USA > California > California gold book : first nugget, its discovery and discoverers, and some of the results proceeding therefrom > Part 10
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The principal industries of Placer are the produc- tion of gold, fruit and the raising of wheat, cat- tle, sheep and wool. Over 130,000 acres are annually devoted to wheat, barley and hay. Gold beneath ground and gold above ground are the characteristics of Placer. It is a strange though oft contradicted
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fact, that there in the thermal belt, situated 500 miles north of the famed orange groves of San Bernardino and Los Angeles, and within fifty miles of the snow on the summit of the Sierra, the oranges ripen nearly four weeks in advance of those in Southern California. Every variety of climate characteristic of the temper- ate zone may be found in Placer. At the summit in eastern Placer are found many feet of snow, while in the thermal belt on the sunny side of the Sierra may be found green fields, singing birds, a wealth of roses and golden citrus fruits.
Placer, in 1891, shipped over 19,000,000 pounds of delicious fruits. In 1892, over 24,000,000 pounds. The total shipments of New Castle this season were 14,070,265 pounds as against 11,952,291 to the cor- reponding date of last season, or a gain of 2,084,794 pounds. Penryn comes in this year as a close second, while large shipments were made from Colfax, Auburn and Loomis. During the month of September, 1892, a total of nineteen cars were shipped from various points in Placer in a single day.
Renewed activity is being manifested in the mining circles of Placer county. New capital is taking hold of many good mines that have lain idle, and their develop- ment is likely to be prosecuted on a more systematic and business-like plan than in the past. Several of the best mines in the county are shut down on account of legislation. The Ophir district, four miles south of Auburn, is the most noted locality for quartz, and contains eighty or ninety claims. But few of them, however, are being worked at present. Notably among them is the Nina, Rica, Morning Star, The Moore and the Golden Stag. Several good properties
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in other portions of the county are being worked with profit, viz: The Dores and Pioneer at Damascus, Am- erican Bar at Michican Bluff, Drummond Bar at Iowa Hill, and Homestake near Forest Hill. Among the drift mines now being operated are the Morning Star of Iowa Hill, the Dardanelles, Mayflower and Gray Eagle of Forest Hill, Hidden Treasure of Sunny South, Breeze and Wheeler of Bath, and Mammoth Bar ncar Auburn. With one or two exceptions the entire mining districts on the divide are given over to general enter- prises.
L DORADO COUNTY was one of the twenty- seven into which California was first subdivided in 1850. To it belongs the honor of having been the scene of the great discovery which pushed every human enterprise ahead. It was where the Argonaut firstsaw California soil after making his journey across the plains, and to-day many an old Californian, now in the Eastern States, associates his idea of California with what he saw and knew of El Dorado in the early years, that being all of the State he ever saw. Her mines have from the first kept pace with the foremost in the State, and are still being worked perseveringly and with success. Quartz, gravel and cement claims are being operated successfully and cheaply by means of elec- tricity as a motive power, reducing the cost of operating to a minimum, enabling the operator to work low-grade ores with a profit, and largely increasing the output.
Coloma was at first made the county seat of gov- ernment. When the placers had been worked out, and the importance which these had given it subsided.
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Placerville, originally "Hangtown," was selected as the county seat, and there it will remain. Although in the beginning most of the towns were founded and supported by the mines, yet many of the inhabitants made their living by farming. Money was flush, vegetables were a great luxury, and the soil was rich. Potatoes and other products were sold for fabulous sums, and in a short time the farmers were the reign- ing element of the community. With the decline of mining, however, involving the death of so many camps, the vitality of the larger places rapidly declined, and by 1880 less than 11,000 remained of a popula- tion which in the early fifties numbered over 20,000. But farming, and notably horticulture, stepped into a channel of slow, though steady growth, and the fruits of El Dorado have won high reputation for their excellent quality, thus materially assisting in the upbuilding of the county.
