/ ' The following became members of the Society: James D. Byers, Frank S. Strong, John C. Davis, John Baxter, Jerry Tyler, David Titherington, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, Dr. P. Cham- berlain, L. N. Breed, Dr. H. S. Borrette, N. Clark, Loyal Wood- stock, James P. Sharp, Dr. M. P. Chamberlain, A. G. Eppstein, William H. Clark, Robert Johnston, Richard D. Bass, William Dow, George W. Fry, Stephen S. Bass, John Edward Bass, Wright P. Hall, Eber G. Bangham, Thomas J. Mulroney, Albert A. Smith, Leroy Arnold, John Lowe, Jr., Ephraim V. Spencer, Samuel R. Hall, Philip Boody, Davis C. Hall, William H. Crane, and George Greeno. Article 1 of the Constitution and By-Laws was as follows: 1 ' This organization shall be known as the Lassen County Pioneer Society." [488] IN CONCLUSION Article 2 was "Eligibility to membership shall consist of being a male citizen who was born or actually settled within the territory of what is now Lassen County prior to July 1st, I860." It will be observed that only males were considered to be pioneers. The writer didn't follow this rule, but put in the names of the women pioneers also. The Diversions op Early Days A history of the pioneer days of Lassen county would not be complete without some reference to the diversions of those times. Of course Indian fighting and Indian scares, drinking, gambling, dancing, fighting, and an occasional "shooting scrape' ' furnished the more strenuous joys, so to speak; but along with these were diversions of a more quiet nature. Newspapers and books were very scarce, and instead of find- ing humor in them the settlers had to look for it among them- selves. Like all frontier countries, life was rude in many ways and very frequently their fun was rude, too. Practical joking was common and often caused trouble. Some queer characters, both wise and otherwise, drifted to the frontier, and among so few people their talk and actions were noticed more than they would have been in a more thickly settled locality. The yarns told by good story-tellers, sometimes manufactured for the occasion, the sayings of witty persons and also those of queer ones, what certain men said or did when drunk, the tricks played by the practical jokers, especially if at the expense of some unpopular man, were passed from one to another all over the country and greatly enjoyed. Orlando Streshly, some of whose yarns have already been given, told a good many witty stories of all kinds, and he gen- erally had one to fit the occasion. If he had none in stock, he was able to "make up" one, and many of the stories he told to illustrate some condition of the times, or the peculiarity of some person's character or condition, were long remembered by the pioneers. Dr. Eobert F. Moody was another man whose stories amused and amazed the country. He came into the valley in 1861 and went into partnership with Dr. Z. J. Brown (Dr. Eight-square) in the selling of patent medicines. He afterwards bought out [489] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA his partner and established a drug store which he owned until 1904. His daughter, Miss Opal Moody, says "Dr. Moody was a Massachusetts Yankee and not only followed his profession of druggist (he was a registered druggist), but also followed the watch-maker's trade which he had learned in Boston. Instead of being a 'Jack of all trades and good at none,' he was a sort of genius who could do anything he undertook and do it well. He was also the inventor of half a dozen patent medicines. ' ' Besides this, in his spare time he repaired guns and pistols and tinkered up whatever was brought to him, stuffed birds and beasts and pulled teeth. His best known patent medicine he called "Moody's Sage Brush Liniment," and if it had been as thoroughly advertised as some other patent medicines, would have gained a national reputation. The doctor was a "right smart" talker and told many stories that were astonishing for size. One of them was something to this effect : While in Ehode Island he was one day soling shoes on a wager. When trimming the sole of the last shoe his knife slipped and cut off the forefinger of his left hand as clean as a whistle. Being in too big a hurry to pay much attention to any little thing like that, he picked up the finger and laid it on a shelf close at hand. When he had finished his work he stuck the finger back on his hand with some shoemaker's wax. In conclusion the doctor would tell that it grew right on again and was as good as ever, and, holding out his finger to prove it, would say "and you can't even see the scar" — and you couldn't. Dr. Moody's