Hysterical Journey to Historic Places

---

OLD JOE



Not much is known about Henry Wise except that he was down on his luck and needed a road stake to find greener pastures somewhere outside of Placer County. Before he left town it was found to be expedient for him to murder Old Joe. After he left town he was seen nevermore again in the vicinity of Auburn for Old Joe’s friends would surely have lynched him. Old Joe plodded steadily along through his life, working hard and making friends wherever he went; until he met Henry Wise on July 3, 1901. The stagecoach road between Auburn and Foresthill first dropped in to the American River Canyon and then traversed the divide between the north and middle forks of the river as it ascended the other side toward Foresthill. In both directions that road was steep in places and had a few treacherous turns. It has a hard pull that required a fearless driver and a strong, steady team of horses. Henry Crockett was the fearless driver. One thing he did not fear was the possibility of ever being robbed. The stage coach carried the mail, a few passengers, and sometimes light cargo. The strong box days had long since passed and stagecoach robberies had become a dim memory. About halfway up the divide between the river confluence and Foresthill was a small flat meadow. It was convenient place for Crockett to stop and rest the horses after the steepest part of the climb. Crockett was astonished when he stopped there and Wise stepped out from behind a tree with a shotgun to rob the stage. He said, “You must be foolin’ me”. To prove he wasn’t foolin’ much Wise murdered Old Joe where he patiently stood and made off with booty collected from the passengers that amounted to seventy dollars. It was the road stake he needed. Old Joe was the wheeler on Crockett’s team. He was buried beside the road where he was killed and a monument was erected over the grave. Old Joe was a trusty old horse beloved by all who used the stage on that difficult route.

---

Photos

OLD JOE
The road to Foresthill has since been widened and Old Joe's bones now repose underneath it about eight miles north of the bridge. The monument was moved to the other side of the road just across from the Monte Verde Inn.