USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 17
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139
SAN BENITO COUNTY.
District was to consist of the remaining por- tion of San Benito county.
The following is a list of the members of the bar of San Benito county, viz .: N. C. Briggs, H. W. Scott, M. T. Dooling, G. B. Montgomery, J. L. Hudner and W. H. Hill.
The assessment of San Benito county for 1892, is as follows :
Value of real estate and improvements. $5,130,200
Value of personal property 1,023,533 Assessment of railroads in S. B. Co. $163,782
Assess't of Pullman Car Co., S. B. Co. 1,260 165,042
Total. $6,318,775
Acres assessed, 407,677.
CHAPTER VIII.
RESOURCES OF SAN BENITO COUNTY.
HE agricultural resources of San Benito county are very extensive. Some of the best wheat produced in the State is raised in the upper San Benito valley, and in the other smaller valleys in the southern part of the county. The soil of this region seems to be peculiarly adapted to the growth of both wheat and barley. While the crop of grain for the year 1892 is reported short in other sections of the State, owing to the lateness and shortness of the rains, that of San Benito county is said to be a full aver- age in quantity, and extra in quality.
San Benito county is noted for its hay product. The quantity of grain and hay produced in the county is prodigions.
The Victor Mills of the big Sperry Flour Company are located at Hollister. The ca- pacity of these mills is 400 barrels of flour
per day of twenty-four hours each, and they are now run night and day. They have twenty sets of rollers, and a 200-horse-power engine, and consume 1,500 tons of wheat per month, or 18,000 tons per annum, or the larger part of the local product, besides about 200 tons of barley per month, or 2,400 tons per annum, which they convert into feed for stock. The market for their flour is the entire State. William Steinbeck is the local manager. Last year a business of abont $600,000 was done by these mills, less than the average; this year they will do more.
A capital of about $200,000 is required to carry on the business, including the plant. The Victor Mills are of immense value to the county, as they furnish its farmers a sure market for the greater portion of the grain they raise. The mills buy for cash and sell on thirty days' time.
" HOLLISTER HAY."
The quantity of hay shipped by the South- ern Pacific railroad from the Hollister station from June 1, to August 18, 1892, as shown by the record, was 492 carloads of eleven tons each; or 5,412 tons, which is estimated to be less than one-fifth of the total quantity which will be shipped from that station dur- ing this calendar year.
Mr. R. P. Lathrop, who has been in the hay business here since 1876, and who has been over all that portion of San Benito county which is tributary to Hollister rail- road station, and who has taken careful sta-
-
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
tistics of existing stocks, states that the quan- tity of hay, which will be shipped from this station, of this year's crop, will not be less than 27,000 tons, in addition to what will be consumed locally.
The hay raised about Hollister commands the highest price in the San Francisco and neighboring mnarkets, and " Hollister hay " is well and favorably known from San Diego to Seattle. The reasons are: Climatic condi- tions, quality of soil, no fog, and the education of the farmers in the art of making and cur- ing hay. A stranger visiting Hollister, espe- cially during the haying season, is struck with the sight of trains of hay-loaded cars, trailing hay-loaded wagons, and the loading and unloading by tackle and block of endless bales of hay, hay, hay?
CHAPTER IX.
HOLLISTER.
HE modern enterprising, thoroughly American city of Hollister, the county seat of San Benito county, was named after Colonel W. W. Hollister,* now de-
ceased, who, with the Flints and Bixby's brought improved American sheep all the way from Ohio, in the early fifties, to Cali- fornia; and who eventually settled down to the business of sheep-raising in the neigh- borhood of the old mission of San Juan Bau- tista and in the upper portion of San Benito valley. These enterprising sheep farmers, pioneers in introducing improved sheep into this State, purchased the " San Justo ranch," a Mexican grant of nearly 35,000 acres, which was finally confirmed to Francisco Perez Pacheco, who occupied the same a number of years as a sheep range.t
Colonel Hollister acquired control of the ranch, and in 1862, built what is known as the Montgomery House, the oldest house in the present town of Hollister. It is said that during the '60s, there were several hun- dred fect of troughs used for watering sheep in the vicinity of where Third street is now located.