stories were about himself and injured nobody, and certainly were not told with the intention of deceiving any one. The writer was always of the opinion that the doctor got as much fun out of it as the listener did, and that it was a source of much amusement to him to watch the face of the person to whom he was telling the story and see what effect it had on him. Davie Lowrie was a Scotchman who came to California in the early 50 's, and after working up the Feather river, drifted into Honey Lake valley in 1857, or about that time. He was a large, strong man with a constitution like iron and an unlimited capacity for whiskey. His eyes were cold and dull, and his smooth-shaven face was as expressionless as a wooden mask. He talked a good deal, but his tongue wasn't very nimble, and between that and his Scotch brogue, it was hard work to under- [ 490 ] IN CONCLUSION stand him. When he was drinking his tongue was thicker than usual and he patched out his efforts to talk with "Luk, see, mon. You know what I mean, ' ' accompanied by a number of vigorous pokes in the ribs of his listener that made him wish that he was only within yelling distance. It was told that he had been educated for a minister; but if so, he must have been a "stickit minister." Davie, whether drunk or sober, very often said or did something that provoked the mirth of those around him. When in the former condition, he was at one time very abusive ; but once while in Janesville he called Alec. McKissick a vile name and the latter, not knowing his age, knocked him down with a rock and kicked him in the ribs. After that Davie was more discreet in his language, especially to strangers. For several years he was very pious whenever he got drunk and attended church without fail if there was a chance to do so. His conduct while there generally delighted the worldly part of the congregation and greatly annoyed the preacher. In 1868 there was a camp meeting held for several days near Fort Janes- ville. There was a large attendance from all parts of the valley, and among the rest was Davie, who was generally "three sheets in the wind.'' When present he often knelt before the "mourn- er's bench' ' and mumbled to himself. One night a preacher who was a stranger in the valley, thinking that Davie was a pious, simple-minded fellow, asked him if he would not like to go to a better land. Lowrie said "Yes, I would like to go to Scotland." The preacher tried it again and said "But, Mr. Lowrie, wouldn't you like to go to Heaven?" The reply was, "Yes, if I could go by the way of Glasgow." In spite of hard fare, hard work, and poor whiskey, and a slash the whole length of his jaw, made by a knife in the hands of "Uncle Tim" Darcey, Davie lived to a good old age. After he was eighty years old he did a man's work in the hay field. At last he wandered away into one of the adjoining counties and died in the county hospital of either Plumas or Sierra county. "Uncle Tim" Darcey was another character. He, too, came to California in the early 50 's, and after mining up the north fork of Feather river came to Honey Lake. Here he followed the blacksmith trade for twenty years, the rest of his life. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early part of the last century and was of Irish parentage. He was raised on the [491] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA waterfront when St. Louis was a frontier town, and grew up to be a hard man, always ready to fight or to get drunk. He learned to be an engineer and ran on the Mississippi for a number of years during the palmy days of steamboating on that river, and it took a man to hold his own in the crowd that followed the river in those days. When in his prime he was a bad man to fool with, for he was big and strong and had a temper that flashed up like gunpowder. He would get angry in an instant, his eyes would turn green and his teeth come together like a steel trap, and he would strike a man with any- thing he happened to have in his hand at the time. He was vicious, too. Once when he and Sam. Trotter, another black- smith, were in Janesville drunk, they got into a fight. When they came together both of them fell down, and Trotter was so drunk that he could not get up or move. Tim could move his arms, so he picked up a rock, and being just able to reach one of Sam 's ankles, he lay there and pounded it with the rock until some one took him by the leg and pulled him a couple of feet away. He could not crawl back and that ended the fight. But he was naturally a man of considerable ability and force of character and had a fund of