The Eel River Rangers

My dad’s ancestors lived in Sanel (right by Hopland). They were some of the first European settlers. I’m really proud of that. I like having my roots so deep in the soil around here. But you might not want to ask me much about that first pioneer. I might pretend I don’t hear you. Or, education about local history being what it is, I’d probably just mumble his name and figure you wouldn’t know him. And you wouldn’t. And education on local history being what it is, you wouldn’t know about the group he joined in 1859 either.

I like the group’s name. Sounds like a Little League team—The Eel River Rangers. But if someone wanted to print that title on their kids’ t-shirts, I’d discourage them. See, the original holders of the name—they were a might unpleasant.

A Native American woman had, as was common at that time in Mendocino and Humboldt, been taken slave by a settler. She escaped to the reservation but, the man followed her and stole her again. The facts get a little muddled but the documents agree the man was killed and his death blamed on her people.

Ostensibly to avenge his ‘murder,’ but, as becomes apparent when reading the depositions of the settlers, really to rid the area of competitors, a militia of twenty men—those Eel River Rangers–rampaged for five months… and were paid for it by the government. They attacked Rancherias and killed any Native man and many of the women and children they found.

Here is a description of one of this militia’s raids as described at the time by the Alta Californian.

“The attacking party rushed upon [the Native Americans], blowing out their brains, and splitting their heads open with tomahawks. Little children in baskets, and even babes, had their heads smashed to pieces or cut open. Mothers and infants shared the same phenomenon … Many of the fugitives were chased and shot as they ran … The children scarcely able to run, toddled towards the squaw for protection, crying with fright, but were overtaken, slaughtered like wild animals, and thrown into piles. … One woman got into a pond hole, where she hid herself under the grass, with her head above water, and concealed her papoose on the bank in a basket. She was discovered and her head blown to pieces, the muzzle of the gun being placed against her skull and the child was drowned in the pond.”

I probably wouldn’t mention that little piece of history to you. But, if your family roots go deep into the soil around here, you probably have your own ancestor that you don’t care to talk about.

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Ernie's Place
Guest
16 years ago

Kym
Most all of my ancestors on my fathers side arrived in California during the 1850’s. Some of my ancestors, the Middletons, were Quakers and deeply religious. They befriended the Indian people and tried to protect them. So, I don’t bear any shame from that standpoint. I’m sure that my family had their share of scoundrels just like any family would. But after reading “Genocide and Vendetta”, I’ve come to believe that the early settlers were firmly convinced that what they were doing was a matter of survival.

I’ve often said that we can’t judge what our ancestors did from what we would do now. We are different and have much softer lives than they had. Back then, the animals that they raised were for their survival. If the Indian people killed them, their families might have starved. Even the rumor of an Indian attack was enough to make them consider a preemptive strike.

The Indians were intruded upon, with out any doubt. They protected them selves as best they could. The new settlers won out, that is why we are having this conversation. The new settlers had the greater technology and experience in warfare. You will find much the same stories in all of history. Read “Braveheart” if you want to find how your earlier ancestors were treated, do you think that they were treated fairly? Of course not. Survival had nothing to do with fairness. It was all about survival. You are here today because your ancestors survived. And they have giving you the chance to do good in the world, because they had to do the dirty work. Try not to judge them.

I just wanted to give you some perspective.

Jen
Guest
Jen
16 years ago

My husband is descended from both sides of the coin here. On the McKenzie side is the “Law” that stood aside as hundreds of Karuk and Hoopa Indians were slaughtered on “Indian Island” on Humboldt Bay. He also descends from the McNeil side which is directly descended from the Karuk and Yurok Indians.
Me? Some were French, arriving just after the Mayflower but never made it west of Montana. My family arrived in California when my father was hired by Mare Island Ship Yard and I was born in Vallejo, raised in Napa.
Even so, when I reached Humboldt County in 1994, I knew it was home. I never wanted to leave again. I’m lucky to have met, married and had children with a man who has deep roots and loves his home.

max
Guest
max
16 years ago

“Intruded upon” is an awfully polite way to describe shooting a young woman in the head and holding an infant underwater until it is dead.

Aunt Jackie
Guest
Aunt Jackie
16 years ago

I always suspected there was some skeleton in the closet, Kym! LOL

We’ve all got ’em…but I want to know how you found out about yours. Your Mom has sneakily never mentioned this tidbit.

Carol
Guest
Carol
16 years ago

There is a new history of California that I am currently reading by Kevin Starr.
It is very good. Also there is part 1 of a new history of Humboldt County by Jerry Rohdes and Ray Raphael that was recently published. History bears study to understand the presence,
We are not responsible for our ancestors actions.

Carol
Guest
Carol
16 years ago

“present” not “presence” – sorry for the typo

Chris
Guest
16 years ago

Hey…I’m related to Custer…not proud of it, but it’s true. Important to know that part of the reason we’re here enjoying life is due to a lot of hideous things our ancestors did. It’s a part of us. We can only strive to do better.

