Jackson's Historic Boarding House - What Stories Lie Within Those Walls?

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE: The Guerra Boarding House

from the book,"Stories of the Forgotten III: Tales of the Mother Lode." (2025)

"Have you ever driven by a house or building and wondered about the history hidden behind those walls? I know that I have. In fact, my very first historical non-fiction story that I researched and penned over 18 years ago, was about a house that I was enamored by as a young child. Later on, as an adult I took that deep dive into its history to share with the world what I uncovered in the archives. Well, now I am going to do that again. I am going to take you on a journey back in time to share with you the history of this property. 

With this story though, it won’t be about just one person, but instead it encompasses a large span of time with several families and many stories associated with the home. My biggest goal, which is of the utmost importance to me, is to share the facts with accuracy, respect and love. The home we are going to take a deep dive into today is located at 315 N. Main Street in Jackson, California. This property's address was originally 156 N. Main Street. So why this house? Well, in the last few years this home has been getting quite a bit of attention due to it being advertised as a haunted Airbnb. 

From the start, some of the historical aspects that I was hearing just didn’t sound quite right to me. Then I started getting random emails from several people asking me to look into the history of the home to set the facts straight since there had been a lot of misinformation being shared about the property sprouting up just since about 2021. I would say 90% of my research on this house dates back in 2022, but with having to finish my previous book, "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," which was published the Fall of 2023, this particular chapter took a backseat until I was able to give it my full attention to complete it. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this trip back in time to explore the true history of the Guerra Boarding House, a.k.a., the Jackson Boarding House, a.k.a., the Ginocchio Boarding House, and later on the Tofanelli family home (and rooms).

The Beginnings 

Back in 1872, the Amador County land deeds show that George Stasal, a local businessman, owned that entire section of North Main Street. He then sectioned off parcels and began selling those plots of land. By 1878, county deed records state that a young lady by the name of Margaret Guerra purchased lot #3, block #9. It is the author’s belief that a small dwelling had been built on this property just prior to, or shortly after the sale given the Sanborn maps. Margaret purchased this property for the amount of $450.00. She would be the first homeowner of this property. So who was Margaret Guerra? Maggie, as she was noted in the 1880 Census, was born between 1856 -1858, more than likely in Mokelumne Hill, where her brother Frank was also born. Maggie’s mother died at some point after 1862, as her youngest brother was born that year. It appears that after the death of his wife, Dionesio Guerra moved his family up to West Point. Dionesio Guerra originally hailed from Chile, immigrating to this country as a miner, while his wife had been a native of Mexico. Maggie’s brother, Frank was also listed as a miner. As an adult, Maggie operated a laundry business with her sister, Lena and brother, Albert (sometimes referred to as Emmanuel or Manuel), out of her home on North Main Street.

Copy of the original deed

Margaret Guerra purchased from George Stasal,

1/2/1878

Courtesy of the Amador County Clerk’s Office

 

Contrary to what others have insinuated in recent years, there is nothing documented anywhere in our local history to substantiate any rumors of Maggie having been a prostitute or madam. This rumor has spread in just the last couple of years. It not only could be considered posthumous slander, but it is also a disrespect to Maggie and her entire family. For the record, there is no proof that the home was ever a brothel and we will get into that whole “brothel” subject a little later on in this book, backed up by actual documentation that proves the early “female boarding houses,” as mentioned in Larry Cenotto’s famous Logan’s Alley, were in an entirely different spot on N. Main Street all together. 

Another thing I would like to add about women owning property in Amador County at the time, although it was not considered common, it wasn’t unheard of. In fact, I have found other women in the late 1800’s who owned property within the county, and no, they weren’t prostitutes, either! Historian, Carolyn Fregulia also mentioned to me that, “under certain circumstances widows and single women were allowed to own/purchase property. Madam Pantaloons (Marie Suize) made a number of purchases over the years in Jackson Gate, out on Clinton Road, and in Virginia City, Nevada. Amanda Dawson Nichols traveled by wagon train to California with her husband and family in the early 1850’s. Her husband was killed by Indians before they arrived to Buena Vista, circa 1854….. Amanda was allowed to buy a ranch outside of town, where she raised her children.”- 

When Maggie purchased the property in 1878, for the amount of $450.00, that was actually quite normal at the time for a small two-bedroom home.In fact, according to the University of Washington’s Center for the study of the Pacific Northwest, the average two-bedroom home in the United States back in 1870, was $300.00, while a four-bedroom home was about $700.00. Given the fact this was a few years later, in 1878, it makes sense for a small home to go for the price of $450.00, which still leads me to believe the home was part of the property purchase, whether it was built prior to, or shortly after the sale. 

Also, in order to nip this “brothel” theory in the bud once and for all, you also have to take into account that Frank was a miner, and Maggie operated a laundry business out of the home with her siblings. According to Sanborn maps, it was a very small house to begin with, and there was a large family residing there. Not a place you would use for a brothel! The 1880 Census has her brother listed as the “Head of Household,” although Maggie was still technically the owner at the time. I believe that because at that time period men were usually the head of the household, there was a sense of propriety expected, and that is why he is listed in the Census that way. At that time, Frank, 26, his wife Amelia, 26, his children: Louisa, 7, Amalia, 5, John, 1, and siblings, Maggie, 25, and Lena, 22, and Emmanuel, 17, are all living in the house on North Main Street. 

Soon, Maggie would fall in love and marry. But who was her husband? William Holder was born in England in 1855, and had immigrated to the United States in his early adulthood. By 1880, he was living in the home of William Bryant and family in Pine Grove, working as a blacksmith. By July 3, 1881, he married Frances "Fanny" Hawkins Younglove, who had just been divorced by her 1st husband Dwight Younglove. Mr. Younglove is recorded as having been married multiple times, only to divorce shortly after. 

It appears that William was Fanny's "knight in shining armor," and even though she had a young son from the previous union, it did not deter William from marrying her. Sadly, on February 22, 1884, Fanny passed away from what was more than likely a short illness, and she was buried at the Ione Cemetery. She was originally from Missouri, and grew up in Lancha Plana, currently near Lake Camanche. Interestingly, records indicate that William loved his wife so much that he fought over the custody of his stepson, Albert, against Albert's father, Dwight Younglove, upon Fanny's passing. Per Fanny's will, information kindly provided to me by Megan Buchanan at the Ione Public Cemetery, Fanny named William and her brother, Melville as executors of her estate, and requested that her young son, Albert, remain with her mother, Mary Ann. 

Only eight months after Fanny's death, it appears that William or "Billy" as locals called him, fell in love again, this time to Margaret "Maggie" Guerra. Maggie and William married on October 22, 1884. 

Copy of Marriage Record,

Amador County, CA

10/22/1884

 

 It was only a few months later, that Maggie would sell the deed to the property to Henry Eudey for $300.00 on January 26, 1885. It is the author’s belief that the money Maggie received for selling her house to Eudey was used towards building a new house on a new property. County records show a deed transfer recorded in the newspaper on March 28, 1885, which shows William Holder purchased a property in Jackson from Michael Newman. Only a few months later, Maggie’s brother, Frank would take over ownership of the N. Main Street property, having purchased it back from Henry Eudey on July 27, 1885, for the amount of $ 5.00 in gold. The newspaper mentioned this transaction in the August 15, 1885, edition of the Ledger. 

