George Hindley diary, Part 4, plus 8/7/11 Fernbridge event

Today i will continue with postings from George Hindley’s 1880 diary, and remind readers that this Sunday, the 7th of August, the current George Hindley will be crossing the bridge just as his grandfather (our original George, the main mover and shaker of Fernbridge construction) did one hundred years ago.

Here is the blurb from the site www.victorianferndale.com : August 7: Centennial Re-dedication of Fernbridge, The Queen of Bridges. Noon: M.C. Bill Morrill begins the speeches, concluding with plaque dedication by Native Sons outside Fernbridge Tractor. 1 p.m. Bridge Walk followed by Grand Marshal George Hindley in horse-drawn wagon, 1911 Model T from Harper Motors, period-appropriate conveyances. In Ferndale: Birthday cake and ice cream for 500 on Brown Street after bridge walk. Pick up Ferndale Factoid word puzzles in shops. First 100 solvers win a prize! 707-786-4477

This Time-Standard story , about Sunday’s event and the Ferndale Museum’s film about the bridge, prompted a comment/correction from Wendy Lestina (of the Museum):

The movie about Fernbridge, “The Span of the Century,” will be shown on November 16, the exact date of the original opening (not November 11, as reported above) at the Veterans Building in Ferndale; two showings, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The movie, a historical interview, is a project of the Ferndale Museum.

All right, let’s resume old George’s journal from the summer of 1880. As always, Bob Stansberry’s comments are in italics, and mine are in [brackets].

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JUNE 1, Tuesday—Clear all day. Truman and Cathey helped me bale wool. We bailed 11 bales. Dan took off 8 bales to Hunters’ today. Milsap was out walking on crutch this day and yesterday.

JUNE 2—Clear all day with cold wind from north. Dan and Truman packed down ten bales of wool. Willie and me baled the rest and marked 111 lambs and sheard 10(?).

JUNE 3—Clear and awful cold wind, nearly freesing. Dan got back from town. I and Cathey packed down 8 bails of wool. Got a letter from wife. John Philbrook, census taker, staid all night. Cathey to town.

JUNE 4—Clear and windy. The shearers were heare and took dinner with me and then went to Rainbow. I went to Parkhursts’ after sheep. Got 2. Mr. Stone and Granville came and staid all night. [Granville Stone.]

JUNE 5—Clear all day and warm. I went with Stone and Son over to Dan’s and down on the creek. Came home at night. Mr. (?) How went by to mill and came back and staid all night.

JUNE 6—Clear all day. Mr. How left for home this morning. I went to Dan’s and marked 106 lambs. Staid at Dan’s all night in company with Terpin and Dan’s folks. All well.

JUNE 7—Foggy and raining a little. I went over to Cathey’s place and marked 26 lambs, ate dinner and then came by way of Millsap’s and got some butter. Came home, kild 3 deer.

JUNE 8—Clear with cold raw wind. I staid at home all day and hoed to garden and watterd some of the vegetables. Fixed my new gun and tried it. I looked for Dan but no come. Nobody past on.

JUNE 9—Clear all day and very cold. Wind blowing from north. I wrote to wife and Brotherenlaw. Dan, Truman, and Cathey came over and we took Millsap home. I came back and am alone.

JUNE 10—Clear all day and very cold wind. I caught the old yergo (?) and took her down to Johnsons’ and then went to town. Ate dinner at Singleys’ and staid all night at Abb’s. No letters. [Probably Petrolia, staying at Ab Godwin’s inn on the square.]

JUNE 11—Clear and pleasant all day. Staid in Petrolia all day and went to a concert at night. Staid at Godwin’s all night. Paid Hurlbutt’s order of 10 dollars to Holeman [Holman, the maiden name of George Hindley’s wife?]

JUNE 12—Clear and very warm all day. I came up home in company with Carrey Boots and Hadley. Ate dinner with Singley, went up to Pack (?) Hunter’s then to Pass’s and got some tomatoes. Came home alone.
Packard Hunter was also a brother of Paschal and John Hunter Sr. [Hmmm, Bob, I will have to check that out. I thought there were only the five Hunter brothers: Shelby, Paschal, Thomas, John Henry, and Walker Sanders.]

JUNE 13—Clear all day and warm. I staid home all day and tinkerd round. Saddled up in the eavning and came over to Fits’s to shear with the boys. Staid all night.

JUNE 14—Clear all day and find all well. I sheard forty sheep. Hand give out 4 5 [maybe he means by 4 or 5 pm?] I. Miner came, and John Crismon. All sleep in the wool.
[The I. Miner may have been miscopied, could’ve been J. for Jacob, or perhaps L. for the various forms of Lee, Leander, Lemuel, etc., in the Miner family tree.]

JUNE 15—Clear and pleasant. Worked all day a-shearing at Fitses. I sheard sixty sheep. I. Ross supenied me as witness for C. Clark. I went down to Singleys and staid.
[Subpoenaed by an I. Ross… again, maybe a J. Ross… and wonder what the deal was with Charles Clark of Petrolia.]

JUNE 16—Clear all day. I went to Petrolia in the morning. Staid at Abb’s all day. Tended the lawsuit. Seen Abbot and several old friends. Clark won the suit.

JUNE 17—Clear and pleasant. I left Petrolia in the morning. Came by Buckeye to Fitses. Sheard after noon. 31 sheep. Got a letter from wife and answered the same.

JUNE 18—Clear all forenoon and raind in the eavning. Sheard sheep all day. I sheard 68. Herington came with pack train. A heavy frost this morning, cold and frost.
[Herington is probably Harrington, an early family of light station tenders who intermarried with the Paschal Hunter family.]

JUNE 19—Clear and pleasant, a very heavy frost this morning. We finished up at shearing at noon. I sheard 21 sheep. Sold Old Jim and filly to Herington, $50. Came home.

