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 35
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These were the first county officers, and they were elected April 1, 1850, to serve from April, 1850, to April, 1852; County Judge, E. J. Willis; Sheriff, Joseph Mckinney; Clerk, Pres- ley Dunlap; Recorder, L. A. Birdsall; District Attorney, William C. Wallace; County Attor- ney, John H. McKune; Treasurer, Win. Glas- kin; Assessor, David W. Thorpe; Surveyor, J. G. Cleal; Coroner, P. F. Ewer. J. S. Thomas was elected District Judge by the Legislature of 1849-'50, and he resigned January 1, 1851. Tod Robinson, lately deceased, was appointed
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Jannary 2, 1851, and served till the first part of August, when Ferris Foreman, who was See- retary of State during the administration of John B. Weller, succeeded him on the 14th of August, 1851, and presided one month. On the 15th of September, 1851, Lewis Aldrich became District Judge. The sheriff, Joseph McKinney, was killed near Brighton on the evening of August 15, 1850, the day after the squatter riot, and at a special election held the first Monday in September, Ben Mccullough was elected to fill the vacaney. The Legislature of 1851 abolished the office of county attorney, and assigned the duties of the office to the district attorney. In the meantime Wallace resigned, and Milton S. Latham, afterward Gov- ernor, succeeded to the office of district attor- ney, October 18, 1850. Wm. Glaskin resigned the office of treasurer August 22, 1850, and John W. Peyton was appointed to fill the va- cancy. Peyton resigned November 29, 1850, and Charles H. Swift was appointed treasurer and collector by the Court of Sessions, of which he was a member, to fill the vacancy.
COURT-HOUSE.
The first court house that was erected at Sev- enth and I streets in Sacramento City, and in which the sessions of 1852 and 1854 were held, was commenced in June, 1850, and completed on December 24, 1851. It was destroyed in the great fire of July 13, 1854, which con- sumned a large portion of the business part of the city.
Immediately after the fire a contract was entered into between Joseph Nongus and the county officers for the erection of the present conrt-house. As originally arranged the build- ing answered the following description: Ex- treme height, sixty-one feet; dimensions, 80 x 120 feet; with a portico supported by ten pillars, three feet six inches in diameter by thirty-one feet six inches in height. The ground floor was devoted to a county prison. On the same floor were two separate offices containing fire-proof vaults and occupied by the State Con-
troller and State Treasurer. The second floor was devoted to a Senate chamber, 37 x 30 feet, and an Assembly room, 72x41 feet, to- gether with nine rooms for clerks and officers of the Legislature. The style of architecture is Ionic. The original contract price was $100.600, and the subsequent contracts made the total cost of the building to the county $240,000. The corner-stone was laid Septem- ber 27, 1854, with Masonic honors, and the brick work was completed November 9, follow- ing. The entire building was finished January 1, 1855. It was rented to the State for Capitol purposes at an annual rent of $12,000, and was used for that purpose from 1855 until the com- pletion of the present Capitol. In April, 1870, the building was raised to the high grade. The original corner-stone was opened on the 22d and its contents transferred by the Board of Supervisors into a new box. On that day the stone was relaid without public ceremony.
THE STATE CAPITAL.
The first State Constitutional Convention met at Monterey, September 1, 1849, and dur- ing the session fixed the seat of the State Gov- ernment at San José. December 15 following the first Legislature accordingly met at that place, but, finding the accommodations too limited, resolved to accept a proposition from General M. G. Vallejo, removing the capital to his place. Meeting there January 5, 1852, they fared even worse than they had at San José as the General had undertaken to do more than he could, and was far behind with his con- tract. The Sacramentans then stirred them- selves, and endorsed the Court of Sessions in offering the use of the new court house to the Legislature, which body accepted the offer Jan- nary 12, 1852, and the very next day arrived here, on the steamer Empire. The citizens welcomed the members by a grand ball, tickets to which were sold at $20. During this session the contest between the rival points contending for the location of the capital naturally grew hotter, and all sorts of legal technicalities were
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CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL .- Agricultural Pavilion in the Distance.
( View from the Northwest. }
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brought to bear in favor and against the com- peting places. During all this time the State records were at San José, and doubts were enter- tained as to the legality of removing them to Vallejo, where there was no safe place for keep- ing them, or to Sacramento, which was not yet made the seat of government.
