History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 124

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 124

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MARTIN DONOHUE .- Was born in King's County, Ireland, November 1I, 1832, When seventeen years of age he emigrated to the United States, and resided princi-

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pally in the city of New York and the Western States until April, 1865, when he sailed from the Empire City for California via Panama. Having resided in San Francisco until 1868, he then moved to Alameda County, and locating near Dublin, there purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which he lost after a law- suit lasting ten years, the title thereto being defective. Since that time Mr. Donohue has contented himself with leasing land, and is now on a ranch situated about two miles from Pleasanton, a portion of the Bernal Rancho. Married, and had two chil- dren, both of whom are now deceased.

HUGH DOUGHERTY .- Was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. In the year 1858 he sailed from the green old isle to the United States, and proceeding to Philadelphia there sojourned for a short time. He then moved to Gloucester County, New Jersey, where he farmed until leaving for California. On March 25, 1865, he started by way of Panama for the Pacific Coast, and arrived in San Francisco on the 16th of April. He came at once to Alameda County, and found employment with John M. Horner at Mission San José for ten months, when he purchased the eighty-acre traet now in the possession of Mrs. John Taylor, and managed it for two years, at which time it was sold and his present property acquired, on which he settled February 3, 1870. From this land he was ousted through a defect in the title on June 3, 1871, since when he has rented it. His farm, which comprises three hundred and twenty-four acres, is situated five miles from Livermore, and there Mr. Dougherty devotes his time to general farming and stock-raising. He is married, and has a family of five children, viz .: John, Hugh, Alice, Mary, and Josephine.

JAMES W. DOUGHERTY (deceased) .- The subject of this sketeh, one of the best known pioneers of Alameda County, was a native of the State of Tennessee. At seventeen years of age he emigrated to the State of Mississippi, and there resided until 1849, having held the onerous and responsible offices of Sheriff and County Clerk of the county of his residence. In the above-mentioned year he sailed from New Orleans in the ship Humboldt for the Pacific Coast, but on arrival only stayed a short time in San Francisco. Having returned to his adopted State in the fall of 1850, the month of March, 1851, saw him once more leaving New Orleans for Califor- nia, in company with Thomas D. Wells, now of Dublin, and several others. On arrival he proceeded to Sacramento, re-engaged in the business which he had started in 1849, and there resided, conducting it until 1852. In the spring of that year, having been joined by his wife, he came to Alameda County, and with William Glaskins purchased the Rancho of Don José Maria Amador, then consisting of some ten thou- sand acres of land. Some time afterwards the interest of Mr. Glaskins was purchased by Samuel B. Martin, whose share was bought about six years ago (about 1876) by Mr. Dougherty. This estate is now in the hands of Charles P. Dougherty, his son, who resides in the old homestead of the Amadors in the village of Dublin. Mr. Dougherty died September 29, 1879, leaving one son, named above. He was married

in Tennessee, and had four children.

LORENZO DRESCO .- Was born in Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia, Italy, Decem- ber 25, 1825, and is the son of George and Mary Ann Dresco. At the age of nine years he moved with his parents to the island of Sardinia, and there resided until he reached man's estate, when, in 1846, he proceeded to Genoa, whence he sailed to Montevideo in South America. He then proceeded in a small craft to Buenos Ayres, and remained there until March 17, 1850, on which date he sailed for Califor- nia, rounded Cape Horn, and arrived in San Francisco Harbor July 10th of that year. He immediately proceeded to Calaveras County, and afterwards to different mining localities, followed that occupation until 1863, when he transferred the scene of his operations to Mariposa County, and there dwelt until 1869, when, removing to the White Pine distriet, Nevada, he engaged in mining and prospecting. In 1871 he came to Alameda County, and entered the employ of C. T. H. Palmer, of the Oak- land Street Paving Company, being foreman there for thirteen years, on the expira-

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tion of which he proceeded to Santa Clara County, and opened the Mount Hamilton Road. In January, 1882, he located himself in business at the corner of Broadway and Twelfth Streets, Oakland. Married December 25, 1879, Miss Lydia French, and has no issue.

