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 70
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Ile finds his market chiefly in San Francisco, but has built up a constantly increasing busi- ness in the East and Central States, one feature being specially noteworthy, namely, 'the ship- ping of church wine for communion purposes throughout the coast and elsewhere. We notice
by the papers that he has lately been making sales also in Germany of his fine brandies. The grapes are carried from the vineyard to the second floor of the winery by elevator, which has an attachment below for cleaning the grapes. They go then to the crusher, whenee the juice is conducted by ingenious gravity de- vices to any part required. The building is made self-supporting, the only one of its kind in the State, except Senator Stanford's winery at Vina. It has also a very late device for carrying tubs or material to any part, in the way of an elevated railroad or track. There is steam for pumping or other work, the power coming from the engine in the distillery behind the main building. An abundant supply of pure cold water is obtained by windmill and tanks, from wells sunk on the premises. The floor is entirely of stone, with drains for carry- ing off all water. There are two Heald's hy- draulie presses, and also a St. Helena hydraulic press, representing both the pressure from be- low and from above, the former being much the better. There is also a bottling department connected with the establishment, to supply the constantly increasing demand for the wine in retail consumption. The distillery has a capac- ity of about 200 gallons per charge, the quan- tity of brandy made last year being about 12,000 gallons. So far the cooperage has been bonght outside, but it is understood that the intention is to manufacture their own another year. In all about fifty men are employed, it being the wise custom of Mr. Adamson to keep the different nationalities apart in separate bonses. In order to supply his large business he buys each year from $7,000 to $8,000 worth of choice grapes to add to his own.
The residence is a handsome structure, beanti fully surrounded by trees and flowers, and pre- sents a fine appearance, commanding a fine view in every direction. A splendid orchard, the cherries being famous over the valley, is also one of the beauties of the place. Mr. Adamson is a man of unusual energy and force of charac- te:, and of an overflowing hospitality. He has
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made his own way from the beginning, often against serious odds, but always coming out head uppermost. He is a native of Germany, or rather of Holstein, now a part of Germany, but at the date of his birth a part of Denmark. In his younger days he went to sea, visiting many portions of the globe. In 1853 he came around the Horn in the clipper ship Gamecock, on a voyage from New York to San Francisco, the voyage lasting four months and fourteen days. He went almost directly from San Fran- cisco to Sonoma, walking up from the em- barcadero to Colonel (now General) Hooker's ranch at Glen Ellen, looking for work, and being well treated by him. After a short stay he went to Napa, where he was with W. A. Fisher for a year and a half. Thence he went to the mines on the Yuba River, and stayed for eighteen months. From there he went to El Dorado County and worked for six months, and then went to the Fraser River, where he had much trouble and suffering from Indians and hardships, as did most of those who followed that excitement. He then returned to Napa, and began farming in the Berryessa Valley and elsewhere, carrying on very extensive opera tions, having often as high as 2,000 or 3,000 acres of wheat. He bought his present place in 1870, and while improving it continued his operations on rented land on the Welsh tract in Colusa, and on the New York grant in Con- tra Costa and other counties.
Ile is a man of wonderful energy and power, has magnificent business qualities, and is as popular as any man in the county. Mr. John H. Riess is his foreman, a young man whom it is a pleasure to meet.
EORGE W. MEESE, orchardist and vine- yardist, a mile east of Pleasanton, dates his birth July 6, 1826, in Ohio, upon a farm. His father, Philip Meese, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Pennsylvania, and died in 1878; and his mother, whose name be-
fore marriage was Nancy Ready, was born in Virginia, and died in 1834. Mr. Meese, our subject, located in Fond du Lac County, Wis- consin, followed farming eight years, and during that period he held the offices of Justice of the Peace and chairman of the Board of Super- visors. He was also a member of the Board of Inspectors at the election of Lincoln as Presi- dent of the United States, both in 1860 and 1864. He was a carpenter and car-builder in the shops of the Northwestern Railway Com- pany eight years in the city of Fond du Lac. Next he was sent by that company to Mari- nette, that State, to take charge of the car-re- pairing shops there, which position he had until 1880, when he came by rail to California. For the first two years here he was a resident of San Ramon, Contra Costa County. In 1882 he located at his present place, where he owns and cultivates thirty aeres in vineyard and orchard. He is a prominent member of Lew Morris Post, No. 47, G. A. R., at Livermore, and is also a decided Republican, taking an active part in political matters.
