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 28
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On January 7, 1897, S. W. Dickinson was appointed constable in Township Four, and on December 9, R. N. Hughes was appointed recorder to fill a vacancy caused by the death of T. H. Leggett. J. W. Haley was chairman of the board this year and during 1898.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY
At the general election on November 8, 1898, the county gave Curtis H. Castle 1169 votes for Congressman, against 699 for James C. Needham; for State senator the Twelfth District gave J. B. Curtin 1066, against 774 for Joseph McNeil; and for assembly- man the Fifty-seventh District gave A. T. Hastings 964 and G. R. Stewart 944. It is interesting to observe the gradual growth of the total vote; but it is still only about one-quarter of the total which the county now casts. Allowance must now be made, however, for the women's vote. C. A. H. Warfield was again elected sheriff; W. B. Croop was elected clerk; A. G. Clough, assessor; D. C. Bambauer, treasurer; W. H. Cook, auditor; E. W. Stockird, recorder; F. G. Ostrander, district attorney; O. W. Grove, superintendent of schools ; H. H. Henderson, surveyor; George W. Kibby, tax collector; F. E. Lilley, coroner and public administrator; C. H. Deane, supervisor for District Three; and W. H. Ogden, supervisor for District Five. In Township One, J. A. Harrelson was elected justice of the peace and E. J. Feldhaus, constable ; in Township Two, George F. Crocker, justice, and J. M. Smith, constable; in Township Three, C. S. Coth- ran, justice, and C. H. Wiley, constable; in Township Four, George A. Kahl, justice, and Wade Turner, constable; in Township Five, Benjamin Berry, justice, and John George, constable.
In 1899, Paul Neumann appears as chairman of the board. On November 16 of that year, W. J. Stockton was appointed coroner and public administrator in place of F. E. Lilley, deceased.
On March 13, 1900, T. A. Mack was appointed the county's first game warden. The following day Jeff. Fruit was appointed justice of the peace in Township Two to succeed George L. Crocker, re- signed. On May 15 of this year F. G. Ostrander was appointed superior judge to succeed J. K. Law, resigned. J. F. McSwain was appointed district attorney to fill the vacancy caused by Judge Ostrander's promotion.
The general election of this year was held on November 6. The county gave for Congressman, Seventh District, James C. Needham, 788; W. D. Crichton, 1046; for assemblyman, Fifty-seventh Dis- trict, J. W. Haley, 1217; Thomas R. Scoon, 648. E. N. Rector was elected superior judge; A. B. Hamilton, supervisor from District One; Thomas Price, supervisor from District Two; and George H. Whitworth, supervisor from District Four. Judge Rector has held his office continuously since, and George H. Whitworth's service as supervisor was terminated only by his death in 1922.
On April 9, 1901, W. M. Davis was appointed constable in Township Three in place of C. H. Wiley, resigned. On July 9, 1901, appears a new Township Six, Gustine ; Eugene McCabe was appointed
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justice of the peace, and B. W. Jeffers constable, of Township Six on that date.
Paul Neumann continues as chairman of the board in 1900, but in 1901 A. B. Hamilton succeeds him in that capacity. On August 11, 1902, G. R. Summers was appointed justice of the peace of Town- ship Five ; and on September 15 of the same year, W. F. Blewett was appointed constable of the same township to succeed J. H. George, deceased.
At the general election on November 4, 1902, the county gave Gaston M. Ashe 1005 votes and J. C. Needham 819 for Congress- man in the Sixth District; J. B. Curtin 1241 votes for State senator, Twelfth District; and V. E. Bangs 1213 for assemblyman, Twenty- fifth District. John S. McSwain was elected sheriff; W. B. Croop, clerk; A. G. Clough, assessor; G. W. Kibby, treasurer ; W. H. Cook, auditor ; S. J. Allen, recorder ; E. H. Hoar, district attorney; Mrs. Anna Silman, superintendent of schools; Arthur E. Cowell, surveyor; W. F. Clarke, tax collector; G. E. Nordgren, coroner and public administrator; C. H. Deane, supervisor from District Three; and W. H. Ogden, supervisor from District Five. Justices of the peace were elected as follows : In Township One, J. A. Harrelson ; in Town- ship Two, J. J. Griffin ; in Township Three, C. S. Cothran; in Town- ship Four, J. D. Price ; in Township Five, J. H. Sorensen; in Town- ship Six, Eugene McCabe. Edgar Latour was elected constable in Township One; J. H. McNamara, in Township Two; W. M. Roberts, in Township Three; A. K. Ellett, in Township Four; W. F. Blewett, in Township Five; and John Hickey, in Township Six.
