History

Learn about the history of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

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History Details

Lassen has a rich natural and human history. Before settlers arrived to Lassen, the area was inhabited by people from four tribes: the Maidu (in the area south and east of the park), Atsugewi (who used park lands north and northeast of the peak as summer hunting, camping, and fishing ground), the Yana and the Yahi (in the foothills to the west). But with the discovery of gold in California, the area drew white settlers to the area and who drove out the native tribes. The settlers established pioneer trails along the current park boundaries, including the Nobles Emigrant Trail and the Lassen Trail. Native Americans disappeared by the late 1800s, although there are still native Atsugewi that live in the area. They left artifacts behind, many of which are be displayed in the Loomis Museum, along with replicas of baskets and hunting tools. There are tribal descendants who still live in the area and are valuable partners to the park. They have contributed a great deal to the park to this day and participate in public programs in the summer. Lassen Peak was a major landmark to the early settlers. It had a few names - it was called San Jose by Captain Don Luis Arguello, Mt. Joseph by the famous explorer Jedediah Smith, and later people knew it as Snow Butte. In 1841, a government exploring party named it Mt. St. Joseph. The name Lassen came from the area rancher Peter Lassen, who lived in the area in the 1840s. In 1905 Theodore Roosevelt named the area the Lassen Peak Reserve. It was at that time that people requested the area become a national park. Preservation efforts resulted in the declaration of the peak and the Cinder Cone as national monuments to further conservation. Lassen Volcano then erupted in 1914 and 1915, even though it was thought to be extinct. Further efforts were made to protect "America's only active volcano" and the area was declared a national park by Woodrow Wilson in 1916. August 2016 marks Lassen's 100th anniversary. It was the 15th national park to be establish in the US, making it one of the oldest in the country.

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