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 70

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 70

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heir to the estate of Ephraim L. Billings, who had come to California in the early day and set- tled in Sacramento, and died in January, 1883, they removed to this city, where they have made their home ever since.

M FAY, the genial proprietor of the Eldred House, was born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1830, son of Michael Fay, a farmer and stone-mason. The family consisted of eleven children, three of whom were sons. When a mere boy, onr sub- ject's elder brother Patrick had gone to Lincoln- shire, England, and when Michael grew up he joined him there, and after a year or two they came to America together, in the ship Alice Wilson. After a voyage of nine weeks and three days they landed in New York, July, 1847. He went to Montgomery County, New York, for a year, where he was engaged in driving a team; then went to Wayne County, in the same State, for a time. In the spring of 1852 he left New York for California. He sailed to the Isthmus on the steamer Prome- thens, crossed the Isthmus, and came up the coast on the steamer Independence. His brother, who had come to the coast in 1851, was mining at Cook's Bar, on the Cosumnes River, and our subject joined him there. He was quite suc- cessful in mining; working with a common "rocker," he made $16 a day. In 1858 he purchased a ranch in this county, where he en- gaged in farming until 1873, when he moved his family to Sacramento. He purchased the Eldred House of Sid Eldred, of which he has been proprietor for five years. Always taking an active interest in politics and affiliating with the Democratic party, he was brought forward by thein as their candidate for county treasurer in 1881. For thirteen years he has been a member of the order of Odd Fellows. For several years he has traveled extensively over the State, and after a careful investigation of the advantages of the different cities, gives it as

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

his opinion that Sacramento is not excelled by any portion of the Golden State. He was mar- ried in October, 1863, to Mrs. Minerva (Tat- man) Perry, widow of M. Perry, a native of Illinois. They have two daughters.

ENRY TRIECHLER, a pioneer, was born in Staffa, Canton Zurich, Switzerland, in 1821, his parents being Henry and Eliza- beth (Bramweldt) Triechler both natives of Switzerland. From the tender age of twelve years our subject was compelled by circum- stances to face the world alone. First he worked in a cotton factory, then as a tailor's apprentice, spent two years in traveling and later on worked as a tailor, all before he was twenty-two years of age. IIe then emigrated to America, sailing from Havre, France, September, 1844, in a merchant vessel for New Orleans, being forty- eight days on the voyage. At New Orleans he readily found employment at his trade, but in 1845, during the yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans, he went to Memphis, Tennessee, and early in the spring of 1846, went to San Antonio, Texas, but returned again to New Orleans and later on went to Baton Ronge, Mississippi, where he carried on business on his own account. During the summer of 1849, having heard ac- counts of General Fremont's exploits in Califor- nia, and of the discovery of gold here, he, with characteristic promptness of action, obtained passage on the steamer Falcon. Among others who came at that time was Mr. W. R. Strong, a merchant of this city, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. They arrived in Sacramento January 6, 1850, having spent a month in a sailing vessel coming from San Fran- eisco: fare $36.00. Our subject was suffering from an attack of Panama fever, but, undeterred by this circumstance, he went almost immedi- ately to Nicholas, on the Feather River, remain- ing there for a few weeks only and then going to the Auburn mining district. His mining experience not proving a success, he returned

again to Nicholas and spent some time in the hay fields of the valley, subsequently returning to Sacramento and purchasing a ranch on the river, seven miles south of the city, where for three years he experimented in farmning. Re- turning to Sacramento in 1853, he started the Mechanics' Exchange on I street, between Front and Second streets, where he afterward built a hotel, which he kept for fifteen years, when de- clining health compelled him to retire from active business. He sold the furniture and fix- tures and leased the property. He then built his brick residence on H street, corner of Twen- tietlı, where he had owned a lot for some time. Mr. Triechler is an active member of the Sacra- inento Lodge of California Pioneers. Of his home life a passing notice will suffice. He was married January 31, 1863, to the oldest dangh- ter of Bezirkrichter Marcus and Anna B. Zim- mermann, of Trasedingen, Canton Shaffhausen, Switzerland. They have seven children: Al- bert, Amy, Marcus, who died in infancy; Henry, the oldest son, born January 9, 1864; Hattie, the oldest daughter, born April 1, 1869; Alber- tina, born January 19, 1872, and George Mar- shall, the youngest, named in honor of the discoverer of gold, James Marshall, was born November 17, 1876. The family were intimate friends of General Sutter and James Wilson Marshall.

