Some Great Books About California Gold Rush Violence

I know the image of California now is all hot tubs, wine, and dumb laws, which is too bad because that's only the two major population hubs, but I'm proud to say that our frontier violence and carnage during the gold rush period was gorier than most western states. Here's a bunch of books on the subject. "Gold Dust And Gunsmoke" is the best. That author was a regular on Wild West Tech and is my favorite author.

Be sure to read : Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes by Roger McGrath. He was formerly a history prof at UCLA and now at my alma mater, CSUN. About Bodie, California and a town in Nevada (Aurora, I think). About the Bad Man of Bodie and others from history.

Been to the ghost town several times. It's in the eastern Sierras near Bridgeport. First trip, I met a Basque sheepherder
in a horse-drawn gypsy wagon, with his rifle and dog. God, he had some raspy cigarettes! (yes, it was tobacco!)

I'll keep....

I'll keep the 'Gold Dust' one in mind.

The first time I seen bodie was in 1960. A rough old woman ran a gas pump and told me there was only one other family besides her that lived there. That was before california made it a state park. I looked through a dirty window at a closed up funneral home and there was still a couple caskets!
Pioche nevada is about 90 miles from us to the west. Its well worth seeing. They claim it was the bloodest town in the west.
Pioche - Nevada Ghost Town

Yep, make sure to read up on Bodie.

I was a park aid there for CA Dept. of Parks & Recreation. Graduated from Humboldt State University with my B.S. degree in Wildlife. I was in Bodie 2 days later. I got to live in town in one of the houses that is still liveable inside. I lived in the the "Moyle House South," the only one that still had paint on it. The one closest to the road and closest/across from the cemetery.

Make sure to read Bodie's Gold by Sprague and The Story of Bodie by Cain.

"They say Bodie had a man for breakfast."

malpasowildlifer, when I was there in 1960 I drove from yosemite where I worked for the NPS.

great karma.....add my name please.

They're too long to report here but my favorite stories are the "justified lynching-case dismissed" and the "justified shooting of the deputy in the bar".

As the little girl said, "Goodbye God. I'm going to Bodie"

I've been to Bodie twice and have one book called Bodie Bonanza by Warren Loose. Haven't read it yet. It's a "got to go" place if you're into this stuff. I'm from the Bay Area and one of my favorite books here is "Lawman" about the first sheriff of Oakland (it's more violent now!). When going after criminals it describes his travels through the area and geographically he had to have rode his horse within a couple hundred yards of our house which approached a pass he had to ride to the Dublin/Livermore area and mentions a creek that was in our back yard where I played as a kid. This sheriff, Harry Morse, had a wild gunfight with bandit Juan Soto that was reinacted on Wild west Tech where he ended up shooting the guy in the head with his 66 Winchester carbine. I find all this so interesting because it describes him riding his buckboard down the main drag exactly where, about 115 years later, my friends and I would "cruise the strip" in high school. The history depicted in these books is pretty much untouched by Hollywood and unknown to people otherwise into western history.

Wyatt, you are a uncureable romantic. Thats what I like about you. I have always been that way myself about history etc.

My biggest personnal connection to western history is the mountain meadows massicure where the mormons and local indians wiped out 122 people on a wagon train passing through utah on 9-11-1858. They spared about 16 kids under the age of 8 thinking they wouldnt remember the incident when they grew up. It happned about 45 miles west of cedar city where we live. We are not mormon. My wifes stepmother was but left the religion when she was young. She is the great great grandaughter of john doyle lee the only man brought to task for his huge part in the massicure. He was exicuted on the spot of the massicure about 20 years later. Now dig this: My wifes daughter married one of those surviving gr, gr, gr, grandkids two years ago!
When we were to move here my MIL told us, oh! John Lee was my gr, gr, grandfather. Turned out that I as a amuter history buff knew more about him and the story than she did.
On their first visit to us I took her to the massicure site and then over to panguitch to find his grave.
When our daughter got engaged to guy in s. calif, (SIL`s name) his mother and janet, (wifes step mother) were visiting for the first time compareing notes and thats when the connection was made. Neither is mormon. Small world! The U.S. army came to this area about a year after the massicure, tracked down those orphan kids and returned them to their extended familys back in arkanasas wher the francher wagon train started out. I just gave my book "The mountain meadow massicure" two weeks ago to my sil when they were here to visit. If you get a chance to see the movie "september dawn" go see it. Jon voight is in it. Its a romantic version of the massicure that never happened (until now). A youth on the wagon train falls in love with a local girl just a few days before the massicure. Real life and history can be quircky!

Wasn't Harry Morse the guy who tracked down Black Bart in the gold fields above Marysville?

We lived in Marysville and Yuba City for about 5 years in our migration North. "Mary" of Marysville was a survivor of the Donner Party and Yuba City was founded by Sutter after he abandoned his "fort" in Sacramento because he was robbed blind by the "49ers". His fortification (an iron building) was down the street from us in Yuba City.

