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 69

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 69

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).

JON. JOSEPH STEFFENS .- California is a wonderful land; its inhabitants have become renowned the world over for a spirit of energy, enterprise, pluck and perse- verance, that has never been seen elsewhere; it is a land of gigantic undertakings, and grand achievements, even in this country of great at- tainments, its success is unparralleled. Here, as elsewhere, the moral is true, that a steady and persistent following of right courses, diligent attendance to business, and the adoption of cor- rect methods, is the truest source of successful advancement. It is a pleasure to write the his- tory of the lives of Californians; there is always variety, instruction and interest; yet never in the recollection of the writer has he undertaken a sketch more full of all that is valuable for the purpose of either private reading, or of public study, than the lite of the Hon. Josepli Steffens.

No man in this part of California occupies a position of more prominence as a public-spirited and far-seeing citizen than he. In his office of President of the Board of Trade of this city, he has accomplished a great work for the develop- ment, not only of Sacramento, but also of Cen- tral and Northern California. It is impossible to do full justice to this subject, yet facts and particulars can be given, which will enable one to form as close an acquaintance as can be had, without a personal meeting. He was born Janu- ary 15, 1837, in the township of York, Upper Canada. In 1840 the family removed to Car- roll County, Illinois, where they resided for many years. As with so many others of our prominent men, the early life of Mr. Steffens was passed upon a farm, the summer being spent in work, and the winters at school; and it was there that he laid the foundation from which he has reached his present height. Not being of a very robust nature, his parents feared that he could not endure the severe labor of regular farm employment: accordingly, when nineteen years of age, he entered the Rock Island Semi- nary, where he took an academic course; later he entered " Bell's Coininercial College," Chi- cago, as a student of mercantile branches; upon completing a course, he taught school for several terms; but, being anxious to devote himself to commercial life, he became a clerk for G. M. Clayton, dealer in paints and oils, at Freeport, Illinois, in 1859. He remained with this firm three years; and there perfected himself in the line of trade in which he has been constantly engaged ever since. Desiring to test for him- self the truth of the stories current in the Mid- dle States, and to take advantage of the oppor- tunities afforded an ambitious young man in this glorious State, he decided to come hither. In the summer of 1862 he crossed the plains with Levi Carter of Stockton, passing through Sacramento on his way, and arrived at San Fran- cisco, September 9, of that year, He found employment almost immediately with Fuller & Heather, dealers in paints and oils, as book- keeper, the salary being but $50 a month. His

447

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

abilities in this line of trade, his knowledge of the business, and his active attention to the in- terests of his employers, won their confidence, and he was soon promoted to better positions. He remained with this house until its consoli- dation with that of Cameron, Whittier & Co., under the name of Whittier, Fuller & Co., now so well known in the paint and oil trade; it be- ing the leading firm on this coast. Fuller & Heather had had two houses, one in San Fran- cisco and the other in Sacramento. Upon the consolidation, the stores of the two firms were merged into one, located on the corner of Fourth and Pine streets, where Mr. Steffens continned for a year; at the end of this time, in 1869, he was sent to Sacramento, to take charge of the busi- ness here. He continned to act as manager of the Sacramento house until 1874, at which date he was admitted a member of the firm; and has since that time been a resident partner, controll- ing the financial affairs of the house in this part of the State. He is director of the California State Bank. Snch in brief, is a record of the life of the Hon. Joseph Steffens; but togive a fair un- derstanding of the important part performed by him, in the history of this section, would be to almost write the history of this period; so ac- tive a part has he taken in all public matters. He has been President of the Board of Trade since December, 1882, and is the most active and responsible member of that valuable board; the annual reviews issued by the Board of Trade are documents of great value. We shall not, however, in this place, refer to this subject at greater length, as in another portion of this vol- ume the matter is treated fully, with the as- sistance of both president and secretary of the board Mr. Steffens is also an active member of the Sacramento Improvement Association, and is President of the California Museum As- sociation, and takes a mnost lively interest in it. He is distinctively a business man, but interests himself intelligently, in local and national poli- tics, as they effect the well-being of the nation, and the community in which he resides, and where he has so much at stake; he is not a poli-

