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Bloody Island LbNA #33255

Owner:The Olde Oak
Plant date:Jul 21, 2007
Location:
City:Upper Lake
County:Lake
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: fleetwood7
Last found:Feb 1, 2018
Status:FFFOFFFa
Last edited:Jul 21, 2007
The Bloody Island Letterbox commemorates the senseless slaughter of 135 Pomo living in northern Lake County. It came about after much brutal treatment by locals, Stone and Kelsey. The Indians became outraged and in 1849 killed Kelsey. In 1850 in reprisal the US Army under a Lieutenant Stoneman decided to punish the Pomo and forthwith murdered 135 Pomo, mostly women and children. It is a shocking and all too common tale of European invaders bullying and murdering indigenous peoples.

The Pomo are gentle people world famous for their very fine woven baskets.

For more info. on the Bloody Island disgrace go to:

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/5views/5views1h8.htm

or

http://bioregion.ucdavis.edu/book/10_Clear_Lake/10_17_circ_cl_bloodyi.html

To locate the Bloody Island Letterbox you must find both of its monuments. The first one is on Hwy. 20 heading south in the direction of Lucerne from Upper Lake. From the intersection of Highway 20 and Main Street, Upper Lake travel 1.7 miles. If you note the large rusting barn on the left at .8 miles you are proceeding correctly. At 1.7 miles on the right you will find California Registered Historical Landmark No. 427. The plaque was placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Lucy Moore Foundation, California Department of Transportation, and United States Forest Service, May 15, 2005. Read the plaque and then drive down Reclamation Road. At approximately 1/3 mile you will find the second marker which is on the site of the massacre and was erected in 1942 by The Native Sons of the Golden West. It’s easy to spot since it has been liberally splashed with red paint. I parked several hundred feet back in the direction of Highway 20 to be less obtrusive and to be out of the way of traffic. Walk to this marker on the large rocky outcropping. Note the second large outcropping behind the first. Proceed to the second rocky area and find the fence behind it. Follow that fence away from the marker until you reach the third metal fence pole. At its base look under under some rocks and debris. There you will find the letterbox. Please take special care to recover the box so nothing can be seen by a casual observer when you are done.

Thank you for coming.