Friday, April 24, 2009

Kind of a guest post by Olmanriver

"Olmanriver" Has been a frequent contributor to this blogsite, He has always conducted himself in a courteous manner, even when he doesn't agree with me, which must be often. Even when he doesn't agree with me, he politely contributes his share. He often emails me tid-bits that he doesn't think is important enough to place on my blog. He sent me a compilation of notes on research that he has done that was very striking in it's detail. I have found many things in his research that he may or may not know connect things for me. I got to thinking about it, and I see many connections for other people also. Olmanriver as he likes to call himself has done some amazing compilation. I'm going to post his research here and footnote a few things that I've noticed about them. Anything written in black will be Olmanriver or his research. Anything in Maroon will be my comments. Anything in blue will be a link that OMR has provided.

The comments that I've made are some thoughts that I have put down for further verification, or to jog the memories of people that know the truth. They should not be taken as fact but mere speculation on my part. The other thing that I should warn people of is that most of these news articles are probably wrong. The ideal of accuracy in reporting was not always followed.

Olmanriver Quote:

dear fellow historians...
attached is a word doc with my paper trail... there is a weird formatting problem on the doc which may come across weird. let me know. as a back up... here is the copy and paste...ernie...note the first one.



For ernie and kym, these were my gleanings from the different papers down south,. Any news from Long Valley, Cahto, or north I think I caught, unless it was a story we had from other sources. As annoying as it may seem, the links for the dates may be found by going to the month and year of those newspapers on the main link.
As I think you have figured, deaths usually start with at or in, …. There is some fun personal interest stuff …ie.. I didn’t know the entire phrase was” trip of the light fantastic toe”. I am too cross eyed to stick the top part into the right chronology.


At Long Valley, Aug. 6, 1872, I.C. GRIME.At Long Valley, Aug. 19, 1872, Clement BEATTIE, aged 52y.

In Healdsburg, June 20, 1872, Wm. H. MIDDLETON, aged 56y.
Died at Cobb Valley, March 15, 1871, Alfred HARBIN, 40y.
Lo" ex Chief of a tribe of Digger Indians, who settled in Green Valley, this county. "Lo" was very old and died full of moons and was said to have been 110 years at the time of his exit to the "Happy Hunting Grounds".
Died Cahto, Mendocino co, July 15, 1871, Benjamin Allen CASE, 73y.Died Cahto, Mendocino co., July 14, 1871, Jessie Bennett CASE, 2y 24d.
Mr. H. OLIVER of Point Arena, was killed by the Indians at Shelter Cove, June 18th.
Mr. JOHNSON, a stage driver on the Humboldt Mail Route, says on Sunday, June 2d, John WOOD and Moses STAFFORD, got into a quarrel about a squaw, on the Upper Mattole, in which WOOD shot STAFFORD through the neck, killing him. WOOD gave himself up.

William MIDDLETON, of Vallejo, was kicked in the head, last Friday, by a colt and so seriously injured that his recovery is despaired for.


********
October 3, 1861 issue:Mr. J.W. HENDERSON, passing through town on Thursday of last week, informed us that about 300 Indians attacked Spruce Grove Station, which is situated about 40 miles north of Long Valley, a station on the mail route between this and Humboldt county, on the morning of the 19th ult. The Indians burned the hay at the station and killed ten horses, they were armed with bows and arrows, and fire-arms. The property destroyed belonged principally to Messrs. HENDERSON and HINKLE, proprietors of the stage-line.
I'm not sure where "Spruce Grove Station" was, but the stage route was over the Bell Springs ridge. Forty miles north of Long Valley (Laytonville) would put it near New Harris.

Born to Mr./Mrs. Robert WHITE, Long Valley, Apr. 10, 1862, son
Removal: Col. HENLEY has removed the remnant of the Yuba Indians, seventy-five in number, to 1856 the Nomee Lackee Reservation.
The owners of the great fighting bull Chihuahua, and a huge grizzly recently caught, have agreed to fight their animals in Shasta, for $8,000 a side.

A.J. HALL has been convicted of cutting out the tongue of a neighbor's horse, in El Dorado county, as a matter of spite. Sentenced to 6 months and fined $500., served him right.... http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=7659

A fellow named John MANN, known as "Buckskin Jack," says the Humboldt Times, had his throat cut, at Mattole Valley one night last week, by a squaw with whom he had been living. It appears Jack had been out on an Indian hunt and had killed the brother of his squaw, bringing home the Indians bow and quiver. The property was recognized by the squaw and she determined revenge. After Jack had fallen asleep, she took a large knife and cut his throat, not however, severing the jugular. This had the effect to disturb Jack's repose, and when he arose, he seized the knife and killed the squaw on the spot. http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=7683

******
Capt. JARBOE informs the 'Democrat' that, on the 12th ult., while on the trail from Round Valley to Weaverville, he found the charred remains of a man, supposed to be John BLAN. On the same day, Capt. JARBOE, with a body of Rangers, had an engagement with a large number of Indians, killing 20, and capturing 33. They confessed they had murdered BLAN, by tying him to a stake and burning him, during which they had a war dance. They had killed and eaten his horse. http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=7712
This was a major incident in the conflict between the White settlers and the Indian natives.

