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 68

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 68

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

eleven feet deep in his vicinity, so damaged everything that he had to quit the business of keeping boarders. During the high water the family songhit refuge in the upper story, and were rescued from the windows by boats. The preceding fall Mr. Rich had purchased a lot on J street, between Sixth and Seventh, from Sam- uel Brannan, which is now in the possession of George T. In the spring of 1850, while lum- ber was selling at very high prices, he cut down some sycamore trees and made the fraine for a house ou his lot, and covered it with canvas. Here he began again to keep boarders, being patroniz d by ininers and by many in town tak- ing their meals there. Bunks were arranged for sleeping purposes. This establishment was called the Miners' Home. The business of the city was then carried on mainly on Front street, and on J and K up to Third, while this board- ing-house was amid the brush and trees, with only a honse here and there fu the neighborhood. The first steamer that came up from San Fran- cisco was the MeKim, with a band of music on board, playing all the way. Business was lively and crowds of people congregated in Sacra- mento from every point. The miners paid all their bills in gold dust, and at one time Mr. Rich had thousands of dollars scattered about in the honse. One of the principal amusements on Sunday was racing up and down J street in front of the hotel. All kinds of plugs and old horses, etc., were put upon this track; and this might be called the first race-track in Saera- mento County. Along the American River, and especially along the Sutter Lake or "slough," wild fruit and berries grew in great abundance, which were gathered aud sold to the baker by the quart. Mr. George T. Rich made several hundred dollars in this way, with which money he bought a fine piano. This instrument is still in his possession. During 1851 business rapidly increased, and buildings were numer- ously erected. Business houses then extended np to Fourth street on both J and K streets. During this year Mr. Rich, father of George T., abandoned the hotel business and opened a

wholesale store at the same place, under the firm name of Rich & Tilley. Up to that time the family residence was in the upper story of this building; but now Mr. Rich bought a lot on L street, between Sixth and Seventh, and erected a dwelling-house npon it, where they resided some time. That property is still in George's possession. The fire of 1852 destroyed eleven blocks of the business part of the city, inclnd- ing the front part of Mr. Rich's store, as it was built of wood. The rear portion was built of brick. Afterward the front part was rebuilt with brick, two stories high, and this property, too, is still in the possession of George T. It is now occupied by the Miss Brothers' millinery store. The firm of Rich & Tilley continued up to 1855, and Mr. Rich then entered a quarter- section of land from the Government at $1.25 an acre, on the upper Stockton road, about six miles from Sacramento, and settled upon it. This was then nearly all a naked plain, and ap- peared to most people to be worth nothing. That little hill between the ranch and the city was in early days known as Prospect Hill. The soldiers from Sntter's Fort would ride out to that point to obtain a commanding view of the country, watching for troops from Mexico. This conntry, too, was the natural home of a large variety of wild animals,-coyotes, bears, wolves, deers, etc., in great abundance. This place now is a well-improved farm, devoted .to hay, grain and fruit. The owner has just planted two aeres with table grapes. Seven or eight acres are in different varieties of fruit trees, mostly French prunes and peaches. Also there are two acres of strawberries and three acres in blackberries, bearing; ornamental trees, some of thein twenty years old, grace the prein- ises. Among them are oranges and lemons, bearing, and arbor-vitæ and mountain pine. Samuel Rich made this his home from 1855 to the time of his death, December 6, 1868. His widow is still residing here, eighty-five years of age. Her maiden name was Rosina De Motte, and on her father's side she is of French de- scent. Iler father, Jolmn De Motte, was a sol -

