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 6

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 6

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

some delay, were on the point of departing when the alert ear of McDowell caught the sound of rapidly approaching horses, and di- vined the truth. The impetuons and impa- tient young sheriff was thundering up the road. The minutes of McDowell's absence had seemed like hours, and he feared for the safety of his friend. McDowell and his companion hastened to their horses; and as the former was swinging into his saddle, and before his seat was secured, the sheriff, with five or six of his party (the others remaining behind at the Pavilion), came upon him in the dark, and with a-cloud of dust which rendered every- thing invisible, with such sudden force as to overthrow him and his steed. It was but the work of an instant for the sheriff to dismount, announce himself at the door, and demand en- trance. At the same moment the lights in the bar-room were extinguished, and Allen opened the door and discharged the contents of a rifle full in the bosoin of the sheriff. Allen and others in the house continued firing, and several of the sheriff's 'party rushed in and fought an nuknown enemy in the dark.

" The result was terrible. Mckinney was instantly killed; another of the party was shot through the arm and fainted from loss of blood. Two men were killed in the bar-room; Allen was severely wounded and escaped in the dark- ness; Mrs. Allen died before morning. It is quite certain this lady's death was not caused or hastened by the sad events with which her last hours were attended; but it could not fail, under such circumstances, to be counted in the catalogue of that night's fearful tragedy. Dr. Wake Brierly, one of the sheriff's party, saw the patient as soon as lights were restored, and found her wholly unconscious and in the last hopeless condition of typhoid fever.

" Thus perished the first executive officer of Sacramento County, in attempting to execute warrants placed in his hands for the arrest of Allen and others, charged with the violation of the law. . He was only twenty-one years of age, and of quite youthful appearance. His

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

ardor to discharge promptly his duty led him into an error of judgment-an error into which the same canses might have led a cooler and more experienced man, and which was the im- mediate canse of a fatal issue. The town had been terrorized by the open defiance of the Squatters, and the young sheriff probably felt that any over-cautions conduct, or any apparent relnetance on his part, might be taken by the publie as an indication of a want of courage.

" Allen made his way to : Hangtown,' as Placerville was then known, and there, among the miners, related the story of his wrongs with such effect that it was feared, both in Sac- ramento and San Francisco, that there was danger that he would appear at the head of a sufficient force and take vengeance upon the people of Sacramento. The Squatters were en- couraged, and it was thought they were secretly organizing and expecting aid from the miners, whom the excited Sacramentans imagined would be led by Allen against them. The wildest rumors prevailed. The people armed and formed a mil- itary guard. The city of San Francisco sent Mayor Geary with two military companies, one in command of Captain W. D. M. Howard, and the other in the command of Captain McCor- mick, to aid in the defense of the city."

Ben McCulloch, the successor to the murdered McKinney, in the office of the sheriffalty, after- ward became a man of considerable note. He was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, in 1814; as he grew to manhood he evinced a great fondness for hunting and adventure, and desired to accompany exploring and trapping expedi- tions to the mountainous regions of the West; but, failing to find such an opportunity, he went with David Crockett to Texas, to take part in the Revolution. Sickness prevented him from par- ticipation in the earlier engagements, but in 1836 he joined the Texan Army under General Sam Houston, and was assigned to the artillery. Ile served gallantly at the battle of San Ja- cinto, and afterward was employed on the front- ier, surveying and locating lands in Texas. Upon the breaking out of the Mexican War, he

raised a company of Texan "Rangers," which was accepted by General Taylor, won great honor at the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista, and rendered gallant serviee in the taking of the city of Mexico. He was appointed United States Marshal of Texas by President Pierce. In 1857 he was appointed, in conjunction with ex-Governor Powell, a commissioner to Utah. At the time of the inauguration of President Lincoln, he was in Washington, it was believed, making arrangements, at the head of a body of secessionists, to take possession of the city; but, owing to the precautions of General Scott, the idea was abandoned. He was subsequently inade Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army and assigned the command of the Arkan- sas forces. In June, 1861, he issned a procla- mation to the people of that State to assemble at Fayetteville to defend the State against inva- sion from Missouri. He commanded at the bat- tle of Wilson's Creek, where General Nathaniel Lyon was killed; and, it was said, having some misunderstanding with General Sterling Price, he surrendered the command to him. At the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, he led a corps of troops from that State and from Louisiana and Texas, and fell on the second day of the en- gagement, March 7, 1862.

