USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 45
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Young America Engine Company No. 3, organized at Placerville on the Ist of June, 1860, and on the 28th of June the following officers were elected: Wm. McCormick, Foreman; Solon L. McFarlin, First As- sistant; John McCone, Second Assistant; Jas. W. Ed- wards, Rec. Secretary; W. S. Lowell, Financial Secre- tary; D. W. Lewan, Treasurer; Jas. Todd and O. A. Crandall, Delegates.
Placerville, as we have stated before, never was laid out after a certain plan, but built up answering the sit- uation, and in full accord with the name of the "Rav- ine City," spreading all along the creek and from there branching off the different ravines; and however often the town property might have changed hands, none of the purchasers was looking after, that his title was cor- rect and good. The ground where Placerville stands was neither a grant, nor had it ever been taken up ac- cording to the pre-emption law, and those who sold the first town lots were nothing else than frauds, be- cause they had not more right to them than any one of the purchasers, but such was life in California in early times. This state of affairs, in after years, caused much trouble in the transaction of property and the city authorities, pushed from all sides, were compelled to take steps to settle this disagreeable situation; and after much tedious and vexatious delays, finally in 1872, the negotiations arrived at a point when the people of Placerville could prove up and acquire titles to their homes, etc.
The Sacramento Union of August 9, 1872, published the following: "The United States Land office of this city is in receipt of information from the Commis- sioner of the General Land Office, that cash entry No. 582, made July 7, 1871, by John R. Patton, City Clerk, in trust for the inhabitants of Placerville, and covering the south 12 of northeast 14, southeast 14, east 1/2 of southwest 14, southeast 14 of northwest 14 of section 7; west 12 and southwest 1/2 of northeast 14 southeast 14 of northeast 14, west 12 of southeast 14, and northeast 14 of southeast 14 of section 8; south- west 14 of northwest 14, northwest 14 of southwest 14 of section 9; north 1/2 of northwest 14 of section 17; north 1/2 of northeast 14 and northeast 14 of north- west 14 of section 18; township 10 north, range II east, containing 1,160 acres, has been approved and
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HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
filed for patenting. The patent will issue to the cor- porate authorities of the city of Placerville, in trust for the inhabitants thereof, and will recite that no title shall be hereby acquired to any mine of gold, silver, cinnabar or copper, or to any valid mining claim or possession held under existing laws of Congress."
PLACERVILLE INDUSTRY.
The first foundry was built and set up in the fall of 1855, by Messrs. Hinds & Lundstrom; the first cast- ing was done there on February 18, 1856, a second iron foundry was established some time in the Spring of 1858, by Mr. A. T. Melvin; this was located on the lower end of Main Street, on the north side of Hang- town creek and christened "Placerville Foundry." Mr. Morey is the owner and proprietor of the present foundry.
A circular sawmill was put up in the spring of 1853, by H. Hollister, near Upper Placerville. Mr. D. Phelps, the agent of Mr. Hollister in the fall of 1853, advertised the following prices for lumber: Scantling $35.00 per M feet; Mercantable boards $35.00 per M feet; flooring six to eight inches wide, $44.00 per M feet; selected sluice lumber $40.00 per M feet; clear lumber $50.00 per M feet. Mr. J. H. Predmore & Co., in the spring of 1854, established the "Excelsior Mills," grist and saw mill, a 4-stamp mill of the Pacific Quartz Co. was connected.
Brick had been manufactured at Placerville in quantities to sell, at Mr. M. R. Elstner's brickyard since spring of 1852.
Mr. S. Randall, in 1856 to '58, manufactured brick on an extensive scale at the old yard near the ceme- tery.
Another industry of Placerville is the slate quarry at Chili Bar, and the manufacturing of roofing slate, which business had been started by Placerville busi- ness men in 1875, in which year the first roofs in California had been covered with this domestic article. The roof of Mr. Louis Landecker's store is a sample of this roofing slate that recommends itself.
The northern and southwestern part of El Dorado county abounds in what is generally known as soap weed or soap root. Some ingenious fellow, only a few years ago got an idea that this root, which resembles so much the coarser variety of horse hair, could be used instead of horse hair in the upholstering business ; a trial was made and the result of it is, that two Placerville firms have about a hundred Chinamen en- gaged in the fall of the year gathering the soap root. Tons of it are being bailed and shipped to Sacra- mento, where it is undergoing a steaming process, after which it is sold and used for upholstering of matresses, etc., under the name of "Excelsior hair."
Mr. Louis Landecker was the first man to start in this new industry.
