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 76

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 76

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Indeed, he has been more than successful, as his premises demonstrate. Ile is a man of untiring energy and undiminished ability. Although he has suffered several severe accidents, by runa- ways and by being run over by the cars, etc., he is still in good health. December 29, 1880, he married Miss P. A. Tice, daughter of George and Vashti (Woodward) Tice, her father a native of New York and her mother of Indiana. They have no children.

OBERT BARNETT, Revenne Collector for the Fourth District, United States of America, just entering the prime of life and the zenith of his popularity, was born at the St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans, on the 29th of May, 1847. His father, Robert Barnett, M. D., a practicing physician of the Crescent City, migrated to the shores of California in 1849, when the younger Robert was but three years of age, and died at Colusa in 1857. In 1862 young Barnett left school to make a start in life for himself, and became a cattle herder, follow- ing a band to the mountain pastures; this oc- cupation be followed until 1868, when he began clerking in a hotel in the town of Colusa. He was so popular that in the following year he was chosen by the Democratic party for the position of town treasurer, which office he held two terms, and afterward was returned as one of the "city fathers," as the trustees were termed. Was elected county treasurer of Colnsa County, and re-elected, serving in all seven years. In 1884 he was elected to a seat in the State Legislature and served in the session of 1884 and 1885, and then resigned to accept the position he now holds, the Collectorship of Internal Revenue, taking possession of his office August 1, 1885. In the session of the Legislature of 1884 and 1885, he was one of the twenty Democrats, the Republicans that year being in large majority. He interested himself especially in the irriga- tion bill, and others of minor importance. Speaking of his having held the office of treas-

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

urer of Colusa County, a singular fact is recorded of his wife's family. This lady, Mary (Vincent) Barnett, a daughter of William Vincent, who was treasurer of Colusa for two terms, was the widow of J. Hop. Woods, who was treasurer for ten years; and her uncle, John Dunlap, also hield the office, as the genial ex-treasurer remarks, "quite a family affair." Mr. Barnett was prom- inent in organizing the order of Knights of Pythias, in Colusa County, being a charter member and was also a prominent Odd Fellow there. He is a member of the Chapter and of Colusa Lodge, No. 240, F. & A. M.

OHN T. BARRY, proprietor of the Valley Press Printing House, Sacramento, was born in Louisburg, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1840, emigrating to the United States in April, 1848; was partially educated at St. Jolin's College, Worcester, Massachusetts; spent some months in New York city. In 1857 he joined the army that was sent to Utah to sub- due the rebellious Mormons and establish the supremaey of the General Government. He resigned his commission in 1858, and came westward, arriving in Sacramento in November following. Within a few days he went to San Francisco and obtained employment in a news- paper office, where he remained until 1860. Thence, going to Virginia City, Nevada, he be- came part owner of the Territorial Enterprise, then a weekly paper. In 1862 he was com- missioned by Governor Nye as First Lieutenant of a company of Nevada volunteers, and was placed in command of the infantry at Fort Churchill, Major McDermit being in command of the fort. He resigned in 1864, returned to Virginia City, and in connection with Hon. William Woodburn and others, started the Daily Constitution, which, after a short time, was abandoned. He then returned to California and was commissioned Major in the Mexican army by President Benito Juarez, and in con- junction with General Williams and Colonel D.

E. Hungerford (father of the now celebrated Mrs. John W. Mackay), organized an expedi- tion to help drive the Maximilians out of Mexico. Among his officers were the now celebrated Henry George and the Hon. J. F. Linthicum, Receiver of the United States Land Office at Sacramento. The expedition proved a failure, and in November, 1865, in conjunction with a gentleman named Lyons, he purchased The Monitor, a weekly newspaper of large cir- culation, then and now printed in San Fran- cisco. This paper he published until 1877. Having soon after lost most of his means in mining stocks, he resumed his business as a printer, and worked in various offices until the inauguration of Governor Stoneman, when he came to Sacramento and worked in the State printing office until after the election of Gov- ernor Bartlett. He then went to San Diego, where he owns considerable property; finally returned to Sacramento, and in August, 1887, bought the interest of Rev. C. M. Davis in the Valley Press Printing Honse, associating him- self with Charles D. Monagan, whose interest he also purchased in February, 1888, becoming the sole proprietor of the establishment. The Valley Press is one of the best equipped book and job offices in Sacramento. In politics Mr. Barry is a Democrat, and was nominated for State Printer in 1871, but with his whole party was defeated. August 15, 1868, he married Miss Kate E. Fenton, of Santa Clara. They have had three children, two of whom are living, a daughter and a son. The son, Charles J., graduated last year first in the first class of the Sacramento Institute; and the daughter, Marcella J., graduated from the State Normal School at San Jose, in July, 1889.

