USA > California > Merced County > A history of Merced County, California : with a biographical review of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 24
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On October 8 appears a proclamation by the board of supervisors of Merced County of an election to be held on Nevember 5 to vote on the proposition of bonding the county to the extent of $5000 a mile, or a total of $150,000, and donate the bonds to the Central Pacific Railroad, under an act which the legislature had recently passed authorizing counties to do this. Steele runs editorials for two successive weeks arguing against issuing the bonds. The matter did not come to a vote, however, for on October 27 the order calling the election was rescinded by the board at the request of Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific Company, on account of insufficiency of the notice which had been given. At least that was the reason assigned.
On November 19: "We are informed that a heavy force is engaged at work upon the railroad bridge near Paradise, on the Tuolumne River, and that only a short time will elapse before the structure will be completed. It is also rumored that the railroad company will commence hauling timbers across to the Merced and commence the erection of a bridge there as soon as the cars can cross the Tuolumne."
The next issue quotes a story from the Tuolumne City News entitled "The Rival Towns." The News man becomes almost lyri-
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cal over the mushroom river towns which are about to become one with Ninevah and Tyre: "Still the work of dismantling-so to speak -the once flourishing towns of Tuolumne and Paradise continues. It is hard to tell which of the two places now wears the most gloomy and dismal appearance. Once they were rivals, struggling for the lead in trade and wealth; now each is only a shadow of its former self. ... The greater portion of their inhabitants, and even build- ings, now swell the numbers of the new town of Modesto." This is the first mention of that name for the new town we have seen. 'The News man goes on and prophesies-which seems to be the besetting sin of editors-that Tuolumne City will still last a long time. It didn't.
Tuolumne City and Paradise were near enough to Modesto to go there, as we may say, in one step. Dover, as ephemeral, or even more so than they, was considerably further from where Merced was soon to be, and the moving was limited, and part of it may be said to have been in two steps. When Dover proved too dry in summer and too wet in winter, M. Goldman moved his store fro mthere up onto Bear Creek, about the Meadowbrook Farm. It is probably his store that Steele refers to in the following, in the issue of January 14, 1871 :
"Town Started .- We were surprised last week to find on Bear Creek a new town started. A store, saloon, and blacksmith shop have been established, giving to the place-which was recently but a wild- erness-quite the air of a town. During our stay of a couple of hours quite a number of people called in to purchase goods, get black- smithing done, or transact other business. We obtained several new subscribers while there, and went.our way."
On May 20 we read that the junction point of the San Joaquin Valley road with the main trunk line from San Francisco to Omaha has been named Lathrop, and that the railroad company has built a splendid hotel there, "as the passengers on the up trains for this section take dinner there."
On June 3 there are two short railroad items-one to the effect that the chief engineer and assistant of the Copperopolis Railroad have been in Snelling the previous Monday, viewing out a line for the Stockton & Visalia Railroad, and that they "inform us that the road will be built from the contemplated junction point-Peters'-to the Merced River during the present year," the other to the effect that "a correspondent writing us from Modesto informs us that a heavy force of men, accompanied by a construction train of thirty cars, loaded with bridging material, iron, ties, etc., arrived at that point and commenced operations on the Tuolumne bridge, on Monday last."
June 10: "The movements being made now in railroad circles assure us that one or more lines of railroad will be completed through
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Merced County the present year." And the Argus prophesies big development. June 17: "The work on the Tuolumne bridge . . . will be completed within a week. The two rival companies seem to be in dead earnest, and our citizens may look for the 'iron horse' to be traversing our plains at the rate of thirty miles on hour on two lines of road before the expiration of the present year." June 24 : "The Stockton papers report large quantities of railroad material being sent forward to Peters for the Stockton & Visalia Railroad. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is being pressed forward towards the Merced River from Modesto with considerable rapidity, and in a few weeks we will have the locomotive puffing and snorting over the plains to the rich valley of the Merced."
