 |
| Cariboo Gold Quartz Mining seen in 1933. Jonas Winchester wrote many articles about quartz mining. |
Jonas Winchester was born November 19th, 1810 in Marcellus, New York. He was the son of Samuel B. Winchester and Hannah Woods. He was married twice, his first marriage was to His first marriage was to Susan B. Story. Susan and Jonas married on November 19th, 1835. His second marriage was to Laura Justina Karner. They married on April 15th, 1869. Both marriages took place in New York City, New York.
Jonas Winchester came to California, arriving July, 1849. He was part owner and editor of Pacific News. In April of 1850, he was appointed State Printer by Governor Burnett. Before coming to California he was in partnership with Horace Greeley.
Horace Greeley (February 3rd, 1811 – November 29th, 1872) was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery. The New York Tribune (which he founded and edited) was the US' most influential newspaper from the 1840s to the 1870s and "established Greeley's reputation as the greatest editor of his day."
Greeley used it to promote the Whig and Republican parties, as well as opposition to slavery and a host of reforms ranging from vegetarianism to socialism.
Crusading against the corruption of President Ulysses S. Grant's Republican administration, he was the new Liberal Republican Party's candidate in the 1872 U.S. presidential election. Despite having the additional support of the Democratic Party, he lost in a landslide. He is the only presidential candidate to have died prior to the counting of electoral votes.
Jonas Winchester was a pioneer in quartz mining in Grass Valley, Caliofornia. He was also involved in the Globe Gold and Silver Mining Company in Monitor, Inyo County, California. He died in Columbia, Tuolumne County, California, February 23rd, 1887.
The following obituary is taken from The Union Democrat, Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, March 5th, 1887, pg. 3, col. 2
Death Of "General" Jonas Winchester
Thursday of last week, Jonas Winchester died at his home in Columbia, at the ripe age of 76 years. Winchester came to California in July 1849 and soon became a part owner and editor of the Pacific News an enterprising daily paper of San Francisco. In April 1850, he was appointed State Printer by Gov. Burnett to fill a vacancy. After holding the place for nearly a year he resigned in 1851. which led to an exciting contest over the office between Eugene Casserly and G. K. Fitch. Before coming to California, Jonas Winchester was in partnership with Horace Greeley in publishing the New Yorker. At one time he was editor of the Golden Rule, a journal published in the interests of Odd Fellowship. In the May fire of 1850 the Pacific News was entirely destroyed and the owners being heavily involved, they were unable to continue. Winchester on resigning the office of State Printer, went to Grass Valley, Nevada county, where he was a real pioneer of quartz mining. Horace Greeley, who was his personal friend, encouraged him to write articles for the New York Tribune concerning gold quartz mines. He wrote descriptions, which were the best that ever appeared on that subject, in which he called attention to the great wealth of the quartz lodes. The files of the New York Tribune of 1851 will show his appreciation of the facts in the case. There were difficulties in the way of quartz mining at that time,however. It cost $70 per ton to crush the quartz rock, which absorbed the profit and the work did not pay. He was to early in that field and so had to abandon it. He then returned East and for a time was lost sight of by his friends and acquaintances in California. He returned to California twelve years ago and quietly settled in Tuolumne county. Jonas Winchester had the true spirit of '49. He was warm hearted, enthusiastic, energetic and ought to have succeeded. A widow and several young children survive him.
The Pacific Rural Press dated March 12th, 1887 had this to say about Jonas Winchester:
Death of Jonas Winchester.
Jonas Winchester, better known as " General" Winchester, died at his home at Columbia, Tuolumne county, February 23d, aged 76 years. In early life he was a printer in New York, and a personal friend and partner of Horace Greeley. Coming to California in 1849, he soon became part owner and chief editor of the Pacific News in San Francisco. He was appointed State Printer in April, 1850; held the office about a year and resigned in March, 1851. His publishing house having been ruined by fire meanwhile, he went to Grass Valley, engaged in quartz mining and wrote a series of valuable articles on that subject for the New York Tribune. It does not appear that he made a fortune at it, however, for he presently " returned East and for awhile was lost sight of by his friends and acquaintances in California. But he finally returned hither, like most of those who spend any considerable time in our beloved State, and took up the business of fruit growing near Columbia, whence he now and then sent contributions to the Rural, his last being a Tuolumne county note, dated February 14th, which went to press the morning after his departure. He is spoken of as a man of intelligence, ability and courage; energetic, warm-hearted, enthusiastic, and a philanthropist both in theory and in practice.
Since writing the above, a letter respecting him has come to hand from our venerable friend, John Taylor, who says: The short article from his pen in your issue of February 26th was his last effort for publication, and when it arrived the writer was still in death. We conducted the services on Sunday in the Odd Fellows' graveyard to a large and sympathizing congregation. We have known Mr. Winchester for 25 years, and can testify to his worth as a man and friend. He lived and died a consistent, and in many respects an enthusiastic, spiritualist, and the services were conducted on that principle. He leaves a widow, four daughters and a son; but they rejoice in the assurance that the dear patriarch still watches over the loved of home, and will see that no evil attends their footsteps.