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 68

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 68

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).

Illinois, graduating in 1888. In the fall elec- tion of that year he was elected to his present position on the regular Democratic ticket. He is the Senior Past President of Lakeport Parlor, No. 147, N. S. G. W.

OBERT HURD BLOSSOM, a rancher early settler and prominent citizen of Te- hamna County, California, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Miamisburg, Montgom- ery County, March 18, 1829, and is the son of Matthias S. and Mary (Craft) Blossom, natives of Maine and New Jersey respectively. The Blossoms came from one of the middle counties of England, before the Revolution, and settled near Barnstable, Massachusetts. One of them raised a company and, as captain, participated in the struggle for independence. Mr. Blos- som's grandfather, Ansel Blossom, was born in Maine and removed with his family, including Mr. Blossom's father, to northwestern Ohio, then a wilderness. He settled on the St. Mary's River, near what is now Willshire, Van Wert County. There he made a home and planted the first apple orchard in that part of the State, the fruit of which was always free to his neighbors. He was the first postmaster in that part of the country, and carried the mail in his bell-crown hat. During President Jack- son's administration the system of " To the vic- tor belong the spoils" was inaugurated. A prominent Democrat was appointed postmaster. He, however, declined to receive the office, say- ing, " Blossom ought to hold it as long as he lives,"-which he did. He was the Yankee school-teacher of his neighborhood, devoting a portion of each week to teaching his neigh- bor's children and the nine children of their own, without asking or receiving compensation. Politically he was a Whig. He was one of those grand old mnen of his time-a worthy progenitor of a numerous family. He lived on the farm which he had reclaimed from the wilderness until the time of his death.

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Mr. Blossom's parents had four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom he was the oldest. After fifteen years of wedded life his mother died. His father subsequently married a second wife by whom he had three children. The subject of this sketch attended school until he was fifteen years old, when he left school of his own accord and entered his father's harness shop to learn the trade. After a few years he became foreman, attended to sales, eut ont work and kept the books, and con- tinned at that until he reached the age of twenty-one. On that eventful, cold March morning his father, instead of finding him with apron on at the bench, cutting as usual, eyed him curiously as he sat by the stove with his best clothes on. At last he realized the sit- uation and said, " What's up, Bob?" (Nobody called him Robert but his mother.) "Taking a holiday?" Mr. Blossom's answer was, " Yes, sir; thought I would not work to-day." " Well," said he, " but you did not say anything to me about that." "Oh," remarked the son, " I have quit doing that." ".Humph!" said he, " going to be your own boss, eh?" The reply was, " Yes, sir,-until I get married."

Atter a few days he went to work as a jour- neyman for his father, remaining in his employ a year. Then, wishing to try out-door life, he engaged, with a partner, in raising a crop of tobacco. It did well, but the price was low, and he again turned his attention to his trade. lle worked for a few months at Dayton and from there he went to Wilmington, where he was engaged in making saddles until the first of April. At that time he began making prep- arations to come to California, having learned that his uncle, James M. Blossom, designed crossing the plains to Oregon, and wished his nephew to accompany him. It was arranged that the two would meet at Kaneville about the middle of May. On arriving at that place he learned that his unele had been detained by reason of measles in his family, and talked of returning home. He then looked about for other company and found a Mr. Jacob Austin,

who was abont to start to the far West with a band of mileh cows. It was agreed that Mr. Blossom should furnish his own riding outfit and help drive the stock, and Mr. Austin fur- nish board. Mr. Blossom purchased a gentle innle for $90, and, not being able to find a sad- dle for sale, he bought a tree and a side of shoemakers' upper leather, and equipped the animal in short order. He left a letter at the postoffice for his uncle, explaining the situation, and started on the ardnons journey.

Captain Anstin had a domineering and ty- rannical disposition and was a little difficult to get along with; but Mr. Blossom, having his own riding animal and a little money and some independence, got on smoothly with him after they had had a tilt or two. Mr. Blossom's re- membrance of the journey is vivid and he re- lates many incidents which occurred.

The cows were all fresh and were to be milked on the journey so that they would be more valuable when they reached California, the calves all having been killed before they started. As Mr. Blossom could not milk it be- came his duty to hold by the horns the cows that would not stand. He thinks that he per- formned that duty pretty well and that that little experience was of valne to him, as he has since had to take the " bull by the horns " several times.

