Frederick Kuhfeld Jr. was born in the town of Minnesota on May 12, 1866. Later referred to as Minnesota Flat, the boomtown was located on Lafayette Ridge south of Alleghany near Chip’s Flat. It peaked during the Placer Mining Boom of the 1850/60s, then gradually vanished after the gold was gone.
Fred Junior married Margaret Campbell, a Forest City Native and the daughter of Judge Campbell. Sadly Margaret died in 1906 at the age of 35 leaving Frederick Jr. with a brood of six kids ages 1 to 12. He placed the older kids in an orphanage in San Francisco and the youngest "Alberta" who was not quite two went to live with Fred's Sister "Minnie Hayes" wife of John Hayes, also a resident of Forest City. Below are images of Fred's notebook, tracking his payments to the orphanage and a few other things. At the end is a newspaper story about Margaret's death. (The name and date of the paper has been lost).
Forest City Items - It is with the sincerest regret that we announce the saddest event that has happened in Forest for many years – the death of Mrs. Fred Kuhfeld. She had been ill but a few days and nobody thought that she was even seriously unwell. On Sunday evening the community was shocked by the news that her soul had quit its tenement of clay. What makes the case so peculiarly sad is the fact that six little ones – the oldest is only twelve years old and the baby less than a year – [error 1-year 5 mos.] are bereft of a mother’s care and a mother’s love. To a broken-hearted husband is left the mighty responsibility of raising the six little ones.
Mrs. Kuhfeld was the wife of Fred Kuhfeld superintendent of the South Fork Mine at Forest, and daughter of the late Judge Francis Hamilton Campbell. To mourn her loss she leaves a disconsolate husband and six little children; also two sisters, Mrs. J. Philips and Mrs. C. Mehl, both of San Francisco, and two brothers, George and William Robert Campbell.
The funeral was held from the Catholic Church, Forest, on Tuesday the 20th inst. Father Laffin spoke briefly, but touchingly, of the sad event, and not an eye was dry, when he spoke of the awful meaning of a mother’s death. The Father was assisted in the services by a choir, consisting of Mesdames Morrison, Morris, Wyllie and Messrs Patrick Morris, John Morris, and Stephen Finane, who sang several hymns in a very solemn manner.
Mrs. Kuhfeld was a native of Forest and aged 35 years.