Enter a name, company, place or keywords to search across this item. Then click "Search" (or hit Enter).
Go to the Archive Home
Go to Thumbnail View of this Item
Go to Single Page View of this Item
Download the Page Image
Copy the Page Text to the Clipboard
Don't highlight the search terms on the Image
Show the Page Image
Show the Image Page Text
Reset View and Center Image
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Rotate Left
Rotate Right
Toggle Full Page View
Flip Image Horizontally
More Information About this Image
Get a Citation for Page or Image - Copy to the Clipboard
Go to the Previous Page (or Left Arrow key)
Go to the Next Page (or Right Arrow key)
Page: of 37
THE FORGOTTEN PLONEERS
OF THE GOLD COUNTRY
These early pioneers came in search of gold with dreams of a
better life, and here they remain,
EpidemicS and Indian wars do not account for any of these
deaths. Poor living standards, working conditions and
nutritjonal habits, lack of medical care and knowledge, and
just plain loneliness account for most of these deaths,
Few met their demise at the purposeful hands of others.
Motherg died in childbirth, while their babies died of
starvation after their mother's death. Living in a lean-to
made of pine and cedar bows, a tent, a drafty shack, ora
crude cabin, contributes to the many who died of pneumonia.
Travel on foot, horseback, or wagon in storms and the
darknesS Of night, caused many to lose their way and died of
exposur&A lack of nutritional knowledge and habits led
many to die of deficiencies. Poor medical care and knowledge
contriputed to many unneccesary deaths from accidents.
Communicable diseases, like typhoid and scarlet fever,
represeNt 2 small percentage of these deaths.
Alcoholism was common among the lonely miner. Many lived
like hefmits, which may have contributed to insanity and
sinilityIn one case, a man of 45 years was living in a
very is?lated area, seldom seen by others, when he was found
dead afd his death certificate lists the primary cause of
death aS poor hygiene, with sinility the contributing cause.
Suicide waS common among the adult single males.
Isolation, Substandard housing, lack of availability of
fresh foods, poor or nonexistant medical care, methods of
travel, and poor working conditions account for most of
these deaths.
Death cextificates weren't required until the late 1930’s.
We will never know how or why many of these people died.
But we (> know they were brave and hardy souls to have
survived the perils to merely reach this area.
We will never know how many died in these hills, or where
they are buried. These are the ones I was able to find
proof of their deaths. In some cases, articles tell where
they are buried, but in many cases they do not.
The only Catholic cemetery in this area was at North San
Juan. Moore's Flat, North Bloomfield, and North San Juan
had Chin@se cemeteries. North San Juan had the only IOOF
cemetery: They were brought from miles around to be buried
at these particular cemeteries. Most were usually buried
at the n@arest cemetery. I have only found evidence of one
being buried at the roadside near where his body was found.
To the best Of my knowledge the Chinese cemeteries have all
been vacited. The Chinese believed that the spirit does not
rest on foreign soil, therefore their remains were eventually removed and shipped back to China.
=TThe original Moore's Flat Cemetery was found to be abovea
deposit of gold. Many years ago it was relocated to it's
present site. At that time several families had the remains
of their loved ones moved to other cemeteries. Therefore,
just because someone was Originally buried at Moore's Flat
does not mean they are still buried there.
In early North Bloomfield, there were several Jewish
merchants. Some of the old timer's remember a Jewish
Cemetery here, however it only contained about ten, and
cannot be located at this time.
All information contained herein has been found in newspaper
accounts, cemetery records, county records, and family
records.
Loni Patterson