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Oliver Vance - Died Jan. 7, 1880
Photographer: Syd Whittle
Taken: March 14, 2009
Caption: Oliver Vance - Died Jan. 7, 1880
Additional Description: [Sign at gravesite reads:]

Amador Dispatch, Jan. 10, 1880, pg 3 Col. 3 – News Items - by Telephone

FROM AMADOR CITY
“Another sad and fatal accident occurred in the Keystone Mine of this place last Wednesday, by which one of our much respected citizens, Mr. Oliver Vance, almost instantly lost his life. He was at work in the mine, when from some cause, unexpectedly to him, the skip was immediately hoisted instead of lowered, striking him in the side, dragging him under it, and crushing him against some bar or timber above, when the jam became so great as to stop the ordinary power of the machinery. Under the circumstances, it seems singular that he was not literally crushed to pieces. He lived, in an unconscious state, however, until he was brought to the top of the shaft, when he expired within a few seconds. The deceased was a native of Maine, and aged about 34 years – nearly 29 of which had been spent in this county. He leaves behind him a widow and five orphaned children, besides many other relatives and friends to mourn his loss. The funeral was conducted on Thursday under the auspices of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of which he was a Master Workman member. He had just taken the last degree of the Order the night before his death, thus entitling his family to $2000 from the Fraternity, which by the way, is nearly all of this world’s goods left them, except their little home. It may not be amiss to add in connection with this sad affair, that there seems to be no blame that can attach to anyone connected with the mine, and that the whole matter was one of unavoidable accident.”

The Ancient Order of United Workmen was founded in 1868 to unite the conflicting interests of labor and management. They were the largest fraternal benefit society in 1885, in large part because of their superior insurance protection plan. The motto is Charity, Hope (the anchor), Protection. Ordinarily the emblem is a shield with an anchor, crossed with a band reading A.O.U.W. This headstone displays the compass and square usually found with Masonic emblems with the addition of “W” for workmen. It is not unusual for various societies to share the same or similar symbols as during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries there were at least 800 active fraternal organizations in the United States.
Submitted: March 14, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
Database Locator Identification Number: p55891
File Size: 2.462 Megabytes

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