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 32
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San Joaquin City was started in the fall of 1849, and at times hoped to be the head of navigation and the rival of Stockton.
Wickland was commenced on Old river in 1861, a half inile from Mehr's landing place, where vessels floated away the coal taken from the inines in Corral Hollow. When Ellis was established as a railroad station many houses of Wickland were removed to that place, and when in 1879 Tracy was started Ellis in turn moved there.
Bantas is a railroad station between Lathrop and Tracy, about four miles west of the San Joaquin river and on very low ground. Large quantities of grain are shipped at this point.
Bethany is a station on the main line of the railroad seven miles northwest of Tracy.
Burnett is a point three miles west of French Camp.
UNION
Township was created from Elkhorn territory May 7, 1861, and so named in regard to the great Union of States which the people were then called upon to defend, the civil war just then being inaugurated. Twenty-seven days afterward her sister township, Liberty, was named from a similar motive. The boundary lines of the township were established by the Board of Supervisors as follows: Commencing at the north line of O'Neil Township at its inter- section with the line between ranges five and six cast; thence nortli on said range line to thie Mokelumne river; thence down said river to the county line of San Joaquin; thence following the San Joaquin river to the northwest corner of O'Neil Township; thence following the north line of said township to the place of beginning.
William S. Wasley was appointed justice, and R. S. Snapp constable until the next election.
May 18, 1867, a strip from the east side one
mile wide was set off to Elkhorn township, ex- cept sections 13, 24, 25 and 36, Township 4 north, range 5 east. A small portion of this strip was taken back again in 1872. April 1, 1878, the State Legislature added Staten (form- erly Elk) island to this county, and thereby to Union Township.
Among thie early settlers of Union, whose coming to the county dates back to 1850, are found the names of Thomas, Alex. and Henry Moore. They settled in what is known as the Pocket; were cattle dealers, and remained only about six months. One of them now lives in Oakland, and one in San Francisco, and one was murdered at or near Santa Paula, Ventura County, California, in 1877. J. B. Lewis, also a stock-raiser, was of the number. He was mnr- dered on the 4th of July, 1860, by a stranger named Crawford, while sitting at a table in a saloon called the "Snug."
William and Robert Poor lived in a cabin on the farm since owned by J. Kile; the cabin was built by the Moore brothers. George and Lib- erty Wallace lived at the edge of the tules, near the river, in the fall of 1850, and built a cabin there in the spring. George Wallace, under the firin name of Rood and Wallace, was one of the pioneer brick-makers and builders of Stockton. They manufactured at what was known as the White House brick yard, on the Mariposa road. They sold 1,000,000 brick, at $16 per thousand in the kiln, or $31 in the wall. They received at one time a payment of $5,000 in $50 gold slugs, and Rood gambled it away, losing it all in four bets on faro. Wallace left the county years ago, and returned again a comparatively poor man, in 1878. Rood was drowned by the capsizing of a boat. Schuyler Oldham, a stock- raiser of 1850, returned to Texas in 1865. He was a partner of the Kile Bros.
Thomas Wheeler was among the 1852 comers . Abraham and Joseph Kile were of the year 1850; the latter is still a land proprietor of the township, and lives in Stockton. Abraham was fatally injured by the falling of a horse, from the effects of which he died, October 24, 1854. Jacob
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
Brack was one of the first to cast his destiny with the township.
John A. Benson, in 1850, bought out A. M. Woods and Edwin Stokes, who claimed the place known as the Burton place, about one mile north of the Benson ferry, as well as the ferry that they had claimed since some time in 1849. Mr. Benson built a house on the south side of the river, in 1852, and employed Green Palmer to run the ferry and occupy the house. This man Palmer shot and killed Benson, February 14, 1859, and afterward poisoned himself to death. The ferry was named after Mr. Benson, and that gentleman, together with G. W. Woods, pro- cured the laying out of a road from Stockton to Sacramento, by the way of the ferry, marking the line ot the road by scattering tin clippings along the route, in the spring or summer of 1852.
A man by the name of Samuel Parker kept a saloon above the ferry, in 1850. J. H. Stanly and Samuel Monday gardened below the ferry in 1851. In 1851 R. C. Sargent moved from Woodbridge to Union Township. In the sumn- mer of 1852 lie raised twenty acres of barley there, and increased the number of acres to 160 in the following year. He has been twice a member of the State Legislature. Mr. George Jess and M. Baldwin also located there in 1852; the latter was in the Stockton Insane Asylum, until he died, in the fall of 1878. In 1853, J. F. Stayton and family, H. Hawkins and family, and in 1852, William Robinson and family, set- tled in the township.
