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 36

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 36

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A sketch of the Folsom Telegraph is given in our chapter on the Press of the county.

The first public school in Folsom was estab- lished in 1857, the first teacher being I. M. Sib- ley. The first trustees were: E. P. Willard, Dr. S. Palmer and J. S. Meredith. A school, however, had been previously taught at Prairie City. The Folsom Institute was a fine private school which flourished from 1857 to 1869.

Granite Lodge, No. 62, I. O. O. F., was or- ganized September 19, 1856, at the residence of Eli Nichols, by David Kendall, D. D. G. M., assisted by Brothers C. C. Hayden, Samnel Cross, W. B. H. Dodson, George I. N. Monell, G. K. Van Ilensen and George Nelson. The first officers were: J. E. Clark, N. G .; A. Mears, V. G .; W. A. McClure, Rec. Sec .; II. A. IIill, Treas. The charter members, in addi-

tion to the above, were S. F. Marquis, A. W. Beals, B. Kozminsky, L. Sampson, J. Crumber- ger, G. B. Hornish and E. A. Turner.

Folsom Encampment, No. 24, I. O. O. F., was formed June 28, 1864, with A. C. Davis, Edward Christy, S. Zekind, S. M. Seely, John Eoff, John H. Seymour and E. O. Dana as charter members.

Natoma Lodge, No. 64, F. & A. My, was organized in October, 1854, at Mormon Island, with M. Wallace, A. Spinks, A. O. Carr, L. Bates, G. W. Corey, S. Logan, H. A. IIolcomb, D. McCall, B. H. Conroy, J. H. Berry, W. Sheldon, C. S. Bogar, W. K. Spencer, D. M. K. Campbell, J. Clark and M. Hatch as charter members. The first officers were: M. Wallace, W. M .; L. Bates, S. W .; A. O. Carr, J. W. It was chartered in 1855. and the next year trans- ferred to Folsom. The records of the lodge were destroyed by the fire in 1871.

Excelsior Council, O. C. F., No. 64, was in- stituted February 20, 1882.

Folsom Lodge, No. 109, A. O. U. W., was established June 6, 1879.

Granite Parlor, No. 83, N. S. G. W., was established April 9, 1886.

Social Lodge, No. 54, Order of the Golden Shore, was organized February 18, 1889.

The Young Men's Institute, No. 69, was organized in January, 1888.

The first church services were held in the Hook and Ladder Company's hall in 1856 by the Rev. Dr. Hatch, an Episcopal divine, of Sacramento. About this time Father Quinn, of the Catholic Church, held services at the house of P. J. O'Neil, about two miles from Folsom.

St. John's Church (Catholic) was organized in 1856. The church edifice was erected in 1857; in the meantime the society held its meetings in the Clarken College, Rev. Father Quinn, pastor. The original cost of the build- ing was $1,600. It was enlarged in 1859 at an additional outlay of $900. The earlier pas- tors have been the Revs. John Quinn (now de- ceased), James Gallagher, Neal Gallagher

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

(deceased), Francis Kelley (deceased), and John Leahy.

Trinity Church (Episcopal) was organized July 18, 1862; the church building was erected the same year, at a cost of abont $4,000, and is a fine frame structure. The first officers were: Vestrymen, William Timson, H. B. Waddilove, J. S. Meredith, Dr. A. C. Donaldson and George Bromley; Senior Warden, Dr. A. C. Donald- son; Junior Warden, William Moore; Clerk of the Parish, J. S. Meredith.

The Congregational Church was organized in 1860; a church building of brick, 36 x 60 feet in size, was erected the same year. J. E. Benton was the first pastor. The church ceased to exist many years ago.

PRAIRIE CITY is located two miles south of Folsom, in Granite Township, on the hills on or near Alder Creek. Mining commenced here in 1853, on the completion of the Natoma Water and Mining Company's ditch to this point. The water reached Rhodes' Diggings, about one mile farther up the creek, early in June, 1853. The miners came flocking in from all directions, and Prairie City began to assume the impor- tance of a city in fact as well as in name. This was the business town for several mining camps, Rhodes' Diggings, Willow Spring Hill Dig- gings and Alder Creek. Rhodes' Diggings laid some pretensions to having a town of its own; John H. Gass and Colonel Z. IIagan built a steam quartz mill in 1855, and a French company built a large quartz mill in 1857, costing $50,000; this mill paid wonderfully well for a time, and the stock could not be pur- chased for any reasonable price; this, however, did not last long; the stock ceased to pay divi- dends, went down, and finally became worthless.