humor ; and being a blacksmith, was a sort of public man in those days and very often said or did something for people to talk about. When blacksmithing at Richmond he had a little trouble with L. P. Whiting. The next time he saw Whiting coming into the place he got behind a pile of logs and pointed an old shovel handle over them. When Whiting, who was on foot, got pretty close some one yelled to him to look out. He looked and saw Darcey's head sticking up above the logs and the shovel handle pointing toward him, and then he broke and ran back "rail fence' ' fashion, much to the enjoyment of Tim and the crowd of loafers that usually infested the little village. Tim used to tell that while he was working at Richmond Streshly was going to have a roasted goose for his Thanksgiving dinner. The goose was cooked the day before, and he and "Old Zack" Taylor made it up that they would steal it out of the milk house where it was put for the night. A little snow fell that evening, and after the Streshly family had gone to bed Tim walked boldly to the milk house and got the goose. He then took off his shoes, put them on backwards, and carefully stepping in his own tracks, went back to the road. [ 492 ] IN CONCLUSION Streshly said that this was the first time he ever knew a man to go both ways and make only one set of tracks. Old age and whiskey finally did their work and " Uncle Tim" died at Janesville in 1877. Dr. J. W. M. (Old Doc.) Howe, who was the first man appointed to the office of County Physician in this county, was the cause of considerable talk for several years. He was a good doctor — considering the time and place — and some of his pre- scriptions were used in the valley for thirty years. He was a hard drinker, and when under the influence of liquor, was very reckless in his talk and actions. He was an ardent secessionist, and he and "Old Charley" Bader were several times put into jail for hurrahing for Jeff. Davis, or something of the kind. They didn't keep them there very long, probably only until they became sober, for they didn't want to hurt the old fellows. Once when Bader was in jail Howe wanted his company, so he broke the lock of the jail and set his crony free. This was looked upon as a good joke and the county authorities paid no attention to it. The following is one of the many stories told of the doctor's queer sayings. One day when the camp meeting held near Janesville in 1868 was in session, the doctor went down there with a crowd from Susanville. He rode a very fine saddle horse which he valued highly, and when they reached the camp ground he tied his horse to one side and joined the congregation. After a while some of the men moved the animal and told him that Captain Wells had taken him away. Wells was the officer in command at Smoke Creek and he and the doctor occasionally had a spat over politics. The doctor had been drinking ever since he left town and he went to sleep during the sermon. Shortly afterwards the preacher said in a loud voice, "The Captain of Salvation is now in your midst." This awakened the doctor, who thought he said Captain Wells, and he shouted, ' ' Show him to me. Show him to me. The son of a , he stole my horse!" Among the various organizations in Susanville was a secret society that came into existence during the winter of 1863-64. It was called "E clamps Avitas," or words to that effect, what- ever they may mean. It was created by a lot of "locoed" fellows for the purpose of getting what fun they could out of it. [493] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA Their high jinks were held in the barn that the Plumas county posse had used as a fort in 1863, and it is to be presumed that everything went well with them in their efforts to get some enjoyment out of life until the women interfered. Probably they thought it was not right or proper for the men to have too much fun. Anyway, Mrs. Dake, Mrs. Rundel, and several other women, organized a committee of investigation which sneaked up to the barn while the lodge was in session and " peeked' ' through the cracks in its sides. Just at that time they were initiating a new member, and the committee heard blood-curd- ling roars and various other noises of a terrifying nature mingled with the clanking of chains. Perhaps the aforesaid roars, etc. were augmented by the cries of the suffering candidate, for it was afterwards learned that he was scared half to death while the initiation was going on. Of course the women lost no time in spreading abroad what they had heard, and as a consequence no more men would join the lodge and it came to an untimely