tician, however, although frequently importuned to enter political life. In 1884 he was induced to permit his name to be used in the city elec- tion as a candidate for mayor on the Republican ticket. So close was the election that after one week's canvass, out of 4,000 votes polled, he lacked but thirty-one of being elected,-a high tribute to the esteem and popularity of a busi- ness man, whose hold on the hearts of his fel- low-citizens had been gained by a life of intel- ligent devotion to their common welfare. Mr. Steffens is a gentleman of quiet and pleasant manners, captivating address, and of social and cultured tastes; he is an eloquent and effective speaker, and a graceful writer. His speeches are full of matter worthy of preservation; being sonud, thoughtful, and argumentative; grace- fully and clearly expressed, and interspersed with wit and happy humor; noteworthy among them, may be mentioned the address at the opening of the Exposition of the Citrus Fair at Ashland, on the completion of the California and Oregon Railway, where he appeared as a representative of this city; at Placerville, where he likewise represented Sacramento, on the coin- pletion of the railroad to that point, and his letters and address at the time of the Margaret E. Crocker flower festival. These are not only interesting and valuable for their referrence to important events and persons connected with the history of Sacramento, but they reflect the highest credit upon their author, for ability, culture and taste. The letters written by Mr. Steffens to the Record- Union, during the course of a journey made through the East in 1881, in company with,Mr. Albert Gallatin, during which they traveled some 12,000 miles, are of peculiar interest, and contain thoughts and suggestions of great value; and a noteworthy feature about them is the correctness of the forecast, and pre- dictions as to what the future would bring forth in this happy land. Mr. Steffens is the owner of much property in this city, his palatial resi- dence at No. 1224 H street, being one of the most notable structures in the city, and is pointed out to strangers with pride by our citi-

448

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

zens. Mr. Steffens was married January 15, 1865, in San Francisco, to Miss E. Louise Symes, of Hoboken, New Jersey; they have four chil- dren, whose names are Joseph Lincoln, Lulu, Laura and Lottie.

LEXANDER STEVENSON was born in November, 1831, in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York, his parents being Alexander and Letitia (Wallace) Steven- son. His grandparents on both his father's and mother's side came originally from Scotland. Those on the paternal side emigrated to the United States prior to the Revolutionary war, and located in Virginia. Some time after, while they were making a tour through Ireland, Alexander, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born. The grandfather was a soldier in the war, and his wife was a nurse and helped to care for the wounded soldiers. His mother's grandfather Wallace came to the United States, remained awhile, then returned to Scotland, where he died. Two of his sons located in Maryland, where the mother of our subject was born. Alexander Stevenson, Sr., with his wife and family moved in 1839 or 1840 from Dutchess County, New York, to Michi- gan, locating in Oakland County. Mr. Steven- son died there Angust 15, 1848. By trade he was a miller, which business he followed till he went to Michigan, after which he engaged in farming. Mrs. Stevenson died February, 1849, after the death of her husband. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters. Alexander is the only member of the family who came to California. He was quite a child when taken to Michigan, where he attended school for a short time, but most of his educa- tion was obtained by practical experience. After the death of his parents he ran the home farm and cared for the younger members of the family. Finally, being somewhat ran down in health, he determined to seek a change of climate and of scenery; accordingly, on the

25th of March, 1852, he set out for California. The members of the party with which he went were all strangers to him, with the exception of one person; but, notwithstanding that, they all became the best of friends and made the whole of the journey together,-cooked their meals together and slept together. He had not a quarrel or difference among them. They trav- eled through the States, and on the 5th of May crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, and went into camp two miles out. They trav- eled from Fort Laramie to Green River; at this place they were overcharged by the man who ferried them across. A trial was given him at Salt Lake City, which resulted in their getting back the money paid for ferrying. They stayed at Salt Lake fourteen days; left there July 10. On reaching the borders of the desert they en- camped for the night, and the next evening at 4 o'clock started across, arriving in Carson Val- ley next morning. They struck Carson River, reached Hangtown on the 25th of September, all healthy, hearty, and feeling fine. They had no trouble whatever on the journey. Once they came near having trouble with the Pawnee In. dians, but by taking the advice of Mr. Steven- son to treat them kindly, got through the difficulty all right. On the evening of the day of their arrival, they bought picks, pans, rock- ers, and everything necessary to commence mining the next morning, the whole seven of them being in partnership. They worked fifteen days, and at the end of that time had an auction, took the gold dust to Hangtown and sold it. then divided the proceeds ($16,000) among them. Then they separated, each going his own way. Mr. Stevenson sold his wagon and team of four horses, and continued mining until November 5, when he was taken sick and had to go to Sacramento. He was there during the fire of 1852, and remained there until 1853, when he went back to mining. In March he came to this valley and located on a place a little south of where lie now lives. From that time he has been engaged in farming, inter- spersed with mining at odd times. In 1860 he