OSHUA JAMES BAILEY was born in Adams County, Ohio, March 27, 1828, his parents being Isaac E. and Polly (McNeil) Bailey. He was reared on his father's farın, and was educated in the district schools. The

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

family removed to Wisconsin in 1840, and in 1849 he began to work for himself, but still on his father's farm. In 1850, with his father and brother, he came to California and went to mining, chiefly in the foot-hills of the Nevada, where he remained until 1855, with little actual net results. He then came down into the valley of the Sacramento, where he went to work on ranches and at teaming. In 1861 he rented about 160 acres from H. C. Ross, remaining on that place fourteen years. In 1875 he bought 627 acres of Mr. Wolcott, which he still holds. Only twelve acres are bottom land, on which he raises corn, alfalfa and fruit. On the nplands he raises wheat, barley, oats and grapes, besides cattle, of which he sells a few hundred dollars' worth every year. The Bailey family to which he belongs are of old Virginia stock. J. J.'s grandfather, Joel, whose wife, a Perkins, was of English descent, moved into Ohio. In 1878 he was married to Mrs. Lonisa D. (Joiner) Benton. They are the parents of five living children: Mary Lauretta, born February 24, 1879; Isaac Newton, May 13, 1880; James William, May 22, 1884; Alice Josephine and Alfred Willis (twins), May 29, 1886. Mr. Bailey is a worthy and respected citizen, and has been twice elected a school trustee. He was reared a Baptist, while his wife is a Methodist, but church opportunities of any kind are few on the Cosumnes. .

M RS. MARY E. MCINTYRE, the widow of Bernard McIntyre, was born in this county, April 6, 1853. Hler husband, a native of Ireland, came to California in 1852, and for two years labored as a gardener along the river for a Mr. Kelley, who ran away owing Mr. McIntyre a large sum. Then he worked for Mr. Aiken a year, and finally in 1861, bought the present homestead of fifty-four acres, where his family now resides. Being an industrions and economical man, he converted the original wild tract of land into a profitable

ranch. He died Jannary 9, 1887, and is re- membered by the community as having always been an honest and upright gentleman. The children are Mary L., Bernard P., William J., Sarah A., Philip A., Francis A., Cecelia D. and Robert E.

ILLIAM A. BIRCH, farmer, San Joa- quin Township, was born June 13, 1836, and was a son of George and Frances L. (Wright) Birch, father a native of Scotland and mother of Long Island. His father, a farmer, came to this country about 1820, landing at New York, was married about 1830, on Long Island, and in 1835 settled in Livingston County, Michigan. They had two children: Jane E., who is the wife of John McCullough and lives in Amador County, this State; and William A. The parents came to California in 1854, with ox teams, and located near Diamond Spring, where the father followed mining for some time. They are both now deceased, the father dying in July, 1870, and mother June 4, 1864. The subject of this sketch came with his parents to this State in 1854. In 1864 he married Miss Razelo Jane Campbell, who afterward died, March 9, 1881. By the first marriage there were three daughters and one son: Frances R., born July 25, 1870; Polly J., June 13, 1873; Augusta, November 28, 1874; and William G., August 8, 1877. The second time Mr. Birch married Mrs. Fanny Jones, who was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, and by this marriage there were two children: Frank, born June 24, 1886, and died June 26, 1888; and Martin, born May 4, 1888. After arriving in California, Mr. Birch followed mining, both here and in Idaho, with varying success; and since 1857 he has been farming in San Joaquin Township, fifteen miles from Sacramento and eight miles from Elk Grove. There he has 480 acres of land and devotes special attention to the rearing of horses. Ile commenced his struggles in this county without any means, and all he has in possession

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he has made by his own unaided efforts. His ranch is well improved. Is a kind and generons- hearted man. His first vote was cast for Doug- las; but he has long been a stanch Republican. He still carefully preserves in a scrap-book a specimen of the ticket which he first voted.