April 30, 1852, the Legislature passed a bill declaring Vallejo to be the seat of government, and ordering the Governor to remove the State records to that place. Next, General Vallejo procured a cancellation of his contract; then the following Legislature, meeting in Jannary, 1853, in Vallejo, soon adjourned to meet at Benicia, declaring it to be the capital. January 2, 1854, the Legislature again met there. Gov- ernor Bigler submitted to them a communica- tion from the mayor and council of Sacramento tendering the free use of the conrt-house, with safes, vaults, etc., to the State, together with a deed to the block of land between I and J and Ninth and Tenth streets. On the 9th of Feb- ruary, A. P. Catlin, now of Sacramento, intro- duced a bill in the Senate, fixing the permanent seat of government at Sacramento and accept- ing the block of land. The Legislature then adjourned to this city. The members and State officers were received with a great demonstra- tion.
·
March 1, 1854, the Legislature met in the new court-house. On the 24th of this month they passed a law compelling the Supreme Court to hold its sessions here; but that body an- nonnced their opinion that San José was the constitutional and legal capital. Subsequently, however, by a change of judges of the Supreme Court, Sacramento was decided to be the legal capital. Accordingly, with the exception of the flood year, 1862, all sessions of the Legislature since 1854 have been held in Sacramento.
April 18, 1856, the Legislature provided for the issue of bonds to the amount of $300,000 for the erection of a State House where is now the beautiful Plaza. The board of commis- sioners, appointed to superintend the building, approved the plans of Reuben Clark for the
structure, let the contract to Joseph Nongues, for $200,000, and broke ground for building December 4. But on the 15th of that month the commissioners refused to issue the bonds, because the Supreme Court had decided that the State had no authority to contract a debt so large. The contractor brought suit to compel the issnance of the bonds, but was beaten, and work was stopped and never resumed on that building. The land was deeded back to the city and has been made a beautiful park.
The building of a Capitol did not again re- ceive much attention until 1860, when the supervisors deeded to the State the tract of land bounded by L and N and Tenth and Twelfth streets, and the Legislature appropri- ated $500,000 for the building. The plans of M. F. Butler were adopted, and Michael Fen- nell, of San Francisco, obtained the contract for furnishing the material and building the base- ment for $80,000. The corner-stone was laid May 15, 1861. Fennell, however, had dropped the contract April 1, and it was afterward let to G. W. Blake and P. E. Connor, who in turn dropped the task, having suffered severe losses in the great flood. The work was then placed in the hands of the commissioners, who had to " plod their weary way " along for several years, while the various Legislatures could not agree upon the amount of appropriations to be made. Indeed, the question of the location of the Cap- itol was mooted until 1867, when it was decided to discontinue the use of granite and hurry the building on to completion with brick. Thus the basement story only is built of granite. The brick, however, is of good quality, and the Capitol building, which is modeled somewhat after the pattern of the National Capitol at Washington, is substantially constructed, and is modestly beautiful in its exterior. Cost, about $1,447,000; with grounds (ten blocks), $2,590,460.19. Height, from first floor to the lantern, 240 feet. From this point can be seen a magnificent city and rural landscape, bounded by mountains fifty to one hundred miles distant. See topographical chapter for a description of
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the objects visible. At the center of the first floor is a large piece of statnary, cut from Ital- ian marble by Larkin G. Meade, and represent- ing Columbus before Isabella. It was purchased by D. O. Mills, at an expense of $30,000, and by him presented to the State.
The completion of the Capitol in the fall of 1869 was celebrated by a grand ball given by the citizens of Sacramento, and the rooms, as they were finished, were occupied during the months of November and December. The present constitution provides that the seat of the State Government shall not be removed without a popular vote.
ASSEMBLYMEN.
