Col. Michael C. Nye

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29149523

Col. Nye refused to tell when he was born, but it is believed that he was born in the early 1820's in Virginia. He moved to Missouri, and in 1841 joined up with the John Bidwell party to travel to California. The Bidwell-Bartleson party was the first wagon train to California, and he was its youngest member. While there, he joined with the Mexican General Manuel Micheltorena, becoming a Mexican citizen and earning a land grant. He switched sides, however, and volunteered to fight in the Bear Flag War under Col. John C. Fremont in 1846. He was supposedly one of the rescuers of the ill-fated Donner Party of 1846, and married one of the survivors, Harriet Pike or Harriet Wright. Nye made and lost a fortune in gold mining, moved to The Dalles in 1864 and raised cattle there. About 1878, he moved to the Prineville area, becoming a prosperous sheep rancher and large land owner.

He an his brothers started a ferry and trading post on the South Yuba river, called Nye's Crossing. - Legendary Lives, by Nye, pg 89

When he brought his new wife Harriet back to the ranch his squaw wife left with the two children. He later had the two children move back, but they died young. - Legendary Lives, by Nye, pg 139

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 15 2018, 22:14:23 UTC

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67798306/michael-nigh

https://www.myheritage.com/names/michael_nigh

https://www.myheritage.com/names/michael_nye