RS. G. VERNON EWING AND ELIZA- BETH W. EWING .- Dr. G. Vernon Ewing was born in Hayesville, Aslıland County, Ohio, February 12, 1831, and was edu- cated at Vermillion Collegiate Institute. He began the study of medicine and surgery at the age of eighteen years as a student of the cele- brated Drs. Armstring and Glass, of Hayesville. After pursuing his studies one year under these popular physicians, he entered the Cleveland Medical College, of which the late Prof. H. A. Ackley, the celebrated surgeon, was a professor. He graduated in the class of 1852, of which the late distinguished Dr. Bliss was a member. After graduating he returned to Hayesville and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession, devoting specal attention to surgery and diseases of females. In 1853 he was mar- ried to Martha S. Kuhn, danghter of Rev. J. Kulin, professor of languages in Vermillion Collegiate Institute of Hayesville. She died in 1867, leaving five children, four of whom are still living. In 1854 he settled at Rock Run, Stephenson County, Illinois, where he continued in practice for fourteen years, when in 1869 he removed to Chenoa, Illinois, where he practiced till 1880, when he opened an office for practice in Chicago and at the same time took a special course of one year in Rush Medical College, in surgery, under the late Prof. Moses Gunn, and diseases of females under Prof. Byford. In 1883 he came to Amador City, California, for the benefit of his health, and in a few months removed and settled permanently in Sacramento, where he continues to devote his time prin- cipally to the practice of surgery and the dis- eases of females. In these branches of prac-

tice he has had very extensive experience and is a successful operator, having performed many of the most important and critical operations. The Doctor was married the second time in 1870, to Elizabeth Wilson, a native of Lexing ton, Ohio; her father was a native of Pennsyl- vania, and emigrated to Onio in early days, settling at Lexington; her mother was Isabel McCoy, who was of Scotch-Irish descent. She was born in 1839, educated at Lexington Semin- ary, Ohio, under the care of Prof. Richards Gailey, and graduated at Washington Female Seminary, Washington, Pennsylvania, and was engaged in teaching for several years and was a successful educator. When she married the Doctor in 1870, she engaged in the study of medicine and graduated in 1884 at " The Wo- man's Hospital Medical College of Chicago;" soon after she joined her husband at Sacramento and entered with him in practice. She has devoted special time and attention to female dis- eases, and is doing a very large practice in these diseases in connection with a general practice.

OHN B. BROWN, vineyardist, was born in Harrisburg, Virginia, March 10, 1844. His father, Fleming T. Brown, also a native of that State, was a millwright. In 1851 he purchased property in Iowa, and lived there six years. Selling out then, he came to California across the plains with ox teams, being five months and four days on the way, and having no considerable difficulties. One night there were four shots fired into their camp, but without damage. The first two years here Mr. Fleming T. Brown spent at a ranch. (His wife, nee Jane Sonthern, also a native of the Old Dominion, died December 21, 1857.) Next he followed teaming a year, and then in 1859 he located upon a ranch in San Joaquin Township, where he resided nine years. This he sold in 1868. In 1870 he went to Oregon and remained two years. Hle lias made one or two other trips to that State.

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He is still living. He has had one dangliter and two sons, as follows: Mary A., born June 5, 1839, and is now the widow of Albert Fraser, of San Francisco; George M., born April 30, 1841, and died February 14, 1888; and John B., born March 10, 1844. The latter was mar- ried December 9, 1868, to Miss Catharine Reese, a daughter of John Reese. Their children are: Mary F., born September 29, 1869; John F., April 29, 1872, and died June 4, 1874; George D., May 19, 1874; Lloyd E., April 24, 1876; Fred E., September "12, 1880, and Jessie J., December 29, 1883. Two, unnamed, died in infancy. Mr. John B. Brown purchased his present property, forty acres, in January, 1883, ten miles from Sacramento and one and a half from Florin; and on this place he devotes his attented to the raising of toble fruits. He has also 210 acres of land in Placer County, excel- lent for general farming. He is a member of Elk Grove Lodge, No. 274, I. O. O. F., and in his politics is a Republican.

