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By Mark McLaughlin

It took an unusual character named Henry H. Hartley to unlock the golden secret of Meadow Lake. Born in Pennsylvania in 1834, he was that rare precocious child who spent most of his time reading books. In 1860, he journeyed to California to recover from a chronic respiratory condition, built a small cabin near Meadow Lake in Nevada County and settled in.

Yuba River to divert water for their foothill mining operations. For three years Hartley lived like a hermit at the isolated lake where he rarely encountered another person. He survived the harsh winters by trapping mink, martin, fox, and bear. Over the snowbound winter months, Harley worked his pelts into valuable furs. As often happens, the rigors of mountain life and beneficial climate improved his health.

Meadow Lake is located eight miles north of Cisco, between the headwaters of the middle and south forks of the Yuba River, at an elevation of 7,254 feet. The South Yuba Canal Company created the lake in 1858 when they dammed a small tributary of the South

In June 1863, Hartley noticed veins of a dark red, decomposed ore that upon closer inspection revealed particles of gold. Hartley needed help to make the ore pay so he partnered with John Simons and Henry Feutel and formed the Excelsior Mining Company.

Meadow Lake, Summit City - 6,800 feet elevation - Central Pacific Railroad Published 1866

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Publisher: harryJONES Editors: allisonJONES

MelanieCano Layout design: aaronJONES Contributing Writers: MarkMcLaughlin

The Hartleys’ Folly & A Reno Murder

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Continued from page 3 In the spring of 1865, hundreds of hard-rock miners, entrepreneurs and businessmen from the financially depressed Comstock rushed to the remote lake. By June, at least 3,000 people had joined in the “excitement” at Meadow Lake. In 1866, thousands more joined the Meadow Lake gold rush. Everyone was convinced that it was “the next big thing.” By the end of the summer mining season, there were 600 new buildings, including a church meeting house and fire-resistant brick bank. There were three large hotels packed with customers and 90 saloons.

Painted courtesans lounged in the bars, drinking whiskey and smoking cigars. A small steamer cruised the shallow waters of Meadow Lake, which miners boarded for Saturday night excursions to hurdy-gurdy houses at the upper end of the lake.

By the summer of 1867, there were eight large mills operating with a total of 72 ore-crushing stamps. Despite all the mining activity there was precious little money being made. The ore around Meadow Lake generated assays of up to $690 per ton, but there seemed to be a problem with the milling process that had everyone stumped. Although the obdurate ore refused to yield to the common reduction processes known at the time, it is more likely that the pockets of goldrich ore were rare and promising veins quickly pinched out.

Two of Nevada’s best-known newspapermen, Dan De Quille of the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, and Alf Doten, editor of the Virginia City Union, arrived “to report on the tremendous agitation convulsing the Meadow Lake Country.” Their observations inspired others to join the rush to riches, including attorney Orion Clemens and his brother Sam (Mark Twain). The Meadow Lake population swelled again during the summer of 1867, but by then hope for a big strike had dissipated. Despite many efforts, no one could make the ore profitable on a large scale so the town’s inhabitants left in droves.

Eventually, the only person left was Henry Hartley, the eccentric and adventurous soul who had first settled there. Over the next 20 years, Hartley bought up and consolidated all the Meadow Lake claims into his own single holding.

Occasionally during the summer, a prospector or two might give Meadow Lake a quick look-over, but only Hartley stayed through the deep winter snows. In September 1873, a transient lit a fire in the Excelsior Hotel, which spread through the dilapidated ghost town. The flames swept through Meadow Lake’s wooden buildings destroying all but a handful. Hartley, however, remained at the abandoned camp living in the last remaining house, surrounded by fancy furnishings that he had salvaged. Hartley’s dream of riches finally came true in November 1891, when a consortium of French investors offered him a good price for the mining claims. Fate intervened, however, and Hartley died unexpectedly while preparing for his journey to Europe.

After his death in 1892, Hartley’s estranged wife Alice showed up to claim her husband’s estate. Alice Hartley had been studying art in Italy when she heard of his death. Anticipating a large cash inheritance from the Meadow Lake claim, she returned as quickly as possible and rented several rooms at Grass Valley’s finest hotel.

Continued on page 6

Henry Hartley, Hermit at Meadow Lake. Courtesy California State Library

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Continued from page 4 Unfortunately, the worthless mining stocks and $1,500 left by her impoverished husband barely covered her debts.

Henry had met Alice in May 1886, while he was buying supplies at Cisco on the Central Pacific’s main line west of Donner Summit. She was a lovely young woman, nearly half his age, but Hartley impressed Alice as a wealthy mining magnate and the couple married in Sierraville a year later.