CARL DUERR .- A portrait of whom will be found in this work, was born August 9, 1824, in the judicial district of the town of Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden. His parents were John K. Duerr and Emilie Katharina Duerr, née Finter. The father, who held an elective municipal office for many years, took an active part in politics, always supporting the most advanced liberal principles, soon experienced the displeasure of the higher government officers during the period following upon the close of the Napoleonic wars. With an inherent dislike to monarchical institutions, the beacon light of liberty in the far west had long ago attracted his attention. Carl, the subject of this sketch, was the second of four sons. After receiving a common school education, he entered a machine shop at the age of fifteen, attending twice every week one of those technical schools found in most German cities. He was employed during this time on the first railroad built through the valley of the upper Rhine. While working at the large machine shop in Zürich, Switzerland, 1844, he got news of his father's final resolution to carry out his long cherished plan of mak- ing the country of freedom his future home, though knowing full well that all the material benefits could only be in the future prospects of his children. Carl, upon receiv- ing the news, immediately returned home and devoted the remaining time exclusively to the further study of mechanical engineering. After a favorable voyage of thirty- two days across the Atlantic, he arrived in New York August 8, 1845. Newark, New Jersey,where several friends of the family were already located, was their objective point. The father, after a short residence in the town, bought a farm near Orange, New Jersey. Here the mother died in 1849, forty-seven years of age. Two of the sons being married by this time and the younger following the sea, the father being entirely left alone, disposed of his farm and spent the remainder of his days in New- ark, where he died in 1867, seventy-one years of age. Charles, immediately after their first arrival in Newark, obtained work in a machine shop. At the end of one year he undertook, under the circumstances, the desperate venture of starting a machine shop on his own account. He did well beyond expectation. The news of the California gold-fields, however, soon had their effect on his sanguine and restless disposition. In the fall of 1849 the business that had been built with such energy and perseverance was sold out against the advice of his best friends. Steamer tickets were sold months ahead. On the 4th of April, 1850, he left New York for Panama, via the West Indies. After another stoppage of forty-five days, awaiting the steamer at Panama, he arrived in San Francisco July 11, 1850. For two years he was engaged in the city, mostly in building. In March, 1852, he went to Oregon by steamer, with L. Nusbaumer and others, returned by land, and arrived in the Sacramento Valley with a large drove of cattle in the fall of that year. On the 3d of March, 1853, through the advice of a friend, Fritz Boehmer, now residing in the town of Alameda, Charles Duerr came with him across the bay of San Francisco in a schooner, to locate a quarter-section of land for the latter, the identical place where now the town of Mount Eden stands. Being no practical farmer, the land was let on shares. In company with a friend, they started a shop, chiefly for the repairing of machinery. In 1855 he sold the possessory right to his land, and bought, together with L. Nusbaumer, another place on Dry Creek, in Washington Township. In the fall of 1857 the two jointly rented the estate of John W. Kottinger, in Murray Township, following sheep-raising and merchandising. . Was appointed, 1858, a Jus- tice of the Peace for the unexpired term of John W. Kottinger, resigned; in the fall of 1858 he was elected a member of the Board of Supervisors for Murray Township. In 1862, through the friendly assistance of J. West Martin, Esq., now mayor of Oakland, Duerr and Nusbaumer jointly acquired their first interest in the Rancho El

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Valle de San José; subsequent purchases increased their interest to over three thousand one hundred acres. They made their permanent home on the " Arroyo de la Laguna," two miles above Suñol, near the Central Pacific Railroad. Mr. Duerr followed survey- ing for some fifteen years; was elected County Surveyor in 1871. The later years he devoted exclusively to the management of his own affairs. Was married last January to Lucia Diestel who came from Germany only a few years ago, and who faithfully shares with him the never ceasing cares of a rural occupation.

JOHN DUGAN .- Was born in Ross County, Ohio, March 2, 1838, but when eleven years old moved with his parents to Springfield, Illinois, where he learned the trade of painter and resided until he concluded to emigrate to California. On March 8, 1859, having paid seventy-five dollars passage-money, he started from Pike's Peak, and veritably tramped across the plains to the Pacific Coast, walking alongside the wagons by day and sleeping under the clear cold sky by night. Such were the hard- ships that many endured to reach the land of gold. Arriving in Siskiyou County in September, 1859, he there resided until 1864, when he engaged in mining, and in that year proceeded to Nevada. On March 10, 1865, our subject started for Virginia City with a train of twenty passengers bound for Idaho City, in the Territory of that

