To interested Woolsey researchers: I have always been interested in the 49's of California. I thought the following was interesting: Does anyone know of Leander Woolsey - as follows: !ON-LINE: Rootsweb.com. 29 Mar 2000. Knox County, Illinois "Jayhawkers" to California 1849. Woolsey, Leander, From Knoxville, IL. b Ashtabula, Ohio 18 Jun 1828, died at Oakland, CA 8 Sep 1881 or 7 Oct 1881. The Jayhawkers were a group of young men from Galesburg area, their name was taken from their initiation, each candidate for the trip had to pass a Courage test (or idiocy test) by having a pinch of flesh "gyped" from his body, without flinching. They left Galesburg 5 Apr 1849 for the California goldfields. As they traveled west they often were accompanied by other groups. About 250 miles south of Salt Lake City, they met a group of Mormons who told them there was a shorter route. Many of the larger groups felt this was too dangerous but the Jayhawkers went on. They went through Death Valley and did lose some of their members to death. Luther Abijah Richards called "Little Deacon" did find a spring and the group finally after much hardship came through the San Francisquito Canyon into the Santa Clara Valley. A rancher there fed them even after they killed one of! his cattle to eat and they went on to the Gold Fields withoout notable success. A number of them settled around San Jose, California and some went back to Illinois. They had a Reunion every February 4th as long as any of them were alive, sometimes in the midwest, sometimes in California. The last Jayhawker died in 1921. Among them: Leander Woolsey.