end. Last, but not the least, of the old crowd of fun-makers was Paschal Taylor, familiarly known as ''Old Zack" Taylor, who probably came over the hill with Darcey. He was a nice old fellow of considerable education, but for an honest man he was the worst thief that ever drew the breath of life. Although he stole continually, he was not looked upon as a dishonest man. In fact, one of his thefts was usually thought to be a good joke. He stole to carry out a practical joke, to show his skill, just out of curiosity to see if he could do it, and sometimes for the sake of charity. He was harmless, was very old, and was a Mason, and was regarded as a privileged character. He would steal from one man to make a present to another, and if detected, would steal from some one else to pay the debt. T. N. Long says that Zack once made him a present of a very fine duster. After he had worn it for some time A. T. Bruce noticed it and asked him where he got it. Long told him and then Bruce wanted to look at the garment. After examining it he said that it belonged to him and that Zack must have stolen it in order to make Long a present. A great many stories used to be told about his stealing and the tricks he played, and a few will be given to show the various kinds of work he did. When he was at Richmond some one living there bought a [494] IN CONCLUSION turkey for a Christmas dinner and invited his neighbors to the feast. Just before the turkey was to be cooked Zack stole it and threw it upon the roof of a house near by, and it sunk into the deep snow out of sight. There was no time to get another one and the curses of the owner were both loud and deep. Before New Year Zack managed to get another turkey, and he invited his friends to dine with him on that day, the man from whom the turkey was stolen being among them. Both fowls were cooked and brought onto the table and then the host told how he got one of them. The writer never heard what was said immediately after this. In a book entitled "Buckskin Mose" there is a story which, briefly told, is as follows : One night in the early 60 's ' ' Buck- skin Mose" (George W. Perry), Ben. Painter, and a couple of their friends, went into the Magnolia saloon. T. N. Long, the proprietor, had just gone home leaving Zack to run the place for the rest of the evening. One of the party locked all of the doors and took possession of the keys, and the four men sat down to a game of poker. Before long one of them called for the drinks. They were brought, and after the glasses had been emptied Zack called for the customary "four bits. ,, Instead of paying one of the crowd drew a pistol, and laying it on the table, asked Zack if he saw it. Keceiving a reply in the affirmative, he said "Wall, then! don't stick out your paws for money, but bring along the liquor when we ask for it. ' 9 Zack didn 't like this, but he had no choice in the matter and kept still. They went on playing and drinking for the next three hours, and about one o'clock the fire went down and the room got cold. They told Zack to fix the fire, and he asked them how he could get any wood when the door was locked and they had the key. Fearing that he would run away if he went out alone, one of the crowd went out with him, wood was brought, and the fire started up again. The next time the drinks were ordered Zack brought the glasses in his hands instead of on the tray, and when he set them down on the table he put his hands on the table, too, and let them rest there for a short time. "Mose" said that while this was going on the old fellow's face, which had looked very grim all the evening, broke into a smile. Shortly after this he noticed that his pile of money had grown smaller without any apparent cause. The next time the drinks were brought he watched the [ 495 ] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA old man carefully. When he went after the wood he managed to get a lot of pitch on the back of his hand close to the wrist, and when putting the drinks on the table he let his hands rest on the piles of money in front of the players and some of it stuck to the pitch every time. Before they finished the game he had a goodly share of their wealth, and though they had a quarrel or two about it, they were all so full of whiskey that no one but ' ' Mose ' ' detected the trick. He thought it was extremely funny, and as the boys had plenty of money at the time, he said nothing about it, and Zack got away with enough money to pay Long for his whiskey several times over and himself for his trouble. A. W. Worm, who came to Susanville in 1859, tells the following