The forests of sugar pine are very extensive and are being manufactured into lumber for home and foreign markets. Within the past year several com- panies have erected large mills in the timber belt, which gives impetus to business. Among them is the American River Land and Lumber Company, which owns 10,000 acres of timber land. This concern has built ten miles of railroad to carry logs to the Ameri- can river, whence they float them to Folsom, where they will be manufactured, creating an industry which adds greatly to the prosperity of the county.
The only slate quarries being worked in the State are located within four miles of Placerville, where an inexhaustible quantity exists, easily obtained and equal in quality to any in the world. The annual
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output is enormous, making an industry that will always be a source of profit to the county.
Orchardists are paying special attention to the improvement of their orchards, and in the selection of good shipping varieties to meet the demands of the mar- kets. A large increase has been made in acreage during the year, and shipments have increased sixty per cent over last year. One hundred and thirty-four carloads of 21,000 pounds each of green fruit were shipped from Placerville alone this season. Wine grapes grown here are sought after by wine makers in the valleys, because the mountain fruit makes a better wine than
that of the valley. The soil of El Dorado county is well adapted to the raising of grains, hay and vegeta- bles, producing quality and quantity equal to any mountain county in the State. The increase in wheat is especially noticeable, caused by the erection of a flouring-mill in Placerville, making a home market for all that can be produced, and insuring good prices. The future of El Dorado county in agricultural pro- ducts is assured.
Activity in manufacturing enterprises is specially marked. The most noticeable is a flouring mill, built in Placerville by the El Dorado Milling Company, equipped with a complete outfit of the most modern and improved machinery, with a capacity of sixty barrels of flour per day. Bleur & Co. have erected a manufactory for builders' materials, boxes, doors, blinds, etc. Two fruit houses have been added to meet the demands of shippers and keep up with the increasing supply of fruits for shipment.
Railroad facilities have been greatly improved. The Sacramento and Placerville branch of the Southern
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Pacific Company has been extended to Placerville. It has assisted in developing business until it is not always convenient to obtain cars when wanted at some of the rapidly growing stations on the road.
ONOMA COUNTY, the locality of the famous Bear Flag war, is another of the original counties. Once, indeed, the district called Sonoma included all of that country west of the Sacramento river and north nearly to the Oregon line. When county divisions were made it still occupied all that is at present Mendocino, and most of what is now Napa. In 1859 Sonoma was reduced to its present size. The name Sonoma is an Indian word, signifying "Valley of the Moon." It originated with the Chocuyen Indians, but was suggested by Father Jose Altimira, who came there in 1824 to establish the first mission.
The first trip into what is now Sonoma was made by Captain Quiros when, on a voyage of discovery, he sailed up Petaluma creek in 1776, seeking its course. In January, 1811, Bodega bay was visited by a Russian from Alaska named Alexander Koskoff. He liked the country and took possession of a strip of land probably in both Sonoma and Marin counties, whereon he settled in spite of Spanish protests. Koskoff staid on the land, and in five years had a settlement with twenty-five Russians and eighty Kodiac ( Alaskan) Indians. They erected a barricade for protection, and made hunting and trapping expeditions for considerable distances inland and north and south. They planted orchards and erected a church, raised grain, worked in leather, wood and iron, and had a good trade with Sitka.
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In 1823 Father Jose Altimira and Don Francisco Castro, under military escort, commanded by Jose Sanchez, started to Sonoma's territory to establish a mission there. Their explorations were continued over a great area, and finally a site was selected, called New San Francisco. It was in August of 1823 that the construction of buildings was commenced. Three years later the Indians destroyed the mission and Father Altimira barely escaped with his life. Under Father Fortuni the mission was rebuilt, and was again in permanent shape in 1830. In 1832 the Indians were freed, and the lands divided up. Next year the small- pox scourge broke out, when it is said 60,000 Indians in the territory now included in Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties, perished miserably.