On July 1, under the title "The Railroad Approaching," we read : "The San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company are grading on the line of their survey south of the Tuolumne, and, we are informed, are hauling timbers to the Merced to commence operations upon the bridge across that stream. We have not learned the number of hands engaged upon the work south of the Tuolumne, but gentlemen direct from there say that the work is progressing very rapidly, and that the roadbed will be ready for the iron and ties to the Merced as soon as trains can cross over the bridge at the Tuolumne."
Two towns had destructive fires the latter part of this July. At Plainsburg the fire destroyed Henry Jacobs' saloon and the grocery and stables of Simon, Jacobs & Company. We are told that it was only through the extraordinary exertions of the citizens that the town was saved. The Argus understands that Mr. Jacobs will resume business. The fire in Snelling occurred about 10 o'clock on the night of July 22, 1871. It started from a new lamp in the residence of George W. Halstead, Jr. He and his wife were out; their three small children were in the care of Miss Belle Mann, fifteen, who saved them one by one. Miss Mann and the baby were considerably burned. The citizens fought the fire, with windmills and hand pumps supplying water to buckets and various vessels. Andrew Casaccia's force-pump saved his saloon. The losses were : G. W. Halstead, Jr., house and furniture, $800; Shaver and Halstead, blacksmith shop, tools, damage to stock, $2000; N. Breen, wagonmaker's shop, stock and tools, $1400; A. J. Meany, carpenter's shop and four other buildings, stock, tools, etc., $3000; Marsh & Brooks, painters, stock and tools, loss not ascertained; A. B. Anderson, agricultural imple- ments, $1000; twenty buildings in Chinatown, of which three were stores, one butcher's shop, and two restaurants, $10,000. No insur- ance except N. Breen, $1000.
On July 29 we read: "Thursday evening of last week the con- struction train of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad passed over the
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Tuolumne River bridge near Modesto, and have since been extend- ing their works south towards the Merced River. We visited the scene of operations on the road on Tuesday and found the iron and ties laid for a distance of about a mile south of the river. Though the company is not pushing the work with much vigor upon this line, we are impressed with the belief that in the course of four weeks the line will be completed to the Merced River. It is probable that the line will not be completed to Bear Creek much before the middle of November, when we expect to see a large town rise upon the plain almost in a day, hundreds of people holding themselves in readiness to rush to the ground and commence building as soon as a town is laid off and lots can be purchased. It is the general belief that upon Bear Creek will be built the large town of the valley, and many are in a high state of excitment, eagerly watching the movements of the company to ascertain, if possible, where the town will be located, that they may commence to buy up land to build upon or for specula- tive purposes. The section of Merced County south of the Merced River is capable of affording trade sufficient to build up a large and important town, and when the railroad is completed to a central point, improvements will be made with greater rapidity than was ever before known in this section of the State. The land is considered as first quality and capable of supporting a dense population, and with such transportation facilities as the railroad will afford, it being necessarily the terminus of travel by rail on the Yosemite route, the growth of the embryo town cannot but be rapid and permanent."
Along through this fall we read the "ad." of N. A. Cody, Snel- ling Drug Store, and a little later that Mr. Cody has become post- master and has moved the post office to his drug store. There is an item that A. B. Anderson has put out poison on his farm and collected a two-horse wagon load of squirrels and rabbits. There are a number of news items and "ads." about a new county directory which Frank H. Farrar is planning to issue, and on which he seems to have done a considerable amount of work; the last we see about it is that owing to the fact that the new town of Merced is about to be built, it will be postponed until the town is under way. This is early the next year. There is an election proclamation which indicates that Merced, Mariposa, and Stanislaus together elect one State Senator, and that Mariposa elects one Assemblyman, and the two other counties to- gether elect one. There is a table of the vote for Governor, giving the vote in nine out of thirteen precincts. For Haight and Booth respectively, Plainsburg cast 39 and 18 votes; Los Banos, 13 and 0; Snelling, 185 and 67; Cottonwood, 24 and 7; Hopeton 52 and 2; Penter's, 19 and 3; Neill's 19 and 6; McSwain's, 29 and 17; and Merced Falls, 8 and 11. Total for the nine, 358 for Haight and 131 for Booth.