name. On March 27th, at 8 P. M., they were attacked by a party of Indians, and twenty-four head of horses were run off. Next morning by daybreak Mr. Dugan had everything in readiness to follow the Indians, and capture them if possible. Selecting four of the best men, as he thought, they started in pursuit, and after traveling about ten miles came to where the redskins had made a halt and killed and eaten several of the horses. Encouraged by the freshness of the trail, Mr. Dugan's party pushed forward, intending to overtake them before they could cross the Jordan River. Following up the trail and passing through a rough and volcanic region, a halt was called, when it was found that two of the men had deserted. After follow- ing the trail for forty-eight hours, it was discovered that the Indians had stolen across the Jordan; therefore Mr. Dugan was forced to find his way on foot to Idaho City, where he arrived on May 1, 1865. At the end of two months he returned to Virginia City, and on the journey assisted in the rescue of several families who were surrounded by Indians, at the head of Paradise Valley, on the Little Humboldt River, and there remained until the fall of 1865. At this time he came to California, followed different occupations, and in 1878 located in the town of Newark, Alameda County, where he was the first to purchase a lot, on which he built the Newark Hotel, a hostelry which he at present conducts. Married October 10, 1860, Miss Mary Wheeler, a native of Missouri, and has three children, viz .: John L., William W., Edgar E.

HENRY DUSTERBERRY .- Was born in Hanover, Germany, February 17, 1830, and is the son of Gerhard Henry and Mary Angeline (Husted) Dusterberry. Having been educated in the public schools of his native country, he there resided on his father's farm until the year 1847, when he emigrated to the United States. After a few weeks passed in New York he proceeded westward and commenced farm labor in Racine County, Wisconsin, which he followed two years. In the winter of 1849- 50 he returned to New York, but in the spring went back to Wisconsin and was employed until March, 1852, as a teamster. April 14th of that year he started to cross the plains to California, being in company with two young men and having four yoke of oxen, wagon, and a couple of horses. Arriving in this State in the early part of September, Mr. Dusterberry at once entered into the occupation of mining in El Dorado County, and there remained at Cedar Ravine until the spring of 1853, at which time he moved to Grizzly Flat and there continued until the fall of 1854. At this period our subject first came to Alameda County and for the first year worked for Ed. Niehaus & Co. In 1855 he returned to Grizzly Flat and there spent portions of it and the following year, after which he returned to Alameda and his former employer, with whom he resided until the spring of 1857. He was subsequently variously employed, chiefly in farming transactions with Mr. Niehaus until July, 1863,

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when he purchased the place on which he now resides. Married September 25, 1863, Miss Ellen Faley, and has a family; viz .: Mary, Henry, Frank, Frederick, and Lizzie. Mr. Dusterberry has represented during two terms Washington Township on the Board of Supervisors, and is the present member from that district.

N. D. DUTCHER .- Was born in Jefferson County, New York, March 15, 1850, where he resided for the first ten years of his life. On February 15, 1860, he accom- panied his mother with one sister and two brothers to California by way of Panama, and arrived in San Francisco exactly one month thereafter. His mother having pro- ceeded to Castroville, Santa Cruz County, where her brother, H. W. Rice, resided, our subject lived with her there until the month of December of the same year, when she moved to Alameda County and located at Haywards, where Mr. Dutcher was educated. In 1868 he came to Livermore and commenced learning the blacksmith's trade with James Beazell, but after nine months went to work with R. N. Caughill where he completed his apprenticeship. He now engaged in the employ of Allen & Graham as clerk in a general merchandise store for eighteen months, after which he served in the establishment of Charles Whitmore, for a year, when, on the opening of the house of G. W. Comegys-now the firm of Comegys, Black & Co., he worked for him eighteen months. On November I, 1876, Mr. Dutcher entered upon the tin- smith and hardware business in the building now occupied by the Review office, and in September, 1879, moved into more commodious quarters located on Lizzie Street, where he is engaged in carrying on a flourishing trade. Has been Town Clerk of Livermore for one year.

