Borax Mining in Death Valley

 The Harmony Borax Mine is a National Historical Place inside of the Death Valley National Park.  Borax deposits were discovered by Aaron and Rosie Winters in 1881 and the mineral rights were acquired by William Coleman.  Production of Borax at the works began in 1883.  Coleman had unique wagons designed to carry the Borax to the nearest railhead in Mojave California.  It could get up to 130 degrees in the desert and Mojave was 165 miles away.  This made for a hard journey.  20-mule teams were used to haul two box cars and a water tank.  They were in service from 1883-1889; but their legacy ives on through marketing.

Coleman ran the operation until 1888 when his business collapsed.  It was then taken over by Frank M "Borax" Smith.  The company became the Pacific Coast Borax Company with the brand: 20 Mule Team Borax.  Mining continued at the site until 1907.  Since then a larger mine in Boron has supplied the need for Borax.  Borax is used in soaps.

Book Review: The Murders at Convict Lake by George William III

Book Review: The Murders at Convict Lake by George William III, illustrated by Dave Comstock, TBR Trust, Carson City, Nevada, 1984.

I came upon this story when we visited Convict Lake in the mammoth lakes area of Western California.  This story starts in Nevada.  The State Prison was at Carson City, the state capitol.  On Sunday evening, September 17, 1871, there was a mass break out at the prison.  Frank Clifford was one of the planners.  There was only one guard on duty, in light of it being Sunday.  This guard, while returning the men to their cells after dinner, was struck from behind by a make-shift weapon.  From there, the prisoners managed to dig into a crawl space in the ceiling, and travel to another guard’s room.  That guard awoke startled, and was able to escape and warn the prison staff.  However the prisoners were able to getting into a storm room and steal some weapons.  Frank Denver, the warden and Lieutenant Governor confronted them, and shot Clifford in the stomach with a derringer.  He went to retrieve a larger weapon he too was struck in the head by a metal object.  He was shot with his own gun.  Bob Dedman, a lifer, but personal staff of the warden took up a chair and beat the prisoners back.  He too was knocked senseless and also left for dead.  Both these men would recover.  The prisoners now gained access to the armory, and armed themselves with rifles and shot guns and pistols along with ample ammunition.  Ed Goyette, a prisoner, saved Dedmon’s six-year-old daughter who wondered into the midst of the shooting.  F.M. Isaacs, a guard in the court yard fired a six-shooter at this prisoners until he himself was hit in the leg.  John Newhouse, a guard shot E.B. Parsons of the Verdi train robbery.  He himself was shot in the back of the head but survived.  Another guard, Perasich, also fired and hit three prisoners before being shot in the hip.  Matt Pixley, owner of the hotel that was adjacent to the prison attempted to fire as well but was shot dead by Charlie Jones.  Goyette also helped wounded staff make it to safety.  Twenty-nine would escape, heading in different directions.  This story follows the train of six convicts who headed south to Mono County in California.  This included Jones who was in prison for murder, John Burke for manslaughter, Tilton Cockerill a Verdi train robber, Bedford Roberts, the youngest at 19 in jail for stage robbery,  Moses Black for larceny and Leander Morton in jail for mail robbery.  He was considered very dangerous.  Several different posses followed them along their way at different times, through the desserts of western Nevada and then into California and past Mono Lake.  Along the way the committed several crimes, the most heinous being the murder of a Pony Express rider Billy Poor by Jones and Morton.  This turned the locals against them and urged the local posses to continue after them.  September 23 the posse finally overtook them.  Half the criminals were gone, Jones, Burke and Cockerill, looking for berries.  However Robert Morrison of the posse spotted the group by the Monte Diablo Creek (now Convict Creek).  A gun battle ensued, which did not go well for Morrison and he was killed by Black.  Roberts, the young criminal was wounded in this exchange.  Another member of the posse was also killed, Mono Jim, a Native American who was holding horses.  Jim thought the convicts were posse members and a gun battle ensued when he realized his error.  He was killed by Morton.  The lake here is now called Convict Lake and the highest peak behind the lake Morrison Peak. 

