Joseph Franklin Dye facts for kids

Joseph Franklin Dye (1831–1891) was an American forty-niner, which means he was one of the people who rushed to California in 1849 looking for gold. He was also a rancher and one of the first people involved in the oil business in Southern California. Some stories say he was part of a group called the Mason Henry Gang.

Early Life and Adventures

Joseph Franklin Dye was born in Union County, Kentucky, in 1831. He was one of 16 children in his family, who later moved to Texas. In 1849, when he was about 18, Joe and two of his brothers traveled west to join the California Gold Rush. They returned home the next year.

In 1853, after his father passed away, Joe Dye left the family farm. For several years, he worked as a miner and drove mule teams in different parts of the Southwest. He also managed the Butterfield Overland Mail station and was the postmaster at Casa Blanca, Arizona from 1860 to 1861. In 1864, he was living in Tucson.

Joe Dye was also part of a group of settlers and Maricopa Indians in Arizona Territory. This group, led by King Woolsey, was chasing horse thieves. During this time, he was involved in an event known as the Massacre at Bloody Tanks near Miami, Arizona.

During the Civil War

Toward the end of the American Civil War, Joe Dye was in California. He was known to support the Southern states (the Confederates). It is believed that he joined the Mason Henry Gang with his friend John Rogers. This group started in 1864.

The gang was chased out of central California by the Union Army and Sheriff John Hicks Adams. They moved to Southern California. After the Civil War ended in April 1865, the gang split up. Joe Dye was not with the gang when they were later found by the sheriff. It's possible he had decided to leave the group or was simply away at the time.

Working as a Lawman

After the war, in 1866, Joe Dye became a special deputy. He was hired by William Rubottom, who was a Deputy Los Angeles County Sheriff for El Monte. Dye's job was to track down two thieves who had stolen horses and a wagon.

Even though the thieves had an eight-day head start, Dye chased them across the Mojave Desert. He got fresh horses and a guide from Camp Cady. He successfully caught the thieves before they left California. This earned him a reward and a good reputation for his tracking skills.

In 1867, William C. Warren, the Los Angeles City Marshal, was impressed by Dye's tracking and shooting abilities. He hired Dye to patrol the gambling halls in the city's Chinatown. Dye did well in this job. On December 21, 1868, he was appointed a Special Police Officer. Then, on December 9, 1869, he became one of Warren's six Police Officers for the City of Los Angeles.

Later Life and Oil Business

Later in his life, Joe Dye moved to a ranch in what is now Ventura County. He started working in the oil business, which was just beginning in the Sespe oil field. He partnered with his nephew, Mason Bradfield.

However, they had a disagreement over an oil claim. Joe Dye then began to threaten and try to scare Bradfield and his partners.

Joe Dye was later killed by Mason Bradfield. Bradfield fired the shot from a window of a hotel, as Dye had often threatened his life.