Amos Adams, 1861, 1863; Alexander Bad- lam, Jr., 1863-'64; John E. Baker, 1881; J. N. Barton, 1873-'74; W. H. Barton, 1862-'63; John E. Benton, 1862; Marion Biggs, 1867- '68; Marion Biggs, Jr., 1875-'76; John Big- ler, 1849-'51: J. G. Brewton, 1855; Elwood Bruner, 1880; W. E. Bryan, 1873-'74; H. C. Cardwell, 1849-'50; Seymour Carr, 1880, 1887; H. W. Carroll, 1887; George H. Cartter, 1856; A. P. Catlin, 1857; Robert C. Clark, 1857; Thomas J. Clunie, 1875-'76; Paschal Coggins, 1867-'68, 1873-74; Gilbert W. Colby, 1852; A. Comte, Jr, 1867-'68; George Cone, 1856; P. B. Cornwall, 1849-'50; Charles Crocker, 1861; N. Greene Curtis, 1861; T. R. David- son, 1854; Winfield J. Davis, 1885; W. Grove Deal, 1849-'50; W. B. Dickenson, 1849-'50; Gillis Doty, 1883; James A. Duffy, 1869-'70; Charles Duncombe, 1859, 1863; P. L. Edwards, 1855; R. B. Ellis, 1859-'60; M. M. Estee, 1863; J. H. Estep, 1853; R. D. Ferguson, 1858, 1862; L. W. Ferris, 1857; I. F. Free man, 1869-'70: C. G. W. French, 1871-'72; L. C. Goodman, 1860; Thomas Hansbrow, 1865-'66; J. W. Harrison, 1853; Obed Har- vey, 1871-'72; Thomas J. Ilenley, 1849-'50; Dwight Hollister, 1865-'66, 1885; Peter J. Hopper, 1865-'66, 1871-'72; M. S. Horan, 1869-'70; Charles S. Howell, 1858; William B. Hunt, 1863-'66; A. R. Jackson, 1859;
Grove L. Johnson, 1877-'78; J. Neely John- son, 1853; William Johnston, 1871-'72; Charles T. Jones, 1885; Reuben Kercheval, 1873-'74, 1877-'78; Alpheus Kip, 1852; Hugh M. La Rue, 1883; Bruce B. Lee, 1867-'68; George W. Leihy, 1856; D. J. Lisle, 1851; J. B. Ma- holmb, 1865-'66; J. M. MeBrayer, 1854; G. N. McConaha, 1852; E. W. Mckinstry, 1849- '50; John H. McKune, 1857; H. B. Meredith, 1855; E. B. Mott, Jr., 1871-'72; John A. Odell, 1869-'70; F. A. and J. W. Park, 1854; A. D. Patterson, 1875-'76; Joseph Powell, 1861; J. W. Pugh, 1856; John P. Rhoads, 1863-'64; Charles Robinson, 1851; Robert Robinson, 1853; Joseph Rontier, 1877-'78; P. H. Russell, 1873-'74; Frank D. Ryan, 1883; James B. Saul, 1862; James E. Sheri- dan, 1858-'59; Henry Starr, 1860; R. D. Stephens, 1869-'70; Moses Stont, 1858; L. S. Taylor, 1887; George B. Tingley, 1849-'50; Joseph C. Tucker, 1852; Francis Tukey, 1863- '64; W. C. Van Fleet, 1881; J. R. Vineyard, 1855; Madison Walthall, 1849-'50; J. H. War- wick, 1862-'63; J. R. Watson, 1863-64; Dan- iel W. Welty, 1860; Thomas J. White, 1849- '50; John F. Williams, 1849-'50; Charles Wolleb, 1867-'68; John N. Young, 1880_'81.
POLITICAL.
In 1854, during the rapid decay of the old Whig party and the uprising of the anti-slavery party into prominence, and when the struggles in "bleeding Kansas" constituted the most ex- citing topics of political discussion, a Demo- cratic convention was held at the Fourth Street Baptist Church in Sacramento, at 3 o'clock P. M., Tuesday, July 18. Some time before the hour for the meeting, the doors of the church were surrounded by a large assemblage of per- sons, many of whom were not delegates; and as soon as the doors were opened, the church, which was estimated to afford accommodation for about 400 persons, was filled to its utmost capacity.
D. C. Broderick, the chairman of the State Committee, ascended the platform, and was re-
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ceived with loud and continued cheering. On his calling the convention to order, several dele- gates instantly sprang to the floor for the pur- pose of nominating candidates for temporary chairman. Broderick recognized T. L. Ver- meule as having the floor; but before the an- nouncement was made, John O'Meara proposed ex-Governor John McDougal for chairman pro tem. Vermeule nominated Edward McGowan for the position. Broderick stated that he could not recognize O'Meara's motion, and put the question on McGowan's election, and de- clared that it had carried. McGowan instantly mounted the stand, closely followed by Mc- Dougal, whose friends insisted that he had been selected although his name had not been submitted to the convention in regular form. The two chairmen took seats side by side, and a scene of indescribable confusion and tumult ensued. When something like order was re- stored, McDougal read the names of Major G. W. Hook and John Bidwell as vice-presidents; and McGowan announced J. T. Hall and A. T. Laird as his appointees for those offices. Again a scene of extreme confusion occurred; but the gentlemen named seated themselves with their respective leaders. Two sets of secretaries and committees were then appointed, and reports were made to each side recommending that the temporary officers be declared permanently elected. Motions were made to adopt the re- ports, and amid the greatest excitement they were declared carried.