So, why did Eudey allow Frank to purchase the property back for a mere $5.00 in gold? That is a very good question. Records indicate that at that time in 1885, Eudey was a foreman at the Zeila mine in town, but he was also known for his savvy business sense, making investments in businesses and people all over. It is the author’s belief that Eudey owed Frank money for his services, possibly work with the mining industry. It is also possible that instead of paying for the property outright, Eudey may have held a promissory note on the remainder of the value of the property, as an early type of mortgage, where Frank was responsible to pay Eudey payments and interest. Eudey’s personal investments within the county proved so successful, he eventually became the President of the Bank of Amador County thirteen years later in 1898.

Going back to the story...

Later on that year, Maggie and William’s first child, William Jr., was born on November 21, 1885. On the evening of Friday, February 11, 1887, Mr. & Mrs. William Holder were attending the “social ball” at Moon’s Ranch, when Maggie tripped down the stairs while holding her young baby in her arms. Thankfully, the baby was unharmed, though poor Maggie suffered several broken ribs. It was such an event that it was mentioned in two different newspapers the following week. 

One thing to note, if Maggie had a reputation for being a prostitute or a madam in town as recently insinuated, I highly doubt she would have been accepted at a social ball in the community, let alone be referred to as Mrs. William Holder the newspaper. There was still some sense of propriety back then. 

Sadly, the couple could not protect their child from everything, as young Billy Jr., died at the age of 2 1/2 years old on June 8, 1888. There is no mention of what he succumbed to, however it was more than likely a childhood illness, as that was the most common at the time. The couple would go on to have two more children, daughters Della and Amelia, born in 1888 and 1892. These two girls would grow up into their adulthood. By 1893, the Amador Dispatch shows that William is now selling wagons that he was manufacturing himself. 

So, we have established that Maggie and William more than likely did not live at the house for any length of time after getting married, and/or selling the house to Henry Eudey. We find more evidence pointing to this conclusion in the edition of the Amador Ledger dated, April 17, 1896, which had a somber mention of Maggie’s passing: “Mrs. William Holder, died at her home in South Jackson, and was buried Wednesday.” According to records, she died on Tuesday, April 14, and was buried on Wednesday, April 15. Maggie was interred in a plot at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Jackson. 

  

Maggie Guerra's Grave, St. Patrick Cemetery, Jackson.

What happened to William after Maggie’s death? Well, although we have established that William more than likely never stayed for any length of time at the house on North Main Street, his connection to Maggie, who was the original owner, allows for us to discuss his sad demise before we move on further into the home’s history. After the death of Maggie, it appears that their daughters went to live with Frank and Amelia Guerra. So, where did William go? For the record, William was well known around Jackson, and everyone seemed to like him, but he also liked to drink. I have yet to determine whether Williams’ alcoholism started prior to or after Maggie’s death. 

Only on one documented occasion that I could find was he involved in anything negative that made the newspapers, and it really wasn't his fault. It appears that on the 4th of July, 1907, during the festivities an Indian (Native American), who was overly inebriated, assaulted William in public and they duked it out, which landed the Indian in jail. William walked away from the altercation with his hands clean, meaning he didn't go to jail. There was no mention whether William had been drinking prior to that altercation. Although he was known for his intemperate habits towards the end, he was spoken of as: "unassuming, courteous, always cheerful, never boisterous.... and was liked for his better qualities, while pitied for the degenerate condition to which his appetite dragged him." 

It appears that in his early years he had been a very hard working man, a blacksmith by trade, and had even owned two shops, one of which included the wagon making business. He was considered a "prosperous business man," so it is very sad to see how he ended up. With all of that potential, he allowed his bad habits and addictions to get the best of him, which ultimately led him to losing his family, his businesses, his prosperity and eventually his life. The death of William Holder took place Tuesday evening, January 12, 1909. According to the Amador Dispatch, William had been found that following morning, "lying face downward in the sand and the mud of the north fork of Jackson Creek, the lower limbs partially in the water." 

His boss, V.J. Chichizola, whom William was working as a blacksmith, discovered his body the next morning around 8 a.m. He was found just west of the Chichizola store, across the road where the creek is located. Upon examination by Coroner Potter, it was ascertained that William had been seen at Casazza's saloon the evening prior. Witnesses stated that he came to the bar around 8 p.m. already very inebriated, and although he stayed for about an hour he didn't drink any more while there. He left the bar around 9 p.m. and stumbled out of there on his way home to his small cabin across the creek just north of Teresa's Place. At the time of his death in 1909, William was living in a little cabin near his job, while his two young daughters were being raised by Maggie's family.

The weather that night was very stormy and the creek had risen significantly. It was stated, "instead of using one of the foot bridges one some distance above and another below the blacksmith shop, Holder attempted to cross at a point near the cabin as was his custom when the water was low." The article goes on to mention that William was "carried off his balance by the current, he had fallen into the muddy water from which he was unable to rise owing to the stupor of his condition, and was drowned." 

So basically, he tried to cross the creek and it knocked him off his feet, and being as drunk as he was, he didn't have the strength or stamina to pull himself up and he drowned. The sand in his hair and the pockets of his clothes were evidence enough that the water had risen up higher than normal in the night, and sadly, he didn't make it. 

Just to quell any suspicions of foul play -- the Coroner determined based on physical evidence that it was an "Accidental Drowning." There was no sign of foul play, and no one robbed him— in case anyone wants to make those assumptions. There would be no reason to have killed him. He didn't have any enemies, and he didn't have anything of value on him, except the new shoes on his feet, which were found on his person when they discovered his body. In fact, he had just purchased those shoes earlier that day at the Chichizola Store. He was buried at the City Cemetery in Jackson in a small plot. Hopefully now he has the peace he struggled to find at the end of a bottle.

Going back to the story, it wasn’t until Frank Guerra and his family took over the property that I believe the home became a boarding house. This is when there was additional construction done on the house to enlarge it. You see, when the home was originally purchased in 1878, the pricing would have fit for something small along the likes of a two or three bedroom home. The house as it stands today is fairly large, and according to the Sanborn Insurance maps it looks like the original dwelling, and the one next to it, were possibly demolished and rebuilt. If you take a look at the 1890 Sanborn map below, you can see two dwellings very close in proximity to each other and both had stove pipe heating. The one on the right would be the Guerra’s residence. By the 1898 Sanborn map, you can see that it was enlarged and now there is a larger gap between it and the neighboring structure.

Map #1 of the 1890 Sanborn Map, North Main Street

 

Again, it appears that the original dwelling that Maggie Guerra had purchased in 1878, was demolished sometime after 1890, and another home built a little further south on the lot, while the neighbor to the north (left side) had theirs completely enlarged as well. Both homes had terra cotta chimneys added. It also appears that both dwellings were set further back on the property towards the creek, allowing for larger wraparound porches on both homes. These images from the local historical maps, further explains the changes when the boarding house was actually built.

Map #2, Sanborn Map of 1898, N. Main Street.

Notice the homes are now set further back on the property, closer to the creek?