Mom
Guest
Mom
16 years ago

I agree with Chris. You can never change what happened in the past, but it is up to you what happens in your future.

max
Guest
max
16 years ago

I am so glad I am from Mars and do not have to deal with any of this.

Oh, wait, we do have that little ecological disaster issue… but you do not have those records and no one can make me tell. Yay!

Eric Kirk
Guest
16 years ago

“Intruded upon” is an awfully polite way to describe shooting a young woman in the head and holding an infant underwater until it is dead.

Yeah, and I’m pretty certain it violated even the ethos of the time. Certainly the law, enforced or not.

As for judging our ancestors “the survivors,” mine at the time, some of them, were in Denmark, climbing some mountain and stripping nude in the snow for the rapture which never came. When they got back down to the flats the adults all became alcoholics and the kids all grew up to become communists. However, I’m certain that if I could go back far enough in their history, either in Denmark or Scotland, some pretty gory realities would pop up, for which I guess I would owe my existence.

But it’s hard to see how the Rancheria massacre you describe contributed to anybody’s survival.

However, I imagine if I go further

Ben
Guest
Ben
16 years ago

Kym… I could go on and on with this distresing topic. It certainly does not get much coverage in our school history classes. Attacks similar to the one you describe were carried out with great frequency untill all surviving Indians were either at Round Valley or protected by a white settler as his property. Few people realize that slavery (called indenture) was legal in California until well after the Civil War. The slaves were Indians. I suggest reading Lucy Young’s Story at the wonderful Blocksburg.com website. Lucy (T’Tcet’Tsa) tells the story of her escapes from soldiers and slavers in an incredible story of courage. Ray Raphael and Freeman House have a fine new history of Humboldt County in the bookstores now. Even now, the local genocide is a touchy topic with old timers.

Anita Marie
Guest
16 years ago

It’s all about respect and acceptance and for whatever reason human beings have a hard time fitting concept that into their skulls.

Anita

Ben
Guest
Ben
16 years ago

Kym, Thanks so much for posting that link.

ekovox
Guest
ekovox
16 years ago

.I just wanted to clarify it was the Wiyot people who were slaughtered on Humboldt Bay.

Yes, this is a very touchy subject for the old timers. I have to agree with Ernie Branscomb on his points. My ancestors arrived in 1882 to Tompkins hill and now 22 years after the fact, the native american populations were contained on reservations or scattered in the hills in hiding. But, I do have in-laws who were here at the time. Seth Kinman was a hunter for the military base. Supplied them with meat.

In the Hydesville Cemetary, you can see a grave marker that says “Killed by the indians” I believe it was Henry Cooper. Ernie is right, it was suvival. I cannot condone the methods at all. But, the times were very different. I beg anyone to read “Genocide and Vendetta” to get a perspective of the era.

I have not read the new book by Raphael and House. I plan to purchase it within the next coouple of weeks. They ended their account of history just as my ancestors were arriving. To them it was a pivotal time in Humboldt History, 1882. Most of the first era was wrapping up and the timber boom was about to begin. The very reason my family arrived.

Throughout the years, my family married into the Karuk/Yurok families. Read “Native Patriots” by Chag Lowery. It is the accounts of Native American soldiers from Humboldt County during World War II. My uncle Jack is fully documented within the pages. You’ll find disparaging accounts there, too.

Ernie
Guest
16 years ago

I intend to make a posting on my blogsite in a day or two justifying why I think that we shouldn’t judge what our ancestors did. What they did may have definitely been right or wrong, but the reasons that they did those thing may be different than you think.

I’m going to write it from the prospective of having an ancestor (great, great, grandfather) who was the Sheriff in Grass Valley California back in the 1850’s, who fought for what was right, and died for it. And from the prospective of being a member of a family having a long history of befriending and protecting the Indians. Unlike Kym, I’m very proud of my ancestors, and for good reason.

As a younger person, I got into a conversation with an old timer, like a kid will do to rub-in a little of what the older generation did to screw-up our world. I talked about how terrible that the Indians had been treated. And that the white man had no right to do what they did. I stood on my high point of the fact that my ancestors were good and glorious in their cause. I still adhere to that philosophy, but we live in way different times.

As I was ranting on about the horrible injustices that were perpetrated upon the natives, the old timer told me to “Just shut up.” And he called me “an arrogant, opinionated little twit, with no understanding of what really happened.” And that I would have “lasted about ten seconds back then before I would have had my head pinched off”. He went on to give me a lecture as to how it was back then. He gave me a whole new prospective, and then after I read “Genocide and Vendetta”, I was able to see the truth of what he said.

The explanation will take far to long to post here. In all fairness to Kym, I will put in on my site when I get it together.

