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 31

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 31

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Capital Lodge, No. 54, of the United Endow- ment Associates, a mutual benevolent associa- tion, was instituted November 9, 1888, with nineteen charter members, by D. D. G. C. Mrs. J. H. Struckmeyer. The officers are: Dr. E. A. Brune, P. C .; Louis M. Schwoerer, C .; Mrs. E. Bryan, V. C .; Mrs. Ynhre, A. C .; Mrs. C. G. Aukener, R. S .; Mrs. E. Schwoerer, F. S .; Mrs. I. Hillebrand, F .; Mrs. A. Labhard, G .; J. F. C. Knauer, Jr., I. G .; Charles Schneider, S .; Dr. E. A. Brune, Examining Physician. Stated meetings, alternate Thursdays, at Ein- tracht Hall.

Pilgrim Lodge No. 6, Independent Order of Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria (colored), was organized October 10, 1887, with twenty-eight members; the number is now in- creased to forty. E. A. Clark, Past Chief; Mrs. E. A. Fletcher, Past Presiding Daughter; A. L. Cady, Vice Chief; Mrs. Elizabeth Jackson, Daughter of Fount; R. D. Reid, Rec. Sec .; Mrs. C. Williams, Fin. Sec .; Rev. J. R. Dorsey, Chap. Regular meetings, the first Wednesday of each month, over Armory Hall.

There is a " Degree Lodge " of the above, of which R. J. Fletcher is Grand Master; Mrs. Ella Dorsey, Sec .; Rev. J. R. Dorsey, Treas. Of this there are eighteen graduates or members.

The " Champions of the Red Cross," " Kes- her shel Barsel," "Caucasians," "Janissaries of Light," and many other influential societies of former times have been discontinued.

Company No. 3, Italian Sharpshooters' So- ciety of Mutual Aid, was founded in Sacra- mento, October 30, 1887. A. Mazzini, Pres .;

A. Simoni and G. Delucchi, V. P .; P. Gabrielli, Treas .; D. Malatesta, Sec .; G. C. Simmons, Phys. The membership is about 105 at pres- ent, and is constantly increasing. The present officers are: Pier Antonio Galgani, Pres .; V. Caselli and A. Simoni, V. Pres .; P. Gabrielli, Treas .; J. Morelli, Sec .; G. C. Simmons, Phys .. The society meets the first Sunday of every month, in Y. M. I. Hall, on Seventh street, be- tween K and L.

The Forester Gun Club, named after " Frank Forester,"oneof the earliest sportsmen in Amer- ica and the celebrated anthor, was organized in 1879, with some twenty members, for the pur- pose of encouraging field sports, protecting game, and renting lakes for shooting grounds. During the season in which game is protected, the club has a series of trap shoots. At pres- ent they have leased Gourley's and Clark's Lakes, about twelve miles below Sacramento. They change the scene of their play from time to time, and of course will have other lakes and resorts hereafter. The first officers were: Hora- tio Hurd, now deceased, Pres .; Captain J. D. Young, now Superintendent of State Printing, V. P .; John Hotz, since deceased, Sec .; and Henry Gerber, Cap. Since that time one other member of the club has also died. The present officers are: Edward C. Chapman, Pres .; Dr. F. F. Tebbets, V. P .; H. J. Kilgarif, Sec .; and H. Eckhardt, Treas. The stated meetings of the club occur the first Monday of every month. Present number of members, about twenty-five.

The Pacific Sportsmen's Club was organized April 1, 1881, with twenty members, and the following officers: T. D. Hopper, Pres .; Frank Kunz, V. P .; and Charles Flohr, Sec. and Treas. The club now numbers thirty-eight members, and the officers are: J. M. Morrison, Pres .; Grank Kunz, V. P .; Fred George, Sec .; Adam Damm, Treas .; Charles Flohr, Capt .; George Chapman, Asst. Capt. At present the club lias the use of Miller's Lake, below Freeport, for the winter, and during the warmer portion of the year they have regular monthly shoots.

200

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

MISCELLANEOUS.

CHAPTER XX.

POSTOFFICES.

Direction and Distance from Sacramento.

Miles.

Antelope.

N. E.

Clay ...

S. E.

Conley.

Cosumnes.

S. E.

Courtland.

S. W.

Elk Grove

S. E.

Florin. .

S. E.

Folsom City

2215

Franklin ...

Freeport

Galt ..

S. E.

Hicksville.

S. E.

Isleton .

S. W.

Michigan Bar

S. E.

Mormon Island.

