History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 117

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206

USA > California > Alameda County > History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions > Part 117

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The Mission buildings remained in their pristine state for a considerable period after the American occupation of California. In 1853 there was but one frame house in the village, and it still stands to the south of the store of Erhman & Lebrecht. The pioneer settlers of the country nearly all first found their way to the Mission, and thence started out in their quest for land on which to locate. In 1849 the earliest store was opened by Mr. Beard; here the first grist-mill was started; and here and in its vicinity were agriculture, horticulture, and viniculture first practiced. Towards the end of 1849, or early in 1850, W. H. Chamberlain opened his store, the same that has since successively passed through the hands of J. W. Chamberlain, Musser & McClure, Erhman & Bachman, until it became the establishment of its present proprietors.

In 1857 the "Red House" was built near where now is the house of José Colum- bet, it being at one time conducted by James Threlfall, while it was here that nearly all things had a start.

The Fathers were sagacious in selecting healthful and convenient locations for their missions. No town on the Contra Costa can boast a better climate. Air and water are here as healthful and pure as nature can make them, and the scenery is varied and delightful. With the air of age and romance about it, and having every essential of a desirable place of residence, Mission San José has been and still continues the home of people of wealth and refinement.

Before the period of railroads in California, Mission San José was one of the liveliest trading and business points in Alameda County, especially during the early mining excitement, when much of the travel between the coast and the mines went through the Stockton Pass, which is entered at this point. It still continues, in a degree, much of its business, although its manufacturing industry has diminished considerably; it will, however, still remain as the central point of historic interest in the district of the Contra Costa.

NEWARK .- This town is situated about twenty-eight miles from San Francisco on the line of the South Pacific Coast Railroad and has all the advantage of shipment of a place one-quarter the distance from the great metropolis. The soil in its vicinity is fertile and productive, being a light, rich black loam.

Early in the spring of 1876, a large tract of land in the vicinty of Dumbarton Point was purchased by A. E. Davis, as representative of the Pacific Land Invest- ment Company, whose interest was identical with that of the South Pacific Coast Railroad Company. The tract consisted of about four thousand five hundred acres, and was made up of smaller tracts bought from several different parties, its cost being near three hundred thousand dollars. The largest single purchase was sixteen hun- dred acres from the Green Point Dairy Company, for which one hundred and forty- five thousand dollars was paid. Previous to this transaction other parties had been engaged in land speculation in the same locality, but the first considerable improve- ments were made by the Railroad Company. Upon the dairy ranch were buildings to accommodate an extensive manufacture of butter and cheese, and several hundred cows found rich pasturage which never failed upon the lowlands. The ranch was

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placed under the management of S. Davis, and thirty tons of cheese and a large quantity of butter were made and disposed of within the six or seven months follow- ing the purchase. In the fall of the same year the cows were sold and the dairy busi- ness closed.

Meanwhile the Railroad Company was pushing on the line. Immediately upon the purchase of the land the operations of driving piles and raising the grade upon the marsh-lands, was commenced and the enterprise was carried on so rapidly that in a few weeks the track was laid and construction trains were running a distance of sev- eral miles from Dumbarton Point towards San José. At the Point was a spacious wharf, over a portion of which was a shed fifty by one hundred and fifty feet. Here was kept the rolling stock when not in use. Here were received the ties, and rails and other material for the construction of the road.

In the spring of 1877, a franchise was obtained for a railroad from Alameda to Newark, and its construction was promptly undertaken. At about the same time the company built its round-house and sheds and established the town of Newark in fact, as it had before been upon the surveyor's plat. The location was three and a half miles from Dumbarton Point, with the marsh-land and the bay in front, while culti- vated fields stretched backward towards the hills. On June 1, 1878, the cars began to run regularly between Alameda and Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, connecting with the ferry between Alameda Point and San Francisco.

With this start several business houses of different characters, and two hotels were opened, since when its progress has been steady. Notable among the industries of the town is the establishment of Carter Brothers, where all varieties of cars are manufactured in such a manner as will bear favorable competition with Eastern work. It has a neat Catholic Church and a school house both of which were dedicated in 1880.

