A memorial and biographical history of northern California, illustrated. Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy...and biographical mention of many of its most eminent pioneers and also of prominent citizens of today, Part 124

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1000

USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of northern California, illustrated. Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy...and biographical mention of many of its most eminent pioneers and also of prominent citizens of today > Part 124

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Dr. Smith was married in Canada, in 1843, to Miss Jane Stooer, a native of Nova Scotia, and they have been blessed with six children, three boys and three girls, but one of whom is deceased.

HOMAS JEFFERSON MCCABE, a citi- zen of Cottonwood, who has done inch for the growth of the county by his ex- ample in the field of horticulture, having planted a fine tract of his ranch to fruit, and thereby demonstrating the wonderful capabil- ity of the county to produce fruit without irri- gation. He was born in Shelby County, Indiana, October 17, 1856, the son of Thomas E. McCabe, who was also a native of the same State; the family originated in Ireland. Hle mar-

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ried Mary Robertson, a native of his own State, and the daughter of James Robertson, a native of Kentucky. They had sixteen children, eleveu of whom still survive, eight boys and three girls.

Mr. McCabe, the eighth child and one of twins, was reared his in native State, and when twenty-one years of age came to California, but afterward returned and remained three months. He then came again to this State and settled in Cloverdale, Sonoma County, where he was married to Miss Marcella Saling, a native of California, and a daughter of Peter Saling, an early settler of this State. They have four children, three born in Colusa County, and the youngest born at Cottonwood, namely: Lena, Clara M., Orrin L. and Ethel L. They removed to Cottonwood in May, 1886, and purchased eighty acres of choice fruit land near the town. He has improved the place by building a home and the necessary farm buildings, and in 1888 planted twenty acres of peaches and pears, which have made a good growth, many of them having commenced to bear.

In politics Mr. McCabe is a Republican, and in 1888 was elected a Justice of the Peace in his township. He and his wife are influential members of the Congregational Church, and Mr. McCabe is a Deacon and Superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is one of those reliable men that can be depended upon in everything in which they engage.

ALTER W. FELTS, the founder of the Shasta County Index, now changed to the Cottonwood Register, was born De- cember 7, 1848, in Mississippi, the son of Asa- hel Felts, a native of the same State. He was deprived of his parents by death when but a child, and knows but little of themn. He re- ceived his education at the Hesperian, and at the Methodist College at Vacaville, Solano County. Ile purchased an interest in the Maxwell store in Colnsa County, and was connected with it

three years. In 1885 he came to Cotton wood, and found a small place, wanting in enterprise, and also met with a good deal of opposition in starting his piper; but, aided by a few of the enterprising business men, the opposition was overcome and the town was improved. Mr. Felts is not only a business and newspaper man but is a close thinker, and has recently pub- lished a book which shows that he takes a com- plete departure from old accepted scientific ideas. His work is the " Principles of Science," and he is about to publish a revised edition. His book is acompleteoverthrow of some old scientific ideas, dispensing with both gravitation and centrifu- gal force, and several of the leading educational men of the State speak in the highest terms of his book and the new ideas it presents. Mr. Felts is a Christian man, a believer in the reli- gion taught in the Scriptures, and in his early life he was for some years a teacher. He is a strong temperance man, and favors Prohibition, but is a liberal Democrat.

He was married in 1885, to Miss Fanny B. Rice, a native of Missouri, and they have one son, born in Ashland, Oregon. Mr. Felts has bought considerable town property and is alive to the interests of Cottonwood and the State.

JENRY CLAY FOSTER, the successful and popular young druggist of Cotton- wood, was born September 2, 1869, in Jackson County, Indiana, the son of Albert S. and Callie (James) Foster, both natives of the same State. His ancestors on the paternal side were from Germany, and on the maternal side from England. His parents had five children, four of whom are now living, three boys and one girl. The family came to Tehama County, California, in 1872, and settled at Vina, where the subject of this sketch was reared and edu- cated. His father's occupation had been that of a teacher, but after coming to this State he purchased a ranch at Vina. It was decided that the subject of this sketch should become a

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doctor, and he commenced the study of medi- cine under Dr. J. W. Harvey, one of the most prominent physicians of the county. He re- mained with him two years, and then ran a drng store in Vina one year. In 1889 he purchased the Cottonwood drug store, and began business for himself, which has proved an eminent suc- cess. He has a good stock, gives his busi- ness close attention, and enjoys the trade of the entire city. Mr. Foster has also purchased property in Cottonwood, takes an interest in the improvement of this city, and intends to make it his permanent home. In political views he is a Republican.

