JOHNNY BROWN, the son of Bill and Lucy Brown, was born about 1860, likely at Rancheria Flat, in El Portal. His first wife was Sally Ann Dick, (after their separation, she married John Castagnetto). I don't know of any children from the union of Johnny and Sally Ann.
Johnny Brown's second wife was Lena Rube; they had four children: Chris, Virgil, Alves and Hazel. Only Hazel had any children; she married Nelson Oliver, by whom she had four children, only two of whom lived to maturity (Jack and Barbara, both of whom are alive today). Johnny and Lena separated in the mid-1920s; I don't believe he ever re-married. Lena married Billy Wilson, by whom she had one child, Billy Wilson Jr., who died in 1928; Lena and Billy were murdered in 1930.
Johnny Brown died in 1934.
134Death Certificate Transcribed by Steve Miller:
Mariposa County Bk 3 page 34
Yosemite National Park, California
John Brown, dod Oct 31, 1933
res: Indian Village, YNP dob: unknown age: 70 approx.
sex: male race: Indian marital status: Widowed
spouse: Lena Rube
occ: yrs in occ: 55yrs
bp: Yosemite, Mariposa, California
father: Capt Bill bp: Yosemite, Mariposa
mother: unknown
length in res: 60 plus
informant: Chris Brown Yosemite
burial: Yosemite National Park Nov 2, 1933
embalm: C E Welch
funeral direct: Welch&Griffin Merced
cause: Chicken pox since 10/25/33
contrib: Chronic Myocarditis
physician: Hartley G Dewey, MD Yosemite, Ca.
JW Pratt Nov 3, 1933
by J W Emmert
After Stegman’s death, Sally Ann was married for a short time to Johnny Brown, a local Miwok man.
Revised information: Johnny was NOT the child of Lucy. He was the child from the prior marriage. She died when he was very young..and he didn't know her name.
134
Mariposa Census, page 139b, Township No. 5 Stanislaus Forest Reserve, enumerated May 20, 1910
DICK, Sarah
head
female
Indian
age 32
single
pob El Portal Mariposa, Califoria
pob father Yosemite California
pob mother Yosemite, California
can speak English
Laundress Own house
cannot read or write English
owns house
tribe Meewok
tribe of father Meewok
tribe of mother Meewok
full blooded Indian
living in polygamy no
taxed no
civilized dwelling
________ Billie
father
male
Indian
age 75
widowed
pob Yosemite, California
pob father Yosemite
pob mother Yosemite California
speaks Spanish
occupation none
cannot read or write English
tribe Meewok
tribe of father Meewok
tribe of mother Meewok
full blooded Indian
maried 2 times
living in polygamy no
taxed no
civilized dwelling
“The Ahwahneechees” A Story of the Yosemite Indians, By John W. Bingamon.Library of Congress Catalog Card Number A 863794.
SALLY ANN DICK. Born May 8, 1868 in Yosemite. Her mother was MAY DICK, a full blooded Yosemite Indian. CHARLIE DICK was her brother. Sally was a beautiful Indian girl, when she was young she married a rich miner by the name of Stegeman. He took her to San Francisco, where they lived at the Palace Hotel. They had a carriage and all the fine clothes she wanted, but soon she tired of all this life and one night she ran away and returned to Yosemite, her old home. Stegeman thought enough of her to follow her and returned to the Valley. Here he found employment in the Post Office and was in charge of the express office.
One day Sally Ann rifled the Express Company tll, took the bills and left the silver, wrapped the ten, twenty and fifty dollar bills around her wrist and went to the store. She bought many things. ANGELO CAVAGNARO was the store keeper. He was thoughtful enough to charge her double for everything and of course turned the money back to Stegeman, her husband.
Sally married JOHNNY BROWN after Stegeman died. She was full of life and talkative. They lived in the Valley some years. Johnny Brown said, “She all the time running away, no stay home, no good.” He beat her for running away but to no avail. Later she went to Coulterville and married JOHNNY CASTAGNETTO, who ran a fruit and vegetable pack train to supply camps and stores around the County. They had a daughter named MARJORIE; it was reported she had been seriously ill, but recovered and is now (?) making her home with her uncle Frank in Sonora, California. SALLY ANN related one of her worst experiences. When the US soldiers came to the Valley about 1906, they set fire to her cabin and all her belongings, when they destroyed the early Indian Village, which was located on the Military headquarters site where the Yosemite Lodge now stands. The Indians fled in the night and took some of them a long time to get back. SALLY ANN died April 10, 1932 and was buried in the Yosemite Valley Cemetery.
131Sally Ann was a renowned beauty who wore fine clothes.
She was living alone with her father in the Indian village on Yosemite Creek, not far from today’s Yosemite Lodge, when their home and all their belongings were burned by the U.S. Army during its administration of the Yosemite Grant. Sally Ann later lived with John Castagnetto of Coulterville, who sold fruit and vegetables throughout Mariposa County. Sally Ann’s father, Captain Dick, lived with John and Sally Ann in El Portal until his death in 1917.
Sally Ann was remembered for having a great sense of humor and for being fond of playing practical jokes on her non-indian friends. She loved horse racing, and ofter won races held in Yosemite Valley during the 1920s. It was rumored that she fed her horses a native narcotic, thus insuring that her horses would run with incredible speed and their owner would win. Sally Ann was also a competent basket weaver, making baskets for her own use in processing acorns and other Miwok foods. While she was married to John Castagnetto, Sally Ann moved out of his home and back to Yosemite Valley. When she died on April 9, 1932, she was living there with her daughter Marjorie in the Indian village near today’s Yosemite Medical Clinic. Traditional Miwok mourning ceremonies, including wailing and a cry dance, lasted all night and through the morning of April 10 in the small ceremonial roundhouse at the Indian village. Special permission to bury Sally Ann in the Yosemite Cemetery was obtained from the director of the National Park Service, as new burials were prohibited in the cemetery at the time. As at most Miwok funerals of this period, a Christian graveside service, conducted by Rev. James A. White of Berkeley was held after the traditional Miwok ceremonies, and Sally Ann Castagnetto was buried near her mother on April 10th, 1932.