E. DYER .- Was born on the second day of March, 1828, in the town of Sullivan, Hancock County, Maine. Son of Joshua and Elizabeth Dyer, natives of that State. His grandfather, Ephraim Dyer, for whom he was named, was a revolutionary soldier, was present at the battle of Hubbardton, at the battles of Stillwater and at the sur- render of Burgoyne, and also served under Washington and Lafayette, and settled in Maine shortly after the close of the Revolutionary War. The subject of this sketch spent his early boyhood on his father's farm, was educated in the public schools and under private instructors, and could probably have entered an Eastern college had his means permitted. Was engaged in various employments, working in a ship-yard, school-teaching, surveying, etc., till the breaking out of the gold fever in California, and in the spring of 1850, at twenty-two years of age, having collected his available means, purchased a steerage ticket for that place, cabin tickets being beyond the reach of people of moderate means, and on the 15th of June of that year, sailed from New York for Chagres on a steamship commanded by Lieut. Schenck, and after eight days arrived at Havana, where the passengers were transferred to a steamer of about one- half the size; Lieut. Herndon, commanding, and in four days arrived at Chagres. The transportation up the river was in the hands of Jamaica negroes, which they carried on by means of small boats, loading them, as a rule, within six or eight inches of the gunwale, piling the baggage up high, and seating the passengers on top of that. Having embarked on the river, about two hours after dark they encountered a terrific tropical thunderstorm. Umbrellas would collapse immediately under the weight of the descending water, and it required the utmost efforts at bailing to prevent the boats. from sinking. The wild shouting of the boatmen to prevent collision, the terrific thunder, the pitchy darkness, only relieved by the vivid lightning, together with the sense of great personal danger, made it an occasion never to be forgotten. Finally the passengers all effected a landing about eight miles above Chagres, where they found shelter under an old rookery. At daylight they again started up the river, and in two or three days they landed at Golgona, whence he took land passage to Panama, distant twenty-seven miles. At that point hearing nothing of the steamer in which he was to take passage to San Francisco, and having contracted the Panama fever, he exchanged his steamer ticket for cabin passage in the British brig Gutnare, which sailed in a few days, and after a long passage arrived at San Francisco on the 17th day of September,

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1850. Business here, of all kinds, was at high pressure. Hundreds of miners were arriving from the mines, the larger part of whom, however, were "dead broke;" but many brought large quantities of gold, which they freely spent at the gambling-saloons, which were running at full blast at nearly every corner of the streets. Many of these saloons were most gorgeous in their appointments. In many of them hundreds of thousands of dollars were in sight. Gambling was a mania which seemed to have seized all classes. Skilled labor was high, carpenters receiving from eight to twelve dollars per day; masons, from ten to fourteen. The wages of common laborers were comparatively low on account of so many miners returning disappointed from the mines and seeking work. Good board for working men was obtainable at ten dollars per week, with as good lodging as is now afforded to farm-hands by the majority of California farmers. No vegetables were furnished except potatoes, as all others were enormously high. Mr. Dyer stopped in San Francisco, engaged in various employ- ments about two months, and then took passage on a sloop for Union City, which was the embarcadero from whence nearly all vegetables raised in California were shipped. His object in going there was to get a chance, if possible, to engage in farming opera- tions on his own account. In two days the passage was effected. This was his first arrival in what is now Alameda County. He found that nearly all produce shipped here was raised by John M. Horner, there being, however, a few others who were small producers. He took conveyance on a lumber-wagon to Mission San José, ten miles distant. This he found to be a most lively place. E. L. Beard lived here, who, together with John M. Horner and Andreas Pico, laid claim by purchase, to the whole tract of the ex-Mission San José. Mr. Beard was carrying on farming operations to some extent, and to him Mr. Dyer applied for land to farm, but without success. In passing from Union City to Mission San José on the then traveled road, only one house, a Spaniard's, was to be seen. The whole country presented the appearance of a barren waste, dry and verdureless, from the city of San José to where Oakland now stands. No trees, except a few scattering ones on the creeks, which had been left by the browsing cattle, thousands of which roamed the plains, and it was a deep mys- tery to him upon what they subsisted, as, according to his Eastern experience, the dried up grass strewn in every direction was utterly worthless. What a contrast between the country now and as it then appeared. On his way back to San Francisco, he made a detour, passing through the Horner Ranch, where he found them digging potatoes and shipping them and other farm produce to market. Farm hands, potato- diggers, here were paid fifty dollars per month. When he reached Union City on his return, he found the opportunity which he so much coveted. A Mr. Cheney living near Horner's ranch, offered him his board, land, seed, feed, and team to carry on farm- ing operations, charging a rental of one-half for their use. He accepted this offer, but Mr. Cheney, upon the death of his wife, which occurred shortly after, found him- self unable to carry out his part of the agreement. It being then too late to seek another opportunity of that kind, which it was almost impossible to obtain among strangers, he engaged himself to J. M. Horner, to work on his ranch for one year in hopes that he might get another chance to farm by the end of his term. Mr. Horner had about one thousand acres inclosed, and cultivated, perhaps, one hundred and fifty. Produce that year had ranged very high, potatoes selling for ten cents per pound, cab- bage one dollar per head. Mr. Horner sold that year from about three-fourths of an acre, ten thousand dollars worth of tomatoes. His principal crop, however, was pota- toes which were selling at ten cents per pound. His total profit for that year must have been very large, indeed. He was the largest farmer in California by far, and was known throughout the United States as the great California Farmer. Contrast the magnitude of his farming operations then with the large farming operations carried .on at the present time. The ranch work was performed by three classes: Americans, who generally did the teaming; Sonoreñas, and Yaqui Indians, who did the digging and delving. This was another successful year for farmers, who were largely remuner-