Henry A. Caulfield was born in Ireland, in 1827, and early in life came to the United States. In 1844 he was a member of the Em- met Guards at Albany, New York, and during the anti-rent troubles in that State his company was ordered to Columbia County to assist the authorities in suppressing the anti-renters, who had committed various outrages, killing an un- der-sheriff, tarring and feathering several other officers, etc.

He arrived in California in 1849, via Cape Horn, and settled in Sacramento, where for a time he was a carpenter and joiner, and was act- ive in Democratic politics. Fleeing with others at the time of the riot just described, he was arrested by John G. Cleal somewhere between this city and Brighton and brought back to the city strapped on the back of a horse and lodged

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

on board the prison brig. The next Grand Jury indicted him and several others for murder and conspiracy to murder. A nolle prosequi was subsequently entered, as Governor MeDougal had declared that he would pardon them if con- victed. After his release Caulfield was active in the Squatter troubles that followed.

About 1851 he settled on a farm on the mound north of the American River, about half a mile above its mouth, and lived there until the flood of 1852, when he sold the place to Patrick Ban- non, and removed to a ranch sonth of the R street levee, out of which arose most of his subsequent troubles.

1152321

June 19, 1851, he had a disagreement with George Wilson, a justice of the peace and an associate judge of the Court of Sessions. Wil- son had made some offensive remark about an attorney, and on the day mentioned the attorney came into the court-room and demanded that Wilson retract, which the latter declined to do. The attorney struek at him and the next instant received a stab from the sword which Wilson drew from his cane. Caulfield entered the room at this juncture and with his revolver fired several shots at Wilson, without hitting him. Wilson then seized Caulfield around the neck, with his head in front of him, presented a large revol- ver at his head, and was on the point of sending a bullet through his brain when R. P. Jacobs, a policeman, rushed in and saved Caulfield's life.

At another time Caulfield had a difficulty with Thomas O. Shelby over land matters; and as he was coming out of the hall of Reed's building at Third and J streets, Shelby shot him several times, wounding him dangerously; half of the bullets were not extracted. On that occasion Caulfield was unarmed, and the assault

was unprovoked on his part. While he was lying at death's door a priest called to see him, saying, " I am told you have been a very bad man." "It's a dom lie, and you are no doctor; git out of here!"

Abont 1856, Caulfield had a difficulty with a man named Miller, about politics and some mules. Being in Miller's house, on the second floor, at night he attempted to strike Miller with a flat-iron during a quarrel, when Miller seized a heavy cane and broke it in pieces by repeated blows upon Caulfield's head. Caul- field was forced partly out of the window, when Mrs. Miller interfered, and Miller let go, and Caulfield fell to the ground. Miller sent word to the coroner that he had killed Caulfield. The sheriff and coroner went out with the dead-wagon for the remains, which, however, they found had recovered sufficiently to walk to the county hospital.

On another occasion, abont 1856, he was stabbed severely by Frank Nolan on Front street. So severely was he hurt this time that for several days he breathed through the knife holes in his back! During the encounter, Caulfield caught the blade of the knife and wrenched the instru- ment from Nolan's grasp, which of course cut his hand fearfully. August 15, 1878, Caulfield shot William G. English on a disputed lot south of R street, causing his death two days later. For this he was sent to State prison for six years.

Besides the foregoing, Caulfield was involved in many other ugly scrapes, nearly killing some one or being killed himself; but finally, on July 2, 1883, as the evening train from Folsom was approaching Fourth street, it struck him with a death blow. It seems that he did not notice the " familiar aların " of the whistle.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

CHAPTER VII.

R. JOHN F. MORSE, in his " History of Sacramento," published in 1853, makes this allusion to what was probably the first election held in Sacramento District: "In the fall of 1848 an election was held at the fort (Sutter's) for first and second alcaldes, and re- sulted in the selection of Frank Bates and John S. Fowler. Fowler resigned in the spring fol- lowing, and H. A. Schoolcraft was elected to fill the vacancy. In the spring of 1849, Bran- nan, Snyder, Slater, Hensley, King, Cheever, McCarver, McDougall, Barton Lee, Slater, Dr. Carpenter, Southard and Fowler were elected a Board of Commissioners to frame a code of laws for the district. Pursuant to the wish of this legislating committee, the people convened to- gether under a broad-spreading oak at the foot of I street. The report, which was then ofli- cially submitted and which was duly accepted by the sovereigns assembled, provided the following officers of a jurisdiction extending from the Coast Range to the Sierra Nevada, and through- out the length of the Sacramento Valley, to-wit: One alcalde and a sheriff. H. A. Schoolcraft was then elected alcalde and A. M. Turner, sheriff. This constituted the judiciary of North- ern California up to the time that those changes took place in very rapid succession after the immigration of 1849 began to concentrate at Sacramento."

