THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JAMES BECKWOURTH

A Working Organization Dedicated to Marking the California Trail Spring 2012
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
JAMES BECKWOURTH by Denise Moorman Jim Beckwourth wore a number of labels throughout his life: trapper, explorer, trader, Army scout and Indian chief. But perhaps the one that would have fit him best is, “Made in America.” And only in America could his story have unfolded. Born in Virginia, Beckwourth grew up in Missouri, worked as a trapper in the Rocky Mountains and blazed a wagon train route to the California goldfields. He was adopted by the Crow Indians, fought in the Seminole War in Florida and in the Mexican War. He was born a slave, attended boarding school, spoke six languages and was buried with the honors as an Indian chief. While some called him a “gaudy liar,” many portrayed him as a kind, gentle, generous man. Known among historians as a mountain man equal in stature with Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger, trail enthusiasts immediately recognize the name Beckwourth in association with Beckwourth Trail and Beckwourth Pass. While on an expedition with a group of miners looking for Stoddard’s legendary “Gold Lake” and its nugget‐
lined shores, Beckwourth noticed a pass through the Sierras that seemed lower than any with which he was familiar. He didn’t say anything to his prospecting companions at the time, but returned later to investigate. He quickly realized that this pass could provide him with his bonanza, as it “would afford the best wagon‐road into the American Valley, approaching from the eastward.”¹ He set to work building a road that would divert the Sacramento bound gold seekers arriving in Truckee Meadows over this low pass, through Bidwell’s Bar and into Marysville, much to both towns’ delight. The mayor of Bidwell’s Bar enthusiastically collected $500 worth of subscriptions to support the project. James Pierson Beckwourth Marysville’s mayor promised to insure Beckwourth’s expenses; reassuring him that he would “attend to the whole affair,”¹ whereupon Beckwourth unfortunately left it in the mayor’s hands. Working on the trail during the summer and fall of 1850 and the spring of 1851, Beckwourth brought the first wagon train through later that summer. Arriving in Marysville in August 1851, he found the town in ashes and the mayor unable, as well as unwilling, to uphold their end of the deal. On this Beckwourth later remarked, “Sixteen hundred dollars I expended upon the road is forever gone…one thing is certain…when I go out hunting in the mountains a road for everybody to pass through, and expending my time and capital upon an object from which I shall derive no benefit, it will be because I have nothing better to do.” ² So what did Beckwourth consider better than hunting for a road for which he didn’t get paid? Just about anything, as long as it was outdoors and he was moving. Jim was about 50 when he opened his trail over the Sierras and had done just about everything an adventure seeking man could find. (Continued on Page 3) 1
TRAILS WEST DIRECTORY
DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Dave Nelson
Jon Willers – Past Pres.
Sandy Theiss
Terry Hardwicke – Pres.
Bill Bishell
Denise Moorman – Secretary
Ed Otto
Sandy Theiss – Treasurer
Dick Woodbury
Anne-Louise Bennett
COMMITTEES - CHAIR
Activities – Bob Black
Archivist - Kay Kelso
Awards – Ed Otto
Guidebook – Dick Brock
Trail History – Don Buck
Hospitality – Dolores Nelson
Marker Maintenance – Dick Halford
Marker Preparation – Don Enneking
MARKER Publication – Dave Hollecker
Membership – Sandy Theiss
Photography – Alison Portello
Trails West Bylaws – Rod Latimer
Web Site Manager – Bill Bishell
TRAILS WEST CONTACTS
Trails West, Inc.
P.O. Box 12045
Reno, NV 89510
www.EMIGRANTTRAILSWEST.org or TRAILSWEST.org or TRAILSWESTINC.org
UNSCHEDULED FIELD TRIPS
PLACERVILLE (Johnson) ROAD -Marker Installation Trip Leader, John Winner. Install 3-5 markers between
Junction House (Marker CR-61/JC-25) and Placerville
(Marker CR-69).
LUTHER PASS TRAIL – Marker Installation —
Trip Leader, Larry Schmidt. Install 3-5 markers between
Hope Valley (Marker CR-40) and Johnson Pass.
