Unearthing the Jokerville Mine tragedy

 

Larry McDonald’s fascination with history began by simply taking a walk — a stroll through the small cemetery plot just outside Crested Butte.

“I came upon a grave up on the hill above the mass grave of the miners that read ‘Daniel McDonald,” McDonald said in reference to those killed in the Jokerville Mine explosion. “And I got curious.”

McDonald’s curiosity led him to produce his most recent work, a historical pictorial book which documents the mine explosion. On Jan. 24, 1884, a massive blast from the mine shook the town, killing 59 men.

Titled “The Forgotten 59,” McDonald’s book primarily tells the tale of this tragedy through researching historical newspapers in Colorado. In recognition of the 135th anniversary of the explosion, McDonald will discuss his work during an event on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum.

Of course, the research doesn't stop with historical newspapers. McDonald uses online searches, microfilms, and visits to museums and ghost towns to help him paint an accurate picture of the past.

“In between the historical research, I ski bum here in Crested Butte in the winters,” he laughed.

Originally from Scotland himself, McDonald knew the name he shared with the man to whom the grave belonged originated from a specific clan. Intrigue drew McDonald to learn more about Daniel — who was 26 years old when he died in the Jokerville Mine disaster of 1884.

At the time, the Town of Crested Butte was in its infancy, with a mere 400 folks inhabiting the community. Just outside Crested Butte, about 1,000 miners resided in camps —most of whom were immigrants from Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Ireland.

Daniel was a mule driver in the mine and died instantly in the blast. He had a wife who was three months pregnant and three children living in Crested Butte, said McDonald.

“I found recently his widow did remarry a person from Crested Butte and lived a happy life after that,” said McDonald.

The blast left in its wake numerous widows, which made life difficult for women who needed a wage to sustain their families, said McDonald.

Many of the miners who perished were young children who were employed as mule drivers and gatekeepers. One miner, Morgan Neath, was just 17 years old, and his younger brother, 12-year-old William Neath, was a gatekeeper, along with 12-year-old Tommy Lyle. All of the children died in the blast.

“He had a safety whistle ready to blow when they found him,” McDonald said of Lyle.

According to McDonald, another miner was working under an assumed name to hide his true identity. During the Civil War, the man had killed his commanding officer. He was sentenced to be hanged, but escaped from prison and found his way to Crested Butte. He too, perished in the incident.

It’s these small morsels of information that keep McDonald hooked — and next on his quest to learn as much as possible about the victims of the blast is trying to find living relatives of those who perished.

But for the sake of future history buffs, McDonald hopes to see the historic newspapers in the valley posted online.

“I’m disappointed that with the history of Crested Butte and Gunnison being such an integral part of Colorado and our nation’s history that we don’t have our historical newspapers digitized,” he said.

Improved access to the various sources of information can help McDonald continue to learn new and surprising information, such as misconceptions that have evolved over the years.

One misconception that struck McDonald based on his research is the name of the mine.

“The most surprising thing is that the mine wasn't called the Jokerville Mine when it was in operation,” he said. “That’s a mystery to me.”

But most important to McDonald is shedding light on the men who sacrificed so much to survive and build a better nation.

“Nobody has ever said one of the miner’s names,” said McDonald. “Not once. And that’s sad to me, so I’m trying to remember the forgotten.”

“I want people to know their names, know who they were,” he added.

(Kate Gienapp can be reached at 970.641.1414 or kate@gunnisontimes.com.)

“The most surprising thing is that the mine wasn’t called the Jokerville Mine when it was in operation. That’s a mystery to me.”
Larry McDonald