Tag: Redwood Marathon

Remember Mad Bull and FLying Cloud, winners of the Marathon 1927 & 1928

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(Note:For More about the Redwood marathon of 1927 there will be a presentation by Jim Berry at the Gold Street School Resource Center, Room 9 in Yreka. Saturday, March 26th at 1:00 sharp.
Judy E. Bushy
Have you heard the story of “Mad Bull” (better known as John Wesley Southard, son of Lee Southard) and “Flying Cloud,” who was Henry Thomas were amazing runners. They were the first and second winners of the 1927 Redwood Highway Marathon. The next year, Flying Cloud came in first place.

1927 Redwood M Marathon Runners


The race was the idea of the promoters of the Redwood Highway from San Francisco to Grants Pass, Oregon.

Karuk Runners
The Happy Camp General Store was owned by Herbert G. Boorse (1873-1932) and he sponsors the race and trained the Happy Camp runners!
“Mad Bull” was Karuk, John Wesley Southard age 23 (#5) and won the 480 mile race in 7 days, 12 hours, and 34 minutes. It was reported, “Mad Bull came in smiling but worn out.”
“Flying Cloud” (#2) was Henry Thomas who came in 2nd in 1927 and first in 1928. “Fighting Stag” (#3) was Marion Southard age 20. “Rushing Water” (#7) was Gorham Lincoln Southard, was still a teen at age 18. “Falcon” (#7)was 29 year old, David Henry Huey. The other Karuks were W. E. Simpson, Elder Earl Barney and James D. McNeil.

Zuni Tribe
Mike Kirk, the A.A.U. commissioner for Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, trained and picked three Zuni Indians. They were the toughest and best of Zuni Tribal Reservation in New Mexico. He reported, “The Zuni runners are a colorful lot, with head bands and silver belts.” When they ran, they striped “to the waist.”

Marvelous Marin County sponsored Jamon of the Zumi. Chochee was sponsored by Humboldt County. Melika was sponsored by the town of Willits.

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Happy Camp History 93 years ago on August 5th

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From Happy Camp History by Judy E. Bushy

Little Log Haven In the Hills – built August 5, 1928

By Rev Dr. Leon L. Loofbourow (published in Search of God’s Gold 1950)
We have all read of the original John Wesley running three times around the Charter House school quadrangle each morning to build up his weak body. But have you heard of one, John Wesley, who won the 462 mile marathon race from San Francisco’s City Hall to Grants Pass, Oregon?
In 1927 the Redwood Empire Association, as its advertising feature, planned an Indian marathon race over the Redwood Highway. Of eleven entrants, two boys from our Methodist work on the Klamath River won first and second places. John Wesley Southard received first award for completing the race in less than a week—as I remember it, in 6 days, 23 hours and 16 minutes.
This particular John Wesley story begins a century ago when the California gold rush, like the Kingdom of Heaven, gathered all kinds. He sought his fortune far down the Klamath River. I have never heard how much “dust” he acquired. But he married an Indian woman, And when the placers played out, unlike most of the miners, he stayed by his family on the Klamath. Their oldest son was named Lee in loyalty to the great Christian captain of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee.
I was guest one night in the Lee Southard home. (We were trying our luck for bear next day.) At family prayers my host brought out his Bible and some old Moody and Sankey songbooks. I thought I would try out the family knowledge of the Scriptures, so suggested we repeat together instead of reading. All went well with all the group through Psalm 23. Some of the circle were uncertain on Psalm 1. But Mr. Southard and I kept going until I thought it wise to call our Bible marathon a tie, and we prayed. Bur it made me realize that “Forty-niner John Wesley did not leave his religion in Louisiana—he had “taught it diligently” to his son. The Lee Southards named their first born John Wesley for his grandfather.

1927 Marathon 1st “Mad Bull” (Johnny Southard) 2nd Flying Cloud (Henry Thomas who won 1928)

In the Redwood Empire Marathon the newspapers thought they must have “heap big Injun names” for the runners, so a waiting world was informed that MAD BULL won the race. Mad Bull was only the way the papers featured John Wesley Southard son of School District Trustee-Church School Superintendent Lee Southard, grandson of “Forty-niner John Wesley Southard”. Months later I heard that a brother of John’s died and wrote to the family…
The next summer the log church at Happy Camp was built, its nearest meeting house neighbor being 75 miles away. The first service in it was the memorial for his boy who “never had a chance of religious training further than what his mother and I taught him.”

Mr & Mrs Lee Southard with baby Johnny and Mary Louise


Note from Mrs. Bushy: That service mentioned by Pastor Loofbourow was 93 years ago on August 5, 2028.They sang “old hymns of faith” as they met together under the stars that evening. While the log walls were up, there was no roof yet. This is an account of the circuit riding preacher Dr. Leon L Loofbourow who came to Happy Camp as soon as a road came through to Happy Camp, and it didn’t go any further yet at that time either!! He came because he had a vision for building a Gospel witness here to show that God is at work in Happy Camp.
The “Little Log Chapel in the Hills”, now is the home of the Happy Camp Bible Church, 64301 Second Avenue in Happy Camp. Pastor Stan and Virginia Poeschel have recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary–39 years spent serving in Happy Camp at the Happy Camp Bible Church.

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Little Log Chapel in the Hills 1928

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by Leon L. Loofbourow
We have all read of the original John Wesley runing three times around the Charter House school quadrangle each morning to build up his weak body. But haven you heard of one John Wesley who won the 462 mile marathon race from San Francisco’s City Hall to Grants Pass Oregon?
In 1927 the Redwood Empire Association, as its advertising featujre, planned an Indian Marathon Race over the Redwood Highway. Of eleven entrants, two boys from our work on the Klamath River won first and second places! John Wesley Southare received first award for completing the race in less than a week–as I remember it, in six days, twentythree hours and sixteen minutes.
This particular John Wesley story begins a century ago when the California gold rush, kuje tge Jubgdin if Geavebm gathered all kinds. He sought his fortun e far down the Klamath River. I have never heard how much “dust” he acquired. But he married an Indian woman and when the placers played out, unline many of the miners, he stayed by his family on the Klamath. Their oldest son was named Lee in loyalty to the great Christian captain of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee.
I was guest one night in the Lee Southard home. (We were to try our luck for bear next day.) At family prayers my host brought out his Bible and old Moody and Sankey song books. I thought I would try out the family knowledge of the Scriptures, so suggested that we repeat together instead of reading. All went well with the group through Psalm 23. Some of the circle were uncertain on Psalm 1. But Mr. Southard and I kept going until I thougth it wise to call our Bible marathon a tie, and we prayed. But it made me realize that ‘Forty -Niner John Wesley did not leave his faith in Louisiana–he had “taught it diligently” to his son.
The Lee Southards named their first born, John Wesley, for his grandfather. In the Redwood Empire Marathon the newspapers thought they must have “heap big Injun” names for the runners, so a waiting world was informed that MAD BULL won the race. But Mad Bull was only the way the papers featured John Wesley Southard, son of School District Trustee–Church School Superintendent Lee Southard, grandson of ‘Forty-Niner John Wesley Southard.
Months later I heard that a younger brother of John’s had died and wrote to the family. I quote from Lee Southard’s answer:
“We have one consolation, that those who die without the law shall be judged without the law, and Gorham was a good boy and never harmed anyhone. But he never had chance of a religious training further than his mother and I had taught him. Should you ever get back up this way I wish you to preach his funeral.
The next summer the log church in Happy Camp was built, its nearest meetinghouse neighbor being 75 miles away. The first service in it was the memorial for this boy who “never had the chance of a religious training further than what his mother and I taught him.”

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