As he does almost every Memorial Day, Michael Harris turned onto a dusty country road in the hills Monday above the American River to place an American flag next to 36 unmarked graves from what was once the thriving Gold Rush town of Negro Hill.
Harris, a local African American historian, honored all those who died in the service of their country who rest here, including veterans from World Wars I and II, the Spanish American War and the Civil War. But he has a special place in his heart for the 36 unmarked graves moved from Negro Hill, once a town of more than 2,000 people about a mile and half above Negro Bar and Mormon Island along the American River.
When those 36 unmarked graves were moved to make way for Folsom Lake, each bore a label with a racist version of the town’s name.
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