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 74

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 74

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near town, and has been connected with several of the public enterprises of this section of the county, being one of the incorporators of the Anderson Canning establishment in 1890.

Mr. Pleisch is a man of family, being joined in marriage at Montgomery Creek, Shasta County, November 1, 1881, with Miss Ara- bella Bainbridge, a native of California, and daughter of John P. Bainbridge, of Colnsa County, who was a pioneer of 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Pleisch have three children, viz .: John T., Eliza and an infant son.

RMISTON W. SWAYZE, A. B., M. D of Lakeport, was born near St. Catherines, Canada, in the year 1865, and in 1870 his parents removed to Michigan, and in 1875 to California. He lived in Quincy, Plumas Coun- ty, two years, and then moved to Lakeport, Lake County. In 1880 he entered Adelbert College, of the Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, Ohio, where he pursned his studies until 1884; then he entered the Homeopathie College of that city, and gradnated there with honor. After serving a year as assistant house- surgeon at the Hnron Street Hospital of Cleve- land, he commenced the practice of his chosen profession in Lakeport, in the spring of 1889, and has been so uniformly successful that his practice is not exceeded by any physician in the city, and extends to nearly every part of the connty. He is the only homeopathic physician in Lakeport.

O A. HOWARD, a farmer near Woodland, is the son of Edmaer and Mary (Rober- son) Howard, natives of Missouri; the father, a farmer by vocation, and an exemplary member of the Baptist Church, died in Cooper County, Missouri, and the mother died at the same place, leaving two sons. S. A., the sub- ject of this notice, and the youngest son, was

born in that county in 1831, and in 1857 came across the plains to California, bringing 212 head of cattle, and all the family came with him, and settled in Yolo County, and here Mr. Howard has been engaged in the rearing of and dealing in live-stock, devoting his fine farm to this profitable business. He has a splendid rat.ch, a mile north of Woodland.

In 1857, in Cooper County, Missouri, Mr. Howard married Elizabeth Stevens, and their children are as follows: Marshall L., born De- cember 14, 1857; Edward S., January 16, 1859; James M., February 10, 1861; Mary L., May 9, 1862; Willie E., born May 3, 1864, died January 3, 1884. Mr. Howard is a member of Woodland Lodge, No. 186, F. & A. M., of Woodland; No. -- , A. O. U. W., and of Wood- land Lodge, No. 24, O. C. F.

ILLIAM O. EDMANDS, JR., a farmer of Upper Lake, Lake County, was born at Newton, Massachusetts, December 23, 1859. He received his education in the public schools of Newton and Harvard College, where he gradnated in the class of 1883. In the fall of 1884 he came to Lake County with Messrs. Charles Mifflin Hammond and Gardiner Greene Hammond, Jr., to look for a location to engage in wine manufacture and in fruit and stock raising. They were pleased with this section of country and purchased 1,300 acres of land on the east side of the northern part of Clear Lake. This tract of land was not im- proved, having been nsed previously as a sheep ranch. They took possession of this property, since known as " Red Hill Ranch," November 1, 1884, and immediately entered upon a vig- orons and systematic course of improvement. The climate and soil have proven to be admira- bly adapted for the purposes for which it has been ntilized, and the results accomplished in the few years under the management of the proprietors is truly wonderful. Mr. Edmands' ranch consists of 482 acres, 100 of which is

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cultivated, the balance being used as pasture lands. He is engaged principally in raising fine cattle and horses, making a specialty of the short-horn Durham breed of cattle and grade Percheron horses. He has a very attractive house, which commands a magnificent view of Clear Lake and the grand scenery surrounding it. He is constantly making new improve- ments, being now engaged in laying pipes to conduct water from a fine spring on the moun- tain side about one mile distant, to his resi- dence. Mr. Edmands is very systematic in all he does, which, in connection with his good judgment and enterprise, has led to his present prosperity, and which cannot fail to result in future success. His accomplished wife, nee Hammond, is a daughter of Mr. Gardiner Greene Hammond, a gentleman of New Lon- don, Connecticut.

