Taking a Stand
By 1941, John C. Childs and a few of his influential friends in Yreka made the decision to take a strong stand against the inequity of California state fund allocations. Instead of the obnoxious taxes, Gable had purposed that the funding would come from slot machines, so they wanted to make gambling legal which was against California law. There were other purposes to support their government, such as levying small royalties on mining and timber developments. These group of men didn't really have specific ways to support their government,they only had ideas. These leaders announced in 1941 that they were creating an official seal of their State of Jefferson with the images chosen very carefully to reflect their ideology. “A miner’s pan emblazoned with the Jefferson seal. In this seal, the two Xs symbolize how locals had been double-crossed by leaders in Sacramento, California and Salem, Oregon.”
The Yreka Citizen Committee had an idea to write and distribute a Proclamation of Independence. The State of Jefferson Citizens Committee sent a letter to the Sacramento Governor stating the Yreka Chamber of Commerce would secede from the state August 12th to August 19th until California and Oregon cooperated with “Jefferson”. Members of Yreka’s 20/30 club and other local citizens blocked off the roads at the Yreka City limit, holding guns, and handing out the Proclamation of Independence to every car that stopped whether they wanted one or not.
The Yreka Citizen Committee had an idea to write and distribute a Proclamation of Independence. The State of Jefferson Citizens Committee sent a letter to the Sacramento Governor stating the Yreka Chamber of Commerce would secede from the state August 12th to August 19th until California and Oregon cooperated with “Jefferson”. Members of Yreka’s 20/30 club and other local citizens blocked off the roads at the Yreka City limit, holding guns, and handing out the Proclamation of Independence to every car that stopped whether they wanted one or not.
John C. Childs was elected Provisional Governor of the State of Jefferson, circa 1940, Jefferson Public Radio
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State of Jefferson mining pan
circa 1930 , the source is Daily News. |
Cowboys on the road stopping a car and handing a lady this proclamation at the right -->
The photo was taken in 1941, The source is Daily Times Herald. “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” - Quote Attributed to Thomas Jefferson.
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A copy of the original Proclamation of Independence of Jefferson. The Photo was taken in 1941.The source is Humboldt state University.
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“California takes away our property, takes away our rights. That’s a form of tyranny. If we govern ourselves, at least we’re responsible to ourselves.”-Michael Adams, June 17, 2014, Daily News.
Documentary on the state of Jefferson, June 9th, 2014, the source is YouTube. Unknown Speaker.
This documentary explains that the the 20/30 club stopped traffic In Yreka Ca, and how they started a
petition in early November in 1941. The interviewee explains about how they started a gubernatorial race,and John C. Childs was
elected as governor. After the race they had a parade on December 4th and when it was December 7th Pearl Harbor happened
and all the attention on the State of Jefferson was forgotten and the independence movement stalled.
This documentary explains that the the 20/30 club stopped traffic In Yreka Ca, and how they started a
petition in early November in 1941. The interviewee explains about how they started a gubernatorial race,and John C. Childs was
elected as governor. After the race they had a parade on December 4th and when it was December 7th Pearl Harbor happened
and all the attention on the State of Jefferson was forgotten and the independence movement stalled.