USA > California > Sonoma County > An illustrated history of Sonoma County, California. Containing a history of the county of Sonoma from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time > Part 57
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
south of Yuba. He followed mining, however. only until February following, at which time he located on the Catata raneh, four miles below Santa Rosa. In 1856 he sold out and took charge of the flouring mill of Felty Miller. on Mill Creek. which he operated for six years. HIe then bought a ranch on Dry Creek, and after making many improvements, sold out in Janu- ary, 1865, and located where he now resides, on the Guerneville road, four miles from Healds- burg. Mr. Lewis's ranch presents a fine ap- pearance to the passer-by. The vineyard, abutting upon the road, is splendidly kept, and through it a spacious avenne extends back to the residence, which occupies a good location near the center of the ranch. Back of this is the farming land. The vineyard covers sixty- five acres of ground, and all the vines were planted in 1883. Sixty-five acres are Zinfan- dels, while the remainder are selected varieties of table grapes. Their quality is exeellent and he lias had no difficulty in finding a shipping market for them. The only improvement of any note which Mr. Lewis has not put upon the place is an orchard of three acres, which is about thirty years old. The trees, which are apple, pear, plum, almond, etc., are yet pro- lifie, and bear good fruit. The remainder of the place is devoted to general farming. corn, alfalfa and potatoes being the usual crops. The ground is so rich that these always do well. Ile usually has abont forty acres in alfalfa, and this being cut three times per annum produces an average crop of six tons per acre. Corn, to which he usually devotes from ten to twenty acres of bottom land, averages fully forty bushels to the acre. All in all, this is a model farm, and re- fleets credit upon Mr. Lewis, to whom its pres- ent prosperous condition is due. Mr. Lewis was married January 5. 1858. to Mrs. Nancy Poe (whose maiden name was Gunther), a native of McDonald County, Missouri, who came across the plains to California in 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have seven living children, viz. . Rachel, wife of William Neely; Rebecca, wife of Crook Martin, a resident of Santa Maria.
Santa Barbara County; AAdeline, wife of Clem- ent Mothorn; Cashia, wife of Perry Mothorn; Angusta, wife of Benjamin Nichols (the three latter are residents of Sonoma County); Lena and Prudie, at home. Mrs. Lewis has a daugh- ter by her first marriage, Mary, wife of William King. of Sonoma County. Politically Mr. Lewis is a Republican. He takes an active interest in educational affairs and has been a school trustee in his district for twenty years. He is one of the old settlers of Sonoma County, and has been an eye-witness to most of the changes which have transformed it from a wilderness to its present condition. In 1860 he also located and obtained a State patent of 200 acres of timber land on Russian River where Gnerne- ville now stands, and still owns 255 acres ad- joining. In 1572 he discovered and located a quicksilver mine, four miles north of Gnerne- ville, called the Great Eastern Mine, of which at the present time he owns one-fourth interest and is manager of same.
ARRISON WHITE .- Among the repre- sentative and productive orchards of Santa Rosa Township, that owned by the above named gentleman is worthy of special mention. Mr. White is the owner of twenty-five acres located on the Middle Petaluma road, in the Hearn school district, two miles south of Santa Rosa. This orchard was planted by Mr. White in 1883, and contains 2,875 trees, classified as follows: 1,750 Freneh prunes, 400 Bartlett pears, 200 Newtown pippin apples, 75 Ben Davis apples, 50 each of winter Nellis pears. Easter- bury pears, and white winter pearmain apples, 25 each of Oregon silver prunes, egg plums, and winter Bellflower apples, 100 trees of peaches and other varieties of fruit. Berries of all kinds are also successfully grown without irrigation. The improvements upon this place are first-class in every respect; among them is a handsome cottage residenee of modern architect- ural design, well fitted with all the conveniences
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
and comforts that characterize a well ordered home. Mr. White was born in Buncombe County, North Carolina, in 1531, and is the son of William and Sarah (Baker) White, the former a native of North Carolina and the lat- ter of Georgia. In his youth his parents moved to Georgia and later to Madison County, Mis- souri, where the subject of this sketch was reared as a farmer, and received his education in the common schools. In 1552 he came over- land to California, driving his own team. The train to which he was attached was the first to enter the State by the " Hennis Pass " route, and, upon their arrival at Hennis and Jack- son's ranch, they found their further progress with wagons impossible, and were compelled to disband and pack their effects over rough trails into Downieville. Arriving at that place Sep- tember 15, 1852, he immediately commeneed mining, which he continued with fair success until the next year. He was also connected with White, Thacher & Co., in putting in a mining Hume at Little Rich Bar, one and one half miles below Downieville, after which he went to Ous- ley's Bar and worked for Jacob Wiser. In 1854 he purchased the well-known Wiser ferry on the Yuba River, which he conducted for the next five years, at the same time being engaged in mercantile pursuits, and having a store at Ousley's Bar and one at Poverty Flat. He was also engaged in other well remembered enter- prises of that day, being largely interested in the Goodwin and Story Ditch, the Prairie Ditch (known as the Webb and Clark Ditch), and the Dry Creek toll bridge. Mr. White was success- ful in his business enterprises. Ile sold his ferry in 1859 to Elliott, Barnes & Lloyd. who afterward moved the same to Jacin to on the Sac- ramento River, and in 1562 sold his interest in the Dry Creek bridge. In 1865 he located at Gold Run in Placer County, and, under the firm name of Mason & White, he and his partner established stores at Gold Run, Hunt's Hill, Truckee and You Bet. These varions enterprises were successfully conducted until 1872, when he sold out his interests and lo-
