USA > California > Nevada County > Bean's history and directory of Nevada County, California. Containing a complete history of the county, with sketches of the various towns and mining camps also, full statistics of mining and all other industrial resources > Part 20
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Early in November, 1849, Samuel and George Holt, and James Walsh, came with wagons, tools, machinery, etc., to a place about four miles below Grass Valley, for the purpose of erecting two saw mills-the one by the Messrs. Holt, a water mill, and Judge Walsh's, a steam mill. Zenas Wheeler was of the party. The Holts finished their mill in March, 1850, and were sawing lumber on the 3d of May. While working in the mill they were attacked by Indians, of whom there were a great number in the vicinity. The elder Holt (Samuel) was pierced and at once killed by their arrows. George Holt escaped with life, fighting eight or ten Indi- ans up the hill between the two mills, with only a small pocket knife in his hand, and fell into the arms of Judge Walsh, covered with blood and wounded in thirteen places with arrows. Only three of the company were at home at the time of the attack, Mr. Wheeler having gone below for the engine, and two others to the Yuba. The property was plundered and burnt the night after the attack on the Holts, and the camp of Judge Walsh was threatened. A few friendly Indians gave their assistance during the night, and Captain Day (subsequently County Surveyor of Nevada County) and another man came in on noticing the fires and disorder. Old Chief Wemeh brought the dead body of Holt to the camp. The next morning Captain Day and his friend started for camp "Far West," on Johnson's Ranch, at Bear River; and the morning after, twenty-four United States soldiers arrived, supplied by Major Day, commanding at that station. One hundred miners from
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Deor Creek also poured in, and in a couple of days they killed and run off all the Indians. Mr. G. Holt was removed to Stocking's store, on Deer Creek, and recov- cred in ten days.
In our early times, Judge Lynch presided, and if his rulings were not always dignified or legally correct, his promptness was certainly never brought into ques- tion. The miner knew no such thing as the "law's delay." The punishment was generally in ratio to the crime committed. In November, 1850, a man named Napoleon Collins, who had stolen a mule, was taken up, tried by His Honor Judge Lynch, was found guilty of the crime, and was sentenced to receive thirty-six lashes, which he did, and he soon afterward left.
Following the discovery of quartz in Grass Valley, a demand came for quartz mills. The first erected, an experimental affair, was in 1850, by Dr. Wittenbach, for J. Wright. It stood in the rear of the present Lady Franklin mill. The second, known as the Abby mill, was built by the Boston company in the spring of 1851, of which Abbey was superintendent, and the late Louis R. Sowers was machinist. It occupied the site on which the Sebastopol mill now stands. The third mill, in Boston Ravine, was built by Wright & Hansard, the same spring, the late James Harper being machinist.
The first saw mill in Grass Valley was constructed by Judge Walsh, in July, 1850, of which G. P. Clark was engineer, and Zenas Wheeler, wheelwright. It was built in Mill street, on the ground now ocenpied by the City Brewery.
The first quartz mining, like the same branch of business in later days, resulted not altogether in Midas-like realities. Ledges were touched, aye, roughly handled, but they turned not into gold. Fortunes came speedily to the favored few, but turdily, and in too many instances not at all, to the unlucky many. Prices of crushing were disastrously high ; the processes for saving gold were imperfect, and men were financially wrecked in working quartz which would now prove a fortune to its owners.
In the fall of 1850 the first hotel was erected by Thomas Beatty, on the south side of Main street, the present location of the Senate Saloon, and was named the Beatty House.
The town was early supplied with ditches, tho first, the Centerville, being dug in the fall of 1850, by Ormsby and others, who obtained their water supply from Wolf Crock. The next, known as Murphy, O'Connor & Co's Ditch, was built in the fall of 1851, tho principal projectors of this work being Judge Isaac Murphy, late Governor of Arkansas, and Judge M. P. O'Connor, still of Grass Valley. Day, Fouso & Co. brought in a ditch from Wolf Creek the same year ; and the Empire Ditch, built by L. L. Whiting, J. P. Stono and others, and tho Union Ditch, the latter being supplied from Little Deer Creek, were constructed in 1852.
Boston Ravine was the pioneer settlement of the valley, having a vigorous exist- ence before even the cloth shanty of the danger-braving gold-seeker had been pitched in Grass Valley.
In the early part of 1851 Grass Valley contained but two or three cabins, but its growth during this and the subsequent year was almost marvelous.
