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 Bluetts Came to America in 1833 (With 2 Chests and 1 Bundle.......)

The Passenger List from the Brig Myra 10 September, 1833

      Harriet Bluett Hurd was my 3X Great Grandmother.  She married William Hurd and came from Pennsylvania to California and Nevada (not once, but twice!)  in the early 1850's.  Her parents were John Bluett and Honor Rodda, both from Cornwall, England.  

    John Bluett was born in Tywardreath, Cornwall around 1803.  His father was John Bluett/Blewett who was a blacksmith, and his mother was Anne Warne; they lived around the area of St. Austell where John the blacksmith died in 1838. 

 John married Honor Rodda in 1824 in Phillack, Cornwall and they had a total of 13 children.  John and Honor made the decision to come to the United States most likely for economic reasons, as did so many other immigrants.  In the 1820's alone, nearly 20,000 immigrants from England and Ireland came through the port of Philadelphia.  Between 1830 and the great famine migration of 1847 60,000 immigrants landed in Philadelphia (Philadelphia: Immigrant City by Frederick M. Miller).  The Cornish migration (which began in 1830) was specifically caused by the economic collapse and the resulting lack of jobs in the country.  Cornish dispersion can still be found mainly in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and South America.  Anywhere there was work to be found in a mine.  Or as the saying went, "a mine is a hole anywhere in the world with at least one Cornishman at the bottom of it".   They took their culture and way of life with them where ever they traveled. (Wikipedia Cornish Diaspora) 

  It is interesting to note that the family came through St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada into the United States.  At that time, many immigrants from Britain, Scandinavia, northern Europe and Russia chose to come by way of Canada to avoid the trouble and delay of U.S. Immigration inspection which was not there to meet them at the Canadian border at that time.  This route was often advertised as a more desirable route into the country. (National Archives Prologue Magazine Fall 2000 By Way of Canada).  I found the  passenger list for the Brig Myra on Ancestry.com, and it was a lucky find, as many immigrants that came through Canada have no U.S. Immigration records.  This was archived by the National Archives and Records Administration when they sponsored a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project to transcribe all available information on Canadian border crossings and index it in the 1930's. 

 

    John and Honor arrived at the port of Philadelphia on September 10, 1833.  John was 31 years old and Honor (Anna) was 30.  They made the voyage with their children John, Mary Ann and Martha, ages 4, 3 and 2.  Their first born daughter (also named Mary Ann) had died in Cornwall at the age of  4 before they left the country.  Sadly, their daughter Elizabeth was born and died on the voyage.  It is not known if she was buried at sea, or at the time of landing in New Brunswick, Canada (FindaGrave Elizabeth Bluett b. 19 June 1832 d. 1833).  The passenger list included what they traveled with:  2 Chests and 1 Bundle.  Their worldly belongings.  I wonder what they brought with them? Tools? Books? A Bible? Cherished quilts? A teapot?  The trip must have been long and arduous as well as melancholy.  Or, full of hope for the prospects of a better life and employment. 

Children born to John and Honor in Cornwall: 

   Mary Ann Bluett born 1825 and died 1829 in Tywardreath, Cornwall before the family began their journey to America.

  John Bluett born 1826 Tywardreath, Cornwall and died 1876 in Merced, California. He married Susan Tonkin in Nevada City, California and they had 5 children.  He was a miner.  I will do a separate post on this family and their lives in Nevada City. The Bluett/Durbin family lived on Bourbon Hill in Nevada City in the late 1800's.  Members of this family are buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City.  

  Mary Ann Bluett born 1828 Tywardreath, Cornwall and died possibly in 1877 in Pennsylvania.  

  Martha Bluett born 1830 Tywardreath, Cornwall and died possibly in 1868 in Pennsylvania. 

  Elizabeth Bluett born 1832 on board the brig Myra and died on the voyage to America in 1833. 

  Children born to John and Honor Bluett in Pennsylvania: 

Harriet E. Bluett was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1834 (per her son John's funeral home records).  She died in Virginia City, Nevada in 1893.  She was my Great Great Great Grandmother.  Her husband, William Hurd, was a miner in Pennsylvania, California and Nevada. 

  William Bluett was born in St. Clair, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in 1836.  He ended up moving to Sutter Creek California as an adult and died in 1897. He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Amador County.  The 1880 Census listed William as working as a carpenter and living in Jackson, in Township 1, Amador County.  He may have worked as a miner before working as a carpenter.  