cated in Humboldt County, where, in connec- tion with A. B. Huyck, he purchased the stock and raneh of Coleman & Graham, and for the next ten years was extensively engaged in wool growing, keeping from 3,500 to 4,000 head of sheep. He was later connected with J. B. Caster- lin, under the firm name of White & Casterlin. In 1582 he sold out his interests to Dr. O. S. Phelps, and, after traveling extensively through the State, purchased sixteen acres of vineyard property near St Helena, upon which he resided until 1883, when he sold out and took up his present residence. Mr. White is an energetic and intelligent man with sound business prin- ciples, which he is applying to his horticultural industry, and. like his other enterprises, he is making a success of it. As a miner, merchant, stock-grower and capitalist, he is widely known in California and particularly in the mining districts. His consistent course of life and his honorable dealings with his fellow men have gained him a large circle of friends. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat. In 1869 Mr. White was united in marriage with Miss Sophia J. Holmes, a native of Maine. None of their four children are now living.
AMUEL 1. ALLEN, one of Santa Rosa's most energetic and public-spirited busi- ness men, was born in Brown County, Ohio, forty-two years ago. His father, John D. Allen, was a native of Ireland, born July 3, 1802. In the spring of 1875 the subject of this sketch left the Buckeye State for Califor- via. After spending two years in Mendocino County, he came to Santa Rosa and for ten years he has been conducting a successful busi- ness in this city, in the way of fresh dressed meats. Mr. Allen is a man of positive convic- tions on all subjects, and being a Republican in polities, has taken an active part in advancing the interests of the party of his political faith. He served in the Legislature in the session of 1884-85, representing the Twenty-fourth Dis-
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
triet. Mr. Allen was chairman of the Repub- lican County Central Committee during the Presidental campaign of 18S8.
S. BRYANT, one of the old Californians now a resident of Sonoma County, was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sep- tember 28, 1823, his parents being Amos and Sophia (Orentt) Bryant. Both parents came of old New England families, and both were of English descent. The paternal grandfather of D. S. Bryant was born at North Redding, ten miles from Boston. When the subject of this sketch was a mere child he lost his father by death. Mr. Bryant was reared in his native town, Cambridge, and in its public schools was fitted for Andover College. Before his inten- tion to enter that well known institution of learning could be carried out, circumstances oc- curred which caused him to change his plans, and at the age of seventeen years he entered a Boston store as a clerk. This occupation en- gaged his attention, with the exception of one summer spent in New York, until 1849, when he joined the tide of emigration to California. From boyhood he had made natural history a study, and his decision to go to California was probably induced, more than from any other reason, by a knowledge that this coast would present a good field for labor in his chosen de- partment of science. Ilence it was that among his effects was a complete taxidermist's outfit, and some fine specimens of sea fowl were capt- ured and stuffed by him on the voyage. ITis ship, the Hannibal (Captain Willis), left Bos- ton in November, 1849, and after a pleasant journey, via Cape Horn, cast anchor in San Francisco harbor May 2, 1850. In that place Mr. Bryant found any kind of labor in demand, and at prices so remunerative that natural his- tory work was temporarily laid aside for more practical and more prosaic pursuits. A few months after landing he decided to go into the cattle business, choosing the Mission Dolores as
temporary headquarters and purchasing a fifty vara lot from Jesus Noe about where the Jewish cemetery now is. This lot was part of the Mexican grant to Noe, who was much troubled with squatters, and when Mr. Bryant purchased the lot, paying $90 for it, he unknowingly made friends with the Mexicans, who ever after re- speeted his brand and gave information where any stray cattle might be found with his iron upon them. It was not the amount paid for the lot, but the faet of his admitting that Noe owned the land, and when the deed was made ont in the old adobe adjoining the church, Mr. Bryant was introduced to several of Senor Noe's friends as the " Americano who did not squat." Ile resided at the Mission for about six months, then, in company with R. S. Eaton, bought the entire Visitacion Valley (1,100 acres). He built there a small house for a residence, and continued buying and selling cattle in partner- ship with Mr. Eaton for eleven months, when he purchased the latter's interest and thus be- came possessed of everything on the ranch. After selling 300 acres to Henry Schwerin (who is still living on the land), the remaining 800 acres was sold in June, 1853, to Dr. William Gwyn, George Penn Johnston and Mr. Cook of Palmer, Cook & Co., together with the stock and tools. He then went East with no inten- tion of ever returning to the Pacific coast. In 1857, however, he again came West, via Pana- ma, and after a short stay in San Francisco, came to Sonoma County, and followed ranching in the vicinity of the town of Sonoma for five years. He then svent to San Francisco and embarked in the grain business. After the third year the firm became Bryant & Cook, so continning for twenty years until the death of Mr. Cook in 1886. His home, however, had been in Oakland. In October, 1887, Mr. Bryant purchased twenty-eight acres of choice land at Hassett's Grove, adjoining Healdsburg, and has since resided there. lle has ten acres of Zinfandel grapes, the vines being in a very healthy condition and well cared for. There is no better land in California than in this tract,
