March 22, 1879 Mariposa Gazette
Married March 22, 1879 Mariposa Gazette
GORDON- ASHWORTH- In Mariposa, March 17th, 1879, at Gallison Hotel, by Rev. R. A. SAWRIE, Mr. Thomas GORDON to Miss Nora ASHWORTH.

1880 United States Census
Marital Birth B-place
Name Rel Status Sex Race Age place Occup Fa Mo
Thomas GORDON Self M M W 24 CA Farmer NY ENG
Nora GORDON Wife M F W 19 CA Keeping House OH MO

Source Information:
Census Place Township 3, Mariposa, California
Family History Library Film 1254068
NA Film Number T9-0068
Page Number 168D

TOM GORDON
Early Yosemite Stage Driver
(From an unknown Merced Paper- ca 1937)
Thomas (Tom) Gordon was born on Sherlock Creek, May 12, 1856. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Gordon who came to California during the first of the gold rush in 1849.
Tom first started driving stage in 1874 for A. H. Washburn. This was a 4-house stage which operated between Mariposa and Merced. The trip then was via Princeton, Mt. Ophir, Bear Valley, Washington mine, Hornitos, Merced Falls and Snelling to Merced and was a hard all day trip. The stage carried the passengers, mail and express.
Some of the other drivers about this time were "Dad" Doust, Al Sleeper, Billy Burns, Bill Grant (Missouri Bill), Alex Early and Jim Conwell(Buffalo Jim). In 1877 Tom drove through Coulterville via Hazel Green to Yosemite. The stages stopped all night at Coulterville.
For many years he drove for Washburn Brothers at Wawona who operated stages from Raymond to Yosemite from Madera, Merced and Mariposa. Some of the men who drove with him were Tom Farnsworth, Bright Gillispi, Johnnie White, Frank Spiken, Earn Stevens, John Stevens, Henry Skelton, Al Skelton, Sam Owen, Tom Martin, Jerome Martin and Johnnie Brant.
Tom says the worst experience he had was in a run-away of his four horses with a stage load of nine passengers, down the mountain below Inspiration Point on the Wawona approach to the Valley. The horses ran 150 yards down the winding road at break-neck speed. He held them in the road and finally banked the stage. No one was seriously injured.
The run-away, Tom says, was caused by a yellow-jacket stinging one of the horses.
Tom is hale and hearty at 81 and can still handle the ribbons.
(submitted by Carol Lackey); MARIPOSA FAMIY CHRONICLES
MARIPOSA COUNTY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY

Merced Express [Merced, CA.]
May 16, 1930
MARIPOSA HOMECOMING WELL ATTENDED
A report from Mariposa last Sunday says:
Mariposa's annual homecoming day, celebrated in this historic place today
furnished the incentive for a gathering of approximately 1000 persons. It
started with a community program and concluded with a ball game in which the
Mariposa Miners duplicated the famed 16 to 1 ratio in smothering the Le Grand Tigers
by that count.
Noted figures, not only of Mariposa, but from several sections of the State,
remarked upon the significance of homecoming day. Those speaking were J. J.
Trabucco, Attorney C. C. Farnsworth of Visalia, James V. Lloyd of the Yosemite
National Park, Attorney Joseph Barcroft of Madera, Jack Graham of San Jose and
Mr. Offield of San Francisco.
Music was furnished by the Mariposa high school orchestra and a Maypole
dance and folk dancing was given by Mariposa grammar school students.
Prizes to old timers were awarded as follows: The oldest native daughter,
Mrs. Thomas Gordon; oldest native son, Frank Barcroft; oldest mother, Mrs.
William Turner; former Mariposa resident coming the greatest distance for
homecoming day, Frank Peregory of Bishop. Miss Anne Carter of Los Angeles was given
second place award in the latter division.

GORDON, Mrs. Nora
Mariposa Gazette, March 26, 1936
Mrs. N. Gordon Is Summoned At Buckeye
Services will be held tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock at the Tiscornia, Ivers and Alcorn Funeral Home in Mariposa for Mrs. Nora Gordon, 75, pioneer native of Mariposa county, who died at her home in the Bridgeport district last Tuesday afternoon.
Mrs. Gordon was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Ashworth, early pioneers. She was born on the old Ashworth ranch four miles east of Mariposa, and had spent her entire lifetime in this county. She and Mr. Gordon celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary on the 17th day of this month.
Surviving are her husband, Tom Gordon; five sons, Thomas of Placerville, Eddie of Wawona, and Henry, Joel and Julius, all of Mariposa; three daughters, Mrs. Annie Zimmerman and Mrs. Dollie Zimmerman of Mariposa, and Mrs. Maggie Johnson of Hornitos; two brothers, J. B. Ashworth of Oakvale and Jack Ashworth of Wawona also 21 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Interment will be made in the family plot in the Mariposa cemetery.