History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 33

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 33

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Henry Dobbel, under date December 10, 1866, put in a claim for four hundred dollars, alleged value of a mule killed in crossing an insecure bridge near Dougherty's Station, which, on being delegated to a committee, was finally rejected on January 6, 1867. The condition of the Court House would still appear to have been a cause of solicitude to the Board, for we find them on December Ioth appointing another com- mittee to examine into its condition, who reported that thirty dollars would make all the repairs necessary. At the same time Goff's plan for fencing that building, long since "pigeon-holed," was once more brought to light, and subsequently a contract was entered into with John Taylor, for fourteen hundred dollars, it being paid for, and therefore completed, March 23, 1867.

The Board of Supervisors, on December 10th, adopted a rule that the first day of each meeting should be devoted to petitions, reports of county officers and auditing bills, unless otherwise ordered by two-thirds of the members present; and also, decided upon explicit regulations for the government of Justices of the Peace and Constables in their reports; also for those of Road Commissioners.

In compliance with the requirements of the law, on December 3d the Board of Supervisors made a semi-annual statement of the revenue and finances of the county and the debt existing at that date. The receipts from all sources were as follows :--

From State Fund .. .

$56,711.26

County General Fund. ..

19,752.II

66 Common School Fund 15,469.67

.. Road and Bridge Fund. 23,176.70

Indigent Sick Fund 4,379.02

.. Oakland Bar Fund. 3,882.52

Contra Costa Fund 2,453.01

Total .

$125,824.29

Cash on hand June 4, 1866.

13,137.22

Grand total of Receipts

$138,961.51

234

HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

The total value of assessed property in Alameda County for the year was five millions six hundred and twenty thousand nine hundred and seventy-six dollars and fifty cents.

1867 .- This year is remarkable as one when the Sheriff's office was no sinecure; crime was rife, and owing to the amount of individual lawlessness, the Grand Jury were three days in getting through the business of the January term. They returned into court with eleven indictments, embracing all the range of crime from man- slaughter to petit larceny. It appears that at this sitting of the court, one prisoner was tried for the grave offense of stealing a horse, but was acquitted-so said the Gazette-by his peers. This legal phraseology, however correct, did not find favor with some of the jury in the case, who thought that the mighty wielder of the shears and paste-brush had branded them as horse-thieves, he was therefore called upon for an explanation, which no doubt he made, as it is not recorded that vengeance fell upon his devoted head.

In January, 1867, an important decision was rendered by the Supreme Court, touching the question of damages and benefits to property by railroads. The partic- ular case of which we speak was that of the San Francisco, Alameda, and Stockton Railroad vs. Andrew Caldwell and others, land-owners on the route of the road. It had been decided by Judge McKee that it was wrong for Commissioners to take the supposed benefits conferred by a railroad as whole or part compensation for lands taken from an owner for right of way. This decision the Supreme Court reversed, maintaining that the difference in the value of property before and after the improve- ments should be taken into account in awarding damages and benefits. Justices Curry, Shafter, and Sanderson sustained this view, but Justice Rhodes dissented, on the ground that " benefits" could not be considered in ascertaining the "just compen- sation" to which the land-owner is entitled under the Constitution.

On February 4, 1867, the Board of Supervisors resolved to expend three hundred dollars in laying out Court House Square and planting trees therein, but that sum being considered insufficient for the purpose, two hundred and fifty dollars more were appropriated, and on April 13th a flag-staff, to cost fifty dollars, was ordered for the square. On April 23, 1867, Supervisors Green and Threlfall endeavored to rescind the order in force in regard to the distribution of the Road Fund, but were voted down by Messrs. Marlin, Cummings and Farrelly, but the old order was subsequently adopted on April 13th. The Board having heard that Dr. Haile had a claim against the county for medical services rendered to prisoners in the jail, under order of the former Board, on April 13th, annulled such order and notified the doctor not to render service unless so ordered. At the following meeting he was allowed three hundred and twenty-five dollars. On this same date the Contra Costa Water Company obtained permission to lay pipes in Oakland Township; and, on May 27th, Dr. T. H. Pinkerton was elected resident physician of the County Hospital.

