History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 127

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 127

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of passing the rest of his days on his farm in that place, but after remaining a few months sold his property and removed his family to California-all of them who were at home. One son being already here, and others away at sea who came afterwards from different parts of the world. In November, 1855, settled on the farm where he now resides, with several of his children in the same locality. He is now eighty-two years of age, and with his estimable wife, a woman of much force of character aged seventy-four years, who has been his companion and helpmate for more than fifty years, lives under his own vine and fig-tree, loved and respected by all for his integrity, kindness, and upright character.

JONATHAN E. HALEY .- This well-known gentleman of Washington township is a native of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, was born June 18, 1837, and is the son of E. Haley, whose portrait appears in this history. His boyhood until eighteen years of age was spent in his native place, part of the time on a farm and the last few years following a seafaring life. In the spring of 1860 our subject shipped on board the John Land bound for San Francisco, arriving in the metropolis in June of that year. He came direct to Washington Township, Alameda County, and first found employment at Mowry's Landing. He then found work in different places until 1878 when he purchased his present valuable farm of one hundred and eight acres located one half mile from Newark, where he has since farmed with good success. Mr. Haley was united in marriage in East Oakland to Miss Harriet Kelley, a native of California; by this union they have been blessed with four children, viz .: Ralph W,, Amelia A., Alice M., and May A.

W. WV. HALEY .- Was born in Nova Scotia, March 31, 1840, and there resided until the spring of 1855, when he commenced following the sea, arriving home in time to accompany his father on his return journey to California, reaching Alameda County in the fall of that year, and settling on his father's farm. He first engaged on his own account for four years in the sheep business in Murray Township, at the expira- tion of which he returned to Washington Township and purchased a farm about half a mile from Newark, comprising ninety-two acres. October 16, 1868 he married Miss Anna M., daughter of Ashley Cameron of Centreville a native of La Calle, Canada. Continued farming up to the spring of 1882, when finding his wife's health failing fast leased his farm and devoted his whole time to her, who after a brief illness died August 17, 1882, leaving a family of four children, viz .: Azner L., William W., Ida M., and Chester C. After losing his wife he sold a portion of his farm and bought the interest of S. B. Dodge & Co., in their general store in Centreville, where he now carries on business under the style of W. W. Haley & Co. Mr. Haley is a member of the Pioneer Association of Washington, Eden, and Murray Townships.

JOHN HAMPEL .- Was born in the city of Wetter Koin, Hessen, Germany, November 5, 1826, where he commenced to learn the blacksmith's trade at the age of fourteen years, On September 21, 1846, he sailed for the United States, and arriving in New York January 1, 1847, went to work in Herring's Safe Factory, where he was employed as safe-maker for eleven years. Determining now to proceed to the Pacific. Coast Mr. Hampel sailed from New York on April 17, 1858, and on the 16th of the following month arrived in San Francisco, crossing the bay to San Antonio (Brooklyn), where he resided four months. On October 12, 1858, he purchased fifty acres of land situated on the Moraga Road, Brooklyn Township, when it was nought but an unre- claimed wilderness, and neighbors were miles apart, and there took up his residence, for the first six years being engaged besides in working oxen. Here he commenced agriculture and reaped in the early years large crops, and has since maintained his dwelling on the place. He married in New York, May 1, 1853, Miss E. Juenger, a native of Germany, and has: Henry F., born February 3, 1854; John W., born April 13, 1856; Conrad F., born March 29, 1859; John H., born March 8, 1861; Katie E., born December 5, 1865; Mary L., born March 24, 1870.

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LOWELL J. HARDY .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Watham, Massachusetts, July 3, 1817, and is the son of Nahum and and Mary (Smith) Hardy, and there resided with his parents until the year 1839, when he moved to Indiana, there teaching school in the city of Madison for one season, when he returned to his native place, and there, July 14, 1842, married Miss Matilda Sproul. He now embarked in farming, and was thus engaged up till the time of his departure for California. Leaving home December 15, 1849, Mr. Hardy took passage from Boston, sailing January 25, 1850, and after voyaging around the Horn, came to an anchor in San Francisco Bay on August 6, 1850, the Rob Roy having been consid- erably delayed on the voyage. Having comfortably located his family at a place then standing at the corner of Clay and Stockton Streets, San Francisco, our subject him- self proceeded to the mines, where he remained four months. He next worked at the carpentering trade at wages rating from eight to ten dollars per day, being so occu- pied until the month of October, 1850, when he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the Peralta Rancho, but did not obtain legal title for some fifteen years. This property is that on which a considerable portion of the western part of the city of Oakland stands. Here Mr. Hardy has since resided, respected by all his fellow-citi- zens as an honest upright man. In 1866 he commenced dealings in real estate, which he still continues. He married in the year 1842, as we have said above, and was unfortunate enough to lose his partner by death on October 4, 1865. His family con- sists of Eliza J. (now Mrs. Holland); Lowell J., Mellium H. Married, secondly, March 30, 1870, Mrs. Mary A. Dillon, a native of Philadelphia.

