USA > California > A Volume of memoirs and genealogy of representative citizens of northern California, including biographies of many of those who have passed away > Part 103
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California the next season, and in 1852 hie again returned to the Golden state.
In March of that year Mr. Schellhous was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Ferris, and with his young wife and a number of the members of his family he again started across the plains. This time the party suffered from cholera and experienced many other hardships and trials. This disease caused the death of one of his sisters and a child. The former had partly recovered from her attack of cholera, but in her weak condition was stricken with mountain fever which terminated her life and her remains were laid to rest at Diamond Springs, California.
Mr. Schellhous brought with him from Michigan a number of American cows and turned his attention to stock-raising. farming and fruit culture. He purchased a ranch of two hundred and forty acres, three and a half miles from the present site of Roseville and there improved and developed his prop- erty, making it a very rich and highly cultivated tract. So successful was he in his operations that before his death he had accunntlated four hundred acres of land, which yielded to him an excellent return for the care and labor bestowed upon it. He was also a successful stock-raiser and lived an hon- orable and upright life. For a number of years he held the position of justice of the peace in Placer county. He was a man of good education, of marked ability and of strong force of character, and his influence was a potent ele- ment for good in the community in which he made his home.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schellhous were born twelve children, ten of whom are living, and his wife still survives, residing on the old home farm near Roseville, highly respected by all who know her. The daughter, Helen, now Mrs. Bisco, is a widow and resides in Rocklin. George is a farmer near Roseville. Martin A. and John are engaged in blacksmithing in Roseville and both are esteemed business men of the town, also owning farms and suc- cessfully following fruit-raising. The other members of the family are : Carrie: Stella, wife of William Sawtell, the leading merchant of Roseville; Loren and Ed, at home: Annie, a successful school teacher; and Earl, at home. The family is one of the highest respectability, widely and favor- ably known, its members occupying leading positions in social circles. The father departed this life in September, 1873, at the age of fifty-four years, and in his death the community mourned the loss of one of its valued citi- zens. He left to his family not only a comfortable competence, but an hon- ored name, for his was ever an upright career in which fidelity to duty and trustworthiness were among his characteristics. He enjoyed the confidence of all his fellow men in an unusual degree and his life was in many respects well worthy of emulation.
J. B. DE JARNETT.
J. B. De Jarnett is the owner of Brentwood fruit farm, one of the finest ranches in Colusa county, California, and his real-estate holdings are quite extensive. He was born in Kentucky in 1846, and at the age of seven accom- panied his parents on their removal to Andrew county, Missouri, where his
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father conducted a general mercantile establishment until 1863, during which time the subject of this review pursued his studies in the public schools. In the year mentioned he accompanied his father to Denver, Colorado, and in the spring of 1864 crossed the mountains and made his way westward to Yamhill county, Oregon, where the father carried on agricultural pursuits, while the son accepted the position as clerk and bookkeeper in the store in LaFayette, Oregon. In 1866 he came to Colusa county, California, arriving on the 5th of June of that year. Here he obtained a position in the office of Mr. Hart, county clerk, with whom he remained for four years, and in 1870 he entered into copartnership with General W. S. Green, and opened a real-estate business in the city of San Francisco, in connection with which they established Green's Land Paper, of which they published ten thousand copies weekly. The following year he went to Colusa and in 1872 again entered the county clerk's office, where he remained two years. In 1874 he made the first map of Colusa county. In 1877 he was elected county clerk and filled that office for two terms, proving a pop- ular and capable official. He was very faithful to the trust reposed in him and his able discharge of the duties of the office won him high commendation.
In April, 1868, Mr. De Jarnett was united in marriage to Miss M. A. Green, of Missouri, who came to Colusa county when a little maiden of five summers. In 1883 they took up their residence upon Brentwood fruit farm, one of the finest country homes in this locality. Their residence is very beauti- ful, is commodious and tasteful in its equipments and all who pass beneath its portals find there a cordial welcome. In 1883 Mr. De Jarnett began fruit-growing and in that enterprise has been very successful. He has made a close study of the best methods of raising various kinds of fruits, and scien- tific principles and practical common sense have rendered him one of the prosperous fruit-growers in this locality. He is a man of marked energy, of keen discernment and unremitting perseverance and his labors have been suc- cessfully conducted. He has made judicious investments in real estate and his property interests bring to him a good income.
