USA > California > Lassen County > 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 Also much of the pioneer history of the state of Nevada the biographies of Governor Isaac N. Roop and Peter Lassen and many stories of Indian warfare never before published > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
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, CALIFORNIA
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 YEAR 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) Fuller 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 ]
HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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, R. York Rundel and Family, George W. Wilson and Family, Sherrill Wilson, Harrison Sain, William Maskelyne, S. P. Tunnel and Family, Jesse Williams, *William Rantz, *Vesper Coburn, William Fox, *L. F. Prebble, Warren Lockman, M. P. Preddy, Richard M. Menifee, William R. 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 (R. 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 YEAR 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, California."
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 ]
HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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 ]
HISTORY 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 YEAR 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 ]
THE YEAR 1861
of the men had at once recognized the track of the boot worn by "Curley" 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. O. Hundley, the district attorney.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.