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 95

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 95

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Upon reaching this State he first went to Mokelumne Hill, where he assisted his father in a general store, and as a dealer in gold dust, continuing in this business until December, 1855. In January, 1856, he went as superin- tendent of a prospecting party to explore the quicksilver deposits on the great Almaden lode near San José, where he remained one year. Nothing especially important was then de- veloped, although since then this region has turned out untold riehes.

Meanwhile his father had obtained 8,000 acres of land, believed to be part of the Sutter grant. Charles joined his father in this enter- prise, and showed his disappointment when the courts decided adversely to their elaim, and they saw their valuable property taken away without remedy. Hle next engaged as a writer in the clerk's office of the Supreme Court, where he remained during the winter of 1861-'62. The great floods that winter threatened to destroy the city of Sacramento, and forced the necessity of building levees. It was a great undertaking, and involved an expenditure of over $250,000. Levee Commissioners were appointed, and among them were Charles Crocker, H. T. Holmes, Franeis Tuky, Judge Swift and others,

and the work was commenced. Here was another opportunity for Charles Cadwalader to resume a pursuit, and he accepted a position as assistant superintendent to Andrew Jackson, engineer in charge. The experience at Zanes- ville and Newark repeated itself, and before the work was near its completion he had entire charge of it, and remained until January 1, 1863, when the construction survey began for the Central Pacific Railroad, under Theodore D. Judah. Mr. Crocker and Mr. Judah had observed his capability, and solieited him to assist for a few weeks in the work, and he gladly embraced the opportunity, for he saw a great enterprise, and with a great ambition desired to be connected with it. The same resolution went with him to make himself indespensable. He was kept in preliminary work until May, 1864, from Sacramento to Clipper Gap, and in June, 1864, was given charge of the construction work from Penryn to Blue Canon, which oeen- pied him until 1866. The company, in order to build more rapidly and compete with the Union Pacific in the strife for subsidy and land grants, resolved to do grading and laying track in advance of the contractors' completed work, and sent Mr. Cadwalader over the mountains to the Truekee River, in the fall of 1867. In- vineible men dragged iron over the mountains in sleds and wagons, and struggled through mountains, improving many of the require- ments for railroad building, and defying the very protests of nature herself. By the time the main party had reached the summit, Mr. Cadwalader was ready to join them with abont fifty miles of completed road, taking them at one leap nearly to Reno. In 1868 they built about 400 miles, over a mile a day, laying some days over three miles of traek, and climaxing the wonderful achievements of their work by laying ten miles of traek in one day! It was plain that Mr. Judah's request for Mr. Cad- walader's serviees of a few weeks was to settle his career for many years, for he received the appointment of locating and constrneting engineer of the Contraet and Finance Co., under

James J. Martin M.D.

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which the road was built, and in this capacity he completed the road, from the State Line to Humboldt Wells, a distance of many miles. He also had charge of track-laying and the finish- ing of grading to Promontory Point, where the connection was made with the Union Pacific Railroad, by the immense stride of ten miles on the last day, May 10, 1869. History has rarely recorded an achievement so great as the build- ing of that great trunk railway.

In May, 1869, Mr. Cadwalader moved to Chico, where he was put in charge of the location and construction of the Oregon division of the Central Pacific Railroad, which had been completed to Marysville by another company. He built that season twenty-two miles, to Biggs Station, and July 4, 1870, completed the road to Chico. In October, 1870, he moved to Red Bluff, and connected the road to that point December 6, 1872, and September 1, 1873, finished it to Redding. He was made resident engineer of the road from Roseville Junction to Redding, and since that time has resided in Red Bluff. September 3, 1875, le assisted in organizing and incorporating the Bank at Te- hamna County, with a capital of $100,000, and has since been made its president and manager. The capital stock of the bank has increased to $300,000, with a surplus of $100,000. The original incorporators were the best men in the county, and the business career of the bank has exceeded the highest expectations of the most sanguine of its friends. Mr. Cadwalader was appointed one of the first members of the board of trustees, and has the honor of having been the first President of the city. In 1873 he was appointed by Governor Booth Brigadier General of Militia, commanding the Fifth Brigade, and was re-appointed to the position by Governor Irwin. General Cadwalader still holds the posi- tion of president of the Tehama County Bank, and was elected president of the Shasta County Bank at Redding, of which his son Charles is assistant cashier. In February, 1890, the General, in connection with James G. Fair and others, San Francisco capitalists, organized the 38

Mntnal Savings Bank of San Francisco, with a capital stock of $1,000,000, of which he is one of the directore. Mr. Cadwalader is a prominent Republican, and is now the Republican nominee for State Senator for Tehama and Colusa counties.

