USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 26
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SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.
It is intended to bring together in the museum of the university - a full representa- tion of the natural history and mineral prod- ucts of California, collections of all books, pamphlets, photographs and maps, bearing upon the early history of the West, and full collections of Indian antiquities and illustra- tions of aboriginal life.
TRUSTEES.
The general management and control of the institution is vested in a board of twenty-
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four trustees, chosen for life, of whom fifteen constitute a quorum, their names being: James Mc M. Shafter, John Boggs, Charles Goodall, T. B. McFarland, Alfred L. Tubbs, Isaac S. Belcher, Francis E. Spencer, John Q. Brown, Charles F. Crocker, George E. Gray, Timothy Hopkins, Nathan W. Spald- ing, Henry L. Dodge, Mathew P. Deady, Irving M. Scott, William M. Stewart, Harvey W. Harkness, Stephen J. Field, Horace Davis, Horatio Stebbins, D. D., Joseph D. Grant, Leon Sloss, S. F. Leib, Edward R. Taylor; Herbert C. Nash, secretary.
The charter provides that the founders, Leland Stanford and Jane Lathrop Stanford, during their lives shall "perform all the duties and exercise all the powers and privi- leges enjoined upon and vested in the trus- tees."
FACULTY AND COUNCIL.
The faculty consists of the president, pro- fessors, associate professors, assistant profess- ors and instructors aided by non-resident lecturers, assistants and other officers.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
Religious instruction is provided in accord- ance with the provision of the charter, which prohibits sectarian instruction, but requires the teaching of "the immortality of the soul, the existence of an all-wise and benevolent Creator, and that obedience to His laws is the highest duty of man."
ADMISSION AND GRADUATION.
Candidates for admission must be at least sixteen years of age. They must present
certificates of good moral character, and, if from other colleges or universities, must bring certificates of honorable dismissal.
FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY.
David Starr Jordan, LL. D., president, assisted by over sixty professors, including several eminent non-resident professors and lecturers. Among the latter are Hon. Andrew D. White, professor of European history; Jacob G. Schurman, president of Cornell University, non-resident lecturer on ethics, and others.
STUDENTS.
The register for 1891-'92 (to June, '92) shows the following summaries:
By classes:
Graduates 37
Undergraduates 376
Special and partial students 146
Total (men, 417; women, 142) ... 559
These include natives of thirty States, several Territories, and also Canada, England, Mexico, Ireland, Hawaiian Islands, Japan, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
During the last half of the present year, 1892, the number of students in attendance is as follows:
Young men 499
Young women 212
Total .711
M RS. ELIZABETH L. BACON, one of the earliest residents of Bear Val- ley, in San Benito county, located here in 1866.
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Mrs. Bacon is a native of Ohio, having been born in that State, November 23, 1827. When she was about three years of age her parents emigrated to Illinois, where she spent her girlhood, and in 1846 married Philip Shell, at Gilead, Calhoun county, Illinois. In 1851 the young couple came overland to Oregon, where they engaged in farming near Salem, and there Mr. Shell died in 1854. The following are their children: Deborah, wife of Henry Melendy, of Bear Valley; John, of Bear Valley was born May 3, 1848, married and died, leaving a son, John, who was adopted and reared by his grandmother, the subject of this sketch; Susan was born in Salem, Oregon, June 14, 1854.
In 1856 Mrs. Shell married Myron A. Bacon, a California pioneer of 1849, who came across the plains with an ox team. He engaged in mining, farming and dealt in stock-raising. He returned to Illinois for a brief time, but returned to California via the isthmus, and upon his return to California pursued farming and fruit culture until his death. He was born in Ohio, January 25, 1821, and died at San José in 1890. By this marriage Mrs. Bacon has three sons and one daughter, namely: Oliver F., a farmer of Bear Valley, born October 13, 1856; Horace G., born March 7, 1864; Benjamin, born December 12, 1866, and Mary, now Mrs. David Churchill of Sumner, Kern county, California, born August 10, 1858. All the children reside in California.
Horace G. Bacon is by profession a school teacher. He completed his studies at the State Normal School at San José, from which institution he graduated in December, 1885. Upon graduating he embraced teaching as a profession, and taught one year in Tulare county, three years in Contra Costa county, and two years in San Benito county. He
married at Alamo, in Contra Costa county, December 9, 1891, Miss Nettie, daughter of George and Annie (Truby) Smith. Mrs. Bacon was born at Alamo, December 9, 1869.
