Poor Jacob Markley. A century and a half after his death, the man who bestowed his name on the town of Markleeville remains mostly a mystery. Still, a few details of his life remain: Markley was born March 6, 1821 in Dundas, Ontario, Canada and emigrated to Virginia in his youth. In the late 1840s […]
Eliza Withington
Her real name was Elizabeth, but everyone still calls her “Eliza.” She was born Eliza Kirby in New York in 1825. By the age of 20 she was residing in Michigan, marrying George Withington there in 1845. When the gold rush began, George — like so many others — joined a company of men and […]
Spielvogel Mystery
The mystery of the Spielvogels has been bugging me for years now. This picture, one of about 50 old black-and-whites, arrived in an envelope courtesy of an eBay find. From the cryptic legends it was clear the family was from Northern Michigan or perhaps Ontario. They owned a farm. The old homestead was in Prescott, and Arley […]