This double-headed convention sat until about 9 o'clock in the night. No further busi- ness was transacted, but each side tried to "sit" the other out. Two sickly candles, one in front of each president, lighted up the scene. The trustees of the church finally relieved both sides by stating that they could not tolerate the riot. ous crowd longer in the building, and the dele- gates left without a formal adjournment.
The session throughont was like pandemo- niumn let loose. Soon after the organization, a rush was made by the crowd to the stage. One of the officers was seized, and at that instant a
pistol exploded in the densely crowded room. A mad rush was made for the doors, and a por- tion of the delegates made a precipitate retreat through the windows to the ground, a distance of some fifteen feet. Toward night Governor Bigler was called to the stand and he made a conciliatory speech, but without effect.
On the 19th, the wing presided over by Mc- Dougal, and which represented the "chivalry," or Southern element of the party, met at Musi- cal Hall; and the McGowan or Tammany branch, representing the Northern element, met in Car- penter's building. The officers of the chivalry wing resigned, and Major Hook was elected president, and H. P. Barber, William A. Man- merly, A. W. Taliaferro and J. G. Downey, vice-presidents. A communication was received from the other convention asking that a commit- tee of conference be appointed, with a view of settling the disagreement; but the language of the communication was regarded as offensive, and it was withdrawn for the purpose of chang- ing the phraseology. Afterward a second note, almost similar to the first, was sent in; but it was flatly rejected.
After nominating candidates for Congress and for Clerk of the Supreme Court, and pass- ing resolutions favoring the construction of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad under the auspices of Congress, and endorsing the Nebraska bill, etc., they levied an asssessment of $5 per dele- gate to repair the damages to the church build- ing. The convention also appointed a State Central Committee.
The McGowan wing met at 9:30 A. M. on the 19th, that gentleman continuing to act as the presiding officer. A committee of seven was appointed to invite the McDougal convention to attend, and the committee were empowered to arrange the difficulties. A recess was taken until 1 o'clock, to give the committee time to act. On the reassembling of the convention the committee reported that they had sent the following communication to the McDougal convention, and that the proposition therein contained had been rejected :
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" JOHN MODOUGAL, EsQ., Chairman of Dem- ocratic Delegates convened at Musical Hall: Sir-The undersigned have been this morning constituted a committee, with full powers, by and on behalf of the Democratic State Conven- tion at Carpenter's Hall, for a conference with our fellow Democrats at Musical Hall, for the purpose of harmonizing and uniting the De- mocracy of California. Yon will be pleased to announce this to your body; and any communni- cation may be addressed to the chairman of this committee, at Jones' Hotel."
The committee was discharged, and the con- vention proceeded to nominate a ticket, different throughout from the one nominated by the other convention. They also adopted a series of reso- lutions alluding to the heterogeneous character of the Democratic party in this State and the subsequent differences of the convention in this city, and nrged the people to adopt their ticket as the one most conciliatory. They also ap- pointed a State Central Committee. A collec- tion of $400 was taken up to repair the damages that had been done to the Baptist church on the previous day, a committee having reported that the building had been injured to that extent.
Directly after the adjournment of the conven- tions, several of the nominees withdrew from the ticket, and after the election the Tammany party ascribed their defeat to the withdrawal of Milton S. Latham from the Congressional race.
The first mass meeting of " Republicans " in California was held in Sacramento, April 19, 1856. E. B. Crocker was the leader of the new party in this county, and opened the meeting with a speech which was listened to attentively. George C. Bates was then introduced, but the general disturbance raised by the " Americans " and Democrats present prevented his voice from being heard. Henry S. Foote, previously Gov- ernor of Mississippi, then took the stand and begged the disturbers to desist and allow the meeting to proceed; but he was not heeded. The Republican speakers again attempted to talk, wlien suddenly a rush was made for the
stand by the crowd, and it was overturned and the meeting broken up.
On the 30th of that month the first State convention of the Republicans met in the Con- gregational church in Sacramento. E. B. Crocker was temporary chairman. Only thirteen counties were represented, and of the 125 delegates pres- ent sixty-six were from San Francisco and Sac- ramento. Resolutions were adopted opposing the further extension of slave territory and of slave power, welcoming honest and industrious immigrants, deprecating all attempts to preju- dice immigrants against our free institutions, favoring the speedy construction of a trans-con- tinental railroad by aid from Congress, favoring the speedy settlement of land titles in this State and the election only of bona-fide permanent settlers to office.