He recalls a stampede of a train of ox teams. A family train had stopped for lunch, without nnyoking, and had taken the end-boards ont of the wagons. A table was improvised on the floor of the vehicles, provisions were laid out, and women and children (some in the wagons and some ont) were busy eating, sitting on chairs and boxes, when something started the teams and away they went and out tumbled women and children and whatever was in the rear of the wagons. The teams behind scam- pered along, some on one side and some on the other; everything was pell-mell and badly mixed up. The most of them overturned, and it was a most ludicrous sight, indeed.

A large train, consisting of thirty inen and a

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number of women and children, immediately in front of Mr. Blossom's party, had some trouble with the Pawnee Indians at Shell Creek. Its black-soil banks rendered it impassable except at a bridge. The Indians were stationed there, said they had built the bridge and demanded toll. It was claimed by the whites that emi- grants had made it and they refused to pay. The Indians caught a loose mule belonging to the party, which caused some fright. A num- ber of shots were exchanged. One white man was killed and several, on both sides, were wounded. The mule was recovered with arrows sticking in him, and the party were moving away as Mr. Blossom's company came up. The red men were very hostile and guarded the ap- proach to the bridge in solid phalanx. They charged nothing for loose stock and Captain Austin, having but one wagon, at once paid the toll demanded, one dollar, and passed over peacefully.

Near this place they saw several specimens of missionary work among the Indians. These poor creatures, who called themselves " good Indians, " presented a unique and grotesque appearance. They were clad in what was sup- posed to be the cast-off garments of the preach . ers who had labored among them. Broadcloth, swallow tail, dress coats and silk hats were not in keeping with the manners and customs of the red inen. They had a paper purporting to have been given to them for good behavior and ask- ing those so disposed to give them something to encourage them in well-doing.

They stopped for lunch one day, and, having had poor feed the night before, unyoked and drove the cows and the work cattle over into a little valley to feed. All hands were with the cattle except Captain Austin and Mr. Blossom. The Captain had gone some distance for a bucket of water and Mr. Blossom was setting some eatables out on the grass, when a fine- looking young buck Indian came up, carrying a bow and several arrows in his hand. He pro- fessed to be very friendly and displayed some scars he had received in battle. Finally his eye

rested on some crackers which Mr. Blossomn had set out. Seeing he cast a wishful glance at them, Mr. Blossom offered him a handful. He spurned them indignantly and wanted the whole sack. When told that he could not have them he proved savage, and acted as if he were going to put an arrow in his bow. Mr. Blossom seized his rifle, which was in the front of the wagon. At sight of it the Indian hastily took his de- parture.

The first graves they passed on this journey, Mr. Blossom says, where at a trading post, and the following tragical story he learned from the trader. The parties were in a wagon train which was two days in advance of Captain Austin's company. One of the men owned the train and had his wife with him, and the other was driving a team for him. The single man, conniving with the wife, it was thonght, shot the other while they were out together, and he also shot some of the oxen to make it appear as if the Indians had done the deed. However, his plan was not successful, as he was detected in the act. A court was improvised and a jury of emigrants found him guilty. Two wagons were run side by side, the tongues raised per- pendicularly and a cross bar put between them with a rope attached to it. The man, with a noose around his neck, was placed upon a bar- rel. The barrel was kicked from under him and a lifeless body dangled between the wagons! Thus he paid the penalty of his crime. The victim and the criminal were buried side by side at the same time.

They saw many new-made graves on the Platte River. The emigrants died of cholera by the hundreds. Mr. Blossom saw nine per- sons buried in one day. The emigrants traveled along with their sick in the wagons until a deathı occurred, when they stopped and made a grave by the wayside and with heavy hearts continued their western journey. Often these lonely graves were disturbed by wild beasts. Our subject saw large holes that the wolves had dug in the graves, and bones and pieces of blankets were scattered abont. One night they

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eamped near a train in which was a woman who was taken with cholera She suffered intensely with cramps and screamed continuonsly for hours. The next morning the train moved on, leaving behind a new-made grave, which told that the fatal disease had done its work and the poor sufferer had found a lonely resting place! On this overland journey Mr. Blossom saw bnt one burial service, and that made a lasting im- pression on him. It occurred one Sunday inoruing. A child had died, and it so happened that a minister was a member of the emigrant party. Ile conducted the services, preaching, praying and singing, being assisted by the women of the train.