In 1903, Thomas Price is chairman of the board. On August 4 of that year, C. M. Harrelson was appointed justice of the peace in Township One to succeed J. A. Harrelson, resigned. At the gen- eral election on November 8, 1904, the county gave James C. Need- ham 880 votes for Congressman from the Sixth District and William M. Conley 1026; S. S. Burge 912 for assemblyman, Twenty-fifth District, and Fred W. Yokum 937. Henry Nelson was elected super visor for District One; J. R. Baxter, for District Two; and George H. Whitworth, for District Four. George H. Whitworth was chair- man of the board during 1905 and 1906.
On September 19, 1905, Henry Knight was appointed constable in Township Six to succeed John Hickey, resigned.
On February 6, 1906, a new Township Seven appears, with the appointment of Ambers Brown as justice of the peace and F. J. Clausen as constable. This is Dos Palos, then quite newly colonized, thus making now three judicial townships on the West Side and four on the East Side.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY
At the general election of November 6, 1906, the county gave J. C. Needham 1028 votes and H. A. Greene 919 for Congressman from the Sixth District; H. J. Ostrander 948 and J. B. Curtin 1057, for State senator from the Twelfth District; and R. K. Whitmore 894 and F. W. Yokum 1049, for assemblyman from the Twenty- fifth District. John S. Swan was elected sheriff; P. J. Thornton, clerk; A. G. Clough, assessor; G. W. Kibby, treasurer ; W. H. Cook, auditor ; S. J. Allen, recorder ; H. S. Shaffer, district attorney; Belle Smythe, superintendent of schools; A. E. Cowell surveyor; W. F. Clarke, tax collector; G. E. Nordgren, coroner and public adminis- trator; C. H. Deane, supervisor from District Three; and J. W. Haley, supervisor from District Five. I. J. Buckley was elected justice of the peace in Township One ; J. J. Griffin, in Township Two; W. E. Burch, in Township Three; J. D. Price, in Township Four ; J. N. Hitchcock, in Township Five; Eugene McCabe, in Township Six; and J. S. Sitton, in Township Seven. Edgar Latour was elected constable in Township One; J. H. McNamara, in Township Two; W. M. Roberts, in Township Three; G. A. Watson, in Township Five; B. W. Jeffers, in Township Six; and F. J. Clausen, in Town- ship Seven. There was a tie in Township Four; and at a special elec- tion on December 1, W. C. Wilson was elected constable of that township.
J. R. Baxter appears as chairman of the board of supervisors in 1907, and continues through that year and 1908. On January 9, 1907, I. J. Buckley was appointed justice of the peace of Township One, and Edgar Latour constable, to take effect October 1, 1907. They were the incumbents, elected the previous fall. Their election appears to have been considered good until October 1, 1907; and as the appointment could not apparently have been to cure an invalid election, it was probably to effect a change in salary. On October 1, 1907, C. B. Harrell was appointed county recorder to succeed S. J. Allen, resigned. On April 27, 1908, E. F. Mugler was appointed auditor to succeed William H. Cook, deceased; and on June 1 of the same year, Frank J. McInerny was appointed to succeed Mugler, resigned.
At the general election on November 3, 1908, the county gave James C. Needham 1087 votes and Fred P. Feliz 1020 for Congress- man from the Sixth District, and Charles W. Wagner 988 and John R. Richardson 1047 for assemblyman from the Twenty-fifth Dis- trict. E. N. Rector was elected superior judge; Thomas H. Scand- rett, supervisor from District One; J. R. Baxter, supervisor from District Two; and George H. Whitworth, supervisor from District Four. On December 8, 1908, W. F. Meredith was appointed justice of the peace of Township Six in place of Eugene McCabe, resigned.