Settlers came to Sonoma very rapidly between 1835 and 1840. The Indians continued hostilities, but in spite of their depredations the country began to thrive, and sheep and cattle raising and agriculture flourished. The military government of the State was now under General Vallejo. He was ordered to extend the settle- inents to the northwestward, and so made several grants of land to emigrants. These Anglo-Saxons were beginning to come in, were opposed by the Rus- sians, who still held sway at Bodega bay and Fort Ross. Difficulties soon arose and the Anglo-Saxons were constantly getting the best of the situation. The Russians finally appealed to General Vallejo and Governor Alvarado, urging them to buy their partially improved possessions. This was declined, when they effected a sale to John A. Sutter in 1840, and then abandoned the homes that they had held for upward of thirty years. The bands of American settlers, who
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were soon to control the whole country, commenced to flock in more rapidly, and they soon began to establish more modern ideas. About 1841 a Captain Stephen Smith, of the bark George and Henry, saw the need of lumber and grist-mills in the new country. He em- barked for the Atlantic, and after a couple of years returned with the necessary machinery. He landcd forcibly at the old Russian possession, being opposed by Captain Sutter. There he got lumber and erected mills near the redwood forests. Finally the buildings were completed and the whole country was invited to come and see the start. Everything worked to per- fection. Lumber was sawed and wheat was ground into flour. Bread was baked, cattle butchered and a splendid banquet was held. The pioneer mill was a success. Smith ran his machinery until 1850 and then sold out. Subsequently the mill was taken to Mendo- cino county.
Before the war was declared between the United States and Mexico, trouble had started a number of times between Mexicans and Americans in California, owing to attempts of the former to expel the latter from the territory. Americans had been imprisoned and proscribed, but they were arriving in great num- bers, and their progress was resistless. Mexico and her subjects were becoming alarmed. A congress or junta was called, and serious discussions were had over a proposal to have France or England assume a protec- torate over California to the exclusion of the Yankees. General Vallejo strenuously opposed any such move- ment, and withdrew from the junta. Governor Pio Pico was much in favor of ceding the country to a for- eign power. Vallejo had at this time retired to his
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country home in Sonoma county, after having occupied the most prominent positions in the State. Fremont had come to California a little before these troubles. He had a small but intrepid following of soldiers. Dis- sension had arisen between Governor Pio Pico and General Jose Castro. The latter was a power in the community. He gathered horses, men and arms to proceed against both Fremont and Pio Pico, as both had defied his authority.
An uprising being feared Pico communicated with Castro, asking his assistance for the general strife against the Americans. Lientenant Arci, under com mand of General Castro, left Sonoma with the horses to go to Santa Clara. He crossed the Sacramento river at Knight's Landing, and told Knight's wife, who was a Mexican woman, what he intended to do. Mrs. Knight told her husband. Knight immediately rode to Fremont's camp with the information. This was on June 9, 1846. A party of eleven men under Ezekiel Merritt started in pursuit of Lieutenant Arci at once. They were joined by others on their way, and received information of Arci's camp. They proceeded under cover of darkness to within a short distance of the lieu- tenant's quarters. In the early morning following they- captured Arci and all of the animals. Arci and his men were given an animal apiece, and told to depart and say to General Castro that he could have the horses when he would come and take them. The party then rejoined Fremont, having ridden 150 miles in forty-eight hours.
It was now decided to be unsafe to do anything but proceed. They determined to capture Sonoma City and its garrison at once, before Lieutenant Arci could
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reach that place. They accordingly set out June 12 at 3 o'clock on the ride of 120 miles. The company received reinforcements, and numbered thirty-three men. June 14, at daylight, they surprised the garrison at Sonoma and captured everything. General Vallejo was made a prisoner along with other illustrious Mexi- cans. There were ten pieces of artillery at the garri- son, and much ammunition and other arms. The
victors, who then unfurled the famous Bear flag with a huge grizzly, a lone star and the words "California Republic " upon it, carried their prisoners off in triumph to Sacramento, and locked them up for sixty days. The prisoners were taken away on horses furnished by General Vallejo himself. The handful of patriots for- mulated a proclamation whereby they declared Cali- fornia to be a free republic. It is related that the guard who accompanied the prisoners all went to sleep at a camp on the way, and forgot to leave a sentinel. In the night a party of Mexican rancheros came into camp, woke the general, and told him that they could surprise the Americans, kill them all, and declare war, if he thought best, and would command them. He declined, saying that he would go with his captors, that such action could only entail the eventual ruin of their homes, and he thought that everything would soon be settled.
