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 37

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 37

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The contract for building the road from this point to Grider's, on the California Central Railroad, was let to C. Crocker & Co., December 22, 1862. C. Crocker & Co. sub-let the con- tract to different parties. Twenty miles of road each year were completed in 1863, 1864 and 1865, thirty miles in 1866, forty-six miles in 1867, 364 miles in 1868, 190} miles in 1869; making 690} milesfrom Sacramento to Promontory, where the roads met, May 10, 1869.

All of the materials, except the cross-ties, for constructing this road, including a large portion of the men employed, had to be brought from the East, via Cape Horn. Toward the latter end of the work several thousand Chinamen were employed. In addition to this, it was war times, and marine insurance was very high; iron and railroad materials of all kinds were held at enormous figures, and the price of the subsidy bonds was very low. All of these facts tended to make the cost of the road large.

The State of California agreed to pay the in- terest on $1,500,000 of bonds for twenty years, in exchange for which the railroad campany gave a valuable stone quarry. Several of the counties along the line of the road granted bonds of the county in exchange for stock. Sacra- mento County gave her bonds to the amount of $300,000. These bonds were exchanged for money, and the work pushed forward. There was delay in obtaining the Government subsidy, and the money ran short. When Mr. Hunting- ton returned from New York he found the treasury alnost depleted of coin, and the neces- sity of raising more means or stopping the work was evident. " Huntington and Hopkins can, ont of their own means, pay 500 men during a year; how much can each of you keep on the line ?" was the characteristic way in which this man met the emergency. Before the meeting adjourned these five men had resolved that they

would maintain 800 men on the road during the year out of their own private fortunes.

About this time (1863) Mr. Judah had sold out his interest in the company and gone East. On the way he was stricken with the Panama fever, of which he died shortly after his arrival in New Yerk, in 1863, at the age of only thirty- seven years. Dr. Strong, of Dutch Flat, though a sincere believer in the enterprise, was unable to furnish what was considered his share of the expenses necessary to be advanced, and retired from the Board of Directors. Bailey, Mr. Marsh and Mr. Booth we hear nothing of after the enterprise was fairly under way, though we know they were all three earnest workers at the commencement.

S. S. Montagne succeeded Mr. Judah as chief engineer of the road, which position he still holds. The location surveys were made under Mr. Montague's suggestions. The road from Sacramento to Colfax, or Lower Illinoistown Gap, was located on the line run by Mr. Judah in 1861; from Colfax to Long Ravine the line was changed materially; from Long Ravine to Alta the line ran on Judah's survey, and from Alta to the Summit on an entirely new line, located by Mr. L. M. Clement, engineer, in charge of second division from Colfax to the Summit. This final location gave a better grade line, and one more free from snow in the winter, two very desirable objects. The value of these changes is plainly shown by the report of George E. Gray, formerly chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad. Mr. Gray was requested by Leland Stanford, in a letter dated July 10, 1865, to inspect the line of road and surveys then made, and report to the Board of Directors of the company his opinion as to the quality of the work, and the economical location of that portion not then built. Mr. Gray's report gave as his opinion that the road already constructed would compare favorably with any road in the United States. Of that portion not constructed he reported that Mr. Judah's line had been materially altered, cansing a saving in distance of nearly 5,000 feet, and also reducing the

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aggregate length of the tunnels about 5,000 feet, a saving in cost of construction of over $400,000 at least. The road progressed, as we have stated above, slowly at first, but more rapidly toward the close, until, on the 10th day of May, 1869, the last spike was driven which completed the railroad connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A large party were gathered on Promontory Point to see this ceremony. Telegraph wires had been connected with the different large cities of the Union, so that the exact moment of driving the last spike could be known in all at the same time. The hour designated having arrived, Leland Stan- ford, President of the Central Pacific, and other officers of the company, came forward. T. C. Durant, Vice-President of the Union Pacific, accompanied by General Dodge and others of the same company, met them at the end of the rail, where they paused, while Rev. Dr. Todd, of Massachusetts, gave a short prayer. The last tie, made of California laurel, with silver plates bearing suitable inscriptions, was put in place, and the last connecting rails were laid by parties from each company. The last spikes were made, one of gold from California, one of silver from Nevada, and one of gold and silver from Arizona. President Stanford then took the hammer of solid silver, to the handle of which were attached the telegraph wires, by which, at the first tap on the head of the gold spike, at 12 M., the news of the event was flashed over the American continent.