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There is a story in the issue of September 9, 1871: "The Big Ditch .- Mr. Dehart, just over from the west side of the San Joa- quin River, informs us that work on the great irrigating canal con- tinues to be prosecuted vigorously, the company making progress at the rate of three-fourths of a mile a day. . ..
The next week we read: "The Artesian Well .- The railroad company have commenced boring an artesian well at the new town site, on Bear Creek, and we learn are progressing with it rapidly and satisfactorily. It seems to be the unanimous opinion of the people that the Bear Creek town is destined to become the principal business point in the valley, and that a grand rush will take place to it as soon as the company announces the opening of the sale of lots. It is a central point in the valley, and will command the trade and travel for a large and rich section of country. It will also be the point where the Yo Semite travel by rail will connect with the stages for the Yo Semite Valley."
In the same issue: "Progress of the Railroad .- The San Joa- quin Valley Railroad is now being pushed forward towards Bear Creek, and it is announced that the cars will be running to the new town site on that stream by the 15th of November. The cars are now running to a point within a short distance of the bank of the Merced River, and a large force are engaged in grading the road on the south side of that river."
On October 21: "The railroad company is making good head- way in the construction of the bridge across the Merced, and also in grading from that point towards Bear Creek. .. . "; and on November 4 the railroad bridge is near completion.
Merced as the name for the new town first appears in the issue of November 18: "Laying Out the Town .- We are informed that a corps of surveyors have been engaged this week in laying off the new town of 'Merced,' on Bear Creek. The time for the opening of the sale of lots has not yet been set; but we presume the company will give due notice of the day and terms by notice in the papers. There will be a grand rush for the new town as soon as building lots can be procured." In the same issue we read that the bridge across the Merced has been completed.
Serving to remind us that these were still pretty early times, are an item that an Indian war is feared in Alpine County, in the issue of September 30, 1871, and another on Nevember 25 that the Mari- posa Gazette quotes J. J. Westfall as predicting trouble from the Piute and Digger Indians in Mariposa County.
In the issue of December 23, 1871, an editorial explanation and an "ad." throw some light on the transportation situation of the day. The editorial is by way of excuse. It reads: "Mail Failures. -Up to the time of going to press with our paper this week (Friday,
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3 o'clock P. M.), the mail from Modesto, which was due here at noon on Thursday, has failed to arrive. It is all owing to Doust not being able to cross the Merced at Murray's Ferry, on Tuesday evening, on his way to Hornitos. Such things are exceedingly annoy- ing, but the rains will come and raise the rivers, and 'that's what's the matter.' "
The "ad." reads: "Morley's Ferry, at the crossing of the Tuol- umne River on the main thoroughfare from Snelling, Mariposa, Mil- lerton, and Visalia to Stockton. The most direct route and U. S., mail route from Stockton to the places above named. The road is kept in good order and is the best one to travel with either light or heavy teams anywhere on the route to said places. The landings are not excelled for safety and easy crossing by any other in the country. The boat is large-84 feet long-and is well prepared with high and strong railing for crossing loose stock.
"J. W. Morley."
Several other "ads." are interesting. A. J. Meany announces that he is agent for Geo. W. Hobron's mills and will be constantly supplied with sawed and split lumber at reasonable prices. There are lawyers' professional cards of P. D. Wigginton, S. H. P. Ross, and James W. Robertson, of Snelling, and H. A. Gehr, of Modesto; doctors' cards of Drs. Fitzhugh & McLean, Dr. J. M. Dulin, Dr. H. S. Brockway, Snelling, and Dr. V. H. Cox, Plainsburg; and the card of A. J. Meany, architect, contractor and builder, and that of W. J. Beers, architect. Blacksmiths are H. Shaw, Front Street, Dover; Peter Shaver and George W. Halstead, Jr., Snelling; and Humphreys & Bradford, Plainsburg. Joseph Ludesher does tailoring, Leeson and Bart. Ahren are boot and shoe makers (Bart. Ahren having pur- chased the interest of P. H. Martin), and Lindley & Co. advertise a marble works. There is sheep range to rent on reasonable terms in Merced and Fresno Counties; apply to Simon, Jacobs & Co., Plainsburg, or to M. Smythe, Lone Oak, Mariposa Creek. And Smith & McDonald, Blacksmiths, Bear Creek, fly their shingle from that young settlement.
