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 48

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 726

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 48

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In 1852, William S., the subject of this sketch, came to California, and went to mining at Yuba, El Dorado Connty. He went East in 1855 and returned in 1863 across the plains with his wife and five children. On his arrival he bought 160 acres in Dent Township, two miles north of Ripon, which are still the home- stead of his family. He also made headers and other agricultural implements, and was in every respect well thought of in the community as a man of marked integrity of character. He died January 10, 1876, leaving five children, all surviving, namely: Henry Hurd, born May 2, 1848, by trade a carpenter; James, born Decem- ber 21, 1849, married to Miss Kittie Scavy, who was born in Maine in 1857 and brought up in California, whither her parents came in 1864;

they have two daughters: Dora Jane, born No- vember 23, 1857, married to John Hollister, a native of Ohio, bnt of Connecticut ancestry for several generations. He is a rancher of Merced County and they have seven children. John William, born June 10, 1861, and George Howard, born October 12, 1863, are both nn- married and living at home; they are members of Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 58, I. O. O. F.

SCAR O. NORTON, of Elkhorn Town- ship, was born January 1, 1832, in Schny- ler County, New York, his parents being Willis W. and Phebe (Gregory) Norton. His father was a native of New York, and his inother of Connecticut. The father was by oc- cupation a school teacher and farmer; in his younger days he taught school, although his education was no more than a common one, yet it was above the average of his day. Being a man of more than common modesty he refrained from accepting any offices which he might have had. His latter years were spent in farming in Schuyler County, where he died in 1884, at the age of eighty-two years. The mother died in 1887, at the age of eighty-three years. There were seven children in the family, viz .: Miles B., Oscar O., William L., Francis M., Elvira, wife of Rev. L. D. Worth, residing on the old homestead. Two died in infancy.

The subject, O. O. Norton, was raised on a farın in New York until the age of nineteen, attending school in winter, and going two years to Starkey Seminary. When nineteen years old he went to work for himself, teaching school. In 1854 he went to Illinois, where he taught school and worked at the carpenter's trade, which he had learned in New York. In 1859 he came to California, going on a visit to his old home first, then taking passage at New York city on the steamer Star of the West; on the Pacific side he took the Golden Age, arriving in San Fran- cisco, July 15, 1859. He came immediately to Stockton and obtained work in the harvest field.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

He worked at his trade and farming until he purchased his first property of Thomas F. Smith. The land lies about ten iniles from Stockton, just off Cherokee Lane. In 1865 he bought eighty acres, and in 1872 eighty more, making 320 acres. His next purchase was his present place, in 1880, consisting of 160 acres. His handsome residence was erected in 1881. Mr. Norton carries on a general farming busi- ness; he has made all the improvements on both places. He raises grain and stock; has about eight acres of choice young vineyard. He is one of the leading farmers of his locality, and his home is one that will attract the attention of the passers by. It is an example of what taste, economy, and energy can do. Mr. Nor- ton is a member of the Lodi Grange, No. 92, and also of the Congregational Church at that place.

He was married October 4, 1860, to Miss Maria J. Elliott, daughter of Edmond and Sarah Elliott. Mrs. Norton came to California in 1859, crossing the plains and locating in Elk- horn Township, San Joaquin County. They have three children -- two sons and one daughter -viz .: Charles W., Alice E., wife of A. S. Lasell, resident of Santa Cruz County, and Ar- thur L. Charles W. is married and has charge of the old place, and Arthur L. is at home teaching school.

TOEL CADY, a rancher of Dent Town- ship, was born in Otsego County, New York, April 18, 1824, a son of Horace and Eunice (Cady) Cady. The parents had a common ancestor some generations ago, and both were natives of Connecticut. The family inoved to Illinois in 1840, and settled in Schuy- ler County. The father died in 1862, aged sixty-three years, and the mother in 1873, in her seventy-ninth year. The paternal grand- father, Reuben Cady, also a native of Connecti- cut, was a soldier of the Revolution, who settled in New York State and lived to be over

seventy; lis wife also reached an advanced age. The Cadys are believed to have been long settled in New England, probably since some time in the seventeenth century.

