Three Men Killed In the Kennedy Mine - Peter Garcia, Sam Martinez & Liberto Mendes

 

No matter what I do, my work always seems to come full circle. Almost 11 years ago, I published my first historical non-fiction book, "Behind The Walls." based on the history of the Preston School of Industry (a.k.a. Preston Castle), little did I know that while researching for my 5th historical non-fiction book "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," I would find stories that are intertwined with Preston in one way or another.

One such story is the horrific explosion at the Kennedy Mine that took place on February 13, 1932, when four miners: Peter Garcia, Sam Martinez, Liberto Mendez and Felix Achavan were victims of an unfortunate dynamite accident.

According to the Amador Dispatch, it was an explosion at the 4800 foot level of the mine that took place around 4 a.m. in the morning on Saturday, February 13, that caused the fatalities.

The miners were prepping the area for blasting, and while rounding the holes, they found that the water leaking down the walls of stope was preventing several of the fuses to ignite. So in order to fire the fuse, they had to re-cut them. Unfortunately, they re-cut them too short, and since they had about 46 fuses to fire, by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off.

According to the only surviving witness, Felix Achavan, the supervisor on duty overseeing their work, Peter Garcia, had warned them he thought it was time to go, and just as he spoke those words the explosion went off. Both Peter Garcia and Sam Martinez died instantly, while Liberto Mendes and Felix Achavan were rushed to the hospital at the Preston School of Industry, in Ione. Sadly, within hours of arriving to Preston, Liberto succumbed to his injuries. Felix stayed several days at the hospital but recovered.

The dead were brought to Daneri's Funeral home and the funerals for the miners were all held individually at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Jackson. Sadly, none of the miners have marked graves, and you can only know they were buried there because of the newspaper clippings and cemetery records showing they were buried there.

Peter Garcia was only 39 years old and was a native of Spain. He had lived in Amador County for many years and was very much a beloved member of the community. Sam Martinez was only 23 years old at the time of his death, and was also a native of Spain. while Liberto Mendes was 36 years old and a native of Mexico.

You can visit their virtual graves here on Find-a-grave and leave them virtual messages and "flowers" here:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567415/peter-garcia

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567489/sam-martinez

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567551/liberto-mendez

After recovering from his injuries, Felix was interviewed for the Coroner's Inquest and his story was published in the local newspaper which is posted below.

Amador Dispatch – 2/26/1932

“Lone Survivor Tells Story of Mine Accident—

At an inquest conducted on Monday evening by Coroner J.J. Daneri, Felix Achavan told the story of the recent accident at the Kennedy mine when three miners lost their lives and Achavan miraculously escaped a like fate.

According to the story told by the witness at the hearing, he was working in a stope on the 4800 foot level of the mine and with companions had prepared a round of 46 holes for blasting. He stated that after loading had been completed, he was assisted by Foreman Garcia in lighting the fuse. Samuel Martinez and Foreman Garcia standing by to give assistance that might be needed; that difficulty was experienced in lighting some of the fuse because of dampness from water that had dripped upon the fuse, making it necessary to again “spit” them, at operation causing considerable delay. Finally Garcia made the statement “we have been here too long, let’s get out” and barely had the word been uttered when an explosion occurred.

Mr. Achavan stated that all were thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion. His position on the opposite side of the stope from the first explosion afforded him a measure of protection and probably accounted for his escape from death. He expressed the belief that the others were in the direct path of the flying rocks rendering escape impossible. He immediately crawled from the scene. Peter Garcia and Samuel Martinez were killed instantly and Liberto Mendez died a few hours following his removal to the Preston Hospital. Achavan gave a vivid recitation of the experience but the recollection of the unfortunate accident was one that unnerved the man and caused him to leave the room sobbing. 

Following the hearing of the testimony the following verdict we rendered by the jury: “The cause of death was the discharge of powder when the deceased were delayed in their work by damp fuses while they were employed in blasting in the north drift of the 4800 foot level of the Kennedy mine near Jackson.”---

May these miners, and the rest of the 43 miners who have all lost their lives at the Kennedy Mine during its years of operation rest in peace, never forgotten. 

TO READ MORE STORIES ABOUT THE MEN AT THE KENNEDY MINE, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK HERE! 

(Copyright 2023- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Sources:

Amador Dispatch – 2/26/1932

Amador Dispatch – 2/19/1932

Amador Ledger - 2/13/1932

Colusa Herald, 2/13/1932;

Healdsburg Tribune 2/13/1932

Hidden Histories - 12 & 14 Water Street, Jackson, California

Over the years I have researched and written about various people and places in the past. I have done a tremendous amount of research in Amador County specifically, since I have lived there at different times in my life, and some of my family still live there. Around the same time that I was researching the history of the National Hotel for my upcoming book, "Historic Haunts," I was contacted by the proprietress of the antique shop literally next door to the National Hotel. 

After speaking with the her, she asked me if I knew any of the history of her building, 12 Water Street as well. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't, but I assured her that I would look into it and get back to her as soon as I could.  Well, after thorough research I am now able to share some of the hidden history of the brick edifice that is adjacent to National Hotel in Jackson, California.

Image  (1)  Louisiana House & Maujer Store
  (Amador County Archives)   

Between 1853 and 1854 a one-story wooden structure with a billboard design on top that read "Maujer," an advertising design often referred to as a western false-front, was constructed for Daniel Maujer's storefront. (Imaged 1).

Maujer was partner's with Amos Barrett, who operated Barrett & Co., and who was the first Wells Fargo agent operating an office in Jackson, out of that store. It wasn't until later on that the Wells Fargo office operated out of the Odd Fellows Hall.

Sadly, on August 2, 1855, Amos Barrett committed suicide in his room at Wilson's Exchange in San Francisco. 

"Suicide - A man by the name of Amos Barrett, committed suicide at Wilson's Exchange, on Friday last. It appears he took a room on Thursday night, and was not seen again alive. The fact of his room being locked all the tie gave rise to suspicions which induced the proprietor of the house to force the door, when he was found dead.

Wilson's Exchange, S.F. (CA Library)

The deceased came to this State in 1849, and since that time has been engaged in mercantile pursuits, and for the last four years has resided at Jackson.  Amador County, where he was for a long time the agent of Wells, Fargo & Co.  The motive which induced him to the commission of the rash act seems to have been an over sensitiveness in regard to the pecuniary transactions and mercantile probity.