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
and the owner has made some substantial iin- provements on the place. Mr. Bryant was mar ried at Marlborough, Massachusetts, in Decem- ber. 1853, to Miss Susan Hastings Howe, a native of that place and a representative of an old New England family. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant were the parents of four children, of whom one, Ilerman B., is deceased. He was born at San Francisco, graduated from the high school in Oakland at the age of seventeen, and from the University of California at twenty-one, and went to San Diego. He died there at the age of twenty-three years and ten and a half months. The living children are Hattie B., widow of Melville C. Wilson (who died in 1883); Mareia L., who is a graduate of Oakland high school. and Walter E., who is a graduate of the same school, and has been connected with the Academy of Sciences, in the department of ornithology, since early in 1887. Mr. Bryant is one of the successful California pioneers, and is a welcome addition to the population of Sonoma County.
OIN L. EDWARDS, proprietor of J. L. Edwards' grocery house, corner of Main and Third streets, is one of the sterling busi- ness men of Santa Rosa, and a Californian from boyhood. Ile was born in the town of Union, Franklin County, Missouri, forty-eight years ago. In the spring of 1857 his father started with his family, four men and three ox teams to cross the plains to California. On reaching Fort Laramie they overtook and joined an emi- grant train known as " Bona " Wood's train, constituting a company of fifteen men. They also overtook and traveled with a train in charge of Dr. Burnett until near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where they separated and Mr. Ed- wards and family eame on to California alone. On the way they narrowly escaped several en- counters with hostile Indians; and were only half a day behind the company who were mur- dered in what is known as the Holiway mas- sacre. Mrs. Holiway, the lady who was scalped
and left for dead on the seene of the tragedy, was discovered to be alive by a member of the Breedlove emigrant train (which was a short distanee ahead of Mr. Edward's family), and was picked up and carried by him half a mile to the company's eamp. She was brought through to California by them, and lived and died at Napa City, where the subject of this sketch met and took dinner with her, on which occasion she related some of the terrible exper- iences of that slaughter. The company which had pieked Mrs. Holiway up, halted at a villain- ous trading post some distance farther on in their journey, where they discovered Mrs. Holi- way's reeking sealp on exhibition as a trophy, and listened to the proprietor laughingly tell the story of his purchase of it. IIe was taken by her indignant reseuers and tied to one of their wagons and shot to death. His effects were then gathered together and converted into a funeral pyre on which his body was burned. On reaching the Golden State Mr. Edwards' father settled in Napa City and engaged in merchandising for a year and a half; then sold his store and moved to St. Helena and bought a traet of 126 acres of land adjoining the village, for $25 per aere. The priee was thought by the old settlers to be ex- travagant, and Mr. Edwards was the subject of their mingled commiseration and ridicule. IIe planted a part of the land to grapes and was one of the pioneer vineyardists of that region. The property for which he paid $3,150 was sub- sequently sold in pareels, aggregating nearly 850,000. The subject of this memoir divided his time for several years between assisting his father on the ranch and clerking in stores there and elsewhere. Leaving St. Helena, he visited several points in the State, and finally entered the employ of the Central Pacific Railroad Com- pany in their repair department at Oakland; and afterward in charge of their freight and baggage business at Martinez, Contra Costa County. He resigned the latter position to ac- cept that of receiver in the money order depart- ment of the San Francisco postoffice, under
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
General S. W. Backus, which he filled between five and six years. In the early part of 1887 Mr. Edwards decided to engage in business on his own account, and resigning his place in the postoffice, bought the small stock of groceries owned by William S. Hosmer, and moved his family to Santa Rosa in April of that year. His store on the corner of Main and Third streets is a fine loeation, and is well stocked with staple and fancy groceries, crockery, glassware, fruits, vegetables, candies and tobaccos. Mr. Edwards' method of doing business makes a friend of every enstomer, and his trade is consequently growing and prosperous. He married Miss Carrie W. Backus, daugliter of Gurdon Backus, a pioneer of Sacramento, at present agent for the Central Pacific Railroad at St Helena, Napa County. They have three children. Mr. Edwards is a Past Master of California Lodge, No. 1, A. O. U. W.
