Datura – Lassen County

Members of the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club at the Honey Lake School, 1898. Courtesy of Betty B. Deal
Members of the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club at the Honey Lake School at Datura, 1898. Courtesy of Betty B. Deal

Datura was an interesting little wide spot in the road east of present day Standish. Its existence came into being first as a stage stop in the 1890s and also referred to as Four Corners or Cain’s Corner. For a brief time, it appeared that it actually might be a substantial outpost. By 1894, William Henry Harrison Fuller opened a store there. On May 11, 1895 the Datura Post Office was established with Fuller serving as the first and only postmaster. George M. Cain followed suit and opened a livery stable where stage coaches could change horses. The newly formed Honey Lake School built their first school at Datura.

During 1897/98 the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club held their meetings at Datura to formulate the plans for their utopian community of Standish. On April 21, 1899, the Datura Post Office closed and its operations moved to Standish. As Standish developed, Datura slipped into oblivion.

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