ILLIAM F. PRICE .- No apology need be made for collecting and recording the history of the men who were the pioneers and early settlers of the great State of California, for their adventurous spirit, forti- tnde, courage and persistency has not been excelled in the world's history. The subject of this sketch has not only the honor of being one of these early settlers, but is also the pioneer merchant of the town of Cottonwood. He is a self-educated man, who by his own personal and industrons efforts, has gained for himself suc- cess and valuable property.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, May 18, 1821, the son of Isaac Price, who was a native of North Carolina, and Tabitha (Wilkenson) Price, who was born in Virginia, and was of English ancestry. They had a family of five children, two of whom still survive. Mr. Price's sister, now Mrs. Emneline Bond, wife of William Bond, now resides in Wisconsin. When thir- teen years of age our subject began his mercantile experience as a store boy in Illinois, and he uot only learned good business habits, but from day to day picked up his own education in the dear school of experience. A kind lady, the wife of his employer, gave him some instructions at spare times, and it is to his eredit to add that he remained there until he was twenty-one

years of age. He then went to Galena, Illi- nois, where he was engaged as a teamster in hauling lead. He next removed to Wisconsin, and engaged in both mining and clerking for three and a half years, and at that time was at- tacked with the gold fever. He bought four good horses and a mule, and made the journey overland, bringing with him a man and a boy. They traveled alone, but camped near some company of emigrants every night, their jour- ney occupying ninety-seven days.

They arrived at Placerville, El Dorado County, and at once engaged in the search for gold at White Rock, in which they were quite successful. Mr. Price and another man worked together on a claim 100 yards long, the dirt being from two to four feet deep over the bed rock, which they removed that winter, and on the whole of their claim took out $14,000 dur- ing the same winter. There were miners in the same guleh, both below and above them, for two miles in length. From that place to Montezuma Flats they were successful, and took ont about $11,000. He and his partner then bought claims, in which they sunk their former earnings, and on leaving took away only $600. Mr. Price then went to Sacramento, where he remained but a short time, and in the spring of 1853 went to Yreka, where he mined and trad- ed for ten years, with both good and bad luck. In one of his transactions he made $6,000, but lost it all in the mines. From there he moved to Virginia City, and engaged in mining in the Golden Conrier mines, remaining two years and meeting with poor success. In 1864 he went to Red Bluff, and for a year rented the Star Ranch; then he accepted a position in the hard- ware store of Herbert Kraft, and was there at intervals seven and a half years. In 1874 he came to Cottonwood, and bought out the store of a man named Simon, and organized the firm of Price & Co., Mr. A. S. Schuman being his partner. At that time the railroad had only been built two years, and the town contained only a few houses, and their trade rapidly in- ereased until they were doing a large mer-

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cantile business, both in the sale of merchandise and in the purchase and shipment of wool and grain. Their first store, a frame building, 22 x 56 feet, they were soon obliged to enlarge, and they are now building a fine brick store 50 x 80 feet. The firmn of Price & Co. have been very successful, and they have done nearly all of the work of their large business themselves since its commencement. Hard, earnest work and close application to business has earned for them a fine property; the treatment of their customers have been so uniformly jast that many of the men who first began to trade with them are still their customers. They have in- vested in lands, aud own several thousand acres.

Mr. Price has never married, and resides with his partner. They are like brothers, nothwithstanding that Mr. Price' speople were Southerners, he became a Republican at the organization of that party, and has remained with it ever since.

HARLES KEIR McELWEE, a native son of the Golden West, and a prominent business man of the city of Redding, Shasta County, was born October 21, 1856, in the first brick building erected in the city of San Francisco, on Commercial street, below Montgomery. His father, John V. McElwee, was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, born in 1821, and his grandfather, Charles McElwee, came from Scotland before the Revolution, and was a participant in that war. The father mar- ried Mary Scott, a native of Nova Scotia, whose ancestors settled in Boston before the Revolu- tion, but remained loyal to the King, and escaped to Nova Scotia, where they resided for many years. Mr. and Mrs. McElwce were the parents of five children, all of whom are living. Their father came to California in 1850, tried mining at first, and then settled on a fine ranch below Sacramento on the river. A flood came soon afterward and drove them out, and they went to San Francisco, where he engaged in the

furniture business, which had been his occupi- tion in the East. This trade he carried on suc- cessfully until his death, which occurred in 1882. He was a good citizen and a thorough business inan; his wife still survives him.