NDREW J. GALLAWAY, one of the old residents of Sonoma County, is a native of Knox County, Tennessee, born November 14, 1817. At the age of sixteen years lie removed with his parents to Morgan County, Indiana. Nine years later he went to Missouri and from there, after five years, to New Mexico. There he remained about one year and returned to Missouri. In the spring of 1850 he came to California, making the journey across the plains by teams. He at onee engaged in mining in EI Dorado County, and after three years went to Yolo County and engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1857 he returned to Missouri via Panama, but two years later came back to Yolo County, Califor- nia, bringing with him a band of cattle. After a few months he came to Sonoma County and purchased a farm about three miles north of Geyserville. In 1864 he located where he now resides. He was married to Deborah Price, October 14, 1857. They were the parents of five children, viz .: Allen R., Nancy E., Henry M. (deceased), Andrew J. and Amanda A. The
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Gallaway ranch is beautifully located, adjoining Dry Creek, and presents every appearance of prosperity. Orchard and vineyard are kept up in a manner to attract favorable attention, and the proprietors have found the place, thus man- aged, a source of substantial revenue. Andrew J. Gallaway, Sr., no longer gives his personal eare to the place, but his sons, the Gallaway Brothers (Allen R. and Andrew J., Jr.), man- age the business and superintend the details of work about the place. They have nearly sixty aeres in grapes, of both wine and table varieties. The wine grapes are Zinfandel, Burgundy, San- vignon and Burger. The table varieties are Tokay, Coleman, etc. The first vines were planted in 1863, and additions have been made at intervals until 1886, in the spring of which year the last vines were set out. They have about sixteen acres in choice fruits, mainly peaches, plums and prunes, though there are small numbers of trees of many other kinds of fruit. The bulk of the young orchard consists of French and Silver prunes. They have had good success with all kinds of fruit and their exhibits at the Mechanics' Institute Fair, San Francisco, commanded favorable notice. The rest of the land is devoted to general farming purposes. Allen Reetor Gallaway, the oldest son of A. J. Gallaway, Sr., was born in Gentry County, Missouri, August 3, 1858. He accom- panied his parents across the plains to Califor- nia, where he grew to manhood. Ile received his edneation in the schools of Healdsburg, at the Christian College, Santa Rosa, and at Pieree College, College City, Colusa County, graduat- ing at the latter place in the class of 1881. In order to make himself self-supporting while re- ceiving the education he had marked out for himself, he commenced teaching school in 1878, and since that time has taught during every winter term except 1885. After graduating at Pierce College, he became one of the faculty and held the chair of history for two years (which position he resigned to take charge of his father's farm). The year ISSS is his third year as a teacher in Sonoma County. Mr. Galla-
HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
way is a Republican, politically, At the con- vention of that party for Sonoma County, in 1588, at Santa Rosa, he was nominated on the 25th of July as the Republican candidate for the General Assembly from the twenty-third dis- triet. The district being strongly Democratic he was defeated at the subsequent election by only a small plurality. Ile was married in Colusa County, August 20, 1884, to Miss Laura M. Abel, a native of Wisconsin, reared in Solano and Colusa counties, California. They have one child -- Alfred Russell. Mr. Gallaway is a member of the Healdsburg Lodge, A. O. U. W., and is a member of the Christian church of the same place. Andrew J. Gallaway, Jr .. is a native son of the Golden West, having been born in Sonoma County, March 10, 1863. Ile was reared here and received his education at Healdsburg, at Santa Rosa and at Litton Springs College. Since completing his education he has given his entire attention to the interests of the ranch, and much of its success is due to his personal efforts. He is a member of Sotoyome Parlor, No. 68. N. S. G. W., at Healdsburg, and has held the office of recording secretary Ile is also a member of the Christian church at Healdsburg. He was married in Gilroy, Sep- tember 5. 1585, to Miss Nanie Enfield, of that place.