The Humboldt Times, announces the arrival of Hon. E.L. DAVIS, W.A. STEPHENS and J. O'NEIL, from Cloverdale via Long Valley. They were 5 days in making the journey, but say that it can easily be done with good animals in 3.
Aug. 17, 1860We learn from a private note from Ukiah City, dated Aug. 8th, that a man named Abner POTTER, a resident of Potter Valley, was shot and killed by an Indian a few days previous. The Indian has been captured and safely disposed of by suspending him from the limb of a tree. Some difficulty had occurred between POTTER and the Indian, relative to a squaw.

*******
Born in Petaluma, Aug. 7, 1860, to Mr./Mrs. S.C. HAYDON, son. http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=7748
This should be of intrest to Becky Haydon.


Married at Cahto Ranch, Mendocino co., Aug. 1, 1860, R. WHITE to Laura A. SIMPSON.
******
George WOODS was drowned in South Eel River, near Armstrong's ranch, about a week since. He jumped from a raft on which he was crossing and attempted to swim to shore. 2/1/61
This incident happened on the river just north of Sprowel Creek, south of Garberville. The Armstrong Ranch is the large flat that has been called the River Ranch or Bonham's place. George Woods was a member of the Pioneer Woods family.

******
Feb. 8, 1861 issue:Mr. J.B. HINKLE, arrived in this city last Wednesday, direct from Hydesville, Humboldt co., bringing the U.S. Mail. He was 7 days making the trip. He reports the route wholly free from snow. He reports the Indians are very troublesome to the settlers along some sections of the route, they, having killed large numbers of stock. A Mr. WARD, of Rattlesnake, has had 14 head killed; ARMSTRONG & Co. of South Eel River, over 70. The Indians committing the depredations upon Mr. WARDS stock, assert that it is in retaliation from the loss of their children, who they state have been stolen from them, taken to the lower valleys and sold. Mr. HINKLE met with no trouble from them. At South Eel River, on the 27th ult., a man named Edward WRIGHT was shot and killed by his companions, they mistaking him for an Indian. Mr. HINKLE informs us that the mail route will probably be changed somewhat and the trip can then be made in 5 days.
I'm thinking that this must have been near where the Spyrock Road takes off from 101. Mr. Woodman from the next canyon south was a famous Indian rustler. He rounded up Indian Children and sold them to the miners in Sacramento.

At Noyo River the boom broke and from 4 to 6 million feet of saw logs went to sea, during a recent freshet, in Mendocino county. At Big River, the logs came into the boom safe, but a man named O'MICHLEN was drowned. At Navarrah River, a boat attempted to cross and four men, Henry CLAY, James CAMPBELL, William WEST and SWARTZ, were drowned. Our correspondent states that "rain only fell for 24 hours."

We have received information here, that 500 Indians have been discharged from the Mendocino Reservation and have with them, some 20 rifles. This, has been done at the recommendation of Lt. Dillon DRIEBELBIS, the Superintendent, taking his advice, instead of Colonel TOBIN'S and two others. The consequence is, that cattle are being killed with impunity. George H. WOODMAN found nine head of cattle dead, last week, and many horses missing. The people here think it is a gross outrage, after being at the great expense of collecting them, to let them go where they please. 11/1/60

*******
Mr. W.F. SHELTON, of Big Bar, a few days since, on the Klamath River, killed 2 white deer. He realized $350. for the 2 skins.
White deer were Totom animals to all of the North Coast Indians. My cousin "Oregon" sent me a photo of one killed in Zenia back in the 60's.

*****
3/8/61
The Indians have been committing depredations in Humboldt Co.; Ketin Chow Valley was sacked by Indians on Friday last, by watching the only settler there, John FULWIDER, until he went for his cow in the evening, they then rushed the house. They shot the dog and fired at FULWIDER on his attempt to return. He went over to Eel River, to the settlement which was abandoned on Sunday last, for the reason that there were too many Indians about. They had killed 300 of their hogs and a great number of stock. On their way in they met the Indians that had robbed LARABEE'S house and killed two of them. They went on to the house and found Indians had burned it and killed Ann QUINN, the cook at the ranch. David KING was plowing a short distance from the house and heard firing and started toward it. The Indians saw him coming and fired at him, but he effected his escape. Another band of Indians killed and drove off a lot of hogs from the settlers on Kneeland's Prairie last week.
Ketten Chow Valley is Hettenshaw Valley today. Larabee is one of the people involved in the "Indian Island Massacre in Eureka". This is a confusing time frame to me. The indian Island Massacre happened in 1860.

June 21, 1861 issue:Mr. JOHNSON, a stage driver on the Humboldt Mail Route, says on Sunday, June 2d, John WOOD and Moses STAFFORD, got into a quarrel about a squaw, on the Upper Mattole, in which WOOD shot STAFFORD through the neck, killing him. WOOD gave himself up.
*******
Born to Mr./Mrs. J.M. BOWMAN, Sebastopol, Jul. 6, 1861, son.
This might interest Joan (Bowman Family)

October 3, 1861 issue:

March 13, 1862Mr. HENDERSON, recently from Humboldt Co., give the following news: The Indians between here and Fort Seward are exceedingly troublesome and are killing stock daily, even in Long Valley. It is the desire of the citizens of Long Valley and the country between them and Fort Seward, that a portion of the soldiers now stationed at the latter place should be quartered at Long Valley.

March 27, 1862The Mendocino 'Herald' of the 21st has the following; "On Sunday last, in Long Valley, by Rev. Mr. Beaumont; Mr. VALLELY, aged 40y, married Miss Elizabeth LAMBERT, aged 11y 8m."