JUNE 20—Clear and pleasant. I tinkerd round fixing up corrals. In the eavning got up some sheep to doctor tomorrow. Cathey past, Tom Rudolph borrow my tent, P. Hunter vis[ited?].
[Thomas Rudolph was brother to John Rudolph, owner of the Petrolia Store, and Morgan Rudolph, a preacher whose daughter, Martha, married Marshall Wright. Thomas’s son William Rudolph was a citizen of Upper Mattole.]

JUNE 21—Clear and warm today. Cathey past going home. I doctored sheep all day and then corralled more for tomorrow. Got a letter from Sloss today. I am alone tonight.

JUNE 22—Clear and warm all day. I doctored sheep from early morn till sundown. Alone, nobody past heare today. I am alone tonight as usual. Got a circular yesterday.

JUNE 23—Clear all day and very warm. I washed up my clothes and wrote a letter to wife then in eavning went to postoffice. Got a letter from Weir and Richardson. Came and staid at Hunters’.

JUNE 24—Clear and warm. I came up and got some cattle and brought them home. Got my dinner and started to Dan’s. Got over all right, found Dan out after a bear. Staid all night.
Who is Dan? [Bob, I am pretty sure he means Dan Merrifield. Not sure what he means by “got over all right.” Over the ridge?]

JUNE 25—Clear and warm. I helped Dan fix up his corral then we surveyed off a line through by his field on the old house prairie. Terpin and Hazleton came. I staid all night.
[Hazletons of Bull Creek; two sisters of that family married two Cummings men—George Cummings of Union Mattole m. Calista Hazelton.]

JUNE 26—Clear and warm. Still at Dan’s. Got up sheep and docterd 311 head. Got throo by eavning. Hazleton, Terpentine [?—a nickname, or just the full name, for Terpin?], and Cathey fixed up field fence. All staid all night, well.

JUNE 27—Clear and hot. Came over to Catheys and we run off his claim. Then got up the sheep to brand and doctor tomorrow. Dans [?] went out to cut a bee tree. Staid all night at Catheys’.
Did they survey Cathey’s land claim? [I think so!]

JUNE 28—Clear and hot, very warm. Docterd Cathey sheep. Saddled up and went over to Dan’s. Found Dan’s numbers then came home. Cathey and Truman came over, staid all night.

JUNE 29—Clear and pleasant. I wrote a letter to Wife. Watterd garden and worked round home all day alone. Cathey and Truman went down to Mattole. Sewed up my clothes, still alone.

JUNE 30—Clear and hot all day. I worked in garden till noon then Dan came over. Let Dan have 2 1/5 dollars. Truman and Cathey came, all had dinner and went home. I came to Petrolia.

JULY 1, Thursday—Clear and warm. Staid with Abb’s last night. Got 60 dol. of Gill’s clerk. Came to Ferndale. Went to IOOF lodge, staid at hotel, seen Stone and family, all leaving. Paid $2 to Wm. Ray.
[C.W. Gill ran the Petrolia Store around this time, in a partnership with Walker Sanders Hunter that was dissolving.]

JULY 2—Clear and warm. I and Hollester left Ferndale and came to Eureka. Staid at Revere Hotell. I went to IOOF lodge to the installation of officers, injoyed it well. Went to court house on business.

JULY 3—Clear and warm. Still in Revere House. I went to Courthouse, registered myself. Went to the land office and found things mixed, all jumbled up. Am tired of this place now.

JULY 4—Clear and pleasant. I am at Eureka stopping at Revere Hotell. Very dull. Walked round town most all day. Went up and spent the eavning at Gatses.

JULY 5—Clear and pleasant. Celebration very dull. I am disgusted and tired. Went to IOOF lodge, seen installation. Well satisfied with my visit. Still at Revere House. Tired out.

JULY 6—Clear and pleasant. Hunnicutt came in and I went to land office but no satisfaction. Mixed survey, no filing safe. Still at the Revere House.

JULY 7—Clear and pleasant and Hunnicutt and me went over to Arcata Wharfe and back in morning. After dinner I came out to Ferndale with King. Am stopping at the Hotell heare.

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Petrolia schoolteacher Mr. Lane’s 1866 diary

(From the Ferndale Enterprise, transcribed by Mary Rackliff Etter in 1964 for her weekly column, “News from the Mattole Valley.”)

Here is another daily journal, kept by a schoolteacher in the 1860s. His take on the Mattole area is quite different from Hindley’s, and it’s easy to make a mental picture of a bored intellectual, out of his element in the wilds of recently-named Petrolia and Upper Mattole. His school building was the two-storey structure that sat on the flat on the east side of the North Fork bridge along the county road just west of Petrolia.

Mattole School, Petrolia, 1888

I would sure like to see the original or a copy of this diary. I have only read these newspaper entries.

Mary made some comments, which I have italicized. My own notes will be [bracketed]. Quaint misspellings are retained.

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JUNE 1, Friday, 1866, Pleas. This evening the ball comes off at Centerville. The people expect a good time and we hope they may have one. There is too little sociability among the people here. Staid at Andersons. [Anderson’s was an inn on the Table, up near the eucalyptus trees northwest of Petrolia.]

JUNE 2, Sa. Cloudy. Went to town, had a very sociable time. Read history and Harpers Monthly magazine. This is a very popular magazine here. Many are taken here. [I think when he says ‘town’ he means Petrolia.]

JUNE 3, Sunday, Pleas. Went to town, then to church. Heard a sermon by Mr. Burnel. Went in afternoon to singing school, then on the beach where there were horse racing. [Joel Burnell was a well-known preacher and judge, whose name pops up frequently in countywide history. His name is misspelled ‘Bunnel’ on some maps and documents.]