A locomotive of the Central Pacific Railroad Company and another of the Union Pacific Rail- road Company approached from each way, and rubbed their pilots together, while bottles of champagne were passed from one to the other.

During the building of this road the track- laying force of the Central Pacific laid ten miles and 200 feet of track in one day. This herculean feat was performed on the 20th of April, 1869, when only fourteen miles of track remained to be laid to connect with the Union Pacific Rail- road, and was entirely finished by 7 P. M.

By mutnal agreement between the two roads

Ogden was made the terininns of each. By this arrangement the Union Pacific sold fifty-three miles of road to the Central, making the lengthi of road owned by the Central Pacific proper 743g miles, from Sacramento to Ogden.

August 20, 1870, the Western Pacific, San Joaquin Valley, California & Oregon, and San Francisco, Oakland & Alameda railroads were all consolidated under the name of the Central Pacific Railroad.

The "Western Pacific Railroad Campany" was incorporated December 13, 1862, for the purpose of constructing a railway from San José, through the counties of Alameda and San Joaquin, to the city of Sacramento. Its capital stock was $5,400,000. The road was 137} miles in length, and made the whole length of the Central Pacific 881 miles. This road was not completed until 1870. The franchise had, we believe, passed into the hands of the Central Pacific Railroad Company a year before the above date of consolidation. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is now the property of the Southern Pacific. The California & Oregon Railroad leaves the Central Pacific at Roseville, and runs from thence to Redding, California.

The "California Pacific Railroad Company " was for some time an active competitor for the carrying trade of the State, and at one time it was thought that the intention of its owners was to construct a line of railroad to connect with the Union Pacific. This company bought the boats and franchises of the California Steam Navigation Company, and for some time really controlled the rates of freight between Sacra- mento and San Francisco.

It was incorporated January 10, 1865, with a capital stock of $3,500,000. Work was begun in Vallejo in 1867, and the road was finished to Washington, Yolo County, November 11, 1868, and to Marysville in November, 1869. In June, 1869, this company purchased the Napa Valley Railroad; the two railroads were consolidated in December, 1869, with a capital of $12,000,000.

1n 1869 and 1870 the Central Pacific and California Pacific railroads were at war with

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

each other. The track of the Central Pacific being laid on the levee, it was impossible for the California Pacific road to cross the river, and secure depot and switch accommodations, without crossing this track. Various attempts were made to lay the track and form the cross- ing of the two tracks, but these attempts were resisted ; and at one time it appeared as if bloodshed would result. The crossing, however, was made, and passengers landed by the Cali- fornia Pacific in Sacramento, January 29, 1870. The train was received with a regular ovation; guns were fired, the fire department turned out, and intense enthusiasm was manifested on all sides. The war continued until Angust, 1871, during which time the rates of freight and travel were very low, and neither road could have made much profit.

Since March, 1885, the Central Pacific lines have been controlled by the great Southern Pacific Company.

The California Pacific gave the " Vallejo route " to San Francisco. The trip was made to Vallejo by rail, and from thence to San Fran- cisco by boat. This was a very popular route, and monopolized the majority of the travel be- tween Sacramento and San Francisco. Decem- ber 28, 1879, the new road via Benicia was opened, and the trains have since been run through to Oakland, and the Vallejo route as a line of travel to San Francisco was abandoned. The large ferry at Benicia will be superseded by a bridge in a few years.

The " Sacramento Valley Railroad " was the first constructed in California. The company was organized Angust 4, 1852, when ten per cent. of the stock subscribed was paid in, amonnt- ing to $5,000. The company re-organized No- vember 9, 1854, and made immediate prepara- tions for building the road. The first shovelful of dirt was thrown in February, 1855, the first tie came in May, and the first vessel load of ma- terial and rolling stock arrived from Boston in June. The first work done on a railroad ear in California was on this road, July 4, 1855. The first rail was laid Angnst 9, 1855, and the first

train was placed on the track Angnst 14. The road had some little trouble with its finances, but was not impeded materially in its progress.