 

Frank Guerra was not just a miner, he was very involved in the community and active in local theater, even taking part in various plays and minstrel shows, including one that took place at Rocca’s Hall on Water Street in 1881. He was also a member of the committee for the Grand May Ball which took place at Love’s Hall in 1882. Among some of the other committee members was none other than early Amador County Historian, Jesse D. Mason. He was also a member of the Elk’s Lodge, the Knights of the Pythias, and the O. of C. Officers, (The Order of Caucasian Officers), as a “warden.” 

Now, if you were to look this group up today, you would find a lot of negative opinions about it, basically calling it a racist fraternal order, but it simply wasn’t as cut and dried as that. You see, during that time period in the late 19th century, fat cats such as Charles Crocker had invited many Chinese immigrants to come to the United States promising them work. This however, displaced the workers who were already here, already skilled, and already had those jobs. To put it bluntly, the Chinese were used for their labor at cheaper prices while the original workers were pushed out, and virtually put out of work. This is what unions today would call “scabs.” On March 3, 1875, the Order of Caucasians was filed with the Secretary of State, and during my research into it deeper, I found members who were European immigrants such as Italian, Irish, Scottish, also Americans and Hispanics (such as Frank, who was of Chilean and Mexican heritage) who were seeing their jobs replaced by Chinese immigrants. One of the rules for being a member of this group was to “procure a boarding house” and help fellow strangers have a place to stay and find work. They formed this group as a means of self-preservation because they were watching their livelihoods disappear. 

During the 1880’s, Frank was a miner by trade, but also much more than just that. His experience in mining made him very much in demand, so he would travel all over from Arizona, down to Sonora, Mexico, to help start up mines. By 1885, around the same time he purchased the property from Henry Eudey, Frank was running the new Amador Queen mine, which had a 20 stamp mill just off Middle Bar Road, in Hunt’s Gulch, on the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. Because the demand for Frank’s expertise was so high, he was often away from his family for long periods of time, sometimes years. 

It appears that in his absence, his wife, Amelia ran the boarding house. This was not uncommon at the time. In fact, according to local historian Carolyn Fregulia, it was women who mostly ran the boarding houses in Jackson at that time, and “most began as a family-run business or were managed by the wife of an employed miner.” 

A boarding house back then was so much more than just renting out a room for a miner to rest. It involved daily cleaning, washing fresh blankets and linens, washing miners laundry, food preparation, serving multiple meals to boarders, and supplying alcohol at the end of each miner’s shift every day. Rooms would often be rented out to three miners per room, in shifts according to their schedules.

In the book, “Italians of the Gold Country,” by Carolyn Fregulia, it mentions the boarding house down the road on Jackson Gate, owned by Teresa Vinciguerra. Per Carolyn’s research, Teresa rented out her 12 room bunkhouse, three miners to each room, in eight hour shifts and serving multiple meals a day plus alcohol. This schedule allowed more miners to have a chance to have at least several hours to rest. Once their time was up, a new round of men would arrive from their shifts at the mines and would want to rest. It is very important to note, as the boarding houses were in competition with one another in order to make money. It is not hard to imagine that the Guerra family followed similar business practices when operating their boarding house. 

By 1892, it appears that Frank put the property in his wife, Amelia’s name. Perhaps, knowing that he was always gone, and many times out of the country, and working a very dangerous job, it is possible he felt she would have more security financially having the house in her name. Either way, the title was transferred to Amelia and the business continued on until 1898 when the property was then sold to Enrico Ginocchio. It appears that the sale was in name only at that time, and the boarding house continued to be run at that time as usual by the Guerra family. There is no record stating why it was sold to Ginocchio.

The 1900 Census shows the family still living there at the property. On the evening of October 25, 1900, when John Guerra (son of Frank and Amelia) ended his shift at the Kennedy Mine, he had a terrible accident when he was riding up the skip. He had stayed up all night the evening prior, as there had been a political parade with a dance that commenced afterwards, and the young men enjoyed the festivities well into the early morning hours. Most of the men went straight to work the morning shift without having had any rest after partying the night before, leaving them sleep deprived. 

As he was nearing the 800 foot level on the bail of the skip, John must have dozed off for a moment, losing grasp of his holding, and he plummeted to the bottom. His funeral was held on Sunday, October 28, 1900, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon at the Catholic Church in Jackson, and subsequent burial at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery. The newspaper reported the large amount of people who came to the church to pay their respects to the deceased. In fact, there were so many people that many had to wait outside until services were done, to follow the burial procession along to the cemetery. 

There were lots of flowers brought for the deceased, and many young ladies were seen crying at his grave. The pall bearers were his friends and fellow workers at the Kennedy, some of which would later lose their lives at the same mine years later. John Guerra was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in the Guerra family plot at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Jackson. 

By December of 1904, Grandpa Dionesio Guerra had failing health, and the newspaper said he was suffering from paralysis at his home in west Jackson.While everyone was expecting the next bad news they would hear would be the passing of the patriarch of the family, Grandpa Guerra, they were shocked by the news that it was his son Frank who would pass so suddenly.

 According to the Dispatch dated June 2, 1905, Frank had passed away at Sisters Hospital in Los Angeles on May 16th from cancer of the tongue. He had been diagnosed only eight months earlier and the rapid progression of the disease took everyone by surprise. The last two months of his life he had been unable to speak. He had been operating a mining claim in New Mexico with a partner when he fell ill. He sought treatment in Los Angeles but there was nothing that could be done. His daughter Louisa was notified shortly before his passing, and rushed to be by his side only to find he had passed away before she got there. Frank was interred at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California on May 18, 1905.

On July 4th, 1905, patriarch Dionesio Guerra passed away. He was 83 years old, and buried at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Jackson. After the deaths of both Frank and Dionesio, it is possible that Amelia may have decided to travel to San Francisco to be with her daughters temporarily. It appears that the boarding house continued to be owned by Enrico Ginocchio, and would have been managed by someone in her absence. 

On August 30, 1906, one of the many miners who stayed at the house was seriously injured in a horrible accident at the Kennedy Mine. Manuel Gonzales, a native of Spain, fell down an ore chute about 25 feet, severing his spinal cord. After an unsuccessful surgical procedure at the hospital, Gonzales passed away on September 9, 1906. For the record, he did not die at the boarding house. He is buried in an unmarked grave at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery. 

After the great earthquake of San Francisco, Amelia’s daughters were displaced and the family returned to Amador County. Did they return to the boarding house? Possibly. It appears Louisa decided to return to San Francisco in 1908, and Amelia decided to make a permanent move to the bay area. 

On October 30, 1908, the newspaper read:“Mrs. Guerra is offering her household furniture for sale and preparing to move to San Francisco, to be with her two grown up daughters. She has been keeping a boarding house on the Jackson Gate road, but finds the work becoming to arduous for her. She will take the young Holder children with her to the city.”—

And this is where we end the chapter of the Guerra’s at this specific property, with the passing of Amelia on October 22, 1909. The odd thing about this newspaper clipping is the spelling of her name, as all documents from the census records down to the recorded deed on the property, her name was either spelled Amelia or Amalia, but never Amanda. Sadly, this is the lasting piece of history on Mrs. Guerra’s life for the world to remember her by, and it was spelled incorrectly. 