In 1886 he was married to Mrs. Resathia Root, a native of Quincy, Illinois, and they have two children: Charles, born in Placer County; and Anna, born in Red Bluff. The family are members of the Episcopal Church.

AMES T. MARTIN, M. D .- The history of this State is unique, thrilling and won- derful. No other country can boast of such exciting and romantic events, or of exam- ple so worthy of emulation as California.

The historian here has an almost unlimited storehouse from which to select his material, and to relate the narratives of the many inter- esting and exciting incidents which have taken place in our midst, and the wonderful prosper- ity which is ascribed to the growth and devel- opment of this-the land of promise.

Of course the experiences as told by tlie pio- neers, who came here in an early day, form a most valuable part, and, in fact, are indispensa- ble in chronicling events which have occurred here, and go a long way in making up a history. But aside from all this, there is another class of men, who, in their way, bear just as important a part in the introducing of new ideas, and rev olutionizing, as it were, the old set and fogy ways that are so characteristic to many of the old Californians.

In making a retrospect of this country dur- ing the past few years, we find that the young inen of to-day are rapidly assuming relations, both in the business and professional circles, as well as in the managing of our political affairs and local and public institutions.

In making any mention of this class of men, who are now prominent in one way or another,

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we feel no hesitancy in presenting the name of James T. Martin, a leading physician of Wood- land.

Dr. Martin is a homeopathist, who has un- bounded faith in that method of treating disease, and in him the people of Yolo County have an able physician, thoroughly versed in his profession. He is in every sense of the word a self-made man, and though now in the very vigor of manhood has had to undergo many trying hardships in order to properly fit him- self to work out the problem of life. A few points of interest in his career, will, perhaps, deserve proper mention at this time. His father, Norman Martin, was a descendant of the Scotch Highlanders, coming from that old Cel- tie stock which underwent so many hardships in the history of that country, and was born in Stronoway, Lewis Island, off the northwest coast of Scotland.

He was a carpenter by trade, and, in 1841, left his native country in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, coming to Fort Van- conver, on the Columbia River, arriving there in the spring of 1842. He married a lady named Julia Bridgefarmer, who came from Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and from the time he first went there continned to make his home in Oregon.

James Thurston Martin, the subject of this article, was born in Yamhill County, Oregon, November 26, 1850. His education was partly received in the public schools, but principally at the Pacific University, at Forest Grove, where he worked his way through school, and was graduated from that institution in 1876, in a class of six, three of whom were Japanese, who have since become prominent in their own country. After graduation he went to Wash- ington, then a Territory, and commenced teach- ing. He was principal of the public schools at Seattle for nearly two years, and occupied a similar position with the schools of Olympia, the capital of Washington.

All this time our subject was bent upon studying medicine. While in Olympia he met

J. B. Huntington, with whom he made arrange- ments to take a drove of cattle overland to Cheyenne. Upon arriving there, he also pro- ceeded with these cattle by rail through to Council Bluffs and Chicago. This was done with the intent to work his passage East, and avoid paying out any of his limited amount of funds, knowing full well that the plan he had laid out before him would require all the means at his command, and indeed more. At Chicago he bought a railroad ticket to Ann Arbor, which was the only money paid out for fare up to this point of the journey. Arriving at Ann Arbor October 6, 1880, he entered the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, and in due time, after a great amount of perseverance on his part, devot- ing his vacations to work in the corn-fields, and employing every spare hour to the best advantage, he won for himself a diploma from that noted institution, June 28, 1883.