He was first married in Ohio, and had six children, of whom two danghters and two sons are still living. The second time he was mar- ried in Contra Costa County, California, Feb- ruary 16, 1882, to Mrs. M. I'. Benedict, of Oak- land, who is a native of New York State, and came to California with her husband in 1848, by whom she has one daughter, named Frances A.
OHN ARMSTRONG, viticulturist, Ruther- ford, superintendent of the Inglenook Vineyard and Wine Cellars, the magnificent property of Captain Niebaum, at Rutherford. He has had a life of unusual variety and inter- est. He was born in Scotland in the year 1841, but when a year old came with his parents to Canada. His father, Joseph Arm- strong, still resides, an active old man, in Toronto. The son was brought up as an en-
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gineer, serving his time at the large Marine Engine Works in Dundas, near Hamilton, Canada. Having learned his trade he came to Chicago, just before the civil war broke out, and worked for a little time ou railroads run- ning out of that city, but shortly was called npon for active service in the war itself. While not carrying a musket, yet his duties were far more onerous and often perilous in the last de- gree, for Mr. Armstrong was in the Engineer- ing Department, and was engaged under Gen- eral Thomas transporting troops in Tennessee and adjoining parts. This work was toilsome and dangerons, requiring iron nerves, a cool head and utter fearlessness. After the war Mr. Armstrong came to this coast, and for a time was in Ben Holladay's employment, running steamers. In 1868 he was made chief engi- neer of the Fidelity, the first American steamer to go to Alaska for the Alaska Fur Company. He remained in this employment until 1877, when he was sent to Saint Paul Island as their resident agent, holding that responsible posi- tion for nine years, or until the fall of 1886. Returning then to San Francisco to spend the winter, he was induced by Captain Niebaum to go np there and take charge of Inglenook. To an outsider it would seem that he is the right man in the right place, for no one who visits Inglenook, and has the good fortune to be piloted round by Mr. Armstrong, but carries away the most enthusiastic feelings.
Mr. Armstrong was married in 1872, to Miss Yates, a native of Maine. They have two little children.
HILIP L. ROBERTS, Treasurer of Contra Costa County, was born in Madison Coun- ty, Ohio, May 29, 1839, a son of John, Jr., and Angeline (Lough) Roberts, father a native of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and mother a native of the State of Virginia. She died when Philip was fifteen months old, and he was brought up by his grandfather, Roberts, and
remained with him until the death of the latter in 1861. Up to the age of eleven years he was in Madison County, and then one year in Iowa, then in Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois, until the fall of 1852, then in Madison County, Ohio, again, where, August 29, 1862, he enlisted in the Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and joined his regiment at Louisa, Kentucky, some time between the tenth and fifteenth of Septen- ber. The regiment, commanded by Colonel Jacob E. Taylor, was attached to General Gran- ger's Reserve Corps, and actively participated in the battle of Chickamauga. Concerning that action, General Thomas, in his report, says, “ It was through the arrival of General Granger and his reserve that his army was saved." They then were engaged in siege of Chattanooga, the memorable battle of Lookont Mountain, etc., and passsed the ensuing winter, 1863-'64, in Niekajack Valley. About the first of March they went to Blue Springs, Tennessee, where Sherman formed his army for the Atlanta campaign, and where for 121 days the troops were under a constant fire. After aiding in the fall of Atlanta they rested until Hood crossed the Tennessee River for Nashville. After the battle of Chickamanga and siege of, Chattanooga, Mr. Roberts' regiment was attached to the Second Brigade, First Division of the Fourth Army Corps, under General Stanley at that time, and while at Atlanta Mr. Roberts was transferred to the Fifty-first Ohio Regiment, and was detailed to duty in the adjutant gen- eral's office of the brigade; was there three months, and then transferred to the subsistency department and served in that until the close of the war. He was mnstered out of service June 20, 1865, at Nashville, and arrived home in Ohio July 3.