The estate of our subject comprises 320 acres of titled land, fertile and nicely lo- cated at the foot of Bear valley.
APTAIN I. G. MESSEC is a native of Macon, Georgia, and a California pio- neer of 1849, who came to the State from Texas, via El Paso and Yuma. He was a soldier of the Mexican war, fought under General Taylor, and was one of the noted brigade of Texas Rangers.
Upon his arrival in California he engaged in mining and also owned and operated, on a large scale, pack trains into the mining regions of Humboldt and Trinity counties. During the year of 1858-'59 he accomplished the transfer of the Trinity and Mad river, Humboldt and Elk river Indians to the Round Valley Reservation, which he had been com- missioned to do by the governor of Cali- fornia. This was not successfully accom- plished without some fighting, but finally he located about 400 of them.
In 1860-'61 he served as Sheriff of Trinity county. After this he engaged in mining, on a large scale, at Virginia City, Nevada. He then spent four years in San Francisco, where he figured prominently in local politics and served on a commission that opened new Montgomery street. In the development of the great Paniment mines he worked a force of over 500 men, at an expenditure of about $2,000,000. The years 1878 and 1879 found him at Bodie, California. He also was Notary Public, and in 1882 to 1886 was Sergeant-at- Arms of the California State Senate.
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He came to the Santa Clara valley, Cali- fornia, in 1880, and has since been engaged in stock-raising on his Lone Tree ranch, which is divided by the Santa Clara and San Benito county lines.
Captain Messec married Miss Lucy J. Kel- logg in 1856, a most estimable lady. No man in central and northern California is more favorably known or has a wider circle of friends than the venerable pioneer of 1849, our subject, Captain Messec.
OHN REYNOLDS, a successful agricult- urist and stock-raiser and esteemed citi- zen of Priest Valley, Monterey county, California, is a native of London, England, born November 24, 1840. He left the home of his birth and came to America when quite young. His boyhood and youth were spent in Oneida county, New York, on a farm near the city of Rome. At about fifteen years of age he went to Michigan and com- menced work for the Michigan Central Rail- road Company, at Grass Lake, Jackson county, where he remained until the break- ing out of the late war.
In 1862 Mr. Reynolds volunteered his service and was mustered into Company F, Seventeenth Michigan Infantry, at Detroit, being immediately sent to the front. He participated in the battles of South Mount- ain the following September, and there re- ceived a gunshot in the left leg, and soon after, while lying on the field of battle, was wounded in the left side by a bursting shell. On account of disability, he was honorably discharged, in January, 1863, and has since been granted a pension.
Returning to Michigan, Mr. Reynolds re. sumed his connection with the service of the
Michigan Central Railroad Company, acting as station and ticket agent at Grass Lake He came to California in April, 1868, via Panama, and the following May, through the agency of a friend, located on his present estate in Priest Valley, being among the first in the valley to make permanent settle- ment.
Mr. Reynolds married, in Washtenaw county, Michigan, Miss Ada H., daughter of John W. Green, a Michigan pioneer. Of their four children, Arthur E. is the first white child born in Priest Valley, the date of his birth occurring July 29, 1870. Mr. Reynolds is wide and favorably known in San Benito and Monterey counties as a dis- creet and prosperous business man.
E. SHORE, a venerable citizen of San Benito county, and a California pio- neer, was born in Washington county, Missouri, November 6, 1827. In 1850 he came to California, making the journey through New Mexico and from San Diego coming north into the mining districts. He spent about ten years in placer mining. In 1861 he located in Santa Clara county, near Mountain View, and made that place his home until 1870. That year he came to San Benito county, bought a ranch of McClay & Springer, and on this place is probably set- tled for life.
Mr. Shore is one of the survivors of the Mexican war. He was under General Price, served eighteen months, was honorably dis- charged, and now draws a pension.
August 19, 1863, Mr. Shore was married in Santa Clara county, to Miss Martha Janes, daughter of William Janes, deceased. She was a native of Missouri and was a most es-
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timable woman. Her death occurred March 20, 1890. Following are the names of their children: Grace, wife of William Brown of San Felipe; Frank E., a resident of Hollister; Ruth, wife of William Beggs, now of Ann Arbor, Michigan; George W., of Hollister; Itha, at home; Fred, of San Jose; Ernest D., at home.
Mr. Shore has served on the Board of Su pervisors of San Benito county and as one of the Trustees of his school district.