Born to Mr./Mrs. Robert WHITE, Long Valley, Apr. 10, 1862, son.

******
At Soda Springs, Mendocino county, Dec. 31st, Alexander, youngest son of Augustus and Lydia REDMEYER, aged 13m and 15d.
Soda Springs is just north of Longvale. We had some Redemeyers in Laytonville, note the extra "e". I wonder if it could be the same family.

From the Mendocino 'Herald' we learn that the Indians inhabiting the region around Round Valley, in that county, have become unruly and boldly avow their determination, so soon as the grass and grain becomes sufficiently dry, to commit it to flames. On Thursday night last, they attacked a Rancharia on John OWENS farm, killing one squaw and wounding two or three more.

4/24/62
At Ukiah, the other day, a noisy secessionist, named ASBILL, while under the influence of liquor, assaulted with a pistol and fired twice at a Union man named Wm. KERNEY. ASBILL was arrested and lodged in jail.

******
7/7/64
Married in Petaluma, June 1, 1864, at the residence of John TAYLOR; Edward C. HENSHAW to Lou TAYLOR
My grandmother Jane (Taylor) Branscomb was from there. These are probably my relatives.

7/21/64
July 21, 1864 edition:On Tuesday morning last, Miss HALL, a young lady about 16y, residing with her parents in Petaluma, was severely, if not fatally, burned. We understand that she was cleaning a coal-oil lamp near the stove, when the fire was communicated in some way to the oil, causing an explosion and setting her clothes on fire. The poor girl, frightened almost to death, ran out in the yard and continued in a circle until Mr. John TAYLOR, who had two fences to climb and a vacant lot to cross, caught her and extinguished the flames by wrapping his coat around her. Mr. TAYLOR displayed rare presence of mind and probably saved the life of the young lady. She is yet in a very critical condition - her mother is also sick and her father away from home.

Married June 22d, at the Cahto Rancho, Mendocino Co., at the residence of the bride's parents, Isaac P. SMITH, Esq. of Ukiah, to Adelia U. SIMPSON

September 22, 1864 edition:Married in Petaluma, J.P. WALKER, Sebastopol to Mrs. Eveline MIDDLETON.

On March 3, 1868, Richard JEWELL was crossing Salmon Creek with a two-horse team, when his horses d wagon were swept down stream. JEWELL barely escaped with his life

Budd and Plunk HARBIN are suspected of being the footpads that robbed the stage near Windsor, on the 21st. The Officers found their prisoners in Woodland, Yolo Co., last Thursday, where they were already engaged in the 'banking' business, known among sporting men as 'chuck-a-luck.'

A coal mine has been discovered on the ranch of J.H. THOMAS of Round Valley. The coal is of excellent quality and from the indications it is judged that the vein is large and will prove of great value.
Died in Cahto, Jan. 3, 1870, Jennie Isabella, youngest child of Robert and Laura WHITE, aged 2m 6d.

March 24, 1870 edition:Robert WHITE, David TUTTLE, and Benj. FISH, were elected trustees for the new Cahto School district.

Born to Mr./Mrs. George N. GRUBBS, Long Valley, Mar. 6, 1870, daughter.

Born to Mr./Mrs. COOMBS, Little River, Mar. 28, 1870, son.


May 5, 1870 edition:Messrs. WARD and BLOSSOR, brought down from Cahto Station, on Tuesday evening last, an insane man by the name of Elisha RAY. He was lodged in jail for safe keeping.

Died in Cahto, Mendocino co., May 14, 1870, Isaac P. SMITH, aged 36y 6m.
Died in Long Valley, Aug. 26, 1869, Wm. T. WILSON, aged 33y.

September 8, 1870 edition:
Messrs. SIMPSON and WHITE, of Cahto, had a horse stolen on the night of the 26th ult. It was a dark grey horse, about 15 hands and branded "JA" connected. The thiefs name is Ben. FOSTER, of a dark complexion and about 22 years of age. They offer $25. for the recovery of the horse, and $50. for the conviction of the thief.


******
A few days since, John R. SCOTT, of Mendocino co., killed a panther measuring 10 feet from tip to tip.
Newspapers got very little right, this just proves how far wrong they can be.


In Cahto Oct. 23, by J.H. BRADEN JP - J.M. DILL to Miss Margaret M. WILLIAMS.

In Long Valley, November 1, by Rev. Mr. WOODWARD - James D. WARD to Miss Hattie TUTTLE.

Died Cahto, Mendocino co, July 15, 1871, Benjamin Allen CASE, 73y.Died Cahto, Mendocino co., July 14, 1871, Jessie Bennett CASE, 2y 24d.

At Cahto, August 28, 1871, Hosea MEYERS to Emma R. CARR.

At Sanel, Mendocino co. Oct. 9, 1871, John BROWN, aged 68y.

Nov. 23, 1871
At the residence of the bride's parents, Cotta Neva; Henry DEVILBISS, Esq. to Julia Ann LOWELL.

*****
At Little Lake, Jan. 7, 1872, T. C. GRIME to Silvia L. MIDDLETON.
I'm sure that both of these people are relatives, but I don't know the connection

Wm. H. JAMES formerly of Petaluma, drowned in Ten Mile Creek, Mendocino county, 24th of Jan. 1872.

