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 80

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 80

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February 5, 1832; Sarah Elizabeth, February 27, 1834; Charlotte Isabel, October 27, 1836; Samuel M., February 8, 1839; Robert Alex- ander, October 14, 1841. All these except one are still living, and four of them residing in California. The subject of this sketch resided in Pennsylvania until the spring of 1852, when he came to California, leaving New York April 27, on the steamer Ilias, in company with his brother, George H., a sketch of whom is given in this volume. At Panama he took the steamer Golden Gate and reached San Francisco May 27, and Sacramento the next day. He followed his trade, blacksmithing, in Nevada County, until 1856, in September of which year he located at old Elk Grove, which was then a postoffice and stage station. There he bought a squatter's title to a quarter-section of land, and afterward he purchased the tract. A warrant was depos- ited in the general land office in favor of Lieu- tenant John McDowell, a veteran of the Mexican war, who in turn assigned the land to Joseph H. Kerr. On this place Mr. Kerr has been en- gaged principally in raising hay and fruit. Has had two orchards His present young orchard of four acres is an unusually promising one. In the vineyard are about twelve acres; and on the premises are many fine shade and ornamental trees, among them some orange trees nine to ten years old, the varieties being the Navel and Mediterranean Sweet. One, a seedling, was set. out twenty years ago. A thrifty palm, nine and a half feet round and twenty-five feet high, flourishes in the front yard, set out in the spring of 1878. The handsome residence was erected in 1877, at a cost of $3,000. Mr. Kerr's ambi- tion leads him to excel in the care of his prem- ises, and indeed to success in all his undertak- ings. He is fond of the chase, and sometimes takes trips to the mountains to fish, hunt, and recreate generally. Both himself and wife are leading stockholders in the Elk Grove Building Association. Politically Mr. Kerr has always been a Republican. ITis first Presidential vote was cast for Zachary Taylor, and he has lost only two Presidential votes. He was married December

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

28, 1858, to Angeline Worthington, a native of Jackson County, Iowa, and they have two chil- dren: James Harry and Eva.

AMES W. KILGORE, farmer, Brighton Township, was born in Lee County, Iowa, May 30, 1840, a son of Matthew and Massa (McGuire) Kilgore, the former a native of Ross County, Ohio, the latter also a native of Ohio. Hannah Gilgore, aunt of James W., was the second white child born in that county, namely, where Chillicothe now is, January 18, 1799. Matthew resided in that county until 1827, when he moved to Tippecanoe County, Indiana; in 1837 he removed to Lee County, Iowa, and in 1852 he came to California, by way of Council Bluffs, crossing the Missonri River on the 23d of May and arriving here October 10. He brought his family here in 1852, making both trips across the plains. The second time he was with a large train, starting with thirteen wagons, and they were six months on the journey, but had no special trouble. Among the party were George and James Wilson, of Oregon. The family then consisted of five children: George, since deceased; Teresa, who married James Wilson and has since died; Elizabeth, David and James. The eldest son, William, had pre- ceded them to this State in 1850, with his father. They first located in Yolo County, on the Sacra- mento River, fifteen miles below Sacramento; in the spring of 1853 they moved to Santa Clara County, and in 1855 returned to this county. From 1858 to 1864 they were residents again in Yolo County, and then finally settled in this county. Matthew Kilgore died March 16, 1882, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife died April 8, 1875, at the age of seventy-seven years. Of the family three are now living-David, Elizabeth and James. The latter was twelve years old when he came to this State, and re- mained with his parents until their death. The home place originally contained 324 acres, of which seventy-seven acres now belong to James

in Brighton Township, and eighty acres in Lee Township. Elizabeth married Archibald Cris- well, and they have four children: Alice, wife of W. F. Bryan; Martha, William and George, all residents of this county.