The convicts continued their journey south, hoping to cross the Sierra Nevada range.  In the attempt they soon lost a couple more horses (they had collected several from the posse) and were eventually captured.  They were taken to Bishop, and tried to blame the murder of Morrison on Roberts.  However he was also captured where the other two had left him for dead.  The men were being taken back to Carson by wagon, when a vigilante group intervened.  This group took possession of the prisoners, and held a quick trial.  The two older, Black and Morton were hung from a make shift gallows with a poll set upon the chimney of a house on one side, and a tripod on the other.  Roberts was returned to Carson as the vote was tied in his case for hanging or no. 

19 of the escaped prisoners were tried for murder.  Jones was not captured and either died in the desert or escaped.  Two had already been hung.  Eight were unaccounted for.  The convicts were found not guilty of murder, as the murder were blamed on Jones and Morton.  Later, the original conviction of Roberts would be overturned on appeal.

A couple years later, the Nevada State Legislature voted to appoint a professional warden, to be assigned by the governor.  Dedman did not agree with this, as it was part of the duties of Lieutenant Governor he had won by election.  A battle almost ensued when he was being replaced, but he finally acquiesced and moved to San Francisco.

Bodie State Park: California State Park System

The brochure for Bodie State Park is very interesting.  It provides information for a walking tour, but that information tells some rather significant history.  Of course it doesn’t have all the history as only 5 percent of the original structures remain.  Many are lost due to fire and time.

fire station

The first home indicates the occupants Frank and Donald McDonnell were miners.  However Donald’s wife was also a post mistress.  A later occupant, Alice Dolan was a school teacher.  Her father had been a sheriff who had been killed in a shootout near Mono Lake. 

There is only one church remaining, Methodist Church.  It was built in 1882.  A catholic Church built at the same time was burned in 1928. 

David Victor Cain sold Bodie to the California State Park system in 1962.  His wife was a school teacher.  His father was James S. Cain who was in the lumber business, and for a time had barges and a steamship on Mono Lake to transport wood.  James Cain married Martha Delilah Wells just before coming to Bodie in 1879.  He acquired the Standard Company through court action and was the principal owner in town.  He also

Tom Miller worker for a rail service, Bodie Railway and Lumber Company which ran from a Lumber Mill by Mono Lake to Bodie.  He was a teamster so perhaps it was a horse drawn railway.  Jeffrey pine from Mono Mills was used for mine timbers and to fuel boilers.  Emil Billeb was the last superintendent of the rail company which ran until 1917. 

Harvey Boone ran a large stable complex with a saddle room.  He also ran a general store with partner James W. Wright.

There are two mortuaries remaining in Bodie.  You can still see caskets in one of these. 

The Miners Union Hall was an important building.  In addition to union meets, religious services and social gatherings were held here, including Independence Day and Christmas parties, masquerade parties, and school recitals. 

The I.O.O.F (Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 279) hosted a fraternal order.  The order used the upstairs while down stairs was for a furniture business, and later Bodie Athletic Club.  There was also a Masonic Lodge in town from 1878 to 1918. 

Thomas Treloar was murdered in Bodie in 1881.  Joseph DeRoche, who was romantically involved with Treloar’s wife shot him as he left a dance at the Miners Union Hall.  DeRoche was arrested, but escaped capture after a few hours.  A posse recaptured him two days later and he was brought back to Bodie for trial.  However a vigilante committee (“601”) took him from his jail cell and hung him.  This resulted in a demotion for town Constable John Kirgan.

At one time there was a casino in Bodie owned by Horace F. Swasey.

Eli Johl took up painting.  Her husband was a prominent miner and he was fairly successful, being able to purchase homes and saloons. 

Sam Leon’s Bar had a barbershop attached run by Joe Hayner, the last barber in Bodie. 

The fire house has a bell tower.  It was rebuilt in the 1930s by the California Conservation Corps.  Many fires were battled over the years, the biggest being July 25, 1892 and June 23, 1932.  The 1892 fire consumed 60 buildings and started in a restaurant on Main Street.  Efforts to fight the fire were delayed due to a valve closure.  The 1932 fire was also difficulty to fight as a screen at the reservoir worked poorly and pipes became clogged.  It is said that the 1932 fire destroyed about 90 percent of the town.  There are 100 buildings remaining so this would be a loss of 900 buildings.  This fire was blamed on a toddler who liked to play with fire.  It started at the Sawdust Corner Saloon at the corner of Main Street and Union.  The Occidental and U. S. Motels were destroyed as was most of the center of town.