Merrill, a friend and I got a free day long raft ride in 1979 from Glen Canyon Dam down the river. I had met the girl that booked the rides and she let us on free. We slowly passed a beautiful desolate spot on the river with a sunken rotten boat just under the surface. I remember the guide saying it was Lee's Ferry. that didn't mean much to me then, but I found out years later I was at the place the where Lee was banished after the massacre. Another girl I met at Zion Park took me to Grafton, Utah where butch Cassidy was partly filmed ten years earlier. It is an old Mormon ghost town. Great story about your relatives! You sure live close to a bunch of cool places. Here's a pic from that '79 raft ride.

BearBio said:

Wasn't Harry Morse the guy who tracked down Black Bart in the gold fields above Marysville?

We lived in Marysville and Yuba City for about 5 years in our migration North. "Mary" of Marysville was a survivor of the Donner Party and Yuba City was founded by Sutter after he abandoned his "fort" in Sacramento because he was robbed blind by the "49ers". His fortification (an iron building) was down the street from us in Yuba City.

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I don't know about the history of Marysville and Yuba city. Every time I hear "Yuba City" I think of Juan Carona. A friend bought a house built right around where he buried all his murder victims. I think there's a housing development there now. Sounds like a scene from Poltergeist could happen there! We were out driving the other day to a favorite gun shop where I dumpster dive in their junk holster box, and we came in view of the Marysville Buttes. I never explored those. I should. Black Bart lived in S.F. and Morse and another guy caught him there. If you heard he robbed in Marsville he probably did, though he seem to hang out more down in Calaveres county area.

Thanks wyatt. Lee was quite a story. There is a big book on him that I have. He was a very devoted servant to breakum young. Also I thinkn I read he was like a adopted son to young. After the massicure (he deserved being exicuted but so did the other 150 or so ofthe cedar city battelion and they skated). Young had him start up lees ferry to hide him out and let things hopefully cool off. It didnt. They basicly had a falling out and young used lee as a scapegoat "for the greater good". Thats just my view. Lee founded several areas near us in southern utah for young under his orders.
Silver reef and new harmony. The U.S. army was headed for utah to wipe out poligamy and put the brakes on young. Young had spys and knew they were on the way somewhere in colorado. Utah was a territory and wanted to be a state. The feds wouldnt abide poligamy and things were stalled. Young told the settelments not to sell any grain or supplys to passing wagon trains headed west. The francher party took umberance at that here in cedar city and said they were present in arkansas or missiour when joseph smith was killed and when they got to california they would raise a army and come back here and take revenge. Of course there was no internet and messages to and fro to salt lake and back here to cedar city took a week or more via horseback. As my old outfit used to start many orders with, "Due to a breakdown in communications------"
The militia here paniced. They put local indians up to massicureing the wagon train. They couldnt pull it off. So some mormons dressed like indians to lead them. Somehow they were reconised as white men they thought by the party. So now they really paniced. They sent lee in under a flag of truce to talk to the wagon train people. He assured them if they would give up their guns they would be escourted safely through the indians to cedar city. But they were all exicuted on command by the cedar city militia, each man escourted by a solider when they were strung out marching! The indians were to kill all women and older kids and the sick men. It was done! The kids under 8 were spared. Lee was tried and set free. However he eventualy was arrested again 20 years later tried again, found guilty and exicuted on the spot of the massicure. Lee claimed he was sold out by young and leaders of the militia. He was.

Butch cassidy was born at beaver, 50 miles north of us and was raised at circleville about 60 miles NE of us. I know the ranch log building still stands there by the seiver river in a nice setting. Several years ago I met a elderly lady that told me her hair dresser that also was her friend was a younger sister of butchs. This was when we first moved here in 2005. People are all pretty much connected up here and my wife is worried I say too much. There are a lot of retired californians like ourselves here too now. Its a good place with good people all around us however I am glad I aint looking for a job! My dentist is a decendant of the main person whos testimony got lee shot! I think the next time I go I will get a handfull and say, now we aint gonna hurt each other, are we?

I knew that a guard or driver that had been wounded by Bart was buried in the Marysville Cemetery (on Hwy 20, I think). But wasn't sure he actually robbed up there. I looked up a history of his crimes. Just an FYI.

