USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 41
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OHN LEWIS SMITH, deceased, a na- tive of Germany, came to this country, with his parents, when about two years of age. The family settled in New Albany, Indiana, on the banks of the Ohio river and engaged in farming.
In 1848 Mr. Smith crossed the plains to California and worked at the mines of the Feather river district. April 21, 1859, he married Miss Hannalı Hillock, a daughter of Edward Hillock. The ceremony took place
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in Santa Clara county, and then in 1859, the young couple removed to San Benito county and located on San Benito creek, where Mr. Smith engaged in stock-raising and he and his wife were among the very early settlers of that county. Here he lived and did an ex- tensive business until his death, which oc- curred October 12, 1883. He was widely known throughout the county as a conscien- tious, honest and enterprising citizen.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, namely: Mary E., now Mrs. William Mantes of Salinas; Margaret A., now Mrs. James Barton, of King City; Charles P. and Louis G., at the old homestead; Emma J., Charlotta M., John E. and Clara B. at the family home in Hollister.
Charles Pntinan Smith, above mentioned, married, October 28, 1891, Miss Florence Hoag, daughter of James W. Hoag, of Oak- land. He occupies and manages the old home on San Benito creek.
AMES T. LAHIFF, of Hollister, is a native of Nevada county, California, and was born at Moore's Flat, June 17, 1866. His father, David Lahiff, a successful miner and mine owner, and an expert in the art of mine drilling, operated a mine at Virginia City, Nevada. Abont this time he aban- doned mining, and in 1872 located at Hollis- ter, where he now lives and enjoys the confi- dence and esteem of his fellow-townsmen.
David Lahiff married, in 1863, Miss Mary Murphy, of San Francisco, and of their seven children, four are now living, and James T., the subject of this sketch, is the second oldest. He was educated in the public schools of Virginia City, Nevada, and of Hollister. Being a faithful student he
fitted himself for teaching, and after secur- ing his certificate, taught his first school at Park Mills, then at Willow Creek and later on at l'aicines, and finally at Hollister, where, for two terms, during the years of 1890-'91, he served as vice-principal. He relinquished teaching and took up the study of law, but abandoning this he turned his attention to journalism, and having acquired an interest in the Hollister Free Lance, he assumed ed- itorial charge of it, as will be seen elsewhere in this work, and he is still identified with this excellent journal.
Mr. Lahiff being a Republican in politics, is not partisan, as all his editorial work plainly shows. His keen sense of honor and his inherent desire to see the right in all mat- ters prevail, stamp his newspaper with his individuality and carries with it a wide in- fluence for good throughout San Benito county. The enterprise of the Free Lance, under its present, as well as former manage- ment, has done much for the material ad- vancement of its county. Its several beau- tifully illustrated and exhaustive special editions, issued in large quantities, have spread, far and wide, the story of San Benito county's greatness. Mr. Lahiff is a liberal and broad-minded editor, a genial gentleman, and his circle of friends is as vast as the beauti- ful valleys and plains of central California.
RANCIS M. HILBY, a leading druggist and esteemed citizen of Monterey, Cali- fornia, was born in the picturesque little town of Cloverdale, California, February 28, 1860, and enjoys the distinction of having been the first white child ever born in that place.
His father, Francis M., was a rugged native
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of the land of William Tell fame, who left the fastnesses of his grand and beautiful country to seek, in 1844, a home and fortune in America, that Mecca of the restless and discontented. His first settlement was made in Galena, Illinois. Later, hearing the glow- ing accounts of California, he, with his broth- er, in 1852, crossed the intervening plains to this El Dorado of the West. They both located in Sacramento for a time, where Fran- cis M. worked at his trade of saddler. The latter was subsequently married, in San Fran- cisco, to Miss Catherine B. Kessler, also a native of Switzerland. After seven years' residence in Sacramento, he removed to Cloverdale, where his death occurred January 2, 1862. He was a man of sterling qualities of heart and mind, and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him. This worthy couple were the parents of three children, two of whom are now living, the subject of this sketch and a sister, Agatha, now Mrs. Charles Few, of Monterey.
Mrs. Hilby afterward remarried, and ac- companied her husband to Flint district, Idaho, where he had mining interests, taking with her the children by her first marriage.