1931

after fire

today

The Wheaton an Luhrs building was a store built in the 1880s.  It through the years also housed a land office and a hydroelectric company that transmitted electricity from Lundy Canyon.  Josie Pearl worked as a cook here for a boarding house.  She also mined on the side. 

The Bon Ron Lodging House became a school after the original school burned down.  Its highest enrollment was 1879 with 615 students.  It closed in 1942.

Bodie had a baseball team in the early 1900s and Dan McMillan, who had only one arm, was the manager. 

Boarding housings were common to house single men who worked in the mines. 

Canadian Roderick McInnis was a miner but known for his wrestling talents. 

Several people served the community as doctor, among them Dr. John A Street.  Doctors were kept busy with accident victims, smallpox, choler and pneumonia. 

The Standard Mill was the most successful of the 30 mining companies in Bodie.  They extracted $18 million in gold over 38 years.  Gold was extracted by different techniques over the years including crushing with heavy iron bars,  Mercury and later cyanide were also used int the extraction process.   The Standard Mine area is also known as Bunker Hill and Bullion Mine.  The original Mill was destroyed by fire in 1898 and rebuilt in 1899.  Electricity was brought to the mill in 1893 from a hydroelectric plant 13 miles away.  This was one of the first long distance transmissions of electricity.  Theodore Hoover, brother of Herbert Hoover was mine superintendent for a time.

It is bragged that main street Bodie as a full mile of one- and two-story buildings at one time, before the fires.  It has residents from many different parts of the world, including Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, Canada, Mexico.  There was a large African American community and a large Chinese community.  1880 census shows 253 Chinese residents (Chinese population may have been greater).  Only two buildings remain of the significant Chinatown.  The Chinatown included Taoist Temple and opium dens.  The Chinese were not allowed to join the Miner’s Union which limited their economic possibilities.  They mostly made money by operating laundries and selling vegetables and firewood.  There were also 35 native Paiutes in the 1880 census.  There life was disrupted by the mines, however some worked in the mines.  The hunter-gatherer lifestyle was impacted. 

The Bodie Bank was never robbed.  However a night time burglary yielded $2,000 cash and some bullion.  Only the vault remained after the 1932 fire. 

Bodie had its red-light district known as Bonanza Street, Maiden Lane or Virgin Alley.  This was mostly a row of one-room cribs where ladies lived and worked. 

Attorney Patrick Reddy served as the miner’s lawyer.  He had only one arm.  He maintained offices in both San Francisco and Bodie. 

Winters could be cold in Bodie with temperatures 30 or 40 below zero and severe winds.  Lots of wood was needed to heat the poorly insulated homes.  The winter of 1878-79 was especially severe with some new arrivals who were not prepared dying from exposure. 

Infrequent mining accidents resulted in loss of life and injury.  Dan McDonal was injured in an explosion.  Michael J. Cody died in a mining accident near Bridgeport. 

Ice was cut from local ponds and stored at the Tom Miller’s Ice House where it was available during the summer.  Sawdust was used to insulate the ice.