Natoma.

Perkins

S. E.

Routier Station.

Russell.

Sacramento

2415 8

Union House

Walnut Grove.

S. W.

Walsh Station

OTHER POINTS.

Alder Creek Station, three miles below Folsom. Arcade, five miles northeast of Sacramento. Ashland, opposite Folsom.

Brighton, four miles southeast of Sacramento. Buckeye, nine and a half miles southeast of Cosumnes.

Emmaton, fifty miles below Sacramento, on the river.

Live Oak, five miles south of east of Cosumnes.

McConnell's, three and a half miles southeast of Elk Grove.

Onisbo, one mile below Courtland.

Salisbury, fifteen miles east of Sacramento. Sheldon, four miles northeast of Elk Grove. Sebastopol, four miles southeast of Cosumnes. Sutterville, three miles below Sacramento, on the river.

White Rock, six miles southeast of Folsom. Wilson's, near Cosumnes.

(See chapter on Nomenclature.)

COUNTY NOMENCLATURE.

The report of General Vallejo, made to the first Legislature-and an accepted authority on the subject of the derivation and definition of the names of the counties created by that Legisla- ture-gives the following with regard to Sacra- mento:

" Sacramento signifies Sacrament, or Lord's Supper. The streams known as Feather and Sacramento rivers were first respectively named by Lieutenant Moraga ' Sacramento ' and Jesus Maria; but the latter now assumes the name of Sacramento, whilst the former is called Feather. Sacramento is the principal river in all that sec- tion of country, and gives the name to the county. Several towns are springing up, but the chief one of the county is Sacramento City, situated on the eastern bank of the Sacramento.

State Prison.

201

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

This rapidly growing and flourishing town, con- taining a permanent population of 12,000 in- habitants, has sprung up in the short space of a year. It contains, besides, multitudes of tran- sient residents, constantly going to and coming from the 'placers;' steamboats and vessels of light and heavy draught are safely moored im- mediately abreast of the town."

The name of Galt was suggested for that town, when it was laid out, by John McFarland, a pioneer resident of that locality, to the late E. B. Crocker, the land on which it is located then belonging to the railroad company. Me- Farland, when quite a young man, lived in the town of Galt, in Upper Canada, and there served his apprenticeship as a joiner. The Canadian Galt was named after a man by that name.

Folsom was named after Joseph L. Folsom, who in early days was a prominent man in the State, and who had large landed interests about the town which bears his name. He died at the Mission San José, Alameda County, on July 19, 1855. Folsom was for many years from 1855 the terminus of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, extending from Sacramento np, and the pioneer railroad of the State. As most of the supplies for and travel to and from the mines passed over that road, the town was very flour- ishing. Afterward, when the Central Pacific was built, followed a time of great depression, and many of the large buildings fell into disuse and decay. Of late years, however, somewhat of a boom has been experienced, and prosperity again reigns.

Mormon Island was so named from the fact that a party of Mormons, who came to this country in the ship Brooklyn, in 1846, under the leadership of Samnel Brannan, settled there afterward, and engaged in mining. It has been claimed-and with some show of plausibility- that the discovery of gold was made there by the Mormons before the Marshall discovery. In 1854 George M. Evans published an article in the Portland (Oregon) Times, in which he said:

" When the Mormon battalion was disbanded in 1847, a number of Mormons came to San

Francisco, and among them was one Hender- son Cox and one Beardsley, who boarded in the same house with ine. They, having worked in the Georgia mines, told me, in conversation, that as they were about prospecting for a road (since called the Mormon Pass) for the Mor- mons to return to Salt Lake, in so doing, they would prospect the streams in their route (this was in the end of September or first of August, 1847). In the following January, I returned to San Francisco, when I received an invitation to go to Mormon Island, so named afterward by Henderson Cox. On the 19th of Jannary, 1848, I went there, and with the bounty they gave me, and what I worked out myself, I had $19,000 on the 8th day of February, 1848. * * * The Mormons, wishing to keep their discoveries a secret from people not Mormons, worked out the gold and said nothing more."

Natoma is an Indian word, meaning “ clear water," and was the aboriginal name for that section of the country. A. P. Catlin first gave the name to a mining and water company. Afterward, in 1850, an agent of the Postoffice Department visited Mormon Island for the pur- pose of establishing a postoffice there, and he requested Mr. Catlin to furnish a name for the office, and the name "Natoma" was adopted on his suggestion. Afterward the township took the name also.