Charles McElwee, the subject of this sketch, was educated at the Lincoln School in San Francisco, and learned the upholstering trade. He started out for himself in that business in 1874, in San Francisco, and after a year removed to Seattle, but concluding not to locate there he returned to San Francisco, where he remained until 1888. He then learned that there was a good opening for business at Redding, and he accordingly engaged in business in this city, in partnership with Herbert Moody. They have a fine store, 50 x 80 feet, and a shop 25 x 40 feet, which is the first and only store in the city, and they enjoy a nice trade, their customers coming to them from 250 miles' distance. Mr McElwee has purchased his partner's interest, and is now the sole proprietor. He is also in- terested in town property in Redding.

He was married to Miss Jennie Gould, a native of Boston, and daughter of Governor Gould, and is of Scotch ancestry. Mr. Elwee is a Native Son of the Golden West; an Odd Fellow; and a member of the Order of Red Men. His politi- cal views are Republican, with strong American tendencies. Hle is a man of good business ability.

OHN H. FOSTER, one of the prominent merchants of Cottonwood, is a native of the Golden West, born in Shasta, August 30, 1856. His father, Jacob Foster, came to California in 1849, and in two years returned East after his family, and again came to this State in 1852. He was a native of Germany, and was married in St. Louis, Missouri, to Miss Adaline Ilertling, also a native of Germany. They had seven children, five of whom are still living.

Mr. Foster, the subject of this sketch, received

Im Mages

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

his education in Cottonwood, and also took a full business course at Heald's Business College at San Francisco. He learned telegraphy, and was engaged in railroading eighteen years. In 1884 the firm of Becker & Foster was organ- ized, they having purchased the stock and good- will of William Knowlton, and they now have a large double store filled with a desirable stock of general merchandise. They enjoy a satisfac- tory trade, which extends to a distance of from thirty-five to forty miles. Mr. Foster has also invested in village property, and has a very pleasant home where he now resides. He is a business man of energy and ability. His father, ,Jacob Foster, was the founder of the town of Cottonwood, and was the owner of the ranch on which the town was built; he also built the first hotel. His son, the subject of this sketch, was reared in Cottonwood, and has been the railroad agent in the town for eighteen years, and it is not to be wondered at that he takes just pride in its growth. He is one of those ready busi- ness men who takes hold on whatever has to be done, in connection with his large and diversi- fied business.

Mr. Foster was united in marriage with Miss Philipina Rieser, a native daughter of the Golden West, born in Red Bluff. This union has been blessed with three children, all born in Cottonwood, namely: Ellis J., Joseph A. and Carrie.

OLONEL WILLIAM MAGEE is a man of mark, one of the striking figures in the early history of Northern California, and a representative pioneer of Shasta County. He arrived in San Francisco December 1, 1849. He was born in Darlington district, South Caro- lina, among the rice plantations, February 1, 1806. His father, John Magee, was a native of North Carolina. The progenitor of the family was a descendant of the Scottish chieftains who emigrated to the Colonies very early, settling in North Carolina, and became the ancestor of one 50

of the old Southern families. John Magee, the Colonel's father, married Winnie Whiden, also a native of North Carolina. They had eight chil- dren, four sons and four daughters, four of whom are now living. Colonel Magee, their oldest child, received his early education in Wayne County, Mississippi. When he be- came a man he engaged in business in Alabama. and also was Deputy Sheriff seven years; was Deputy United States Marshal for eight years in the days of General Jackson and Van Baren. He was Sheriff in Mobile, Alabama, for four years,-from 1836 till 1840; from there lie re- inoved to New Orleans and engaged in the mer- cantile business for a time; then sold out and came to California, in search of the golden treasures hidden in her mountains. He was thirty days on the journey, by the way of the Isthmus, besides being detained twenty days at Panama. and sailed thence on the steamer Ore- gon for San Francisco. He went to Shasta in May, 1850, when there were about 300 people there, living in tents and cloth houses. Mr. Magee put his horse in the corral, and with many others made his bed with his blankets on the ground, in what is now the principal street in the town. All goods and supplies were taken to Shasta by team from Red Bluff, and from Shasta the goods were picked on mules over the county, no wagon road being above Shasta. At times miles of the road was biock - aded with heavily loaded wagons drawn by five yokes of oxen each, and for miles the stage could not get past them, and sometimes was delayed hours. Five hundred pack mules were loaded in the streets of Shasta to distribute supplies to the places further north. Few people can re- alize the rush and crowd of mules and prospect- ors that gathered around the place.

