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 37
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The Slate Bar was located just below the present site of the Branch State Prison, on the opposite side of the river. This was never a large camp. The mining, being of the variety called "crevice mining," did not offer the in- ducement that other bars did.
The American River Ditch Company was incorporated November 27, 1854. The first trustees were: A. P. Catlin, A. T. Arrowsmith, A. G. Kinsey, Lucien B. Brooks, S. Palmer, John L. Craig and Eleazer Rnlison. Work coin- menced on the ditch September 18, 1854; it was completed to Big Gulch, the end of the Inain ditch, January 1, 1857. The ditch is six feet wide on the bottom and four feet deep. The first dam was built to Tamaroo Bar, from which point to Big Gulch is twenty-four miles. The portion of the canal extending from Big Gulch to Mississippi Bar runs through a country known as Orange Vale.
The first dani was taken out by flood in March, 1855; the second dam, costing $5,000, was washed ont in 1857; thethird dam cost $11,000, and was destroyed by flood, 1862; the cost of rebuilding the dam and repairing the ditch was $29.000. This dam was taken ont in 1871 or 1872; was rebuilt and washed ont the following winter. The present dam was completed Janu- ary, 1876. The water is used both for mining and irrigation, mostly the latter.
The Orange Vale Colonization Company has
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
3,200 acres of good land, well fenced and provided with water, one mile from Folsom and on the north side of the river. A number of neat cot- tages have been built. A village is started, named Orange Vale. Ten-acre tracts, with eight acres of trees or vines, are offered to actual set- tlers on easy terms.
The California Central Railroad Company built a road through this township, running from Folsom to Lincoln. A second road was commenced, with Anburn as its northern ter- minns. This road never was finished farther than Wildwood Station, a distance of ten miles. Both of these roads coming into possession of the Central Pacific Company the tracks were taken up and the road abandoned.
ASHLAND .- The original name of Ashland was Big Gulch. This was changed to Russville in 1857, in honor of Colonel Russ. It was also sometimes called Bowlesville, from an old resi- dent named Bowles, who had, or claimed to have, a title to the land. It was christened Ash land in 1860. There are now about a dozen houses in the town. In early times there were a large number of cabins and a few saloons, but no hotels.
In connection with the history of Ashland, a sketch of Colonel Russ may prove interesting, he having been for a time the central figure around which all others in Ashland appeared to revolve. We insert the following extract from the Folsom Telegraph of August 12, 1864:
" In 1857 or 1858 the name of the village was changed from Big Gulch to Russville, in honor of Colonel Russ, whose advent was an era in the history of this quiet place. The Colo- nel was a man of remarkable traits in more re- spects than one. Being a speculative genius, he induced a number of San Francisco capital- ists to form a company for the purpose of min- ing the quartz rock for the gold it never liad contained, and granite for building, and for these purposes a splendid mill was erected. For some time the Colonel endeavored to plane granite, but his machine failed to reduce the obdurate rock to the necessary form and shape, and it was
cast aside. Then tons of quartz were crushed, but, unfortunately for the Colonel and the stock- holders, the mill failed to produce the ' color,' for the very good reason that the color was not in the quartz. During this period the Colonel erected a neat cottage on the summit of the highest hill in the neighborhood, which was crowned with a flag staff.
" The Colonel turning his attention to poli- tics, was elected justice of the peace of Missis- sippi Township. Whenever a case was to be tried, up went the 'Stars and Stripes' on the flag staff, and the Colonel mounted the seat of justice, which was elevated about six feet.
" There the Colonel sat, invested himself with the majesty of the law, and dispensed justice ac- cording to a code of his own; the statutes were of no use to him. From his court there was no appeal, and any one mentioning an appeal in that court was liable to be immediately fined for contempt. The Colonel's term expired, tlie quartz company exploded, the granite would not work, the Colonel's cash ran out, and he de- parted from Russville. Shortly after, the vil- lage was christened Ashland, and the only monument now remaining near Ashland of the Colonel's genius and enterprise, is a mining shaft 250 feet deep, sunk to find the bed-rock, which some of those interested in the company succeeded in doing, though not in the shaft."
