USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 36
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
Speaking of the Senator reminds us of a pleasant story first related by Judge P. W. Keyser in his cen- tennial address, delivered at Nicolaus, Sutter county, July 4th, 1876, which illustrates the modus operandi of Senator Green, of the first California State Legis- lature.
Bear creek or river, as it is sometimes called, was in early days a small but pretty stream, quietly and lazily wandering through the foothills and down to the plains where it run between well defined and well wooded banks, its calm flow disturbed and im- beded by trees and underbrush growing thickly in the midst of its clear waters, to Feather river, with which it formed a junction a mile or two above Nicolaus. Of course it was unnavigable, except to light row-boats, and not to them in low water, while the large river steamers, of which the largest and finest at that time was named the Senator, could even at the highest water scarcely approach the mouth. Green, however, in describing, during the discussion of the county-seat question of Butte county, the ad- vantages of his town of Oro, spoke of the splendid river on which it was situated, the waters of which, he asserted, when at the lowest stage of a long, dry summer, could be easily navigated. A brother Sena- tor, who knew Green's weakness for hyperbole, inter- rupted by asking him if he meant to say that the river steamers could navigate Bear river at its lowest stage of water. "I mean to say," replied Green, "that the Senator can navigate it at any time of the year." After adjournment some one accused him of having, to put it mildly, stretched the truth in saying that a steamer like the Senator could navigate Bear river. "I never said," answered Green, "that the
176
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
steamer Senator could, I said the Senator could, but I meant the Senator who asked the impertinent question."
THE UNIONTOWN BELL.
Long years ago there was a denomination of Bap- tists in Uniontown, who built themselves a fine church Some time after the building was erected, some of the enterprising members went around among the citizens with a subscription paper and raised money to buy a large, fine-toned bell, to put in the church steeple, and for a few years it rang out its merry chimes at the usual occasions. In course of time Uniontown, like all other mining communities of California, went down and soon the little church organization was entirely broken up in consequence of its members moving away, and for several years there had been no service held in the church. The doors had separated from their hinges, and the win- dows broken in, and the bell, from which the rope long since rotted, hung still in unbroken silence. The building nearly became the appearance of an old ruin, fit for the habitation of owls and bats. Just then, in 1871, it happened that a Baptist minister from Sierra county, who was formerly a pastor of this church, came to Uniontown, and without consulting the trustees of the church ascended into the belfry of the old building and took therefrom the bell, and brought it up to Coloma with the intention of ex- pressing it to Sierra county the next day. The citi- zens hearing of the proceeding denounced it an outrage on the community, some six or eight of them followed the parson to Coloma, and went to a Justice of the Peace, who advised them to get counsel. They sought legal advice, but the minister in antici- pation of this had retained all the lawyers in town. Then just in time a young sprig of the legal profes- sion appeared on the stage of action. His services were immediately engaged, he wrote out his papers, handed them to a constable and in less than fifteen minutes the bell was arrested and confined in jail. The minister was completely non-plussed, and thinking, perhaps, he had overdone the thing, and the law could get a hold on him, he disappeared in the night and did not show himself in Coloma or Uniontown again, but the bell remained in jail prob- ably awaiting its trial.
An amusing incident ocurred at Georgetown in the early days of the Republican party. At the presidential election of 1856, when Fremont and the woolly horse were in the field, an old Democrat, made such when he first came from the old sod, who be- lieved he had been wrong, turned Republican and voted for Fremont and the woolly horse. He took many a drop of the crathur with his new friends un- til his head and heels rebelled. About dark he start- ed for his cabin, but the road had become tangled and serpentine, and he found the bottom of a deep shaft that did not belong to him: He shouted and bellowed, wept and prayed for help, but no help came. All night and most of the next day he prayed. Some miners roaming over the hills hearing an un- usual noise, searched and at last they discovered that the sound issued from a shaft. They carefully ap- proached, hearing the low moans of a person in dis- tress and praying for help. Words came in plaintive tones, intermingled with sobs, and then these words : "O God, if you will help me out of this pit I will never in all my life vote the Republican ticket again, be dad." The poor fellow was almost demented, being without food, cold, and death staring him in the face, believing it was a punishment for voting for the woolly horse. A rope was procured and the poor fellow restored to the sunlight. He kept his word, and did not drink any more.