In Healdsburg, June 20, 1872, Wm. H. MIDDLETON, aged 56y.

At Long Valley, Aug. 6, 1872, I.C. GRIME.At Long Valley, Aug. 19, 1872, Clement BEATTIE, aged 52y.

San Francisco, Oct. 28, 1872, Henry M. TAYLOR, of Healdsburg, to Annie F. GILMORE, S.F.

Born in Cahto, May 8, 1873, to Mr./Mrs. J.P. SIMPSON, son.

*******
Round Valley, May 11, 1873, Milo PATTON, to Sarah M.S. KAUBLE.
Spyrock... Who are these people?

At Long Valley, Mendocino co., Nov. 13, 1873, B.F. COATES of Little Lake to Anna Jane TUTTLE of Long Valley.

At Mendocino, Apr. 8, 1874, Geo. BOWMAN, son.

BUCKLEY, Minnie, Oct. 8, 1874 at Long Valley, Mendocino co., aged 3y.

At Long Valley, Jan. 2, 1874, David M. CROPLEY to Olive COOK.At Long Valley, Dec. 11, 1873, Mart McANISH to Allonza J. WILLIAMS.

A few days ago we met George HASLITT, a Cherokee, now ranching near Dry Creek, who was a companion of FREMONT and Kit CARSON in their expedition across the plains in 1846. He is a great hunter and mountaineer; and knows the mountains and valleys of California as well as any man living among us. He imparted to us a piece of philosphy worth knowing, viz: that if a man would preserve health and live to a good age, he should pass his time in the open air, hunting, living on game etc. HASLITT is a good illustration of his own theory, for he still looks like a young man.

TAYLOR - HAGGART, in Round Valley, Mendocino co., Dec. 15, 1874 - Mr. Edward TAYLOR and Miss H.E. HAGGART.

*******
COLE, near Ukiah, Dec. 19th 1874, to Wm. M. COLE and wife, a son.
Kym's relative.

Long Valley, Mendocino co., Feb. 10, 1875, James S. HOLMAN to Dorinda HEALSON.

Marshall HASTINGS, son of Judge S.C. HASTINGS of Napa was thrown from his horse on Sunday in Napa and instantly killed. July 1, 1875 issue

******
Mike BURNS killed Wm. GREENWOOD on the 7th inst., at Garberville, Humboldt county, and was discharged upon examination on grounds of justifiable homicide. Both men formerly of Mendocino county.
I wish that I knew the rest of the story!

One day last week, Chris. WINSAINT, who was supposed to be insane, was detected setting fire to a hay stack in Round Valley. He succeeded in burning one stack; and it is suspected it was he who set fire to SIMMERLEY'S barn. He was afterward found dead in the brush, where he had hidden.

Matthew HAAS of Long Valley in this county, accidently shot and killed himself near his home at that place on the 8th ints.

******
Jackson Valley, Mendocino co., Aug. 6, 1876, Ezra SIMPSON to Margaret CASSIDAY.
Jackson Valley is Branscomb.

July 8, 1880 issue:Yesterday morning at the south fork of the Eel river, Mendocino co., a man named Marshall HOWARD shot and killed two men, named Frank SOUTHARD and Mr. McCOY. A dispute about land claims was the cause. HOWARD will give himself up.
Born to Mr./Mrs. D.B. CUMMINS, Round Valley, Dec. 7, 1880, daughter.



Bill NYE advertises as follows: Owing to ill health I will sell at my residence in town 29, range 18 west, according to the government survey, one crushed raspberry colored cow, aged 6yrs. She is a good milkster and is not afraid of cars - or anything else. She is a cow of undaunted courage and gives milk frequently. To a man who does not fear death in any form, she would be a great boon. She is very much attached to home at present, by means of a trace-chain, but she will be sold to anyone who will agree to treat her right. She is 1/4 shorthorn and 3/4 hyena. Purchaser need not be indentified. I will also throw in a double-barrel shotgun, which goes with her. In May she generally goes away somewhere for a week or two and returns with a tall, red calf with long wobbly legs. Her name is Rose, and I would prefer to sell her to a non-resident. http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=8108

September 17, 1887Santa Rosa Laborers:Stonecutters are the best paid artizans in this city, wages are $3.50 and $4. per day, this of course, includes marble and grantie workers.;Blacksmiths wages run from $2.50 to $3., apprentices from $1. to $2. per day.Wheelwrights, Carriage, Sign and House Painters get the same as Blacksmiths.House Carpenters get $2.50 and $3. per day.Salesmen get all prices, a good man is highpriced at the end of the first week, and a poor man is still poor at the end of a years experience, they get from $60. to $125. per month.Telegraph Operators get from $40. to $90., the latter being 1st-class and press operators.Telephone girls get from $15. to $20. per week.Druggists, the poorest paid of all, get from $10. to $15. per week and earn it every 7 days they put in.Draymen and Teamsters get from $40. to $60. per month.Waiters, under the rules of the Cooks and Waiters Union, get $40. to $45. in restaurants; and $30. to $35. in Hotels; Girls are paid from $20. a month.Cigar-makers get $9. to $18. per thousand.Tailors from $18. to $24. per week - Piece-workers making more.The best Harness-makers receive $3., while the workmen doing the coarse work get $2. and $2.50.Butchers receive from $50. to $65. per month.Printers are paid 35 cents per 1,000 ems, averaging about $15. per week. Job Printers $15., Pressmen $18., Apprentices get from $5. to $8.At the Fruit Canneries and Dryers all prices are paid; small children, 50 to 75 cents a day; women, 75 to $2. per day; men, $1.50 to $2.50.Tinsmiths capping cans get $2.50 to $3. per day.In the Woolen Mills, the Spoolers and Bobbin-carriers are children, and get about 75 cents; Weavers about $1.50; Operatives in the Dye-house, $1.75 and $1.80; in the Carding-room $1.50 to $3.; Spinning-room, $1. to $3.

