indian freight driver and cowboy (a tape recorded...
TRANSCRIPT
FRANK COLEMAN
Indian freight driver and cowboy
(A tape recorded interview)
by
Richard L. Dyer
Instructor, Columbia Junior College
Summer, 1972
Chicken Ranch, Jamestown, California
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"~i·:~~~S~~,:-· .,:.; Obituaries ....\~ ~ • ~ "'~'." ..... ~.;:;:~~.;.:. .,.:~ '~~"'; _ ,I~' ._ .' -,. ::~ • '.':• J ,
· Fra:n.JL.William Coleman ~ . 31 yearS; died Wednesday . , ,~> ~;',,:: '" . ''''. ,"v--: in a local hospital." .. ~:-' _, :'4"'<
· ~. Fr a n k:'~ .WH 1i am:..' Driving the Columbia . She' was a member of · ~,83;·:Of,{~James.-stage line was also a part- the Sonora Moose lodge tOWDi~ ,was:.~ pronounced-: timejob for Mr; Coleman, .' auxiliary! ' :., .' ~:,;; { dead on arnval'at'a local'~1 who-worked both for zane Mrs::,Taylor leaves'her
'. hospital Jastt'ilight ',' after ", Orr':'former oWner:of the husban~, Roy, of Soulsby- . apparently~;..silffering~'a .. stage" and current. owner ville; two sons;, Roy
. ~eart ~ttack~ :;;i~·~;:~<~·f;.Louie:'~·tGoo~in~'-;'::·Mr,. Wayne Taylor and Robert ~ Mr_._Colema ',.,. had':"'a;:,,: .Coleman was -frequently ,~D, Taylor;'both of Kansas;
'_. history of ~ea~;'tr~uble.. i,stage ';driver :>:in "movies ':. two ~' daughters, ,Beverly according,~' to.;",:Lt::.:,{ .Ray",}:, filmed locally",· ,_ ''(;' .... .- Neal, of;" Soulsbyville and Antonini,;::~hie~~:deputy ,;..":. Mr.',Coleman. made his, Vicky Parsons of Kansas;. corooer:"~.~~{}~~5':':~;%:-g:~.~ ,.;£;. home; with his. sister-in- '~ne sister, ~uby. Mangus , A native of Coulterville, '.-,law,. Pansy, Jacobs, 'of of New ~eX1co;a brother, Mr. Coleman spent all but ',~~amestown. _ _ ' " Roberb,,~~ ManguS( .", of
" 'the first.year of ~~i!.e ,in '0~~ He is .suryived by one .Colorad.o,'-';:' and.!;~ .~ight Tuolumne.county ',: "..;;~-:>- "son ,Lows of Mariposa' a ,grandchildren '; ",.'pJ"~" ..
.... . Mr. ,Colem~m;:"~~~'':'a~rda~ghte~, Katheri~e'. - Pallbearer~ .' wni:,.-bc heavy equipment operator :-,,'Borba of Chino' one niece ,Dean Duncan, B.D. King, for SO ·~ears, f:beginning'::Velma Nelson 'of :JameS: .Toby ~';.: Adams. : D.V. with. the :..Civilian Con-, town; two nephews, Toots Gregory, Ed Reed, and servation corps during the - :.warn~ -of Oakdale and.- Don Lydick, " " ,.'. ' depression as,a, bulldozer .George Warne of Sonora'" 'Interment· will . be in,
._ instructo~.:.J:,;·~~:~~~\~~i"':··'>r'> '. ~ fourgrandchildren,and 12 .JMountajn Shado'w 'THe also worked on' the ~ great-gr'andchildren,~'- _ cemetery: c <'<
Hetch Hetchy; dam project ' •. , A seryice will be held at ,from its inception, 'for 34> 10. a:m. Monday at Ter· years... ,<:~tilF ..:" (~.: zic.h-Wilson Funeral home
':During World War I, Mr;:;:.~...:withthe Rev:, John Pruett ' , , , Coleman:1.worked·as'a .:: officiating. Interment will .
mailman' in : the Coulter-" be .. in Mountain Shadow ' ville area.:He.w.as. also a cemetery:,cowboy .' for,~mariy!.i years - . ':""':; ;~" , andc.h~lped;tdrive:cattle in~;the Sierra:Jfr(fnt the foothills;'!ol'".t;;Tuolumne county· ranche~;~~~€:li~.,-:~ ._, '--- ..-
Mr•. Coleman;worked as a paclrtrainguide,and ran
:; the-;;,Tuoluinne:;; Meadows ::.~, pack.,:: statiOn$~ffor;t' the '!;~osemite·Park:~lIld:'Curry ','Company: He'also' paCked
out of Kenn~)(;.~eadows. -~ '- • 7 , qiC': ' :;-:" ;,;..1.2-__
...........