Francis, the son, remained there until 1871, when he returned to Cloverdale, where he attended school. He subsequently went to San Francisco, and, in 1879, graduated from Heald's Business College of that city. In 1883-'84 he attended the California College of Pharmacy. He also learned teleg- raphy, and served as telegraph operator and station agent for the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad Company and after- ward for the Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany. In 1882 he resigned his position with the latter company to engage in the drug business in Monterey, his efforts in this direc- tion having been crowned with gratifying
success. He is eminently a self-made man, and deserves universal commendation for his persistent and honorable efforts in gaining a livelihood.
He was married, April 14, 1887, to Miss Julia Mayer, of Mayfield, California. They have three sons, who promise, under the able tutelage of their father, to become typical Californians of indefatigable push and energy.
Mr. Hilby is Republican in his political affiliations, and has been for a number of years an active member of the Union League Club and of the Republican County Central Executive Committee.
He is a member of several societies and orders, belonging to the California and Amer- ican Pharmaceutical Associations, and being actively identified with the Native Sons of the Golden West, having served the latter order as delegate to several Grand Parlors and acted as Deputy Grand President for three terms.
California's broad expanses of country, affording her inhabitants ample room to ex- pand, financially, socially and individually, has much to do, no doubt, with the develop- ment of her hardy, progressive and aggressive citizens. Certainly her sons are brave and effective champions, who, by their united and persevering efforts have succeeded in planting her beautiful banner in the fore- most rank of the glorious Sisterhood of States.
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ILLIAM H. OLIVER came to Cali- fornia in the fall of 1861, and is a native of Bath, Maine, where he was born November 7, 1841. His father, Ben- jamin Oliver, was a farmer, and dealer in stock and farm and timbered lands. Our subject came to California via the Isthmus
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of Panama and went to the mines in Hum- boldt county, Nevada. At the expiration of six months he returned to California and re- sided there until 1868 at San José. In the fall of that year he removed and located near Hollister, and engaged in the raising of grain, fruit and stock, in which he has been very successful. He now owns a fertile farm of 285 acres, all grain and fruit land; a thrifty yonng orchard is on the place, besides his farming property near Hollister. He also has large real-estate interests in Pacific Grove, Monterey county. In 1876 he married Miss Luella, eldest daughter of the Rev. D. A. Dryden, a well-known clergyman of Gilroy. They have two children: Ruth Elinor and Edith Bernice, aged, respectively, fifteen and twelve. This family is highly respected throughout the entire neighborhood.
ONA CATALINA MANZANELI DE MUNRAS is one of the few represent- atives of the early days of historic Monte- rey. She was born at San Blas, Mexico, April 30, 1798. Her father, Nicholas Man- zaneli, was a native of Genoa, Italy, and her mother, Maria Casilda Ponce de Leon, was descended from one of the famous fami- lies of Spain and a lineal descendant of Ponce de Leon, the illustrious explorer and navi- gator.
When Doña Catalina was one year old she was bereft of her father, and her mother mar- ried a Spanish gentleman, Don Manuel Qnix- ano, who was an eminent physician and sur- geon. The climate of Mexico, where he held the Government position, Surgeon of Troops, not agreeing with him, he petitioned the authorities for a change. By the death of the then acting surgeon of California, a va-
cancy was created and the king of Spain at once appointed Don Manuel to the position as Captain, and stationed him at Monterey as physician to the Spanish troops of California.
At the age of fifteen Doña Catalina suf- fered the loss of her mother, who was a lady of great physical beauty, as well as extraor- dinary mental culture. She was laid to rest within the sanctuary of the Roman Catholic Church at Monterey, the obsequies being at- tended with the solemnity and honors due to hier as the wife of the foremost medical officer of the Spanish troops of America.