Book Review: Bigler's Chronicle of the West

Bigler's Chronicle of the West: The Conquest of California, Discovery of Gold, and Mormon Settlement as reflected in Henry William Bigler's Diaries, by Erwin G. Gudde, University of California Press, Berkely and Los Angeles, 1962.
Here is a great book, most of it based on Bigler's diaries, meaning this is a good source of original information on the Mormon Battalion, the discovery of gold, and the trip from California to Utah by former members of the Mormon Battalion.  This record chronicles the discovery date of gold, and circumstances surrounding the discovery.  It also talks about some of the early prospecting.  The Mormons were prospecting mostly on Angel Island in the American River, but also found gold in other locations.  It tells the story of how they left some of their gold on the mill waterway when John Sutter came to visit, to impress him.  However in the meantime, and youth discovered the gold and claimed it for himself. 
However before this, it gives a very good, although not complete, history of the day-to-day struggles of the Mormon Battalion.  It talks about those who left with the sick train, talks about getting paid, and their digging of wells and making improvements in San Diego.  It talks of the trip north, where in they passed New Hop in San Joaquin Valley on their way to Sutter's Fort.  They worked on the saw mill, while others Mormons worked on a flour mill.  As part of their payment Sutter gave them cattle to take to Utah.  He also furnished two cannon he had purchased from the Russians at Fort Ross. 
This report chronicles the death of three Mormons, who got ahead of the group returning to Salt Lake.  These men were Daniel Browett, Ezrah H. Allen and Herderson Cox.  The Mormons named the place Tragedy Spring and the name still is used.  They found the gold pouch belonging to Ezrah H. Allen and returned this to his wife. 
The trip to Salt Lake was full of hazards.  Often Indians would shoot poison arrows into the horses, with the hopes they could eat them when they died.  They also shot other animals, but seemed to like horse meat.  However some Indians were more friendly.  they had issues with finding the route, taking a cutoff rather than going to Fort Hall.  The finally arrived to Salt Lake and family.
Bigler was subsequently called on a gold seeking mission to California, and three missions to the Hawaiian Islands. 

Book Review: Place-Names of California's North San Joaquin Valley

Place Names of California's North San Joaquin Valley: Includes San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties, by David L Durham, Word Dancer Press, Clovis, California, 2000.

It is fascinating how many place names there are.  There are rives and sloughs and channels and islands surrounded by rivers.  That is what you get with a delta.  Of course this is not room to hit on every place name, so let me offer some high lights.  The San Joaquin River shapes much of the area, with its many channels. 

Charles Weber laid out Stockton and French Camp.  This was after he received a land grant Campo de los Franceses.  The are was called this based on some French fur trappers who had camped in the area.  Stockton is the County Seat, and most prominent city of San Joaquin County.  Weber laid out the town of Stockton in 1847 on his land grant.  Other names were suggested, but in the end Stockton took the name of Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who was commander of military forces in California at the time and largely responsible for conducting of the Mexican American War in California and the annexation of Alta California into the United States.  In Stockton there is Mormon Slough, but no idea why it took this name.

Manteca, which means butter or lard, took its name from the local creamery.  The rail way station was first called Cowell in honor of Joshua Cowell who had granted the rail company right-of-way. 

New Hope, the Mormon community is mentioned in the section on the Sanislaus River.  This community was near the mouth of the Stanislaus River, and lasted only about a year.  This was later known as Staislaus City and there was a ferry in the area.  Ripon developed nearby.  There is another New Hope in the county in the Lodi area.  Lodi is north of Stockton.  It was originally named Mokelumne.  Lodi Lake is located near Lodi (originally Smith Lake.)

Banta is near Tracy where Kasson and Grant Line roads meet.  There was a prominent Inn there.  Lathrop is along the San Joaquin River.   Tracy took the name of Lathrop tracy, an official of the rail road.  The alternate is Judge F.P. Tracy, a contemporary of Leland Stanford. 

Also south of Tracy in the Diablo Range is Corral Hollow.  I had heard of the name being the result of a corral made to catch wild horses.  This book gives and alternative.  It may have been named for Edward Corral.  The canyon and creek were also known by the Mexicans as Buenos Ayres Creek.

San Joaquin City was a river town with the Dunham Ferry close by.  From here originally oak, and later wheat was shipped.  Sturgeon Bend in the San Joaquin River is close to this spot. 

Knights Ferry fascinates me.  The name-sake of the town was actually killed in a gun battle.  There is a geologic feature near here known as Lover's Leap or The Jumping Off Place.

There of course is much more in this book available at the Manteca Library.  I have focused mostly on San Joaquin County. 

Book Review: It Happened in Northern California

It Happened in Northern California: Remarkable Events that Shaped History, by Erin H. Turner, Twodot, Guilford, CT, 2016.

This book presents 33 short stories of history in Northern California.  It lists them chronologically, although some stories take place over a period of time. 

Among other stories it includes, the first siting of California by non-Native Americans.  Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo lead the expedition, which never did make landfall because the tides and winds were not favorable.  However Cabrillo would not survive the trip.  He had previously fallen on rocks in the San Diego area and broken his arm.  He continued on, but eventually gangrene set in and killed him.  His first-mate made a final attempt to make it to shore, but eventually his men insisted it was not to be and the returned to Mexico.