*
ENRY MELENDY came from Chicago, Illinois, to California in 1864, and in 1865 settled in Bear Valley, San Benito county, being the first settler of the valley. Here he has prospered and acquired a large tract of fine land, by pre-emption and purchase, becoming the owner of 1,240 acres.
Mr. Melendy was born in Eagle, Waukesha county, Wisconsin, June 21, 1848, son of Daniel F. and Ennice S. (Rockwood) Melendy, natives of Vermont. Daniel F. Melendy was one of the pioneer farmers of Waukesha county. He lived on Melendy's Prairie, Eagle Township, until his death; his widow moved to Chicago, where she still lives, having reached an advanced age. Henry is the youngest of their three children. Of the others be it recorded that Cephas J., a mem- ber of the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, dicd in 1862; and that Ellen R. is married and lives in Chicago.
Mr. Melendy was married April 7, 1868, to Miss Deborah Shell, at San Juan. She was born in Oregon, December 16, 1851, daugh- ter of Philip and Elizabeth Shell, the latter being now Mrs. Bacon, of Bear valley, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. Their seven children are as follows:
George, born January 31, 1869; Daniel, De- cember 21, 1871; Ella, August 26, 1876; Thomas, November 24, 1878; Lucretia, Sep- tember 15, 1881; Deborah, October 17, 1886; and Henry, July 2, 1888.
LLEN LEONARD, a prominent figure in the business circles of San Benito, is well known throughout this part of San Benito county, and it is fitting that some per- sonal mention be made of him on the pages of this work.
Mr. Leonard was born at Mechanicsburg, thirteen miles east of Springfield, Illinois. He came to California in 1860, to take a position under J. S. Short, Indian Agent in the northern part of the State, who had re- ceived his appointment from Abraham Lin- colu. Mr. Leonard, however, remained there only a short time. Going to Ione, Amador county, he successfully engaged in copper mining two years. He then went to Virginia City, Nevada, and turned his attention to silver mining, but this expedition resulted in financial loss. In 1868 he went to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company, as foreman of teams, and followed railroading until 1872. That year he came to San Benito county, purchased a store at San Benito, and engaged in business for himself, being still engaged in merchandising here and doing an extensive business. He also owns and con- ducts a hotel, blacksmith shop, meat market, etc., and for several years has been Postmaster of San Benito. He is also engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising and owns a fine tract of land. He has served two years as Super- visor and two years as Chairman of Board of Supervisors of san Benito county.
Mr. Leonard was married April 15, 1872,
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to Miss Bell Morton. They have had eight children, viz .: Frank M., Belle E. (deceased), Mollie, Allen, Harry, Edna, Jacob and Her- man J.
DWIN MOORE, a leading agricultur- alist of San Benito county, a pioneer of California, and for many years a resi- dent of Paicines, is a native of Clinton county, New York, born in Beekmantown, December 13, 1826.
His father, Charles B. Moore, a farmer by occupation, became one of the pioneers of Michigan, locating in Washtenaw county as early as 1834. Later, he removed to Eaton county, same State, where he passed the rest of his life, and died, in 1861. He had a family of seven children, of whom Edwin was the first born.
In 1852 Mr. Moore left Lansing, Michigan, and came across the plains, via the Carson route, to California, reaching Placerville that same year. He spent about six years in the mines, and then turned his attention to ranch- ing, in the pursuance of which he lived at Tomales, Marin county, about eight years. He spent sixteen years in Sonoma county, and in 1883 located the farm he now occu- pies, which is one of the best farming and stock ranches in his section of the country.
Mr. Moore has been twice married. At Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 29, 1846, he wedded Catharine Salter, a most estim- able woman in every respect. She was born March 5, 1827, and died December 7, 1873. Following are the names of her children: Charles B., born November 7, 1846; Betsey E., wife of G. W. Griffeth, Ventura county, California, was born January 18, 1850; Ed- win J., born September 21, 1851, died in
Michigan, October 20, 1854; and Mary E., born November 18, 1864. September 13, 1874, Mr. Moore married Miss Eliza Spald- ing, of Petaluma, Sonoma county, California. She is a native of Westminster, Massachu- setts, born June 17, 1838, and is a lady of intellectual culture and domestic grace. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have four children, viz .: Phœbe L., born January 2, 1876; George W., April 24, 1877; Edwin S., May 21, 1879; and Arthur T., October 10, 1880.
The Moore home circle is a model one. Here good literature and music abound, and harmony of social sentiment prevails.
