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 81

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 81

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

In 1869 he went to Nevada and spent two years prospecting in the White Pine Mountains, but did not strike anything rich enough to induce him to stay. In the spring of 1871 he returned to he Sacramento Valley and worked a year on a farm near Rio Vista. June 17, 1872, he went to farming on his own account, renting 250 acres on Brannan Island, raising grain and veg- etables. Early in 1875, in partnership with J. F. Wilcox, he built the store he .now occupies, and on March 5 opened it for trade with a stock of general merchandise, under the style of Gar- diner & Wilcox. January 9, 1878, he bought ont his partner and has since done business as P. H. Gardiner. He has been in charge of the postoffice since its establishment, March 13, 1879; was the agent of the California Trans- portation Company for twelve years to January 1, 1887, and is agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express. He was instrumental in establishing a school district for this section, and has been a trustee thereof a good part of the time. He rents a considerable tract of land across the river, on Grand Island, on which he raises horses and cattle. Mr. Gardiner was married July 3, 1878, to Miss Ida Pool, a native of Isleton, daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Free- man) Pool. The father owned 600 acres inclnd- ing the village site, until the spring of 1881, when he lost his property by the floods. He is now living in Arizona, aged fifty-nine. Thomas Freeman is still living, at Linden, San Joaquin County, aged sixty-nine. His brother, Dr. Hugh Freeman, died March 17, 1889, aged seventy-two. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are the parents of three children: Lucretia Garfield, born July 5, 1881; John Wilbur, February 15, 1884; P. H., Jr., February 8, 1886.

EYTON RUSSELL, farmer, Brighton Township, was born December 28, 1818, in Ross County, Ohio, his parents being Lawrence and Mary (Huff) Russell. Ilis father, also a farmer, was a native of Greenbrier County,

Virginia, and his mother was born in Salem, Highland County, Ohio. Lawrence Russell, after his marriage, moved to Ross County, Ohio; next to Warren County, Indiana; and twelve years afterward removed to De Kalb County, Illinois, where he resided from 1841 to 1856, when he died, aged about seventy-one years. His wife died in 1865, at the age of about seventy-two. They had thirteen children, six of whom were sons. Twelve grew up. The name of the deceased were: Matilda, Susan, William, Sarah, Eliza and Rebecca Jane. The living are: John, a prominent farmer in De Kalb County, Illinois; Mary Ann, wife of Rob- ert Robb, in Kansas; Peyton, subject of this sketch; Milton, in Kansas; Harriet, wife of Mr. Luce, in Belvidere, Illinois, and Sanford, also in Kansas. Peyton remained at his paternal home until he was of age, the last three years of this period being the chief assistant of his father. He then went to farming on his own account, on his sister's place near by. The next year he went to Mercer County, Ohio, for three months; theu worked fonr months on the farin of Wil- hoyt & Orr, in Morgan County, Illinois; next, returning to his father's place in indiana, he ac- . companied his father and some other members of the family to De Kalb County, Illinois, where his father had purchased a farm, and worked it for two years. While engaged there, in 1842, he married Elizabeth Carnes, a native of Penn- sylvania, who died in 1844. He then went to Linn County, Iowa, near Cedar Rapids, remain- ing about three months with his mother-in-law; was next a short time in Illinois, eight months in Tennessee, five months in Georgia, four in South Carolina, at a point abont twenty-five miles above Savannah,-at all these places en- gaged in farm work, usually as overseer; was then two years in Florida, and returned by way of New Orleans to Illinois, where he was en- gaged five months on his father's farm; was next six weeks in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, leaving there on account of sickness (bilious fever); then in Texas five months, and finally, by way of New Orleans, leaving there July 7,

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

he came to California by the Nicaragua route, arriving at San Francisco July 31. After look- ing around through several counties here for three months he took a ranch of 160 acres thir- teen miles east of Sacramento, cultivated it two and a half years and sold it. Next he followed butchering three months in Sacramento, sold out, followed the auction business five months, was in Oroville, Butte County, in 1856, three months; in Spanish Town, in the same county, four months; in Oroville again four or five months, and followed mining in that county in 1867-'68. Marrying Margaret O'Shea at Oro- ville, he left the same day for Santa Cruz, and was there three months; returning then to this county, he settled upon his old ranch, which he rented from the owner. A year afterward he rented another ranch, on which he remained a year. In 1860 he bought a quarter-section of land from Dasonville in Brighton Township. In 1874 he purchased his present ranch of 150 acres, upon which he has remained since 1876. For twelve years he had seven acres in orchard, chiefly peaches. He has one child, Mary, by his first wife, and she married William Baker, and resides in Placer County.

