Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

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Title: Volume 030-3 - July 1976 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 12 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2014-04-19 11:47:16 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:05:34 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:05:34

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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An earlier structure in the west end of town, used as a holding cell until prisoners could be transported to Nevada City, proved inadequate. The citizens of Meadow Lake Township petitioned county supervisors in 1874 for permission to build a branch jail, the cost not to exceed $2,500. During the June session the board voted for construction, in addition 19 citizens offered to donate $25.00 each. In July of 1875 the contract was let to a Mr. Stewart. The single story structure of native stone was to cost $1,325, exclusive of iron work. The walls were to be 30 inches thick. The two cells were to measure seven by nine each. The stone walls were lined with steel plate. A second story was added later. The first prisoner was William Hart. He was admitted September 30, 1875 for destroying property while drunk. Among notorious prisoners held there was Ma Spinelli, the first woman to be executed in California’s gas chamber. The jail is now being developed asa museum by the Truckee Donner Historical Society. Donner Party Historian No article on Truckee would be complete without mention of Charles F. McGlashan. He was a school teacher at Placerville and principal of the Truckee Public Schools for two years. In 1874 he served as correspondent in Utah for the Sacramento Union. McGlashan began the practice of law at Truckee in 1875, which he continued for four years. Then in December of 1875, he began his on again and off again association with the Truckee Republican when he became editor. McGlashan became part owner in 1878 or 1879 and full owner the next year. He developed a passionate interest in the story of the Donner tragedy. After two years of thorough research and interviews with most survivors, the story ran in the Republican in serial form. “History of the Donner Party, a Tragedy of the Sierras,” appeared in book form in 1880. The first printing sold out in less than two weeks. Since then, there have been 12 large printings. McGlashan’s years as a resident of Truckee were interrupted when he became publisher of the Santa Barbara Press, and in the 1880’s when he was a member of the California Assembly. In 1885 he joined the rush to the Idaho diggings. He had many interests. He published a series of planetary maps, discoverd a rare butterfly in the Truckee basin (the Euphydryas Chalcedona Macglashanae) and built a 14-sided tower arounda rocking stone that stood near his home. (The home eventually burned.) The tower was used as a museum. In it were relics of his research on the Donner Party sites, also a large collection of butterflies and moths. Some of the Donner relics are in the Nevada County Historical Society’s Cultural Museum in Nevada City now. The butterfly collection is in the Nevada County Courthouse. TRUCKEE became popular through the efforts of General McGlashen who created “The Fiesta of the Snows” held from December 15 to March. The big attraction was the Ice Palace, naturally frozen, housing a skating rink and toboggan run plus other winter activities. Ice Palace