He tells of an early Native American story teller.

A romance between a Russian trader and the magistrate at San Francisco Bay; Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov and Maria de la Concepcion Arguello y Morage.  In this the guy does not get the girl, but intends to.

The Bear Flag Revolt of 1846.

He tells the bravery of Patty Reed of the Donner Party in 1847.

The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill by James Marshall.

The story of Joaquin Murieta, who was considered a bandit by some.  By others he was compared to Robin Hood, fighting against injustice after the Mexican American War and many Hispanics were forced off their land.  However Murieta became a cold blooded killed.  In his wrath he killed many.  He could gather 80 men or more, people who had been offended by the Whites, and they would take out their vengeance.  This included killing Chinese.  The reward offered for his capture eventually bore fruit.  He was killed and his head taken as proof, as well as the hand of the three-fingered bandit, his side-kick.  Although displayed, his wife said it was not him.  She said Joaquin Murieta had escaped to Mexico. 

The story of Ulysses Grant in California before the Civil War.

The mail delivered by Snowshoe Thompson.

Start of the wine making business in Sonoma,

Jessie Benton Fremont confronting those who would take her property.  She was the wife of John C. Fremont.

A terrible massacre of Indians.  The responsible parties were never identified.

Mary Ellen Pleasant, and African American business woman had an early incident similar to that of Rosa Parks. 

Emperor Norton, who was treated as royalty because he had a delusion that he was.

The take of Captain Jack, chief of the Modocs, who refused to be relocated, and the had an effective stronghold in lava caves.

The story of Caruso during the San Francisco earthquake.  Damage would have been much less had not the fires started. 

The story of Ishi, last of the Yahi, a small tribe of Yana Indians.

The fire that destroy the dream of Jack London, and in a real way also took his will to live, and he passed away not long after.

Sarah Winchester and her mystery house in San Jose, when the tools did not go silent until after her death.

The state of Jefferson; proposed from parts of Northern California and Southern Oregon, which may have really happened if not for the advent of WWII which took everyone’s focus.

Japanese internment.  Those who wouldn't say yes to the loyalty question were kept at Tule Lake. 

The Olympics in Squaw Valley, 0960.

Bodega Bay and the birds,

Haight Ashbury summer of love in San Francisco, which came out of the protest movement.

The Native American take over at Alcatraz.

How a computer club developed into Apple, McIntosh and the iphones.

An art project you could see from space.

The mayor and supervisor in San Francisco murdered, George Moscone nd Harvey Milk.

And the World Series being stopped by an earthquake.

I think there are a couple left out, such as the explosion during WWII, the train robbery in Manteca, the story of New Hope, The Brooklyn, or the history of Drawbridge in the San Francisco Bay, The Battle between Mexican forces and Native Americans close the Riverbank.  I will be using this post as a link for some of these stories. 

Hydraulic Mining and the California Gold Rush

Water cannon

Hydraulic mining was a practice which worked for extracting gold.  However it was not very healthy for the environment.  The water cannon would not only force the gravel and dirt into a sluice, where the gold was separated, it also destroyed the undergrowth and the hillsides.  The practice was halted by the federal government in 1885.

This pictures shows the result on the hillside.

This is a rest area on the I-80.

Casa Grande: New Almaden

Casa Grande

Casa Grande was built in 1854.  There were thoughts of establishing it as a hotel, but this never happened.  It was instead used as a residence for the mine, general manager.  Often guests would stay there as well.  The basement was used as a bank.  Consequently there are bars on the windows, and a vault.  In touring the building, it was decorated for Christmas.  The home supported the mining of mercury nearby.  This mine predated the gold rush, being established in the late 1840s.  This mine was worked for a longer period of time, and provided more wealth than any other mine in California.  Quick silver or mercury was important as at the time it was used for the extraction of gold and silver from their ore.

