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 44
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131
At the beginning of the year 1850 there were three towns in what is now Sutter County. Vernon, the oldest established north of the Sac- ramento River, had become a thorough business place. Nicolaus had become a flourishing settle- ment, though the town was not laid out until January of this year; and Yuba City had been laid out the preceding fall.
George C. Johnson came to the town in a full-rigged bark belonging to the Government of the United States. This vessel had come around the Horn with Government stores for the United States troops. Johnson was Commis- sary: and, after discharging part of her cargo at Benicia,-which was the principal military post at that time of this coast and a self-asserted rival of San Francisco,-he brought the vessel to Nicolans to deliver the remainder of her supplies to the officers and men stationed at Camp Far West. This was a small military post established by the United States on Bear River some ten or fifteen miles above Nicolaus, for the protection of the immigrants against Indians. The bark never again saw salt water, but she gave to Nicolaus the right to boast of being the only port of entry that has ever been established north of Sacramento, the only town north of that city that has ever had a full-rigged sea-going vessel lying at her landing. Johnson built quite an imposing block of frame houses
in Nicolans, in one of which he carried on a lively mercantile business. He accumulated a fortune, went to San Francisco and established a large iron foundry or something of the kind, was afterward United States Consul for Norway and Sweden, of one of which countries he was a native, and died a few years ago, worth over a million dollars.
The "Gold Lake" excitement of 1849-'50, generally considered a humbug, started by one Stoddard, was as much a part of the early his- tory of Sutter County as of the adjoining connty of Plumas. See page 187.
Sutter County, as first organized in 1850, ac- cording to act of February 18, of that year, embraced all of the southwestern portion of Placer County and a strip between the Sacra- mento River and Butte Creek, which now be- longs to Colusa County. This large tract was divided into six townships by the Court of Ses- sions. Before the end of a year it became evident that the county was too large, and efforts were made resulting in a division of the county the following year. The boundaries were changed by the Legislature of 1852, 1856 and 1866, the latter fixing them as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of Sacra- mento County (this was a point on the Sacra- mento River due west of a point ten miles due north of the mouth of American River), and running thence up the middle of Sacramento River to the month of Butte Creek; thence up the middle of said creek to its intersection with the south line of section 19, township 17 north, range 1 east; thence east on section lines to a point in the middle of Feather River; thence down the middle of Feather River to a point opposite the mouth of Bear Creek or River; thence np the middle of said creek or river to the northwest corner of Placer County; thence along the western boundary line of that county to the southwest corner of said county; and thence along the northern boundary line of Sacramento County to the place of beginning.
The boundary established by the Legislature of 1852 was apparently adopted for no other
263
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
reason than to include the Marysville Buttes in Butte County, as it was thought proper that they should be in the county named after them; but the next year the Legislature restored the Buttes to Sutter County.
Vernon was made the county-seat April 25, 1851. The secret of Vernon's success in ob- taining the seat of government was that E. O. Crosby, one of the proprietors of the town, was the State Senator from that district. When the boundaries of the county were changed, November 3, 1852, Vernon was nearly deserted and Nicolaus was made a county-seat. 'Three years afterward Yuba City made a move for the prize. A vote was taken, resulting apparently in favor of the new place; but it was claimed by the friends of Nicolaus that if the illegal votes were all thrown ont they would retain the county-seat in their town. However, the board of supervisors ordered the archives moved to Yuba City, and they began holding their sessions there; and that place continued to be the seat of government for twenty-three years. The court-house having been destroyed by fire on the night of December 23, 1871, this was of course a signal for rival towns to make an effort to obtain the headquarters of the county's government. The friends of Nicolans aroused. The only newspaper in the county, the Sutter Banner, published at Yuba City, was in favor of that place. The Legislature was appealed to, but it took no action, and a new court-house was built in Yuba City, and thus the matter ended.
