The eldest man in the picture from my last post on here (Jan. 29, 2011) is George Hindley. His direct descendant, Laurence Hindley of Fortuna, donated to the MVHS a typed and xeroxed copy of this solid year of daily entries.
Bob Stansberry, who is most knowledgeable about Southern Humboldt and upriver history, made the notes to these journal entries. I have italicized his statements and questions. Anything you see in brackets is my own comment. Please keep in mind that these words were transcribed to typewriter from Geo. Hindley’s own hand, and that the transcriber did not necessarily know the locals or the spellings of their names and the places. I am adding only enough punctuation and spelling correction to make for ease and clarity; otherwise I will try to keep the original style.
So here you go, 131 years ago (to the week), above the Mattole Valley…
George Hindley kept this diary while living on the original home place approximately one mile northwest of Windy Nip [between Honeydew and Panther Gap].
THURSDAY, JAN. 1, 1880—Came home from Bull Creek danc [?] throo the Rain with Gilespie and Wife. It fogged and rained all Day. Found Wm Cathey and the children all well.
Gillespie was Allen Gillespie’s grandfather; his wife was Eliza (Hunter), daughter of John Hunter, Sr., whose ranch was downstream one and a half miles from Honeydew.
JAN. 2—Rained in the morning. Cloudy all day. Gilespie and wife went home with two pack mules. Gave Wm Cathey an order to Rudolph for $4 dolars. Started to write a letter to Wm Sloss.
Did Gillespie live at his in-laws? Where did Wm Cathey live? Rudolph had the store in Petrolia?
[It almost seems the Wm. Cathey family lived on the Hindley property, he is mentioned so often as being right there. John Rudolph did have the Petrolia Store until 1881. His brother Morgan was an early postmaster at Upper Mattole.]
JAN. 3—Cloudy all day. Stayed at home all day, poterd round and finished letter to Wm Sloss. Rained a little after noon. No body came or went today.
JAN. 4—Sun shown in the fore part of the day. Cloudy the rest and raining at night. Fixed the woodshed and cleaned it out. Wm Cathey came from Petrolia.
JAN. 5—Rained all day. Put ax handle in and grained calf skin. Stay at home all day. CC Fitzgerld was hear and we settled our accounts for which I took his Note.
[Cyrus Calvin Fitzgerald, 1846-1894, who later shot Hindley in the face.]
JAN. 6—Rained all day and blew hard, wind from south east. Stayed in the house all day and cut out rawhide and Braded on Reins for a riding bridal. Wind blowing very hard.
JAN. 7—Blowed down all the fences and rained hard all day and snowed in the evening. Earth quake last night about eleven oclock. Staid in the house and Braded Bridle rains.
JAN. 8—Cloudy all day with hale, rain and snow. Stayed in the house all day and tinkerd at Bridal rains till eavning and then got in wood for fire in the morning.
JAN. 9—Raind hard all day and blew a hericane. Stayed in the house and traded my watch boots and vest to Wm Cathey for his yellow mare. Went out in the eavning and kild a spike Buck.
JAN. 10—Sun shined at times with snowing thro the day at times. Stayed at home and cleand out woodshed. Wm Singley and Wm Weeks was heare to dinner. Cathey went for flour.
JAN. 11—A clear day with the exception of a few flying clouds. Went out to bring in a deer and kild three more. Brought them home and drest them. I [or T?] Amens was heare and we seen the Eclips of the sun.
Tom Amen lived at what later became the Mann Ranch in the Panther Gap area. Tom had at least one brother; this could be a brother or still another of that large family (see Bull Creek cemetery).
JAN. 12—Cloudy and rainy. Our darling Berty got scalded at qtr. Past ten and died half past nine pm. Parkhurst, Hurlbutt and Cathey, Gillespie and wife, Florence and Minnie Hunter and Millsap were heare. Wm Cathey went for relief.
Florence (age 19) was a cousin and Minnie (age 15) was a sister to Mrs. Gillespie. Millsap was probably William Millsap.
JAN. 13—Cloudy with a light rain or mist. Our friends were heare with our little pet. Mr. and Mrs. Singley, T Cathey, Bill (?) and Mrs. Millsap and two sons of Singley. The men dug a grave. The above friends in addition to yesterday.