On the back of a letter, directed to Messrs. Wilcox & Chase, San Francisco, giving them directions as to the disposal of his property, was the following, which was signed by him:

"J.A. Kew, editor, is the cause of all this, and he ought to have known it. He will meet his reward. If all my creditors, and I was aware of it, would wait patiently, and give me time, I would not commit this rash act -- but they will or would not. -- Barrett"

A letter, written in a somewhat detached and incoherent style, was also found, which was addressed to his mother, brothers and sisters, and another gentleman in Jackson. He states that $3,000 would relieve him entirely from all pecuniary embarrassments, and also states that his property is amply sufficient to pay all his debts.

The deceased was unmarried, about 36 years of age, and a native of Long Island, N.Y., where he formerly carried on business. He also did business as a merchant in 1839-46, in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., N.Y.  He was always esteemed to be an honest, though somewhat close man in his dealings."-- Nevada Journal, August 10, 1855.

According to the Amador Ledger Dispatch, dated January 25, 1901, it states:

"Daniel Maujer was a Frenchman and was associated with Amos Barrett. After the death of the latter, and their business trouble, he left Jackson and his subsequent movements seem to have been forgotten by most of those who were familiar with the county in those days."-

Interestingly enough, the book, "Jackson" by Arcadia Publishing, has some misinformation that must be noted. In the book, the names of the original owners Daniel Maujer and Amos Barrett are incorrectly stated as Amos Maujer and Daniel Barrett (page 11), which we know is factually incorrect. The only reason I am mentioning this, is so that others who wish to research these gentleman will be able to search via their correct names, as I have stated within this blog post. 

After Barrett and Maujer were gone, the new owners of the property demolished the wooden structure and opted for a one story brick building around 1856. It is mentioned that this may have been around the time it was turned into a drug store. 

The late, great Amador County historian, Larry Cenotto mentioned in his "Walking Tour of Jackson's Historic Core" pamphlet that used to be in circulation:

"While the lower story has a faux-Western front, the top facade hasn't changed since Epley and Elderkin laid it in 1863 after the fire. Previously, in late 1853 and '54, Amos Barrett and Daniel Maujer had a store here, and Barrett began his career as Wells, Fargo & Co. Express agent. Known as Rocca's Hall, it was the long-time venue for entertainments, theatricals and even pugilistic exhibitions and fights."---

. 

The Rocca Family

Francesco "Frank" Rocca, was born around 1824 and was a native of Italy. He was considered one of the earlier settlers in Jackson, coming around the mid 1850's just in time for the tail end of the Gold Rush.

During the time that the Rocca family owned the building, 12 Water Street was inhabited by the Jackson Theatre, where they held plays and other entertainment venues, including boxing fights and athletic events. There was also a saloon and a store at the corner which was also owned by Rocca. The 1880 Census lists Frank as the "bar keeper" of his saloon. Although, the two buildings are side by side, there was also a residence in the back along the creek where the Rocca family lived. 

The newspaper from 1889, stated that the west side of the building was known as the "Theatre brick building," while the south side of the property was known as the "Frank Rocca frame dwelling house." Lastly the corner brick building was known as the "Frank Rocca grocery store and bar brick building."

According to Larry Cenotto's research, Frank Rocca purchased both of the brick buildings on Water Street around 1859. You see, at the time all of that was considered one giant property. It was known as Lot 13, Block 3.  The upper level of the corner building at 14 Water Street was sold to the Masonic Lodge after the great fire of 1862, and that part of the building was rented out to the County while they were rebuilding a new court house. By 1864, the Masons went back to the upper levels of the brick building when the county offices moved into their new building elsewhere.

Frank Rocca owned the downstairs of both buildings, and the upstairs of 12 Water Street, (as well as his house). While he was alive he ran the Jackson Theatre for many years, and was well known within the community. 

The Death of Frank Rocca 

In the wee hours of Thursday, November 25th (night of the 24th) which also happened to be Thanksgiving, Frank Rocca had a terrible accident at his home in the residence which was located behind the brick building on Water Street/Broadway.  The newspapers originally published that he had fallen from the back porch balcony of his residence into the creek behind the buildings and that he had busted up his nose and scratched up his face. Unfortunately, Frank Rocca didn't walk away from that fall that easily. The newspaper dated, December 3, 1887 explains more:

"Mr. Francesco Rocco [SIC], one of our pioneer residents, and proprietor of the Jackson theatre, died in this place last Tuesday night, from the effects of injuries received by a fall from the back porch of his building on Thanksgiving night. It was at first thought that he was not dangerously hurt, but he never entirely recovered  from the shock. He was a native of Italy and about 60 years of age. He leaves a family and many warm friends to mourn his loss. He was buried on Thursday afternoon by the Masonic fraternity, of which he was a member of long standing."  - The Amador Dispatch 

Mr. Rocca was buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Jackson, just off of Church Street. Although Mr. Rocca's grave states he died on the 25th of November, the newspapers claimed it wasn't until Tuesday, the 29th when he succumbed to his injuries. The newspaper also published several ads that ran continually for quite some time shortly after his death, announcing the theatre and parts of the building itself were up for sale. 

Dispatch, 1/21/1888

Literally the same week that the patriarch of the family, Frank Rocca passed away, the Levy family, from S. Levy & Co. opened a new store at the location on the corner at 14 Water Street. They obviously were renting out the space, as the property still belonged to the Rocca family at the time.

Dispatch, 1/21/1888

The city had also just put in a v-shape sewer line that ran from the front of the building to the back and into the creek, to clear away all the nasty water which would form unsavory "mud puddles" just outside the Theatre. This new development was also mentioned in the newspaper.

After the death of Frank, the Rocca family were intent on selling the bottom level corner building (14 Water Street) as well as the Theatre. The ad appeared in the Dispatch in February 2, 1889, when Attorney's Lindley & Spagnoli who represented the estate of Frank Rocca c/o Carrie Deletis (his widow) published the notice.

It appears though that the family kept their home in the back, as the 1910 Census shows that Victor remained living with his mother Carrie at the house on Broadway (behind the brick building), and Victor is the proprietor of a saloon. Victor eventually left bar keeping and went on to work next door at the National Hotel as a clerk for many years. His WWI draft cards listed him as working at the National hotel in 1917 and he continued to work there well up into the 1930s. Victor Rocca eventually passed away in 1934. 

According to the newspapers, by 1913, the property at 12 Water Street was being used for a restaurant and lodging rooms under the business name Home Restaurant & Lodgings.  On the evening of June 17, 1913, a gentleman by the name of Tom Belenchia, 45, from Mokelume Hill, went to his room and never came back. He had been working in the hayfields at J.A. Laughton's property just outside of town. Laughton had hired workers for the job, and most of the men were lodging at the same establishment. When the men all came back, everyone went to the restaurant for supper, except for Tom.  When one of his friends realized he had never came down to eat, he went to check up on him and found he was very sick. They called for the doctor, but it was too late. He died in his bedroom in the building. According to the newspaper, he died from "gasses forming in the stomach and stopping the action of the heart."- 

So far, Frank Rocca and Tom Belechnia are the only two deaths I have found that took place on the property, but there could be others. I will continue to keep searching the archives for more hidden history on this location. According to my sources, the Masons eventually purchased both buildings (upstairs and down).

