Category Archives: Peter Lassen

Yesterday I went on a treasure hunt an archeology field trip to Vina to dig around in the dirt and see what we could find. My friend Josie Smith invited me to join Dr. Eric Ritter’s Shasta College Field Archeology class, … Continue reading →

Got delivery today on 500 copies of my new book. Here they are: Peter Lassen: The True Story of a Danish Pioneer in California tells the story of Lassen’s adventures coming to America and settling in California. Steve Ferchaud did … Continue reading →

My new picture book biography of Peter Lassen is getting closer to complettion. Everything is in the hands (and computer) of my friendly neighborhood graphic designer, Carla Resnick. Pretty soon it will be off to the printer and then a … Continue reading →

Whodunit? Lemericus Wyatt was quick to blame the Paiute Indians. The natives always made  convenient and believable scapegoats. A man named Fred Kingsbury, whose father had been Peter Lassen’s partner, later pointed out that: When Indians kill they want something … Continue reading →

Peter Lassen (or Larsen, since his father’s name was Lars) was born near Copenhagen in 1800.  He became a blacksmith. In 1830 he applied to the king for permission to immigrate, probably because the depressed European economy made it hard … Continue reading →

On April 26, 1859 — 158 years ago — Peter Lassen was murdered at Black Rock Canyon in what is now Nevada. He had gone prospecting for silver with two men, Edward Clapper and Lamericus Wyatt. Clapper also lost his … Continue reading →