ICHARD C. RUST, " a native son of the Golden West," was born in Marysville, Yuba County, California, October 19, 1855. His parents, Richard and Evaline (Church) Rust, natives of Vermont, emigrated from that State in an early day and settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they resided until 1849. In the spring of this year, his father, having been appointed one of the Government Commission to establish the boundary line be- tween the United States and Mexico, removed to San Diego, California, where he resided until 1851. From 1849 to 1851 he held the position of Alcalde for San Diego County, which cor- responds to the office of county clerk and re- corder, of the present time. Was elected County Clerk of San Diego County at the first election after admission of California as a State. In 1851 he went to Marysville, aad established the Marysville Express, a newspaper which he pub- lished and was connected with till 1857. Dur- ing the same time he established the Placer Herald, which he sold in a short time. The Herald is still published at Auburn, and is one

of the leading papers of Placer County. In 1857 he sold out his interest in Marysville and moved to Sacramento, where he was employed as editor on the State Journal till 1858. At the time the Vigilance Committee of California was organized in 1856, Mr. Rust was strenn- ously opposed to this organization and used his influence for its dissolution, and the re-establish- ment of a government on democratic prin- ciples. In 1859 he moved to Mokelumne Hill, becoming connected wite the Calaveras Chron- icle, which he conducted until 1861. He then sold his interests in the Chronicle, and retired from the newspaper business; the paper is still being published at Mokelumne Ilill. Mr. Rust was engaged in several newspaper enterprises before he came to California.

In 1861 he purchased a homestead about ten iniles above Mokelumne Hill, and engaged in domestic pursuits, until the time of his death, which occurred August 15, 1872. Mr. Rust never entirely gave up his literary pursuits, having continually acted as correspondent for a number of the leading newspapers of the State, to the time of his death. He died at the age of sixty-three years. His wife is still living, and is seventy-four years old.

Richard C. Rust, the subject of this sketch, was married November 30, 1887, to Miss Lizzie G. Hosmer, a danghter of H. B. and M. V. (Tagart) Hosmer. They have one child, Richard Whitney, born December 3, 1889. Mr. Rust is a stanch Democrat, and received his early education in the public schools of Calaveras County, after which he attended D. C. Stone's preparatory school for the State University. In March, 1876, he commenced the study of law with O'Connor & Pardow in San Francisco, after which he was with Hon. A. C. Adams. He was admitted to the bar, November 10, 1879, and March 19, 1885, was admitted to the United States District Court, and November 11, 1887, to the United States Circuit Court, and from 1879 to 1883, practiced law in San Fran- cisco. In 1883 he came to Jackson, Amador County, and formed a partnership with Hon. A.

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Caminetti, with whom he remained until Jann- ary 1, 1887. He then formed a partnership with Hon. John A. Eagon, under the firm name of Eagon & Rust, with whom he is still asso- ciated. They have an extensive law practice, and are one of the leading law firms of the foo :- hills of Northern California.

ETER LAUENER, a farmer near Capay, was born April 26, 1835, in Switzerland, the son of Christian and Ann Lauener, natives also of that country; the father, by oc- cupation a farmer, died there in 1849, at the age of forty-five years. Peter was brought up on a farm in Switzerland until 1851, when he emigrated to America, with his widowed mother and five other children, and came direct to Rich- land County, Illinois, where he remained until 1859, on a small farm owned by his mother. In 1859 he came overland to California, by way of Pike's Peak, where he remained two weeks. The ensuing winter he spent at Placerville, and during the following spring he entered Capay Valley, and worked for wages until he pur- chased his present place in 1887, which he is preparing for a fruit farm. It comprises 300 acres, and is situated three miles from Capay. He has a sister in Yolo County, and a brother at Sonora. Ile is a member of Lodge No. 242. O. C. F., at Capay.

He was married in 1872, to Miss Nancy Lang, a native of New York, and a sister of J. A. Lang, an old, time-honored pioneer of Yolo County. Mr. Lauener is an energetic and prosperous farmer, with brilliant prospects be- fore him.

OBERT J. ADAMS, Sheriff and Tax Col- lector of Amador County, was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, November 10, 1846. He received his education in the public schools of that country. His father was

a farmer, and Robert stayed at home until about the age of twenty, when he came to California and engaged in the lumber business on the Mokelumne River. He remained in that busi- ness until 1882, then took a position with F. M. Whitmore, as book-keeper and business manager for about two years. In 1884 he was nominated, on the Republican ticket, for Sheriff, but was defeated in the election. In 1884 he went to work for the Amador Canal Company, where he remained till 1886. In that year he was again nominated for Sheriff and this time elected. In 1888 he was re-elected, and is the present Sheriff of Amador County. His par- ents were natives of Scotland. His father still resides in Canada and is well advanced in years: his mother died in February, 1887, at the age of sixty-five.

