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Captain John Sutter !
History article !
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Have you ever wonder why all auctioneers are called colonel? Is it a level in which they graduate from auctioneer school, or do they just like the sound of the title. In the 1800's, captain was a title frequently used as well. Not everyone called captain was in the military, nor did they fight in any wars. It seemed to be a reference used to just separate leaders from followers. So much was the case as Captain Sutter.
Born in Switzerland, John Augustus Sutter had gone bankrupt and his only hope to escape imprisonment for his debts was to leave. His quick departure led him to America. Where he began telling large tales of his adventures in the Swiss Military, although the records show he was never in the army. Building his inflated ego after some kind of military leader.
In 1838, he headed for California by a very indirect route. Traveling with fur traders overland until he came to Hudson Bay Company post in Vancouver, for which he boarded a ship bound for Honolulu, then north to Sitka, and finally making his way to San Francisco. Styling himself as "Captain Sutter," in August of 1839, he started to build his ranch at what is now Sacramento. At this time the Mexican Government had control over the territory. But after becoming a Mexican citizen, he was able to receive a grant of 48,818 acres, then secured appointment as the local political and military authority for the area.
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Book Reviews
This months book is Gold, Guns, & Ghost Towns
by W. A. Chalfant. William, better know as "Bill", published the Inyo Register in a print shop near his home in Bishop. In the paper
he wrote of many of the tales from the old days in series after series covering many years. These tales were later printed as two books,
"Outpost of Civilization" published in 1928 and "Tales of the Pioneer" published in 1942. Both these books were combined and published
as "Gold, Guns, & Ghost Towns in 1947. This made some of the best reading I have come across in some time. I call this great reading
material for history!
Local News in Vegas!
T he weather has cold all month. We have not gotten any snow but the nights are bitter cold, down in the 30's. Most of the month has not been over 60 during the day, but it has started to warm around Christmas.
If the weather keeps this up I might be able to do some winter outings. I am hoping to get out early this year. It seems the tourist like the weather, the mall
has been packed all Christmas week. This year with Brenda not up to her regular self, we skipped putting up all of the junk in the yard. She was happy
to fill the house with decor and leave it at that. Everyone else in the house was happy with that, I know I was.
T he good thing is that gas prices are finally coming down!
Bob and Brenda's Sponsored Sites!!!!!
One of the best on Missouri History sites that I have found. Kathy has done a real good job
and has put a great amount of effort in this site! Legends of America !
T he best Las Vegas Information site on the web! If you want to know whats what and who is where then there is only one site to see! VegasDuSoleil.com !
Their 2006 Las Vegas Calendars are selling like Hot Cakes. They also have 2 exciting Las Vegas Mini Signs, plus Elvis Gifts are currently available for purchase at: www.vegasdusoleil.com ! or www.vegasinthesun.com !.
Now the best Nevada site on the Web, hands down has to be my Dearest of Friends Donna and Al Frederick. There is NOTHING about
White Pine County that you can not find there! Accessgenealogy.com !
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| Last Trip Log |
Trip Logs
December 7th and 8th, 2005
Well in a all out attempt to make one last run for this years, Ely is going to be it. In hopes that the weather would cooperate and
let me get a shot at the Diamond range we headed out. Miles before we got to Ely I could see the mountains were snow covered. Brenda and I pulled into Ely about noon. First stop was to be Al and Donna's to visit. Al told me the snow level was at 6000 feet. That means everything I was after would be covered in snow.
We visited the rest of the day and Donna cooked up a great supper, then we checked in at the hotel. It seems I had a cold working in my lungs and I was up most of the night.
We got up early and headed down stairs to the restaurant, I went out to the truck to get a pack of cigarettes and found my spare pop froze solid. This was not a good sign. We had a good breakfast, but it hit hard and I was really feeling sick now. I had no alternative but to go back to the room and lay down. I very rarely
get sick but Brenda brought some cold medicine, so I took it and laid down. That was it, lights out till about 4:00 pm. Well, Brenda wanted to go shopping so I found her a couple of dollar stores. The day was shot so we went back to the hotel to have dinner, thinking it may settle better this time. Still feeling like crap, we went to the room for the night.
In the morning we slept in and finally made it down for breakfast around 10:00am. I spent about three hours driving around town taking pictures of all of the murals I could find. This town has a lot of murals. In hopes of salvaging something out of this trip I stopped at the Museum. They really have a nice one. We did the museum several years ago but it is a lot better now. Besides I did not get very many pictures last time. So I ended up with the murals of Ely and the Museum.
We finished off the day back at Donna's visiting some more.
All and all it wasn't a really bad trip, we have had better, but we enjoyed what we could. I always enjoy talking with Al and Donna. We all agreed to do the Diamond Range in the spring, after the weather is over. Well the showers worked good this time at the hotel, if you have ever stayed at the Hotel Nevada you will know what I mean. This will pretty well end the trips for this year. Except for the pasting of Brian, it has been a good one!
| Personal Notes |
Upcoming Plans, starting the new year !
Plan A, after trying to find the elusive Bennett Pass charcoal kilns, it ranks number one for the year. I know there is probably nothing but a pile of rocks to find, but I have to see those rocks. Sometimes after all the research to find
the location of things, you just got to follow through. If I am lucky, we can get the Comet Mining Camp on the same trip, backup to plan A.
Plan B, is the first scheduled trip of the year, so far. Around the third weekend in May we have been invited to attend and document a real ghost dance at the Walker River Piaute Reservation. As far I as know there has not been one documented in the last one hundred years.
Plan C, hopefully while we are in the area I should be able to visit Rawhide. There are many good sites in the Walker River area.
Plan D, this will be a trip over to Death Valley to follow up on what we missed last time. Maybe even the sawmill at Owens Lake. Death Valley has so much to offer!
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