American River was so named from the faet that a company of Western trappers lived on its banks for several years between 1822 and 1830.

The Mokelumne River derives its name from a numerons tribe of Indians, the Mo-kel-kos, who formerly inhabited its lower banks and the adjacent country. The Spaniards spelled the word variously. Cosumne is also an Indian word.

Hicksville was named from William Hieks, a pioneer resident, who died there June 29, 1884; and Howell's from Sid Howell, who still lives there.

Sutterville was named from General John A. Sutter, who, with others, in 1844, made an ef- fort to build a town there. A survey was made

202

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

and a village commenced. The first house was erected by Sutter, the second by one Hadel, and the third by the late George Zins. The last was a brick building, and is said to have been the first that was put up in California. The new town lagged, and in 1853 a party of capitalists endeavored to boom it up, and many costly buildings were erected, but the effeet was but temporary, and the town died down.

The name Florin was given to the locality about 1864 by the late Judge E. B. Crocker, owing to the great number of wild flowers which grew in the vicinity, and in 1875 the name was given to the town when it was commenced.

In 1850 James Hall and a family opened the Elk Grove Hotel on the original site of Old Elk Grove, and gave it that designation on account of having found elk horns in the grove near by. Mr. Hall was from Galena, Illinois, and died in Vallejo in 1876. The original Old Elk Grove Hotel burned down in 1857.

The original name of Ashland was Big Gulch. In 1857 it was changed to Russville, in honor of Colonel Russ. It was also sometimes called, Bowlesville, from an old resident named Bowles who claimed title to the land. In 1860 it was christened Ashland.

In 1852 a company was formed, known as the Alabama Bar Mining Company, composed of twelve men. They located the bar which took that name, from the fact that most of the com- pany were from the State of Alabama.

. Andrus Island was named from George An- drus, who settled there in 1852.

Onisbo was the naine of a chief of the Dig- ger Indians.

Georgetown was settled in 1856 by Andrew George, who opened a hotel there called the Franklin House. The place goes by both the names of Georgetown and Franklin.

Sebastopol, a mining camp, was established in 1854, and the name was chosen by a vote of the miners, the Crimean War being then in prog- ress.

Cook's Bar was named after Dennis Cook, who settled there in 1849.

Michigan Bar was so named from the fact that the first settlers were two men from Michi- gan, who made the first discovery of gold there in 1849.

Walsh's Station was named after J. M. Walsh, who opened a store there in 1873, and Routier's is called in honor of Senator Joseph Routier. who settled there in June, 1853.

Rancho del Paso signifies Ranch of the Pass, Its other name-Norris Grant-is from Samnel Norris, who at one time owned it.

CENSUS.

1850.

1860.

1870.

1880.

City .. ..

* 12,800

16,283

21,420

County .

9,087

24,142

26,830 34,390

State. . .

91,635

323,127

499,424

864,694

COURT-HOUSE.

The first court-house that was erected at Seventh and I streets in Sacramento City, and in which the sessions of 1852 and 1854 were held, was commenced in June, 1850, and com- pleted on December 24, 1851. It was destroyed in the great fire of July 13, 1854, which con- sumed a large portion of the business part of the city.

Immediately after the fire a contract was en- tered into between Joseph Nongus and the county officers for the erection of the present court house. As originally arranged the build- inganswered the following description: Extreme height, sixty-one feet ; dimensions, 80 x 120 feet; with a portico supported by ten pillars, three feet six inches in diameter by thirty-one feet six inches in height. The ground floor was devoted to a county prison. On the same floor were two separate offices containing fire- proof vaults and occupied by the State Control- ler and State Treasurer. The second floor was devoted to a Senate Chamber, 37 x 30 feet, and an Assembly room, 72.8 x 41.4 feet, together with nine rooms for clerks and officers of the Legislature. The style of architecture is lonic. The original contract price was $100,600, and

*April 1, 1849, less than 150; October i following, 1,300 votes.

203

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

the subsequent contracts made the total cost of the building to the county $240,000. The cor- ner-stone was laid September 27, 1854, with. Masonic honors, and the brick work was com- pleted November 9 following. The entire build- ing was finished January 1, 1855. It was rented to the State for Capitol purposes at an annual rent of $12,000, and was used for that purpose from 1855 until the completion of the present Capitol. In April, 1870, the building was raised to the high grade, 400 jackscrews being used in the job. The original corner-stone was opened on the 22d and its contents transferred by the Board of Supervisors into a new box. On that day the stone was relaid withont public ceremony.

