USA > California > San Joaquin County > An illustrated history of San Joaquin County, California. Containing a history of San Joaquin County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
LATHROP,
nine miles south of Stockton, was started by the railroad company " through spite at Stock- ton, because this city refused to grant the right of way through its plat." They built a large hotel, placing it in charge of H. A. Bloss, and laid the land out into blocks and advertised them for sale on a certain day. The overland trains which had been stopping in Stockton twenty minutes for meals, since then have stopped at Lathrop. Soon afterward they began the con- struction of a railroad down the valley front Lathrop, this being the Southern Pacific; and they also erected a round-house and machine shops in this locality.
The place was probably named after Ariel Lathrop, of San Francisco, one of the directors of the railroad company, and is beautifully situated. It is particularly a railroad town, as it is almost exclusively made up of railroad hands, being the end of divisions, and thus con- stituting a kind of headquarters for the men, of whom it is said there are about 500 making their home here .. The more permanent popu- lation numbers something over 300. Twelve passenger trains and forty-four freight trains arrive at or pass this point daily. The switch engine is run busily day and night. The Visalia division runs to Tulare and Los Angeles, and the twenty-mile branch to Modesto is a part of the old contemplated overland route to New Orleans.
The most prominent Protestant religious de- nomination here is that of the " Progressive
Brethren," known as "Dunkards," originally "Tunkers," this word signifying dippers. This word refers to baptism, in the administration of which they practice what is called "trine im- mersion," dipping the subject three times, one time for each name (person) in the triune God- head. In reference to war, oaths, worldly dis- play, etc., they are like the Quakers. Five members of this organization found their way into this county in the fall of 1860. In the fall of 1862 they held their first communion meeting in a grove on the east side of the San Joaquin river, where the Southern Pacific Rail- road bridge now crosses it. At that meeting the first organization in the county of this de- nomination was perfected, with George Wolfe as elder, Felix Senger for minister, and Jacob Wolfe and Henry Haines as deacons, and four- teen members. Mr. Wolfe, now deceased, first located on the San Joaquin river, three miles south of Lathrop.
At present the church numbers perhaps about seventy members, and meet in a union house of worship in the central portion of Lathrop, a neat frame structure, 30 x 60 feet in size, built eight or nine years ago, at a cost of about $2,000. H. Holsinger and a Mr. Bear have been elders; the present elder is Mr. Wolfe, son of George Wolfe, the pioneer of the church here.
The Catholic congregation at Lathrop was established in May, 1887, by priests from Stock- ton. The same year a good frame house of worship was erected, 50 x 100 feet in dimen- sions, at a cost of $1,500. Mass, however, had been held here from time to time previously. There are about 300 Catholics worshiping in Lathrop, meeting the third Sunday of each month. Rev. W. B. O'Connor, of Stockton, is the pastor.
There is a prosperous lodge of Knights of Pythias at Lathrop.
For the public school there is a neat, new frame building, in which two teachers are em- ployed.
In Lathrop are three hotels and two restaur-
201
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
ants. The two general stores are kept by Joseph Geraty and Mr. Sanguinetti, and Scar lett & Howland are the principal grocers.
A stock company has commenced to sink an artesian well in the southwestern part of the village, which already furnishes fifty ininers' inches of water and some gas.
At one time D. H. Berdine & Co., of Stock- ton, published the Lathrop Junction, and in 1888 a Mr. Bradley, also of Stockton, estab- lished and ran for a few months the Railroad Journal, which had a considerable amount of advertising and seemed to do well.
TRACY
is a busy, ambitious little village, about twelve miles southwest of Lathrop, at the junction of the Martinez and Livermore (or Niles) branches of the railroad, and was started in 1878 by the removal of Ellis to this point, at the time the junction was made by the building of the Martinez branchı. The "West Side" railroad, standard gauge, it is said will soon be built by the Southern Pacific Company, from Goshen, on the main line, by way of Los Banos, to Tracy. When this is completed, an eating- house will be established at this point, and pos- sibly many trains will be made up here that are now made up at Lathrop. The branch to Los Banos is about sixty miles in length, and twenty- two miles of this is already built.
In Tracy there are now three large hotels. The Tracy Hotel is conducted by Edward Wachsmuth, who has been in the hotel busi- ness since 1871. The San Joaquin House is inanaged by C. Ludwig, and he lias had that since 1872. The Castle House was built during the summer of 1889, by Thomas Castle.