HARLES AUGUSTUS RUMAN, orchard- ist at Michigan Bar, was born in Hanover, Germany, April 3, 1839, his parents be- ing Frederick Augustus and Louisa (Römer) Ruman. The father was by business a miller; and of the grandfather, William Ruman, the grandson only remembers that he was quite old. Charles A. Ruman arrived in San Francisco, California, November 15, 1853, direct from Hamburg, the voyage taking seven months, of which, however, about six weeks were spent in repairing the ship at Valparaiso. For the first fifteen years he was occupied in mining and prospecting, the former mostly at Michigan Bar, and the latter over a wide range, even as far as Idaho. For the last twenty years he has been variously engaged. He has raised cattle more

or less since 1867; peddled beer for a time; kept a saloon from 1876 to 1888; a toll-bridge from 1877 to 1879, when he sold out to the county for $1,500; was road overseer and con- stable from 1877 to 1880; established his home on about twelve acres at the village end of the bridge; planted an orchard of about five acres across the river; and' rented some land for pas- ture of his cattle, of which he keeps forty to* fifty head. Mr. Ruman was married in 1868 to Miss Mary Louisa Yager, born in Ohio, June 30, 1849, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Silent) Yager. The father was a baker and confectioner at Delaware, Ohio, and came to California with his family in 1853. The mother died in March, 1885, aged sixty-two; the father, born in February, 1826, is still living in this State. Mr. and Mrs. Ruman are the parents of four sons: Edward Theodore, born January 25, 1869; Louis Augustus and Peter Francis, twins, October 24, 1875; Charles Blaine, Octo- ber 31, 1884.

ILLIAM F. PARKER, deceased, form- erly a farmer, was born in the city of Murfreesborough, Hertford County, North Carolina, February 10, 1826. From 1838 to 1849 he followed the sea, being steward of a ship in the West India trade; also made a few trips to foreign countries. During one of these journeys he came into the port of San Francisco in 1849, stopped here and became cook at Mormon Island for the miners. A year afterward he went upon the old Patterson place, on the American River, and began farming. Although it was a new industry to him, he soon found that he liked it, became enthusiastic in the calling and therefore successful. He pur- chased the present homestead of 320 acres in 1857, and lived there until his death, April 9, 1887. Ilis marriage to Margaret Lindsay was celebrated March 26, 1862. The widow is now conducting the farm. They had four children : Fanny, wife of C. V. Osborne, a prominent

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

teacher in this locality; Alice M., also a teacher here; Dorsey W. and Benjamin J. They lost one daughter, Annie L., at the age of nineteen, in 1883. She was a well educated young lady, having a first-grade certificate for teaching. Mr. Parker was an active member of the Baptist Church, being several years deacon. The church building where he worshipped is situated on his · farm. The society here was once a strong one- He also took great interest in educational mat- ters. Although he was in early life left an orphan and was deprived of a school education, he saw the necessity of such education and did all he could for the cause. He was a jovial and good-natured man, and kind and indulgent in his family. He gave his wife's mother a home to enjoy in her declining years; they were very considerate of each other's welfare. For the · last three years of his life he was an invalid, afflicted with consumption. Mrs. Parker was born in Dearborn County, Indiana, and when she was fifteen years old her father, V. D. Lind- say, died in 1854. In 1861 she came to Cali- fornia with her mother, who died in December, 1872.

OHN N. ANDREWS, merchant, post- master, etc., at Elk Grove, was born in Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Septemher 28, 1829. His father, Collins An- drews, a cabinet-maker by trade, and also a fol- lower of other pursuits, died in Petersham, in his native county, in 1886. He, the father, was born in Pittsford, Rutland County, Ver- mont, married in Massachusetts, and a few years later returned to Vermont, where he lived twelve years, and then spent the remainder of his life in Massachusetts. Just before the last war an Episcopalian minister, Rev. Charles West- ley Andrews, D. D., an uncle of Mr. Andrews, who was a graduate of Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1827, began to admire a Southern lady of Armfield, Clark County, Virginia, named Sarah Walker Page, who was in the pos-

