An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today, Part 108

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916

USA > California > Sacramento County > An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today > Part 108

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ENNIS DALTON was born in Ireland in 1848, his parents being James and Brid- get (Sullivan) Dalton. He was brought to the United States in 1850, and taken to Cheshire, Massachusetts, where his parents settled, and where he lived until the age of fourteen. From that time he was variously occupied, but mostly in farm work, until May 1, 1869, when he came to California, at the age

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of twenty-one. Here, as there, he chiefly fol- lowed his old occupation of farm work. In May, 1872, he was married to Mrs. Catherine F. Mahone. He owns a ranch of about 700 acres, 238 of which are bottom lands on the Cosum- nes River. He is here engaged in buying and selling sheep and cattle, and he also raises corn and hay, which he feeds his stock. Mr. Dalton's parents died a few years ago, leaving nine chil- dren, of whom only five are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton are the parents of one child: Edward F., born Jannary 5, 1874. He has inade marked progress in his studies in the dis- triet school, and will soon be sent to some col- lege or university to complete his education. Mrs. Dennis Dalton, by birth Catherine Foster Rhoads, was born in Edgar County, Illinois, in 1832, her parents being Thomas and Elizabeth (Foster) Rhoads. Her parents, with their four- teen living children and some grandchildren, came to California in 1846. Catherine F. was first married in 1847 to Jared D. Sheldon, of whom and their offspring mention is elsewhere made in this work. By her second marriage, in 1853, to John R. T. Mahone, a soldier of the Mexican war. She is the mother of two chil- dren, both living: Robert, born in 1854; and Mary Ellen, in 1855, now Mrs. Vaughan, and the mother of four living children, three girls and one boy.

ENAS LINCOLN COY, a prominent agriculturist of Brighton Township, was born in New Brunswick, on the St. John River, near the city of Fredericton, August 25, 1834. Mr. Coy's ancestors settled in Maine and Massachusetts before the Revolution. His father, William T., was a native of the same place, a shoemaker in his earlier days, a farmer the most of his life, and died in 1858. His mother, nee Fannie Lincoln, was born in the city of Fredericton in 1811, and is still a resi- dent on the old homestead. In their family were . three daughters and fonr sons: Sarah Catha-

rine, married and living in New Brunswick; Zenas L., the subject; Edward Bradford, living in Massachusetts: Adeline Adelia, who died young; William Frederick, living in Boston, Massachusetts; Frances, residing in Nova Sco- tia when last heard from; and John Henry, liv- ing still on the old homestead. Zenas was with his parents until the fall of 1868, engaged in farming and lumbering,-the latter principally during the winter. In 1854 he married Miss Sarah Catharine Eastabrooks, also a native of New Brunswick. and a member of a large fam- ily on the St. John River; her ancestry were Americans. October 27, 1858, Mr. Coy left New York city, via the Panama ronte, for Cali- fornia, arriving November 27, precisely one month afterward. While spending a week in San Francisco an earthquake occurred, which was the occasion of his emigrating in a direc- tion from the center of that great seismic move- ment, and he accordingly came to Sacramento and looked for work. His first job was four days' work as a carpenter, at the corner of Sixth and K streets, at $4 a day. Next he was en- gaged on the freight depot, now superseded, of the railroad company on the wharf; then he was employed on the railroad bridge, and trestle work in the San Joaquin valley, below Stockton, and was present there when the last spike was driven. He next rented a ranch, now occupied by Mr. Buell, between his present residence and Elk Grove, and then Bright's ranch, in Yolo County, a year; then one year near his present place; next the Twelve-Mile ranch two miles east, where he lived most of the time for fifteen years, and finally, in 1886, he settled upon his present homestead of 184 acres, which he had purchased in 1875. All the fine improvements now witnessed here he has made himself. The residence was built in 1882, at a cost of $2,500, when lumber was cheap. The products of his ranch are principally the small grains. His land, as well as other tracts in its vicinity, has risen from $10 to $40 an acre in value within the last fifteen years. Mr. Coy has two children living: William Arthur, born November 12,

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1874, and Nellie Frances, in October, 1876. He has always been a Republican in his politi- cal views, has been a member of the order of Patrons of Husbandry for the last fifteen years, and is also connected with the orders of Odd Fellows and Red Men,-in all these relations holding his membership in Sacramento lodges.