EORGE W. CALLAHAN was born in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in Feb- rnary, 1845, the son of Daniel E. and Re- becca (Sebring) Callahan, who crossed the plains from Wisconsin in 1849, and settled in Sacra- mento, where for many years they kept what is known as the Golden Eagle Hotel, the first in the Capital City. The story of Daniel Callalian and his wife, in connection with the early days, would fill a volume. A few brief items, which is all the scope which this work permits, will be found interesting to the many friends and ae- quaintances who still remember the genial lost

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of the Golden Eagle. He crossed the plains with ox teams, bringing with him his wife and two children,-William H., his younger son, was born in Sacramento,-arriving here in Sep- tember, 1849, having been six months on the tedious journey; they camped on the corner of Fifth and M streets, and during the flood of the following year lost everything. Procuring a team he began teaming to the mines, the mother taking in washing and having a few boarders. In the spring of 1851 he bought a lot on K street, near the corner of Seventh, and erected thereon a frame building, which in its turn was destroyed by the great fire of that year. Hotel accommodations there were none, and lodging almost impossible to obtain. He erected a large canvas tent with bunks similar to those found on river steamers, and later on traded a span of horses for a small frame building which was erected beside the canvas tent. This hotel soon became headquarters for all the speculators and horsemen in the city, drawn thither by its proximity to the horse market, which was lo- cated on the same square and carried on by Toll, Captain Smith, Wrightmire, and other celebri- ties of those days. Toll's livery stable was across the way, and this was the busiest corner of the city. One day Wrightmire, with a piece of chalk, drew upon the canvas tent the picture of an eagle, and from that day Callahan's place was known as the Golden Eagle. After the fire the corner lot was purchased and a more com- modions building was erected, which eventually grew into the imposing edifice of the present day and was kept by Callahan until 1874. He was a man of many friends, generous to a fault, fond of sport; his " pack of hounds " were known by all, and many a good story is related of mine host of the Golden Eagle. A politician, a Democrat, but numbering among his friends inen of all parties, when in 1876, he was brought forward as the candidate for the office of County Treasurer, an office which he filled for seven years; he was elected by the handsome majority of 2,000 votes, in a district clearly Republican by at least 1,880 majority. Ile died in 1883;

his wife at this writing still survives him. His son, George W. Callahan, received his prelimi- nary education in the Sacramento schools, and was brought up in his father's hotel. He was united in marriage to Miss Minnie A. Howell, daughter of L. V. H. Howell, of San Francisco. He left the hotel in 1874 to become Deputy Sheriff under the administration of Hon. H. M. LaRue, after which he was connected with the Sacramento Bank. In 1881, he went to Deming, New Mexico, where for a year he kept an " eating house." Later on he went East and traveled extensively throughout the States. Returning, he became interested in silver min- ing in Chawanda in the Dolores mining district for a time, returning again to California; was at the time of his father's demise, in charge of his extensive ranch in Placer County, an occupa- tion which he still follows. His address is Diamond Spring, El Dorado County.

OHN SCHELL, a Sutter Township farmer, was born in Christiania, the capital of Nor- way, April 15, 1852, the son of John and Jennie Schell, in whose family were two sons and four daughters. Four of these came to America, namely: Jacob, who is now residing in this county; Carrie, residing in Jamestown, Dakota; Antonia, in St. Peters, Minnesota, and John, our subject. At the age of twenty years, in 1872, Mr. Schell, after having learned the trade of blacksmith, came to the United States, landing at Portland, Maine. He worked at his trade nearly three years in Chicago, and then came to California; stopped six months in San Francisco; then four years was engaged at his trade at New Hope, San Joaquin County, on the Mokelumne River, and since then has fol- lowed agricultural pursuits. Renting a piece of land near the same locality, he worked into farming and out of blacksmithing gradually. After raising eight crops there, in the fall of 1883 he purchased his present place on the upper Stockton road, five miles from the Capitol

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building. The 230 acres he has here are devoted to fruit and grain. The orchard consists prin- cipally of peaches. The vines are mostly of wine grapes. Half the peach-trees are bearing, and all the vi :eyard. The residence is on a high knoll, giving a fine, commanding view of a large extent of country. Shade and ornamen- tal trees are gracefully set around, among them a few orange and lemon trees. The soil is a reddish, sandy loam, peculiarly well adapted to fruit. Mr. Schell began in California with almost nothing, and the present comfortable home attests his industry, economy and good judgment. In San Joaquin County, his farm was among the tules, and the high waters caused him a loss of $5,000 one year and $3,000 another; and it is indeed wonderful how well he has succeeded in getting ahead. He used to raise a good deal of live-stock. Heis a member of Industrial Lodge, No. 157, of Sacramento, I. O. O. F. He was married in 1872 to Laura Hansen, a native of Norway, who came to this country about the same time that he did.

