Tuledad Canyon is a somewhat remote place east of the Madeline Plains, but back in another time, there was even a stage stop there. It was named after Samuel King Matney (1783-1887), a native of Tennessee, who came to California prior to the gold rush of ’49.  Matney settled along the Sacramento River and raised hogs in the tules, and received the nickname of Tule Dad. After roaming around in Arizona as a scout for the Army, he returned to California and settled in Surprise Valley, Modoc County.  Matney then moved south into Lassen County, next to the Nevada boundary, and the place became known as TuleDad.  Matney never acquired title to the property and moved back to Modoc and to Jess Valley where he died and was buried under a juniper tree.  In the 1870s, the mail route to Surprise Valley went through this canyon and a station was established where Matney had originally located.  In July 1878 a correspondent for the Lassen Advocate  wrote:  “. . Arriving at Tuley Dad we were refreshed with some water.  This is the old stage station kept by H.P. Newton; being assured by him that we were on the ‘right road’ my partner was now composed and quite at ease, after my reassurance that I would get him to Eagleville on time.” 

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