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In 1909 and 1910, C. H. Deane was chairman of the board. On March 11, 1909, A. L. Silman was appointed auditor to succeed Frank J. McInerny, resigned.
At the general election on November 8, 1910, the county gave J. C. Needham 1037 votes for Congressman from the Sixth District, and A. L. Cowell, the present attorney for the Merced Irrigation District, 1264; L. L. Dennett, for State senator from the Twelfth District, 1071, and J. B. Curtin 1207; D. D. Thompson 1045 for assemblyman from the Twenty-fifth District, and J. J. Griffin 1154. S. C. Cornell was elected sheriff ; H. S. Shaffer, district attorney ; P. J. Thornton, clerk; L. R. Johnson, auditor; G. W. Kibby, treasurer ; A. G. Clough, assessor; W. H. Wegner, tax collector; Margaret Sheehy, superintendent of schools; A. E. Cowell, surveyor; G. E. Nordgren, coroner and public administrator ; H. G. Peck, supervisor from District Three; and C. S. Cothran, supervisor from District Five. In Judicial Township One, I. J. Buckley was elected justice of the peace and Edgar Latour, constable; in Township Two, W. B. Croop, justice, and J. H. McNamara, constable ; in Township Three, W. E. Burch, justice, and W. M. Roberts, constable; in Township Four, L. S. Cardwell, justice, and W. C. Wilson, constable ; in Town- ship Five, J. N. Hitchcock, justice, and J. A. Watson, constable ; in Township Six, C. F. Reutter, justice, and T. J. Hazelwood, constable ; and in Township Seven, J. S. Sitton, justice, and Clyde Painter, constable.
T. H. Scandrett appears as chairman of the board in 1912. At the general election on November 5 of that year, J. C. Needham received in this county 1482 votes for Congressman from the Seventh District (note the reapportionment following the census year 1910), and Denver S. Church 1835. George Marchbank received in the county 1358 votes for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District, and J. J. Griffin 1884. T. H. Scandrett was elected supervisor from District One; D. K. Thornton, supervisor from District Two; and G. H. Whitworth, supervisor from District Four.
On May 6, 1913, J. J. Garibaldi was appointed tax collector in place of W. H. Wegner, deceased; and on June 1, 1914, T. A. Mack was appointed sheriff to succeed S. C. Cornell, deceased.
At the general election held November 3, 1914, the county gave Francis J. Heney 1174 votes for United States Senator, Joseph R. Knowland 1476, and James D. Phelan 2002; Denver S. Church 2614 and A. M. Drew 1752 for Congressman from the Seventh District; A. P. Ferguson 2499 and L. J. Maddux 2462 for State senator from the Twelfth District; and Edward Stanton Ellis 3456 and Ernest D. Kahl 1486 for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District. E. N. Rector was elected superior judge; T. A. Mack, sheriff; C. H Mc-
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Cray, district attorney ; P. J. Thornton, clerk; G. W. Kibby, trea ;- urer; L. R. Johnson, auditor; A. G. Clough, assessor; James J. Garibaldi, tax collector; J. C. Ivers, recorder; G. E. Nordgren, coroner and public administrator; Margaret Sheehy, superintendent of schools; A. E. Cowell, surveyor; Frank Pebley, supervisor from District One; and C. S. Cothran, supervisor from District Five. J. C. Larsen was elected justice of the peace and Edgar Latour, con- stable, in Township One; Frank H. Farrar, justice, and J. H. Mc- Namara, constable. in Township Two; L. A. Sischo, justice, and W. M. Roberts, constable, in Township: Three; J. D. Price, justice, and W. C. Wilson, constable, in Township Four; J. N. Hitchcock, justice, and August E. Warn, constable, in Township Five; C. F. Reutter, justice, and J. T. Hazelwood, constable, in Township Six; J. S. Sitton, justice, and T. C. Painter, constable, in Township Seven; and W. H. Osborn, justice, and E. W. Fulkerth, constable, in Township Eight.
Judicial Township Eight appears in an election here for the first time. Justice Osborn and Constable Fulkerth have held their offices continuously since the creation of the township, Atwater, ten years ago. W. C. Wilson won the office of constable in Township Four only after an election contest.
