Peter Lassen facts for kids
Peter Lassen (born October 31, 1800 – died April 26, 1859) was a Danish explorer and rancher. He was born in Denmark and later moved to Massachusetts in the United States. Eventually, he settled in California, which was then part of Mexico. In California, Lassen became a Mexican citizen. He received a large piece of land called Rancho Bosquejo from Governor Manuel Micheltorena. Peter Lassen is famous because many places are named after him, like Lassen County, California, Lassen Peak, and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
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Early Life in Denmark
Peter Lassen was born in Farum, Denmark. His parents were Johanne Sophie Westergaard and Lars Nielsen. He was baptized in December 1800. His last name, Larsen, meant "son of Lars." This was a common way to name people in Denmark back then. Peter sometimes used different spellings for his name. He even called himself Peter Larsen Farum, after his hometown.
When he was seventeen, Peter moved to Kalundborg. There, he learned how to be a blacksmith. He worked for his uncle, Christian Nielsen, until 1823. After that, he moved to Copenhagen to work with another master blacksmith.
Journey to California
In 1830, Peter Lassen moved to Boston, Massachusetts. Ten years later, in 1840, he traveled to California. He joined a group of missionaries and adventurers. Some were going to California, and others were headed to Oregon.
Lassen sailed on a ship called Lausanne to Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, California. The travelers stopped at Fort Ross, California. They stayed there until they could get horses to travel to Sutter's Fort.
Peter Lassen arrived at Sutter's Fort in August 1840. He was with William Wiggins, who had traveled with him for many months. John Sutter, who owned Sutter's Fort (also called New Helvetia), welcomed them. Sutter traveled with them to Yerba Buena, California and Alviso, San Jose.
In his early years in California, Lassen likely worked as a blacksmith. In 1841, he went to Santa Cruz County, California. He helped build a sawmill for Isaac Graham. Lassen was paid 100 mules for his work. He also worked as a traveling blacksmith along the Cosumnes River.
The Lassen Emigrant Trail
Peter Lassen created a special path called the Lassen Cutoff. This path was part of the California Trail. It started near the Rye Patch Reservoir in Nevada. The trail then went through a tough area called the Black Rock Desert. It continued to Goose Lake (Oregon–California) in California. From there, it followed the Pit River into California's Central Valley.
This trail was very difficult. Many early travelers regretted choosing it. The route was used a lot between 1848 and 1853. However, because of how hard it was, people stopped using it much after that.
Historian John D. Unruh, Jr., wrote about Lassen's first trip on his cutoff. Peter Lassen tried to get people to use his trail. He sent people to tell gold seekers that the gold fields were only 110 miles away. Many people believed this and even threw away their extra supplies. However, the Lassen Cutoff was actually about 200 miles longer than other routes. This caused a lot of hardship for those who followed it.
Ranch Owner
In 1844, Peter Lassen received a large land grant from the Mexican government. This grant was called Rancho Bosquejo and was about 22,206 acres. It was located in Tehama County, California.
In 1846, John C. Frémont, a famous explorer, visited Lassen's ranch. Fremont wrote in his journal that Lassen was growing wheat, grapes, and cotton on his land. In 1855, Lassen moved to the Honey Lake area. There, he looked for gold and worked as a surveyor for the unofficial Nataqua Territory.
Death and Legacy
Peter Lassen was killed on April 26, 1859. He was in Clapper Canyon in the Black Rock Mountains, looking for silver. Another man, Edward Clapper, was also killed. A third man, Americus Wyatt, escaped. The reasons for Lassen's death are still a mystery. Wyatt said that Lassen and Clapper were shot by someone unseen while they were setting up camp.
At the time, many people thought Northern Paiute people were responsible. However, some suspected Wyatt himself, or even other groups. An investigation found that none of Lassen's or Clapper's supplies were taken. This was unusual for a raiding party. Some also suspected William Weatherlow, a local leader. Peter Lassen's grave is in Susanville, California, in Lassen County.
Many places are named in Peter Lassen's honor. These include Banner Lassen Medical Center and Lassen College in Susanville. Also, Lassen National Forest, Lassen Peak, and Lassen Volcanic National Park are named after him. In his hometown of Farum, Denmark, there is even a Scout troop called Peter Lassen Troop.
In Popular Culture
The actor Michael Witney played Peter Lassen in a TV show. It was a 1968 episode of Death Valley Days called "The Other Side of the Mountain." The show was hosted by Robert Taylor.