A short time ago a Chinese pauper died in an old cabin on the outskirts of town (Placerville). On notifi- cation of his death at the Sheriff's office an officer called upon the head Chinamen and requested them to see to the interment of their compatriot. They re- sponded that the Chinaman had paid taxes to the Court House, and the Court House must bury him, thereupon was held a council of war at the Sheriff's office, resulting in a bit of strategy. The head China- men were informed that it was all right, the Court House would give the corpse the honor of increma- tion-in vulgate, would burn the body up. The ruse was successful; this would interfere with the religious duty of transporting the bones to the consecrated soil of China. The head men yielded gracefully ; rather than have the body burnt they gave it Celestial burial, and lost the pains to which they had gone in removing the poor fellow to the old cabin to die and be buried by the Court House.
177
LOCAL HISTORY.
LOCAL HISTORY.
COLOMA.
Old Coloma! The town with some history -- no, the starting point of a history of El Dorado county, and of the total revolution in the history of the whole State, throwing her out of the lethargy and quietness of hundreds of years in a feverish excitement that kept her enchained for about twenty-five years. The discovery of gold in the race of the Coloma mill, however, did not stop with the revolutionizing of Cal- ifornia; no, it became epidemic and infected the whole civilized world. The alarm was given out, and Co- loma became the motto of the day, Coloma the long- ing of millions, and Coloma the endpoint of the trarvel of thousands, whose starting points had been most every where on this globe. And right here it may be allowed to put the question : Has California been benefited with the discovery of gold at Coloma, and all the circumstances that followed ? The dis- covery of gold was inavoidable, it would have been made sooner or later. But there can be no doubt that California would be better off nowadays, if the dis- covery had not been made before the State became more settled and thicker populated, or if the discovery would have been kept a secret as Capt. Sutter had proposed it. A slow development would have avoided the outgrowing of all those monopolies under which the State is suffering now. What did those miners of early days care for the welfare of this country ? More than nine out of each ten came here to make their pile and march home with it, according to the motto of the great French revolution : "Apre's nous, le deluge," not a particle different from the Chinamen. How many millions have been drawn out of this country without leaving anything or giving anything in return. Look at all these mining towns, what flourishing and happy settlements would we see all through the mountains, if their population had not been managed under such haste and excitement.
Coloma is located on the South Fork of the Ameri- can river, in an altitude of 900 feet above the level of the sea, on the upper end of the Coloma basin, which is surrounded by hills of from 800 to 1,000 feet higher up. When El Dorado county was organized Coloma was selected for the county-seat, there being no other place in the county at that time ; but after a few years already some rivals turned up, and from 1854, a fight for the removal of the county-seat began which lasted for three years and ended in a victory for Placerville.
For the first few years after the discovery of gold all the new arrivals were bound for Coloma, and though the mines in the vicinity were rich and plenty
of them, the population was growing so fast that soon many had to be turned away to look out for other diggings, thus scattering and prospecting all over the country. But a large business was done here in the support of a population that numbered into the thousands. The first business places in town were Capt. Shannon & Cady's, the New York Store, S. S. Brook's store, and John Little's emporium on the North side of the river. Warner, Sherman & Bestor, of the United States army, kept a store here during the winter of 1848-'49; Bestor being the busi- ness man of the company. The first hotel was the Winters Hotel, Messrs. Winters & Cromwell, proprie- tors; A. J. Bayley, now of Pilot Hill, attended bar there. Sutter's saw-mill had been finished and was put to work by Messrs. Winters, Marshall & Bayley, doing a fine business. A large two-story building had been erected for a theater in 1852. Capt. Shan- non was Alcalde of the township, and John T. Little first Postmaster, a Post office having been estab- lished already in 1849; S. S. Brook became second Postmaster, but the business was growing so im- mensely that it afforded too much time for a store- keeper, and Mr. D. G. Waldron, now of San Fran- cisco, was appointed Postmaster soon after President Pierce's inauguration. Thisthen was the principal Post- office in California, concerning the business ; six pony expresses were running between Coloma and the minės all around, to deliver the half-monthly arriving mail, charging one dollar a letter for the delivery. Wagon loads of letters had to be sent to the dead letter office, as most of the people leaving home made Coloma, their destination, but either had never ar- rived here, or turned away to other mining districts. Of other men of prominence in those early days, we mention : Newell & Williams, and Thomas H. Hewes, lawyers ; Col. Clendenin ; Wm. McConnell & Co .; Geo. Duden ; Asa D. Waldron; Dr. Gibbs; Col. Thomas Robertson ; Hon. John Conness ; Dav. E. Buel ; A. A. Van Guelder ; D. P. Talmadge; J. G. McCallum, now of Oakland; A. H. Hawley ; Robert Chalmers; S. B. Weller ; General Thomas Williams ; D. G. Waldron ; there were A. J. Bayley, now of Pilot Hill; W. M. Donahue, now of Placer- ville ; Hon. J. C. Brown, A. St. Clair Denver.