February 12, 1822, Doña Catalina was united in marriage to Don Estevan Munras, a native of Barcelona, Spain, where he was born in 1798. Don Estevan left his native country in 1815 on a long sea voyage. After travel- ing through South America, he left for California, where he arrived August 12, 1817. There he met and won the heart of Doña Catalina, and but for the fact that his business demanded his almost immediate re- turn to Spain, and that his affianced could not leave her stepfather, to whom she was mnost devoted, her marriage to the man she had chosen as her life protector, would have taken place ere his return to Spain. Don Estevan, with a brave, yet aching heart, left his affianced and returned to the land of his birth, settled his business affairs, and in 1821 returned to Monterey, and led the charming Catalina to the marriage altar. After his marriage he located at the old capital, where he became a successful merchant and land- owner, and one of California's most influen- tial citizens. In 1829 he erected one of the most spacious adobe residences in Monterey, in which was built the first fireplace in Cali- fornia. The mode of heating rooms in those days having been by use of the brazier, an iron or hard metal vessel filled with live
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coals, a very unhealthy custom. He further erected extensive warehouses on the same property where he had conducted an exten- sive trade with the missions, Soledad, San Miguel, San Antonio, and San Carlos; also trading with vessels coming from foreign ports in to the harbor of Monterey. He was the chief merchant of his class in California during those early days of Monterey, and ac- cumulated great wealth.
Don Estevan became a very popular citizen, and, while not given to politics, took part in shaping and conducting the local government of California, serving as Alcalde and Justice of the Peace. He was a friend of all worthy foreigners, wielding a wide influence. He was grantee of the Laguna Seca, San Fran- cisquito and San Vicente ranches. He was a man of strong character and possessed a heart as tender and true as that of a child. Consequently, while lie was honored for his probity and keen sense of justice, he was be- loved by all, rich and poor alike, for his warm and responsive heart, which always opened the doors of his elegant and hospitable home to the needy wanderer, and his purse to all worthy appeals for charity. The worthy poor were never turned from his storehouse with- out substantial evidences of his true and genuine liberality. About his home and on his ranches he employed many laborers for the carrying on of his extensive business.
It is said that scores of men have come to Monterey in quest of Don Estevan, saying, " They had heard how good a master he was, and they wished to work for him." One of his business maxims was, "Delay the wages of the laborer as long as you can hold a live coal in your hand." To the poor he sold goods at cost, never aiming to reap a profit from their hard earnings. It was from the sale of the luxuries, not the necessities of
life, that he would make his profit. Through- out all the vicissitudes of those uncertain days in national affairs, Don Estevan was loyal to the Government of Spain; and when Mexican independence was declared and Cali- fornia came under Mexican rule, many of the loyal subjects of the Spanish Government were notified to leave the country. Nothing, however, was said to Don Estevan; but his personal pride and great sense of honor, prompted him to share the misfortune of his loyal friends, and he and his family ınade preparations to leave Monterey. But such was the high esteem in which he was held that he was not only requested, but urged, to remain, those urging him to stay declaring that Monterey could not afford to part with so good and influential a citizen.
Of him, Larkin, in his notes says, "He favored the change of government which finally came in 1847," and he lived until 1850, dying of a stroke of apoplexy. He left a widow, the subject of this sketch, and several children, to whom he bequeathed a valuable estate. Four of his children are now living: the eldest, Concepcion, is the widow of Dr. William H. McKee, who was an emi- nent physician; Marie Antonia, the widow of Prof. Raphael Danglada; Engracia, wife of Dr. J. D. Callaghan; and Dolores, wife of A. E. Allen.
ARIANO G. SOBERANES dates his birth in Monterey county, Cali- fornia, February 5, 1826. His early life was spent in his native town, removing therefrom in 1853 to his present home on the ranch one mile from the old mission church of Soledad. Here he has since re- sided, engaged in farming and stock-raising.
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His father, Feliciano Soberanes, was born at Carmelo, Monterey county, in 1788; was Administrator of the Soledad Mission, and a Judge of the First Instance under Governor Alvarado.
Mariano G. Soberanes was united in mar- riage, in 1851, with Doña Francisco Steven- son. Her father was an Englishman, and her mother, a Spaniard, was born at Guay- mas, Mexico. They have a family of ten children.
ACOB SNIBLEY, EsQ., was born in Warren county, Pennsylvania, Decem- ber 22, 1835. He is the third child in the family of Jacob Snibley, deceased. (See sketch of William Snibley.)
Our subject spent his boyhood in Du Page county, Illinois. He then removed to Joliet, Illinois, where he learned the carpenter trade; here he remained three years and then returned to Du Page county, same State, where his father was then living. In 1856 he emigrated to Wisconsin and spent two years at Waukesha, and from there he went to Kansas, where he remained some time. In 1873 he came to San Benito county, and located at Fairview, near Hollister, where he rents a fertile and well-cultivated farm of 359 acres. Mr. Snibley is an unassuming man and is justly popular among a large circle of friends.