12 Water Street, Jackson

Moving forward, as the years went by, the lower level of the buildings at 12 & 14 Water Street hosted business after business, store after store. People came and people went, and like all businesses eventually do, many closed forever, while others began anew. 

Sometime around the mid-to-late 1940's a lady name Clara Ericson opened a bar/restaurant called "The Klondike," in this location. She later sold the business to Guido Tofanelli in 1951, who had returned from the Richmond Shipyards after working there for several years around the end of  World War II.  

Guido, or "Guy" as everyone knew him by, would later become Jackson's Chief of Police. Guy ran the bar with his brother, Steve Tofanelli, who was considered a "silent" partner. Guy also opened a boxing gym in Jackson. Was the boxing gym here at this location, given it's past history as an athletic/boxing location? Or was it on the third floor of the Krabbenhoft Building, which is where the present day Hein & Co. Book Store is located? I haven't been able to answer that question just yet.

Newspapers accounts show that at one point during the late 1950's when the State was cracking down on prostitution, the Klondike found itself in hot water, when it was discovered that the club was "allegedly" being used as a front for "John's" to be "pointed in the right direction" to one of the cat houses located at another building downtown (not 315 N Main Street, as some have insinuated, that house has never been a brothel despite the claims.).

By the 1960's the brick building was home to a store called the "Westerner," and I still remember an old stationary store at the corner building (14 Water Street). 

So many amazing events happened here at these two brick buildings and so much hidden history has been discovered!

Now, this property at 12 Water Street is home to an amazing antique store, and the proprietress has taken an interest in preserving the history of this building, which I am sure the Rocca family would have appreciated so very much. I hope that her business continues on into the future and that the history within its walls continues to be shared for others earnestly looking for it.

I hope that you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the history of this property, and because I am still researching the history of this amazing property, hopefully soon I will be able to add more to this blog as I intend to chronicle as many establishments and events that took place at those two buildings.

Thank you for taking this trip with me down Water Street in Jackson! 

Happy History Hunting!

(Copyright 2022- J'aime Rubio  www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Immaculate Conception Cemetery's Mystery of the Two Missing Graves - Sutter Creek

The backside of the Parish Hall property, Sutter Creek

Recently, one of my fellow researcher/taphophile friends that we will refer to as "Phyllis Jean," had reached out to me about a mystery she wanted answers to. Since she has helped me in some of my investigations, I agreed to help her with this one and she so kindly gave me permission to write about it on my blog.

So, the story starts out at the Immaculate Conception Churchyard and its adjacent Parish Hall at 190 Fogarty Drive, Sutter Creek, CA.  At one point around 2018, the site where the Parish Hall stands was listed for sale, and this is where the problems began. When the cemetery or churchyard started on the property next door, there was no definitive borderline where to stop burying the dead. So, there were some burials in the vicinity of where the Parish Hall stands. 

The cemetery itself dates back to 1858, but the church wasn't built until around 1860-1861. The land had been donated by the Mahoney family, and 15 members of said family happen to be buried within the grounds as well. 

The website Movoto lists the Parish Hall building, on the side of the cemetery, as being built in 1980, although I am not sure if that is entirely accurate, as my parents remembered something being on that site back when they lived on Spanish Street in the early 1970's.  

Well, fast forward to 2018, the property needed to be separate from the actual church property in order to sell it as separate land, so they had to "move" any of the graves that spilled over onto that property.

My friend "Phyllis Jean" claimed she remembered something about the newspaper mentioning the possible moving of the graves, but when she went back to search for it, she couldn't find it in any of the archived newspapers, as neither could I. 

This left me perplexed. 

We both separately "Googled" the property for a street view of the site and we both stumbled upon the sight of two headstones laying up against a retaining wall in plain sight. I also double checked other photos of the cemetery area, and found several photos of the headstones when they were upright and in their rightful place. This meant that they had recently been removed in the last 3 years or so. 

So who do these two headstones belong to?

Well, since the headstones were facing the retaining wall and not clearly visible, it took having to physically visit the cemetery and lay on the ground in a very awkward position just to snap a few shots.

One person's headstone was easier to capture than the other. In fact, I could only get a tiny fragment of the other person's name and had to run to Find-a-grave in the hopes they had been entered in their database before. Thankfully they were. So I was able to find both individuals by name.

#1. William Garrett    

William Garrett was born in Ireland around 1837. The voting registries of the time circa 1867 state that William was "naturalized" a citizen on September 4, 1866, and registered to vote as of April 12, 1867. He was also listed as living in Township #5, which the History of Amador County by Jesse D. Mason mentions that township as being around  Drytown, Amador City and Forest Home (Plymouth area). He passed away on October 20, 1877 and was buried at the Immaculate Conception Churchyard.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/208987324/william-garrett

#2.  Dennis Shine

Dennis Shine was born in Limerick, Ireland around 1816. Unfortunately, I could not find any voting registries for Dennis, nor could I locate any census records for either Shine or Garrett. He passed away on October 10, 1877 and was buried at the Immaculate Conception Churchyard.

Also, because the Amador Dispatch and Ledger newspapers have no records for the year 1877, which happens to be the same year both of the deceased passed away, there is no way to obtain an obituary for these two gentlemen. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140018257/dennis-shine

Interestingly, according to the US Gen Web Archives, the cemeteries burial records do not include either Garrett or Shine. I downloaded the complete list of burials and confirmed that neither men were listed as being buried in 1877, as they only had 4 burials that year. Somehow, someone failed to make a note of these two burials in their original records. Needless to say, this bothered me, and my friend "Phyllis Jean." 

Along with those facts, and the fact we now knew that the headstones had be removed from their place of burial, this worried us that their remains were going to be left there unmarked and forgotten so the property could be sold. This would not be the first time this has happened, as it is well known that when the cemeteries in San Francisco were moved, and bodies exhumed and reinterred to Colma, many monuments were tossed into the sea, and many bodies were left in the ground. 

Also, the Stockton State Hospital "moved" some of their dead on paper only, and opted to sell the land and build on top of said burial grounds leaving the dead still presently buried under the foundations of many buildings along California street in Stockton. 

So, with this worry in mind, I personally reached out to the Immaculate Conception Church for answers. I first spoke with a young lady who wasn't sure how to answer my questions, and she took my number down and said Marge would call me back. 