He has been prominent in the Masonic fraternity during the past quarter of a century, having been honored by his fraters by election to the position of grand junior warden of the grand commandery Knights Templar of the state of California, which position he now occupies ..
CHARLES ROBIN.
In the death of the honored subject of this memoir there passed away another member of that little group of distinctively representative business men who were the pioneers in inaugurating the building up of the chief com- mercial interests of Sacramento. His name is familiar not alone to the resi- dents of the state to whose development he contributed so conspicuously, but to all who have been in the least intimately informed concerning the history of central California. In the period of primitive development he came to the Pacific coast and allied his interests with the commerce of the capital city,
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and by the exercise of marked industry, keen discrimination and honorable business principles he won a place among the leading representatives of trade here and gained for himself a good name.
Charles Robin was born in Montreal, Canada, December 24, 1827, and is a son of David and Charlotte Robin, who were also natives of that coun- try. The Robin family is of French lineage, the paternal great-grandparents of our subject having removed from France to the new world. Peter Robin was for many years a leading and influential citizen of Canada, and served in the French war in the English Dominion. He also became the owner of extensive property interests, having large reality holdings consisting of entire lots in Chicago, but the great fire of 1871 destroyed his property, which other- wise would have made him a multi-millionaire. He at one time owned all of Robin street in Montreal, Canada, which thoroughfare was named in his honor. His judicious investments brought to him a handsome competence, and he exerted wide influence in business circles.
Charles Robin, of this review, spent his boyhood days in his native state and in early manhood became proprietor of a store, which after a short time was destroyed by fire. He then engaged in clerking in a general grocery store, but when twenty-three years of age removed to St. Louis, Missouri, where he accepted a clerkship with Mr. Martin, at that time one of the lead- ing merchants of the place. When he had acquired two hundred and fifty dollars he invested it in making preparations to go to California. Attracted by the excellent opportunities which the Golden state was offering to the people of the east, he started for the Pacific slope in 1853, by way of the water route, and on landing in San Francisco came at once to Sacramento. Like almost all others who arrived in California in pioneer days he began mining, but after a few weeks abandoned that work and accepted a clerk- ship in a clothing store, where his genial manner and unfailing courtesy soon made him very popular. His employers recognized his usefulness and later he was admitted to partnership in the business. From that time on he was actively associated with the commercial interests of Sacramento, and won through his well-directed efforts a very gratifying success. Honesty was the key note of his character, and this combined with resolute purpose and con- tinuous application gained him capital and an honorable name. He was con- nected with the financial interests of the city as a director in the People's Savings Bank.
On the 14th of January, 1858, Mr. Robin was united in marriage to Miss Kate Hager, who was born in Europe and came to the United States when about twenty-one years of age. The steamer reached harbor at two P. M. and on the evening of the same day she became the wife of Mr. Robin, the wedding ceremony being performed in San Francisco. The lady is the (laughter of Frederick and .Ann ( Menkin) Hager, who spent their entire lives in their native country, where the father owned an extensive calico manufactory and carried on a large dry goods business. He was very prom- inent in the community in which he lived, and was frequently called to posi- tions of public trust, serving as alderman and in other offices. He died at
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the age of forty-two years, and his wife passed away at the age of seventy- eight years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Robin were born four children, but one son died at the age of fifteen years, and another at the age of five months. The living children are: Malvisa Millie, wife of Albert Garritson, by whom she has one child : and Leta Gallatin, now fourteen years of age. In 1886 Mr. Robin, accompanied by his wife and children, made a trip to Europe, spend- ing six months, after which he returned to California, where he remained for three years, and on the expiration of that period he again came to San Fran- cisco and carried on business until within four years of his death, which occurred on the 17th of March, 1899. In 1868 he erected for his family one of the most beautiful and commodious residences in the city. He was at all times most devoted to the interests of his wife and children. doing all in his power to promote their welfare and insure their happiness. In his political views he was a Democrat when questions of state or national im- portance were involved, but at local elections when there was no party issue before the people he voted for the men whom he thought best qualified to safely conduct the municipal affairs. For many years he was a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. When called to his final rest the community mourned the loss of one of its valued citi- zens, and all who knew him shared in the grief of the family. His life was at all times upright, commanding the respect and confidence of those with whom he came in contact, and over the record of his career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. Mrs. Robin is a member of the Episcopal church, and yet occupies her beautiful home in Sacramento. She occupies a leading position in social circles, being highly esteemed for her many ex- cellencies of character and her gracious manner.