The vault

the exterior

artwork

American Biography: Black Bart

The name Black Bart, is a self given name.  Black Bart's real name is Charles Earl Bowles.  He was born in England.  He made several prospecting trips, two to California and one in Montana.  He had married and had a wife in Illinois.  He also served in the Civil War with Sherman's march to the sea.  In Montana he had a promising claim, running water through a "tom," a flue which separated the gold from the rocks.  Some men moved above his claim, and cut off his water.  Bowles felt these men were affiliated with Wells fargo, and he took out his vengeance against the stage company.  His robberies all took place in the Northern California and Southern Oregon area.  His first and last robberies were near Copperopolis, a community not too far from where I currently live.  Black Bart needed certain conditions for his robberies.  He was afraid of horses, and consequently did not ride.  He would choose a place where he could walk, and an upgrade for the stage coach so the coach would be going uphill and slower.  His initials robberies he carries out a rouse with sticks placed to look like guns, and he would call to his men to shoot if the driver tried anything.  Black Bart would only steal from the stage coach box.  He would not steal from the passengers.  He also would not kill anyone.  He threatened with a gun, which was rarely loaded and was old and rusted.  
An unusual thing about Bart is that at a couple robberies he left verse, almost taunting those who were trying to stop him.  

I've labored long and hard for bread,
For honor, and for riches,
But on my corns too long you've tread,
You fine-haired sons of bitches.

— Black Bart, 1877

 Here I lay me down to sleep

To wait the coming morrow,
Perhaps success, perhaps defeat,
And everlasting sorrow.
Let come what will, I'll try it on,
My condition can't be worse;
And if there's money in that box
'Tis munny in my purse.— Black Bart

While Black Bart was robbing stage coaches, at least 24 robberies were credited to him, which is more than anyone in history, he lived in San Francisco under an assumed name, and passed himself off as a rich mining engineer named Charles Bolton.  

James Hume was a detective hired by the Wells Fargo Company to capture Black Bart.  He actually used skills of detection, which was unusual for the time, other than interviewing witnesses.  He took cast molds of footprints, he dug out bullets and buckshot to look for comparisons.  

Wells Fargo became smarter over time, fastening the black boxes to the coach.  Bart would have to take time to them them loose, and this lead to his capture.  At a robbery, near in location to his first, a passenger had been let off at the bottom of the hill.  It took enough time for Bart to remove the contents of the box, that they came upon bart while he was making his escape.  They fired four shorts, and hit him in the hand.  He also left quickly, leaving some of the items at his camp.  This included a bloodied handkerchief with a laundry mark.  With this mark, Hume was able to track him down, and discover his true identity.  Bart confessed and was convicted of the last robbery.  He was sentenced to San Quentin.  It is estimated he stole between twenty and one hundred thousand dollars (three million today.)  After his release, early for good behavior, he drifted into obscurity.

Excerpts form Wikipedia and Bill O' Reilly's Legends & Lies by David Fisher.

Native American Biographies: Estanislao and Yoscolo: California Yokut: Battle of San Joaquin Valley

In a very real sense, Estanislao may have been the inspiration for Zoro.  He would carve the letter "S" with his sword authenticating his work.   Estanislao was born Cucunuchi on the banks of the river which would later take his name, Stanislaus River in 1798.  He would eventually drift with his brother to Mission San Jose (in Fremont) where he would participate in religious education and be baptized and christened Estanislao after a Saint.  He even became alcalde of the community there for a time.  However he became disaffected with mission life, and lead a group of Native Americans from various tribes to San Joaquin Valley.  At one point he lead almost 4000 Native Americans. They preyed upon local ranchers, with as little loss of blood shed as possible.  Often they would use strategy to capture their victims without loss of life.  They also prayed on the missions, San Jose, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.  The friars asked the Mexican government for help.  At first a small force from Presidio San Francisco attempted to resolve the matter, and came back limping, Sergeant Antonio Soto would later die from his wounds.  A larger group was sent, with the same results.  Finally Lieutenant Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (later general but now only 20 years old) would be sent with a larger force and three cannon.  For the first time cannon would be used in battle against native Americans in California.  They found the Indian force in about the same area, and were able to overcome their defensive works with the cannon.  When they attacked the next day, they discovered the Native Americans had scattered.  Vallejo returned claiming victory.  Estanislao would eventually return to Mission San Jose and receive a pardon from the governor.  He returned to his area of birth with Yoscolo and they continued raids against Mexicans.  Yoscolo did not mind killing them, and wore a mask.
Two reports indicate he either died shortly thereafter of small pox, or lived some time and lived by Knights Ferry as late as 1840.  I have also seen two battle sites, either by the confluence of the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Rivers.  Or just below Riverbank along the Stanislaus River.
Yoscolo was also Yokut.  His history parallels that of Estanislao, except that he was educated at Mission Santa Clara.  He too was appointed alcalde, or chief of the Native Americans there.  He lead a force of 200-300 Indians away form the mission as he became disaffected.  He joined with Estanislao and they continued raiding ranches in the San Joaquin Valley for a time.  Yoscolo lead an attack on the Mission Santa Clara for plunder.  As a result a larger force of volunteers came against them in the Santa Cruz Mountains in an area known as La Cuesta de Los Gatos because of the mountain lions that one dominated the area.  They had a battle that lasted all day.  It was only after the Indians had expended their arrows that the surrendered.  Yoscolo was found wounded.  He was beheaded, and his head displayed at Mission Santa Clara for a few days as a warning to others.