The site of Nieolaus was first occupied by Nicolaus Allgeier in 1842. He was born in Freiburg, Germany, in 1807, and came to America about 1830. lle went into the employ of the Hudson Bay Company as trapper and in this capacity spent a unmber of years in the wilds of British America. It was while in this service, in 1839'-40, that he came overland to California. Soon he commenced to work for Captain Sutter, assisting in constructing an adobe house in 1841-'42, about one and a half miles below Ilock Farm. This was Sutter's
first establishment in Sutter County, and the first settlement of any kind made in this eounty. The plains between Sacramento and Feather rivers were used by Sutter as a grazing ranch for immense bands of horses and cattle. The road from his establishment, New Helvetia, to the one at Hock Farm crossed the river at Nicolaus, and Sutter desired some one stationed at that point with a ferry. He therefore deeded to Allgeier a tract one mile square at that place in consideration of the labor he had performed and was to perform in the future, all valued at 8400. Allgeier first constructed a hut of poles and covered it with tule grass and dirt. He lived here until some time in 1847, when he constructed a small adobe house near the old ferry crossing. A primitive ferry-boat was con- structed in 1843, which the Indians rowed across the river in transacting the business of crossing.
The first election in Sntter County for county officers was in 1850, resulting as follows: Gor- don N. Mott, Judge; W. Fisher, Attorney; T. B. Reardon, Clerk; John Polo, Sheriff: George Pierson, Recorder; Willard Post, Treasurer, and Wm. H. Monroe, Assessor.
The first building provided for the use of the county was the Zinc house at Oro, described elsewhere in this volume. At Nicolans the court used a private residence, and at Auburn a place was provided by citizens at Vernon. E. O. Crosby tendered the use of two buildings free of charge. The courts, however, were held in Captain Savage's Hotel. At Nicolaus the American Hotel served as a place for holding the conrt and for the county officers until 1855. From that time until the county-seat was re- moved to Yuba City, Frederick Vahle's house was used. As yet the county had no jail. A good court-house and jail were completed at Yuba City by September 18, 1858, at a total cost of $9,400. This was destroyed by fire on the night of December 20, 1871. Some of the officers succeeded in saving the valuable con- tents of their offices. The safes and the vaults preserved their contents, thongh in some cases somewhat injured.
264
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
In 1866 the indigent sick were taken care of at the Yuba County Hospital at Marysville, and also at Nicolaus and Ynba City, and then they were placed in the care of John A. Fox at Yuba City. In May, 1876, a house and grounds were purchased at Yuba City for an almishouse.
The levees have cost this county an immense snm of money, and yet the citizens have to continue repairs and additions.
Until 1867, when the weekly Sutter Banner was first issued, people depended chiefly upon the Marysville papers for their home and gen- eral news. " The first number of this paper ap- peared April 8, 1867, issued by J. B. Maxwell and J. A. Stewart. It proclaimed the fact that there was no hotel in town. It was at first in- dependent in its political complexion, but upon the appearance a few days later of the Sentinel, a Union paper, it took grounds in favor of the Democracy. Atter the disappearance of the Sentinel it resumed its independent character, leaning either to the Democratic or Republican side according to the various proprietors from time to time.
Stephen J. Field, now of the Supreme Bench of the United States, was a young lawyer and business man here from 1850 to 1863. He was the first alcalde of Marysville, in 1850; mein- ber of the Assembly in 1851; justice of the Supreme Court of the State in 1859; United States Circuit Judge for California in 1863, and the same year appointed to his present position. He is a brother of Cyrus W. and David Dudley Field.
Other eminent men from this county have been: Henry P. Haun, who was a resident here during 1850-'61. He came from Iowa to this county, but was born in Kentucky. He was County Judge in 1850-'53, and United States Senator to fill Broderick's unexpired term, in 1860. He died in Marysville, in 1861. W. T. Barbour, District Judge, 1852-'58. G. G. Barnard, who returned to New York city and became a Judge of the Superior Court of that city, and afterward impeached for complic- ity in the Tammany frauds in 1873. Charles
H. Bryan, resident here in 1851-'60, became Justice of the Supreme Court in 1855, and died at Carson City in 1878. Charles E. De Long, resident here in 1857-'63, was member of the Assembly in 1858-'59, State Senator in 1861-'62, went to Virginia City in 1863, was Minister to Japan in 1869, and died in 1877. George C. Gorham, resident iu 1859-'60, editor at Marysville, San Francisco and Sacramento, Clerk in United States District Court in 1865- '67, candidate for Governor in 1867, Secretary of United States Senate in 1868-'79, and Sec- retary of the National Republiean Executive Committee in 1876. Gordon N. Mott resided here in 1850-'60, served in the Mexican war, first County Judge of the county, District Judge in 1851, Judge of the Supreme Court of Nevada in 1861, Delegate to Congress in 1863-'64, etc. William Walker, the leader of the filibustering expedition to Lower Califor- nia, was an editor in Sacramento in 1855, leader of the celebrated invasion of Nicaragua, were he was finally captured and shot Septem- ber 12, 1860. He was known as "The Grey- eyed Man of Destiny." He was a resident here in 1851-'53.