In October following he went to Illinois and spent the winter there, and in March joined his nnele at St. Louis, and went into Barton County, in the southwestern part of that State, where he followed carpentering until the autumn ot 1866. While there he was appointed Assessor of that county, and was elected for a second
D. V. Hershey
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term, serving in all four years. In 1875 he came with his family to California, arriving at Antioch, Contra Costa County, on Christmas day, and from that time to the present has been farming what is known as the Marsh grant. In the autumn of 1888 he was elected to his pres- ent position on the Republican ticket.
He was married October 2, 1868, in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri, to Elvira C. Wills, a native of' Macoupin County, Illinois, and they have two sons and three daughters.
AVID N. HERSHEY .- In the history of the territory embraced within the limits of Yolo County no name appears in more intimate connection with the progress and development of this region than that which heads this article. A brief mention of his ori- gin, and an outline resume of some of the salient points in his career, therefore, become not only valuable but indeed essential in this volume of Northern California. Such men are the corner-stones of any community: a study of the results accomplished by them should be of absorbing interest and great value to the young.
Mr. Hershey is a native of Maryland, born in Washington County, at a point two miles from Funktown and only four miles from that more important point, Hagerstown, the date of his birth being the 13th of April, 1818. His father, David Hershey, was a native of Pennsylvania, born at a point in Dauphin County distant only a mile from Harrisburg, the capital of the State. His mother, whose maiden name was Christiann Roher, was born near the dividing line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Both parents were of German ancestry, and grandfather John Hershey, a preacher of the United Brethren faith, was born along the banks of the river Rhine, whence he emigrated to America, and was one of the founders of the church re- ferred to.
When the subject of this sketch was but six years of age his parents removed from his na- 28
tive place to Montgomery County, eighteen miles west of Rockville, and not far from the line of the District of Columbia. There he was principally reared, and he made it his home most of the time until 1841, when he went West with his brother-in-law, also named David Hershey. The latter located with his family in Howard County, Missouri, not far from Fay- ette, and about 200 miles up the river from St. Louis, and our subjeet, who had driven a team the entire distance, went to live with them. He got all he could make there, and remained with them one year. In 1842 he devoted his atten- tion to the raising of tobacco, and in the fol- lowing year dried and put up seven hogsheads. He had difficulty in disposing of it in the local market, but a man whom he had known in Maryland, but then a resident of Missouri, Dr. Ober by name, took it off his hands. He sent it to Baltimore, where, however, there was no sale for that grade of tobacco. He then ship- ped it to Europe, and the report in the ship- ment, afterward received, was regarded by Mr. Hershey as very flattering to his efforts. Some hogsheads were rated in the European markets as "sound; sweet flavor; fair condition; " while the others were marked, "ordinary, but sound."
Raising and curing tobacco continued his principal occupation until in 1844 he formed a partnership with Dr. Ober for the purpose of expanding the business, the latter furnishing the capital, while Mr. Hershey devoted his per- sonal attention to the business. He put up seventy-one hogsheads of strips and thirty or forty more of leaf tobacco, all but one hogshead of which Dr. Ober shipped in his own name. As he failed Mr. Hershey never received a cent out of the entire stoek, and the only tangible result he had to show for all his time and work was one solitary hogshead of tobacco, while he was abont $200 in debt! He remained in the business on his own account, in spite of the dis- couraging results of the venture, adding to it also by manufacturing cigars, and built up quite a trade with the fur traders and other dealers
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of St. Louis, exchanging for furs, pelts, etc. Besides, he shipped considerable to Shreveport and other points south on the river. He also went on the road with a team, and traveled with it selling tobacco and cigars thronghont south- western Missouri, the Indian Territory and Texas.
