USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 21
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to draw to them a better class of settlers than those of Branciforte. Under all the circum- stances it is therefore, not surprising that Branciforte gradually fell into decadence. Vicente Mojica was alcalde in 1802 and Fe- lipe Hermandez in 1805; of other years, there is no record. In 1807 the missionaries, Ca- ranza and Quintana insisted that the lands of the town from which fields might be assigned to vecinos or neighboring residents and inva- lids extended only to the Rancho de Bravo or the Soquel and to Aptos or Corralitos, and that all other lands belonged to the mission.
The population of California in 1810 was estimated at about 21,000, of whom abont one-tenth were gente de razon, or people of reason, there being very little increase during the following twenty years. Live-stock was estimated at that time at 140,000 head of ganado mayor (large animals), and 157,000 head of small animals, mostly sheep. About 84,000 bushels of grain were the average annual yield of all the missions at that period.
The missions, considered as estates of the king, were capable, in case of a conquest of this country by another power, of furnishing abundant supplies of all kinds.
The governor and others strongly protested against the sending of convicts to California. It is recorded that of the sixteen convicts, in 1803, under the control of the authorities of the Monterey jurisdiction, eight were at Branciforte, five at San José, two at the pre- sidio, and one at the ranch Buena Vista.
An order was issued to the effect that in granting pueblo lots, settlers should be en-
titled to receive them first, if there were not enough for all, as invalids could depend on their pensions.
Langsdoff, in his "Voyages," mentions that in 1806, the cattle had become so numerous in the valleys around San Francisco bay and at Santa Cruz, that the governor had been compelled to send out soldiers to slaughter 20,000 head.
In 1812, Father Quintana was murdered by his neophytes at Santa Cruz, and Governor Arrillaga died two years later. Captain José Arguello became acting governor, until the appointment of his successor, Pablo Vicente de Sola, who assumed the duties of the office the next year.
In 1818, " el ano de los Insurgentes," all the inhabitants of the province, were greatly excited because of news received, that two privateers were fitting out at the Sandwich Islands for an attack on California. Gover- nor Sola issued orders to all the comand- antes, to be on the alert, and there was everywhere the greatest activity displayed in preparation for the coming of the piratical vessels, and provision was made for concen- trating, with the utmost promptness, as large a force as possible, at whatever point the enemy might attempt to land.
It seems that Bonchard, who was in com- mand of the piratical crafts, sailed under some sort of letters of marque, and under the flag of the insurgents of Buenos Ayres, who with the people of other Spanish American conn- tries had raised the standard of revolution against the mother country, Spain. Of course,
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the church took sides, as a rule, against the revolutionists, although in Mexico, Hidalgo, a priest, led the revolt of that country against Spain to a successful issue.
Bancroft gives a minute account of the excitement at Santa Cruz, caused by the ex- pected incursion of Bouchard's forces and robbery of that mission. Padre Ramon Olbés believed, or affected to believe, that the Branciforte settlers would join the insurgents in robbing the mission, and he subsequently charged that on the approach of the vessels, they had sacked the mission, intending to lay the blame on the insurgents, who, however, by not landing, left them in the lurch.
Governor Sola ordered an investigation, Olbés in the meantime having abandoned the mission and gone with his neophytes to Santa Clara Joaquin Buelna, comisionado, was instructed by the governor to go to the mission and carry away everything movable. Before the completion of his task; however; Bouchard appeared, but was unable to land on account of the rough surf. Joaquin Castro, the mayordomo of the mission; with some of the neophytes, returned and found Buelna hard at work moving the mission goods. When he found that this was being done by order of the governor, he joined his force to that of the comisionado. A portion of the goods were inventoried by Buelna, and taken to the pueblo; some were buried and some were taken by Castro to Santa Clara.
The friars, after getting over their tright, which was mostly without cause, finally ad- mitted that the danger had been exaggerated.
Olbés went back to his mission, and matters went on as before. Although the two pirate or insurgent vessels, anchored in the bay of Monterey and engaged in a fight with the fort, of which an account is given elsewhere in this volume, there is no evidence that any of Bouchard's men landed at Santa Cruz.
This advent of the "insurgentes" or pirates on this coast in 1818, created a great sen- sation throughout California. Governor Pio Pico, who is still, 1892, living at Los Angeles, at the age of ninety-one years, hav- ing been born May 5, 1801, has recounted to the writer how his father Sergeant José M. Pico of the artillery company at San Diego was sent in 1818 to San Gabriel to put down a rising of the neophytes, and that during the same year he was recalled to San Diego to assist in the defense of that port against some pirates, which, however, sailed by in sight without entering the harbor, although the inhabitants and military authorities had made ample preparations to receive them.
