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.
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Copy of the original deed
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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.
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Copy of Marriage Record,
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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.
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| 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.
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Map #1 of the 1890 Sanborn Map, North Main Street
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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.
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Map #2, Sanborn Map of 1898, N. Main Street.
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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.
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.
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.
(COPYRIGHT 2024/2025 - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)
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