On a trip made in 1848 he entered Texas at Preston, and visited the towns in that portion of the State. He went to Ponner, to Sher- man, and finally to Dallas, which was then only a trading post, with a few shanties, giving no promise of the fine large city which stands there to-day. From Dallas he proceeded to Shreve- port, and on his arrival there found the cholera raging. His nephew, who accompanied him, became so alarmed at this condition of affairs that our subject sent him home, and with him the furs accumulated on the trip. Mr. Her- shey found out, while at Dallas, that there was no coffee there; and, being unable to dispose of his team at Shreveport, he purchased a load of coffee, and prepared to start with it for Texas trading posts. When his preparations were abont completed, a man whom he had been dickering with in regard to the team, came to him and offered to purchase it. But the load which he had bought was then a white elephant on his hands. In this dilemma he went to a merchant to whom he had been accustomed to ship tobacco from Missouri, and the latter agreed to take the coffee off his hands at the price he had paid for it. This solved the prob- lem, and he soon disposed of his outfit. He then went back to Missouri, where he one day passed a young man whom he did not recog- nize. The latter spoke, and he recognized the voice as that of the nephew whom he had parted with at Shreveport, though so emaciated as to entirely change his appearance. He had gone home by way of New Orleans, where he was stricken with the cholera. He reached home safely, after a hard struggle with the disease, but had not the slightest idea what had become of the furs in his charge. Thus went the fruits of that long and tedious trip.
In 1849 Mr. Hershey one day received a let- ter from a cousin, who wrote that he was on his way to California, requesting Mr. Hershey to meet him at Independence. With the full in- tention of accompanying his cousin on the jour- ney to the Golden State, our subject went to the point named, but after a search among the thousands of emigrants there failed to find his relative. The cholera broke out among the thickly crowded people while he was there, and disappointed he went back to resume his labors in the tobacco business.
In 1850 he made a trip back to his old home in Maryland, and returning thence to Missouri, in 1851, went np to Linn County, to work for Colonel Flournoy and his brother John, with whom he remained until 1853. In the latter year, his employers having 100 head of cattle left from a band which had been purchased for a California contractor, he and William S. Flour- noy started with them for California. They crossed the Missouri River at St. Joseph, and were soon well along on the long journey. In Nebraska their attention was attracted by the sight of Indian runners who were evidently en- gaged in carrying some important news. On arriving at Fort Kearney they found that the officers in charge had stopped the stream of emigration at that point on account of trouble with the savages. It seemed that some Indians, being refused the boat on the ferry, had fired on the boat, and a squad of ten soldiers, who went to arrest the offenders, killed two of them and arrested two of the leaders and put them in jail. The emigrants were allowed to leave the fort only in large trains under escort, and after a detention of two days our subject and party were permitted to proceed. The Indians conld be seen off toward the mountains, charging madly on their ponies, and the train of whites put out double picket gnards each night, fearing an attack. One night, while Mr. Hershey was on guard, with his mule, a fine large saddle animal picketed some fifty yards away, he heard the beast snort as if scenting danger. Going to the next man supposed to be on guard, he
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found him wrapped in slumber. Slipping the rifle ont of the picket's hands he carried it back to his own post, When the man awoke he went into camp and said that the Indians had been about and had taken his gun from him. Mr. Hershey came np and told the man to go with him, and taking him back showed him the missing gun. In answer to the inquiries of the surprised man, he told him how it came into his possession, and then informed the cap- tain of his train that if they wanted men on guard who would attend to business they had bet- ter put on some one who could keep awake there in place of the man who had been so negligent.
The party eventually passed through the re- gion infested by the hostile Indians and proceeded on by the way of Fort Laramie and Sublette's Cut-off, and thence into California by the Carson route, the trip having consumed the time from May to October. Arriving at Fid- dletown, Amador County, Messrs. Hershey and Flournoy stopped there, as their men wanted to go to mining, and a few days later they proceed- ed on to Yolo County. They located near where Mr. Hershey now resides, taking up a quarter section each adjoining, and buying out the claims of squatters who had been temporarily on the land. Our subject put up a cabin about a hundred yards from the house in which he now lives. He and Flournoy went about im- proving their places, and pastured their stock, having got through with all but about 25 per cent. of the 100 head apiece with which they liad started. They found, eventually, that their land was claimed by other parties under what was known as the Knight grant, and a long and ex- pensive investigation followed. Mr. Hershey was not the man to be driven off from his pos- sessions without a struggle, and though defeated in the courts of the State he appealed to the United States Courts, and there came out vic- torions. He branched out in the cattle trade, increasing the scope of his business, and in the days of the mining period was accustomed to drive his fat animals to the mountain camps for a market. His cattle business grew to such
proportions that in one year he and his partner branded as many as 1,000 calves. Of late years, however, he has not devoted so much attention to stock, but has several dairies, milking over 200 cows, and making cheese; has about 700 head of cattle, and some fine stock,-Holsteins, Durhams, etc.