The fathers in charge of the missions at Santa Cruz, from 1811 to 1820 were: Quin- tana, Rodriquez, Tapis, Marquinez Escudí, Olbès and Gil.
In 1817, the control of the rancho Bolsa de Salispuedez, was temporarily transferred by the pueblo to the missions.
In 1816, Governor Sola gave the comision- ado of Branciforte, minnte instructions as to the government of the town, requiring watch- fulness against gambling and other vices, and insisting that religious duties be enforced; prohibiting all intercourse between citizens
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and Indians; enjoining industrious habits on the settlers, and finally, that full reports must be made "de los torrenos y de las cosechas" (i. e., of the lands and of the crops ).
The total population of Spanish or mixed blood, known as gente de razon in 1820, was estimated at something over 3,000 souls; and of foreigners not of Spanish or Indian parent- age, twelve; of these Thomas Doak and Daniel Call, who came in 1816, and Joseph Chapman in 1818, were Americans; John Gilroy in 1814, and John Rose in 1818, were Scotchmen; Thomas Lester in 1817, and I. Thomas in 1818, were Englishmen; John Mulligan in 1814 or 1815, was an Irishman; José Bolcof in 1815, was a Russian; Juan Cristobal in 1816, M. J. Pascual and Fisher or Norris in 1818, were negroes.
There were at this time (1820), twenty missions and thirty-seven missionaries. Of these Father Senan was the only one left who came before 1790.
The total neophyte population in 1820 was estimated to have been a little over 20,000 souls.
The mission register up to this date showed that there had been altogether of gente de ra- zon, 250 marriages, 1,375 births, and 535 deaths.
The estimate of mission cattle was 140,000 head; horses, 18,000; mules, 1,900; and sheep, 190,000 head. The amount of grain raised during the preceding ten years aver- aged nearly 114,000 bushels per year, or be- tween 5,000 and 6,000 bushels for each mission.
The president of the missions in 1820 was Father Señan, Payeras having been elected prefect. The missions mainly supported the provincial government, including the presid- ios during this period, as no aid came from Mexico.
The settlers at the pueblos were not in- clined to labor with their own hands, but were accustomed to get the Indians to till lands for one-third or one-half the crops, liv- ing themselves on the balance.
Although timber was abundant in the Santa Cruz mountains, there were no saw- mills and all the lumber had to be hewn or sawed by hand. Mention is made in the local records that in 1816, Sergeant Pico was directed to build a bridge across the Pájaro river.
The weather reports show that the season of 1816-'17, was a very wet one, and that of 1820-'21 was a dry one.
The fathers complained that soldiers, as well as Indians, often killed the tame cattle while slaughtering the wild ones.
CHAPTER V.
INDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO-1822 to 1846.
ALIFORNIA was influenced, of course, to a certain extent by the political changes in Mexico from the regime of Spanish rule to independence, first as an em- pire and finally as a republic.
THEY MET AT SANTA CRUZ IN THE LONG AGO.
About the year 1822, William Thompson, an Englishman, landed at Santa Cruz and
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started a business in hides and tallow. His native place was London. His father was a sail-maker, and there lived the family, mother, brother and sisters. With regret and sorrow they parted with William when he went to sea, and after a time they ceased to hear from him. Years went by, and the father grieved and the mother pined for her son as time went on. At last another son, Samuel, pro- posed to go in search of his brother; his plan was agreed to, and he started. How long he sailed and where he went is not known; but after awhile he was on a ship that came to Santa Cruz. Here was anchored at that time another ship, taking on board a cargo of hides. Samuel came ashore, and inquiring for the captain of that ship, asked him if among his crew there was a William Thomp- son. The captain said he did not know cer- tainly whether there was or not, " But there the men are," said he, pointing to the men at work on the beach, carrying hides; "you can go and see." And there, sure enough, Samnel met his brother William! But in- stead of Samuel getting William to go home, they both remained on this coast. They afterward shipped together on a voyage to South America, but they returned again to Santa Cruz and settled here.
Various vessels landed at Santa Cruz from 1825 to 1830. The Frenchman, Duhaut- Cilly, in the Heros, touched here in 1827.