At Prairie City, in 1853, Jesse Dresser, E. A. Platt, Eisner J. Chapman, - Rosenthal and - Meers kept stores; Dr. Rutherford, a drug store; Dr. White; " Marble Hall Hotel," kept by Michael Conothy. In 1854 J. & J. Spru- ance opened a store here, the largest in town. Elisha Waterman, carpenter and builder, erected most of the buildings. In July, 1853, the

town contained about 100 buildings, fifteen stores, ten boarding houses and hotels, and about thirty families; emigrants arriving daily ; two lines of stages running daily.

Early in 1854 the inhabitants numbered over 1,000, and the miners were reported as doing well, making from $5 to $20 per diem in one case, three men are reported to have taken out eighty-five ounces in one day. The town began to die out in 1860, and finally became entirely non est.

THE WILLOW SPRINGS HILL DIGGINGS were on the hill or ridge between Alder and Willow creeks; this hill was about a mile long. Mining commenced along Willow Creek as early as 1851. When the gulches were worked back to the ridge it was found that the dirt still con- tinued good pay, and claims were continned on the hill. Most of the mining was done on the north side of the ridge, there being a better flow of water there; by this time, 1853, the Natoma Ditch was furnishing water at this point. In the palmy days of this region there were twelve companies or claims, employing sixty men. It is not known what amount of gold has been taken out of this region, comprising about 2,000 acres, but it is estimated to have been millions of dollars, the eastern end of Willow Springs Hill being extraordinarily rich.

TEXAS HILL was a mining camp just below Negro Bar, on the American River, and exten- sive operations were carried on there until 1855, under the superintendence of John A. Watson, afterward purchasing agent of the railroad com- pany.

BEAM'S BAR, named after Jerry Beam, is half a mile below Alabaina Bar, on the south side of the American River. It was at first exceed- ingly rich, bnt all attempts to work it since 1857 have proved unremunerative. In 1863 Alfred Spinks, with a force of Chinamen, went to bed-rock, sixty feet down, but found no bonanza.

In the summer of 1879 a man leased from the Natoma Company all the land lying between Folsom and Alder Creek north of the railroad.

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

The old miners had dug down to what they con- sidered bed-rock and then stopped. This party bored through this crust, and found good pay- ing gravel underneath. The crust was composed of what appeared to have been black slime or deposit at the bottom of a lake, solidified; it was full of shells.

LEE.

Lee Township was formed by the Board of Supervisors, October 20, 1856, and contains townships 7 and 8 north, range 7 east of Mount Diablo base and meridian, both townships be- ing full, and is bounded on the north by Granite Township, on the east by Natoma and Co- sumnes, south by Alabama, west by San Joaquin and Brighton townships. Of the original town- ships it contains part of what was San Joaquin Township, a large portion of the original Co- sumnes Township. The soil is what is known as red plains, agricultural land. All that por- tion south of the Cosumnes River is included within what is known as the Hartnell grant. North of the Cosumnes and to a line parallel with the general course of the same, distant therefrom about two and one half miles, lies the Sheldon grant. In the northern portion of the township the Leidesdorff grant occupies about 3,800 acres. There were about 18,000 acres of Government land in the township, all of which is now owned by private parties. These grants are all sub-divided into small farms, most of which are under a high state of cultivation. Away from the Cosumnes River the soil is not so good for agricultural purposes, and is prin- cipally used for grazing, probably about twenty- five to thirty per cent. of the whole area being under cultivation.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

One summer evening, in 1840, William Day- lor, then in the employ of Captain John A. Sutter, while on a cattle hunt, rode to the bluff, or high hill, which overlooks the valley of the Cosmines River, at a point near which now stands the residence of Digory Hobbs. The valley at that time was thickly populated with

Indians, and Daylor not being desirous of making any closer acquaintance at that time, did not descend into the valley, but rode back to Sut- ter's Fort. He reported his discovery to his friend Jared Sheldon, who was at that time em- ployed by Sutter as a carpenter. Sheldon was a naturalized citizen of Mexico, and had certain claims against the Mexican Government for services in building a custom house at Mon- terey. He made an arrangement with Daylor, by which he (Sheldon), through his friend W. E. P. Hartnell (then Secretary of State and Government Interpreter for California under the Mexican Government), should obtain a grant of the recently discovered valley in liqui- dation of his unsettled claim. Daylor, with two or three companions, was t > settle on the land, while Sheldon was to provide a number of cattle to stock the rancho, and the two were to become equal partners in the land and cattle.