Lysander ell Lincoln

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

dier in the Revolutionary War. She was born at Hempstead, Long Island, in 1804. George Thomas Rich, whose name heads this history, the only son of Samnel Rich, was born in Mil- ford, Pike County, Pennsylvania, on the Dela- ware, February 17, 1838. His parents moved to Wisconsin and thence to California, this last removal being made when he was abont ten years of age. He remained with his father till the time of his death, and took possession of the country property while the city property was re- tained in his mother's name. He was united in marriage, December 23, 1861, in Santa Clara, California, with Miss Maria Louisa, daughter of Morgan Fine, an old '49er, who settled in that county with his family. Mrs. Rich is a native of Lafayette County, Missouri, and was born April 13, 1844. Until she came to California she lived with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Rich have five children, viz .: Nellie F., born May 31, 1864; Carrie Rosina, November 6, 1866; Luln, June 18, 1869; Edgar George, October 14, 1873; Edna May, November 18, 1878. Two of these are deceased: Nellie F. died February 8, 1882, and Edgar George, April 9, 1876. Carrie Rosina is the wife of Joseph Ilolines, and they have an infant daughter who has two great-grandmothers still living. Thus there are four generations residing at one time in the same house. Mr. Rich has taken considerable interest in political matters. His first Presi- dential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas, in 1860; since then he has generally voted the Re- publican ticket, but is discriminating in liis choice of candidates. He has been an active worker and a member of a number of county conventions. One year he was justice of the peace of Sutter Township. He is a member of the Pioneer Society of this county, and of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Pacific School, Sacramento district. Has been superintendent of the Sunday-school, and in many ways he has been efficient in measures for the public welfare. He has been successful in business, contributing largely to the agricultural and horticultural in- terests of his locality. For a year he was editor

of the Sacramento Valley Agriculturist, and was also special correspondent of the Rural Press and California Patron for Sacramento County for a number of years. Six years he was a member of the board of directors of the G. B. C. A., during which time he was secre- tary. In 1881 he was appointed by the State Master of the order of Patrons of Husbandry, to the office of Lecturer for the Grangers in this county, which position he filled two years. At one time he was also Master of a Sacramento grange, and filled different chairs in that society at various times. Postoffice address, 1008 K street, Sacramento.

YSANDER MAKEPEACE LINCOLN, one of the most prominent pioneers of Sacramento County, was born in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, January 13, 1824, a son of Benjamin Lincoln. There were Benjamin Lincolns for five generations born in the same house where L. M. was born. His mother, nee Sophia Makepeace, was born in Norton, Massachusetts, December 17, 1795, and died in June, 1853. His father was a cotton manufacturer, and built and ran a factory in Wareham, Massachusetts, where the family moved in 1824. After following that business a number of years, the hard times of 1837 came on. He died in that place December 25, 1841; he was born December 11, 1789. He had seven sons and two daughters, of whom six are now living. One is Mrs. Sarah W. Edwards, an old resident of this county, and the widow of Thomas Edwards, an old Californian, who came here in 1850, and brought his family in 1852. He died June 7, 1877, in his sixty-third year. James L., the eldest son, is an old sea captain, who has recently come to California. Mr. Lin- coln, whose name heads this sketeli, went to sea when he was fifteen years old, in a whaling vessel, and followed ocean life for nine years, making voyages to the principal ports of the world. Leaving New Bedford in the latter

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

part of 1839, he went to Cape Verde Islands, spent a season in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, and then went to the Sunda Islands, where he witnessed a curious sight, namely, the suttee, which consists in burning the body of a living widow with the corpse of her deceased husband! Then he went to Cocos Islands; next passed a season again in the Southern Indian Ocean, and thence came home by way of Madagascar, the Cape of Good Hope, the Island of St. Helena, etc. Afterward he visited the Azores, or Western Islands, and various other places along the western coast of Africa, South America and the West Indies, Gulf of Mexico, etc. For his fourth voyage he started in December, 1845, and came around Cape Horn, and passed three seasons on the npper northwest coast and on the Japan Sea. In the meantime he, with the crew of his vessel, saved the crews of two other wrecked ships, one French and one German, and never received any reward. On arriving at the Sandwich Islands, they found the people frantic in coming on board to buy every article of merchandise they had, even paying exorbitant prices for them. On inquiry as to the cause, it was found that they had received news of the gold dis- covery in California, and they were preparing to come hither as soon as possible to supply the market in the mining camps. Here Mr. Lin- coln left his ship, which was homeward bound, drew his $200 and took the schooner Honolulu for San Francisco, arriving in October, 1848. With a party of five others, mates and second mates, they rushed on to the mines at Placer- ville, where they spent the ensuing winter. While there, Mr. Lincoln saw three robbers hung, by lynch law, the execution giving the name of Hangtown to the place; it has long been called Placerville. In the spring he sent to his old home in Massachusetts the first Cali- fornia gold ever sent to that neighborhood, and it created great excitement. He wrote to the people there that if they could prove that that specimen was not gold, then California was a humbng. IIc mined at points between Placer-