The greatest fire that ever occurred in Tracy was in 1879, which destroyed two stores and Castle's old hotel building, which he liad re- moved from Ellis.
One of the principal business enterprises of Tracy is John Hay's manufactory of harvesters, which he has been running ever since the vil- lage was established. Faebian & Levinsky liave
a store and warehouse, who are the largest shippers, the principal exports being grain and live-stock.
The Catholics of Tracy, served by priests from Stockton the last Sunday of each month, erected a frame church building in 1887, at an expenditure of about $1,800.
The Presbyterian church at Tracy was or- ganized probably in 1886, with only three or four members; there are now about fifteen. In the fall of that year they built a house of wor- ship, at an expense of over $2,000. The elders are J. M. Kerlinger and J. G. Dean. A Sun- day-school is maintained. The congregation is served by Rev. J. N. Hubbard, the installed pastor, who has been a resident here for four- teen years.
The Methodists held meetings at this point long before the town was started. Rev. August Lemkau, who preached both in English and German, organized the first class here. There are now about twenty members, consisting of both English-speaking and German Methodists, who united in 1887, and are now led by Judge W. B. Hay. They meet in the Presbyterian church, and Rev. G. J. Jaiser, of Stockton, is their present pastor.
A Lutheran minister from San Francisco, named Koenig, preaches in Tracy once a month.
Sumner Lodge, No. 177, I. O. O. F., was first instituted in Ellis in 1871, with about sixty- eight or sixty-nine members. Since then the number has been even greater, but there are about sixty-eight now, and the lodge is in good financial condition. First officers: H. L. Ather .. ton, N. G .; Martin Lammers, V. G .; Edward Wachsmuth, Sec. The first hall in which they met was burned down, and a neat wood build- ing was substituted, which they moved to Tracy and enlarged. The present officers are: Peter Smith, N. G .; George Luhrsen, V. G., and William Schult, Sec. The lodge ineets every Saturday night.
West Side Lodge, No. 118, K. of P., was in- stituted March 10, 1885, with about twenty- eight members. The first officers were: Mar-
202
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
tin Loomis, P. C. C .; C. Ludwig, C .; J. S. Moulton, V. C .; William Schult, Prel .; Will- iam Pruser, Treas. The present are: William Ahlen, C. C .; Charles Canale, V. C .; William
Schult, Prel .; William Pruser, Treas .; D. A. Buschke, Sec. There are now forty-four mem- bers, who meet Tuesday evenings in Odd Fel- lows' Hall.
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
203
TO
IPS
CHAPTER XV.
OST of our notes concerning the early history of the various townships are taken from Thompson & West's History.
CASTORIA
Township, when first formed in 1853, included all of what is known as Dent, except a small strip on the northeast corner. It was bounded as follows: Commencing at the junction of the French Camp creek, with the San Joaquin river; thence easterly along French Camp creek to the Oregon ranch, or at a point where the French Camp and Littlejohn creek crosses the section lines betweeen sections 21 and 22, township 71 north, range 9 east, about one mile southeast of Farmington ; thence in a southeasterly direction to the east line of the county, one-half mile south of township line dividing townships 1 and 2 south ; thence in a direct southeast line to the Stanis- laus river, at a point about one and a half miles outside of the present county limits; thence westerly, along the Stanislaus river, to its junc- tion with the San Joaquin; thence up to the San Joaquin to place of commencement.
When Dent was set off, in 1859, a large portion of the territory was taken from Cas- toria, and, after the county lost to Stanislaus a portion of her area, Castoria was forced again to yield more of her acres to the jurisdiction of Dent, its boundaries at this time being, on
the north by O'Neil, on the west by the San Joaquin river, on the south by the Stanislaus river, and on the east by Dent. The line be- tween ranges 7 and 8 was the line of division between these two townships, it being the cen- ter township on the south line of the county.
In the early part of 1828 a company of French trappers, under the command of John McLeod, who met with disaster later near the river bearing his name in Northern California, being the employés of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, visited the San Joaquin valley on a trap- ping expedition, and camped for a while on the south side of what is known as French Camp slough, at the place where the village of that name is situated. From this event the creek or water-course, as well as the locality where they stopped, had the name French prefixed.
