Ms. McClish provided us with several names in the articles recently republished, which give you a glimpse into the lives of the people who settled here. We'd like to encourage you to "dig" right in and share your findings with us.

Published in January and February 1976 issues of the PML News.

By Jean McClish

Continuing our series on how the streets of Pine Mountain Lake were named, this month we feature Tannahill.

James Tannahill was a leading citizen of Garrote in his time. Of Scottish descent, he was mining on Curtis Creek by 1850. By 1853 he was the Justice for the 4th District and owned the Schist Rock Store building in Garrote known in more modern times as the Iron Door.

He was Groveland's postmaster from 1863 to 1880, the post office being in his store. It was during this time the name of the town was changed from Garrote to Groveland.

He married Mary A. Dexter, formerly of Providence, R.I., on Christmas day, 1859. They had two children, James Alexander and Cordelia Agnes. At one time the family lived in the rear portion of the store.

Tannahill had large mining interests and actively mined until the early 1880's. During his lifetime he owned a considerable amount of property in Groveland and the surrounding area.

He bought the Winslow Hubbard ranch in 1856 (where the Groveland Community Services District sewage treatment plant is being constructed) and the Rudolph ranch on Big Creek in 1876. He was part owner of the water rights to the Smith, Joy and Osborn ditch originally dug in 1853. It was later known as the Foot and Tannahill's ditch. It was one of the more significant water sources in the town site.

In the publication BIG OAK FLAT ROAD TO YOSEMITE Tannahill is depicted as being benevolent to Garrote's needs. One especially severe winter several Garrote citizens fed the Indians of Big Creek Village, Tannahill bringing flour and staples from his store. Tannahill died in 1884 at the age of 60 and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.