Just because one enters into a partnership with a person who has a high profile name, does not guarantee success. While Peter Lassen enjoyed name recognition, his many business ventures had a lot to be desired. In 1851, in near exile from failed pursuits, Lassen and his partner, Isadore Meyerwitz operated a trading post in Indian Valley, Plumas County.

In late June 1855, Lassen along with partners Joseph Lynch, William Gallagher and Samuel Knight began to develop a mining claim on unamed creek in the Honey Lake Valley, to be later known as Lassen Creek. Work would come to a halt, when the water flow from the creek became too low for work to continue. The four men returned to Indian Valley. Lassen was not going to give up. That fall, along with Meyerwitz and Lynch, with plenty of provisions in hand returned to establish a camp at their claim and to spend the winter. A log cabin 10 feet by 12 feet was constructed a half mile or so west of the large ponderosa pine tree. it (The cabin was later enlarged to 16’ x50’). Three other men would join them—Marion Lawrence, John Duchene and Newton Hamilton. The following year some of men sought other claims. Even Lynch had settled on claim along Parker Creek south of Janesville, but eventually returned back to the cabin.

After Lassen’s death in 1859, his estate sold Lassen’s Ranch where he was buried to David Titherington. It did not include the property where the cabin was located and Lynch laid claim to that property. In 1880, Lynch secured a 160-acre federal land patent to that property.

As if he knew his day of reckoning was at hand, at the age of 73, Lynch sold his 160-acre homestead to W.P.Hall on October 20, 1885 for $1,000 with the provision to a life estate to the property. Lynch died that December. In 1896, Peter Vogt who had purchased the property from Hall, burned down the dilapidated cabin that Lassen, Lynch  with other comrades had constructed in the fall of 1855.

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