USA > California > Napa County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 18
USA > California > Lake County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 18
USA > California > Sonoma County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 18
USA > California > Mendocino County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 18
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And frequently, those who claim to be laborers can not be in- duced to leave these haunts to accept the best position in the coun- try. They prefer lounging around town, doing little jobs to gain a bare subsistance in the cities, than leaving for the interior. They waste their energy in complaining of hard times and cursing the Chinese, while they use no efforts to do anything for themselves. Especially does it seem that in the matter of house servants it is an utter impossibility to get white persons ; and the scarcity of these teaches the Chinese to be more insolent and more exacting. It is next to an impossibility to induce a female servant to leave the city and go into the country, at any wages. Of course there are many exceptions, but this is the rule.
The mere fact that Chinese have obtained positions does not ex- plain the scarcity of good white laborers. We know politicians have harped upon the wrongs of the white laborers on account of the employment of Chinese, but it has been merely to gain a few votes. The cause for the condition of the laborers, and their scar- city cannot be accounted for on the mere fact of the presence of the Chinee.
The system of farm labor pursued in California is, in our estima- tion, chiefly responsible. Farmers have no occasion to employ la- borers but a few months in the year. During the season of seed- ing and harvest laborers are in great demand, but when the rush is over, they are dismissed. Between these two seasons come long periods when it is impossible to get employment. Some may get jobs of cutting wood, a few may be retained as permanent hands on large farms, but the majority are set adrift, to get work for a sub- sistance as best they may. Thus from the severest of all farm labor, harvesting. the laborer is thrown into complete idleness. Of these some drift off into other States, some seek other occupations, while others, generally the majority, seek the towns, and by performing little jobs, and by the multifarious ways known to the loafers around a town, eke out a subsistance, and never dream of their importance except about election times.
Such alternate changing from severe toil to utter idleness is de- moralizing to the best of men. If it is hard for those who are busy
219
THE FUTURE FOR NAPA.
to act right, how hard shall it be for these who are idle such a large part of the time ? And this enforced idleness is in no wise the re- sult of the presence of the Chinese.
· The remedy for this state of affairs, is to be found in a more va- ried agriculture, and sources of labor. Break up the great wheat growing mania, and diversify the work so that it will not, as now, come in two seasons of the year, but extend the year round. Open manufactures and such as depend in some considerable degree upon agriculture, and a better day will dawn upon us. At present, com- paratively few can purchase lands and become producers. It is use- less to seek for immigration, for the laboring portion of the people can see, in farm labor in this State, nothing but alternately the most enervating idleness and the most exhausting labor. The .. bone and sinew " of other States and countries dread to come among us, not that they fear to compete with Chinamen, but that they fear they cannot find labor, because it is not.
If our State would progress and consummate the glorious achieve- ments the future has in store for her, something must be done to ameliorate the condition of fari labor. We must have more intel- ligent laborers, and we must have some means of giving them em- ployment more than a moiety of the year. This we cannot do so long as we remain so exclusively a wheat growing people. Unless we introduce new kinds of agricultural production, new sources of employment for labor, we need not expect much immigration from abroad ; we need not expect to find better nor greater numbers of hborers ; and we must, instead of deprecating the presence of the Chinese, look upon them as the only possible class that can be had to perform a very great part of our work.
One of the greatest drawbacks that Napa now has is the want of manufactures. True, there are a few. Various agricultural imple- plements are manufactured here, not only to supply the home de- mand but also that of other counties. The vineyard plows patented by M. P. Rose of Carneros, and by J. C. Potter of St. Helena, and the gang plows of the Manuels of Napa City, are widely known and growing in favor. The planing mills, first started by H. T. Barker and the Groat Brothers, now owned by J. A. Jackson & Co., is doing excellent work. But when these and a few others are counted, the
220
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
list of our manufactures is numbered. Napa presents more facilities for successfully carrying on various kinds of manufactories than most other places in the State. Besides the facilities of the railroad for travel, all the conveniences of water privileges are afforded. Rents are low, fuel is cheap and abundant, and nothing but the capital and enterprise are lacking to make Napa an important manufacturing" place. There probably is no place in the State where a beet sugarie could be started with more assurances of success. This and many other industries could easily be started here.