1870s

July 26, 1875: In Calaveras County, the Sonora to Milton stage was robbed by a man wearing a flour sack over his head with two holes cut out for the eyes.
December 28, 1875: In Yuba County, the stage from North San Juan to Marysville is robbed. A newspaper says it was held up by four men. This too has a description of the lone robber and his "trademarks". The "three other men" were in the hills around the stage. The driver saw their "rifles". When the investigators arrive at the scene they find the "rifles" used in the heist were nothing more than sticks wedged in the brush.
August 3, 1877: In Sonoma County, the stage from Point Arena to Duncan's Mills.
October 2, 1878: In Mendocino County, near Ukiah. Bart is seen picnicking along the roadside before the robbery.
October 3, 1878: In Mendocino County, the stage from Covelo to Ukiah. Bart walks to the McCreary farm and pays for dinner. Fourteen-year-old Donna McCreary provides first detailed description of Bart: Graying brown hair, missing two of his front teeth, deep-set piercing blue eyes under heavy eyebrows. Slender hands and intellectual in conversation, well-flavored with polite jokes.
June 21, 1879: In Butte County, the stage from La Porte to Oroville. Bart says to driver, "Sure hope you have a lot of gold in that strongbox, I'm nearly out of money."
October 25, 1879: In Shasta County, the stage from Roseburg, Oregon to Redding. Robs U.S. mail pouches on this Saturday night.
October 27, 1879: In Shasta County, the stage from Alturas to Redding. Jim Hume is sure that Bart is the one-eyed ex-Ohioan Frank Fox.

1880s

July 22, 1880: In Sonoma County, the stage from Point Arena to Duncan's Mills. (Same location as on August 3, 1877. Wells Fargo adds it to the list when he is captured.)
September 1, 1880: In Shasta County, the stage from Weaverville to Redding. Near French Gulch, Bart says, "Hurry up the hounds; it gets lonesome in the mountains."
September 16, 1880: In Jackson County, Oregon, the stage from Roseburg to Yreka, California. Farthest north Bart is known to have robbed.
September 23, 1880: In Jackson County, Oregon, the stage from Yreka to Roseburg,. (Three days later President Rutherford B. Hayes & Gen. William T. Sherman are on this stage.) On October 1 a person (Frank Fox?) who closely matches the description of Bart is arrested at Elk Creek Station and later released.
November 20, 1880: In Siskiyou County, the stage from Redding to Roseburg. This robbery fails because of the noise of an approaching stage or because of a hatchet in driver's hand.
August 31, 1881: In Siskiyou County, the stage from Roseburg to Yreka. Mail sacks are cut like a "T" shape, another Bart trademark.
October 8, 1881: In Shasta County, the stage from Yreka to Redding. Stage driver Horace Williams asked Bart, "How much did you make?" Bart answers, "Not very much for the chances I take."
October 11, 1881: In Shasta County, the stage from Lakeview to Redding. Hume keeps losing Bart's trail.
December 15, 1881: In Yuba County, near Marysville. Takes mail bags and evades capture due to his swiftness afoot.
December 27, 1881: In Nevada County, the stage from North San Juan to Smartsville. Nothing much taken, but Bart is wrongly blamed for another stage robbery in Smartsville.
January 26, 1882: In Mendocino County, the stage from Ukiah to Cloverdale. Again the posse is on his tracks within the hour and again they lose him after Kelseyville.
June 14, 1882: In Mendocino County, the stage from Little Lake to Ukiah. Hiram Willits, Postmaster of Willitsville (Willits today) is on the stage.
July 13, 1882: In Plumas County, the stage from La Porte to Oroville. This stage is loaded with gold and George Hackett is armed. Bart loses his derby as he flees the scene. The same stage is again held-up in Forbestown and Hackett blasts the would-be robber into the bushes. This is mistakenly blamed on Bart.
September 17, 1882: In Shasta County, the stage from Yreka to Redding. A repeat of October 8, 1881 (same stage, place and driver), but Bart gets only a few dollars.
November 24, 1882: In Sonoma County, the stage from Lakeport to Cloverdale. "The longest 30 miles in the World."
April 12, 1883: In Sonoma County, the stage from Lakeport to Cloverdale. Another repeat of the last robbery.
June 23, 1883: In Amador County, the stage from Jackson to Ione.
November 3, 1883 In Calaveras County, the stage from Sonora to Milton.

When you consider Bodie, Black Bart, the "Chinee War" in "Mok Hill" (OK so only 1 or 2 were actually killed), Joaquin (the 5 Joaquins), I think it's clear California had a pretty bloody history. Oh, and don't forget the Town of Rough and Ready and their "Civil War" against the government.

BearBio, Mokelumne Hill was a very violent town. In that "Gold Dust.." book in the chapter on Gold Rush duels there is mentioned two guy having a knife fight and one guy threw his and killed the other guy. We used to do fake gunfights there in the 80s since gunsmith/gun engraver Frank Leaman lived up the road. I got killed twice there in front of the big saloon/hotel. That hotel was just featured on Hotels Impossible.
When I bought this gun below, I couldn't help but think of this guy who favored the bisley...

All of the gold towns along Hwy 49 had killings. In the Chinese War, two tongs were battling it out, largely encouraged by the local blacksmith(s) who was making weapons for both sides. After one side demonstrated their martial art prowess all morning, the other side did all afternoon. The only person(s) killed was a drunk who got shot by another drunk. Another one might have died later, I don't remember.

Although I did not care for Farnsworth in the role (like many Canadians, he is strongly anti-gun), I too favor the Bisley. Mine is a 7 1/2 in 41 Long Colt.

Farnsworth was born in los angeles.
Richard Farnsworth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia