#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 47...Random Number....Putting the Life of William Henry Bluett Into Context

 

List of All People from my Ancestry.com Rodda/Bluett Family Tree.

William Henry Bluett was number 62 on the list. 

    The theme for this week was "Random Number".  As a fun exercise the idea was to pick a random number between 1 and 100, and find the corresponding ancestor on your tree to write about.  I thought it would be interesting to see who popped up on my Bluett/Rodda tree since I have not visited that tree for awhile.  I decided to go with my current age (should I divulge?) for my random number....and William Henry Bluett came up as lucky number 62.  I have briefly written of his life before, but I thought this week I would take a deeper dive into William's life story.  Even though he was not a direct ancestor, William's place in our family tree and within Nevada County history was uniquely his own and worthy of writing down. 

  

    William H. Bluett was the son of  John Bluett and Susan Tonkin, both originally from Cornwall, England.  John Bluett was the older brother of my third great grandmother, Harriet Bluett Hurd; William was her nephew. I previously wrote about John and Susan's family who lived at the top of Nevada Street in Nevada City, California, back in 2021 (March 21, 2021 The Bluett Family in Nevada City).

      William was the third child of John and Susan, and was born in Nevada City on December 3, 1864.  He lived to be 50 years old. He was buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery and his grave location is currently unknown.  Here is William's life story in timeline form...

1864    Birth on December 3 in Nevada City, California. William's  older siblings were John Wesley Bluett and  Susie Virginia Bluett (Durbin).  Williams' cousin Carrie Amelia Hurd had been born in Nevada City in February of that year while William Hurd and Harriet Bluett Hurd were living near the Manzanita Mine.  His other Hurd cousins were John Henry Hurd, Elizabeth Jane Hurd (Burrows)...my great great grandmother, William George Hurd (born in Nevada City in 1857) and Ella Hurd (born in Nevada City in 1860).

1865   William's uncle Joseph T. Bluett arrived back in Nevada City after serving in the Civil War, and brought back the small bible he was given before he left by my great great grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd. 

1866   Birth of his brother James Edward Bluett in Nevada City, California. 

1868     Birth of his cousin Winifred Melvine Hurd in Nevada City on September 3 while William and Harriet Bluett Hurd were living near the Manzanita Mine. 

 1869    Birth of his sister Abbie J. Bluett in Nevada City, California. 

1868-1869    The family of William Hurd and Harriet Bluett Hurd moved back to Pennsylvania sometime during this period and were back in Pennsylvania by the 1870 Census. 

 1870   The 1870 Census for William looked like this: 

 William's father John was a gold miner making a good living and Susan was at home taking care of 5 young children.  It must have been a very busy home!  William was most likely just starting school.  The family lived in Nevada Township, Nevada County California.  Their home was in the vicinity of Nevada Street and Old Washington Road. 

1870 US Federal Census for William H Bluett

Ancestry.com

 1873   Death of his sister Abbie J. Bluett on September 6, 1873.  She was 4 years old, and her cause of death is unknown.  William was 8 years old at the time and this must have been a very sad event for him.  I can't imagine what John and Susan felt after losing their baby. But, unfortunately, it was a common occurrence for  the time and place.  She was buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City, California. Plot location unknown. 

1875  The Hurd family was back on the west coast living in Virginia City, Nevada where William Hurd was working at the Ophir Mine.  The Great Fire occurred on October 26, 1875.  William was sure to have heard about the devastation the fire caused and how it affected his uncle and aunt and his cousins. 

1876  Death of his father John Bluett who was 50 years old.  John's cause of death is unknown.  He was a miner, so his death could very well have been related to his occupation. He was buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery, plot location unknown. William was 11 years old at the time.   Also, William's uncle William Hurd died in an accident in the  Ophir Mine in Virginia City, Nevada. His cousins had lost their father, too. 

1878   Death of his mother Susan Tonkin Bluett. Susan was 43 years old and died of cancer.  In her will she bequeathed the home and property to all of her remaining children.  The oldest child John Wesley was 18 years old.  He became the head of the Bluett family in the Bluett home at the top of Nevada Street.  William was 13 years old.  Susan was also buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery, plot location unknown. 

1880  The 1880 Census looked like this:

 The household looked much different by 1880.  John Wesley was working as a laborer at the age of 20 (and was head of the household), sister Susan was taking care of the home at the age of 18, and "Willie" and Eddie were most likely in school still, being 16 and 13 years old. The home was listed as being located on Nevada Street. 

1880 US Federal Census for William H Bluett

Ancestry.com

1880   William's sister Susie married Alexander Durbin in Nevada City, California after the census was taken. They lived as a married couple in the same home as the Bluett boys. Eight children were eventually born to the Durbins, beginning in 1881. William became an uncle! 

There is a large gap in records between 1880 and the 1900 census.  William's brother Eddie was married and living in Yuba County, working as a farmer by 1900 and continued to live the rest of his life in Marysville.  They had no children.  William's brother John Wesley was still living in Nevada City, as he was found on the California Voter Registers for 1892.  He worked as a painter. 

 1892  William Henry was found in the California Voter Registers also. The Presidential election that year was between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison (Cleveland's win made him the first president in American history to be re-elected to a non-consecutive term....shades of our future 2024 election...).  This source is important for several reasons.  

Great Register of Nevada County 1892 California Voter Registers

Ancestry.com

   

 We get a good look at William's appearance from this source; he was 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  His right hand was missing the second finger at the last joint.  His darker complexion was probably due to the fact that he worked out of doors as a mill man.  At that time this was a hazardous occupation, especially regarding digits! William had already lost one finger. 

 We also get a look at where William was working in a mill;  the town of Maybert, California.  I had to do some quick research on where Maybert was located.  It was a mining town in Nevada County, California, on the south side of the Yuba River and about 6 miles east of the town of Washington.  

Maybert is located about 22 miles from Nevada City.   You can drive Highway 20 from Nevada City up to the turn off to Washington and follow the road to what's left of Maybert in about 40 minutes.  It may have taken a bit longer by stage in the 1890's. 

Google maps

 The little town of Maybert's heyday was from the mid 1880's to the early 1900's.  It had sprung up to house and serve the area mines and their workers. A road and a bridge were constructed to connect the town of Washington and the large Yuba Mine in 1876. A newer bridge was constructed in 1895. 

  The 1895 Maybert Road bridge crossing  Canyon Creek, pictured before it was taken down in 2016 and replaced with a modern bridge.  Nevada City plans on using the old bridge as part of its trail system in the future. 

www.bridgeoftheweek.com

  Maybert boasted a school, its own election district (32 votes were cast in the 1892 election...one was probably William's!), its own telephone company, a post office and a hotel with a saloon.  It was connected by stage to Washington, Nevada City, Downieville and other points in Nevada County.  Even though William was living and working up the mountain from Nevada City, he was able to take the stage and visit his family on Nevada Street.

  William worked at one of the sawmills in the area.  The mills served the mines; the principal mines were the Yuba, Eagle Bird, Blue Bell and the Blue Jay.  These mines had their own mills, and could pay their mill men $3-$3.50 a day.  It was a hazardous job, as I found out by looking at the 1896 Voter Registration...

1893    Death of William's aunt Harriet Bluett Hurd in Virginia City, Nevada. 

1896   William was back living in Nevada City and was recorded in the 1896 California Voter Register. He was still working as a Mill Man, but had a new injury...the end of his first finger on his left hand was gone.  I wonder if he voted for William McKinley or William Jennings Bryan? 

1898   William's brother John Wesley served in the Spanish American War as a private in the 8th California Infantry. 

1900  The California Voter Register recorded William as living in Graniteville, Nevada County, still working as a Mill Man.  He was a registered Democrat by this time. Did he vote for William Jennings Bryan? William McKinley won that rematch.  Graniteville was a small community located on the San Juan ridge separating the middle and south forks of the Yuba River.  

Google maps

 Graniteville (formerly Eureka) was a small community.  Everyone knew each other's political tendencies....

California Voter Registrations for William H Bluett 1900

Ancestry.com

1900 Williams' brother John Wesley had moved to Marysville and was working as a painter. 

1910  Death of brother John Wesley on April 5th.  He died from his injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident some months before. He was just shy of his 50th birthday.

1915  Death of William Henry Bluett on November 17th.  He was 50 years old. 

The Morning Union 18 March 1915

Newspapers.com

   

 William Henry Bluett is a collateral descendant on the Bluett tree, but thanks to a random number we got to take a much closer look at his life this week.  He wasn't a gold miner as  many of my direct descendants were, but he became a skilled mill man who was well respected in the communities he lived and worked in.  His occupation supported the mines that were economically important to the area of Nevada County. He was an integral part of the mining culture that gave Nevada City and the surrounding areas  their unique identities as part of the "Gold Country".

   William was also a son, nephew, cousin, brother, and uncle within a very loving and supportive family.  He had his own unique place in the family tree and I'm glad I took the time to dig deeper into his life.  His story weaves richer threads into our family tree tapestry, don't you think? 

  Pine Grove Cemetery late October 2020.  Photograph by PattiA. 

We are still looking for the Durbins and the Bluetts! 

Pine Grove Cemetery, Nevada City, California

References:

YubaNet.com Maybert Bridge Construction and Road Closure by Nevada County Public Works August 26, 2016  https://yubanet.com/regional/maybert-bridge-construction-and-road-closure-starting-on-monday/

 Maybert, California         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybert,_California

Graniteville, California    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graniteville,_California

For more Bluett and Hurd family posts, click on the labels on the right.  

 

Bluetts in Tuolumne County, California

   I found this picture several years ago on Pinterest while doing a Bluett search.  On the back the gentleman was identified as J. F. Bluett, and the picture was taken in Sonora, California sometime around 1870-80.  This picture peaked my interest, and I did some quick searching to see if our Bluetts were related to this Bluett.  

  

 I identified the man in the picture from Census records, naturalization records and his obituary.  His name was John Francis Bluett (1841-1916).  Here is his family tree starting with my 5X Great Grandparents: 

John Bluett m. Ann Warne (My 5X Great Grandparents),  Tywardreath, Cornwall.  They had the following children:

  *William Bluett 

  *John Bluett (my 4X Great Grandparent) who married Honor Rodda

  *Phillip Bluett (I share a DNA match with a 5th cousin from this line)

  *Elizabeth Bluett

  *MaryAnn Bluett 

  
Phillip Bluett was the younger brother of John Bluett, my 4X Great Grandfather.  Phillip married Ann Terrell in Tywardreath.  They had the following children:

 

  *Elizabeth Jane (went to Australia)

  *Phillip (went to Australia)

  *John Francis (went to Tuolumne County,  California)

  *Susanna (stayed in England)

  *Marth (went to Australia)

  *Samuel Thomas (went to Tuolumne County,  California)

  *William  (went to Tuolumne County, California)

  *Louisa (went to Australia)

  *Joseph (stayed in England, was in the Royal Navy)

  *Thomas H (went to Tuolumne County, California)

  *Ann (stayed in England)

  

John Bluett's Naturalization record from the Tuolumne County Archives 2 November 1863. 

From: A History of Tuolumne County, California Compiled from the Most Authentic Records  by Herbert O. Lang Tuolumne County Historical Society 1973

  His obituary was published on Friday, March 31, 1916 in the Sonoran Banner.  Some excerpts describe him as a "practical miner, and (he) was instrumental in locating several valuable properties among which are the Black Oak and the Live Oak in this County".    "From the first he was identified with the church, being a charter member of the Soulsbyville Methodist Church and a S. S. Superintendent for years."   "He was also a charter member of the I.O.O.F. of Soulsbyville and an advocate of the best in community life".  

Soulsbyville Methodist Church 

  John's brother Thomas Henry also lived in Tuolumne County (Tuttletown) and worked as a gold miner.  He had another brother, Samuel Thomas, who lived in Jacksonville, Tuttletown and Stockton and also worked as a miner.  Yet another brother, William Bluett also worked as a miner in Tuolumne County (Carter's South, near Summerville).  

  Soulsbyville was an enclave of "Cousin Jacks and Jinnies"  (From Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology, 1994, Vol. 7, pages 87-93).  Born in the waning days of the goldrush it boomed in 1870's-90's and withered in the 1910's after its mines closed. While the majority of Cornish miners coming to California settled in the northern mines around Grass Valley and Nevada City, a small group elected to go to the southern mines in Tuolumne County.  Land and federal census records revealed that over 80% of the population in Soulsbyville had Cornish names:  Barron, Bluett, Carne, Curnow, etc....Almost all of the men worked in the mines from superintendent, engineer, almalgamator, millwright, to the miners and day laborers. The Cornish brought very little in the way of material goods with them from Cornwall (usually only a small bag with personal possessions) but they did retain their traditions including singing (there is still a men's chorus in Soulsbyville, much like the Cornish Choir found in  Grass Valley) and of course, food.  Pasties, scalded cream of Devon and Cornwall, and saffron cake continued on as traditions, just as it occurred in Grass Valley.  Cornish men were actively recruited by the Cornish Engineer R. Inch to work in the Soulsby Mine, as he recognized the value of a stable, hardworking labor force. He encouraged the miners to send for their families as soon as possible, and their presence gave the community stability and meaning. Soulsbyville never supported more than three saloons at any one time, and there were no known gambling houses or places of prostitution.  The community never had, nor required, a full time policeman or jail. 

So, even though they were not true '49ers, the Bluetts helped develop small communities in the Gold Country of Northern California with their hard work and dedication to community.   I am proud of my deep Cornish roots and I loved being able to connect my family to yet another unique place and time in California history.  

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows->Harriet Bluett Hurd->John Bluett->John Bluett m. Ann Warne Tywardreath, Cornwall. 

  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week16: DNA. Hannah Melvina Bluett Schaffer in Dutch Flat, California: DNA Connections and A Set of Unidentified Pictures (Bluett)

 Hannah Melvina Bluett (1842-1938)

Picture shared by Rob Congdon on Ancestry.com. 

 John Bluett (1803-1852) married Honor Rodda Bluett (1804-1863) in Cornwall, England and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1833, bringing with them their children John, MaryAnn and Martha. Eight more children were born to them in Pennsylvania.  This is the story of their daughter Hannah Melvina and her family in Dutch Flat, California.  Hannah was born in Pennsylvania and was the younger sister of my Great Great Great Grandmother Harriet Bluett Hurd, also born in Pennsylvania.  

  Hannah married Silas Schaffer in 1862 and they settled in Dutch Flat, California. At that time, Dutch Flat was an important stage coach stop, as well as the site of  large hydraulic mining operations.  Evidence of these destructive mining practices is still noticeable  in the area today, although much of it has been covered by vegetation and trees over the last 140 years. 

  Silas was a miner originally from Ohio.  In 1860 he was mining in Eureka, Nevada with his brother before he went to Dutch Flat.  He was engaged in hydraulic mining and then eventually farming at the turn of the century.  

Silas Schaffer from Find A Grave

 Silas and Hannah had a total of six children born from 1863-1877.  Their first son Phillip Henry Schaffer lived to be nine months old, and was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery in February of 1864.  John Wesley Schaffer was born in 1865 on the  Canyon Creek Stream where the family lived, and worked in the timber and orchard farming industry later in life.  He was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery in 1940. Alice Nancy Schaffer was born in 1867, married and lived in Foresthill, Placer County.  She sadly died of influenza in November of 1918 at the age of 51.  Charles Silas Schaffer was born in 1870 and worked as a rancher in the area.  He was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery in 1947. Katherine Melvina Schaffer was born in 1873, lived in Los Angeles where she worked as a stenographer and was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery.  Frank Albert Schaffer was born in 1877, worked for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and was buried in the Dutch Flat Cemetery in 1957.  

   I received a DNA match notification on Ancestry last summer of a 5th cousin related to Hannah.   I began to scrutinize this person's family tree.  How were we related to each other?  Did she have pictures??  Indeed, she did.   One picture especially stood out to me, as it looked vaguely familiar.  This was her picture...

 Hannah Melvina Bluett Schaffer shared by Linda Sweeney on Ancestry.com

  I had been scanning and sorting pictures from the Burrows/Hurd/Bluett side of the family most of this last summer, and I remembered that I had a set of 4 pictures of a family that was unidentified.  In one picture that stood out in my memory there was an older woman sitting in a distinctive looking wicker chair surrounded by family members.  I got my pictures out from my "unidentified" pile.  This was the one that I had...

   My picture was taken at the same time as the picture that Linda had shared!  I contacted her through Ancestry in October of 2020 and she kindly replied back.  Unfortunately, the only identification she had on the back of her photo was "Uncle Hank" (the young man with the hat and vest).  She identified Hannah from comparing other identified pictures that she had of her.  Linda does not know who the rest of the group might have been.  So, the the family behind Hannah is still unidentified, save "Uncle Hank".  But, I now know the origins of the set of four pictures in my possession.  I shared my pictures with Linda, and now we both have complete sets. 

  These pictures must have been taken around the years 1935-37, as Hannah passed away in mid May of 1938 at the age of 97.  I love the wooden walkway off the front porch and the lush northern California growth.  These pictures look like they were taken in early or mid summer. Possibly it was Hannah's birthday (July 14).  

Bluett Pictures in my collection.  Unidentified family or friends of Hannah Bluett Schaffer. Date unknown, but probably close to 1938.   Taken in Dutch Flat, California. 

Hannah Melvina Bluett Schaffer shared by Linda Sweeney on Ancestry.com

This photograph looks like it may have been taken around Hannah's 60th birthday, sometime between 1900-1910.  She is wearing a jabot lace collar.  

1914 Boy: Unk, Hannah, Eve Sullivan and Melva Francis Wilson (daughter of Alice Nancy Schaffer) with kitten.  Shared by Linda Sweeney on Ancestry.com

   Alice Nancy Schaffer married Scott Wilson (a placer miner originally from Pennsylvania) and had three children:  Melva, Robert and Alice.   I  share DNA with several  descendants of Melva Wilson as well as her sister, Alice (including Linda). This family is buried in the Foresthill Cemetery in Northern California. 

 I'm glad my DNA connections could help me finally identify where my pictures were taken and positively identify Hannah herself.  DNA cousins have been a source of added information on other parts of my family tree as well (see posts on Alexander Burrows and Charles John King).  Even though I'm not a big DNA fanatic, I have been very surprised at how easy it has been to make cousin connections.  They often have the very same questions that I do about family mysteries, and we have been able to help each other figure some things out.  When I started out on this genealogy journey, I had no idea how important those DNA connections would become!

Hannah's obituary published in the Auburn Journal    19 May, 1938

Shared by Linda Sweeney on Ancestry.com

  On my list of things to do once the COVID-19 Pandemic is over and things open back up again...a trip to Dutch Flat and the Dutch Flat Cemetery.  I have traveled over I-80 to Colfax and Sacramento many, many times and have always wanted to stop in this quaint little mining town, which has now given me a new, unique connection to the foothills of California. 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Hansen Burrows->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows->Harriet Elizabeth Bluett Hurd (older sister of Hannah Melvina Bluett Schaffer)->John Bluett and Honor Rodda Bluett from Cornwall.

The Bluett Family in Nevada City; A House on the Hill.... (Bluett/Durbin)

 Bourbon Hill Street/Nevada Street  Nevada City 2020 photo by Amy Alden

     John Bluett (1803-1852) married Honor Rodda Bluett (1804-1863) in Cornwall, England and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1833, bringing with them their children John, Mary Ann and Martha.  This is the story of their son John and his family in Nevada City, California.  John was the older brother of my Great Great Great Grandmother, Harriet Bluett Hurd. 

||

John Bluett (1826-1876) m. Susan Tonkin (1835-1878)

  John married Susan Tonkin, and they lived in Nevada City where John worked as a miner.  In the California Voter Register for 1867 John's listed occupation was miner, and his local residence was Nevada (Nevada City, California).  

California Voter Register for 1867.  It is fun to see where residents were from, what their occupations were and where they lived. 

  I am not sure where Susan was born, but it was most likely Cornwall.  Her immigration story was also probably similar to John's.  This is a part of the 1870 U.S. Census listing the Bluett family.  

  The Census does not give an address; the family was just listed as living in dwelling number 635 as the 596th family to be enumerated in the Nevada township.  John was doing fairly well in comparison with his neighbors as he listed the value of his real estate as $1,000 and the value of his personal estate as $200.  The Bluett's children were:  John W. (Wesley) Bluett, aged 10 (he had attended school within the last year), Susie V. (Virginia), aged 8 (she had attended school within the last year), Wm. H. (William Henry), aged 5, James E. (Edward), aged 3 and then Abbie J., aged 1.  

  I found this information at the Nevada County Historical Society/Searls Historical Library in Nevada City, California when I made a stop in June of 2019.  It describes the location of John's house and lot, which was located on the east side of Washington road adj'ing lot of G.H. Soring (?) on the north. I need to go back and actually write down the source of this image....I don't know why I didn't record that information!  A genealogy research gaff.  I do not know the date when this was recorded, but it must have been around 1860-70.   

  

Sadly, Abbie Bluett died on September 6, 1873 at the age of 4 years, cause unknown. 

John Bluett died sometime before his wife Susan Tonkin, possibly at around 1876.  

Susan Tonkin Bluett died 9 April, 1879 per Genealogical Abstracts From Old Mortuary Records, Grass Valley and Nevada City, California, Volume 2 page 9:  

 

  Bluett, Susan age 44 years, 4 months, white female widow, born England, died cancer.  Resident of Nevada City.  April 9, 1879.

Her place of burial is unknown.  She may or may not have been ill  when she made out a will on June 20, 1878.  John Wesley was 19 years old, Susie was 17, William Henry was 14 and James was 13 at the time of her death almost a year later.  What happened to the Bluett children? 

  "......Fourth I do give and bequeath all the residue and remainder of my estate, both the real and personal, and wherever the same may be situated, with my beloved children, John Wesley, Susie Virginia, William Henry, and James Edwards Bluett, share and share alike. It is my desire that should I die during my ownership of that House and lot in Nevada City that said children remain together and make their home in said premises and that my Executors  hereinafter named,  retain said property as a Homestead for my said children...."

  The 1880 U. S. Census listed the Bluett children as living on Nevada Street with John Wesley as Head of Household and working as a laborer, Susan as "keeping house", and Willie and Eddie "at home" (and probably going to school).  So, they were all living together two years after Susan's death, and most likely in the same house that was recorded under John's name.  

  John "Wesley" Bluett served in the Spanish American War in 1898 as a Private at the age of 38.  He worked as a painter.  He lived in Marysville afterwards.  He never married.  He died in 1910 at the age of 49.  He was buried in the Marysville Cemetery. 

  Susie married Alexander Durbin in Nevada City around 1880.  They had 6 children, and continued to live in the house that Susan Bluett left in her will.   Members of this family were buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City.  Susie passed away in 1943.  My daughter and I took a trip in the fall of 2020 to see if we could locate the headstones for the Durbins, and were not able to find them.  I emailed a Durbin cousin from Ancestry, and she stated that she was unable to find where the family was buried, either!  The cemetery is peaceful and beautiful, but is very unkempt with many years worth of leaves, fallen chestnuts and acorns everywhere.  This may take another few trips.  

Pine Grove Cemetery Nevada City, California taken 2020.  Pictures by Patti Alden

Susan Bluett Durbin,  Edith and Edna Durbin (around 1915) shared by Robyn Nikkel on Ancestry.com

    William Henry Bluett lived in Nevada City.  In the California Voter Register for the year 1892 he was  described as being 5' 4 1/2" with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.  He had a missing index finger off of his left hand, and worked as a mill man (sawmill).  He was registered in the Maybert (6 miles upriver from the town of Washington and 5.5 miles south of Graniteville) area of California.   In the California Voter Register for 1896 he is registered in Willow Valley.  He died in 1915 at the age of 50. 

  James Edward Bluett lived in Marysville, California and worked as a farmer and then became the custodian of the Old Marysville Cemetery.  He married Theresa Hering and they had two children. He passed away in 1938.  

So, exactly where was the Durbin House?  