Colonel Magee remained at Shasta and on Major Redding's ranch for four years. He surveyed the ranch for the Major and got his title perfected, and had charge of the property for three years. He was then appointed United States Deputy Surveyor, and extended the Gor- ernment surveys all over the county of Shasta.

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The Colonel, with his assistants, lived in the mountains and valleys. His surveying business he followed until a recent date. Among Colonel Magee's chainmen in an early day was C. C. Bush, then a young man and now the Hon. Judge C. C. Bush, another of Shasta's repre- sentative citizens. The Colonel's business gave him a complete knowledge of the eounty, which paved the way for his fortune. He was the dis- coverer of Iron Mountain in 1870. He found a lone miner in camp on the mountain, who knew what iron was, and pointed it ont to him. The Colonel bought his interest in it for $100, and took a deed for that interest, and then set about getting a patent from the Government to the mountain. It was sitnated within railroad limits, and he could not obtain a title until a special act of Congress was enacted to authorize the location of agricultural college scrip within railroad limits. Iron Mountain at that time was included in agricultural land. As soon as the act of Congress was passed lie located the mountain with agricultural serip, and proceeded to perfect his title for the grant through the State of California. Commencing in 1871 to improve the mountain, he worked on, treating it as a mountain of iron until early in 1880, when James Salee, a practical miner, was pros- pecting there for silver and gold and found sil- ver in the mountain. That was nine years after the patent had been obtained as agricultural land. The Colonel advised the Government that silver had been found on the land. Being in doubt about the strength of his title, he pro- posed to re-deed the land to the Government, reserving the privilege of buying it as mineral land. The Secretary of the Interior, after in- vestigating the matter, decided that he would not permit him to re-convey the land; that he considered his title good, having been held as agricultural land for nine years before the silver was discovered. The Colonel then gave Mr. Salee a third interest in the mine which he had discovered, and he called it the Lost California Mine. In the meantime another partner, Charles Camden, was taken in, and they have

been mining silver ever since. In 1886 they built a twenty-stamp mill, and have taken out several hundred thousand dollars. They have 640 aeres of land in the mountain, and the largest quantity of the best iron ore known to exist in the United States, and in a very pure condition. The siver lode is 130 feet wide, ex- tending three-fourths of a mile and eropping ont on the other side of the mountain. They employ forty 'hands at the mine. It is seven and one-half miles from Shasta. The road to the mine was built at a cost of $8,000.

In 1854 Colonel Magee purchased the cozy and pleasant home in which he has since resided. He was thrice married: first in Mobile, in 1828, to Miss Margaret M. Bass, and they had one daughter, Caroline Virginia, who is now the wife of Judge Hobbs, of Franklin County, New York. Mrs. Magee died in 1869, and after some years the Colonel married Mrs. Mary Perry, whose death occurred in 1887; and in 1888 he married for his present wife, Mrs. Ann L. Moon, a native of New York. They are living very happily together. Mrs. Magee is a very kind and agreeable lady, is very fond of the Colonel, and very attentive to him.

His political views are Democratic. He has lived to the ripe age of eighty-four years; is a large gentleman, a fine representative of the old Seoteh aneestry from which he sprang severala generations ago.

ICHARD HENRY FEENY, proprietor of the Feeny Hotel, French Gulch, is a ' California Forty-niner. IIe has passed many years of pioneer life on this coast, and has seen the wonderful transformation which has taken place in this State since the first grand rush was made for the new El Dorado. A brief sketch of his life is as follows:

Mr. Feeny was born in West Meath, Ireland, in 1822, the son of Richard and Mary (Hadlet) Eeeny, both natives of Ireland. He is the only survivor of a family of thirteen children, five of