NEWARK LODGE, No. 169, A. O. U. W .- This lodge was organized April 7, 1880, with fourteen charter members and the following officers: W. H. Haley, W. M .; E. C. Bragdon, F .; W. H. Nesmith, O .; J. W. Shafford, Recdr .; J. A. Plummer, Jr., F .; W. B. Depew, O. W .; W. M. Jaycox, G .; C. B. Mills, I. W .; George Lowrie, O. W. Lodge meets every Monday evening in the school building and has thirty-four mem- bers on the roll. The present officers are: W. H. Nesmith, P. M .; R. F. Ingraham M .; I. H. Chipman, F .; W. B. Depew, G .; David G. Butler, Recdr .; J. A. Plummer, Jr., Fin .; C. G. Healey, Recvr .; T. Bedard, I. W .; W. H. Haley, O. W .; W. N. Haley, T. Bedard, Trustees; Drs. Allen and Hall, Medical Examiners.

CRYSTAL SALT WORKS .- During January 1864 J. A. Plummer purchased the property now known as the "Crystal Salt Works" and now adjacent to the young town of Newark in Washington Township. This property consisted of a large pond and salt marsh in its natural condition, the improvement of which was immediately commenced by Mr. Plummer, who built vats, erected windmills and pumps, subdi- viding the pond into compartments for holding the salt water in its different degrees of strength (the partitions for subdividing, are of pine boards, and driven into the bot- tom of the pond edge to edge, thereby making the compartments water tight) the

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

weakest water would be that just received into the main pond from the bay of San Francisco, to brine of one hundred and five degrees, at which stage it commences to crys- tallize in ponds and vats especially adapted for that purpose; after a certain period of crystallization has passed, the salt is now ready to be taken up, and carried ashore to put into the houses, or piled outside when the houses are full. A tramway is laid to the landing on the slough leading into the bay, where vessels come and receive the salt (which is brought down on cars) and taken to San Francisco. The wind- mills and pumps are at work all the time, lifting water and transferring it from one pond to other ponds, by means of flumes and ditches. A milling and drying house was built for manufacturing salt for the family, dairy, and meat-packing trade. There are large pans, under which fires are kept burning to dry the salt placed theron; when dry it is ground for family or dairy purposes. A fifteen horse-power engine drives the mill; these works produce from fifteen hundred to two thousand tons per year. In 1869 Mr. Plummer and his sons, John A. Plummer, Jr., and Charles A. Plummer, leased a large pond near the town of Alvarado for the purpose of manufacturing salt. They after- wards, in 1871, bought this property. Since then extensive improvements have been made, rendering it capable of producing three thousand tons per year. When the improvements contemplated are made five thousand tons will be the yearly produc- tion. In January, 1881, J. A. Pluminer, Jr., and C. A. Plummer succeeded J. A. Plummer in this business. The salt produced at these salt-works is of a superior quality, and better than any foreign salt imported into this country. Analysis has been made by eminent chemists and the result each time was the same, 99.62 per cent. chloride of sodium. This grade of salt is largely used by meat-packers, who prefer it to any other.

NEWARK COURSING GROUNDS .- These grounds are located about one hundred yards from the depot of the South Pacific Coast Railroad at Newark, and were opened in the fall of 1882 by John Dugan. They contain about one hundred acres in two fields, one of these being a breeding-field for hares, and the other for coursing, both being properly fenced.

NILES .- This village is distinguished as the junction of the San José branch of the Central Pacific Railroad with that from Stockton and Livermore.

At this point in 1853, Don J. J. de Vallejo, at great expense, constructed a flouring- mill, the water for which he conducted in a long flume from the Alameda Creek. This was the first mill built after that at the Mission, and in the early history of the county was famous and widely known. Niles has not much to boast of in regard to population, but its location at the mouth of Alameda Cañon, and consequently capable of being well supplied with water, being the junction of two lines of railroad, and being ensconced in the cosiest manner in the hills, would justify the belief that it will some day become a town of considerable size and importance.