THE SAN JUSTO HOMESTEAD ASSOCIATION,
consisting of fifty members, held its first
*Colonel W. W. Hollister was a native of Licking county, Ohio. He was a man of great force and deci- sion of character. He brought a flock of sheep across the great plains as early as the year 1851, which was no trifling undertaking. He sold these sheep in Santa Clara county, and went back and brought out with his brother, Hubbard, and a sister, Mrs. Brown, who accompanied them, another flock of 8,000 sheep, 150 cattle and 100 horses in 1853. This time he started from Missouri April 1, 1853, and arrived in Los An- geles about February 1, 1854, with 6,000 of the sheep, having been on the road ten months. The route trav- eled was by way of the Platte, Great Salt Lake, Mountain Meadows, Armargosa, and the Cañon Pass. W. H. Perry and C. P. Switzer, since then residents of Los Angeles, came with the Hollister party.
Colonel Hollister took the sheep north, and went
into the business of breeding improved sheep on an extensive scale. Eventually, with others, he bought the San Justo ranch in the San Benito valley, then a portion of Monterey county.
Other parties with sheep, Thomas Flint and Jotham and Llewellyn Bixby, came at the same time by the same route, and all three parties kept near each other and co-operated together, in overcoming difficulties, and in defense against the Indians, etc.
Colonel Hollister was a man of education. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits before he came to California. He died in Santa Bárbara a few years ago, where his widow and sister still live, His brother died eight or ten years since.
t The firm of Flint, Bixby & Co., consisted at this time of Thomas and Benjamin Flint, and Llewellen Bixby, who entered into a co-partnership in Terre
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
meeting October 10, 1868, at which S. S. Swope was elected president, W. H. Briggs secretary, and J. M. Brown, treasurer. This association bought the San Justo ranch of Colonel Hollister for $400,000; but when on survey there was less land than had been estimated a deduction of $30,000 was made, and the actual amount paid was $370,000, of which $100,000 was paid down, and the bal- ance on time.
The land, or a portion of it, including the present town site of Hollister, was divided into tracts of 172 acres each, and, on the 19th of November, 1868, the choice of tracts was sold at anction, T. S. Hawkins (now president of the Bank of Hollister) purchasing the first choice, paying therefore $4,500. The aggregate amount realized from the " sale of choice " of these fifty tracts for premiums alone was $87,352. The town of Hollister was laid off the same day, November 19. It had been decided at first to locate the town about two miles northeast of ite present site, and keep the latter as the Hollister homestead, but finally the present site was fixed on and named.
During the month of December, $3,600
worth of town lots were sold, and the town commenced to grow rapidly. Its population in 1880, by the federal census, was about 1,000, and in 1890, 1,234. At present, 1892, the school census indicates that it must be double that number.
HOLLISTER SCHOOLS.
The present condition of the public schools of Hollister is shown in the following figures taken from the latest report of the county superintendent: The number of children in the district between 5 and 17 are:
White, boys, 339; girls, 310-649. Negro, boys, 6; girls, 7-13. Total. .662
Under 5, white 142
Total number children under 17 (all native born).804
Number of children between 5 and 17 who have attended public school. .. 527
Number children between 5 and 17 who have at- tended only primary schools. 112
Total. 639
Number pupils enrolled, boys, 300; girls, 237 .537
Number pupils belonging 382
Average daily attendance 370
Percentage of attendance on average num'r belo'ng 97 Number pupils in grammar grade, 299,
Number pupils in primary grade, 238 .537
Number months school maintained 91%
Haute, Indiana, in March, 1853, to purchase stock to drive across the plains to California. They collected 2,400 head of sheep near Quincy, Illinois, and started for California, and crossed the Missouri river at Coun- cil Bluffs; their route thence was up the North Platte, via South Pass, Great Salt Lake city, southern Utah to Los Angeles and to San José, ending their trip in June, 1864.
In October, 1855, they bought the San Justo ranch using the part occupied by them for many years, almost exclusively for sheep. They were the first to introduce into California Spanish-Merino sheep from Vermont, and they, or those of them who survive, have bred them since continuously. They have been identified
with many important business interests of this and other parts of the State, having been partners in the firms of J. Bixby & Co., Irvine, Flint & Co., B. P. Flint & Co., Coast Line Stage Co., California Beet Sugar Co., Cerro Benito Quicksilver Mining Co., etc. Jotham and Llewellyn Bixby have been for some years residents of Los Angeles county, where they are large land owners, and where they have extensive herds of sheep and cattle, etc. James Irvine died in Los Angeles (now Orange) county, several years ago. The magnificent San Joaquin and Lomas de Santiago ranches in Orange county, still belong to his estate· Dr. Thomas Flint still resides in San Benito county.
