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 62
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Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Matteson are members of the First Baptist church of Stockton, and Mr. Matteson is a member of Stockton Lodge, No. 11, I. O. O. F. He was also a member of the city council one year.
AMES JOHN EMSLIE, a farmer of San Joaquin County, California, is a native of the highlands of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where he was born July 19, 1819, his parents being John and Jane (Cumming) Emslie, the former a native of Morayshire and the latter of Aberdeenshire. They have always made their home in Scotland. The mother is still living, at the age of ninety years. In the family there were eleven children, five sons and six dangh-
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ters: three of the children are residing in Cali- fornia.
The subject of this sketch made his home with his parents until about nineteen years of age. In the fall of 1839 he left Great Britain for the United States, sailing from Liverpool for New York, where he arrived in February, of the following year. On his arrival lie was "about broke" as he terms it. He made arrange. ments to have himself and baggage taken to a boarding house, where he remained three weeks. After securing a job, lie went to liis landlord and said he was going but could not pay lıis board just then. The man made him pawn his baggage, which he did, realizing $5, $3 of which he paid the man, leaving $2 in his own possession. He went to Lodi, New Jersey, between New York and Newark. From that time on be made his residence principally in New York State, working at the bricklaying trade, at which business he continued up to the time he came to California. Leaving New York, February 8, 1849, he made the journey across the Alleghany mountains, overland, as far as Cincinnati, then took the river boat for New Orleans; from there he steamed across the Gulf to Rio Grande City, on the Rio Grande river, where he purchased two mules and went through Mexico, part of the way over the trail of General Taylor, arriving at San Diego, tlience proceeded to Los Angeles, where he stayed two weeks: was there at the time the new constitution of the State of California was adopted. He made the trip from San Pedro to San Francisco in a sailing vessel. He mined in Shasta County for the greater part of a year. In the fall of 1850 he returned to New York State via Panama. After remaining there two years he concluded that California was the better place in which to live. Accordingly February 5, 1853, he again started for California via the Nicaragua route. He followed his trade in San Francisco for seven years. In 1860 he settled on the place where he now lives. His wife and family had come out in 1855. The first piece of land selected by Mr. Emslie was afterward
abandoned on the suggestion of his wife; and the little miner's cabin which they had purchased was transferred to their present place, where it was their home for some time. Here he lias resided ever since. The ranch contains two quarter-sections of land in Liberty Township, near the Elliott Township line.
Mr. Emslie was married at Yonkers, West- chester County, New York, February 4, 1847, to Margaret Eliza Post, a native of New York city. The family consists of eight children, namely: Orin William, Christian Tripler, Mary Jane, James Jamison, Eric Warnock, Maggie Craw- ford, Carrie, Charles Cumming.
B' ENJAMIN ALLEN WOODSON, a suc- cessful farmer, is a native of old Virginia, born in Pittsylvania County, December 9, 1824, son of Stephen Daniel and Salina (Posey) Woodson, natives of Virginia. Both grand- father Bob Posey and one uncle, Joseplı, and grandfather Drury Woodson, of Scotch and Dutch descent, were in the Revolutionary war; the latter lived but a year after the termination of the war; the former was wounded through the hips and knees, but lived for several years. Stephen Daniel Woodson emigrated with his family to Missouri about the year 1832, and settled in Pike Connty, twelve miles from Bowling Green, the county seat. There lie inade a home for his family, and there he died. His wife survived him some three or four years. They were the parents of eight children, seven sons and one daughter, of whom five are now living.
B. A. Woodson, the subject of this sketch, inade his home with his parents till the year 1842. When the family moved to Missouri, they went to an uncle who had been there a year and had a little log cabin about 30 x 16 feet, with one door, no windows, and a fire-place that took up about six feet. Our party arrived there on Christmas day, and remained in that cabin till the latter part of March, when
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
Stephen moved out, living in a hut till he had another cabin completed. Their bedding con- sisted of deer-skins spread over a dirt floor, and their clothing over them to keep them from freezing. Corn was considered to be a luxury, their principal food being venison and wild honey. Wild game was plentiful, but ammuni- tion was hard to obtain. This is a fair sample of what people had to contend with on going to Missouri in the early days.