about his first Christmas turkey in California. ''Uncle Zack Taylor, who used to come into my little store on Main street after a free drink and tobacco, promised to bring me a turkey for Christmas, as I kept bachelor's hall with three others in a room back of the store. Well, Christmas came but no turkey. I met Uncle Zack in the afternoon and began to quiz him about it. He assured me that the turkey would be coming, and seeing that he was quite boozy, I passed on. About dusk he came into the store carrying something under his coat-cape, and passing right into the kitchen he set a platter with a fine roasted turkey on the table. He said 'There is your turkey. I knew you had no way of roasting it, so I took it up to Brannan to have it roasted for you.' After getting a bottle of whiskey he passed out. Well, the boys soon gathered in and we devoured the luscious turkey, dressing and all. We heard later that he had 'swiped' the turkey from a ranch, sold it to Mike Brannan, who was giving a party and a Christmas dinner, and then slipped into the pantry after it was roasted, stole it again and brought it to me. The joke was on Mr. Brannan, who not only lost the turkey, but many a 25-cent drink to the boys who joshed him about it." Mr. Worm says further, "But Uncle had some good traits of character. He kept a poor widow with three children, who lived in the Woodstock house outside of town, from starving by stealing food and giving it to them. This kind act was found out by a relief committee that went out to see her. While she was telling about the old man's kindness, not knowing his name [496] IN CONCLUSION or where he lived, Uncle Zack, thinking the family was alone, stepped into the room." " Uncle Johnny " Baxter told the following story to the writer forty years ago. On one occasion "Old Zack" and "Uncle Tim" played a little trick that very nearly brought them to grief. Before either of them came to Honey Lake Darcey was at work in a blacksmith shop in Taylorville, and during the winter the proprietor of the shop went away for a while and left him in charge of it. Adjoining the blacksmith shop was a saloon and there was a narrow passage between the two build- ings. The saloon keeper boarded himself, and in the rear end of his building were a dining room and a kitchen, presided over by a Chinaman. That Christmas the saloon man concluded to give his friends a feast and he procured a fine turkey for the occasion. "Old Zack" was living in Taylorville that winter, and when he and Tim heard what was going on they made up their minds to steal the turkey and enjoy both that and the joke they would have on the saloon keeper and his frineds. The dinner was to come off in the middle of the afternoon, and the Chinaman cooked the turkey so as to have it done just about that time. Zack was always slouching around the saloon or the kitchen and no one paid any attention to him, so he was to do the stealing. The stove stood on the side of the kitchen next to the shop and near it was a window through which the cook emptied his slops into the passage way. Tim stationed himself beside this window on the outside and Zack went into the front door of the saloon. No notice was taken of him as he went through the saloon whistling softly to himself, excepting that one of the gamblers sitting in a poker game said "Old Zack is whistling. Look out for him. He will steal something." Zack invited him to go to a place where snow is said to be very scarce at Christmas time, and went on into the kitchen. The turkey was done and the cook had opened the oven door and left it in the stove to keep warm while he set the table. Zack loafed around until the Chinaman went out of the room, and then he picked up the pan containing the turkey and passed it through the window to Tim, who carried it into the blacksmith shop and hid it. The Chinaman got everything ready and then called in the crowd that was getting anxious to enjoy the good cheer provided for them. They sat down to the table and the [497] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFOENIA cook went for the turkey. When he returned and reported the loss of the principal part of the feast, their wrath and disap- pointment may be imagined. Suspicion at once fell upon Zack, and of course it followed that Tim also had a hand in it. No time was lost in hunting them up, and when found they were told to give up the turkey immediately or they would be hanged. It didn't take them long to understand that the gamblers meant just what they said, and the fowl was promptly brought from its hiding place. The feast then went on, and although