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 33
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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
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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 Salling, 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
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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
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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;
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THE YEAR 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
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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
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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
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HISTORY 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
Place of Voting
Precinct
Place of Voting
Junction,
Junction House.
Milford,
Milford.
Summit,
Byrd 's Ranch.
Toadtown,
Schoolhouse.
Susan River
Lathrop City.
Janesville,
Janesville.
Susanville,
Susanville.
Mud Springs,
Mud Springs.
Devil's Corral,
Stockton's Mill.
Mt. Meadows,
Goodrich's.
Fort Crook, Long Valley,
Ross & Evans.
The following Inspectors and Judges were appointed :
Precinct
Inspector
Judges
Junction,
Paul Jones,
M. Bronson and -- Wright.
Long Valley,
W. S. Ross,
A. Evans and J. McKissick.
Summit, - Shannon
Milford,
Joseph Wemple, Lewis Stark,
A. H. Barnes and N. Clark.
Susan River,
U. L. Shaffer,
J. N. Pine and Dr. McCollom.
Toadtown,
E. G. Bangham, - Jenkerson,
Mud Springs, Susanville,
P. Chamberlain,
A. C. Neale and Z. N. Spalding. - Tunnel and T. Robinson. Frank Peed and W. C. Kingsbury. George Long and
Mt. Meadows,
- Goodrich, A. Seaman, Lee,
H. H. Reppert and P. J. Quinn, James Haley and
Devil's Corral, Willow Creek, Fort Crook, [ 348 ]
Willow Creek,
Lee's Burg.
L. P. Whiting and Thomas Fairchilds.
Janesville,
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
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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 C. M. 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
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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,
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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, F. 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.
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