When I finally spoke to Marge, she assured me that the remains of both Garrett and Shine had been removed in a two step process, by using ground penetrating radar, and then removing the remains and burying them in an area that had not been used for any previous burials. This was very reassuring as I just wanted to make sure these two people's graves would not be forgotten or erased from history.

The next day, I received an email from another friend and fellow genealogist from Find-a-grave, Steve Jones, the person who originally entered Mr. Garrett's information into Find-a-grave, who also confirmed the story with me, as he knows Marge, too. He spoke to her and she gave him the same information, that the graves had been moved a while back, and that they had an archeologist come out and someone with the ground penetrating radar machine to search the grounds for the remains. There were witnesses who watched the exhumation and moving of the two deceased individuals remains to a spot in the churchyard where "nothing else existed." 

One good thing that came out of this inquiry though was the fact that it brought to Marge's attention that the person they hired to reset the headstones next to the new burial spots, had not done so, and it has been quite some time. Thankfully, maybe now that this has been brought to the forefront again, this project will get finished once and for all, and Mr. Garrett and Mr. Shine can be reunited with their headstones, once again.  

Update May 2022:  A few weeks ago, I received a voicemail from Marge that the headstones were finally properly reunited with their interred eternal residents, Dennis and William.  Case closed.

(Copyright 2022- J'aime Rubio,  www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Eliza's Lonesome Grave -- Amador County History

Perched on top of the hillside of Jackson on Church Street rests the home of Armstead C. Brown. Constructed for one of Amador County's oldest and important early pioneers, the home itself was built in 1859. It survived the great fire of 1862, which burned many of the buildings in Jackson, including the National Hotel and the old Hangman's tree on Main Street, but A.C. Brown's home, being situated on top of the great hill near the cemetery was saved. It has stood there now for over 160 years, and it is still just as beautiful as ever. I just didn't realize until recently, that property has a history that is older than the home that sits on it.

I have been visiting this home off and on for many years, ever since I was a child, since it has been the Amador County Museum for many, many years.  I had always been drawn to it, but I didn't realize until years later, as an adult, that there was a lonesome grave on the north side of the property. When I inquired about it inside the museum, the docent explained that the wife of a friend of A.C. Brown was staying there, and the young woman had died in childbirth, so the family buried her in their yard. 

I visited the grave with sad thoughts in my mind, imagining how her last moments must have been, in agony giving birth and then passing on along with her child at such a young age. Given the fact I hadn't been told a lot about the circumstances of this young woman's death, I simply assumed she had died in the house, since the story told to me was vague.

Well, I was just up there this weekend again, and while Roland was visiting Hein's estate sale down the hill, I ventured up to the museum all by my lonesome to visit Eliza. While I was there, I took in the beautiful atmosphere all around me:  the breeze, the cool shade of the trees and the fragrance of the plants in the air. I felt safe, secure and at peace. 

As I was walking back towards my car, I thought to myself, "this is such a beautiful spot, like going back to a simpler place in time." Within moments Roland surprised me walking up the cement staircase to the property and we sat there at a picnic table under the shade of the tall trees. I told him that this property is "one of my favorite places in Jackson."  I also mentioned that if it were just a regular home, and if I was rich, I would want to buy it and live in it because I love the feeling I get on the property itself! (It's funny that I said that and I will get to that reason in a moment.)

So I went home and uploaded my photos, got busy with researching Eliza's story further. Well, just as I had stated before, the house on that property was built in 1859. I didn't know that initially, it wasn't until digging deeper into my research. That was when it dawned on me, "Eliza died in 1856!"

That was three years before the home was built.

According to the Amador Dispatch, Eliza did in fact die during childbirth, but apparently she didn't die on the property itself. It says she was buried on the Brown's property on a "small knoll." 

Eliza was the wife of Leon Sompayrac, a native of France, who was not only a jeweler by trade, but also one of the original Trustees of Jackson when the town was first established, as well as a founding member of the Grand Jury. Not much is known about Eliza except that her maiden name was Hart, and she was born July 25, 1835. I could not find a marriage record, nor could I find any record of where Eliza was born or who her parents were. 

Eliza's grave itself was constructed by brick and covered with iron doors from her husband's jewelry shop. If you visit Eliza's grave (or above-ground crypt) now, you will see there are no iron doors, so either they were removed later or stolen. All that is left is the brick structure and an ornamental iron fencing around part of it, where wandering vines of ivy have crept through and grown quite beautifully around it. 

Her marker is a little confusing, because the top part reads:  "Eliza Hart, Born July 25, 1835"

While the bottom part reads: "Eliza Sompayrac, Died May 31, 1856." (both of which are two separate pieces of stone attached to the above-ground crypt). 

I searched the only newspaper of the time, the Volcano Weekly Ledger for an obituary or death notice but I found no mention of Eliza's passing. Sadly, it appears that it didn't make the newspapers back then. In newer archived articles of the Amador Ledger Dispatch, there are mentions of Eliza's passing, and the "Friends of the Amador County Museum" sponsored an annual Memorial Day Celebration at Eliza's grave back in 1986. The ceremony took place at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 25.  The article also stated that the group decided to honor Eliza on her 130th anniversary of her death, and that Eliza died "close to what would later become Memorial Day" and she "was buried on a spot she had loved in life, which was near the site on which A.C. Brown would later build his house."

So, Eliza wasn't buried there because of dying on the property. In fact, there is no documentation that I am aware of that states where she died, although we know it was somewhere in Jackson. However, it was noted that A.C. Brown had her buried on the spot that she "had loved in life."  This obviously means she loved and appreciated that beautiful hillside, just as I do, and it must have been so apparent that she loved that spot so much, that her husband and his best friend A.C. Brown, picked the very best spot that she would want to be buried: right there on that hillside. 

Unfortunately, there have been sheds and structures built around her grave over the years, so the view she once saw is not the view we see today. But if you visit the Amador County Museum and you walk that property, you will feel what Eliza felt. The same feeling that I get when I visit, too. It is a sort of soothing calmness that sets over you, and you feel at peace. 

After Eliza and her baby passed away, her husband eventually moved back to France. There are news advertisements for Leon Sompayrac's business "Fixury & Company" which he co-owned with Mr. Fixury, closing by mutual consent, and a notice in August of 1857, stating that he would be moving out of the country by August 20, 1857 and any debts owed to him that were not paid by that date would be cause for him to sue. It appears that Leon never came back to the states.

And so, Eliza and her baby rest peacefully in one of the most serene spots in all of Jackson while the world has continued to go on for the past 163 years, mostly forgetting that she is even there. With that, let's remember Eliza (and her unborn child) and their final resting place, so they will be forgotten no more. 

