A Story in Stones

Last week, Mark and I went back to Grass Valley. Mark went for work and I went to explore again. But this time, we stayed at a B&B in Nevada City, another small town just beyond Grass Valley filled with gold rush and mining history. I only had half a day to wander and the local museum was closed. So I decided to head out to Donner Pass, site of the long-ago cannibal-esque activity of the Donner party. Now, I must admit a bit of gruesome interest in seeing the site where IT happened. But, Donner Pass is a big place and I never found the ACTUAL spot. But I did find a beautiful lake and snow and even a snow storm which I excitedly drove through thinking about Maine all the way. And, if you read the Wikipedia entry about the Donner party, some of the group wintered in 1846-47 on Donner Lake and there was SOME eatage there. So all was not lost..... unless you were in the Donner party.

Note snow squall on right where I was heading......

I did find an interesting cemetery in Nevada City. Like food, I find cemeteries a highlight of any place I visit. It may seem a bit bizarre, but I enjoy the grave art, the names and family connections. I try to imagine what someone with the name of Ebenezer or Delilah would look like in 1877. So when I saw "Pioneer Cemetery" on the map, I hunted it down. The actual pioneer cemetery is from 1851 and in really bad shape with most of the stones missing and wooden markers stuck willy nilly to, I assume, mark graves. On the other hand, the Catholic cemetery next door is in GREAT shape. Thank God for the Catholics! Most of the stones are older. But there were a few new-ish graves as well (2009). I found many Irish Catholics especially dating from the second half of the nineteenth century. And also many Italian Catholics from the same time and later. One group of stones told a very interesting story.......

If you follow the stones, Eliza J Spargo and James Donnelly, both from Ireland married and, by 1857 had arrived in Newark NJ where their daughter was born. As was the custom, Eliza was 14 years younger than her husband. Their daughter, Eliza J married Colin McCuskey, also from Ireland by 1876. I would guess that Colin and James were working the gold fields in California when Colin met and married James' daughter. Colin and Eliza had a son JR McCluskey. Two years after he was born, his mother died. I would also guess that the grandmother then raised the boy. When JR's father died at age 54, the mother-in-law had the headstone made. And the grandmother and grandson died in the same year...... Great stuff for a novel.
Now, I have to tell you that none of this was the real highlight of the trip...... On the way home, we stopped outside of Sacramento and bought a bike..... and not just ANY bike...... but a TANDEM BIKE. Yes, you heard me. Mark has been researching tandem bikes online with the idea that if he sticks me on the back and drags me along, we will be able to do rides longer than 7 miles. So he has been searching and searching for a good reasonably priced tandem. And he found one....... oh dear. I will be posting more on our progress.