Now being well versed in the theoretical part of his profession, the young physician turned his attention toward the attainment of further knowledge in a practical way. Through some friends he shortly afterward obtained the ap- pointment as physician for the Skokomish In- dian reservation, with headquarters at the head of Hood's Canal. There he remained until the change of administration occurred and President Cleveland went into office, when Dr. Martin re- signed his position and came to California. He opened an office in Woodland September 10, 1885, since which time he has been engaged in the active practice of his profession. While Dr. Martin is an excellent physician, he is at the same time an able surgeon, having a high reputation in this department of his pro- fession.

While a medical student at Ann Arbor he joined the Masonic order, in 1883, and is now connected with Woodland Lodge, No. 156. Since his residence in this city he has associated himself with the Order of Chosen Friends, An- cient Order of Foresters and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member of the

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Congregational Church of Woodland, first join- ing that body in Forest Grove, Oregon, some fifteen years ago.

Dr. Martin is at present a member of the Advisory Board to the Trustees of the Hahne- mann Medical College of San Francisco.

He was married March 31, 1885, to Mrs. M. M. Huntington, a native of Switzerland, but reared in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a widow with two children, viz .: Lutie and Fred. Huntington, the former born in August, 1874, and the latter April 26, 1877. Mrs. Martin is a sister of the eminent artist Carl Guthers, whose paintings have taken an international prize at the Paris Salon. She is also a sis- ter-in-law of General Flower, of St. Paul, Min- nesota. By the present marriage there are four children, viz .: Genevieve, born January 26, 1887; Thurston Guthers, born May 5, 1888; Lewella and Lenala (twins), born April 25, 1890.

Such in brief is a resume of the life of our subject. He is a man of fine gentlemanly ways, possessing a modest and unassuming manner, and is not gifted with any unnecessary display or waste of language,-more especially so in his professional capacity. Yet in a social way he is pleasant and congenial, and has a happy fac- ulty of making many friends.

He is a man who is thoroughly interested in his chosen field of labor, and practices his pro- fession for the love he has for it, and the inter- est he takes in suffering humanity.

He was elected a member of the International Hahnemann Association at the meeting held in Montreal, Canada. in 1889.

He was elected Vice-President of the Cali- fornia State Homeopathic Medical Society, at San Francisco, on the 14th of May, 1890, and was also chosen as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Legislation, having for its object supervision of measures of legislation affecting the welfare of medicine, and especially of the Homeopathic school.

Dr. Martin certainly has a bright future be-

fore him, of which, it is equally certain, he is deserving.

APTAIN A. W. STARR, Superintendent of the Star Mills at South Vallejo, has been a resident of the Golden State since 1853, and has lived in Vallejo for the past nine- teen years, and in charge of the mills for the past ten years. He was born in IIuron County, Ohio, in 1834, his parents being Orange and - Starr, natives of New York State, who were among the early settlers of Ohio. At the age of fourteen years he entered business life as a clerk in a country store in Plymouth, Ohio, and continued there until he was eighteen years old; then he came to California, by way of Panama, arriving in San Francisco in February, 1853. Proceeding at once to the mining dis- trict, he kept a store there ten inonths, and then was clerk in a store in Sacramento until 1861. In September, 1861, he assisted in rais- ing a company of cavalry, was appointed Sec- ond Lientenant and served during the war in different portions of the State, part of the time in Northern California against the Indians. His was Company F, Second Regiment of Cali- fornia Volunteer Cavalry. In the spring of 1853 he was promoted to First Lientenant and a few months afterward Captain. June 6, 1866, he was mustered out, in command of his com- pany. In February, 1867, he entered the regu- lar army as Second Lieutenant, attached to the Eighth United States Cavalry, and remained in service until 1871, meanwhile, in 1868, being promoted First Lieutenant, and in December, 1869, to the Captaincy, and during this period of service he was in Nevada and New Mexico.

Becoming tired of the inactivity of the mili- tary service, he took charge of the mills at Vallejo, and has since remained as their man- ager. Their capacity is 2,000 barrels per day, 250 tons of wheat, 1,300 bags of bran, 500 bags of middlings. It has two engines: one, of 600 horse-power, was manufactured by the Union

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Iron Works in San Francisco and called the O'Neil engine, and the other is a 300-horse- power Corliss engine. Coal from the Pittsburg mine in Mt. Diablo is used. The mills are six stories high, each floor fully occupied. The market is principally in Great Britain and Europe, the main office in Liverpool. This mill has been running since 1869.

