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JAMES SIMPSON DREW
|
ISABELLE RAINS
|
|
1833 - 1910
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1864 - 1947
|
James Simpson Drew was born in New Hampton, New Hampshire, August 14,
1833. He had one brother and one sister. James had a good education and
at one time studied law. He came west as a young man. James returned to
the east, but soon came west again to supervise the Chinese laborers mining
gold on Roaring River near Gas Point. The first Gas Point was built in
1880, it had a hotel, cracker factory, bars, and one acre was donated for
a cemetery. Now the Pinckney Cemetery. Remains of the second town
can be seen on Lower Gas Point Road. The second time west, James brought
two daughters with him. Maria, who died quite young and Mary who married
David Baker, had one daughter Helen, and later married Noah McCain, and
had several more children.
Isabelle Rains was born in the Gas Point area, April 1, 1864. Her father
Isaac Rains, was a big man with red hair, who came west looking for gold.
He settled near Gas Point where he met and married Isabelle's mother, a
Bald Hills Wintu Indian. Isabelle attended local schools and was deaf from
the time she was small child. She had two sons before she married James
Drew. Their father was a Wintu Indian.
| Jimmie Rains |
b. 1883 |
d. no date |
|
| Albert Rains |
b. 1886 |
d. 1973 |
m. Rose (Rosa) Rickard;
m. Marie Chavez |
James and Isabelle were married in 1888, settled near Gas Point and
eventually owned a ranch on Roaring River. Jim and Belle, as they were
known, never let anyone leave their home empty-handed. Their smokehouse
and storehouse were full of food and supplies to last the winter. Jim had
a general store and a blacksmith shop. Since he had studied law, friends
would often ask for his advise. Belle was a homemaker and worked hard keeping
up with the chores, cooking, canning, and sewing for her family. They had
eight children.
| Lena |
b. 1891 |
d. 1974 |
m. Earnest Taylor |
| Charles |
b. 1893 |
d. no date |
m. Dorothy |
| Dean |
b. 1895 |
d. 1981 |
m. James Riggins |
| Earl |
b. 1897 |
d. young |
|
| Fern |
b. 1900 |
d. 1972 |
m. Leaton Foster |
| John |
b. 1901 |
d. 1965 |
m. Beatrice Lempinen
m. Marie N. |
| Frank |
b. 1904 |
d. 1972 |
m. Lillian Johnson |
| William |
b. 1907 |
d. 1964 |
m. Rose Rains |
The children went to Excelsior School, a white, one-room building.
Their teacher was Grace Williams. Helen Baker Thomasson, Jim's granddaughter,
became a teacher and later taught at the Excelsior School.
Jim died in 1910 and Belle remained on the ranch and raised her family.
At 83 she still had a few chickens, hogs, and cattle. She also made quilts
and won prizes at the Shasta County Fair. Belle died in 1947. They are
both buried in the Tuttle Gulch Cemetery as were many other members of
their family.
Source: Shasta Historical Society - November 1996