In 1851 the first school was opened by Miss Rosanna Farrington, (now Mrs. J. P. Stone, of this place,) in a little building which stood on the lot now owned and occupied by S. D. Bosworth, on Mill street.
A Postoffice was established in this place in the year 1851, under the administra tion of Millard Fillmore, and Dr. C. D. Cleveland was appointed Postmaster.
The first homicide, but, unfortunately, not the last, was committed in Grass Valley
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in January, 1851. A desperado known as Jack Allen, who came to California with Colonel Stevenson's regiment, intruded at a ball given at the Grass Valley House, he became boisterous and abusive, made several threats, and when about to carry out his wicked designs, he was shot down. His slayer was never positively known. A Dr. Vaughan, who went up and examined the head of Allen after the homicide, remarked : "Why, what a head ! He ought to have been killed years ago." This phrenological opinion, gratuitously given by Vaughan, came very near costing him his own head.
The reader's patience is taken into consideration in not detailing the common, or even all the uncommon events, connected with the history of our town. Grass Valley has had her mining excitements, her murders, homicides, her eras of profii- gacy, her days of fortune-making and fortune-losing; in fine, all of that strange commingling of pleasure and pain only realized in California.
A historical sketch of Grass Valley without a passing word at least for Lola Montez, would be a sort of Hamlet with the demented Dane left out. In 1854 and '55 the erratic Lola lived in this place, occupying the residence now owned by Mr. Bosworth, which building the "Limerick Countess " had erected for herself. Her eccentricities here-that being, perhaps, inconsistently mild-would add none to the encomiums lavished upon her memory by mawkish scribblers. Her most noto- rious adventure here was her street attack on Henry Shipley-who at that time was editing the Grass Valley Telegraph. Shipley, long connected with the press of California and Oregon, and who fills a suicide's grave, had published something severe on one of Lola's ballet friends. The irate actress provided herself with a whip, found Shipley, made a few belligerent passes at him, but was taken away before doing any serious damage to her surprised victim.
On June 27th, 1857, a horrible tragedy occurred at Osborn Hill, near this place, in which four men were killed, among others, James McMurtry, an estimable gen- tleman, whose tragic death threw a mantle of mourning over all who knew him. The battle-for it assumed the proportions more of a pitched battle than an ordinary fight-had its origin over the ownership of what was known as the McMurtry and Larrimer ground. The dispute had been virtually settled. The so-called Griffin party, headed by Alexander Griffin, who plied his congeners with liquor until they were drunk to the quarrelsome degree, were on the "disputed territory," all armed to the teeth. When McMurtry and his friends, who had supposed that their affair had been or was about to be settled civilly, appeared on the ground, the Griffin party in force opened the attack, with guns and pistols. A large number were engaged in the fight, which is described by participants as a terrible one. McMur- try and a man named Collins were killed almost instantaneously. One Garvey, and a man known as "Coyote Jack," received wounds from which they subse- quently died. Richard Kemble and Patrick Casey received frightful injuries, but both recovered. Kemble was insane for some time after the fight, and was sent to the Asylum at Stockton. Five of the Griffin crowd, including Alexander Griffin, John McCabe, Daniel McGee, Casey and Patrick Harrington, were sent to the Penitentiary, where they served out a portion of their time and were pardoned.
The first brick building in town was erected by Adams & Co., in the fall of 1854, and was used for a banking house and express office. The first brick store, which has successfully contended against numerous fires, was built the same year by Sil- vester & Salaman.
The saddest mining accident hereabout (and such things have been painfully
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frequent,) occurred on January 28th, 1860, in the mine of the Boston Ravine Com pany, on New York Hill. Four inen, Frank Lampshire, Alex. Jeffery, Cornelius McGraw, and a man named Peters, who were working in a breast of the mine, were drowned. An immense volume of water, which had been tapped from the old works, burst through on the unfortunate men, filling up the breast in which they were working, and also filling the shaft of the mine to a hight of forty fect. The accident occurred on Saturday, and so great was the amount of water in the mine, that Captain Powning, the superintendent of the works, was unable to recover the bodies until the following Monday.
Of conflagrations Grass Valley has certainly had its quota. The most disastrous fire occurred on September 13th, 1855, when over three hundred buildings, covering an area of thirty acres, were consumed. This wholesale destruction of property was accomplished in the brief space of one hour and fifteen minutes. Loss csti- mated at over $350,000. The fire originated in the United States Hotel, kept by Madame Bonhore, and owned by Oakly & Hall, the latter now being Police Judge of Sacramento. The town was quickly rebuilt. A very destructive fire, of which we have failed to obtain particulars, occurred in 1860. On June 11th, 1862, a fire, which originated in a carpenter shop on upper Main street, destroyed the National Office, Engine Ilouse, Hodge's Hotel, Aurora House, and other buildings, Loss, $25,000. On August 15th, of the same year, property to the amount of $40,000 was consumed. Fire originated in the old Center Market, on Main street.
