The United States Government Land Office played an important role in the region’s history. To file a homestead on government land required a trip to the nearest government land office. This was rather a major inconvenience for local residents as the nearest office was located in Marysville in 1850s/60s. It was Susanville resident John S. Ward who lobbied officials in Washington D.C. for a land office to be located in Susanville. In 1871 he succeeded. The land office served the region of Lassen and Plumas Counties, and included Modoc County when it as created in 1874.
An interesting episode transpired when the records from the Marysville office had been transferred to Susanville. Upon examination, it was discovered that Isaac Roop had never taken the proper procedures with the Government Land Office to procure title to the Susanville townsite. Thus owners of town lots were vulnerable to any claim-jumper who desired to do so. That is a whole story in itself.
Some may be familiar with the phrase doing a “land office business.” In the spring of 1902, Susanville saw such a land rush. The Government Land Office offered Northern California timberlands for sale. The out of towner “timber grabbers” descended upon Susanville to file 160-acre claims at $2.50 per acre without being subjected to pre-emption and homestead laws. Thus, the original intent of the law was designed to prevent timber companies and speculators from obtaining large tracts of timberlands, it had, in reality exactly the opposite effect.
Times were changing and on April 30, 1925 the Susanville Government Land Office closed. In the 1930s with the adoption of the Taylor Grazing Act the Government Land Office was transformed into the Bureau of Land Management.