Tag: California
Skeleton of Missing Prospector Abner Lee Found After 37 Years
The 37-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of Abner Lee, the prospector who discovered the famous Lee Silver Mine in California, was solved with the discovery…
Former Fireman Commits Multiple Murders in Revenge Attack
Bert S. Durham, a disgruntled ex-fireman, killed a firefighter and severely injured two others in a revenge-fueled shooting in San Diego, after which he murdered…
Thirty-Two Killed in Shriners’ Train Wreck on Southern Pacific Coast Line
Thirty-two people died horribly in the dining car after the train struck a defective switch. The following event happened in Honda, California, in 1907. 32…
California Man Discovers Snake Inside Lump of Coal
In an odd incident at the Livermore, California waterworks, fireman Peter Zabella stumbled upon a bizarre and unsettling discovery while attempting to fuel the furnace….
Customs Inspector Finds $500 in Biscuits Bound for China
Here is a 1918 newspaper article about a man who tried to leave the U.S. with $500 in gold. He hid the gold in a…
Shingletown Man Discovers Father’s Buried Gold Treasure After 20-Year Search
I just love reading stories about lost and found gold. The following was reported in 1919 and tells how a man, knowing he was about…
Oakland detects bubonic plague, begins rat extermination
An examination of 40 rats found that five of them carried the bubonic plague. Oakland takes steps to exterminate the threat to public health. City…
Unsuccessful gold miner prepared for his demise
Mining for gold left many men and their families in extreme poverty. The following report from out of California, 1922, tells of a man who…
18-year-old poisons mother with formaldehyde for money
In this 1910 news article we learn of a troubled young man who poisoned his mother’s coffee with formaldehyde because she would not give him…
Large snapping turtle in mail bag held post office hostage
A large snapping turtle, found inside a mail bag, help the post office hostage as it snapped at everything in sight. Turtle in Mail Bag…