ANDREW JACKSON HARE .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, October 15, 1838, and is the son of John and Katharine (Kiser) Hare. Losing his father when two years old, he accompanied his mother to Reedsburg, in the same county and State, where he attended the common schools of the district, afterwards completing his educational course at the Vermilion Institute, in Hayesville, Ashland County, Ohio. At the age of eighteen years he returned to Reedsburg, and entered upon the profession of school- teaching, in the very hall where he had received the first rudiments of his scholastic training. In 1858, transferring the scene of his operations to Jeromeville, in Ashland County, he there entered the store of his maternal uncle, Simon Kiser, and during the year he was there engaged also performed the duties of Deputy Postmaster. Mr. Hare now determined to try his luck on the sunny slopes of the Pacific; therefore, leaving Jeromeville, on February, 15, 1859, he proceeded to New York, there took passage on board the steamer Star of the West for the Isthmus, and continuing the voyage from Panama to San Francisco in the old John L. Stephens, cast anchor within the Golden Gate on March 17, 1859. It may be mentioned that the latter steamer took fire on the passage up the coast while racing with the opposition boat, Uncle Sam, but the conflagration was easily extinguished. On arrival Mr. Hare soon left the Bay City for the mines on Indian Creek, near Placerville, EI Dorado County, where he remained until March, 1868, when he returned to San Francisco. While in El Dorado County he taught school during two terms in 1866 and 1867 at Rose Springs, and one term in 1867 at Clarksville. On arrival at the bay he was engaged in the lumber firm of J. W. Hodgkin & Co., South San Francisco, as salesman and book- keeper, and aided to establish that business there. While a resident there, in 1870, he established and built South San Francisco Lodge, No. 212, F. and A. M., and is one of its charter members. In the last-mentioned year Mr. Hare established himself in the wood and coal business in South San Francisco, in which he continued until August, 1874, when he took up his residence in Decoto, Alameda County. On Octo- ber 1, 1874, he was appointed agent at that place for the Central Pacific Railroad Company, and as such remained until October 12, 1881, while on June 5, 1875, he was chosen to fill the position of agent for Wells, Fargo & Co., which he held until he resigned the railroad agency. On July 12, 1875, he was appointed Postmaster at

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Decoto, and is still the incumbent of that office. In 1874, when appointed agent for the railroad, 'Mr. Hare also took charge of the warehouse that had been erected at this point by private parties, and in 1878 he purchased the preponderating interest in the concern. I1 1876 another warehouse was built by the same parties above mentioned, eighty by forty feet in size, and, leasing it, it has been periodically added to until it now has a capacity of thirty-five thousand sacks of grain. In 1879 he constructed the large warehouse, fifty by two hundred feet in dimensions, with a capacity of fifty-five thousand sacks, while in the fall of 1882 he put up yet another, forty by sixty feet in size, with a capacity of fifteen thousand sacks, making four warehouses in all, with storage room for seven thousand tons of grain. On July 4, 1878, he opened the first store in Decoto, and conducted it until February 12, 1881, when he sold the stock in trade to Beckwith Brothers. In 1880-82 he con- ducted the Dry Creek picnic grounds, situated near Decoto, and in 1882 established his barley and feed mill, which is now in operation, the product of which he ships to Oregon and other places on the coast. In 1874 he commenced his dwelling-house, and has since added to it until he has now an elegant and commodious residence. Mr. Hare is a member of the A. O. U. W., I. O. C. F., I. O. O. F., and is a Knight Templar, being also Worshipful Master of Alameda Lodge, No. 167, Centreville, and a member of the San Jose Commandery. It will thus be inferred from the foregoing that Mr. Hare is possessed of remarkable energy and much administrative capability. His work speaks for itself; his honor has made him respected, while his dealings have earned for him more than an ordinary .share of the world's goods. Married, at Rose Springs, El Dorado County, September 29, 1864, Miss Ella Rebecca, daughter of J. W. Hodgkin and Calista N. Goodsell (Hodgkin), a daughter of Captain Goodsell, of Vermilion, Ohio, now of San Leandro, Alameda County, and has three children, viz .: Charles A., born at Rose Springs, El Dorado County, January 18, 1867; Emma E. born in South San Francisco, October 21, 1869; Laura E., born in South San Fran- cisco, March 15, 1873.

