Part Eleven: Trigger Warning
By Laile Di Silvestro. Published March 2025.
This is Part Eleven of a multi-part series by historical archaeologist Laile Di Silvestro. The series started with an astonishingly bold act—two women staking a claim in the remote Mineral King Mining District in what is now Sequoia National Park. The tale unfolds in California in the second half of the 19th century. It was place and time where women struggled to thrive within power structures that favored unscrupulous men. It is a true story. Read Part Ten HERE.
Here is where the story becomes difficult to write.
While our divorced Lizzie was raising her young children as a single mother, her female aunts and cousins were making lives of their own. Not all were having an easy time of it.
Despite the reputation Gilkey men had earned as violent sorts apt to rape, murder, or be murdered, Lizzie’s uncle John Wilson Gilkey enjoyed considerable support among the local political elite.
John was the youngest of the surviving Gilkey brothers. He initially dabbled as a blacksmith and a laborer, but in 1890 he was a 52-year-old negligent rancher who was “extraordinarily fond of liquor.” He was 5’9” with light skin, brown eyes, and auburn hair. He had a 49-year-old wife named Mary. They had two boys and five girls. Unfortunately, 14-year-old Lena was still at home.
In February of 1890, Mary returned to their cabin to find John raping Lena.
Mary and Lena were reportedly terror stricken. They hesitated to go to Monterey to file a complaint against John out of fear that he would kill them if they tried. They were also afraid of what John would do if they didn’t take action.
They devised a plan. Mary’s oldest son Cyrus asked John to pick up a paycheck for him. With John out of the way, Mary and Lena started walking the 20 miles to Monterey.
John returned home to find them missing. He mounted his horse and set out after them. Fortunately, Mary and Lena heard him coming and were able to take shelter in a house on the side of the road. After John passed, they set out again, now accompanied by friends.
John meanwhile rode into Monterey and reported that Mary “had a crazy spell on her and was making trouble for him.” He then started back home. Justice Michaelis had heard the story, however, and was concerned about the safety of Mary and Lena, who were still making their way to Monterey. He dispatched a rider who arrived on the scene just as John was rushing at Mary and Lena with an open clasp knife.
John was arrested, but unconcerned. As John’s wife, Mary was not allowed to testify against him. And what was a 14-year-old’s word against his? John and his lawyer were confident enough in the outcome that they didn’t even present a defense.
Their confidence wasn’t misplaced. Justice Michaelis released John and let him resume custody of his wife and daughter.
Imagine being Lena in such a situation. Imagine being Mary in such a situation. Over the following years, newspapers reported Mary’s mysterious injuries, including a serious concussion after being “thrown from her cart.”
John’s death in 1900 due to complications arising from his habitual inebriation must have come as a relief.
It is impossible to cast this tale in a positive light. It is difficult to write it without feeling an intense outrage. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the Gilkey women felt this outrage as well, and had been feeling it for decades. It is reasonable to assume that the Gilkey women had enough.
To be continued…
Read Part 12.
Read the entire series here.
Sources:
Census records (Monterey County, CA; Santa Cruz County, CA; Tuolumne County, WA)
Monterey Cypress. “HORRIBLE! A Father Accused of Assaulting His Own Daughter. John W. Gilkey in Jail.” 15 February 1890, p. 1.
Monterey Cypress. “Gilkey Held.” 22 February 1890, p. 1.
The Salinas Daily Index. “Death of John Gilkey. 27 January 1900, p. 3.
The San Francisco Call. “John W. Gilkey Dead.” 27 January 1900, p. 14.