JUNE 4, Monday, Pleas. Studied Quackenboe’s Grammar, although this work has been adopted by the state board of education, it certainly is not the best. I think the members of that board must have been influenced by interested parties.
[G.P. Quackenbos, 1826-1881, published An English Grammar in 1862.]

JUNE 5, Tues. Pleas. Read the Union and Times. It is thought by some that Congress will adjourn on the 4th of July, cannot think so. Gen. Fremont and Parsons and others have purchased a large portion of the R.R. from St. Louis to Fort Riley. Ben. Butler and others have purchased large track in Lower Cal.

JUNE 6, Wed. Pleas. Went to Mr. Stansberry’s, found most of the family unwell. Read the Banner of Light. There is to be a convention of Spiritualists at San Jose in a month.

JUNE 7, Thurs. Pleas. Went to Mr. Butler’s, spent the evening in conversation and in reading the Ledger. This paper still sustains its character as a literary journal.

P.S. In the diary, 1866. The horse racing took place 1 ½ miles west of Petrolia, up the Jeffery hill to what is commonly known as “the Table,” close to where the Eucalyptus trees now stand. At a later date the trees were planted and cared for by Ellis Hunter, now 87, when he was a young boy. The purpose of the trees was to make a windbreak for the creamery that stood just south, across the road. [Leah Kausen told me her father, Jack Smiley, planted that line of trees just around the turn of the century. By then Ellis Hunter would’ve been about 23. Who knows?]

JUNE 8, Friday, Rain. Had a very small school on account of rain. Spent the evening in conversation. Wish people understood the labors of the teachers. How tiresome, how wearing on the system.

JUNE 9, Sat. Rain. Went to town. Read in the Laws of Cal. And in the school law. Petrolia is now a rather dry place. Nothing for excitement or amusement. Most of the people are much discouraged in regard to oil.

JUNE 10, Sunday. Cool. Studied grammar. Read an account of Gen. Scott’s death, which took place May 29th. In him we lose a brave soldier and a true patriot. There was quite an excitement in horse racing. Several races—much money bet.

JUNE 11, Mon. Cool. Misty. Spent evening in conversation. How strange the influence which one person has over another, a magnetic influence, yet one may use good language and have good subjects on which to converse, yet have but little influence.

JUNE 12, Tues. Pleas. Read the Times and Flag. The Cholera is spreading in N.Y. Many deaths have occurred already. Many on vessels coming from Liverpool. War in Europe is almost certain. Napoleon is the grand mover.

JUNE 13, Wed. Pleas. Marshall Wright and others stopped with me at Mr. Anderson’s. We had a pleasant time. Mr. Anderson went to Eureka. Read the Union. The prospects for gold in Montana still appears good in places.

JUNE 14, Thurs. Warm. This is the only real warm day we have had for a long time. The season has been a very singular one. The oldest inhabitants never saw one so wet. The grass has been benefitted, but the corn has been injured.
[Wonder if by “oldest inhabitants” he meant Natives. Since the Whites had only been there basically 9 years– 12 if you count the first couple of bachelors and scouts– the phrase can’t mean much unless it does refer to Natives.]

JUNE 15, Friday, Warm. Read in the history of the United States. In this work, Howe’s many incidents are related for the early settlement of each of the states. It is an excellent work for young persons, because it is calculated to please.

JUNE 16, Saturday, Warm. Went to the Upper Mattole Valley to take the census of the school children. I found a great many persons living with their squaws and have many children—about 25 in the Valley.
[The 1860 Mattole census concurs with this, and is quite an interesting document to peruse.]

JUNE 17, Sunday, Warm, Rain at night. Considerable excitement, several horse races, much betting, card playing, drinking etc. Well, we cannot blame persons much, they must have amusement, some excitement—none here but this, gardening and trapping gophers.

JUNE 18, Monday, Pleas. Read in Howe’s history. He gives an outline history first which merely narrates the principals of events which transpired in the different periods—it is divided in three periods.

JUNE 19, Tuesday, Pleas. Read the Flag Times and Journal. The great excitement in the East now is the Ferrian (?) movement in Canada. In Europe the prospects are that war is inevitable. In South America the Brazillians and Paraguayans are still fighting.

JUNE 20, Wed., Pleas. Probst the murderer has made his confession—it is one of the most brutal murders on record. Read the history of our whole country. Spent most of the evening in amusement.

JUNE 21, Thurs. Rain. Read in history. This is the most rainy spring and summer that has ever been known. Much of the crops in the lower country are spoiled by rust—crops here look well.

JUNE 22, Friday, Pleas. Had a very interesting time at school, Spelling, etc. Considerable excitement about the 4th. We anticipate a good time. Captain Smith was here.

JUNE 23, Sat. Rain. Read in history. Went with Marshall Wright after horses. Had a terrible storm overtake us. Rain and hail with a wind—blowing a perfect hurricane. Strange weather for June, surely.

JUNE 24, Sun. Rain in the morning, pleasant in the afternoon. Some excitement. Two races, quite a number of persons present. Read in history. Spent part of the day in conversation with Mr. J. V. Hunter and others.
[Mr. Lane’s handwriting may have been misread by Mrs. Etter. Mr. John Henry Hunter might have been here—though my records show he arrived 1867—and Thomas, Walker, Shelby, and Paschal M. Hunter, his brothers, came at various times around that decade… but I can’t think who Mr. J.V. would be. Maybe from another family that has since disappeared.]

JUNE 25, Mon. Pleas. Read in History. I think Greeley’s History will be one of the Standard works on this subject yet in many respects it is unjust, if not unreliable.

JUNE 26, Tues. Pleas. Read the Flag, Union & Times. The trial of Jeff Davis [Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy] postponed until October. No doubt but what the President is using his influence in a secret way to liberate him. I do not believe he will be hung.

JUNE 27, Wed. Pleas. Read some articles on the Mines of Montana. From all we can learn there are many persons who will never realize in that country what they anticipate. A few will make fortunes.