Messrs. Rogers, Greely & Co., of Placerville, in the midsummer of 1855, were erecting a large flouring mill on Weber creek, about three-fourths of a mile below the crossing of the Sacramento road and the creek. This mill was designed for waterpower, and a great business was done here for years. After its de- struction, however, the city of Placerville, just as well as the whole county of El Dorado, for years were dependent on the neighboring country for their sup- ply of flour and other mill-products; until in June, 1873, Mr. James Creighton's new flour mill was started. This mill is run by water power, fed with water brought down from Sacramento hill in iron pipes, giving a pressure of three hundred and fifty feet, discharged by means of a Craig nuzzle against an eight foot hurdy gurdy wheel. The mill as origin- ally started contained two sets of stones, one for flour, the other for corn meal and ground barley. The first 100 pounds of flour that were produced at this mill were put up into four twenty-five pound sacks, and offered at public auction at the Ladies' Festival at Sierra Hall, on the 4th of July 1873, the proceeds to be paid into the fund for building the new school house. The mill property, Mr. Creighton tried to change in a stock company, a few years after- wards, but failing in this he finally sold it to Mr. Charles Sibeck, who after another year took Mr. Cook, late from Illinois, as a partner in the business ; doing business since under the firm of Cook & Si- beck.
As an industry that was flourishing for a short time, being of high importance then, we have to mention the Hydraulic Hose factory of " Old Joe," at Coon hill. In 1854 and '55, when the hydraulic mining was introduced in the gravel mines of the surrounding country, a great amount of leather or double canvas hose was always demanded, until replaced by the iron pipes, and their advantage over all other means in the line of supplying water to the hydraulic mines was such a great one, that the former industry had to take its departure.
The introduction of gas light with which the city of Placerville was supplied in the fall of 1858, con- sidered the time in which this improvement was exe- cuted, amidst the Frazer river excitement, could be called a great achievement of her citizens. The gas being generated by burning pitch pine wood in a vast furnace; the gasometer was made for a capacity of 8,000 cubic feet of gas ; and cast iron pipes distributed the gas from here to every part of the city, and it is gratifying to state that the entire work, comprising many contrivances of ingenuity and skilled labor,
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had been done in Placerville. This enterprise was created by a Stock Company, Messrs. James Ellis and Darwin DeGolia were the first trustees of the com pany. Instead of pitch pine wood, this factory a few years later, substituted hard coal from Buckeye can- yon, Amador county, for the production of gas.
Of other industries there are two breweries here, both have been established in early days and since then have always done a good business. A large fruit drying establishment has been started of later years in Upper Placerville, working on the Alden principal. A soap factory was started in 1861 by Messrs. Holmes & Van Tine.
FIRES AT PLACERVILLE.
Up to the year of 1856, from the time of the first settlement, Placerville, contrary to most other mining places, had been spared from the fiend; but on April 15, 1856, while a great part of the population were as- sembled in the Placerville theater, to greet McKean Buchanan in the character of "Richelieu," a fire broke out in the Iowa House on Sacramento street, spread- ing with rapidity over the neighboring buildings, which, with the exception of the Post Office and Hooke.'s store, were all built of the most combustible material. Dr. Rankin's office and adjoining dwelling, the Placer Hotel opposite, the Orleans Hotel and a number of smaller buildings, were all devoured by the flames. Stevens' new livery stable then caught fire and had it not been for the changing of the wind, the town might have been swept notwithstanding the greatest exertions of the fire department, assisted by many citizens and the members of the theater company. The losses were quite considerable, most of the losers lost in one hour all their savings of five long years. Mr. Cary's loss was $15,000: Mr. Levan's $12,000; and the others, some twenty in number, ranged from $4,000 to $100; the whole amount being estimated at about $60,000. An incident of bravery occurred in connection with this fire, that deserves to be mentioned in history. After the inmates of the Iowa House had rushed out of this building in utmost confusion and haste, and just when the firemen repaired to the burn- ing building, they were appalled at hearing Mrs. Rock- well, in the extreme of agony, crying that her youngest child had been left, lying asleep in one of the rooms of the burning building. The danger was imminent; but Master Jackson L. Ober, a son of Dr. Ober, and an attache of the Neptunes, a youth of 14 years, took the fearful risk, and boldly pushed his way through flame and smoke to the room where the child lay sleeping, unconscious of its danger. He took up the child in his arms and cautiously wending his way back, escaped, and placed it in its mother's arms un-
injured; just as the burning building fell in. As a memorial of his heroic deed he keeps a slight mark where his arm got burnt.