Granite Mills .- The first mill run by water- power in the county of Sacramento was built by James Smith, a native of Denmark; this was a saw-mill, erected in 1851. In 1852 Smith built a small grist-mill, being his own carpenter and millwright, and on the completion of the till became his own miller. In 1854 Edward Stockton, of Sacramento, observing the great possibilities of this water-power, purchased a half interest in the mill and power. The mill was then enlarged to three run of stone, with a capacity of 100 barrels a day. A flourishing business was established, and in 1861 the mill, then owned by Coover & Stockton, was enlarged to nine run of stone, the tail race being 500 feet long, equal in effect to 4,000 horse-power. The
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
December floods of 1861 damaged the mill and power to the extent of $12,000. The third flood, January 10, 1862, carried away the three buildings composing the mill, causing their to- tal destruction. Mr. Stockton soon afterward formed a partnership with Carroll & Moore, of Sacramento, and they erected a mill which was fifteen feet higher and 250 feet farther from the river. The new building was 60x 80 on the ground and four stories high, and contained nine run of stone, with a capacity of 700 barrels of flour per day. It was built of granite, and cost $140,000. In 1869 Stockton built a switch track to the mills. January 26, 1867, the build- ing was destroyed by fire, and has not since been rebuilt, This magnificent water-power is now lying idle.
Granite quarries, of a very superior quality, have been in successful operation since 1856. The pioneer in this business was Griffith Grif- fiths. Prior to 1860, Colonel Russ erected a mill, at large eost, importing the machinery from the East for dressing the granite, the power being furnished by water from the North Fork Company's diteh; but his enterprise proved a failure. The blue granite for the earlier build- ings in Sacramento was obtained from the quar- ries above Folsom, where the State Prison now is, while the light-colored granite is from Rocklin.
James Smith started the first store at Slate Bar, in 1850. Since then there have been sev- eral small stores there.
NATOMA.
This was one of the nine original townships established by the Court of Sessions, February 24, 1851, and included nearly all of the present township, and a portion of the present township of Cosumines.
In August, 1853, the Court of Sessions di- vided the township into two parts, all that portion south of the Coloma road being called Prairie Township. The present boundaries were estab- lished by the Board of Supervisors, October 20, 1856, and are as follows: Beginning at the south- east corner of Granite Township; thence running
north along the eastern line of said Granite Township to the northern boundary of Sacra- mento County; thence easterly and southerly along the northern and eastern boundaries of the county to the center line of township 8 north, of range 8 east of Mount Diablo base and meridian; thence west on the said center line of said township to the eastern boundary of Lee Township; thenee north and along said line to the beginning.
The township is principally devoted to agri- culture and dairying, though there are still some few mining elaims which are being worked.
It was thought in early times that a farmer had a poor prospect of making a living, the soil not being considered productive. This idea has proved erroneons, the farmers generally having been fairly prosperous in their business.
The southern portion of the township is de- voted to dairying and grain-growing, wheat and barley being the principal grains; the northern part of the township, hay and grain.
The first prominent settlement, aside from Mormon Island, began in 1852. Previous to this time, the only settlers were located along the public roads, and kept public houses. Among the first to commence farming in the township were Jacob Broder, who came in 1852; Oswald Broder, brother to Jacob, still a resident; Samuel Rieker and family, now living in the Eastern States; Charles Shead, John Me- Comber, Charles Bishop and George Peacock; all settled in the same year within a few miles of Mormon Island. William Jarvis and family opened the Valley House in the fall of 1852, on the Coloma and Sacramento road. Peter Hous- ton settled on a ranch on the Coloma road in 1852, where he was joined by his brother in 1854. The former returned to the East in 1857.
E. B. Townsend settled near Mormon Island in 1852, engaged in the dairy and butcher busi . ness, and is still living there. R. K. Berry settled in the northwestern portion of the town- ship in the summer of 1852; he died in 1859. Dr. Morse settled on the ranch now owned by Charles W. Porter, in 1852.
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
H. E. Barton and brother came about the same time. Joseph Woodward settled in the township in 1853 on what was known as the Illinois ranch, now known as the Gould farm. Jonn Wielde settled near Mormon Island in 1851. W. H. Williams settled on section 5, in 1852; the place was formerly owned by Walter Wall, who subsequently located Wall's Dig- gings. Wall settled in the township in 1850. Joseph Wilson came to the township in 1853; his ranch joined south of Van Triece. - In- gersoll, - Van Triece, J. Caples, J. F. Duval, W. J. Milgate, G. K. Nye, William Sales, Charles Sanl, A. W. Topper, A. H. Thomassen and Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson were all early set- tlers. George Lester settled in the southern portion of the township in 1852. His brother, A. J. Lester, came in 1850.
