During the late 1850s and early 1860s real cash at times was hard to come by for the new settlers. Of course, there were those who would barter for services. In 1857, it was discovered that rutabagas (turnips to some) thrived in the Honey Lake Valley and became a form of currency. In 1860 when the Richmond Times, the area’s first newspaper made its debut, they offered a subscription price of 200 pounds of rutabagas.
There is one Honey Lake Justice court case where rutabagas were accepted as legal tender. In 1866, when A. Dillon sued Antone Storff over the payment of labor and sundry supplies, Dillon accepted Storff’s partial payment in rutabagas.