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Hazel Ross Richberger's grandfather was James Hecox. In 1849-50 James made his first trip to California, accompanying a wagon train, but leaving his own family back in Michigan. James joined his brother Adna Andress Hecox in Santa Cruz in 1850, where he was counted in the 1850 Census. The James Hecox Diary was written during this trip. Adna Andress Hecox had brought his family to California in 1846, three years before the Gold Rush. Along the trail the Hecoxes met the Donner family, but parted ways before the Donners took the fatal "cutoff" that added weeks to their crossing. Years later, one of the Donner daughters lived with the Hecoxes for a time in Santa Cruz. Adna and Margaret Hecox's accounts of their plains crossing and other family history will be added here. Adna Hecox became the first keeper of the Santa Cruz lighthouse in 1869. After his death in 1883, his daughter Laura took over the painstaking and important lighthouse-keeping duties, which she performed for 33 years. Father and daughter together kept the oil lamp of the Santa Cruz lighthouse burning for over 46 years. You will find a brief account and a photo of Laura Hecox at: http://www.santacruzpl.org/history/people/hecox.html An interesting account of life in early Santa Cruz is My Early Childhood Memories, by Sarah Hinton Gourley. She describes from a child's eye view many of the places that our family knew well in the mid-1800s. In part 3 is a group photo that includes Laura Hecox, taken May 27, just three months before her death 30 Aug 1919. Laura was the niece
of our James Hecox and the first cousin of Josephine Virginia Hecox
Ross, Hazel's mother.
Family Lines: Adna Hecox--->James Hecox --->Josephine Virginia Hecox Ross--->Hazel Ross Richberger Adna Hecox--->Adna Andress Hecox--->Laura J.F. Hecox Adna Hecox--->Hiram A. Hecox--->Hamden Aubrey Hecox Adna Hecox Family of Michigan: Three Generations
The Way I Went to California, by James Hecox,1849-1850 Part
1 25 June -- 22 July, 1849
TheHecox Family Miscellany The Hecox Family Miscellanycontains newspaper clippings and notes about descendants of Adna Hecox of Michigan by sons Adna Andress and James Hecox. As of 27 July, 1999, all items on this page are from the box of family memorabilia collected by Jessie Ross Pedrick, sister of Hazel Ross Richberger (Aunt Jessie to the Richberger family). If you have items to contribute, including items about descendants of other members of the Hecox family, please contact me at sbutler@rocketmail.com
Emigrant Trail and Goldrush Links Goldrush! California's Untold Stories: The website for a goldrush exhibition at the Oakland Museum with paintings and photos of the era. Gold Rush History Alliance: Excellent Photos of miners' gear on this website of a Goldrush-era re-enactment association. OCTA: Oregon-California Trails Association: One of the most extensive and comprehensive websites about the emigrant trail and experiences of the overland pioneers. Past Patterns: A source for patterns for historically accurate clothing. See 1850-1860 patterns for clothes representative of what was worn during this era. Women in the Gold Rush: "This page is sponsored by a recognized authority on women in the gold rush, JoAnn Levy, whose book, They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush, was praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as 'one of the best and most comprehensive accounts of gold rush life to date.'"
HOME Richberger/Hecox/Ross Introduction Posted
2 Mar 1999 by SRB
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