stonemon
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2017
Posts: 1,024
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Post by stonemon on Jan 13, 2019 19:38:29 GMT -5
Vegasjames' coal mine post got me to thinking about some colorful history my kin were in the middle of back at the turn of the 20th century. I don't know if the trip he documented is in the same area as my family resided but it triggered me into thinking about my roots there.
My great grandfather was the sheriff of Nye county Nevada for a stretch from the late 1890's until April 7, 1906 when he was gunned down in a "house of ill fame". My cousin Jackie wrote a book about his life and times including his encounters with Wyatt Earp and other legendary wild west figures. My grandmother Hazel Logan was one of eight children he left behind when he was killed. She never spoke of her father as the survivors felt a great deal of shame over the circumstances of his death. Here is a link to a short account of his demise my cousin authored. I believe her book is still available if any of you are history buffs....
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 13, 2019 19:58:03 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing. I think it's cool he was rewarded posthumously for doing what he did. Too bad the killer got away with it. My great grandfather was the first officer to die in the line of duty in Wisconsin, 1912. He left 5 kids. One of them was my grandmother. His murderer was never caught. The whole story was well documented in the papers. His wife, my great grandmother, was the daughter of a prominent pillar of the community and business leader. eta www.odmp.org/officer/5743-police-officer-fred-c-griffin
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,194
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Post by RWA3006 on Jan 13, 2019 20:11:31 GMT -5
Enjoyed the story. That's interesting country ... I've been to Tonapah and Goldfield and have seen the interesting grave markers in the cemeteries. I sometimes tease my wife telling her I'm going to move out there.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 13, 2019 21:23:12 GMT -5
My grandmother was born in Virginia City during the Comstock days and my grandfather born and spent his life on the Callahan Ranch where they would haul the ore from Virginia City to process at the spring at the lower end of the ranch. Then they would cut the timber from the ranch to haul back to Virginia City to shore up the mines. Both my grandfather and his brother worked the mines in Virginia City. So I used to hear all the stories about Virginia City's hayday firsthand. Unfortunately most the ranch has been sold and they are building multimillion dollar homes up there destroying so much history.
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