http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?action=detail&id=8115


November 12, 1887Bernard SHERLE walked into the Sheriff's office, Friday morning, and asked to be taken to the asylum at Napa. His mental condition, he said, was worrying him, and he wanted to be placed where he could have proper treatment. Religion is the subject upon which his mind refuses to be rational. He imagines that he has offended the avenging power by partaking of the forbidden fruit. In compliance with his request, he was examined by Drs. SMITH and BOYCE before Judge RUTLEDGE and was pronounced insane and taken to Napa in the afternoon.

"trip of the light fantastic toe"

I've discovered that the links don't work because they have been moved too many times. If you are seriously interested in going to them, simply cut and paste them into your URL line and punch "enter." (Sorry) Ernie

29 comments:

  1. If "kind of a guest" means I show up uninvited, hog the attention and won't leave...that's me!

    Ernie, you have been gracious to provide a forum for all this history.
    So...no ten foot lions? Elsewhere in those paper records they mentioned a 6 footer from tail to nose but that doesn't seem uncommon for a male.What is the biggest you know of?

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  2. I wouldn't dispute a six footer, but I've never seen any documentation of one ten feet long.

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  3. From Wikipedia:

    "Cougars are slender and agile cats. Adults stand about 60 to 76 cm (2.0 to 2.5 ft) tall at the shoulders. The length of adult males is around 2.4 m (8 ft) long nose to tail, with overall ranges between 1.5 and 2.75 meters (5 and 9 ft) nose to tail suggested for the species in general. Males have an average weight of about 53 to 72 kilograms (115 to 160 pounds). In rare cases, some may reach over 118 kg (260 lb). Female average weight is between 34 and 48 kg (75 and 105 lb). Cougar size is smallest close to the equator, and larger towards the poles."Maybe its possible that one was ten feet long, but I think it was a stretch.

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  4. Thanks Ernie. If the mountain lions are bigger towards the poles, maybe it was from northern Mendocino county.
    260 pounds...zounds!

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  5. OMR, I really enjoyed reading those old accounts of the 1860's. I found a few leads that I want to follow. Maybe others did also. The old bloggometer has really been scoring the hits lately, so someboby is reading.

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  6. Glad to hear that Ernie.
    It is fun to play twig-finder for some local family trees.

    That scan of the Russian river newspapers was limited by my unfamiliarity with most of the local names. I came across a genealogy request for information for a Bell family member from the Twin Rocks/Iron Peak Lookout area.
    I wasn't familiar with the Twin Rocks name, could you please confirm that it is close to the Iron Peak you covered on your blog, please.
    I will explain after I hear from you.

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  7. sarah kauble was my great grandmothers older sister that married milo patton. my grandma grace had a cousin from napa who wrote her a letter asking her if she knew anything about the kaubles so this history was lost pretty quick. since the kaubles died when cahto was the only town close by and laytonville didn't exist until two years after their death. so its like looking for ghosts in a ghost town.

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  8. my british grandfather used bill as his spyrock or american name. lewis victor probably not tough enough sounding at the time. he hardly ever spoke when i was a kid. but he would get loud with his dogs. he liked the giants especially willie mccovey.
    his son delbert nye was totally different, born in spyrock in 1913, the same age as howard simmerly, i learned all my cusswords from him before i was 3 years old. he was a little guy, sort of like festus on gunsmoke but he spoke like he was as tall as a mountain. there was no doubt that you did not want to make him mad. when my mother wasn't whipping me into shape, he was, there was no mercy in my childhood. so i hid out every chance i got and pretended i was deaf.

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  9. I sure would've liked to have known that "crushed raspberry colored cow" Bill Nye advertised for sale!

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  10. Whew!... Well I have a bunch of comments but not much time today. Let's see.
    The Henderson report on the attack on Spruce Grove (Spruce Grove Station was located just south of the Alderpoint Rd. junction on the Harris Rd. It was the only store/stage station in this area. Garberville did not exist as a store or town.) I have never heard of this attack but the military records I have begin in '62. The earlier records are in Sacramento. I have read the Buckskin Jack story. The George Woods drowning is interesting. I believe the Anderson place was on the east side of the Eel opposite Bonham's. Bonham's place was where the Sprowel brothers settled and were attacked. I have to look this up in the military records. When I have time, I'll type out Lieutenant Linn's letter to Col. Lovell. Quite entertaining. Someone was drowned in the Sprowel attack and I thought it was Anderson but I could be wrong. The Edward Wright shooting sounds like the one described by Lt. Linn but is dated a yer earlier to my memory. George Woodman was arrested with a wagon of Indian children at Ukiah, I believe. His organization is probably the one described by Lucy Young in her story of her abduction. The story of John Fulwider bein run off his place at Hettenshaw is reflected in Lucy Young's family discovery of an abandoned wheat field in the Valley. Again, I had the impression that these events took place in 1862. Larrabee is the only on who bragged about his participation in the massacre. Again, Lt. Linn has some negative comments about him. John Wood was the name of Jim Wood's brother. Don't know if it is the same man. Was Judge Hastings the owner of Eden Valley? Asbill was sprung from jail by a ruse. Bill Nye was a well known humorist. Thanks OMR, you have given me some things to ponder and research especially where Lucy Young's Story plays a part.

