USA > California > Lassen County > Fairfield's pioneer history of Lassen County, California to 1870 > Part 3
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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 aeross the stream without any trouble. At the old James D. Byers ranch on Baxter ereek 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 (Johnstonville) grist mill now stands, or perhaps a little lower down. In two years they washed baek 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
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THE YEARS 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.
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HISTORY 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- mueca 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.
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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.
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HISTORY 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. Beekwourth 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 ont 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
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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 ROUTE
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-
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HISTORY 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 baek, 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, Jaek 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 paek 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 elaims 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
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THE YEARS 1848 TO 1856
article published in Hutchings' 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 Rabbit Hole springs; and then between twenty-five and thirty miles northwest to the Hot springs west of the Black Rock 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
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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 "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 Californians 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 Californian" 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
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THE YEARS 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
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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 : Roop, 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- meneed, 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 baek 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.
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THE YEARS 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.
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