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Category Archives: Uncategorized
John Steele Meets Joaquin Murrieta
In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 8 After vaccinating the Indian village near Coloma, John Steele left Downing’s Ravine to make a tour of the Southern Mines. He was always in search of information, and he wanted … Continue reading
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Frontier Justice in Placerville
In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 7 Steele met his share of desperadoes and lowlifes during his time in California. He tells of several men murdered in their tents for their gold. He worried about being a … Continue reading
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John Steele and Peter Lassen
In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 4 On Saturday, February 1, 1851, John Steele and his friend John Donnelley left “Downie’s Diggings on Poorman’s Creek”, with the goal of hiking to Big Meadows to rejoin their company. … Continue reading
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Death in Downieville
In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — part 3. Leaving Nevada City in January 1851, John Steele and several other men headed over the snow-covered ridges, aiming for Big Meadows and the North Fork of the Feather River. They … Continue reading
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In Camp and Cabin with John Steele — 2
John Steele was a well-educated, Bible-reading, poetry-loving, and seemingly mild-mannered young man. But in the California goldfields a man had to be prepared for anything. Sometimes the answer to a problem was a pistol. Once he and his friends had … Continue reading
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William B. Lorton in Salt Lake City
William B. Lorton arrived at the Mormon community in the Salt Lake Valley on August 8, 1849. To visit Salt Lake City was a deviation from the Oregon-California Trail, but one that many took in order to trade goods. The … Continue reading
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William B. Lorton on the Trail
The eminent historian of the American West, Dale Morgan, called The diary of William B. Lorton “the finest Forty-niner diary I have ever laid eyes on.” Having known Dale Morgan many, many, many years ago when I was a student … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized, William B. Lorton
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The “Most Unique” Adventures of John Scott, Black Pioneer
The obituary of John Scott, black pioneer of Tehama County, reads like an adventure novel. I wish I could find more information about him. So far the only two sources are his obituary in the Red Bluff Daily News (May … Continue reading
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The First Overland Letter to California
I thought I knew a lot about the 1841 Bidwell-Bartleson Party — the first group of emigrants to leave the United States on the overland trail. But I didn’t know about the letter carried by Elias Barnett to John Marsh, … Continue reading
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More Vegetables by Stage
When Mrs. B.M. Evoy asked John Bidwell to supply her with fresh vegetables for her boarding house (See “Send a Basket by the Stage”), she wasn’t the only one. As she said in her letter, she heard about this source … Continue reading
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