The events surrounding Peter Lassen and his mining companion Edward Clapper deaths has always been a bit sketchy. For starters, W.N.Davis, Jr. wrote an interesting piece, and somewhat abridged than other versions. This is what Davis wrote:

”On April 25, 1859, Peter Lassen and his two prospecting companions made their evening camp near Clapper Creek, about twenty miles northwest of Black Rock and some 125 miles northeast of Susanville, expecting that on the next day they would join William Weatherlow and the three other miners of the party and commence examining the area for silver. On the morning of the 26th, Lassen rose with the dawn and was sitting placidly smoking his pipe as was his habit when the stillness was shattered by gunfire. Edward Clapper, one of the miners, was killed where he lay sleeping. Lassen leaped to his feet and shielding his eyes from the sun was endeavoring to locate the assailant when he too received a bullet. The old pioneer fell mortally wounded. The third member of the group, Lemericus Wyatt, seeing the fate of his partners, ran for the horses, only to find that they had pulled their picket ropes and were fast disappearing across the plain. The sixty year old Wyatt had never been in a tougher spot. Then one of the animals stopped, turned about, and galloped to the desperate man. Wyatt mounted in haste, and after a painful four day ride bareback gained the safety of Susanville. A search party went out to examine the site of the attack and Chief Winnemucca was questioned for information as to the culprit, but the assassin was never identified. All that was ever learned from the circumstances of the murders was that the perpetrator was almost certainly an Indian.”

Notice that Davis wrote “almost” but not conclusive. He has not been the only person that leaves some doubt. When one delves into the documentation, there are a lot of points to ponder, a good defense attorney representing a defendant in the matter could have a field day.

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The following report was published in the Lassen Advocate of October 26, 1923, “Figures received by the Chamber of Commerce from the Division of Motor Vehicles of the state show that 1,941 automobiles are registered in Lassen County. There are also forty-two trucks; thirteen motorcycles and one trailer. The total number for the state is 322,518. Lassen County holds the forty-third place among the fifty-eight counties. The semi-annual statement for apportionment of motor vehicle receipts shows that Lassen County has turned in $8,995 for automobile licenses.”

Tim

This may have been one of the shortest lived corporations in Lassen County. On January 11, 1908, the Hill Lonkey Land & Livestock Company was organized. The principles were Nevada ranchers Thomas Hill, Mary Hill, George W. Mann, Camille Lonkey and George T. Crosby. The purpose was the purchase of the two largest ranches in Willow Creek Valley, just north of Susanville at an estimated cost of $100,000. The two ranches were Folsom and the San Francisco Ranch. Folsom known is the Willow Creek Wildlife Area and the San Francisco Ranch is Five Dot Land & Cattle Company.

The Hill family consisted of Thomas and Mary Hill and their eleven children—Cleveland, Archibald, Jessie, Sadie, Maude, Thomas Gay, Christine, Joseph Hubert, Florence, Lawrence and Robert. The Folsom Ranch had plenty of room to accommodate the family, as one observed quipped in 1920 that it looked like it was built on the installment plan.

Meanwhile, Camille and Georgianna. and their three daughters—Irma, Joyce and Verdi—took possession of the San Francisco Ranch. Like the Folsom place, Lonkey’s had plenty of room, too.

In 1910, Hill Lonkey dissolved the corporation. The ranches were divided accordingly. Why, I have never been able to ascertain and I interviewed members of both families, and they could not provide any insight. In 1924, the Lonkey Ranch sold to Rees T. Jenkins, but in 1937, but due Jenkins financial issues took back the ranch and searched for new buyers.  The Hill Ranch  was sold in 1927 to Patrick Walsh.

Tim

Over the years, I have sifted through all kinds of records conducting research. It is a slow, tedious process, but then one comes across those hidden gems, it makes it worth while.  Alas, it is also becoming a lost art. I have found that too many people rely upon the internet for their research.  Okay, enough of my opinion.

Prior to 1997’s California’s Trial Court Act, there was a justice and a superior court—and in more populated counties multiple courts—including municipal. Early day justice courts provides an interesting glimpse into ordinary affairs of the community—whether civil or criminal.

This brings to the 1865 case People of the State  vs. William Weatherlow that was filed in the Honey Lake Justice Court. This was just your typical delinquent property tax case. A unique situation occurred in this case when Constable E.R. Nicholls attempted to serve Weatherlow with a summons for $46.30 in back taxes  Nichols noted on the summons of his attempted service of February 7, 1865 that he was unable serve Weatherlow as he “. . .  cannot be found in the County.” If only Nichols, who doubled as County Surveyor, had toured the Susanville Cemetery, he would have located Weatherlow’s grave, as he died on July 22, 1864. and thereby a permanent resident of Lassen County. It wasn’t as though Nichols was unaware of who Weatherlow was—he being prominent in the affairs of the Honey Lake Valley—but Nichols had sued him in 1861 over a mining claim in the Black Rock Desert.

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