52Ancestors52Weeks Week 37 On the Farm......John Hansen Visits Colusa After 30 Years Absence

   I found this old newspaper clipping several summers ago in my Great Grandmother Vere Hansen's things.  As I read it, I realized that it was talking about my Great Grandfather John Hartwig Hansen.  But why was he visiting Colusa thirty years later?  Who were I. G. Zumwalt and E. A. Potter? When was this newspaper story published?  Unfortunately, I had no other information to put this story into context. Until this summer when I came across the following picture at Cousin Skip Hansen's house....

  On the back was written "Threshing grain  Colusa Co 1890   (arrow up) Hansen".  The writing is familiar and could be either Vere Hansen's or John Hansen's.  

 The picture was taken by J. B. Stormer, who took "Instantaneous Photos" in Colusa California. 

It is hard to make out, but when I enlarged the photograph I saw an arrow pointing to none other than John H. Hansen! 

   I know John petitioned for Citizenship in 1892 and was granted United States Citizenship in Colusa County in 1894.  The family story was that he worked on a farm right after he had jumped ship in Eureka, California, after several years at sea.  He came from a farm in Norway, so the story was certainly plausible.  

  The newspaper article reads....

Old Timer Here to Visit After Thirty Years Absence

    Thirty years ago J. H. Hansen left Colusa.  Today he returned and was the guest of  I. G. Zumwalt.   Jack, as he will be remembered by old-timers, is going over the scenes of three decades ago and "remembering when" with cronies of past days.

  Since leaving Colusa, Jack has covered a good share of the world. Soldiering in the Philippines, mining in South America and Mexico and travels in the states finally led back to the Grass Valley country where Jack has been in the mining game. 

  Recently he sustained injuries when struck by falling timber at his work and employees of the mine presented him with a gold watch which he proudly wears, as a token of esteem.

  Jack is resting up after the accident and is on the way to Wilbur Springs to spend a couple of weeks.  To I. G. Zumwalt today he pointed out the spot where a Chinese murderer was hanged by an irate mob and recalled also when Colusa had a chorus of 100 voices and he was a member of the chorus. 

  This afternoon Mr. Hansen is visiting with E. A. Potter, for whom he worked 30 years ago.  

****

   Looking on Find A Grave, I found E. A.  Potter's life story.  After serving in the Civil War Albert Eugene Potter came to California from New York by way of the Nicaragua route to San Francisco.  In 1869 he bought a farm one mile west of Colusa.  At his death in 1930 he had 91 acres of alfalfa on the farm.  He also operated a grain ranch of 1900 acres six miles north of Colusa.  He is buried in the Colusa Community Cemetery.   I believe the picture I have could have been taken on E. A. Potter's farm near Colusa. 

  I. G. Zumwalt's life story was also on Find A Grave.  Ivy George Zumwalt was an attorney, founder and president of the Colusa Implement Company and also served as District Attorney for Colusa County. He founded the Colusa Daily Times in 1933.  He died a multi-millionaire  in 1950.  My great grandfather was his guest around 1920 when this story was published.  

  I still haven't found the newspaper that this story was published in.  There are three possibilities:  The Colusa Daily Sun, the Weekly Sun or the Colusa Herald.   The article was written sometime in August. I have posted the article and the picture on the Colusa History Facebook page to see if I can get any suggestions.  

  If we do the math, John Hansen was around 25 years old when he worked on the farm in Colusa, as he was born in 1865 in Norway.  30 years from then would be right around 1920, and he would have been around 55 years old.  I suppose one would be considered an "Old Timer" at 55 in 1920.  He certainly made an impression on the residents of Colusa during his stay there in the 1890's. Did he rest up in Wilbur Springs (sulfur hot springs)  by himself or did he take my Great Grandmother? 

  There is also the mention of John Hansen's "soldiering in the Philippines".  I still have found no documentation to say that he was in the Philippines before, during or after the Spanish American War.  He did serve on the USS Philadelphia and the USS Mohican and was in Hawaii in 1898 for the raising of the American Flag (see my post from May 31, 2020 entitled Documents for John Hansen: Birth, Citizenship, The Spanish American War and the Laundry Business).  As always, his complex life narrative never ceases to amaze me.   At least I now know that the story of working on a farm is true!

  

    Wilbur Springs is located in Williams, California, and is now called Wilbur Hot Springs.  It is advertised as a "Health Sanctuary/Geothermal Springs/Nature Preserve" that is a "peaceful,  off-grid, solar powered health sanctuary".   Bathing in the hot springs is clothing optional. 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->John Hartwig Hansen m. Vere Burrows Hansen