- OHN A. GRAHAM, the genial host of the American Exchange Hotel, in Folsom, is a native of Tippecanoe, Harrison County, Ohio, being born there March 23, 1849. His father, John Graham, a pioneer of this State, was a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, edu- cated there, and moved into Ohio about 1842, where he married Sarah J. Dicks, a native of that State, whose parents settled there when it was a wilderness. John Graham was a justiec of the peace in Tippecanoe, and made his home there until 1849, when he came overland to Cali- fornia. He mined on Feather River, near Oro- ville, accumulated a little fortune, returned to Ohio in the fall of 1850, and in 1853 brought his family here by water, landing in San Fran- cisco December 17. He went to the mines in El Dorado County, where he owned some valn- able ditch property, and engaged in keeping hotel, condneting it as long as the mining camp continued there-four years. Then he pur- chased the hotel called the White House, on the Wire Bridge and Placerville Road, and kept that hostelry twelve years, or up to within a short time of his death, which occurred April 5, 1873, when he was aged fifty-eight years, and engaged in the live-stock business. His wife died in 1869. In John Graham's family were nine children, of whom seven are now living, all residents of this State. John A. Graham, our subject, was four years old when brought by his parents to this State in 1853. When of age he attended the San Jose Institute, then elerked in a dry-goods and grocery store in Yountville, Napa County, for R. K. Berry, two years. Upon the death of his father he returned home and took charge of the estate. For the ensuing thirteen years he conducted the hotel at Shingle

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Springs, EI Dorado County. Next he went to Lake Tahoe and invested in a resort there, which proved unprofitable, and he came to Folsom and leased the American Exchange Hotel, the lead- ing commercial and family hotel in the place. He is a whole-souled, accommodating and kind host, thoroughly understanding how to make his guests comfortable and contented. His pat- ronage is steadily increasing. As to the frater- nities, he is an Odd Fellow of ten years' standing, being now a member of Cosumnes Lodge, No. 63, of Latrobe, El Dorado County; and at the last session of the Grand Lodge held at San Francisco he represented his lodge. He was married in 1877 to Miss Amelia Meyer, a native of Shingle Springs, and they have four children: Albert Herman, Edwin Laurin, Ira Morrill and Hazel Rae.

OHN WESLEY HEATH, merchant and postmaster at Michigan Bar, Cosumnes Township, was born in Adams County, In- diana, November 18, 1846, his father being George W. Heath (see sketch). John W. Heath came to California in 1854, and received a fair education in the district schools. He did some mining for wages when a young man, but was chiefly employed as clerk. In 1877 he be- came junior partner in the firm of West & Heath, dealers in general merchandise, and was appointed postmaster in October of that year. Since 1885 he has been sole proprietor of the business, and is owner of the store and some other buildings with the acre and a half on which they stand, besides forty-four acres outside the village. Mr. Heath was married in 1873 to Miss Elizabeth C. Brown, a native of Arkansas, daughter of James M. and Felicia (Carter) Brown. The family came to California in 1854; the mother died in 1887; the father is still living on his place about two miles from Michigan Bar, aged sixty-three. Mr. and Mrs. Heath are the par- ents of six living children: Nettie Bernice, born December 25, 1877; Lena Maud, April 19,

1879; Myrtle Elizabeth, December 17, 1881; Edna Alice, December 25, 1883; George Mon- roe, October 12, 1885; John Edward, February 13, 1887; Bertha Felicia, October 11, 1888, died June 21, 1889.

J. JACKSON, deceased, formerly a rancher in San Joaquin Township, was born Feb- ruary 12, 1819, on the sea, being the son of a sea captain, and was brought up in Penn- sylvania near the Susquehanna River. When he was about sixteen years of age his parents removed with him to Upper Canada, where they resided about four years. July 12, 1840, he married Catharine Kennedy, a native of Maine. After a residence on the Detroit River, near Detroit, Michigan, three years, he moved in October, to Iowa, settling in Jackson County, near the Mississippi River. April 16, 1861, he started overland for this coast, and arrived in Sacramento September 15. He located almost immediately upon the ranch in San Joaquin Township where he spent the remainder of his days, dying July 27, 1866. He had five sons and four daughters: James Thomas, Mallet Case, Henry William, Hattie, wife of Wesley Simons, 1708 N street, Sacramento, Mary Ann, wife of L. S. Dart, Joseph Edward, Kate, wife of William Johnston, Nannic, wife of Fred French, and Jack Lincoln,-all residing in this county.

OSEPH HULL was born January 24, 1813, in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio. His grandfather Hull was a native of New York State; after his marriage he removed to Ohio, settling where Steubenville now is before Ohio was even a part of the Northwest Terri- tory. He had seven children, of whom Joseph, the father of our subject, was the third; he was born in 1792; married Jane Luckey, also a native of Steubenville. When the subject of

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our sketch was two years old his father removed to Zanesville, Ohio; thence, ir 1825 to Cler- mont County, eighteen miles east of East Cin- cinnati. Joseph Hull, our subject, here learned his father's trade, saddle-making, but as it did not suit him he began teaching school, which, as lie says, did not require much education at that time. He was examined by the school board and was given a certificate to teach, which he did for five years. Upon leaving Ohio he was given the following endorsement, dated Perin's Mills, Clermont County, Ohio:

"To whom it may concern :- We, the un- dersigned, citizens of Clermont County, take pleasure in recommending the bearer, Joseph Hull, Jr., to their attention as an honest, sober, industrious and worthy man, worthy of the con- fidenee of any community, having proved him- selt as such to our entire satisfaction after an acquaintance of more than twenty years.