On June 8, 1867, the Union County Convention was convened at San Leandro, but discord had crept into the ranks of the party, and there was an undoubted diver- sity of opinion in the assembly. Judge A. M. Crane was chosen Chairman, and A. M. Church and William Gagan, Secretaries, while there were some fifty delegates

235

POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.

in attendance from all the townships in the county, and the following emissaries were appointed to the State Convention at Sacramento: John W. Dwinelle and B. F. Ferris, Oakland Township; A. M. Church and B. F. Marston, Washington Township; William Meek, Eden Township; S. Milbury, Brooklyn Township; A. M. Crane, Ala- meda and Murray Townships jointly. Mr. Dwinelle offered two resolutions, which were adopted. The first presented Hon. E. D. Wheeler, as a candidate for the office of Attorney-General; the second indorsed the official course of Hon. William Higby as representative of the district in the United States Congress. Judge Crane (the Chairman) took the floor and offered a series of four resolutions, the first indorsing the reconstruction policy of Congress; the second favoring the amendment of the Constitution, as proposed by the Thirtieth Congress, and the disfranchisement of the leaders of the Rebellion; the third favored the amendment of our State Constitution, removing the discrimination then made against the better educated of the colored people of the State; the fourth resolved that "while this Convention refrains from instructing the delegates to the State and Congressional Conventions in favor of any particular persons, yet we do instruct them to vote for no candidate known to be a crafty and unprincipled politician, seeking his own good and the consummation of corrupt schemes for the enriching and aggrandizement of a class at the expense of the people; for no one heretofore known as a corrupt lobbyist, seeking to impose upon the people an immense public debt for the sole benefit of already overgrown corpora- tions or secret cliques and 'rings' of public thieves; for, no one, in short, whose record in public and private life is not pure and clear from all such corrupt contaminations." The mover sustained his resolutions in a lengthy speech, after which Mr. Dwinelle moved that they be voted on separately. The first and second resolutions were unan- imously carried; the third gave rise to a discussion in which most of the members of the Convention took part. Mr. Dwinelle opposed the resolution at length, taking strong grounds against negro suffrage, contending that the negroes were inferior to the Chinese, and finally moved that the resolution be laid upon the table. Mr. Crane and Mr. Shinn replied, condemning Mr. Dwinelle's utterances, and said the speech of the gentleman from Oakland would have been a very proper one for a Democratic Con- vention. S. G. Nye defended the resolution as far as it went, but thought suffrage should not be based on complexion, but on manhood. On a division, it was found that twenty-five voted for Mr. Dwinelle's proposition, and twenty against, while four declined to vote, all the Oakland delegates but two voting in the majority. The fourth resolution, which was evidently aimed at the candidacy of George C. Gorham for Governor, was withdrawn, and peace and harmony restored by Judge Hamilton moving that the word white be stricken out of the State Constitution, wherever it occurred.

On the 15th of June the Democratic County Convention was held at the same place, when J. West Martin, C. H. Cushing, J. W. Dougherty, William Moss, and John Threlfall were appointed delegates to the State Convention.

When the Convention met at Sacramento the name placed at the head of the ticket was that of George C. Gorham for Governor, who, it was afterwards charged, had secured his nomination by smart tactics and "trading;" the real choice of the Convention was General John Bidwell, of Chico. Be this charge as it may, the

236

HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

Union men that were expected to have led him triumphantly to victory, became dis- affected, and at the election held in the month of October, the ticket was ingloriously defeated. The Democrats seeing this weakening of the opposing host, published a platform denouncing the Mongolian influx, declared labor to be the true foundation of all prosperity, and placed at the head of their ticket the name of Henry H. Haight of Alameda as Democratic candidate for Governor, who, amid much enthusiasm, obtained a signal majority over Gorham of eight thousand five hundred and twenty- . seven votes.

On July 6, 1867, the Contra Costa indebtedness was reported fully settled, and the Treasurer ordered to discontinue the fund set apart for that purpose, and to transfer all sums on hand or due to that fund to the General County Fund.