JUNE 28, Thurs. Pleas. Read some in the Newspaper and spent some time in amusement and conversation. The great objection to this valley is that there is no amusement of the proper kind.

JUNE 29, Friday, Warm. Went to Stansberrys, read the Banner of Light and Journal. There are few papers I prize more highly than these. In many points they are similar, and we think should be in more [homes?—or in more points?].

[I googled one of these magazines and got the following:
‘Banner of Light, a weekly subtitled “An Exponent of the Spiritual Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century,” had the largest circulation of any spiritualist paper in the world. For three dollars a year, subscribers would get “a first-class eight-page Family Newspaper containing forty columns of interesting and instructive reading.” Features included a literary section offering occasional French and German works in translation, but specializing in “Original Novelettes of reformatory tendencies.”
Banner of Light also featured reports of spiritual lectures by “able Trance and Normal speakers,” original essays on spiritual, philosophical and scientific subjects, general interest current events, and a very special service: messages from the dead.’
The Camp Meetings were also part of this Victorian trend of investigating the supernatural .]

JUNE 30, Sat. Warm. Marshall Wright and I went to Bear River in the afternoon. Had a very pleasant time. Staid with Stewart. Charley is with him now. Charley has had some difficulty lately with Mr. Davison and family.
[Thomas Stewart’s was a familiar stopover in Bear River/Capetown.]

JULY 1, Sun. Warm. Went to Camp Meeting on the Eel River. Quite a large attendance, but little excitement in a meeting of this kind. Came back to Mr. Frances [Ferndale] and staid all night. Had a very pleasant time with Miss Nook and others.
[Miss Cook, perhaps? ;-)]

JULY 2, Monday, Warm. Went to Eureka and back to Mr. Frances. Eureka is very dull. Some excitement in regard to reported discoveries of silver a few miles from here.

[No entry July 3.]

JULY 4, Wed. Pleas. The glorious 4th again! How we hallow its sacred memories! We had indeed a good celebration for a place of this kind. The Declaration of Independence was read, the oration was delivered by John DeHaven. A ball in the evening. [Not sure if he is in Ferndale or Petrolia for the Fourth.]

JULY 5, Thurs. Pleas. Did not feel much like being at the horse races, yet the excitement drew me out. Yesterday we had several, today we had five or six. People must have some kind of amusement, if it is only this.

JULY 6, Friday, Pleasant. Went down town, had some racing; considerable betting. People do not care for money here. It is easily made and they do not appreciate its true value.

JULY 7, Sat. Pleas. Read some newspapers, wrote some letters, went to town, and to Mr. Stansberry’s to stay all night. Mrs. Bassett was there to pay her last visit before starting to Australia. Mr. Fry and lady start to San Francisco on Monday.
[Mr. Bassett was one of the backers of oil exploration in the early 1860s. Oil drilling equipment was delivered to Bassett’s Landing , just north of the mouth of the Mattole. The Mrs. was likely his wife, perhaps headed to better prospects.]

JULY 8, Sunday, Pleas. Went home, spent the forenoon in conversation, the afternoon in looking at the races. The excitement now is about over, there will be a few more races, but no excitement like what has been.

JULY 9, Monday, Pleas. School again. Well, we have had a good vacation and ought to be ready to work again. Mr. Jones, our County Superintendent of Schools, paid us a visit. He expressed himself as being well pleased with the advancement of the school.
[The local school year used to take its longest break in the winter months, when the rivers were difficult to cross and travel was generally daunting.]

JULY 10, Tues. Pleas. Read in Goldsmith Natural History. He makes a statement which I have not seen elsewhere, that the natural age of all inferior animals is equal to his age when he arrives at maturity, multiplied by 7. Read articles on the hare and rabbit.

JULY 11, Wed. Pleas. Read the Union. It appears that all attempts to settle the difficulties between the European powers have proven futile. The new Pacific R.R. bill has passed the Senate.

JULY 12, Thurs. Pleas. Read Thomson’s Spring. There are many beautiful passages in this. “Love can answer love, and under bliss secure.” His power of picturing the common things of life is very good. His remarks on jealousy are good.

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Well, that about brings us to our current posting date. I hope to add to this, bit by bit. Much gratitude to the late Mary Rackliff Etter, who typed up the original newspaper copy.

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George Hindley diary, Part 3

Here is the third installment of Hindley’s 1880 diary, bringing us up to the end of May. Looks like a hellacious April they had. Again, i would like to thank Laurence and Lisa Hindley for donating their transcript of this journal to the Mattole Valley Historical Society, and Bob Stansberry for making notes to it (his are in italics– my comments are in [brackets]). For a little background on the Hindley family, see this West of the Redwoods post.

MAR. 13—Clear all day and chilly, all’s well. I worked on Buck pasture fence. Willey Cathey helped me, Georgie hauling the fence posts. Gillespie and wife came over, stay all night.

MAR. 14—Clear all day and pleasant. Gillespie and wife went down to Hunters. W. Cathey went out a hunting, kild three dear. Fitsjerld was hear. I staid at home all day. [C.C. Fitzgerald introduced here on Jan. 5; note also Jan. 26.]

MAR. 15—Clear all day and pleasant. I pottered round home all day. Georgie and Cathey went out and brought in some deer. Gillespie and wife came alsow. Gillespie and wife all staid tonight.

MAR. 16—Cloudy with snow in the eavning. Gillespie and wife went home. I went over to Dan’s and got the old dog. Fitsgerlds and family and my folks all went to Frosts’ today.
Where did the Frosts live? There was a Frost place at Briceland.

MAR. 17—Foggy in the morning, clear all day and pleasant. Fits and Frost and I went a hunting. Killed a coon. I seen Lemdale [?] and his father today, also Rudolph and James Ross.