ville and the several forks of the American River until July, 1852. At this time Thomas Edwards and fainily arrived, and Mr. Lincoln came down to the valley and engaged with Mr. Edwards in a dairy. They first leased Mr. Brock- way's ranch for a year and then bought a set- tler's elaim for the Edwards property on the Freeport road, a mile and a quarter below the city limits. In two or three years Mr. Lincoln sold his interest to Mr. Edwards and became one of about thirty to buy settlers' titles to land in the Sutter grant, his being near Sutterville. Twenty-one years elapsed before the lawsuits over these matters were finally settled, and Mr. Lincoln came out with about 150 aeres of land. Since that time he has sold off a portion of this tract, leaving him about ninety acres of the best land in the valley. As a Republican and public- spirited citizen, Mr. Lincoln has taken active part in various county, congressional and State conventions. For twelve or fifteen years he has been justice of the peace and school trustee for Sutter Township. He is a life member of the Sacramento Society of California Pioneers, hav- ing two shares of stock in their property and franchises. Mrs. Edwards has four children living,-three sons: Eustes R. went to Massa- chusetts and learned the trade of machinist and now is engaged in farming and fruit-raising; Benjamin Lincoln, on home farm; George, a graduate of the State University, and now em- ployed by the Bancroft Publishing Company ; Sophia E., now Mrs. Gay, at home. Mr. Gay is in the freight office of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The home place consists of 279 acres, and there is also a farm of 105 acres on the river.

M. REESE, contractor and builder, Sac- ramento, was born in Dansville, New York, June 14, 1826, the third of a family of five children, four of whom were sons. Ilis father, John Reese, was a native of Penn- sylvania, and was reared in his native State.

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

After reaching manhood he enlisted and served in the War of 1812. After his return he emi- grated to New York State. The subject of this sketch received a common-school education, and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner with his two older brothers, and afterward worked at his trade in Rochester, New York, and also in the city of Buffalo. On the 24th of February, 1852, he went to New York and embarked for California, on the ship Georgia, which was dis- abled and put back. He was transferred to the Ohio at Havana, and finally arrived at San Francisco on the 1st of April, 1852. He went to Stockton, and from there on foot to the southern mines, and returned to Sacramento in the same manner, and went to work at his trade for George Wallace, the builder. In 1860 he went to Virginia City, Nevada, and was there during the Indian war, in which General Mere- dith and Major Ormsby were killed. In June, 1864, Mr. Reese was married to Miss Carrie E. Trimble, daughter of John Trimble, of New York, and they have one son living, Charles E. Reese, engaged in mercantile business on J street, in this city. Mr. Reese returned to Sac- ramento in 1868 and engaged in contracting, and since then for the past twenty years has been prominently identified with building in- terests in this section of the State. He has erected a large share of the finest buildings in the Capital City. Ile is a member of Capital Lodge, No. 87, I. O. O. F., also a member of Occidental Encampment, and a member of Patri- archs Militant, and served as District Deputy Grand Patriarch. For the past fourteen years he las resided at his present comfortable, at- tractive home on H street.

AMES RUTTER was born in August, 1827, in Cornwall, England, his parents being James and Elizabeth (Barrett) Rutter. He was educated and learned his trade (at which he worked two years) in his native town, IIayle Copperhouse. In this town the engine used to

pump the water out of Harlem Lake, in IIol- land, was built. He came to America in 1849 and settled in New York, where he worked at his trade for a year as journeyman; then left New York for the West, going up the Missis- sippi River to Churchville, then down the river to Quincy, Illinois. He stayed there until 1851, working at his trade. In January of that year he started for Galena, Illinois, leaving his tools at Quincy, as there was no mode of conveyance till the navigation opened up in the spring. He traveled parallel with the Mississippi till he struck Rock Island, then took the stage. He found Galena very dull but managed to make a living at his trade until spring; and when spring arrived commenced working regularly. In the fall of 1851 he married Tomsine Penberthy, a native of Cornwall, England, located about six or seven miles from where he was born. In April, 1852, he and his wite came across the plains by means of ox teams with a train of twenty wagons and sixty persons. They reached the Sink of the Humboldt without having en- countered many thrilling events. From there they started to cross the desert at about nine o'clock in the morning; had dinner at one o'clock at a place where the ground was literally covered with the accumulations of the iron works from the wagons that had been burned there to cook food. After resting about an hour they continued their journey to Carson Valley. The last ten miles of the journey was the hard- est on account of the sandy roads. They noted that the sand was springy, which was caused by the accumulation of the carcasses of animals that had died there and over which the sand had drifted; they traveled over these bodies for a distance of ten miles! About the 5th of Au- gust they reached Diamond Spring and stop- ped there. Mr. Rutter worked at his trade at Hangtown for awhile, but soon went to Sacra- mento city, where he worked at his trade in the Overton Block on Third and J streets. During the fire of 1852 his tools were destroyed and he also lost his wages; after that he was occupied in helping to rebuild the city, at $10 a day.