" HARVEY PERIN. ."JOHN WILLIAMS. "JOHN HALL. "COLTON SPENCE, M. D."

About 1840 he became a member of a rifle company, and occupied the position three or four years. August 21, 1844, he received a commission from M. Bartley, then Governor of Ohio, as Major of the First Rifle Regiment, Third Brigade, and Eighth Division of the State Militia for the term of six years; he took the oath of office, but resigned his commission the fol- lowing year when he left the State. April, 1845, he determined to go to Oregon, his health being somewhat impaired; accordingly, he went to Independence, Missouri, and joined a large train, consisting of 600 wagons and a large number of cattle. On the 5th day of May, of that year, the train, well organized and equipped, started for Oregon. At Malheur River, which empties into Snake River, the party was divided by an old trapper who represented that he knew of a short ent to Willamette Valley. About fifty or sixty persous joined him. They reached Oregon City, December 8, 1845, two months -ater than the party who came by the old trail.

Mr. Hull immediately took up a elaim about fifteen iniles east of Oregon City, of 640 acres, set out an orehard, made improvements, built a house and inelosed some ground; remained un- til 1848, when, having heard of the gold dis- covery here, he determined to come to California. He joined a train of forty-two wagons with Peter H. Burnett, who was afterward the first Gov- ernor of California, as captain, and started on the 12th of September. They came through that portion of the Klamath region where the lava beds are located, and struck Pit River, which they followed into the heart of the Sierra Nevadas. There they found old Peter Lassen with a train of Eastern emigrants, whom he was taking to his ranch on the upper Sacramento River. Their wagons were disabled and they had been there a month; their stock of groceries were exhausted. Mr. Hull's party took them through to the valley. They reached Park's Bar on the Yuba River, October 5. Mr. Hull remained there mining until January 3, 1849, when he started to return to Oregon, by water, going to San Francisco via Fort Sutter. He was foreed to wait several days in that eity for a vessel, but finally took passage on the Jeanet, on board which was old General Joseph Lane, who had been appointed Governor of Oregon Territory. They reached Oregon City in due time. Mr. Hull remained there until April, when he again came to California, bringing his family with him. He mined on the Mokelumne River until October of that year, when he moved to Benicia and entered into the business of making lime, which then commanded as high a priee as $15 a barrel, with two Eastern mnen who pretended to understand the business thoroughly. They made a failure of it because of heavy importations of lime from the East as ballast. In 1851 he came to Sacramento, where he followed teaming until ihe fall of 1852; then moved upon his ranch near Brighton, where he has remained ever since. In 1863 he was elected supervisor of this eounty; he was president of the board two years of that time and went out of office in 1867. Politically

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

521

he has been a Republican since the birth of that party in this State, but of late years has seen much in the dealings of that party which has greatly lessened his enthusiasm, although he usually votes the party ticket. He has always paid considerable attention to edu- cational matters and started the first district school in this part of the township, contributing a large amount of his time and means in order to do this. He followed surveying while in Oregon. He surveyed the claim where East Portland now is. He has done considerable of it in this county. Mr. Hull has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah Ann James, a native of Ohio. She died leaving one daugh- ter, Margaret, who is now the wife of Ethan A. Grant of this county. The second wife was Susannah Cazel, also a native of Ohio. She died in Sacran ento County, in 1858, the mother of five children, four of whom are still living: Thomas, George, Joseph, and Mary. The three sons are living in Los Angeles County, and the danghter, Mrs. Hasley, resides in Solano County.

ENNIS ROCKWELL HUNT was born in Vermont, April 23, 1820, his parents being Albinus and Hannah (Robins) Hunt, both of New England descent for some gener- ations, and both now deceased, at about the age of seventy. The family moved into the State of New York when D. R. was about two years old. In youth he got a limited education in the district schools for four or five years, and at the age of twelve hired ont on a farm. From that time on he worked for wages in different lines until 1848, when he bought, in partner- ship with his brother, 150 acres, which he helped to till one year. In 1850, leaving the farm in charge of his brother, he set out from New York by the Isthmus route for California, where he hoped to reap a golden harvest. Ar- riving in due time in San Francisco he made his way to the El Dorado, on the south fork of the American River, above Mormon Island.