The victors at Sonoma found, after their excitement had abated, a Mexican flag floating over the citadel. They hauled it down and after considerable discussion decided upon the " Bear flag." A piece of cotton cloth was obtained upon which a man named Todd painted the star with red paint. The bear and words "California Republic," or "Republic of California," were
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afterwards painted and the flag hoisted amid shouts and excited hurrahs. On July 9th following, the American flag took the place of the bear flag. The officers of the fort found themselves short of powder, and, as they had determined upon California's independence, and were making preparations for a long fight, they sent two young men, named Cowie and Fowler to Santa Rosa for the ammunition. The young men were captured by Mexicans, and most foully tortured and murdered. Two of the murderers were afterwards killed.
General Castro made an appeal to all Mexicans to fight for the country against the Americans, and got together a force with which he started toward Sonoma. Some of these forces captured two men belonging to the fort at Sonoma, one being Todd, the bear flag artist. A Captain Ford and fourteen men pursued the Mexicans, surprised them at a ranch, killed nearly a dozen, and rescued the prisoners. Fremont and others, with a considerable force, now joined issue with the Sonoma garrison. Castro left forces near Sonoma's territory, but himself escaped to San Francisco, from which place he commanded his small army. Several of his spies, sent to reconnoiter, were captured and shot. One bore a letter to Captain de la Torre, instruct- ing him to kill every American, man, woman and child, found. De la Torre's forces soon after escaped to Yerba Buena (San Francisco). News reached Sonoma garrison on July 10, 1846, that Commodore Sloat had taken Monterey on July 7, and that war had been declared between the United States and Mexico. The bear flag was pulled down, and stars and stripes run up, and the bear flag war was ended.
Sonoma is another of the counties abounding in the
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great redwoods, and lumbering has formed one of her important industries. Her hills and valleys are exceed- ingly beautiful. The valleys, particularly, are among the finest in the State. The principal ones are the Sonoma, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Russian river. This county has made the most material development of any coast county during the year 1892. Five years before the chief industry was grape-growing. The low prices of wine and grapes have gradually driven the grape-growers out of the business and their atten- tion has been turned to the more lucrative business of prune and general fruit-growing. Hop-growing has also been going forward with gigantic strides during the past few years until Sonoma county has become the Mecca of California and eastern brewers. From a fruit standpoint the county was very prosperous in 1892, the revenue from this source exceeding that of the year before by more than $34,000.
The branch line of the San Francisco and North Pacific railroad terminates at Sebastopol, seven miles west of Santa Rosa, and it has given an impetus to business which nothing but a railroad can do so effect- ively. Further westward is the great dairying dis- trict of this county. Thousands of pounds of butter and cheese are shipped from this section to the eastern States. The sawmills in the dense redwood forests in the northwestern part of the county have cut more timber in 1892 than in the year previous by 2,000,000 feet, and Guerneville has shipped more freight, mostly dressed lumber, than any other town in the county. The quicksilver excitement of twenty years ago in the Pine-flat country is being revived in a modified form, and shafts are being sunk with good success in the dis-
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trict supposed to have been worked out years ago. There is no doubt but there is paying ore there, and capitalists are organizing to get it out.
The recently discovered coal beds on Mark West creek, five miles northeast of Santa Rosa, are being developed by practical men. Some thirty or forty men are tunneling now, and a large force will be put on in the spring. These coal fields have been thor- oughly tested, and the supply is inexhaustible. Either an electric line or branch of the Donahue system will be built to carry the coal to market.
This county now has three distinct lines of railroad, with communications on the west and south ; still the lines are not adequate to drain the county of its multifarious products. A scheme that will surely carry is on foot to build an electric liue from Santa Rosa to Tidewater, a few miles below Petaluma.
Santa Rosa is the county seat, and it is beautiful and prosperous almost beyond description. Its citi- zens are cultured, and Santa Rosa's reputation as an educational center is as broad as the State.