In 1871 a history of Sacramento was pub- lished in Crocker's Directory, written by D. J. Thomas, and we make the following extract from it, which in part relates to the same event that Morse alluded to:

" The first attempt to establish a civil govern- ment under American ideas of government was made on April 30, 1849, when a mass meeting of the then residents of Sacramento City and other portions of Sacramento District was held at the Embarcadero to devise a means for the government of the city and district. At this meeting Henry A. Schoolcraft presided, Peter Slater was Vice-President and James King of William and E. J. Brooks, Secretaries. Samuel Brannan explained the object of the meeting, and it was resolved that a Legislature of eleven members should be elected, ' with full powers to enact laws for the government of the city and district.' It was also determined to hold the election forthwith, and Henry Bates, M. D., M. T. McClellan, Mark Stewart, Ed. H. Von Pfister and Eugene F. Gillespie were appointed judges. The vote resulted in the election of John McDongall, Peter Slater, Barton Lee, John S. Fowler, J. S. Robb, Wm. Pettit, Wm. M. Carpenter, M. D., Chas. G. Southard, M. M. McCarver, James King of William and Samnel Brannan, but upon the announcement of the re- sult Robb declined to accept, and Henry Cheever

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

was chosen to fill the vacancy. [Whether the list given by Morse or this one is correct we cannot decide.] The eleven were immediately sworn in, and some time afterward adopted a code that no laws were wanted and that all the officers necessary for 'the District of Sacra- mento, bounded on the north and west by the Sacramento River, on the east by the Sierra Nevadas, and on the south by the Cosumnes River, were one alcalde and one sheriff. They then submitted the code to the people for adop- tion or rejection, and asked them at the same time to vote for officers. The code was adopted.

" Nothing further toward forming a local gov- ernment was attempted until after the proclama- tion of General Riley (the military Governor) was issued at Monterey on June 3. In fact nothing seemed necessary, if theft was, by com- mon consent, punished, as the Times says, ' by giving the offender thirty or forty rawhide lashes, and then ordering him off, not to return under penalty of death.'"

General B. Riley, the military Governor of California, issued a proclamation for an election to be held August 1, 1849, to elect delegates to a general convention and for filling several nec- essary offices. On July 5, a meeting was held and a committee was appointed to organize the district into precincts, apportion the representa- tion, and nominate the candidates to be voted for. The committee consisted of P. B. Corn- wall, C. E. Pickett, Wm. M. Carpenter, Samuel Brannan, John McDougall, W. Blackburn, J. S. Robb, Samuel J. Hensley, Mark Stewart, M. M. McCarver, John S. Fowler and A. M. Winn. On the 14th the cominittee reported, recom- mending the places for polls, etc. At the elec- tion that followed the vote was as follows: For delegates to the Constitutional Convention: Jacob R. Snyder, 469; John A. Sutter, 468; John Bidwell, 462; W. E. Shannon, 458; L. W. Hastings, 450; W. S. Sherwood, 446; M. M. McCarver, 296; John S. Fowler, 299; Jolın McDougall, 281; Chas. E. Pickett, 193; W. Blackburn, 192; E. O. Crosby, 189; R. M. Jones, 179; W. Lacey, 123; James Queen, 130.

For local offices -- Win. Stout, Henry E. Robin- son, P. B. Cornwall, Eugene F. Gillespie, T. L. Chapman, Berryman Jennings, John P. Rodg- ers, A. M. Winn and M. T. McClellan were elected a City Council without opposition, and by an average vote of 424. Jas. S. Thomas was elected First Magistrate by 393 votes, against twenty-two for S. S. White, and five for J. S. Fowler. J. C. Zabriskie was elected Second Magistrate; H. A. Schoolcraft, Recorder; and D. B. Hanner, Sheriff.

Under the call for the Constitutional Conven- tion, the district was entitled to but four dele- gates, and J. R. Suyder, W. E. Shannon, W. S. Sherwood and J. A. Sutter were the representa- tives, but afterward the representation was in- creased to fifteen, and in addition to the original four, the following were appointed: L. W. Hast- ings, John Bidwell, John S. Fowler, M. M. Mc- Carver, John McDongall, E. O. Crosby, W. Blackburn, James Queen, R. M. Jones, W. Lacey and C. E. Pickett.

