Outlaws of El Dorado

The most famous dirty deed of note locally was the attempted stage hold-up and murder on Mountain Ranch Road in April of 1892 where 15 year old Johanna Rodesino was killed.  She is buried in Mountain Ranch.  No treasure was taken and the bandit was never apprehended.

In Dec. of 1864 a Chinaman stabbed a storekeeper in Cave City and he was brought to El Dorado after his capture.  The storekeeper died so the good people of El Dorado hung the Chinaman.  It is believed the huge oak tree across from the Blunder Inn is that tree.

In 1883 that iron-willed lawman of Calaveras County played a prominent role in the manhunt for Charles E. Boles, alias Black Bart.  Ben Thorn’s first law job was in the spring of 1853 when he helped search for Joaquin Murrieta.   Joaquin spent time in old El Dorado getting supplies, especially from the bakery operated by Julin Paterey which was located behind the present candle shop.

Ben was involved in the capture of long hair Sam Brown in 1855 which started in Upper Calaveritas and ended on O’Neil Creek.

Ben Thorn died on Nov. 15th, 1905 and was a law officer in Calaveras County for 50 years.  His home still stands in San Andreas today.

In 1851 at Whiskey Slide, just north of Mountain Ranch, a miner was found murdered in his cabin one morning.  The whole place had been ransacked.   Fifteen years later another miner came and built a new cabin on the hill.  He heard from a dying companion that the murdered man had hidden his treasures under the floor of the cabin.

The man who built the second cabin finally found the gold over $10,000 worth... but then became obsessed by the idea that the gold was haunted.   At last, in terror he reburied it, shortly after telling his story he went mad and was confined in the Stockton Asylum, where he died.  No one has ever reported finding this hidden treasure.  Another tale of the Gold Rush days that lies buried forever.

The San Andreas Independent of Dec. 4, 1858, tells of a desperate fight at El Dorado in which two Americans were killed.  Two Mexicans escaped but the third was captured.  He was later freed for want of sufficient testimony.   The Mexicans did not live in El Dorado.  Because of early racial problems with the Mexicans in San Andreas, very few were ever known to live and work near El Dorado or  Mountain Ranch.

As early as 1849 Ned Bushyhead, born in the Cherokee Nation, was the constable  of El Dorado Mining District.  Before 1849 El Dorado Camp was a gathering place for individuals looking to get away from the law.  These were just rough and tumble gentlemen who did not want to tow the line when it came to  community betterment ideas.


There were many law abiding citizens in El Dorado so as a complete community we were pretty safe.  The Zwinge family was involved in law enforcement for a couple generations.

So if you are lucky enough to live in Mountain Ranch, then you are lucky enough.