The city of Petaluma, situated at the head of . Petaluma creek, has made more progress during 1892 than during the previous ten years. The Currier-Carl- son Silk Company has planted itself permanently in a splendid brick factory that will give constant employ- ment to a large number of persons. A boot and shoe factory is one of the late improvements, and a starch factory is now under construction. Deep-water com- munication has attracted the attention of factory men, and it is now a city of factories. The increase in population has been very heavy, business has been brisk, and there is hardly an idle man in its limits.
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This is the great shipping point of Sonoma county. Silk culture is a new industry that has sprung up during the past year. Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Son- oma and Guerneville, showed a large increase in business over 1891, and the prospects for an even more prosperous year for 1893 are very bright. The pros- pect of inducing the Government to widen and straighten Petaluma creek, and dredge Bodega bay, is good. These improvements would be of incalcu- lable benefit to Sonoma county.
APA COUNTY was not one of the original twenty-seven subdivisions of the State. It was organized in April, 1857, and from territory which had been reclaimed from the Indians, Napa city being built on the site of a village formerly occupied by the Napa tribe of Indians.
George C. Yount was Napa's first white settler. He estimated that there were 5,000 Indians in Napa valley when he went there in 1831, but most of them succumbed to the smallpox epidemic which swept off so many thousands in 1833. Yount spent most of his time in hunting and trapping when he first came, as game was very plentiful. He built the first log cabin house erected in the State by an American. That was in 1836. The hut was eighteen feet square below, and had an upper story twenty-two feet square, in the usual block-house fashion. He left portholes in the walls, through which he frequently defended himself from the Indians, who were very troublesome at that time. It was a number of years after Yount's time before any more permanent settlers came to Napa.
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Those who did come, about 1839-40 and later, acquired land near Napa City's site. In 1841 a noted Russian naturalist named Wosnessensky visited the country and left a copper plate on the summit of Mount St. Helena. Afterward the United States geological surveyors removed it to preserve it.
Napa never was a mining county and, with the exception of a few quicksilver deposits, there have been no valuable minerals found in her limits. Several mineral springs exist in the county, of which the Napa Soda Springs is the most prominent.
The grape, wine and brandy industries of Napa have brought that county prominently to the front in the last few years. It is generally conceded that Napa leads in winemaking which is now so important an industry to the State. Probably her sandy soil and warm hillsides contribute more than anything else to the success of her vineyards. Grain in Napa also does exceedingly well and many very large farmers devote much land to its culture. In the orchards all fruits thrive no less successfully than do the grapes. The wine cellars of the county, which seem to be almost as numerous as the ranches, are some of the very finest. in the United States. A great number of them are constructed of stone, and others are large, deep tunnels dug in the side of the hills. These latter, penetrating solid rock, are always clean, dry and cool.
One of the finest properties of the county is the Suscol ranch, founded long ago by General Vallejo. The fruits and nuts from that place have yielded im. mense profits. The Suscol was the scene of a very act- ive and sanguinary battle between Indians and a gallant little band of soldiers under General Vallejo in 1835,
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The general only lost two men killed, several being wounded. The troops killed over 200 of the Indians. The savages were still for war, but the arrival of re- enforcements for the Spaniards quieted them.
The great and promising industry of the county is the growing of olives. Mountains and hills heretofore deemed of but little value, and that only for grazing pur- poses, are being planted to olives, and the hardy trees are doing so well that others are encouraged to follow the example of the pioneers in this industry. So firm a hold on the attention of the thrifty farmer has the industry attained that it promises to become a leading industry of the vicinity, and that ere long.
OLO was made a county in 1850, and Fremont was designated as the county seat. The name is a corruption of "Yo-doy," meaning tule land. William Gordon settled in what is now Yolo county in 1842. In 1843 the Mexican government granted him a peice of land one league wide and two leagues long, and described as being along "Jesus Maria river," now Cache creek, deriving its name from the hunters' habit of cacheing furs along its banks. A number of other white settlers selected places near Gordon's ranch, and in 1845 wheat was harvested there, and considerable stock raised. Nathan Coombs was the father of the first child born there.
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