Elsa Auwarter
b. August 14, 1891, Pollock
Place, Sacramento County, CA (near the Cosumnes River)
Elsa Auwarter
Elsa was born in Sacramento County in 1891, her family having relocated from
Yolo County. "After Martha was born, Papa and Mama moved from Yolo County to
Sacramento County to a ranch known as the Pollock place where I was born on August 14,
1891. This place was along the Cosumne River about half way between Sloughhouse and
Bridge House."1
Back in those days there were no doctors in the Sloughhouse area (which still holds true today) and expectant mothers about to have babies were not as comfortable as they are today. "There were no doctors closer than Sacramento or Ione in those days, in fact, still aren't. Mama never had a doctor for any of her children. I do not know who was with her when Gus or Mart were born, but, in my case, 'Grandma Carbine' (not an actual relative) was the midwife."1 "Grandma Carbine made me a patchwork quilt which I still have. It is made of tiny little pieces. She lived to be quite old and I must have been twelve or thirteen when I rode Poppy to her funeral near Live Oak."
Poppy was Elsa's horse. The funeral she references probably took place in the cemetery that, today, is called St. Joseph's near Ranch Murieta. There are many Carbine's buried in that cemetery and the "Grandma Carbine" she talks so lovingly about is probably Bridget Mary Carbine who died in 1902 at the age of 76.
In about 1892/93 Elsa's father bought the Atkinson Ranch. A large spread of about 840 acres between Bridge House and Michigan Bar. The old road used to go right through the Atkinson Ranch, but when the new road was built, the Atkinson's sold their ranch and built a store closer to the new road. The road, as Elsa describes, was "a more direct way to Plymouth and Jackson".
Elsa talks much about her days at the Michigan Bar School, sometimes known as Hilltop School.1 Michigan Bar school was a one room school and many of the local children attended that school until they graduated. Miss Heath was Elsa's first teacher.
As you can see Anna Elsa Auwarter was quite a writer and has captured bygone days in the Michigan Bar area. She speaks of so many things...from the school, her teachers, the land, the old mining town of Michigan Bar and to how good the apples were. She describes much in detail including Christmas programs and janitor duties at the school. We thank the Zeni family for bringing Elsa's days as a child to life.
* The information above was submitted to Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society by descendents of Elsa Auwarter and is presented here with permission of the Zeni family. This is for informational use only and for historical interest. No portion of this story may be copied without consent of the submitter. For information, please contact Sloughhouse AGS.
1Excerpts used with permission from: Anna Elsa Dildine's story of her life "Looking Back".