The number of citizens of the village of Branciforte had increased in 1830 to about 150. Branciforte had been transferred in 1822 to the political jurisdiction of the
pueblo of San José, as it was lacking in sufficient population to entitle it to an ayun- tamiento, or town council; and in 1826 the two pueblos were transferred from the mili- tary jurisdiction of Monterey to that of San Francisco; but in 1828 Branciforte was re- transferred to Monterey again. It had al- caldes, however, during this period. Their names were: S. Pinto, Buelna, Borondo and Rodriguez.
The citizens of the pueblo in 1830 are said to have owned some 2,000 or 3,000 head of cattle. Heavy rains, doing much damage to gardens and buildings, including the church, in the winter of 1824-'25, are mentioned in the archives of Santa Cruz. The number of head of large stock belonging to the mission of Santa Cruz, in 1830, is given at a little over 3,000, and of sheep nearly 5,000.
The local records of 1828 show that the pueblo boundaries then were described as on the north by Santa Cruz and the mountains; on the east by Santa Clara creek; on the south by the ranch of Amesti; and on the west by Monterey bay. In 1830 the population of the pueblos and ranches of the province of Alta California was estimated at about 1,700 souls.
In 1827 an order came from Mexico per- mitting foreign vessels to trade at Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, etc. Father Gil y Taboada was in charge of Santa Cruz mis- sion in 1830, being succeeded by Father J. Jimeno.
The Mission of Santa Cruz, under the national secularization of August 17, 1833,
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and the provincial regulations of Governor Figueroa of August 9, 1834, was turned over to Lieutenant Ygnacio del Valle, as comis- ionado, on the 24th of the same month; and Juan Gonzales was mayordomo from and after October. This mission was at this time known as " l'ueblo de Figueroa," and the In- dians were reported to have behaved well under the new system.
Among the vessels which arrived on this coast in 1835, was the Pilgrim, of Boston, and the Alert; on the former of which was R. H. Dana, the author of "Two Years Be- fore the Mast."
In 1833, Isaac Graham came to California from Hardin county, Kentucky, and settled near Monterey. His name is intimately as- sociated with the early history of Santa Cruz and vicinity.
It is said he erected on the San Lorenzo, somewhere in the neighborhood of where the powder works are, the first sawmill in Cali- fornia. He went to Los Angeles in 1835, and in 1836 removed to Natividad, where (according to B. D. Wilson, of Los Angeles) he established a small distillery in a tule hut, which soon became a nuisance, owing to the disreputable character of those who fre- quented it.
The population of gente de razon (rational people) of the Monterey district, including Branciforte and seven missions, in 1840, is estimated at abont 1,600 souls. Of this num- ber 250 lived at and in the neighborhood of Branciforte. No reliable enumeration of the inhabitants of the pueblo was taken, as far as
is known, prior to 1845, when there were 294 Californians and Mexicans, fifty-six foreign- ers, and 120 neophytes.
Mention is made of a case, wherein Na- than Spear, who owned the schooner Nic- olas, used to carry produce between Monterey and Santa Cruz, got into trouble growing out of the construction of trade regulations. The ayuntamiento insisted on their exclusive right to grant licenses, and Spear was fined by the alcalde, which, on appeal to Governor Chico, was decided against the ayuntamiento. Spear afterward took the Nicolas to San Francisco.
In 1839, two Boston ships brought car- goes of goods to Monterey which paid up- ' ward of $50,000 in duties. The total reve- nues this year were over $80,000. The French frigate Artemise anchored at Santa Cruz in August, 1839. Her commander, La- place, who, expecting perhaps from reading La Pérouse many hospitable attentions, in- cluding the offer of gratuitous supplies, was so surprised because of the exorbitant charges the settlers demanded for the provisons he needed, that he left without making pur- chases. One pretty maiden, however, greatly pleased him by offering to sell supplies needed cheaply; but she was intimidated by the padre from delivering the goods she had promised.
The American flag had been raised at Santa Cruz at the time of the taking of Mon- terey by Commodore Jones, in 1842, but was, on restoration of the authority to Mexico, re- placed by the Mexican flag.
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In 1842, Larkin and Belden established a store at Santa Cruz. During the somewhat troubled rule of Governor Micheltorena, 1842-'45, that irrepressible citizen of Santa Cruz, Isaac Graham, offered to the governor the service of himself and forty other foreigners, neighbors of his, hoping thereby, presumably, to be able to get even with his old enemies, ex-Governors Alvarado and Castro, in the disturbances then thought to beimminent growing out of the general dis- satisfaction with the actions of that unpopu- lar governor and his " cholos " or " batallon fijo," which consisted of a disreputable class of Mexicans, sent by the Mexican Govern- ment to California.