WALTER W. HASKELL .- Was born in West Gloucester, Massachusetts, January 26, 1846, where he remained until he attained the age of sixteen years, when he went to Salem, in the same State, there engaged as a clerk in a grocery store, and remained two years. Next moving to-Lynn, he became a clerk to E. W. Osborne & Co., and subsequently went to St. Louis, Missouri, on a six months' visit. Mr. Haskell now located in Smoky Hill Valley, town of Salina, Saline County, Kansas, and became interested in a section of land with T. F. Oakes, the present Vice-President of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. In October, 1868, he left Kansas for San Francisco, where he arrived November 27, 1868, and at once entered the employ of. Kohler & Chase, but at the end of a year he proceeded to Carson City, Nevada, and became salesman with John G. Fox, in a general variety store. January 25, 1882, he married Miss Clara F. Osborne, of San Francisco, and, residing in Carson until June, 1872, he then came to Alameda County, engaged as clerk for C. R. Bowen, in a general mercantile business on the southeast corner of Park Street and Webb Avenue, Alameda, with whom he remained until the closing out of the businesss in 1874, and continued with his successor, A. S. Barber, for a twelvemonth thereafter. Mr. Haskell now entered the store of F. Boehmer, in the town of Alameda, for a year, when he accepted the offer of going into the insurance business as special agent for the Ala- meda County Branch of the Home Mutual Insurance Company of California, his field being the counties of Alameda and Contra Costa. Here he remained until 1876, when he became one of the firm of Brown, Craig & Co., as General Fire Insurance Agents, at No. 215 Sansome Street, San Francisco. In July, 1881, he accepted the position of city agent of the Travelers' Life and Accident Insurance Company, now doing business at the southeast corner of Pine and Montgomery Streets, a position he yet occupies, while he is a resident of Alameda County. His family consists of two children, viz .: Lola Lee and Edmund. In 1875 Mr. Haskell attended the golden

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wedding of his parents, celebrated at the old homestead, when the family of ten children, save one, were present. In our subject we have a man of strict business tact and integrity, circumstances that have won for him the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact; indeed, he is as favorably known as any man of his age on the Pacific Coast.

FORDYCE H. HAWLEY .- Was born in Ferrisburg, Addison County, Vermont, February 27, 1838, where he chiefly resided until he reached the age of twelve years, at which time, his father coming to California, he made his home with General S. P. Strong, of Vergennes, Vermont, where he remained until he attained the age of six- teen years, when he went to Potsdam, New York, to engage in business with his uncle, Berlin Price, who was one of the owners of the Bank of Potsdam, New York. He remained there until his twentieth year, then going to Chicago, where he entered a dry goods house. Accompanied by his brother, Henry A. Hawley, on December 20, 1859, he sailed from New York for San Francisco by way of Panama, where he arrived January 14, 1860. Mr. Hawley at once proceeded to Butte County, and sub- sequently to Plumas County, where he was engaged in quartz-mining fifteen years. In 1880 he took up his residence in the town of Alameda, but concluding not to remain inactive, he commenced the erection of the Bank of Livermore February 13, 1882, which is a fine two-story brick building erected at the corner of Main and Lizzie Streets. The bank was opened to business March 26, 1883. Mr. Hawley was mar- ried in New York City to Dr. Homer Bostwick's daughter, on January 1, 1883.