Enrico Ginocchio & Bros. continued to own the property up until 1911, when the boarding house was sold to Rocco Molineri and John Devencenzi. The two were brothers, both having the same mother, different fathers. Rocco, just a little older than him, was born in Italy, and traveled with his mother to the United States. It appears that Mary, his mother, remarried to Mr. Devencenzi and had another son, John. The two grew up in Volcano, and from what I could find were involved in farming. This time period from 1911 up to 1924, appear to be more on the quiet side as far as documented history. 

The 1920 Census lists the residents of 156 N. Main Street as Elvira Giovannoni, an Italian immigrant who was renting the home from the two brothers. She was listed as “Head of Household” due to being a widow, along with having three children: Geno, 14, daughter, Theresa, 11, and Evelyn, 5. The census also indicates she had a lodger, Alfred Faosi, who worked in the mines. By February 25, 1922, Elvira would remarry to Frank Dal Porto of Oakdale. We also know she had moved out of the house shortly prior to the marriage, as her marriage certificate states by then she was a current resident of Stockton. 

Was the home rented out again to a family, or did it go on as a boarding house? Well, most of the homes on that street housed miners, per the census notations. Given this fact, more than likely the home remained a residence which took on occasional lodgers. By 1924, Stefano Tofanelli comes into the picture when he purchases the house from the two brothers. 

A New Chapter 

Stefano “Steve” Tofanelli hailed from a little village in Italy, named Antraccoli. He was born on February 15, 1891, to parents Domenico and Maria Tofanelli. According to his daughter, Yolanda Tofanelli Atherton, Steve was a big baby, weighing 12 lbs. when he was born. By 1908, he left his home country to travel to the Chaco Province of Northeastern Argentina to visit his aunt and uncle. Crossing the Atlantic ocean and seeing a far away land must have sparked a interest in seeing the world, because by 1909, he took a trip around Cape Horn to travel to San Francisco with only $20.00 in his pocket. 

According to family stories, Steve’s friend who accompanied him on his travels stole his money and left him high and dry when he arrived. He had to learn the hard way— it was sink or swim. He went to work at various restaurants, worked on a chicken ranch, a paper mill, he unloaded and loaded cargo ships, he did it all. In 1917, his military draft registry card shows him still living in San Francisco on Pacific Avenue, and working for a cold storage company. He continued working in labor for several more years until he took on the role of manager of the California Hotel in Jackson, which was owned by Guiseppe and Teresa Dal Porto. For some time he and his wife, Mary lived at the hotel. We will get into the history of that property later on in this book. 

Although Steve and his 1st wife owned the property on North Main Street in 1924, they were still living at the California Hotel at the time. According to Steve’s daughter, Yolanda, it was her uncle, Guido “Guy” Tofanelli and his wife, Irene who operated the boarding house first before Steve and his 2nd wife, Marilda moved into the home. Guy and Steve’s mother, Maria also lived in the home. Census records show that Guy Tofanelli was renting the house from Steve for $60.00 per month. Yolanda mentioned to me that Guy and Irene rented rooms and offered “Chicken and Ravioli Dinner for 75 cents*,” at this property. 

Was there any gambling in this house? I am not going to say yes or no. Although there were no records in the newspapers to confirm this, it is quite possible there were some card games played there amongst the boarders at the house. Still, I am not going to confirm or deny this without facts to support it either way. 

In 1927, the California Hotel was sold to Victor Molfino. Did Steve remain there? No, other management took over. Eventually, Steve divorced his first wife, Mary, after falling in love with Marilda in the early 1930’s. Oddly enough, he stayed on good terms with his first wife, and allowed her to live in the smaller house on the property just south of the main house. Steve also purchased the building that is now the four-plex, which was once where the stables of the California Hotel once stood. 

(*Not to be confused with the California Hotel which also advertised the same dinners). 

Tofanelli Ends Up In Hot Water 

The 1925 headline read “Highgraders Nabbed,”- “The town was surprised last evening and this morning when it became known that the sheriff and posse had raided the California Hotel for high grade and took the proprietor, Steve Tofanelli. With the Sheriff, was Federal Secret Service man, a Mr. Schmidt, State Mineralogist Root, a Mr. De Pue and Deputy Sheriff Podesta. They all went to the hotel at a late hour and made a thorough search from cellar to garret but found no high grade or ore or any gold. So they took Tofanelli to the county jail where he is now. Now it appears the California Hotel has been doing a big business along illicit lines. Like the ‘49ers, many of the boarders paid “in dust”—anything that looked like gold was as good as coin to the proprietor; it was readily accepted and it would seem he was in no way inconvenienced in disposing of it.”—- 

As it turned out, Steve collected the dust until it was a decent amount, melted it down and then he would have a niece in San Francisco go to the Mint to sell it for cash. This went on for a while until Steve, his wife, Mary, and niece, Miss Quirolo were arrested on Federal charges. Of course the news ate it up, and gossip spread like wildfire. 

He was even sentenced to 18 months at Leavenworth prison with a $500 fine, but as it turned out Steve served no federal prison time for that conviction. I had reached out to the National Archives for Leavenworth Prison since I could not locate the inmate records for Steve online. I was happy to hear back from Gregory Schmidt, the archives technician for Leavenworth Prison records, but he said that he could not locate any such record of Steve Tofanelli having ever spent any time at the prison. 

By 1928, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Steve’s conviction citing that the there was no evidence to show that the gold he was selling to the Mint had been “stolen,” as it had been given to them in exchange for goods (room and board) and they specifically didn’t steal the gold, so basically it was a case built on gossip. Steve was exonerated and the scandal was over. 

By the 1930’s, Steve moved Marilda into the house on North Main and subsequently added onto the house, building the downstairs for the family to live in, while the upstairs was used as rooms to rent out to boarders. Upstairs had 9 rooms, while the downstairs, where the Tofanelli’s lived, there were 7 rooms. The basement was used for storage. 

Fatal Love Triangle 

On the evening of December 26, 1935, Francisco Piementel was shot seven times by a .45 caliber Colt revolver in the front room of the house by Amado Ledesma. According to reports, the shooting took place between 7-7:30 p.m., and the injured man died at the hospital the next morning. Piementel had been living with Carmen Perez for approximately eight years, but had only been living in Amador County for about 18 months. Less than two weeks before, Perez left the home and ran off to marry Amado Ledesma instead.

To make things worse, the new love birds filed “An Intention to Marry,” which was printed in the December 20th edition of the Amador Dispatch. This must have infuriated Piementel. At some point Piementel tracked down Ledesma on Water Street in Jackson and a heated argument ensued. It was so bad that officers were called from the court house to interfere with their altercation. Officer Shear had responded, and he claimed that they stopped arguing and appeared to have cooled off, even leaving together towards Ledesma’s residence, which at the time he was boarding at the Tofanelli house. 

It wasn’t until a witness heard gunshots, and called the Sheriff ’s office, that they realized something bad had happened at the boarding house. After the shooting, Ledesma left the front room and walked to his bedroom and threw the revolver on his bed. Upon examination, it was found that only one bullet was left in the chamber, having used all seven bullets on Piementel.