In October the convention adjourned, and an election was called for Tuesday, November 13, 1849, to vote on the constitution, for State offi- cers, and for representatives in the Legislature. At that election the vote of Sacramento District stood as follows: For the Constitution, 4,317; against it, 643. For Governor-P. H. Burnett, 2,409; J. A. Sutter, 856; Thomas McDowell, 87; W. S. Sherwood, 1,929; William M. Stew- art, 448. For State Senators-John Bidwell, 3,474; Thomas J. Green, 2,516; Elisha O. Crosby, 2,610; Henry E. Robinson, 2,328; Murray Morrison, 2,171; Hardin Biglow, 1,407; Gilbert A. Grant, 1,687; Charles E. Pickett, 905. The first four were elected.

The county was formally organized when the Legislature passed " an act subdividing the State into counties and establishing the seats of jus- tice therein," February 18, 1850, aud Section 17 of it defined the boundaries of Sacramento County as follows: " Beginning at a point ten miles due north of the mouth of the American River, and running thence in an easterly direc- tion to the junction of the north and south forks

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

of said river; thence up the middle of the prin cipal channel of the south fork to a point 'one mile above the head of Mormon Island, so as to include said island in Sacramento County; thence in a sontherly direction to a point on the Co- sumnes River eight miles above the house of William Daylor; thence dne sonth to Dry Creek; thence down the middle of said creek to its entrance into the Moquelumne River, or into a large slough in the tule marsh; thence down the middle of said slough to its junction with the San Joaquin River; thence down the mid- dle of said river to the month of the Sacra- mento River, at the head of Suisun Bay; thence up the middle of the Sacramento to the mouth of Merritt's Slough; thence np the middle of said slough to its head; thence up the middle of the Sacramento River to a point due west of the place of beginning, and thence east to the place of beginning. The seat of justice shall be at Sacramento City.

The first election law appointed the first Monday in October the day for holding the election for State officers, and denominated that the general election. The first Monday in April was designated as the day for the election of county officers and was called the county elec- tion. The Legislature of 1851 repealed the clause relating to the county election and pro- vided that it should be held the same time with the State election, and the time for holding the general election was changed from the first Monday in October to the first Wednesday in September, and it has since remained that way. The terms of the county officers commenced originally on the first Monday in May, 1850, but the Legislature of 1851 changed it so that the term commenced on the first Monday in Oc- tober following the election. In 1863 the Legislature changed the law again so that the official terms commenced on the first Monday in March following the election, and it remains so now.

These were the first county officers, and they were elected April 1, 1850, to serve from April, 1850, to April, 1852; County Judge, E. J.

Willis; Sheriff, Joseph MeKinney; Clerk, Pres- ley Dunlap; Recorder, L. A. Birdsall; District Attorney, William C. Wallace; County Attor- ney, John H. McKune; Treasurer, Win. Glas- kin; Assessor, David W. Thorpe; Surveyor, J. G. Cleal; Coroner, P. F. Ewer. J. S. Thomas was elected . District Judge by the Legislature of 1849-'50, and he resigned January 1, 1851. Tod Robinson, lately deceased, was appointed January 2, 1851, and served till the first part of August, when Ferris Forman, who was Sec- retary of State during the administration of John B. Weller, succeeded him on the 14th of Angust, 1851, and presided one month. On the 15th of September, 1851, Lewis Aldrich became District Judge. The sheriff, Joseph Mckinney, was killed near Brighton on the evening of August 15, 1850, the day after the Squatter riot, and at a special election held the first Monday in September, Ben Mccullough was elected to fill the vacancy. The Legislature of 1851 abolished the office of county attorney, and assigned the dnties of the office to the district attorney. In the meantime Wallace resigned, and Milton S. Latham, afterward Gov- ernor, succeeded to the office of district attor- ney, October 18, 1850. Wm. Glaskin resigned the office of treasurer August 22, 1850, and John W. Peyton was appointed to fill the va- caney. Peyton resigned November 29, 1850, and Charles H. Swift was appointed treasurer and collector by the Court of Sessions, of which he was a member, to fill the vacancy.

The court of criminal jurisdiction was termed the Court of Sessions, and it was composed of the county judge and two associates. These as- sociates were elected by a convention of justices of the peace, held the first Monday in October, in each year, except the first convention, which was held May 20, 1850, and then C. C. Sackett and Charles H. Swift were elected associates. This court filled vacancies in office in the county and attended to the financial affairs of the county in early times. When Swift was elected county treasurer, James Brown was elected associate in his stead, and assumed the duties of lis ofliee

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

February 7, 1851. Angust 14, following, D. D. Bullock succeeded Brown.