LASSEN TRAIL--Bruffs Camp -Install a wood
replacement sign at Bruffs Camp.
LASSEN TRAIL-WESTWOOD -- Replate the
marker at the Community Center.
MARKER MAINTENANCE -- On Applegate (A14), Lassen (L-15).
POSSIBLE FIELD TRIPS IN 2013-2016
Henness Pass Road —Truckee Trail (Marker T-29) to
Highway 49 — Estimate installing 25 markers.
Volcano Road — From the Carson Trail (Marker CR54) to Volcano — Estimate installing 10 markers.
Grizzly Flat Cutoff — Carson Trail (Marker CR-56) to
Grizzly Flat—Estimate installing 5 markers.
Central Overland Trail — From the Nevada/Utah state
line to Fort Churchill — Estimate installing 30 markers.
Trails West Beckwourth Work Trips
SCHEDULE
The weather is warming and most of the snow is gone—
it’s TRAIL SEASON!
Trails West has planned two work trips for this
year so far. Both will be on the Beckwourth Trail in
preparation for publishing the next Driving Guide.
The first trip will be on June 22-24 where we plan
to re-plate 23 markers and relocate five of them.
The second will take place on September 7–9
where we will re-plate 22 existing markers.
Bill Bishell is the trip leader for both of these work
parties. If you are interested in joining either of these
trips, contact us at:
[email protected]
The Beckwourth Trail runs from the Sparks/Reno area to Marysville, California and passes through some beautifully rugged country. It roughly follows Hwy 395 north from Truckee Meadows to Hallelujah Junction in California. There it swings west along Hwy 70, through Beckwourth Pass, the lowest point across the Sierras, to the present day town of Beckwourth, and passes near where James Beckwourth established his “War Horse Ranch.” Here the route turns northwest to Grizzly Creek (dammed to form Lake Davis) and follows it through Grizzly Valley and then tracks across the precipitous Grizzly Ridge. The trail continues through American Valley (now Quincy), turns southwest toward Buck's Lake and on to Bidwell's Bar, which now lies under Lake Oroville at the confluence of the three forks of the Feather River. From there the trail continues in a generally southerly direction to Marysville. The Oroville‐Quincy Highway follows the Beckwourth Trail route fairly closely. ~
A Big Trails West Thank You to Jon
Willers for serving as President and
Linda Black for serving as Secretary.
2
BECKWOURTH TRAIL WORKING
GROUP UPDATES . . .
We will meet at the U.S. Post Office parking lot,
222 Lawrence St., Quincy, CA. That is downtown
on the west bound one way street. I will resend this
info and more details prior to the work dates.
Those tentative dates are:
June 6-7, 2012
July 11-12, 2012
August 1-2, 2012
September 5-6, 2012
October 3-4, 2012
The dates will also be posted on the CA-NV
OCTA and Trails West web sites. If you know of
someone else who I should put in the BET group
email list let me know at: [email protected],
Dick Waugh. ~
BLM SURVEY NEAR BLACK ROCK
The annual BLM survey in the NCA on the
Applegate Trail is being held on June 28 – July 1.
This survey will attempt to confirm the trail between
markers A15-B and A-16. The plan is to meet
Thursday afternoon, the 26, at 2 P.M. at the new
BLM administrative center in north Gerlach.
The group will caravan to a camping spot
near A15-B and begin working on Friday. This
survey should take two days. You need food,
water and a 4WD vehicle. The annual potluck
featuring Dutch-oven meatloaf is on tap Saturday.