HOMAS BENTON EAGLE, M. D., phy- sician to the State Prison at Folsom, was born in the town of Londonville, Ashland County, Ohio, July 24, 1841, son of Edward and Eliza Eagle, the former a native of Ashland County, Ohio, and the latter of Tioga County, New York. They now reside in Franklin County, Kansas. Edward Eagle has most of his life occupied some public position, being a member of the State Board of Equalization, of the board of county commissioner-, etc. Dr. Eagle was reared in his native town, on a farm until he was of sufficient age to attend high school, and he took a course at the academy at Loudonville. In 1859 he commenced the study of medicine in the office of Drs. Fuller & Scott, his preceptors. After remaining with them a little over three years, he completed his course in the medical department of the University of Buffalo, New York, graduating in March, 1862. He went before the State Medical Examining Board of Ohio, passed examination and was commissioned by the Governor of the State as Assistant Sur- geon. He was first sent to the army of the Potomac and then promoted as Surgeon, being first attached to the command of General Lew Wallace, who at that time had his headquarters at Baltimore; after that he was transferred to Fort Delaware, about thirty miles back of Phil- adelphia, where he did guard duty for a number of prisoners. Thence he was ordered to Ililton Head, South Carolina, and was at the headquar- ters of General Foster. From there the detach- ment with which he was connected was transferred across the country to Jacksonville, Florida, and then in succession to Washington,

New York, Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans, Madison, Indiana, Franklin, Tennessee (for the battle there), and finally to Columbus, Ohio, again, where he was mustered out, in July, 1865. When his term of service expired he went before the regular army board, passed ex- amination and was assigned to duty in the Fourth Artillery, stationed at Vicksburg. This commission, however, the Doctor refused, and he returned to his home in Ohio and engaged in private practice, residing there three years. He then went to Dakota Territory and received the appointment of physician to the Yankton Indian Agency, and in that capacity was stationed at different posts along the Missouri River until 1876. Coming then to California, he practiced four years at Princeton, Colusa County. In 1883 he received the appointment as physician at the San Quentin Prison, filled that position four years, and since then he has had his present place. He has also considerable private practice. He is a member of the State Medical Society; of Colusa Lodge, No. 142, F. & A. M .; of Springfield Lodge, No. 7, I. O.O. F., in Dakota; he was the first noble grand of the first lodge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Dakota; was also grand marshal of the Grand Lodge when he left that Territory; and he also belongs to Folsom Lodge No. 109, A. O. U. W. Dr. Eagle was married in 1865 to Miss Emma C. Stout, a native of Dansville, Livingston County, New York, and they have one daugh- ter, named Stella E.

OHN H. COX, orchardist, and bolt and rivet maker, near Sacramento, was born in Wor- cestershire, England, seven miles from Birmingham, June 21, 1839. At the age of eight years he commeneed to work in a bolt and rivet shop, preparing to learn the trade, and he continued until he thoroughly mastered it. At the age of eighteen he was able to command the wages of a journeyman, and he continued in his calling there until 1865. In 1858 he mar-

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ried Honnor Hackett, at the age of six- teen, a native of the same locality. In 1865 he emigrated to the United States, land. ing in New York in July. He was a resi- dent of New York State and Illinois until 1873, when he came to California locating in this city. Here he prosecuted the bolt and rivet trade until 1877, when he moved upon his present fine fruit ranch of five and a half acres, on the river road south of town. Some of the trees in his orchard are twenty-five years old, and he has set out a great many since his purchase of the place. He also has a shop here where he does work in the line of bolts and rivets. He is also interested in a hop farm on the Cosumnes River for the past seven years. In the spring of 1885 he visited his native country, taking with him five car-loads of hops. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have six children, four sons and two dangh- ters: Alice, the eldest, born in England, is now the widow of Charles H. Young; Harvey, the second child, born in England, and George W., the third child, born in New York, are blacksmiths in Palermo, Butte County; John E., the fourth child, was born in Illinois, now manufacturing cement chimney pipe; and C. and Ethel B. are natives of this county.

OLLY CAMPBELL, of San Joaquin Town- ship, was born October 29, 1825, daughter of Jonathan C. and Phebe (Stites) Tice, who emigrated from their native State, Pennsyl- vania, in an early day to New York State, and from there to Michigan, where they died. Her father, a fariner, died in 1850, at the age of forty-six years. Mrs. Campbell was married in 1842, in New York State, within eight miles of Havana, lived there three years, and in 1846 moved to Iowa, and remained there until 1852; then she resided in Utah for a time and finally came to California by wagon, the journey being very pleasant, excepting that they lost a great deal of live-stock. They finished their journey with a cow and horse in the yoke. They came

through Dutch Flat, and camped just beyond the American River. Mr. Campbell made his first purchase of land in Brighton Township, buying about 500 acres in all. Mrs. Campbell now resides on a quarter-section of land in San Joaquin Township, about fourteen miles from Sacramento. At this place she has a nice little home. She has only two children living,- George G. and Garret L. The latter is in Idaho.

