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 14

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 14

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crossing the Colorado into California and reach- ing the southern mining region of the Mari- posa and Tuolumne rivers several months later than those who followed the northern route.

There were many estimates of the number of people crossing the plains in 1849, some placing the number as high as 100,000; but later in- vestigations greatly reduced the estimate. Many returned to the East by steamer before the close of the year, some with small fortunes acquired in the mines or by speculation, others disheartened and homesick, and death claimed also his portion. At the commencement of the year the nationalities were estimated as follows: Native Californians, 13,000; Americans, 8,000; foreigners, 5,000; total, 26,000. At the close of the year it was: Natives, 13,000; Americans, 76,000; foreigners, 18,000; showing an increase of 68,000 Americans and 13,000 foreigners, a total of 81,000 increase and a total population of 107,000. This large increase, of which so large a majority were Americans, redeemed California from a wilderness and made it a State of the Union.

On the first rush for gold, of course nothing was thought of the location and development of towns, every miner pitching his tent with refer- ence only to the temporary residence he ex- pected to maintain during a short period of mining. Naturally, however, as some of these mining camps became more permanent, towns were made from them, and also at landing places along the streams; and within two or three years interested parties would have counties formed, seats of government desig- nated and trading centers developed. According to the rough and ready nature of the period, these towns mostly received rough and ready names, far beyond the " record " of the past: a list need not be given here, as every one is famil- iar with a large stock of them.

The larger proportion of the camps, however, disappeared with the decline of mining; some fell as rapidly as they had risen, when the rich but scanty surface gold which gave them life was worked out. Everything partook of the

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

precarious and unstable characteristics marking this era of wild speculation and gambling. " Never was there a place or people," says Ban- croft, " where the changes of life, its vicissitudes and its successes, were brought in such bold relief as here. The rich and the poor, the prond and the humble, the vile and the virtuous changed places in a day. Wild speculation and slovenly business habits, together with the gambling character of all occupations, and the visitations or benign influences of the elements, and a thousand incalculable incidents usually classed in the category of ' luck,' were constantly lifting up one and putting down another, re- placing this town or district and shriveling that." Even the central El Dorado and Placer districts are becoming known as vinicultural rather than gold-mining sections of the State. Alpine County relies upon her pastures, and most of the gold belt depends upon tillage.

EARLY NAVIGATION.

Doubtless the first navigation on the Sacra- mento River was conducted by the Russians from Sitka Island, who were located at Ross and Bodega on the coast, and engaged in trade in furs, hides, tallow, etc. They were in this region prior to 1840, carrying on trade with the interior up to the time of their selling out to Captain Sutter; but the hostility of the Spanish Government and the expense of maintaining their position finally caused them' to abandon the field. At that time also there was in this part of the country an agency for the Hudson Bay Company. In 1841 Sutter purchased the property of the Russians, including a small schooner of forty tons' burden, with which they had made short voyages along the coast. The first record we have of its appearance up the Sacramento River was in August of that year, though probably it had been upon its waters previously. This may be considered the date of the commencement of American commerce upon this stream. According to the terms of Sutter's bargain with the Russians, he was to furnish a given quantity of grain each year for their set-

tlement on the Northwest coast, and the trans- portation of this product every fall to the bay was a part of the regular trade upon which this vessel entered. She was manned and subse- quently commanded by Indians selected from Sutter's domesticated tribes, and for a long time was the only " regular packet " on the river. After performing a number of important offices during the war, she was taken down to San Francisco in the spring of 1848, to carry thither the tidings of the discovery of gold. She con- tinned to be the largest schooner on the river up to the period when the commerce with the mines began.

The Brooklyn Mormons also owned a launch called the Comet, which made three trips to the settlement on the Stanislaus, and was the pio- neer on the San Joaquin.

The voyage from San Francisco to New Hel- vetia, or Sutter's Fort, as Sacramento was then called, and back to the city, occupied from two to four weeks.

