Lassen County History
Illustrated History of PLUMAS, LASSEN & SIERRA Counties
with CALIFORNIA from 1513 to 1850, Farriss & Smith, 1882, San Francisco

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper, Oct 2009

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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. Hay ward 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.