AON. GEORGE A. JOHNSON. In every great department of active life there are a few who, by innate superiority of mind and breadth of culture tower above the mass of their fellows, as the head above the body directing and controlling its movements, and giving to it power and character. In such a relation stands Attorney-General G. A. Johnson to the bar of California as one of its most eminent and hon- ored members. He was born in Salisbury, Maryland, in 1829. Ilis mother dying in his early childhood, he was reared in the home and family of his maternal grandfather, Mr. Rider. ITis father, Joshna Johnson, moved soon after
Mrs. Johnson's death to New Castle, Indiana. Grandfather Rider was a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his house was the headquarters of Methodism in the town of Salisbury. Thus the grandson was surrounded by those moral influences which made a perma- nent impression upon his plastie young mind, and stamped themselves upon his subsequent character. His early scholastic training was in the schools and academy of his native town, and at the age of nineteen he went West to his father's home and began the study of law in New Castle, Henry County, Indiana. but soon realizing the necessity of a more thorough edu- cation, he prepared himself and entered Yale College, from which he graduated in the class of 1853. Among his associates were Hon. Wayne Mcveigh, President Andrew D. White, District Attorney Phelps, and others distinguished in letters and statesmanship. During his col- lege course Mr. Johnson won several class prizes, and was elected and served as president of the board of editors of the Yale Literary Magazine. After his graduation he was tendered and ac- cepted the professorship of Latin and Greek in the Western Military Institute, at Drennon Springs, Kentucky, of which General Bushrod Johnson was President. Remaining there but a few months, owing to an epidemic of typhoid fever, which closed the school, Mr. Johnson re- tuned to New Castle and resumed his law studies with Jehu T. Elliott, subsequently Judge of the Supreme Court of Indiana. After completing his course of reading and attending a term in the law department of the State Uni- versity, he commenced the practice in 1855 in Cambridge City. Indiana, and the same year was joined in marriage with Miss Juliet M. Wayman, of that eity. Pursuing a successful legal business until 1873, and attaining a high rank in his pro- fession, he was that year appointed Circuit Judge of the Seventeenth Judicial Cireuit by Governor Hendricks. The following year. 1874. owing partly to the ill-health of his wife, Judge Johnson immigrated to California, settled in Santa Rosa, and formed a law partnership with Hon. Barclay
HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY.
Henley. In the spring of 1878 he was elected mayor of Santa Rosa on the Democratie ticket over the working men's candidate. Upon the passage of the act that year submitting to the vote of the people the question of calling a convention to frame a new State Constitution (a measure which Judge Johnson zealously advocated and worked for, which was carried in the State, and in Sonoma County by about a thousand votes). lie was chosen one of the delegates to the con- vention, and resigned the mayoralty. The Constitutional Convention met in September, 1878, and was in session five months. Judge Johnson was at once recognized as one of the leaders in that distinguished body; and was chosen to compile and arrange the address to the people, a copy of which, together with a copy of the new constitution, was sent to every voter. He was also selected to deliver the presentation speech on the occasion of pre- senting President Hoge with a hundred vol- umes of choice literature by the members of the convention as a testimonial of their esteem for him as their presiding officer. The address was a very appropriate and happy effort. The labors of the convention were endorsed by the people in the adoption of the constitution by a major- ity of 11,000 votes, and it went into effect Jan- uary 1, 1880. In 1879 Judge Johnson received the unanimous nomination of the Working- men's Convention for Supreme Judge, but de- clined to be their candidate. In 1882 he was elected to the State Senate, and re-elected in 1884. Both terms he was chairman of the committee on city and towns, and reported a bill for establishing a uniform system for municipal governments, which became a law in 1883 and fills about 150 pages of the statute book. During the legislative session of 1884- '85 he was also chairman of the committee on education. In 1886 he was elected Attorney- General of California for four years, and as- snmed the office the 1st of January, 1887. In January, 1888, he went to Washington City to argue the celebrated railroad tax eases in the United States Supreme Court against
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