On June 18, 1864, the County of Lassen purchased Block 22, in Susanville for $100 from Isaac Roop. It was the only block on the south side of Main Street that was not subdivided into lots. It should be noted that many lots on Main Street sold for more than $100. In many ways it was a fair price. It did contain a stipulation that should the county no longer use it for a courthouse that the property would revert to Roop or his heirs. This was not unusual, as a number of school properties such as Lake and Willow Creek contained such stipulations, but when those properties were no longer used for their original purpose the stipulation was ignored. However, in the late 1970s Lassen County acquired property on North Mesa Street, in Susanville, as a possible new County complex site. When the courthouse stipulation was revealed it brought about some palace intrigue, especially since heirs of Roop still resided in the community. However, the Mesa Street proposal would be abandoned, thus ending that debate. The county could have challenged that stipulation and would have won, because Roop never owned the property in the first place. More about that later.