When our subject was in his twenty-first year he began to work for wages, the most of which was given to his parents to help them along. In 1853 he decided to come to Califor- nia, bringing with him his wife and child. Ile started April 2, 1853, with a wagon drawn by four yoke of oxen and one horse; the provisions and clothing in the wagon completed the outfit. After a loug and weary journey across the plains, which occupied nearly five months, they landed at Diamond Spring, in El Dorado County, September 2, 1853. Mr. Woodson went to mining, which occupation he followed till the latter part of October. He then went to hauling freight, May 1, 1854, from Sacra- mento to the mines at Diamond Spring, Mud Springs, Placerville and Coloma. At this he made considerable money, and continued it and mining up to 1858. Ile then came down to this valley, and purchased his ranch in Novem- ber, paying $450 for a quit-claim deed. In 1863 he paid $375 for another quit-claim deed to another quarter-section adjoining his land on the north. The railroad was then trying to make trouble over the right to this land, and in order to avoid any trouble with thein, Mr. Woodson told his wife's father, John Bounds, who was there living with him, to go and locate on it, but before he could enter the land he took sick and died. Mr. Woodson then had to enter the land in the name of the heirs. Then in order to get a deed from all the heirs, he wrote to thein and explained the circumstances, which has occupied the last twenty years, and it was only a few days ago that he got the deed fromn the last heir. Besides this, Mr. Woodson has
since purchased 166 acres near the home place, and 320 acres in Sacramento County, all of which is farmed by himself and sons. His life has been one of constant toil, which has at last received some reward, and we can safely call him one of our most successful farmers.
Mr. Woodson has been a member of the Christian church since 1856, and we can safely say that he has lived the life of a Christian since that time up to the present day. For the past twenty years he lias acted as an Elder in the church.
His first wife, to whom he was married in Pike County, Missouri, in 1848, was Polly Van Noy, a native of North Carolina, who died April 11, 1852, the mother of two sons, William Gilford, born July 16, 1849, residing in Fresno County, and Nathaniel Franklin, born Decem- ber 13, 1850, died October 22, 1851. Mr. Woodson was married to his present wife, Mary Ann Bounds, in Pike County, Missouri, October 14, 1852. She was born in Scott County, Vir- ginia. They have had six children: John Can- yon, born August 4, 1853, on the Humboldt; James Gordon, June 6, 1856; Benjamin Frank- lin, November 19, 1858; George Washington and Martha Jane, born May 27, 1862, and Cor- delia Frances, born March 10, 1867, died May 12, 1867.
HARLES W. COMMINGS, of Elliott Township, was born in Grafton County, New Hampshire, March 6, 1842, a son of Drury F. and Lavina (Lewis) Commings, the mother a native of Vermont, and the father of New Hampshire. The family record is traced back to John Comnings, of Rowley, Massa- chusetts, who came from England in the great immigration to the United States in 1630. Sergeant John Commings, of Dunstable, Mas- sachusetts, son of John Commings, was one of the first actual land-holders in Dunstable, and one of the selectmen or townsinen, in 1682; he was a soldier in the Queen Anne's war of 1702,
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
was taken prisoner by the Mohawk Indians in the assault on the Weld Garrison Dunstable Blockhouse, July 3, 1706; his wife with six others were killed. John Commings, son of J. Commings, of Dunstable, was born July 7, 1682; he was also one of the selectmen of the town of Dunstable in 1711, and commanded one of the seven fortified block-houses. Ensign J. Commings, son of J. Commings, of Massachu- setts, was born in Groton, October 10, 1711, was in West Dunstable in 1738 and signed the first petition for the charter; he was the father of the Rev. Henry Commings, D. D., the first minister in Billerica, and of Captain Jotham Commings, a soldier in the French war of 1755; he was the ensign of the first militia com- pany in West Dunstable in 1744, and died Oc- tober 25, 1747, aged thirty-six years. He was born December 29, 1741 and was a soldier in the French and Indian wars in 1758 and was with the IIollis soldiers at Crown Point, New York; was one of the first settlers of Plymouth, New Hampshire; a lieutenant in the company of H. H. Rangers in 1775, and for many years was a deacon in the Congregational Church; he died at Plymouth April 1, 1808, aged sixty-six years. Anna (Brown) Commings, his widow, had ten children, and lived to see sixty-eight grand-children and twenty great-grand-children. Drury F. Commings, the father of our subject, was also a captain in the Mexican war; so we see that from the earliest period of the family history they have all been soldiers and defenders of their country.
