The Osceola times., 1884-12-06
THE sQuAw'S ROCK.
The Tragic Love and Fate of
an Indian Maiden.
ROBERT DUNCAN MILNE.

Those who are acquainted with the
upper portion of the Russian River Val
lev cannot have failed to remark Pc
culiarly precipiSous bluff, some five hum
dred feet in height, which overhangs the
western bank of the stream, at point
about ten miles north Of Cloverdale and
six or seven from Hopland or Sanel.
Those who have ridden in the stage from
Cloycrdale to Ukiah at the present day,
over the new toll-road, running along
the eastern bank OF the river, gain a
clear view of this prec;pitous bluff while
passing over that portion of the road
known as the Blue Slide-a geological
freak which lies just opposite TO Squaw's
Rock. and has acquired its reputation
from the glacier-like movement Of the
blue clay composing that portion of the
riverward slope, necessitating continual
repairs Of the roadway. and constituting
the acutest thorn in the side of the stage.
drivers who ply between Cloverdale and
Eel River. Either the driver or some
fellow passenger, if you happen to be
travelling on the stage, will probably
volunteer to give you tie traditional par
ticulars of how the Squaw's Rock acquir-
ed its name. These particulars, however,
are usually extremely meagre, and all
that seems to be certainly known about
the matter is that, some forty years ago
before the discovery of gold, in fact,
and when whites settlers in the State
were few and far between-an Indian
maiden was beloved by white youth,
the affection being mutual, but distaste-
full to the maiden's tribe, who put every
obstacle in the way of union; that the
maiden was eventually compelled to
marry the suitor CHOSEN for her by the
tribe; and that, in a fit of despair, she
threw herself, like another Sappho, from
the top of the precipice which bears her
name, and was dashed to pieces on the
powders of the rivers bed. This poetic
legend might haveremained shrouded
in historic vagueness had not chance
thrown me in the way Of obtaining fur
ther particulars from an authentic source
which invested the story with a tragic
and dramatic force which was not hint.
ed at in its original form.
Some years ago. while living in the
neighborhood of Cloverdale, made the
acquaintance of an Indian of more than
ordinary intelligence, whose natural ret
icence was thawed by some services
which was enabled to do him, and
whose confidence | won far enough TO
succeed in making him unfold, in dis
jointed manner, the real history of the
occurrences from which Squaw's Rock
took its name, and which | now repro.
duce for the benefit of my readers, weav-
ing the story intoa more connected form
than was given me by old Santiago.
II was some time in the twenties that
John Willard, the captain off trader,
who brought the commodities of civiliz-
ed life into Monterey, and there barter
ed them for hides got tired of his sea
faring life. AS many more have done
before and after him in California, mar
ried hmsefto a senorita with broad
acres and fat kline, and settled down into
q steady going rancher in the valley of
the Russian River. A son was borr to
the pair, stalwart youth, whose robust,
out of door life made him both strong
and handsome. 1t was universally con-
ceded that Frank Willard, at the age of
twenty, was as fine specimen Of youth
as could be found north OF the bay, or,
for that matter, south of it either. His
free and generous disposition made him
as great favorite with the male portion
OF the community as his good looks did
with the female. OF course, at that sus.
ceptible age II was only natural that he
should pay particular attention to the
latter, and as compatriots Of his own
station were not numerous in those thin
ly settled regions, perhaps it was but
natural that he should cast his eyes upon
such females as there were. The pater-
nal hacienda Of the Willards lay in the