It was a rule of the Hudson Bay Company, who were very strict in their discipline, never to allow their trappers to approach too near civilization. The Santa Clara inission and Yerba Buena (San Francisco) were the frontier settle- inents of the Spanish, and the nearest post to civilization that the Hudson Bay Company had was at French Camp. From 1830 to 1845 they had a trapping here during the trapping season; consequently Castoria can claim in point of time the front rank among the places where white men first inade their temporary liomes.
204
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
About a year before the trappers abandoned the country, David Kelsey settled at French Camp. See Chapter II. In the fall of 1846 the Mormons made an attempt at settlement. About thirty of them came up the San Joaquin river in a schooner, landing on the east bank, near where the railroad crosses, and then went over the country to the north bank of the Stan- islaus river, to a point about one and one-half miles from its mouth, where a location had been previously selected by Samuel Brannan, under whose orders the settlers were acting. The party, all of whom were well armed with rifles and revolvers, had come intending to stay. The little schooner that brought them, the first probably that ever ascended the San Joaquin river, was loaded with wheat, a wagon and implements necessary to fonnd a settlement and put in a erop.
They soon completed a log-house, after the Western style, covered with oak shingles, made on the ground; they erected a Pulgas redwood saw-mill, and sawed the boards from oak logs, with which to lay the floor.
As soon as the house was built they com- menced plowing the ground, sowing wheat and fencing it in. By the middle of January, 1847, they had eighty acres sowed and enclosed. The fence was made by cutting down and cutting np oak trees, rolling the butts and large pieces into a line and covering them with the limbs. The native Californians inade most of their fences, which were few, in the same manner.
While this settlement was being made and crops pnt in, the company became dissatisfied with their leader Stout; he was unpopular. When the sowing had been done and the land fenced in, he essayed to make them a speech, substantially as follows:
" Now, boys, we have got through putting in our crop, and have got it fenced in; now go to work each of you and select a good farm of 160 acres, and make out the boundaries; we will go to work and put up houses, one at a time, so that by the time the crop is ready to harvest, you will all have your houses and farms. But I
selected this place; this house and this farm is mine."
The latter part of this speech culminated the hostile feeling which had been growing against him; and Samnel Brannan was sent for, to hear their grievances. He came and held a church meeting, at which a resolution was introduced, and adopted with great unanimity, setting apart and dedicating that house and farm to the use of the twelve Mormon Apostles. A few days afterward Stout abandoned the settlement and never returned. This was the first permanent set- tlement in the great San Joaquin valley. A man by the name of Lindsay had before built a hut, where Stockton now stands, but the Indians burned his hut and killed him.
The Indians never troubled the Mormon col- ony; but the latter were always on the alert, and a picket gnard was kept around the house nightly.
The only provisions sent up for the colony were ground wheat, sugar and coffee. All else had to be procured with the rifle; ineat enough could be got in three hours by one man, to last the colony a week. To grind their wheat they had a mnill with steel plates, instead of buhrs, driven with a crank, by hand; the wheat was cut or ground up, but not bolted. Every man had to grind his own wheat, make his own bread and coffee and cook his own meat. But little washing or house-cleaning was done.
The winter of 1846-'47 was very wet and stormy. The river, under the influence of the rain, rose and fell very rapidly; eight feet an hour on the perpendicular was marked. About the middle of January, 1847, the river over- flowed its banks, and the whole country was under water for miles in every direction. The San Joaquin river was three miles wide opposite Corral Hollow. This was discouraging to the settlers, and as the original incentive no longer urged them forward, the enterprise was aban- doned, after digging their first meagre crop of potatoes, that were found to be rotten in the center; and Mr. Buckland, who afterward bnilt the Buckland "House in San Francisco, was the
205
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
last of the little colony to leave the place. W. H. Fairchild, since a county supervisor, re- moved him to Stockton in November, 1847. The balance of the colony had gone to the lower country, but when the gold excitement broke out they concentrated at what is now known as Mormon Island, and worked the mines, deposit- ing their dust with Sam Brannan, "in the name of the Lord;" and it is said when they wanted their money he told them he would be happy to honor a check signed by the Lord; until such was presented he should be obliged, in order to protect himself, to keep the funds.