At the general election on November 7, 1916, the county gave Hiram W. Johnson 2635 votes for United States Senator and George S. Patton 1495 ; Denver S. Church, for Congressman from the Seventh District, 2279 and W. W. Phillips 1769; H. Kylberg, for assembly. man from the Forty-ninth District, 2729, and Walter C. Maloy 1712. T. H. Scandrett was elected supervisor from District One; D. K. Thornton, supervisor from District Two; and George H. Whitworth, supervisor from District Four. T. H. Scandrett continues as chair- man of the board.
On November 13, 1916, Winifred H. Bigley was appointed county librarian for a four-year term beginning on November 16. This is not the beginning of Miss Bigley's service as librarian, however.
On August 7, 1917, W. M. Griffin was appointed coroner and public administrator to succeed G. E. Nordgren, deceased. On Octo- ber 7, 1918, Mrs. M. A. Clough was appointed assessor to succeed her husband, A. G. Clough, deceased.
At the general election on November 5, 1918, the county gave Henry Hawson 2098 votes and H. E. Barbour 1801 for Congress- man from the Seventh District; J. B. Curtin 1964 and L. L. Dennett 1977, for State senator from the Twelfth District; and Guy Windrem 2871, for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District. P. J. Thorn- ton was elected clerk; T. A. Mack, sheriff; C. W. Croop, district attorney; Smith E. Acker, auditor; G. W. Kibby, treasurer; F. A.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY
Robinson, assessor ; J. J. Garibaldi, tax collector ; J. C. Ivers, record- er; W. M. Griffin, coroner and public administrator; A. E. Cowell, surveyor ; Mrs. Belle Smythe Gribi, superintendent of schools; Frank Pebley, supervisor from District Three; and C. S. Cothran, super- visor from District Five. In Township One, I. J. Buckley was elected justice and Edgar Latour, constable; in Township Two, Frank H. Farrar, justice, and J. H. McNamara, constable ; in Township Three, W. H. Purdy, justice, and C. M. Watkins, constable; in Township Four, C. T. Dooley, justice, and W. C. Wilson, constable ; in Town- ship Five, J. N. Hitchcock, justice, and August E. Warn, constable : in Township Six, H. K. Morris, justice, and Oliver F. Carey, con- stable; in Township Seven, Ernest E. Winters, justice, and T. G. Arbuthnot, constable; and in Township Eight, W. H. Osborn, justice, and E. W. Fulkerth, constable.
On February 3, 1919, F. H. Cronwell was appointed justice of the peace in Township Three. On February 2, 1920, John R. Graham was appointed by Governor Stephens supervisor in District One to succeed T. H. Scandrett, resigned. Mr. Scandrett had been chair- man up to this time; Frank Pebley succeeded him as chairman and is the present chairman. On June 10, 1920, H. K. Landram was appointed district attorney to succeed C. W. Croop, resigned. On July 7, 1920, Charles A. Miller was appointed justice of the peace of Township Six to succeed H. K. Morris, resigned.
At the general election on November 2, 1920, the county gave Samuel M. Shortridge 2549 votes for United States Senator ; H. E. Barbour 3570 for Congressman from the Seventh District, and Guy Windrem 2838 for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District. E. N. Rector was elected superior judge; Frank R. Henderson, super- visor from District One; D. K. Thornton, supervisor from District Two; and G. H. Whitworth, supervisor from District Four.