Early in May that year a public discussion was announced to take place at Sacramento be- tween George C. Bates, Republican, and J. C. Zabriskie, Democrat; but when the appointed time arrived no location could be procured on account of the anticipated disturbance, and the meeting was postponed until the evening of the 10th of that month. When the time arrived the discussion was commenced. Rotten eggs were thrown and fire-crackers burned to create a disturbance, but the police made several ar- rests and order was restored. After the meet- ing closed, ontsiders took possession of the stand, and a resolution was adopted declaring "that the people of this city have been out- raged by the discussion of treasonable doctrines by a public felon; and that we will not submit to such an ontrage in the future."
A few days later the Sacramento Tribune (American), referring to the meeting, said: " The fact that a public discussion was per- mitted to take place in a public street in the heart of our city, in the presence of a large con- course of citizens, almost all of whom disap- prove the doctrine advocated by the speakers, and this too when it is the firm conviction of a large majority of the persons assembled that the agitation of the slavery question as the basis of
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political party organization is against the true in- terest of the State and the Nation, speaks volumes in favor of the public morals of Sacramento."
In 1865 a dissension occurred in the Union party. On the 25th of July that year it cul- minated at a county convention held at Sacra- mento. The Low and the anti-Low delegates were about equally divided in numbers. Gov- ernor Frederick F. Low was a candidate for the United States Senate, and was supported by one wing of the party. There was, however, a strong opposition to him. The convention met in the Assembly chamber in the then State capitol, now the conrt-house. The desks which had ordinarily occupied the floor had been removed, and a sufficient number of chairs had been placed in their stead to accommodate the 106 delegates who were expected to participate in the proceedings. As the room filled it was a noticeable fact that almost without exception the Low, or short-hair, delegates occupied the seats on the right of the speaker's chair, and the anti-Low, or long-hairs, those on the left. Iin- mediately after the convention was called to order, two persons were placed in nomination · for temporary secretary, and voted for. The chairman of the county committee announced W. H. Barton, the long hair candidate, elected to the position by a viva voce vote. The con- vention was at once thrown into confusion, and the Low delegates insisted on a count of the votes. Barton advanced from the left toward the secretary's table, when the- delegates from the right made a general rush to the left side of the house.
Then ensned an indescribable and a terrible scene, such as was never before witnessed in Sacramento at any political convention. Barton was intercepted before reaching the secretary's table, and told that he should not take his seat. The delegates on the left crowded up for the purpose of supporting him, as those from the right formed a solid phalanx on the front to pre- vent him from advancing. In a moment the two parties were engaged in a hand-to-hand fight. Solid hickory canes, which appeared to
be abundant on both sides, were plied with vigor. Spittoons flew from side to side like bomb-shells on a battle-field. Ink-stands took the place of solid shot. Pistols were drawn and used as substitutes for clubs. The principal weapons, however, which were used by both sides, were the cane-bottomed arm-chairs, which were of course within the reach of every one. These implements, though not very well adapted to purposes of warfare, were swung in the air by the dozen and broken over the heads of the contending parties. In some instances chairs were broken up for the purpose of procuring the legs to use as clubs. No fire-arıns were discharged and no knives were nsed. The fight lasted probably five minutes. At the close the anti-Low men, or long-hairs, who had rallied to the support of Barton, were driven from the field. Several jumped out through the win- dows; others who were badly hurt were assisted out of the building, while the greater portion passed into the ante-room and the main hall to find neutral ground.
After the fight the long-hairs retired in a body and organized in another hall, while the short-hairs proceeded with business in the capi- tol. Each convention nominated a full local ticket, and elected a set of delegates to the State Convention. Newton Booth was nominated for State Senator by the long-hairs, and E. H. Hea- cock by the shorts. The shorts attributed the trouble to an alleged partial ruling by the chair- man of the committee in favor of Barton, and to the determination on the part of the longs to run the convention without regard to the rights or wishes of the opposition. The short-hair convention instructed its nominees for the Leg- islature to vote for Low for United States Sen- ator, but he afterward declined. His withdrawal, however, did not heal the breach in the Union party. The division continued until some time in August, when the short-hairs generally trans- ferred their support to John B. Felton for United States Senator.
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