In May, 1851, Henry Grissim took up the land abandoned by the Mormons, not supposing he was ranching the lost site of Stanislaus City, the naine given by the Mormons to their lo- cation; he, in turn, sold to W. H. Lyon, and Lyon sold to H. B. Underhill. Succeeding the trappers in 1845 came the Mornion settlement on the Stanislaus river, their abandonment in 1847, the discovery of gold in January, 1848, and the establishment of Doak & Bonsell's ferry in the fall of that year; and in August of 1849 Colonel P. W. Noble and A. Stevenson took possession of the old French camp-ground. They kept a public-honse as well as store; they were merchandising also at Mariposa, making French Canıp the depot of supplies. These gentlemen eventually dissolved partnership, and Mr. Stevenson moved to the mnouthi of the Mer- ced river. These gentlemen were the first white men to occupy any portion of Castoria after the abandonment by the Mormons.
The selection of that point so early for a stand for a hotel and store was due to the fact that Castoria, as well as Dent, has in the main a sandy soil, and the teamsters, in going from Stockton to Mariposa, found a passable road by way of French Camp in the wet seasons.
Up to December, 1849, Noble and Steplien- son were the only residents of Castoria. In that montlı Le Barron & Co. started business in French Camp, the members of the firm being Horatio Le Barron, E. H. Allen, E. W. Atwood, W. S. Belden and Thomas Wilson. N. Mc-
Kinstry commenced merchandising at the same time in that place. About the same time a German kept a public-house on the French Camp road, at a place known as Dutch Point; lie sold in 1851 or 1852 to Benniden & Jenks, who sold in 1853 to Cutler Salmon, where he still lives; the place was finally closed against the public in 1870.
Dr. Conac planted a garden liere in 1850, and continued the business for about five years, when he moved to Stockton.
Immediately after the arrival and starting of business by the Le Barron firm, Mr. Atwood began the navigation of the French Camp slough in a yawl that would carry about 1,500 pounds of freighit and four or five passengers. The first trip from Stockton was made by the little craft with goods for Mckinstry, and cost that gentleman $115. Freights were five cents per pound, and a passenger would be accommo- dated for $5. The enterprise resulted in adding $3,000 to the profits of the company during that winter.
In 1850 Lansing & Shell started a hotel and store. A man by the name of Earl, believing in the future of the then thriving little village, erected a house for his employés, and then built a bakery and blacksmith shop; but 1850 was a dry year, and business was dull; what little there was went mostly to Stockton, and Mr. Earl was forced to suspend.
The first preaching was at the residence of Colonel James Lansing, in 1850, in the village; from that time until the spring of 1851 services were held in private houses. That spring a school-house was built by subscription, some of the Stockton people contributing to the enter- prise; it was the second school-house erected in the county; the first having been built in Stock- ton. It was one-story high, and was calculated for a town-house and place for any kind of public gathering, also being used for church purposes. In 1852 another story was added for the Sons of Temperance to use as a hall; since tlien twelve feet liave been added to its length, and to-day it stands the oldest school building in the county.
206
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
In the winters of 1851-'52 and 1853, Frencli Camp was a lively place. There were two hotels, the Frenchi Camp Hotel and the Brighton House, four wholesale stores that also did a re- tail business, two hay yards and five restaurants. At one time five lines of stages stopped at the French Camp Hotel for their passengers to eat, and it was not an uncommon thing to feed 100 at a meal.
From 1853 until 1862 business declined be- cause of the facility the improved condition of the roads gave for entering Stockton; the flood of 1862 revived matters again for a season, but it was only temporary, and things relapsed un- til, finally, we have the result in the present status of the hamlet of French Camp, which it will remain until the end of the chapter.
DENT.
In the general change of township boundaries that was made by the supervisors February 17, 1859, a township was sandwiched in between Emory and Castoria, taking a part of both, hav- ing an area of twelve miles in width from east to west, and being bounded on the south by the Stanislaus river, and on the north by Douglass Township, the division being by east and west section lines two miles north of the Mt. Diablo base line.
Precisely one year afterward the Legislature divided the township in the center by a north and south line, giving the parts equally to San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, and leaving Dent a strip of land only three miles wide and eleven miles long, in the southeast corner of the county. August 26, 1864, the present bound- aries were established: Commencing at the east line of the county two miles north of the Mt. Diablo base line; thence running west parallel with the base line twelve miles to the northwest corner of section 30, township 1 north and range 8 east; thence south to the Stanislaus river; thence up the river to the southeast cor- ner of the county; thence northi on the east line of the county to the place of beginning.
