Western Folk Figure. He was the summer caretaker at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, and before that, a swamper for the 20 Mule Team wagons. On July 24, he complained about not feeling well, but set out on foot for Daggett to get supplies. When he didn't show up, a search was made. He was found dead about twenty miles from Furnace Creek, curled up in what little shade he could get from a mesquite bush, and fifty feet away from his wagon, with two full canteens and three barrels of water. His six mules were also dead, and his dog barely alive. His illness made him more susceptible to the desert heat, and he was buried where he was found. His eulogy was "Well Jimmie, you lived in the heat and you died in the heat, and after what you've been through, I guess you ought to be comfortable in hell". The marker on his grave states that he died in 1898, but Richard Lingenfelter's "Death Valley and the Amargosa, a Land of Illusion" (the definitive history of Death Valley) states that he died in 1899. His friend, Shorty Harris, is buried with him.
Western Folk Figure. He was the summer caretaker at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, and before that, a swamper for the 20 Mule Team wagons. On July 24, he complained about not feeling well, but set out on foot for Daggett to get supplies. When he didn't show up, a search was made. He was found dead about twenty miles from Furnace Creek, curled up in what little shade he could get from a mesquite bush, and fifty feet away from his wagon, with two full canteens and three barrels of water. His six mules were also dead, and his dog barely alive. His illness made him more susceptible to the desert heat, and he was buried where he was found. His eulogy was "Well Jimmie, you lived in the heat and you died in the heat, and after what you've been through, I guess you ought to be comfortable in hell". The marker on his grave states that he died in 1898, but Richard Lingenfelter's "Death Valley and the Amargosa, a Land of Illusion" (the definitive history of Death Valley) states that he died in 1899. His friend, Shorty Harris, is buried with him.
Bio by: Alan Lopez
Inscription
To these trailmakers whose courage matches the dangers of the land, this bit of earth is dedicated forever.
"DAYTON"
Family Members
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