But, so far, those in the town and county who view such enter- prises as feasible, and who would be willing to engage in them, have not had a sufficiency of capital to guarantee commencing operations. There is an abundance of capital, but those who control it rarely think of the material growth of the town and county. Instead of developing the resources of the county by investing their capital here, giving employment to more mechanics and more laborers, creating a home market for more of the agricultural products that are now shipped away, and supplying the people with many of the necessities of life, now imported, they only seek the best securities and the high- est rate of interest for their loans. They are particularly interested in nothing except the perfect security of one and a quarter per cent. per month. It is a great convenience to farmers at times to get a loan; but instead of having a number of capitalists who, leech-like, live off the substance of the community and add nothing thereto. how much better it would be to have men who would work to do away with the necessities of borrowing by making the community more prosperous? But the natural advantages of the place so recommend it to the people that we feel confident that at no distant day capi- talists from abroad will be found who will build up these industries.
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LAKE COUNTY.
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223
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
UNCLE SAM MOUNTAIN LOOKING FROM LAKEPORT.
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL. DESCRIPTION.
The territory now known as Lake county was first included in the Northern District of California, and upon the formation of Napa county, composed the northern portion thereof. It is bounded on the North by Colusa and Mendocino, South by Napa and Sonoma. East by Colusa and Volo, and West by Mendocino and Sonoma. It is about twenty-five miles wide by seventy-five miles long. This county has the most natural boundaries of any other one in the State. The whole of it lies between two main branches of the Coast Range. The mountains to the West are a continuation of the Mayacamas;
224
LAKE COUNTY.
those on the East are locally known as the Bear Mountains. Both these ranges are formed of narrow ridges of broken mountains, and present some of the most magnificent scenery. From the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, this county has justly been named the Switzerland of America. The culminating point to the South is Mt. St. Helena; to the North, Mt. St. John, near four thousand feet high; but near the upper end of Clear Lake rises Mt. Ripley, which, next to Mt. St. Helena, is the highest peak in the range. Bounded on all sides by mountains, the arable land of the county is in the valleys between these ranges. Lying about the center of the county is Clear Lake-one of the most beautiful of mountain lakes. It derives its. name from the clearness of its waters. It is about twenty-five miles long, with an average width of seven miles, and divided into the Upper and Lower Lakes by the peak called Uncle Sam, situated on the Southern side of the lake, and about equidistant from the Northern and Southern extremities. Rising abrubtly to a hight of nearly two thousand six hundred feet above the lake, and extending one of its arms therein, forms ""The Narrows"-one and a half miles in width and some two miles long, and connecting. the Upper and Lower Lakes, the whole composing Clear Lake. This body of water is much the shape of an old-fashioned silk purse-the well-filled ex- tremities forming, or representing, the Upper and Lower Lakes, the ring in the center "The Narrows." The water is cool, clear as crystal and pleasant to the taste, generally placid, varying in depth from eighteen to one hundred and twenty feet. Pike, blackfish. pearch, trout, suckers, silver-sides and many other varieties of the finny tribe abound in both lakes. The water fowls are only plenty during the winter season.
Clear Lake is estimated to have an elevation of about 1, 500 feet above the sea level. It is sixty-five miles from Suisun Bay, and thirty-six from the Pacific Ocean.
Northwest of Uncle Sam Mountain, rising gradually from the lake and tending to the upper end of the main valley, is a fertile tract known as Big Valley. In this valley are situated Kelseyville and Lakeport. It is crossed by several small streams, the largest of which is Kelsey Creek. North of Lakeport, and separated from Big Valley by a low range of hills, is Scott Valley. Extending around to the
225
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
northern part of the lake to the little town of Upper Lake is a small area of arable land lying between the lake and the mountains. On the eastern side of the lake the mountains extend down close to the water, so that there is but little arable land. A great many streams flow down into the lake, and there is to most of these small bottoms of fine rich land.