Their relationship was short-lived however. After only a few weeks at Hartley’s remote mining camp at Meadow Lake, his socially inclined wife fled to Grass Valley. When Hartley arrived to fetch her home a loud argument erupted and the newlyweds split up. Hartley returned to Meadow Lake and Alice moved to Virginia City. In September 1893, Alice decided to settle in Reno. Reno’s elevation helped her asthma condition and it was relatively close to Meadow Lake. Alice rented an apartment–studio on the third floor of the imposing Bank of Nevada where she offered art lessons and classes to the public. She quickly joined Reno’s social elite and applied for the position of art teacher in the Reno schools.

The Honorable Murray D. Foley was president of the Bank of Nevada and a Nevada State Senator. A mutual friend introduced Senator Foley and the recently widowed Alice during a railroad excursion to Boca, near Truckee.

Thirty-year-old Alice was described as “prepossessing in appearance, always dressed neatly and in good taste, is well-educated, a good conversationalist, bright and vivacious.” Foley was smitten.

supper — which she refused. Alice claimed that Foley secretly drugged her drink, and the next thing she knew, she was in bed with the good senator beside her. Alice refused any further meetings with Foley and had the locks on her studio doors changed. Despite her precautions, on the evening of Nevada Senator Murray D. Foley. Courtesy February 26, she Nevada Historical Society returned home to find the obsessed senator hiding in her apartment. Once more he forced her to submit to his will. Alice bought a gun the next day and she threatened to shoot the senator if he attacked her again. Foley must have believed Alice because from then on, he avoided her.

In late March, Alice realized that she was pregnant. When she confronted Senator Foley, he insisted on an abortion.

Alice decided that she wanted to keep the child and in May she retained Reno attorney, E.R. Dodge, whose office was just below her studio in the Bank of Nevada building.

She had Dodge write up a legal document acknowledging Foley’s paternity and establishing financial responsibility for her and the child. Senator Foley feigned cooperation In December someone showed Foley some promising and agreed to draft a letter of financial support and place samples of gold ore from Alice’s moribund mines at Meadow Lake and offered to act as broker for the property. it on record in Salt Lake City.

According to Alice, the couple did not meet again until Senator Foley began calling on Alice to discuss a possible July 26 when she called Foley to her apartment where she transaction of the claim. Late on the evening of January told him that she was moving to Salt Lake City. Foley then 13, 1894, Foley arrived unannounced at Alice’s apartment.

Continued on page 8 According to Alice, Foley asked her to join him for a late

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Continued from page 6 admitted that no legal papers had been filed and that she and the child were on their own. A heated argument ensued and Foley went berserk. He grabbed a heavy chair and swung it at her. Alice seized her Colt revolver and fired two .38 caliber bullets into Foley. He stumbled down the steps, mortally wounded. Murray Foley was unconscious in ten minutes and dead in thirty. His faithful wife reached his side just as he died.

birth to a baby boy. After serving 18 months, Alice and her infant son were released from prison on January 12, 1897.

Tragically, the boy died of scarlet fever on February 21; just seven weeks after mother and son had gained their freedom.

Broken-hearted, Alice moved to San Francisco where she suffered a nervous breakdown. Believing that God had told her to repent and spread her message, she sometimes interrupted Sunday services by seizing the An impressive funeral was held in Reno. Eulogies by his wife and political cronies described the murdered senator pulpit to shock the congregation with grim details of Foley’s killing. With nothing but the worthless Meadow as “an enterprising citizen…large-hearted and generous.”

Lake stocks to support her, Alice Hartley turned to crime.

Only after the ceremonies did the truth about Senator In 1907 she was caught stealing jewels in San Francisco.

Foley’s character reveal itself. Nevada newspapers later To evade prosecution she fled over Donner Pass and acknowledged Foley’s womanizing. Editors wondered publicly how the senator had avoided vengeful husbands continued east to Denver where she fell ill and died on New Year’s Day, 1908. or fathers, since he often boasted of his amorous affairs to barroom buddies. Foley’s wife confirmed the charges Through little fault of her own, Alice Hartley is by refusing to have black crepe on the family home and remembered as the only person to kill a sitting Nevada she quickly left for San Francisco with her husband’s state senator. Punishment wasn’t on the community’s $250,000 estate. mind however, because more than 60 prominent citizens signed a petition demanding that instead of The murder trial lasted several days and was frontimprisonment, the State should give her a gold medal for page news. The prosecution portrayed pregnant Alice the deed. as a “dangerous and intriguing woman” with a history of easy virtue. The all-male jury found Alice Hartley guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced her to 11 years in the Nevada State Prison. Two months later she gave Today at Meadow Lake. Courtesy Dana Scanlon

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Autumn Genoa Sunrise— Art Photography Review In Autumn Genoa Sunrise, landscape photographer Aaron Jones presents a quiet view of Genoa, Nevada, and the Carson Valley at the beginning of an autumn morning.