RUSSELL D. STEPHENS.
Great and interchangeable laws of nature underlie all industrial de- partments of life, and scientific research is continually bringing these to pub- lic notice, so that no longer does the mechanic operate his machinery with- out a knowledge of the great immutable principles which govern it, or the farmer or fruit-raiser cultivate his fields, orchards or gardens without an un- derstanding of the great laws of nature which find exemplification in every growing thing. Cause and effect in horticultural circles are to-day under- stood as never before, and this wide dissemination of knowledge is manifest in the quality of fruits raised,-superior to anything known before. Mr. Stephens is one of the most prominent horticulturists of California, and few. if any, have done more to advance the improvement of fruit-growing inter- ests of the Golden state than he. He has thus gained a very wide reputa- tion, being well known throughout California.
Russell D. Stephens, of Sacramento, is one of the most prominent men of the city. The family from which he sprang is traced back in an unbroken chain to the year 1630. A brief abstract of the genealogical record will be found interesting, introducing as it does so many historical characters.
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On the 12th of June. 1630. John Winthrop, first governor of Massachu- setts Bay, landed at Salem with a company of nine hundred. Among the number was Captain John Gallup, who settled in Boston and there became the father of a family consisting of seven children. John, Jr., married a rela- tive of Governor Winthrop, afterward became a captain and moved to Pequot. Connecticut, where he reared a family of four boys and five girls. Captain Gallup was killed December 25. 1675. in the swamp fight in northern Rhode Island with the Narragansett Indians, under King Philip. His seventh child. Elizabeth, married Henry Stephens, who settled in Stonington, Connecticut. It is a family tradition that Nicholas Stephens was a brigadier general in Oliver Cromwell's army, and after the death of Cromwell he, with his sons. Nicholas, Thomas and Henry, fled from England on account of the persecu- tions of the Royalists. In 1668 a census was taken of Stonington, Connecti- cut, and of the forty-three inhabitants Henry Stephens and his wife were two. General Nicholas Stephens had three sons,-Nicholas, Thomas and Henry.
Henry Stephens, the second of the name, married Elizabeth Gallup, the seventh daughter of John Gallup, who resided in Stonington, Connecticut. Their children were: Thomas, born December 14, 1678; Richard: Henry ; Elizabeth : and Lucy. They became members of the Congregational church organized here June 3. 1674. Thomas, a son of Henry, married Mary Hall. May 26, 1702. Their children were seven in number .- Thomas, Phineas, Uriah, Andrew, Benjamin, Samuel and Zebulon, and these children were born at Plainfield, Connecticut. The father died at Canaan, Connecticut, in 1750. at the age of seventy-two years.
Uriah Stephens, born January 21, 1708, married his cousin, Sarah Stephens, a daughter of Richard. She was born May 4. 1708. The children born unto Uriah and Sarah Stephens were : Uriah, Jr., born .August 27, 1830; Mary; Sarah ; Lucy ; and Phineas, all born in Canaan, Connecticut, and ad- mitted to the church there. Uriah Stephens, Jr., married Margaret Rath- bone, and their children were: Sarah: Benjamin, who died in the Revolu- tionary war: Martha: John: Phineas; Elijah: Elias Williams, who had a twin sister : and Benjamin, who was born after the death of the first Ben- jamin.
Elijah Stephens, of this family, died December 18, 1846, at the age of seventy-one years, ten months and six days. He married Abigail Stephens. the eldest daughter of Rev. Jedediah Stephens. They had Rebecca, who became the wife of Charles Loffert : Nathan, who married Lucinda Bostwick. and they became the parents of our subject : Benjamin Alanson : Eliza: Nar- cissa: Marian: Cynthia : and Abbie Etta.
