One minor mystery from California’s history has been solved.

A biographic note written by Winfield J. Davis in his History of Political Conventions in California, 1849-1892 indicated that State Senator George W. Seaton had died October 13, 1865 “in Yosemite”. It was unclear whether the Davis had meant that Seaton died while visiting the Yosemite Valley (in Mariposa County) or aboard the steamboat “Yosemite” (which had a boiler exploion on October 12, 1865 near Rio Linda, killing 55 passengers and crew).

An article located on Friday morning (“Will of George W. Seaton“, Sacramento Daily Union, Nov. 6, 1865) makes it clear that it was the boiler explosion that killed Seaton.