Stoel, the subject of this sketch, remained at home and worked on his father's farm until twenty years of age, when he did farm work ou his own account for five years in Illinois. He came to California, crossing the plains in 1849, and arriving at Weaverville on the 10tli of Sep- tember, and mined there that winter, making about $900. He afterward made $600 in six days, but found that the claim belonged to others, whereupon he vacated it, and never aft- erward was able to make more than $2 a day at mining. With seventeen others le sunk his all in a mere pretentious mining enterprise in one month, then he withdrew from that pursuit withi disgust. In May, 1850, he came to Sac- ramento and went to work as helper in a black- sınith shop at $8 a day. He then worked on the levee, in that city, continuing ou that job till January, 1851, when he came to Stockton and took charge of some stock on the open ranges of Stanislans County, for the Sacra- mento levee contractors, his late employers, who were owing him $900, of which he re- ceived but $16. He sowed forty acres to bar- ley, the first ever sown in that county, and sold his crop, straw and all, for ten cents a pound. Here, again, he was dislodged, it being dis- covered that the land was part of a Mexican land grant. He then crossed the Stanislaus into San Joaquin County, in 1851, to his pres- ent location, about two miles east of Ripon, where he bought a possessory right to 160 acres. He then filed pre-emption papers, with his brother, for 160 acres each, which they proved: he afterward bought out his brother.

In 1853 he went East, via Panama, and re- turning drove fourteen horses and 225 head of cattle across the plains from Illinois. These lie unfortunately kept too long, until 1857, and did not make much by the venture. He bought luis last piece of land in 1854, and his ranch has since comprised about 816 acres, of which 164

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

acres are bottom land, and the remainder good wheat growing npland. He has devoted his whole attention to farming, and has aspired to no office, nor hield any except that of school trustee.

Mr. Cady was married Angust 1, 1854, to Miss Nancy Jane Pringle, born in Illinois in 1832, dangliter of William Pringle, whose ac- quaiutance lie had made in crossing the plains in 1853. Two years after his marriage Mr. Cady erected a handsome residence on his place. Mr. and Mrs. Cady are the parents of four liv- ing children, viz .: Isabel Eunice, born June 8, 1855, now the wife of J. A. Plummer, a lawyer of Elko, California; Frank Pringle, born Sep- tember 7, 1857, a graduate of the Stockton Business College, married October 1, 1878, has one boy, Leon Roy, born Octeber 30, 1879; Fred, born April 6, 1859, is foreman on a cattle ranch in Nevada; May, born August 20, 1871, is now (1889) taking a course in the Stockton Business College.

& ROSSI, one of the old-time Californians now residing iu Stockton, is a native of Itlay, born twenty-four miles from Gen- oa, November 4, 1832, his parents being An- tonio, Sr., and Maria(Barvnia) Rossi, the father a farmer. He spent his boyhood at his native place, assisting his father at faren work, and be- ing helped in his education by an elder brother. In 1849 lie emigrated to America, sailing front Genoa, on the 24th of April, and landing at New York on the 2d of July. The voyage was made eventful by the fact that they were for a time in danger of attack from a pirate ves. sel. They put a double guard on both ends of the vessel, and prepared for combat with tlie pirates, but the later evidently concluded not to attack thiem, for they were not molested.

At New York Mr. Rossi witnessed for the first time the celebration of an American Fourth of July. He remained at the metropolis a couple of weeks, then went to Cincinnati,

where he remained nearly two years. While there he was for a time engaged with a dairy, hauling milk into the city by wagon. While in Cincinnati he was also for a time engaged with an ice firm there. From Cin- cinnati he went back to New York. In 1852 lie left the latter city for California via Nicaragua, and landed at San Francisco. Over a month later, meeting about a dozen friends. they decided to go to the mines, and went up to Jackson, Amador county. They were engaged in mining in that district about a year, and then Mr. Rossi bought his partner out, remaining tliere altogether about eighteen months, and do- ing a profitable business. They then went to French Bar, Mokelumne river, where they built a flunie, and remained for a long time. One day their baker told oue of Mr. Rossi's partners that his wife had come out to ineet him, and was at Jackson, Amador County, where she wanted him to come for her at once. So the baker and Mr. Rossi's two part- ners started for Jackson, Icaving Mr. Rossi alone at the camp. They had made up seventy- five pounds of flour that morning and the bateli was in the oven baking when they left. After they had gone, Indians kept coming along by the camp, and finding Mr. Rossi alone, would demand something to eat. He was in a locality remote from other white people, and knowing that it would be useless to resist, kept giving to the Indians, who kept constantly coming until all the bread and everything else was gone. On the night of the next day, two drunken men, coming down the mountains, rolled a lot of pine burrs and stones down npon the cabin, making an awful racket. They finally came down, walked into the cabin, and kept singing all night; then they went to sleep, and waking up a few hours later, they disappeared. Mr. Rossi remained there a week, but finding it in- tolerably lonesome there by himself, and being unable to sleep, he rolled up his bedding, clotlı- ing and a few other articles one morning, and started away. He proceeded to Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, where he stopped two or

