Hysterical Journey To Historic Places

---

NANCY KELSEy



Ben and Nancy Kelsey were barefoot and destitute when they straggled into California in the late fall of 1841 with their two year old daughter, Martha Ann. They had just completed an amazing overland journey from Sapling Grove, Missouri. They and their few remaining companions were the very first emigrants to enter California from the east over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Nancy was the only woman in that group. Being the first woman to enter California in that fashion gives her a unique niche in the history of our country. It was an unimaginably grueling trip for them. They had no established route to follow. Their wagons broke down on Grouse Creek in Northern Utah and had to be abandoned. Gradually the rest of their belongings were used up or discarded along the way. One by one the loose herded stock was all killed and eaten. When their shoes wore out they trudged along barefoot. Each day continuing westward step by painful step until they finally arrived. California was a province of Mexico until 1846 by which time enough other American pioneers had crossed over the mountains to settle and grow. When the American settlement got strong enough, just as it had in Texas, they launched a rebellion to overthrow Mexican rule. It was called the Bear Flag Revolt and Ben Kelsey helped to organize and lead it. Nancy Kelsey donated the cloth from her petticoats for the original Bear Flag. It was white over red with a grizzly bear standing in defiance. Peter Storm, a Norwegian sailor at rest from the sea, painted the artwork. That flag was taken down after the arrest of General Vallejo and replaced with one designed by Richard Todd. The bear was depicted on all four feet in his design, but it looked more like a pig than it did a bear. Todd was Abe Lincoln’s nephew by marriage. Ben was footloose and a rambler his entire life and kept his growing family constantly on the move. Wherever he went Nancy was proud to follow with their kids. Ben made a squandered several fortunes but died penniless in Los Angeles in 1887. Finally Nancy was able to settle down in her own home at age 65. She died of cancer among friends on August 10, 1896 and is buried at her home in Cottonwood Canyon outside of Cuyama, CA. One of her daughters, Nancy Rose, married a fellow named John Wesley Clanton in Inyo County. John was straight as an arrow, but his brother, Ike, was a notorious outlaw in Arizona. A Clanton grandchild lies at rest beside her. In her lifetime she fed at her simple table three men who would run for President of the United States. One of them was John Bidwell, who accompanied her into California as captain of the emigrant party. Another was the pathfinder, John Fremont, who followed her into California, took empty credit for finding the route and also took empty credit for leading the Bear Flag Revolt. The third was Ulysses S. Grant, who was a young officer at Fort Vancouver.

---