MOS MARCUS LOWELL was born in San Francisco, January 25, 1852, being a son of Marcus and Ellen Mar (McAra) Lowell. The father, a native of New York State, came to California in 1849, and followed mining for two years. In 1851 he went to making brick in San Francisco, and was there married in 1851 to Mrs. Ellen Mar (McAra) Hollman. See sketch of Caroline (Hollman) Ehrhardt. After two years at brick-making Mr. Lowell moved to Sacramento with his family, including the four children of Mrs. Lowell, by her former marriage. He conducted an academy for young ladies for about two years in that city, and was afterward engaged in the freighting business for some years. In 1858 he took up 160 acres on the Mokelumne, and afterward became owner of 2,500 acres there, a large portion of which was overflowed or swamp land. In the great flood of 1862 he lost heavily, and, becoming disgusted with such

lands, he sold out and returned to Sacramento, and resumed the freighting business. In 1864 he was again in San Francisco engaged in con- structing a macadamized road toward the Cliff House, on which he again lost a considerable amount through damage by heavy rains, re- quiring the reconstruction of the road. Back again to Sacramento County, he went into the business of distilling at Brighton for three years, and lost about $20,000 in that venture. Since 1867 he has been engaged in various trading ventures, even to Honolulu once or twice, but has never recovered fully from past disasters. Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Lowell are the parents of the following children: Amos M. (see above); William Harrison, born June 12, 1853; Charles Henry, February 22, 1859; Isa- bel Mary, October 12, 1860, now the wife of Charles Summermacher, a native of Sacramento; Ira Nehemiah, born February 28, 1862, and Emma Matilda, born in 1864. The subject of this sketch left home at the age of thirteen, and went to work on a farm for Mr. Henry Ehr- hardt. In 1870, with his brother William H., he rented a dairy of seventy-five cows from Mr. Ehrhardt, which they carried on for two years He then rented, with his brother-in-law, George W. Fountain, the John Julian ranch of 216 acres, where they carried on a dairy business of sixty cows, besides raising some fruit and hay. In 1873, again with his brother William H., he carried on a milk business at Winnemucca, Nevada, for two years, returning to this county in 1875. In 1876 the two brothers rented 6,000 acres at Fremont, on the Sacramento, where they milked 350 cows, and had 1,100 head of cattle all told. There they engaged in making cheese, and did very well, but by the floods of 1878, 1880 and 1881, they lost all they had made, and withdrew from the business. In 1881 the subject of this sketch went into the brick-making business for one year at Mountain View, in Santa Clara County. He then rented the Freeman ranch of 400 acres, eleven miles south of Sacramento, on the lower Stockton road, for two years. In 1885 he superintended

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the construction of the levee in the Pearson dis- triet, and afterward went to work in the railroad shops in Sacramento, in the carpentering de- partment, for two years. In November, 1887, he went to work for the Sacramento Transporta- tion Company as superintendent of their brick- making business, just below Freeport, where heis still employed. In 1881 Mr. Lowell was married to Miss Ida M. Davis, born in Illinois, daughter of J. Y. and Mildred (Butler) Davis, now of San Francisco. They are the parents of two children: Amos Marcus, Jr., born May 16, 1882, and Mildred Ellen, born Angust 24, 1884.

M RS. MARY LEE was born in Spring- field, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, January 4, 1820, her parents being Austin and Nancy (Harkness) Pennock, both natives of the New England States. They were married in Salem, New York, and afterward moved to Pennsylvania, where they made their home from 1809 to 1833, when they moved to Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, where they farmed until 1867, thence moved to Beloit, Wisconsin, where Mr. Pennock died in October, 1868, in his eighty-fifth year; his wife died in November, 1871, in her eigthy-ninth year, near Osage Mission, Kansas, where she had moved after her bereavement. They had seven chil- dren, of whom four are now living, viz .: Silas, resident in Minnesota; Daniel, resident in Be- loit, Wisconsin; John, resident in Sacramento County, California; and Mrs. Lee, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Lee was in her fourteenth year when her father moved from Pennsylvania to Illinois, where she was married in 1840 to Absalom Newnham, a native of Ohio. In April, 1852, a party of thirty families, called Callison's Company, was organized to go to Oregon. They all met at the Missouri River, where they separated again into smaller companies. They had no trouble with Indians on the way, but many of the children were sick with the measles, and cholera was raging on the plains,

