In the 1860s, stockmen on the Great Plains first introduced barbwire to keep their livestock in one region and to fence springs, preventing unwanted livestock access to the water. It was also an economical measure, wood was not a common commodity on the plains.

The introduction of barbwire in Lassen County was a slow process, and no doubt a 1880s lawsuit hampered its local use. In 1883, Charles F. Gardner and A.J. Rhoads claimed substantial acreage through the Swamp and Overflowed Land Act in northern Grasshopper Valley.  The men proposed a large-scale livestock operation.  In the spring of 1886, they hired William Tanner to construct a barbwire fence to enclose their lands to protect their
pasture from roaming livestock. Tanner constructed a three-strand
fence—the top strand 52 inches high, with posts thirty-six feet apart.
Charles F. Loveland, the adjoining property owner claimed the fence
was a hazard and poorly maintained.  He claimed that five of his
horses had been killed by the fence and an additional twenty horses
had been crippled by it. On July 4, 1886, Loveland filed a lawsuit
against Gardner, Rhoads and Tanner for the loss and injuries sustained by his horses from that fence.  On April 11, 1887, the jury awarded Loveland $575 plus costs.  Gardner appealed verdict.  On May 27, 1889, the appellate court remanded the case back to the local court with two options.  Loveland could accept damages in the amount of $300 or the parties could have a new trial.  Loveland accepted the $300 award.

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