November 13, 1855, an excursion train was rnn to Patterson's, ten miles from Sacramento, the round trip costing $1.00. By Jannary 1, 1856, the road was completed to Alder Creek, and on February 22 was finished to Folsom. The length of the road was twenty-two and one- half miles, and cost $1,568,000. The capital stock was $800.000-$792,000 of which were issned. The road was a very profitable one from the date of its completion. Its effect was to move the terminus of the stage and freight lines running to the northern mines to Folsom, building up quite a town at that point. At one time twenty-one different stage lines were cen- tered at Folsom, all leaving shortly after the arrival of the trains from Sacramento.

In Angust, 1865, the Central Pacific Com- pany purchased the Sacramento Valley road. The purchase was made by George F. Bragg, on behalf of himself and others, of the entire stock held by L. L. Robinson and Pioche and Bayer- qne. The price paid for this stock was $800,- 000. Bragg, soon after coming into possession, transferred the stock to the owners of the Cen- tral Pacific. The latter company was forced to do this in order to secure the whole of the Wa- shoe trade, which at this time was immense, amonnting to several million dollars per annum. The short line of the Sacramento Valley road alone declared an annnal profit of nearly half a million dollars the year previous to its pur- chase, most of which came from the freights going to the Washoe and other mining districts.

California Central Railroad .- In the spring of 1857 a company was formed in Marysville, to build a railroad from that city to the termi- nus of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, at Fol- som. This company was entirely independent of the Sacramento Valley Company. Colonel C. L. Wilson, who was one of the contractors on the Sacramento Valley road, was sent East to procure funds for building the road. This object he effected, and the construction com-

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menced forthwith. The road, however, never was finished to Marysville by the original com- pany. By 1861 the track was laid to Lincoln. The name was subsequently changed to the Cal- ifornia & Oregon Railroad, and is now known as the Oregon Division of the Central Pacific Railroad. Shortly after the completion of the Central Pacific Railroad to Roseville, the com- pany purchased the California Central Rail- road; that portion of the road between Roseville and Folsom was abandoned; the bridge over the American River was condemned and sold in 1868.

The railroad shops at Sacramento comprise about twenty large buildings and scores of small ones, covering about fifteen acres of ground, and an average of 2,600 hands are em- ployed.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The first agricultural society in the State inet in Sacramento, October 8, 1852, in the American Theater. C. I. Hutchinson was presi- dent, and Dr. J. F. Morse delivered the address. A fair was held a week or two on that occasion, under the supervision of Warren & Co. The " State Agricultural Society " was organized early in 1854, and on May 13, that year, was incorporated by a special act of the Legislature. The first officers were named in the charter and were as follows: F. W. Macondray, of San Francisco, President; Vice Presidents, E. L. Beard of Alameda, J. K. Rose of San Francisco, D. W. C. Thompson of Sonoma, H. C. Malone of Santa Clara, W. H. Thompson of San Fran- cisco, and C. I. Hutchinson of Sacramento; Corresponding Secretary, J. L. L. Warren, of San Francisco; Recording Secretary, C. V. Gillespie, of San Francisco; Treasurer, David Chambers, of San Francisco. The same act ap- propriated $5,000 per annum for the first four years for premiums.

Under the new charter, the first fair was held in San Francisco, in October following; the second in Sacramento, September, 1855, when the general exhibition was held in the State House and the cattle show at the Louisiana

race-track; the third in San José, in October, 1856; the fourth in Stockton, in 1857; the fifth in Marysville, in 1858, since which time all the fairs have been held at Sacramento. When the society, in 1860, voted to hold the next fair at Sacramento,-being the third time in succession at the same place,-it angered the competing points in the State, opposition agri- cultural societies were formed, and the receipts fell from $28,639 in 1860, to $18,584 in 1861.

In 1863 the Legislature provided for the election of a " Board of Agriculture," to be en- trusted with the affairs of the State Agricultural Society. Under this arrangement the fairs were held until the State Constitution of 1879 was adopted, which cnt off all State assistance unless the board of directors were appointed by State authority. The subsequent Legislature ein- powered the Governor to appoint the members of this board, and also divided the State into " agricultural districts " of several counties each, placing in the Third District the counties of Sacramanto, Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Colusa, Te- hama and Yolo; but at present, probably on account of the direct presence of the State in- stitution, Sacramento is not taking an active part in the district organization.

