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 93

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 93

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).

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usual business ability, and these qualities have been brought out in strong relief during his residence in this county. While generally con- sidered a conservative man in business matters, he was not backward about taking risks when they were necessary in transactions. During the days when free-landers were the great exporters of California wheat, he and his partners had at times as much as $200,000 or $300,000 worth of wheat in the hands of the forwarders, from which they had received no returns. These risks were necessary to carry on a large busi- ness of that kind then, but a failure of their commission men would have meant ruin to all. It took men of nerve to do that kind of busi- ness, and a history of the grain trade shows an unnsual small percentage of men who have. come out on the right side in the end. Mr. Hunt did so, and is certainly entitled to the credit of having been a shrewd operator.

While never having been in any sense a poli- tician or office-seeker, Mr. Hunt has always taken a commendable interest in public affairs; is an ardent supporter of the principles of the Re- publican party, and has done his share in keep- ing up the spirit of the party in this region.

Mr. and Mrs. Hunt have three children, viz: Alice Edith, wife of L. D. Stephens, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Rowena D., wife ot E. J. Du Pne; and A. G., a brief sketch of whom follows:

ALVIS G. HUNT was born in Yolo County, April 19, 1859. He commenced his schooling in the schools at Cacheville, continuing his studies in the State University at Oakland, fin- ishing whith a commercial course in the Sacra- mento Business College, where he graduated in 1875. He then embarked in the warehouse trade, assisting in the business of his father's firm, and becoming thoroughly familiar with its details. He has, since entering upon his busi- ness career, been identified largely with the grain trade; and that is now his line. He has considerable property interests, including a ranch in Fresno County, which he rents out, a business building on Main street and realty in

Chicago. He is an unassuming young man but has had quite a business career for one of his years.

H. LAUGHLIN, whose ranch of sixty- two acres, about a mile from Napa, has about thirteen acres in bearing orchard, of which 500 trees are Bartlett pears, 100 psach, early and late Crawfords, 500 pears, 200 apple-trees, and about two acres of various fruits for home consumption. All of this ranch was planted out by Mr. Laughlin about twenty- five years ago, and part of it is only from seven to eight years old.

Mr. Laughlin has been a resident of Califor- nia and of his present home for the past thirty- one years. He was born in Connty Antrim, Ireland, in February, 1836, and his parents came to America while he was a boy, settling in New York State, where he has lived for nine years. In 1858 he came to California and im- inediately conimenced farming in the Napa Valley, and since then has continued to the present time, having been absent only eight months, during the Salmon River excitement. He commenced working as a farm hand, and continned at that until he purchased his present home in 1865, when he bought seventy-five acres. He has since improved the place and made a very comfortable home.

He was married in 1872, to Miss Margaret A. Donnely; a native of County Tyrone, Ireland. He has been for four years Road-master on the Road District No. 13. He is a member of the Pacific Endowment League, and of the Royal Argosy, and a member of the United Endow- ment Associates.

OHN AMES .- One of the prettiest and most desirable places in the Napa Valley is the ranch of Mr. John Ames, sitnated about one and one-half miles from Napa City,

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on the Sonoma road, at the base of the foot- hills. The ranch comprises 207 acres. There are twenty-five acres in bearing orchard, fifty acres of beautiful land and the remainder of the ranch is hill land, much of which is adapted to vines and trees. Mr. Ames is replacing many of the trees with more desirable varieties. On the premises is a handsome residence of mod- ern architecture and conveniences, built by the proprietor six years ago.

IDNEY ALLEN GRIGGS landed in San Francisco August 14, 1849. He was born in Littleton, Grafton County, New Hamp- shire, September 4, 1826. His father, Gideon Griggs, was a native of Connecticut, and passed his life on a farm. He married Miss Susan Burnham, and to them were born nine children, the subject of this sketch being the fifth child and one of the three who are now living. His grandfather, John Griggs, was born in England, came to America before the Revolution, was a soldier in that war, and died in Littleton, New Hampshire, about the year 1833. Mr. Griggs received his early education in New Hampshire, and later attended school in Vermont. When a young man he was in the employ of the Knickerbocker Ice Company, working in New York in the winter, and in Havana in the snill- mer. He remained with that company for five or six years, and then came to California.