When the doctor had appeared he had tried to ask Ledesma to help him move Piementel to a bed, but he refused. Sheriff ’s deputy Podesta arrived, but by that time Ledesma had fled the scene. Newspapers revealed that Ledesma had evaded capture and it is unknown whether he ever paid for his crimes. Although it appeared Ledesma disappeared evading arrest, we do know that Piementel was buried in an unmarked grave at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery on December 30, 1935.

Moving along… 

When going back to the history of the house, the Tofanelli’s owned the property from approximately 1924 up until the house was sold in 1989. While it was well known that boarding houses usually served alcohol to its boarders after their shift at the mine, there is no record of an actual “saloon” being present on the premises of this particular house. 

While Steve lived there, he ran the California Hotel & various saloons in town, one of which was the Garibaldi which was just down the street. So, he had no reason to use the house as a bar, too. He also ran the Tofanelli Bros. Saloon located on Main Street, which served beer and wine as well. Steve also worked at the Amador Lumber Yard in Martell during the 1940’s.

Another saloon that Steve ran many years later in the 1950’s was the Klondike Club, which was located at 12 Water Street. That property has been at different times: Rocca’s Hall, Levy & Co. Grocery Store, Home Restaurant & Lodgings, The Klondike, The Westerner, and more recently Sasha’s antique shop.

Sometime around the mid-to-late 1940's, Clara Ericson opened "The Klondike.” She later sold the business to Guido Tofanelli in 1951. Guido, or “Guy” as everyone knew him by, would later become Chief of Police. Guy had his brothers, Steve & Mike, run the saloon. Newspaper accounts show that at one point during the late 50’s when the State was cracking down on prostitution, the Klondike found itself in hot water. This was when it was alleged as being used as a front for “Johns” to be pointed in the right direction to one of the local cat houses located in another building in town. 

According to Yolanda, the allegation was that someone had went into the Klondike and was given a book of matches and told by Steve that the matchbook was the “password” to gain entry into one of the houses of ill repute. Newspaper accounts verify Yolanda’s recollection of the story. Although Steve claimed the allegation was one-sided, the newspapers still ran with it. Steve maintained that this conversation never took place and that the matchbook story was completely untrue. Despite the fact it was one person’s word against another’s, it still invited prying eyes onto the Klondike’s business practices. Once it was discovered that Steve was not a legalized citizen, despite the fact that it was legally owned by Guy, who was a legal citizen, the liquor license was revoked for the saloon. 

Yolanda Tofanelli Atherton was kind enough to share with me some of her memories of growing up in the house at 315 N Main Street, originally 156 N. Main Street, as she lived there most of her life. She was born on February 18, 1936, in Sacramento. Her older sister, Zelinda Jean Tofanelli Cardinal was born February 23, 1933, while her baby brother, Steve Jr., was born on November 7, 1938. All three siblings grew up in the house and enjoyed so many happy memories living there over the years.

 Per Yolanda’s recollection described during my interview with her, and according to her book, “The Way It Was! Jackson, California,” I have been able to include some of her own personal memories of living at the house. 

“We had a good life. It was a nice place. My mother and father worked very hard for what we had.” —She described how her father had the rest of the lower level of the house dug out with the help of his miner friends, to build the living quarters downstairs. That was their part of the house, while the upstairs level were rooms that were rented out to boarders for $35 per month. Yolanda recalled her mother, Marlinda once mentioning she had discovered one of the boarders had died in his sleep in one of the rooms. They had to call the coroner and he was removed. I haven’t been able to find this death record, but it isn’t a story that someone would just make up. 

She recalled when she was little, there was no bathroom in the house, that the outhouse just ran directly into the creek. She remembered how they had an oil burning stove in the kitchen, and that it would be nice and warm there, where her mother would bathe her and her siblings when they were little. Yolanda also remembered a flood destroying the floors of the bottom level of their house, with the creek rising during a horrible storm at Christmas time, and how her mom had a feeling it would happen, so she moved their Christmas presents to another part of the house and saved them from being ruined.

It is known that in 1938, Steve spent 6 months at Terminal Island, in Southern California, which was based on a second case against him for high-grading. Although Steve wasn’t perfect, he was only human. Out of respect for Yolanda and her family, I chose not to go into too much information about her father’s mistakes, and rather remember the good things she misses about him, like the fact he was a loving father and grandfather. She also shared with me his love of hunting, his love of dogs and how much he loved searching for wild mushrooms for fun. 

At one point Yolanda recalled that her parents stopped renting out rooms and the house just became a regular family home. Steve and Marlinda lived there until Steve passed away in 1981. The house was then passed on to the three children: Zelinda, Yolanda and Steve, Jr., after Marlinda passed away in 1989, the very same year the house would be sold to the Baumann family. According to Yolanda, the Baumann family put a lot of money into remodeling the house in 1990. 

The house has exchanged owners several times since 1989, and most recently sold on May 28, 2021, to the latest owner. Still, in all of the research I have done on the history of this house, I cannot find a lot of dirt on the property. Yes, there was a shooting that took place in 1935, and yes, Steve Tofanelli found himself in trouble with the law a few times during his lifetime. There was the “boarder” who apparently died in his sleep, too, but other than that, I could locate no other dark events that took place on that property.

Within the last couple of years, rumors about the house being haunted have sprouted and taken root. The current owner has named the house “Bethany’s Home Sweet Haunted Home,” although there is no record whatsoever of anyone having been connected to/or having lived in that house with that name in its early history. Yolanda wasn’t exactly happy to hear about the “haunted” rumors, or the fact that some false information has been spread about her family. She has also made it clear that certain photos of her family that have been used online, were shared without her permission. 

In ending, it was important for me to share the history of this home with everyone, so they can know the truth about the property. I also wanted to dispel unfounded rumors, and to ultimately show that at different times, different families lived there and loved there, a place they so lovingly called “home.”---------  from the book, "Stories of the Forgotten III: Tales of the Motherlode," by J'aime Rubio, ISBN: 9798329140378  

All rights reserved. J'aime Rubio identified as the AUTHOR and PUBLISHER of the work in accordance with all U.S. Copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission by the author/ publisher. 

(COPYRIGHT 2024/2025 - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

 

Hotel Where Emma LeDoux Murdered Husband, Not Where People Think It Is

I started researching and writing about the story of Emma LeDoux many, many years ago. In fact, I wrote the most in depth account about her early life, the murder and the aftermath on my blog and in my book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered," back in 2016.

The research from my book gained so much attention that the producers at I.D. Investigative Discovery Network reached out to me and used me as their "historical consultant" for an episode of the hit television series, "Deadly Women," for that very story.

Back when I was doing early research on the story, I had found that the hotel where Emma committed the murderous act was located at the California Lodge in Stockton, once located at California Street and Main Street. I had believed it was possible that this building shown below was the location originally, but I was never certain. Let's dive into the facts today!

California and Main Street, Stockton

It has come to my attention that in the recent years there have been people who have taken tours in the building claiming to have been in the room where Emma killed her husband, even posting photos on Facebook, making Youtube videos and even "History Hunters" jumped on the bandwagon with this. 