On November 9, 1920, G. D. Soper was appointed constable for Township Three in place of C. M. Watkins, resigned. On April 5, 1921, J. L. Mulkey was appointed constable of Township Seven in place of T. G. Arbuthnot, resigned. On August 1, 1921, Winifred H. Bigley was reappointed county librarian for four years. On Sep- tember 6, 1921, J. W. Hall was appointed justice of the peace of Township Five to succeed J. N. Hitchcock, deceased. On April 4, 1922, Harold Bone was appointed justice of the peace of Township Two to succeed Frank H. Farrar, deceased. On August 7, 1922, G. E. Winton was appointed county surveyor to succeed A. E. Cowell, resigned. On October 23, 1922, W. E. Bunker was appointed by Governor Stephens supervisor for District Four to succeed G. H. Whitworth, deceased.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY
At the general election on November 7, 1922, the county gave Hiram W. Johnson 4090 votes for United States Senator, Harry E. Barbour 3955 for Congressman from the Seventh District, L. L. Dennett 3763 for State senator from the Twelfth District, and D. C. Williams 3096 and Guy Windrem 2135 for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District. C. S. Weaver was elected superintendent of schools; T. A. Mack, sheriff; C. H. McCray, district attorney ; S. E. Acker, auditor ; G. W. Kibby, treasurer ; F. A. Robinson, assessor ; J. J. Garibaldi, tax collector; J. C. Ivers, recorder ; W. M. Griffin, coroner and public administrator ; W. E. Bedesen, surveyor; Frank Pebley, supervisor from District Three; and G. B. Smith, supervisor from District Five. In Township One, I. J. Buckley was elected justice of the peace and Edgar Latour, constable; in Township Two, Harold Bone, justice, and J. H. McNamara, constable; in Town- ship Three, F. H. Cronwell, justice, and G. D. Soper, constable; in Township Four, C. T. Dooley, justice, and W. C. Wilson, constable ; in Township Five, T. W. Pedigo, justice, and Dave Bennett, con- stable; in Township Six, D. E. Hales, justice, and Oliver Carey, con- stable; in Township Seven, H. Boyd Smith, justice, and John R. Campbell, Jr., constable ; in Township Eight, W. H. Osborn, justice, and E. W. Fulkerth, constable.
On June 4, 1923, Essae M. Culver was appointed county librarian to succeed Winifred H. Bigley, deceased. On September 4, 1923, John R. Campbell, Jr., was appointed constable of Township Seven. On February 9, 1924, C. E. Welch was appointed coroner and public administrator to succeed W. M. Griffin, deceased, and E. D. Huffman was appointed constable of Township Two to succeed J. H. Mc- Namara, deceased.
At the general election on November 4, 1924, the county gave H. E. Barbour, for Congressman from the Seventh District, 3942 votes; and D. C. Williams, for assemblyman from the Forty-ninth District, 3021 and E. G. Adams 2725. F. R. Henderson was elected super- visor from District One; J. C. Maddux, supervisor from District Two; and W. E. Bunker, supervisor from District Four. No other changes have occurred up to December 21, 1924.
CHAPTER XVII
POPULATION
Since Merced County was created and organized in 1855, the first federal census we have on it is that of 1860. We have already seen, in the chapter on the assessment roll of 1857, where the prob- able population of the county at the time of organization is discussed, that the county's population by this census of 1860 was 1141. In the chapter mentioned we saw that the 1857 assessment roll gave 277 assessments, and on this basis, counting 5 population for every 2 assessments, we arrived at an estimated population of 692, or approxi- mately 700 for the spring of 1857, just three years before the census of 1860 was taken. Further, estimating approximately the same rate of increase for the two preceding years, from the spring of 1855 to that of 1857, we estimated somewhere around 400 or 500 people in the county when it was organized. This is frankly little more than a guess.
At any rate, we had 1141 people in 1860. In 1870 this had grown to 2807, an increase of 146 per cent. In 1880 it had grown to 5656, or just over a 100-per-cent gain over the 1870 figures. In 1890 the county's population had grown 2429 more, to a total of 8085, repre- senting a 43-per-cent gain over the 1880 census. In 1900 it was 9215, being 1140, or about 14 per cent of growth since 1890. By the 1910 census we had 15,148 people, a gain of 5923, about 64 per cent, for the decade. The 1920 population was 24,579, with a gain of 9431 people, or about 62 per cent, for the decade then ending.
While the county made some growth during every decade for which we have the census figures, this growth, we see, slacked up to rather near a standstill during the ten years from 1890 to 1900, when the gain was only 1140, or about 14 per cent. It will be remembered that the nineties were a period of hard times generally, a condition reflected by Merced County's small growth. This was also the period when the grain-raising industry in the county had reached its peak and begun to decline. Merced City for this ten years shows an actual decrease of forty inhabitants ; the town had 2009 people in 1890, and 1969 in 1900. Other towns in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys show similar conditions. Modesto decreased from 2402 to to 2024 during the ten years; Tulare from 2697 to 2216; Woodland from 3069 to 2886. Fresno shows a small growth, from 10,818 to 12,470 ; Visalia a smaller one, from 2885 to 3085.