The township was named after George Dent,
a brother-in-law of General U. S. Grant, who resided at Knights's Ferry.
In September, 1850, there were but three houses between Stockton and the Stanislaus river, on the present Mariposa road, and only two houses in the area of what is now Dent Township. One of these was at Heath & Emory's ferry, which was the first built in the Township; the next to be erected was by George Kerr; Dr. L. R. Chialiners building the third. The Heath & Emory ferry became a part of Stanislaus County in 1860, at which time a part of Doug- lass and Dent and the whole of Emory town- ships were severed from San Joaquin County. Heath, Emory and Kerr all are now dead:
The first road from Stockton to Heath & Em- ory's ferry, by the way of Dr. Chalmers' ranch, was in 1851. The Doctor laying out the same, procured the passage of a few Government wagons over it, and the route was established. The houses on the road were, first Dr. Chalmers', then Kerr's, then the Fifteen-Mile House, and finally the ferry.
In 1850 Mr. Crow settled on the Stanislaus river. He was in the stock business, but fenced in some land in 1851, and planted some pota- toes, and sowed some barley. It was a dry year, and the potatoes failed, and the barley was cut for hay, which was worth five cents per pound. In 1850-'51 thiis county was used mostly for grazing purposes. The game was plentiful, and in Dent Township was a band of wild horses. Dr. Chalmers, after nearly a week's effort, suc- ceeded in corralling some, but could do nothing with them, and was forced to turn them loose. In 1852 Dr. Chalmers plowed some land, and was laughed at for being so foolish as to think of raising crops on that soil; but the harvest produced seventy bushels of barley to the acre, and there was no longer a doubt in regard to the productiveness of the land.
There were comparatively no fences in those times, and stock had free range over the country. Wash. Trahern, Heath & Emory, George Islip and Nat. Harrold were stock-raisers, and their herds ranged through Dent in 1852-'53. The
207
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
bunch blue grass, that was plentiful in the country, was much better than the wild oats for stock; the filaria grass came first to this section with the Mexican cattle. It was not an un- usual sight in 1852, and as late as 1858, to see grazing on the plains in Dent, wild horses, the remnants of the vast herds of former times. Grizzly bears were to be seen there in the bot- toms on the river as late as 1856; one weigh- ing 900 pounds was killed within one-fourth of a mile of the " old Zinc House " that year.
The Zinc House was built in the early part of 1850 for a hotel. It was none of your home- made establishments; it was imported from New York. It did not cover quite as much territory as the famous ox hide of Queen Dido, yet it took in an area of 12 x 16 feet ont of the wet. It had one room that was seven feet high. (Bnt few people inhabited the country at that time bnt could stand up in it.) E. Allen, of Stock- ton, was the happy man that brought this early prodigy around Cape Horn, and landed it at Stock- ton, paying for this frontier luxury (probably as a sort of penance for the delay) one dollar for every year that had elapsed since Christ was born; that was $1,850. It was seventeen miles from Stockton, and in 1852 it was the only house on the road between French Camp and Heath & Emory's ferry. It was the stage station, where changes of animals were made, and that year there had been a reduction in fare at this hotel. The traveler whose pockets were smiling with gold dust could get a pie for $1.00, or regular meal for the same money; "he paid his money and took his choice."
In that spring there was a flood, and things were generally damp; the roads had been sounded, and bottom occasionally found. Wagons and teams stuck in the mud, and teamsters were obliged to lay up for two or three months, to give the country a chance to settle down for business. During that winter Reynolds & McCloud put on an opposition line of stages from Stockton to Mariposa and Sonora; they ran on a time table adjusted by the condition of the weather and its attendant results. When
the stage did go, however, it passed by the Zinc House on the lower road, for the " slough of despond " was a pleasure resort compared with the route over the direct Mariposa road, on the adobe land, in early days, during a wet winter season. Mr. Wagner rented the old Zinc House in October, 1852, for five months, giving $800, but stopped rent soon, by buying the place, and seven years later, " when old things had become new" in the country, he erected on the old site a new frame building.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.