WARM SPRINGS .- The post-office in this district is known as Harrisburg, George W. Peacock being the postmaster. About a mile and a half from Peacock's, in a northwestly direction, is Warm Springs, which was at one time a place of fashionable resort. The water of the springs is tepid and much impregnated with

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minerals and is reported to possess highly curative properties in some diseases. Numerous evidences of a long-continued occupation of these springs by the Indians leads to the conclusion that their medicinal qualities were known to the natives and by them made available, while the early Spanish settlers gave to them the name of Agua Caliente (Warm Springs). They were first brought into notoriety by Clemente Columbet, who in 1869 sold them to A. A. Cohen, of Alameda, and not long afterward they were purchased by Governor Stanford. Warm Springs is the most southern station on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad in Alameda County.

WASHINGTON CORNERS .- This place is situated about twenty-seven miles from San Francisco on the San José branch of the Central Pacific Railroad, and was originally known as "The Corners," so called from the fact of there being cross-roads at the point on the corner of one of which a saloon was opened by a negro who had come to the State with Mr. Beard. In the vicinity of this place was the first effort at agriculture made by John M. Horner, and around him did the earliest foreign settlers congregate. Here too were manufacturing and mechanical interests started at an early day, notably that of Timothy Rix, who settled in 1850, and who afterward became the first postmaster of the place.

The town is but small, yet boasts a well-edited newspaper, the Independent, and several good stores, while in the vicinity are many fine residences. One of the most serious fires that ever occured in the county, took place on September 3, 1880, when the warehouse was burned, causing damage to the extent of about one hundred thou- sand dollars.

WASHINGTON COLLEGE .- In July, 1871, measures were taken by W. F. B. Lynch and Albert Lyser to secure the site for a school to be called the " Washington College of Science and Industry," it being the desire of these gentlemen to found a school wherein should be incorporated the main features of the Polytechnic Schools of Europe and some of the Eastern States. With characteristic generosity E. L. Beard took a lively interest in the scheme and donated the beautiful site of the college on which was erected a handsome building that cost about thirty thousand dollars. The first Board of Trustees under the charter were: E. L. Beard, W. F. B. Lynch, H. Curtner, William Y. Horner, S. I. Marston, H. Crowell, Origin Mowry, and M. W. Dixon. The college was opened July 31, 1872, under the superintendence of Rev. and Mrs. S. S. Harmon, but unhappily it has this year been determined to close it for want of patronage.

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HERBERT LESTER ADAMS, LL.B .- The subject of this memoir, whose por- trait will be found in the following pages, was born in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, March 24, 1855, of American parents and ancestry. His father, D. L. Adams, was engaged in the then thriving industry of ship-building on the great lakes, he being foreman for the large firm of F. N. Jones & Co., who had yards and dry-docks at Buffalo. The boyhood of our subject was passed amid the busy scenes of the ship- building yard. In his youth he became conversant with the architectural designs of these leviathans; keel-blocks and ways were his elementary training, while rapture and astonishment beamed in his face as he saw the mighty ribs of oak bend to their places. Receiving a good ordinary scholastic training, after two years of study he graduated, and prepared to do battle with the world. In 1869 he was employed as salesman in a wholesale produce store in Buffalo, and from that city, in the year 1870, following the advice of the great editor, he "went west" with his family to Palmyra, Otoe County, Nebraska, a town then consisting of but two houses and a store, and located on a piece of government land, the nearest market being the town of Lincoln, the State capital, and now developed into a thriving and populous city. Lumber being a luxury almost unknown in Nebraska at that time the family constructed for a dwelling what is known as a "dug-out," consisting of a square excavation hollowed in the hillside, and roofed by leaning branches of trees against a center ridge-pole, the roof being afterwards covered with earth two feet in thickness. After a year's resi- dence there Mr. Adams and his family came to California, arriving at Franklin, Sac- ramento County, in March, 1871. Being here met by his uncle, Hon. Amos Adams, ex-Assemblyman and Secretary of the State Grange of California, who owned a large dairy farm in the Sacramento Valley, our subject passed a year with him, engaging in agricultural pursuits, but the memorable drouth of that season having destroyed most of the stock, and rendering farming unprofitable, in 1872 he returned to Buffalo with his family, and once more embarked in his former occupation as sales- man, and traveled for a wholesale produce store. And now came the famous "Black Friday," when thousands of business enterprises went into insolvency. Mr. Adams therefore again turned westward. Proceeding to De Witt, Carroll County, Missouri, where he visited his sister and friends, he continued his wanderings until he once more brought up in Palmyra, Nebraska. Here he passed the summer of 1874, and saw the first great grasshopper invasion that did so great damage to the growing crops. Thence he made a flying trip through Kansas, after which, returning eastward, he obtained employment in New York from the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company as a car-builder and repairer. Here, by his industry and attention to work, he was placed in charge of a gang of men, but the snow and ice, and the searching winds from the Atlantic made him long for the sunny slopes of the Pacific Ocean. He then, for the second time, made the journey to California, and arrived in Stockton, San Joaquin County, in June, 1875. After a month's work with the Stockton and Ione Narrow-guage Railroad, the company failed. Mr. Adams, therefore, found himself once more free, he thereupon again betook himself to a farm life, and subsequently came to Oakland, Alameda County, where he obtained employment as a hostler in the Plaza Stable of Downing & Forrester, on Fourth Street. He soon after met in San Francisco, A. P. Needles, Esq., with whom he at once took desk room and entered upon the study of the law, to such good purpose that in September, 1877, he was admitted to practice in the County Court of Alameda by