Contact Don Buck at: [email protected]
to sign up and get further details. ~
(Continued from Page 1)
James Pierson Beckwourth was born around 1800 (accounts vary, claiming either 1798 or 1800) near Fredericksburg, Virginia. The third of 13 children, Beckwourth’s mother was an African‐American slave and his father, Sir Jennings Beckwith, a Virginia planter. (James later changed the spelling of his name to Beckwourth.) Sir Jennings Beckwith, a descendant of Irish and English nobility, served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and was a prominent Virginian. However, when his wife died, Beckwith moved his “second family” away from the rigid social structure of life in the Virginia plantation society and to the new lands and opportunities of the west. In 1809 the Beckwith family settled on a large farm in St. Charles County, Missouri at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Although his father raised him as his own son, Jim Beckwourth was still legally considered a slave. To make his son a free man, Jennings Beckwith appeared in court on three different occasions, in 1824, 1825, and 1826, and "acknowledged the execution of a Deed of Emancipation from him to James, a mulatto boy." Jim attended school in St. Louis for four years, which was about average for young men at the time. His father, with whom he was very close, obtained an apprenticeship for him with a blacksmith so Jim could learn a trade. But the wanderlust he had inherited from his father soon took hold, and in 1822, after an altercation with his boss, Jim took off to explore opportunities in the Fever River area lead mines near Galena, Illinois. After a venture at hunting to supply the mining camps with game, Beckwourth returned home briefly, but in 1824 seized the opportunity to join Gen. William Ashley’s fur trapping company and headed west to the Rocky Mountains and his destiny. It was during his tenure with Ashley that the material for one of his more famous tales took place. In his autobiography, The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Jim claims to have rescued Gen. Ashley after the general fell overboard into the “Green River Suck,” a notorious whirlpool on the Green River. “The current,” Beckwourth related, “became exceedingly rapid, and drew towards the center from each shore. This place we named the Suck. This fall continued for six or eight miles, making a sheer
descent, in the entire distance, of upwards of two hundred and fifty feet.” Beckwourth goes on to regale his reading audience, recounting how he swam to Ashley, had him hold onto his shoulders and started for the river bank. The current, however, was too strong to be navigated and soon both men were in peril of being dragged to “inevitable death.” Just as his strength was giving out, a fellow trapper reached out with a pole to Beckwourth and he pulled himself to safety with Ashley still clinging to him. Beckwourth worked for Gen. Ashley and William Sublette with the American Fur Company and the Rocky Mountain Fur Company for a number of years. It was with these companies, and from his time spent with experienced trappers such as Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith and Jim Clyman, that he learned frontiersman skills he would use for the rest of his life. He attended the historic first Mountain Man Rendezvous at Henry's Fork on the Green River in 1825. The Rendezvous quickly became the social and business event of the American mountain men. If everything Jim Beckwourth wrote in his autobiography can be believed, he played a leading role in just about every recorded event in Rocky Mountain trapping lore that occurred in the late 1820's. He seemed to have a bit of a problem estimating crowds. (Continued on Page 4) 3
If 50 trappers had been attacked by 50 hostile Indians, Jim might have written that 10 trappers had been attacked by 500 Indians. And always, it was his skill and bravery that saved the day. In spite of his tendency to “improve” a story, many of Beckwourth's tales can be confirmed by other historical accounts. It’s probable that Beckwourth at least witnessed many of the incidents he recounted, and often his roles in the scenarios were collaborated by accounts of other mountain men. Although his autobiography was at first discounted as a mountain man’s tall tale, his recollection of time spent as a Crow warrior and chief has become an important source of understanding of what life with one of the most warlike, powerful native tribes in America was like during the period of the United States’ westward expansion. While on a trapping expedition in 1828, Beckwourth was captured by a party of Crow Indians. (The tribe referred to themselves as Absaroke, or Sparrowhawk people. It is probably an improper translation which produced the name “Crow.”) Claimed by an Indian woman as a long‐lost child, Beckwourth was adopted into the tribe and lived as one of them for close to a decade. He earned considerable influence among the Crow with his bravery and daring. War and raiding was the way of