Again, I have never said for certain that this was the building. In my earlier writings I had believed it MIGHT BE the location, but was never certain, thus the reason why I never published a photo of the building in my book or my blogs. I have only stated the California Lodge was located at California and Main Street in Stockton. 

Per the 1895 Sanborn Maps, this property was actually listed as the COMMERCIAL HOTEL, and it was so prior to 1906 and after that time period.  And as you can see below, each corner of the street had some sort of lodging house as well.

1895 Sanborn Map

After further research, if you take a look at the Wright's Realtor's page, Mr. Wright, a long-time Stockton native who has been researching the history of locations in Stockton for many years, he has some other interesting information to back up this theory.

Per Wright Realtor's website:

"425-431 E. Main St. ---Commercial Hotel Built in 1874 by George F. Smith at a cost between $25,000 to $30,000. It was two stories high, and 90 by 75 feet in dimensions.

In 1878, a third story was added at a cost of $5,000, improving the appearance of the building. The hotel was leased and managed by F.C. Hahn in 1875. The hotel contained sixty-one rooms and was entirely refurnished and re carpeted in 1878.

Early photographs indicate the building has been remodeled. This is one of the older buildings in downtown Stockton. The 1912 Stockton City Directory listed this building as the Commercial Hotel, a title it retains still. "

439-447 E. Main St. at California - Built in 1895 - The Hotel Main building has addresses at 447 E. Main and on N. California.

Listed as the Hotel MacAllister in Stockton City Directories as early as 1912, the name changed to the Hotel Main by 1925.

By 1930, Kuechler & Sons Jewelers opened a shop on the Main Street side of the building, and Wilson's News Stand and California Floral Company were on N. California. All three businesses remained in the building through 1950. The ground floor was last consumed by K. V. Furniture.

This may have once been part of the Commercial Hotel, next door at 425-29 East Main, starting in the 1880s. A sign on the roof of 439-447 East Main, installed in the 1880s and since removed, once announced the building as the Commercial Hotel.

The storefronts of this building have been remodeled, and a large bay window on the second and third floor corner has been removed, but the upper floors are otherwise relatively intact." ---

So you see, that building and the one next to it that everyone is claiming was the spot where Emma killed her husband was not listed anywhere I could find as the California Lodge, thus it is my belief that this was probably not the location where Albert McVicar was murdered. I believe it was more than likely one of the smaller "lodging houses" listed on the Sanborn maps as indicated in the photo above.

I don't understand how people can take an idea and run with it, and create over the top ideas, and even go so far as to go into an old room, from an old building and claim as a matter of fact that this was the actual room where she killed her husband.

Even if it turned out that it actually was that particular building, where is your documentation? Who told you this was the exact room the murder took place? Where did you get your information from? Nine times out of ten, people just make stuff up and other people run with it and all of a sudden you have this elaborate fabrication added to a real story.

And to tell people that a particular room was the "murder room," as some sort of factual statement is the most ridiculous of claims I have ever heard! The murder took place in 1906. Does anyone realize how often rooms get renumbered after a horrible event takes place at a hotel?

Look at the Hotel Del Coronado, the Ione Hotel, the Delta Queen, etc. Those are just a few examples of hotels that renumbered their rooms after an incident or death at the hotel that brought unwanted scandal to the business.

Emma LeDoux's case was the biggest trial of that time, and was mentioned in every single newspaper for months. The only thing that upstaged her trial and the murder story itself, was the Great Earthquake of San Francisco in 1906.

There is no doubt in my mind that the hotel proprietor renumbered the rooms to their hotel to avoid having guests freak out if they were assigned to room #97.

Remember, people back then were not as open to staying in rooms of murder victims like we are today. Ghost hunting and true crime enthusiasts were not "the thing" back then. No one wanted to stay in a room they knew someone died in.

Will we ever know for certain which building it was, or if it was actually the building in the photo above? I do not know.

UPDATE: As of 11/02/2024, I believe the answer to one of the questions has been confirmed. It appears that the building known once as the Main Hotel, Hotel McAllister, and part of the Commercial Hotel was at one short period of time known as The California or the California Lodge. So it appears that this is the correct building after all.

You see, I had always thought it MIGHT be the building but I wasn't certain. Plus, after doing my research into the history of the property, I could not confirm the validity that it was. Apparently, Facebook user Marcus Mac, who is a resident of Stockton, claimed on a recent Facebook post to have found an old Sanborne map he states was between 1906 and 1908.

Photo of Sanborne Map (c/o Marcus Mac)

Still, although the map is evidence of it being the correct location, one thing is for certain, it is improbable that we will ever know for certain which room Emma murdered Albert. Unfortunately, there are those who think they can base evidence on feelings rather than facts, and still choose to believe they know everything about the building, when they have only examined a run-down, abandoned shell of what once was. I don't need to prove which room Emma murdered Albert in, the ones claiming to know the precise room are the ones with the burden of proof before them. And until they have some smoking gun evidence that literally states which room was room #97 in March of 1906, then we will never be certain of the exact room. Although I am glad that there is evidence now that particular building on the corner of California Street and Main Street in Stockton was the correct location of the murder in 1906, due to the fact this building has seen seen many owners and many changes and renovations over the last 118 years, there is absolutely no way to know which room was the "murder room."

As a historian who has been doing this for nearly 20 years, sometimes we uncover amazing information that we hadn't found prior, and we have a responsibility as historians to share that information. Unfortunately though, many times we don't find all the answers to the questions we seek, and those are the mysteries lost to the annals of history.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF EMMA LEDOUX'S STORY PLEASE CHECK OUT MY BLOG OR MY BOOKS!!

(Copyright 2024 - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Main Street Melee -- The Death of Lewis A. Collier (Amador & Calaveras County History)

San Joaquin Republican, 9/17/1851

Most people don't realize that Amador County originally was part of Calaveras County. Needless to say, there was contraversy about where the County Seat would be initially from its inception. According to the book, "A History of Amador County," by Jesse D. Mason, the County of Calaveras was "organized in the session of the Legislature, in 1849-50. It is said that it took its name from an immense number of skulls found on that river.......the county took its name from the river."

William Fowle Smith was the County Judge; Colonel Lewis A. Collier was the County Clerk; John Hanson was the Sheriff, A.B. Mudge was the Treasurer; and H.A. Carter was the Prosecuting Attorney. These men basically made up the local government of early Calaveras County. At that time Double Springs was chosen as the County Seat. 

According to an 1849 edition of the Placer Times, there were advertisements for the sale of  "four wooden houses, 12x24 feet, two rooms each," on their way from China, on a schooner by the name of Petrol. It has been assumed these houses were for Double Springs; However, there are historians who disagree and claim that three houses, not four, were actually purchased at Sam Brannan's Sacramento store, which was located in present day "Old Sacramento." 

By 1850, the three houses were erected as one large building which were used as a Courthouse, small living spaces for the government officials, and of course, a saloon. Driving by Double Springs today, you will only see a roadside marker that states you are driving through an historic spot. Little is left of any trace of Calaveras County's first County Seat. 