Like the majority of Forty-niners, Mr. Griggs went direct to the mines, and spent three years at Coloma, on the American River; and, like other miners, he had his ups and downs. They built finmes and wing dams, at a great expense, and the high waters, in a single night, would demolish what had cost them large sums of money. Mr. Griggs went on a prospecting tour to Shasta, and on the way overtook R. J. Walsh, in Fremont. Together they continued their journey, and passed through Red Bluff. At that time there was no road, and Red Bluff

had only one little adobe house. When he re- turned to Sacramento, his party has located on the Cosumnes River, and they inined there that winter. In the summer of 1850 he mined all through that section of the country.

In the spring of 1851 Captain Maxwell started out on a surveying expedition, to locate the rivers and make the first map of the State. This party, of which Mr. Griggs was one, con- sisted of forty-one men. They struck the line between California and Nevada and followed it to the Oregon line, where they found the corner monument and, by piling stones ou it, raised it to the height of eight or nine feet. On their way back they visited Mount Shasta. They climbed its sides until they got s, high that Mr. Griggs was taken with bleeding at the nose. Others went higher, but none reached the top. They made a snow ball and started it down the mountain. It soon became large enough to wind trees up in it, and it went down at a fear- ful rate. July 4, 1851, the party was on Lassen Peak. They put their names on a stick, tied a red silk handkerchief to it, to represent the American flag, and lett it there. It was after- ward bronght down.

While on this journey they had a narrow escape from being overpowered and annihilated by the Indians. Captain Maxwell thought lie saw signs of an attack, and advised the men to be on their guard. As time to encamp came on, he gave orders for thein to halt, cook supper and eat it, and make all their camp arrange- Inents. When night set in, they broke camp and followed him to a point, four or five miles distant, which he and some others had selected as being better suited to protect their animals. where the Indians would have to make the attack from one side. Here they made a pile of logs, and secreted the mnles in a ravine near by. At about one o'clock in the morning, the logs were fired, and the mnen stationed in the tall grass about 100 yards in front of the log pile. They were ordered to keep down in the grass, and shoot every Indian that showed himself. The captain said, " Be sure you kill them; for if you

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don't kill them they will kill you." The first shot was fired by the captain. An Indian stag- gered forward and fell on the blanket on which Captain Maxwell and Mr. Griggs were stationed. They kicked him off. Then the arrows flew over their heads in showers. The fighting was kept up till morning, and thirty-five Indians were left dead on the field. One, a chief, who rode up on his pony, had seven balls in a buck- skin jacket he had on. They afterward learned that they had killed about seventy Indians. The next morning the party struck out into the open country, and the Indians did not follow. Some one remarked to the captain that it was quite a surprise to them. " Yes," replied the captain, " we will call this Surprise Valley," and that gave it its name. None of the com- pany were hurt. The Captain received an arrow through his hat, and he left it in that position when they marched into Sacramento.

In 1852 Mr. Griggs was engaged in mining at Texas Springs, in Shasta County, and was very successful there. His best day's work brought him $1,100. In one pan that day he took out $470. In 1853 he was at Rich Bar, on the Feather River, and from there went to Soda Bar. Mr. Griggs says that while he was at the latter place he had a "God-send." He was one of a party of four who were working together. They were snowed in, and two of the party had gone to Oroville to get provisions. The snow became so deep that while two of the party were snowed in the other two were snowed out. Mr. Griggs and his companion were reduced to half rations. While working the rocker, our subject looked up the mountain, and about 600 feet above him saw a black spot which seemed to move. He called his partner's attention to it. His partner took aim, tired at the moving spot, and the ball took effect in the shoulder of a grizzly bear, but it did not pene- trate to the bone. Frantic with pain, the bear tore around, fell about 100 feet, and tumbled on down the mountain until it struck the river near where they were at work, the life being knocked out of him by the fall. They fished him

out and he furnished them with a fine supply of meat. Mr. Griggs says it was the sweetest morsel that he ever tasted. The miners at Rich Bar were equally in want. They had killed the butcher's dog, as a last resort. The remains of the bear were shared with them.

