America Newton was one of the original African American pioneers who helped launch the former mining town of Julian, California. Newton was a former slave who provided laundry services in Julian during its gold rush days and beyond. She resided in Julian for more than 50 years. Newton arrived in Julian in 1872, having come from Independence, Missouri. America Newton owned an 80-acre homestead near Julian. A gift shop in Julian is named in her memory. Wikipedia
The definitive Wikipedia entry for America Newton. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Newton