Moving along, by April 26th of 1851, there was a Democratic County Convention held at Double Springs, organizing the Democratic Party of the County. Judge Smith was elected President and Col. Collier was elected Secretary. There were many named in the San Joaquin Republican, listing just who would be the committee members and that they were "appointing committees of three in each judicial district, to act as town committees and to report to the county committee from time to time, as the interest of the Democratic party shall seem to require." 

With Smith and Collier having to work together on this committee besides their regular work for the County, it is quite possible that they both got on each others nerves, or worse.

Later, there was an election on May 26, 1851 to change the county seat to Mokelumne Hill, while others wanted Jackson's Creek (present day Jackson). It was said that there were more votes for Mokelumne Hill than Jackson, so, allegedly Judge Smith "threw out" several hundred votes ensuring that Jackson would be the new County Seat. 

In Larry Cenotto's book, Logan's Alley (Volume IV) he briefly mentions this story on page 7, stating that "voting shenanigans" had taken place which led up to the story I am about to share with you.

Going back to the History of Amador County, Jesse D. Mason brought up that: 

"When the first count or estimate was made up, Mokelumne Hill was said to have been the successful town and a team was sent to Double Springs to remove the archives; but a subsequent count by Judge Smith made Jackson the county seat. Smith was openly charged with fraud in the second counting. The whole affair was probably as near a farce as elections ever get to be. The seat however remained at Jackson until 1852, when it was transferred by election to Mokelumne Hill."

This was the first time Collier and Smith butted heads over the election results. 

In regards to the personalities of Smith and Collier, Mason also notes:

"Very contradictory reports are current in regard to the characters of the officers. "Fowle Smith," an eastern man, was represented by some as a miserable concentration of all meanness that was supposed to characterize that kind of men; stinginess, cowardice, and "all that sort of thing." Others say that he was honest, and would not countenance Colonel Collyer's peccadillos, hence, their mutual dislike. He has since taken to preaching, and is said to be causing great revivals ins ome of the Eastern States.

Colonel Collyer, according to the same authority, was a southern man, with southern virtues in exess; pompous, portly, genial, brave, and reckless, with a habit of calling everybody, who crossed his will, a "d---d son of a -----" and threatened to cut his heart out; a treatment be had applied to Judge Smith, until the latter was seriously afraid the Colonel was in earnest. Among the peculiarities of Collyer, was the pocketing of all fees received in his official capacity, leaving Judge Smith to collect his salary, or extras, as he might.

Collyer is said to have naturalized sixty foreigners in one day, charging them one ounce each, all of which he applied to his own benefit. "---

So, what was this incident that happened on Main Street in September of 1851?

The details on the exact date that it occurred are sketchy at best. Some newspapers claimed the event took place on September 11th, 1851, which would have been a Thursday, while some say Monday, which would have been the 15th, but I am obliged to believe the other two newspapers which stated that it was Saturday, September 13th when the event took place. 

Judge Smith had been in Sacramento on County business and arrived in Jackson to collect the return of votes that were cast in their latest election, one of which determined the possible re-election of Col. Collier as County Clerk against Joseph P. Douglass who was also running for the position of County Clerk. According to this account, Judge Smith came on that date, being that the 10 days that were allotted to collect the votes had expired and the votes were past due for counting. 

Smith arrived at the clerks office at around 9 o'clock in the evening. So where was the clerk's office?

You must remember, at this time Jackson didn't have a courthouse or regular offices as we did later on.  The Calaveras County Court of Sessions or supervisors were held in the French Hotel which was located where present day 105 Main Street is located, on the westerly side of Main Street where the "Main Event Bar" is today. It appears that the clerk's office would have been adjacent to the Frech Hotel.  You have to remember, our courthouses and government offices for Amador County hadn't even been built yet, because we were still part of Calaveras County at the time.  The old jail site, which was a small log cabin, was actually located on or around where present day 16-18 Court Street is located.

When Judge Smith got there he was met by Judge Williams, who said that he was in charge of that office and Collier was not there. Smith told Williams he would go "canvassing" for votes but it had to be done before midnight. Judge Smith and J.T. Powell and Deputy Sheriffy Chovan canvassed for less than an hour, also looking for Collier to no avail. So they returned to Collier's office.  Chovan and Powell saw that no one was there, so Smith sent for them to look for Judge Williams to open the office so Smith could collect the voting returns.

Around 10 p.m., Judge Smith broke into the office on his own to search for the returns himself. This is when Chovan and Powell came back and found Smith inside the office. Smith then orders the two men to help him search for the returns, which they did reluctantly. According to the newspapers of the time, they claimed that Smith found nothing. Smith then handed Powell a paper to file with the court and he left the office empty handed.

Jesse D. Mason's account written in 1881, stated that Smith broke into Collier's desk,  counted the returns and issued the certificates of election to the successful candidate, Joseph P. Douglass, who, according to Mason's account, received the larger number of votes. According to this account, it was Collier who was in the wrong, hiding the votes to prevent the results showing that he had lost the election to Douglass.

A little after Midnight, Collier finally returned to the clerk's office to find out from Powell and Chovan that Smith had broken into it. He became infuriated, and Powell stated that Collier even drew a pistol on him for telling him the story, forcing Powell to arrest him. As Collier was being taken to jail, he swore he would shoot Judge Smith "upon sight."

It appears that Collier was released in the morning, and once Judge Smith and Powell were going about their daily activities, Powell "proposed a walk with Judge Smith, and he first declined upon the ground that the route suggested would lead them past the clerk's office, that he was courting a collision, but finding that the clerk's office was closed he consented to go."

As the newspaper accounts go, as they were walking by the office, Collier walked up on them and started screaming obsenities to Smith. Collier claimed he was going to let the world know what a "dead villain" Judge Smith was. After this first confrontation, Smith started to walk back towards his hotel. This was when Collier came back on his horse, with a revolver on his waist, and as he dismounted and was tieing his horse up to the hotel, he started to scream at Smith again. 

When Collier approached him, Smith "threw up his hand and said "Col. Collier, I don't want you to come near me; stand back, sir, and let me alone." Collier however, advanced and struck the Judge a severe blow in his face, whereupon Smith drew a small revolver from his pants pocket and fired at Collier, wounding him in the right arm, piercing his body between the liver and kidneys, and wounding him also in the left shoulder. Collier did not have time to draw his pistol, and Judge Smith, in extricating his from his pants' pocket had one barrel discharge itself through his pocket. Col. Collier died about 12 o'clock on Monday last."

Smith was arrested, and some accounts said he turned himself in immediately. He was then taken before Judge Bayrington, but requested Judge Williams to oversee this case, and requested his counsel, Captain Ward for legal defense. Judge Smith was tried for Col. Lewis A. Collier's death on September 17, 1851. On September 23, 1851, Judge William Fowle Smith was acquitted of all charges as the jury returned a verdict of "justifiable homicide" given the circumstances of the case.

After looking over all of the particulars surrounding this case, I see that there was election tampering, and it appears that it may have been occurring on both sides. Being that Smith was openly accused of fraud in the previous election in 1850 determining the county seat situation, shows he was capable of doing it again; However, the fact that Collier hadn't turned in the votes in time, possibly to collect more votes in his favor, and it also appears he was hiding the collected votes to prevent revealing the actual results, was also illegal.