The following facts, obtained from history and authentic records, con- cern the Stephens family. Canisteo, New York, was settled in 1738. Among the names which appear in Book I of the town as grantees of the islands are . Andrew, Uriah, Thomas, Samuel, Zebulon and Benjamin Stephens. ( The name was spelled Stevens: the librarian thought it must be the same name or family : such mistakes often occur, he said.) The Separate church, of Plainfield, was organized from members who had withdrawn from the stand-
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ing town church, about 1746. They ordained one of their number, Thomas Stephens, to be their pastor. Mr. Stephens ( or Stevens) was a very clear and powerful preacher of the Gospel, as was acknowledged by all who heard him. (Taken from the book Hornellsville, compiled by Millard Roberts, and pub- lished in Syracuse 1891.) There is mention on page 352 of the famous tavern of Colonel William Stephens, which stood near Colonel Bill's Creek, on the ground now occupied by the residence of the late Thomas Hallet, about one mile east of Canisteo village. It was at this old hostlery a few years later that the early members of the Evening Star Lodge, No. 44, of Canisteo, now Hornellsville, sometimes held their secret meetings during the height of the great anti-Masonic excitement which began in 1827 and practically ended in 1835. About twenty years ago this house was burned.
Judge Hornell ( from whom Hornellsville was named ) married Martha Stephens, at Elmira, New York, or Newtown, as it was then called, and "they spread their tent in the wilderness" in 1794, or, as his granddaughter claims, in 1792. Judge Hornell was one of the associate judges of the county and first postmaster of the town. In 1808 he was elected to the legislature. He died in 1813. His widow survived him nearly thirty years.
Polly Thatcher married Elias Stephens, a brother-in-law of Judge Hornell, and lived in a hewed-log house near the crossing where the railroad shops now stand. Their family consisted of two sons and five daughters. Erastus Stephens, who died in 1877. and Mrs. Maria Holmes, who died in 1886, were the last survivors in the vicinity. Alanson Stephens at one time owned the farm which is now the site of the Mercy Hospital.
The original purchase of Hornellsville, which was formerly a part of Canisteo, was no doubt made upon the recommendation and report of Richard Crosby, Solomon Bennet, Captain Jamison and Uriah Stephens, who explored this section in 1788. Early in 1788 Solomon Bennet and Captain John Jami- son, Uriah Stephens, Benjamin Crosby and son Richard, from the Wyoming valley in Pennsylvania, started on an exploring expedition up the western tributaries of the Susquehanna. The company soon parted, some settling at Bath and the rest at Canisteo. These explorers were determined to become the possessor of the two townships on the river. They were joined in the purchase by the following: Colonel Arthur Erum, Urial Stephens and his son John.
In the fall of 1789 Urial Stephens, Sr., and Benjamin Crosby, with portions of their families, came from Newtown to commence a settlement. The provisions, baggage and families were carried in seven boats, while four sons of Mr. Stephens. Elias, Elijah, Benjamin and William, along the shore drove the cattle belonging to the families who were in the boats. In the spring of 1790 ( says McMaster ) they were joined by Solomon Bennet, Urial Stephens, Jr .. and Colonel John Stephens, his brother, with their families. Solomon Bennet was said by the settlers of Canisteo to have been the captain ; John Stephens, the lieutenant; and Richard Crosby, the ensign of the first military company organized in Steuben county. A little incident is related in connection with Elias Stephens: The Indians one day were marching
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around a fire, flourishing knives, battering drums and howling war songs. The settlers, boys and men, were standing near watching the performance when a high-heeled young savage stepped out of the line and inquired of one of the bystanders, "What's your name?" The settler informed him. "D-d liar, d-d hog." said the Indian. Elias Stephens, who was a high-tem- pered youth, said : "Daniel, I wish he would just ask me that question." The Indian instantly turned and said, "What's your name " "Elias Stephens." was answered. "D-d liar, d-," said the Indian. A well planted blow of the fist knocked the Indian headlong over the fire senseless. Strange to say the chief patted Stephens on the shoulder and said: "Good enough for Indian." Elias Stephens for his prowess and resolution became an ob- ject of respect to the red gentry. Urial Stephens, Jr., was a soldier in General Sullivan's army in the invasion of the Genesee country in 1779.