Rather than emphasizing a single landmark, Aaron uses the valley's geography, seasonal color, and early light to create a photograph centered on atmosphere and depth.

The composition is organized around distinct layers. Golden foliage fills the foreground, drawing the eye into the scene before it moves across Genoa and the agricultural fields of Carson Valley toward the Sierra Nevada. The mountain mass on the right balances the open valley to the left, while the expansive sky reinforces the photograph's panoramic character. This arrangement creates considerable depth without making the frame feel crowded.

Light is the photograph's defining element. The sunrise produces a gradual transition from pale yellow near the horizon to pink and lavender higher in the sky. Those warm tones are echoed in the autumn foliage and valley floor, while the distant mountains retain cooler blue and violet hues. The contrast establishes a clear sense of the early hour and gives the image much of its visual character.

Atmospheric haze is particularly effective. Patches of fog soften portions of the valley and partially obscure distant details, creating separation between the foreground, middle ground, and mountains. Aaron makes the fog part

of the composition rather than simply a condition to overcome.

Genoa itself is handled with restraint. Buildings, roads, trees, and fields are visible but remain subordinate to the larger landscape. The result is neither a traditional town portrait nor a wilderness photograph. Instead, the image shows the relationship between the historic community and the agricultural valley surrounding it.

Aaron Jones is a landscape photographer based in Carson Valley. Originally from Truckee, California, Aaron was educated at San Jose State University and now focuses his photography on the landscapes and natural character of the Sierra Nevada and surrounding region. His familiarity with the area is evident in both the subject and timing of this photograph.

The strength of Autumn Genoa Sunrise lies in its restraint.

There is no dramatic weather or exaggerated spectacle. Its appeal comes from the interaction of fog, autumn foliage, sunrise color, and mountain form. Aaron captures a familiar Carson Valley view at a fleeting moment when subtle changes in light and atmosphere give the landscape its most distinctive character.

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How Invasive Pests Spread and How You Can Help Stop Them Invasive pests can hide in places you’d never expect, and once they spread, they can destroy the trees, plants and food people rely on every day. These pests pose a serious threat to agriculture, forests, ecosystems and the food supply. Many invasive species cannot travel far on their own; instead people unknowingly move them from place to place.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, invasive pests hitchhike on everyday items such as plants, produce, firewood, vehicles and outdoor equipment. That makes many common activities – from traveling and online shopping to camping and gardening – potential “pathways” for invasive pests to move and reach new areas. Understanding these pathways is the first step to stopping pests before they spread.

Traveling Abroad When you travel abroad and return from another country, the agricultural items you bring back can introduce new invasive pests into the U.S. and threaten crops or trees that have no natural defenses against them. Even harmless-looking fruit, seed packets or souvenirs made with plant materials can carry pests such as fruit flies and diseases like citrus canker. That’s why it’s critical travelers declare food, plants and other agricultural products when entering the country from abroad.

Quagga and Zebra mussels are tiny invasive freshwater species that spread rapidly between water bodies by hitching rides on boat hulls, motors, and trailers

Shopping Online Just because you can order seeds and plants from sellers around the world, it doesn’t mean those items are legal or safe to import. In fact, some invasive snails and plant diseases have entered the U.S. this way. Many agricultural products from overseas require permits, inspections or special paperwork before they can enter the country. Buyers should check where an item ships from, learn the import requirements before purchasing and make sure sellers follow all labeling and shipping rules.

Partaking in Outdoor Activities When you spend time outdoors hiking, camping, hunting or fishing, you could inadvertently spread invasive species.

For example, transporting firewood from one location to another can spread tree-killing insects, such as the emerald

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Moving Outdoor Equipment When you move to a new home, your move can create another opportunity for invasive insects to travel. Before relocating patio furniture, grills, trailers or lawn equipment, inspect and clean them carefully. Look for insects, plant debris and egg masses like spotted lanternfly egg masses, which can blend into outdoor surfaces and look like smears of mud or clumps of dirt. A few minutes of checking and cleaning before you move can help prevent pests from invading your new neighborhood.

Invasive pests cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year and damage lakes, forests, farms, parks and backyards. Stopping invasive pests starts with simple steps anyone can take: checking what you pack, clean, move and buy. When everyone does their part, fewer pests spread and communities stay healthier and more resilient.

Visit aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests to learn more about how invasive pests spread and the simple steps you can take to help stop them and protect America’s agriculture and natural resources.

Invasive Pest Protection Checklist • Declare all food, plants and agricultural items when returning from another country.

• When ordering items online, check where the products ship from and verify U.S. import rules before buying.

• If you’re camping, buy firewood where you plan to burn it. Clean clothing, gear and vehicles before leaving.

• Before moving to a new home, inspect outdoor furniture and equipment, looking closely for egg masses or insects.

Content courtesy of USDA.

