The County continues to insist on calling this cemetery an "Indian Cemetery" as if there is such a category of cemeteries under the Health and Safety and Business and Professions code.

The truth is, that state law did not discriminate in the effect of the former Political Code section 3105, and it's effect did not exclude the cemeteries in which "Indian," "Chinese," or other ethnic peoples were buried. It merely recited that the "title to land used as a public cemetery or grave yard...by the inhabitants of any city, town, or village...is vested in the people...and must not be used as anything other than a public cemetery." There is no part of this code section that exempts its effect if the deceased are other than "white" human beings.

The burials in the cemetery on the Blackwell Ranch are of the families who evolved as the direct result of the annihilation of the over 3000 Native American families who were sent in 1851 to the southern portion of El Dorado County, at or near the "Forks of the Cosumnes" or Saratoga. There the vast majority of them were wiped out by disease, primarily Small Pox in 1853.

The daughters of these Native Americans became the wives of "white" miners, and there these new "interracial" families emerged. Because they were not accepted by the general "white" population, and because they eventually assumed the Christian burial methods of the patriarchs of the families, they found it necessary to locate separate cemeteries. The cemetery used by these many families of the Nashville vicinity became located on the (Mrs. Mary) Blackwell Ranch, which had settled by her parents, William Vittle of England, and his native California-born wife.

A number of families in the vicinity were interred there, including some who were residents of Amador County. They include the family of Louis Rey (a native of France), the Nye family, the family of Gabriel Bear, the Blackwell family (including Mr. and Mrs. William Vittle), and others, some of whom were of Mexican or other Hispanic nativity.

Because this use by "the inhabitants of the city, town [Nashville and/or "Beanville"] or village," occurred within the prescriptive period of time as set forth under former Political Code section 3105, the title to this cemetery vested in the public. And through the public, to the Board of Supervisors of the County of El Dorado.