  Sara Jane "Jenny" Bluett was born in New Albany, Bradford County, Pennsylvania in 1838 and died in San Francisco, California in 1910.  She is buried in Pine Grove, California.  Her first husband was John Herbert, and their children were Kate Herbert Liversledge*,  William Herbert and Nelly Herbert Leake.  Her second husband was Orson Clough, a mining engineer. In a previous post (2 February, 2021 The Hurd Family; Lives in Pennsylvania, California, Nevada and Beyond Part 3) I talked about Orson Clough's son by his first marriage, Fred Clough, who married Carrie Hurd in Virginia City, Nevada.  Carrie was Harriet's daughter.  

 *Kate Herbert Liversledge's son Henry Bluett Liversledge (Harry) is Pine Grove's most famous person buried there.  In the 1920 Olympics held in Antwerp he captured a bronze medal in the shot put and competed in the Paris Olympics of 1924.  He was a veteran of WWI and WWII and was decorated for bravery during the assault of Iwo Jima in WWII.  He was named Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Guam in 1949 and was named as Director, Marine Corps Reserves, in 1950.  (FindaGrave Henry Bluett Liversledge 1894-1951). 

Sara Jane lived here at 2459 Buchanan Street in San Francisco in 1910.  She lived here as a boarder with her daughter Helen. 

 James Wellington Bluett was born in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, Pennsylvania in 1838.  He died in Spokane, Washington in 1891. He was a Methodist minister who began his ministry in Ukiah, California, and then was transferred to Yakima, Washington. When he transferred to Cheney, Washington, he bought a wheat farm. His daughter Ruth Bluett Thayer's  obituary provided this information. 

 Rev. J.W. Bluett's headstone Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane, Washington.

  Rachel Bluett was born in 1841 in New Albany, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Her death date is unknown.

  Hannah Melvina Bluett was born in 1842 in New Albany, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  She married Silas Shaffer and lived in Dutch Flat, California.  I will do a separate post on this family at a later date, as I have pictures of her family.   Silas was a miner in the area, and many family members are buried in the Dutch Flat cemetery. 

Hannah Melvina Bluett around 1870 shared by Rob Congdon on Ancestry.com

Samuel Bluett was born in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on 28 September, 1844 and died on 30 September 1844.  He is most likely buried with his father, John Bluett. 

 Joseph Thomas Bluett was born in 1846 in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and died in 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He was the youngest son of John and Honor Bluett.  After the death of John in 1852, Honor moved with her family to California, including Joseph. When the Civil War broke out, Joseph returned east, and served along with other Californians in the 2nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Calvary for 3 years.  In my previous post of November 11, 2020 (Joseph T. Bluett and a Valued Keepsake) I talked about the little bible that he carried with him throughout the war which was given to him by my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd (Harriet's daughter) while they were living in Nevada City, California.  Joseph stayed in Pennsylvania, married and raised his family there.  

Joseph T. Bluett from FindaGrave 

  John and Honor moved around Pennsylvania quite a bit, as evidenced from the birthplaces of their children born in the United States.   John was probably looking for work, and ended up working as a miner in Tamaqua.  He was most likely working in a coal mine.  He died in 1852 of bilious pneumonia (otherwise known as black lung disease) at the young age of 49 years.  Honor died in 1863.  It is not known where Honor was buried; her last place of residence was Nevada City, California but there are no burial records.  John may have been buried in the German Protestant Cemetery aka "The Hill" in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania, but records from this time were destroyed in a flood. That research was done by a Bluett relative, Steve McElvarr, who is a descendant of Joseph T. Bluett.  He and I share DNA, and last corresponded in 2017.  

Honor Rodda Bluett image from FindaGrave

  John Bluett was able to take advantage of Pennsylvania's growing economy based on anthracite coal mining that started in the early 1800's.   Anthracite coal is also called "stone coal", "hard coal" or "rock coal" and is known for its high carbon and energy content.  Mining began in 1813 in the Lehigh Valley in Beaver Meadows and when railroad and canal transportation improved making moving coal easier,  anthracite coal began to fuel the Industrial Revolution in America.  (Wikipedia: History of Anthracite Coal Mining).  John moved around finding jobs in several different coal fields located in Pennsylvania.  The Bluetts landed in the Tamaqua and Mahanoy areas, where  Harriet's husband William and their oldest son John were also eventually  employed in the mines.  From there, the Hurds made their way with other Bluett relatives to the gold and silver mines in the west to become a part of that colorful history. I found an informative online exhibition from the American Philosophical Society called "Old Country in the New World".  It delves into the lives of nineteenth century immigrant  coal miners of northeastern Pennsylvania and tells the story of ordinary men (and women) trying to provide a life for their families while being caught up in the industrial revolution.   It is worth your time looking at if you are interested. 