session of $30,000 worth of slaves. They were married on condition that she should liberate these slaves. Some years afterward the direct heirs of the estate brought suit to recover dam- ages on account of such emancipation. At this time the minister was in charge of his church at Shepherdstown, Virginia; he was also an anthor. The suit was at length carried up to the Supreme Court of the United States, which decided against the claimants. This event is said to have been the exciting cause of the great Re- bellion. Collin Andrews was born July 31, 1807, at Pittsford, Vermont. His father was Zelotes Andrews, of Brimfield, Massachusetts, who was born November 25, 1768, and the father of three sons and two daughters. Col- lins resided at Petersham, Massachusetts, where he was a magistrate and mechanic. He had five sons: Alonzo, Lorenzo, John Nichols, Charles Herman and James Curran. Alonzo and James Curran are not living. Lorenzo is now secretary of the State Board of Health of Iowa, and residing at Des Moines; Charles is living on the home place in Massachusetts. The ancestry of the Andrews family is a noted one, and traces its history back to England. The earliest ancestor now known was William An- drews, a native of Hampsworth, England, and shipped about the 6th of April, 1635, from Hampton, England, with some fifty-three others, many of whom had wives and children with them. From 1643 he had a family of eight persons, not including servants. In 1639 he was chosen one of twelve to select the seven pil- lars of the church to order its foundation. He was one of the sixty-three who met in Elder Robert Newman's barn, which stood on the site of Noalı Webster's place, and who formed the constitution of Quinnipac, or New Haven col- ony. In 1643 his estate was valued at £150. He was a carpenter by trade, and in 1664 he contracted to build a brick meeting-house for the New Haven colony, and furnish the brick. Some of the tools brought from England were in 1871, and are possibly yet, in the possession of some of his descendants at East Haven, Con-

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

nectient. William Andrews was the progen- itor of a numerons race of industrious and respectable people, some of whom are highly distinguished. John Nichols Andrews, at the age of nineteen years, left home for California. Leaving New York city April 17, on the steamer Crescent City, within eight days he reached Chagres; waited on the Isthmus nearly a month, and arrived in San Francisco June 13, 1849, on the steamer Oregon, on her second trip. Going to Smith's Bar, on the American River, he fol- lowed mining there for a short time, when the scurvy and Panama fever seized him with con- siderable violence, and he came to this city and for about two months lay under a tree at the foot of K street, with no relative or acquaint- ance to attend upon him. On recovery he re- snmed his trade here, that of tinsmith. Late in the fall he became sick again, and while con- fined to his bed the flood came, and he exerted himself sufficiently to get on board the steamer Senator and go to San Francisco, the passage fare being $32; he had but $30. Friends took care of him there, and in a few days he was well. Trying his luck again at mining, on the Sonth Yuba River, he had a little success, and he returned to Sacramento and remained here until 1872, engaged in engraving and other mechanical pursnits. He lost more or less in all the fires and floods occurring during that period: in 1853 he lost everything by flood and fire. In 1872 he obtained an appointment as agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany at Elk Grove, and also as postmaster and as agent for the Wells-Fargo Express Company. He has been here ever since, engaged in general merchandise, and still holding official positions, notwithstanding the special efforts of the Democrats against "offensive partisans:" he is a Republican. In 1861 or 1862, during the war, a company of sharpshooters was organized at Sacramento by Colonel Ed R. Hamilton, who was then elected captain, and William M. Sid- dons, First Lieutenant, and J. N. Andrews, Second Lieutenant. Mr. Andrews was married il Sacramento, May 8, 1867, to Miss Jennie,

daughter of Findley McClelland, of Scotch de- scent, and they have had three children, daugh- ters, of whom only one is living-Nellie Melita, born July 2, 1868. The others were May Eliza- beth, who died in Elk Grove at the age of seven years, and one died in infancy.

MARIAH JOHNSON was born about nine miles from Paris, Illinois, in 1823, the third son of his father, Isaac Johnson, who, thirteen years later, moved with his family to Iowa, where he was a farmer. When Ama- riah grew to manhood, he learned the trade of carpenter and builder with his two elder brothers at Fort Madison, Iowa. In 1844 he began business for himself at Fort Madison. He went to St. Louis a year later and worked with Messrs. Whitehall & Weston and with II. H. Wright, remaining in that city till Jannary, 1850. When Fremont came to California in 1845, our sub- ject tried to get into his party, but was too late, every place being filled. In December, 1849, his father and younger brother came on to St. Louis with a party of nine others, all bound for California. He joined them, leaving St. Louis on the 4th of Jannary, 1850. They were unable to get tickets but secured passage to the month of the Rio Grande, on the steamer Globe. They then came via Fort Brown (now Brownsville); then, following the route taken by General Tay- lor up the Rio Grande, they packed 1,300 miles across to the coast; there they engaged a sailing vessel and came up the coast, landing at San Francisco on the 28th of March. Our subject came on to Sacramento, thence to Marysville, and finally to the mines on the Ynba. After a varied mining experience there and on the Feather River, he took a contract to erect a hospital building at Nevada City and then came to Sacramento, arriving just after the squatter riots, and secured employment on the Orleans building, then in course of construction. He, however, soon started business on his own ac- count, locating his shops on the site now occu-

