James Beckwourth
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January - February - March 2019 Argonaut Parlor 8 Organized May 11, 1881 our 138th year Oroville NSGW Organized July 11, 1875 our 144th year NSGW Argonaut 8 Newsletter 500Pomona Ave. #6, Oroville CA 95965 Native Sons of the Golden West Argonaut Parlor 8 Dunstone Hall, 4790 Foothill blvd. Oroville, California 95966 Social Hour 5:30PM; Dinner 6:00PM Meeting 7:00PM - 1st Wednesday of the Month President Allen Upton 530 -589 -5744 Past President Dan Navarro 530-868-5956 st nd rd 1 VP- Sean Roden 2 VP- Louis Johnson 3 VP- Susan Sims 530-370-5751 530-828-5829 951-453-2651 Recording Secretary- Cheri Bunker Financial Secretary-Margaret Fowler Treasurer- Bill Arnold 530- 591-9018 530-403-1377 530-828-4566 Marshall- Jeromie Crismon Sentinel Brad Arnold 530-282-6987 530-965-2230 Trustee-Paul Mitchell (1) Trustee- Randy Murphy (2) Trustee- Patrick Harmon(3) 530-872-8563 530-519-3356 530- 877-9200 WE WANT YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY January Elvie Cobb 1/14/1960 2009 March John Carney 3/27/1957 2019 Jerry David 1/11/1960 1984 Edward Pinkston 3/29/1937 1959 Miles Mallette 1/24/1944 1968 Christopher Ray 3/27/1974 2019 February Jason Seymore 3/13/1977 2017 Al Upton 2/25/1959 2013 David Phelps 2/13/1953 2017 TO COME TO THE Paul Mitchell 2/15/1932 1992 Loren Gill 2/07/1942 1974 Please Update your MEETING!! Bruce Cassagrande 2/14/1953 2017 Russell Williams 2/05/1962 2017 information!!! Isaac Dixon 2/25/1992 2010 ORIGINAL CALIFORNIA FLAG 2019 Upcoming Meeting & Event Dates March 6 5:30PM Annual St, Patrick's Dinner Dunstone Hall March 16 10 - 4PM Arbor Day Event Myers & Bird Sts, April 3 6:00PM Regular Meeting & Dinner Dunstone Hall May 1 6:00PM Regular Meeting & Dinner Dunstone Hall May 11 !0:00AM Feather Fiesta Days Parade Downtown Parlor News Brothers, We have had a rough few months so far! As you know, in November we had the devastating Camp Fire that went through Concow, Yankee Hill, Paradise & Magalia areas. Many brothers lost their homes, vehicles & everything. Some lost a little less, but the memories will remain forever. Following the fire, we have had rain. eroding mountain sides, creating flash floods, swelling creeks, streams & rivers to the overflow point. But still we persevere. On January 12, 2019, we lost Michael Grainger and on February 3, we lost Ronald Vance. Our prayers, love & condolences go out to all these families. We pray for a better future. Our Financial Secretary, Margaret Fowler & I will be working on cleaning up the membership list. So, with that in mind, please update you contact info. Address changes, new phone numbers, new spouse, or new email address. You can send the info to me at [email protected] or call me at 530-591-9018 (text works also!), or mail the info at 500 Pomona Ave #6, Oroville, CA. 95965. Dues are payable at this time also. I am working on getting the membership cards out to everyone. If you have not already done so, you can mail your check for $ 60.00, to Argonaut Parlor #8, 4790 Foothill Blvd. Oroville, CA. 95966. In honor of Black History Month, please enjoy this post about James Beckwourth. He was quite an interesting character! In F,L & C… Cheri Bunker Recording Secretary James Beckwourth James Beckwourth was born into slavery in Virginia in 1805. He moved to St. Louis with his father. In St. Louis, Beckwourth learned to be a blacksmith. In 1822 he decided to head west. So, Beckwourth joined an expedition headed for the lead mines. In 1824 Beckwourth joined another expedition to explore the Rocky Mountains. In the following years, he became a famous fur trapper and mountain man. Beckwourth worked with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and was an Indian fighter. He was well known for telling lore about his adventures. ~ Page 2 ~ James Beckwourth Continued In 1828 Beckwourth claimed he was captured by Crow Indians while trapping. According to Beckwourth, they thought he was the lost son of a Crow chief. So, the Crow allowed him into the nation. Beckwourth married the daughter of a chief. For the next six to eight years, Beckwourth lived with a Crow band. He rose in their society to the level of War Chief. Beckwourth participated in raids by the Crow. The raids were usually against their enemy, the Blackfoot. Beckwourth is credited with discovering Beckwourth Pass in 1850. This is a low elevation pass. It goes through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In 1851 he improved the Beckwourth Trail. This was originally a Native American path through the mountains. The trail allowed people to travel more quickly and safely. The Beckwourth Pass runs down through Quincy, Mountain House, Berry Creek, Wyandotte, (through the Argonaut Parlor Hall property) Palermo, Honcut to Marysville. Beckwourth was the only African American who recorded his life story, and his adventures took him from the everglades of Florida to the Pacific Ocean and from southern Canada to northern Mexico. He dictated his autobiography to Thomas D. Bonner, an itinerant Justice of the Peace in the gold fields of California, in 1854-55. After Bonner "polished up" Beckwourth's rough narrative, The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians was published by Harper and Brothers in 1856. The book apparently achieved a certain amount of popular success, for it was followed by an English edition in the same year, a second printing two years later, and a French translation in 1860. In 1859 Beckwourth settled in Denver, Colorado. He became a storekeeper. Beckwourth also worked as an Indian agent. In 1864 Beckwourth was hired as a scout for a military campaign against the Cheyenne and Arapaho. He also was a scout at Fort Laramie and Fort Phil Kearny in 1866. Beckwourth died in a Crow village near the Big Horn River. Big Thanks out to Al Upton (L) , Dan Navarro (R) & Bill Arnold for all the hard work at the Hall!!! Great Job, Guys!!!! ~ Page 3 ~ ~ Page 4 ~ .