Indian Biography: Juan Antonio, Cahuilla (Southern California) Indian

Juan Antonio was the chief during the time that whites were entering California.  He took a roll in protecting white encroachers, either from the military or settlers.  When Edward Beale of the U.S. Army came on an exploration mission, he granter permission for him to cross the Chihuilla territory.  He also defended Beale's men from the Ute Indians lead by Walkara.  Beal gave Juan Anontio a couple epaulets for his efforts.
During the Mexican American War he lead, with the Californios, and attack on the Luiseno.  The ambushed the Luiseno and killed about 40 warriors.  This became known as the Temecula massacre of 1847.
When the outlaw Irving gang began attacking and killing white settlers, Juan Antonio and his band took it upon themselves to hunt them down and kill them.  Instead of being thankful, this brought persecution against the band as people didn't know what to make of Indians tracking down and killing whites.  However, when the Mormons came to San Bernadino, some of the persecution against the Indians was relieved and directed towards the Mormons.
Juan Antonio further helped the local settlers as Antonio Garra, a Cupeno came to Juan Antonio seeking his help to drive whites from the region.  Instead Juan Antonio captured Guerra and turned him over to authorities.  Antonio did move his band farther East to avoid encroachments and persecution.  However they were eventually overtaken by a small pox epidemic and much of the group decimated.  the numbers after this were very few.  Today the Cuihuilla occupy 10 villages or bands in Southern California.
Information form Wikipedia and "American Indian Biographies" edited by Harvey Markowitz.

Mormon Launch Comet: 1846

Inscription. First known sail launch to ascend San Joaquin River from San Francisco landed here autumn 1846. Carried 20 Mormon pioneers who founded New Hope agricultural project on the Stanislaus. Yoke of oxen and span of mules driven from Marsh’s Landing (Antioch) by two men who followed crude map drawn by Merritt the trapper. Two years later Doak and Bonsell operated here the first ferry on the San Joaquin River.

IN 1846 the pioneers from the Ship Brooklyn hoped to establish and inland colony.  This site became known as New Hope.  However the first needed to transport their equipment to this site.  This Plaque is about a half mile from the actual landing site.  The picture below is taken from the train bridge and shows the actual slough were the Comet landed.  The San Joaquin River continues to the right.  The slough is called Whithall Slough.  In addition to the oxen the hauled a plow, and a mill on the launch, and then overland for about a mile until the reached their final destination on the Stanislaus River, just before the confluence.  

 The plaque had been vandalized, and was removed and repaired.  It has been restored this year after about a four year time away.  It is good to have it back.  It is close to the entrance to the Moss Landing State park launch area.

 The plaque also documents the first ferry over the San Joaquin at Moss Landing.

 Looking from the walkway towards Whithall Slough (east) but the freeway bridges over the river block your view.  The railway bridge is about a half mile up river and Whithall Slough just beyond that.

Biography: Toypurina

Toypurina:  I take this from an article in the Metro.  It is based on a book by Elias Castillo “A Cross of Thorns: The Enslavement of California’s Indians by the Spanish Missions.”  It appears he also wrote this article for the Metro.

