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Volume 030-3 - July 1976 (12 pages)
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Page: of 12
TRUCKEE 1908 was atypical mountain town—no better, no worse. Note the Firehouse for Hose
Company No. 1.
The 60!
In 1783 Jack White and Andy Fugate killed
each other in a shootout on Front Street. Between
that year and 1874, the lawlessness in Truckee
increased. An organization patterned after the
Virginia City “601” Committee formed to rid the
town of undesirables. Red ribbons were tied to
awning posts and warnings that were merely
signed “601” were issued to the ruffians.
An early historian observed, “This magic
number caused many a heart to quake with fear.”
Five desperadoes received notices to quit
town by 4:00 p.m. on November 19, 1874. Not all
heeded the warning. The hooded 601 met at
midnight on November 24th to make examples of
the defiant ones. They converged on Hayward’s
saloon at midnight. The ruffians were rumored to
be inside.
While four men guarded the back door the
others entered at the front. A shadowy figure with
pistol in hand was observed in a dark passage. A
shot rang out and the shadow fell.
The mortally wounded man turned out to be
D.B. Frink, leader of the 601 and editor of the
Truckee Republican. He had been shot by his own
colleagues.
The 601 lost heart and disbanded. Thinking
the members had also lost courage, an expelled
hoodlum named Spencer returned to Truckee. On
Christmas afternoon Spencer and his father were
celebrating in Rabel’s saloon. Eight masked men
entered and Spencer was left for dead.
4,
However, he was dispatched by train to the
county hospital at Nevada City. He recovered but
apparently avoided Truckee after that.
The Celestials
In 1872 Ah Quee of North San Juan had
owned a young Chinese girl named Sin May. She
was kidnapped and taken to Truckee. As she hada
few trinkets with her, Ah Quee had her charged
with larceny. The constable formed a posse in an
attempt to take her into custody.
The Truckee Chinese rallied to save her. In
spite of the many bullets fired, only Ah Quee and
another Chinese were wounded.
In May of 1875 a fire occurred in the Chinese
section of town located just across Front Street
from the business district. The Chinese had been
brought to the Sierra to work on the railroad and
had settled in closely packed shanties. The fire loss
amounting to about $50,000 was chiefly in the
Chinese quarters. A movement to prevent the
rebuilding failed.
On November 18th, 1878, whites assembled
and pulled down the buildings in Chinatown. The
Chinese were given a week’s notice to leave. Within
a month a new Chinese quarter emerged on the
south side of the river just outside the city limits.
Jail Demanded
It was observed that in August of 1873,
eleven of the seventeen prisoners in the county jail
at Nevada City had been apprehended in Truckee.