While quartz has been the chief mining interest of Grass Valley, it is well to remember that our placer, cement, gravel and creek diggings have paid as well, taking the labor into consideration, as similar mines in other portions of California. The Slide, Alta Hill, Woodpecker Ravine, Kate Hayes IIill, Pike Flat, and other mining localities in and about this place, have turned out fabulous amounts of free gold. Several of these old mines, as, for instance, the Alta No. 1, owned by John Jeffree, John Roberts and Herman Kruse, are now yielding well.
The township of Grass Valley embraces Grass Valley proper, Boston Ravine, Allison Ranch, Massachusetts Hill, New York Hill, Forest Springs, Union Hill, Ophir Hill, Hueston Hill, Eureka Hill, Buena Vista, Sebastopol Hill, Osborne and countless other hills, as well as a host of prefixed ravines, at all of which localities quartz mining is conducted, and, in most instances, with highly satisfactory results. In the township there are at least thirty dividend-paying quartz mines, and twenty- eight quartz mills, running in the aggregate over three hundred stamps ; besides, wo havo threo establishments in which sulphurets are reduced. The number of men engaged in and about the quartz mills and extensive mines of this township, together with those working on a smaller scale, will approximate three thousand ; a larger number than any other township in California can show.
The town of Grass Valley (this we give for those unacquainted with our geograph- ical position,) is located four miles southwest of the county seat of Nevada, thirty- five miles from Marysville, sixty-five miles from Sacramento, and is eleven miles from Colfax-the nearest station on the Central Pacific Railroad. During the past two years Grass Valley has grown wonderfully, proving one of the very few excep- tions, in this respect, to California's interior towns. Our chief interest is quartz, and with the development of this very important branch of mining, business of all kinds has rapidly increased, the town has enlarged its dimensions, and it is safe to estimate that during the past eighteen months at least five hundred houses have been erected in Grass Valley and the vicinity.
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Following is a list of the number of business establishments, organizations, pro- fessions, etc., in Grass Valley : Drygoods stores, five ; clothing, five ; grocery stores, ten ; hotels, four ; bakeries, five; breweries, three ; markets, eight ; livery stables, three ; lumber yards, five ; banks, two ; boot and shoe stores, three ; boot makers, ten ; tailor shops, five; hardware and tin stores, five; furniture establishments, three ; jewelry stores, three; flour and feed stores, three ; blacksmith shops, six ; carpenter shops, eight ; wagon shops, five ; drug stores, four; cigar and tobacco stores, three ; foundries, two ; variety stores, four ; restaurants, five ; lapidaries, two; paint shops, five; stationers, two; shaving saloons, seven ; auction stores, two ; Cheap John, one ; gunmaker, one ; soda factory, one ; laundries, two ; saloons, about fifty ; photographers, two; churches, seven ; benevolent associations, seven ; mili- tary companies, two; daily papers, two; fire companies, three; schools, eight- three public and five private ; brass band, one ; physicians, eleven ; lawyers, ten ; dentists, four; surveyor, onc.
Grass Valley, in its history of sixteen years, has never seen a more prosperous time than the present. Many of its old mines are yielding better than ever before; new mines, full of promise, and opened within the past year, are already paying handsome dividends, while a large number of lodes, located during the year 1866, will be extensively and energetically worked during the present season. Quartz mining, conducted judiciously, is no longer a dangerous experiment, but a golden reality. Quartz has made Grass Valley the wealthiest of California's inland towns, and this interest alone, leaving out our agricultural wealth, will enable us, for this generation at least, to rank high among the favored places on this coast.
THE HUNGRY CONVENTION AT GRASS VALLEY.
BY OLD BLOCK.
The winter of 1852-53 was very severe. The roads, being new, were at times impassable on account of mud, the sloughs were full of water and unbridged, and at one time, a period of ten days elapsed when communication between the mines of Nevada county and Sacramento City was totally suspended. In consequence of this forced non-intercourse, provisions and supplies failed to arrive, while the stocks on hand, of the merchants, were dwindling down "to the shortest span," and anxiety was manifested on all hands for future supplies, provisions advanced to nearly starving prices. Flour went up from twenty-five to sixty cents per pound, potatoes could scarecly be had for thirty cents, bacon was scarce at seventy-five cents ; and as hungry stomachs increased in number the necessaries of life grew less. The country was in fact mud-bound. Questions were asked, which none could answer- " What are we to do ?" The prospect of open roads was distant, and scarcity was present, which seemed fast relapsing into absolute want.