https://www.amphilsoc.org/museum/exhibitions/old-country-new-world-saint-clair-19th-century-coal-community

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

    

The Hurd Family: Lives in Pennsylvania, California, Nevada and Beyond Part 2 (Hurd)

Frank S Hurd, buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Butte, Montana

  There were three sons born to William Hurd and Harriet Bluett: John Henry Hurd (his life story was written about in my last post), William George Hurd and Frank S. Hurd.  John lived a long life as a miner, but the other two brothers made different occupational  choices, lived in different parts of the west, and passed away rather young.  

  Unfortunately, I was unable to find very much information on William George when I first began researching this part of the family several years ago.    He was born while the family was living in Nevada City, California in 1858.  He was listed in the 1870 US Census as living with his family in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania,  aged 13 years.  The next bit of information I found on William was in a Voter Registration list of 1879 for Amador County.  He was aged 21 and living in Township 4 (Sutter Creek).   The 1880 US Census showed William still living in Amador County, California, Township 3, aged 22, and his occupation was "watchmaker".  Township 3 encompassed the little town of Volcano.  He may have chosen to live in Amador county as his uncle, William Bluett (Harriet's brother) lived in Pine Grove, Amador County, which is located very near Volcano.  His aunt Sara Jane "Jenny" Bluett also lived in Township 3, and she was married to  Orson Clough. I will use another post to go into the Clough family in Amador County.  William's younger sister Carrie married one of Orson Clough's sons by his second wife, so Amador County had a connection to the Virginia City Hurds in several ways. 

  Just recently (as in yesterday!), I came across a clue that led me to the obituary of William G. Hurd, and the confirmation of his residence, occupation and death.   I was searching the Find A Grave website for burials in Volcano.  Find A Grave is a site where contributors can add pictures of grave markers, family photos, obituaries, and  life stories of people in their own families or people they are researching.  Many people contribute as a hobby.  It is a wonderful research tool for family historians. 

   I came across a William G. Hurd buried in the Catholic Cemetery (no marker).  I contacted the contributor to the site and asked him to send me the obituary that he used to add the memorial. He had added William's memorial just this past August.  He graciously agreed to change William's place of  burial  to the Volcano Protestant Cemetery right across the street,  on the Find A Grave website.  Here is the copy he provided me of the obituary.  The date is January 1, 1881, but the name of the newspaper is unknown. 

   

  So, the mystery of what happened to William G. Hurd was solved.  I was sad to read that he died at such a young age from consumption (tuberculosis), but was also glad to read that his mother, Harriet Bluett Hurd, was at his side. The Hurd family had lost another male family member. William Hurd had died in 1876 in a mining accident in Virginia City, Nevada. 

  Frank S. Hurd was born in 1862 while the Hurd family was living in Nevada City.  He was listed on the 1870 US Census with his family in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania, aged 8 years.  The 1880 US Census listed Frank as living with his mother Harriet, his older brother John, and 6 sisters on Sacramento Road in Virginia City, Nevada. He was working as a "Grocer's Clerk" and was 18 years old.  

  In May of 1894 Frank married Elizabeth Ann Tyack Hawke in Butte, Montana.  She was a widow with three children.  Their daughter, Electa Viola Hurd, was born May 22, 1896 according to a delayed birth certificate registered in 1942.  Frank was listed in the Butte City Directory as a bookkeeper at T J Bennetts and Co. (grocers) in 1896.    Sadly, Frank passed away March 20, 1896 at the age of about 35.  Electa's actual birthdate may have been a year earlier than 1896, as she is listed with his stepchildren in both obituaries. Or, she was born before March 20.  More research is needed into the origin and dates of the newspapers which would set the actual date of death, proving that Electa's birthdate is incorrect, or that his headstone year of death is incorrect, possibly 1897.  The headstone reads Brother and may have been purchased at a much later date by members of the Hurd family and the year of death  may have been mis-recorded.  

Frank Hurd Obituary.  Unknown newspaper source, probably the paper out of Reno, Nevada. Unknown date. The Mrs. Cluff listed as his sister would be Carrie Hurd Clough, living in Amador County, California. 