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
Paid teachers $ 6,650 00
Paid rents, repairs, fuel, etc
1,177 78
Paid libraries
66 90
Total $7,894 68
Paid lots, building and furnishing. 7,602 45
Total $15,497 13
Balance July 1, 1891 817 26
Received from State 3,250 68
Received from county. 4,081 50
Received city and district taxes .. 30,179 60
Received subscriptions and miscel's sources 92 70
Total. .$38,421 74 Balance on hand June 30, 1892. 22,924 61
(Note. This amount is balance on hand from sale of bonds for $30,000 for a new ten- room schoolhouse, being erected in 1892. A contract for this building has been let for $20,825.)
The value of lots, schoolhouses and furni- ture is $14,000; of libraries, $300; and ap- paratus, $300, or a total of $14,600. Num- ber volumes in library, 318; bonded indebt- edness, $30,000.
J. B. Hankenson is principal of the Hol- lister schools.
There are four teachers holding grammar grade certificates, and five holding primary grade certificates, or nine teachers in all.
.
J. G. Hamilton, J. T. Lowe and A. M. Hardin constitute the city board of education.
The district has or soon will have one ten- class schoolhouse, one five-class schoolhouse, one three-class schoolhouse, one one-class (rented) schoolhouse in southern part of dis- trict.
The following are the town officers: T. S.
Hawkins, president; C. Hickey, C. H. Knapp, Alex. Eaton, A. H. Coy, trustees.
B. F. Gould, assessor; M. T. Dooling, at- torney; W. McDonald, marshal.
SACRED HEART SCHOOL.
The private, boarding and day school for boys and girls, under charge of the Sisters of Charity, was established Angust 5, 1891. The building occupied by the school, which stands a short distance west of Hollister, was originally erected for a college, but came into the possession of Mr. James McMahon, who donated it, with grounds comprising about seven acres, to the Sisters for the purpose of establishing a private school, which last year had about 100 pupils in attendance, with prospects of a larger number in the future. Sister Aurelia is at the head of the institution. She is assisted by four other Sisters. The common or rudimentary branches of English, vocal and instrumental music, painting, draw- ing, and French and Latin are taught.
CHURCHES.
The Church of the Sacred Heart, Roman Catholic, of Hollister, includes some 1,500 parishioners. The church building, with a seating capacity of about 250, was erected some eighteen or twenty years ago. The present rector, Rev. B. Smyth, came here in 1889. He has American, Spanish and Portu- guese and French parishioners. Father Smyth preaches in English, and also, on occasions, in Spanish.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Hol-
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
lister was organized in 1869, or very soon after the town of Hollister was laid out. The church building was bought in 1878. Seating capacity from 150 to 200. Membership 112. Its pastor (previous to the Conference of Sep- tember 1892) was Dr. Wesley Dennett. Trustees: T. L. Baldwin, C. N. Day, A. Dunlap.
The Methodist Episcopal Church South of Hollister was established in 1869, and its house of worship, with a seating capacity of about 175, was erected a little later. The church membership is 140. Rev. J. N. Ken- ney has been pastor since January 1, 1892.
The First Presbyterian Church of Hollister has about seventy-five members. Its church building was erected eight or ten years ago; costing between $3,000 and $4,000; and the church was organized in 1873. Rev. S. D. Fulton has been pastor, since December, 1891: The church will seat from 200 to 225, or with the parlors 300 persons.
The Christian Church of Hollister was organized in 1869. Its membership is now about 200. The church was erected in 1875. Rev. C. P. Cone is the pastor (1892). The church is in a prosperous condition; and the board of trustees contemplate enlarging the present building, which was erected in 1874, as it is inadequate to the needs of the con- gregation.
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.
The following is a list of the societies and of the dates of their stated meetings:
K. of P .- San Justo Lodge, No. 173, K. of P., meets every Monday evening, Castle
hall, Fourth street west of San Benito street; William Wallace, C. C .; J. H. Shaw, K. of R. and S.
F. & A. M .- San Benito Lodge, No. 211, F. & A. M. meets in Masonic hall the Sat- urday on or before the full moon. W. P. Steinbeck, W. M .; R. Shaw, secretary.
R. A. M .-- Hollister Chapter, No. 68, R. A. M. meets in Masonic hall on the second Wednesday in each month. Thomas Flint, H. P .; S. C. Freele, secretary.
O. E. S .- Athena Chapter, No. 46, O. E. S. meets in Masonic hall on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Mrs. J. G. Hamilton, W. M .; Miss Ella McCray, sec- retarý.
I. O. O. F .- Mound Lodge, No. 166, I. O. O. F. meets in I. O. O. F. hall every Thurs- day evening. N. D. Hall, N. G .; R. Shaw, R. S. The Fidelity Rebekah Degree Lodge, No. 29, meets in I. O. O. F. hall, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Mrs. J. D. Hendricks, N. G .; Mrs. J. G. Por- ter, secretary.