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  11. OMR, I'm not sure where "Twin Rock" is, but there was a Twin Rock Resort and Cafe on highway 101a few miles north of the Spy Rock Road turn off. The name was later changed to "the Timber Trails Lodge", then back to "twin Rock Cafe". It was abandoned for the last few years and has recently been in the process of being torn down.

    I know that info probably doesn't help you, but that's all that I know at this time. I'll ask Mom.

    Ben thanks for the info on The Spruce Grove Station.

    I though that it was old man Woods that drowmed in the Sprowel Attack. But that's why I said going into this, that I was just writing down what comes to mind and hoping that it might spring loose a memory or two.

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  12. Ben, yes that was Judge Hastings who lost his son. And his 6'8" bully foreman AJ Hall was the horse mutilater who got a little justice. It was AJ Hall's earlier failure to pay some Indians for portering, and their subsequent revenge, that sparked the genocide sponsored and based out of Eden Valley.
    In the 1928 census... there is an Annie Fulwider Crabtree living in the Covelo district. Maybe you can weave that in.
    spyrock, looking for ghosts in a ghost town is a good one. i still can't believe the death of a constable would go unreported. sometimes the mystery of a thing is better than the real story.

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  13. More sites for sore eyesApril 26, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    Thanks Ben.
    Thanks Ernie, I have to go back through some of the newspapers, because it sounds like Twin Rocks was the name of that area at the time (like little lake became willits). I did not know that when I was scanning but I saw a number of references to Twin Rocks that I passed over.
    Back on it.

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  14. Here is a partial list of some of the family names in the 1860 census.
    Now that I understand that Little Lake is the Mendocino county district, it is spyrock's Constable Kauble listed.

    From the 1860 census (partial list):
    Kauble, John S. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 835
    Fuwilder, William CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 830
    Burns, Benjamin F. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 834
    Burns, Thomas CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 835
    Farley, Jackson CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Frazier, William W.CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Jewitt, Enoch P. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 834
    Lambert, John CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Lambert, Jeremiah CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 837
    Poe, Roebrt CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 837
    Smith, Thomas CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Smith, James CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 831
    Simpson, John P. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Tuttle, David CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 835
    Woodman, George H. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 836
    White, George CA Mendocino Round Valley 1860 877
    White, Robert CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 838
    Willis, William E. CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 833
    Woods, Thomas CA Mendocino Little Lake T 1860 830"

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  15. Penny and my Great Grandfather Ed Branscomb was married to Sally (Poe) Branscomb who was a decendant of Robert Poe that is listed in that 1860 census.

    Our Great Grandmother Laura (Lockhart)Middleton was married to Lafyette Midleton. Her two sisters Anne and Mary Lockhart married two of the Lovejoy boys. Mary married Loriston Lovejoy and Annie married George Lovejoy. I don't know of any direct relation to the Lovejoys, but it seems like they should be family.

    I'm not sure Penny knows it but Jeremiah Lambert, that is listed in that census report, is our 4G Grandfather. He arrived in long Valley in 1858. I finally figured it all out when I decided that Lousia And Louise had to be the same person. It is all on Page 68 of Kate Mayo's book.

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  16. 11/11/1869 People vs. Jeremiah LAMBERT & John LAMBERT, action of forfeited recognizances - judgement for plaintiffs $1,700. and costs of $207.

    This was a mention in the Russian River Flag.

    Please pardon my Twin Rocks questions, I was confusing references to Two Rocks, which I found out was in Sonoma County. My mind had forfeited recognizance of the facts. I did find a sweet growing up story from a woman born in 1857. Though not from our locale, it is still some good country reading.

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  17. Ben, et al... I must heap calumny upon my own name for publicly mistaking HL Hall of Eden Valley with the AJ Hall who did the crime mentioned in the paper. My bad.

    Here is an index of family names mentioned in a number of papers down south that might be fun for local families.

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  18. ATTENTION SPYROCK: too much fun! (in a genealogical sense):
    I have been obsessed with 'Kaubling' together more of your ancestors story...today I found out that your gggrandfather John Kauble was a Hoosier whose hometown was a county or so away from my father's hometown. Cosmic genealogy!
    The Martha Helen Kauble/Chester branch of your family tree did a Elizabeth Windom search which shows John Kauble's 1824 birthplace to be Hanover Township, Shelby County Indiana. Confirmation of a John Kauble in Shelby comes (possibly) from an 1830 Federal census mentioned here. Ms. Mayo's 1852 Kauble arrival timeline is contradicted a bit by the record of the second of two previously unmentioned children born, one in Missouri in 1849 and one in Iowa in 1854. This page doesn't have listed the other five children of John and Elizabeth.
    According to the site, the Missouri childs name is on an 1850 Federal census, and mention of the Iowa child's birth comes from the 1860 Federal census.

    Without joining a genealogy site, this is all I could find. Small world.