Another fire broke out on July 6th, the same year, and what had been feared only, on April 15th, became reality for this time; the town was literally swept by the flames; the fire evidently of incendiary origin, spread with such an immense rapidity that all efforts to stop its progress proved fruitless and hopeless. The hungry flames devoured as well the houses rebuilt since the fire in April, as the remainder of the town, and hardly any of the shanties of old Hangtown had been spared, they all had to make space for more stately brick and stone buildings, better answering the character of the city of Placerville. And still for a third time in the same year, Placerville was visited by the hungry flames on October 7, 1856, a fire broke out in the Pittsburg House of Upper Placerville, destroy- ing the greater part of that flourishing village. The fire was supposed to have been caused accidentally by a man John Murdock, who occupying a room in said hotel, went to bed in a state of intoxication only a short time before the fire was observed, and who was burned to death. The following were the losses of the fire: J. W. Foster, $5,500; S. W. Wilcox, $8,- 000; W. Flagg, $5,000; A. C. Crosby, $3,000; N. Wonderly, (Pittsburg House), $3,009; Mr. Monroe, $3,500; E. Brewster & Co., $2,000; Dr. S. Baldwin, $3,000; J. M. Dorsey, $3,000; Mr. Gilbert, $500; Mr. Fleischmann, $250; Alden & Stout, $1,750; Joe Acker, $750; Mr. Morrison, $2,000; M. Livingston, $1,000; Mr. Spencer, $1,000; Wm. Christian, $1,500; Jacob Wirt, $1,000.
Twice after that Placerville has been visited by great and destructive fires; first on Sunday, November 6, 1864, between 3 and 4 o'clock A. M., an unoccupied house on Benham place was discovered or. fire, and owing to the combustible material of the surrounding buildings it spread with fearful rapidity along Benham place, Quartz, Pacific and Sacramento streets, threat- ening at one time the whole town. A large amount of property was destroyed; W. Cooper lost 15 houses, J. Brindley 4, J. Patton 10 houses, J. Wray 6, Howard 4, H. Olis 9, Henry Louis 3, J. Jeffree 2, L. Land- ecker 3 and Simmons one house ; and on August 10, 1865, a fire came out in a building of Mr. Seely on Quartz street, the principal losses were as follows: Thos. Alderson, $10,000, Wm. Thatcher $5,000; Thos. Hogsett, $2,000; Mr. Phipps, $1,000; Mr. Seely, $3,000; R. H. Black, $1,600; John Marcovich, 1,500; Woodland $1,000; L. Landecker, Howard, Espanna, H. H. Thal, R. White and J. B. Jenkins, from $500 to $1,000 each.
Before leaving the city of Placerville, may it be
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HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
allowed to take a retrospective view far back into the time of old "Hangtown," passing a review of old faces : The very first store kept here in the fall of 1848, was by one Beaner ; the following winter season there were, after a rough estimate, between four and five hundred Oregonians engaged here in mining ; the spring of 1849 bringing the first Eastern people, and a lively business commenced. Col. A. W. Bee and brother were the leading storekeepers then, dealing in general provisions, etc. George Roth and James Bailey forming partnership kept a grocery store until 1854, when the partnership was dissolved and George Roth continued storekeeping alone. Alex. Hunter opened the first Banking House and Express Office in connection with Wells, Fargo & Co's office at Sacramento. Mr. R. G. Noyes was the resident agent of Adams & Co's Express Co., until July, 1855, when after the failure of Adams & Co., he be- came President of the Pacific Express Company. H. C. Hooker kept the first hardware store. Drs. Childs and Worthen opened the first drug store. Livery stable business was first started by George Condee & Co. and William Stevens & Co. M. R. Elstner kept the first hay yard, as well as brick yard. William M. Cary kept the Placer hotel, { id after 1856, built the present structure of the Cary House, on Main street, corner of Quartz avenue, which was finished about August 1857. B. Herrick kept the Union Hotel, Mr. Levan kept the Orleans Hotel. Dud Humphreys was appointed first Alcalde of the district ; when a Post office was first established; J. Q. A. Ballard was appointed first Postmaster, his place was at the round tent. J. B. Buker & Co. opened a banking house in Upper Placerville, and were succeeded some time later. by Read & Co. D. G. Weston, of Upper Placer- ville, started the first dairy on a larger scale, milking from 40 to 140 cows. The first white woman of Placerville was Mrs. Anna Cook, who died here on January 4th, 1879, at the advanced age of eighty-four years; she had been the first white person of her sex to arrive at Hangtown : she was married to her hus- band, whose death antedated her own just eleven months, on the 4th of June, 1815; they consequently had lived together in wedlock nearly sixty-three years. The first marriage that was recorded at Placerville was that of W. H. Cooper, who was married by Rev. Dr. Platt, in November, 1850, to Miss Amy Swift. He not only raised a large family, but became grand- father to over twenty, and great-grandfather to some great-grandchildren. But all the old land marks, the witnesses of those gone-by romantic days of early California life, of the ups and downs of the first settlers here, are gone one after another ; the last one, a kind of a relic in the shape of an old log-cabin,
built in the year of 1848, stood undisturbed just above O'Keefe's toll-house until lately when it was torn down to be converted into firewood. Mr. Ben. Post bought it in 1849, from the man who built it, and occupied it for several years, it was then one of the most comfortable and nobby residences in town. This last survivor of the '49 er period gone, reminds one how fast the time disappears, and that it may not be so far hence, when all and every living witness of that period will be gone also.