On July 22d, the Union County Convention met at San Leandro for the purpose of nominating County and Judicial officers; the Democrats meeting for that purpose on the Ioth of August. In the ticket presented by the last-mentioned party there was for the office of District Attorney, George M. Blake, a convert from the Union ranks, while, in the person of Captain Mayhew, who had been a prominent member of the other party, the Democracy also found a new follower, yet notwithstanding these recruits the Union ticket was that which won. The Board of Supervisors elected on October 4th was composed of, F. K. Shattuck, Oakland Township; Duncan Cameron, Brooklyn Township; E. M. Smith, Alameda Township; J. B. Marlin, Eden Township; John M. Horner, Washington Township; Dan. Inman, Murray Township; who appointed Mr. Shattuck, Chairman, and Messrs. Shattuck, Cameron, Smith, and Marlin, the Hospital Committee. December 12, 1867, it was ordered that no more armory claims would be allowed unless accompanied with evidence of approval by the State Board of Military Auditors.

1868 .- Early in this year the late distinguished citizen of Alameda County, J. Ross Browne, was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Peking, but not being impressed either with the "Flowery Kingdom " or the officials thereof, he returned to these more congenial shores and at once set about unmercifully satirizing the Burlingame Treaty, that marvelous covenant which, in the language of its author and originator, was to establish the "comity of nations, and place a shining cross upon every hill " in China.

Once again in this year did the removal of the State Capital obtain prominence, and once more did Alameda County make an offer for the prize. At a meeting of the Board held February 3, 1868, on motion of Supervisor Horner, the following pre- amble and resolution were unanimously adopted :-

" WHEREAS, The question of the removal of the State Capital is now pending in the Legislature; therefore, " Resolved, That a committee of three members of this Board be appointed to prepare a Bill to be submitted to said Legislature, authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Alameda County to issue bonds to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to be appropriated to the erection of suitable buildings for use of the State, in the event of the Legislature locating the State Capital in this County."

Messrs Shattuck, Cameron, and Smith were appointed such committee. On the 21st February, the State Legislature visited Oakland, but it is needless to say the Capital was not given to the county. On the 29th of this month County Surveyor Boardman was requested to keep an office at the county seat and remove thither all public records of his department.

237

POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.

In this year a bill was introduced in the State Senate, the Committee on Com- merce and Navigation recommending its passage, granting a tract of submerged lands with a frontage of nearly a mile on ship channel lying between Alameda and San Leandro to the Western Pacific Railroad Company for a terminus, the company to give bonds that the terminus would be there located and that a large amount of money would be expended in improvements. A bill was introduced by Mr. Church, in this year, recommending a considerable diminution in the emoluments of county officers, which gave rise to much discussion and was the cause of a good deal of pleas- antry, as may be gleaned from the following suggestive advertisement which appeared in the columns of the Gazette :-

"COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE .- Notice! Except during the sessions of the courts, or meetings of the Board of Supervisors, the Clerk will be found somewhere about the neighborhood, sawing wood. Any business connected with the office will be attended to after work hours. N. B .- Orders for wood-sawing left on the order-slate will be promptly attended to at two dollars per day, and board."

On March 18,1868, there passed the Legislature, an Act to provide for the erection of a jail and County Recorder's office in San Leandro; and another, concerning roads and highways in Alameda County. About the same time another bill was introduced by Mr. Church, having for its object the purchase of land for charitable purposes and the establishment of an institution thereon for the care of "unfortunates." This has since developed into the County Infirmary. The Legislature in this year, too, failed to pass an Act in favor of granting a subsidy to the Alameda Railroad Company to aid it in extending their line to Washington Corners, which caused its abandonment.

In regard to political meetings, the Union County Convention assembled at San Leandro on March 18, 1868, and elected delegates to the State Convention at Sacra- mento, while that of the Democrats was there convened on the 25th of April, when they passed resolutions highly complimentary to Governor Haight, and strongly urged his being put forward as the next Democratic candidate for the highest office in the gift of the people of the United States-the Presidential Chair.

On May 11, 1868, the County Treasurer was directed to divide the late Alameda County Road and Bridge Fund equally among the several townships; but on the Ist of June this order was amended, and that officer instructed to set apart ten per cent. of the road and bridge tax and establish the "Special Road and Bridge Fund," from which appropriations were immediately made, as follows: one thousand dollars to each of the roads-from Alvarado to Centreville; Stockton Road, in Murray Township; Salt Marsh, in Eden Township; and five hundred dollars for a new bridge across Alameda Creek, south of Alvarado. On June ist, a petition addressed to the Board of Supervisors by the County Superintendent of Schools for an increase of salary was received and the prayer granted, his stipend being then fixed at one hundred dollars a month, with the understanding that he devote his entire time to the duties of his office.