In 1884 the present magnificent pavilion, east of the Capitol, was erected. It is, in gen- eral, about 400 feet square, and cost, with fur- nishings, in the neighborhood of $115,000. It is the largest public building in the State.

For some years the fairs have occupied about two weeks' titne. At the exhibition of Sep- tember 3 to 15, 1888, over $20,000 was awarded in premiums.

A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.

In the year 1884 A. A. Krull, about two and a half miles northcast of Florin, executed a novel but brilliantly successful experiment in horti- culture. Having several acres of " hard-pan " upon his place, he devised the plan of breaking it up with blasts of powder. Employing an expert, he bored holes in the ground, one for each tree, put down in each a pound of Huck-

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ley's No. 2 giant powder, and exploded it, with the result of giving to each tree a mass of rich, loose, moist earth, not needing irrigation. It is now as good as the best land for raising fruit. The cost was $27 per 100 charges. Occasion- ally a spot required a second charge. Other hortienlturists are taking lessons. It seems that in time all the hard-pan in the country, now considered nearly worthless, may be made the best of land.

HOSPITALS.

In April, 1850, the Freemasons and Odd Fellows together established a hospital, the Board of Trustees being elected by both orders. A series of concerts was given for the benefit of the hospital, which were liberally patronized. The managers of the Tehama Theatre and Rowe's Olympic Circus also gave benefits for the same object.

Dr. Dow had a " Thompsonian Hospital and Botanic Medicine Store " on K street, between Second and Third. The price of admission per day, $5 to $25, "according to trouble and ex- pense."

Drs. T. J. White and C. D. Cleveland had an extensive hospital that would accommodate 100 patients, on the corner of Ninth and L streets.

Drs. James S. Martin and B. R. Carman con- dneted the " Sutter's Fort Hospital," inside the fort. Drs. Morse and Stillman also had a hos- pital at the corner of Third and K streets.

THE COUNTY HOSPITAL.

Several physicians, first at Sutter's Fort and afterward in the city, received boarding pa- tients; but very few of the sick had the means to pay the prices asked. Very early, therefore, were the people led to establish a public hos- pital. The first was established about 1851-'52, in the business part of the city, and among the early physicians to the institution were Drs. J. F. Montgomery, Johnson Price, - Procter and George W. Williams. In the City Direc- tory of 1853 is the following entry : " Drs. Johnson, Price and George W. Williams, l'hy-

sieians to the County Ilospital, corner of I and Seventh streets." About the same time or shortly afterward, Price & Procter established a hospital on Second street, between I and J, with seventy-five or eighty beds. They entered into contract with the county for keeping the poor, of whom they had about fifty, charging very high fees. Within three or four years the county endeavored to break the contract, in the meantime establishing a hospital on the corner of Tenth and L streets. Price & Procter sued the county and obtained judgment. This county building was on the northwest corner of the present Capitol Park, and was torn down and removed soon after it was vacated, some time after the war.

In 1857 Dr. Montgomery was again the county physician ; 1858-'59, Dr. G. L. Simmons; 1859-'60, Dr. Montgomery; 1861, from Novem- ber, Dr. J. G. Phelan; 1869, from September, Dr. Montgomery; 1870, Dr. A. C. Donaldson, with Dr. G. A. White as assistant.

About this time the county purchased from James Lansing sixty acres of land on the upper Stockton road, about three miles southeast of the business center of the city, at a cost of about $11,000, and erected upon it a very fine build- ing, and moved into it the seventy-five patients that were in the old building. October 5, 1878, this new building was accidentally burned, and the patients were temporarily cared for in the " old Pavilion," at the corner of Sixth and M streets, until the present structures were com- pleted, in the summer of 1879. These build- ings, erected according to designs drawn up by N. D. Goodell, of Sacramento, cost between 860,000 and $65,000, and are modern in all re- spects. There is now an average of 150 to 160 inmates, each costing the county about $14.50 a month.