and three of their party died with it, viz .: Mr. Newnham, who died abont seventy miles below Fort Laramie, on the north side of the Platte River, on the 1st of June; Mrs. Briston two days later; and Mrs. Browning, who died this side of the Snake River, near Fort Hall, about the 1st of August; she had contracted the dis- ease by eating salmon bonght of the Indians. They crossed the mountains about the 7th of September, traveled up the Willamette River about 100 miles until they reached Mount Pleasant, in six months and seven days from the time they started. They stayed there till the 1st of December, then went down to Oregon City, remained there three weeks waiting for the steamer. Mrs. Lee came by water to Sacra- mento; the voyage was very rough and stormy, lasting seven or nine days. They arrived in Sacramento a few days before Christmas, 1852. In the fall of 1854 Mrs. Lee (then Mrs. Newn- ham), with her family of four children, started for the East with the intention of remaining there. About the middle of October they left San Francisco on the steamer Yankee Blade, which was then considered to be a good steamer, and had been previously sold to other parties, and was then making her last trip for the old company. After she had been out twenty-four hours she struck a rock and beat a hole in her. The crew could do nothing, and she finally sunk. There were about 1,400 passengers on board, of whom, as far as could be ascertained, thirty-seven were washed ashore during the night. They were buried the next day. Mrs. Lee, with two children, were taken on a small boat, in order that they might be taken to land; but when she saw that two of her children yet remained on the boat she insisted on returning, saying that all should die or be saved together. About nine o'clock she and the children were taken to shore in one of the small boats. They lay in the sand, with others of the passengers, a week before they were taken back to San Francisco. Their food consisted of mussel soup, with a few crackers washed ashore from the wreck. They used the cans to make the soup

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in, pearl oyster shells for spoons, and life-pre- servers for buckets to carry water, which had to be brought about a mile. As it was consider- able trouble to get the oysters, and crackers were scarce, they had only one meal a day, and that about noon. On the last day of their so- jonrn there, just as they were about to partake of their sonp, the joyful news came that a steamer was waiting seven miles down the coast for them. They drank a little soup and started, having to make their way through the trackless sage-brush and sand. It was a weary walk, but they were very thankful for the opportunity to get away from the desolate place. They all got safely on the boat before dark, and were kindly received, and a bountiful supper was prepared for all. They arrived at San Francisco the next day, abont ten o'clock, and Mrs. Lee returned to Sacramento. After this event Mrs. Lee re- mained here until 1869, when she made a trip East, with no intentions of remaining there, however. She met with a stormy voyage, which, however, did not prove fatal to any one. The children of her first marriage are: Mary J., wife of George Cirby, resident near Rose- ville, Placer County; Nancy A., wife of Joel D. Bailey, of this county; James, resident in this county, and Alice E., wife of James Patton, of Sacramento County. Mrs. Lee was married to Richard H. Lee in October, 1856, by which marriage there is one child: Emily, wife of Al- bert G. McManus, of Sacramento Connty. Mrs. Lee is now making her home with her son, James Newnham.

AMES MCCLEERY, a pioneer of 1849, was born in Beaver County, in the western part of Pennsylvania, January 11, 1817. The McCleery family are all of Scotch origin. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch came to Boston in the early days. His mother, nee Sarah Welch, was a Pennsylvania Quakeress, a native of Westchester County, that State. After a limited schooling, Mr. McCleery learned the 82

trade of wagon-maker, at the manufactory of James Wilson, at New Brighton, Pennsylvania. At the end of three years he went to Warren, Ohio, and started in business there for himself in 1855, in company with an older brother. Moving thence to Galena, Illino.s, he followed his trade there for eleven years, under the firm name of McCleery & Pitts. In the spring of 1847 he married Miss Sidney, daughter of Cap- tain George Garritt, of Philadelphia, who had moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and died there in 1840. In February, 1849, Mr. McCleery started with a party for California, and crossed the plains with ox teams, by way of the Truckee route and Sublette's cut-off, arriving in this State August 17. His first business enterprise was the manufacture of shingles, getting his stock from the red wood timber back of and near where the city of Oakland now is. Shingles were then worth $40 per thousand. But the news spread abroad, and one day in February, 1850, there arrived in San Francisco twenty-one ships laden with shingles and lumber, and the price went down to 86 per thousand! and this ended the enterprise. Then Mr. McCleery came to Sacra- mento, and proceeded to the Oroville mining district, thence to Big Bar, on the American River, thence to Todd's Valley, and afterward, in company with the late Charles E. Green, of Davisville, he went to Shirt-tail Cañon, in Pla- cer County; thence lie went to Nevada City, being attracted by reports of the Gold Lake dis- coveries, which were a humbug. In 1851 he returned to Sacramento, arriving on the day of the first case of cholera here. He soon formed a partnership with Charles Fitch in the furniture trade, on Fourth street. At this time he was in very poor health, owing to exposure in the mines, and the doctors advised him to return East if he wished ever to see his kinsfolk. He made the trip, joined his family at Philadelphia, and soon afterward left for St. Joseph, Missouri, expecting to locate there; but the severity of the climate induced him to locate in St. Louis, which he did in 1852; but he could not be satisfied there, and on Christmas day started for

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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