On Saturday, July 18, 1868, a grand Democratic ratification meeting at San Leandro, in honor of the nomination of Seymour and Blair as candidates for the Pres- idency and Vice-Presidency of the United States, was held, among the speakers being Governor Haight and Lieutenant-Governor Holden. The chair was occupied by William S. Moss, while the Secretary was W. J. Collier, editor of the Democrat.

238

HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

There was a great deal of excitement among politicians during the Presidential election of this year, mass meetings of both Republicans and Democrats being held throughout the county, while the most able speakers were arrayed on both sides. The Republican candidates were General U. S. Grant and Schuyler Colfax, and those of the Democracy already mentioned, the former of whom, at the election held Octo- ber 3d, received a majority in Alameda County of five hundred and thirty-six votes, the winning candidates receiving one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one votes, and Seymour and Blair, Democratic nominees, twelve hundred and sixty-two. In this year there were enrolled on the Great Register, after the cancelled names were struck off, four thousand six hundred and twenty-three names, while there were recorded on the poll list only three thousand five hundred and ninety-six' names, showing that there were two thousand and twenty-seven persons who did not feel sufficient interest to have their names registered; therefore, taking the number of votes cast, viz .: three thousand one hundred and twenty-three, from the number on the Great Register, and we have fifteen hundred persons in the county who were enti- tled to vote but did not make use of the privilege.

On October 26, 1868, the county jail of San Francisco was designated as that for Alameda County also; while, at their meeting of November 16th, the Board of Super- visors agreed upon plans for a new Court House, jail and Recorder's office, the latter to be a fire-proof brick building, and the prison to be provided with iron cells. The Board also appointed, at this time, a special committee to purchase a piece of ground on which to establish the County Infirmary, who were instructed to obtain fifty acres of land belonging to Mr. Puff, and located betwen San Leandro and Haywards, above the county road. The Supervisors elected for this term were: F. K. Shattuck, Oak- land Township; Duncan Cameron, Brooklyn Township; E. M. Smith, Alameda Township; J. B. Marlin, Eden Township; Dan. Inman, Murray Township; William Whidden, Washington Township. On December IIth the county, conjointly with the city of Oakland, established a pest-house on the San Pablo Road; while, on the same date, rates of dockage, etc., were established for the Ocean View Wharf, under the Act of March 3, 1868.

1869 .- This year opened with the ranks of our citizens being decimated by small-pox, which was then prevalent in the county, and accounts for the establish- ment of the pest-house mentioned above, in which, in the first week in January, there were four patients, attended by a cook, nurse, and visiting physician; beyond this there was little of any moment.

At a previous meeting a petition was presented to the Board for widening Tele- graph Road from the charter line of the city of Oakland to the town of Berkeley, and February 1, 1869, set as the day for hearing claims for damages resulting from same. Claims aggregating nearly forty thousand dollars were made, and proof brought before the Supervisors, who, on May 25th, awarded as such a little over eight thousand dollars. On August 8th a second petition was received for the same pur- pose, with claims totaling seven thousand five hundred and fifty dollars, of which six hundred dollars were allowed. The road was finally ordered opened, May 5, 1870. On February 13th, the report and field notes of survey of the boundary line between

239

POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.

San Joaquin and Alameda Counties were submitted, approved and adopted; and, on May 3d, a special road and bridge fund was again created.