Mr. Snibley was married, in Kansas, in 1859, to Maria Richards, a native of Michi- gan.
ASPER H. TWITCHELL, of San Juan, California, is ranked with the forty- niners. He left McDonough county, Illinois, in the spring of 1848, and came overland to this coast with a company.
After crossing the Missonri river, the com- pany was organized in divisions of fifty wag- ons each. Mr. Twitchell was chosen captain of a division. The first brush they had with the Indians was on Elkhorn river, where the savages tried to stampede their cattle. Two of the party were wounded in the encounter. Mr. Twitchell's wife died while on the way, at the place called Chim- ney Rock. If anything would try a man's soul it is to bury the companion of his life in the wild West. As they arrived at the sweet water, their cattle were poisoned by drinking the water, and twenty-nine of their oxen died from the effects. They continued dying after that until they had an insufficient number to move their wagons all together, being obliged to leave some behind and go back after them. They were so detained that they could not cross the mountains that winter, and were obliged to build cabins and camps where Ogden now stands. They left in the early spring of 1849 to cross the mountains.
The next trouble they had with Indians was on Humboldt river, where the Indians captured one of their work oxen. They took one of the Indians a prisoner and car- ried him on a day's journey. They gave him victuals to eat and kept him under guard. Mr. Twitchell called the camp to order to know what they should do with him. The parties that had lost their ox wanted to hang him, but Mr. Twitchell would not allow it. There was in the company at the time an old mountaineer who could speak the Indian tongue, and they told him to tell his people to let the emigrants pass in peace over their land and not to molest them or their animals and they would do them the same. He bowed assent to this. They then tied him up a little "grub," gave him liis bow and
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arrows and his pony, and told him to go. They had no further trouble for a while.
They came on to the sink of the Hum- boldt, where they had a forty-mile sandy desert to cross. They camped there for a few days for their animals to recruit up. Mr. Twitchell then called the camp to order to ascertain the best time to cross the desert. He was of the opinion that the night time was the best, but was overruled by older men.
They started next morning by daybreak. It happened, as Mr. Twitchell thought it would, many of the cattle dropped down in the middle of the day; and during the cool of the night they all came through to water.
They had no further trouble till they came to Carson valley, and at the mouth of Carson cañon they camped three or four days. In the meantime another company came up, who had had a difficulty, and joined Mr. Twitchell's party. Mr. Twitchell had made up his mind to build a bridge across the Carson river, which was so high and swift that it was impossible to cross it at that place. The new party said they would help to build a bridge if Mr. Twitchell would al- low them to tear it away when all had passed over, but to this Mr. Twitchell did not agree. Some distance above they found a difficult crossing, where by using ropes they finally got the wagons across. There were three crossings to make, and it took them three days to cross them.
Then they had no more trouble till they reached the first range of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where one of their oxen was killed by Indians.
With great difficulty they got over the first mountains and camped in the valley. The next morning Mr. Twitchell and two other men volunteered to go and ascertain
where they could find the next camping, place. They were gone two days and one night, without any provision or blankets, and it rained and snowed all the while! and when they returned to the camp they found that some of the company was on starvation. Captain Twitchell called the company to- gether to ascertain the situation of all, and found that one man had with him five or six barrels of flour. He told him he wanted him to let those who were entirely destitute have some of his flour. He objected at first, and Mr. Twitchell told him to do it willingly, and that he should have his pay for it.
They then started and crossed the mount- ain, and camped at a lake now called Tahoe. They had no more trouble until they reached the bank of the Sacramento river, where Sacramento city is now. Camping there, they put up tents and cloth houses. Mr. Twitchell then built a cloth shed to work under and commenced working at his trade, wheelwrighting. The great flood that fol- lowed some time after buried his tools and timber, under six feet of water and he was forced to have his family boated to higher land, east of Sutter's Fort, where he built a house and a wheelwright shop, and opened a hotel. It was impossible for teams to get into the city. All provisions had to be boated np the slough near his place. Finally the water dried up so as to permit teams and travel in the city, and our subject's business became slack. Then he was forced to go to the mines. Hearing of rich diggings near a place called Yreka, he struck nothing there worth while to remain for and he went to the north fork of Scott river, beginning with fine prospects, but suffered an injury to his spine. While there he found an old acquaintance by the name of Barr, who had lived in Hancock county, Illinois. When Mr. Twitchell first
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knew him he was a doctor by occupation. His company had left him to die with mount- ain fever, with nothing to eat or to cover him. Our subject at once took charge of him. He continued to get better.