Frank Hurd Obituary Unknown date or newspaper source (probably The Weekly Tribune out of Butte, Montana).  Centerville was just outside the city limits of Butte at the time, and is now a part of Butte, Montana. 
 

  Why did Frank Hurd decide to leave Virginia City and move to Butte, Montana?  An excerpt from Montana, Its Story and Biography, Vol. 3 (from Ancestry.com)...tells the story of James Tyack, the father of Frank's wife Elizabeth Ann Tyack.  Elizabeth was Lydia's older sister. 

"Mr. Bennett (no relation to T J Bennetts & Co.) .....married Lydia Tyack...December 1895...Lydia Tyack, a graduate of the public schools of Virginia City, Nevada.  Her father, James Tyack....journeyed by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, (from the east coast of America) thence to Nevada  where he was a pioneer worker at the old Comstock Mine.  In 1889, having accumulated a competency in his mining operations, he located in Butte, Montana, where he spent the remaining years of his life.  His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Peters, still resides in Butte."

  James and Hannah were born in Cornwall, England, as was Elizabeth and several siblings.  Lydia was born in Virginia City, Nevada.  James' story was very similar to so many Cornish emigrants who brought their mining skills and culture to western mining towns of America.  He may have known Frank and the Hurds in Virginia City, possibly through the grocers store where Frank was a clerk.  Elizabeth and her first husband Joseph Hawkes (a miner) also lived in Virginia City in 1880 on South H Street. Elizabeth was 19 years old.  Their third child was born in 1891 in Butte, and Joseph died sometime between 1892 and 1893.  Frank may have gone to Montana knowing James and Hannah Tyack and their daughters from their time in Virginia City.  Frank arrived in Butte around 1890 or 91 and was in a convenient position to marry their daughter, who was a widow by at least 1893.  Or,  it was just plain coincidence! 

Either way, Frank's early death cut short their time together, and took a father figure from 4 little girls.  Elizabeth passed away in 1928 at the age of 67. 

  

The Hurd Family Journeys: Coal, Gold and Silver (Hurd) (Bluett)

  I have pieced together a timeline for the Hurd family and their journeys across the country from  Pennsylvania to  California and back and then from Pennsylvania to Nevada.  I believe these journeys were the result of the search for economic stability.  It does end on a sad note for William Hurd in August of 1876.  But, his daughter Elizabeth Jane settled in Grass Valley, California and became a piece of my story.....

 1830  William Henry Hurd was born in Somerset, England.  I have no other genealogical  information on William.   He was a miner in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, and was in all likelihood a coal miner, as this region of the state was known for its anthracite coal deposits.  It is not known when William came to America or when he married Harriet. 

1834  Harriet Elizabeth Bluett was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on December 8th.  Her parents were John Bluett and Honor Rodda.  John was from Tywardreath,  Cornwall (England)  and Honor was from Crowan, Cornwall.   John Bluett was also a miner.  

1852  John Bluett died of bilious pneumonia in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. 

 John Bluett's Death Registration, Pennsylvania. Notice the phonetic spelling of Tywardreath.  

1853 John Henry Hurd was born to William and Harriet Elizabeth Bluett Hurd in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.  

1855 Elizabeth Jane Hurd was born in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania (my Great Great Grandmother) 

1856 William, Harriet, John and Elizabeth made the journey from Pennsylvania to Nevada City, California by sailing from the east coast, crossing the isthmus of Panama by mule and ox teams, arriving in San Francisco by steamship and then taking the stage to Nevada City. This route was used by thousands of miners during the gold rush.  It was the fastest route at the time, taking about 8 weeks to complete.  There were other Bluett and Rodda relatives living in the new gold rush town of Nevada City, California.  (See my post from January 2, 2020 Gold Country Stories Unverified Elizabeth Jane Hurd Surviving Panama) for the whole story..  

  William was most likely trying to take advantage of the economic opportunities,  as were other family members who came out also.  Gold mining may have seemed a better choice of occupation than coal mining for William.  Around 1853-4 a large mine fire started in a coal mine near Tamaqua and became a "well known menace" to mine workers in the area as were several other mine fires.  (from Wynn History Blog September 9, 2020).  There was also a Great Flood in 1850 that remains Tamaqua's single historic event and most noted tragedy (from Iron Steps Illustrated History of Tamaqua Pennsylvania by Donald R. Serfass 2010).  I don't know for sure if these events played a part in William's  decision to come out west or not, but they certainly could have contributed. 

