While yesterday we explored the early day fur trappers of the Hudson Bay Company and others of the 1820s and 1830s in the region there is a geographical feature named for John Jacob Astor. Astor Pass is more like a narrow canyon/valley that separates Honey Lake and Pyramid Lake. By the 1880s, it is well documented as Astor Pass, many attribute it to John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), who was a major American competitor in the fur trade with Hudson Bay.

Astor Pass came into prominence in 1912, providing an easy route for the Fernley &Lassen Railroad into the Honey Lake Valley via Pyramid Lake. In the pass, the railroad established Roop Siding.

While the rails have been removed interest in this locale has not gone by the wayside. In the 1970s, there was considerable interest in diatomaceous earth deposits—remnants of decomposed fish and organic matter of Lake Lahontan. This particular matter, if developed, was to be utilized as fertilizer. Since the early 2000s the area has been studied for potential geothermal resources.

Tim