William Millsap lived in the Panther Gap area at one time. He was the father of Henry Millsap and the great-grandfather of John Hower and Ross Millsap of Pepperwood. He was buried at Bull Creek.
JAN. 14—Clear all day. Buried our little Bertie. All the friends of the two preceding days were hear, also Netty (?) and Carry Parkhurst. To the buriul at twelve oclock. Alsow Hurlbutt’s two sons were heare. Willie Cathey got back.
Bertie was buried on a ridge northwest of Windy Nip. A place known as “The Graves.”
JAN. 15—Clear all day. Wm Singley stayed heare last night and left This morning. Fayet brought some flour up from Hurlbutts. I fixed up the corall gates and the Graves railings and etc.
Hurlbutt’s field is just west of Honeydew by the county road (Etter Ranch). Where was Hurlbutt’s house? Did he have a flour mill?
JAN. 16—Clear all day. Went to Petrolia and paid off Russ and stayed at AA Godwin’s. Seen Lemdale and Frost. Bought a bill of Goods from Macy [Mackey?] and a bill from Rudolph, got some pick irons from Leary.
Was Leary the blacksmith in Petrolia—Patrick O’Leary?
[Probably. Absalom Godwin had a place on the northwest corner of the Petrolia Square, later spot of the K of P hall and Johnson’s store. Not the old Petrolia Hotel, on the southwest corner. Ab Ridge in Honeydew is named for Ab Godwin. Russ was paid off; hmmm, Albert Russ was running the Petrolia Hotel in 1882 for sure, and perhaps he was already doing so in 1880.]
JAN. 17—Clear all day. Came up home from Petrolia with Gillespie. Minnie Huntyer came up with us from their place to stay on a visit. I lent Gillespie one dollar and fifty cts. Wm Weeks past heare today.
JAN. 18—Clear all day. Gillespie went down to Hurlbutts and got 500 lbs. of flour up. Fronia Hunter came up with Fayet(?) to stay on a visit. I doctord sheep all day and fixed up the Barn.
Fronia or Frona Hunter was another sister of Eliza Gillespie’s. Also known as Sophronia.
[Fayet is likely Fayette, or Lafayette, Titus of Petrolia.]
JAN. 19—Clear all day. Gillispie packed up thirteen sacks of flour from Hurlbutt. Minnie Hunter went home. Wm Cathey brought up my horse I traded for. I doctored sheep all day. Miss Hunter is here.
JAN. 20—Clear all day with a few flying clouds, some indication of a storm in the atsmerfear. Gillespie felt sick and laid over. Docterd sheep all day. Phronia, Cathey, and Gillespie & I corralled all the sheep.
JAN. 21—Clear all day with considerable wind and turned hazy with signs of a storm. I ran throo my sheep and counted 575 head and finished doctoring. Wm Millsap is with us.
JAN. 22—Cloudy with cold wind blowing from the north west and misting in the eavning. Liddy Hunter came up with Gillespie. Mrs. Johnson and Miss Hanlon came over on a visit. Worked at home.
Liddy or Lidia Hunter (age 17) was yet another sister, also spelled as Lydia.
JAN. 23—Clear all day with indications of a storm. Started to Rhonervill. Mrs. Johnston went to Fitzgerlds place with me. Fits came and we staid at Howards all knight.
JAN. 24—Cloudy all day with rain at night. We left Howards and went to Rhonerville by 4 oclock. Went to the lodge at night, bought $3 worth of Fagumbaum and stayed at Hotell.
[Mr. Feigenbaum was a prominent Jewish merchant of the Rohnerville area. For more info on the subject of the few but noteworthy Jews in early Humboldt history, see Nan Abrams’ article in the blog http://jewsofthegoldrush.blogspot.com/ ]
JAN. 25—Stormy with snow. Gave Mr. Rob Shearer 20 days to close a bargain at Rhonerville. I start home today with CC Fitsjarld and we stay at Oscar Hindley’s all night.
JAN. 26—Stormy all day with snow and frost. We crossed Eel river and ate dinner at Painters and we came on home. Ate supper at Fits and I came on home in the night.
Fits or C.C. Fitzgerald lived in the Rainbow Ridge area near the overland trail between the Eel and Mattole valleys.
JAN. 27—Snowing all day with wind and frost. Stayed in the house all day with Gillespie and Cathey and Leiddie Hunter who are with us at night. The wind is blowing and freesing hard.
