USA > California > Lassen County > Fairfield's pioneer history of Lassen County, California to 1870 > Part 7
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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
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-
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THE YEAR 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 Morehead 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
1
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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 Keeltcy 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
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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 Susanville 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
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HISTORY 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 elaimed 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. O. Drake, A. G. Baker, H. Burlingham, and Z. N. Spalding, but they relinquished it in three days; Thomas Johnson
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THE YEAR 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-
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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 Run 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; 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 & Co's. "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
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THE YEAR 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 commeneing at a stake near a creek known as the Irishmans creck and running in
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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 Gordier 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 stoek 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 Hateh 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.
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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.
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HISTORY OF LASSEN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Squire Stark was Justice of the Peace in Plumas county and this county for many years.
Roop House Register.
"List of Arrivals
1857
H. B. Ray Rabbit Creek 1st 1857
Henry Arnold Dc Do
April 3d 1857
stiles Train 650 cattle 306 horses and mules 119 men
woman 1 child 17 hands 3 wagons No of fools 201 To Roop
1
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 quieken 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 flattering 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 MeDermutt 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 Coaeli leaves at 10 o eloek 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
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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
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