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  19. wow river, you've got a good research engine. this is from my aunt ruth simmerly as far as kauble history goes. john kauble was born in indiana in 1824. elizabeth catherine windom was born in kentucky with a question mark after it. her father's name was morris key windom, her mother's maiden name was jessie, the first child, a female was named jessie born 1849, she died at about 11 months, july 2, 1850. the second child, james r. was born in 1851 and died in 1852, and the third child was born either in iowa or california in 1852 because i have one resource saying iowa and another saying california. this was sarah kauble who married milo patton. malinda jane kauble was born in laytonville in 1857. and marth helen who married john chester was born in 1860. george was born in 1863. and laura was born in 1865, my great grandma. francis mary was born in 1868 and robert henry was born in 1872, so there was nine children instead of seven but the first two died young. places of residence, indiana, missouri, iowa, and california.
    so you have the first kid that died at 11 months in the first census and the second kid who was born after the 1850 census died at about 15 months showing up on the census almost 10 years later which is probably how they did things back then. which left the 7 other kids who were all born in laytonville by 1872 which didn't even exist as a city until 1874. so yes, there were 9 kids. the simmerlys had 8, the chandons had about the same number when they came by covered wagon in 1849.
    by the way, one of ernies ancestors and my dad's ancestor lived in one of those countys back in the day. de ja vu all over again.

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  20. Hey spyrock, my search engine in strong from pulling my flabby caboose around all these years. Glad you enjoyed the info... I am still intrigued by the date of arrival and the route that they came. That reminescence from the Oregon lady whose family came out in '52 from Iowa with some Kaubles, some of whom are buried up thar, still nags at me. I did find a large collection of Kaubles from Shelby County, Indiana in the 1830's, but you would have to google and write the local historians for more.
    If they came into the state over the Sierras they probably stopped at my relative's place....Sutter's Mill.
    If it were more local I would fill in some of Ernie's downtime with how my Swiss kin brought Hawaiians to the state, almost threw California to the French, built a Little Helvetia with lots of Indian slave labor, greeted many early pioneers (Donners were taken there), had a small standing army of Indians and Hawaiians who would parade around in Russian military uniforms to his German orders, and lost it all to the Gold Rush frenzy. So, my kin may have greeted your kin when they got here, as well as Ernie's Taylor wagonmaster clan.
    The Kanakas were culturally influenced by the Hawaiians, Ben told me that they still have hula hoop contests, if I recall his words correctly. Bringing Hula Hoops to the Indians of California sounds like someting I should be distantly almost famous for.

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  21. Bluetooth® is named for Tenth Century Danish king Harald Blåtand, known in English as Harold Bluetooth Gromson, who is reputed to have been so fond of blueberries that his teeth were stained blue. The Bluetooth symbol is a bindrune that combines the runes for Harald Blåtand’s initials — “h” looks like an asterisk.

    the nyes are said to have descended from this king of denmark who brought christianity to denmark and norway. his daughter married styribiorn, son of olaf, king of sweden. lave nye was a descendant of this marriage. at jelling, denmark, his parents gorm the old and his wife thyra are buied under two mounds or tumuli. on which stand two large runic stones.
    on your search for martha kauble chester it says they are related to john author chester and the haig clan which was started in scotland by a bastard son born in ireland of a viking king named harold the 1v, and wound up befriending the earl of march, whose ancestors fought with william wallace, robert bruce, etc. another guy traced bluetooth harolds roots all the way back to valentinian 1, the roman emperor in 365 ad. so we might be related way back there before sutter built his empire.
    by 1852, there was another route people were taking to the north called the applegate-lassen trail. and a man named noble had found a shorter route off this trail. this is the route that went through modoc country. and there are a lot of stories about this trail in the books about the modocs. but sutter's place was a recovery point for many immigrants thats for sure. but that applegate name keeps making me think that they somehow came that way and knew the applegates from oregon especially since a relative was married to one who later adopted robert henry, the baby, in 1872 when both parents died. i did find a paper saying that john kauble died in 1871 today.

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  22. Sounds like you are right about the northern route spyrock.
    I might just be related to the Bluetooths of yore... some years back I picked ten pounds of blueberries on a saturday to take to the hot springs on monday... only 1/2 pound made it to monday morn.
    As I have fessed up in private correspondences, the Sutter connection was a very distant branch, a twig of which grafted into my mothers side distantly in the late 1880's.
    My greatgrandfathers moved into Indiana a few years after your Kaubles left and a few counties over.

    Glad you finally read something of his death. Which paper?

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  23. it was a genieology search like yours by either ruth or joy simmerly. the first psychic reading i ever had, the lady said that i was viking and came to great britian via scotland. the nye family history says that the nyes came to england with william the conqueror and the norman invasion, also, marshall michael nye was one of napoleans generals from around the same area. my ex was a brit norwegian, halverson, her dad played with gordy howe and the montreal canadians back in the day, i actually remember seeing him play on tv when i was a little boy after getting sent home from a boy scout expedition that got snowed out.

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  24. That is cool that you can trace it so far. I know that my grandparents were english, irish, irish, and austrian but i don't identify with my family lines very closely.
    I had a great uncle who went to Alaska during the gold rush, and a grandfather who died in 1910 after becoming famous during his time for his roses. Otherwise, lots of non-history making lives make up my tree.

    Those folks in Indiana are real helpful and have time to help with the Shelbyville Kaubles if you chose to search that one further.