life for the Crow. If there wasn’t a war going on, then they occupied their time stealing horses. A man deficient in these skills was not acknowledged. Never one to be left out of the forefront, Beckwourth quickly established himself as a fearless warrior and an outstanding acquirer of horses. Each time a Crow warrior performed a feat of daring or honor, he was given a new name. Of the many names Jim Beckwourth eventually bore as a Crow, some of the more descriptive were: Morning Star, The Antelope, Enemy of Horses (a good name for a Crow warrior), Bobtail Horse, Bloody Arm and Medicine Calf. Through his expertise with gun and raiding, Beckwourth rose within the ranks of the Crow nation and eventually became a War Chief, indicating his leadership and persuasiveness. Beckwourth’s life with the Crow nation produced almost fifty percent of the material for his autobiography and is probably a good indication that these were his fondest memories. Perhaps it was the constant challenge of the raids that satisfied his desire for excitement or the nomadic lifestyle of the Crow that kept him happy. Whatever it was though, the grip began to loosen and Beckwourth became restless again. He wasn't rich or famous enough. He lamented "I had encountered savage beasts and wild men . . .”. And what had I to show for so much wasted energy, and such a catalogue of ruthless deeds?"² So, in 1836 Jim Beckwourth returned to St. Louis, looking to renew his contract with the American Fur Company. Things, however, had changed. His father had returned to Virginia and had died the previous year. St. Louis was no longer the rowdy, primitive place Beckwourth had known before. Fashions back east no longer demanded the number of beaver pelts it once had, plus the beaver had been trapped out in many areas of the Rockies; the American Fur Company no longer had need of his services. He was lost and out of place. In the fall of 1837, Beckwourth was still in St. Louis looking for something exciting. His former employer, William Sublette introduced him to to General William Gaines, who was recruiting mountain men to serve in the Seminole War. Sublette recommended that Jim enlist. "Florida,” he told Jim, “was a delightful country, and I should find a wide difference between the cold regions of the Rocky Mountains and the genial and salubrious South." ² But it wasn't mild climate that drew Beckwourth south. Sublette had said there was an opportunity there for renown. Along with several of his mountain men compatriots, Beckwourth enlisted as an "Express Rider & Sub‐Conductor of Muleteers" in the Missouri Volunteers. On October 26, 1837, men and horses boarded small boats headed for Tampa Bay. Having no experience on open water, the landlocked mountaineers merely loaded their horses into the holds of the boats, making no attempt to secure them. Once at sea, the boats were wracked by severe storms and a great number of the horses were killed or critically injured. Beckwourth's ravaged boat ran aground on a reef and men and horses were stranded for twelve days before being rescued by a steamer. Having survived the trip to Florida, Beckwourth stayed on for ten months. He scouted and carried dispatches for the Army, but the war soon settled into a routine which he found as intolerable as the mosquitoes. “Now we had another long interval of inactivity, and I began to grow tired of Florida . . . . It seemed to me to be a country dear even at the price of the powder to blow the Indians out of it, and certainly a poor field to work in for renown. . . I wanted excitement of some kind ‐‐ I was indifferent of what nature, even if it was no better than borrowing horses of the Black Feet. The Seminoles had no horses worth stealing, or I should certainly have exercised my talents for the benefit of the United States.”² The summer of 1838 found Beckwourth back in St. Louis, once again looking for employment. This time Andrew Sublette, William’s younger brother, and Louis Vasquez, a friend from Jim’s early trapping days, came to his aid. They offered him employment as a trader, asking him to lead a party along the Santa Fe Trail to Taos, New Mexico. Their hope was to open trade with the Indians of the Southwest and they needed an experienced trader such as Jim. Here was the much desired opportunity for "excitement" Beckwourth was looking for. He would be dealing with Cheyenne, Arapaho and Sioux ‐‐ all traditional enemies of the Crow. The trading expedition set out on the Santa Fe Trail, headed for the fort that Vasquez had built on the Platte River in what is now Colorado. 4