Hon. J. Thompson settled with his family in Union, in 1852. He represented the county in the State Legislature in 1861.
In 1856, S. H. Davis commenced running a sloop called the Mary Bowers, up the Mokelumne river. In 1857, he established a lumber yard in Mokelumne City, just above the junction of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers, and built two sloops there. J. Steiny, since city clerk of Stockton, was interested with Mr. Davis in build- ing the first sloop, which was named Ceres. The second one built was called the R. W. Allen, and
a fourth was purchased by Mr. Davis, called the Rhode Island; and all were placed on the line between that place and San Francisco, and con- tinued for some three years. In 1860, Mr. G. P. Taison, of San Francisco, purchased the sloop Ceres, and the remaining boats were hauled off. He continued the carrying trade until 1863, when he discontinued it, until 1865. This last nanied year, he established Taison Landing, on Beaver slough, and started a store on Thompson's land; but in eighteen months abandoned the enter- prise.
Mr. Taison said, of the flood of 1862, that lie had some freight on his sloop Ceres for Doctor Bentley, of Woodbridge, and lumber for Mr. Brack, to deliver; that in doing so he ran the sloop up to the ranch of Mr. Brack, and an- chored her under the telegraph wire, in ten feet of water. Upon his arrival in the vicinity of Mr. Brack's residence, he found him living with his family and some of the neighbors, in the upper story of the house, where they used the gable-window for a door and signal station. He took them from their water-bound castle, with a view of placing them on land, but found no place where he could land, and they were obliged to return to their house. Mr. Taison cast loose, and made for deeper water three days after, be- cause of the rapid receding of the overflow. He said that while he was anchored there, water froze to the bows of his sloop, in quantity never before nor since witnessed by him in this county.
Mr. Brack's horses were standing in the sta- bles in water, from which they could not be removed until the water went down; when re- moved they were minus manes and tails, which, in their hunger, they had eaten one from the other; in that famished condition, they were put to a stack of hay (which was on a little knoll, thus having been saved from the water), where they ate all they could; in a short time after they died from the effects of the exposure, starving and feasting all combined. Mr. Brack could sit in his window and see the work of the beavers, that were cutting his fruit trees down, working beneath the water; after their work was
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
done, they would climb upon some elevated po- sition to take observations, when the owner of the orchard would take summary vengeance, with his rifle, for the damage they had done. While sitting there one day the roof of a house came floating by, and on it a number of shang- hais and guinea hens; he thought to make a capture of this floating wealth, and launched his craft (three boards fastened together) in pursuit, and, overhauling the voyagers, chained the roof to a tree; but that night the wind arose, the tide came, and the roof broke loose from its mooring, and left Mr. Brack without a start in the poultry business.
Mokelumne City was laid waste by this flood. It had commenced to assume some importance as a town or village. Before the waters came they had three stores, one saloon, a blacksmith shop, two hotels, a warehouse, 24 x 40 feet, and a number of other buildings; and 172 votes were polled there. But in one night the wind and waves beat fourteen buildings to pieces, and carried them away, there being somne eight feet of water standing on the town site; when the waters had subsided there were but the buildings left standing. It has never recovered from the blow.
Nearly the whole of the township has been
classed as " swamp" or "overflowed " land, there being within its limits, including Staten island, abont 73,497 acres of that class, leaving only 8,009 acres of upland, making a total of 81,506 acres in the township. But a large amount of the so-called " overflowed " land is only occasionally under water. A large pro- portion of the land has been partially reclaimed, entirely, "so far as being leveed against high tides and ordinary freshets.
R. C. Sargent, the pioneer swamp-land re- claimer of the county, commenced throwing up dykes as early as 1852, in what is now Union Township. But little attention was paid to it, however, until 1861, when Swamp Land Dis- trict No. 2 was organized, embracing the part of Union swamp land north of Sycamore slough, with G. C. Holman as engineer. In 1854 Staten island was organized into District No. 3, with Mr. Holman as engineer. In 1864 recla- mation was commenced in earnest, and as to further particulars the reader may consult Chap- ter VIII.
New Hope is a postoffice twenty-four miles from Stockton, on the lower Sacramento road, and Bouldin Island is also a postoffice in the northwestern corner of the county.