After spending about eight months in the mines with no large results he went to work for W. R. Grimshaw, on the Daylor ranch on the Co- sumnes. After three months he was hired at $8 a day to go to mining, but the enterprise not proving profitable he returned to work on the same ranch. Before the close of that changeful year, 1851, he filed his claim for 160 acres on Deer Creek, now owned by S. B. Moore, of Lee Township, and in 1852 raised hay and barley on his own place. But the fortune of life was still adverse, and his whole crop of hay and barley, in stacks, to the value of over $12,000, was destroyed by fire. It took many years to recover from this heavy loss, but he . held on to the land, raised twelve more crops, and sold out in the autumn of 1863, being then worth over $16,000. Mr. Hunt went into the grocery business in Sacramento for six or eight months, and in 1865 returned to New York, where he bought a farm in Madison County, and stocked it with the expectation of making it his permanent home. He, however, soon found farming in New York was no longer con- genial, and he sold out the following year. Re- turning to Sacramento he purchased a livery and sale stable, which he kept about two years. In the autumn of 1868 he bought the 500 acres he still owns near Freeport, on the Sacramento. He carries on a dairy business of about eighty cows, which is his chief industry, supplemented by minor farming activities. In August, 1855, Mr. IIunt was married to Mrs. Nancy A. (Tum- walt) Cotton, the mother of two sons, Albert T. and Joel S. Cotton. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are the parents of five sons: Major Clarence, born on the Deer Creek ranch in September, 1859; Frank Linn, in October, 1862, at the same place; Mark Twain, in Sacramento, in November, 1865; D. R., Jr., also in Sacramento, February 3, 1868; George Grant, at Freeport, in Decem- ber, 1870. Major C. has been twice married, having one daughter by his first wife, Anna Thorne. The second wife bore the name of Mand Hetherington until her marriage. They are living at Tulare, where Mr. Hunt fills the

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position of book-keeper, having the reputation of being an expert in that line. Mark T. is married to Miss Susie Hubbell, a native of Marin County, California. They are the parents of one son, born in 1889. In 1885 Mr. Hunt moved his family to Napa for the better edu- cation of the children. He there owns a resi- dence, and the half block ou which it stands. All the sons have been entered at Napa College at different times. Major C. won distinction in the business course; and D. R., Jr., who is now following a full college course of four years, will graduate in the class of 1890. The young- est son is also a student there in 1889. Mr. Hunt is a member of Sacramento Grange, No. 16; and has been a school trustee about twenty years.

ALLET CASE JACKSON was born in Jackson County, Iowa, March 7, 1845, son of Harry J. and Catharine (Ken- nedy) Jackson. He made his home with his parents in Iowa until 1861, when he came with them to California. The trip was accomplished in exactly five months. They located in Sacra- mento. He followed farming the first ten years. In 1872 he bought a farm of 200 acres about a mile and a quarter west of Florin, and seven miles from Sacramento, just east of the upper Stockton road. For the next five years he ran a windmill and box factory, since which time he has been building windmills, and also a con- tractor and farmer. In the winter of 1877 his factory burned down. Before that he seldom had less than eight or ten men employed, and averaged about $5,000 worth of work a year, sometimes ranging as high as $7,000. He still manufactures windmills, making the Jackson mill, his own invention, patented April, 1879. He has put up abont 400 of them in this county, it being about the only one used about Florin, where he lives. It is a good mill, does excel- lent work, and gives entire satisfaction. He has been at that business for the past sixteen or

seventeen years. He also does all kinds of manufacturing work, and can make almost any- thing that a person could want. Mr. Jackson was married January 9, 1880, to Mary E. Quinn, a native of New York State. She died Decem- ber 6, 1880, the mother of one child, Annie Mary, born November 20, 1880. He was again married March 6, 1882, to Laura E. Dodson, his present wife. They have had one child, Marion Raymond, born March 9, 1886. Mrs. Jackson was born in Missouri, March 24, 1860, and is the daughter of Marcus H. and Mary Dodson. When she was two years old the family came to California, and settled in El Do- rado County, where she was principally raised. Mr. Jackson is a member of Florin Lodge, Nc. 130, P. of H., and of the Elk Grove Lodge, No. 274, I. O. O. F., having joined the lodge in 1887.