As the "agent‐in‐charge" at the trading post, Beckwourth immediately set out to establish himself among the Cheyenne. Playing on their pride and respect for the daring deeds of enemy warriors, he put on a display of braggadocio that left the Indians slack jawed. “I have killed a great Crow Chief, and am obliged to run away, or be killed by them. I have come to the Cheyenne, who are the bravest people in the mountains, as I do not wish to be killed by any of the inferior tribes. I have come here to be killed by the Cheyenne, cut up, and thrown out for their dogs to eat, so that they may say they have killed a great Crow Chief.”² Another trader, William Bent, who happened to hear Beckwourth’s speech, had just one comment to Jim: "You are certainly bereft of your senses. The Indians will make sausage‐meat of you." But Jim’s plan worked. His friendship with the Cheyenne was cemented. He gained the respect of the other local tribes and the trading post had a successful trading season, making enough to pay off their debts and outfit for next season. But the next winter trade fell off and Sublette and Vasquez were forced to sellout. Once again Jim Beckwourth was out of work. But as always, the situation didn’t last long. The Bent brothers, who were also trading in the area, had experienced a good season and Beckwourth obtained work with them. However, he soon tired of the routine of this life and set out with a fellow trader over the mountains and down to Taos, New Mexico. Here Beckwourth and another friend began trading with the Cheyenne on their own. Their venture was successful and they set themselves up as independent merchants. It was also here that he met and married Luisa Sandoval. In the fall of1842, Beckwourth and Luisa headed north along the Arkansas River in what is now Colorado, and built another trading post. Soon twenty or thirty other settler families joined them for security and a thriving trading community developed. The settlement was named "Pueblo." From this settlement, the city of Pueblo, Colorado grew. However, this trading community was not appreciated by the once friendly Bent brothers who saw the newcomers as competition. They angrily appealed to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, maligning the "renegade Americans" and "Mexican traders" in Pueblo and requesting a military presence. Their requests were largely ignored by the government, but Beckwourth had made enemies of his old employers. Tensions were building between Mexico and Texas and United States citizens south of the existing border began worrying. Having fallen out with the Bents and worried about the Mexicans, Beckwourth decided to look for friendlier territory. He headed to Mexican controlled California. As always, Jim Beckwourth managed to arrive just ahead of historic developments. Setting up in Pueblo de Los Angeles in January of 1844 with a group of traders who accompanied him from Pueblo, Beckwourth began trading again. However, when the revolt of American settlers in California against the Mexican control began gaining momentum, Beckwourth found himself pulled into the action. He joined the local residents in the Battle of Cahuenga, and of course, according to his biography, played a leading role. When the war with Mexico broke out, Jim headed back home to Pueblo and Luisa, but not before he and a returning group of friends “collected eighteen hundred stray horses we found roaming the California ranchos and started with our utmost speed from Pueblo de Angeles. This was a fair capture and our morals justified it, for it was war time.”² He returned “home” to find Luisa remarried. She claimed her new husband had produced documents stating that Jim wanted out their marriage, thus allowing her to marry this man. She was distraught and offered to leave the new husband and return to Jim. Jim however was not inclined to take up domesticity easily with such a ready out and instead decided to “enjoy once more the sweets of single blessedness.”² Heading for Santa Fe, Beckwourth opened a hotel with a friend and carried dispatches for the Army during the war with Mexico. The war ended and Jim headed to California in 1848, just in time to beat the rush to the goldfields. With his background as a trader, Jim made his “strike” trading horses with the miners and working as a gambling dealer (he was reputed to be the best Monte dealer in the state). During this “gold fever” period Jim opened his “New Emigrant Route” to divert miners from Sacramento to Marysville. He built a hotel on his War Horse Ranch, built near his road. Jim complained that he never recouped the sixteen hundred dollars he invested in the trail from the towns which profited from it. However, with his hotel being “the first ranch” emigrants arrived at since leaving Salt Lake City, he probably made back most of his money supplying the new California residents with provisions, horses and mules and helping them with wagon repairs. There are many accounts of Beckwourth providing supplies to emigrants and being repaid with only their promise to return later with funds. Unfortunately most never came back to settle their debt. In the fall of 1854 an itinerate justice of the peace, Thomas D. Bonner, stopped at Beckwourth’s hotel. Enraptured with the great mountain man’s experiences, Bonner offered to stay the winter and write the story of Beckwourth’s life. The agreement was that the two would split the profits. Harpers published Bonner’s The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians in New York in 1856. Its tall tales and blood curdling adventures made it an easy best (Continued on Page 6) 5
