Roop County, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roop County |
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| County of Nevada Territory | |||||||||||
| 1861–1864 | |||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
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• Established
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1861 | ||||||||||
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• Disestablished
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1864 | ||||||||||
| Contained within | |||||||||||
| • Country |  United States |
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| • Territory |  Nevada Territory |
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| Today part of | United States | ||||||||||
Roop County was a special area, like a district, in the Nevada Territory from 1861 to 1864. It was first called Lake County until 1862. This county was one of the first nine counties created in Nevada. In 1864, it stopped existing and its land became part of Lassen County in California and Washoe County, Nevada in Nevada.
The Story of Roop County
In March 1861, the United States government officially created the Nevada Territory. This new territory included the Honey Lake Valley and the land north of it. However, the exact border between Nevada and California was not clearly drawn in Nevada's founding law, called the Organic Act.
Naming the County
Later in 1861, Lake County was set up in northwestern Nevada. Its name came from the many lakes in the area, such as Honey Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Winnemucca Lake. But this new county caused a disagreement about where the border was with California.
In 1862, Lake County was renamed Roop County. It was named after Isaac Roop. He was a leader of an unofficial government that had existed in the same area before Nevada became a territory.
The Sagebrush War
A big part of Roop County, including a town called Susanville, was also claimed by California. Susanville was named after Isaac Roop's daughter. California said this land belonged to its Plumas County. This disagreement led to a small armed conflict. It was known by a few names, like the Sagebrush War or the Roop County War.
Solving the Border Dispute
To fix the problem, California and Nevada decided to work together. They appointed special surveyors to map out the exact border. J. F. Houghton worked for California, and Butler Ives worked for Nevada.
Their final report showed that the Honey Lake area and most of the people living in Roop County were actually in California. California accepted this report on April 4, 1864. Nevada agreed on February 7, 1865.
Because of this survey, the California part of Roop County became a new area called Lassen County, California in 1864. The rest of Roop County, which was still in Nevada, was given to Washoe County, Nevada.
