Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Historical Reminiscences - Tragic Death Of Ransom Griswold 1882
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Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

TRAGIC DEATH OF RANSOM GRISWOLD.

   In the fall of 1860 a rather depraved character, who went by the title of
Ransom Griswold, came to Honey Lake valley with two ten-gallon kegs of whisky
strapped on his mule, his purpose being to trade the liquid commodity to the
immigrants who came into the valley. He was from Long valley, and was ready for
any kind of a barter; so, as a purely business venture, he succeeded in
exchanging his stock of whisky for an immigrant's daughter, the other party to
the transaction being the girl's father. Griswold, with his newly acquired
property, returned to Long valley, and leased her to some stock men as a cook.
At that time she was fourteen years of age; but six or eight months later he
married her, and in the spring of 1861 moved on the Humbug ranch on the middle
fork. Here his wife was again engaged in cooking for stock men, and one of them,
Jim Bradley, becoming enamored of her, negotiated with Griswold for her sale to
him. The purchase was soon concluded; and the trio packed their effects on
horses and started for Quincy to get the marriage contract canceled, that there
might be no future trouble about the title-deed to the girl. On their way
thither they stopped at Mr. Trimble's place, where the girl wished to remain
until her possessors returned; but Mr. Trimble would not hear to it, and made
them go away, advising them to go home and behave themselves. In a short time
Griswold disappeared suddenly, and did not return until the next March, the
neighbors supposing him to be dead. During his absence Mrs. Griswold consoled
herself for his loss by becoming the temporary property of Bradley, and living
with him in Long valley. Finally the lost husband returned and took possession
of his house and ranch again. He lived quietly alone at his place for some time.
On the eighteenth of June, 1863, James Byers came along with a small band of
cattle, and after conversing a few moments with Griswold, continued on the road
towards Beckwourth. He was accompanied a short distance by Griswold, who carried
an oil can, and a keg with a bail to it, to get some water from a spring. Having
filled them with water, Griswold went back, and Byers continued on his way. He
had not gone far before he heard the report of a gun, and looking hack before
leaving the valley, saw Griswold's house in flames. On account of his cattle he
was not able to return at once. An examination of the ruins, however, revealed
the remains of Griswold lying in their midst, with the can on one side of him
and the iron hoops of the keg on the other. The manner of his death has always
remained a mystery; but from the position of the water vessels it was supposed
that he was shot while entering his cabin, and that the murderer had set fire to
the house to destroy the evidence of the crime. After the death of Griswold,
Bradley married the woman, and is still living with her, in easy circumstances.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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