Francis Raymond McLaughlin

A few months ago, I logged onto Ancestry.com and found someone pulling over some information about Francis Raymond McLaughlin.  I sent them a message but did not hear back. In fact, I could tell that they were not pursuing their McLaughlin line and just Francis' wife's line.  This particular Frank McLaughlin appears to not have really been a family man.  I suppose that his reputation as such has trickled down some to his descendants.  Maybe someday they will be interested in finding out about their McLaughlin line.  In the meantime,  I'm post what I have about this particular Frank McLaughlin, son of James McLaughlin and Julia Mahoney.   His connection to me is that he was my great grandmother's first cousin.

The following research was completed by George Capes.  It may not be in the best format but for anyone looking for this particular Frank McLaughlin, it is as good as gold for them.

FRANCIS  RAYMOND  McLAUGHLIN, b. 03 Sep 1876 in Newport, NY.; d. on 12 May 1931 and was bur. 15 May 1931 at Austin, Lander Co., NV. Frank was brought back east to Newport, NY, after his mother died in 1891, to be raised by his uncle and aunt, Michael  and Mary McLaughlin. He continued school and work-ed on Uncle Michael’s farm until after his 16^th. birthday. 
                                                                                                       
            In a correspondence from his father, James, to his mother’s sister, Katherine (Mahoney) Biche, dated 10 Aug 1891, James states: “I do not think now I shall return this fall as I expected. Frank writes me that I could not make a living there and he is ‘dissadisfide’ with the country, and says that Mike don’t seem to want him to have him stay there. He wants to come back here. I wrote him, Frank, I would send him $100. the first of Sep. and to come here. The boy wants to be doing something for himself. I shall try my best to send him to school here. If he had 2 years more he would be a good ‘schollar’. He learns easy and fast.“ 
                                                                                                   

     It’s not determined when Frank returned to Austin, NV, but he became a lead and silver miner in later years, living in Austin and also in Boise, ID.  One old-timer      Austin,    who knew Frank, reported that he was quite tall and thin. His nicknames were ‘Slim’ and ‘Highpockets’.

The next news of Frank appears in the ‘Reese River Reveille”, the local newspaper in Austin, NV, dated 10 Feb 1917:  “AUSTINITES TAKE LEASE ON CAMP’S OLDEST PROPERTY.” “ Frank McLaughlin and George Gordon have taken a lease on a vein system on the Austin                Extension claim, known as the old Highland Mary property, owned by the Nevada Equity Mines Company.”

Shortly  thereafter, on 17 Mar 1917, Frank continues in the news:  “709 OUNCE ORE IN HIGHLAND MARY.” – “Gordon and McLaughlin, leasers on the Highland Mary lode property of the Nevada Equity Mines Co., have struck some high grade silver ore which closely resembles the surface high grade found on Lander Hill.  An assay taken from across the vein where first struck yielded 709 ounces in silver.”
             

Again, on 07 Apr 1917, the newspaper reads:  “GORDON & McLAUGHLIN TO MAKE SHIPMENT.” – “A shipment of fifteen tons of ore will go forward early this week to the smeltery from the Gordon and McLaughlin lease on the Highland Mary lode. The ore body carries a high percentage of lead and silver. The silver is being mined separately.”
                                                                

No other information on Frank appears until the following date:  Saturday, 16 May 1931; “Car Over The Bank Results in Death of F. R. McLaughlin.” (He was thrown from the car and the body was discovered near the wreckage). “ It was discovered that the body was that of Frank R. McLaughlin, who was raised in Austin and for years has been a well-known miner and prospector in this vicinity. The body of McLaughlin was terribly mangled and there were a number of injuries, any of which might apparently have been the cause of death. “  An excerpt from his obituary on Saturday, 23 May 1931 reads as follows:  “ The funeral of Frank R. McLaughlin, who lost his life in the terrible plunge of an auto into the gorge of Pony Canyon on Tuesday night last, took place on the following Friday from the mortuary establishment of  H. A. Kearns. Frank McLaughlin had many friends and a large number of them were present at the interment.  The deceased was aged 54 years. He was the son of James McLaughlin, who came here with his wife and children nearly fifty years ago. Young Frank for some years lived with Father Phelan, who was in charge of the Catholic Church in Austin at that time. His mother died here and is buried in the Austin cemetery. When he was about 14 years old his father took him, with his brothers George and Fred and a sister (Mary Etta), (and an infant brother, James "Jay") all of whom are said to be surviving, back to (The Irish Settlement, Newport, Herkimer County,) New York and he did not come back to Austin until about 1918. Since that time he was engaged in mining and prospecting in this vicinity and made Austin his home. He at one time lived in Boise, Idaho, where he married and where a son and his mother (Lottie Haggerty) still live.”