RS. HENRY MILLER, the proprietor of the National Hotel, Red Bluff, is the widow of the late Henry Miller. He was one of Red Bluff's successful business men and an early settler of California, having come to the State in 1856. Mr. Miller was born in Newark, New Jersey, November 28, 1838, the son of thrifty and honorable German parents. He received his early edneation in New York and New Jersey; learned the carpenter's trade; was a United States soldier under the command of General Harney, at Fort Vancouver and was a successful miner in Idaho. He made three trips back to the East, and at one time engaged in the grocery business in New York city. Like many other miners, he made a deal of money, met with reverses and lost it all. In 1870 Mr. Miller again returned to the West, located in California and worked in the Bald Hills. He came to Red Bluff in 1873 and en- gaged in the restaurant and saloon business, which he successfully carried on for five years. He purchased several lots on Main street and built the National Hotel, a house of only ten rooms, on the corner of Main and Hickory streets. Mr. Miller was married in 1878 to Miss Bertha Rotter, a native of Austria. She came to the United States in 1865, when quite young. Mrs. Miller at once entered into all her husband's plans with zest and became a help- mate indeed, and, with their united efforts, their business continued to prosper. It soon became necessary for them to have a larger building, and the small hotel gave place to a larger one 50 x 115 feet, two stories high and

containing forty rooms. Further north in the same block he purchased six lots, where he built a fine and commodious residence, and also north of his residence a fine brick building for business purposes.

Their union was blessed with five children, all born in Red Bluff, three of whom are now living: William J., George I. and Bertha L.

In 1888, in the midst of his prosperous busi- ness career, Mr. Miller was stricken with dis- ease and died. His wife and little family were bereft of a kind and loving husband and father, and the county lost an enterprising and conserv- ative business man.

Having had some experience in the hotel business, Mrs. Miller was, in a measure, pre- pared to take full charge of and conduct the business that devolved npon her, and nobly has she done her part. She is assisted by an able corps of ten efficient workers, with Mr. George Reid as clerk, and she caters to an average of sixty guests each meal. Mrs. Miller prides herself on her well-kept table and the general cleanliness of the honse, which is growing in popularity. It has the reputation of being the best low-rate hotel in the country. Mrs. Miller gives her personal supervision to every detail of the work, sees that guests are attended to with promptness and consideration, and she has ac- quired a reputation for her business ability. Some one has said that " God helps those who help themselves," and it is certainly true in this case. Mrs. Miller is deserving of all the suc- cess she has attained, and the good people of Tehama County are not slow 10 appreciate honest merit.

JOHN MULL, a horticulturist at Woodland, is a son of Jacob and Almira (Sage) Mull. His father was born in 1807, in the State of New York, and his mother in 1812 in Con- nectient, and they are now both living in Ober- lin, Ohio. Mr. Mull, the subject of this brief notice, was born in Nunda, Livingston County,

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New York, February 20, 1832, and was but a year old when the family removed to Ohio. He grew up to manhood there and married Char- lotte Chandler, the danghter of Salmon and Naomi Chandler, born May 1, 1832, in Ohio, the date of their marriage being November 9, 1854. Mr. Mull was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Ohio until 1859, when he came over- land to California, settling in Yolo County. He took up a quarter section of land about six miles south of Woodland, and occupied it for fifteen years, when he sold it and purchased seven acres in the eastern portion of Woodland, where he now resides. Mrs. Mull is the owner of forty acres six miles south of Woodland, which is rented. Mr. Mull was Road-master for six and a half years, and during his term of office he put upon the county roads the first load of gravel. The children are: George T., who was born September 20, 1855, and Rosa L., who was born October 24, 1857, and is now the wife of William Wallace: both are natives of Ohio.