RANCIS A. BURKE, a farmer of Sutter Township, was born in April, 1848, in Boston, Massachusetts, a son of John A. and Sarah (Chandler) Burke, the father a na- tive of Ireland and mother of Massachusetts. His father came to America at the age of ten years, was a farmer by occupation, married in Boston and came to California in the fall of 1850, from Boston, by way of Cape Horn, the trip occupying about six months; mined at Mormon Island two years, with moderate suc- cess; and in 1852 his wife and one child (the subject of this sketch) came to California by way of the Isthinus. He then started a board- ing-house and conducted it until 1854; then settled in the country on the Sutter grant, made several changes of residence, but finally located on the Freeport road three and a half iniles from town, on a place now consisting of 260 acres. He died in Sacramento, in Jannary, 1884,

at the age of fifty-seven years, and his wife is still living in Sacramento. In their family there were only one son and one daughter. The daughter, Sarah, died at the age of twenty-two and a half years, in 1857. The son, the subject of this sketch, was retred on a farm, and still has the old home-place as above described. He has been a resident of Sacramento ever since he was four years old. The floods of 1861-'62 almost covered his farm with water, and he lost most of the fencing and some of the farm ani- mals. A great abundance of furniture lumber and other goods was lodged upon his farm by the flood and afterward identified by the owners. He remembers many amusing incidents connected with those times, one of which was this: A pair of pantaloons was recognized by one who said he thought he ought to know them, as he was mar- ried in them three times! The Fourth and Fitth Regiment were encamped at that time on what is now his ranch. Mr. Burke came to this place when it was utterly wild, but by getting a start in the world by the dairy business he has improved the ranch so that it is now one of the best in the country. At present he conducts a general farm- ing business. As to society relations, he is a member of the Y. M. I. of Sacramento. Ile was married in 1871 to Miss Lottie, daughter of John G. and Margaret Hoffman, father a native of Pennsylvania, and mother of Ireland. They have three sons: George, born June 27, 1872; Howard B., December 17, 1874; and William A., July 9, 1882.

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THO SHAW GRIM, rancher of Lee Town- ship, was born in Ohio January 20, 1833, his parents being Andrew and Polly (Mor- rison) Grim, both deceased, the mother several years ago, in Iowa, and the father, in Nebraska, about 1883, aged seventy-six. O. S. Grim was reared on his father's farm, first in Ohio and afterward in Iowa, and in 1852 came across the plains to California. In the saine party when made up at Council Bluff's was the Timmons

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family of four sons and two daughters with their father, the mother having died in Iowa. With the help of a minister whose station they reached on the way, O. S. Grim was married August 10, 1852, to Miss Sarah Frances Timmons, born in Illinois, February 3, 1836, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Timmons, and reared in Lee County, Iowa, whither her parents moved in 1837, being among the first settlers of that county. The father died near Richland, on the Sacramento, in 1858. On their arrival in California, in the fall of 1852, Mr. and Mrs. Grim went to work to make their first " stake," she in domestic work and he as a miner in PInnket's Ravine. After three months they rented a small place on the Sacramento River, near Richland, where Mr. Grim went to raising vegetables. In 1854 he became owner and con- tinued the same business until 1866, when he sold out, and moved to Placer County, near Auburn, afterward to Modes to in 1875, to Stockton in 1877, near Stockton in 1881, and in 1883 to the place they now occupy in Lee Township, then owned by William Edward Tim- inons, the brother of Mrs. Grim, who needed her care, being in broken health. He had al- ways been rather weakly and had never married, and at his death, September 11, 1884, Mrs. Grim inherited his ranch of 160 acres, where the fam- ily has since remained. It is well adapted to general farming in all kinds of grain, and Mr. Timmons had some success in fruit-growing, but the orchard has not been renewed. Mr. and Mrs. Grim are the parents of seven living chil- dren, all born in this State: William Ira, born February 16, 1855, married in Stockton, Janu- ary 2, 1878, to Miss Nancy Elizabeth Tew, born in California December 27, 1860, and now liv- ing in Woodland, Yolo County; has two chil- dren -- Laura Emily, born December 6, 1878, and Walter, born October, 1880; Mary Ann, born April 23, 1858, was married in Modesto, October 3, 1874, to Bergen Brocaw Halsey, now of Clipper Gap, Placer County: has one child- Earl, born June 16, 1883; John Henry, born October 28, 1860; Charles Augustus, November