1857 William George Hurd was born in Nevada City, California.

1859  Virginia City, Nevada begins as a boomtown with the discovery of the first major silver deposit in the country, also called The Comstock Lode. 

1860 Ella Mae Hurd was born in Nevada City, California.

1862 Frank S. Hurd was born in Nevada City, California.

According to Frank's obituary, the family lived "on the hill above the Manzanita Mine".  

1864 Carrie Amelia Hurd was born in Nevada City, California.  

                                Nevada becomes the 36th state.  

1868 Winnifred Willomie Hurd was born in Nevada City, California. 

1870 By the 1870 US Census, the family was back in Pennsylvania, but this time living in Mahanoy, Schuylkill County. This was a large coal producing region also, but was just being opened up to mining.    William was once again employed as a miner.  It is not known why they came back "to the states" as the story was written down.  Perhaps William needed a more stable job with stable earnings and he was familiar with the job and surroundings in Pennsylvania. 

  Being a gold miner in the foothills of California was a gamble at best.  The family had lived in Nevada City for almost 10 years, and by the late 1860's the number of miners was diminishing and mining was becoming more of a business than an adventure.  Most profits went to merchants and suppliers.  Prices were high, living conditions were bad, and most miners didn't strike it rich (from Joint Chamber of Commerce of Nevada County, Gold Mining in Nevada County 2005).    

  The area they moved to was just starting its coal boom and looked very similar to  wild west towns on the west coast with new towns, including Mahanoy Township, springing up all over the Mahanoy Valley.   Very shortly the town became embroiled with the Molly McGuires violence.  Wikipedia describes how the Irish brought a form of the Molly McGuires organization into America and located in the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania, including Schuylkill County.  There was a large influx of immigrants to this part of Pennsylvania at the time.   Irish miners employed tactics of intimidation and violence during conflicts with large hard coal mining companies and railroad owners.   Wages were low, the companies recruited other oversees immigrants to work, safety precautions were not taken, and there were many injuries, fires and deaths in the mines.  The Molly McGuires were accused of murder, kidnapping, and arson as they protested, and many were eventually convicted and hanged for their crimes. The Pinkerton Detective Agency was hired to infiltrate the organization and bring them to justice.  The trials and and executions are now considered an outrageous perversion of the criminal justice system (Who Were the Molly McGuires?  Aug. 29, 2018 History.com/History Channel) 

   

  Both William and John were working in the mines, with John working as a machinist.  Working conditions in coal mines were simply horrendous and miners faced many occupational hazards.  "Miners' asthma" and "black lung disease" caused by the inhalation of coal dust, powder and underground gases was a big problem.  In fact, John Bluett died of bilious pneumonia which was most likely related to his job as a miner.  He was 49 years old. Miners faced even greater risks from large falls of coal or rock, or by explosions caused by gases.  Death by drowning occurred if miners tapped into an unknown body of water or if strata under a river collapsed.  The most lethal accidents involved fire and gas. (from Black gold:  Molly Maguireism, Unionism, and the Anthracite Labor Wars 1860-1880 by Samantha Edmiston May 2012) 

1871 Annie Hurd was born in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania

1873 The Panic of 1873 occurred.  This panic lasted until 1879 and was one of the worst depressions in the nation's history. One result was the Coal Miners' Strike of 1873 which essentially failed due to the importation of  Italian strikebreakers.  Unrest continued for several years after the strike, and undermined coal miners' efforts to organize.  (The Coal Miners' Strike of 1873--Wikipedia)

1873 Hattie Lenore Hurd was born in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania on February 11. 

1875 Edith Francis Hurd was born in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania on February 4th. 

  At some point in the timeline after Edith's birth the family moved back to California and Nevada with either 9 or 10 of their children.   It is not known how they came this time, but the Transcontinental Railroad had been completed by 1869 and so was a strong possibility.  

 They were leaving an area that was riddled with cultural clashes, violence, and protest against working conditions and low pay.  Unions were having a difficult time organizing.  A serious downturn in the national economy didn't help, either.   In other words, a lot of turmoil. It was time to move again. 

1875 Elizabeth Jane Hurd was married to Alexander Burrows and had her first child in October, in Grass Valley, California.  She may have come out before her family did.  She settled in Grass Valley, but the Hurds settled in Virginia City, Nevada.  William and John began work in the Ophir Mine, mining for silver on The Comstock. 