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
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MISCELLANEOUS.
CHAPTER XVI.
PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS.
HE Legislature of 1851 made no provision for raising revenue for the support of schools, except that arising from the sale of school lands; but as none were sold, no school fund or revenue occurred. At this period it was with difficulty that a dozen members could be found who believed that there was any necessity of providing for public schools, and hence no direct appropriation was made for their support during the session. At this time there were in the State upward of 6,000 chil- dren. During the session of 1852 the Legisla- ture repealed the school act of October, 1851, and passed a new act differing materially from the former. A provision was also made in the revenue law of that year by which 5 cents of the 30-cent tax imposed on each $100 of prop- erty was set aside for the benefit of public schools.
San Francisco and Sacramento at once took the benefit of that act and organized public schools. In the common council of Stockton, October, 1853, Mr. V. M. Peyton, then a meni- ber of that body, arose and called attention to the fact that the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento were receiving all the benefits of the school fund, and in an earnest speech urged upon the council some action in the matter. The law required every incorporated city to sustain its public schools three months before receiving State aid. This was an unsolved
problem to that young body of city fathers, and the question was asked, How shall we obtain money to establish the school? The young in- stigator of our public schools was equal to the work he has since so nobly performed, and, placing $50 on the table, it was increased by a like amount until those ten aldermen had given $500 to a inost noble cause.
The cloud of doubt being dispelled, the work was carried on to success by Mr. C. W. Phelps and Captain Jordan, who solicited subscriptions from the public. The former being a married man, appealed to the fathers of those who are now practicing law, medicine, engineering, and other branches of industry, for which they have been fitted in the public schools; while Captain Jordan, himself a fair sample, called upon the bachelors to contribute their mite to the sup- port of-not their, but somebody else's-chil- dren in school. In this manner $1,000, at a rough estimate, placed the school upon a sound basis. Mr. Peyton having drawn up an ordi- nance in conformity with his views, it was passed by the council unanimously.
In those times there was no county superin- tendent of schools, but the law provided that the county assessor should fill that office ex officio. Consequently S. A. Hurlbut became the first superintendent of the schools of the county, and made his first report for the year commencing one day after the passage of the city ordinance on the school subject, namely,
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
from October 31, 1852, to November 15, 1853. But the county had been divided into school districts only three months before the report was made. The order of the Court of Sessions, adopted in August, 1853, divided the county into school districts, as follows: No. 1, Elliott and Elkhorn townships; No. 2, Douglass and O'Neil; No. 3, Emory and Castoria; No. 4, Tulare; and No. 5, Stockton.
From the first annual report of the superin- tendent, just allnded to, we learn that there were 685 children in the county between five and eighteen years of age; that 256 of these liad been attending school; and that the total amount expended for all school purposes was $6,283.75, averaging $24.54 per pupil. There were then six schools in the county ----- the Elk- horn district, Douglass and O'Neil district, French Camp, the Stockton female school and Stockton male school, the total number of pu- pils being 256. Of this number the Stockton inale school had 151 pupils, and the Stockton female school had sixty-seven pupils. The Stockton female school had two lady teachers; one was paid $150 a month, and the other $100 a month. It will be noticed that the male school had more than double the number of scholars, yet in this school only one teacher was employed. He was a man, and received only $100 a month. The branches taught in the Stockton schools were: Sanders' series of readers, Ray's arithmetic, Smith's grammar, American speaker, history of the United States.
The first school in the county outside of Stockton was kept at a residence three miles from Lodi, a little west of south, and called " Henderson's school."
The present Board of Education for the county consists of J. A. Sollinger, S. D. Water- man, C. M. Ritter and C. L. Neill. George Goodell is the superintendent.
There are now in the county one high school, fifty-one grammar schools, and seventy-seven primary schools. There are eighty-three frame school-houses, and nine of brick, stone or adobe; thirty-four male teachers and ninety-four female,
whose monthly wages are respectively $85 and $70, the highest in the State. Eight teachers have certificates from the California State Nor- inal School; three from other State normal schools; twenty six have life diplomas, and thirty-seven State educational diplomas. Total valuation of school property, $297,084, besides libraries, $15,087, and apparatus, $11,465. Val- uation of Stockton school property, $186,189; of school library, $1,712; and of apparatus, $1,730. Number of white children in the county between five and seventeen years of age, 6,143, of which Stockton has 2,679.
MILITARY.