JAN. 28—Clear all day with a thaw of snow which was four inches deep. Hauled wood all day. W Cathey helping me. Liddie Hunter went home. Gillespie going with her. Freesing.
JAN. 29—Clear all day and clouding up in the eavning. Hauled up wood in the forenoon and hauled posts for garden fence. Phronia Hunter came up with the mail and horse load of salt.
JAN. 30—Clear all day. Frose hard last night. Hauled fence posts and wood most all day. Cathey setting them around garden. Toards eavning I fined [fixed?] up the fence or started it so.
JAN. 31—Clear all day and very warm. Worked on garden fence most all day. Gillespie and wife came up alsow Minnie Hunter came with them. I alsow fixed the front door.
SUNDAY, FEB. 1, 1880—Clear all day and very pleasant. Worked on porch and fixed up fence around garden. Gillespie and wife Minnie Hunter with them. Went to Bull creek. A. Cathey came up on a visit.
Where did A. Cathey live? Andrew Cathey lived where Hindley Ranch is now [at bottom of hill, in Honeydew].
FEB. 2—Clear all day and very pleasant. Worked on fence till noon. Millsap came over and went to plowing. I Howard and Mrs. Fitsgerld came over and Howard and me came over to Merifields.
Where did the Merifields live? [In the 1880 census, Daniel Merrifield and family are listed amongst these neighbors: George Hindley and family; William Millsap and family; then come Daniel Merrifield with two children and boarder Thomas Cathey; next Siras Fitzgerald and wife plus adopted child and boarders; next the Paschal Hunter family.]
FEB. 3—Clear all day and pleasant. Howard and I left Merifields, came over to home and ate dinner then started and came over to Howard’s. There we found Lawson and young Toliday. Sold steer to Howard for fifteen dollars.
FEB. 4—Clear all day and very pleasant. Still at Howard. We went out Hunting but did not Kill anything. Charlet Young is at Howard’s, and young Tolladay.
FEB. 5—Clear all day and very pleasant warm and sunny. Went out with Howard on a hunt after varments but could not find anything. Came home after dinner my horse fell over and hirt me.
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[....stay tuned for more in a few weeks... will try to keep up with Hindley's seasons.]
Postscript: Here is the map section from the Stanley N. Forbes 1886 map, mentioned by olmanriver in the Comments, below.
There it is in 2S, 1E-- the Hindley house! Thanks to Richard "Rob" Roberts for making this, and other, maps available to the MVHS.
There are Hurlbutts here that have a ranch in SoHum. They might have some family history that could clear up some of your questions. If you want to be connected, send me an email and I’ll contact Will Hurlbutt or his sister Patty.
Thank you, Kym. That would be interesting, esp. if they could tell who was where up around Panther Gap/ Cathey’s Peak.
I know one more Hurlbutt connection, which was that Bertha Miner (aunt of recent oldtimers Buck, Allen, and Ruth Miner) married a Hurlbutt.
Thanks to Susie Baker Fountain we know that there was an 1866 Daniel Merrifield assessment for a claim on the North side of the Mattole, about 6 miles above the upper crossing of same river.
Mrs. Fountain also recorded a report from Springville (Fortuna), dated Dec. 5, 1876: “Mr. Merrifield, a Rainbow Ridge hunter, arrived this morning with five mule loads of venison”. Merrifield was recompensed by a Capt Knott, who had just recently opened a store in Springville.
Hey Laura, is there a way that you could use the 1886 Forbes map to show where Hindley lived? There is a little mark on their most northern property due west of Cathy’s Peak ( this is how it was spelled then) that I thought might be marking a homesite.
If you go to the HSU 1921 Belcher link and click on section 4 and find Cathey’s Peak in the SW corner of the map… you will see that the younger sons, Henry C. and Joseph N. have expanded the family holdings in the Windy Nip Gap area. There seems to be a dotted line trail going up from the main road up through the Hindley properties, possibly right by the mark that may, or may not be their home on the Forbes map.
What do you think?
Thanks, olmanriver! I will have a look at both Forbes and Belcher and post map sections in a day or two… off to town today.
Thanks Laura, I meant to say that the Hindley house is clearly marked on the Forbes map. I will try and be more careful before posting in the future.