Cemetery, A Love Story

Only three rest in this small cemetery, located in a isolated area of the Salmon National Forest.

The story of these three unmarked graves remains a bit of a mystery, but what is known is that a couple by the name of Richard and Agnes Elizabeth "Lizzie" King, both natives of London, England, moved into Bonanza from Bodie, California in the summer of 1878.

The pair soon set up businesses, with Richard selling real estate and Lizzie, who was described as a "golden haired beauty" opening the Arcade Billiard Saloon and the Yankee Fork Dance Hall. The couple became good friends with Bonanza's founder, Charles Franklin, who owned The Franklin House. However, it was Lizzie that spent the most time with Franklin, most often without her husband.

In the meantime, Richard and his real estate partner, William Dillon, weren't getting along and dissolved the partnership. A short time later, when Dillon allegedly sold some land that belonged to King, an argument erupted and Dillon shot and killed him on July 14, 1879. Dillon wound up being sent to prison for 10 years, while Lizzie was picking out a burial plot for her husband.

Charles Franklin, who, by this time had become infatuated with Lizzie, was right at her side, helping her to pick out a site on the hillside that had recently been designated as Bonanza's new cemetery. Richard King was to be it's first occupant.

Franklin, who had hopes of winning Lizzie for himself, also bought two more plots, one for himself, and one for Lizzie. Almost immediately after her husband was buried, Franklin began to openly court Lizzie and rumors abounded that they would soon marry. However, Franklin's plans were foiled when another man, Robert Hawthorne, came to town and went to work for Lizzie as a dealer in her saloon. Evidently, he swept the beautiful blonde off her feet, because the two married on August 11, 1880. Just six days later, Robert Hawthorne and Agnes Elizabeth "Lizzie" King Hawthorne were found dead in their home.

Charles Franklin buried the newlyweds next to Richard King, and interestingly, did not include her married name on her marker. Instead of putting the date she died on the marker, he put on both her's and Hawthorne's grave markers the date of their marriage. Though suspicions were high that Franklin had killed the pair, he was never arrested. A short time later, Franklin packed up his belongings and moved to a placer claim near Stanley. A few years later, he was found dead in his lonely cabin, clutching Lizzie's photo in a gold locket. His body was buried next to his cabin, miles away from the tiny cemetery where his love, Lizzie, lay between her two husbands.

Web Sources:
http://www.interment.net/data/us/id/custer/boothill/boothill.htm
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/id-bonanzacuster2.html

To see a photo of the area with the original grave-markers:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82397006@N00/2109371446
(Not my photo)

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