Ephraim resided in Sacramento for 40 years before his death. He owned "all of Chinatown" in that city, had money in the bank, and was considered a man of means. Sadly, in his old age "he had not been in his right mind for some time and persisted in roving around despite protests of his son and wife." One day the body of an unidentified man was discovered on the ferryboat Solano in Port Costa. The man's head had been crushed and his leg badly mangled in what appeared to be an accident, or perhaps a suicide. His body occupied a marble slab for several days as he went unidentified by the authorities. Since he appeared to be a man of means, there was a reluctance to bury him in a pauper's grave. After some investigation, his son C.H. Fairchild was discovered and came to claim his father's body. Ephraim was returned to Sacramento and buried at Sacramento City Cemetery. (Information from an article in the San Francisco Call dated 4/7/1898 and contributed by Valarie Vine)
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Ephraim Fairchild came to Calif. with Charlie Taylor in the Charles Hopper led Wagon Train in 1847 reaching Sutters on Oct. 5, 1847 . These two were half brothers (mother was Elizabeth Newcomb Fairchild Taylor) and both were born in Bradford County, Pa. and are kin to me. They moved to Illinois 1839 and then finally coming to Calif. Ephraim went to work for Sutter on arrival since he was a blacksmith and wagon maker. He also worked on Sutters new saw Mill. He also repaired weapons while at Sutters.
Charlie Taylor was my ggrand uncle. He became a partner to Sam Neal and his burial stone is at the old Durham cemetery in Butte County, Calif. next to Sam Neal's monument. For sources refer to; Sutters New Helvetia Dairy entry of Oct. 5 & 22, 1847 ,copy dated 1881 in the Bancroft Library and pages 15-17 of; William Alexander Trubody and the Overland Pioneers of 1847 by Charles L. Camp, Calif Historical Society Quarterly Vol. XVI, number 2, June 1937. Also; Charles Hopper and the Pilgrims of the Pacific by Franklin Beard. Also; Bancrofts' Pioneer Register and Index. 1542-1848, Vol II. Pg 733. Alphabetical listing : Fairchild(Ephraim). His brother Wm.H.Fairchild follows Ephraims listing. Also; Samuel Neal California Pioneer by Edna Reynolds Durham. Contributed by Russell Taylor. 2/23/2019. (from Contributor #47665091)
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Additional sources:
(1) California Wills and Probate Records, 1850-1953 (Ancestry), Charles Taylor Probate, 1853, Case No. 48, Butte County, CA. (Mentions all of Charles Taylor's siblings and half-siblings, including Ephraim).
(2) San Francisco Area, California, Funeral Home Records, 1850-1931 (Ancestry), Ephraim Fairchild.
(3) California Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950 (Ancestry), Ephraim Fairchild.
(4) California Voter Registers, 1866-1898 (Ancestry), Ephraim Fairchild, 1868, 1874, 1896.
(5) California County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980 (Ancestry), Ephraim Fairchild.
(6) California Wills and Probate Records, 1850-1953 (Ancestry), Ephraim Fairchild, Sacramento County, 1898, Case No. 2481.
(7) Census record 1880.