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

Jannary 1, 1858, he moved upon his present ranch at Florin. He first pre-empted it and afterward located it under the laws of the State. The place is beautifully situated about eight iniles from Sacramento, and is the dividing line between Brighton and San Joaquin townships. The ranch is what is called plains land; the formation is of a bed rock three feet from sur- face, commonly called " hard pan," and the water is eight feet from the surface and of first quality. The soil will grow anything that can be raised in California. The land was unim- proved, and there was Spanish cattle running on it when he first went there to live. The first year he planted 600 peach-trees, which grew up nicely, but the grasshoppers came and destroyed all but 158 of them; he renewed thein and gut a fine growth. In 1864, on account of the drought, he had to improvise some method of watering them; he did so and obtained a fine growth; this was the commencement of irriga- tion. There was very little fruit in the market that year, and he could command almost any price for his; one-half the proceeds from the first crop paid off the mortgage on his farm. The first year he also planted a small vineyard, principally fine Muscats; they fetched from 25 to 50 cents per pound for the first lots. He kept increasing his vineyard yearly. He sent the first grapes on the railroad, when it was completed to Chicago, and realized a large figure at that market. His vineyard now consists of 100 acres in bearing. He has been shipping to Martin & Co., of Denver, for the past seven years. He produces a great many wine grapes which are consumed here. In 1872 he was awarded the diploma at the American Institute at New York city for the display of Muscats, Alexandria and Flaming Tokay. In 1873 he was awarded the silver medal by the American Pomological Society in Boston for the best collection of grapes grown west of the Rocky Mountains. In 1874 he sent a fine collection to Nebraska and was awarded the medal by the Horticultural Society of that State. Some of the clusters of fruit were selected and sent to other fairs. For

the last twelve years he has held a regular ex- hibition at the California State Fair, and has re ceived hundreds of dollars in premiums. At the California Fair held in 1879 he was awarded the golden prize by the California State Agri- cultural Association for wine grapes, table grapes and raisins. He is a member of the California Fruit Union and the Dried Fruit Association (a new society started last fall). Mr. Rutter has one daughter, Agnes, wife of L. M. Landsborough, resident in Sacramento.

-- ILLIAM H. ROBINSON, farmer and fruit-raiser, Brighton Township, was born in Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio, April 6, 1832. His father, Israel An- thony Robinson, was of English descent, and his mother, nee Delia Lake, of Dutch, and proba- bly boru in New York, and they, with one or two other families, were among the very first settlers in the neighborhood of Conneant. They reared nine children, all born in the same log honse, six sons and three daughters, to the years of maturity. Their father died there about 1836, and their mother in 1840 emigrated to Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, where she passed the remainder of her days, leaving the scenes of earth in 1873. Their children were: Henry, who died in 1869 in Sacramento; Robert, who resides in San Francisco; Henrietta, who resides in this county; Charles, died in Placerville in 1850, and Sally died in this county about 1876; Will- iam H., whose name heads this sketch; Frank, who died in the interior of Oregon while on a mining expedition. The boyhood days of Mr. William H. Robinson, our subject, were spent at home in Ohio and Illinois till he was abont fourteen years of age, when he went to the lead inines in Wisconsin and spent two years with a surveying party in Minnesota, when the settlers were few. He was kept on the frontier so steadily in his younger days that he never saw even a railroad until 1853, when he took his first ride from Madison, Wisconsin, to New

