In the spring of 1914, when Lassen Peak came roaring back to life as an active volcano, it brought about a whole new set of issues, that had never been addressed.
In the fall of 1914, Francis M. Garner had a homestead on federal land some twenty miles west of Lassen Peak. Since the eruptions were constant, with no end in sight, Garner began to worry about his home. He feared it could be destroyed by volcanic ash and even worse lava. He wrote to the Government Land Office about his predicament. What Garner wanted to know, if he was forced to abandon his homestead, he wanted to know if an exchange could be made for other government land. If Garner received a reply from the Government Land Office, the contents are not known. On the other hand, while Garner’s homestead was never threatened, he did abandon his homestead.