When Mr. Griggs left that place, he crossed the mountains on horseback with Dr. Smith, of Chico. They were both well armed, and each of them had about $10,000 in gold with him. They were surprised by a gang of Mexican des- peradoes, the first notice of them being a low whistling sound; then a lasso fell over Dr. Smith and over the pominel of his saddle at the same time, thus holding him fast to the saddle instead of pulling him off. The Doctor drew his knife and cut it, while Mr. Griggs shot the Mexican so that he fell from his horse. After several shots had been exchanged the Mexicans retired. Dr. Smith and Mr. Griggs went to a Spaniard's ranch, got help and followed them for several miles. They found where the Mexicans had torn a shirt in strips for bandages, and gave up the chase without going any further. For years after that whenever the Doctor and Mr. Griggs met, they always rejoiced over their escape, which, indeed, was remarkable.

From 1853 until 1857 Mr. Griggs farmed in Colusa County. The land had not been sur- veyed, and he had no rent to pay: so farmed all he liked. He raised barley, which he tramped out with horses, and sold it for horse feed for ten cents per pound. In 1857 he went to the Willow ranch and became interested in cattle until 1864. In that year he came to Tehama County and leased 12,000 acres of the Dye Grant, and raised stock on it for five years. He drove 2,200 head of cattle to Nevada and sold them. Six hundred head of horses he took to Salt Lake, traded them for cattle and brought the cattle to San Francisco and sold them to the butchers, Hux & Miller. Mr. Griggs then retired from business for two years. For seven years he was connected with II. C. Wilson, in the sheep business, and was subsequently inter- ested with R. H. Blossom in sheep-raising. At

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the present writing he has abont 8,000 sheep in Nevada.

All this time Mr. Griggs lived from place to place without a home and without a wife, bent on making money, and not wanting a bird until he had a cage. In 1885 he married Mrs. M. R. Montgomery, widow of one of the well-known pioneers of the county. She had been acquainted with Mr. Griggs ever since she came to this county, and was a widow nine years before her marriage to him. Mrs. Griggs has two sons, William and John Montgemery. Mr. and Mrs. Griggs reside in a fine mansion, at the south end of Washington Street. So after patient wait- ing he has at last got both the cage and the bird.

Mr. Griggs is a Knight Templar. In poli- ties he is a Republican. Notwithstanding that he has passed through so many years of pioneer life, he still looks hale. Long may he live to enjoy his happy home and the delightful climate of California!

W. GAFFORD, proprietor of the Gafford Hotel, at Davisville, California, was born June 30, 1834, in Pike County, Missouri, a son of William C. and Nancy G. (Clempson) Gafford, father a native of Virginia and mother of North Carolina. The father was a mechanic and moved from his native place in Virginia to Pike County, Missouri, where lie lived about three years, then moved to Randolph County, Missouri, where he lived until 1864, when he came to California, across the plains, with his family, excepting two of the children who had come previously. On arriving in this State he located first at Michigan Bar, and afterward at Santa Cruz, and then returned to El Dorado County, where he died in 1872, at the age of eighty-two years. Mr. J. W. Gafford came to this State in 1850, when he was fifteen years old, and at once began work in the mines in different localities, with moderate success, until 1866. He was then engaged at various employ-

ments until 1874, when he went to Davisville and built a large and commodious hotel on Main street. Mr. Gafford is a genial landlord, knowing well how to conduct his well-furnished house in a faithful manner. He is a member of Yolo Lodge, No. 169, I. O. O. F., and also of the K. of P.

He was married in 1871, to Miss Hannah J. Benjamin, a native of Canada, and of their four children three are living.

IRAM B. CHASE is one of the oldest settlers of California. Having come to this State in 1846, and having seen much of the wonderful transformation which has taken place on this coast since that time, it is eminently fitting that a sketch of his life be given in this work.

Mr. Chase was born in Fulton County, Illi- nois, March 14, 1823. He was reared on a farm and, like the majority of farmer boys, went to school in the winter and worked on the farm in summer, and thus laid the foundation for an active and useful life. The Mexican war came on, and, at the age of twenty-one, he en- listed in Company A, Mormon Battalion, entering the service as a private and being pro- moted to Second Sergeant of his company. He came to California under the command of Gen- eral King, but was afterward in the command of General Cook. The war ended and they were mustered out at Los Angeles, in 1847. Mr. Chase went to Monterey and engaged in making Inmber with a whip-saw, which he con- tinned that winter. When gold was discovered he went to the mines on the American River; was successful in finding gold, but received an injury which compelled him to cease work. He then went to Salt Lake, where he remained until spring. At that time he returned to the mines and took ont $2,000. During his min- ing experience he has taken out $5 in one pan, and as high as two hundred dollars in a day. After leaving the mines he located on a ranch,

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twenty-five miles below Sacramento, and lived there fifteen years. Then sold out and went to Oregon; spent a season there and at one or two other places; came to Red Bluff in 1870; lived in the city eight years; and then went to his present ranch, three miles northwest of Red Bluff. Here he owns eighty acres of choice land.