In those times came to the courts, of Judges Ross, Howell, Farwell, Ben Myers, and Jimmy Johnson, and attorneys, S. W. Sanderson, D. K. Newell, Gen. Tom Williams, John Hume, Thomas H. Hewes, Perkins, Gabe Hall, G. J. Carpenter, J. Thomas, Jim Green, Joe Douglas, Melancholy McCallum, Tom. Robertson, Major Ward, Harmon, Geo. G. Blanchard, Mose Tebbs, Old Talmadge, Chas. Meredith, Chas. Irwin, Patterson, Vince Geiger, P. C. Johnson, Col. Hook. There was Benj. R. Nickerson, who threw the only law book, which there was in Hangtown at the Judge's head, because he decided a case against him, fore- swore the practice of law, and got up a bull and bear fight on Sunday shortly afterwards, to get even on his client's fee, which was due but unpaid. Thos. Rob- ertson, S. W. Sanderson and John Hume formed a partnership firm; but after a few years Sanderson de- parted this concern and formed a partnership with Thos. H. Hewes; while Robertson & Hume remained copartners. One day during the busy times of the 11th District Court, a case was on trial in which J. Hume and Silas W. Sanderson were engaged as attor- neys on opposite sides. An angry controversy arose between these gentlemen, commencing with words, but ending in a clinch, each seizing the other by the throat, with many wild demonstrations. Before the mild calm face of Hume or the more pugnacious coun- tenance of Sanderson was marred, or first blood claimed for either, the Sheriff, however, sprang between and parted them; each evidently pleased at this sud- den cessation of hostilities, but ashamed of their dis- play of temper. The cause proceeded as if nothing had occurred. In the evening, as was then custom, many attorneys were at the Clerk's office looking over papers or filing cost bills, the belligerents of the morn- ing being both present, when the silence was broken by the quick but mild voice of Hume saying, "San- derson, didn't you think the Sheriff was a d-d long time coming this morning?" A moment's silence, then a loud and boisterous laugh, and all was harmon- ious. Hume, who had a bright legal mind, surpassed by few, has died since. Sanderson has since been Chief Justice of the State, and is now attorney for the C. P. R. R. Co.
RESIDENCE OF A . J . BAYLEY . BAYLEY'S RANCH. ELDORADO.Cº · CAL.
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LOCAL HISTORY.
Judge Ogden Squires, who died in 1880 at Napa, of consumption, was a prominent lawyer and citizen of Placerville for nearly 30 years, and has occupied dur- ing that time many important offices. In 1851 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff and served in that cap- acity for many years; he was elected and served one term as a member of the State Legislature, being the youngest member of that body. In 1863 he was elected County Judge for a term of four years, show- ing ability and intelligence. Thereafter he filled the office of a Justice of the Peace and Notary.
During the time of the secession war a cause being on trial in the County Court, and the Judge had charged the jury, who had retired to determine upon a verdict. The time being evening, they were left in the more comfortable court room. To beguile their time some of them sang and others joined in the chorus. The Judge was a staunch constitutional Dem- ocrat, and when he entered the Clerk's office, adjoining the court room, about 8 or 9 o'clock, they were lus- tily singing "John Brown," in which all had joined, and the old fellow's soul was boisterously "marching around." He hesitated a moment to satisfy himself that his sense of hearing did not deceive him, then he rushed at the intervening door, nearly demolishing it with his thundering blows, and in a voice stifled with rage cried out: "If you don't stop singing, I will com- mit every one of you to the county jail for contempt. You were not sent there for any such purpose!" And they didn't sing any more that night. The Judge had frightened John Brown's soul and very nearly the juror's also out of the court room.