The Central Pacific Railroad Hospital was built by the company at Sacramento in 1869, at a cost of $64,000. It consists of a main building 60 x 35 feet, four stories and basement, with a wide verandah at each story, two wings 35 x 52 feet, and a kitchen twenty-four feet

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square, removed a few feet from the main building. The hospital has six wards, besides eight private rooms for patients, a library of some 1,500 volumes, well appointed executive and medical rooms, and will accommodate 125 patients.

PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM.

An association for the care of orphans was organized as early as 1858, but it proved short- lived. In 1867 Mrs. Elvira Baldwin interested a number of citizens, including the Governor, in the care of a family of seven children left orphans by the death of their mother, a poor woman; and this movement directly resulted in the organization of a society for the care of or- phans and destitute children throughont the county, and even the State. Mrs. I. E. Dwinell was the first president. The society immedi- ately rented and furnisned a building on the corner of Seventh and D streets, where they placed fourteen or fifteen children in the care of Mrs. Cole, the first matron. The next year the association erected a building on the site of the present establishment on K street, between Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets. It was considerably damaged by fire December 7, 1878, but it was soon repaired, and another and a superior building added. Also, 1877, a neat school-house was built on the premises, where the school is made one of the " public schools " of the city, in the care of the City Board of Education. No child, however, but the proper inmates of the asylumn, is admitted into this school.

The " Marguerite Home " in Sacramento is a fine institution for the care of aged dependent women, where from twelve to fifteen are now well cared for. The property is the munificent gift of Mrs. E. B. Crocker.

The " water-cure" of Dr. Clayton, in this ity, is an old institution.

ART, LIBRARIES, ETC.

One of the two best art galleries in the United States is located in Sacramento. This also is a gift to the public by the celebrated

Mrs. E. B. Crocker, and a magnificent one it is, as its value is estimated at about $400,000. It is open to the public free on certain days of the week. It is controlled by the California Mu- seum Association, who have had it in charge since the gift was inade, in 1885. In returning thanks to the benefactress a magnificent flower festival was held at the great agricultural pavil. ion,-probably the greatest demonstration of the kind ever made in this country.

In the art gallery building are also the State inineral cabinet (in the basement) and the school of design (on the main floor), -a flourishing institution.

Besides the magnificent State library, the citizens of Sacramento are also blest with one of the best city libraries in the State, and an Odd Fellows' library, a large one for the kind.

The principal church building in Sacramento is the stately new cathedral of the Catholic Church, costing about $250,000, and bnilt under the supervision of Bishop Patrick Manogue.

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

Captain Charles M. Weber, the father of Stockton, the county-seat, and practically of San Joaquin County, was born in the Netherlands in 1814, came to America in 1836, and in 1841 to California, with the Bartleson party, stopping first at Dr. Marsh's, neaa the east base of Mt. Diablo. During the ensuing winter he was an assistant of Captain Sutter at the fort, where he, with an eye to the future, cultivated friendly relations with Jose Jesus (pronounced hozay hasoos), the celebrated chief of the Siyakumna tribe, in this region. Seeing also that Califor- nia would probably soon fall into the possession of the United States, he began in his calcula- tions to cast his anchor in that direction.

In the spring he settled at San Jose, in mer- cantile business, in partnership with Guillermo (William) Gulnac, a Mexican citizen. Not yet being naturalized himself, and desiring a tract of land, he persuaded Gulnac to obtain for him a grant, in his, Gulnac's, name. This grant was

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of about 44,000 acres of land, in the heart of what is now San Joaquin County, called Raneho del Campo de Los Franceses, whereon the city of Stockton now stands. Weber, however, did not move his residence upon this land until after the close of the Mexican war, in which he took a conspicuous part, for the United States. Moving upon the grant he proceeded to lay out a town, which he at first named Tuleburg, on account of the great quantity of rank tules in the vicinity. Soon afterward he named it Stockton, because Commodore Robert F. Stock- ton, while meeting him at Los Angeles during the war, inade great promises as to what he would do in Congress for him by way of im- proving the navigation of the San Joaquin River, etc., but which were never fulfilled, and Weber was sorry afterward that he had named his pet village in his honor. Another name he had reserved for it was Castoria.

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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 37

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