Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-10-14
CENTENNIAL PAPERS,
No. V.

. government VI Ah1 CboAt' 4hlI oNS " ~
vide the State into counties was passed in
the early part of The session, and Trinity
/ county was among those created. But
at that early DAY its people were compar-
atively few, and although it embraced
within its then limits territory enough
for European Kingdom, it remained
for time unorganized and was attached
to Shasta county for judicial purposes -
The laws of the State for the next three
years being compiled in one volume, it is
difficult now to trace the legislation by
which order was brought out Of chaos
and the present boundaries and county
government established. From its ter
ritory first Klamath, and then Humboldt
counties were organized, while out Of
Klamath was created the county of Del
Norte.
Ofthe early discoveries and settlement
Of the territory now comprised in the
limits Of this county little is known, and
that little is so mixed up with unauthen-
ticated tradition that is no easy task to
separate the true from the false.
OF this much, however, we are assured.
Tn the summer of 1S45 Major Pearson
B. Reading accompanied by others, cross
ed the divide between the Sacramento
and Trinity rivers, and spent some time
trapping along the main Trinity and its
branches. From that time until the gold
discoveries in lS4S, it is questionable if
the county was visited by white men for
any purpose. In July, 1S4S, the Major
led another party composed in the main
of Sacramento Valley Indians across the
the mountains by route little travelled
since, and coming down the creek which
has since borne his name, reached the
Trinity and discovered rich diggngs at
what has since been known as Readings
Bar, about three fourths of mile below
the mouth of Weaver Creek. The In
dians who accompanied Readings party
wero of n tribe allied to those whom they
came among and the party met with
favorable reception. The Major and his
party in turn treated the Indians kindly,
and had all of the early settlers Of Trni
ty been rs just to the native owners Of
the soil as were the first comcrs, our
county would have been spared the vex-
alton Of the predatory Indian war which
made prospecting hazardous business
and in the years after Readings depart
ure was the means of many valuable lives
being taken. Scattered through the
gloomy canyons OF Trinity, and along
the banks of the river are many spots
which unknown to white men became
the scene Of Indian vengeance. In those
times, when the miners had but few in
innate acqualntnnces, when they were
following each new excitement, here to-
day and there to morrow, men disap.
peared and were not missed, as if their
absence was noted, it was simply sup
posed they had gone to some other local
ity. But fall were known, we would
find that many, alas, too many, for whom
tidings were looked from day to day and
from year to year, are sleeping in un-
known graves, victims Of Indian revenge,
inflicted for the transgression OF others.
OF Reading and his party the Trinity In
dmns long retained kind recolecti0ns.-
There are "A few yet living who remember
Chak c as" the bearded man " rs
the Major was called by them in accord
ance with their way Of calling men after
some personal popularity. The party
drove over from the Valley a number OF
cattle which were slaughtered rs food,
and the Wintoons shared in these. Lit
, tie presents were also made them, and
the two parties lived Tor u while in the
utmost harmony.
Readings Bar was well situated for pay
as any one who rememb bers it as it ap
peared before the river was so filed with
talings that its appearance as a bar WAS
destroyed can vouch. A long spur of
} the mountain runs down from the main
ridge, AMI where this spur strikes the
river the channel makes sharp turn to
the right and the bar forms between it
and the mountain. The head of the bar
was very rich-some the red dirt of the
surface paying dollar to She bucket
: The party continued at work until fall,
: by which time number Of OiegOnianS,
on their way down overland came in and
at ouce protested against the Indian la
Dorers of Reading. To avoid any trou-
} bic with this turbulent class Reading re-
! turned to his place in the Valley, leaving
= the new corners in full possession.
1t was not long before there was war
between the Indians and whites. The
Oregonians had been fighting Indians at
home all the time, and had become as
savage as the savages themselves. 1t is
| with no feeling of pleasure that we say
this, but the American people have no
d. occasion for pleasure or pride at any
t part of the policy adopted toward the
natives in the settlement OF our country.
Generally speaking our Indian wars can
: be traced back, in almost every case to
Y some act of aggression upon the part of
D the whites. In almost every instance in
5 our history, the settlement of new re-
n gion was begun in peace, the Indians
were kindly disposed toward their white
ghbors, and every inlraction of faith,
a every violation of treaty obligations, ev-
cry exciting cause of hostilitieS WAS the
act of those whose higher civilization
should have led us to expect better things.
: AS it was in other places so it was also
here. Oregonians looked upon all In.
!, dians as enemies, and when one of them
q shot an Indian one day, just to try hi.
o rifle" instead of punishng the culprit on