In the issue of December 30, there is a story about a proposed new post office near Pacheco Pass, and the Argus says "a post office at that point would accommodate about three or four hundred people."
With the beginning of 1872 things moved rapidly with the rail- road and the new town. In the issue of January 6 we read :
"The Railroad .- We are informed by a gentleman from the Bear Creek Station, that the iron and ties are laid some three miles beyond the site of the new town, and that the grading is finished to the crossing of Mariposa Creek. The late storm did considerable damage to the road between the Merced and Bear Creek, and a
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force has been employed for a week past in repairing damages. Up to this time no building has been done at the new town, though the R. R. Co. is getting lumber on the ground and will commence the erection of a depot building and a hotel as soon as the weather will permit. Our informant states that a large portion of the flat country on Bear Creek is overflowed."
On January 13 we find: "Turlock .- A new town on the railroad, near the confines of this county, named as above, has recently been started. . .
In the same issue : "Bear Creek .- We observe a little movement towards Bear Creek among some of our mechanics who are anxious to get the first jobs or contracts that may be let. Several went out to the new town yesterday prospecting, and we expect considerable excitement among carpenters, painters, brick layers, paper hangers, etc., in a few days. There is but little building going on here now, and consequently many working men are wanting to engage jobs for the spring and summer." We observe that Steele makes a mental reservation that the exodus is only temporary. In the next issue there is an editorial entitled "An Opposition Paper." The editor has learned that "a certain party" plans to start a new paper at Bear Creek, and the roast which he gives this prospective trespasser on his stamping-ground may fairly be regarded as the first gun in the bitter fight which not quite three years later ended in the shooting of Edward Madden by Steele's stepson, Harry Granice.
On January 20: "Merced City, the new railroad town on Bear Creek, is said to be springing up like magic this week. On Tuesday, a heavy corps of workmen in the employ of the Railroad Company was sent up from below to erect temporary buildings for a depot and hotel, and parties who have come in from there since state that those buildings are rising rapidly, and will be ready for the purposes intended within a few days. An eating house and a saloon are already in operation, and large crowds of people are flocking to the place, seeking locations for buildings."
In the same issue is the following also: "The Lot Sale .- While at Modesto this week we were informed that the sale of lots in the new town of Merced would commence on the 8th of February next. The sales will be by auction, and it is the opinion of many that lots will be sold at high figures in choice locations. The excitement runs high, and doubtless the crowd will be immense at the time of the sales."
In the same issue also the editor acknowledges the receipt of the initial copy of the "Southern Californian," the publication of which has just started at Bakersfield by Selwyn Brittain. The paper is Democratic, gives promise, and the editor wishes it success. The next week he states that Mr. C. B. Woods has been in the county during
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the week making a survey and arrangements to start a new paper in Merced.
On January 27: "The New Town .- Merced, the new town on the railroad near the crossing of Bear Creek, we understand is being built up quite rapidly. Mr. McClenathan, of Modesto, is putting up a large livery stable; McReady & Washburn, of Mariposa, are also erecting a livery stable; the railroad company are erecting a hotel and a depot building; several saloons, two or three eating houses, and two butcher stalls, are being put up, all of which are designed to be in readiness for use by the time the sale of lots shall commence. The carpenters and brick masons of this place are all making preparations to move to the new town, where they hope to reap a rich harvest the present season. There is no doubt but that Merced will be built up rapidly and in the space of a few months become a large inland town, eclipsing any town now in this section of the State."
On January 27 also the Argus tells us that freighting has been resumed, and that three large freight teams are in Snelling from Modesto. On February 3 there is an announcement that Mr. E. A. Manning has established a factory in Snelling to make boots and shoes for ladies, misses, and children, by machinery, "with surpris- ing celerity."