10, 1867; George Andrew, May 10, 1869; Frank Edward, April 10, 1875; Albert, June 16, 1880. All the children have received a district-school education.

BEN RICHTER PARVIN was born in Donegal Township, Westmoreland Connty, Pennsylvania, October 17, 1815, his par- ents being Arthur Davis and Catherine (Knab) Parvin, both natives of that State. The Parvins were of the William Penn immigration; were Quakers then and as far as known are Quakers now, followers of the golden rule, laying more stress ou moral conduct than on religious dog- mas. The father was a farmer and miller as was his father before him, and both lived to be about seventy-eight. The mother of E. R. Par- vin lived to be eighty-fonr, and the known mem- bers of both families have been long-lived peo- ple. The formal education of the subject of this sketch was limited to about three months' schooling, but he learned farming and milling in the school of experience. He also did some work on steamboats, and picked up carpentering, and learned to distil liquor but not to drink it. In 1849 he came to California and mined four months, but did not take kindly to it, and soon went into teaming, which suited him better. Has always been fond of a good team; had one when young ou his father's farm and has one now at the age of seventy-four. He carried on the freighting business from Stockton south- ward to,the mines about six years. In 1855 lie sold his team to the United States and came on the Sacramento River where he engaged in chop- ping wood, grabbing and clearing lands, often receiving payment in mortgages. In 1859 he first bought land on Grand Island, where he now resides, abont four miles below Courtland. Hc lost heavily by the flood of 1862, the mortgaged lands losing a great part of their valne, and purchasers being few at any price. Original surveys and records were so inaccurate and poorly kept that he has had to buy a part of the

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650 acres he now owns, three times, first from an alleged owner, then from the State and lastly from the General Government. But he has out- lived all those annoyances, has made his title clear, and now has ninety acres in orchard, with a fine home, one of the most substantial and im- posing on the river, planned by himself and built with a view to firmness and durability, un- der his personal supervision with careful atten- tion to every detail. It was erected in 1882 at a cost of $15,000 and supplemented in 1885 by the erection of a large tank, a warehouse and storehouse, at a cost of several thousand more. Mr. Parvin was married in San Francisco in 1861 to Mrs. Eliza (Kelly) Henderson, a native. of Ireland, where her father, William Thomas Kelly, fouglit in the Rebellion of 1798. She came to San Francisco in 1859, and was there married to her first husband, Ilenderson, who died withont issue. She has a brother residing in Brooklyn, New York, named Joseph Kelly, and a nephew on this coast named Joseph Ab- bott.

AMUEL HOWARD GERRISH, for many years a foreman in the railroad shops of the Central Pacific Railroad Company, in this city, was born December 27, 1834, at Ports- month, New Hampshire, The family is one of the oldest in New England. Ilis father, Will- iam Gerrish, was born at Lebanon, Maine, one of a family of thirteen children, twelve of whom were sons. He was a clock mannfact- urer and a merchant. He died in 1837. The founder of the family in America was Captain William Gerrish, of the British army, born in Bristol, England, who emigrated to America during Cromwell's time, in 1638. On his mother's side he is a descendant of the well- known Hartford family of New England; his grandfather Hartford was a New Hampshire farmer and a soldier of the War of 1812, in which war he died; Samuel Howard, for whom he was named, was his maternal grandmother's