G. A. R .- Jesse L. Reno, Post No. 58, G. A. R. meets in I. O. O. F. hall on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Will Acton, P. C .; F. W. Oliver, adjutant.
A. O. U. W .- San Benito Lodge, No. 96, A. O. U. W., meets in I. O. O. F. hall every Friday evening. J. F. Breen, W. M .; John Paterson, recorder.
N. S. G. W .- Frémont Parlor, No. 44, N. S. G. W., meets in I. O. O. F. hall on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
William Black, president; J. T. Lahiff, sec- retary.
I. O. F .- Court Hollister, No. 654, meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in I. O. O. F. hall. W. E. Ste- vens, C. R .; J. E. Serles, secretary.
W. C. T. U .- The Hollister W. C. T. U. meets First Wednesday of the month in the parlor of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
There is also a Catholic Ladies' Aid Society, a Portuguese Union, etc.
NEWSPAPERS.
The Hollister Free Lance now in its ninth volume, is one of the best weekly newspapers published outside the larger cities in California. It is edited with ability and untiring industry. It is a faithful and very valuable exponent of the community in which itis published. Its managers show that they have the true newspaper instinct, in that they make known to the world, the resources of their section, with great fullness of detail. Some of their extra editions are fairly cyelo- pedic in the great variety and exhaustiveness of their information about San Benito county.
The editors of this work have derived much valuable information concerning the econom- ic and other resources of San Benito county from the local journals of the county, and especially from "The Free Lance," which they hereby formally and cordially acknow- ledge. The value of an enterprising, intelli- gent local press toa community can hardly be overestimated.
Lahiff and Stephenson are the proprietors and publishers of "The Free Lance," Mr. Stephenson being editor and Mr. Lahiff be- ing city editor, and business manager. The paper is enthusiastically and aggressively Re- publican in politics.
In 1873, the Enterprise was established, which afterward was merged into the Pacific Coast, and then into the Democrat, which L. T. Baldwin bought in 1882, and named the Free Lance, by which name it has since been known.
The San Benito Advance was established June 17, 1872, when Hollister was but a struggling village. During these years it has never missed its usual weekly issue. With the name of Hollister its name is in- separably connected. Upon its subscription books are the names of hundreds of old- timers in San Benito county and other por- tions of the commonwealth. The Advance was first established by Mr. William Shaw, father of the present proprietors. The office was theu located in Brown's Hall, opposite the present Eagle Hotel on San Benito street. San Benito street was then ungraded and during the winter months was almost an impassable sea of adobe mud. The Advance was later removed to the corner of San Benito and Fifth streets, where it remained for some years. It was foremost in agitating the question of incorporating the town of Hollis- ter and largely instrumental in bringing about its final accomplishment. San Benito county was then a portion of old Monterey county, and in the final struggle that ended
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
in a division, the Advance by its aggressive policy crystallized a strong public sentiment, which was a very efficient factor in bringing about the desired result to wit: The passage of the Act of Division. Its usefulness was next made apparent to the public by the valuable aid it rendered in cleaning out the Milliken-Kelly gang of cut-throats which then terrorized the entire community. It de- manded the election of Oroson Lyons for city marshal, who was aggressive in their final subjugation. From December, 1875, to 1878, the Advance was conducted by F. W. Blake now editor of the Gilroy Advocate. He is remembered as a vigorous writer, a faithful and persistent champion of local im- provement. To his efforts is largely due the establishment of a fire department in Hollis- ter and a water system unexcelled by any other interior town in California. Robert Shaw and the late L. T. Baldwin succeeded Mr. Blake, and conducted the Advance as the Republican organ of the county up to June, 1884, when George W. McConnell took it and made it pronouncedly Democratic in its tone. He proved to be an able newspaper man, being aggressive and enterprising. The present proprietors, Albert D. and George E. Shaw, succeeded Mr. McConnell in February, 1886. The old " man-killer" lever press, which had done duty in the Shaw family for forty-eight years, was replaced by a new modern Cottrell cylinder and other improved office equipments; and since that time the Advance has been conducted upon modern principles as a first-class weekly
paper. It has been noted for its fearless ex- pression of the voice of the people upon vital topics of local concern. Independent and aggressive in its views, it is a newspaper in every sense of the word, and with its large patronage and extensive clintele of read- ers, it exerts a wide influence in the com- munity in which it is published.