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

York city, on the way to California. On arriv- ing at New York he took passage on the steamer Ohio to Panamna, and came thence on the steamer John L. Stephens. Leaving New York some time in December, he landed in San Francisco in January, 1854. First he prospected about Ilangtown a year. The next spring he went upon the police force at Sacramento, which posi- tion he retained a year. March 12, 1857, he located upon his present place at Florin. The land was perfectly barren, and he raised his first two crops without a fence, and herded the stock off the place night and day. He has made this farm his home ever since, with the exception of two years when he was deputy sheriff under E. F. White, 1869-'71. His farm contains 100 acres, devoted to fruit and grain. Has thirty- five acres in trees and vines, mostly the latter, and the remainder in grain. In the first place he set out 100 orange trees eleven years ago, but the frost has killed them all out except six, four of which are in bearing. Politically Mr. Robinson, as well as his father, was a Whig, and has been a Republican ever since that party was organized. He has been a delegate to every Republican county convention except one since 1871. Ile was married January 24, 1860, to Lydia E. Smith, daughter of Thomas M. Smith. She came with her parents to California, arriving December 1, 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have one son, Frank T., born April 8, 1866.

OHN B. STUDARUS, orchardist, etc., Brighton Township, was born in St. Gall, Switzerland, December 10, 1824, brought up on a farm, and when seventeen years old learned the trade of baker, following it five years in one locality. In 1847 he sailed from Havre to the United States in a sailing vessel, landing at New York after a voyage of forty- two days. With him came an old schoolmate named Nokear Stahele, who remained with him two years before separating. It was Mr. Stud- arus' intention to go to Cincinnati; but on reach-

ing Pittsburg he found the Ohio River so low that it was impossible to go down on the boat. He remained at Alleghany City, adjoining Pitts- burg, until 1850, engaged in gardening, etc., for other parties, and then with his friend rented a dairy farm. He drove a milk wagon for his friend until his brother arrived from Switzer- land; then he worked for another dairyman until the fall of 1848, when he went down the Mis- sissippi to New Orleans; was there about three weeks without finding any work that suited him; and he left there, the Asiatic cholera breaking out in the city at the same time. Going to Cin- cinnati, he found" employment. For the first three weeks he was engaged on the packet steamer running between Cincinnati and Madison, Indi- ana, in 1849. Became sick and lay up at a boarding house in Cincinnati for a few days. Being also out of money, he was obliged to ac- cept the first offer of work that was made, and he drove a milk wagon in that city seven months, during the time the cholera was raging. Over 5,500 people died there in three months. In August he went to Pittsburg, sick. His old comrade took him to his house until he recov- ered; and while there he met a young lady whom he had known in Europe, Mary Reach by name, and inarried her, in Alleghany City, rented a couple of rooms and worked at whatever he could find to do until he heard of a family near Wellsville, West Virginia, named Arbuckle, who wanted a farmer to take charge, preferably a German. He and his wife went there and worked for wages six months, and then took part of the place on shares. Remained there until March, 1853, when with two children they came overland to California. They were delayed two weeks at Weston, Missonri, twenty-eight miles below St. Joseph, by sickness of children. They arrived at Diamond Spring, El Dorado County, about the first of September; and a few miles from there, at a place called Logtown, Mr. Studarus commenced mining, being there somewhat over a year; then he came down into the Sacramento Valley, near where Brighton now is, and rented a farm on the American

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

River for six years. He then, in 1857, bought the squatters' title to the place where lie now lives, a part of the old Folsom grant. The place comprises 338 acres, all in one body, most of it being river bottom. For several years his principal crop was barley ; afterward broom-corr., Indian corn and melons. After the Central Pacific Railroad was completed the demand for fruit increased, and he commenced setting out trees and vines, until he now has 120 acres cov- ered, nearly all in bearing condition. Mr. Stud- arus is one of the charter members, and at present a director, of the Sacramento Cannery, which was established in the summer of 1888, and he is also a charter member of the American River Grange. In his political sympathies he was a Republican during the war, but recently he has been Democratic. His wife died in Oc- tober, 1872, the mother of fourteen children, of whom nine are now living, three sons and six daughters. The following year he married Bar- bara Bollenbacher, who died December 10, 1884, the mother of three children: a son, Joseph and a daughter, are twins,

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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