father and was a Revolutionary soldier. When in 1837 his father died, our subject was two and a half years old. Although later on his mother removed to Boston, he remained in Dover to attend school. His brother-in-law, John B. Wood, was editing a newspaper at Great Falls, and at the age of fifteen years young Gerrish proceeded to that village to learn the trade of printer. After about one and a half years he went to Boston and worked at his trade in a job office on Washington street. After a year had passed he concluded to learn the trade of machin- ist and went to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he worked for Dimock Bros. six months; then went to Holyoke, where he worked for the Hadley Falls Company one and a half years. Leaving there, he worked for a time in Boston and New York. His brother-in-law, R. M. Whitehouse, was foreman of the Connecticut River Railroad repair shops located at North- ampton, Massachusetts, and he went there and worked seven years. In 1860 he came to Cali- fornia, with George A. Stoddard, leaving New York June 5, coming by the Panama route and arriving in San Francisco on the 28th. He be- gan working for E. T. Steen and continued with him for a year and a half. For the next four years he was engineer on the United States dry dock in the Mare Island Navy Yard. Then he came to Sacramento and was employed by Goss & Lambard, proprietors of the Sacramento Iron Works. In May, 1866, he was employed for the railroad company and rau the first engine for the Central Pacific shops, where he worked and made the first tools used. His brother, J. L. Gerrish, now of Oakland, was also employed at the time in the same shops. He has held inany positions of trust, -- among them that of trustee of the City Library and secretary of the board. He has been a Freemason since 1863, when he joined Naval Lodge, No. 87, of Vallejo; he is now a member of Concord Lodge, No. 117, of Sacramento, and has been a Master of that lodge during three years. He is also a member of Industrial Lodge, No. 157, 1. O. O. F., of which he is a charter member. Ile was also a meni-

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ber in 1866-'67 of the California National Guards, Company D, Infantry, Captain Dason- ville. Being of a scientific and statistical turn of mind, he has kept a record of the rainfall and temperature in his experiments in acclimating tropical trees ever since he came to Sacramento, making, as a voluntary observer of the United States Signal Service, monthly reports to Wash- ington. Of his home life we need say but little. He was married September 4, 1855, to Sarah J. Rogers, a native of Northampton, Massachu- setts, whose ancestors came over on the May- flower in 1620. Her father, Thomas Rogers, was a carpenter, builder and contractor. Mr. Gerrish has four daughters and one son. Their home is on G street, where they have lived for twenty-one years.

ILLIAM E. DIXON was born October 22, 1857, son of Alfred and Martha (Biggot) Dixon; the former a native of New Brunswick and the latter of Ohio. Altred, the father, was raised on a farm and went with his parents to Ohio in 1837, where he resided until 1843, when he went to Quincy, Illinois. There he began the study of law with the firm ot Browning & Bushnell, remaining with thein for two years, and he was there admitted to the bar. IIe removed to Porter County, Indiana, and engaged in the practice of law, farming as well, which he continued until 1860, when he came to California, crossing the plains. They brought horses with them, which they sold on reaching California. Their journey lasted six months, the first halt being made in Sacramento County. He soon purchased a farmi in this county, northwest quarter of section 30 and sonthwest quarter of section 19, township 6. The farm is one of those through which the old overland road used to pass. He gave up his practice of law to a great extent and engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1880 he went East on a visit, and while in New York city he was out in the wet, and the result was pneu-

monia, which resulted in his death, September 19, 1880. His wife was with him during his last hours. He was a very ambitious man, de- termined and persevering in all his undertak- ings. He will be long remembered by his many friends in this county. William E. Dixon, the subject of this notice, was raised on a farm and came to California with his parents. He was married April 26, 1882, to Miss Julia I. Barnes, a native of New Brunswick. They have five children: Edna B., Anna M., Alfred C., Aubrey E. and Jennie H. Mr. Dixon is one of the best farmers in this county; one among the largest grain-raisers.

B F. BEANS lives one mile from Elk Grove, which is his postoffice, and sixteen miles from Sacramento. He was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1839, and lived there until 1856. At the age of sixteen years he came to California across the plains, first set- tling in El Dorado County, where he remained until 1863; he then settled in this county, on his present farm. Mr. Beans was married in 1870 to Mrs. Mary E. McFall, a native of Rome, New York.

ORMAN I. STEWART was born Febru- ary 25, 1833, in Oswego County, New York, son of Samuel and Fannie (Cronk) Stewart; the father, a farmer by occupation, is a native of Massachusetts, and died in Oswego County, New York. In his family were eight children, six of whom are still living, three in California. Norman was raised on a farm and remained at home until 1852, when he came to California, sailing from New York October 12 on the steamer Pacific to the Isthmus, which he crossed by going up the Chagres river, then having his choice of locomotion for the remain- der of the distance (twenty-five miles) walking or riding on mule-back. After a close inspec-

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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