Historical Clippings Book (HC-04) (198 pages)

Every Grave Has Story In Former Mining Camp. & "/ 29/ William M. Talbitzer Bee staff writer H »FORBESTOWN, Butte Co. — eee Seay GW. Lynde fing’ taken’ on Pa Lynds lives in a small cabin tm Be: : Ed 2 <2 rir ORNATE IRON FENCE in the old cemetery at Forbestown, Butte County, is examined by Charles W. Lynds, 80, wha mapping the graves. He has lived in A has made a project of restoring and Forbestown since 1897, Bee Photo “s one-man job of restoring and mapping the Forbestown Ceme‘tery which was established in 1852 when the town was a TipToaring mining camp with 3,000 . jresidents, : . . Lynds, who will be 80 in Sep'. tember, ‘already has identified . . 153 of the estimated 300 graves jin the cemetery, located near the Masonic Hall in Old Forbestown, {about a half-mile east of the preSent town. The round is under {the supervision of the lodge which was established in 1854 and is one of the oldest in jthe state. Regular monthly meetJings are held in the original, building. . . Lynds is a native of Gridley, Butte County, but has lived in, Forbestown since 1897. On a re-. cent walk through the old cemeterey he was able to point out Most of the graves and give a background on the families loCated there. It was like listening to a history of the old . town itself. There is the grave of Frederick Beik who died in Jan. 29; 1891. Shortly before his death he} hauled an iron bell to Forbestown to be used in the community church, As he unloaded the . bell he remarked, “Til probably be the first one this bell tolls for.” He was right. The tombstone of Edward Hacker, who died in 1885 at the age of 60, tells the Story of his adult life. Hacker was a miner, but not a successful one, On his tombstone is a Carving of a broken pick and beneath it the words, “Worked Out,” Tragedy Hinted The tragedy of the Almaida family is hinted in the inscriptions on two tombstones. One is Martain Almaida who died at) the age of 52 and the Other for! his son, Joseph, aged 3. Both! . died on Jan. 1, 1875, i { '_-Lynds said he had little dif-. . ficulty identifying many of the} . . Braves because they are marked) . with stones, Others he identified) . ' because he can remember when and where the persons were . buried. For instance, although! . lit is unmarked, Lynds can point! out the grave of Ah Sam, aj Chinese who cooked for many} years in the Forbestown Hotel. . 'Ah Sam was buried in the Biek} family plot at the request of! that family, . about a mile from the cemetery and he walks back and forth to his work. He built his present home several years ago and it too, is a relic of Forbestown’s past. Into it he put many of the timbers of the first Forbestown School which was built in 1852. The hand-hewn, hand-notched timbers are as sturdy today as when they were first chopped out. Plywood Map In his home he has a piece of plywood painted white on one side. As each grave is identified, its location and inscription are carefully drawn in pencil on the board. When he has identified as many of the plots as possible, he said, he will make a permanent map of the cemetery. The ground is used rarely for funerals now but occasionally: an old-time Forbestown resident! . dies and is buried there. Lynds, however, said he will not be buried in the cemetery which he has vowed to restage. [It’s too lonely,” he explained. “T think I'll go to Modesto.”” _ Lynds said he is hopeful that! descendants of people who are ‘buried in the cemetery will contact him. He is especially anxious to obtain information on several family plots that have no . markers. ‘There also are many single graves about which he. has been unable to learn any-) thing. He has written to families in several states attempting to get information and has received some help. However, he said,’ ‘he has no way of contacting des! cendants of many families be-! cause he does not know where to. find them. He asks that anyone’ having any information about the cemetery write him in care of: General Delivery, Forbestown, . Work Slows Meanwhile, his work goes on, A little slowly now, because he: no longer is a young man, but, he manages to do a bit each! iday and the evidence of his lab-/ ors can be seen. . He gets ro pay for his self-' appointed task, . “This is a work of love,” he: said. 789.

Every Grave Has Story In Former Mining Camp. & "/ 29/ William M. Talbitzer Bee staff writer H »FORBESTOWN, Butte Co. — eee Seay GW. Lynde fing’ taken’ on Pa Lynds lives in a small cabin tm Be: : Ed 2 <2 rir ORNATE IRON FENCE in the old cemetery at Forbestown, Butte County, is examined by Charles W. Lynds, 80, wha mapping the graves. He has lived in A has made a project of restoring and Forbestown since 1897, Bee Photo “s one-man job of restoring and mapping the Forbestown Ceme‘tery which was established in 1852 when the town was a TipToaring mining camp with 3,000 . jresidents, : . . Lynds, who will be 80 in Sep'. tember, ‘already has identified . . 153 of the estimated 300 graves jin the cemetery, located near the Masonic Hall in Old Forbestown, {about a half-mile east of the preSent town. The round is under {the supervision of the lodge which was established in 1854 and is one of the oldest in jthe state. Regular monthly meetJings are held in the original, building. . . Lynds is a native of Gridley, Butte County, but has lived in, Forbestown since 1897. On a re-. cent walk through the old cemeterey he was able to point out Most of the graves and give a background on the families loCated there. It was like listening to a history of the old . town itself. There is the grave of Frederick Beik who died in Jan. 29; 1891. Shortly before his death he} hauled an iron bell to Forbestown to be used in the community church, As he unloaded the . bell he remarked, “Til probably be the first one this bell tolls for.” He was right. The tombstone of Edward Hacker, who died in 1885 at the age of 60, tells the Story of his adult life. Hacker was a miner, but not a successful one, On his tombstone is a Carving of a broken pick and beneath it the words, “Worked Out,” Tragedy Hinted The tragedy of the Almaida family is hinted in the inscriptions on two tombstones. One is Martain Almaida who died at) the age of 52 and the Other for! his son, Joseph, aged 3. Both! . died on Jan. 1, 1875, i { '_-Lynds said he had little dif-. . ficulty identifying many of the} . . Braves because they are marked) . with stones, Others he identified) . ' because he can remember when and where the persons were . buried. For instance, although! . lit is unmarked, Lynds can point!

out the grave of Ah Sam, aj Chinese who cooked for many} years in the Forbestown Hotel. . 'Ah Sam was buried in the Biek} family plot at the request of! that family, . about a mile from the cemetery and he walks back and forth to his work. He built his present home several years ago and it too, is a relic of Forbestown’s past. Into it he put many of the timbers of the first Forbestown School which was built in 1852. The hand-hewn, hand-notched timbers are as sturdy today as when they were first chopped out. Plywood Map In his home he has a piece of plywood painted white on one side. As each grave is identified, its location and inscription are carefully drawn in pencil on the board. When he has identified as many of the plots as possible, he said, he will make a permanent map of the cemetery. The ground is used rarely for funerals now but occasionally: an old-time Forbestown resident! . dies and is buried there. Lynds, however, said he will not be buried in the cemetery which he has vowed to restage. [It’s too lonely,” he explained. “T think I'll go to Modesto.”” _ Lynds said he is hopeful that! descendants of people who are ‘buried in the cemetery will contact him. He is especially anxious to obtain information on several family plots that have no . markers. ‘There also are many single graves about which he. has been unable to learn any-) thing. He has written to families in several states attempting to get information and has received some help. However, he said,’ ‘he has no way of contacting des! cendants of many families be-! cause he does not know where to. find them. He asks that anyone’ having any information about the cemetery write him in care of: General Delivery, Forbestown, . Work Slows Meanwhile, his work goes on, A little slowly now, because he: no longer is a young man, but, he manages to do a bit each! iday and the evidence of his lab-/ ors can be seen. . He gets ro pay for his self-' appointed task, . “This is a work of love,” he: said. 789.