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Volume 014-3 - November 1960 (2 pages)
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Page: of 2
ANNUAL DINNER MEETING
Wendell Robie, Guest Speaker
DEAR MEMBER:
Il’s time for the Nevada County Historical Society to celebrate! Thiuisday, Decem-er
1, 1960 is the Annual Dinner Meeting — Nomination, Election and Insiallation of Officers
for the year ’61.
This big event will be held at the Victorian Dining Room, National Hotel in Nevada
City at 7:00 o'clock. Mrs. Gwen Anderson is in charge of the dinner which will be a full
course roast turkey with all the trimmings at $2.85 per person including tax and tips.
Reservations for the dinner should be made immediately. Please call Mrs. Anderson
at Nevada City 265-2692.
GUESTS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
Mr. Elmer Stevens, program chairman, promises an outstanding program for the
evening, and is arranging to have a guest speaker, Wendell Robie, a noted authority on Gold
Rush History, and ardent worker in the preservation of California History, and who helped
in the organization of this Society back in 1944. Mr. Robie's talks are always of great
interest to Historians.
President Elza Kilroy will be the presiding officer and will give a report of the
years’ activities.
1960 OFFICERS OF THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
President—Elza J. Kilroy, 318 Drummond Street, Nevada City, phone 265-2071;
Vice President—John E. Nettell, 216 Pleasant Street, Grass Valley, phone 273-7165;
Secretary—Esther Hartung, 303 South Church Street, Grass Valley, phone 273-6830;
Treasurer—Adelaide Elliott, P. O. Box 1102, Nevada City, phone 265-4701.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Grass Valley, Mrs. Edna Sampson, Miss Bernice Glasson, John E. Nettell.
Nevada City, Isabel Hefelfinger, Mrs. Weselsky, Thomas W. Reynolds.
County at large, John Trauner, Mrs. Monian, Dr. E. J. Best.
Bulletin Editor, Lyle White.
To visit Museum by appointment—Phone Caretaker, Richard Nickless, Nevada City,
Phone 265-2424
NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY DUES, $1.00 a year
Membership dues in the Nevada County Historical Society are $1.00 per year,
payable on January 1 of each year. Please get your 1961 membership card now.
Bulletins are sent members of the Society at no extra cost — published as
frequently as manuscripts are available.
Nevada County Historical Society
Vol. 14, No. 3
November, 1960
Dedication of the Donner Party Site
By Mrs. Roy Saarni
; A report given by Mrs. Roy Saarni at the dedication of the plaque commemorating the
Site of the Donner Family Camp, Sunday, October 16, 1960, at the site which will become a
United States Historical Area and Picnic Grounds.
On or about October 28, 1846 — 114 years ago — the 6 wagoris of George and Jacob Donner, two brothers from Sangamon County, Illinois, rolled down into this valley in the midst of
a swirling, blinding snowstorm.
There were 21 people in the wagon train. When the stopped here and threw together their
crude shelters against the fury of that first night’s storm, in all likelihcod they thought they
would move the next morning. But of those 21, only 9 were destined to leave the valley and
survive, 9 others died near where we stand this afternoon. They lie somewhere here in unmarked, unknown graves. 3 others, the little sons of Jacob Donner, were taken out by relief
parties but died during the terrible ordeal of crossing the Sierras.
All of these tragic events were a far, far cry from the excitement and joy of that day
when the Donners left Sangamon County. It was April 14, 1846. Spring was in the land. It
was a day of glory for the Donner brothers, who had long dreamed of California and the future
it offered. George Donner, 62 years old, was a prosperous Springfield farmer, big, hearty, and
handsome, with a thirst for adventure. Tamsen Donner, 45 years old, George’s charming and
talented wife and mother of his 5 daughters, planned to start a seminary for young ladies
‘ when they reached California. Besides her school supplies, she had brought along her water
colors, her oils and canvasses, her prized botanical collections and a box of meticulously kept
diaries (including one which was to tell in detail the day-to-day sufferings at Alder Creek.)
All of these things were to be lost forever here under the snows. Despite her tiny size (she
weighed 96 pounds and stood but 5 feet tall) Tamsen was to be a veritable mountain of fortitude in the days to come.
Jacob Donner, 70 years old, George’s elder brother — “Unele Jake” as he was affectionately called — dared to dream that the warm California sunshine would restore his failing
health. His devoted wife, Elizabeth, must not be left with the task of raising their 7 children
alone.
And so — on the morning of April 14th — whips cracked, oxen bawled, and strained the
yokes, wheels turned — and the Donner families left Springfield, Illinois, and turned their
faces westward.
The actual tragedy of Alder Creek began when the Donner wagons started the descent
of the hill on the North East side of Alder Creek valley. On the short steep grade at the bottom of the hill, George Donner's lead wagon broke an axle. George and Jacob, noting with
anxiety the leaden skies and the 6 inches of snow already covering the ground, lost no time in
cutting timber to replace the broken piece. Suddenly as they were finishing the job, Jake’s
chisel slipped and dug a long, angry gash across the back of his brother’s hand. Blood spurted from the wound and Tamsen frantically bound up the jagged cut. We can only imagine the
predicament now. It was obvious that they must set up camp — if only for a night or two —
and we can imagine them searching for an area for a likely spot. As a matter of interest, it
should be pointed out that this immediate vicinity was more heavily wooded then than it is at
present. It seems reasonable that the huge, two-forked pine tree looming up ahead would
have appeared to them to offer the best protection. In desperate haste, for snow was falling
thick and fast, the party erected a tent of wagon canvas against the tree for George Donner’s