Mr. Twitchell abandoned the mines and started for home. The journey over Trinity mountains outdid the doctor and brought the fever on him worse than ever. He then begged Mr. Twitchell to leave him alone to die, which of course he would not do; but when they camped at night he thought be would have to abandon him, after all. In looking over his medicines he found a piece of champhor guin; thinking it might do the suffering man some good he gave him a strong dose. He watched over him and soon he began to brake ont in a perspiration. Next morning our subject asked him how he was. He said the fever had left him and that he was very weak. He accused him of giving him some powerful medicine. Mr. Twitchell told him No; he had only given him some camphor. He then said that Mr. Twitchell was a - doctor. He grew better and they started on their journey.
At night they camped on the head of Clear creek, where the Indians killed four pack men within half a mile of them and took their provisions and mules! But such was life in the wild West, where all was excite- ment over the gold fever. Men lost all hu- manity in those days.
After Mr. Twitchell reached home he moved his shop into the city and had a good business there till the city burned down. Then he became discouraged and left that part of the country and came to San Juan, San Benito county, California, in the year 1853. This was then a flourishing business place. He built the first shop in the town, and took a quarter section of land in the
valley, which at that time was considered government land, but it was afterward found to be covered with the San Justo grant. Mr. Twitchell was forced to leave it and all his improvements. He then moved to his present location, at the head of San Juan creek. He had purchased his place from a settler in 1858, and in a few years it was covered with the Gabilan grant, and he had to buy it from the grant. He now owns 1,000 acres of fine farming and grazing land, abundantly watered. He moved his family there in 1867.
Mr. Twitchell is a native of Ohio, born in Meigs county, September 1, 1820, son of Joshna and Ursula (Knight) Twitchell, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Massachusetts. His grandfather, Joshua Twit- chell, Sr., also a Vermonter, served seven years in the Revolutionary war. In 1830 Joshua Twitchell, Jr., located with his family in McDonough county, Illinois, from which point the subject of this sketch started West. His brother, Silas, has for many years been a resident of San Juan, and another brother, Loranzo, lives in San Luis Obispo county.
Mr. Twitchell has been twice married, wedding his present companion, nee Emneline Hopper, in 1849, and they have three sons and five daughters.
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ELSON TAYLOR, a venerable pioneer of Santa Cruz, California, was born in 22 Tompkins county, New York, April 12, 1811. He was educated in the district schools, and at twenty-one years of age went to Ohio and tanghit school one winter. Feel- ing a need of further education, he took a course of study in an academy at Milan, Huron county, Ohio. After he left the
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academy, he taught in Michigan and subse- quently in New York. Then he clerked in Indiana till 1849, when he was seized with the gold fever and started for California. He landed in San Francisco, in 1850, after an uneventful voyage, via Panama. For a short time he mined near Coloma, but was not successful, so in the fall of 1850 he came to Santa Cruz. Three years he clerked for Elihu Anthony in his store. Then, in com- pany with another man, he bought or took up a farm, and worked it two years.
In 1857 Mr. Taylor was united in mar- riage with Miss Frances E. Robbins, a native of Massachusetts, and a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Cutting) Robbins. After his marriage he sold his farm and moved to town, into an old adobe house. For a while he kept a dairy, etc. Then he bought a farm at Bay View. In 1862 he was elected Asses- sor, and served five terms in succession. But five years ago built a comfortable resi- dence in Santa Cruz, on Saint Lawrence street,where he expects to spend the remain- der of his life. He is an active and honored member of the Congregational Church; was one of the first Deacons, and was the second Secretary, when there were but eleven mem- bers in Santa Cruz. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have two children: Herbert Nelson, of San Francisco, and Miss Frances Harriet.
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