WILLIAM HAYWARD .- This much respected early settler, whose portrait appro- priately finds a place in this work, was born in Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Mas- sachusetts, August 31, 1815, and resided on his father's farm at that place until he grew to man's estate. In 1836 he proceeded to Georgetown, Essex County, in the same State, and finding employment in a shoe factory there, remained about ten years. On April 23, 1849, Mr. Hayward sailed on board the steamer Unicorn-the the third of that kind of craft intended for the San Francisco and Panama route- a British vessel, and steaming through the Straits of Magellan, arrived at Panama, where the Union Jack gave place to the Stars and Stripes, under which ensign the voyage to San Francisco was completed, where they arrived August 31, 1849. A few days later our subject proceeded to the mines at Mormon Island, but shortly after moved to Missouri Bar, whence he went to the North Fork of the American River, where, as he quaintly observes, he "mined as long as his money lasted," a remark that does not point to much success. While located in the vicinity of Auburn, Mr. Hay- ward and several others associated themselves together for the purpose of changing the course of the North Fork of the American River, but the enterprise proved woe- fully disastrous to the members, and caused the return of our subject to the city of San Francisco in the fall of 1850. He next proceeded in search of a location in the southern mines, but not finding one suited to his taste, he commenced a return jour- ney, accidentally struck the Livermore Valley, followed it, and what are now called the San Ramon and Pacheco Valleys, to Martinez, and thence to San Francisco. Here he contemplated upon the country through which he had passed, and was amazed at the luxuriance of the wild oats that grew on valley, hill, and mountain. He saw that hay-making would be an industry of no mean pretensions in the future; therefore, purchasing a couple of scythes, he made his way to the proximity of where the village of Dublin now stands, and there worked for a while. Mr. Hayward now determined to make towards the bay, and coming through the Polamres Cañon, there decided to settle. Pitching his tent, he made his arrangements for a per- manent location, but receiving intimation fromn William Castro that he had taken pos- session of his property, he was requested to move on. Castro, however, suggested to him to proceed further down the valley, where he would find land he could occupy with impunity, and this he did, finally settling on the site of the present beautiful town of Haywards, erecting his tent on the space now occupied by a portion of A Street,

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between his hotel building and that owned by him directly opposite. In the spring of 1852 he commenced the building of the Haywards Hotel, one of the first hostel- ries to be put up in the county. To this he has since added, until it now has one hundred rooms, and is the resort, during the summer months especially, of a continu- ous succession of guests. The whole section of country was then known by the name of San Lorenzo, called so after the Rancho, but on the establishment of a post- office at this town, it was called Haywards in honor of our subject, and as such is it still known. Mr. Hayward has always followed farming, in connection with the management of his hotel, while to him is the credit of having made many of the best roads in Eden Township, especially those leading into the town, better than which no other county in the State possesses. Not a few of these arteries of commu- nication were constructed at his own private expense, while the town bearing his his name owes much of its present and prospective prosperity to his energy and fore- sight. He has on two different terms served the county as one of its Board of Supervisors, where his practical views were ever of service, while his quiet demeanor and sterling worth have earned for him an enviable popularity among his fellows. Married, firstly, at Hopkinton, Massachusetts, in 1838, Miss Louisa Bartlett, a native of that State, who died in 1840, leaving one daughter; and, secondly, in Haywards, April 5, 1866, Mrs. Rachael Bedford, a native of Lafayette, Indiana, by whom he has two children, viz .: Mary E. (now Mrs. S. P. Pope of San Francisco), and William M. COL. JOHN C. HAYS (deceased) .- One by one the pioneers of California drop off, and soon nothing will be left but their memory and the few items gleaned from their lives and preserved in works such as the "History of Alameda County." It is not proposed to give in the following sketch any connected history of the life and exploits of the brave man who fell into that "sleep which knows no waking" on April 28, 1883. His busy life and countless deeds of daring require an abler pen and more extensive record in order to their proper representation. What we produce has been chiefly culled from the Oakland Daily Evening Tribune and the San Fran- cisco Morning Call. The story of his honorable career in Texas, Mexico, and Cali- fornia would fill volumes, for he was ever in the midst of times " that tried men's souls," ever conspicuous as a leader where danger threatened, and when the success of an enterprise depended on personal bravery as well as calm judgment. Our readers must be content with a few isolated instances of these qualities that have come to notice, and have not, many of them, appeared in consecutive form before. John Coffee Hays was born on January 28, 1817, at Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee. His birthplace was quite close to "The Hermitage," so well known as the residence of General Jackson, and originally part of the Hays property. Fort Haysboro, in the same State, was built by John C. Hays' grandfather, who also dis- tinguished himself in the Indian wars against the Creek nation, under General Jack- son. Harmon Hays, his father, also fought with distinction under the same General, and rose to the rank of an officer. John C. Hays received a common school educa- tion, and at the age of fifteen left home for Mississippi, where he joined a party sur- veying the swamp lands in that locality. At that time Texas was the objective point of all adventurous, daring spirits, and it presented irresistible attractions to the mar- tial spirit of young Hays, and in 1837, when he was nineteen years of age, he joined the United States Army on the Brazos River, shortly after the battle of San Jacinto. He took service as a private, and his daring qualities soon singled him out as fitted for the perilous position and duties of a spy. At that time the usages of civilized war- fare were almost unknown, and were wholly unrecognized by the fierce Comanches and Cherokees, and the savage Mexican guerrillas, and this made the life of a spy espe- cially dangerous and responsible. The first historical mention of John C. Hays (then captain) we find is in Yokum's History of Texas, where, describing the operations of the scanty handful of Texan rangers against guerrillas from the other side of the Rio Grande, the author says: "One of these bands of Mexicans, under Ignacio Garcia,