449

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

bought his present place of 330 acres, situated in San Joaquin Township, nine miles from Sacramento, on the upper Stockton road. He has been a land-owner since March, 1853. He has been operating in the mines to a consider - able extent up to within the past three years. As long as he was mining in Placerville he inade money. In Virginia City, Nevada, he was operating in both mining and milling, , and elaimis with good success. In Arizona, however, he met with reverses, having put in about $20,000 from time to time. He has some mining interests there now, but according to Mr. Stevenson's own views there is not a very flattering prospect. In 1859 he was married to Miss Louisa Foulks, a native of Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio. They have two chil- dren: Josephine F., born December 11, 1862, and Alfred, born January 26, 1863. Politically Mr. Stevenson has never taken an active part, but is Democratic in his views.

OHN B. TAYLOR, farmer, Brighton Town - ship. Benjamin Taylor, the father of John B., of English descent, married Margaret Brown, of German ancestry; bothi, however, were natives of Baltimore County, Maryland. In 1844, with five children, they moved to Ohio, settling in Seneca County, of which Tiffin is the county seat. There Mr. Taylor followed farming until his death in 1865. Several years afterward his widow moved to Mexico, Andrain County, Missouri, where she lived with a mar- ried daughter until her death in 1873. She was born in 1796, and her husband in 1792. The children are: Edward, in Sun City, Barber County, Kansas; John B., the subject of this sketel; Benjamin Franklin, in Brown County, Nebraska; Mrs. Margaret A. S. Farah, in Aud- rain County, Missouri, and David W., in this county. Mr. J. B. Taylor was born August 30, 1826, in Baltimore County, Maryland, and was eighteen years old when he removed to Ohio. He worked at the carpenter's trade until he 29

joined a party of fifteen young men at Tiffin, some of them married, for coming overland with mule teams to California. They went to Cincinnati by rail, thence to Independence, Missouri, by river, where they bought their out- fit of teams, wagons and provisions, making a good preparation for a long and tedious journey through plain, mountain and desert. Leaving Independence May 2, 1849, they crossed the backbone of the continent at South Pass, and went into camp at Fort Hall, in what is now Idaho, 600 miles from Sacramento, being in doubt whether there was any gold in California; and while there a party of Morinons came along on horseback from California, on their way to Salt Lake, who exhibited their bags of gold dust which they had picked up in California. The next fears of the party were that the gold would be all gone before they got here! They took a vote whether they should abandon their wagons and proceed on pack mules, one German per- sisting in favor of keeping the wagons. On their mules they came, making about forty miles a day, and arrived in Sacramento August 15. This city then consisted of but one frame building and a large number of tents and cloth houses. The party then divided into small companies and went to the mines. One com- pany of ten, including Mr. Taylor, went to Beale's Bar, on the north fork of the American River, engaged in mining awhile, and then went to Kelsey's, El Dorado County, and win- tered there. In the spring of 1850 Mr. Taylor went to Ynba, in Nevada County, and took some mining claims; but being sick he was not able to attend to them, and in about two months he sold them and came to Sacramento, with the intention of returning East. Here he met John N. Goetschins, a merchant from Cold Springs, El Dorado County, who wanted him for a partner; and he accepted the offer, re- maining with him until the fall of 1852; then selling out his interest there, he returned to Tiffin, Ohio. The next February he went to Missouri and bought a herd of horses and cattle, returned to Tiffin and married Miss A.