Both men's personalities clashed like oil and vinegar according to the previous accounts mentioned, so it is not hard to see that there was likely to be a bad skirmish between the two at one point or another. Sadly, though this one ended with one person dead, all because of election results. 

Do I think that Judge Smith should have been put in prison for Collier's death? No, I do not. Collier was a hot head, and even if Smith had done something wrong, Collier knew the law, and he went after the Judge with the intent to kill him, and ended up being the one dead himself. 

According to Jesse D. Mason,  by the time he was writing his book on the history of the county, and claimed that Smith had "taken to to preaching, and is said to be causing great revivals in some of the Eastern states." Did Judge Smith have a change of heart, and left politics? It is quite possible, however, I found a W.F. Smith in Alameda in the 1860 census listed as a Lawyer, so it is possible that he just moved away. 

In 1851, California was still very much living in the "Wild West," and many times, simple disagreements ended up in horrible stabbings, attacks and even duels. Remember the infamous duel of Judge David S. Terry and Senator Broaderick? What about the unfortunate murder of Judge Gordon Belt on the streets of Stockton? There are so many, I cannot even begint to list them all. 

With that being said, I do not believe Col. Lewis A. Collier was an innocent victim in this affair. His hot temper ultimately sealed his own fate.  Documented accounts show that both of these local politicans were crooked in their own ways. Smith, having committed fraud in an election, while Collier collected fees for various reasons during his time as County Clerk only to pocket the money himself, and more than likely he was trying to hide the election results himself. It seems to me that both men were not on the up-and-up when this unfortunate incident occurred. A lesson to be learned that politics can literally kill, and that election fraud and tampering has been going as long as elections have been around. It sure goes to show that some things never change!

(Copyright 2024, J'aime Rubio www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Sources available upon request.  

Horrific assault prompts suicide at old Amador County Courthouse

First and foremost, Welcome to my blog!! Thank you for choosing this story to read. Before you delve into this tragic tale, I want to share something with you. While I was researching and writing this blog, my friend, Historian Carolyn Fregulia was busy taking a deep dive into this story even further, although I didn't know it at the time. When I found out, I decided to leave this particular story out of my newest book, "Stories of the Forgotten III: Tales of the Mother Lode."

Originally, I had wanted to add it and delve even deeper into the story, but once I found out that Carolyn was already working on this story (along with many others), I decided to leave the chapter itself out of my book.

So, although I cover this story briefly here on this blog post, I wanted to share with you that Carolyn should have her retelling of this story, which should be a deep dive into the Lintellac's history, in an upcoming project of hers in the near future! I am certainly looking forward to it!

If you are unfamilar with her work, she has authored several books, including "Italians in the Gold Country,"  & "Logging in the Central Sierra," among others. If you haven't read any of her work, I strongly suggest that you do!

Now, without further adieu, -- on with the story.......

On Monday, February 22, 1909, a man by the name Joseph Coholich committed a very heinous crime in Amador County. Now, the newspapers reported his last name as Chahalich or sometimes Chachalich, and even his Find-a-Grave memorial spelled his name as Choalich, but his death record in the California Death Index was recorded as Coholich.

Per the Amador Dispatch, dated February 26, 1909:

"Early in the afternoon of Monday a horseman, greatly excited rode into town and notified Sheriff Gregory that Mrs. Lintillac had been shot by Chahalich. Gregory and Leverone immediated started for the Lintillac place. Upon their arrival there they found Chahalich gone and questioned the woman, learning from her the following particulars: Mrs. Lintillac shortly after dinner, was hanging out clothes near the house, and Chahalich, who had worked about the place, approached her carrying a shot-gun and demanded of her $25.50 which he claimed was coming to him for wages.

She replied they did not owe him that much as he had not worked for a time during the rainy weather, and also that he was indebted to them for board in the sum of $20, besides $2 for brandy, that all he had coming was $7, and told him he had better see her husband about it. Chahalich, who was standing about six feet from the woman, raised his gun and shot her in the legs twice."

The article, which is lengthy, goes on to state that the Sheriff went on to the Campanola's cabin where the suspect had been known to stop by for the past two weeks. The authorities found the shot-gun and a blue shirt that the suspect had been wearing, and so they knew he had stopped there before moving on. When questioned, Campanola denied any knowledge of the situation. It was ascertained that Joseph Coholich had walked across Campanola's property, through the fields approximately seven miles, all the way westward to Jackson, avoiding roadways.

By the time Joseph Coholich reached Jackson, he made the steep trek up Summit Street to the old Courthouse. According to testimony by eye-witness Thomas Lemin, Coholich was walking back and forth in front of the courthouse at about 5 p.m. that evening. The two men struck up a conversation, as Coholich sat down on the steps and began eating an orange.  Shortly thereafter, Coholich belted out a painful groan and fell backwards into convulsions. When the onlooker tried to help him, he shook his head and stated that it was "too late." Still, two doctors arrived to the scene, Dr. Sprague and Dr. Gall, who both realized that he had been poisoned. They moved Coholich to the courtyard of the jail, and he expired within about 10 minutes. 

When the body was searched, they found a vial of strychnine in his pocket and about 25 grains were missing. They believed he had put the poison in the orange that he ate, committing suicide instead of facing the legal consequences for his actions. Joseph Coholich had no family in the states, and it was assumed his wife was still home in the "old country." The newspapers stated that he was originally from Austria, yet his Find-a-Grave states he was from Italy. It is obvious that he may have been from Austria, having travelled to the U.S. by way of Italy, but by the spelling or pronunciation of his name it is obvious he was of Serbian or Croation descent. 

Joseph Coholich was buried without a marker in the Jackson City Cemetery just next door to the Catholic Cemetery.  

While continuing my research, I discovered that Mrs. Lucie Lintellac was forced to have her limbs amputated due to her grave injuries;  one limb being amputated just below the knee, while the other just at the ankle bone. Sadly, it appears that her wounds never healed properly that her health continued to decline. As of the March 12, Amador Ledger, her funeral notice appeared. Although the newspapers stated she was buried in St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, I have been unable to locate her gravesite as of yet. I am still avidly searching for that piece of the puzzle, as I would really like to pay my respects to this innocent victim of this very wicked assault.

In my line of work, I stumble upon some of the saddest stories. I share them for one reason, so that their names and their lives will not be forgotten. Mrs. Lintellac, and even Joseph for that matter, have been forgotten in the pages of archived newspapers and old dusty death indexes that have been shelved for over a 100 years. My effort is to bring back those people's stories, to give them back a voice. To share their story for them, since they obviously can no longer share it on their own. 

I hope that although this history was a bit dark, and unfortunately did not have a happy ending, that you can appreciate it is still a part of local history, nonetheless.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and to remember the stories of the forgotten.--  (J'aime Rubio, Copyright 2024)

Some of my sources: California Death Index, Amador Ledger, 3/12/1909; Amador Dispatch, 2/26/1909; Bluelake Advocate, 2/27/1909; Stockton Independent, 2/23/1909; Union Democrat, 2/27/1909; San Francsico Call, 2/23/1909.