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

pied by the yards of the Sacramento Lumber Company, on Second street, where he was caught by the great fire of 1852, by which he lost abont $5,000. He soon started again, however, this time on Fourth street, between K and L, and, taking in William Shumaker as partner, con- tinued in the business for many years. In 1857 he made a trip home to Fort Madison, Iowa, and was there married, June, 1858, to Miss Eliza Jane, daughter of John S. Kennedy; im- mediately afterward he started with his bride for the far West. He bought property on N street and built his family residence, twenty- two years ago, where he has resided ever since. He has one son, Howard; and one daughter, Kate E., wife of Dr. Reid.

OHN W. RICHMOND, a pioneer dairy- man, and the proprietor of Richmond Grove, one of the pleasantest resorts of Sacramento, was born at Churchville, about fourteen miles from Rochester, New York, August 24, 1818. His father, Billings Richi- inond, was a native of Woodstock, Connecticut, and when a young man went to Monroe County New York, for the purpose of teaching school. There he bought fifty acres of land. Returning home the following year, he married Miss Susan Willey, a native of Massachusetts, and became one of the first settlers of the village of Church- ville, Monroe County. He was a stock and wheat raiser, and dealer in cattle, and also a woolen-mill owner. John W., the subject of this sketch, learned the trade of wool-carding and cloth-dressing; and when he became of age his father gave him and his older brother an in- terest in the mill. He afterward ran a woolen mill at Bloomfield, a half interest in which was owned by his uncle. This mill was burned in 1847; and in 1848 he went to Illinois for a drove of cattle, and took them to Boston for sale. In the spring of 1850, in company with his brother Henry, he started for California, by way of the Isthmus, in the steamer Ohio At

Panama they were compelled to wait four weeks for the arrival of the steamer Northerner, Captain Bob Waterman, who had come around Cape Horn; and upon board of that vessel they ar- rived at San Francisco, August 16, 1850. The brother, who was a blacksmith by trade, re- mained in San Francisco, while he, John, came on to Sacramento and obtained employment in a livery stable at $5 a day. He and his brother had brought eighty pairs of kip boots with them to California, and the latter made a trip to the Shasta mines, where he worked at min- ing during the week, and selling out the stock during Sundays at $16 a pair. He returned to Sacramento, bringing $600 as the proceeds. In the meantime he had saved np some money. and he and his brother concluded to invest their means in a dairy. Buying three poor "immigrant" cows at $100 apiece, they fur- nished hotels, etc., with milk, for which they received $3 per gallon. Their stock increased, as did also the price of the milk, for which they at one time received not less than $1 a quart. They sold eggs at the rate of $3 per dozen. In 1851 Mr. Richmond, the subject of this sketch, bought a pre-emption claim and fourteen cows, of Smith & Bradley. This land was within what is now the city limits, and included the Richmond Grove property. In the fall of 1853 he went East, and during the month of May following married Miss Julia A., daughter of Merritt Moore, a merchant, and the next spring . came with his wife to California. Purchasing his brother's interest in the pre-emption claim, and in the stock, etc., he continued in the dairy business. His present fine residence at 1818 P street was built in the sninmer of 1884. Mr. Richmond was a Democrat up to the day that Fort Sumter was fired upon, since which time he has been an ardent Republican. In his so- ciety relations he has helped to build several churches; been both a Freemason and an Odd Fellow, but he has not affiliated with these orders since coming to the coast. His only liv- ing child, a daughter, is now the wife of A. K. Tower, of Buffalo, New York. His first wife

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

died in 1857; and in 1864 he married Elizabeth A. Cornwell, of Warsaw, New York. They had one child, Hattie, who died when only two years old.

