Susanville’s founder, Isaac Roop on why he came to the Honey Lake Valley, was different than Peter Lassen. On the other hand, Roop came to California in 1850. Roop was not a member of the gold rush. He came here from Ohio at the urging of his brother Josiah, who had a general store in the mining community of Shasta. Josiah asked his brother Isaac to operate the store while he returned east to bring his family out to California. Josiah never made back it, as he died en route. Isaac had no choice but to remain to settle his brother’s estate.
On June 14, 1853 was a turning point for Roop when a devastating fire in Shasta left him nearly destitute. A bit background on Roop. He was widowed and the father of three small children whom he left in the care of his in-laws. Roop decided not to rebuild in Shasta nor was he going to return to his family in Ohio. Instead he set out out on the Noble’s Emigrant Trail in the fall of 1853 in search of a location for a trading post. He found a spot at the very western end of the Honey Lake Valley. In June 1854, Roop with his brother, Ephraim returned and built a log cabin trading post/home that became the foundation of what would become Susanville.