Captain Austin had started with everything he thought requisite for the trip,-for man or beast,-flour, bacon, rice, coffee, sugar, tea, dried fruits, a small keg of very fine brandy, a bottle of cayenne pepper, and several hundred pounds of salt for the cattle. They found, on trial, that the cattle turned np their noses at the salt; so it was piled along the road side.

Mr. Blossom was taken with symptoms of cholera. Mr. Austin stopped the train for sev- eral days, and he was liberally dosed with brandy and cayenne pepper, to which treatment he thinks his recovery was due. He thinks had the same course been taken with others many lives might have been saved.

Two brothers, owning two yoke of cattle and a wagon, had with them a passenger who was taken sick. One of the brothers wished to stop and nurse the patient and the other refused; so they divided the provisions and each took a yoke of oxen and a half of the wagon, which they had sawed in two. One went on, having the front gear, and the other remained with the sick man. After several days he recovered, when they fixed a pole to the axle, went on their journey and soon passed the other brother on the road. All kinds of rigs were to be seen on this westward march,-horse, mule, and ox teams, hand-carts, and Mr. Blossom saw one man with a wheelbarrow! A boy with a cow packed over-

took them in the Goose Creek Mountains; said he was from Michigan ; had enough money when he started with which to reach Iowa; there worked two months for a farmer and earned the cow and eleven dollars; and was on his way to California! She was a fine-looking, black cow, furnished the plucky boy all the milk he wanted, and seemed to think as much of him as he did of her. At night he turned her out with their cattle and in the morning would get her up, milk her, eat his breakfast, fasten on an old pair of saddle bags, tie a string to her horns and say, "Come along, Harriet," and go trudging on perfectly happy. He traveled with them down the Humboldt and over the Sierras, then they took the Drytown and be the Hangtown road. Captain Austin offered him $125 for the cow, but he refused, saying lie intended to take her to Sacramento.

On their arrival at Fort Bridger they lay over several days, and there met an Indian who formerly lived in Onio. He was a fine-looking fellow, dressed gandily in buckskin with a red handkerchief about his neck, and mounted upon a horse. When he learned Mr. Blossom was from Ohio he evinced great pleasure. Getting down from his horse, he slapped one hand on his breast. saying, " Me Ohio, too; me Delaware Indian." He advised them not to trade ammu- nition to the Indians. Soon after Mr. Blossom had a remarkable chance to trade. He had been hunting along a little creek, had killed two dneks and had fallen asleep under a clump of willows. The crack of a gun awakened him and he saw a coyote running only a short distance away. He heard a chuckle and, looking around, saw a buck Indian, an old squaw and a young one. They came up and were anxious to get some pereussion caps, and offered to swop the young squaw for ammunition. She eyed him good-hnmoredly, talking and giggling with the old woman at the same time. Mr. Blossom confessed he was somewhat taken with the ap- pearance of the damsel; but, remembering the advice of his Delaware friend, he gave them to understand as well as he could that he was not

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hunting " Mahalas," and could not possibly take one away.

Mr. Blossom was in Salt Lake Valley at the time of the great procession, July 24. Brigham Young rode in a chariot drawn by sixteen horse. Another chariot contained thirty youngs ladies, belonging to the Deseret Female Acad- einy. Mr. Blossom took dinner at " Our House," which was kept by a live Yankee named Mc- Pherson. Provisions were high, and that was the first mneal for which he paid a dollar.

In the Goose Creek Mountains the party en- countered a fearful storm in the night. Despite their efforts to keep the cattle together, they were scattered in every direction; so, after keep- ing guard the first part of the night, they slept in their wet clothes until morning. Then Mr. Blossom rode all day trying to get the stock to- gether. He had a violent cold, took mountain fever and was confined to the wagon for several days.

At Thousand Springs Valley he was on guard one night. Near morning a cow wandered some distance from the others, and, as he went after her, he slipped into one of the thousand springs and was completely drenched. The earth ap- peared like a strong turf on water, with holes cut in it. So deep was the water that a tent pole would not reach the bottom; and it was with difficulty that Mr. Blossom got out and reached camp by daylight.