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Hon. S. G. Nye; on motion of Hon. M. P. Wiggin. In March, 1880, he was admitted to practice in the Superior Court by Hon. W. E. Greene. In the mean time Mr. Adams had become a student in the Hastings Law College of the University of Cali- fornia, from which he graduated May 29, 1882, and received the degree of LL.B .- Legum Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Laws). May 31, 1882, he was admitted to the Supreme Court of California, on motion of Hon. J. Norton Pomeroy, LL.D., and is now in the enjoyment of a large and successful practice. Mr. Adams is an energetic worker in secret societies, belonging to the Odd Fellows, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Independent Order of Chosen Friends. He was also one of the organizers and is now President of the Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Con- gregational Church of Oakland. He married, in Oakland, December 12, 1877, Miss Ella N. Crist, of Lodi, San Joaquin County, California, a native of Indiana.

MARK AGER .- Was born in Jefferson County, New York, June 7, 1842, and there resided until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he answered his country's call, and enlisted, April 19, 1861, in Company F, Thirty-fifth New York Regiment, from which, after two years' service, he was discharged and re-enlisted in Company F, Twentieth New York Regiment, serving in this corps until the close of the war. In 1865 he came to California, located at Folsom, Sacramento County, and was in charge of the post-office there until 1869, when he moved to Pleasanton, and was the first agent of the Western Pacific Railroad Company there. Resigning this position in 1871, he moved to Suñol and opened the present railroad office there. In the following year he commenced operations in his present store, and in 1874 erected the first ware- house in that place, constructing another like edifice in 1875. Married, September 24, 1866, Miss Sarah E. Sanborn, and has two sons, Archie and Fred.

JAMES M. ALLEN .- Was born in Cole County, Missouri, November 13, 1828, and is the son of David and Elizabeth (Storey) Allen. When but two years of age he was taken by his parents to Cooper County, where they resided five years; after which they transferred their habitation to Jackson County, not far from Independence, where our subject first attended school. His father and mother now moved to the adjoining county and took up their residence on a farm, where they remained until 1846, when the family determining to emigrate, joined the party captained by Hon. Elam Brown of Contra Costa County, and with it came to California. His father was taken sick at Fort Bridger on the route, and was left behind; and his mother died and was buried at the Sink of the Humboldt. Mr. Allen and his party entered California at Johnson's Ranch, October 10, 1846, where they found the proprietor to be a rough sailor, dwell- ing in a dirty little hut, and surrounded by naked Indians-a fact which caused some confusion among the ladies of the train. Continuing their journey they camped on the spot where Sacramento, the capital of the State, now stands. About a mile and a half up the American River, at New Helvetia, stood the hospitable inclosure of Sutter's Fort, where beef, flour, and other commodities were procured, the fresh meat and bread being highly appreciated, for they had been long desired. Here it had to be decided whither the party should permanently locate, the places receiving the great- est favor being the Santa Clara Valley, Napa, and Sonoma. Mr. Allen with his brothers and sisters elected for Santa Clara, to which place they at once set out in company with Elam Brown and his family On arrival at the San Joaquin it was found necessary to swim the entire train across its turbulent waters. The journey was now continued to the rancho of Robert Livermore, and here, in October, 1846, Mr. Allen camped on the site of the prosperous town which bears the patronymic of the English pioneer. Following through the Suñol Valley, and passing the Mission of San José, they emerged on to the Santa Clara Valley, went through the Pueblo de San José and three miles further came to a halt at the Santa Clara Mission, where they located. Mr. Allen now enlisted in the military company raised by Capt. Charles M. Weber, the services of which are detailed in our chapter on the Military Occupa- tion of the northern portion of Upper California, and with it took part in all the stir-