Ben
Guest
Ben
16 years ago

Here’s an illustration of how close we are to the earliest settlers in Southern Humboldt. The local equivalent of the Eel River Rangers was a militia headed by a fellow named Steven Fleming. Fleming lived at Eel Rock and also had property at Hettenshaw Valley and at Ohman Creek near Phillipsville. I have a strong suspicion tht he participated in the Fort Seward center for the sale of Indian children which Lucy Young describes. When I came to Phillipsville, I met Ruth and Darryl Beasley. Ruth was postmaster and Darryl owned the water system. Darryl’s mother lived with them and passed away in the early 80s. She was in her mid 90s and her father owned the flat at Phillipsville. After I became interested in local history, I was startled to find Daryl’s mother’s last name was Fleming. When I asked Darryl about it, he told me that she was once married to one of Steven Fleming’s sons. Fleming himself died in the 1890s, but I actually knew the woman who was ihs daughter in law. On the Blocksburg website there is a wonderful interview with Irene Stapp done shortly before her death. She was a direct descenant of Lucy Young’s cousin Ellen and remembers Lucy well from her childhood.

Staff
Member
16 years ago

I’m intimidated by the thoughtfulness of your responses. I’m not sure I’m capable of commenting clearly on what began as an emotional response to something I just discovered about an ancestor.

My post was an attempt to address a split I feel in myself.

Two days ago when I was researching William Cole on line I found a piece on the Eel River Rangers. The disgust I felt at what he did is tempered somewhat by my knowledge of the times and how those times formed people’s attitudes and behaviors. I also feel pride (totally unwarranted) in the fact my and my husband’s family have basically been in America since the 1600’s.

I am proud that I come from a people ready to take chances, to brave hardships, to attempt something new and I am ashamed that I come from a people ready to seize something from another, to kill to possess what wasn’t theirs to begin with, and able to block another’s humanity from their conscience. That is the dichotomy of the American way of life–both in past and present. I am both proud and ashamed to be an American.

I’m looking forward to reading the books recommended and spending more time on the Blocksburg site (I actually have Ray Raphael’s book in my hot little hands and am having to restrain myself from reading it because it is a gift for someone else.) And I’m looking forward to Ernie’s piece. Hopefully, these will help me clarify and understand myself, my ancestors, and my country.

Chris
Guest
16 years ago

Ernie: Don’t you think that “judging” our ancestors is a necessary step towards understanding them? Judging is one way we make sense of the world — we’re placing experiences and information into categories that allow us to understand what’s important to us and what’s not. Without these categories and judgments, we would not even have a way to value the experiences of those who came before us. We wouldn’t care about what our ancestors did or didn’t do because it wouldn’t have any value to us. I think when you say we shouldn’t judge them, what you might mean is that we shouldn’t assume they were bad people even though the values and morals of our times say their actions were. If this is what you’re saying, then I agree with it, but if you’re saying that we shouldn’t judge their actions based on our own understanding of right and wrong, then I think this ignores one of the most important benefits of having a recorded history: that we can learn from the mistakes of past generations. In fact, I would say that it is an absolute necessity that we judge them.

Now, having said that, what also seems critical to me is that we shouldn’t become so attached to our judgments that we’re unable to change our opinions. Sticking unwaveringly to one judgment when new evidence presents itself — that leads to prejudice.

Kym: I too am both proud and ashamed to be an American, and I think with ample evidence to support both feelings. Feeling confused is a sign that you’re being realistic.

Staff
Member
16 years ago

Well said Chris!

Although just on William Cole, the more I learn about him the less I like him. His wife Sarah was only 14 when he married her and he was 30. I must say she doesn’t look overjoyed in the wedding photo above.

Chris
Guest
16 years ago

Oh yeah! Hey, we all know that people back then were complete bastards! 😉

Ernie's Place
Guest
16 years ago

Chris said “Ernie: Don’t you think that “judging” our ancestors is a necessary step towards understanding them?”

I’m sorry, I left it out of the context that I used above, which should have been; “we can’t judge what our ancestors did from what we would do now. But, we can and should judge them for what they should have done, within the context of the times that they lived. I have some interesting perspective on those times, that not many people consider. It will take me a little time to research, but I want to get it right enough that most people will see the point that I’m trying to make. Unfortunately this is a busy time for me, but I know I will get it done, because researching the “Good-Old Days” (Ha) is a labor of love for me. I’ll let you know when it is posted.

Chris
Guest
16 years ago

Hmmm….judge them according to their context (I assume you mean their moral value system as well) or our context? It’s an interesting question, and I’m not sure which way I come down on it. I’ll keep an eye out for your posts. Thanks for the fun discussion.

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[…] husband hurrying home is the same ancestor massacring local tribes with the Eel River Rangers I posted about earlier. The young wife was 13 and he was 31. Because it happened a long time ago, we can paint a rosy glow […]

Keith
Guest
Keith
14 years ago

We may all keep in mind, judging and being judgmental are not the same thing.
Be wise enough to do one
and not do the other.
K
We have become a nation more concerned with delicate sensibilities then we are on speaking the truth.
How can we learn from historic mistakes , if we make up out own history

Ernie's Place
Guest
14 years ago

Kieth
Is your sister named Kay? Was your father named Kieth? Was your uncle Bud Miller? Was your grandmother Ruby Blank? If not I don’t know you.

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[…] know about it because (as I wrote in an earlier post) my dad’s ancestors lived in Sanel (right by Hopland). They were some of the first European […]