the two jokers got none of it, probably they were happy in the thought that they had escaped being the principal actors in a necktie party. Among the very early settlers in the valley were a little Irishman named John Bradley and his wife Margaret, who located on the lake about five miles southeast of Bankhead's. They were a worthy old couple who had some " Irish wit" that made them remembered long after they had passed "over the divide." The old man used to ride a little, chunky mare that he called "Fly;" and it was a common thing to see him going along the road leaning back in the saddle, his hat on the back of his head, and his feet well out in front. The little mare went on a trot and her rider frequently drummed on her ribs with his heels and said ' ' Get up, Fly. ' ' All this looked very comical to men who rode their wild mustangs with a Spanish rig, let them walk occasionally, and loped them the rest of the time. It was said that he used to meet a man and ask "Have you seen my steer?" The other man would usually say "I don't know your steer, Mr. Bradley. What is his color and brand?" After giving his color he would say "and he has a crop off his right ear and a swallow-fork in the left and is branded J B on the left hind hip, and do you know him now?" Once when at a rodeo he asked some of the boys to get his cow out of the band because he was afraid that she would "get scattered." His Wife said a good many things that were appreciated and enjoyed. One of them was about a man who denied that he came from Ireland. "Sure," said Mrs. Bradley, "it's no disgrace to Ireland." The story lost nothing from the fact that the man's neighbors thought she wasn't far from the truth. There were more of them, but it would make this article too long to tell all their jokes and tricks. They served a good purpose [498] IN CONCLUSION by putting a little cheerfulness into the hard life of the frontier, and passed away with the times that produced them. The Death Roll op the Pioneers The following tells when and where some of the pioneers died. It is impossible to give a complete list. If no other place is given, the person died in this county. Arnold, Leroy N., 1902, Soldier's Home near Los Angeles, California. Arnold, Cutler, 1893, near Hueneme, California. Arnold, Emily (Wife), 1892, near Hueneme, California. Arnold, Henry, in the latter 80 's, Santa Paula, California. Arnold, Alec. T., 1914. Adams, Charles, 1907 or 1908, near Elko, Nevada. Adams, Abijah, in the early 90 's, Southern California. Bass, John, early 70 's, Park City, Utah. Bass, Julia (Wilmans) (Wife), 1915, Auburn, California. Bass, Stephen, 1888, Park City, Utah. Bass, Edward, in the 90 's, Washington county, Missouri. Baxter, John, about 1880, near Salt Lake City, Utah. Breed, Levi Newton, 1908, Los Angeles, California. Breed, Justin H., 1907, Arizona. Bankhead, Malcom, Sr., 1877, Oakland, California. Bankhead, Jane (Wife), 1896, Oakland, California. Bankhead, Malcom, Jr., 1912, Oakland, California. Bankhead, William, 1912, Loomis, California. Bangham, Eber G., 1910. Bangham, Louise (Wife), 1912. Her maiden name was Bor- rette. Borrette, Dr. Henry S., 1912. Was over 100 years old. Borrette, Valentine J., 1913. Was 89 years old. Bass, Richard D., 1904. Bass, Mary A, (Wife), 1913. Her maiden name was Carlyon. Boyd, Julia (Bass), 1887. Bartlett, Edward W., 1876. Killed near Baxter creek N. E. of Buntingville. Boody, Philip, 1882. Killed by R. R. train near Reno, Nevada. Boody, Jacob, 1864. Killed between Janesville and Milford. Boody, Rachel (Wife), 1885. [499] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Byrd, John, 1892, perhaps at Walla Walla, Washington. Byers, James D., 1902. Bradley, John, 1874. Bradley, Margaret (Wife), 1875. Brown, Colburn, 1863. Mortally wounded at Chancellors- ville while fighting in the Union Army. Chandler, Dewitt C, 1868. Corse, William, 1901, near Visalia, California. Horse fell with him and broke his neck. Conkey, Sylvenus, 1880. Conkey, Betsey (Wife), 1898, Reno, Nevada. Conkey, James, 1868. Was run over by a wagon. Conkey, Amos, 1909, Reno, Nevada. Clark, Nicholas, 1892. Clark, (Wife), 1869. Clark, William H., 1914. Chapman, Mrs. Lucretia J., 1882, Alturas, California. Cornelison, Wiley, 1907. Chapman, Judge John S., 1908, Los Angeles, California. Crane, William H., 1910, Los Angeles, California. Crawford, William N., about 1911, The Dalles, Oregon. Craig, Milton, 1895. Crawford, Charles H., 1858. Killed by an Indian. See Narrative. Cornelison, John, 1873. Darcey, Timothy, 1877. Davis, John C, 1894. Drake, Frank, 1894, Hailey, Idaho. Dakin, William H., 