seller, turning James Beckwourth into an instant celebrity. It was published in London as well that year. A second printing was released two years later and was translated into French in 1860. As so often happened in Beckwourth’s life, he never saw a cent from this work Not the Beckwourth Cabin, as alleged by some, near Portola, CA. Photo by Jim Moorman Once put into black and white, many of the stories Jim Beckwourth had told around campfires to fellow Adventurers appeared to grow to unrecognizable stature and took on a life of their own. Old acquaintances scoffed these written tales and called him a “gaudy liar.” Was this label justified? Certainly expansion of the truth was a proficiency required in mountain man circles. When everyone attending the Rendezvous spent their days dodging certain death from wild animals, Indians and natural disasters, a simple recounting of such would garner no accolades; of course everyone needed to be impressed. Additionally, part of the duo’s agreement was that Bonner would add “polish” to Jim’s rough narratives. Possibly seeing taller tales as bigger profits, Bonner may have done some embellishing of his own. a visit. Later that year he returned to Denver, married again and opened a store. He became an Indian agent, an interpreter and worked once again for the U.S. Army. In 1864, Beckwourth was working for the army as a scout and led Col. Chivington to a Cheyenne village at Sand Creek, Colorado. Unknown to Beckwourth and several army officers, Chivington’s intent was to attack the village and kill as many Indians as he could. Mostly women and children were killed in what is now known as the Sand Creek Massacre. Beckwourth was so distraught over what had happened that he went to the Cheyenne chiefs to apologize for his part in leading the troops to the village. He received no forgiveness. In 1866, Jim had entered into the trading business and found himself in the Big Horn country with his friends, the Crows. He developed an illness that took his life. A soldier, who was camping with Beckwourth at the time, reported his passing. He was laid to rest by the Crows in an unmarked grave near Pryor, Montana in late September of 1866. There are several stories about Jim’s death ‐ the soldier’s account is the only eye witness report known. 3 ~ RESOURCES UTILIZED ¹ Wilson, Elinor, Jim Beckwourth—Black Mountain Man, War Chief of the Crows, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1972. ² Bonner, Thomas D., The life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1972. 3
Raymond F. Locke, James Beckwourth, Holloway House, Los Angeles, 1995. The History of the Beckwourth Trail, Pamphlet produced by Plumas Corporation, Oregon‐California Trails Association, Plumas National Forest. No date. TRAILS WEST, INC. HIGHLIGHTS
THE FIRST 10 YEARS (OR SO)—1969 to
1980
Copied from the Meeting Minutes-Edited by
Bob Black—7-30-11
Mural in Marysville, CA depicting Beckwourth’s life. Photo by Jim Moorman Now in his mid‐50s, Jim’s life was acquiring a mellowness. He ranched in the American Valley until late 1858 when he wandered back to Kansas City and St. Louis for (Continued from the fall 2011 issue)
3-11-78. A Board Meeting was held at the Guisti Residence.
For the June tour—no permissions have been obtained to
date. Mr. Selmi will permit TW to fence Granite Creek Station
with a walk-thru fence. TW is going to start work on a Trail
6
Guidebook. Devere Helfrich was asked to be in charge. TW
may pay him for his work. The Washburns will take the photos.
6-17-78. A Board Meeting was held in the field. The August
tour will be on the California Trail. TW has approval to fence
the Granite Creek Station, Officers Quarters, Corral, Trading
Post and the old wagon on site. Getting engraved brass plates
from the Prison is no longer a problem. TW will offer Devere
$6.50/ marker for developing the Guidebook information for all
185 markers.that are now in place.
8-5-78. A Board Meeting was held at Battle Mt., Nv. TW will
take up a collection at the next General Membership Meeting
to pay the travel expenses for the folks getting the permissions
to install markers.
8-5-78. A General Membership Meeting was held in Battle Mt.
Nv. Ralph and Sandy will attach brass plates to the markers
planted during the past year. No final agreement has been
reached with UNR Library about storing TW documents.
8-29-78. A Board Meeting was held at the Guisti Residence.
Treasurer Reported: $ 1470.80 balance. Andy and Joanne
Hammond applied for TW membership.
11-18-78. A Board Meeting was held at the Guisti Residence.
Webb Brown has made no progress on the marker location
maps. A contract was signed with Devere for providing
guidebook information. He will work on his own schedule. The
June, 1979 tour will be on the California Trail and will start at
Beowawe. The Aug. 1979 tour will be on the Lassen Trail in
the Lookout and Bieber area. Devere was elected as a Special
Board Member.