MAR. 18—Clear all day and pleasant. Fits and Dale went out hunting but without success. I staid at the house with Mr. Frost and our folks. Ross and Rudolph went off in the morning.

MAR. 19—Clear all day. Fitsgerlds and family, I and wife and family left Frosts and came over to Gillims and staid all night. Fits and I went out hunting, did not find anything. Briton is stopping here. Could Gillim be the same as Gilham who had a cabin low on the south face of Gilham Butte? [Bob- I would think so. Gillim, Gillens—probably Gilham.]

MAR. 20—Clear all day. Fits and I went out hunting in the morning and kild a link [lynx?]. Eat dinner with Gillens and Braton and saddled up our horses and came home. Lisa is heare.
Could Braton be Johnson Coldgrove Brayton who had a place 2 or 3 miles northeast of Gilham Butte on Elk Ridge? [Again, Bob Stansberry is probably right.]

MAR. 21—Cleare all day. Fits and family went home today. Gillespie came up today. Georgie went and took dogs to Dan’s. I set some fence posts today.

MAR. 22—Cleare all day, pleasant. Gillespie and wife packed up and moved. W. Cathey came from home and passed by going to town. I sent for some stuff. I worked on fence today.

MAR. 23—Cloudy all day and a little sprinkle of rain. Georgie got home from Dan’s and brought home the dogs. I worked all day on pasture fence. I gave Gillespie an order yesterday for 460 cts on Gill. [$4.60 order from C. Gill, who ran the Petrolia Store in the early 1880s with Walker Hunter. ]

MAR. 24—Cloudy and cold. Snowed all forenoon very hard. Cathey got back last night from town. He left today for Bull creek. I staid in the house all day on account of the storm.

MAR. 25—Clear and cloudy by spells. All well heare. I went out hunting and kild five coons. I went out to look after sheep and found them all quiet. No trouble among them.

MAR. 26—Cloudy all day and reining steady all day, very cold and chilley. All well with us. I went out on Sulphur Springs and killed a dear and corralled the sheep at night.

MAR. 27—Cloudy all day and raining very hard most all day. Snowing at night. I went out looking after sheep and killed a dear in the forenoon and then corralled the sheep at night. Katy had a lamb. [Guessing Katy is a ewe.]

MAR. 28—Cloudy all day and snowing by spells. Killed a hog in forenoon and after dinner hauled up some wood and then went out and brought in a deer.

MAR. 29—Cloudy all day and snowing all day by spells very cold and blustery. Nobody came or went today. I stayed in the house all day and don nothing.

MAR. 30—Cleare all day with a few flying clouds. Geo. Hill brought over lard and bacon 54 lbs, 9 & 4 cans lard $8.86. Mr. Barton went by to Fits. Hill went home, Georgie went to Dan’s. I fixed up sled at home all day.

MAR. 31—Cloudy and raining hard all day. I planted chestnuts and walnuts last night. I staid in the house all day. Harrington and Cathey came today and Georgie came back.

Thursday APR. 1—Cloudy all day with rain at times. Cathey and Herington went home to day. Wife and I went over to Fits with dog. Got his Note [for] 150 dollars. I came back and worked on fence in eavning. 14 lbs. nales.

APR. 2—Raining hard all last night and today. Staid in the house all day. Georgie and I are at home alone. Wife at Fits. I got 14 lbs nales from Fits last night. Still raining very steady.

APR. 3—Cloudy and raining all day by spells. Nobody came or went. Georgie and I cleaned up round the shearing pen. Made a gate to pasture fence. I wrote a letter to Sloss and one to Richardson.

APR. 4—Clear all day with a few clouds. Wife came home from Fits. Georgie and me fixed up road and made a gate to Buck pasture fence and hauld up some wood. Cloud at night.

APR. 5—Clear all day and pleasant. I went to Petrolia, seen Bootses ,eat diner with them. Went down his trail. Staid with Godwin and Hunycutt, don some trading with Gill. [Ab Godwin’s hotel.]

APR. 6—Clear all day. I staid in town most of the day. Don some business with Gill & Hunter. Came to town and I went up to W. Hunter’s and staid all night.

APR. 7—Clear all day. I had a little Business with W.M. Rudolph. Left town with Hunters and (Jimeson?) and came home. Eat dinner at Singleys. Seem Samuls on the road, got home all safe.

APR. 8—Clear all day, pleasant. I went down to Hunter’s and ran throo the sheep and helped mark Hurlbutt’s lambs and then we marked Hunter’s lambs. Me no lambs.

APR. 9—Cloudy and raining hard all day. I staid in the house all day. Gillespie and wife came and Rodia Merrifield , and are heare tonight. Don nothing all day. Lost Old Maw, fell in a gulch died. Amens came and went. [Maw a sow perhaps?]

APR. 10—Cloudy all day and rainy all night. I skinned old Maw. Worked on road. Gillespie and wife sent to Hunters. Dan and (Perkins) came from Mattole and Roda. They all stay tonight. Cold and chilly.

APR. 11—Cloudy all day and raining by spells throo the day. Rained at night hard. I staid at home, don nothing. Dan and Girl and Perkins went home. Millsap came, staid.

APR. 12—Cloudy all day and raining all day by spells and snowing at night. I staid in the house all day and don nothing. Millsap went home in eavning. Cathey came to stay.

APR. 13—Cloudy and raining all day with snow at times. Cold storm. Staid in the house all day and don nothing. Cathey is heare with us. It looks like winter was set in.

APR. 14—Cloudy and raining hard all day. I staid in the house all day and plaid checkers with Cathey. Johnson came over and I let him have 100 of flour.

APR. 15—Cloudy and raining all day. Ruff weather very cold. Cathey is heare waiting on us to go. I staid in the house all day and fixed a chair.

APR. 16—Snowing steady and hard from south east. Cathey went to post office and brought up male. Letter from Ma and Sloss. I staid in house. Geo. brought rosia cow and calf census.