But seven of these foreigners protested to the governor that they had given Graham no an- thority to act for them, and that their only de- sire was to live in quiet, without being drawn into trouble, by the man whom they pretty accurately characterized as " that seditious evil-doer, and promiscuous disturber of the peace." Micheltorena replied that Cali- fornia was at peace, and that his force was amply sufficient; but that if the services of foreigners should be needed they would be notified in due form, through the proper authorities.
Santa Cruz Mission went to ruin in 1841, under the administration of Bolcof, and be- came a part of Branciforte, the population of which, as we learn from a list taken in 1845, was about 470, of which 350 were gente de razon, about eighty foreigners, and forty ex- neophytes of the mission, the pueblo and
mission being known in general as Santa Cruz, as the name of the Pueblo de Figueroa gradually fell into disuse.
Justice of the Peace Bolcof complained in 1849 that foreigners engaged in the lumber business refused to pay taxes.
CHAPTER VI.
SANTA CRUZ UNDER AMERICAN RULE.
B ANCROFT estmates the Hispano-Cali- fornian population in California, at the time of the change from Mexican to United States rule, at about 7,000 souls, and of the foreign population about the same number. He also thinks that between 3,000 and 4,000 ex-neophyte Indians were lead- ing a somewhat civilized life, at or near the towns and ranches, with perhaps twice as many of the same class scattered amongst the gentiles, or wild Indians, although he concedes that these estimates of the Indian population may be only approximately cor- rect.
On the American occupation, Bolcof was desired to continue to act as a magistrate at Santa Cruz, either alone or with John Hames, but he apparently declined, and Joseph L. Majors was appointed in Angust with William Thompson as second and Law- rence Carmichael as secretary. March 24, 1847, Governor S. W. Kearny appointed W. Colton judge of admirality, and E. P. Hart- nell interpereter for the government two weeks earlier. William Blackburn was ap- pointed alcalde of Santa Cruz, June 21, 1847, by Governor Mason.
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Of the twenty-seven original counties into which California was divided by the act of February 18, 1850, Santa Cruz was one, al- though it was first named after the villa, or pueblo, Branciforte, but the legislature, April 5, 1850, changed the name to Santa Cruz.
In 1868, a small portion of Santa Cruz county was set off to San Mateo county, in- cluding the town of Pescadero, on the coast about thirty miles from Santa Cruz, the county seat.
The population of Santa Cruz county, as reported by the last Federal census (1890), was 19,270. Of this number, 18,416 were, whites or Caucasians, 58 negroes, 13 In- dians, 16 Japanese, and 767 Chinese.
According to the same census, there were 72,780 Asiatics in California, and of these, 71,681 were Chinese, and 1,099 Japanese, and there were 12,355 Indians and 11,437 negroes in the State.
In the gubernatiorial election of 1890, Markham received in Santa Cruz county, 2,- 029 votes, Pond, 1,666, and Bidwell 242, the total vote of the county being 3,937.
By the act of the legislature of March 11, 1891, Santa Cruz county was made a part of the Sixth Congressional District, and with San Mateo county it constitutes the Twenty-ninth Senatorial District, the State being divided into forty Senatorial Districts, and Santa Cruz county alone constitutes the Fifty-third Assembly District-the total number of as- sembly districts in the State being eighty.
CHAPTER VII.
RESOURCES OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
ANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S resources are extensive and varied, and probably intelligent and persistent labor finds no surer or more profitable rewards, any- where in the State than in Santa Cruz county. A local authority estimates that during only the last twenty years 400,000,- 000 feet of lumber have been cut in the connty, besides railroad ties in unlimited quantity, and that 37,500 acres of timber lands remain, equal to more than a thou- sand million feet of Jumber, or a supply suf- fiient to last fifty years yet. The large companies engaged in the lumber business include the Loma Prieto Lumber Company, Grover & Company, Cunningham & Com- pany, and the Santa Cruz Company, each of which has one or more sawmills.
Both the stock-raising and the dairy busi- ness are extensive and prosperous.
Several million dollars are invested in the county, in manufactures of various kinds, in- cluding powder, paper, lumber-mills, beet sugar, soap, glue cheese and butter factories ; tanneries, and lime-kilns, etc. These indus- tries enjoy here many advantages, such as rail and water transportation facilities, abundance of cheap fuel, water-motor power, coal, lumber for building, etc., etc. Besides, the climate is favorable for the preservation of all per- ishable products.