Sheldon, after taking the preliminary steps to secure the grant, purchased 300 head of cattle from Dr. Marsh, of Marsh's Landing, now An- tioch, for which he was to pay in carpenter work, upon which he at once entered, sending the cattle through the then unknown country lying between the residence of Dr. Marsh and the Cosumnes Valley. These cattle reached their destination in dne time, and the drovers found a corral for the cattle and a tent for the men, which improvements had been made by Daylor, assisted by Ned Robinson and a force of Indians. These latter were found to be as gentle and docile as the aborigines who wel- comed Columbus to the shores of Guanahani and Hayti. They were always ready, and even anxious, to perform any labor, considering a yard of " manta " (unbleached cotton clothi), with the game, deer, elk and antelope which the new-comers provided, as full payment for a week's work. By the aid of these Indians, a field of 100 acres was inclosed with a ditch and sown with wheat, the seed being obtained from Captain Sutter. For the first year, the diet of the new settlers consisted solely of venison. After the first crop of wheat was harvested,

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

boiled wheat was added to the bill of fare. This was the unvarying menu until 1847.

The new proprietors bad found a fine mill site on the river, near where McCraken's bridge now stands, and in 1847 they constructed a dam and built a grist-mill, which continned in suc- cessful operation until the stampede of 1848 that caused every industry of the kind to be temporarily abandoned.

After the discovery of gold in 1848, Sheldon, Daylor and McCoon, taking a number of In- dians, established a mining camp at a point where the road to Placerville now crosses the Weber Creek, and remained there until the autumn rains set in, the result of their sum- mer's work being $20,000 for each partner.

Daylor married in the autumn of 1846; Shel- don married in the spring of 1847, their wives being daughters of Thomas Rhoads, of San Joaquin County. Sheldon, not satisfied with the fine mnill site on his land, which afforded him every needed facility for irrigation, bought a piece of land about four miles higher up the river, where he became involved in a quarrel with the miners along the river, and lost his life. An account of the circumstances will be found in the history of Cosumnes Township.

William Daylor, a native of London, England came to Sntter's Fort in 1840. He died of cholera at Daylor's Ranch, October 30, 1850.

Jared Sheldon, a native of Underhill, Ver- mont, came to the State overland from New Mexico in 1832. He was killed in a fight with Ininers in Cosumnes Township, July 10, 1851.

Sebastian Kayser, a native of the Austrian Tyrol, for many years of his life a Rocky Mount- ain trapper, was half owner of the Johnson grant, at Johnson's crossing of Bear Creek. He was drowned in the Cosumnes River, Jannary, 1850.

Perry McCoon, a native of England, came to California about the year 1843. IIe was killed by falling from a horse near Cook's Bar, in January, 1851.

W. R. Grimshaw, a native of New York City, a seafaring man, arrived at Monterey in June,

1848, sailed in a coasting vessel, and came to Sutter's Fort in October, 1848. He opened a store and Indian trading post in partnership with W. M. Daylor, at Daylor's Ranch, No- vember 15, 1849. He now resides at Daylor's Ranch.

W. D. Wilson came to California in 1848, and settled on the Cosumnes River, opposite Day- lor's Ranch; he died in Santa Clara County, in 1875.

John R. T. Mahone was a soldier in Doni- phan's regiment during the Mexican War. He married the widow of Jared Sheldon, and set- tled at the Slough House in 1852; is now deceased.

HOTELS.

Wilson's Exchange was built on the south side of the Cosnmnes River, in 1850, by W. D. Wilson. In 1851 Wilson built a bridge across the Cosumnes at the same point. This bridge was swept away by the high water of 1852; it was rebuilt in the same year, was again washed away in 1862, and has not been rebuilt.

The Slough House was built by Jared Shel- don in the spring of 1850, and occupied as a residence by himself and family until his death.

BRIDGES.

The Slough House bridge was built by John Mahone, in 1850, across Deer Creek; this bridge was washed away in 1862, and rebuilt.

In 1862 J. C. Austin built a wire bridge across the Cosumnes River, located on the lower half of Division Thirteen of the Hartnell grant. In 1868 Austin sold to James D. Mc- Craken, ex-Governor Booth and Colonel James. The bridge is generally known as the wire bridge.

EARLY INCIDENTS.