The Blue Lakes, covering an area of about four square miles, are situated about five miles northwest of Clear Lake, and twelve from Lakeport on the road to Ukiah. During the wet seasons they are connected with Clear Lake. The water is a beautiful sea blue and of a wonderful depth. They are surrounded by high rugged moun- tains, which are covered with large pine and fir trees, whose silvery- tinged tops are rocked "high in the ethereal air" by the gentle motion of the mountain breeze. The eastern shore is sheltered by very high mountains even to the water's edge, while on the western side there are pretty little nooks with cottages presenting a beautiful view from the grade, which is several hundred feet above the level of the lake. These lakes, according to Indian tradition, have in their waters a huge monster resembling a half fish and half horse, to which they are pleased to give the cuphoneous appellation of Devil Fish. Different reports as to size of this monster vary the length from ten to twenty feet. Its presence in the lake, according to Indian history, is some hundred years. The monster is held in great dread by the Indians. It is said to make its appearance on the surface of the trater only once in ten years. It is asserted that his presence is fol- lowed by great calamities befalling the Indians. This monster, or Devil Fish, was seen by the Indians in March, 1872; hence large gatherings of all the tribes, congregating in Big Valley, on the shore of Clear Lake, to indulge in a grand pow-wow and making peace- offerings to the Great Spirit, to appease his anger and avert the pending evils hanging over their wigwams. The hotel erected on the margin of these lakes is quite a paying institution in the summer season .
At the southern extremity of Clear Lake is the town of Lower Lake, and the surrounding agricultural country. A short distance east of the narrow arm of Clear Lake, and separated from it by a low ridge, is Borax Lake. This is a beautiful sheet of water, its
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226
LAKE COUNTY.
surface smooth and bright as burnished silver, covering from two to four hundred acres, according to the season of the year. The moun- tains through Lake and Napa counties are of metamorphic cretaceous formation, but around Clear Lake there is unmistakable evidence of volcanic action. The hills around Borax Lake are of volcanic mate- rials heaped loosely together, and consist in great part of scorie, obsidian, and pumice stone. The appearance of the land indicates that this lake at one time extended much farther to the southeast. The land for nearly a mile to the southeast is raised but a very little above the level of the lake, and wells sunk in it fill with water similar to that of the lake, and rise and fall similarly. The waters of the lake contain in solution a large per cent. of borax, carbonate of soda, and chloride of sodium.
The land lying about the lake was located by the California Borax Company, and was first worked by W. S. Jacks, of Napa City, for this company in 1864. The manufacture of borax in large quanti- ties was carried on till, in 1869, a disagreement among the members of the company occurred, and work was stopped.
Dr. J. A. Veatch in 1859 discovered the Lake and detected the presence of borax, but it was not till some time afterwards that the existence of large beds of crystals of this valuable material was dis- covered. On the bottom of the lake is a jelly-like bed of black mud. some three feet thick. This mud contains large quantities of the crystals of biborate of soda. Underlying this bed of mud is a laver of blue clay, also containing large quantities of these crys- tals. It has been ascertained by experiments that the mud and clay as far down as tested, about sixty feet, are highly charged with this material. There is another smaller lake, Little Borax Lake, situa- ted a short distance Southwest of Clear Lake, just at the foot of Uncle Sam mountain. There are numerous Springs and small ponds lying in other parts of the county. also highly charged with borax.
The Sulphur Banks is another feature of great interest, as show- ing not only the geological formation of this county, but its com- mercial value. It lies about a mile beyond the ridge bordering Borax Lake, and near a small arm of Clear Lake. The Banks cover an area of near 40,000 square yards, and from beneath them
227
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
appear to flow the hot borate springs found near by. It consists of decomposed volcanic rock splintered and fissured in innumerable places. Through these fissures gas and steam are constantly issuing. All over this mass large quantities of sulphur have been deposited, and solfatara is still going on. At a little distance this mass looks like solid sulphur. On being refined it yields about eighty per cent. of pure brilliant sulphur. Near the Sulphur Banks on the edge of the Lake is a hot borate spring which is estimated by Dr. Veatch to yield three hundred gallons per minute, and the waters of which percolate through the sands over an area of 75 by 150 feet. The flow of the water, however, seems to vary according to the season. The waters of this Spring are of such a remarkable character that we here subjoin an analysis of them made by Mr. Moore :
Grains in one gallon.
Chloride of potassium,
trace.
Chloride of sodium,
84.62
Iodide of magnesium,
.00
Bromide of magnesium,
trace.
Bicarbonate of soda,
76.96
Bicarbonate of ammonia,.
107.76
Biborate of soda,
103.29
Sulphate of lime, trace.
Alumina,
1.26
Carbonic acid (free)
36.37
Silicic acid, 8.23
Matters volatile at a red heat.
