Frank Blondin was a miner in Nevada, living what some might consider a lonely existance. Certainly in his later years he was alone a good part of the time, but those later years were spent doing what he liked, in a beautiful spot of heaven in the desert. At times he was a bit 'colorful', making the local headlines for the wrong reasons. The other times are unknown. Hopefully, most of his life was well spent.
Frank Blondin was reportedly born in Haute de Viene, Limoges, France in 1871, and claimed to have come to America in 1893. He is found in the Nevada mining community as early as April of 1906 and was still mining until three months before his death. When he died he left his mining interests to Samuel R. Campbell (known locally as S.R.), who continued to live there until his own death in 1971.
The remains of Frank's cabin are now strewn about, gray pieces of weather-rotted wood and scraps of metal. The fence that S.R. built around the grave is barely standing and fragile. Sadly there are shotgun shells littering the area, empty plastic water bottles, bags of trash and even a plasic grocery bag deposited by the wind hanging in a nearby tree.
It was reported that at the time of his death no family could be located, but there must have been family somewhere. Let this be a testament that Frank Blondin is not forgotten, but a permanent part of western Nevada mining history. -mjsr
Frank Blondin was reportedly born in Haute de Viene, Limoges, France in 1871, and claimed to have come to America in 1893. He is found in the Nevada mining community as early as April of 1906 and was still mining until three months before his death. When he died he left his mining interests to Samuel R. Campbell (known locally as S.R.), who continued to live there until his own death in 1971.
The remains of Frank's cabin are now strewn about, gray pieces of weather-rotted wood and scraps of metal. The fence that S.R. built around the grave is barely standing and fragile. Sadly there are shotgun shells littering the area, empty plastic water bottles, bags of trash and even a plasic grocery bag deposited by the wind hanging in a nearby tree.
It was reported that at the time of his death no family could be located, but there must have been family somewhere. Let this be a testament that Frank Blondin is not forgotten, but a permanent part of western Nevada mining history. -mjsr
Frank Blondin was a miner in Nevada, living what some might consider a lonely existance. Certainly in his later years he was alone a good part of the time, but those later years were spent doing what he liked, in a beautiful spot of heaven in the desert. At times he was a bit 'colorful', making the local headlines for the wrong reasons. The other times are unknown. Hopefully, most of his life was well spent.
Frank Blondin was reportedly born in Haute de Viene, Limoges, France in 1871, and claimed to have come to America in 1893. He is found in the Nevada mining community as early as April of 1906 and was still mining until three months before his death. When he died he left his mining interests to Samuel R. Campbell (known locally as S.R.), who continued to live there until his own death in 1971.
The remains of Frank's cabin are now strewn about, gray pieces of weather-rotted wood and scraps of metal. The fence that S.R. built around the grave is barely standing and fragile. Sadly there are shotgun shells littering the area, empty plastic water bottles, bags of trash and even a plasic grocery bag deposited by the wind hanging in a nearby tree.
It was reported that at the time of his death no family could be located, but there must have been family somewhere. Let this be a testament that Frank Blondin is not forgotten, but a permanent part of western Nevada mining history. -mjsr
Frank Blondin was reportedly born in Haute de Viene, Limoges, France in 1871, and claimed to have come to America in 1893. He is found in the Nevada mining community as early as April of 1906 and was still mining until three months before his death. When he died he left his mining interests to Samuel R. Campbell (known locally as S.R.), who continued to live there until his own death in 1971.
The remains of Frank's cabin are now strewn about, gray pieces of weather-rotted wood and scraps of metal. The fence that S.R. built around the grave is barely standing and fragile. Sadly there are shotgun shells littering the area, empty plastic water bottles, bags of trash and even a plasic grocery bag deposited by the wind hanging in a nearby tree.
It was reported that at the time of his death no family could be located, but there must have been family somewhere. Let this be a testament that Frank Blondin is not forgotten, but a permanent part of western Nevada mining history. -mjsr
Inscription
In May 2010 the marker is almost unreadable. His name on the top line, and the years 71 and 39 on the bottom line are all that remain clear. According to Samuel R. Campbell in 1954, this is what S. R. carved on the wooden marker:
FRANK BLONDIN
Haute de Viene
Limoges France Reno Nevada
December 3, 1871 August 26, 1939
Gravesite Details
The middle two lines now consist of a few markings mostly unreadable. The weather has raised the grain of the wood and imagination is needed to recognize the letters, although 'VADA' can be seen in the photographs.
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