Close up of a trunk of a pine tree damaged by emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis insect wood boring beetle invasive specie in North America USA and Canada, from east Asia

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ash borer, which can live inside the wood and emerge later in a new area. The safest choice is to buy or use firewood where you burn it.

Additionally, clean all outdoor clothing, gear, equipment and vehicles before leaving an area.

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I’m not a Chipmunk Among the many mammals that inhabit the forests surrounding Lake Tahoe, few are as charismatic—or as frequently misidentified—as the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis). At first glance it resembles one of the Sierra Nevada's chipmunks, yet a closer look reveals a larger, more robust animal with a distinctive reddish-gold mantle over its shoulders and neck. Unlike chipmunks, its face lacks dark and light stripes, instead displaying a clean cinnamon-colored head accented by a white eye ring.¹ Throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin, golden-mantled ground squirrels occupy open conifer forests, rocky outcrops, talus slopes, campgrounds, and meadow edges from roughly 5,000 feet to well above timberline. Their preference for rocky cover provides both protection from predators and convenient sites for burrows. Fallen logs, granite boulders, and loose soil are all readily incorporated into their underground tunnel systems.² Summer visitors often encounter these squirrels near picnic areas or hiking trails, where generations of human contact have made some individuals remarkably tolerant of people. This apparent tameness, however, should not be mistaken for domestication. Feeding wild squirrels disrupts their natural foraging behavior, increases disease transmission, and can reduce their ability to accumulate appropriate food reserves before winter hibernation. Park managers throughout the Sierra Nevada strongly discourage feeding wildlife.³

The golden-mantled ground squirrel is an opportunistic omnivore. During spring and summer it feeds heavily on seeds, pine nuts, berries, grasses, flowers, fungi, insects, and occasionally bird eggs or carrion. Fungi are especially important within Sierra forests. By consuming and dispersing fungal spores, these squirrels indirectly support the health of pine and fir forests, where underground mycorrhizal fungi form essential partnerships with tree roots.4 As autumn approaches, behavior changes noticeably.

Individuals spend much of the day gathering food while building fat reserves rather than storing large quantities of food underground. Unlike tree squirrels, which cache food extensively, golden-mantled ground squirrels rely primarily on body fat accumulated during the brief alpine growing season. By October, most adults retreat below ground to begin one of the longest hibernation periods among Tahoe mammals. Depending upon elevation and annual snowfall, they may remain dormant until March or even April.5 Continued on page 16

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Continued from page 14 Life at high elevation imposes significant ecological constraints. Research conducted in the Sierra Nevada has shown that populations living at higher elevations experience shorter active seasons, delayed reproduction, and smaller litter sizes than populations living lower on the mountain slopes. These differences illustrate how mountain environments shape the life histories of even common mammals.6 Golden-mantled ground squirrels occupy an important middle position in the Tahoe food web. They convert seeds, vegetation, insects, and fungi into biomass that supports predators including hawks, coyotes, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and occasionally badgers. Their abandoned burrows may later provide shelter for reptiles, small mammals, and invertebrates, further enriching mountain biodiversity.7 For naturalists, one of the easiest ways to distinguish a golden-mantled ground squirrel from the numerous chip-

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munk species around Lake Tahoe is to examine the head.

Chipmunks possess facial stripes extending through the eye, while golden-mantled ground squirrels have an unstriped face with only a white eye ring.

Observing these squirrels offers a window into the seasonal rhythms of the Sierra Nevada. During spring they emerge lean from months of hibernation. Summer brings breeding, raising young, and abundant foraging. Autumn is a race against time to accumulate sufficient fat before winter returns. Then, as snow blankets the gran-

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ite landscape and most visitors leave the mountains, the golden-mantled ground squirrel sleeps beneath the forest floor, awaiting another brief alpine summer.

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Footnotes 1.

Bryce Canyon National Park. "Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel." National Park Service.

2. Visit Lake Tahoe. "Mammals of the Lake Tahoe Basin."

3. National Park Service; Visit Lake Tahoe. Guidance discouraging the feeding of wildlife in mountain parks and recreation areas.

4. Yellowstone National Park. "Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel." National Park Service.

5. Vallance, N. H. (2022). Physiological Ecology of Free-living Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels Before and During Hibernation. Northern Arizona University.

6. Bronson, M. T. (1979). "Altitudinal Variation in the Life History of the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel." Ecology, 60(2), 272–279.

7. Yellowstone National Park. Ecological role, habitat, and predator relationships of the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.

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Far from being merely "campground squirrels," these animals represent an important component of Lake Tahoe's montane ecosystem. Their interactions with fungi, vegetation, predators, and soils illustrate the intricate ecological relationships that sustain Sierra forests.

Appreciating them as wild animals rather than opportunistic beggars helps ensure that future generations will continue to encounter one of Tahoe's most engaging native mammals.

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