In 1850 William R. Turner was Judge of the Eighth Judicial District, including Sutter County. Stephen J. Field was retained by Captain Sutter for the prosecution of a suit at law. A preliminary motion in the case was decided against Sutter, whereupon Judge Field arose to read the provisions of the statute ap- plicable to the point in question, when Judge Turner said, in a hurried, petulant manner, that the Court understood the law and would not listen further, and he ordered Field to take his seat. Field then stated, in a very quiet manner and in respectful langnage, that he ex- cepted to the decision of the Court and appealed from the order. Turner became irritated and imposed a fine of 8200 upon Field. The latter was so quiet and submissive in his manner that it excited Turner, who then again raised the penalty till it reached 8500 and imprisonment for forty-eight hours. These penalties were
265
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
nominally executed, while subsequent proceed- ings in court and Legislature finally transferred Turner to another district, ineluding Humboldt County, to which county Turner moved and resided there until his death.
Sutter County has been represented in the State Assembly by the following named gentle- men: C. P. Berry, 1869-'72, 1875-'78; M. Boulware, 1863-'64; A. G. Caldwell, 1852; A. I .. Chandler, 1873-'74, 1880-'81; S. R. Fortner, 1883; Francis Hamlin, 1865-'66; James O. Harris, 1858; E. O. F. Hastings, 1854; C. S. Haswell, 1863; A. G. MeCand- less, 1853; Joseph W. McCorkle, 1851; Zach- ariah Montgomery, 1861; George Ohleyer, 1887; Robert B. Sherrard, 1855-'56; J. Lang- don Smith, 1860; B. R. Spillman, 1867-'68; C. L. N. Vaughn, 1859; Samnel R. Warring- ton, 1857; C. E. Wileexon, 1862. See also Inba County.
TIIE PRESENT DAY.
It has been said, "Fortunate is the nation that has no history." To a limited extent this is trne of Sutter County of later years. Indeed it is hardly proper to write the history of late years in Sutter, separate from that of Yuba County, her neighbor, for Sutter is, as it were, a dependency of the other, or rather of the city of Marysville, which is its true center, transacts the larger part of its business and lias intimate trading and other interests in common with the county. Sutter County itself has no cities, Yuba City, the county town and largest place, being practically a suburb of Marysville, from which it is separated only by the Feather River.
The record of Sutter County is one of con- stant, steady growth and progress. Almost her whole extent is a level plain consisting of the deep rich alluvium of the Sacramento Valley land, some portions, perhaps 125,000 acres in all, being tnle or swamp land. The progressive dyking of this and the devoting of it to grain, and the discovery of the great fruit possibilities of all parts of the county, has really made up Sntter County history for the past ten or twenty years, with some small exceptions. Sutter is 17
above all, an agricultural county, but with immense interests in stoek-raising and fruit- culture. That these pursuits have been profit- able is apparent to any one who drives through the country and notes the succession of thrifty farms, the unusually large and handsome ap- pearance of the farm houses, and the lively turnonts with their spanking teams to be met on every road. True, there have been one or two slight moves in other directions, but those have been but of minor importance.
The interesting traet of the Marysville Buttes, which cover many square miles of the northwestern part of the county, and is a most picturesque mass of jagged hills, affords large sheep walks, the wool clip going principally to the woolen mills in Marysville. Many stock cattle are also grazed there. During the winter when there is water, a few men every season make wages washing out gold in the gullies of these Buttes, but the gold goes to Marysville and Sutter gets no eredit. Good building stone and briek clay abound, and a two-foot vein of cannel coal, good for the forge has recently been found near Sutter City. Becoming prominent now along with the growth of fruit is that of the nursery and seed business. The writer drove with J. T. Bogue, the prominent nurseryman of Ynba City, over his place, which less than two years before was a piece of unimproved land. Many of the trees planted from the seed or small euttings, were, at the time of the visit, over six feet high, and many of them bearing fruit. This seemed quite impossible until one looked at the rich, warm, moist soil and felt the seductive airs of the region. Near by is the celebrated Briggs orchard, one of the fine, large orchards of the vicinity. A little below Mr. Bogne's is the Abbott peach orchard of 425 aeres, said to be the largest peach orchard in the State, very profitable to its owner. No irrigation is required or used in Sutter County. On the contrary, over a million dollars has been spent to build levees to keep the water ont. The work seems to have been substantially done, however, and, now that hydraulicking has
266
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
ceased, requires little in the way of repairs or strengthening. There is still a considerable body of land to be dyked, which is being pro- gressively undertaken. The cost of course is heavy, but it falls only upon the lands interested, and as their value is enormously increased thereby they can easily stand it.