The following county officers were elected September 3, 1851, and served from October, 1851, to October 5, 1853: County Judge, E. J. Willis; Sheriff, A. D. Patterson; Clerk, L. B. Harris; Recorder and Auditor, W. S. Long; District Attorney, Geo. H. Cartter; Treasurer, Cyrus Rowe; Assessor, W. A. Selkirk; Sur- veyor, John G. Cleal; Coroner, S. J. May; Pub- lic Administrator, John Q. Brown; Associate Justices, George Wilson and James B. Gates.

The Legislature of 1852 provided for a Board of Supervisors in the different counties to trans- act the financial business. On the 14th of June, 1852, a special election was had, and John Noyes, Lonis Z. Hagen, James S. Meredith, James Martin and E. M. Pitcher were elected. Meredith was elected chairman when the board organized. The last meeting of the Court of Sessions was held July 6, 1852. At the general election, held September, 1852, these members were elected: William McNulty, Luther Curtis, John A. Watson, H. H. Lewis and H. B. Wad- dilove. Watson was elected chairman, and the board did the county business till May 16, 1853, after which time the Court of Sessions assumed control of the civil affairs of the county.

These county officers were elected September 7, 1853, and served from October of that year to October, 1855: County Judge, John Heard; Sheriff, D. N. Hunt; Clerk, Abner C. Hunter; Recorder and Auditor, John L. Craig; District Attorney, James H. Hardy; Treasurer, G. Gris- wold; Assessor, H. J. Bidleman; Surveyor, W. L. De Witt; Coroner, Ephriam Smith; Public Administrator, James B. Mitchel.

In 1855 the Legislature passed another act relative to Boards of Supervisors, and as the Su- preme Court had decided that the constitution contemplated that the business concerns of the different counties should be managed by the boards, the Court of Sessions could not act, and the counties again elected Boards of Snper- visors. The first election under the act of 1885 was held April 2, and the board theu

elected commenced its sessions early in May. J. L. Howard, L. P. Orinsby and F. S. Mnm- ford constituted the board, and Howard was the chairman. In September, 1855, L. R. Beckley, Josiah Johnson and S. R. Caldwell were elected the board, and Johnson was chosen chairman.

· On the 5th of September, 1855, the following county officers were elected, and they served from October, 1855, to October 1, 1857; County Judge, John Heard; Sheriff, W. S. White; Clerk, C. H. Bradford; Recorder and Auditor, John Q. Brown; District Attorney, Frank Hereford; Treas- urer, David Maddux; Assessor, J. F. Turner; Surveyor, E. A. Sherman; Coroner, R. Bell; Public Administrator, Gordon Backus; Super- intendent of Common Schools, F. W. Hatch. Hatch was the first school superintendent elected by the people. Previous to the time he went into office the county assessor performed the duties of that office. The Board of Supervisors of 1856 was composed of L. R. Beckley, A Spinks and Julius Wetzler, and Beckley was chairman. In 1857 the members were Jared Irwin, C. C. Harrington and Frank Hastings, and the latter was chairman.

The following county officers were elected September 2, 1857, and served from October 5, 1857, to October 5, 1859: County Judge, R. Robinson; Sheriff, W. S. Manlove; Clerk, J. B. Dayton ; Recorder and Auditor, Jerome Madden; District Attorney, Robert F. Morrison; Treas- nrer, Morgan Miller; Assessor, E. Black Ryan; Surveyor, John G. Cleal; Coroner, J. P. Counts; Public Administrator, L. R. Beckley; School Superintendent, N. Slater. The Legislature of 1858 consolidated the government of the city and county and increased the Board of Supervisors five members, making the president of the board a separate office. In April a special election was held, when H. L. Nichols was elected Presi- dent, and Mark Hopkins, J. A. Carroll, S. C. Fogus, E. Stockton and W. K. Lindsey the new members. These, with the old members, met May 8, 1858. In September, 1858, at the general election, a board was elected consisting of the

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

following: E. Granger, John Leavitt, Sylvester Marshall, H. T. Holmes, I. N. Babcock, John B. Taylor, L. C. Goodman and W. K. Lindsey. The president was continned another year. Au- gust 4, 1859, B. II. Hereford was elected a mem- ber in place of Lindsey, resigned. These were the members of 1859: President, Wm. Shat- tuek; members, E. Granger, John Leavitt, R. L. Robertson, A. IIenley, I. N. Babcock, A. M. Green, L. C. Goodman and Larkin Lamb. S. Marshall served until October 11, when he was succeeded by Mr. Robertson. Thomas Letson was the Clerk, he being the first elected under the consolidation act. On the 12th of October, 1859, Thomas Hunt was elected a member, in place of Goodman, resigned.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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