Toypurina was a young Native American maiden with some beauty.  She was a child when the California missions were established.  She saw herself and her people go from having plenty of food, and a way of life with considerable freedom.  Even though she did not join the missions, she saw the change on the people in general.  She herself was of the Gabrielino Tribe; which tribe did not, for the most part, convert to Catholocism and join the missions.

When Toypurina was a young woman, she lead a revolt against the missions.  The hope was for several missions to overthrow the Franciscans and kill them.  She is the only North American Native American woman to lead a revolt.  She consulted with Nicolas Jose someone who had converted, and lived inside the mission; but had become disaffected with it because native dances were not allowed.  Together they recruited several tribal groups to participate in the uprising.  They selected Mission San Gabriel as the first place of attack, and the night of October 25 1785.  There was much planning and coordination, and a Spanish soldier, who had taught himself the Tongva language, overheard the plans.  He took his knowledge to the friars, who were able to use this against the Indians.  Toypurina was considered a sorceress, and she had prophesized that the friars would all be found dead in their room.  The friars hid elsewhere, while soldiers took their places in the rooms, pretending to be dead.  When the Indian warriors rushed to their room, and found them dead, the felt they had victory.  However when the dead friars came back to life, and were joined by soldiers, the warriors fled in fear, and the revolt was thwarted.  Toypurina, Jose, and a couple chiefs were taken prisoner and put on trial for their revolt.  

Toyurina’s initial response was, “I hate the padres and all of you for living here on my native soil, for trespassing on the land of my forefathers and despoiling our tribal domains.”  However as the trial progressed, Toypurina’s attitude changed.  She was a beautiful woman of 24 years.  When she softened, she was kept at the mission for a year to assure her repentance was genuine.  She converted to Christianity and was baptized.  SHe was exiled to a different mission, where she married a Spanish soldier.  They eventually moved to Mission San Juan Bautista, where she passed away and is buried.  

Book Review: Life of the California Coast Nations

Life of the California Coast Nations by Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree Publishing Company, New York, 2005.

This is a brief introduction to the coastal native American groups of California.  It included some very interesting illustrations of native homes.  This also included illustration of a ramada and a sweatlodge.  The It showed the construction of a tumol, ocean going canoe built by the Chumash and Gabrielino/Tongva people.  Other water vessels included crude rafts, and balsa boats make form tule reeds. 

I learned more about the process of leaching which was used to make acorns less bitter.  I have often wondered why you can’t just pick up an acorn to eat it.  However it has lots of tannin which needs to be leached out wo make it palatable. 

I also found the illustrations of musical instruments interesting.  There was a rattle, which was very distinctive and also a clapper stick.  Both instruments are rhythmic. 

It also showed some modern art work.  Native American basketry and artwork are superb.

Book Review: Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain by Russell Freedman, Clarion Books, Boston, 2013.

This book starts with a historical preservation project.  Alexander Weiss, a California State Park Ranger was new to Treasure Island.  He happened upon the barracks of the immigration station on Angel Island.  This was not open to the public.  He was astonished by the number of Chinese calligraphy and poems left on the walls of this building.  In this calligraphy was a story, not always a very happy story.

The immigration station opened in 1910.  Before this, immigration issues were handled in San Francisco, but the need became to large.  Immigrants who were allowed ashore were accepted in San Francisco, while those who were not were ferried to Angel Island.  It was touted as a clean and modern facility, but quickly it was overcrowded.  Because of Chinese Exclusion laws which had been passed, immigrants were not allowed from China.  This eventually was deemed constitutional, and individuals were obligated to comply.  Those who could still come were family members of Chinese American Citizens. 

As a result, there was a considerable amount of interrogation and manipulation which took place as part of this review process.  This included a medical exam, of people who were not use to American medicine, and people dressed in white at funerals.   It also included a great deal of interrogation.  Eventually this was general for all people passing, but more for Asian people seeking to immigrate to the U.S.  The process could be lengthy, and sometimes people interred in what seemed like prison for weeks and months.  Often people were deported, but they could appeal.  The majority of those going through the station were eventually allowed to pass.

The station was active until 1940.  At that time, a fire took the main building and it was not rebuilt.  Immigration services were moved to Los Angeles. 

They buildings preserved, have now become a National Historical Site with museum.