One of Sutter's iron howitzers is still decorating the front of Meyers' Hotel. It was here that the first plan for obtaining water by artificial means was derived, and the first ditch in El Dorado county and California was built; it was called the El Dorado Canal, and had a length of six miles. This proving a good investment for the projectors, soon others followed with the following ditches: The Hollings- worth & Co's ; the Coloma Canal ; the Shanghai
178
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Ditch ; the Williams Ditch ; the Greenhorn Ditch ; and the largest of all of them, the U. S. M. John T. Little, now of San Francisco, also owned the first ferry across the South fork from Coloma to the north side. Mr. Ed. T. Raun, in the Spring of 1850, went on to build across here the first bridge in the county, which was renewed in 1855. The high water of 1862, however, swept it away, and now a small wire rope suspension affair, for footpads only, may be found as accommodation across the river. Sutter's old saw mill, as already stated, was working at full speed from 1849 to 1852 or '53, thereafter it was not used any more and commenced to go to pieces. When David E. Buel, who was the second Sheriff and one of the first settlers of the county, in May, 1854; was leaving Coloma to go east he was presented with a magnificent gold headed cane, the wood of which was taken from the head-block of the "Sutter saw-mill." The top of the cane was ornamented with an accurate and beautiful engraving of the old mill, and immediately below the rim the names of the generous donors. A letter, dated Coloma May 28th, 1854, accompanying the present was signed by the Under and Deputy-Sheriffs : E. N. Strout, J. S .; Welton, Henry Larkin, Adam Burget, H. A. Young and John Orr. Thus it seems that the pieces of the old mill, where used to transfer them into presents for memory and relics, which will be highly valued by the coming generations.
In 1854, the Sunday law was passed and the under- signed business men gave notice that they would close up their stores on and after December 10th, 1854 : WVm. McConnell & Co ; O. Camp & Co; Dunn & Bell ; Kimball & Co; Geo. Vincent & Co; E. Weller & Co; M. Holmes : A. G. Tryon ; Frank Beckhart ; M. Skolney ; J. Morris ; J. Bernhard & Co; Wm. Dormody ; Jos. W. Seeley; A. Dombrowsky; J Waters ; Wm. Clatworsly and T. Elkus. These were the leading business firms then.
The Odd Fellows were the first to form a lodge of their order at Coloma, it was organized as "Coloma Lodge, No. 27," on August 21st, 1854, with the fol- lowing first officers: J. C. Brown, N. G .; A. St. Clair Denver, V. G .; R. E. F. Moore, Secretary ; Wm. Pat- terson, Treasurer, and Joshua Jones. Soon after the organization they 'built their own hall.
Acacia Lodge, No. 92, F. & A. M., was organized November 1st, 1855, and received their charter from the Grand Lodge at Sacramento, dated May 8th, 1856. The first officers were : J. M. Reed, W. M .; Thomas Robertson, S. W. ; Thomas H. Williams, J. W .; J. L. Chapman, Treasurer ; A. A. Van Guel- der, Secretary ; C. N. Noteware, S. D. ; M. Barowsky, J. D. ; H. S. Herrick, Tyler.
E. Clampsus Vitus order was organized February 11th, 1856, with the following first officers: E. B. Carson, N. G. H .; Thomas M. Reed, G. R. P. ; M. R. Elstner, C. P. ; P. B. Fox, C. V .; A. H. Hawley, G. R. T. ; John Hume, G. R. F .; A. W. Merrill, G. R. S. ; James Sullivan, G. R. M .; John F. Long, R. S. ; M. Barowsky, Tyler.
Coloma Musical Association, Wm. H. Taylor, President.
On the 14th of September, 1881, a charter was granted to the members of Coloma Lodge, No. 203, A. O. U. W. with the following first officers, Daniel Haggart, P. M. W .; Simeon Hunt, M. W .; Jos. H. Thomas, F. ; Morris G. Bradley, O. ; M. J. Allhoff, Receiver; Jos. Allhoff, Finance ; Wm. H. Hooper, Recorder, Jos. Anderhalden, G. ; James W. Quirk, J. W. ; J. W. Chappleman, O. W.
