A TRIP TO YO-SEMITE - PART 2

So we left off last week with my great grandfather and his traveling companions reaching the foothills town of Murphy’s where they spent the night at the Sperry & Perry Hotel, prepared to arise early the next morning and head for the celebrated Big Trees in the Calaveras Grove.

Continuing on, then . . .

          After breakfast, we left at 6:30 for Bickers -15 miles.  Saw many objects of interest.  The drive was beautiful.  Arrived at 10:20 AM.  On the route I saw the first snow plant.  I think they are the prettiest plant I ever saw.  They are a parasite as large as a man's wrist – a red and pink color with a beautiful cluster-like cup or flower.  They must be seen to be appreciated.

          Went through the Grove.  Clambered over snow five or six feet deep and saw trees 30 feet in diameter and 300 feet high.  Took dinner at the hotel kept by Mr. Perry who died a few days after we were there.  Met Rev. Hemphill and wife of San Francisco.  Also our friends Mr. and Mrs. Conant and son, and Mrs. Whitehouse.

          I got some bark of the U.S. Grant tree, and some of Lincoln, and a sprig of Keystone State.  The trees are all named.  The Pioneer Cabin tree is 32 feet in diameter.  Father of the Forest, lying down, is hollow and they ride through on horseback, 50 feet.  Strolled through the Grove after dinner.  One fallen tree had a bowling alley on it.  A stump, 32 feet across, has a house over it and four sets of dancers can dance a cotillion on it. (Bowling alley & pavilion now removed.) (J.K.’s tree measurements were a little off.  Not sure why, but he was probably taking a guide’s word for it who may have been guessing a bit?)

Note: A writer of the day for Bancroft's Tourist Guide, attempting to come up with a more colorful description of the Big Trees, referred to them as “vegetable monsters”. J

The Pioneer’s Cabin Tree – also known as the “Tunnel Tree” – with members of my family in 1998.  The tunnel was cut through the tree a few years after J.K. was there.

Standing 205 feet tall and more than 19 feet in diameter, the Pioneer’s Cabin Tree was one of about 150 ancient giant sequoias within the North Grove of Calaveras Big Trees. The tree was distinguished by its crown, most of which had been shorn off by lightning, and by the distinctive fire scar at its wide base. In the 1880s Murphy’s Hotel owner, James Sperry, requested of the owners of the land on which the tree grew, that a tunnel be created through the tree so tourists could pass through it and this was done. Thousands of park visitors passed through the Pioneer’s Cabin Tree on foot and horseback and by carriage and motorcar. But the famous sequoia toppled in 2017 after a period of heavy rain and high winds.  The tree was 1233 years old.

The fallen Father of the Forest surrounded by Company F. (No date with the photo?)  I don’t believe anyone was ever able to actually ride through the tree?  But there are several old photos showing various uniformed horseback riders posed around and on it.  Last time I was there, it was possible to walk into the open end of of the tree for a short distance and peek out through holes in the tree’s decaying bark.

The pavilion built over the stump of the Big Tree and part of the fallen tree beside it.

Inside the pavilion.

A drawing of the stump with several sets of dancers on it before the pavilion was built.

A drawing of the bowling alley built over the rest of the fallen tree.

A postcard depicting the Mammoth Grove Hotel run by Mr. Perry on the left, and the Big Tree cut down and covered by a pavilion and a bowling alley on the right.  I have no idea about the camels?

The Big Tree, a giant sequoia originally called the “Discovery Tree”, was discovered in 1851.  Inconceivable in this day and age, but in 1852 its bark was cut off in sections & reconfigured as a sensation to be seen around the world.  The huge tree was 24’ in diameter at its base, 363’ tall, and 1244 years old when it was cut down by a bunch of idiot gold miners in 1853.  It took 3 weeks to complete the job.

Daughter Suzanne standing on the Big Tree stump in 2006.

          Left the Big Trees at 2:45 PM, arriving at Murphy's at 5:15.  Went to see hydraulic mining.  A good portion of Murphy’s was burned down a few days after we left.  Once a very thriving town, but now is dull. 

Mr. Sperry of Murphy's Hotel, is a nice man and looks well to the comfort of the guests.  Mr. Clark , a young widower, and I became firm friends as I found him genial and being a Pennsylvanian made us friendly to each other.  Mr. Howe was nice, married, and has children.  Sutton, a young upstart – spoiled, child-like.  "Smed", always ready for anything . . . tramp, fun, etc.  Another good supper, bed, night's sleep, and an early start for Yo-Semite.  Left at 6:30 AM.  Passed Doyles's Flat and Vallecito, down canyon to the Stanislaus River, arriving at Pendola Ferry at 7:50 – nine miles.

Vallecito then

Vallecito now.  Not much different.

The Pendola ferry crossing.  Note the small tree on the left, and the large oval-rounded rock on the right toward the edge of the picture.