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

three days with a friend who was mining there. He fell in with three friends, and they went to Albany Flat. A storekeeper there invited them to remain, and they made headquarters in his store for four days. The merchant told them they could make money mining in that vicinity, and they set to work repairing ditch communica- tions, arranging a water supply, etc., and built a log house with a rock chimney, to which next day they added a bake oven, and started in mining with good prospects. There were numerous hogs in the vicinity, which caused them much trouble, eating up their bread, etc., no less than seven times. One of the men shot a hog, but did not kill him. They had considerable fun at his expense, and he went away. His mule got away from him, however, and he had to walk back. They remained in that vicinity seven or eight months, making only enough to pay their bills, and one of the partners went back to Europe. Mr. Rossi became disgusted with mining and went to Stanislaus river, two miles from Robinson's Fer- ry, where he started in the grocery business. He remained there about two years and a half, and did very well; toward the last he had a partner, and sold out to him, and went to Columbia, Tuolumne county. There he, in connection with a number of others, built a flume seven miles in length from Sawmill Flat to Hardscrabble, and Mr. Rossi was foreman of the work. He remained there three years, doing well, and then sold out. A merchant made him a proposition to go to Italian Bar, and buy a store there. Mr. Rossi went there, took account of stock, and made the purchase. He ran the store for three years, then he sold it out to the man he had bought it from in 1862. He then spent con- siderable time collecting money due him, and in 1863, while in Sonora on that business, was married. He was in business there fourteen months, doing well, then sold out, and going to San Francisco, took passage by sea for Mexico. He did considerable trading in that country, and on returning, started a store in San Francisco, and was successfully engaged in business there over a year. After that he made two husi-

ness trips into the mountains, and in 1867 loca- ted in Stockton. He embarked in the first busi- ness on El Dorado street, and for eighteen months carried on business also, where he was engaged in settling up and collecting and sending fruit, etc., up and down between there and Stockton. Finally having closed out his business in the mountains, he bought the property where he now resides, on Main street, and has since that time made many improvements. His business interests since that time have been diversified, and he has also done much business as a capi- talist and money lender. He has considerable real estate in Stockton, and has two ranches in San Joaquin county, containing 360 acres.

Mr. Rossi was married in 1863 to Miss Maria Rocca, a native of Italy, born about twenty- seven miles from Genoa. They have eight children living, viz .: Alexander, Eugene, Colom- bo, Angelo, Clorinda, Julia, Adelina and Mary.

Mr. Rossi is a prosperous man of business, his success in life has been due to his own industry and ability.

ILBERT C. REYNOLDS was born in Kingston, Rhode Island, January 12, 1816, his parents being Daniel and Sarah A. (Cooper) Reynolds. Daniel Reynolds was a sea- faring man and died on the Island of Batavia as he was out on a three years' voyage.

Gilbert was almost raised on board ship. The first wages he ever received, however, was on land for driving cattle to plough, for which lie received 3 cents per day, which he took out in potatoes, as there was no money in that country. He went to sea when very young, taking the position of cook at $3 a month. After the father's death there was a family of five to be maintained with their poor earnings. Nothing daunted, however, they put their shoulders to the wheel, and, by their steady and industrious habits, were never at a loss for a situation. In 1832 he sailed on the full-rigged ship Echo, froin New York. On reaching New Orleans

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

he met a friend, who persuaded him to run away from the vessel, promising to give him more lucrative employment. He did so, earning the first year he spent in New Orleans $800, the largest sum of money he had ever seen before. In 1849 he started for California, sailing from New Orleans to Vera Cruz, where they pur- chased wagon and mules and started across the plains. They passed through old Mexico and all the prominent cities of Mexico. They took passage on the steamer Dolphin from Mazat- lan for San Francisco. The captain, Captain Winslow, was a dissipated man and had neg- lected to provide the slip with a stock of provisions and water. Their supplies soon ran low and they were obliged to put into an island and get fresh water, and they procured some food from a South Sea island. When within two or three hundred miles of 'Frisco the vessel sprung a leak, and for eight or ten days they were forced to work constantly at the pumps in order to keep the ship from sink- ing; and for sixty days they were on short al- lowance,-half a pint of water and one ounce of bread per day. Many of the crew died of starv- ation. They at last reaclied San Diego in a very destitute condition. After leaving the ship, she sank an hour after the pumps were stopped, with all the baggage on board. They were fed by the Government. In two months' time he sailed with a friend on a brig, as sea- man, for San Francisco, where they landed after a voyage of twenty-five days. There he met a companion of his youth, from his native town, who was then running a bark from San Fran- cisco to Stockton, and invited Mr. Reynolds to take the trip with him, which he did. On ar- riving in Stockton he met some more friends, one of whom had met with an accident. He had been engaged in freighting, and wished Mr. Reynolds to take one of his teams and mules and go to teaming, which he did. He made three trips, at the end of which time his friend proposed that he should bny the team. The money earned on these trips more than paid the purchase money. He afterward purchased

