Steve and I have always loved stopping for history lessons while on road trips. This one came in the form of California Historical Landmark No. 565.

The name LASSEN is big in these parts and today we got to meet the man the name belongs to: Peter Lassen.
Peter Lassen, born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1800, is the namesake for both Lassen County and Lassen Volcanic National Park. He was a blacksmith by trade and characterized the “old pioneer” spirit and explorations of the Wild West.

Lassen's story is a long one. In addition to being a rancher, landowner, he was a prospector.  While searching for additional locations, he discovered a silver mine near Black Rock Desert in Nevada. He organized a scouting party of two groups to meet at Black Rock Canyon. The day after he and his two traveling companions, Edward Clapper and Lemericus Wyatt, arrived at the site in April of 1859, Lassen and Clapper were shot and killed. Speculation remains if the shot was indeed fired by a Native American or a member of his own scouting party. Native Americans are attributed for their deaths on the Lassen Monument. Wyatt escaped being shot and rode 124 miles to Susanville to share the tragic news.

A scouting party was able to recover Lassen’s body, but not Clapper’s. Area residents erected a monument to Lassen to recognize him for the many good deeds of his lifetime. He is buried under the Ponderosa pine tree he camped his first night in the Honey Lake Valley. The original monument burned in 1917 and was replaced with the current one.
According to historic documents, Clapper’s body was recovered in May 1990 by rock hunters in the Black Rock Desert. They found a skull and upper body skeleton that was determined to be the remains of Edward Clapper. In May of 1992, his remains were placed here, next to his good friend Peter.
History is found in some unique and beautiful places. I so love detours!