65.77
484.35
Prof. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist, makes the following re- marks on this spring :
"In this table the constituents are necessarily calculated as anhy- drous salts ; the biborate of soda, however, contains about 47 . per cent. of water when crystallized, and the 103. 29 grains given above correspond to 195.35 of crystallized borax. The most extraordinary feature in the above analysis is the very large amount of ammoniacal salts shown to be present in this water, in this respect exceeding any natural spring water which has ever been analyzed. Mr. Moore thinks that, as in the case of the boracic acid waters of Tuscany, this
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LAKE COUNTY.
ammoniacal salt may be separated and made available for economi- cal purposes. This locality is worthy of a most careful examination to ascertain how considerable a flow of water can be depended on.".
One of the most wonderful features connected with the Sulphur Banks is a large spring, boiling and bubbling up as a mighty caul- dron, but which, though in the immediate vicinity of the Banks and the hot borate springs, is almost cold as ice. This spring was opened or discovered in 1871 in the following manner: One of the men was digging sulphur just above it, when suddenly the earth gave way under his feet, and he fell in up to his arm-pits, and hav- ing his arms extended was all that saved the poor fellow from going down in this bottomless well or cave beneath. This commotion of the water, this rolling and boiling, is always the same-the bulk of the water never increasing or diminishing. The gas from it is so strong as to almost take the breath. In fact, when it was first opened birds flying over it would drop dead. Hares, rabbits, and many animals were killed here by approaching too near and inhaling this gas.
Petroleum has been found in large quantities in several parts of Lake county, but nothing of a commercial value has been discor- ered.
Between the Clear Lake valley and Napa county lie Coyote and Loconoma Valleys. These are small valleys mostly used for pas- ture lands. Guenoc is the only town in Coyote, and Middletown the only one in Loconoma. There are various mineral springs througlı- out the county, which are becoming celebrated for their medicinal virtues. A notice of these will be found elsewhere in this volume.
Cobb Valley, one of the most beautiful valleys in the county, lies on the road between Kelseyville and Calistoga. Cobb Muontain, nearly of equal altitude with Mt. St. Helena, lies west of this valley, and Pine Mountain, and the cinnabar region to the east.
229
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
CHAPTER II.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The first white settlers in Lake county were Kelsey and Stone, who, in the year 1847, drove a large band of stock into what they christened "Big Valley." Ranching their stock in this valley seems to have been their only intention, as they made no efforts at culti- vation of the soil, nor did they erect any buildings. Their inter- course with the Indians-the Mayacamas tribe-seems to have been , friendly until December, 1849, at which time they (Kelsey and Stone) were murdered by the natives near the present site of Kelsey- ville.
.
In 1851 a party of U. S. troops under command of Capt. Lyon, consisting of infantry and cavalry, and having two pieces of ordnance, arrived at the outlet of Clear Lake-Cache Creek. Finding no In- dians in the Lower Lake country, the infantry and ordnance were sent by boats to the Upper Lake, the cavalry going by land around
230
LAKE COUNTY.
the west margin of Clear Lake. A junction was made on the north shore of the Upper Lake, near which the Indians had assembled in a strong natural position, from which they deemed it impossible they could be dislodged. The cannon was brought into use, loaded with grape and cannister, and at the first discharge produced the utmost clismay among the Indians. Resistance was forgotten, flight seemed their only safety, and they "stood not on the order of their going." The cavalry followed and cut down all alike. About two hundred were slain, without the loss of even one white man. In 1852 Capt. Estell arrived in the Lake country with the "peace and treaty mis- sion," and succeeded in making a treaty that has not to this day been broken. After the expedition of 1851, under Capt. Lyon, many persons visited the country, some on hunting tours, some prospecting and some hunting homes. Among the latter were C. N. Copsey and L. W. Purkerson, in the Summer of 1851. In 1853 these two men returned, and on the 12th day of February commenced building a house near the head of Cache Creek-the only outlet of Clear Lake-which building still stands, being now near the town of Lower Lake, and the first erected in Lake county. During the same year Jeff Warden settled on Scott Creek, in what is now called Scott's Valley.
In April, 1854, a party of emigrants arrived in Big Valley and settled along the lake shore. In this company were Martin Ham- mack and family, Brice Hammack and wife, Woods Crawford and wife, Jolın T. Shinn, J. B. and W. S. Cook. Of these were the first white women in the county. The following Summer came W. B. Elliott and family, Ben Duell and family, and others, who settled on the northwest of the Upper Lake, near the present town of Dan- ville. Here was erected the first grist mill in the county.