450

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

E. Goetschius, March 17, 1853. Shortly after- ward, with his wife, he took the train for Cin- einnati, a steamer np to St. Joseph, Missouri, completed his outfit with the cattle and horses he had purchased, and May 3 started again across the plains and mountains for the far dis- tant West, arriving in Placerville in 120 days, and settling on the place where he now is,- on the Coloma road and bordering on the American River, fourteen miles from Sacra- mento, September 20, 1853. There he con- dueted a hotel until 1858, and since then has followed agriculture. In 1857-'58 he engaged also in mining on his own place, on the border of the river, and found it a paying business. During that time he also was a member of the County Board of Supervisors. His farm is 488 acres in extent; ten acres are in vineyard, and twenty in larger fruit of various kinds. The soil is a sandy loam, rich and productive, and the place is well clothed with fine build- ings, etc., all of which are the product of Mr. Taylor's industry. Ile is a member of a Pio- neer Society, and of the Masonic fraternity. He has three daughters: Alice Amelia, wife of M. L. Wise, of Sacramento; Anna Florence, wife of Charles Studarus, and Margaret Isabelle, re- siding at home. Postoffice, Routier.

A. WHITE, M. D., County Physician, was born in Howard County, Missouri, December 20, 1848; came to California in 1864; attended school in Sacramento, and here also studied medicine in the office of Dr. G. L. Simmons, in this city, and continued his studies in the office of Dr. H. L. Nichols; graduated at the Long Island Medical College in the class of 1869, and at the Jefferson Medi- cal College at Philadelphia, in the class of 1870. Returning to California he first practiced his profession at Davisville for three or four months, and then removed to Sacramento and became an assistant to Dr. A. C. Donaldson, tlie county physician, who had partially retired

from practice. The County Hospital was then at the corner of Tenth and L streets, in Sacra- mento. The next year the patients were re- moved to the new building, and the Doctor changed residence accordingly. Owing to the increasing infirmities of Dr. Donaldson, Dr. White was appointed to succeed him in office in March, 1872; and since that date, with the ex- ception of one term of two years (1879_'80), he has held that position. (See history of the , hospital elsewhere in this volume.) In 1868 Dr. White married Miss Cora J. Smith, of Butte County, who had emigrated from that part of Missouri where the Doctor had passed his boyhood, and even during the same year that he came West. They have two sons and two danghters living. Their eldest daughter and youngest son are deceased. The Doctor is a member of the orders of Freemasons, Red Men and United Workmen, and in politics is Democratic. Is also a member of the national and the county medical associations.

JON. WILLIAM CARY VAN FLEET, Judge of the Superior Court of Sacra- mento, California, was born March 24, 1852, in Maumee City, Ohio, near which place his father still resides, now at an advanced age. Upon the father's side he is of an old family that emigrated from Holland, while on the mother's side he is connected with the histori- cal American families of Boone and Lincoln, his grandmother's father being a Boone, while her mother was of the family from which sprang Abraham Lincoln. IIe was brought np and edn- cated to the point of leaving school, in his native town, and in the city of Toledo. In 1869 he came to California, remaining in Sacramento, where he immediately began the study of law in the office of Messrs. Beatty & Denson, the former of whom (his uncle by marriage), the well-known and universally esteemed Judge H. O. Beatty, was formerly Chief Justice of the State of Nevada, but has now retired from ac-

451

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

tive practice. Judge Denson, the other mem- ber of the firm, formerly occupied a seat upon the bench as Judge of the District and Superior Courts of this county. In 1873 Judge Van Fleet was admitted to the bar, and in the fol- lowing year commenced to practice at Elko, Nevada. He remained there only two years, however, returning to Sacramento in 1876, and has since that time been actively identified with the history of this city. In 1880 he was elected a member of the State Assembly from Sacramento, upon the Republican ticket, in which party Judge Van Fleet has always taken an active and intelligent part. During his term he held the chairmanship of the Military Committee, and also of that of the Committee on the Yosemite Valley and Big Trees, being the only member who was chairman of two committees. In 1883 Judge Van Fleet was appointed by Governor Stoneman one of the Board of State Prison Directors, which position he resigned on his election to the bench. He was elected to his present position upon the bench of the Superior Court in the year 1884, holding office for the long term. Judge Van Fleet is an active member in high standing of the Knights of Honor, the order of Odd Fel- lows, of the Masons, and of the Knights Tem- plar. In 1882 he went East to Baltimore as Grand Representative of the Knights of Honor. Judge Van Fleet has the reputation of being a good lawyer, sound in practice, active and dili- gent in his attention to the interests of clients, and deeply read in all branches of the law. As a judge he is fair and impartial, firm and fear- less in his determinations, bringing to bear upon all points an accurate knowledge of the minuter technicalities, as well as the broader principles of the science of law. Personally he is a highly popular man, commanding the esteem and con- tidence of all circles to the fullest extent, and is regarded as a man who has open before him the highest walks of judicial life, being fitted by birth and personal characteristics to fill any position to which he may be called. IIe has been married twice, the first time in 1877, to