At Raytown, on Carson River, our subject received his first impression of California. The town was built of slight wooden frames, covered and partitioned entirely with cloth, all new and white. Mr. Blossom was told that, when build- ing was at its height, tacks sold for one dollar a paper. Music, games of chance and a bar were found in nearly every honse. The next morn- ing they passed on, and after several weeks of mountain travel through the Sierras, without any serious mishap, they arrived at the ranch of James Whitcomb, twelve miles below Sacra- mento. This was late in September. After spending a few days there, Mr. Blossom went to Sacramento and, in the horse market, corner

of Sixth and K streets, parted with the faithful mule that had carried him so many thousand miles, receiving for it just what it had cost him in Kaneville. He then started for the mines, Anburn being his objective point. The next morning after his arrival at that place he went to China Bar, on the North Fork of the Ameri- can River, where he was employed by a com- pany at five dollars per day. He worked there until the flume was carried away by high waters. Then with pick, shovel and rocker he went to work for himself. A young man by the name of Samuel Garvey came prospecting along the bar, and he and Mr. Blossom forme l a partner- ship and mined together all winter. Every Sunday they baked a pone of bread and cooked a pot of beans, which lasted them through the week. In the spring they separated, each hav- ing $800. Then Mr. Blossom prospected in the following camps: Illinois Town, Iowa Hill, Steep Hollow, on Bear River, Mountain Springs, Gold Run, Dutch Flat, Blue Canon, finally bringing up at Indiana Hill, where he hired to work in the Mine Hill Diggings for $80 per month.

On June 3, 1853, Mr. Blossom was buried in the mine under a cave of earth. This came near being the death of him. When he was dug out his body was found in a doubled posi- tion, and, upon being straightened, he suffered most severely. His companion, Bill White, had one leg crushed under a rock. For three weeks Mr. Blossom did not attempt to do any work. Then, feeling pretty well, he went to work again, and, in trying to roll a stone away, felt a sharp pain in his breast accompanied with a sickening sensation. So lie went to Sacramento, and ascertained that he had four ribs broken.

Learning that he would not be able to work for some time, he decided to visit his uncle, James M. Blossom, who had come West, and had opened a store in Oregon. Our subject had an interest in a mine in Blue Cañon, and left $600 to assist in its opening while he went to Portland. When he returned to the mines two months later he found the claim a failure and

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his money gone. Not being able to work at mining, Mr. Blossom went to Sacramento, and for three weeks was employed at his trade and boarded at the Waverly House, corner of Fifth and K streets. He was soon offered the situa- tion of clerk and business manager of the house. In the spring of 1854 he purchased the lease of the property and became a hotel-keeper, carry- ing on the business successfully for two years. Then he engaged in the manufacture of soda water, in partnership with M. L. Chandler. In 1857 he went to Tehama County, and com- menced farming, in which business he has since continued, and in which he has met with emin- ent success. In 1871 Mr. Blossom purchased F. W. Fratt's portion of the Dye Grant, El Rancho el Primer Cañou, Del Rio de los Ber- rendos or Antelope Rancho, situated on the east bank of the Sacramento River. He devoted it to grain and harvested immense crops. In 1879 he had 20,000 sacks of wheat, 4,000 sacks of barley and about 500 tons of hay. Some of the ground brought as high as forty-four bushels of wheat to the acre. He also raised large quanti- ties of fruit and vegetables for his own nse, and for the supply of the hands he employed on his place. He provided himself with every modern machine for the purpose of conducting the business in the best manner, and he also made many improvements in farm buildings, and he owned and resided on one of the finest prop- erties in the county.

In 1882 he sold out for $125,000, to Major Joseph S. Cone, who owned the greater portion of the rancho. and is now (1890) the fortunate possessor of this valuable property. Mr. Blos- som then purchased 24,000 acres of choice land,. ten miles west of Red Bluff. Of this he farins 8,000 acres, and devotes the rest to sheep, cattle and hogs. On this property is a good residence, but the family lives in Red Bluff, on account of superior school facilities, and Mr. Blossom is fast bringing the ranch up to his ideal.

Mr. Blossom was married in 1868, to Miss Caroline Hensley, a native of Missouri, and of Scotch ancestry. She came to California when

three years old. They have been blessed with four children, one sou and three daughters, viz .: Jessie, a graduate of Mills College; Edward J., a graduate of the San Mateo Semi-Military College; Bessie B., at school, and Mary R., known by the familiar name of Boby, is at home with her parents.

Mr. Blossom adheres to the Republican party, and for six years has been a Supervisor of Tehama County. No man stands higher in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, and few, if any, have done more to stimulate the growth and development of the county. He has shown the wonderful capabilities of the soil for farmning. As a county for agriculture, Tehama stands second to none in the great State. Mr. Blossom came to this county when it was in its infancy, has been a co-worker with its pioneers, and is now one of its representative citizens.

