How Lassen County was founded [Video]

Odd artifacts and historical characters seemed to be attracted to this place.

SUSANVILLE, Calif. — It took a petty and very small war to establish Northern California’s Lassen County. The war was called the Sage Brush War and it started on February 15, 1863 when shots rang out from Roop’s trading post.

Tax collectors from Plumas County demanded payment from the settlers in the Honey Lake Valley, but historian Susan Couso says settlers raised their guns instead.

“The local people said, ‘No we are not. We are not in Plumas County,’ and that started a war,” said Couso.

The dispute was over state boundary lines and taxes. It triggered a quick shootout, which ended with two men wounded. In the end, both parties agreed to hire a surveyor to settle the matter.

“When they did the survey in 1864, they determined we were in California, so we created Lassen County,” said Couso.

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