Mr. Hershey is an excellent judge of land, and has always recognized the fact that it was to be found the safest, soundest kind of prop- erty. With excellent judgment he has from time to time added to his possessions until he now ranks as one of the largest holders of good land in this whole region. On his home ranch he has 1,120 acres. Half a mile west he has a tract of 160 acres, and 160 more above Block's Station. In another large ranch above Dunni- gan he has 2,400 acres in this county and 240 in Colnsa. Four miles west of that he has 600 acres in Colusa, and 240 adjoining it in Yolo. Near by he has a timber tract of 160 acres, and is the possessor, besides, of another piece of land containing 320 acres, which was conditionally sold, but on which the contract has not been fulfilled. It adjoins the last 240-acre tract mentioned. Though all of this land requires looking after on his part, lie only farms three- fourths of the home ranch and half of the large tract near Dunnigan. He has, besides these various tracts mentioned over 9,000 acres of tule and river bottom land, starting seven or eight miles east of here and running toward Sacramento. He is the owner of part of the old home place in Maryland, and has made two additions, now having 300 acres, which is a large farm there. It is not far from Boyd's Station, on the Metropolitan road. He owns two-sevenths of the great " 76" canal in Fresno and Tulare counties, and two sevenths of 19,- 000 acres of first-grade land. The canal was built by the company for the purpose of irri- gating this land, originally amounting to 31,000 acres. Three months ago our company, sold the canal to the Allen Irrigating Company for over $410,000. Mr. Hershey was for several years a director in the company.
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Mr. Hershey has extensive bank holdings, be- ing largely interested in the Bank of Woodland and the Bank of Yolo, being one of its directors, and the Grangers' Bank of San Francisco. He is the owner of the Hershey House, at Knight's Landing, which he built to take the place of the three-story brick hotel destroyed by fire, which had been constructed by him and a partner.
Mr. Hershey, while in no sense an office seeker, has been compelled by his prominence here to take a somewhat aetive part in public affairs and has had an official career worthy of mention. In 1879 he was the Democratic nomi- nee for Representative in the State Legislature of California, and led his party to victory. In 1883 he was re-elected again to represent his district, showing the confidence of the people and their satisfaction with his record. He served both terms with credit, and took an im- portant part in several important measures, notably the passage of the aet to change the system of voting in swamp-land districts from the acreage basis to that of valuation. He has several times represented the Democracy of the county in the State conventions, and the party is glad to recognize him as one of its wheel- horses when he takes off his coat for the fray. He is one of the oldest Odd Fellows hereabouts having joined the order at Linnens, Missouri, in 1852, and being now a member of Woodland Lodge.
He was married in this county, January 2, 1873, to Miss Ella, daughter of William F. Flournoy, previously mentioned, who went back to Missouri in 1854, and in 1865 returned to California, being now a resident of Modoc County. Six children have been born to them, of whom one -- Magdalena, is deceased. Those living are: Cornelia, Davidella, May, Grace Harlan and D. N.
Mr. Hershey is one of those solid, substantial men whose presence in a community is worth much as an example for old and young. Such men show the capability of a country, and are a standing reproof to drones and non-producers. He is a man of the highest standing in business
and social circles, respected by all, and the results of his work will live in the history of the community which he has so long made his home. Mr. Hershey is now engaged in levee- ing, and has been for the last five years re- claiming some 5,000 acres of land, working as high as eighty head of mnles and horses. The last winter, being very severe, broke his levee and destroyed 800 acres of a fine farm. He intends to rebuild the levees, and is now at work with fifty head of inules and horses of his own, and will put on 100 more horses.
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