Sutter County has ample means of transporta- tion. She has the Sacramento River flowing along almost the whole western border, while the Feather River, navigable from Ynba City down, flows along a portion of the eastern border and across the lower end, its junction with the Sacramento being at the southern border. The railroad system is also ample. The branch line from Knight's Landing to Marysville (completed in 1890) traverses the breadth of the county, crossing the Feather River at Yuba City. The main line of the California and Oregon road crosses the upper northeastern corner of the county, while another road has been projected from Marysville across the county to Colusa, passing through the ambitious new town of Sutter City.
Yuba City, the county-seat, is a place of con- siderable business importance, although practi- cally but a suburb of Marysville, which lies a mile distant from it on the other side of the Feather River, along bridge connecting the two.
The court house and hall of records is a handsome building upon the main street, stand- ing in large well-kept grounds. There is a flour- ing mill, a brewery and many thriving business houses. The Farmers' Co-operative Union own two large warehouses capable of holding 15,000 tons of wheat. The Sutter Canning and Pack- ing Company operate a cannery of large dimen- sions. It has two churches, a good school, and is lighted with gas and supplied with water from Marysville. Many large orchards are in the vicinity. Yuba City is the home of George Ohleyer, the head and executive of the Anti- Debris Association, which is doing so much to put down hydraulic mining, and to carry ont the law on the subject. Mr. Ohleyer is an old newspaper man of experience.
Sutter City is the result of an attempt to take advantage of the boom in California three years ago. It was hoped, though vainly, to make the town the county seat, lying about the geographi- cal center of the county. A railroad was also projected to pass through the town, but is not yet built. Quite a lively little place was built, which possessed a successful cannery, and has business importance. Live Oak, Meridian and Nicolaus are shipping points with a good trade. The former is on the line of the California & Oregon road; Meridian is on the Sacramento River, and Nicolans, an echo of the past, is on the Feather. Sonth Butte, Pennington, West Butte, Kirksville and Pleasant Grove are post- offices, each having a few stores and shops.
In Yuba City are published the Farmer, founded 1881, and Independent, founded 1887, both weeklies, and worthy representatives of their important county. In Sutter City is pub- lished the Enterprise, first issue 1890, an able and energetic weekly.
TEHAMA COUNTY.
Tehama is an Indian word of unknown signification. Although frequently visited at a previous date by trappers and hunters on their way from Oregon to California, the first recorded visit. paid to that portion of the State subse- quently laid off as Tehama County, was made by General Bidwell in 1843. Like all others who visit that part for the first time he was very favorably impressed. He mapped the country from memory, named most of the streams and described it so enthusiastically that as a result attention was aroused and in 1844 the first American settlers came in. They were four in number, William G. Chard, A. G. Toomes, R. H. Thomes, and Job F. Dye. They were given grants on the Sacramento River of five leagues each. Thomes and Chard chose their grant on the western border of the river, one above and the other below Elder Creek. Toomes and Dye selected locations immediately opposite them on the eastern bank of the Sacramento. In this same year Major Redding went still higher up
267
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
and located in what is now Shasta County. These grants were taken up in the spring of 1844. Later in the same year Josialı Belden also located a grant of five leagues in the valley. This grant was sold in 1847 to William B. Ide, one of the most prominent of the early settlers in the Upper Sacramento Valley, abont whom many characteristic stories are told. See pages 33-40.