1913, Windsor, California. Epley, Thomas H., 1915, Hanford, California. Elliott, W. T. C. (Rough), 1910, Bakersfield, California. Evans, Alvaro, 1914, Reno, Nevada. Eppstein, A. G. (Joe), 1901. Fairchilds, Thomas H., 1881. Fry, George W., 1892. Gray, Anthony, early 70 's, lone, Nevada. Goodrich, C. C, 1886. Gilbert, Marcus E., 1910, Santa Rosa, California. Greeno, George, 1902. [5001 IN CONCLUSION Hatch, Henry, 1868. Kicked by! a mule at the Willow Kanch, Long valley. Hamilton, Eobert, 1910, Chico, California. Hines, Fred, 1911. Hines, Eveline (Wife), 1895. Her maiden name was Strong. HaU, Davis C, 1882, Quiney, California. HaU, Wright P., 1911. Hall, Samuel R., 1912, San Leandro, California. Hulsman, John F., 1914, Los Angeles, California. Johnson, Otis N., 1905. Johnson, Sally M. (Todd) (Wife), 1905. Jones, James, 1864. Jones, (Wife), 1891, San Joaquin Co. Was then Mrs. James 0. Hutchings. Johnston, Robert, 1898. Johnston, Nancy (Wife), 1882. Her maidejn name was Bangham. Jenison, Albert B., 1898. Jenison, Mary J. (Wife), , Alturas, California. Kingsbury, William C, about 1900, San Jose, California. Kingsbury, Ellen S. (Wife), 1897. Was then Mrs. Frank Thomas. Kingsbury, Frank E., 1905, Redding, California. Lynch, Joseph, 1885. Lawrence, Marion (Comanche George), 1868. Leith, William, 1906. Lowe, John, Jr., 1907. Long, Mary L. (Jenison), 1912. Wife of Thomas N. Long. Lake, M. C, 1884, Reno, Nevada. Lanigar, Francis, 1900. Lanigar, John W., 1909. Death caused by a fall from the seat of an engine he was driving. Montgomery, Thomas, 1897. McMurtrey, Thomas, 1901, Plumas county, California. Mulroney, Thomas J., 1910. Mulroney, Sarah G. (Wife), 1906. Her maiden name was Thompson. Mulroney, Edward, 1895, Estherville, Emmett county, Iowa. Mulroney, Helena (Wife), 1883, Emmett county, Iowa. McKissick, John Best, 1914. [501] HISTOEY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA McKissick, Daniel, 1895. McKissick, Melissa (Wife), 1896. Her maiden name was Fowler. McKissick, Jacob, 1900, Reno, Nevada. Neale, A. Clark, 1900, Plumas county, California. Naileigh, William Hill (Cap. Hill), 1880. Nixon, Charles, 1891. Neale, John H., about 1885, San Francisco, California. Partridge, Hiram L., 1869. Killed by the Indians at Deep Hole, Nevada. Painter, Samuel H., 1899. Painter, Jane (Wife), 1908. Painter, Alexander, 1860, Roop county, Nevada. Killed by the Indians. Phillips, Nathan, 1869. Purdom, T. C, 1864, San Francisco, California. Perry, George W. (Buckskin Mose), 1876, San Bernardino county, California. Roop, Isaac N., 1869. Roop, Ephraim, 1867, Isthmus of Panama. Raker, William F., 1897. Rice, Edwin, 1883. Scott, Malcom S., 1863. Storff, Antone, 1906 or 1907, Bull Run, Nevada. Slater, Dr. John A., 1863. Strong, Franklin S., 1908. Stark, Lewis, 1901, Plumas county, California. Streshly, Orlando, 1914, Azusa, California. Streshly, Margaret (Wife), Azusa, California. Her maiden name was Todd. Sharp, James P., 1900. Sylvester, A. U., 1904. Ninety years old. Spencer, Ephraim V., 1904. Sheldon, Benjamin F., 1901, Pacific Grove, California. Spalding, Dr. Zetus N., 1898. Spalding, Mary A. (Wife), 1905. Her maiden name was Brown. Summers, John H., 1914. Summers, Mary (Wife), 1914, Sacramento, California. Her maiden name was Hughes. [502] IN CONCLUSION Spencer, Luther D., 1876. Smith, Albert A., , Alturas, California. Smith, Lutie (Chapman) (Wife), , Alturas, California. Shumway, Benjamin E., 1909, Clackamas county, Oregon. Shumway, Mahala (Wife), 1909, Clackamas county, Oregon. Tunison, Abraham L., 1909, Orange county, California. Tyler, Jeremiah, 1890. Tuskey, John, 1864. Taylor, Paschal (Zack), about 1864. Thompson, Richard, 1895. Thompson, Margaret (Wife), 1867. Thomas, Frank, 1904. Thayer, John, 1883, Reno, Nevada, or near there. Titherington, Louisa (Gray), 1914, Oakland, California. Was the wife of Baker Titherington. Vary, Ladue, 1907, Winnemucca, Nevada. Was 95 years old. Vaughan, A. M., about 1910, Amador county, California. Weatherlow, Captain William M., 1864. White, Charles M., 1867. Wilcox, Hiram K., 1883. Death caused by fall from a ladder. Wilmans, D. I., 1883, Pioneer, Arizona. Watson, Thomas, 1901. Shot by Benedick Weissenburger near Richmond. Woodstock, Loyal, 1906. Wright, Albert S., 1883. Was thrown from a buggy while the horse was running away. Washburn, Fred A., 1878. Williams, James, 1879, Grand Ronde valley, Oregon. Williams, Flora, 1869. Whiting, Linus P., 1889. Ward, John S., 1872. Ward, Trowbridge H., 1900, Laytonville, Humboldt county, California. Ward, Frank G (Bob), 1895. M. W. Haviland moved to Paradise valley, Nevada, and died