2-17-79.A Board meeting was held. TW plans to fence Granite
Creek Station on Memorial Day. Membership is now 158
members.
2-17-79. A General Membership Meeting/ Banquet was held at
Sierra Sids in Reno, Nv. TW is a “working organization that
researches and marks emigrant trails in Nevada, Oregon and
California.” Past Presidents are: B.M.Zimmerman (deceased),
Art Kountz, Art Broten, Bob Griffin, Jim Linebaugh, Ralph
Theiss, Marshall Giusti, and Bob Galau. The June Tour will be
on the California Trail and start at Beowawe. The August Tour
will be on the Lassen Trail. Devere Helfrich was elected VP of
TW.
6-15-79. A Board Meeting was held at Beowawe Geysers,
Nevada. TW has 163 members after some members were
dropped for non-payment of dues. Three of the four approved
areas at Granite Station have been fenced. The August trip will
place 5 markers in the Hat Creek area. Webb Brown has
completed the marker location maps and now would like
Devere to check them. The Board approved the purchase of
an engraving machine at a cost of $ 1185.98. Pauline DeBoer
will do the engraving and will be made an Honorary Member.
8-4-79. A Board Meeting was held at Twin Bridges C.G. near
Old Station , California. The Treasury Balance is: $ 331.79.
TW has 172 members. Devere checked the Marker Location
maps and found them not accurate. All markers planned for
June Tour were installed. Markers are missing plates at
Shingletown and Twin Bridges. The Board approved having
only one working Tour per year and 1 Mid-Winter Banquet. TW
has 14 markers on hand. TW installed 74 markers in the past
four years.
8-4-79. A General Membership Meeting was held at Twin
Bridges C.G. TW needs to install 10 brass marker plates
tomorrow. TW may limit membership to 175 members.
11-10-79. A Board Meeting on was held at the Galau
Residence. 14 markers are on hand. 25 brass plates are on
hand. TW is considering welding the inscription plates on the
markers. Brass plates were placed at Shingletown, Twin
Bridges, Almanor Rest Area and Prattville. Devere corrected
the Marker Location maps and Webb Brown will re-do them.
The Midwinter banquet will be at Sierra Sids on 3-22-80. The
June 1980 tour will place 9 markers on the Applegate Trail
starting at the Callahan Bridge
3-22-80. A Board Meeting was held. We need Permission Slips
from the BLM for markers at: Callahan Bridge, Rye Patch
Reservoir, Haystack Butte, Willow Spring, Antelope Spring,
Rabbit Hole Creek, Painted Canyon, State Rte 49 and Wet
Weather Flat. Brass plates are missing at: Devil’s Half Acre,
Hat Creek Rim, Eskimo Hill, Steven’s Ranch and Highway 44.
Devere reported he has completed the guidebook info for 20
markers. TW increased the payment to $10/marker. The Board
authorized the payment of $ 200. The Bylaws will be amended
to provide for one major field project per year. TW provided 5
markers to be used on the Pony Express Trail.
3-22-80. A General Membership Meeting was held. The June
Tour will plant 9 markers on the Applegate Trail. 4
Amendments to the Bylaws were proposed. All four were
approved by vote of the members.
6-14-80. A Board Meeting was held at Rye Patch Reservoir.
TW may plan a Fun Trip this year. Next year the field trip will
be in August to avoid mud in the desert. Membership is 127
members.
6-14-80. A General Meeting was held at Rye Patch Reservoir.
The Slate of Officers is: Pres—John DeLaHunt; VP—Ray
Lake; Sec/Treas—Sandy; Directors—Bob Elliot, Ralph Theiss,
Art Kountz, Bryant Washburn. All candidates were voted in
unanimously. The August field trip will place markers at: Sand
Mound, Smoke Creek, Mud Spring, Viewland, Mapes Ranch,
Litchfield, Willow Creek, Big Spring and Quinn River.
11-22-80. A Board Meeting was held at the residence of John
DeLaHunt. Since Aluminum costs $0.70/foot and Brass costs
$1.99/foot, the Board decided to start using Aluminum plates
bolted and epoxyed to the markers. The Southern Oregon
Historical Society is paying $ 75/plate for the engraving.