(Copyright 2019 - J'aime Rubio,  www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Sources:

Volcano Weekly Ledger, August 15, 1857

Amador Dispatch, February 3, 1966

Amador Ledger Dispatch, May 14, 1986

Find-a-grave

The Mystery at the Maiden's Grave - Amador County History

Up Highway 88, just about 30 miles east of the town of Pioneer sits a monument known as the Maiden’s grave. The story behind this marker is quite interesting because it starts way back in 1850, during the time when families coming from the Eastern and Midwestern states were traveling in groups, trekking the dangerous terrain of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in hopes of starting a better life for themselves in California.

On one such trip, a young girl named Rachael fell ill and died as the group was traveling over the Carson Pass area. They stopped and buried the young girl in a wooded area under the base of a large Fir tree, and her mother as grief stricken as she was for having to leave her daughter’s body in the middle of unknown territory, vowed she would return one day to her daughter’s meager burial site.

As the years went on, Rachael’s mother grew older and older, and by the early 1900’s, over 50 years after her daughter’s death, she attempted to find the spot where she buried Rachael so many years before.

Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful in her quest and she returned from whence she came. After word spread in Amador County about the return of Rachael’s mother, various people who had been visiting nearby Kirkwood, just 10 miles to the east, had remembered running across a marked grave nearby in their travels.  The grave was located, and since word spread about this situation, others began remembering that it once was marked with a wooden cross that had the name “Melton” on it along with the date “October 4, 1850.”  Assuming that this grave was Rachael’s these guests from Kirkwood had a small headstone placed for Rachael in 1903.  This would now be known as the “Maiden’s Grave” and it would become the 28^th Historical Landmark in California.

Fast forward to 1986, and we learn that a local property owner, Steven Ferrari who lived in the area just about 2 miles from the “Maiden’s Grave” came upon a grave with a rock outline on it while clearing overgrown brush on his land. As it turns out, this is more than likely Rachael’s true resting place. (GPS coordinates: N 38° 38.357 W 120° 08.677) Mr. Ferrari had a plaque erected for this young lady buried in his backyard, and for those who know where it is, this is now known as the “Real Maiden’s Grave.”

So who is buried at the first location you might ask? Well, it took historians several years to research but as it turns out the answers were easier to find than you might think. According to the book “Annals of Iowa” there is a transcribed journal of a man named William Edmondson, and in that very journal he speaks of his journey from Iowa, through the Midwestern states and passing through Native-American territory and finally up the mountains through Colorado, Nevada and into California. When they finally made it to Tragedy Spring they found a wooden epitaph carved on the base of an old Fir tree. Shortly thereafter a member of his group fell ill and passed away, his name was Allen Melton. The date was October 4, 1850. The group buried their friend and continued on their journey finally stopping in Webberville, a now non-existent gold mining town that once was located along the American River just between Diamond Springs and Placerville.

In ending, although the historical landmark is still called the “Maiden’s Grave,” (GPS coordinates N 38° 37.908 W 120° 10.274) we know now that it wasn’t a maiden buried there at all, but a forgotten man.  If you are ever up in the vicinity of the Maiden’s Grave on Hwy 88, please drop in and pay your respects to Mr. Allen Melton. ---

(Copyright 2018- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Sources:

Annals of Iowa, published in 1907, Page 535 (Journal of William Edmondson)

https://books.google.com/books?id=KFdIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA535&lpg=PA535&dq=1850+allen+melton&source=bl&ots=5VENmolIGS&sig=LtjVgsMtHs3UDmq4-R1kRkgZkDw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjctqS4_4vbAhVN6Z8KHTb1A1cQ6AEwDnoECAEQWw#v=onepage&q=1850%20allen%20melton&f=false

https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=100573

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3VHM_Carson_Pass_Higway_The_real_Maidens_Grave

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3VJ5_Carson_Pass_Highway_The_wrong_Maidens_Grave

The Story of Tragedy Spring - Amador County History

Tragedy Spring

Located on Highway 88, just 3 miles west of Silver Lake, in historic Amador County sits Tragedy Spring. This small spot set just a few hundred feet back from the highway has a dark and somber history for which it gained its name. Though there is a plaque honoring the men who were part of this tragic event, most people do not know much about who they were, or what led up to this event in the first place.

On June 22, 1848, three members of a scout group went ahead of their company of Latter Day Saints clearing a path over Carson Pass, which would come to be known as the Mormon Emigrant Trail. When the scouts were never heard from again, the men in their company began to worry.  Private Henderson Cox, from Warren County, Indiana; Ezra Heela Allen, from Madrid, New York; and Sargeant Daniel Browett, of Bishop’s Cleeve, England were the three men who disappeared.

Who were these missing men?

Ezra Heela Allen, was born on July 28, 1814 to parents Samuel Russell Allen and Sarah Jane Powers of St. Lawrence County, New York. In 1837, Ezra married Sarah Fiske and the couple had four children. He had been serving in the U.S. Army for period of time, and after his discharge he decided to join the scouting group under the command of Sgt. Daniel Browett, who were crossing over the pass while returning to Utah.

Private Henderson Cox, was born on November 6, 1829, to parents Jehu Cox and Sarah Pyle.  When Private Cox was only seventeen, he joined the U.S. Army and went to fight in the war with Mexico as part of the Mormon Battalion, under the command of Captain Allen and Captain Hunt in Company A. After his discharge he met Captain Browett in Coloma and started working at Sutter’s Mill. When asked to join Browett on a scouting mission to travel over Carson Pass in June of 1848, Cox jumped at the chance.

Sargeant Daniel Browett, was born on December 18, 1809 to parents Thomas Browett and Martha Puller. He was a native of Bishop’s Cleeve, Gloucestershire, England.  At the age of 25, Browett started his apprenticeship in carpentry and later joined the United Brethren Church. Besides working as a Carpenter, he also learned to be a joiner and a cooper.  Later, Browett would join the Church of Latter Day Saints and become a Presiding Elder.

From 1846-1847, Browett was called to serve as a commissioned Sargeant for Company E in the Mormon Battalion during the war with Mexico.  Once he was discharged in Los Angeles at Fort Moore, Browett decided to head up north to offer his expertise at Sutter’s Fort, where skilled Carpenters were scarce. He eventually headed up-country further, to a place called Coloma to help build the sawmill for Captain Sutter. Interesting to note, Browett was working under the direction of James Marshall and six others when the first discovery of gold was found in the American River in 1848. He was literally in Coloma when the gold rush began!