Mr. Adams was married May 17, 1887, to Miss Ann Nickols. They have three children living; the oldest, Nellie O., is twelve years of age; the second, Alexander Garfield, is nine years old; the third died at the age of three years; and the fourth, Robert J., is four years old. Mr. Adams is a gentleman of pleasing address, but firm in the line of his duty, and makes a very efficient and popular officer.

OUIS J. FONTENROSE, County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder of Amador County, is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, now serving a fourth term as Co inty Clerk for Amador County; was born September 27, 1850. He came to California in 1857, receiving his education in the public schools of Amador County at Sutter Creek. He resided with his parents at Sutter Creek till 1879, then came to Jackson having been appointed Deputy County Clerk, which position he held until March, 1880. In 1879 he was elected on the Repub- lican ticket, as County Clerk, and in March, 1880, took the office, which he held until Jan- nary, 1883. He then received the nomination for re-election by the Republican party, and

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was defeated by a small majority. In the fall of 1884 he was again nominated by his party for County Clerk and elected, and has hield the office ever since.

His parents are natives of Italy, both born near Genoa: They came to America about the year 1845, and settled in Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, where they remained several years, when they removed to Baltimore, Maryland, where they resided till 1857. His father then removed with his family to California and set- tled in Amador County, where he established a home at Sutter Creek, and remained until his deatlı, which was in 1874. His mother is still living, at the old home at Sutter Creek. He died at the age of fifty-five years. His mother is now adout sixty-five years of age, and is ac- tive and vigorons for one so advanced in years.

Mr, Fontenrose is a very pleasant gentleman, strictly attentive to his business, and has many warm friends, irrespective of party, throughout the connty.

ILLIAM Y. BROWNING, a farmer near Woodland, was born March 15, 1829, in Tennessee, a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Crawford) Browning. His father, a native of South Carolina, was a farmer by occupation and moved to Kentucky in early day, locating upon land which he purchased in Monroe County. In 1854 he came overland to California, with ox teams and a small drove of cattle, and settled in Yolo County, where he re- mained until his death, which occurred in 1861, when he was sixty-two years of age. His sur- viving wife died in 1882, aged seventy-nine years. They brought up a large family of chil- dren. William Y., our subject, left home at the age of twenty years, resided in Missouri a portion of 1849-'50, and in the spring of the latter year came to California, with ox teams; returning to the East, he came again in 1854 and 1856. On his first arrival in this State lie followed mining on Dry Creek, near Drytown.

In the spring of 1851 he mined at Gibsonville, and ever since 1852 he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising. He now has 540 acres of choice farming land, his residence be- ing two and a half miles from Woodland, on a splendid gravel road. He is a member of Woodland Lodge, No. 156, F. & A. M.

He was married in 1856 to Miss Rowena Howard, a native of Missouri, whose mother is now in California, aged ninety years. Mr. and Mrs. Browning have two sons and four dangh- ters, namely: Zella, wife of Dr. B. F. Clark, of San Francisco; Tillie, now Mrs. W. A. Hall, of the same city; Charles L., William H., Mary and Ida.

LVAH C. VAN DER VOORT, Justice of the Peace and real-estate dealer at Pleas- anton, dates his birth in Canada, near Bellville, March 14, 1851, where he was reared and educated. His first engagement after the cessation of his school-days was as a book-keeper in a manufacturing establishment. His father, Jacob E. Van Der Voort, a native of Canada, whose ancestors were from Holland, was a farmer by occupation, and at the age of twenty- one years was elected a Representative to Parlia- ment. His wife's name before marriage was Deborah Hageman; she also was a native of Canada and of Holland descent; both the par- ents died in 1853. The subject of this bio- graphical mention came into the United States in 1870, locating at Suñol, California, where he was engaged with his uncle, A. S. Sabome, on his farm for twelve years; and then until 1884 he was engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account. He then moved to Pleasanton, and for two years was connected with Albert E. Crane in real-estate business, having an office also at San Francisco. In 1886 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and in 1888 was re-elected. In the real-estate business he is now connected with Carnall, Fitzhugh, Hopkins & Co .; capital stock, $100,000. This company was incorpo-

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rated with the following officers: Nathan C. Carnall, President; William M. Fitzhugh, Vice- President; George W. Hopkins, Secretary ; Bank of California, Treasurer. Mr. Van Der Voort is also engaged in fire and life insurance and in debt collections. He is a member of Industry Lodge, No. 63, A. O. U. W., of Pleasanton. He is a Republican in his politics, and is active in local affairs.

