Nevada Backroaders

The Las Vegas newspaper during this period (1947) took note of of the fact that Rose McDonald, nearing her eightieth year, had come to to town in her old car, traveling from Spirit Mountain, fifteen miles over very poor dirt roads, to get her monthly supplies. McDonald was well known. In the mid-1930's, shortly after she was widowed, two men worked her mining claim without her permission, stealing her ore. When she asked them to leave, they responded, "No, woman". She went home, came back to the mine with her rifle, and killed both of the claim jumpers, then loaded the bodies into her car and brought them into Searchlight, where she was arrested. Her trial for murder was the first held in Las Vegas's new courthouse. She was acquitted.

I was about 4 years old when Rosie was laid to rest. She used to have a really nice headstone. BTW: I think I was the only sober person at that funeral and good old Irish Wake. I was also the only person under about 40.

Sorry, I'm thinking I was 4 or , maybe 6 when she passed. That would make it about 1951 or 52. I kinda thought the other grave was her last Husband (who I thought passed during before her) My parents were very close friends and we looked after the place until after she passed. She had water piped down from up the canyon toward the communication site (Not under pressure) and I'd walk the line with my dad almost every weekend looking for leaks. We rap the old rusted iron pipe with cut pieces of inner tube, then using bailing wire, repair the leaks. Seems like there were always one or two and if you didn't tend to them, soon what little water wouldn't make it to her house. saw my first cougar walking up that canyon checking the pipes for leaks.

She had some diggings (mine) there but it had played out long before she passed.


I think it was a couple years after she passed as my parents tried to secure title but determined that they could patent the land. BTW: The insulation in the new house is asbestos so the new cement floored house is not a good place to stir up dust or spend the night. I could be off by a few years but I remember going there in the old Hudson Hornet and my folks bought a new Mercury wagon about 1954.