The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm and remained there until seventeen years of age, when he left home, went to Springfield and enlisted in the army in Company I, under Captain Kobbs, September 15, 1863. He was in several engagements, in which he took an active part. In the battle of the Wilderness, May 4, 5 and 6, 1864, he was on the extreme left in General Davis' brigade, and had his horse killed under him in a charge on the rebels, but catching another riderless horse he soon joined his comrades in the fight. In a terrific skir.
mish on the Chickahominy, which resulted in a loss of 500 men, he was reported as being among the missing; he was taken prisoner, and, with a guard, started for Richmond; when within a few hours' march of Libby Prison, he and some comrades, watching their chance, made a break for the brush; the guard fired upon them and killed all but our subject and one of his com- rades, who succeeded in escaping and returning to their company December 25. He was after- ward transferred to Company H, under coni- mand of Thomas L. Motley. He was in the engagement at Four-Mile creek with the rebel D. H. Hill and Longstreet's corps; and so on throughout the war, always to the front and ready for action until the close of the war, wlien the white flag was presented with Lee's surren- der to Grant's command. He was discharged with the rest at Cloud's Mills, Virginia, June 26, 1865. In 1866 he left Springfield with a party of 300 for Helena, Montana, going via St. Paul, Minnesota. He left St. Paul May 1, with an outfit of 100 wagons, 200 oxen, costing $9,000, and supplies for one year, under the command of J. S. Fisk, and arrived in Helena with the train in September. They were in a fight with Indian stage robbers on the stage route, leading to Stevensville, in 1867, with a party of men sent to capture them. They sur- rounded the Indians, who were lying concealed in a ravine waiting to attack the next stage coach, and at a signal they all rushed in and opened fire on them: not one of them escaped. He was engaged in mining at Helena with W. B. Harlan until July, 1868, when he left there for the Pacific coast. He was in Oregon in 1869: from there came to California, where he and another man purchased a lot of sheep in the southern part of the State and drove them across the great American desert of 100 miles into Arizona in 1871-'72. He was engaged in lum- bering at Trinidad, on the Hninboldt Bay, in 1875-'76.
In November, 1876, after an absence of twelve years and an unbroken silence as to his whereabouts, he made a visit home, remained a
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Residence of CAPT. C. M. WEBER AT STOCKTON in 1850. The lumber in this building cost one dollar per foot.
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
inonth, and returned to the State of lis adop- tion. In the spring of 1877 lie organized a party and went to the regions of the Black Hills; left there October 1, and returned to California. He went to Stockton, and from there to Lockeford, where he purchased 160 acres of choice farming land, situated fifteen mniles from Stockton and four from Lockeford. He was married to Mrs. Alice Bradburn, February 18, 1878. They have two children: Mary and Charles W.
APTAIN CHARLES M. WEBER, de- ceased, the father of the city of Stockton, was born February 16, 1814, in Hombourg, department of Mont Tonnerre, which province the next year after the battle of Waterloo, passed from the French government into the kingdom of Bavaria. His parents were German. His father, a Protestant minister, desiring him also to enter the ministry, gave him an academic education, and was just starting him in a col- legiate course when his health failed, and he had to qnit students' life. His tastes led him into mercantile pursnits, to which he was well adapted.