The Western Sugar Beet Company, near Watsonville, has something like half a mill-
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ion dollars invested in its plant and busi- ness. Its average daily capacity is about three hundred and fifty tons of beets, or forty-five tons of sugar. It runs from three to five months a year; employs 150 men, when in operation, paying $12,000 per month in wages, and $40,000 per month to the farmers for beets. The company pays four dollars a ton for beets yielding fourteen per cent of sugar, and fifty cents a ton for each additional per centum or degree of polariza- tion above fourteen.
Thirteen hundred tons of lime rock are used annually for making lime, used in the process of making sugar.
Pájaro valley and portions of Salinas valley, are admirably adapted to the growth of beets. The company has planted 1,200 acres to beets, near Castroville; and a nar row-gauge railroad has been constructed by the company, thirteen miles in length, from their factory to lands in the Salinas valley, which the company has rented for the pur- pose of raising beets on a large scale.
The South Coast Paper Mills, on the So- quel creek, were established in 1880. The motive power of these mills is water and steam: their present daily capacity is three and one half tons of straw wrapping paper. They employ about twenty-five hands; their expenditure annually for labor is $15,000, and for straw and lime $9,000 and 3,000 respectively.
The Corralitos Paper Mills are located seven miles northerly from Watsonville. They use steam power and have about thirty-
five employes, and produce about five tons of various kinds of straw paper daily.
The California Powder Works have an ordinary capacity of six or seven hundred kegs of powder per day; but during the past year they have produced as high as 900 kegs, of twenty-five pounds each, per day.
The supply of lime rock in Santa Cruz county is practically inexhaustible; Santa Cruz lime is well known all over the State. Its quality is excellent, and exportations are large. Several hundred men are employed in this industry, which brings much money into the county.
There are several tanneries, which turn out in the aggregate large quantities of leather, of excellent quality, the products of one establishment alone being about $160,000 worth annually.
Bituminous rock, of which mention las already been made under the head of " Min- eral Resources" of Santa Cruz county, is also a source of large revenue. It is asserted that since April 1, 1892, the product of this valuable commodity has been about 100 tons daily. The principal sources of supply of merchantable bituminous lime rock, in Cali- fornia, are in the counties of San Luis Obispo, and Santa Cruz; and in both coun- ties the supply is said to be practically in- exhaustible.
In the Pájaro valley hops are raised to some extent, and with success, the average yield being about one ton per acre, worth fif- teen cents a pound.
There are several hundred acres of olive
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trees growing in the county, but not yet in bearing.
All kinds of fruits and berries of the tem- perate zone grow well in this county; and on the hills and highlands, apples, plums and cherries and apricots do remarkably well.
VINEYARDS.
The vineyards on the hill lands and on the mountain sides, in Santa Cruz, as in nearly every other county in the State do well, and with the right kind of grapes and proper treatment, produce wines of superior quality. There are about 3,000 acres of vineyard in the county, mostly of choice foreign varieties. With the rich soil and genial climate of these mountain sides, and the true wine grapes of France or of the south of Europe; and with skill and experience in treatment, there are almost limitless possibilities in the excellence of wines that can be produced in the future in this county. These possibilities have liardly, as yet, begun to be appreciated.
CHAPTER VIII.
COUNTY OFFICERS AND INSTITUTIONS.
HE county of Santa Cruz constitutes a judicial district; the present superior judge is Hon. F. J. Cann. County clerk, auditor and recorder, Ed. Martin; sheriff, and ex-officio tax collector, A. J. Jen- nings; after the present terin these two offices will be separate. District attorney, Carl E. Lindsay; treasurer, William H. Bias; superintendent of schools, J. W. Linscott;
assessor, Frank Mattison; surveyor, E. D. Perry; coroner and public administrator, F. E. Morgan. Supervisors: members-W. S. Rodgers, Sau Lorenzo district; J. S. Collins, Branciforte district; F. D. Baldwin, Santa Cruz district; H. Daubenbis, Soquel district; J. A. Linscott, Pájaro district. Officers-W. S. Rodgers, chairman; Ed. Martiu, clerk; B. R. Martin, deputy clerk. Committees- anditing and and finance, Baldwin, Linscott, Collins. Roads and bridges: Linscott, Rod- gers, Daubenbis. Franchises and ordinances: Collins, Danbenbis, Liuscott. County hospi- tal: Linscott, Baldwin, Rodgers. Public buildings: Rodgers, Collins, Baldwin. Print- ing: Daubenbis, Rogers, Collins. Outside indigents: Baldwin, Daubenbis, Linscott.
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