After his work was through in Coloma, Browett was sent to inform Captain Sutter that the work was done on the mill and to gather the wages for all workers as well as other furnishings and animals that were promised. While there, he arranged to purchase two cannons from Sutter for the LDS Church in Utah. Interestinly, these cannons are very similar to the one that is infamously known as the “Sutter Gun”, though they are not the same. Although Sutter purchased the “Sutter Gun” from the Russians when they abandoned Fort Ross, the other two cannons purchased for the LDS Church, (a four-pounder and a six-pounder), were said to be among other items Sutter obtained at the Fort at the same time.  As it turned out, the four-pounder brass cannon was not Russian at all, but was in fact cast in Peru in 1792 by the Spanish. Both cannons Browett purchased from Sutter for the LDS Church were said to have been previously owned by Napoleon but had been left behind in Russia before being brought to Fort Ross.  After obtaining the cannons, they were placed in the care of the company that were going to be returning to Utah.

Before the Tragedy

It was then that these three men were sent on ahead to scout the thick forest and rocky terrain ahead of the road crew who were planning on clearing a trail from the Mormon Camp in Sly Park up through the Carson Pass.  The three men left on June 22, 1848 and never came back. By mid-July, a follow up road crew who had cleared a good 10 miles on the path found a dead campfire and a pile of rocks that appeared to be a shallow grave. The men returned to their main camp and told of their discovery, to which more men came to investigate the site.  On July 19, 1848, they removed the pile of rocks to reveal the bodies of their lost party members: Browett, Cox and Allen.

They were "promiscuously tossed in a shallow two foot grave, stripped of clothing, and maimed if not mutilated."-- Larry Cenotto,  Amador County Historian. 

Browett had been murdered with a hatchet, and shot in the eye, while his other friends had been shot with arrows. It also appeared that they had been beaten over the head with rocks, as the rocks buried with their bodies were stained with blood and chunks of hair was stuck to them.  All of their weapons, supplies, horses and money was gone, all except a small pouch of gold that Allen would wear around his neck. It contained $120 worth of gold dust, but it appeared the strap had been severed and flung into a bush, possibly during the fatal struggle.

After the gruesome discovery was found, a member of their party, James Sly mentioned that on his way back to camp they passed many Indians and one of the natives was wearing a vest that looked familiar. It later donned on him that vest belonged to one of his fallen friends who died at Tragedy Spring. From the evidence of the arrows and the hatchet, and the native wearing one of the victim’s vests, it wasn’t difficult for the group to put two and two together and realize that Browett, Allen and Cox had been ambushed by Indians.

Jonathan Harriman Holmes mentions this horrific memory within the pages of his journal, "Trail Journal of 1848." In fact, he physically viewed the bodies of the slain men at the site, where he mentions that Daniel Browett was like a father to him.

That night the party who discovered the ghastly site, worried for their own safety as well, as journal entries noted in the book, “Mormon Battalion: United States Army of the West, 1846-1848” mentions that night the cattle they had with them were spooked and literally causing a stampede. The party believed Indians were around and so they fired their cannon once to scare them off. It mentions that the rest of the night was quiet and they had guards posted, but the party members still had a hard time sleeping.

(Copyright: R. Boulware, 2017)

Before moving onward, the corpses of the victims were reburied in a more honorable way, and Wilford Hudson carved a beautiful epitaph into the side of a large Fir tree nearby the graves.  It read:

“To the Memory of Daniel Browett, Ezrah H. Allen, Henderson Cox, Who was supposed to have Been Murdered and Buried by Indians On the Night of the 27^th June 1848”— And that was how the name Tragedy Spring came to be.

According to the research of the late, great Amador County Historian Larry Cenotto, he mentioned that several people over the years have tried to insinuate that it wasn't the natives who committed the atrocity, but instead "white ruffians" who were coveting gold that committed the murders. They also argued that the natives wouldn't have buried the dead in a grave. With all due respect, a hole barely two feet deep cannot be considered a grave. In reality, it was more of a shallow pit where they tried to hide the bodies, by piling rocks on top of them. 

But then Larry brought up a good question:  "Why would any white ruffian leave the mines to rob? They could get more gold in the diggings. And why would they leave the gold pouch?"

Another thought to ponder was that the location where Tragedy Spring is, which is near Kirkwood, is a remote area, especially back in 1848.  There were no mines in that area, there were no stores, no stage stops nearby, this was the wilderness we're talking about here!  Why on earth would some ne'er-do-wells be hanging out out in the middle of nowhere just randomly waiting to rob the group of men? They wouldn't. They were not waiting for a stage coach to come by, the men were traveling on a small trail, not a stage road. In all fairness, all the evidence points to the natives committing this act, whether others want to accept this or not. When we look at evidence in history, we must come to our conclusions based on documented facts, and those point towards the original conclusion. 

As the years went by, the tree was later cut down, and the part that contained the carved epitaph was sent to the museum at Marshall Gold Discovery Park in Coloma to be put on display. Later the tree stump was treated with a resin to harden the stump, in order to preserve it from decaying.  In 1967, the International Society of Daughters of Utah Pioneers who attached a bronze plaque on a large rock that had been placed on top of the victims graves.

Today, you can take a trip up scenic Highway 88 and stop off at the picnic grounds and pay your respects to these three men who died at the spring in 1848.  You can also visit the Marshall Gold Discovery Park in Coloma and see the originally carved epitaph for these three men.

(Copyright 2018 -- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

A big THANK YOU to Shirleen Craig Farley for her allowing me to mention some of the information from her own research as well as her own family records that belonged to her grandmother. 

SOURCES:

Logan's Alley - Amador County Yesterdays in Picture and Prose, by Larry Cenotto, 2003.

Mormon Battalion: United States Army of the West, 1846-1848  (Norma B Ricketts):

https://books.google.com/books?id=lWjgCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT442&lpg=PT442&dq=cannons+sold+to+mormons+fort+ross&source=bl&ots=482-hPFSHW&sig=Qb9n7NAuEEVadUIvyHJ2YMbzdBY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwju1pu5y5DbAhUmiFQKHYfYBdYQ6AEwBHoECAEQQA#v=onepage&q=Browett&f=false

Tragedy Springs and the Pouch of Gold"- Norma B. Ricketts (California State Library in Sacramento)

http://mormonhistoricsites.org/tragedy-spring-amador-county-ca/

https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/theyll-be-bringing-out-the-big-gun-at-marshall-gold-discovery-park/

Find-a-grave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33293416/daniel-browett

Shirleen Craig Farley’s added research from Find-a-grave

Preston Nibley, "Faith Promoting Stories" Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1943, Page 93

Green, "Road from El Dorado", p. 17, 20.

Johnathan H. Holmes Journal, July 19, 1848, LDS Church Archives

Journal of Henry W. Bigler, January 24, 1848; Bigler, Henry W., Henelepikale, "Recollections of the Past", Juvenile Instructor 21, No. 23 (1 Dec. 1886): p. 365-66.