APR. 17—Cloudy and snowing all day by spells. Went to Sulphur Springs in morning. Kild two deer after dinner. Went down the hill a killed a deer. Very cold. W. Cathey went home.

APR. 18—Cloudy all day and wind blowing from south east. Slept all forenoon. Staid at home all day. Gillespie came and went off for Hunter’s. Hauled up some wood.

APR. 19—Cloudy and raining all day and snowing afternoon. Georgie went to post office this afternoon. I went down and seen him cross the river. I cleaned up round. Buck died.

APR. 20—Cloudy and raining hard all day without letting up to rest. Georgie got back from post office with a letter from Ma H and newspapers. I don nothing. [Ma Hindley?—George’s wife was Margaret Jane Holman, so Ma H could’ve been her or maybe her mother as well.]

APR. 21—Cloudy and raining all day by spells. Wind in south cold and haily. Hauled up some wood and don nothing but lofed round the fire most of the day. Too much rain.

APR. 22—Cloudy raining and snowing and hailing, sun shine all day. Done nothing all day but sat in the house all day. W. Cathey came over from his place and stays tonight.

APR. 23—Clear all day. Margaret, Georgie, Earnest Amen all started today for Weaverville. I saddled up and we went to Petrolia and staid all night at Rudolph’s.

APR. 24—Clear all day. We left Petrolia with T. Right [Wright?] and came to Stuarts and staid all night. I got one hundred $ from C. W. Gill at Petrolia for Expenses.

APR. 25—Foggy all day. We left Stuart with Wright and his wagon and came to the town of Ferndale and put up at Stooms’ (?) hotel. Several Mattole folks is heare. [Stewart’s was in Capetown.]

APR. 26—Foggy all day. We are still at Stoans’ (?) hotel. The Oddfellow will celebrate today. A nice march and oration. I acted as F(?) S.S. to the procession, a nice time.

APR. 27—Foggy all day. Staid at Ferndale at Stowns’(?) hotel and bummed rownd town. Seen several old acquantince. (?) Langdon is heare. Seen Singley pass on a mule.

APR. 28—Clear and pleasant most of the day. Still stopping at Stone’s hotel. Stone and I went to Hydesville and then to Rohnervill and to Springville. [I think finally we have to the right spelling. Stone was a hotel keeper earlier in Petrolia, then apparently in Ferndale.]

APR. 29—Foggy all day and very cool. We left Stone’s at Ferndale and came to Eureka staying at Finson Hotell. Steamer came in about one oclock. Tended to land business.

APR. 30—Clear all day but a little foggy in forenoon. Still at Finson Hotel. I [maybe Patrick or John] Mackey and family came in today and are all stopping in the same house.

Saturday MAY 1—Cloudy in the morn and clear by spells. My family and me are still at the Finson Hotel. Seen Carr and Roun(?) and visited D. Renfrow in the evening. [David Renfro’s son Absalom is buried in the Petrolia Cemetery. David was married to Sarah Shinn, and was Thomas Wright’s brother-in-law.]

MAY 2—Cloudy all day and raining in the eavning a little. Rained hard in the night. We went to the steamer. I stand [?] my folks left at 5 oclock a.m.

MAY 3—Cloudy all day and raining after dinner by spells. I staid at Finson Hotell till noon and then took the stage and came to Ferndale and stopped at Stones.

MAY 4—Cloudy and raining hard most all day. I am at Stone’s hotel yet. I will start home tomorrow with King, stage driver [Russell King]. Am very tired of lowfing in here.

MAY 5—Clear all day and clouds flying. I left Ferndale this morning with King driver. Taxes on property 20.26. I stopped at Big Abb’s [Absalom Godwin’s hotel in Petrolia] at night. Seen Rudolph.

MAY 6—Clear by spells, a bit cloudy by spells. Settled with King and owe him 16.50. Then saddled up and came up home. Called for male and got a letter from Alex Dunn.

MAY 7—Clear all day it rained last night very hard. J. Gillespie came last night and staid and went down to Hunter’s. Cathey went to town. Millsap came today. I hauled manure all day.

MAY 8—Cloudy and foggy all day and raining all day and misting. Millsap and I staid in the house all day. Cathey got home from town with burlap and tobacco.

MAY 9—Clear most all day. I hauled manure all forenoon. Cathey and Millsap went after a cow. Milsap broke his leg. Cathey went for a doctor and set it tonight. I fetched Mrs. and Fits.

MAY 10—Raining all day and blowing from south, hard wind. Doctor went home. Mrs. Millsap too. Bell came over to wait on her father. I staid in the house all day. Millsap’s easy.

MAY 11—Cloudy and raining all day and snowing. Elisa, Fayett and Jim Gillespie came today. I staid in the house all day. Milsap is resting easy and comfortable.

MAY 12—Foggy all morning. Jas (?) Hunter, Hurlbutt and W Rudolph were [here] today. I went to post office and got a letter from Wife and came home. Larkins came and staid all night. Gillespie left.

MAY 13—Foggy this morning and clear all day. Larkin left this morning for Millsap’s place. I went out and kild a deer. Dan and Willie came over to night and stayed.

MAY 14—Clear. Dan and I plowed the garden and I planted the fine tater (?). Cathey went to postoffice and brought me a letter from Richardson and Weir. Dan and Cathey went home after dinner.

MAY 15—Clear all day with a few flying clouds from south. I staid round all day, fixed up fence, went after cattle and wrote a letter to Standard. Nobody came today. Millsap is resting easy.

MAY 16—Foggy most all day. I went over to Fits’s and drove over four yearlings. The Doctor was up and changed Milsap’s bandiges on his leg. Wrote a letter to Weir and Richardson.

