Description |
Man in center, wearing vest, and white shirt, is John McNish. He was an Emmett pioneer of the 1880's. An Idaho Statesman article, dated February 3rd, 1957 states that "the picture was taken at the Gold Hill mine in Quartzburg in 1885. While these men came from all corners of the earth, those who married, all married Idaho girls. Left to right, seated: George Gardener, miner, Civil War veteran and later stockman and rancher near Emmett; Pretty Smith, miner; second row, left to right; Mike Burke, hoistman and blacksmith. A 49'er with General Howard in the Bannock War, he located a discovery claim at Grimes Pass in 1863. He was 20 years at the Gold Hill Mine, and was later a stockman and rancher; Bill Frame, foreman; Peter Rude, miner and hoistman. He worked a lifetime at this mine and during that time hoisted millions in gold from it. He married Anna Clowder, a Basin girl, and is the only known survivor of the group. He now lives in Emmett; John McNish, school teacher, later in the lumber and mercantile business in Emmett; Colburn Gunderson, miner, married Maggie Zimmer, a Jerusalem girl. Later he was a stockman and rancher. They had six children. Dave Cocenaur, mine owner; Anthony Peterson, miner and hoistman, later rancher and in the ice and cold storage business in Emmett, married Katherine Thompson, Basin girl, were parents of four children; John Hughes, miner and stage driver, later in the contracting business; George Faull, miner, later stockman and rancher, married Mary Woods, Jerusalem girl, had six children; Andy Thompson, miner, later rancher and stockman, married a Basin girl, had two children; back row: first man unidentified; Frank Conner, Pete Conner, brothers, miners, later ranchers and stockmen; William Schelley who married Druzella Woods, had six children. Others in background are unidentified, except the man at the extreme right next to the building. He is James Reed, miner, later rancher and stockman, who was married to Elizabeth Daley and had seven children. The Gold Hill mine operated for over half a century and reportedly produced more gold than any mine in Idaho. (The photograph is through the courtesy of Mike Burke's grand niece, Mrs. W.I. Kall, Oregon City, Ore. Historical information by his niece and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hunt, Emmett.)" |