THE STATE CAPITAL.

The first State Constitutional Convention met at Monterey, September 1, 1849, and during the session fixed the seat of the State Govern- ment at San José. December 15 following the first Legislature accordingly met at that place, but, finding the accommodations too limited, resolved to accept a proposition from General M. G. Vallejo, removing the capital to his place. Meeting there January 5, 1852, they fared even worse than they had at San José as the General had undertaken to do more than he could, and was far behind with his contract. The Sacramentans then stirred themselves, and indorsed the Court of Sessions in offering the use of the new court-house to the Legislature, which body accepted the offer January 12, 1852, and the very next day arrived here, on the steamer Empire. The citizens welcomed the members by a grand ball, tickets to which were sold at $20. During this session the contest between the rival points contending for the lo- cation of the capital naturally grew hotter, and all sorts of legal technicalities were brought to bear in favor and against the competing places. During all this time the State records were at San José, and doubts were entertained as to the legality of removing them to Vallejo, where there was no safe place for keeping them, or to

Sacramento, which was not yet made the seat of Government.

April 30, 1852, the Legislature passed a bill declaring Vallejo to be the seat of Government, and ordering the Governor to remove the State records to that place. Next, General Vallejo procured a cancellation of his contract; then the following Legislature, meeting in January, 1853, in Vallejo, soon adjourned to meet at Benicia, declaring it to be the capital. January 2, 1854, the Legislature again met there. Gov- ernor Bigler submitted to them a communication from the mayor and council of Sacramento, tendering the free use of the court-house, with safes, vaults, etc., to the State, together with a deed to the block of land between I and J and Ninth and Tenth streets. On the 9th of Feb- rnary, A. P. Catlin introduced a bill in the Senate, fixing the permanent seat of govern- ment at Sacramento and accepting the block of land. The Legislature then adjourned to this city. The members and State officers were re- ceived with a great demonstration.

March 1, 1854, the Legislature met in the new court-house. On the 24th of this month they passed a law compelling the Supreme Court to hold its sessions here; but that body an- nounced their opinion that San Jose was the constitutional and legal cipital. Subsequently, however, by a change of judges of the Supreme Court, Sacramento was decided to be the legal capital. Accordingly, with the exception of the flood year, 1862, all sessions of the Legislature since 1854 have been held in Sacramento. ·

April 18, 1856, the Legislature provided for the issue of bonds to the amount of $300,000 for the erection of a State House where is now the beautiful Plaza. The Board of Commission- ers, appointed to superintend the building, approved the plans of Reuben Clark for the structure, let the contract to Joseph Nougues, for $200,000, and broke ground for building December 4. But on the 15th of that month the commissioners refused to issue the bonds, because the Supreme Court had decided that the State had no authority to contract a debt so

204

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

large. The contractor brought suit to compel the issuance of the bonds, but was beaten, and work was stopped and never resumed on that building. The land was dceded back to the city and has been made a beautiful park.

The building of a Capitol did not again re- ceive much attention until 1860, when the supervisors deeded to the State the tract of land bounded by L and N and Tenth and Twelfth streets, and the Legislature appropri- ated $500,000 for the building. The plans of M. F. Butler were adopted, and Michael Fen- nell, of San Francisco, obtained the contract for furnishing the material and building the base- ment for $80,000. The corner-stone was laid May 15, 1861. Fennell, however, had dropped the contract April 1, and it was afterward let to G. W. Blake and P. E. Conner, who in turn dropped the task, having suffered severe losses in the great flood. The work was then placed in the hands of the commissioners, who had to " plod their weary way " along for several years, while the various Legislatures could not agree upon the amount of appropriations to be made. Indeed, the question of the location of the Cap- itol was mooted until 1867, when it was decided to discontinue the use of granite, and hurry the building on to completion, with brick. Thus the basement story only is built of granite. The brick, however, is of good quality, and the Capitol Building, which is modeled somewhat after the pattern of the national Capitol at Washington, is substantially constructed, and is modestly beautiful in its exterior. Cost, about $1,447,000; with grounds (ten blocks), $2,590,460.19. Height, from first floor to the lantern, 240 feet. From this point can be seen a magnificent city and rural landscape, bounded by mountains fifty to a hundred miles distant. See topographical chapter for a description of the objects visible. At the center of the first floor is a large piece of statuary, cut from Italian marble by Larkin G. Meade, and representing Columbus before Isabella. It was purchased by D. O. Mills, at an expense of $30,000, and by him presented to the State.

