by Susan Couso
In 1882, a group of Honey Lake Valley men got together to create a society composed of Lassen County pioneers. On February 14th, 1882, they met in Johnston and Wood’s Hall in Susanville.
It was proposed that these honored members would be men who had been born or settled in what is now Lassen County, before January 1st, 1860.
The idea became a reality when the Lassen County Pioneer Society was created by a group of men at a second meeting in March. They met at the Steward House in Susanville, and when it was ascertained that some of their friends had actually entered the area a little later, they changed the ‘cut-off’ date to July 1st, 1860.
Apparently, pioneer women, who supported, made do, struggled and suffered, did not matter.
These members were: James D. Byers, Frank S. Strong, John C. Davis, John Baxter, Jerry Tyler, David Titherington, Dr. Z. N. Spalding, Dr. P. Chamberlain, A. G. Eppstein, William H. Clark, Robert Johnston, Richard D. Bass, William Dow, George W. Fry, Stephen S. Bass, John Edward Bass, Wright P. Hall, Eber G. Bangham, Thomas J. Mulroney, Albert A. Smith, Leroy Arnold, John Lowe Jr., Ephraim V. Spencer, Samuel R. Hall, Philip Boody, Davis C. Hall, William H. Crane and George Greeno.
The photo above is often labeled as Lassen County Pioneer Society members, but it does show four men who were not in the area before July 1st, 1860: John Garette (1862), Dr. Robert F. Moody (1861), William B. Long (1862) and Thomas Montgomery (1862).
Pioneers went through many difficulties to establish homes in the Lassen County area, and it was indeed, something of an accomplishment. But it is noteworthy that many others faced difficulties because of this migration into the Honey Lake Valley and beyond.
