John Henry Hurd (Born 28 December 1852 Tamaqua, Pennsylvania--Died 13 February 1933 San Francisco, California). Picture shared by Mimi Swaney (Great Granddaughter to Winnie Hurd) on Ancestry.com. This picture is believed to have been taken in Pennsylvania around 1870.
John Henry Hurd was the first born child of William Henry Hurd and Harriet Elizabeth Bluett. He was born in Tamaqua, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. He traveled to Nevada City, California with his parents and younger sister Elizabeth Jane Hurd (my Great Great Grandmother) by crossing the Isthmus at Panama in 1856. The family lived on a hill above the Manzanita Mine (in the vicinity of Sugarloaf Mountain). He traveled back to Pennsylvania before the 1870 Census. He began working in mining (most likely coal mining) as a machinist around 1870 in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania along with his father and other Bluett family members. He traveled back west with his family, settling down in Virginia City, Nevada. His father William died in a mining accident in the Ophir mine in 1876. He continued working as a machinist/miner in Virginia City in and around the 1880's at the C and C Shaft. He was living with his mother, his younger brother and 6 younger sisters on Sacramento Road in 1880.
Unfortunately, there is no 1890 Census to help us see what John was doing in the early 90's, but the obituary of his younger brother Frank Hurd mentions that John was in Mexico at the time of Frank's death in 1897. John was no doubt engaged in a job related to mining; he may have gone to work in some capacity for an American owned mine. The silver and gold boom in Virginia City was almost over, and he may have needed work, or he was there to gain experience. There is no record of his trip or how long he was out of the country. He was not enumerated in the 1900 US Census, so he may have still been in Mexico at the time.
John Hurd
Picture taken somewhere around the 1880's or 90's. Shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com
By the 1910 US Census John was back in Virginia City. He was living on C Street as a lodger along with 11 other gentlemen who worked as miners in the "gold and silver mines" industry. John's occupation was listed as stationary engineer. He was 57 years old. Under the column "List how many days out of work in 1909" he listed 0. So, he was still working in the mines, even though the heyday and boom times were coming to an end.
Several newspaper snippets give a glimpse of his life as an older gentleman. The Reno Evening Gazette dated February 3, 1915 said.."John Hurd returned from Truckee Monday, after attending the ice festival." The Reno Evening Gazette dated October 2, 1915 said ..."John Hurd was a departure yesterday evening for the exposition." This was probably referring to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition World's Fair being held in San Francisco. That must have been quite a trip!
By the 1920 US Census John Hurd was living in San Francisco at 1146 Mission Street as a lodger, probably in a residential hotel. He was 67 years old. His sister Elizabeth Jane (my Great Great Grandmother) was living in the bay area at the time with some of her children, so he was close to family. John was still living on Mission Street at the time of the 1930 US Census, and was 77 years old.
The writing on the back of this picture says.."Taken Sunday, Feb. 10, 1933. John H. Hurd 80 years old". It looks like Elizabeth Jane's writing. John was standing on the right side of the picture. I am not sure who the older couple was. It was taken just three days before his death.
The Reno Evening Gazette 14, February 1933.
John Hurd is buried in the Masonic Garden Cemetery on Stoker Avenue in Reno, Nevada. Photo from FindAGrave.com
John Hurd stepped in after his father died and took over as head of the family. He never married. He lived with his mother until her death in 1893, and he was instrumental in making sure that his younger sisters completed their educations and were able to make the most of every opportunity presented to them. Their stories continue....
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