The Alford-Cameron Gravesite, Bruff’s Camp
Tehama County, California
Overview
This site contains the grave of four emigrants from Illinois who were killed by a falling tree while traveling on the Lassen Trail in 1849. Fellow traveler J. Goldsborough Bruff recorded the details of their deaths and burial in a common grave on October 31, 1849. During a rain storm a large oak tree fell and crushed the men sleeping in their tent; Bruff procured a wagon trail-board and wrote the men’s epitaph for their grave.
Location
About 30 miles northeast of Chico, Tehama County, California
Bruff’s Camp is located on the rugged and remote divide between Deer and Mill Creeks northeast of Chico. The condition of the roads is highly variable from year to year depending on the weather and timber operations. Extreme care should be exercised when entering this area and it is wise to consult local USDA Forest Service office as to road and driving conditions. Don’t attempt to reach the site without four-wheel drive.
The site is open to the public and is administered by the US Forest Service.
Source: Randy Brown and Reg Duffin, Graves and Sites on the Oregon and California Trails, OCTA, 2nd edition, 1998, pp 126-127
To learn more: This publication is available for purchase.