In 1836, accompanied by a young consin named Engelmann, he emigrated to America, landing at New Orleans in the winter. It had been his intention to visit a relative, Judge Hilgard, a resident of Belleville, Illinois, but who, in Germany, liad been a Judge of the Court of Appeals, and whose son is now Professor Hilgard, of the State University at Berkeley, California. The Mississippi river being blocked with ice, the cousin of our subject puslied on for Illinois overland, but Mr. Weber determined to remain in New Orleans, which he did, and again becanie interested in commercial pursnits. In 1837 the yellow fever appeared in the Sonthı, and Mr. Weber was one of the victims. After his recovery lie went to Texas, wliere lie served under Sam Houston against the Mexicans. In 1840 he was again taken sick, and acting under
advice left that region. In the spring of 1841 he was in St. Louis on his way to visit his rela- tives at Belleville, Illinois. While in St. Louis he became intensely interested in the " country by the Pacific shores," through nieeting intend- ing emigrants, and reading the glowing descrip- tion published by Dr. John Marsh, a resident of San Joaquin valley, and he decided to postpone his visit to liis relatives and to visit that new land. When he departed he left his papers witlı some parties in St. Louis, who sent them to Judge Hilgard. The latter supposed that young Weber had died, and was so considered for a long time thereafter. He came overland with the famous Bartelson party, elsewhere described in this volume. His intention was to remain only through one winter and then return to Louisiana and Texas. He spent the winter at Sutter's Fort, as overseer and assistant for the Swiss captain. While there he found a quantity of seeds which had been laid away and apparently forgotten. They had been sent to Sntter by William G. Ray, of the Hudson Bay Company, as a friendly expression of good will. Mr. Weber planted this seed as an experiment. There was a variety, comprising among other things three kinds of tobacco and several varie- ties of flowers and vegetables. The experiment proved a grand success, and in the spring Sut- ter's Fort seemed like an enchanted fortress built in the midst of perennial gardens.
During this winter Jose Jesus (pronounced hozay hasoos), tlie celebrated chief of the Siya- kumna tribe, visited the fort, and Captain Weber cultivated amicable relations withlı him, which proved of great advantage in subsequent years. In the meantime he saw with piercing eye obscure signs that California would eventu- ally become one of the United States, or at least a separate government from Mexico, and he therefore knew which way to cast his anchor. In the spring he visited San Jose, and concluded to remain. Establishing a copartnership with Guillermo (William) Gulnac, he was enabled to do a very large business. They built in 1842, and thenceforward ran a flouring mill at San
27
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
Jose, made sea biscuit, manufactured shoes, soap, etc. They were the first manufacturers of shoes in this State.
By the advice of Weber, who was not yet a Mexican citizen, Gulnac petitioned Manuel Micheltorena, July 14, 1843, for a grant of eleven square leagues of land (about 48,747 acres), to be located in the vicinty of French Camp in the San Joaquin valley. The reasons why Weber preferred the east side of the river were, first, the belief that the river might form the line between Mexico and the segregated province in the case of division; and secondly, the greater safety in being on that side which was protected by the Hudson Bay trappers, during a portion of the year at least. About this time the commercial partnership was dissolved, the Captain becoming the successor to the business, and Gulnac, together with his eldest son Jose and Peter Lassen, took their cattle and Captain Weber's upon the land applied for, first making their headquarters where Stockton now is; but, as the Hudson Bay trappers had left for the summer, they began to fear molestation by the Indians and moved their camp to the Cosumnes river where they would be near Sutter's Fort for protection.
The attempt to settle the expected grant failed because of the fears of Gulnac, and Cap- tain Weber obtained a passport from the Alcalde of Sane Jose and visited Sutter's Fort, with the view of seeing the Indian chief Jesus and mak- ing a treaty with him if possible. He was successful, as the chief was at war with the Mexicans, and Weber promised to aid him in case of war between the Americans and native Californians, or Mexicans. This friendly alli- ance remained unbroken to the end. The chief advised the building of the Americau village at the present site of Stockton, and agreed to pro- vide all the help necessary in the tilling of the soil and to furnish a war party when called upon to defend the settlers' property against either In- dians or Mexicans. The Captain was generous in his presents, and a friendship was started at the interview that lasted during the lifeof Jesus.
The Sau Joaquin river was indeed practically the line between the Mexicans and that portion of this valley defended by Jesus.
January 13, 1844, the Governor of California granted Gulnac the tract of land for which he liad petitioned, known as “ El Rancho del Campo de los Franceses," which in English means " The French Camp Ranch;" and this was after- ward transferred to Captain Weber.