In times of great emergencies great men always arise. Circumstances seem to develop greatness, and so in this case, the exigencies of the times brought out bold spirits. A hurried consultation among individuals resulted in a proposition to call a public meeting to consult upon what was best to be done under the circumstances. Among the most active patriots for the occasion was a gentleman who held, by
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some form of law or courtesy, I do not know which, the title of Judge, who, since the great rebellion, was appointed Military Governor of Alabama, and another prominent citizen of Grass Valley who had acquired the sonbriquet of " Blue Coat." Both were particularly active in getting up and managing the meeting to devise " ways and means."
A public meeting was therefore called, to be held at Beatty's Hotel, on Main street, and when the eventful evening came the house was filled to overflowing by our excited and interested miners. Judge Murphy was called to the chair, and if he has discharged the office of Governor with as much zeal and ability as he did that of the presiding officer of the Hungry Convention, he deserves the thanks of unborn millions, and probably will get it.
After a Secretary was appointed, the meeting was declared duly organized, and remarks in order. Our old friend, Blue Coat, was eloquent in describing the start- ling condition to which we were reduced by the will of God and the flood-gates of heaven, and declared that desperate diseases required desperate remedies, a truism which none could deny. Others made telling speeches, and even the honorable Chairman waved his authority to free his mind, and say that if it became necessary, rather than starve, we might be forced to help ourselves to the meager supplies still left with merchants; at all events, they must be curtailed in asking the ruin- ons prices which they were demanding, and should be required to extend a general credit to those who were unable to produce the quid pro quo. While a few dissented from this view of the case, the majority appeared to think that rather than starve they would go in for the " loaves and fishes." Finally, a committee was appointed to draw up resolutions and report to the meeting-five honorable gentlemen were accordingly named by the Chairman. They withdrew to another room, and in about five minutes returned with a paper having a long preamble and resolutions, which it seemed must require not less than an hour to prepare, leaving the unjust conclusion to be inferred that the resolutions and committee were all cut and dried before the meeting was organized ; but we will not be so uncharitable as to think so. Upon signifying that the committee were ready to report, their Chairman, with the dignity which the solemn occasion demanded, slowly opened his docu- ment and began-a portion of which we transcribe :
At a meeting of the miners and citizens of Grass Valley, in Convention assembled, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted :
WHEREAS, When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people to protect themselves against want and starvation, when they are at the ยท mercy of soulless speculators, who demand all their earnings for the support of life, we deem it right to act in self-defence, and demand provisions for our need, and at prices which we are able to give. A decent respect for the opinions of the world induces us to give a catalogue of our grievances, in order to show the justice of our cause. Therefore, we declare-
That in consequence of impassable roads we are short of supplies necessary to the support of human life. That the merchants refuse to sell at reasonable prices. That there are abundant supplies of flour and other necessaries in San Francisco, which soulless speculators, taking advantage of our condition, are holding for ex- orbitant prices, and refuse to sell. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That appealing to High Heaven for the justice of our cause, we will go to San Francisco and obtain the necessary supplies-" peaceably if we can, but forcibly if we must."
Gracious Heaven ! here was San Francisco, with a population of only forty or fifty thousand souls, threatened with sack and ruin by a hungry band of miners, amounting to the overwhelming force of, perhaps, one hundred able-bodied men,
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armed with picks, shovels and long-toms. Alas! poor San Francisco, what a vol- cano you was reposing on. The wave of revolution was hanging over you from the mountains. Was there no escape ?
Both preamble and resolutions met with strong opposition, but the eloquence of the Judge, of the sage Blue Coat, of members of the committee, and a few appre- ciating wretches, who enjoyed the fun, fearless of the consequences, prevailed, and they passed by a decisive vote. A committee was named to proceed forthwith to San Francisco, to see if the flour speculators would come to terms, and send up supplies-mud or no mud; in short, if she would capitulate without shedding blood, and consent to loose her flour and bacon ; but it was discovered the next day that the committee had no funds to pay traveling expenses, and then the roads were impassable and they could not get there. So the committee bided their time and San Francisco was saved, for the rains ceased by providential dispensation, and in two or three days thereafter a report reached town that several teams loaded with supplies lay mud-bound at or near Rough and Ready, and would be up as soon as they could move. A few days more brought them in, San Francisco was saved, and at this moment stands, next to GRASS VALLEY, the prido of the Pacific Coast.