eight mules and outfit for $5,000, which was at that time a good bargain. He continned the business with the two outfits until the following spring, by which time he had cleared $60,000. In 1851 he entered into partnership with Eugene Kelty; they started a stage line, put on good coaches, and they were soon running a first-class line from Stockton to Sonora. In the meantime they had purchased land and raised a crop of barley in 1850. They lost $75,000 from indors- ing a paper, which crippled them for some time. They gave np staging when Kelty died, and went to farming, which Mr. Reynolds has fol- lowed ever since. He had eighty acres of choice farming land on which there is a very comforta- ble home. He also had land in Yolo County.

He was married in 1853 to Mrs. Ann Ran- som, who died leaving one child, Gilbert M. In 1879 he married Mrs. A. Truett, a ·native danghter of Stockton. Mr. Reynolds was one of the oldest stage drivers in this county. He died on the 4th day of February, 1890. Having been thrown from a buggy, he received in- juries which cansed his death four months after.

N. GROTYOHN .- Among the young business men of Stockton who have fought 6 their own way to the front in this city, is the gentleman with whose name this sketch commences.

Mr. Grotyohn is a native of Germany, born at Wallhäffen, Hanover, November 23, 1857, his parents being John and Katherine (Brnnyes) Grotyohn. He spent his boyhood days at his native place, and was educated in the public schools between the ages of six and fourteen years. He then learned the milling trade, and in 1857, a boy of eighteen years of age, he came to the United States, and became engaged in mercantile business in New York city, on the corner of Twenty-ninth avenne. Nearly three years later he went to Sonth Carolina, and lo- cated in Charleston, where he was engaged in the grocery business at an establishment on the

IIISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

corner of Tradd and Lagre streets. From there he went back to New York city, and thence came to California in 1881, locating in Stockton. He commenced employment here as a driver of a bakery wagon, at the same time looking ont for an opening for himself in business. He was soon engaged in business for himself at the cor- ner of American street and Weber avenue, and there continued until August, 1888, when he removed to his present commodious quarters in the brick building corner of Aurora and Chan- nel streets. Here he has built up his already large trade and now carries on an extensive business with the city and country patrons, doing some wholesaling as the necessities of business require.

Mr. Grotyohn is a member of Willow Lodge, No. 55, K. of P., and also belongs to the Uni- form rank. Though a young man, is known as one of Stockton's most enterprising business nien, and as he has built himself up in this city by his own efforts, his success is a matter of interest to all. He well deserves the advance- ment his record shows.

ACOB WOLFE, a farmer of Castoria Township, was born in Jonesburg, Union County, Illinois, September 22, 1832. In 1838 he went to Iowa, where he remained for a few years and then moved to Carthage, Illinois. In the year 1857 he came to California by water, landing in San Francisco, where he remained but a short time. He then went to Monterey County, thence to Gilroy, then to this county, where he bought a ranch of 430 acres, now under the highest state of cultivation, devoted to the raising of hay, grain and stock, under the management of his sons. Mr. Wolfe is without doubt the pioneer bee-raiser of this section of the country, purchasing his first colony in this State, in 1859. at the price of $85. He has imported bees and queens from the most experienced and practical bee-keepers in the United States, and from these raises by careful

selection and crossing, a strain of Golden Italian bees, that for beanty and heavy gatherers can not be surpassed.