The next conspicuous period in the Captain's life was that which he devoted to the Michel- torena war, given at length in the chapter on the conquest of California. He continued his residence at San Jose from 1842 to 1847, en- gaged in merchandising, when he settled upon the peninsula here which still remains as the old homestead. This in the prime of his life was kept in tasteful style. Speaking of his gardens in 1860, the eminent traveler and writer, Bayard Taylor, says: "We were greatly delighted with our visit to Captain Weber, who has transformed a tract of land between the two arms of the slough into a garden. There is a no more delightful villa in existence. A thick hedge, ontside of which is a row of semi- tropical trees, surrounds the peninsula. The gate opens into a lofty avenue of trellis work, where the sunshine strikes through pulpy branches of amethyst and chrysolite, while on either hand beds of royal roses of every hue fill the air with odor. The house is low but spacious, with wood-work of the natural red- wood, scarcely less beautiful than mahogany. Vine-covered verandas surround it and keep off the sun, and every window discloses a vision of plants that would be the glory of any green- house on the Atlantic coast. In Mrs. Weber I found an old acquaintance of my former visit. Well I remember the day when hungry, hot and foot-sore I limped to the door of her father's house on a ranch in the valley of San Jose and found her reading a poem of mine. Her father saddled his horse and rode with me to the top of the mountain, and her own lands prepared the grateful supper and breakfast that gave me strength for the tramp to Monterey.
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The garden delighted us beyond measure. The walks were waist-deep in fuchsias, heliotrope and geraniums. The verbenas grew high above our heads, and the pepper-trees, with their loose, misty bonghs, hailed us as do friends from Athens. A row of Italian cypresses, straight and spiry as those which look on Flor- ence from San Miniato, were shooting rapidly above the other growths of the garden. How they will transform the character of this land- scape wlien at last their dark obelisks stand in full stature!"
For many years this garden was open at all times to the public; but the unexpected floods of 1861-'62 and city improvement, wharves, etc. rnined the garden's plan and necessitated the removal of plants and trees, many of which have been transferred to the grounds of St. Agnes Academy.
After liis location upon his ranch here, the history of Captain Weber's life and that of the city of Stockton are so nearly identical that to continue his biography we must refer the reader to the history of the city in this volume, especially to alınost every improvement and en- terprise that has made Stockton the fine city we behold it to.be. He was remarkable for his liberality, donating ground to every church that applied to him, to the city and county and other parties, and giving many sums of money, and devoting inany days of his time to the poor and needy. In Angust, 1850, the city of Stock- ton came into existence, and August 28, 1851, he deeded all the streets, channels and public squares to the city.
He took much pride in the Rural and San Joaquin cemeteries, donating a large portion of the purchase money of the Rural, also giving the land occupied by the San Joaquin cemetery (Catholic). St. Agnes Academy has a garden to which he gave mnuch attention during his later years. He gave the land, obtained the plants and flowers, and spent much of his time at work there. He gave much of his attention to protecting the city from overflow, and under his direction and aid the city built a bulkhead
on Stanislaus street, dug a canal along East street and also along North street, Captain Weber superintending the whole of the work in person and assisting in filling in North street at considerable personal expense. He put at least $30,000 into the improvement of California street, which was only one of a large number of streets on which he spent his money and time. When the natural course of events made the property in this valley very valuable, squatters began to give him much trouble, and the heirs of Gulnac, spurred on by designing men and a combination of lawyers, attempted to wrest from him that which was his; and in defending his title and that of those to whom he had sold he spent vast sums of money. When this litigation commenced, he had val- uable property in San Francisco, and this was sacrificed to get money to fight the schemers. If he had let this property here go, he would have been better off. After getting squatters off his land, he would often reverse his tactics, and befriend them to a greater extent than if he had allowed them to take his land. He finally received an incontestable patent with Abraham Lincoln's signature attached.
When the civil war broke out, Captain Weber at once showed where he stood, in no half- hearted manner; and his influence was powerful in moulding and solidifying the Union senti- ment of this region. The flag of our country needing to be more conspicuously displayed, the patriotic Captain sent to Oregon, purchased a pole 120 feet in length for a flag-staff, and placing on the top the large letters "U. S.," he planted the staff on an island to the west of his residence, and from it floated, after every Union victory, the country's flag, which could be seen for miles. The island became known as " Ban- ner Island," which name it still retains. Un- known parties. sympathizers with the Confeder- ates, several times went in boats and cut the halyards. Mr. Weber then placed a large watch- dog on the island to guard the flag. On the night of September 29, 1861, some miscreants ran up a small secession flag on the staff, as
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