He died over half a century ago. But tales live on about Earl Lessley, the “flying cowboy”! Earl Lessley was born in 1889 in Drytown, California. His parents, Mary and Samuel Lessley, had crossed the plains from Missouri by covered wagon. Even after they arrived in California, the family evidently moved around a bit; a second […]
Snowshoe Thompson’s Headstone — Stolen??
Well, almost!! Here’s the fascinating tale about how Snowshoe’s grave got capped with concrete — and who’s sleeping in the long-forgotten grave next to him! Snowshoe Thompson, you may remember, exited this life on May 15, 1876 at his ranch in Diamond Valley, California. Just 49 years old, this giant of a man was likely felled […]
The Story of Lame Tom: Finding Gifts Among Tragedy
The true “pioneers” of Alpine County were the native Washoe. But little was written about them in the early days. So it was a real treat to stumble across a 1927 Record-Courier article detailing the life of Markleeville resident “Lame Tom.” In the early 1900s, Lame Tom (his real name was Assu) lived in a wickiup […]
How a Fire Saved the Fiske Hotel
Just how often do you get to walk inside a piece of history? Built in 1863, this hotel is a slice of life from Alpine County’s version of the Comstock days. And the building still exists — thanks to a fire. Yes, a fire is what saved this historic building. Two fires, actually. Here’s how it happened: […]
Why You’ll Actually Want to See The Inside of THIS Jail Cell. . .
. . . the historic jail at the Alpine County Museum, that is! Built in 1867, these heavy iron cells were created for a new jail in the mining boomtown of Silver Mountain City. Silver Mountain was Alpine County’s original county seat and a quintessential mining town, back in the days of the Comstock Lode. […]
Woodfords, California
If you’ve ever stopped at Woodfords, you may have seen the Wade House — and probably never gave it a second glance. But this small, nondescript green house has an amazing claim to fame: it’s said to be the oldest continuously-inhabited dwelling on the entire Eastern Sierra! The original cabin (likely just a single room) was built by mill-builder […]
The Secret Life of Eugene May (Part 2)
We left off last week with the secret Eugene A. May had kept for over 50 years: his real name was Henry Head! He’d left his family back in Illinois after an emotional dispute with his step-mother. His own family in Empire may not even have known the truth. After Hank’s death in 1900, his widow, Eldorado, […]
Veterans’ Day
In honor of Veterans’ Day, here are the true stories of two nearly-forgotten veterans! Both are buried at the historic Fredericksburg Cemetery, just off Highway 88. Tucked beneath a shady smoke tree (roughly in the center of the photo) is the grave of Kermit Neddenriep. When we first began researching, we knew nothing about Kermit […]
Hope Valley History
Hope Valley received its name from members of the Mormon Battalion making their way back to Salt Lake, who “finally had hope” of reaching their destination once they got this spot. Here they would have found water and grass for their animals, and a place to rest briefly before forging the difficult path down the rocky canyon ahead (Woodfords […]
Silver Lake Hotel
The ad announcing the opening of the Silver Lake Hotel in June, 1866 spared no adjectives. The air was “pure,” the scenery “delightful,” the lake itself “bottomless” and “abounding with delicious trout.” And if “sweltering mortals” from Sacramento and San Joaquin needed further inducement to travel the Amador Road for a visit, the proprietors urged […]