ETER TIETJENS, of Sacramento, was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1823. His father, a ship carpenter in the English serv- ice, died in 1841. His mother's maiden name was Maria Schroder. They had seven children, two of whom were boys. One of these, George, was a scafaring man. One of the daughters, Teresa, is an eminent musician, well known as a singer in the great operas, as Lucretia Borgia, etc. Another daughter was a resident of New Orleans when Peter came to this country, land- ing at that point to join her. He left Hamburg April 27, 1846, and reached New Orleans in sixty-three days. Having learned the trade of cigar-maker in Hamburg and Bavaria, he re- sumed that business in the Crescent City for three years. During the cholera siege there he . went to Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Returning to the old country he married in December, 1852, Miss Maria Schlink, a na- tive of Gutenberg, South Germany. In the fall of 1854 he started again for the land of golden opportunity, and, sailing from Bremen, landed at San Francisco in October, 1855. Coming on immediately to Sacramento, where his sister, Mrs. John Bell, was residing, he established a saloon on K street, between Fourth and Fifth, which he conducted until 1870. Mrs. Tietjens died in 1887. Their daughter Marie is a mnu- sician, who has spent several years in Europe in pursuit of her musical studies.

EORGE THOMAS CARR was born in Merrimac County, New Hampshire, June 18, 1837, his parents being Thomas Tyler and Caroline (Connor) Carr, both of the same connty and State. Thomas Tyler Carr was the

son of John Carr, and was the youngest of his family of five children, viz .: Samuel, Abigail, Almira, Emma and Thomas Tyler. He grew up on the old homestead and made his home there before and after his father died, living to - see his children g. ow up to manhood and woman. hood. He died at the home of his son Frank, February, 1889, and his wife died there in the fall of 1876. They had six sons and two daugh- ters, viz .: Philip A., born August 15, 1833, died Marclı 22, 1844; John A., born May 30, 1835, resident in Boston, Massachusetts ; George, born June 18, 1837; Thomas T., born April 2, 1839, resident in Texas; Frank H., born Feb- ruary 4, 1841, resident in New Hampshire, near the old homestead; Charles, born July 10, 1845, who was wounded in the Shenandoah Valley, and died from the effects of it November 24, 1864; Caroline E., born January 27, 1849, resident in Concord, New Hampshire; and Helen B., born June 27, 1851, died about 1878. George T. Carr, subject of this sketch, was raised on a farm. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-oue years of age, then went to work on a neighboring farm; he was after- ward engaged at a sash, door and blind factory, at North Ware, till the war broke out in 1861. In April of that year, he enlisted in the United States Navy as a landsman on the receiving ves- sel Vermont, subject to a draft to supply crew for different vessels in the service. He re- mained there but a short time and was then drafted and placed on the United States sailing vessel Supply, which was fitted ont with an arın- anent similar to that of any other man-of-war. Their business duty was to carry provisions and necessaries to other vessels stationed on block- ade. He served one year when he was dis- charged, his time being up. Ile returned home, where he stayed until the next April, when he started for California. He lett New York on the 1st, came via Panama and arrived in San Francisco after a voyage of twenty-eight days. He went to work on a farm in Marin County, remaining there until June; thence to Austin, Nevada, and worked at farming there about two

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

years. He then went to work in the mines, still working for wages, and followed that pur- snit for nearly a year. He next came to Saera- mento County and bought 680 acres on the Lagoon, just below Buckeye Valley. In 1875 he sold that place and purchased a ranch of 700 acies on the Cosumnes River, three miles south of Elk Grove; he afterward sold 500 acres, and the remaining 200 form the ranch on which he makes his home. He has improved it greatly, and the fine appearance which it offers to all passers by is entirely due to his skill and indus- try. His fine new residence was erected at a cost of $3,000. Mr. Carr cast his first presi- dential vote for Abraham Lincoln, in the fall of 1860, and since that time has always acted with the Republican party. He was united in mar- riage on the 14th day of February, 1872, to Eliza Coppin, a native of Canada; they have six children, viz .: Charles C., Caroline E., George, Eliza, John and Gracie.

HARLES FREDERICK TRASK, an orchardist and rancher of Franklin Town- ship, on the Sacramento River, about twenty-six miles below the city, was born in Mobile, Alabama, February 24, 1847, his parents being Charles Frederick and Jane C. (French) Trask. The father was a native of Massachu- etts of the carly-settled New England family of that name. Grandfather Manasseh Trask died at Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1863, aged eighty- one, and his mother reached the remarkable age of 101. Her husband, the father of Manasseh, fought in the Revolution. George Trask, a brother of the elder C. F. Trask, was a well- known temperance lecturer and writer who died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1879. C. F. Trask, Sr., was a captain in the merchant marine service, his vessel being owned in Boston. Among the experiences of his career as sea- captain was the barbarous treatment by pirates on the southeastern coast of Africa, who cut off his ears in the vain effort to wrest from him the

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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