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

ated for their labor and enterprise. The desire for farming was greatly stimulated by these successes, more especially as it had been demonstrated that not the moist lands alone, such as those constituting a part of the Horner Ranch, were capable of raising potatoes. Mr. Horner made extensive preparations for extending his business outside his ranch limits, on other portions of the ex-Mission San José, and the Pacheco Rancho, near Alvarado; a part of which he had bought. He rented these lands on a certain share, generally furnishing seed, team, etc. Another opportunity for farming was again opened to Mr. Dyer, but was lost through the somewhat sharp

practice of a prospective partner. It was again too late to get another opportunity. The fates were evidently against him, and he gave up any further attempt in that direction. Learning that large quantities of grapes were raised in Los Angeles, and could be bought very cheap owing to the extreme difficulty of shipping them to San . Francisco in good order, where they bore a very high price, and remembering to have heard in his boyhood that grapes packed in sawdust, had been shipped from Spain and arrived in good order in the United States, he resolved to try the experiment on the Pacific Coast. . Having entered into partnership with William H. Graves, they went to Los Angeles, and finding the business such as it had been represented, rented a vineyard as the nucleus of their operations, depending mainly on buying their grapes. In proper time Mr. Graves returned to San Francisco to superintend the buying and shipping of boxes and sawdust, while Mr. Dyer remained in Los Angeles to attend to the buying, packing, and shipping of the fruit. Returning to San Fran- cisco after an absence of two years, he found the whole farming community of Ala- meda County involved in inextricable financial ruin. The year 1852, the first year he was in Los Angeles, was an exceedingly prosperous one with farmers. This com- pletely turned their heads. The larger portion of the land from the Mission San José to Union City was ploughed up and put in potatoes. The farmers exhausted the profits of the year before, and all they could obtain on credit to put in their crops. The yield was very good. Many could have sold their crops in the field, at largely renumerative prices, but they were looking for a bonanza. There was a perfect mania on the potato question. Very few sold, and most of the crop of Washington Township was piled up in cribs on the banks of Alameda Creek at Union City. The supply in California proved in excess of the demand three to one, and the most of these potatoes rotted on the banks of the creek, a total loss to their owners. J. M. Horner, who, up to this time, had been the financial and agricultural king and oracle of these parts, was also involved in the common ruin. Mr. Dyer having spent two more years at Los Angeles, returned to reside permanently in Alameda County. In 1858, being desirous of purchasing improved cattle in the Western States, to drive to Cali- fornia, to explore personally the route over which they had to be driven, he took passage at Placerville August, 1858, in the overland stage, arriving at St. Joseph, Missouri, in forty days, being detained in Salt Lake City ten days of that time. He was the first through passenger across the continent, being the pioneer in that respect of the Overland Mail Line. Mr. Dyer, while in Illinois, married Ellen F. Ingalls, a former resident of his native town, and second daughter of B. F. Ingalls, a prominent ship-builder in that portion of Maine. They returned by steamer to California in the fall of 1859, and settled at Alvarado. In 1861, after the election of Lincoln, he was appointed by Lieutenant Beale, United States Surveyor General, United States Deputy Surveyor, and was engaged in the Government surveys, under him and his successors twelve years, surveying, in addition to other tracts, the lands lying on the eastern boundary of the State, extending from below Lake Tahoe nearly to the Oregon line, embracing the region about Lake Tahoe, Sierra, Honey Lake, and Sur- prise Valleys. In November, 1863, he was elected Captain of the Alvarado Guards, which position he held until the general disbanding of the military companies of the' State, by Governor Haight, in 1867. He united with a company in 1870, in building a beet-sugar factory in Alvarado, which proved an utter failure, as the management

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History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 124

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