somewhere in that section. Dave Blanchard, when last heard of by any one in this part of the country, was at Elko, Nevada, and Johnson Tutt was at Austin, Nev. Manley Thompson, Lathrop, and Shumway went to Oregon. But Hasey, L. C. McMurtry, "Old Tom" Harvey, Fredonyer, Ebenezer (Bricktop) Smith, [503] HISTOBY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Major Gilpin, Fullbright, Frank Johnson, Morehead, and many others who were prominent here during the first four or five years of settlement? "My Tribute to the Pioneers op Lassen County, California "Hail! trusty valiant knights of old That braved the storms by sea and land. No deserts waste nor redskins bold Could swerve them from this western strand. Naught could their courage e'er dismay In onward trudging day by day. "Through crucibles their life has passed, And stood the test like precious gold. They braved the fiercest raging blast That oft like giants 'gainst them rolled. Love, honor, courage did display To gain a better, brighter day. "Vicissitudes of life now past Are writ within their joyous heart, That oft with clouds was overcast; But by God's hand were swept apart To let the sunshine's brightest ray Beam on their riper golden day. "To them the highest honors due, For only brave and loyal heart, To loved ones and to country true, Could from sweethearts and home depart To trudge through wilds far, far away To gain for them a better day. "May their life's setting sun e'er be Illumed in brilliant golden hue. Their loved filled hearts with joyful glee Their health and strength and life renew, And keep them ever fresh and gay Until the final closing day." — By A. W. "Wern, a Honey Lake pioneer of 1859. [504] IN CONCLUSION Conclusion This more or less veracious history is ended and so are the days and times of the men and women about whom it is written. For more than thirty years after its settlement, in many ways, conditions remained almost the same in Lassen county. Every year a little more land was taken up and the population increased, but the growth was slow. Even in 1900 there was not one inhabitant to the square mile. Honey Lake valley, that part of the county most easily reached from the outside world, was almost an ideal place for one who liked a simple, quiet life. Nearly all the inhabitants of the valley were early settlers and their descendants. They were all acquainted with one another and met on terms of equality. Nobody was rich, smart, or handsome enough to be much better than any one else, though, of course, like every other place, there were a few people afflicted with the idea that they were the salt of the earth. The common schools were good, there was a daily mail, and it took only twenty-four hours to reach San Francisco. There was no criminal class, and excepting the theft of some stock from the ranges, very few crimes were committed. As a rule, the ranchers made a good living and some money besides with far less work than was usually done by those who tilled the soil in other parts of the world. There were very few really poor people and no one went cold or hungry if his con- dition was known. If a poor man lost his house by fire, the people of the valley built him a new one and gave him a supply of provisions. Comparatively little of the country was fenced and the ranges were open to all. People hunted, fished, camped, and cut wood almost when and where they pleased. What has been said of Honey Lake applies to all parts of the county, with the exception that in some localities it took more time and trouble to reach the railroad and their market and mail service were not so good. In these latter days when an "Old Timer" thinks of the fish and game laws, the government reserves, and the fencing up of the valleys and the ranges, it seems as if the days of free- [505] HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA dom and good times had passed away. But the wheels of time roll on and death and change are inevitable. In a few short years no one who remembers or wishes for "the days of old" will be found in the land. The End [506] HERE ENDS THE CHRONICLES OF THE EARLY SETTLERS OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AND THE ADJOINING COUNTRY RANGED BY THEM, AS SET DOWN BY A. M. FAIRFIELD AND PRINTED BY THE H. S. CROCKER COMPANY OF THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, THIS YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN. \ MAP OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA + AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY S ■ fc I m LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 017 064 472 4 ■ ■