The completion of the Capitol in the fall of 1869 was celebrated by a grand ball given by the citizens of Sacramento, and the rooms, as they were finished, were occupied during the months of November and December. The present constitution provides that the seat of the State Government shall not be removed without a popular vote.

FLOODS.

Like the Lower Mississippi, the lower portion of Sacramento River is, when the waters are high, above the level of the adjoining country. Hence floods, inundating many thousand acres of good land, sometimes occurred, until the levee was completed. The principal ones have occurred on the following dates:

1805 .- The inundation was so great this year that the Indians still reckon from it as an epoch.

1825-'26. - This was a very wet winter throughout the State, and some of the oldest inhabitants still remember it.

1846-'47 .- High waters, but as yet there were scarcely any settlers here with property to be destroyed.

1850 .- By this time Sacramento was a lively little town, and the flood well nigh carried it away. The people continued to hope that the. water had about reached its highest point until it was too late to save their property. They were unprepared when the rush came upon them, and some were even drowned in their beds! Women, children and feeble persons were found floating abont upon loose material, and crying for help. The inmates of the city hospital, twelve to twenty in number, narrowly escaped drowning. Only two of them ulti- mately recovered! It was during this flood that a Dutchman, employed to take corpses out in boats for burial, met with an accident, and on endeavoring to swim ashore with $2,000 in gold in his pocket, sank several times and was drowned. Many of the rougher class of men became horribly reckless, drinking, laughing, hurrahing and carousing generally, without turning a hand to save life or property. Of the

is 28

CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL .- Agricultural Pavilion in the Distance. (View from the Northwest. )

205

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

300 or more men who were doing business in Sacramento, not more than a half dozen had second stories to their buildings, in which goods might be stored, or persons saved.

After this flood subsided the weather was fine and exhilarating for several weeks, and the people almost forgot that they had met with losses, when in March another freshet arrived, and would have swept them away had it not been for the determined efforts of Hardin Big- low in leveeing the city, despite the scofling of the multitude.

1852 .- March 7, at 1 A. M., there came a mnad rush of waters from the American River, break- ing through the levee. The mayor summoned the citizens to the rescue, but in vain; it was too late to cast up levees. By daylight nothing could be seen upon the surrounding landscape bnt Sutter's Fort and the Ridge. The head of I street, near the Plaza, being the highest ground in the city, was densely covered with human beings. This terrible distress continued four days.

1853 .- Jannary 1, the city was again com- pletely flooded, the water rising two feet higher than in 1850; but the water retired so rapidly that but little damage was done, and even the improvised boats and other craft were, many of thein, left upon the ground.

1861 .- Marclı 28, there was a sudden daslı from the American River, inundating the city, but the subsidence was so rapid that compara- tively little damage was done; but December 9 following occurred the most destructive flood of all. The first alarm was given at 8 A. M., and within one hour many persons living east of Eleventh street were surrounded, in imminent danger of their lives, and appealing for help with the most heart-rending cries. Many were indeed drowned during this siege, and many a harrowing story is told of pitiful cries for help which were unheeded by passing boatmen who could have rescued the sufferers, but would not because money to the extent of $10 to $75 was not forthcoming!

By the 11th the waters had so far subsided

that traffic was resumed. On the 23d the city was again partially inundated.

1862 .- January 9-13 occurred a destructive deluge, carrying away all or nearly all the prop- erty of many farmers, as well as drowning some persons and destroying much property in the city. The Legislature was in session, and upon the third day of the flood the Senate adopted a resolution for the adjournment of the Legisla- ture to San Francisco for the remainder of the session. The House, however, did not concur until the 23d day of the month, and the next day they all embarked for San Francisco.

1878 .- February 1 came the last destructive freshet, as since then the levees have been strong enough to confine the waters to the chan- nel; but the loss of property was not so great as in 1862.

LEVEES.

The history of the levees around Sacramento is one of great interest, involving, as it does, not only the past but the present and future safety of the city. Previous to the flood of January, 1850, nothing had been attempted in the matter of protection from flood or high water. True, the subject had been discussed pro and con, one party holding that something should be done, and, the other that nothing could be done that would be of any real value, for, they argued, "suppose we do build a bank around the town, how long will the water stay outside? Granting that it cannot run over the top or break through the levee, it will, in a short time, find its level by percolating through the soil." This latter class, however, were suddenly converted by the flood of 1850, and became as ardent supporters of the levee move- inent as any of their former opponents.

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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