More random photos, 2

Note: i don’t have a category for “Photos” alone, since so many of these posts have a few. However, if you put “photos” in the Search bar above, you will see the blog entries that are basically just pictures– such as this one!

From an album given to us by Dayton Titus. This is only the second picture i’ve ever seen of the John A. Mackey store. It burned in 1903, so this is a very early photograph. Since the original was only about 2 inches in diameter, even this much detail in it (when blown up; to make it bigger, click on it, and click again…) is gratifying. The store was opposite the southwest corner of the Petrolia square.

Here’s another from the same page, same Titus album. I didn’t clean it up or Photoshop the scan in any way but to enhance the contrast… it was quite washed-out. But it’s a treasure, in that we only have two or three other views of this hotel, which was the one on the square. The structure must have been enlarged many times; i think this was the north wing, seen from the west; that is, it’s directly across from the present Petrolia Store. The main and original part of the hotel is to the right, on the southwest corner of the square.

A double exposure, probably accidental as nobody’s trying to look like they’re astride a horse; still, it does look like that one guy’s on a ghost horse, no? From the Titus album.

View northwest toward the hill at the end of Chambers Rd., which is the cliff above the narrow part of Conklin Creek Rd. There are a couple other pictures we have of this same view, from different times. This one shows a little more of the grazing area, perhaps giving more of a clue to the exact location of this enclosure. I believe it was between the curves of the road going down Shenanigan Ridge toward Petrolia, two turns below the present dump… land marked Mike Shallard on some of the very old maps. But i am not sure.

Old bridge not necessarily in the Mattole area (some of the pictures in Dayton Titus’s album are from Ferndale, maybe other places), but it could well be any of at least four in the lower Mattole (Honeydew and downstream) that cross between steeper, treed banks.

This picture was sent by Doris Long, the lady who knew the John W. and Florence Mackeys as a child. A nice view of the mouth of the river in 1941- ’42.

The story Doris Geib Long told, and several great pictures she sent, are here.

Lisa (Mrs. Laurence) Hindley sent these next few pictures. This is Joseph N.D. Hindley with a tamed fawn.

I can’t get my orientation right for this picture… are we looking upstream?

Another Hindley photo, of the structure for a straw barn at the family ranch in Honeydew.

Wind or lightning? Something felled this lone tree, but its regrowth is vigorous and beautiful. Thanks to Lisa Hindley for sending this and other photos.

Speaking of Hindleys, something tells me there might be some Hindley children in this group. Perhaps it’s a group of Honeydew schoolmates. The photo was in the Mary Rackliff Etter collection. I see some Native faces, and a few of the people strongly resemble those in other Honeydew group photos.

Jerry Rohde sent me this photo a couple of months ago. It is by A.A. Burgess, a Petrolia-area photographer, and it was filed with the Bear River-Petrolia pictures at the Humboldt Co. Historical Society. We are wondering if anybody knows where this apparently beachfront bachelor’s cabin was located. I sent it to John McAbery, wondering if he had any ideas about whether it might have been a previous structure on the location of his home at Four Mile Creek, but he said No. Anybody?

Well, many more photos upcoming when i find the time.

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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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Hindley family, late 1890s

The Hindley family of Honeydew. From Mary Rackliff Etter's collection, where there are many more like it.

Here is another randomly-found letter that tries to explain the members of a family picture. A few years ago, I wrote to Wendy Lestina of the Ferndale Museum about this photograph of the Hindleys, which was on a page with several other sittings of the same large group, taken in roughly the same period. I had asked Laurence Hindley (of Fortuna; the guy who collects and fixes up all the old farm and tractor equipment, including steam engines) and he couldn’t tell for sure who everyone was, so i don’t feel so bad. Maybe putting out the pictures online like this might find some answers.

Dear Wendy,
I only know that George and Margaret Jane Holman Hindley were married on December 25, 1866, in Weaverville, CA, and by 1874 were in the Upper Mattole (now Honeydew) area. They had 13 children, 4 of whom died in childhood. The remaining 9 were:
1. George Lawton H., b. 1867, married Mary J. Hogan
2. Annie Maud, b. 1872, married Walter E. Hackett
3. Ernest Richard, b. 1876, have no marriage info; died 1936
4. (Margaretta) Cora, b. 1881, married Walter C. Reishus
5. Verna Verena (?), b. 1883, married George C. Lindley
6. Hazel Enid, b. 1886, married Martin Waddington
7. Rebecca Elizabeth, b. 1888, married Joseph Keating, then Gordon Nichols
8. Joseph N. D., born 1893, married Blanche Cecil Haywood (their children were Vera Jean [Myers], Harlan, Cecil Joseph [C.J.], and George Hindley)
9. Henry C., born 1895, married Mary Ann Holbrook

My guess is that the picture shows Offspring 1 through 7 at the top of the picture–2 young men and 5 girls–and that the bottom group is the two youngest boys, Joseph and Henry, with 5 of their nieces and nephews–children of the older siblings.

If the picture were taken about 1897, when the eldest son was 30 and the eldest girl was 27, this would make sense. The two youngest of the George and Margaret children would have been ages 4 and 6 then.
Laurence and Lisa Hindley couldn’t figure it out, though they were sure that it is George and Margaret Jane flanking the children. So (maybe) our guess is as good as anyone’s.
~Laura

P.S. George Hindley was a well-known public servant. He was county supervisor and had much to do with getting the Fernbridge built. One of his misadventures was being shot in the face by a neighbor with whom he had seemed to get along, and with whom he worked and traded; the man is mentioned often in his diary. Cyrus C. Fitzgerald, or was it Fitzpatrick? Anyway, the man turned out to be quite a rogue, and i believe died in a jail, in ill health, in his 40s. Speaking of the diary… Laurence Hindley gave the MVHS a copy of a solid year of George Hindley’s journal from the 1880s. There is only a paragraph, sometimes a couple of lines, for each day; but it is very revealing. I will see about posting bits of it on here. Might be kind of fun to do several entries for the appropriate month, i.e., “125 years ago this month.”

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