1875  October 26 The Great Fire occurred in Virginia City, Nevada and with the help of the "Washoe Zephyr" destroyed over 2,000 structures in the span of 10 hours. There is no mention in any oral or written family history of the impact this had on the Hurds, but it must have been a traumatic event to witness.  Humanitarian relief was promptly sent from California, and the mines opened back up the next day.  Optimistic townspeople reported to the newspapers that "The town will be alright in a week or two" and indeed the community proved to be resilient and put the fire behind them (from The Virginia City Great Fire of 1875 by Rachel Hendrickson, Brigham Young University Intermountain Histories January 9, 2021). 

1876   Monday, August 7,   William Hurd was killed in a mine accident at the Ophir Mine. 

August 9, 1876 Reno Evening Gazette 

  

  At its peak in the mid-1870's Virginia City had over 25,000 residents, and was called the richest city in America.  It was a vibrant community full of many different ethnic groups and races all living and working together without the strife the Hurds left behind.  There were good paying jobs in the mines.  Unfortunately, William Hurd did not live long enough to benefit from the prosperity around him.  His job was a still dangerous one. But the community came together and donated relief money to the family, as was the practice whenever a mining accident happened.  His family continued to live in Virginia City for many years.  In the next post I will talk about the remaining Hurd family and the impact they made  not only on Virginia City, but other towns as well.  Their journeys continued.  

Ophir Mine date unknown.  From the Fourth Ward School Museum Virginia City, Nevada. 

Joseph T. Bluett and a Valued Keepsake (Bluett)

   In honor of Veterans  Day this year I am sharing a letter written by my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Jane (Hurd) Burrows in 1927.  She wrote it to her grandson, my Grandpa,  Harold Hansen. He was 17 years old at the time.   Along with her letter she enclosed a small bible and a picture of the recipient of the bible.  These items have been passed down to me from my mother, Margaret Hansen Boothby and are now archived with the rest of the family artifacts and history.  

Here is a transcription of the letter....

Berkeley  July 1st 1927

  Dear Harald (she used the Norwegian spelling of his name) 

                     I am sending you my valued keepsake.  The Testament was given to me as a Prize, by the Nevada City M.E. Sunday School in 1860.  I gave it in 1861 to my Uncle Joseph T. Bluett then a young man 17 years old.  He enlisted in the Nevada City Light Guards for 3 years or for as long as the Civil War lasted.  He carried it through the war and returned it to me in the condition it is in now, in 1865 when the war was over.  The Company was sent to New York and divided among other Regiments.  Joseph T. Bluett served in the 2nd Mass. Calvary under Gen. Phill Sheridan.  He died in Philadelphia aged 72 (?) years.  The men were not allowed to use the names of Nevada Light Guards, so they took the letters off of their caps and sewed them on the inside of their pants so if they were killed in action people would know they came from California.  Take good care of both book and picture and pass on for another 60 years is the wish of your

Loving Grand-Mother

Mrs. E. J. Burrows.

1633 Kains Avenue

Berkeley

California

The Bible itself is very small; it is the same size as the picture which is 2 1/2" X 3 3/4".  The Bible is missing its back cover and some pages are missing.  It is now almost 160 years old. 

                                           Identification written on the  back of the picture in E.J.'s handwriting.  

Joseph was born in Tamaqua,  PA as was  his sister Harriet Bluett Hurd, my 3X Greatgrandmother.  Their father, John Bluett passed away in 1852 and various members of the family moved to Nevada City and worked as miners.   They attended the Nevada City Methodist Episcopal Church.  

Information found on Find a Grave gives some further information on Joseph's Civil War record.  It states..."When the Civil War broke out, Joseph heard his call to serve his country.  He returned East, voluntarily fought in the Civil War, and served along with other Californians in the 2nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Calvary for 3 years.  He held the rank of Corporal in Company M.  Service was from 20 May 1863 to 20 July 1865." 

          Joseph was honorably discharged the 20th of July, 1865.  His wife received a pension after his death. 

After the war, Joseph returned to Pennsylvania, married and lived out the rest of his life in Philadelphia where he sold vegetables.  He died of a massive heart attack at the age of 68, and is buried in Philadelphia. 

  So, on this day that celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, I would like to celebrate and remember Joseph Thomas Bluett b. 7 July 1846 Tamaqua Pennsylvania  d. 6 May 1915 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   He fought to preserve our great Union while carrying this little keepsake.