Tragedy In Jackson - Amador County

What I imagine Albina might have looked like....

I stumbled upon this story several years ago but didn't take the time to write about it until recently. Although the tragedy itself took place back in 1918, just outside of Jackson, California, the real story started eleven years earlier.

It was in the fall of 1907, when Albina "Bina" Bargala fell in love with John "Jack" Keyes, of Plymouth. She was Native American, English and Chilean while Keyes was Irish and Canadian.
It appeared that the couple were smitten for one another despite the fact she was only 15, and Keyes was 28.  Albina ran away several times to be with Keyes, which upset her family. Maybe the couple thought their love story was exciting, almost like Romeo and Juliet sneaking off to see one another, but lovesick Keyes only found himself facing charges of kidnapping by Albina's father, Francisco.

While still in jail on the kidnapping charges, Albina's father brought Albina to the county jail on January 16, 1908, and allowed his daughter to marry John Keyes.  Charges were dismissed and the couple left the jail as man and wife, headed back to his home in Plymouth. It was not long until Albina realized that John and his family were not on the 'up and up' in the county. In fact, by September of that same year, she found herself pregnant and all alone when John and his brother, Edward were arrested for burglary and sent up to San Quentin on a 5 year stint. As luck would have it, while the two brothers were incarcerated together, they got off on good behavior and both were paroled early. John on September 1, 1910 and Edward in 1911.

Keyes' Mug Shot 1910

While John was in prison Albina had moved back in with her father and raised their first child, Johnny by herself. John had issues with a hot temper and it seemed that the couple fought quite often over the years according to the newspapers. By 1918, the couple had been married nearly eight years and on March 6 of that year they welcomed a new baby girl, Marie into their family. Albina told the staff at the hospital that she feared her husband terribly and that she was afraid to go home with him after the birth of their daughter, but she went anyway. This would prove to be a fatal mistake for both her and her daughter.

The Tragedy -- August 29, 1918

"Brutal Husband Kills Wife And Child With Axe-

One of the most brutal murders it has been our duty to record occurred yesterday sometime before noon at the Head place*, about two miles up the ridge from the Summit House, when Jack Keyes with the blunt side of an axe crushed the skull of his wife, Bina Keyes, aged 24, and then inflicted a fatal blow with the same instrument on the forehead of their 6 month old daughter, Marie Keyes. 

The first known of the crime was about 8:30 last night, when Keyes came to the County Hospital in Jackson and asked Superintendent Murphy for some poison.  Murphy asked what he wanted it for, and Keyes replied that his had killed his wife and baby with an axe. Murphy told him it was hard to get poison but Mr. Dodd, the nurse, would take him down town for some, and while they walked away from the building Murphy quickly called up the Sheriff, who met Keyes shortly after this side of the hospital. Keyes told the Sheriff he had killed his wife and baby because a lady told him his wife was an anarchist. The Sheriff placed Keyes in jail and went to the scene of the murder.

When asked why he killed the child, Keyes said he figured the baby was an anarchist also. He said he struck his wife several times with the axe before the fatal blow crushed her skull. After the murder Keyes washed the bodies, dressed and covered them. He sat around the house during the afternoon, until the time he came to Jackson.

Keyes showed absolutely no signs of being intoxicated, as testified to by both Superintendent Murphy and Sheriff Lucot at the inquest held here today by Coroner Dolores A. Potter.

During the inquest Keyes, angered at the removal of a stove poker from his reach, sprang from his chair and attacked Deputy Sheriff Ford. Instantly a dozen men were on the job and a well-directed blow on the murderer's neck by Telephone Manager Watts, a juryman, floored the belligerent.

When asked if he had anything to say, Keyes said he wanted to be hanged. Other than that he made no further statement. Keyes has been in trouble before. It is said he and his wife quarreled frequently. She feared to return to him from the County Hospital, where the baby was born on March 6 of this year." ---Amador Dispatch (8/30/1918)

Keyes' Mug Shot 1918-1919

Soon after the murders, Keyes was sent down to the Stockton State Hospital for "observation" to check is mental state, at that time he was declared insane and ordered to remain there until his mind was able to comprehend the actions he made and face the consequences by the justice system. He remained there for over a year receiving treatment but by May of 1919, he managed to escape the hospital but was later apprehended.

After further examination, the doctors at the State Hospital felt he was within the mental capacity to stand trial, and so they sent him back up the County Jail in Jackson to face the murder charges of killing his wife and baby girl the year prior. On November 13th he pleaded guilty and by the time the November 21, 1919 edition of the local paper came out, he had been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Amador Ledger (11/14/1919)

Amador Ledger (11/21/1919)

Keyes went to San Quentin State Prison on November 20, 1919 but he was only there for about a week before he was transferred to Folsom Prison on November 28, 1919. There he remained until 1920 when prison records show he was transferred to the Napa State Hospital to carry out the remainder of his life. The 1930 and 1940 census' show him as a patient or inmate there at the hospital in Napa. I could not locate any death record of his, so I have to assume he passed away while at the State Hospital and he is more than likely buried out in the field behind the hospital, among the many thousands of unmarked graves.

Mother and Child....

Conclusion

When going back to research this story I felt so sad for Albina and baby Marie. For one, Albina had been a young woman stuck in an abusive marriage during the early part of the 20th Century. Remember this was a time when leaving your husband was taboo. My heart is broken for baby Marie, knowing she didn't even live to see her first birthday.

John Keyes was mentally sick to do what he did, and I wonder how he came to be that way in the first place. Some things we will never find answers to though. Besides the heartache for the loss of these two innocent lives, I also wanted to learn what became of their older son Johnny, but I found no information on what happened to him. More than likely his grandfather raised him, at least I hope so. 

If you head out to the Cemetery in Jackson it was nearly impossible to locate Albina's grave, but one contributor on Find-a-grave, Steve Jones managed to do it. I have since contacted him about finding the exact location, and I hope that soon I can have some sort of small marker with a stake for the ground designed in the future to mark the spot where Albina and baby Marie are buried. Everyone deserves to be remembered, and they have been forgotten for far too long.

I will try to keep everyone updated if and when we get a marker put up for Albina and Marie!

According to one researcher, this is the spot where Albina and Marie are said to be buried
in an unmarked grave. Hopefully in the future I will be able to definitely state exactly where in
this general area they both are buried, and perhaps maybe (with the cemetery board's help) we can
obtain permission to get some sort of memorial plaque for them both. 

Rest in Peace, Albina and Marie....you will never be forgotten again.