In the spring of 1850 the justiceof the peace at the Daylor Ranch was an old fellow that went by the name of " Uncle Ben." His judi- cial career terminated very abruptly, in the following manner:

A half-witted Hoosier had been caught in the act of driving off some tame American oxen,

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

and was brought before the justice for trial. The accused was all but paralyzed with fear, and loudly declared his innocence of any wrongful intent, stating that he had been employed to drive the cattle to Sacramento. When the trial was ready to begin the prisoner was missing, and a party of men sallied out in search of him. He was found about 200 yards from the house, np to his neck in water, with his head under a projecting bush. He was brought back to the house, if possible worse frightened than before. On being interrogated as to how he got away, he stated that he had given the justice his purse, with what gold dust it contained, who had allowed him to slip out of the house the back way. This statement the justice strenuously denied. The accused then described his purse and the contents thereof, and, on searching the judge, a purse answering to the description, with contents as stated, was found on his per- son. The purse and contents were returned to the original owner, and he was allowed to go on his way rejoicing. The judge was then triced up to the columns that supported the roof of the portico, and given twenty-five lashes on his bare back with a lasso, the substi- tute for a "cat-o-nine tails," an Indian officiat- ing as " Bo'sen's Mate." He was then taken down and ordered to leave the place at once. He left.

In 1850-'51 the inhabitants of Cosumnes and San Joaquin townships, which included Lee Township, were harrassed by horse and cattle thieves to sneli an extent that they proceeded in several cases to take the law into their own hands and execute justice, as it was then consid- ered, very snmmarily.

In the early part of 1851 one Orville Hamn - ilton was accused of being an accessory in several cases of horse-stealing. A number of citizens assembled at Hamilton's place, took him into custody, organized a court, and pro- ceeded to try him on the charge. Among the members of the court were: Jared Sheldon, William Hicks, Charles Lewis, W. D. Wilson, S. P. Gage, Atwood, Tryce and Allmond. The

defendant was found guilty, sentenced to be hung, and a committee appointed to execute the sentence. The committee proceeded to the room where the prisoner had been confined, but found the bird had flown.

This fact being communicated to the crowd caused great excitement, which was in no wise allayed on the discovery of a man wearing the defendant's hat. This man proved to be one Sage, a merchant of Sacramento and an inti- mate friend and former schoolmate of Hamilton in the State of Connecticut. It was immedi- ately proposed that Sage be hung as a substi- tute for Hamilton. This was voted down, after a heated discussion, and the punishment com- muted to a whipping, and he was ordered to be tied up. No one appeared to be willing to tie him, until Sheldon, exclaiming, " Some one has got to see to this thing," tied Sage to a tree, and an Indian administered several lashes on his bare back with a lasso. Sage returned to Sacramento and employed C. A. Tweed to con- mence suit against Sheldon, Hicks and others, but was nonsuited. By the time all of the above proceedings had been had it was some time after dark, and the crowd dispersed to return to their homes.

Gage and Allmond occupied a cabin a mile and a half below the Daylor Ranch, on the south side of the river, where they were engaged in herding horses. On their return home the night in question, they were informed by a teamnster, who had stopped at their cabin, that two men were endeavoring to drive a herd of horses across the river at the ford one-quarter of a mile below the cabin. This being an unusual proceeding at that hour of the night, the three men went to the bank overlooking the ford and discovered the horses to be their own band, which two thieves were trying to drive off in the absence of the owners. This attempt would undoubtedly have been successful if the horses had not been unwilling to leave their range in the night. Gage, Allinond and the teanister jumped down the bank and pulling the thieves from their horses, disarmed them and compelled

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

them to return to the eahin, where they were provided with supper. The band of horses, as soon at they found themselves at liberty, ran into the corral at the cabin. After supper, Gage, leaving his companions to guard the prisoners, started ont to summon certain of the neighbors to assemble and give the prisoners a trial on the ensuing day. Hicks, Sheldon and Grimshaw, at the Daylor Ranch, had gone to bed when Gage eame with his summons. Gage rode on, and the three men, after consulting a few moments, thought it would be well to attend to the mat- ter that night. About the time their horses were saddled, Gage returned, accompanied by some of the neighbors, who had reached the same conclusion as the Daylor Ranch men. When this party arrived at the cabin, they found awaiting them John T. Rhoads, William B. Rhoads, John Parker and -- Ford. It was proposed to organize a court at once and pro- ceed to trial. Jared Sheldon was appointed judge, when it was discovered that there were not men enough present to form the jury. Here was a quandary. At length one of the party arose, and after a short speech on the ntter futility of regular trials to stop the fearful evil of horse-stealing, offered to be one of a crowd to take the prisoners ont and hang them forth- with. This was at once assented to by those present. Candles were lighted, and the horses in the corral closely examined to avoid the pos- sibility of making any mistake. The prisoners were led under a tree, lassoes placed around their necks and over a limb of the tree, and the men informed that they had one-half hour to live, and, when the time expired, they were drawn up and left hanging all night.