Also on February 3: "The Town of Merced .- We were at the new town of Merced on Monday last, and found all astir, every one being busily engaged in building and preparing for the great day to come, Thursday next, when the sale of the lots is to take place. The Railroad Company have a temporary hotel in operation, and Mr. Charles S. Evans has a restaurant and lodging house, those being the only houses of entertainment at that time open in the place. Messrs. Washburn & McReady were erecting sheds to serve as a livery stable; and Mr. McClenathan, of Modesto, was also putting up a livery stable, which was going up at a rapid rate. George Powell, Esq., who used to handle the ribbons so cleverly and make regular trips from Hornitos to Modesto, has opened a neat drinking saloon, and appeared to be master of the situation. An enterprising man has started a meat market, and we were informed that A. M. Hicks would also open a meat market in the place in the course of a week. Besides the buildings above mentioned there were a number of tents and board sheds, put up for the accommodation of carpenters, and other workmen, giving the place very much the appearance of new mining camps in early days. The site of the new town is a beautiful level plain, though rather low for wet weather, and when the place is built up with permanent buildings, will make a sightly town, and convenient of access for a great extent of country surrounding it. The land in the immediate vicinity of the town is of the richest
8
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quality, making it one of the most desirable places to locate that we know of in the valley. The place is also within a few miles of the geographical center of the county, and already the question of removal of the county seat is being discussed pro and con by the people of all sections of the county. It is certainly a handsome site for a town, and when built up and properly established will be entitled to lay claims to become the seat of justice of our prosperous county. We hope, however, that proper time will be given for preparation to be made for so important an event, and that it may not be accomplished before proper arrangements are made for the accommodation of those who might be called there to transact business or attend upon the courts. Here we have a good court house, good hotels and livery stables, and everything requisite to make visitors comfortable; there- fore it would not be well to make hurried arrangements for removal, but wait until a court house and offices can be prepared before it can be accomplished. Railroads build up a country through which they are extended, and they likewise change the current of business affairs, breaking down old established towns and building up new ones; and we have no expectation of a change being made in our case only in so far as the country surrounding Snelling, being capable of support- ing and maintaining a large local trade which cannot be diverted from it, and which will increase and become more and more important year after year."
In the same issue is the following: "Public Roads .- While on a visit to the southern portion of our county recently, we observed that the people were making great complaint in consequence of a general want of public roads. Though the county has been to a great expense in providing bridges over some of the creeks, yet the people say there are no public roads leading to them, no work is done by overseers, and land-owners turn the temporary roads to suit their own convenience or whims. We know not who are to blame for the sad condition of road matters about Plainsburg; but we do know that some of the people are grumbling audibly because travel has been turned away from their village in consequence of the closing up by the farmers of the various neighborhood and private roads leading to the place. The matter should be looked to by those whose business it is to attend to such things."
The long-waited sale of lots occurred on February 8, and the' Argus of the 10th thus reports it:
"Lot Sales at Merced .- We attended the lot sales at the new town of Merced on Thursday last, and could not but be surprised at the large number of lots sold and the high prices at which they were knocked off to the purchasers. The lots were subdivided, the choice half of the choice corner lot of each block being first offered. The first sale was made to John C. Smith, of this town, for $575.00; and
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the second was the other half of the lot to Silas I Simon for $495.00, making $1070.00 for one lot of 50x150 feet. The remainder of the lots sold brought less prices, yet all went at very high figures for a new town on the plains. A very large crowd of people attended the sales, there being a great many from San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and other towns and cities below, in addition to heavy delegations from Mariposa, Hornitos, Snelling, Millerton, and Visalia. We heard of a large number of contracts being made for the erection of buildings in the town, some of which are designed to be quite extensive edifices. The railroad company has reserved an entire block for a hotel, a building four stories in height and to contain one hundred and seventy-five rooms. With such a magnificent structure as a starter, it will not be at all wonderful if the growth of the town should be unprecedented in rapidity. Many of the buildings pro- jected are of a permanent character, and there will be employment for a great many men for a long time. The country for many miles surrounding the town is a level plain, the soil of which is of the richest quality; and if it were cut up into small farms instead of being held by monopolists, would make it one of the most desirable places to locate in anywhere in the State."
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