MORMON ISLAND .- In the spring of 1848 two Mormons, one of whom was Wilford Woodruff, being on their way trom Sutter's Mill, now Co- loma, to the Fort, found themselves near sunset, at the spot now known as Willow Springs, in Sacramento County. Concluding to go no far- ther that night, they shot a deer and made their way to the nearest point on the South Fork of the American River, where they could procure water for themselves and their horses. They descended the bluff bank of the river to a flat covered with underbrush, and then cooked and ate their supper. After this was accomplished, it being still light, one of the men remarked: " They are taking ont gold above us on the river. Let us see if we can find some at this place." They scraped off the top soil, took a tin pan which they carried with them for cooking pur- poses, panned out some dirt and obtained a " fine prospect." Being satisfied that gold abounded in this vicinity, they went to the Fort the next day and communicated the news to Samuel Brannan, then of the firm of C. C. Smith & Co., proprietors of a small trading-post, where goods were bartered for hides, tallow and wheat. Brannan at that time was spiritual guide and director for the Mormon population of the New Ilelvetia and other districts of California. IIe 16
proceeded to the spot indicated by Woodruff and his companion, set up a pre-emption claim and demanded a royalty of thirty-three and one-third per cent. on all the gold taken out on the Bar. So long as the Mormons were largely in the majority of those engaged in mining on the Bar, this royalty was rigidly exacted. In course of time, however, unbelievers flocked into the mines and refused to pay tribute to the pretended owner of the land, who was compelled to give up the collection. In the meantime, however, Brannan had accumulated several thousand dol- lars, with which he formed a partnership with Mellus, Howard & Co., of San Francisco, under the name of S. Brannan & Co .; and this laid the foundation of the large fortune acquired by him subsequently. This was the origin of Mormon Island. The extent of the village proper is now about eighty acres. As the news of the gold discoveries spread through the State, miners came flocking in from all quarters, till, in 1853, the town had a population of about 2,500 peo- ple, 900 of whom were voters.
The first hotel, called the Blue Tent, kept by S. R. Caldwell, was opened soon after the Island began to be populated; was moved to another part of the town and name changed to Caldwell Hotel, in 1852, and entirely discontinued in 1854. Samuel Brannan opened the first store in 1848. He sold to James Queen, one of Sacramento's pioneers; he, in turn, sold to Captain Pool, and he to Dewitt C. Stanford, a brother of ex-Gov- ernor Stanford, who died in Australia while there on business; the business is now in the hands of Thomas Stephenson. J. P. Markham opened a hotel and store in 1850; hotel closed in 1854.
There were two stage lines running to Mor- mon Island, established in 1850; one of the lines ran froin Sacramento to Coloma, passing through Mormon Island; the other ran from Sacramento to the Island and return. These lines were both taken off in 1856; during the same year a line was started running from Folsom to Coloma, passing through Mormon Island. The postoffice was established in 1851; J. W. Shaw was proba- . bly the first postmaster.
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
The Miners' Hotel was opened in 1851, by Dallis & Kneass; the building was burned in 1856, and was never rebuilt. The Mansion House was kept by Thomas Stephenson from 1853 to 1856, when it was closed. The fire of 1856 destroyed the southwest portion of the village, which has never been rebuilt. At one time there were four hotels, three dry-goods and five general merchandise stores, two blacksmith shops, Adams & Co.'s Express Office, carpenter shop, butcher shop, bakery, a livery stable and seven saloons in Mormon Island. The total population at the present time is about 100. The decadence of Mormon Island began with the completion of the railroad to Folsom. A school was opened here in 1851; there is now a good school building at the place.
Among the earlier settlers of Mormon Island not already noted were A. G. Kinsey, who came in 1849; A. P. Catlin, who came in 1849, resided there until 1856; he removed to Fol- som, and finally to Sacramento, where he is now practicing law.
The principal bridge in the township is known as the Mormon Island Bridge. The first struc- ture was built in 1851, by J. W. Shaw; this was a wooden bridge, which was washed away by high water in 1854. A new bridge was built the following summer by the same party. This was a wire suspension bridge, and was also washed away by the flood of 1862, and again rebuilt by Shaw; this bridge is still stand- ing
The first ball in Sacramento County was given at Mormon Island in the "jolly old days of 1849." A very long and humorous descrip- tion of it was published in the Record- Union of June 21, 1873.