In the spring of 1848, when the rush for gold set in, the San Francisco Star (of May 20) thus ironically alludes to the first embarkations: " Fleet of launches left this place on Sunday and Monday last, bound ' up the Sacramento River,' closely stowed with human beings led by the love of filthy lucre to the perennial-yielding gold mines of the north, where ' a man can find upward of two ounces a day,' and ' two thousand men can find their hands full '-of hard work." May 27 the same editor said: " Launches have plied without cessation between this place and New Helvetia during this time (since the dis- covery of gold). The Sacramento, a first-class craft, lett here on Thursday last, thronged with passengers for the gold mines-a motley assem- blage, composed of lawyers, merchants, grocers, carpenters, cartmen and cooks, all possessed with the desire of suddenly becoming rich." He also stated that at that time over 300 men were engaged in washing gold, and parties were con- tinually arriving from every part of the country. San Francisco was soon made to present a deso- late appearance on account of the sudden de-

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

parture of her principal citizens for the gold field. During the first eight weeks a quarter of a million dollars' worth of gold was taken to that city, and during the second eight weeks $600,000 worth. By this time (September) the number of persons in the diggings was esti- mated at 6,000. " An export at last! " was the exclamation of the San Franciscan editor; " and it is gold."

The first vessel whose tonnage exceeded that of the " lannches" was the schooner Providence, Hinckley, Master, which ascended the Sacra- mento in April, 1849. For several years pre- vious she had been engaged between Tahiti and the Sandwich Islands. Her burden was less than 100 tons. In March that year Samnel Brannan purchased the Eliodora, a Chilian ves- sel, filled it with goods and started up the river in April. The Joven Guipuzcoana, a Pernvian vessel, and other large sailing vessels of first- class dimensions, soon followed. At the date of their arrival abont twelve stores and tenements graced the locality of Sacramento. Meanwhile several vessels of considerable size also ascended the San Joaquin to Stockton.

On the success of the Joven Guipuzcoana were founded the plans of the first steam navi- gation companies. Her trip to Sacramento demonstrated the practicability of navigation by such large vessels as the McKim and the Sena- tor, which soon followed. In the month of May the crowning exploit in the history of sailing vessels was performed. This was the trip of the Bark Whiton, Gelston the master, to Sacramento in seventy-two hours from San Francisco, and 140 days from New York. She went up with her royal yards crossed, withont meeting with a single detention, though she was a vessel of 241 tons' bnrden and drew nine and a half feet of water.

The first steamboat that ever plowed the waters of either the bay or the rivers of this State arrived at the port of San Francisco, Octo- ber 14, 1847, owned by Captain Leidesdorff, a man of remarkable enterprise, who was the chief instrumentality in laying the corner-stone of

San Francisco's prosperity. She was packed on board a Russian bark from Sitka. Leidesdorff had carried on a trade with the Russians at their American settlement for seven years previous; and, hearing that a small steamboat was in use upon their waters, he sent up and purchased it for his hide and tallow commerce on the small streams leading from the inland embarcaderos to the bay. The vessel, not exceeding forty tons' burden, was put together under the lee of Yerba Bnena Island, was named " Little Sitka," and on the 15th of November, 1847, steamed ont under the management of a Russian engineer who had superintended her construction. From a swivel gun mounted upon her bow was occa- sionally fired a salutation. She successfully rounded the island and arrived in port, hailed by the cheers of a multitude. This boat was long, low, and what the sailors termed very " crank." The weight of a single person on her guards would throw one of her wheels ont of water.

Her first trip for business was made down to Santa Clara, with indifferent success. Her next trip was up to Sacramento, in the latter part of November, 1847, and safely arrived at the em- barcadero of Sutter's Fort. Nearly a month elapsed, however, before her return; and in the meantime various were the jokes and jibes " launch "-ed at her and on the proprietor, who nevertheless persisted that he would yet " make the smoke fly on the bay," and hand the name of his first steamboat " down to dexterity," as he pronounced the word.

On the 12th of February following (1848) this little steamer was swamped by a norther while lying at anchor at San Francisco Bay. It was raised, the engine taken ont, and the hull converted into a sailing vessel which served well for years. The engine, after having rusted ou the sandy beach for a long time, was finally made to do duty in a small domestic manufac- tory in San Francisco. The little steamboat enterprise just described was, however, more a freak of will than the demand of business.

Bnt to whom belongs the having first pro

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

jected the running of good steamboats for traffic after the great tide of gold emigration had set in, it is difficult to say. The first vessel pro- pelled by steam entering the Bay of San Fran- cisco was the California, February 28, 1849. The excursion of the steamship Oregon from San Francisco to Benicia and back, April 21 of the same year, was the first trip of a steam vessel of any magnitude into any of the interior waters adjacent to the main bay. It was indeed a successful and magnificent excursion. Prior to this, however, announcements had been made that steam boats were on their way from the East to California, to ply on the rivers here. The first of these announcements was issned from the office of the old Placer Times, when that journal was first started at Sutterville, in April, 1849. It was printed in the form of a handbill, at the order of some of the proprietors of that place. May 19, the following advertisement appeared in the Times: "Ten thousand cords of wood. We wish to employ any number of men that may call, to cut wood at Sutterville for the nse of the steamers. George McDougal & Co .; Sutterville, May 15, 1859." Of course the wood was never ent.