AMES GUILFORD SWINNERTON. Judge of the Superior Court of San Joa- quin County, was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, November 21, 1844, a son of James and Rhoda (Marden) Swinnerton. His father, born in Ohio about 1820, was married in Illinois, and afterward settled in Hazel Green, Wiscon- sin, where he carried on the business of carpenter and builder until he came to Calfornia in 1849. He crossed the plains, and went to mining, at which he remained engaged until 1852, when he went East, returning with his wife and four children, again across the plains, in 1853. Set- tling in Shasta City lie mined in that vicinity until 1856, when he went to farming, near Quincy in Plumas County, where he remained so engaged until disabled by advancing years. He is living with his son, S. M. Swinnerton, an attorney of San Luis Obispo. His mother died in San Jose in 1886, aged about fifty-tliree, Grandfather James Swinnerton, a native of Vermont, moved to Ohio, where he was married to a Miss Carpenter, a near relative of Senator Matt Carpenter of Wisconsin. He lived to about the age of eiglity-two and she was eighty-five at her deatlı. Two brothers, Anselm and Henry Swinnerton, were of the early emigration and settled in the Plymouth colony, where they and their descendants continued to reside for some generations. Great - grandfather Swinnerton, also named James, moved to Vermont, where he died. Some curious investigator of family records has found an Anselmo Swinnerton in the army of William the Conqueror of England. If not from him they are probably descended from some one just as good!

The subject of this sketch, educated at first in the public schools, entered the University of the Pacific in 1862, taking a full course, and was graduated from that institution in June, 1867.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

He began reading law in that year, in the office of Bodley & Rankin of San Jose, and was ad- mitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of California in April, 1870. He then went to practice his profession in Eureka, Humboldt County, where he remained until 1879, serving as city attorney during two years of that period. In 1879 he came to this city and formed a law partnership with James H. Budd under the style of Bndd & Swinnerton. In 1884 he was elected to the bench of the Superior Court and took his seat January 1, 1885, for the term ending December 31, 1890.

Judge Swinnerton is a member of Stockton Lodge, No. 11, I. O. O. F., and of the organiza- tion since 1868. He is also a member of the San Joaquin Valley Society of California Pio- neers, and of the Knights of Pythias since 1884, being now vice-chancellor of the Grand Lodge of that order in this State. He belongs also to the Stockton Turn-Verein, largely with a view to perfect himself in German. A poem from the pen of Judge Swinnerton is given in this vol- ume on page 76.

He was first married in Eureka, in 1871, to Mrs. Jannette Allen (Burnside) Wise. Mrs. Swinnerton died in Eureka in 1877, at the age of thirty-one, leaving one child, James Swinner- ton, born in 1875. Judge Swinnerton was again married in Eureka in 1878, to Mrs. Laura ( Barnes) Bransford, a danghter of Dr. Thomas L. Barnes, of Ukiah, who is still living in that city, aged over seventy. Mrs. Swinnerton is the inother of three children by her first husband: Edgar M., born in 1868; Herbert M., in 1872; Pearl, in 1874.

ALLEN McNEIL, inanager of a farm in Tulare Township, was born in Santa Clara County, in 1859. She came to San Joa- quin County with her parents when three years of age. Slie now resides on a farm of 135 acres of well-improved land, twenty-two miles from Stockton. The farm is chiefly devoted to

the raising of grain. She has three children,- two sons and a daughter; the younger son is Warren Truett McNeil, aged six years. Mrs. McNeil is a lady of refined sensibilities, keen perception, and thoroughly devoted to the duties of the station in which fortune has placed her.

RS. ELIZABETH M. STOWE, wife of Edwin P. Stowe, deceased, was born in Norfolk, Connecticut, February 25, 1825, daughter of Luther Alling. Luther Al- ling died in Salisbury, Connecticut, April 4, 1839, at the age of forty-eight years, and was buried in New York State. Mrs. Alling was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, April 25, 1789, and died July 16, 1875, in California. In their family were five children, three sons and two daughters; viz .: Luther D., a resident of Avon, Connecticut; Norman E., mentioned elsewhere in this work; Theodore N., Maria (Mrs. J. L. Beecher) and Elizabeth M. November 29, 1848, Miss Alling married Elihu Stowe, a native of East Granville, Massachusetts, who died December 11, 1856, leaving her with three children. In August, 1859, she married Ed- win P. Stowe, also a native of East Granville, and in October following they came to Califor- nia via the Isthmus, sailing from New York in the steamer Northern Light, and taking the Orizaba on the Pacific side, landing in San Francisco November 1, 1859. They went at once to Marysville and remained there till the fall of 1862, when they came to this valley and settled five miles from Stockton. Here they remained, farming and improving their land, until it is at the present time one of the best on the road. Mr. Stowe died December 3, 1878, surrounded by his wife and children. He was kind to his family and much respected by his neighbors. He was the father of three chil- dren, namely: Charles A., Rollin E., and Mary J., deceased at the age of twenty. Mary was a most brilliant and accomplished young lady. She had just finished her education and received

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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 48

Author: Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 726

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 726