A large number of public houses existed in early years along the main-traveled roads. It has been impossible to get full accounts of all of them, though they would undoubtedly prove of interest, more especially to those who were the early pioneers of the county.
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The Smith Exchange, located on the Sacra- mento and Coloma road, near Mormon Island,
was built by a man named Smith, in the snin- mer of 1853. This was the largest public honse in the township at the time. Smith sold out in the fall of 1855 to Cox & Hamilton. They sold to William Jarvis in 1858. Jarvis afterward sold to a man by the name of Lee. The hotel business was discontinued for one year, when Freeman McComber became the proprietor. He refitted the house and conducted the business until 1864, when the house was finally closed.
The Union Tavern was probably started as early as 1850 by Mr. Turle. The house was closed in 1855.
The Half-Way House was built by Briggs & Hoffman in 1852. They kept the house about one year and then sold to a man named Martin, who in turn sold to John E. Butler. This house is located on the Placerville road.
SAN JOAQUIN.
San Joaquin was one of the original town- ships, and included Dry Creek and parts of Alabama, Franklin, Brighton and Lee town- ships. Dry Creek Township was set off in 1853, and October 20, 1856, the Board of Su- pervisors established the boundaries as they at present exist. They are as follows: Commenc- ing at the southwest corner of Brighton Town- ship, and running thence east along the southern boundary of said Brighton Township to the range line between ranges 6 and 7 east of Mount Diablo meridian; thence south along said range line to the Cosminnes River; thence southerly and westerly along the Cosumnes River to the township line between townships 5 and 6 north, range 5 east of Monnt Diablo base and meridian; thence west along said line to the eastern boun- dary of Franklin Township, being a line drawn through the middle of range 5; thence north along said eastern boundary of Franklin Town- ship to the beginning.
The land in this township is entirely agri- cultural. The titles, with the exception of that portion in the southern part of the township included in the Hartnell grant, amounting to about 10,000 acres, come from the United
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IIISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
States. At the first settlement of this township there was considerable timber growing. This has been gradually cut off, till now there is but little left, the largest grove being on the Graham farm.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Martin Murphy, Jr., and wife settled on the Cosumnes River in 1844; the place was called the Murphy grant; Thomas McConnell now owns the farm, and his house is within a few rods of where Murphy lived. Murphy died in 1854, and his wife returned to Ireland. Ed- ward Perrin and family settled on part of the present McConnell place in 1849.
The Wilder Brothers, Asa, Benjamin and John, came to the township in 1849, and were largely engaged in stock-raising. Asa and John died many years ago. Benjamin Wilder mar- ried one of the Donner girls. T. Keno, one of the Donner relief party, came to the State abont 1846, and took up a claim subsequently on the Cosumnes River, in San Joaquin Township. He subsequently removed to Stockton.
Gabriel Gunn settled on the place since owned by A. Woodward, on the Cosumnes River, in 1850; he died several years ago.
John Whittick settled in the township in 1850. David P. Crook settled on the Cosumnes River in 1851; he moved to Nevada some years ago. P. Hnll and family settled on the Co- sumnes in the fall of 1851; they moved to Ne- vada in 1866 or '67. Enoch Madder settled about three miles northwest of Elk Grove, on the Wilder Ranch. Jacob Marshall and family came to the township in 1852, and located on the river; they moved to Latrobe some years later, where he died. Jacob Swigert and family settled on land adjoining that of Marshall, in 1853, and died some years ago. Albion Clark settled on the upper Stockton road, near Old Elk Grove, in 1850; he was one of the first mnen to raise grain in San Joaquin Township, and was also engaged in stock-raising, principally horses and hogs. In 1857 he sold out and moved to Mendocino County, where he died shortly after. Johnson Little came to the town-
ship in 1852, and settled near Old Elk Grove; he returned to Pennsylvania in 1855. Robert Parrot opened a hotel, in 1852, on a farm ad- joining Old Elk Grove; he continued in the business five or six years, and then returned to the mines; he died twenty years ago. Norman I. Stewart came to the State in 1852, and set- tled on his present place in 1854, near Old Elk Grove. G. Harvey Kerr, a well-known fruit- grower and wine-mannfacturer, settled in the township, near Elk Grove Station, in January, 1854. He reports but a small portion of the land under cultivation at that time, and this was mostly all bottom lands along the Cosumnes River. In San Joaquin, as in other parts of the county, it was supposed that wheat could not be successfully grown; that this was an error is shown by the fact that at one time the yield of wheat averaged twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre, the barley crop at the same time amounting to thirty or forty bushels per acre. Along the river-bottoms used to grow a fine quality of grass, which made good hay; this has all disappeared, killed by the mining debris.
