Lassen County CA Archives History - Books .....Lassen Flume And Land Company 1882
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 18, 2006, 3:24 am

Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

LASSEN FLUME AND LAND COMPANY.

   In the early part of 1874, C. A. Merrill came to Lassen county, and built a
saw-mill seven miles west of Susanville. During the summer he conceived the idea
of bringing the water of Eagle lake, through the intervening range of hills, to
the tract of 150,000 acres of dry sage-brush land lying to the east, north, and
west of Honey lake. By this means this land, otherwise valueless, could be
fertilized and rendered highly productive. Eagle lake is a body of water
covering 116 square miles, and surrounded by thousands of acres of pine forest.
It lies 5,100 feet above the level of the sea, and 1,100 feet above the tract of
land to be fertilized. Mr. Merrill's plan was to convey the water of Eagle lake
through the mountain by means of a tunnel 6,000 feet long, and 10x12 feet in
dimensions, to the head of Willow creek, thence down that stream eighteen miles,
from which point ditches and flumes were to distribute it over the tract of
desert land. To derive the proper benefit from this scheme, it required that the
land be procured at a price, much cheaper than the valuation placed upon public
lands. Mr. Merrill associated with him Alviso Hayward, and went to Washington in
the winter of 1874-5 and procured the passage of the Desert Land Act to apply to
the county of Lassen only, but which was afterwards made general in its
operations. Merrill and Hayward then located a large tract of land under the
provisions of this Act, and in the spring of 1875 commenced work on the tunnel,
which is now 600 feet long. Flume, ditch, and pipes have also been partially
constructed. In 1875 Mr. Hayward and Mr. Merrill severed their business
connection, and Mr. Merrill retained the desert land location and irrigation
privilege. In 1881 Mr. Merrill sold a half-interest for $60,000 to P. N. Marker,
and the work is now being pushed to an early completion.

   In the spring of 1882 these gentlemen laid out a town covering 640 acres,
where the water is taken from the creek by the ditches and flumes. 3000
shade-trees have been planted, and will soon be an ornament to the streets of
the new town, through which it is expected that the Reno and Oregon railroad
will pass. A hotel and store will be erected this season, and it is expected
that a thriving village will quickly spring up, to be, perhaps, in a few years,
the metropolis of the county. Mr. Merrill has bestowed the name of Belfast upon
it, in honor of his native city in the state of Maine.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/lassen/history/1882/illustra/lassenfl146nms.txt

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