The pioneer military company of Stockton met on the evening of June 11, 1851, under the name of San Joaquin Guard. It was organized by electing Major R. P. Hammond, captain, George Kerr, first lieutenant and James Lynch, second lieutenant. This company was under arms when a band of armed men came to Stock- ton to demand the person of one Daly whoin they had driven off his ranch on the Calaveras. Some time after this, when the State Governor called upon the militia of the State to put an end to some Indian troubles in the south, Major Hammond could drum up only six of the com - pany; and he was so disgusted with the coward- ice of the rest that he never again attempted to call the company together.
In January, 1855, the " Anniversary Guards " were organized with a strong board of officers and sallied out on the streets one day in grand style; but their light ever since then has been " hid under a bushel."
In December, 1856, the Stockton Blues were organized as a musical military band, with Richard Condy for their leader and S. A. Booker for their captain. As a military organ- ization it was disbanded at the beginning of the war, on account of disagreement on national issues; but as a musical organization it con- tinued. See page 180.
The Union Guard was organized August 13, 1861, at the city hall, by electing General Con-
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
nor, captain; C. J. Newcomb, first lieutenant; Sol. Pearsall, second lientenant, and E. N. Rob- ertson secretary; 146 men signed the roll. The succeeding captains were H. O. Mathews, Sol. Pearsall, J. H. Gilmore and L. E. Lyon, during whose term of office the organization was dis- continned July 13, 1866. In August, 1862, the company tendered their services to the Gen- eral Government; but the authorities deemed it best not to withdraw any military force from California. It was crippled by Democratic leg- islatures during the war, and when they met to reorganize under the new law, at the date just inentioned, they concluded that the law was un- just and accordingly disbanded.
Thẻ Stockton Light Dragoons was organized June 17, 1862, just in time to obtain the only cavalry equipment in the State then available. Officers: O. M. Brown, captain; P. L. Shoaff, first lieutenant; G. Joseph, second lieutenant. On their first parade thirty-six soldierly men turned out. In 1864 Thomas K. Hook became their captain. The new militia law just referred to killed it also, on the same day with the pre- ceding.
The Stockton City Guard was organized May 5, 1864, with N. M. Orr, captain; C. H. Covell, first lieutenant; William Wallace, sec- ond lieutenant; and L. E. Yates secretary. They also mnet July 13, 1866, and reorganized under the new law, electing Jolin Nichols cap- tain.
The Stockton Light Artillery was formed on the evening of September 10, 1864; M. G. Cobb was chosen captain. This gentleman had been captain of the famnons Light Artillery Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and was well-known for his legal and military experi- ence. S. W. Sperry was elected first lieutenant, and E. B. Bateman second lieutenant. October 8, 1864, their battery of four six-pounder guns arrived from Sacramento and was stored in Gray's brick building on the levee until an armory could be furnished, a guard being placed over the guns. George Natt's building was soon obtained as an armory and the company
became proficient in artillery tactics. This was a brilliant company until a partisan power at Sacramento snuffed them out. They had a val- uable library and reading-room, fitted up with pictures and ornaments. All this was after- ward accidentally burned, as but little or no care was taken of it after the disbandment. The fire communicated to the room opposite and destroyed a valuable collection of stuffed birds, minerals and shells gathered by Doctors Reid and Holden and C. D. Gibbs during the space of fifteen years. A picture of this company, in a splendid frame, is at Pioneer Hall.
The Stockton Guard, Company A, was organized December 12, 1871, with Eugene Lehe, an excellent disciplinarian, as captain ; but there being no public occasion for enthu- siasm, the interest of the company gradually died away.
The St. Aloysius Cadets, a company of boys ten to seventeen years of age, were organized in November, 1876, and drilled under the aus- pices of the Catholic school, and remained faithful to the end of their course of discipline. They had handsome uniforms, etc., which cost altogether over $1,000.
The Stockton Rifle Cadets, boys of similar age, began drill in February, 1877, under the efficient Captain Lehe.
The Eminet Guards, an independent company at first, became about 1884 Company B; Com- pany C, Fresno, was mustered in June 15, 1885; Company D, Modesto, October 29, 1887; Company E, Modesto, November 9, 1887; and Company F, same place, about the mid- dle of February, 1888.
