Janesville versus Lassen

Main Street, Janesville, 1911. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

With the pending arrival of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad there was a movement to change many names of communities in the Honey Lake Valley.  It was deemed there were too many towns ending with “ville.” Some thought the suffix carried a stigma of a small village. While the movement to change the name of Susanville failed, Janesville did not fare so well. On July 2, 1914, the post office there was renamed Lassen. This did not set well with many of the town’s residents. A petition was sent to the Postmaster General to restore the name, but it was denied. It led to confusion since the town was known as Janesville, but its mail designation was Lassen . In 1923, the residents once again petition the postal authorities to restore the name.  It was granted and on September 22, 1923, the Lassen postal designation was dropped.

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