MAY 17—Foggy all day by spells. Milsap was in misery all last night and today. Fitsgerald came over this morning and borrowed my foot adze. I worked in garden all day.

MAY 18—Cloudy and sultry towards eavning. Rain light. I sheared the pets and branded six yearling calves. Mrs. Millsap was over and (?). How (?) also came with her.

MAY 19—Clear all day, I saddled and came to town. Staid at Abbs all night, got a letter from my wife at Petrolia. Seen King, Tom Wright, Hunycut and several.

MAY 20—Clear all day and cold wind in eavning. I left town in com. With Schonmaker [Schumacher?] and came home. Found Truman heare and Millsap is getting along first rate.

MAY 21—Clear all day and pleasant. I saddled up and went with Shumak over to Millsap’s and I staid all night and killed a deer and cut some wood. Mrs. Millsap came over and staid heare.

MAY 22—Fog most all day. I left Millsap’s and came home. Mrs. Millsap went home. Bell(?) went to Garberville. Alliseis [?] is heare. Tom Boots came and got a pair of shears.

MAY 23—Clear all day and cold wind from north. I went to Fits’s and Fits came over home with me, and got two singletrees [?] and 11 lbs. beans. Allice and Millsaps are heare yet.

MAY 24—Clear all day and cold. Nobody came or went today. I fixed up the shearing pen and corrall and hung a gate and potterd round the place. Millsap and Allice is still heare and doing well.

MAY 25—Clear all day and windy. I staid and cooked up a lot of bread and grub. The shearers came at noon and sheared after dinner. Wm. Rudolph, Boots, Dave Carrey, Singley and G. Hill. Cathey came.

MAY 26—Clear all day and warm. The shearers worked all day. I cooked and doctored sheep and [that] kept me going. Cathey was helping doctor and went to his sheep at Spring.

MAY 27—Clear all day and warm. Shearers worked all day. Potter and Parkhurst was heare yesterday. Truman was helping doctor today and went home after Dan’s sheep. Pas Hunter was heare.

MAY 28—Clear all day and pleasant. Shearers they sheared out 200 head of Cathey’s band today. Truman brought over Dan’s band and the boys sheared a few of them. Cathey past heare.

MAY 29—Clear and cold wind all day. The Boys finished Dan’s band and all left but Rudolph. Carey went to post office. Cathey drove his band home in morning. Dan drove this eavning.

MAY 30—Clear and windy. I went with Rudolph and Carey and we started to build his house. They left after dinner for Singley’s to [?] Truman and Cathey came and Luce brought old gin. [An animal?]

MAY 31—Clear and cool all day. Truman, Willie and me bailed wool all day. Ten bales, 5 for Dan and the rest Cathey. Dan came over to pack the wool off. Milsap is still heare.

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George Hindley diary, Part 2

Today we return to the 1880 journal of George Hindley of Honeydew. See my post from Feb. 4, 2011, for full introduction and an 1886 map of Hindley’s home territory. Please note, again, that items in italics are Bob Stansberry’s notes; anything in brackets [like this] is mine; and parentheses are usually the mark of the original transcriber.
On Feb. 5, 1880, Mr. Hindley had been injured when his horse fell over and hurt him.
.

FEB. 6—Clear all day and cloudy in the eavning, some indication of a storm. Millsap is still plowing. I sent George over to Dan’s, and Dan and Rodia came over to pack up my seed oats. I staid in the house pretty sore. [Dan is probably Daniel Merrifield; Rhoda or Rudeth is his daughter, and Truman his son.]

FEB.7—Cloudy all day with wind from south. I staid in the house all day, too sore to get out. Millsap is still plowing. Dan went with Georgie down to Singleys’ and brought up 1106 lbs. of oats. Rodia is still heare.

FEB. 8—Clear all day with a few clouds from south. Millsap finished plowing and went home with 200 of flour and an order for ($3) worth in store. Dan sowed grain all day, Georgie harrowed in grain. C. Frost came today. I done nothing today.

FEB. 9—Cloudy all day, looks like rain this eavning. I am pretty useless. Stayed in the house most of the day. Frost went home today. Dan and Rodia went home. I let Dan have 100 lbs. of flour, alsow Gillespie (—-?)

FEB. 10—Cloudy all day with snow. Stayed in the house all day. I Amens came over and went home with Fits’s males [mails? Or nails?.] Gillespie and wife and Minnie Hunter came from Bull Creek. [?] Pillewink had a lamb.
Was Pillewink the name of a sheep?

FEB. 11—Clear all day with a cold wind and a few flying clouds. I stayed in the house all day, still lame. Gillespie and wife and Minnie Hunter went to Mattole after dinner. Georgie went round the sheep, no lambs.

FEB. 12—Clear all day with a few flying clouds from north. Stayd in house all day. Margaret had tooth ache. I wrote letters to Standard [?] and Sloss, mother, and one to sister Becca. Truman Merfield came over tonight.

FEB. 13—Clear all day and pleasant. I potterd round at difernt [things]. Truman brought over a sack of barley. He went home today. Gillespie and wife came from Mattole. I. Amens came over and they all stay tonight. I got 25 lbs. nales from Gillespie.

FEB. 14—Slight rain in morning and commenced raining in eavning. Time is up for R. Shearer [Rob Shearer—see Jan. 25 entry.] Gillespie and wife went home. Thos. Hunter and wife came up today. C. Young brought home dogs and in to take of chang(—?) I pottered round fixing fence.
Thomas Hunter was a brother to John Hunter, Sr., and also to Paschal.

FEB. 15—Stormy all day and coald with snow. C. Young is still with us. Paschal Hunter and wife is still on a visit with us. I stayed in the house all day and done nothing.
Paschal or Pass Hunter had a home located just southeast of Windy Nip below the county road? Was his wife Amanda? Was their son named Thomas also?
[Bob, the 1880 Mattole census shows Paschal Hunter, 40, with wife Amanda, 35, and children Ida, 17, Thomas, 15, Basio-?-14, Moses, 12, Ardina, 9, Angie, 7, Bessie, 5, and Charles, 3.]

