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Discovering the lost memo- Love and his posse,” Rubio area’s most important turn-of-the- ries of Contreras inspired observed. “We know from Los century writer. Rubio to dig deeper into the Angeles newspapers that some of John R. Andrews was born out- Mexican influence on the them survived and made it to side Jackson in 1899. By the age Mother Lode for her blog, Southern California to tell their of 15, he’d developed an adven- Dreaming Casually. One of the story. There had been a man in turous spirit, which led him to most misunderstood elements that group named Joaquin start tracking down the remnants of this era, in Rubio’s opinion, Valenzuela, whom the survivors of Gold Rush towns and camps involves the “bandit legend” of said was killed and decapitated by that were scattered to dust before Joaquin Murrieta. In 1853, a Love. I think they killed the his eyes. Andrews had a deep retired Texas Ranger named wrong guy. Joaquin Murrieta’s sis- respect for the Mother Lode’s Harry Love appeared in ter went and looked at the head Spanish and Mexican residents Stockton with the severed head and said she was certain it wasn’t and heritage, which he learned of a man who he claimed was his. To me, it looks like Love about from older residents who the notoriously murderous pulled one over on everyone.” had lived through the later period highwayman, Murrieta. The While yarns of the bandit of the Gold Rush. The influential head Love carried was pickled Murrieta were more tall tales than book he would later write, “The in a jar and reputedly put on truth, a very different, very real, Ghost Towns of Amador,” docu- display at various bars in San bandit story would have disastrous mented the hidden histories of Joaquin and Mariposa counties. repercussions for the Spanish and places like Lancha Plana, an ener- Rubio says the problem with Mexicans who lived in the Gold getic nexus of Spanish-speakers Love’s story is that a number Country. In early August 1855, a that now sits on the bottom of At a Sonora tamale shop, the dog advertised the good food found inside. of surviving newspaper arti- group of Mexican-American crimi- Camanche Reservoir. However, cles from the Los Angeles nals raided Lower Rancheria, a the stories Andrews heard from his Herald and the Daily Alta small miners’ settlement on the father and senior members of the California, Berkeley. In his recol- Contreras had 1,500 residents. California strongly suggest “the hills between Drytown and Amador community about the Rancheria lections, Amador discussed how But delving into the shade of real” Murrieta was branded an City. The marauders surprised and Massacre clearly troubled him. constant pressure from interlopers Contreras, what struck Rubio the outlaw for simply defending him- killed seven men and a woman in a In “The Ghost Towns of and land squatters in the foothills most were the stories that had been self – one time – from aggressive slaughter that would be known as Amador,” Andrews wrote that the compelled him to sell off his passed down over the years about and depraved prospectors in the the Rancheria Massacre. Amador second great tragedy of the mas- inherited lands in the San Ramon Pablo Contreras himself and the Sierra Nevada and then trying to County’s first elected sheriff, 32- sacre was “the disarming, murder, Valley. Despite his early fortunes, outrun the gallows poll. Rubio way he and his daughters recreated year-old William Phoenix, and indignities, violence and expulsion Amador died a broken man. also notes that in the only docu- at an elegant hacienda oasis amid Calaveras County Sheriff Charles visited upon the whole peaceful In 1851, at the same time mented interviews with Murrieta’s the dirt and grit of the frontier. Clark led a posse of justice-seekers Mexican population of the Amador reached the height of his known family and friends, every “We know there was dancing after the group. Records indicate rancherias, Drytown and the adja- success, a wealthy Mexican source claims the so-called bandit every Saturday night in the town,” they met up with the group at a cent areas that culminated in the named Pablo Contreras made his was not captured by Love in 1893, large adobe cantina in Tuolumne Rubio said. “Pablo Contreras had burning of a Catholic church in way into the north mountains of but rather opted to live out a County, south of Jamestown. A three beautiful daughters, and sup- Drytown.” Amador County and established a posedly all of the miners were peaceful existence by returning to chaotic gun battle ensued in which major mining operation and captivated by them and would line Mexico. Phoenix was killed, along with a makeshift town that bore his name So what’s to be made of the head The search for up to be able to have just one number of bandits. The loss of life, – the town of Contreras. With that turned up in a jar in Stockton shadows dance. It’s a story that brings a including that of Sheriff Phoenix, saloons, butchers, a dance hall and in 1853? romantic feel to the period of the opened a dark chapter in Amador Today, the world of the Spanish a mercantile, Contreras became a “There was a traveling group of County history – one that was pre- and Mexican vaqueros, merchants Gold Rush. Even the newspapers lively prospectors hub. Historical Mexicans who are attacked by served in some measure by the and miners who populated researcher and writer J’aime at the time spoke of how beautiful Rubio of Ione, spent time poring the Contreras daughters were. over old maps, ledgers and census When Pablo Contreras finally records to determine the actual headed back to Mexico, it was location of Contreras, which had reported that a number of miners faded from memory by the turn of followed him as employees – the century. Rubio discovered the maybe because they were so love- town was somewhere along the struck by his daughters.” steep, sloping hillsides near mod- ern Defender Grade Road, between Pioneer and the Mokelumne River. Census records indicate that, at its height, This compass was used on the Mike Taylor long trek from Mexico to the California gold rush. Maria and Magdalena Cabezut Marianne Jacobson helped compile a history of Latino artifacts at the Tuolumne County Historical Society Museum. Sierra Lodestar October 30 - November 5, 2013 5.

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