In 1853 Capt. Steele and R. H. Sterling commenced the erection of what is now known as the Rock House in Coyote Valley. In June, 1854, they moved into the house and occupied it till 1856. At the time Mrs. Sterling came on the ranch to live, there were but two or three other ladies living in what are at present the bounds of Lake county, and she would be for several weeks, sometimes, without seeing the face of a white woman, except when she went to Napa Valley.
231
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The first school in the county was opened by Mrs. Parmley, in 1855. The first public school was opened two years after by Mr. Walter Revis, near where the present fine, large public school house at Lakeport now stands.
In 1857 the population of the country now known as Lake, but then a portion of Napa, had increased to some two hundred. The nearest officer was the magistrate at St. Helena, distant some sixty miles. This year a new township, that of Clear Lake. was created, and Woods Crawford was elected Justice of the Peace, and John T. Shinn as Constable. On the 2 1st of May, 1861, the county of Lake was created by Act of the Legislature. The first election hield after the organization of Lake county resulted in the election of W. W. Pendegast, Joint Senator; John C. Crigler, Member of Assembly; O. A. Munn, County Judge; W. R. Mathews, County Clerk; W. H. Manlove, Sheriff; W. A. Marshall, District Attorney. Marshall never qualified for the office, and Woods Crawford filled the position. The records of Lake county were all destroyed on the night of Feb- ruary 16, 1867, when the Court House at Lakeport was burned. For this reason no election returns previous to that date can be given. However, at the first election Lakeport was chosen as county seat. and two years later, in pursuance of an Act of the Legislature, an election was held to re-decide the same question, Lakeport and Lower Lake being the contestants, when, as before, Lakeport was successful. Below is given election returns from 1867 to 1872 in- clusive:
THE ELECTION OF IS67.
Sheriff-W. H. Manlove*, 412; Isaac Altert, 307. Co. Clerk- S. Bynum*, 520; 7. Cushmant, 222. District Attorney-S. K. Welch*, 508; L. D. Winchester}, 234. Treasurer-W. S. Cook*, 519; J. G. Manningt, 58. Assessor- H. H. Nunnally*, 463; W. H. Goldsmitht, 266. Co. Surveyor -- J. N. Chapman*, 438; L. W. Musict, 277. * Democrats-f Republicans.
At the Presidential election of 1868, Seymour received 452 and Grant 248 votes.
The election of September, 1869, was as follows : Member of As- sembly-J. C. Crigler, D., 408; J. E. Pond, R., 68. Sheriff-T.
232
LAKE COUNTY.
B. Burger, D., 411. Co. Clerk-S. Bynum, D., 432. Treasurer- WV. S. Cook, D., 429. Assessor-H. H. Nunnally, D., 336; W. H. Goldsmith, R., 26; R. Kennedy, R., 91. Sup't. Public Schools- M. Mathews, D., 240; H. W. Turner, R., 135. Co. Surveyor- Geo. Tucker, D., 418. Coroner-W. R. Mathews, D., 240; Geo. Bucknell, R., 123. Public Administrator-Joel Jenkins, D., 394. County Site-Lower Lake, 375; Lakeport, 368.
The result of the general election in September, 1871, was as follows : Sheriff -- T. B. Burger, D., 502; A. B. Ritchie, R., 285. Co. Clerk-S. Bynum, D., 788. District Attorney-Woods Craw- ford, D., 447; W. D. Morton, R., 289. Treasurer-J. W. Everett, D .. 403, W. S. Cook, Ind't. D., 372. Assessor-Hiram Allen, D., 771. Sup't. Public Schools-Mack Mathews, D., 758. Co. Sur- veyor-Geo. Tucker, D., 785. Public Administrator-J. O'Shea, D., 455. Coroner-H. H. Sull, D., 479.
At the Presidential election, 1872, the vote was : Greeley, 355; Grant, 202. For Congress-J. K. Luttrell, D., 456; J. M. Cogh- lan, R., 142.
It will be recollected that in 1869 the choice of county seat was in favor of Lower Lake, that place having a majority of seven votes. This election was contested on the ground that fraud was practiced at Lower Lake. While in the Courts, and before a decision was had, by Act of the Legislature an election was held May 2d, 1870, to determine this question. The result was : For Lakeport, 479; Lower Lake, 404 votes. This result once more brought the county seat to Lakeport. In the latter part of May, 1870, the removal was made.
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