(Copyright 2018 - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Sources:
Amador Ledger: August 30, 1918; May 30, 1919; November 14, 1919, November 21, 1919
Sac Union: November 15, 1919
Bakersfield Californian: May 27, 1919
Census Records: 1910;1920;1930;1940
Amador County Marriage Records, 1910.

Note: The "Head Place" as noted in the newspaper is the Head Ranch which was located off of Ridge Road and was once owned by James Head. After his death, his wife Mary Ann Gardner inherited the ranch. Mary Ann was the mother of the infamous Emma Le Doux, who murdered her husband Albert McVicar in Stockton and stuffed his body in a trunk and left it at the train depot in 1906. According to records, Keyes was a laborer, so more than likely this family lived on the ranch of the Head family.

Deaths At The Kennedy Mine

Kennedy Mine, Jackson, California

Last year, I wrote a brief history of both the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines located in the historic gold country town of Jackson, California. I have lived in Amador County at different times in my childhood and teenage years, and even during my adulthood.  I have always been passionate about local history and Amador County is has plenty of history just waiting to be told.

A lot has been written about the Argonaut Mine, especially due to the Argonaut Mine Disaster of 1922.

To learn about each of the miners who are buried at the Jackson City Cemetery please check out the video below: 

Back to the Kennedy Mine

Because the Kennedy Mine did not gain a lot of publicity for any large mining disaster like the Argonaut did, most of the history written about it is brief. No one had ever written about the various deaths that took place there, besides the newspapers mentioning these events at the time they occurred, until I wrote a blog about it last year.

Even though there have been many deaths at the Kennedy, the only mention of some of these fallen miners are scattered between the pages of archived newspapers just waiting to be retold. I wanted to share with you some of the details of the deaths that I have uncovered over time, like I mentioned in my last blog, but this time with copies of those newspaper clippings so you can read the headlines for yourself. As my research allows I will continually update this blog with more names, newspaper clippings and photos of grave sites for these forgotten souls. So far I have uncovered 43 deaths and counting.

 UPDATE: my latest book titled, "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," is now available on Amazon.

(Note: click on each photo to enlarge)

David De Ricci 

On March 15, 1902, miner David De Ricci made a misstep, falling backward down into the east shaft 2,600 feet. “In his descent, his arms, legs, the back portion of his head and every vestige of clothes were torn from his body.”—

Los Angeles Herald, 3/16/1902

Francisco Giovannoni 

May 26, 1902 -- "A miner named Francisco Giovanoni [SIC] lost his life at the Kennedy Mine shortly after midnight on the night of May 26. The fatality was purely accidental. It occurred at the 2300 foot level of the north shaft. There were from fifteen to twenty men around there at the time. A plank 18 inches wide was in position for the men to walk to and from the shaft, and below this was a chasm thirty feet deep, made by the excavation of ore. Deceased was in the act of carrying the lunch bucket to the station when he was seen to make the fatal step off the planking, and fell to the bottom of the chute.”—Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902.

Amador Ledger, 5/30/1902

Walter Williams

June 12, 1902 - 30 year old Walter Williams was instantly killed when about 200 feet from the top of the shaft, his body came in contact with a shaft timber. He was caught on it and dragged out of the skip. His head and body were crushed between the skip and timbers. His companions C. Parker and B. Allison could not explain how the accident happened because the shaft was so dark. Williams had only worked at the mine three weeks and was new to the area. No one knew where he came from and he had no family to contact. All that was known was that he was a member of the Knights of the Pythias and was living with Henry Osborne at Kennedy Flat.

Amador Ledger, 6/13/1902

Edward Hallam

March 6, 1905 – Edward Hallam was killed at the Kennedy Mine today. He was descending a shaft from the 2400 foot level when a skip came down in another compartment. It is believed he got scared and let go his hold. He fell, breaking his neck.” – Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Los Angeles Herald, 3/7/1905

Luigi Reviera

December 7, 1909, Italian immigrant Luigi Reviera was crushed to death by several tons of rock falling on him while working at the 3,150 level of the mine with Fred Hicks. Engaged in placing a butt cap in the hanging wall above the tunnel timbers, the rocks gave way and a huge slab came down on him, killing him instantly.

Amador Ledger, 12/10/1909

James Baldwin

On February 27, 1911, James Baldwin was crushed to death while working at the 3400 level of the mine.  Baldwin and his co-workers were told to be careful working in the area that had been blasted earlier. While cleaning out the loose dirt a large mass of rock fell from above, crushing him.  Baldwin’s helper claimed he could hear Baldwin hollering that he was stuck, but given the massive amount of rock and dirt that covered him, the coroner felt death was almost instantaneous.

Amador Ledger, 3/3/1911

Janko Acimovich & Maksim Rupar

November 17, 1913 – Miners, Maksim Rupar and Janko Acimovich died from a premature explosion while in the mine shaft.  Janko Acimovich is buried at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery in Jackson.  To read more about this story please click on the link to the story here:  Explosion at 3000 ft.- Accidental Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Sacramento Union, 5/2/1914

Mike Vijovich

Mike Vijovich died in 1916, after falling 300 feet down a shaft. After straightening a mine can that had fallen on its side, he lost his footing and slipped. 

Sac Union, 6/14/1916

William Harvey & A. Targo

On December 20, 1915, the timber boss William Harvey and A Targo both met their death when they fell down the main shaft of the mine, a total of 3,900 feet.  According to the newspaper accounts, Harvey had been working in compartment 37 since 8 o’clock in the morning. As he was descending a ladder at the entrance of the shaft he became dizzy and slipped, falling. As his body was going down the shaft, just below was A. Targo, who was standing on the edge of the shaft. Harvey’s body smacked Targo’s knocking him off the edge and down the shaft with Harvey. Both died and their bodies were “badly mangled.”

Press Democrat, 12/21/1915

Peter Garcia, Liberto Mendez and Sam Martinez

On February 13, 1932, after setting up over 46 holes with dynamite (with too short of fuse) and not allowing themselves ample time to light the fuses and leave the area to safety, four men went on to spit the fuse, and by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off setting into motion an horrific explosion and ultimately killing three of them. Two were buried by the explosion, Garcia and Martinez dying immediately. Mendes was rescued along with the fourth miner, Felix Achavan, who were both taken to the hospital at the Preston School of Industry, but Mendez later died of his injuries. Achavan was the lone survivor of that terrible accident. 

Colusa Herald,  2/13/1932

(Copyright 2017 & 2018- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com  )

Sources: 
Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1902

Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902

Amador Ledger, June 13, 1902

Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Amador Ledger, December 10, 1909

Amador Ledger, March 3, 1911

Sacramento Union, May 2, 1914

Press Democrat, December 21, 1915

Sacramento Union, June 14, 1916