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Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets
An Illustrated History of California's Gold Rush by Wells Fargo Bank (PH 1-27) (34 pages)
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Page: of 34
GROVELAND Groveland’s chief historical distinc
tion was that it was the scene of the hanging of a
horse thief. In honor of this event the town was called
Garrote — a name which lasted for 20 years before
it succumbed to the civilizing influences which were
acting upon the Gold Country.
SECOND GARROTE Though not shown on the
map, the nearby town of Second Garrote has points
of interest. The Hanging Tree in Second Garrote is
said to have accounted for the lives of sixty men —
some of whom probably deserved it. The number
tends to grow in the telling and is probably a gross
exaggeration, but the tree itself is admirably shaped
for the purpose, and very likely saw more than its
share of Gold Country justice. But Second Garrote
had a friendlier side. In 1852 two young men, James
Chaffee and Jason Chamberlain, came to this area,
built a cabin and lived and worked together for many
years. Their friendship became a legend, and their
hospitality was enjoyed by countless travelers along
the trail which passed their home. Fifty-one years
after they teamed up James Chaffee died. Jason
Chamberlain, unable to reconstruct his life after
the death of his cherished friend, took his own life
a few months after.
During his Gold Rush period Bret Harte had written a short story entitled “Tennessee’s Partner” in
which two miners formed such a friendship in the
Mother Lode country. Some enthusiastic professor
of literature connected the two sets of circumstances
and declared that Chaffee and Chamberlain were
the two men described in Bret Harte’s story, and today you will see in Second Garrote a cabin which
is identified by a sign as the Bret Harte cabin. Some
residents will tell you that Bret Harte not only slept
here, but was the guest of Chaffee and Chamberlain
and stayed with them while he was writing the story.
It’s worth the admission to go in and see the cabin,
just as an example of the living quarters constructed
by the miners, but there is no historical evidence
that Bret Harte ever came near Second Garrote or
that his story had anything to do with the two
friendly miners who lived there.