R. JAMES CAPLES, an honored pioneer, who may truthfully be called one of the Argonauts, having come here in 1849, and making this his home ever since, has seen many and varied experiences of early life, and no doubt is as well informed in the history of his com- munity as any other man. A great-grandfather of the Doctor was William Caples, who lived in the city of Baltimore and had three sons,- Robert, William and Andrew. William, born in that city, emigrated to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 1804. His brother Robert moved to the Western Reserve, on the border of Lake Erie; and Andrew went to Tennessee, and his descendants spell their name Cable, one of whom is George W. Cable, the distinguished author of the present day. The Doctor's grandfather sup- posed that the name was of German origin. William remained in Tuscarawas County until his death, in April, 1837. He had six sons and three daughters,-Robert, Charles, Joseph, William, Kenzie, Jacob, Mary, Anna and Susan. About 1839 they began to emigrate West. All the sons went to Oregon except Charles, the father of Dr. Caples, who settled iu Andrew County, Missouri, and remained there until his death in 1884, at the age of eighty-eight years. He married his wife in Ohio, whose maiden name was Matilda Tracy. She was a native of Culpeper County, Virginia, and died in 1838. In Charles Caples' family were five children: William, James, Wesley, Matilda and Elizabeth. None of the children were grown when the family moved to Missouri; they are all now de-

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ceased except James, our subject. The latter was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Novem- ber 29, 1823, and was a lad of fifteen years when his father, a merchant, moved to Andrew County, Missouri. Of course he worked for his father some, but at the age of nineteen years he began the study of medicine, under the precep- torship of his father's youngest brother, Jacob. In the spring of 1847 he moved to Hancock County, Illinois, and practiced his profession there two years, during which time, in October, 1847, he married Miss Mary Jane, daughter of George Walker, of that county. She was born in Campbell County, Kentucky, near Covington, January 10, 1831. In the winter of 1848-'49 the Doctor bade adien to pill-bags and began making preparations for coming to California; accordingly, March 21, 1849, with a wagon and three yoke of oxen, he started on the long jour- ney, but found it comparatively pleasant. He had to cross some rivers by taking his wagons to pieces and carrying them across a piece at a time. His principal hardship was experienced in the country west of Bear River. At Salt Lake City they obtained a guide-book which the Mormons had just published, and it was this book that lead them into trouble. They de- pended upon it to show them where they could get good water, they having kegs for carrying a quantity of it. The book represented Bear River as bad water, which is true; but not so bad as some; and it would have been a great luxury to them during their subsequent priva- tions. The creek just this side of Bear River was indicated in the book, but the quality of the water not being referred to the Doctor and his party inferred that it was good water, and they depended upon that inference. It proved to be unfit for either man or beast, and they had to drive on without any water. The weather was extremely hot, and they had men in advance looking for water. One night one of their men returned to the camp with jugs upon his horse, and the travelers felt gladdened; but on sam- pling their contents the water was found alto- gether too salty to drink. The man who brought

it knew that it was salty, but hoped it was bet- ter than nothing. The Doctor happened to have some corn-meal, with which and the water they made a gruel that they could eat and thus some- what relieve their sufferings. They found no water until nearly night on the following day, which day was a little cooler; had it been as hot as the preceding day they might have perished. They suffered for water again after they passed the sink of the Humboldt. On drinking some very bad water from a boiling spring in the desert, the Doctor was taken sick, -- so severely indeed that he "lost his senses." The next inorning he woke up on the bank of the Truckee River, where all had plenty of fresh water. The Humboldt was lower than usual that season. In 1853 the Doctor was along there again and saw the water in that river six feet deep. The party remained on the Truckee three or four days re- cruiting themselves and their animals. In traveling through the Carson Cafion, which re- quired a day, they had a great deal of trouble. Mrs. Caples had to walk and climb over bowld- ers, etc., carrying her little babe in her armns! It was the roughest road on the whole route. They arrived at Hangtown August 28, 1849. After a few days the Doctor purchased a little store and did very well in business until he sold out a few weeks afterward and went to mining; but he was soon attacked with bloody dysentery, which disabled him from work until the last of February. Only faithful nursing rendered by his wife saved him. Being a physician he knew it best to abstain from the common food of the miners, and he confined himself to milk until the supply failed, and then he limited himself to rice. Hundreds of others in that vicinity died with the disease. The hospitality of the miners was exhibited with the marked charac- teristics of a pioneer surprise when they saw Mrs. Caples laboriously picking up wood in the wilds, by cutting and hauling to the Doctor's place a pile of wood as high as his house. After recov- ering from his illness the Doctor purchased a store in Hangtown; but just then the miners began moving away to other fields. Then the