Major Abram T. Ward, who died at Placerville in 1855, was born at Frankfort, Ky., in 1823. Sprung from a soil prolific of talented, courageous and honor- able men, Major Ward was one of the rarest speci- mens. Among all her gifted sons he stood pre-emi- nent. A graduate of Centre College, Danville, he early commenced the practice of the legal profession and became a man of note among his brethren at the bar. A short time after he removed to Missouri, where he continued the practice of law until he deter- mined to journey to California. In 1850 he crossed the plains and resided since uninterrupted in this his adopted State. Originally locating at Sacramento, from which place he removed to Placerville, where his virtues made him many friends.
But Major Ward was not alone a man of mind, he did not win his host of friends by mere mental force; he was eminently sound-hearted and true-souled. Whether pleading the cause of injured innocence, prosecuting the crime-stained villain, exposing the basis of a legal principle, the ground work of constitu- tional right, at the festal board, or in the chance and
varied conversations of daily intercourse, at all times, under all circumstances, the impress of divine genius was visible upon the emanations of his mind.
The disciples of Æsculapius were represented by a noble set of kind-hearted men, no time or age can show a better one. There were Drs. Harvey, Clark, Titus, now of San Francisco, Rob. Rankin, Marquis, Chamberlin, Hinman, Cruse, Hamm, Fiske, of Brod- erick fame, Adams, Taylor, Dolan, Hunters, Ray, McMeans, Conkling, Th. Hall, L. Ferlong, Turner, Richardson, Keene, Worthen, Childs, Biron, Sargent, Kunkler, Thomas, Ober and Hook. What has become of all of them. Most of them are gone, and our mem- ories of them are scattered to the winds.
Hon. B. F. Keene, M. D., died of paralysis in Placerville on the 5th of September, 1856. Dr. Keene came here as a pioneer, to reside in El Dorado county at a time when society was yet quite unsettled and the laws very little observed ; by his own example and mental influence he helped to find the way out of this sordid and selfish interest towards the whole- some state of affairs that surrounds and distinguishes a well governed State. His talents and virtues were appreciated, and in 1851 he was called away from his active professional duties and important private enter- prise by the vote of a rare unanimity to fill the office of Senator in the State Legislature. This was a place for a man to show his ability. The policy of our State government not yet fixed, and the population filled with prejudice and jealousy toward each other, caused by different habits of education and associa- tion. It was quite a hazardous experiment to frame and adopt a system of laws to suit all the different elements of this population; but the following pros- perity of the people is the best evidence of the per- fectness and superiority of the laws as well as of the men who were working hard to show their patriotism.
And Dr. Keene was one of the most intimate law- makers of our statute book, he not only followed the work of the Legislature with ardent zeal, he was a leader. Twice he was honored by his collegues with the election to the presidency of the Senate, and his constituents, to express their pride and contentment with his representation, that he had been repeatedly sent to the Senate for four years, and but a short time before his death he was honored with the nomi- nation to the office of State Treasurer.
"Now every splendid object of ambition Which lately with their various glosses, passed Upon his brain-have gone like morning mist, And all the world is vanished !"
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HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
BIOGRAPHY.
ROBERT CHALMERS
Was the eldest of fourteen children vouchsafed as blessings to the union of William and Elizabeth (nee Templeton) Chalmers, who were natives of Scotland, and united in the bonds of matrimony in Kilmarnock. Robert was born May 24, 1820, and removed with his parents to Haldemand county, Canada in 1834. Boy- hood's days were spent on his father's farm, and when but 19 years old he was married to Miss Katie Fer- rier, who was also a native of Scotland. For a short time he engaged himself at rope making and as a fire- man on a steamer, on Lake Erie, after which he pur- chased a farm in the forests of Haldeman county, and with an ox team and axe began the tedious task of clearing up a home. The same spirit of progress that characterized his entire life was then in its full vigor, and it was not long ere he had a goodly portion of the heavily timbered land under cultivation. He pur- chased and took into the county the first threshing machine ever used there, and while operating the same the forefinger of his right hand caught in the machin- ery and was crushed so as to render amputation nec- essary, but in less than 24 hours he was on duty with his machine again. When the news of the discovery of gold in California reached Canada he was one of the first to catch the inspiration, and at once disposed of his farm, settled his family near the old home, and in May, 1850, started for California. The steamer on which he took passage up the Missouri river was burned, and he with others of his party lost all their effects save what was on their backs. He was not deterred, however, by his misfortune, having set his face thither he turned not back for trifles, but continued across the plains and arrived at Coloma in the autumn of the same year. For a while he mined in various claims about Coloma, and eventually began work for a Mr. M. Holmes in his bakery and store. While in this position he saved about twenty-five hundred dollars, and in January, 1852, returned to the East, but after a short time he longed for the climate and activ- ity of California life and again crossed the plains to arrive at Coloma in September of 1852.
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