This is a Native American Cemetery located on Rice Canyon Road and adjacent to the High Desert State Prison.

It is also a family cemetery of Charlie & Jennie Piute. Charlie Piute was half Maidu and half Paiute and was born in 1837 at Big Meadows, now Lake Almanor. As to Jennie she was born in 1861. She died on March 26, 1916 at their home at Rice Canyon from some form rheumatism affection and was the first person to be buried. The second was her infant grandson Laurence Charles Mullen born January 21,1925 and died August 31, 1925.

Charlie Piute died on April 9, 1927. It is not known by me when the family moved from Big Meadows to Rice Canyon, but it appears to be after 1900. I inquired with Leonard Lowry as he is somewhat related, but he did not know.

Their eldest child Ora was born circa 1873 at Big Meadows. She married George Evans on November 5, 1893. They had four children: Willis, Oliver, Lester and Marie. In 1912, George and Ora Evans were the first Native American couple to file for divorce in the Lassen County Superior Court. Ora Evans died in Susanville on September 6, 1948 and was buried in the Lassen Cemetery.

Other children of Charlie and Jennie include, John Brown, Russell Piute, Minnie who married James C. Mullen and Nellie who was married to Jimmy Mullins.

The last time I did any research on this family was back in 2004 for Adam Mullins. Leonard Lowry wrote in my file; “Descendants of Charlie Piute living in Susanville include the Valadez, Granados, Nelson, Kingston, Law, Allen and others.”

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