These companies constitute the Sixtlı Regi- ment of Infantry, National Guard of California, which was organized February 21, 1888. En- gene Lehe, Colonel; J. J. Nunan, Lieutenant Colonel; Stewart S. Wright, of Fresno, Major. The regiment is attached to the Third Brigade, of which James H. Budd is the General, and Lieutenant Colonel William M. Gibson is Adjutant. The enrolled militia in this brig- ade are: San Joaquin Connty, 6,483; Mari-
15
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
posa, 478; Tuolumne, 965; Fresno, 5,164, Stan- islaus, 809; Calaveras, 1,092; Merced, 976; Mono, 293; Inyo, 491; Kern, 1,002; and Tul- are, 2,084 .
The Legislature recently abolished the Regi- mental Signal Corps and established the Brigade Signal Corps, making an appropriation for . equipments. In July, 1889, it was attached to the Third Brigade. The officers are: Ben Ar- mington, Major, and Signal officer in command; John Bargmann, Sergeant; J. HI. Tam and Ma- rion De Vries, Corporals. The privates are: J. D. Elder, Walter E. Bidwell, Martin O'Don- nell, Edward R. Thomson, Thomas W. Hum- mell, Avery C. White and Paul Edwards. The corps meets every Monday evening for drill.
An amusing anecdote of early day is at our hand, and may be related here, as it is of a mili- tary character.
B. Howard Brown, 178 Levee street, on July 4, 1850, brought out his uniform,-of Salem (Massachusetts) City Guards, - put it on a stuffed figure, a silver-gray uniform with silver trimmings, and nailed the figure over the slough or channel, on posts rising above the kitchen of his club-house. During the flood of 1862 he conceived the idea of cutting it from the drift and letting it fall into the channel. It was hauled ashore and covered with a tarpaulin, and this was used as a " sell " on the boarders at the New York House, a little lower down, The boarders were nearly all " sold," and liad to treat all hands. They sent for the coroner, Dr. Grattan, but he refused to view the corpse, in- sisting that they should bring it before him and expose it to view, thus escaping thie " sell."
Another old-time jamboree was the "flying
man." Au adventurer advertised that he would fly off the porch of the Stockton House, whichi stood where the Masonic Temple now is. After drawing an immense crowd he set free a goose, and the assemblage was so incensed that they threatened to lynchi him, but were persuaded to content themselves with ducking him in the channel.
CAPITAL EXECUTIONS IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
NAME. DATE OF EXECUTION.
George Baker, alias Mickey .... May 29, 1851.
Jas. Wilson, alias Mountain Jim . Nov. 28, 1851.
Fred. Salkman, alias Dutch Fred.Nov. 28, 1851. Jose Barelo June 3, 1853.
Thomas Crawford Feb. 17, 1860.
William Crossan Feb. 17, 1860.
Jacob Elyea May 9, 1860.
Charles Giddings (colored) May 24, 1861.
John L. Best Sept. 6, 1870.
John J. Murphy Ap'l 25, 1873.
UJzzah F. French J'ne 29, 1886.
French was executed for having killed Peter Wells, his brother-in-law, near Oleta, Amador County. The trial was transferred to this county.
November 12, 1889, at five o'clock in the morning, two miles from Lockeford, occurred an extraordinary instance of double murder and suicide. Orville A. Ross shot and killed his wife and little boy, and then himself, as they were all lying in bed at the house of B. F. Fos- ter. Ross had once been a Congregational minister, but for years had been shiftless and failing to provide for his family, while his wife was endeavoring to support herself and child by industrious habits.
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
U. SHIPPEE .- No apology is offered here for the introdnetion into this work of the records of the life-work of prominent men. In a historieal volume such as this, containing the annals of San Joaquin County, from the time of the Spanish occupation to the date of writing- it is vitally essential to accompany the recital of progress with the history of the men who have had their shoulders constantly at the wheel. Commendation is given only where it is due, that these inen may pass into history for what they were and what they did. Mr. Shippee has been to Stockton as the main-spring to a watch, and every one of her eitizens should feel a pride in his achievements, which have re- dounded to their benefit. He came to Stock- ton a mere boy in years, with no capital save willing hands and an active and determined head. He made his start here, and has ever since used his gains for the advancement of the city, eounty and State of his adoption. He is a native of Rhode Island, born at a small place about ten miles from Providence. His parents both came of old New England families, their ancestors having settled on the Eastern eoast during the seventeenth century. On his father's side, the founders of the family in this county were from England and from the north of Ire- land, and had settled on a place on Narragansett bay, opposite Newport, the locality being knowu
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