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whom grew to maturity. He received his edu- cation in the Emerald Isle, and was there em- ployed in the drug business for two years. That work, however, was not congenial to his taste, and he emigrated to New York in April, 1840. At that place he worked in a brick- yard for nine years, until the gold excitement broke out in California. He sailed from New York in the Sarah and Eliza, February 14, 1849, and arrived in California September 17. When he landed in San Francisco that city was a town of cloth,-as he says, " a town of rag houses." Mr. Feeny went to Sacramento and from there to Weaver Creek, where he worked and made eight dollars per day. In the spring of 1850 he went to Coloma, remaining at that place about a month. In seven and a half days' work he took out $1.040 with a rocker. Then he went to Sacramento and paid $140 for a horse, on which he traveled to the Middle Yuba. There he worked three years and saved $5,000. He made much more money than that, bnt, like other miners, he spent it freely. Next he went to the South mines, and afterward returned to his claim. On the 5th of September he and his brother went to election at Orleans Flat. While there some of their friends got into a row. His brother, while trying to extricate his friend, was stabbed and died. Mr. Feeny made every effort to find and bring to justice his brother's murderer, but he escaped. After that our subject went to Siskiyon County, and pur- chased an interest in a toll-road, and kept it for sixteen years. During that time he bought the whole road. In 1885 he came to French Gulch, and built the Feeny Hotel and his own resi- dence, at a cost of $12,000.

In 1875 Mr. Feeny married Miss Saralı J. Dalley, a native of Ireland. To them three children have been born, two in Trinity County and one in Shasta. Their names are Mary Elizabeth, Thomas Henry and Arlieta. Mr. Feeny is a stanch Democrat, but often votes for the best man regardless of party. As a citizen he is highly respected by all. He has experi- enced much of the ups and downs of a miner's

life, and at this writing (1890) is interested in quartz mining.

EORGE R. KNOX, one of the early set- tlers of Shasta Connty, California, is a native of Saratoga, New York. He was born August 20, 1822, the son of William B. and Inlam (Hayes) Knox, both natives of New York city. Grandfather Knox was born in Scotland, the country that has furnished so many brave soldiers and such fine physical specimens of the human race. Mr. and Mrs. Knox both died in 1859, leaving two children, natives of the State of New York, William Henry and George R.

The subject of this sketch received his educa- tion in Rochester, and afterward became a clerk in Albany, where he was in business four years. He then removed to Galway, New York, and engaged in the mercantile business on his own account, conducting it four years. He spent one season in Troy in the forwarding business. From there he went to New York city, and filled the position of book-keeper for a firm three years. In the spring of 1853 he came to California, and engaged in mining until 1861, a part of the time being on Whisky Creek. His best day's work while there made him $150. He came to Shasta in 1862, and opened the saloon business, in which he has been engaged inost of the time since. He has a fine large billiard room. In it are many specimens of mineral taken from the Shasta County moun- tains. Judge Knox keeps what he now calls Knox's Reading Rooms, and counts among his customers many of the citizens of Shasta and surrounding country. He is interested in sev- eral good mines, among them the Highland Chief, the Ark, the Alexander, the Goodenough and the Golden Eagle.

The Judge was married in 1843, to Miss Sarah C. Mead, a native of Troy, New York. They had one child, Ann R., now the wife of P. A. Simmons. They reside in New York.

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Mrs. Knox died in 1889. Judge Knox has recently married Mrs. Celinda Isaacs, the widow of Joseph Isaacs. She is a native of New York, and was formerly Miss Celinda M. Downer.

Our subject is a Republican, and has held the office of Justice of the Peace for the last twenty years, and that of Notary Public for fourteen years. He is a charter member of the lodge and encampment of I. O. O. F., has held the office of District Deputy Grand Master and Grand Patriarch, and was a member of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment of the State. He is an intelligent representative of the early days in California; is both a good- looking and a kind-hearted gentleman.

ILLIAM A. BOSWELL is one of the industrious, energetic and well-to-do citizens of Shasta. He was born in Illinois, November 3, 1846, and was brought to California when four years of age, in 1850, by his parents, Andrew J. and Rebecca (Carlin) Boswell. His father was born in Tennessee, and the family were residents of that State for many years. His mother was a native of Vir- ginia. Mr. and Mrs. Boswell had four sons and three daughters, the subject of this sketch being the oldest child. He was educated in El Dorado County, near the site of Sutter's mill, where he resided until twenty-one years of age. He followed stock-raising in both Colusa and Tehama counties, raising many horses and cattle. In 1883 he came to Shasta, and opened a meat market, in which he has been very suc- cessful. He has the only business of the kind in the town. He runs three teams and supplies people with meat for fifteen and twenty miles out from Shasta.

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A memorial and biographical history of northern California, illustrated. Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy...and biographical mention of many of its most eminent pioneers and also of prominent citizens of today, Part 124

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1000

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1000