This may have been one of the shortest lived corporations in Lassen County. On January 11, 1908, the Hill Lonkey Land & Livestock Company was organized. The principles were Nevada ranchers Thomas Hill, Mary Hill, George W. Mann, Camille Lonkey and George T. Crosby. The purpose was the purchase of the two largest ranches in Willow Creek Valley, just north of Susanville at an estimated cost of $100,000. The two ranches were Folsom and the San Francisco Ranch. Folsom known is the Willow Creek Wildlife Area and the San Francisco Ranch is Five Dot Land & Cattle Company.

The Hill family consisted of Thomas and Mary Hill and their eleven children—Cleveland, Archibald, Jessie, Sadie, Maude, Thomas Gay, Christine, Joseph Hubert, Florence, Lawrence and Robert. The Folsom Ranch had plenty of room to accommodate the family, as one observed quipped in 1920 that it looked like it was built on the installment plan.

Meanwhile, Camille and Georgianna. and their three daughters—Irma, Joyce and Verdi—took possession of the San Francisco Ranch. Like the Folsom place, Lonkey’s had plenty of room, too.

In 1910, Hill Lonkey dissolved the corporation. The ranches were divided accordingly. Why, I have never been able to ascertain and I interviewed members of both families, and they could not provide any insight. In 1924, the Lonkey Ranch sold to Rees T. Jenkins, but in 1937, but due Jenkins financial issues took back the ranch and searched for new buyers.  The Hill Ranch  was sold in 1927 to Patrick Walsh.

Tim