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merchants there generally wanted to sell out and follow the miners; and Doctor Caples bought them out and thus obtained control of all the mercantile business at Hangtown and vicinity, and made money. The early Califor- nians, rough though they were, were neither sneaks nor thieves, and nothing was ever stolen from the Doctor's tent-store or from his honse. The miners often asked credit at the store, and were never refused. In 1850 other mercantile establishments were started by way of compe- tition and seriously reduced the Doctor's busi- ness. He then located a ranch at the junetion of the Deer and Carson creeks and began to stock it up, so that when trade gave out in the mines he settled upon it, and remained there thirty-two years. It comprises an area of 4,000 acres, and is in fine condition. Up to about four years ago he was extensively engaged in the live-stock business; he is now raising more grain. In the rearing of sheep and horses, he was very successful; but in the cattle business he actually lost money, as competitors grazed so much npon free range. In 1882 the Doctor moved upon his present place, of 500 acres, on the Cosumnes River, three miles from Elk Grove. Doctor Caples is a member of the Pio- neer Society of Sacramento County, and also of the order of Patrons of Husbandry. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention in Sacramento in 1879, and thus was one of the framers of the present State Constitution. With this exception he has never been before the pub- lic in an official capacity; on the contrary, he has always been a hard-working man, devoting his time to his own private affairs. Even after a long life of hardship and toil, he is still healthy and strong; and this [good physical condition is due to the intelligent care he has taken of his health. Of his family there are nine living children, -five sons and four daughters, viz .: Isabella, wife of Dr. Frederick Durant, of San Quentin; Rosa E., wife of J. W. Haynes, an honored citizen of Genoa, Carson Valley, Ne- vada; Charles A .; Frank W .; John W., turnkey at the Folsom State Prison; George W., post-

master at Folsom; Hattie L., Maud L. and James W.

M ESSRS. CARLE & CROLY, contract- ors and builders, formed their part- nership in 1870, and have ever since been prominently identified with the improve- ments of Sacramento, and indeed of a large portion of the State. Among the prominent buildings erected by them are the residence of Charles McCreary, Tenth and L streets; the res- idence of L. Williams, on Tenth and H streets; L. Tozer's residence at Fifteenth and H; the dwelling of F. J. Stauffer, Fourteenth and I; of L. B. Mohr, Twelfth and L; of George Merkel, L. Frazier, C. A. Yoerck, Judges McFarland and McKune, etc. In 1880 they built the addi- tion to the Insane Asylum at Stockton, and the business houses of Austin Bros., and the resi- dence of Judge Patterson at that place: in 1886-'87 they built the Stoneman House in the Yosemite Valley, and their bid for building it was selected against seven competing firms, by a difference of only $125 from one of them; the cost of the building was about $40,000. During the years 1884 and 1885, they built the Santa Rosa conrt-house, in 1886 and 1887 they built the Masonic Hall and Hughes' Hotel at Fresno, the latter at a cost of about $120,000. They also built the Masonic Temple at Stockton, and at Sacramento the Beet Sugar Manufactory; in 1871-'72, the Western Hotel, the Sutter Block, the County Hospital, the Hall of Records, and rebuilt the Wells & Fargo Express Block, etc., and the court-house at Colusa. An incident worthy of special note in connection with this well-known firm, as illustrating not only their abil - ity, but also the readiness and skill with which they undertake responsible and ardnous duties, should here be related. During the high water in the spring of 1878 a serious break occurred in the levee on the east bank of the Sacramento River two miles below the city. The results were disastrous in the extreme, involving a loss