Mary Isabella Carey, the daughter of Hon. R. S. Carey, of Sacramento; his wife died, how- ever, during the first year of their marriage, leaving an infant son. He was married the second time in January, 1887, to Miss Lizzie Eldridge Crocker, daughter of Clark W. Crocker, of San Francisco, by whom he also has a son.

ILLIAM J. SCHULZE, son of Frederick Schulze, was born near Berlin, Germany, February 4, 1835, and was nine years of age when his parents emigrated with their children to America, landing at New York. They first located at Watertown, New York, and there William learned the blacksmith's trade and followed it about twenty years. His father is still a resident of that State; his mother died when he was ten years old. He came to California in 1857, by way of New Orleans and the Isthmus, being twenty-one days from New Orleans to San Francisco. He fol- lowed his trade five months in the latter city, visited Stockton and Sacramento, and then went to the mines at Gold Hill, etc., traveling around until his money gave out. Then he started back to his shop at the Eleven-Mile House, on the Jackson road, and pursued his vocation there a year; then he established a shop on the Andy Kelley ranch, on the grant line, near Sheldon. After running that a year he went to Richland and built a shop, but the flood de. stroyed it and drove out the residents, and he returned and bought back his old shop on the grant line and conducted it five years longer. Sheldon was quite a town then, but after the railroad was built to Elk Grove the business of Sheldon was moved there. In 1864, owing to ill-health, he quit the shop, according to the advice of physicians, and purchased his present ranch, the west half of the northwest quarter of section 27, and the southeast quarter of section 32 of township -- north, of range - east, which is five miles from Elk Grove and sixteen from Sacramento. At the time of the purchase

452

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

this land was a desert-like plain, with the ex- ception of a sinall amount of timber. All the improvements, therefore, that are seen upon it to-day are the work of Mr. Schulze's hands, and it is one of the best farms in Sacramento Connty. Mr. Schulze is one of the county's best citizens. He was married April 10, 1863, to Miss Louisa Milens, whose people were natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Schulze have nine children, viz .: W. M., born January 13, 1864; Frank A., July 12, 1865; Louisa S., November 10, 1866; John L., March 10, 1868; Edmond G., December 7, 1870; Clara E., Au- gust 12, 1872; Minnie B., December 28, 1873; Herman P., December 5, 1879; Lena S., No- vember 4, 1883. Herman P. died July 20, 1885, aged five years, seven months and five days.

OHN TRYON, a resident of the city of Sacramento, was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in February, 1824. His father, David Tryon, was a boy at the time of the Revolutionary War, grandfather Tryon at that time living in Vermont, United States, but his sympathies were with his mother country, and he with his family moved across the line, going 200 miles by ox teams into the timber and settling on " rent lands," at Clarenceville, Province of Quebec. David Tryon grew up there and married Jennie Crawford, a native of Scotland; the subject of this sketch was their ouly son. He grew to manhood, and at the age of twenty-three was married to Adelia A. Bil- lings. She having died in 1861, he was again inarried, to Miranda R. Billings, a Canadian, her father being a Vermonter, but not near related to his first wife. By this second marriage there were four children. In 1869, he with his family removed to Atchison County, Kansas. After six years they took up a homestead in Pottawa- tomie County, living thereon seven years, then removed to the southern part of the State, within fifty miles of Indian Territory. Falling

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