During the summer of 1849 a number of steamboat enterprises were on foot, and the keels of several small vessels, brought by some of the ships chartered by the gold hunters, were laid at different points on the river and bay. The first of this series of which we have any record was one of abont fifty tons burden, put together at Benicia, the material having been brought from the East by way of the Horn on board the Edward Everett. She made her first trip to Sacramento, August 17, 1849.

About this period also were established the first regular express lines in the State, two com- mencing business between here and San Fran- cisco, to take the business of the regular mail, which was at that time the subject of bitter complaint and unsparing ridienle. August 25, another small steam boat from Philadelphia began to ply the river, accommodating some thirty pas- sengers and " running abont seven knots an hour."

About the first boat advertised for regular trips between this city and San Francisco ap- pears to have been the Sacramento, in Septem- ber, 1849, commanded by Captain John Van Pelt. She had two engines of sixteen horse- power, conld carry about 100 passengers, besides freight. She was built about where Washington now stands, opposite the northern portion of Sacramento City, and the captain, who became a sort of Pacific Vanderbilt, inade successful and regular trips with the vessel as far down as " New York of the Pacific, " where passengers and freight had to be transferred.

About the same time a little steam dredge, brought out by the Yuba Company, was set up in a scow and started on a trip up the Feather River, carrying a quantity of bricks, at $1.00 each for freight (!), and lumber at $150 per 1,000 feet. Two months after her arrival she was sold at anction for $40,000.

The next boat was the Mint, also a small one, put up at San Francisco, which was really the first steamboat to make successful trips with passengers and freight all the way between that city and Sacramento, beginning in the middle of October, 1849.

The propeller McKim was the first large ves- sel that ever navigated the Sacramento River by steam. She had doubled Cape Horn and arrived at San Francisco, October 3, and was immediately pnt in order by her San Francisco agents, Sim- mons, Hutchinson & Co., for the Sacramento trade. She drew eight feet of water, and many doubted whether she could ascend the river to that point; but she arrived there on the 27th of that month, amid the cheers of an immense crowd lining the shore. The fine old steamer Senator became her rival November 6, 1849.

During these times the fare from Sacramento to San Francisco was $30.

The little steamer called the Washington was the first that ascended as far as Vernon, at the mouth of Feather River, to which point she made regular trips. In April, 1850, the /Etna, a very small steamer, ascended the American as far as " Norristown," the first and probably the

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

last time that point had ever been reached by a steamboat. May 8, 1850, the Jack Hayes reached the town of Redding at the head-waters of the Sacramento River, within forty- five miles of the Trinity Diggings. Among those who first took their place on the route between this point and Yuba City, at the mouth of the Yuba River, the early rival of Marysville, was the little steamboat Linda, in the fall of 1849.

The steamer New World was built at New York city, purposely for a trip to California, in the fall of 1849 and spring of 1850. It was 320 feet long, and of 530 tons' burden. The proprietor, William H. Brown, becoming finan- cially embarrassed, had to take the sheriff in as partner. The latter employed deputies to go and remain on board during the launching, and to make assurance doubly sure he went upon board himself, but was unknown to the captain, Ed. Wakeman. The vessel was held to the port of New York by law, and the launching was ostensibly for the only purpose of getting the boat into the water. Steam, however, was raised previous to the launching, and the sheriff, incognito, inquired what it meant. The reply was, "To wear the rust off the bearings and see that the engine worked well." But the cap- tain, after steaming around the harbor awhile, put out to sea, against the protests of the sheriff. The captain and his crew, being more numer- ons than the sheriff and his posse, put them ashore in row boats, and came their way around Cape Horn to California! They made a fine voyage, and arrived at San Francisco July 11, 1850.

For a long time thereafter the New World and the Senator made alternate trips between Sacramento and Benicia. Afterward she was employed in the coasting and oceanic trade, and some years ago was overhauled at San Francisco and transformed into a magnificent ferry-boat, and as such is now employed on the bay.