TORACE GOULD, an eminently success- ful agriculturist of San Benito county, was born in the town of Chester, Wind- ham county, Vermont, October 12, 1837. He was a son of Sylvester Gould, deceased, a native of the same State, as was likewise his mother, Hannah Mitchell. Mr. and Mrs. Gould, Sr., were pioneers of Knox county, near Yates City, Illinois, where our subject spent his boyhood and youth.
Mr. Gould left home, when a young man and learned the carpenter's trade, at Leaven- worth, Kansas, and came to California in 1869, for his health. Until Mr. Gould came to Los Angeles he traveled through the State, but upon reaching this city he found employ- ment with Perry & Woodworth, who were at that time extensive builders and contractors.
Upon the death of his father, Mr. Gould returned home and remained until 1874, when, August 1 of that year, he returned to California and purchased his present home, near Paicines, of George Butterfield. Ou this farm he has made extensive improvements,in- creasing it, until he now is the proud owner
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of 808 acres of fertile grain producing and sheep-ranging land.
Mr. Gould married, in the fall of 1870, Miss Hannah A., a daughter of Orson Gard, deceased, a farmer of Yates City, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Gould have seven children, namely: Charles O., John R., Franklin H. and Nellie H. (twins); Edwin O., Ella L. and Etta B.
Mr. Gould is a man of great energy, who takes a commendable interest in the local affairs of his town and county and is one of the Trustees of his school district.
ON. S. N. LAUGHLIN, the efficient manager of the warehouse, steamship and railroad interests at Moss landing, in Monterey county, is a native of Conneaut, Ohio, where he was born, March 28, 1844, a son of Hugh and Mary Laughlin, of that place. "His early days were given to labor upon his parents' farm, and to study. At the age of eighteen he left the farm and home and engaged in teaching at Poughkeepsie, New York, where he remained one year. From there he went to New Haven, Con- nectient, where he taught.three years.
In 1866 he came to California, where he continued teaching at San José and San Fran- cisco for about four years. Owing to im- paired health, he quit teaching and accepted a situation as accountant in a San Francisco shipping and commission house, which he re- tained for four years.
In September, 1871, he was married to Miss Hattie J. Potter, a daughter of Riley Potter, a merchant of Springfield, Pennsyl- vania. The result of this union has been three children, namely: Mabel Hattie, Mary Adella and Lester Saron.
In 1874 he came to Monterey county, and ever since has been continuously one of that county's most energetic and enterprising business men.
In 1884 he was given, by acclamation, the Republican nomination for the State Assem- bly, and was elected by the largest majority ever given a legislative candidate in Monterey county. He proved himself a valuable repre- sentative; served as chairman of an important standing committee, and labored zealously for the best interests of his county and State. He was urged to accept a renomination for the Assembly, or a nomination for the State Senate, but owing to a continuous pressure of business matters he declined to do so.
Mr. Laughlin is a gentleman of large busi- ness attainments. He is self-reliant, courteous and universally popular. He owns about 80,- 000 acres of land in Santa Fé county, New Mexico, and about 800 acres in Monterey county, California.
OSEPH GOMEZ is well known in and about Castroville as an upright, thrifty and prosperous farmer. He is a native of Flores Isle, one of the Azores, lying off the coast of Portugal. He was there born, March 17, 1850. In 1869 he came to Cali- fornia and settled in the Salinas valley, where he has since remained. For years, Mr. Go- mez has been the trusted employe of the P. C. S. S. C., as foreman of their extensive warehouses and wharf, at Moss landing. In addition to his duties in this connection, our subject is the owner of a fine ranch of 124 acres, near Moss landing.
Mr. Gomez was married, April 25, 1881, to Miss Mary Hayes, a native of Castroville, born January 1, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Gomez
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have one daughter, Annie, born December 10, 1882. Both our subject and his esti- mable wife are highly respected citizens of Castroville.