R. PLATON VALLEJO, son of General M. G. Vallejo, was born in Sonoma Val- ley, February 5, 1841, at the Presidio of Sonoma. At that time his father owned nearly 250,000 acres of land in what was then Sonoma County, comprising what is now in Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Marin counties. In 1853 young Vallejo was sent to the East to school, and for nearly four years attended Mt. St. Mary's College, near Emmettsburg, Maryland. Later he studied medicine under the tutorship f Dr. Willard Parker and Professor John C. Dalton, the celebrated physiologist, assisting the latter in his laboratory for three years. At the same time he attended lectures at the Col- lege of Physicians and Surgeons, the Medical Department of Columbia University of New York city, and graduated in 1864, receiving one of the Faculty prizes and special mention by the members of the Faculty. During the war

he belonged to the New York corps of sur- geons, who had organized for the purpose of assisting the army surgeons after each great battle, and while in this service he went frequently to the front, assisting in general surgical operations, and the transportation of the sick and wounded to their homes or hospi- tals. After the second battle of Bull Run, the corps to which he was attached had seventy-five ambulances employed for two weeks gathering np the wounded along a tract of land ten miles wide and eighty miles long, taking the bodies to Washington, Georgetown and other places.

After the close of the war he came to Cali- fornia and joined the Medical Department of the United States Naval Service, but resigned in a short time to accept the position of Sur- geon in the Pacific Mail Steamship Service. After operating in this capacity three years he married and settled down in Vallejo to the practice of his profossion, which he has since continned there. For his wife he chose Miss Lily Wiley, a native of Whitehall, New York, whose acquaintance he forined during one of his trips to Panama, in the Pacific Mail Steam- ship service. . He has now four children: Maria Felipa, Francisca, Adelaide and Angela. Mrs. Vallejo died in June, 1885, regretted by all who knew her. She was a faithful wife and a devoted, Christian mother.

Mr. Vallejo has devoted his life to his family and his profession, never having held any polit- ical position. As a boy he remembers Cali- fornia under the Mexican government, when his father had absolute control of the whole of Northern California, from Oregon to the Rocky Mountains. His home was in the beautiful valley of Sonoma, where General Vallejo had built his home and residence near the mission. Here he established a town and military head- quarters, having at one time 1,000 soldiers, white men, besides the Indians, who were always organized as troops and laborers as well. No idleness allowed. These white soldiers, or Hijos del pais (native sons), were intended not only for service in the military capacity, but

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also as colonists to settle the country. To this end they were encouraged to marry and bring np families, which most of them did. The General encouraged the marriage of his men to women of European descent, not encouraging the mixture of the white race with Indians. It was supposed that the Mexican government would support these troops, but it was at times unable to do so; and as a result General Val lejo himself was obliged to pay them from his own resources, the government afterward reim- bnrsing him with grants of land, such as the Soscol, which was not in reality a grant, but a purchase. His revennes were immense, which were mainly derived from the products of his haciendas. The soldiers did also agricultural and other necessary work for themselves and families, some of them having received grants of land. In this way they were to a certain extent self-supporting, and paid it to the devel- opment of the country. There were a number of ranches (haciendas), each superintended by a major domo, or overseer, who had charge of the stock and of the shipping of the products; and many Indians were employed to assist them.

Born to the enjoyment of the almost unlim- ited wealth and resources then belonging to his father, Dr. Vallejo possesses a highly cultured mind and polished manner.

H. D. LANGE is one of the best-looking old-timers of Red Bluff. He came to the State in 1857, is connected with the early history of Red Bluff, and has done much to aid in its growth and development. The first tree in the town was planted by him. On his way up the Sacramento River he picked up a small peach tree that had been lost at Chico, brought it here and planted it. The tree grew and flourished and bore fine fruit, and from it many other trees were raised. Mr. Lange engaged in the nursery business on the lots, on which Mr. Kimball's residence now stands, and

there raised all kinds of ornamental and fruit trees. He also has the credit of planting and planning the beautiful grounds which surround the court-house in Red Bluff. He continued the nursery business for twelve years, and, to some extent, is interested in that line yet. Mr. Lange turned his attention to fancy stock, and owned the first five head of Devon cattle in Tehama County. He exhibited them at the State fair held at Sacramento, receiving first premium on each.

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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 95

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