Captain Wakeman was, at last accounts, a resident of San Francisco, which he has made his home ever since coming to the coast.

In pioneer times steamboat explosions were

common, several occurring almost every week in 1850, and some of them were fearfully de- structive of life and property. That was before the era of modern satety engines, but many of those explosions were due either to defective boilers or careless engineers, or both. Oc- casionally a terrible explosion occurred as late as 1856 or later.

GOVERNMENTAL.

From the nature of the case, governmental affairs in California have generally been at least interesting, and often complicated and exciting. The transition from the old Mexican system to that of the United States, complicated mean- while by the local substitutes improvised by the miners, during their abnormal rush to this State in the absence of a well organized system under general law, was peculiarly perplexing even to the astutest statesmen. It was during this State of affairs, June 3, 1849, that General Bennett Riley, by virtue of his office as military commander of California under the authority of the United States, issued a proclamation for the election of delegates to a convention to form a State constitution.

For the purpose of a fair representation in this convention, he divided the State into ten districts, the northern portion of the State being covered by the two districts of Sonoma and Sacramento.

The Sonoma district included all that terri- tory which was bonnded by the sea, the bays of San Francisco and Suisun, the Sacramento River and Oregon; and the delegates elected from this district were M. G. Vallejo and J. P. Walker of Sonoma, and Robert Semple of Benicia.

The Sacramento district embraced all the territory north of the Cosumnes River, and bounded on the west by the Sacramento River and east by the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Four delegates were allotted to this district, but the immigration was so rapid that according to the principle of apportionment it was entitled to many more. Under this call Jacob R. Snyder,

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

W. E. Shannon, Winfield S. Sherwood and John A. Sutter were elected. When the convention met at Monterey, Saturday, September 1, 1849, there was not a quorum present, and an adjourn- ment was made until the next Monday, at which it was organized. Discussion was at once commenced on the subject of representation, other districts also claiming seats for additional delegates, and the matter was difficult to settle satisfactorily. In the afternoon a report was made by the committee on privileges and elec- tions recommending the admission of eight delegates from the Sacramento district, and naming for the additional four L. W. Hastings, J. S. Fowler, John Bidwell and M. M. Mc- Carver. The report called forth considerable debate, ending the next day in the adoption of a report by a special committee allowing this district fifteen delegates, and for the remaining seven nominating John McDongal, Elisha O. Crosby, W. Blackburn, James Queen, R. M. Jones, W. Lacy and Charles E. Pickett.

Of the fifteen but eight are recorded as hav- ing participated in the deliberations of the con- vention, namely :-

. Jacob R. Snyder, thirty-four years of age, born in Philadelphia, came here from Pennsyl- vania four years previously, surveyor by pro- fession and postoffice Sacramento.

Winfield S. Sherwood, thirty-two years old, a native of Sandy Hill, New York, resided at Mor- mon Island, in this State four months, a lawyer.

L. W. Hastings, lawyer from Knox County, Ohio, thirty years of age, in this State six years, postoffice Sutter.

John A. Sutter, farmer, a native of Switzer- land, came to California in 1838 from Missouri, and forty-seven years old at the time of this convention.

John McDougal, merchant at Sutter, thirty- two years old, a native of Ohio, came to this State from Indiana seven months previously.

Elisha O. Crosby, lawyer, thirty-four years of age, from Tompkins County, New York, postoffice Vernon, and resident of this State seven months.

M. M. McCarver, farmer, forty-two years old, born in Madison County, Kentucky, came from Oregon to this State one year previously, and a resident of Sacramento.

W. E. Shannon, a lawyer, resident at Coloma three years, twenty-seven years of age, a native of County Mayo, Ireland, and came to this State from New York.

The constitution framed, it was subinitted to the people and voted upon November 13, 1849. The total vote in the State was for the consti- tution 12,064 and against the constitution 811. The population at that time in the different districts are computed as follows: San Diego, 346; Los Angeles, 643; Santa Barbara, 226; San Luis Obispo, 44; Monterey, 365; San Jose, 544; San Francisco, 6,159; Sonoma, 623; Sacramento, 18,390; San Joaquin, 10,582.

At the time the constitution was ratified and State officers elected, the members of the Legislature were also elected. The Senators were Elisha O. Crosby, John Bidwell and H. C. Robinson; and the Representatives to the As- sembly were Thomas J. Henly, Elisha W. Mc- Kinstry and George B. Tingly.

The members of the second constitutional convention in 1879, from Northern California, were as follows:

Andrews, A. R.

