Southwest Sierra — #42

Miners near Forest City, late 1800s. Frederick Kuhfeld, Sr. far left. Courtesy of the Brooks family.The patriarch of the Kuhfeld Clan ~ This week, I am continuing to explore the Kuhfeld family history. Alberta, the youngest of Fred Kuhfeld, Jr.’s children was raised in Forest City by her Aunt Minnie (Kuhfeld) Hayes after her own mother died. Alberta’s older siblings were all sent to an orphanage in San Francisco, returning when the eldest child Mabel came “of age” and could help take care of her younger siblings. (If any of my readers know what age this would have been in California in the early 1900s please share. Online research revealed a “rabbit hole” that I don’t have time to go down.)

In SS#38 I shared the research conducted by Alberta regarding her grandparents. Alberta lived to the age of 95, and her research appears to be sound, with much of the Minnesota Flat information corroborated by other sources. She mentioned that her paternal grandfather Frederick Kuhfeld, Sr. was born in Germany in 1832 and immigrated to the U.S. (Illinois) at the age of twenty. Six years later, in 1858 he joined a wagon train to California. Alberta states that he “drove a team of oxen” on the “Plains Route” and that they were the first to go through after the “Mountain Meadow Massacre”. I assumed that the massacre involved Native Americans attacking a wagon train but was not familiar with the story. An online search of “Mountain Meadow Massacre” led to another “rabbit hole” that revealed the following information largely derived from a book on the topic published by the University of Oxford Press.

The “Massacre” happened over a period of four days: Sept. 7th - 11th, 1857, during what became known as the “Morman Rebellion” (1857-1858). In one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” accounts I learned how The Nauvoo Legion, an Illinois state authorized militia conspired to intimidate the Baker-Fancher Party traveling the “Morman Road” on their way to California. The militia disguised themselves as Native Americans and even persuaded some Southern Paiutes to join them. The Pioneers fought back and over the course of the battle they realized that white men dressed as Native Americans were attacking them! The militia became nervous about being identified and a few of them entered the camp with a white flag. They convinced the pioneers to hand over their weapons and walked them to an area where the rest of the militia was waiting. There they executed at least 120 members of the wagon train sparing only fourteen children aged 7 and younger!

Nine members of the legion were indicted in 1874 for murder or conspiracy. Only one of the nine, John D. Lee, Constable, Judge, and Indian Agent was convicted. It was determined that he had conspired in advance with his immediate commander Isaac Haight. Lee led the initial assault and falsely offered the immigrants safe passage prior to their mile-long march to the field of the massacre.

It is difficult to imagine being on the first wagon train to pass that way after the massacre. As previously reported, after making the journey, Fred settled in the town of Minnesota where he resided at least ten years and where married another German immigrant Katherine Massier (also spelled Massir). The family then moved to Forest City where Fred and Katherine lived the remainder of their lives. Following is the story of Fred W. Kuhfeld Sr.’s tragic death.

The Mountain Messenger — March 4, 1899:

Another sad mining accident occurred in the county. Frederick Kuhfeld, a miner engaged at a drift diggings near Forest, lost his life. The accident occurred last Saturday. Mr. Kuhfeld was in the tunnel getting ready to put up the main set of timbers, and his partner Norman McGregor started to get the cap to put on to the main set. Kuhfeld was standing under the false set and just as his partner started to leave the tunnel with the [ore] car, the false set broke and the top of the tunnel caved in, striking Kuhfeld, crushing him to his knees, and then flat down on his face. He did not live more than five minutes.

Fred was 64 years old at the time. He had outlived his wife by a little over four years. His story is a somber reminder of the dangers of underground mining. The fact that he drove a team of oxen over the Morman Road in 1858 exemplifies the determination and bravery that he possessed. No doubt those traits served him throughout his life. Many miners, past and present share those traits of determination and bravery. I wish you all a safe and prosperous new year!

About the author: Rae Bell (aka Pauline) grew up in the Ruby Mine area. She currently resides in Alleghany proper and can be reached at raebell44@gmail.com or PO Box 919, Alleghany, CA 95910.