FEB. 16—Snowing most all day, by spells quite squally. C. Young went off for home this morning. Thos. Hunter and wife went home. I went out and kiled a deer. Counted 14 lambs.

FEB. 17—Cold and blustering all day and snowing in the eavning. I went out and got a deer that I kiled yesterday and we got up the sheep and puld out lambs. Jim (?) Amens came over and staid all night.

FEB. 18—Stormy and squally all day with snow and sleat. Went and looked after the sheep and Georgie and me run off ½ mile of survey lines and corralled 14 lambs with sheep. I. Amens went to Fits’s.

FEB. 19—Cloudy all day and snowing at times. I went and tended to the sheep and trimmed our trail. A lot of Dan’s cattle came past this eavning. About 1 foot of snow.

FEB. 20—Clear all day and snow thawing off fast. A little cloudy in eavning. Georgie went to the Post office for male and will stay all night. Went and let out sheep and trimmed trail.

FEB. 21—Cloudy all day, wind. I went over to G. Hill’s [George Russell Hill’s], and got 412 cts worth of Bacon and lard. Wm. Cathey and I. Amens came and staid all night. Georgie came up with mail. I kild two deer today.
Where did G. Hill live?

FEB. 22—Cloudy all day with wind from south. I staid in the house all day and red the paper. Cathey and Amens left in the morning. John Hunter came up and to diner and then went off.

FEB. 23—Cloudy with mist and a slight rain. Stayd in the house all day and red papers and cut out a pair of gloves. Nobody came or went today. A light rain tonight, foggy.

FEB. 24—Clear all day with a slight mist at times. Georgie went to post office and brought me a pair of Boots and the male. I worked on front fence all day. Truman and Wm. Cathey past heare.

FEB. 25—Clear all day and very chilley cold. Wind from the north. I worked on fence round porch. I started to make the chicken house. Cathey and Truman came up with cattled, staid.

FEB. 26—Cloudy all day, cold wind. I worked on chicken house all day. W.H. Clark staid all night. I. Howard and (?) Pacheco came over after the stear and is staying all night.
W.H. Clark was probably T.K. Clark’s father—see T.K.’s book Regional History of Petrolia and the Mattole Valley, pp. 30-34, for information on Pacheco the Spanish cowboy and his “cabristos”. A cabristo was a gentle steer used to tow wild cattle with, perhaps the “stear” mentioned here was one of those.

FEB. 27—Clear all day with cold raw wind from the north. School teacher left this morning and Howard and Tachacoe [Pacheco?] took chain gang off. This morning I worked on porch and chicken house.
Was the “chain gang” cattle that were chained together?

FEB. 28—Clear all day, very pleasant. Georgie hauled up rails and posts. I finished the porch and worked on the corrall the rest of the day. Sold Carlo to I. Amens tonight.

FEB. 29—Clear all day. Gillespie and Amens brought over the dogs. Millsap came over today. Merifield came also. They all stay all night. Georgie and Anney went down to get mail. I stay in the house… (?) Tomy Bools [Boots?] came and went.
Tommy Boots?

MAR. 1—Cloudy, looks like rain. Gillespie went out a hunting this morning. Dan went to town. Ammens went home. Millsap went home. Got 100 lbs. flour. Fayette and I went to Singleys’ to hunt. Did not come home.

MAR. 2—Cold and snow. Fayette went home today. Still at Singleys on a hunting. We have kild nothing but a coon so far. Got a letter from Sloss. Snow by spells today.

MAR. 3—Cold and stormy with snowing by times all day. Still at Singleys’ hunting. Seen Dan pass by coming to Bull Creek. I did not kill no varment today.

MAR. 4—Still at Singleys’ hunting but no sign of aney varmint. Singley and son were out with me all day. It is cold and stormy with snow. Came home, brought (—-calf?)

MAR. 5—Cold and cloudy with strong wind—– of rain—–(?) came or went. I went out on a hunt and kild a cat, a coon, and a deer in the eavning. Georgie skinned a sheep.

MAR. 6—Clear all day with a raw wind from the north. I worked on the garden and scraped up manure round the barn. A. Amens came over this eavning. And stays all night.

MAR. 7—Clear all day with a cold wind from north. Georgie went and got old (—-? Jim?) and one cow and calf. After dinner I went and salted sheep. Amens went home, Cathey came from Dan’s.

MAR. 8—Clear all day with cold winds from the north. I worked on corrals most of the day. Gillespie came over from his place. Cathey went and got three dear he killed.

MAR. 9—Clear all day and cool. Gillespie went to the upper valley and back this eavning. Cathey chopped wood all day. I pottered round on fencing. Topsy had two lambs today.

MAR. 10—Clear all day and chilly. Gillespie went home. I [or T] Hunter came up. I and Margaret go over to Dan’s . T. Hunter went over to Gillespie’s. We stayd with Dan.
Could I. Hunter be Ida (age 17)? Was she a twin sister of Lidia’s, or her cousin?
[The “I” could be a “T” in almost all these cases. The transcriber probably saw two letters that looked very much alike in handwriting. I would like to see the original of this journal!]

MAR. 11—Clear all day. Had breakfast with Dan and then we went over to Gillespies’ to dinner and I sowed his grain. We stayed all night.

MAR. 12—Clear all day, cold wind from north. At Gillespies’ corralled the sheep and doctored them. Counted 217 old ones and 43 lambs. Then came home. I [or T] Hunter came with us, still heare all night.

[Let’s hope they get a little bit warmer in the coming month. We’ll pick up where this left off.]

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1880 Diary of George Hindley, Part 1

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.

* * * * * * * * * *

[….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.

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