Pershing County, Nv. would like to donate $$ to TW. Devere
Helfrich will be appointed to the BOD annually. The Banquet
will be at Sierra Sids on 2-21-81. ~
7
P. O. Box 12045
Reno, NV 89510
The MARKER Index
Page 1 : Beckwourth Biography
2 : Field Trip Schedules
2 : Trails West Directory
2 : Field Trips
3 : Beckwourth Group
3 : BLM Survey info.
Insert : 2012 Banquet
6 : Trails West History
You can order Trails West guide books
online at www.emigranttrailswest.org
Big discounts to members!
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8
2012 Trails West Banquet
Story by Denise Moorman, photos by Jim Moorman
(Pages 4 & 5 insert)
Trails West members rendezvoused April 14
at the Reno Sands Regency for our annual
spring meeting and banquet. Along with
incoming and outgoing board members
and committee chairs, a good number of
the general membership also attended the
meeting. Thanks to President Jon Willers’
direction, the meeting stayed on course
and finished with plenty of time to look
over the items offered in the silent auction
and to catch up on news with fellow
members we may not have seen since the
last banquet.
or prime rib. As dinner wound down and
dessert was being finished, the mad dash
to enter bids on the silent auction started.
Bidding was fierce for several of the great
books that had been donated as well as
the wine.
When everyone had collected their
auction items, retiring President Jon Willers
began the presentation of the 2012 Trails
West appreciation awards which went to
some very deserving individuals.
Along with the regular business items
covered in the meeting were a couple of
upcoming group trips. A Fun Trip on the
Applegate Trail led by Terry Hardwicke is
planned for Aug 17-20, and two work trips
on the Beckwourth Trail are scheduled for
June 22-24 and September 7-9. Both of the
work trips will be led by Bill Bishell. If you’re
interested in joining any of these, email
Trails West at
[email protected].
Tom & Jeanne Dougherty’s and Ray Frederickson’s
awards held by Don Enneking and Jon Willers.
As usual, the dinner was delicious. This year
it was served buffet style—so you didn’t
have to remember what you ordered three
months earlier—and offered fish, chicken
Tom and Jeanne Dougherty were unable
to attend the banquet to accept their
award. The engraved plaque given to
them expressed Trails West’s appreciation
for the Dougherty’s generosity in sharing
their property and tools for the fabrication
and storage of trail markers. The
dedication went on to thank them for
being a “gracious host for our work parties
at your home,” and recognized and
thanked them for their long service.
Ray Frederickson, who was also unable to
be present accept his award, received a
plaque thanking him for “his long term
service to the organization,” and noted
that “Most of the steel rail markers in place
on the California and Nevada trails bear
testament to your welding skills.”
Jim and Denise Moorman were given
certificates of appreciation for their
enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and active
participation in marker fabrication and
field activities.
Larry Schmidt received an award in
recognition of, and thanks for his
“contributions to the organization as
researcher, historian, board member, past
president and trail marking leader.” His
service, the award stated, “has been
exemplary.”
Trails West thanked John Winner with an
award for his leadership and management
on the Johnson Cutoff emigrant trail
research and marking expeditions of 2011.
Guest speaker and author Jesse Petersen.
The highlight of the evening followed as
guest speaker Jesse Petersen gave a great
slide presentation on the route that the
Simpson military expedition followed across
Utah and through Nevada to Genoa. This
route became known as the Central
Overland Trail and was followed by both
the Pony Express and the Overland Stage.
Mr. Petersen is a member of the Crossroads
chapter of Oregon California Trails
Association (and a new member of Trails
West!) and has written several books about
emigrant trails. He brought two of the
books with him and they quickly sold out.
He’s currently working with the Crossroads
chapter marking the Central Overland Trail
through Utah and into eastern Nevada to
Highway 93. Trails West is anticipating
marking the trail from that point westward.
Don Enneking receiving Life Member Award
The final award of the night went to Don
Enneking, installing him as an honorary life
member of Trails West.
As always, everyone had a great time with
old and new friends and left eager to hit
the trail for another season of fun and work
marking the emigrant trails.
(Spring 2012 MARKER issue insert between
pages 4 & 5)