He was married at Suñol, September 9, 1884, to Miss Alameda Frakes, and they have one daughter. His wife's father, a native of Ken- tucky, and her mother, a native of Illinois, were married at Santa Clara, and have seven children.

ILLIAM OBERHOUSE, a Yolo County farmer, was born May 5, 1823, in Prus- sia, and was only six months old when his father died. In 1845 he emigrated to America, landing at New Orleans. The first five years in this country he was a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, engaged as a ship-calker. In the spring of 1850 he came overland with mule teams to California, driving a team every day and having the ground only for a bed every night. He was just ninety days in making the trip, which was a pleasant one. He was among those who were the first to go upon the south side of the Humboldt, where there was plenty of feed. Arriving at Sacramento, the company disbanded and Mr. Oberhonse followed mining two months at Coloma, when he was taken sick and returned to Sacramento. Then he went by water from San Francisco to Humboldt County, being three weeks on the ocean. He visited Scott's River and Scott's Valley and Shasta Creek on mule-back, and, his mnle becoming mired in the snow, he turned hin down upon his side and dragged him down the hill by the tail! IIe stopped two weeks on Shasta, or Whisky Creek, and was raided one night by some Indians. Some of his company were killed and some robbed. Ile returned to Sacra- mento and drove a water-wagon until 1853,

when he returned to Missouri by way of the Isthmus. Remaining at St. Louis nntil 1855, he came again to California, by way of the Isthmus. After visiting Sacramento and Yolo County, he took a piece of land in Solano Connty, which afterward proved to be grant land and he rented it for a time. Crossing the creek into Yolo County he purchased a squat- ter's claim to a tract which he has ever since made his home and which he has highly im- proved. There are now 480 acres of the home- stead, and he raises hay, grain and live-stock. It is three miles east from Winters.

Mr. Oberhouse was married in 1854, to Miss Frederica Bearnbum, a native of Prussia, and they have had three sons and four daughters, namely: Emma L., wife of George Sims; Ella L., George, William D., Louis E. and two de- ceased. All the sons are married.

EORGE E. GOODMAN has lived in Cal- ifornia since 1852, and in Napa since 1855. Born in Rochester, New York, in 1823, he attended the common and high schools of that city up to the age of nineteen, when he removed to Memphis, Tennessee, where he had an uncle in business, and engaged as a shipping clerk in a cotton commission house, remaining there until 1852. Returning to Rochester for a visit to his parents, he proceeded to New York and thence to San Francisco by way of Panama, arriving October 3, 1852, after a trip of thirty days. Among his fellow-passengers on that trip were ex-Senator W. M. Gwinn, ex-Congressman McCorkle, Mr. Hardenburgh, formerly Surveyor-General of the State, and Nicholas Luning, the millionaire of San Fran- cisco. During that voyage Dr. Gwinn fre- quently prophesied the building of the trans- continental railroad, which was carried out twenty years later. Mr. Goodman was engaged in the wholesale grocery and produce business in San Francisco until 1855. At that time business in San Francisco was very lively, and

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all merchandise was shipped around Cape Horn. Passengers and mails only came by way of Pan- ama. When Mr. Goodman crossed, the rail- road was built for only abont fourteen miles up the Chagres River, then abont ten miles by row- boat, and the rest of the way by mule to Pan- ama. Thus it will be seen that no merchandise conld come by the Panama route, which at that time was hardly capable of carrying the passen- gers and mails. This left a grand opportunity for the wide-awake speculators who then abounded in San Francisco to get up corners on certain accommodations, and at the same time rendered the market liable to be so glutted with other articles that boxes of tobacco, for instance, weighing from 140 to 150 pounds. were used for crossings in the streete, and doubtless in some parts of the city these boxes could now be found marking the foundations of those streets. At times corners were mode on goods so that they sold for fabulous prices, and at others they would not bring the cost of freights. In 1855 Mr. Goodman left San Francisco for Napa, where he engaged in mercantile business as a member of the firm of Hart & Company. Their trade was very extensive, reaching as far as Clear Lake, in Lake County. At that time there was much wheat raised in the Napa Val- ley region, while Berryessa and other valleys were large producers of stock, and Napa was the shipping and supply point. Everything was hauled by ox teams, many of which had come across the plains from the East. He con- tinned in the mercantile business until 1859, when he engaged in banking, as a partner of his brother, under the firm name of James H. Goodman & Co., private bankers. This was the first bank established in Napa County. Money was worth three per cent. per month, and profitable use could be made of it even at that figure. He has remained in this business since that time, and continuously on the same block. In consequence of the death of James H. Goodman, in 1888, the firm was changed to a corporation, under the name of the James H. Goodman & Co. Bank, with $500,-