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was met on the 7th of April, 1841, about ten miles from Laredo, by Captain John C. Hays, in command of a company of twenty-five scouts. After a short contest the enemy retreated, leaving three killed and three wounded. Captain Hays pursued the fugitives so closely that he took twenty-five prisoners, without the loss of any of his command. He made an official report of this fight April 14, 1841." "These scouts," the author adds, " under Captain Hays, were very useful and efficient in protecting the western frontier from Mexican and Indian incursions." The next affair in which Captain Hays is mentioned as being concerned was near San Antonio, from which place, while in command of only fifty men, he drew out the Mexican forces under General Adrian Woll, two hundred cavalry and six hundred infantry. Hays fell back on Salado Creek, east of San Antonio, where Caldwell was well posted with a force of about two hundred and twenty men, and in the action that ensued the Texans gained a complete victory. The adroit manner in which Captain Hays drew the enemy into the fight is regarded as a good piece of generalship. Colonel Hays used to relate with some gusto the story of a raw'young Tennesseean who had joined General Sam Houston's army, when the Texan revolution was under full headway, and the Mexicans had invaded the country. It was in one of the first battles that took place, and was certainly the first big fight the young Tennesseean had ever seen. Where the hostile forces came in conflict there was a large patch of half-grown grass, and the Texans, anxious to take advantage of all the cover at hand, dropped out of sight at the first fire of the enemy. To the green Tennesseean the noise of musketry seemed like Pandemonium broke loose, and when he saw every one of his fellows drop as if killed, it was too much for him, and he let go everything and put out as fast as his legs could carry him. In his haste and fright he ran across Sam Houston, who hailed him and wanted to know why he had left the field and where he was going. "Home, jist as quick as I kin git. They're all down, all killed. Saw 'em drop." "Who do you mean?" "Our side; our fellows. Mexicans killed 'em all, fust go-off." "Young man," returned the old General, sternly, "make haste home. You've no business here. Go home and cross your blood with the Bowies." The Colonel possessed presence of mind in an eminent degree, as the following instance will prove. When quite a young man he was engaged as a surveyor in locating land-scrip issued to the soldiers in the war of 1812. It was wild land, somewhere in Tennessee or thereabouts; at any rate, Colonel Hays had need of quite a force of men to oppose the Indians, who roamed in numbers all over the country. George Work, who was the first sheriff of Sonoma County, in this State, and who was shot and killed by a man while in the act of arresting him, used to tell the story. In company with Colonel Hays, he had gone out early one morning to reconnoitre the redskins, when suddenly they found themselves ambushed by a large party. It was then a ride for life. An Indian who rode a fleeter horse than the others gained on the, fugitives, and shot Work's animal under him. This was a critical moment; but the Colonel was equal to the emergency. He called out quick, and sharp, "George, take my horse, and lasso the first Indian who comes up." The Colonel dismounted and took a position where he was partly screened by projecting rocks. Work was in his place in the saddle, and in a twinkling had noosed the Indian. At the same moment the Colonel sent a ball through his heart and, as he fell out on the off side, with a bound like a panther, he was in the Indian's place, and both Work and himself rode rapidly out of danger. The relation of these exciting events seems slow when compared with the actual rapidity of movement. It was no doubt in scenes similar to these where Colonel Hays got his early reputation as an Indian scout and fighter. Young Hays was between seventeen and twenty years of age when he left Tennessee for Texas, and having spent a good deal of his time with the Delaware Indians, he was quite familiar with nomadic life and habits. He had not been long in the new territory before a hunting party was made up by the Delawares for the interior of New Mexico, along the course of the Pecos River. Young Hays made one of the party, as woodcraft was at this

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History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 127

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