By MARY TURNER
I’ve been enjoying looking through a book on Knights Ferry’s history called “Touring Knights Ferry with Tom,” written by Marjorie Willms and published in 1976. This local history book is an absolute gem, filled with a collection of personal photos and recollections of Knights Ferry as told by Tom Prowse.
The author, Marjorie, used a tape recorder to collect Tom Prowse’s “delightful stories” at the age of 99. She originally intended to include Tom’s recollections on just a single page in a book she was writing about the Willms Ranch. However, after a few visits with Tom and her tape recorder, it quickly grew into a whole chapter, and then an entire book.
Marjorie writes in the book’s introduction: “We know how much it means to Tom to realize that his contribution to Knights Ferry’s colorful past will now be recorded into history. Not only will his wonderful collection of pictures be preserved, but also the descriptions of them and events of the late 1880s and early 1900s, that would otherwise just become ‘hearsay’!”
One excerpt I found particularly interesting can be found on page 57 and speaks of the Indigenous people who lived in Knights Ferry long before William Knight arrived, and how they were pushed out by those seeking gold. While the (somewhat harmful) language in this excerpt reflects the time in which it was recorded, it also preserves an important, if imperfect, glimpse into the lives and displacement of the region’s Indigenous communities.
The excerpt reads:
“The Indians (who were from the Miwuk/Yokut tribes) lived at Goat Hill until the miners wanted to mine it off. Then they were moved to Buena Vista (the village south of the covered bridge). They lived in little wooden cabins; there were quite a number of them. There was an old Indian lady called ‘Old Chatta.’ She lived there for years, everybody knew Old Chatta! You know, she saved Jimmie and Albert Morrison from drowning. There was high water, and those two little boys went down to the river and fell in, and by golly, Chatta happened to be around. She fished them out and saved their lives!”
The tribal members lived in plain board cabins with dirt floors, one door, and one window. “They had a sweat box there too, underground.”
I hope to bring more excerpts from “Touring Knights Ferry with Tom” to future articles. It’s truly a wealth of information beyond what most of us know about Knights Ferry’s long history.
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This Thursday, April 16, the menu at Rick’s Saloon for Thankful Thursday will be: Ham with scalloped potatoes and corn casserole with garlic bread. This delicious meal is free from 5pm-8pm with the purchase of an adult beverage.
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Sunday, April 19, starting at 12pm, The Knights Ferry Free Market Collective will be hosting the KF Art Studio at the Odd Fellows Lodge for an all-ages Sewing Circle. Whether you’re wanting to try something new or tackling a project that feels a bit challenging, bring your machine and fabrics and sew alongside an experienced instructor ready to help you grow your skills. Don’t have a machine? Try hand sewing with needle and thread as all skill levels are welcome. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. A suggested donation per attendee is appreciated; however, true to Free Market’s mission, please don’t let cost keep you from coming as no one will be turned away, come as you are. Free chili will be served for lunch. Contact the studio for more details about this event at (209) 247-7643.
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Save the date! The 33rd annual Gold Country Peddlers Faire will be held Sunday, April 26 from 9am-3pm. There will be over 100 arts, crafts, collectibles and antique vendors, as well as food vendors, set up at the Army Corp Park along the Stanislaus River. Parking is $10 but admission for the event is free of charge.
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Ongoing Events:
Odd Fellows Breakfast - 1st Sunday of the month @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
Free Market - 2nd Tuesday 3:30pm @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
Taco Tuesday - 5pm-8pm @ Rick’s Saloon
Thankful Thursdays - 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month. Free meal with drink purchase 5pm-8pm @ Rick’s Saloon
Upcoming Events:
Water Board Meeting - April 16, 7pm @ The Miller’s Hall
Thankful Thursday - April 16, 5pm-8pm @ Rick’s Saloon
Odd Fellows Potluck Social - April 22, 6pm @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
Gold County Peddlers Faire - April 26, 9am-4pm - Main Street/Covered Bridge, Knights Ferry
Green Waste Drop-Off Event - May 2, 9am-1pm @ Rafting overflow parking lot
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Do you have any exciting Knights Ferry local news, upcoming events, historical facts about the area, jokes or recipes to share? Contact Mary Turner at knightsferrynews@gmail.com