000 incorporated stock and $300,000 paid-up capital.

In 1861 Mr. Goodman took the place of the County Treasurer elect, who went to Virginia just previous to the breaking out of the war and failed to return. After serving out Mr. Wood's unexpired term, he filled the office by successive re-election for a period of almost nine years, when he declined further nomina- tions. He has always been a member and lib- eral supporter of the Presbyterian Church. Both he and his brother James H. contributed largely to the building of their fine edifice, costing over $30,000, fully half of this amount being furnished by these gentlemen. They were also largely interested in building the gas- works of that city, owning inch of the stock, and were the principal promoters of the Napa City Water Company, furnishing to a large extent the means necessary to its successful development.

He was married in 1860, to Miss Carrie A. Jacks, a native of New York, and the daughter of Judge P. Jacks, of Napa. They have two children,-Harvey P., now engaged in the bank as Vice-President, and George E. Jr., also connected with the bank as Teller. Mr. Good- man has always been a supporter of the Repub- lican party. He is largely interested in the Eshcol vineyard and wine cellar, and, from his position as a large capitalist and the leading banker of the place, is naturally an important factor in all its business interests, while his broad and liberal views and his generous assist- ance in the promotion of large enterprises have given him a powerful and wide-spread influence throughont this section of the State.

B. HURLBERT .- We mention here one of the oldest citizens of Madison, a 9 farmer and stock-raiser of Yolo County, who once owned the land upon which the flour- ishing village of Madison now stands. For the purpose of starting the town, he donated the land

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there to those who would properly improve it. He located here in 1865, coming from New York State, where he was born in 1811. His journey across plain and monntain was a spe- cially difficult one. He visited a number of localities and several cities, bnt concluded that California was the best of all, and hither he carne, in 1851, with his own team. He first stopped in Hangtown, from 1851 to 1854; then he returned to Wisconsin, and located upon a farm with his family. Subsequently he sold that place and resided nine years in Minnesota. Starting then for California, he lost all of his cattle on the way, and he went off into Montana for a time, and since then he has been a resident of his present place in Yolo County, landing here November 13, 1865. He purchased 844 acres, sixty-three of which he gave for the vil- lage of Madison; and he also has given to his two sons a ranch, to one a quarter-section, and to the other 391 acres. He still holds the home place of 413 acres, his residence being one- fourth of a mile from the village of Madison. He is successful in raising large quantities of fine wheat and cattle. He is a member of the Knights Templar, Masonic blue lodge, and the I. O. O. F.

In 1846, in Wisconsin, he married Margare+ Ream, and they have two children,-Charles M. and George R. Mr. Hurlbert's parents were Daniel and Sybil (Martin) Hurlbert, natives of Connectient. His father, a farmer, died in the State of New York.

M. DAMERON, a farmer and stock- raiser of Yolo County, was born in 1832 in East Tennessee, the son of Felix J. and Mary (Damnarel) Dameron. His father, a native of North Carolina, and a horse-trader by occupation, died in 1848, in Cobb County, Ken- tucky; and his mother was a native of East Tennessee. The Damerons were French Hugne- nots and came over in the same ship with the Dupuys, Tribins and Clays, settling in Virginia

and North Carolina in 1700. Mr. Dameron's mother was from Scotland. The subject of this notice came overland to California in 1854, with a party of friends, some of whom are still living in his neighborhood. He worked his way by driving stock. Stopping first in Marys- ville, he followed mining and lumbering in that vicinity and in Butte County for two years, and in 1856 he settled upon his present place, where he took up 160 acres of the best land. He now has 640 acres of well improved land, whereon he raises grain principally and some live-stock.

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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 74

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