OLD ELK GROVE .- The place of this name was originally located on the Graham ranch, being subsequently moved to Buckner's ranch, the two locations being about one mile apart.
James Hall and family came to California in 1850, and opened a hotel on the original site of Old Elk Grove. He gave it its name, on ac- connt of having lived in Missouri in a town of the same name. Mr. Hall died in Vallejo in 1876. Major James B. Buckner built a hotel in 1850, called the Buckner Hotel. He sold to Phineas Woodward; he ran the business for a time, and sold to Mrs. J. Erwin, widow of Jared Erwin; she kept the house three years, and sold to Nicholas Christophel. The original Old Elk Grove Hotel burned down in 1857. Buckner and Woodward both returned East. This was the first postoffice established in San Joaquin Township, James Buckner, Postmaster. James Hall was the first justice of the peace.
ELK GROVE .- This is a live town of about 400 inhabitants, on the line of the Central Pa-
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
cific Railroad, sixteen miles from Sacramento. In 1876 J. Everson, a practical farmer, came to the conclusion that there was a large business which had heretofore gone elsewhere, that could be stopped at Elk Grove. Not being possessed of sufficient capital to establish such a business as he thought the place would support, he agitated the idea of forming a building associa- tion. The company was incorporated in Janu- ary, 1876, under the name of the Elk Grove Building Company, and immediately commenced work on the first building, which was thirty feet in front by sixty feet deep. In August of the same year it was occupied by Chittenden & Eversou, who opened with a large stock of general merchandise, and in the first sixteen months reported their sales as amounting to over $52,000.
There are two hotels at Elk Grove, the Rail- road House, built by M. H. Davis in 1876, William Hicks the present proprietor, and the Elk Grove Hotel, built by the Building Com- pany in 1876, bought subsequently by J. W. Martin, the present proprietor.
The Elk Grove Flouring Mills were built in 1876, by H. S. Hill. It has three run of stone, with a capacity of eighty barrels of flour per day. It is run by steam-power, and is now leased to Beaty & Leslie, of Sacramento. There are two general merchandise stores, one of which we have already mentioned; the second is in the depot building, J. N. Andrews, proprietor. Mr. Andrews is also agent for the Central Pa- cific Railroad Company, Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express and the Telegraph Company; one hardware and tin store, opened in 1877, A. J. Longenecker, proprietor; one meat market, J. W. Martin, proprietor; one furniture manu- factory, D. J. Nelson, proprietor; two drug stores, Dr. C. S. Bradford and A. W. Vance the respective proprietors; one harness shop, Clar- ence Parker, proprietor; one variety store, W. II. Talmadge, proprietor; one warehouse, a frame building, 80 x 100 feet, fitted to receive grain and hay, built by Lewis Bower in 1877, at a cost of $5,500; it has a storage capacity
of 2,000 tons of grain and 600 tons of hay; one dress-making establishment, Mrs. A. J. Longenecker, proprietress; two millinery stores, Mrs. F. M. Jones and Mrs. Marr respectively, proprietors; one boot and shoe store; one carriage and wagon manufactory, John D. Hill, proprietor; one blacksmith shop, James T. Chin- nick, proprietor.
Elk Grove District Methodist Episcopal Church .-- This church was organized by A. M. Hurlburt, in 1858 or 1859. The church build- ing and parsonage were erected in 1876, at a cost of $3,000. This society is still in a flour- ishing condition.
Elk Grove Presbyterian Church. - This church was organized February 12, 1876. The first services were held as early as 1856, in the Old Elk Grove school-house, on the Sacramento road, by the Rev. J. C. Herron, and in the present Elk Grove school-house, by the Rev. J. S. McDonald, during 1875 and 1876. The church building was erected in 1876, at a cost of $2,700. George H. Kerr was elected rnling elder at the time the church was organized, and now holds the office. The first pastor was Rev. William H. Talmadge, who supplied the pulpit from 1874 to April, 1879. The church is still sustained.
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