In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. This week the topic is settlers who moved to Lake County hoping to escape the unrest of the American Civil War, which also marks the sesquicentennial of its beginning this year. The following excerpt is from “Lower Lake Lore,” written by Jane Weaver, a moving force behind the restoration of the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum.
The Copsey train of some 40 wagons came from Missouri to Lake County in 1856.
These pioneers understood that trouble was brewing between the North and South and they wanted to get as far away from it as possible.
Pleasant Smith and wife Saphonia Copsey were married on the trip across the plains, and came directly to the Lower Lake area.
She was known for naming Jerusalem Valley and giving similar biblical names to other adjoining territory. They also were the first to move to Jerusalem Valley, and they lived there for many years.
Only a few years after the Copseys establishing themselves in the lower end of our county the Civil War broke out. Those men that had come with the Copsey train decided that they would have no part of a war and would not fight for either side.
Believing it possible that authorities might enforce a wartime draft and compel the younger men to enter the army, they decided to resist.
About one-half mile south of where the road crosses Soda Creek in Jerusalem Valley and one-fourth mile up, and west of the stream, is a slope nearly one-half mile long from top to bottom. It is composed mostly of clay, is open country and contains a few small white oaks. The immigrant road from Middletown runs through here.
In the middle of this slope is a neat little hill with an appearance as if it had been poured out of a sand bucket. On the top of this hill is a natural formation of broken up rocks ranging in size from small stones to large boulders.
Pleasant Smith, George Bishop and others living nearby took advantage of this natural fortress-like location and built themselves what is now known as Jerusalem Valley Fort.
Instead of building a wall around a single enclosure, they dug a series of fox-holes. There were four well-defined holes, each about 5 feet across and three feet deep. Another half dozen less perfect holes were started.
From this vantage point, the men in the fort had a good view in all directions. With two men to a foxhole, back to back, hidden behind these rock barricades, it would have taken a small army to dislodge them.
Necessary supplies, such as powder, lead for bullets and other items to withstand a siege, were brought in with each family furnishing a share.
The Civil War ended. No attempt was ever made by the government to force any of the men to enter the conflict, therefore, the fort was never put to use.
After all danger was over, the supplies were divided up and given back to the original owners and the Jerusalem Valley Fort was abandoned.
A late descendent of one of the parties remembers, as a boy, helping to cut up the remains of a lead brick which had been stored in the fort.
The intention had originally been to melt down the brick for bullets. It was cut up and used instead as shot for a muzzle-loading shotgun.
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