In the morning, one of the party, with two Indians, went to the tree and dug a grave. Some money which was found in their pockets was given to the Indians, and their bodies lowered into the grave. This action of the citi- zens put an effectnal stop to horse and cattle stealing along the banks of the Cosumnes River.

In this township occurred the mob execution

of William Lomax, May 14, 1855. He was hanged for the murder of Frederick Bohle, who was killed on the 7th of that month. It seems that Bohle was a stock-raiser and occupied a cabin about a mile above the old Daylor Ranch. Some parties, who desired to buy cattle, sought Bohle and found him dead. He had been cnt with a knife and chopped with an ax, and the indications were that he had made a desperate struggle for life. They gave the alarm at Grimshaw's honse. W. R. Grimshaw and Oli- ver Sanders went out and seenred the body. Lomax had been seen abont the premises, and suspicion fastened upon him. He was arrested in the city of Sacramento and taken to the scene of the murder. A popular court was organized in front of the old Daylor house, and Lomax put upon trial. He asked for time to produce a man named Van Trees, with whom he said he had passed the night before the murder, at a ranch on the American River. Time was granted, but the people of Michigan Bar and Cook's Bar took the acensed, fearing that he might escape. They promised to bring him back when Van Trees would be produced. They fulfilled their promise. On the resumption of the trial Van Trees stated that Lomax had been with him at his place, but that when he left he had stolen a mule. Lomax Was convicted and hanged on a tree in front of Grimshaw's place. This tree was cut down abont three or four years ago. This was one of the earliest mnob executions in the county outside of Sacramento City.

MISSISSIPPI.

Mississippi Township, as originally estab- lished by the Court of Sessions, on the 24th of February, 1851, included nearly the whole of the present township of that name, and also all of 'what is now Granite Township. There were very few changes made until the present lines were established, except in the south line, which was subsequently made to be the Coloma road. October 20, 1856, the Board of Supervisors established the present bonndaries, as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Center

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

Township, running thence easterly along the northern boundary of the county to the Ameri- can River; thence southerly and westerly along the said American River to the eastern bound- ary of Center Township; thence north along the said eastern boundary line of Center Town- ship to the beginning.

The greater portion of the land is mineral, though the people are now turning their atten- tion to agriculture, the better part of the min- eral lands having been pretty well worked out. The soil is not well adapted for the growth of wheat, but for grapes and other small fruits it is as good as any other portion of the county. The North Fork Company's ditch, running through the entire length of the township, affords facilities for irrigation during the whole year.

The San Juan grant includes the greater por- tion of this township, there being but about 5,000 acres outside of its lines. The lands in the grant are being sold off, thus affording an opportunity for settlers. The largest land- owners are Clark & Cox, and S. C. Hastings.

Gold was discovered in Mississippi Town- ship, along the banks of the American River, in 1849, about the same time as at Mormor. Island and Negro Bar. Mining along the river was vigorously prosecuted for several years, and abandoned only on account of the bars being worked ont. Gold having been found in paying quantities on the higher benches, a company was formed to build a ditch to bring the water from the north fork of the American River, from a point nearly opposite the town of Auburn, Placer County. This company brought water into the township in 1855, the diteli being twenty miles long. From this time to the present there has been more or less mining going on, but the most vigor was shown be- tween the years 1855 and 1870. At the present time there are very few people making any at- tempt at inining, those that are being mostly Portuguese and Chinese.

The Alabama Bar was situated in the northeast corner of the township, in the middle of the Amer- ican River. It was originally located in 1850.

In 1852 a company was formed known as the Alabama Bar Mining Company, composed of twelve men, with John Smith as president, and Alfred Spinks, superintendent. The name was given on account of the fact that most of the company were from the State of Alabama. They located the bar and proceeded to work it, but were shortly after apprised of the fact of the previous location; they, however, retained the possession, and bought out the adverse claimants, where they could be found. The gold gave ont in 1856, and the bar was aban- doned. This company employed about sixty men during the summers, and it is estimated took out about $75,000 altogether.

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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