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Collection: Directories and Documents
Lost Grass Valley Gold Rush History of the Wilhelm & Binkleman Pioneer Families by Waldo C.F. Potter (2024) (374 pages)
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Page: of 374
“In the present age of progress and improvement it is noticeable that the younger men are coming to
the front and assume responsible offices that but a few years ago were, through usage, supposed to be
only for the older and wiser heads. In the political world there are many young men who, in the years
past, would have been considered but boys, but who are at the present day far ahead of what their
forefathers were at their age. As all public offices are more or less flavored with politics, each candidate
must be a manipulator and a general in centralizing his forces to attain success. The young men have
now the benefit of the experience of the older ones, and with the advantage of youth on their side are
making the pace too fast for their older brethren. John R. Tyrrell, justice of the peace for the Township
of Grass Valley, and who is one of the rising young men of the city. Mr. Tyrrell was born in England,
January 30, 1868, and was brought to this country when but a child. He was educated at the schools
here, and then studied one year at the San Francisco Commercial Law School and Business College. He
then returned to Grass Valley, and three years ago commenced business as a dealer in hay and grain.
Mr. Tyrrell has always had a desire to study law, and in his spare moments has read with this object in
view. In order to gain a position where he could better follow this inclination, he secured the
nomination for justice of the peace at the hands of the Republican Party last fall and was elected. Mr.
Tyrrell is now studying under the direction of one of the law universities, preparatory to passing his
examination before the Supreme Court (of California). He is prominent in politics and is secretary of the
Nevada County Republican Central Committee, also secretary to the School Board of Trustees. He takes
much interest in all matters pertaining to the benefit of Grass Valley and is highly esteemed in the
community.”
James C. Tyrrell was mentioned in the same book, 1895 Pictorial History of Nevada County, California:
“The Daily and Weekly Tidings, with publication office at the corner of Neal and Church Streets,
are the leading papers of the city, and are among the best-known interior journals. The Foothill Weekly
Tidings was published in 1874, by S. F. Lewis, and in 1881 H. S. Spalding commenced the publication of
the Daily Evening Tidings. Bother papers have a large circulation, are independently Republican, and
devoted to the advertising and developing of the resources of Grass Valley and Nevada County. A. B.
Champion and James C. Tyrrell, two young and active newspaper men, are editors and publishers. The
Tidings is recognized as reliable authority on matters pertaining to the locality.” In the 1901 marriage
article above, he was the editor of the Tidings.
We do not know the rest of James C. and Winifred Wilhelm Tyrrell's story, but we know that they lived
in Grass Valley for some years. We believe he became a politician and leader in Grass Valley. Their only
child, Winifred “Daught” Tyrrell, lived in Grass Valley long enough to spend eight years growing up
around her parents, grandparents (Theo & Rosa Binkleman Wilhelm), and great-grandmother (Sophie
Mader Binkleman). She heard and saw the stories of the family and put them in writing in the document
shown earlier in this document. Firsthand knowledge of the family has been one of the keys to writing
the history of the Binkleman’s and Wilhelm’s of Grass Valley. Like the other four sisters, we know that
Aunt Win and James Tyrrell retired in the Oakland/San Francisco area. The five sisters and their families
were very close. When . was a boy visiting my grandparents, we went over to see each of the sisters and
their families. They are buried in the Masonic Cemetery, Grass Valley, to the left of the Binklemanns
and Theo & Rosa Wilhelm.
312