128Sally Ann is buried in plot #35.
The Biennial Indian Pow Wow August 29, 1903 Mariposa Gazette
The Biennial Indian Pow-Wow.
Yosemite Valley, August 23.- The biennial Indian pow-wow and dance of the Piute and Digger Indians began here to-night with good-sizedrepresentatives from the different tribes located throughout the Yosemite Park and high Sierra. The ceremonies were opened with horse races from Sentinel Dome to Sentinel hotel. The principal events were won by Coyote Kid and Smiling Jim.
In the evening the first of a series of feasts was held at the southern end of the valley, and was presided over by Uncle Paul and Mrs. Uncle John, both of whom are over 100 years of age. All were in full Indian evening dress. Uncle Paul spoke eloquently of the time when the noble red man hunted big grizzlies and the fleet deer up and down thevalleys and across mountain tops from Glacier Point to Mono lake, and of the feasts and dances attending the bringing in of big game. His remarks were listened to with grave attention by the younger members of the tribe as they sat before the camp fire smoking the pipe of piece.
After the eloquence had died away the war dances began, led by stalwart Tom LUPTON and Sallie Ann, and consisted of numerous contortions around the huge fires of blazing logs.
After the dances presents of fine bead work, wirework, baskets tomahawks, knives and other articles of Indian workmanship were given to the visiting members.
The dance will last four days. This is the first dance the Indians have given for five years, although meetings were held in Mariposa two years ago. The dance was attended by a large number of Grand Army of the Republic veterans who are guests at the Sentinel hotel.- Fresno Republican
65SALLY ANN DICK was a pretty, full blooded Yosemite Indian, who married W. G. Stegman, a miner who had struck it rich. They lived in San Francisco where she had a carriage, beautiful clothes and plenty of money. None of that compensated for being away from the beauty and freedom of Yosemite Valley so she ran away one night, taking a modern vestige of civilization with her—a sewing machine. For years she was the only woman in the Valley to Own one and took it to sewing sessions with BRIDGET DEGMAN.
Extracted from: MADERA HERITAGE QUARTERLY, Madera Genealogy Society, VOL. VI – 2, MAY 1988
132LAST SURVIVORS
She made a poor wife to two other husbands, one Indian, one Italian, deserting the first one for long periods of time. “Johnny beat her and still she would not stay,” LENA BROWN commented.
SALLY ANN “never had a retiring disposition; well-fortified by bad liquor, she added considerably to the general hilarity” of a July 4th horse race. She perched atop the roof of her house, urging riders on. Despite her alcoholic sprees, SALLY ANN was liked and respected.
Pamphlet: YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, REVISED 1972. Guide to the PIONEER CEMETERY.
Grave Site #35. SALLY ANN DICK CASTAGNETTO, Died April 10,1932
Sally Ann DICK CASTAGNETTO was a full-blooded Yosemite Indian. Her father was INDIAN DICK and her mother was MARY DICK. Sally Ann was considered to be one of the most beautiful of Yosemite Indians. She was full of life and very talkative. Her first husband was one of the early miners by the name of STEGMAN. After he died she married JOHNNY BROWN. JOHNNY CASTAGNETTO operated the HENNESSEY ranch below El Portal and sold vegetables to the people in Yosemite Valley. He became sick and moved to Coulterville where SALLY ANN went to nurse him.
From “Traditions and Innovations” by Craig Bates.
Sally Ann Dick Castagnetto 1868-4/9/1932
Father: Capt "Chief one-eyed" or "Blind" Dick
Mother: May
The Capt lived with Sally and John Castagnetto till he died in 1911
Daughter: Marjorie born El Portal 1913
133On the certified copy of the Marriage License, she is shown as Sarah Jane Dick, aged 45 years, and a resident of Yosemite, Mariposa Co. Witnesses to the marriage were Dollie Nelson and Charles J. Walker, both residents of Mariposa Co. Marriage performed by W. A. Scott, Justice of the Peace.
Obituary from The San Francisco Chronicle, 28 May 1932
Oldest Yosemite Indian Buried
Special to Chronicle
YOSEMITE, April 10 - Sally Ann, oldest Yosemite born Indian,. who died here yesterday, was buried today after the custom of her ancestors. "Tribal dances," lamenting and other ancient rituals, which lasted throughout the night, ended this morning when the remains were taken from "The Roundhouse," Indian ceremonial hut, and interred in the quaint old cemetery. Scores of bucks and Indian women, carrying papooses in hikis, gathered about the grave, where Rev. James A. White of Berkeley conducted services.
Death Certificate: Sarah Jane CASTAGNETTO, DOD, April 8, 1932
Died in Yosemite, residence Yosemite.
Female, Indian, Married
Husband -John CASTAGNETTO
Birth May 6, 1869
Age 62 years , 11 months, 2 days
Housewife
Born Yosemite
Father- Captain Dick, born Yosemite
Mother- Mary WILLIAMS, born Coulterville
Informant Marjorie CASTAGNETTO
Buried Yosemite
No cause of death listed
Yosemite Pioneer Cemetery:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/pioneer_cemetery/