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

ring incidents of that campaign. In the year 1847 he met his father, whom he had not seen since leaving him at Fort Bridger, and subsequently, with his brother-in-law, William M. Mendenhall, took up his residence on a ranch about six miles from Santa Clara, which Mr. Allen, Senior, had purchased. Here our subject resided until the discovery of gold. As soon as this startling intelligence was announced, Mr. Allen immediately proceeded to the American River, and engaged in mining for a month, at the end of which time he returned to the ranch, he there with Mr. Mendenhall made a gold-rocker-the first seen in the State-and returned to the mines. Taking with him pack-mules he commenced selling goods in partnership with Warren Brown throughout the diggings, and remained there until the fall of 1848, when he returned to the farm in Santa Clara Valley. His father, who had remarried in Oregon and made his home there, now sent for our subject and his younger brother and sister to join him. After a rough and tedious voyage of forty-one days, fourteen of which were passed on the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River on account of water being frozen to a depth of eight inches, and the voyage up the river made in a canoe, they arrived in Portland, when they proceeded to Salem. Mr. Allen's stay in Oregon was short. At the end of four months he returned to California and embarked in a mule- freighting business between Sacramento and the mines. During the winter of 1849- 50 he bought cattle and wintered them at Cache Creek. In the year 1849 he and Jones Spect laid out the town of Fremont at the confluence of Feather and Sacra- mento Rivers. In 1850 he was appointed Sheriff of Yolo County by Governor Bur- nett, in which office he served two years. At this period, owing to the depreciation of property in Fremont, he lost a considerable sum of money, he consequently returned to Santa Clara, while his brother-in-law, William M. Mendenhall, went into the stock business there. In the spring of 1853 these gentlemen moved into Contra Costa County, but in that fall Mr. Allen proceeded to Carson Valley to meet the immigra- tion for the purpose of buying horses, establishing his headquarters on Clear Creek, twelve miles below Mormon Station; but remaining here only a few weeks he went to Rag Town and there encountered Martin Mendenhall with his father and family. At this time Mr. Allen first met Miss Sidesia Mendenhall, the lady he afterwards made his wife. With Mr. Mendenhall our subject returned to Contra Costa County and purchased the farm in San Ramon Valley now owned by William W. Cox, where he remained three years, after which he bought a ranch in Tassajara Valley, where he engaged in stock-raising for three years more. He now sold out the majority of his cattle, retaining three hundred head of the best, and entered into a partnership with Elisha Harlan, and thus continued for three years further. Mr. Allen now transferred his habitation to Alamo, and afterwards to Martinez where he remained until the fall of 1861. At this time he moved to San Francisco with the intention of acquiring real estate there, but engaged in mining in Virginia City, Nevada, and Reese River. Dur- ing these last years Mr. Allen suffered much from sickness, and was consequently not as successful in accumulating the goods of this world as he otherwise might have been. He now engaged in the livery business, which he continued until 1865, when, disposing of it, he was appointed by Governor Haight Adjutant-General of Militia for the State of California, the functions of which office he discharged for three years. About this time Mr. Allen's sight began to fail him; he therefore repaired to Santa Clara for a three months' rest, after which, he returned to San Francisco, where he was pros- trated by asthma. To seek his health he came to Livermore, Alameda County, where he has since resided, engaged in real estate operations. Colonel Allen was present in Mexico during the Maximilian War. Mr. Allen's family consists of one son, viz .: Eugene D., born in San Ramon, Contra Costa County; Delora Belle, now the wife of Doctor Biddle, Healdsburg.

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History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 117

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood Number of Pages: 1206

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206