In 1789 Solomon Bennet, Captain Jameson, Uriah Stephens, Sr .. and Uriah Stephens, Jr., with others went to Canandaigua and purchased of Oliver Phelps the township No. 3. etc., Uriah Stephens, at the request of Phelps, being made a party to the deeds and afterward signing the notes given in considera- tion of the money.
Judge Hornell married Martha Stephens in 1792. Hornellsville was formed from Canisteo April 1, 1820. The town officers were : John Stephens, town clerk; William Bostwick, collector; Elijah Stephens, Jr., poor master ; William Stephens, school commissioner ; William Stephens, Jr., fence viewer. John Stephens was a very prominent man, at one time was a member of the assembly, besides filling other offices. He owned fifteen hundred acres of land. He was opposed to the Erie railroad, and so made the com- pany pay rent for crossing his farm. Many descendants still reside in Hornells- ville.
Medad Bostwick, primarily from New Haven, Connecticut, came from Chenango county to the village of Hornellsville, where he located his three sons. Of these William and Truman were well known in the early days of Hornellsville. The former was a merchant and the latter the proprietor of a stage-house many years. Medad Bostwick went west to invest in land, tak- ing a large amount of money with him for those times. Truman Bostwick, a soldier of 1812, was a man of considerable business ability, and but for his untimely death would doubtless have ranked among the foremost busi- ness men of Hornellsville. He was a deputy sheriff of the county and was largely interested in lumbering. Truman married Harriet, daughter of Major Asa Ackley Gaylord. Four daughters were born of this union, namely : Flora, ( Mrs. Thomas Magee ) ; Ann, who died at an early age: Eliza, widow of the late Andrew Plimton ; and Harriet, widow of the late Peter Schyler.
Colonel John Stephens came from Connecticut. He married Olive Frank- lin. Rev Jedediah Stephens was born in Canaan, Connecticut, May II, 1757. was married in Goshen, Orange county, New York, to .Abigail Corey. was a volunteer soldier in the Revolutionary war and served six years. His sixth child, Olive, was the first child born in Steuben county.
Nathan Stephens, familiarly called Captain Nathan, was born in Harders- 52
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town. New Jersey, December 8. 1783, and was seven years old when the family came to the valley. His children are Elisha G., Jedediah, H. M., Ebenezer, C. Franklin and Joshua. Elisha Stephens, son of Nathan Stephens, was born on the site of the village of Addison, March 21, 1805. Mr. Stephens had been school commissioner and inspector, highway commissioner, justice of the peace, and for two terms represented his town in the board of supervisors. Although retired from business, he is still active and possesses a remarkable memory of the early events of Steuben county.
Joshua Stephens married Rhoda, daughter of Uriah Stephens. He was murdered by the Indians. George Stephens was born in Canisteo, in 1803. and was a grandson of Uriah Stephens. He died January 10, 1888. Colonel William Stephens came to Canisteo in 1791, and died November 4, 1855. Hon. Alexander Stephens was born in Canisteo, September 8, 1801. He was a son of Colonel John Stephens and Olive Franklin. He was married January 20, 1829, to Mary, daughter of Levi Davis. He erected the first frame house in Greenwood, Connecticut. In 1848 he represented his assembly district in the legislature of the state. Mr. Stephens died April 4. 1879. Asa Horey Stephens was born in the town of Canisteo, March 14, 1820. He was the son of Ezra Stephens and the grandson of Uriah Stephens, the first settler of Canisteo valley. Ezra, Phineas and Uriah Stephens settled in Greenwood, Steuben county, in 1825. Colonel John Stephens came the same year.
Nathan Stephens, the father of our subject, was born in Hornellsville. Steuben county, New York. August 20, 1798, and after attaining his ma- jority wedded Alba Lucinda Bostwick, who was born in New Fairfield, Con- necticut, April 7. 1798. They became the parents of the following named : Jane Eliza, born June 15, 1819: Rebecca, who was born February 1, 1821 ; Jerome, who was born September 29, 1823, and died in Fresno, California, October 28, 1889: Truman Barnes, who was born February 16. 1830, and (lied September 25. 1841 : Abigail Mary, who was born December 24. 1832, and is now Mrs. Hood, of Sacramento, California: Russell Day, of this re- view : Electa Ann, who was born February 7, 1841, and became Mrs. Water- man and died in Sacramento, California, August 7, 1867.
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