•
FRANK COLEMAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
TAPE 1, Side 1 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Biographical information
Park trains, Tioga Road
Capt. Joseph Walker
Jim Savage
Joaquin Murrietta
Chief Tenaya
The Fremont family
The Chinese
Brothers and sisters
Indians around Coulterville
Miwok language
Side 2 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Indian leaders
Horses
Food
Animals
Tools
TAPE 2, Side 3 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Religion
Buildings
Chief Lemee1s dances
Story telling
Chicken Ranch area
Middle Camp area
FRANK COLEMAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
TAPE 2, Side 4 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Tuolumne Rancheria
Indian messengers
Springfield and Columbia
Columbia Junior College
Indian inscriptions, Yosernite
Calaveras County Miwoks
Indians as conservationists
AUGUST 29, 1972
TAPE 3, Side 5 TOPICS INTHODUCED
(Long leader on tape)
Freight driver
Father's business
Ox teams
Horse teams
14 year-old driver
Preparing for the trip
Identification of horses
Working the team
Side 6 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Route to Yosemite
Wages
Working for Stoddard
vvorking the animals
Indian freight arl and cowboy
TAPE 3, Side 6 Wells-Fargo Express Summer, 1972
(cont'd) Railroads
Extra for movie companies
Columbia State Park
Yosemite National Park
AUGUST 31, 1972
TAPE 4, Side 7 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Employment at Yosemite National Park
Indians in the Valley
Contacts with whites
Maria Lebrado
Captain Paul
Maggie Howard (TA-BU-CE)
Other Indians
Burial controversies
U. S. Army in the Valley
Locations
White and black troopers
Associations with stockmen
Side 8 TOPICS INTRODUCED
The Curtain f~~ily
Using stock dogs
Major Harry C. Benson
Wild fruit
Prominent acquaintances
Jim Hutchings
Galen Clark
FRANK COLEMAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
Side 8 (cont1d)
TAPE 5, Side 9
TAPE 5, Side 10
TAPE 6, Side 11
Prominent acquaintances (cont I d)
The Leidig family
The Degnan family
'dilliam Taft
Theodore Roosevelt
The Curry family
TOPICS INTRODUCED
Routes to Yosemite
Old Tioga Pass
Big Oak Flat Road.
Coulterville Road
v{awona
The Valley
Win~er in the Valley
TOPICS INTRODUCED
Winter in the Valley (cont I d)
Working at Hetch-Hetchy
Rai]roads around Yosemite
Forest industries
Changes in Yosemite
SEPTEMBER 7, 1972
TOPICS INTRODUCED
Civilian Conservation Corp.
Camp 17, Mariposa
Road. construction proj ects
C. C. C. workers
FRANK COLEHAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
TAPE 6, Side 11 Wages and other benefits
Constructing roads and trails
Off-duty diversions
Side 12 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Cowboy drives into high country
Looking fo r missing man
Working conditions
Fires
Weather problems
The longhorn
TAPE 7, Side 13 TOPICS INTRODUCED
The lonehorn (cont'd)
Horses used by cowboys
Breciking horses
Branding
Rustling
The 45
Side 14 TOPICS INTRODUCED
l1ules
The Rodeo circuit
SEPTEMBER 16, 1972
At Columbia, California
TAPE 8, Side 15 TOPICS INTRODUCED
Louie Gookin Ranch
Columbia State Park (stage coach ride)
FRANK OOLEMAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
TAPE 8, Side 15 (cont'd)
OCTOBER 2, 1972
At Chicken Ranch
Driving the stage, Columbia State Park
6 horses
Tourists' reactions
Permission to use these tapes
FRANK COLEMAN Indian freight driver
and cowboy Summer, 1972
-APPENDIX
TAPE 9, Side 16
Side 17
TAPE 10, Side 18
Side 19
TOPICS INTRODUCED Oc-\". 15, IC{lz...
The Big Oak Flat Road to Yosemite
Chinese Camp
Near Eagle-Shawmut Mine site
Moccasin
Priest1s
TOPICS INTRODUCF~
Big Oak flat
Groveland
Smith I s Station
Buck Meadows (Hamilton Station)
Cliff House (south fork, Tuolumne
River)
Crocker Station
Yo semite National Park
Hodgson Meadow
Crane Flat
Yosemite National Park (cont I d)
Visitor1s Center
Meadow, Valley floor
Stoneman Meadow
Yosemite Lodge
Pioneer History Center, Wawona
Inspiration Point
(Abrupt Conclusion)