DWARD HEALEY, rancher, was born in England, July 28, 1826, son of John and Betsy (Kershaw) Healey, cloth mannfac- turers. Young Edward learned the trade of a carder, then became time-keeper on a railroad. In 1851 he emigrated to America, landing at Boston, where he was again railroad time- keeper, employed by an uncle for about eleven months. In the fall of 1851 he came to Cali- fornia by way of Cape Horn and the Sandwich Islands, being six months on the journey, and arriving in San Francisco in November. The first three months he followed gold-mining in the Big Ravine near Auburn; the next two years he was mining on Johnstown Creek, El Dorado County, with moderate success, say about $5 a day; thence he went to Ford's Bar, where he was engaged when the rise of the river drove them out. His company took out $10,000 in four months. Then he came down into Sac- ramento County and purchased a tract of land at $3.50 an acre, on the Daylor's portion of the Sheldon grant, and commenced buying fine cows, with reference to stock-raising, etc. By

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the great flood of 1856 he lost ninety head of cattle, besides fences and 30,000 feet of Inmber. The grown cows had cost him on an average abont 850 a head. He continued ranching until 1863, when he went into the mercantile busi- ness at Sheldon, where he still has a nice little store. In 1869 he sold one ranch, and the last one, which he had greatly improved, he sold to Mr. Kelley in 1878. He purchased his present property in 1882. It is located on the line of the Sheldon grant, eighteen miles from Sacra- mento. In 1853 Mr. Healey returned to Georgia and married Emilina Killingsworth, a native of Atlanta, that State. They have six children, four of whom are living: John E., born in 1854; Mary, born in 1857, and died while an infant; Mary A., wife of James Peer- less (deceased), of Sacramento; Jeunie, now Mrs. George Stillson, of Florin; Joseph, at Elk Grove; Emma, who was born June 5, 1866, and is her father's main support,-housekeeper, business agent, etc. Her mother died in 1868, at the age of forty-four years.

OHN HERINGA was born March 16, 1819, in the province of Groningen, Holland, his parents being Peter and Geertje. The latter died when John was but seven years of age, and the for ner died two years later, in 1829. In the family which survived them were two chil- dren, one son and one danghter. They both lived with their grandmother, but when John was twelve years of age he was bound out to farın work for six months in the adjoining county of Birum, at the expiration of which time he went to live with an uncle in Appinge- dam, and kept a dry-goods store and mannfac- tured woolen goods. He remained with him nine years, and learned his trade (weaving), at which he worked part of the time, and part of the time at farmning. The following nine years he served in the army, then in 1855 he was en- gaged on the police force in the town of Oppen- huezen. While there he met Geertje Joustra,

a native of Oppenhnezen, in Friesland, born January 29, 1835, whom he married in 1857. During the time they lived there they saved $1,100. July 19, 1868, they started for America, sailing from Liverpool and landing in Boston; thence to New York, where they arrived after a voyage of fourteen days. After stopping in New York three days, they took the steamer for Panama, thence to San Francisco, landing September 14, 1868. The next day they came to Sacramento, where a friend and countryman of theirs sold them a small ranch of thirty acres for $600. They also invested $300 in cows and started in the dairy business. Mrs. Heringa, having been reared on a dairy, understood the business thoroughly. They lived there three years, then sold the place for $1,000 and bought their present place, which consists of 160 acres, and is devoted to general farming. They con- tinned the dairy business there and do so still, always having some good milch cows on the ranch. They have made a success of their business, having been industrious and economi- cal. They own a ranch of 160 acres in Lee Township, which is run by their son. They have had six children, viz .: Peter, born Sep- tember 27, 1859; Joseph, October 6, 1861; John, June 12, 1863; Jennie, March 9, 1866, and Charles, December 4, 1877.

HILIP HOGATE GARDINER was born in New Jersey, Angust 29, 1846, son of John W. and Sarah (Hogate) Gardiner, of the New Jersey families of those names. Grand- father Andrew Gardiner died at about the age of seventy, and grandmother Uphan (Dubois) Gardiner, at eighty. Grandfather Hogate lived to be ninety-three. The mother of P. H. Gar- diner died in 1853, but the father, born in An- gust, 1818, is still living in his old home. He paid a visit to his son in 1884, staying abont three months. The subject of this sketch arrived in San Francisco January 1, 1868, and worked abunt a year on a farm in Contra Costa County.

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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