Notwithstanding the great accumulation of all classes of people from all different nations, Coloma was a very quiet and peaceful mining camp ; but very few incidents of violence are known to have taken place here. In March, 1860, James Hannum killed one Anthony Martin, on account of some difficulty arising out of a game of cribbage. He was indicted for murder in the District Court, the Jury failing to agree, and he interposed a plea of guilty for man- slaughter. He was sentenced to four years in the State prison.
A party of miners on Monday, March 4th, 1861, became incensed at the Chinese of this town, and created riotous proceedings; in consequence of which thirty-six of them were arrested. W. S. Long, of Sacramento, and John Hume were employed in their defense, and N. G. Curtis, of Sacramento, assisted District Attorney Sanderson in the prosecu- tion. They were tried, and O'Donnell and fifteen others were found guilty of riot in the Court of Ses- sions on March 16th, and sentenced to pay a fine of $200 each and the costs.
Coloma has not only a place in history, but also in the hearts of all romantic visitors. There is no ham- let in the Sierras more serene and poetic ; the air is perfectly etherial, during the day mellow and golden, during the night silver and purple. Then the moon rises over the hills, arraying orchards and piney summits and quiet cottages with veils of silken radi- ance. Here may be heard yet the rattle of the rocker, and perhaps close by the roar of the hydraulic pipe may fill the trum of your ear. Here is still the old- time log cabin, where pork and beans with additional flap-jacks were luxuries, alongside the elegant cottage, embowered in roses, surrounded by almond and peach groves. Much gold has been taken out of this valley,
179
LOCAL HISTORY.
but the time where miners occupied this ground, and
entertained strangers and way-farers with a generous mining events and interests constituted the topic of hospitality, and administered to rogues and vagabonds the day, lay far back. Vineyards and orchards line the hillsides as high up as water for irrigation can reach, and the sunny grape draws its sparkling juice from among soil sprinkled with virgin gold. And, though, the Coloma basin has lost a great richness in shape of gold, it has copiously made up in permanent improvements. The fruit grown in this vicinity and on this soil is unsurpassable in juice and flavor ; and has made a name for itself. Upon the decline of the mines many persons engaged in planting fruit trees ; among the first to plant on the north side were E. Woodruff and A. A. Van Guelder. The latter was the first engaged in general fruit growing ; he was followed by Henry Mahler, Jonas Wilder, Henry Pierce, Ed- ward D. Lohry, J. H. Williams, H. Hawley, Joseph Allhoff, J. G. Vanderheyden, Jno. Crocker and Mrs. Robertson.
The Coloma basin is about 312 miles in length by about a mile in width. The number of vines of all varieties bearing in the valley is about 350,000 and of choice fruit trees within this space about 30,000, located as follows : On the north side, 50,000 vines and 5,000 trees ; Coloma proper, 180,000 vines and 10,000 trees; below Coloma, 120,000 vines and 15,000 trees.
The California Pioneer some time ago had the following reminiscence of a short stay at Coloma in the fall of 1849, from the pen of old " Mac," which may have a space here : "Coloma, then called "the mill," was quite a prosperous mining center, habita- tions or dwellings were all constructed of rough logs, of backwood pattern, except Captain Shannon's man- sion, the New York Store, the Winters' Hotel, and perhaps one or two other unimportant buildings. The old Sutter saw-mill, of course, stood out as a marked monument of the place and the chief point of attrac- tion for strangers. It was then running to its utmost capacity; the stately pines were being cut from the valley and hillsides to supply the great demand for lumber, giving the hamlet the appearance of a western lumber camp. Boards, not of the first quality, sold readily for $400 per 1,000 feet. Winters, Marshall & Bayley were the owners. Close by the mill were a few log huts, and just below, a log building occupied by S. S. Brooks for a store, and directly across the road was a two-story clap-boarded mansion of Captain Shannon, occupied by Shannon & Cady, as a store and house of entertainment. The Captain was the head man of the town, and in addition to his military title held that of Alcalde, or Judge of the First Instance, by virtue of an appointment from the Mili- tary Governor. In addition to a retail trade, he