    The Indiana connection is kinda fun, the early 1800's ethnographer that Ben the Hoosier is studying went to college in that same area of Indiana where our kin lived.

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  25. dimmit! early 1900's!

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  26. i don't have much info on the kaubles before their coming to mendocino so i will keep the indiana kaubles in mind. the following is another one of my ancestors on my dads side from jackson, county ohio. i found it interesting because it was a salt source for the indians going back eons and a grave for a megatherium which i had never heard of before which my ancestor identified back in the early 1800s.

    The Megatherium — The following statement is from the pen
    of Caleb Briggs, who visited the licks in 1837: "Some of the salt
    wells in Jackson county were dug in a deposit of clay, sand and
    gravel, occupying a basin shaped cavity in the superior part of the
    conglomerate. In nearly all these wells were found fossil bones
    consisting of jaw teeth, tusks, vertebrae, ribs, etc., which from the
    descriptions given by Mr. Crookham belong to extinct species of
    animals. From his descriptions, remains of the Megatherium and
    of the fossil elephant were among the number." Crookham was a
    born naturalist, and his statements are entitled to credence, but
    it is rather remarkable that the bones of this gigantic animal,
    allied to the anteaters and the sloths of the tropics, should have
    been found in such close proximity to the bones of the mammoth
    of the arctic circle. This fact goes to prove the great antiquity
    of the licks, for the megatherium must have visited them long
    before the Ice Age began. But he had the same apjjetite for salt
    shared by his fellow victims of later ages. Attracted by the water
    oozing from the salt marsh above the licks, he ventured in too far
    a,nd was mired, and his bones marked the spot of his last strug-
    gles. In time, they were covered b}' the bones of other victims of
    the same appetite, and lay commingled until man came to disturb
    them, and learn the fate of their owners. It is to one of the early salt boilers, George L. Crookham, who arrived from Pennsylvania in 1799, that we owe much of the credit for scholarly information about the first years of the white man's domain at the Scioto Salt Licks. He was a teacher, farmer, salt boiler, abolitionist, and collector of natural history objects and Indian artifacts. People brought everything they found of curious nature to him for identification. These included mastodon and other fossils they found in digging salt wells to a depth of thirty feet in the alluvium. Crookham was the source of information and inspiration to John Wesley Powell, the Colorado River explorer and founder of the Bureau of Ethnology who lived in Jackson.
    Crookham lived long enough to pass on his wealth of information about the salt springs and other geological findings to the corps of intrepid geologists of the First Geological Survey in 1837-38. Unfortunately, Crookham's collection of fossils and Indian artifacts were destroyed by anti-abolitionists when they burned his school in the night. If the site could be found, perhaps some of the fossils and artifacts could be recovered.
    as you can see, my anti-slavery roots are deep and i'm well aware
    that liking indians or other races is not very popular with much of our society even today. i believe that respecting the diversity of all human races and cultures is the key to manifesting a peaceful, beautiful planet.

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  27. hey spyrock.... here is a Simmerly story... Estelle Beard is telling her account in volume I of the Mendecino County Remembered (henceforth MCR) oral history. She talks about her familiarity with the twenty miles of the river north of Dos Rios..."My father had a misadventure driving hogs across the river with the Simmerlys. They were crosssing hogs just above Spy Rock at the mouth of what they call Shellrock Creek. As he was crossing, the girth of my father's saddle broke. There he was going downriver still riding his saddle!
    Just as he hit the hole of the ripple at the mouth of Shellrock Creek, John Simmerly lassoed him and hauled him out. The rivers up here are dangerous. Lots of people who knew the river--or thought they did--drowned trying to ford it."

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  28. great story river, you are hitting close to home now, less than a mile up the ridge along shell rock creek. i've been after mcr1 for quite awhile. i've got mcr2, its actually my aunt florice simmerly's copy, i guess we never got it back to her. that's the way it is. either my cousin jerry ann's son mel has our genocide and vendetta or i've still got it stashed away with another pionering in the shadow of cahto mountain. i found an autographed copy of shadow in a bookstore up in jackson, ca. recently, i bought a genocide and vendetta with estelle's autograph in it. so now you hit me with her story about hogs crossing the river. so it means all the more to have her autograph. one of the claims is at the source of shell rock creek up on shell rock i guess, that's where i suppose they found those white quartz rocks i use in my spyrock medicine wheel up near grizzly flat. shell rock creek is where i found grinding bowls in the creek bed where we used to go swimming. shell rock creek is where i froze to the rattle of a rattlesnake walking barefoot alone back up the hill toward the house. the first time i felt fear in this lifetime and where they say i left part of my soul that wanted to stay there. i was afraid of those pigs too. they had huge pigs and i'd never seen any that big before. uncle delbert had a wild pig he found one easter up on panoche tending cattle. he idolized uncle guy and told a story about uncle guy shooting a charging wild pig from his horse. of course, if one of ernies ancestors was around they could have flown them over the river. my first trip to spyrock they were cutting the pigs tails and they were screaming like crazy. there was blood all over the place. on the barn next to where they were messing with the pigs was about 20 or more sets of dear antlers. i remember something about a white deer, either they had a white deer head or they said that they had seen white deer sometimes. some of the men wore those indiana jones hats. they sent me up to the top floor with an oil lamp so i missed all the stories they told late into the night. i can still see the black widows crawling in the shadows of the ceiling.

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