For whatever reason, the Honey Lakers embraced the monicker of Never Sweats. By the 1870s, visitors and new residents were perplexed by this name and some of them attempted to decipher its meaning. In 1878, one writer, who used the pseudonym of Rover, observed what a Never Sweat was not. “Honey Lakers are here designated Never Sweats.
Why not because of laziness, sickness or old age, nor previous
condition of servitude, not for lack of possession of time or money; not from any physical imperfections, imaginary or real. It is no doubt a political or religious peculiarity.”
The term would drift in and out like the tides. However, when Asa Fairfield published his Pioneer History of Lassen County in 1916, he proclaimed Honey Lake Valley as the Land of the Never Sweats forever cementing the name in the area’s history. Since then, numerous organizations have used that name, and in 2000 in part of the City of Susanville’s Centennial used the slogan of Land of the Never Sweats.
There is, of course, a landmark the Never Sweat Hills in eastern Honey Lake Valley on the Nevada side. Hopefully, one fine day I will make out there. It has best example of the lakeshore terrace effect from the receding waters of the ancient inland sea known as Lake Lahontan. Another feature near there, worth exploring again is Max’s Masoleum—another story for another time.
Max’s Masoleum Sounds like a grand rock outcropping. My wife and I just bought some acres along the eastern fence of the Sierra Army Depot, and have fallen in love with everything from the soil to the big cats I keep seeing on my hunt cams. Even had a chance to see the Restdale Cemetary. Would love to have a family plot there.. Plenty to prepare for and encounter in such a wild place. Do you have any information on the Masoleum?