Information about the use of oxen in the region is scant. On the other hand, many a pioneer settler who traveled overland to the west, used ox teams, because they could carry heavy loads and handle difficult terrain.

One of the earliest accounts of oxen used for freighting, occurred in November 1860. At that time, Mark Haviland rented his wagon and and six oxen to J.E. Shearer to haul merchandise to Virginia City, Nevada. On the toll road between Virginia City and Silver City the wagon and ox team overturned down a steep embankment. There was substantial damage to the wagon, one ox was killed and another seriously injured. Haviland sued Shearer for $150 for damages, and was awarded $120.

In 1907 was the last time oxen were used commercially in the Honey Lake Valley. At that time, the Lassen Mill & Lumber Company had a contract for a million board feet of lumber to the Nevada mines of Goldfield. The lumber came from the mills in the Janesville area. It was then hauled to the Barham Dock at Honey Lake, near Baxter Creek. It was then placed on a barge and shipped across the lake to Amedee. An ox team there, then hauled the lumber to the NCO railroad depot to be shipped. The oxen were needed as the ground near the lake was too soft for horses.

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A subscriber inquired that for most of their experiences Honey Lake was either a dry dust bowl or a small mud puddle. The lake can be a lot of things.

First of all, the lake is a remnant of the ancient Lake Lahontan, so is nearby Pyramid Lake. There is a difference between the two, as Honey is a playa lake—a shallow body of water that goes dry in times of drought. However, there is another factor in play, since a great amount of water that would normally  flow into the lake, is now diverted for irrigation, thereby never reaching the lake.

When there is a heavy wet winter, that causes flooding with excessive run off can fill up the dry lake bed. When the lake is full it covers some 60,000 acres. On the average it takes a successive three drought years for the lake to completely evaporate. When the lake is dry and with the downslope winds from the Diamond Mountain range creates a dust bowl. What is fascinating is the amount of sediment the winds remove, thereby allowing the lake to still retain in certain places a depth up to twenty feet, though on the average four to five feet, and shallower on the east side, when the lake is filled up with water.

Tim

Researching the Official Records of Lassen County can be challenging. The above is a perfect example how vague a document can be. The title of this document is confusing, too. “Field Notes of the Survey of County Road from Susanville and Johnstonville Road to Richmond and Susanville Road.”

John C. Partridge, spent two years as the Lassen County Surveyor. In 1871, after the U.S. Government Land Office established an office in Susanville, he was appointed to U.S. Deputy Surveyor. He spent five years conducting the initial Government Land Office surveys in the region.

Tim