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In another story in Recollections of a ’49er ( 2006, edited by Scott Lawson), Ed McIlhany (who was not the modest or retiring type) tells another tale of derring-do on the trail: The winter was nearly over and I got … Continue reading →

Ed McIlhany packed plenty of flour, bacon, beans, and whisky in his day, but he also occasionally carried some very unusual items, as in the following story: A man came to me in Marysville and wanted a large billiard table … Continue reading →

When Edward Washington McIlhany went home to his family in the East in December 1856, he took with him a pack of stories to tell. From his Recollections it’s not hard to tell that he enjoyed recounting his adventures. Here … Continue reading →

In the spring of 1850, after he had recovered from scurvy, Ed McIlhany relocated with his friends further up the Feather River at American Bar. They found a promising claim and decided to build a “race” to channel the water … Continue reading →

After Edward McIlhany got back to camp at Bidwell’s Bar at the end of that rainy November in 1849, he came down with a case of scurvy.   The doctor said it was caused from eating so much salt bacon … Continue reading →

Continuing the story of Edward McIlhany in the goldfields of Northern California: We left the Major’s and in a few days reached Shasta, not too far from what was called the great Shasta Peak. The place was quite small and … Continue reading →