In the fall of this year also came Peter Las- sen, after whom are named the Lassen Buttes, Lassen County, etc. He was a marked charac- ter, a man of no education and a thorough pio- neer. Some time later he built a large adobe honse and blacksmith shop, and obtained great local distinction as a manufacturer of bridle bits and Spanish spurs. He went to the mines in the early days and got very rich, but, like so many other western pioneers, let it slip easily through his fingers. One of his freaks was to go to San Francisco in 1849, and buy the steamer " Lady Washington," load her with goods and make the voyage to the new town he was attempting to found at the month of Deer Creek. She took the whole five winter months of 1849-'50 to reach the spot, but she did so, being the pioneer steamer to breast the waters of the Sacramento as far as Tehama County. Uncle Peter gave a square league of the best of his land on Deer Creek in 1846 to another old trapper, Daniel Sill, Senior. Sill afterward started a rival town to that of his friend, but neither of the places came to anything. Lassen was unfitted for civilization, lost his money, sold his ranch to Henry Gerke, who in 1881 sold to Senator Stanford the celebrated " Vina " rancho. See page 150.
The first house put up in Tehama County was an adobe put up in 1845 by R. H. Thomes, where the town of Tehamna now is. It was destroyed by fire in 1858. This year (1845) saw only the addition of W. C. Moon to the list of grant-holders.
In 1846 Mr. Toomes built an adobe on the opposite side of the Sacramento, and Mr. Chard put up a log cabin, four miles north of
Tchama. This was a public stopping place for years.
In 1847, Mr. Dye put up the adobe on Ante- lope Creek, which is still in existence in good repair on Major Cone's place, the oldest build. ing in the county. In the same year Judge Ide built on what was known as Ide's Bottom a few miles below the site of Red Cliff. In the spring of this year began to appear occasional emigrant parties on the Oregon trail. They caused a good deal of trouble in running off or killing horses and stock.
In 1848, besides those already named, there should be added to those in the county Captain Henry L. Ford and William (Uncle Billy) Meyers, the latter living with Lassen. All of these parties acquired large fortunes in the mines in the fall of 1848 and spring of 1849.
In the fall of 1849 begins a new epoch, as people began to flock in, and we will no longer attempt to keep track of them all. On Septem- ber 9, 1850, was held the first election for the purpose of choosing alcaldes. The election was held at Lassen's ranch on Deer Creek. Captain J. D. Potts was elected Chief Alcalde, and Colonel Wilson as his assistant.
The Mexican land grants that were made within the present limits of Tehama County were as follows: Las Banlinas, 17,707 acres, patented to W. B. Ide in 1860; Las Flores, 13,315 acres, to William G. Chard in 1859; Primer Cañon ó Rio de los Berrendos, 26,637 acres, to J. F. Dye in 1871; Rio de los Molinos , 22,172 acres, to A. G. Toomes in 1858; Saucos, 22,212 acres, to R. H. Thomas in 1857.
The town of Tchama is the oldest in date of foundation of all in the county, springing up on the Thomes ranch. During 1850 it was a flourishing place with great hopes for the future. A good hotel was kept in the old Thomes adobe by a Mr. Leonard. Two rival towns, called Danville and Benton, were also laid out on Deer Creek, one on the Sill place and the other by Lassen, but they both came to naught. Tehama was mapped and a city platted, but Red Bluff, which was afterward started by S. Woods at the
268
HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
head of navigation and first named Leodocia, had too great an advantage and soon distanced it. It is to day, however, a growing town of considerable business activity and of importance as a railway point.
The first house where Red Bluff now is was an adobe put up late in 1849 by John Myers, who conducted it for a short time as a hotel. In the following spring Mr. Cooper erected a small adobe there, and Judge Ide built another at the "Adobe" Ferry, one mile north. The town was laid ont in 1850. In 1851 Captain E. G. Reed, still one of the energetic men of Red Bluff, built and started a hotel and conducted it with great success for years. The first brick build- ing was the Empire Stables, erected by Major John Brady. Being at the head of ravigation, Red Bluff soon forged ahead, and during the early mining excitements in the northern mines was a great staging town, and did an immense amount of transhipping and teaming of goods. It languished later on with the subsidence of activity in the mines, reviving again in the early '70's on the advent of the Oregon & Cal- ifornia Railroad. Since then it has progressed rapidly, and has a promising future. In 1854 Red Bluff had a population of 1,000 people. In 1860 it had twice as many. The railroad made its advent in December, 1872, supersed- ing river travel, and wholly changing the order of affairs. On the organization of the county in 1856, there was a strong attempt to locate the county-seat at Tehama, but in Marelı, 1857, Red Bluff was chosen. One of the characters of the flush early days was "Captain Jane," a woman of uncertain virtue, who dressed as a sport, flourished a revolver, and could nse it too, and who had all the sturdy, independent char- acteristics of the time. She ran a farm on Thomes Creek for some time, conducting it alone.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.