Q0 TO DIXON'S NEW VARIETY STORE, NO. 4 MILL STREET, GRASS VALLEY.
GRASS VALLEY TOWN GOVERNMENT.
MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.
G. HAMILTON,
JAMES JAMES,
J. J. DORSEY,
Town Trustees.
REUBEN LEECH,
WILLIAM BETTIS,
G. HAMILTON, President of the Board.
E. W. ROBERTS,. . Town Attorney.
MATT H. FUNSTON, .Town Clerk.
HANK J. SNOW Town Marshal.
S. D. LEAVITT Fire Marshal.
JOIIN K. SALE,. Watchman.
Board meets in Town Hall on the first and third Tuesdays of cach month.
ORGANIZATIONS:
RELIGIOUS, SECRET, MILITARY, ETC.
A. M. E. CHURCH.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church was erected in the summer of 1854, at a cost of $1,400. The Church has been sustained by ten devoted members, with a congregation varying from twenty-five to thirty. The Church was dedicated by Rev. T. M. D. Ward, a colored Presiding Elder, assisted by Rev. J. B. Hill, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Grass Valley, and also Rev. J. G. Hale, of the Con- gregational Church of this place. The first clergyman who had the Church in charge was Rev. Emory Waters. The Trustees of the Church are: Isaac Sanks, Joseph Thomas, Isaac Bulmer, John Hicks, Henry Blackburn. Rev. Peter Green, present minister in charge. This society, during the past year, has erected a small but comfortable school house on the Church lot.
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
St. Patrick's Church, the wooden edifice on Chapel street, and now occupied as a school house by the Sisters of Mercy, was built by Father Shenaghan, now of Brooklyn, New York, in the fall of 1853, at an original cost, for the bare building, of $1,700. The site was selected by David Fitzgerald, now of Allison Ranch ; and James Irish, of Irish's Ranch, staked off the ground. Father Dyart, now of Napa City, succeeded Father Shenaghan as Pastor. St. Patrick's Church, the magnifi- cent brick building at the corner of Church and Chapel streets, was built under the management of Father Dalton, in 1858. The building, the finest church edifice above San Francisco, is of the modern Gothic style of architecture, and has cost upward of $35,000. Father Dalton is Pastor. and Father Griffin Assistant Pastor, who supply Nevada, Moore's Flat, Cherokee and other towns in Nevada county. The lots adjoining the church, together with the late residence of Captain James Powning, form a portion of the property belonging to the Orphanage. St. Patrick's
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B, GAD'S, CORNER MAIN AND MILL STREETS, GRASS VALLEY.
FOR SCHOOL BOOKS GO TO DIXON'S.
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GRASS VALLEY TOWNSHIP DIRECTORY.
Church has been plastered during the past summer, and its interior is now as beau- tiful as its exterior is imposing.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
This Church was organized May 9, 1858. The Society's meeting house, on east side Church street, between Neal and Walsh streets, was built in March, 1859, at a cost of $3,000. First Trustees, P. H. Lee, Josiah Royce and Levi Sanford. Last Pastor in charge, Elder L. J. Correll. None at present.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
This Church was organized October 16, 1853, under the ministry of Rev. J. G. Hale. Its original membership was fifteen, of whom three are still connected with it. It has numbered in all one hundred and ten. The present membership is seventy-six. The Church has been served by the following acting pastors, namely : Rev. J. G. Hale, from October, 1853, to March, 1857; Rev. M. Kellogg, from June, 1857, to September, 1859 ; Rev. W. Patten, from January, 1860, to November, 1860; Rev. J. Kimball, from November, 1860, to February, 1863; Rev. W. Frear, from February, 1862, to February, 1864 ; Rev. W. F. Snow, from May, 1864, to August, 1865 ; Rev. C. H. Pope, from September, 1865, to March, 1866; Rev. M. J. Savage, from March, 1866, to present time. The house of worship was erected in 1853, and is situated on the corner of Neal and Church streets. The Trustees of the Church and Society for the current year are, Messrs. H. Scott, M. W. Ross. J. C. Coleman, J. P. Stone, and R. Finnie. The Sabbath School has an average attendance of one hundred and eighty, and is superintended by the Pastor.
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