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to the adjacent property-holders of their crop for the season. The Levee Commissioners and city authorities were baffled in their attempts to repair the break, and after spending a large amount of money, the project was abandoned. After some delay the property owners called for proposals for repairing the break, and the con- tract was awarded to Messrs. Carle & Croly. Their plan contemplated the building of a sack- dam,-that is, grain sacks filled with sand and gravel. temporarily across the break; and this was successfully accomplished, although 40,000 sacks had to be used to check the flowing waters until the levee could be substantially rebuilt, and the entire work was completed within six- teen days, much to the gratification of all parties interested, notwithstanding that during the pro. gress of the work a severe storm arose, with a strong north wind, adding greatly to the peril of the task and entailing a loss of 10,000 sacks, which were washed away; and it was only by keeping a large force at work night and day that the work was finally brought to a successful ter- mination. In May, 1887, they began, and in September, 1888, finished, the San Diego flume, for bringing water from a distance of forty miles into the city of San Diego. The construc- tion of this immense flume required 9,000,000 feet of lumber, and 600 head of mnles and horses to haul it. This is said to be the largest structure of the kind in the world. Other build- ings erected by Messrs. Carle & Croly are the residence of L. M. Hickman, in Stanislaus County, the Byron Springs Hotel, and Mr. Ship- pee's Agricultural works at Stockton. Silas Carle was born in the town of Waterborough, Maine, December 13, 1833, where he was also educated at the high school. When eighteen years of age lie started out for himself, going to North Bridge- water, Mass., and becoming an apprentice to the carpenter and joiners' trade, under the supervis- ion of H. Perkins, and serving three years. Next he worked for three years as journeyman and contractor in Boston and different parts of the State, and in the fall of 1858, in company with his elder brother, he came by steamer from New

York, by way of the Isthinus of Panama, to California, arriving in San Francisco September 28, 1858. His brother died in that city, in April, 1859. There he worked at his trade as journeyman and contracting. Two years after- ward he came to Sacramento, arriving here Sep- tember 4, 1860, and engaged in farming and stock-raising upon a farm on the upper Stock- ton road, which he had previously purchased. After the great flood of 1861-'62 he was engaged, much of his time, in contracting and building levees around the city, also in filling of streets to the high grade. In 1868 he formed a part- nership with E. J. Croly, as above mentioned. In 1864 he sold out his ranch and stock, and again went to work at his trade, which he has since continually followed. Mr. Carle's father, Jeremiah, was a native also of Waterborough, Maine, and learned in early life the trade of ship carpenter and builder at Portland, that State, but was a farmer the remainder of his days. He died January 2, 1889, aged eighty-seven years. The maiden name of his mother was Mary Pitts, and she also was a native of Maine; she died in 1871. Mr. Carle was married April 10, 1856, at Lowell, Massachusetts, to Melissa M. Smith, daughter of Elijah and Nancy B. Smith, of Bristol, Vermont. In 1873 Mr. and Mrs. Carle made a visit to the scenes of early life, visiting all principal places in New England. In his po- litical sympathies he is a Republican; and in his social relations he affiliates with the El Dorado Lodge, No. 8, I. O. O. F.

E. J. CROLY was born in the Province of Canada, near Toronto, October 20, 1836. His paternal ancestors were French Huguenots, and his mother, a descendant of the De Puy family, was born in London about 1798, and in 1826 his parents emigrated to Toronto (then called York), where his father was a builder, contractor and farmer. Mr. Croly's mother, nee Ann Supple, was a daughter of John Supple, a native of Ireland, and a de- scendant of the Baldwin family, of Cork. The latter was an eminent lawyer, and at one time

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was Prime Minister of Canada, where he re- sided until his death in 1843. Mr. Croly was the fifth in a family of six sons. Ile attended school at Cleveland, Ohio, and at Oberlin Col- lege, same State. At the age of seventeen years he began business for himself as a carpen- ter in his native town. Having met with a painful accident, which for a time disabled him from pursuing his trade, he taught school for a year, and then became interested in the natural- oil wells of the Tilsonburg district, in which he was engaged for three years. In 1865 he moved to Chicago, and during the winter of 1867-'68, soon after the railroad was built, he came to California and engaged at once in his trade of carpenter and builder. In 1879 he married Bertha R. Van Norman, a daughter of Johnson Van Norman. He is a Republican in his political principles, but is liberal in his sympathies. Becoming in early life connected with the Masonic fraternity, he is still faithful to the order, being as a Knight Templar a member of Sacramento Commandery, No. 2, and is also a member of Sacramento Chapter, No. 3, and Sacramento Lodge, No. 40, F. & A. M .; is also a member of Capital Lodge, No. 87, I. O. O. F., and of Pacific Encampment, No. 2, same order.

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Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 916

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916