S. SWANK, Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public, Watsonville, California, was born in Richland county, Ohio, March 25, 1835. His father, Henry Swank, was a schoolmate of President Buchanan, and for many years was a successful farmer in Franklin county, Pennsylvania. He went to Ohio in 1817, and built a log cabin, going ten miles to get help. He died in 1876, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to be grown. The subject of this sketch was next to the youngest. He was educated at Marietta College, and taught school when seventeen years old. At the age of twenty he started out in life for himself, teaching school at Winchester, Van Buren county, Iowa. In 1856 he cast his first vote, for James Buchanan for President. While in Iowa he spent some time working at the carpenter's trade. In 1858 he started for California. He left New York city on board the North Star, September 20, 1858, and from Panama he sailed on the John L. Stephens, landing in San Francisco, October 17, 1858. Then, in company with J. C. Lee and his younger brother, he went on foot to San José. He slept in a straw stack to save the little money he had. From San José he continued his way on foot to the mines, 200 miles from San José. Mr. Swank followed mining and prospecting with varying suc- cess, till 1863, when he started back east, via Nicaragua. He first paid a visit to his old home in Ohio, and then went to Iowa,
where he remained a year with his wife and two children. In 1864 he brought them to California, coming across the plains with mule teams. They left Omaha April 27, and and reached Virginia City June 26, after fifty-nine days of travel, which was a remark- ably quick trip. Two months later they came across the mountains to Railroad Flat, Calaveras county, where he mined till 1866. Then he and his brother discovered the Petticoat quartz mine, and a year afterward they sold it for $10,000. Then he invested in the sheep business, taught school for some time, and for four years was boss carpenter. At Railroad Flat he was Justice of the Peace two terms, and in Murphy's township three terms; was also Depnty Assessor and a Notary Public. In 1888 he resigned, came to Watsonville, and went to carpentering. In May, 1890, he was appointed Justice of the Peace, and in November was elected for a term of two years, which office he now fills.
Mr. Swank was married September 6, 1856, to Miss Mary Calhoun. They have seven children, namely: Willard B; Eliza- beth E., wife of Dr. C. L. Butterfield, of Gilroy; John F; George E., deceased; Nellie and Henry.
Socially, he is an I. O. O. F. and an A. (). U. W. He still is largely interested in the mines. His residence is on Fourth and Rod- riguez streets, Watsonville.
IDNEY H. SMITH, M. D., of Mon- terey, is a native of Australia, born March 18, 1855, son of Alexander Smith, a California pioneer of 1849, of En- glish birth. He lived in San Francisco and manufactured the first sash, doors and blinds in the city. With the exception of about four
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years spent in Australia he has been and still is a resident of San Francisco. He has en- gaged actively in the exploration of mines and done some successful mining in Cali- fornia.
The subject of this sketch is the first born of a family of eight children, six of whom survive. Dr. Smith was educated in the public schools of San Francisco and pursued his medical studiesat the Hahnemann Homeo- pathic Medical College of San Francisco, graduating in 1885. He practiced his pro- fession in that city until 1889, when he came to Monterey, where he has become a fixture, professionally, civilly and socially. He con- trols a growing practice and is the health officer of the city, and is a member of the Board of School Trustees. Another promi- nent position that he holds is that of Secretary of the Monterey Electric Light and Develop- ment Company.
SRAEL MYLAR, deceased, one of the California pioneers of 1850, was born in Kentucky, came to this State from Mis- souri, but not being exactly pleased with the country he returned to his home in a very short time; but as many of the other pioneers were again making the trip, in 1852, Mr. Mylar a second time made the journey, this time bringing with him his wife and one son, Enoch. After arrival he engaged in mining until 1855, when he located in Mon- terey county, and engaged in farming, he lived many years at San Juan, in San Benito county. Israel Mylar lived and died at San Juan, the latter event occurring April 29, 1884, when he was sixty-eight years of age. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Wal- ters, a native of Ohio, who died May 15,
1866. Four children were born to them, of whom Enoch, who came to California with his parents was the eldest. He was born in Illinois, January 6, 1841. After his birth his parents removed to Gentry county, Mis- souri, about forty miles east of St. Joseph, when Enoch was quite young. He was about eleven years of age when the trip was made to the "Golden State," and he grew up in the State of his adoption, where he received his education. His early life was spent at San Juan. He now owns a fine farm of 280 acres, near Mulberry post office, San Benito county, which he located in 1875.
May 15, 1866, Mr. Mylar married Miss Lucretia, a daughter of Benjamin Hames. She was born in Chili, South America, and her mother, Carmen Laing, was also a native of the same country, and of English descent. The father of Mrs. Mylar was a native of Rochester, New York. Both he and his wife lived many years in Santa Cruz county.
Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Mylar, namely: Hattie, Walter, Eva, Carmen, Estella, Lola, Lester and Clyde. Mr. Mylar is highly esteemed and respected by all who have the honor of his acquaint- ance.
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