Mr. Chase was married in 1861, to Miss May Maria Childers, a native. of Missouri. Nine children were born to them, only three of whom are now living: Arthur, born on the Sacra- mento, is now living on an eighty-acre ranch, near his father; Newton, born at the same place; and Lorenzo, born in Oregon. Mrs. Chase died in 1872. Mr. Chase has been a life-long Republican. For services rendered in the war, he receives a pension of $8 per month. His mental faculties are remarkably well pre- served for a man of his years.

OHN M. BUCHLE, whose ranch of 880 acres is situated about eight miles from Napa on the Hnichica grant, has been a resident of California for the past twenty years. He was born in Graubenden, Canton of Grison, Switzerland, in 1843, his parents being Chris- tian and Anna (Marchion) Buchle, natives also of that country. He was brought up upon his father's dairy farm, attended school one year after completing the public school course, and in his twenty-seventh year he engaged in dairy farming and some other subordinate lines of business. In the spring of 1870 he came to California and for three years was engaged in general farming. In 1873 he entered the dairy business in Sonoma County and continued therein two years, and in 1882 purchased his present ranch, where he has from 150 to 200 cows, and milks generally about 100. Each cow gives about 150 pounds of butter per year. He also carries on general farming and stock- raising. He has six acres of vineyard, mostly Zinfandel grapes, bearing. He has just started

a winery, where he mannfactures his own grapes into wine. In politics he is a Republican.

In December, 1876, he married Miss Julia Liver, also a native of Canton Granbenden, and a daughter of Beat and Menca (Lever) Liver, natives also of that country. Both of Mr. Buchle's parents and Mrs. Buchile's father are residents of California. Her mother died many years ago. They have two children: Anna M. and Beat.

UKE GARDINER, SR., was one of the old-time settlers of Red Bluff, having come to California in March, 1854. He was born in Ireland, August 13, 1818; was a farmer and a civil engineer. His father, Thomas Gardiner, a eivil engineer and school-teacher, was born in Drumera, County Armagh, Ireland, August 12, 1767. Luke Gardiner, Sr., emi- grated to Canada, when a boy, and settled on the Thames River, forty-two miles from Lon- don. In 1854 he came from that place direct to Red Bluff, and spent his first night in the honse kept by Captain Reed. For three years he resided in Red Bluff and worked at the car- penter's trade. He took up a Government ranch of 320 acres, built his home on it, farmed and also did civil engineering and worked at the wheelwright business.

Mr. Gardiner wedded Mary Douglas, a native of St. Thomas. To them were born four chil- dren, three sons and a daughter. The latter is deceased, and the three sons are: Luke, Jr., Na- thaniel and Joseph. Mr. Gardiner added to his land until he had 1,400 acres, and he kept large droves of cattle, sheep and hogs. His sons are reared to this business, and traversed the county in every direction, both night and day, until the farmers prohibited such wide range. The whole county was once a delightful stock country, there being an abundance of wild oats. Wild Mexican cattle, herds of deer and antelope and other game roamed over hill and plain. Indians were quite plentiful and often troublesome.

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Luke Gardiner, Jr., was born in Canada, August 16, 1844; received his education in Red Bluff, California; in 1879 married Miss Ida Brown, a native of Kansas, They have four children: Erle, Thomas, Gronlof and Pearl.

Nathaniel Gardiner was born June 9, 1852, and is a miner and rancher.

Joseph Gardiner was born in 1863, in Tehama County. He married Ollie Heavener, a native of Shasta Connty, California. They have two children: Oscar and Mabel.

The father died in 1884. The sons inherited the ranch, and each of them has a home on the property.