B. ALSIP, horticulturist, near St. Helena, proprietor of Mountain Cove ranch, one of the most beautiful in Napa County, situated as its name indicates in a delightful bend of Conn Valley, rear St. Helena. Al- though it has been the property of Mr. Alsip for only some five years, he has already im- proved it in such a way as to make it not only one of the most valuable ranches in the county, but even the most valuable.

Mr. Alsip was born in the State of Maryland, in 1819, where he was brought up on a farm, and received a good education in the schools of the district. In 1840 he went to Indiana, settling south of the city of Indianapolis, in Morgan County, and engaged in mercantile business; continuing this until 1853, he set out across the plains for California, leaving Martins- ville ou the 12th of April. On the way there, had a couple of brushes with the Indians, the Sionx and Pah-Utes being the aggressors. For two hundred miles through the State of Iowa, they did not see a house, and from Des Moines to Salt Lake no civilization. Time has changed

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all that. The train consisted of nineteen persons, with 300 cattle and horses, fonr wagons drawn by oxen. The time consumned in the journey was an even six months. On arriving in this State Mr. Alsip settled first in Sacramento and engaged in the dairying business, which he carried on until 1860, when he bought land near Rio Vista in Solano County, still carrying or. dairying and stock-raising. For twenty five years Mr. Alsip farmed in Solano County, being one of the leading and prominent agriculturists in that county. In 1885 he came to Napa County, and purchased his present beautiful estate of 240 acres in Conn Valley, a spot blessed by nature with abundant rainfall, absolute protec- tion from frosts or winds by surrounding hills, and possessing a soil of the greatest fertility. Mr. Alsip has now about fifty acres of grapes, young and old, abont four aeres of French prnnes, which have made a fine growth, and 200 olive trees, young but thrifty, as well as apples, etc., all of which are found to do well. Mr. Alsip states that he has never anywhere seen a better growth of trees than at Mountain Cove. He has erected a fine stone wine cellar with a storage capacity of 80,000 gallons, and finds the making of wine a profitable employ- ment. On the ranch are situated both sulphur and soda springs, as well as abundant springs of pure cold water, from which the water is piped to house and grounds.

Mr. Alsip has been married three times, the first time in Indiana. He has one son, Mr. E. K. Alsip, the well-known real-estate man of Sacramento. Mr. Alsip is a Republican, but is not a partisan. He is in every respect a leading and representative citizen.

URAL HEALTH RETREAT .- This in- stitution, which is admitted to be the largest and best equipped of all of that kind on the Pacific coast, was established in 1878, on a small scale by a few philanthropic gentlemen for the purpose of providing places

where invalids could have the best of medical attendance under the most advantageous cir- cumstances. It is not a money-making institn- tion, and although owned and conducted by an association incorporated under the State laws, yet no dividends have ever been or ever will be distributed among the members of the associa- tion every dollar contributed by the share- holders being virtually a donation and all the net proceeds being expended in enlarging the facilities and in charity treatment. The location of the sanitarium is an excellent one, being on the westerly slope of the Howell Mountain, over 300 feet above the level of Napa Valley, an arm of which (Pratt's Valley) it overlooks. Its altitude places it in the thermal belt, ensuring it an almost absolute freedom from frosts, etc. The salubrity of the climate and equability of tem- perature, the absence of fogs and uniform dry- ness of the atmosphere, render the locality more favorable than most of the institutions of its kind in the Southern States or elsewhere. The build- ings consist of a main structure, four and a half stories, with two rear additions, each four stories, a large new two-story chapel with gymnasium on lower floor, and several outside cottages, besides the usual offices, barns, etc. The site occupied isin the form of a crescent and sloping, so that all parts are in full view at any point. Winding roads and walks, walled with quarried rocks and fringed with a great variety of flow- ers, run here and there, while close to the Rc- treat are beautiful groves of fir, manzanita and madrona trees, under which in the summer sea- son are hammocks, swinging chairs, etc. Cro- quet lawns and recreation grounds complete the opportunities for outside enjoyment. Upon the roof of the main building is a platform, a favor- ite spot, whence magnificent views of valley and mountains, tree-covered heights and vine-clad slopes, are to be had. Mount St. Helena nobly closes the prospeet to the north, while near by are Thimble Mount, Glass Mount, and a range of beauty that is rarely equalled. A hydraulic elevator with safety attachments connects the different floors. A large parlor is found on the

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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 68

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