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An analysis of Merced County's population by judicial townships shows an actual decrease for the East Side of the county during these ten years, which was somewhat more than made up by the growth of the West Side. Township Number One (Snelling country ) had 1834 population in 1890. Between 1890 and 1900 Township Num- ber 5 was carved out of Number One; and in 1900 Number One had 842 people and Number Five had 779, a total of 1621 in 1900 against 1834 in 1890. Township Number Two, including Merced City, had 4363 people in 1890 and 3705 in 1900; but Number Four appears in 1900 with 656 people, showing just about a standstill for the terri- tory of the two. Township Number Three, centering at Los Banos, had 1888 people in 1890, and 3233 in 1900, a growth of 1345.
We have run ahead of the chronological order in the above. There was less detailed information in the earlier censuses; the Merced County townships, for example, were not separately returned in 1880.
This census of 1880 is of course the first one which shows Merced City, or rather town, for it was not incorporated until the eighties. Merced, the town, in 1880 had 1446 people. This fact standing by itself means less than it does when we give the population of some of most striking comparison is with Fresno, which in 1880 had only 1112, or 334 less population than Merced. Bakersfield was also the other towns in this and some of the other counties. Perhaps the smaller than Merçed; it had 801. Madera, not yet with a separate county of its own, had only 217 people and was overshadowed by such metropolises as Mariposa, 342; Columbia, 650; Coulterville, 224; Hornitos, 350; Lockeford, 322; Mokelumne Hill, 515; and Woodbridge, 245. Modesto, with 1693, was the largest town in the San Joaquin Valley south of the old valley metropolis, Stockton, which had 10,282; and was nearly even with Los Angeles, which had 11,183. South of Stockton in the Valley, in order of population after Modesto and Merced, came Visalia, older than the railroad with 1412 people. Sonora was larger than Visalia or Merced; it had 1492 people.
Bear Valley had 150 people; Centerville, 108; Chinese Camp, 184; Groveland, 59; Hills Ferry, 161; Grayson, 113; Jamestown, 212; Knight's Ferry, 191; La Grange, 145; Merced Falls, 150; Snelling, 187. Lodi had 606; Lemoore, 463; Tulare, 447; Hanford, 269; Porterville, 202. Plainsburg had 143; Cressey and Waterford, 63 each; Kingsburg, 88. In those days San Francisco was easily "The City"; it had 233,959 population, more than ten times as many as Sacramento, with 21,420.
These comparisons enable us to reconstruct in some measure the California of 1880. It was a California which did not yet know
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anything of intensive farming. It was long before the days of auto- mobiles and the good roads which automobiles have brought. The percentage of the population living in towns was much smaller than it is now. It will be noted that the towns in the Mother Lode country- Mariposa, Sonora, and their neighbors-were of a good deal more importance than they are now; and so also were the towns along the San Joaquin River. Hill's Ferry had 161 people; the railroad had not yet come to the West Side, and this town had not moved to New- man. Hill's Ferry is now just about as completely gone as its neigh- bor, Columbia, up near Sonora-once, in the early gold days, a good deal larger than the 650 which it had in 1880, and one of the first incorporated cities in the State.
The earlier censuses did not give as much detail as the more recent ones, but that of 1860 does show that Merced County's popu- lation of 1141 was made up of 1114 whites, 23 colored, and 4 Indians -nearly 100 per cent white. The few negroes are easily accounted for when we remember that the whites came largely from the South. Why there are only four Indians shown we are left to conjecture : quite possibly the Indians who were left had about all gone into the foothill country. We find 37 Indians shown in the 1870 census- probably they were finding it seemingly safe to come out and settle as individuals amongst the whites, and likely their tribal relations were breaking up. There were 36 colored people in 1870, and 186 Chinese-none of the latter appeared in 1860. The white people in 1870 numbered 2548. The non-white population in 1860 was be- tween 2 and 3 per cent ; in 1870 it was over 9 per cent.
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