even and exact justice. In front of his house stood a stately native pine, straight as an arrow, which on the Fourth of July he employed one of his old soldiers (Sucre) to trim and surmount with the American flag, at a cost of $600, to commemorate the great holiday. This pine stood there for years as a mark of the Cap- tain's munificence and patriotism. A few rods below the Captain's house was the rude "shelling " of Patrick and Bridget Doody. They had come to the country with Col. Stevenson, and looked to the Captain for protection. Patrick was indebted to Brooks to a small amount, who, like most creditors, wanted his money; and caused an attachment to be levied on the Doody hut. Patrick being absent in the mines, leaving his other half to look after domestic affairs and town laundry; the Captain not at home, Bridget in her dilemma did not know what to do, sent for the writer. He answered the call and proceeded to her domicil. He advised the distressed woman that she need have no apprehension ; that her real estate was not worth selling, except for firewood, and Brooks had no need of that, and that she might snap her finger at the cruel creditor, when, suddenly she went down on her knees in the middle of the room, which was floored with the native soil, and with a knife commenced digging, to the great surprise of her spectator. Out she drew two large bottles filled with the finest gold, worth not less than$2,000, which she had saved or filched from Pat- rick. In her anger she apprehended the attachment reached this hidden treasure. Mac advised her to pay the debt, and restore the gold to the old bank where it had lain so long safely until she and Pat had made up their minds to return to their home in New York. Near the old ferry was the establishment of John Gratee and Captain Johnson; a little further up the New York store of Dunnel & Nichols, and Winters' new hotel. Then came the residence of Peter Weimer and family; Peter had been in the employ of Marshall when the gold was discovered in the mill race. He insisted always that Marshall did not believe the glit- tering lumps were genuine, until his wife had boiled them in the wash boiler, and they came out as bright as a new dollar.
" At the extreme limit of the hamlet was a log hut occupied by Captain Cheever and Robert Gordon ; Case had a store hard by. Across the river J. T. Little had his immense mercantile establishment; Foster and Hildebrand had small stores there also.
"Gordon was a man of fine literary taste, and was once on the editorial corps of the Alta California; Cheever had been a merchant at Manilla; Captain Shannon was the impersonation of fun and his coun-
180
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
tenance ever wore a smile. Syke Baldwin, the Cap- tain's tender-man, formerly one of his company, in spite of long years of dissipation, was full of humor, and had a pleasant word for all who patronized his bar. For those that were acquainted there at the time, we recall to memory the face of the honest- hearted Winters; the quiet, unpretending Marshall ; the tall, dark-eyed Weimer; the brusque Dr. Read ; the dry Stubbleben ; the rough Gratee; the babbling Brooks ; the noisy Miller, and little Jack More.
"One day in December, '49, a crowd came trooping down the street to Captain Shannon's mansion, having in custody a vagabond sailor, charged with having stolen from a miner $600 in dust contained in a purse, demanding the exercise of the judicial authority of the Captain as Alcalde. The latter without ceremony opened his court, selected a jury of six reputable men, appointed prosecution attorney, etc .; the prisoner was given a full opportunity to establish his innocence. The case, after the charge of the Alcalde, was given to the jury. After due deliberation, through their foreman, the jury rendered a verdict as follows :
I. We find the prisoner guilty of the charge.
2. In consideration of the poverty of the com- plainant, if the prisoner will make restitution of the property and depart the "diggings," he may be dis- charged.
If he does not accept the offer, then and there 3 he shall receive 25 lashes, well laid on, be imprisoned with ball and chain for a space of 10 days, and then, if he restores the money and departs, be discharged.
4. At the expiration of the imprisonment he shall receive 25 lashes and leave the diggings.
"The prisoner declined to return the money and suffered the full penalty; after which he vamosed to parts unknown."
The late Ogden Squires, of Placerville, had in his possession, and submitted to our inspection, a Day Book, kept at Sutter's mill, Coloma, Messrs. Winters, Bayley & Marshall, proprietors, from January 3d to April 22d, 1850. Among other survivors who are charged with lumber on this book we find the names of William Rogers, first Sheriff of El Dorado county, now of Ruby Valley, Nev .; J. W. Marshall, the dis- coverer of gold, now residing at Kelsey; Kimball, then of the firm of Pauley & Kimball, now of Aurora, Nev .; F. Beckhardt, now at San Francisco ; Edw. T. Raun, now of the architect-firm Kennitzer & Raun, San Francisco; Storrs & Storer, the one now in Virginia City, the other of Truckee; Charles E. Picket, now of San Francisco ; John T. Little, now real estate broker of San Francisco; S. S. Brooks, of San Fran- cisco ; and A. J. Bayley, of Bayley's ranch, Pilot Hill.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.