Southwest Sierra – #31

The Queen of the Parade

Alleghany October 1917 ~ Party at Mrs. Larrsey’s house ~ Left to Right: 1. Miss Olivia Bissel, 2. Lizzie (Wright) Coleman, wife of photographer John, 3. Emma (Wright) Rorhig, wife of Paul, 4. Louis Barnes “Mrs. Larrsey’s Niece”, 5. Mrs. Larrsey, 6. Annie Scarfe, wife of Charles, 7. Estelle? Brown “Ralph’s daughter”, 8. Miss Edith Vivian “Ben’s Daughter”, 9. Mary Kinkel. Photo Courtesy of Ed & Georgia Jacobs via Undergroundgold.org. Ed Jacobs is descended directly from "Lizzy" Elizabeth (Wright), Coleman Emma Wright's sister.

Today I am circling back to the 1907 Admission Day Parade to share the little that I know about Emma Wright, the Queen of the Admission Day Parade. Born in 1889 in Alleghany, she was an 18-year-old queen for the day. Her parents were Sarah K. (Booth) and William Henry Wright. She married Paul Rohrig another Alleghany native and they had one child in 1913 who they named Pauline.

Pauline (Rohrig) Russell was in the same rest home in Grass Valley as my mother-in-law in the early 2000s. Pauline always lit up when we walked into her room and referred to my husband David and me as “Alleghany”. Like Merle Bradbury she was a full second generation Alleghanian. She was born in Cumberland and was proud to share that her father Paul was the first licensed barber in Alleghany.

Pauline’s aunt Elizabeth Wright (Emma’s sister) married the intrepid photographer John H. Coleman. It is largely thanks to him and the many contributors to the museum’s collection that we have several images of Emma, including these two of several local ladies, which came from two different sources, the same year!Standing left to right: Olivia Bissell, Mrs. Louis Barnes, Mrs. John Coleman (Lizzy Wright). Middle row: Emma (Wright) Rohrig, Mrs. W. Asking, Mrs. Larrsey. Bottom row: Mrs. Charles Scarfe and Miss Edith Vivian. Alleghany, October 1917. Photo Courtesy of Undergroundgold.org David Svalberg Collection

About the author: As a kid in 1975, Rae Bell (aka Pauline) moved with her family to the Ruby Mine area located between Alleghany and Downieville. She and her husband have lived in Alleghany proper since 1992. If you have news or suggestions to share, please send an email to: raebell44@gmail.com or mail to: PO Box 919, Alleghany, CA 95910