The Pendola ferry crossing now.  Note the tree on the left, and the large oval-rounded rock on the right!  I guessed at the spot when I took this picture!  I didn’t see the old picture until after I’d taken this one.  And I was lucky the year I was tracing great grandfather’s route that we were in a drought.  Otherwise this whole area would have been under the waters of the New Melones Reservoir.

The lower road on the left led down to the ferry crossing.  The road above it was the old highway linked to the bridge in the background built in 1949 which was flooded when the New Melones Reservoir was created.  The reservoir’s high water mark is obvious!  I took this picture from the current bridge.

The current bridge with the reservoir full.  You can just see the road from the old bridge on the right.  The road to the old ferry crossing is completely submerged.

Owing to the warm day before, the snows melted and raised the Stanislaus so that the ferryman would not venture his boat across until the water lowered.  We lounged around, took lunch, played cards, tried to sleep and at 1:40 PM, crossed the river and went on to Gold Springs and Columbia -14 miles.

Columbia in the 1870s was already a fading town which is probably why J.K. didn’t mention anything about it beyond its name.

Today, however, it’s restored and preserved as a popular State Park with all manner of interesting little shops and a stage stop with a Wells Fargo Wagon that takes folks for rides.

          Arrived in Sonora 4PM – 4 miles.  On the route, passed Woods Creek and Shaw's Flat on the right.  Weather splendid, scenery magnificent.  The whole country seemed to have been once mined – old sluices and wheels, old shanties and miners' cabins. Roses in full bloom showed where once the delicate hands of the fair sex had trained them.  Trees in full bearing.

          We were somewhat surprised at our guide in putting up the team for the night.  So we put our heads together and concluded thusly, that if we allow that, he will do it again.  So I was appointed a delegate of one, hailing from Sacramento with proper credentials, to ask Chase why this, thusly?  He said that because the delay on the Stanislaus had put us back, he thought he could not make Priest's – 18 miles – that night, and cross the Tuolumne river, too. I said: "Give your horses an hour and a half and a good feed, and we'll press on and will walk up the big hill."  He said that I was another, but he would harness up again at my order.  "Karrect." said I. "Take a cigar or two in here."  (I had gotten some for the occasion.)

Sonora in 1866, looking north uphill toward the “Red Church” and its tall steeple.  J.K. and companions would have come past the church and on down through town to the City Hotel on the right – out of sight in this photo, but sort of kiddy-corner across the street from the livery stable.

Sonora now, looking north toward the “Red Church”.  The City Hotel in this photo is again on the right & out of sight, but across the street from the Diamondback Grill – except the Diamondback Grill is currently on the other side of the street and up a ways. J

Of course there’s much more to Sonora today.  This is ‘old town’ Sonora.  There are now five big shopping centers, super stores like Walmart & Lowe’s, two Starbucks, a 10-theatre complex, a bypass, and upwards of 18 signals.  There was only one signal when we moved into the area 42 years ago!

Sonora’s City Hotel where J.K. and traveling party took a bit of a break.  This is somewhat before they were there since the hotel had not yet been plastered or bricked over to protect it from fire.  

This was the City Hotel in the early 1900s now plastered over.  Same fancy deck railing though, and perhaps it looked a little more like this when J.K. was there?

The City Hotel today with handsome brick facade.

          Sonora, by the way, is a very pretty town.  Fine brick stores, hotels, and business places of all kinds, and in a town as pretty as it, we always find pretty ladies.  God bless them.  A very nice-looking young lady passed the hotel and then re-passed.  I could not help but admire her as she walked gracefully past and I even said "There is a nice-looking lady." and at the same time I could not help but think of my dear sister away in old Pennsylvania. What if she were away out here in a mining town?  I would be glad to have the honest miner think of her as I did – as this fair one.  For I believe them all good and honest.  Not so his royal highness, Mr. Sutton of South Carolina, for just as she passed, he tossed his head and remarked: "There is a hoodlum for you."  It made me mad, so I asked if he knew her.  "No." said he.  "I judged so."

"Hell," I said, "young man.  Be a little careful how you talk in a California mining town.  It is well no one heard you for they would punish you severely and I could not help you. Suppose her brother had been sitting near and she just nodded to him in his rough clothes?  It doesn’t follow that she is a hoodlum.”

The landlord heard all that was said and said to him “Yes it’s lucky nobody heard you but me.  There are no hoodlums here, but if you go to Chinatown or Spanish town you may find some to suit you.” and after we left (the landlord shaking hands with us all but Sutton) we told S. to be very careful how he talked or he would get a black eye so that made a (?) and Chase came near hitting him and did call him names that did not speak well for his (?)  That settled S.’s asking questions as we were all heartily tired of him long e’re this.

To be continued

:->

La Nightingail

(Note: Just so you know, Part 3 will be posted a little late next Saturday afternoon, the 22nd)