   The entry from the Historical Society describes the residence as being on the east side of  Washington Road.  The 1880 Census lists the residence as being on Nevada Street.  Susie's 1900 Census lists the residence as being in the Willow Valley area of Nevada City.  Her 1910 Census lists the residence as being on Nevada Street.  Her 1920 Census lists the residence as being on Washington Road.  Her 1930 Census just enumerates the family; it doesn't give an address other than Nevada Township.  Her 1940 Census is even more interesting: it lists the address as being on the Tahoe-Ukiah Highway (State Route 20).  But, I believe, the house was always in the same place.  

   This is a newspaper snippet from an unknown date. (Thank goodness my relatives saved newspaper snippets!).   Extrapolating using the deaths of Alexander Durbin (1936) and Susie Durbin (1943), the sale of the house probably took place after 1943.  The new owner, Felix M. Anthony, was living in Piedmont as of the 1940 Census.  So, this was probably published after 1943.  One item is incorrect:   W. H. (William Henry) was John's son, Susie's brother.  The home was willed to the children, so W. H. would not have purchased it.  This would be the house that the Bluett children lived in when both of their parents were gone.  Unless, it is a completely different house in the same neighborhood. Which is always possible.  This house was built in the 1850's, and would not have burned in the several fires that swept through downtown Nevada City at that time.  

Newspaper article from the Sacramento Union 30 July 1916.  The Durbin house was "out on upper Nevada Street".  Nina was Susie and Alexander's youngest daughter born July 24, 1895. Edna (Mrs. Gatliff) was Nina's older sister, who was born July 24, 1882. 

The location may have been somewhere at the top of Nevada Street, near Highway 20 and near Washington Road (top center of map).  This location  could also be considered to be in the Willow Valley area, and also in the Bourbon Hill neighborhood.  Depending on the whim of the Census taker.  On the other side of S.R. 20 near this location is Manzanita Diggings Drive.  The Hurd family lived "above the Manzanita Mine" in the 1850's and early 60's when they were in Nevada City.  Harriet Bluett Hurd was John's sister.  The Manzanita Mine was located between Harmony Ridge and S.R. 20 to the northwest of Sugarloaf Mountain.  This whole area was where hydraulic mining took place in the 1850's up until the 1880's in Nevada City. 

This drawing depicts the hydraulic mine at Chalk Bluff above Nevada City, California.  Courtesy of The Union/Grass Valley Archive

  The clue about the walnut trees stood out to me.....in my research I found some very interesting information that I never knew about my hometown. The Durbins had a unique connection to Felix Gillet with those walnut trees. 

  Felix Gillet was living in Nevada City in the 1870's and imported, bred and introduced most of the foundational plants of  California and the Pacific Northwest.  He began cultivating and selling perennial fruit trees, grapes and nuts, which in turn created mega agricultural industries.  There is currently a Felix Gillet Institute which is a non profit organization that identifies, preserves and propagates the best of the varieties still thriving in the mining camps, farms, homesteads and towns of the Sierra.  This website is a fascinating read.       https://felixgillet.org/ 

Felix Gillet's 1880 Catalog from Nevada City, California

  His description of his walnut trees for sale in his 1880 catalog reads...."This new variety of Jaglans Regia family was introduced by us in California in the year 1871, and our place, in Nevada City, are the first trees of that kind, some only three years old, that produced fruit in this country....We consider this new variety as most valuable as a nut-tree to our young state."  

  Felix Gillet's "Barren Hill" Nursery was located around Nursery Street and Pear Tree Lane (on Aristocracy Hill) not too far from the Bluett's and Durbin's home.  The walnut trees at the Durbin home  were probably some of the first trees that Felix had propagated on his property and shared with his neighbors.  He named his nursery "Barren Hill" because at that time all the vegetation had been washed away from hydraulic mining.  He worked for years reclaiming the land and created a thriving and very successful nursery business.  There is a plaque commemorating his work located on the stone gates on Nursery Street, the former entrance to his home and nursery.  He was buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at the top of Broad Street.  

  So, more research is needed on this family.  The house may still be there and the walnut trees may still be there.    A genealogist's job is never done...

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Hansen Burrows->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows->Harriet Bluett Hurd->John Bluett from Cornwall.