.Shasta City.

Barry, Edmund ..

Nevada City.

Barton, James N.

.Ferndale.

Belcher, Isaac S. Marysville.

Berry, J. . Yreka.

Biggs, Marion

Biggs Station.

Boggs, H. C.

. Lakeport.

Boucher, Josiah

.Dayton.

Burt, Samuel B. . Bath.

Caples, James. . Folsom.

Chapman, Augustus H. . Chico.

Charles, J. M. Vallejo Tp.

Cowden, D. H .. . Marysville.

Cross, C. W. . Nevada City.

Crouch, Robert. Napa.

Davis, Hamlet . Truckee.

Dean, J. E. Placerville.

Dudley, J. M. Dixon.

Dunlap, Presley.

.. Sacramento.

Eagon, John A.

Jackson.

Edgerton, Henry. Sacramento.

Estey, Thomas H. San Antonio.

Filcher, J. A.

Auburn.

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Freeman, Abraham C.

Sacramento.

Glascock, B. B.

Spring Valley.

Hale, James E.

. Auburn.

Harvey, Joel A.

. Vallejo.

Hilborn, S. G ..

Vallejo.

Huestis, W. F.

Eureka.

Hunter, G. W.

Greenwood.

Johnson, G. A.

Santa Rosa.

Kelley, John M.

. Woodland.

Keyes, James H.

.Kempton's Crossing.

Larkin, Henry

. Diamond Spring.

La Rue, Hugh M.

Sacramento.

McConnell, Thomas.

Elk Grove.

McCoy, John.

.Grass Valley.

McFarland, T. B.

. Sacramento.

McNutt, John F.

Rose Bar.

Mills, Hiram

Martinez.

Moreland, W. W.

Healdsburg.

Murphy, James E

Crescent City.

Noel, Alonzo E.

Lakeport.

Ohleyer, George

Yuba City.

Overton, A. P.

.Santa Rosa.

Porter, J. M.

Jackson.

Prouty, William H.

Ione Valley.

Pulliam, M. R. C.

. Cherokee.

Reed, Charles F.

. Knight's Landing.

Rhodes, John M .. . Woodland.

Shoemaker, Rufus.

Grass Valley.

Shurtleff, Benj.

Napa.

Soule, Ezra P.

Susanville.

Felipe de Barri

1771

1774

Felipe de Neve

1774

1782

Pedro Fajes.

1782

1790

José Antonio Romea.

1790

1792

José J. Arrillaga

1792

1794

Diego de Borica.

1794

1800

José J. de Arrillaga

1800

1814

José Arguello. 1814

1815

Pablo Vicente de Sola.

1815

1822

Under Mexican Rule.

Pablo Vicente de Sola

1822

1823

Louis Argüello

1823

1825

José Maria de Ecbeandia

1825

1831

Manuel Victoria.

1831

1832

Pio Pico.

1832

1833

José Figueroa

1833

1835

José Castro

1835

1836

Nicolas Gutierrez.

1836

Mariano Chico.

1836

Nicolas Gutierrez

1836

Juan B. Alvarado.

1836

1842

Manuel Micheltorena

1842

1845

Pio Pico.

1845

1846

UNDER AMERICAN RULE.

Peter H. Burnett, elected November 13, 1849; inaugu- rated December 20, 1849; resigned January 8, 1851.

John McDougal (Lieutenant-Governor), inaugurated January 9, 1851. Died at San Francisco, March 30, 1866- John Bigler, elected September 3, 1851; inaugurated

At the time of the American conquest the courts existed, in the Mexican laws of 1837, as follows: The highest court, having an appellate jurisdiction and corresponding in character to our present Supreme Court, was the Superior Court, consisting of four judges and an attorney general. If was divided into the first and second benches, the three senior judges composing the first and the junior the second. The first bench was called the " Court of the Third Instance," and its decisions were final. Appeals lay to this conrt from the second bench, or "Court of the Second Instance." The latter court had juris- diction of appeals from the " Court of the First Instance," the highest local tribunal then exist-

ing, and corresponding very closely with our present Superior Court. The inferior magis- trates were the " first " and " second alcaldes," having authority similar to that of justices of the peace. In some districts the duties of the jndge of a court of the first instance were dis- charged by the first alcalde. The Mexican laws remained in force and justice was administered through the tribunals established by them until the courts were organized under the State constitution in 1850.

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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 14

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