THE WEST COAST ALLIANCE,
devoted to the interests of the Farmers' Alli- ance, and Industrial Union, was established in 1892, as the organ of the Alliance, by which organization it is owned. It is edited and managed by C. A. Menefee. It is a zealous defender of the farmers, whom it justly considers the yeomanry and the back- bone as it were, of this country.
THE JEFFERSONIAN
of Hollister, a strongly Democratic weekly newspaper, was established in the early part of 1892. It is published by Harry Johnston, editor, and W. T. McCarthy, business man- ager. Although devoted to the interests of its party, it also aims to promote the best interests of San Benito county.
THE HOLLISTER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT was organized in December, 1875, with eighty charter members. The original offi- cers were: R. M. Shackleford, chief; J. M. Black, first assistant; William Eastman, second assistant. At first, the company had two hose carts and a hook and ladder
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
truck. At present they have three hose carts and a hook and ladder truck, 1,500 feet of first-class hose, and 900 feet of second- class hose, with nine ladders (150 feet) and eighteen buckets. There are now four com- panies. Officers: No. 1, Alert, Robert Shaw, foreman; W. W. McDonald, first assistant; Albert Williams, second assistant. Com- pany No. 2, Wide Awake: A. J. Santos, foreman; W. T. Dalzell, first assistant; Joseph Lynn, second assistant. Company No. 3, Excelsior: W. W. Black, foreman; Charles Shaw, first assistant; Henry Agnew, second assistant. Pioneer Hook and Lad- der Company: Joseph Boucher, foreman; Leonard Hutz, first assistant; William Wells, second assistant.
Department officers: A. Eaton, chief; H. M. Campbell, first assistant; J. R. Hawk- ins, second assistant; J. H. Archibald, sec- retary; R. E. Shaw, treasurer.
THE GRANGERS' UNION OF HOLLISTER,
with an authorized capital stock of $100,000, was incorporated, March 20, 1890. The following-named gentlemen are directors: Thomas Flint, president; R. P. Lathrop, vice president; C. N. Hawkins, secretary and manager; G. S. Nash, R. E. Shore. The Union has a large store, centrally loca ted; it deals in general merchandise; its business, which appears to be well managed, is re- ported to be this third year double in volume to what it was the first year. The Union owns a large warehouse near the depot, where it stores its own goods.
WATER-WORKS.
The company owning these works is man- aged by the following officers: T. S. Hawk- ins, president; T. W. Hawkins, secre- tary and manager; N. C. Briggs, E. A. Crepin, R. A. Hawkins, S. T. Jones; D. N. Hall is chief engineer. The water is taken from four artesian wells, from forty- five to 265 feet deep, and pumped to a ce- ment reservoir, capable of holding 255,000 gallons, on the top of a hill adjoining the town on the north, which has an elevation of 120 feet. The steam pump used has a ca- pacity of 95,000 gallons per hour. It is claimed that in case of fire, it can be started up in fifteen minutes, and can then gain four inches an hour of water in the reservoir, when the fire companies are playing four streams on the fire.
The reservoir, which is covered, is seven feet deep, eighty feet long by fifty-four wide. Its height gives a pressure of water in the town of forty-two pounds to the square inch, which is sufficient to send a powerful stream over the top of the highest buildings, thus doing away entirely with the necessity for fire engines. There are twelve miles of mains laid in Hollister. The water being artesian, is clear, healthful, pleasant to the taste, and entirely free from animal or vege- table matter, or germs of any kind, though slightly hard. The company (1892) is en- gaged in boring an additional and larger and much deeper well, for the purpose of secur- ing a larger supply of water, which they
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SAN BENITO COUNTY.
hope will be absolutely free from any hard quality.
The average annual rainfall at Hollister is about twelve inches.
HOLLISTER LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY.
The officers of this company are: Thomas Donovan, president; Thomas McMahon, vice- president; E. A. Crepin, treasurer; A. Tonn, secretary. The company was incorporated February 17, 1892. Jesse Starkweather is superintendent of the works. This company, as the Hollister Gas Company, has been manufacturing gas for the last six years. It commenced supplying electric (incandescent) light, June 1, 1892. It has a seventy-five- horse-power engine and boiler, and a 740 light dynamo. The capacity of its gas-works is about 15,000 cubit feet of gas per day.
BANKS.
There are two commercial and two savings banks in Hollister. The oldest of these is the Bank of Hollister, which was incorporated in 1873. It has a capital stock, paid up, of $250,000 and a surplus of $145,000. Its directors are: T. S. Hawkins, president; N. C. Briggs, vice-president; T. W. Hawkins, cashier; Uriah Woods, Thomas Flint. The semi-annual statement of this bank for June 30, 1892, showed
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