F. DOPKING, a farmer near Woodland. is a son of D. and Hannah (Daniels) Dopking. His father, a native of New York State, came to California in 1863, with two brothers, Joseph and Ira, and his mother is a native of Canada. He was born six miles east of Buffalo, and was but one year old when his parents moved with him to Canada. At the age of thirteen years he went to Van Buren County, Michigan, and in 1850 came across the plains and mountains to California, with one of his neighbors. He started without a cent of money, and worked his way through. Going to the mines, he was satisfied with fair success, remaining there until 1863. In 1860 he pur- chased a ranch of 240 acres about two miles east of Woodland, and settled upon it in 1863, when he quit mining. He has been improving a portion of this ranch, of which he now owns sixty-five acres, in good condition.

February 20, 1871, in Capay Valley, on Cache Creek, Mr. Dopking married Miss Mary E. Evert, a native of Iowa, who died in Feb- rnary, 1875. For his present wife he married Mrs. Ann Barnhart, in Woodland, December 5, 1875. She is a daughter of Jonathan and - (Buttolph) Pierce. Her father is a native of New York State and her mother of Massa-

chusetts. They have living with them a grand- child, named George Hopkins.

EORGE WASHINGTON BALIS, one of the reliable and prominent old-timers of California, came to the State in 1851. He is a native of Westfield. New York, born October 17, 1825. His grandfather came from Germany and settled in New York in the early history of that county; and his father, Abiah Balis, was born in New York, and there married Maria Clow, also a native of New York and of German ancestry. The subject of this sketch was the second of a family of seven children, five of whom are living. He was reared on a farm, and received his education in New Yorkand Pennsylvania. At the age of twenty.one years he removed to Wisconsin, where he purchased a farm of 120 acres, built a house and made other improvements, and lived there for five years. In 1851 he came to California, seeking a more congenial climate and finding what he sought. He returned East, sold out and came back to this coast to make it his future home. In Sacramento County he purchased 800 acres of land, and also built a hotel, the Balis House, made other improvements, and resided there for eighteen years. At the expiration of that time he went to Tehama County. Here he bought 2,320 acres of land, six miles southwest of Red Bluff, and to this he has added until he owned 5,500 acres. In the last three years he has sold off in small tracts 4,850 acres; has 650 acres remaining for his home. In 1877 he settled on the property, built a good residence and en- gaged in sheep-raising. Since that date he has been largely interested in farming and sheep- raising and has been very successful. He also has an average of 500 acres in wheat, and has harvested twenty-five bushels to the acre, which he sold at Red Bluff for $1.65 per hundred pounds.

Mr. Balis also had a successful mining ex- perience during the early years of his residence

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in this State. For seven years he was a miner, had a fine claim, and kept a trading post and a boarding honse near Placerville. He worked the claim for three years and employed from three to ten men in it. They took ont over $60,000, taking out in a single pan from five cents to five dollars. Mr. Balis sold his interest in the claim for $1,000, after working it for three years.

He was united in marriage, in 1849, to Miss Adelia McGlashan, a native of the State of New York. To them have been born eleven children, seven of whom are now living, viz .: Marella, born in Rock County, Wisconsin, is now the wife of Aden Bullard, and resides near her father. The other children were born in Sacramento County. William married and lives at Oakland; Dora, at home; Edward, in San Francisco; Mary, Newton B. and Edinund, at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Balis are members of the Bap- tist Church at Red Bluff. Mr. Balis is a Master Mason in good standing with his lodge. He has been a life-long Republican. Having re- covered his health in California Mr. Balis natu- rally thinks there is no place like this sunny clime for a home.

HARLES FILIPPINI, whose ranch of 2,222 acres, of which 500 acres are in Napa County and 1,722 in Sonoma,

wholly devoted to dairying and general

farmning. The dairy product is almost ex- clusively butter, there being 320 milking cows. From each cow he obtains on an average 150 to 175 pounds of butter per year, the market for which is San Francisco. Of grain he sold from the last crop $1,600 worth.

He was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, in 1847. His parents were Battista and Maria Filippini, also natives and still residents of that place. His father owned a farm on which he was brought up, although he, the father, was a contractor for roads and buildings, being by

trade a stone-mason. Mr. Filippini, at the age of fifteen years, went into the canton of Grison, where he learned the trade of stone-cutter, spending three years at the business. He then came to California, by way of Panama, and at first worked four months for wages in Marin County and then commenced business on his own account, in dairying. He also followed the same business one year at Santa Rosa, and was successful in both places. In 1882 he pur- chased his present ranch, paying for it $57,000. He is a member of Sonoma Lodge, No. 75.

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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 93

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