Early in the year the new Court House was completed, but its appearance, style, and discomfort, excited general complaint; for its embellishment, however, a new national flag was ordered on June 6, 1869. On July 7th we find the first petition for the creation of a Swamp and Tide Land District, under the Act approved March 23, 1868; on the 17th the Union County Convention was held in San Leandro, while the Democrats made no nominations; but an Independent party was formed and a ticket put in the field, headed by Edward Tompkins for State Senator. On the Ist of September the election was held, portions of both tickets being successful. For the office of County Recorder there was a tie vote between P. S. Marston and M. W. Levy, which, at a special election held on October 25th, was set at rest by the first- named gentleman being chosen. The Board of Supervisors elected were: A. C. Henry (Chairman), Oakland Township; Duncan Cameron, Brooklyn Township; Louis Fassking, Alameda Township; William Hayward, Eden Township; M. W. Dixon, Washington Township; Thomas Scott, Murray Township; who commenced their duties on October 4th. On the 2d November it was ordered that the county printing should be thereafter done by contract, such being awarded, on December 12th, to the Oakland News, Transcript, and Alameda County Gazette for one twelve- month, at one hundred dollars cach yearly On the 12th December E. L. Beard, for Swamp Land District No. 82, reported work commenced, in accordance with the Act, and made a demand for funds, when a warrant on the Swamp Land Fund for eleven hundred dollars was ordered to be issued

1870 .- Early in this year a bill was introduced in the Legislature providing for the building of a bridge over the estuary of the San Antonio, between Oakland and Alameda, but the people of Brooklyn, thinking that such would materially interfere with their commercial prosperity, strongly protested against its construction, to no avail, however, for the bridge was built and is now known as the Webster-street Bridge. Another scheme of the same nature was the introduction in the Legislature for an Act authorizing the construction of a bridge between Oakland and Brooklyn, for which plans and specifications were authorized to be called on March 14th. These, as prepared by W. F. Boardman, were adopted on the 2d of May, the county agreeing to pay fifteen thousand dollars in bonds, and the balance to be supplied from the Road Funds of Oakland and Brooklyn Townships. This action, however, was recon- sidered on the 7th June, when all bids received in the matter of building were ordered to be rejected, and the Auditor directed to issue fifteen thousand dollars in bonds to the Road and Bridge Committee, who were empowered to commence the construction without delay, but under no circumstance was the expense to exceed the sum men- tioned above. On July Ist the contract to supply piles and lumber therefor was let to Samuel Merritt, and on the 20th August the work' was commenced under the superintendence of Roadmasters Thorne, of Brooklyn, and Hersey, of Oakland, who did the preliminary grading, cut down the hill n the Clinton side, and filled in the roadway with earth. It was not until the close of the year, however, that the work was completed.

240

HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

It is always a pleasant task to chronicle tributes of praise to deserving public officials, as that which we here append. At the meeting of the Board, held February 7, 1870, the following preamble and resolutions were introduced by Supervisor Henry :---

" WHEREAS, I. A. Amerman, Esq., will retire from the office of County Clerk before this Board will meet again; therefore be it

" Resolved, By the Board of Supervisors of Alameda County, that we recognize in I. A. Amerman an hon- orahle citizen, and one who has for the last four years discharged the duties of the office of County Clerk with fidelity and honor to the people and himself.

" Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing preamble and resolutions be spread upon the minutes of this Board."

Besides this eulogium, that gentleman was presented with a handsome gold watch, chain and key, by the clerks in the Court House, Deputy Recorder, A. A. Moore, making the presentation speech. A few days later Mr. Amerman received from the members of the bar a set of silver table ware, the offering being made by Lewis Shearer, Esq.

March 7, 1870, the official bond of the County Treasurer was increased to sixty thousand dollars; and, on March 14th, the Board of Supervisors entered an 'earnest protest against the attempt being made by the city of Oakland to remove the county seat, setting forth that it is wrong and detrimental to the best interests of the tax- payers of the county. Thus we see the commencement of that bitter feud that so long existed between Oakland and the country residents. On the same date the Board also condemned the "draw-bridge project," to be built by parties resident at Alameda Point and Oakland, and declared it against the interests of the citizens of the county. Copies of these resolutions were sent to the Legislature.

The proposition authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Alameda County to issue bonds for the construction of a new bridge between Brooklyn and Oakland, to the value of twenty thousand dollars, was approved March 12, 1870, and became law; while, on the 4th April, petitions were received from F. K. Shattuck for a franchise to build a wharf from the south half of Plat No. 59, Oakland; another from Ezekiel Brown for similar privileges at Berkeley Point, whence a ferry was to be run to San Francisco; and a third from William A. Bray, to construct railroads in Oakland and Brooklyn Townships. On the same date Adeline or Regent Street was declared a public thoroughfare from Twenty-second Street to San Pablo Road, Oakland.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 33

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