USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 43
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At the close of the meeting, the president cordially invited all to be present at the next centennial. Perhaps a few may be able to accept the invitation.
RAILROAD.
Previous to 1876, Ione was connected with the out- side world with only the poorest kinds of wagon roads. Many persons had advocated and others had opposed a railroad. Those who favored it pointed to the fact that, with few exceptions, cheap transporta- tion aided to build up a country; that, though a few local interests suffered, a railroad made markets and also made more things marketable. Others said that we had a market for all that we could raise now; that a railroad from the plains would put down the price of grain to the extent, that it would lower the price of transportation from the great valleys with which the farmers were now competing. This was evidently true for the producer, also for the con- sumer. But the desire for a railroad yearly grew stronger. A ride over the abominated stage road between Ione and Galt was sure to convert one to the railroad system. About 1872 things began to shape themselves in this direction. The discovery of extensive beds of lignite, which made a very good substitute for eoal, which had not then been found in quantities that it since has, turned attention to the valley. Occasional articles in the county papers which were copied into the city papers also called attention to the projeets.
STOCKTON NARROW-GAUGE.
This was projected by Dr. E. S. Holden, who was instrumental in building the Stockton and Sacra- mento road afterwards incorporated into the Central Pacific Railroad, and also the Stoekton and Copper- opolis, which was also absorbed by the Central Pacific Railroad. It was advocated by the Stockton Independent and the other city papers. J. K. Doak, Mayor of Stockton, H. E. Hall, N. M. Orr, J. H. O'Brien, John Willson, Dr. A. Clark, Geo. Gray, E. Lyon, all prominent citizens, became the officers of a
joint-stock company. The design at that time was to build a branch road from Linden to Ione, but the embarrassment of the company caused by the fail- ure of the copper mines and the inability to complete or maintain possession of the road, induced them to re-organize and attempt the building of a narrow- guage direct from Ione to tide-water at Stockton. Some of the coal was taken to Stockton and tried. It was thought that it could be delivered in Stock- ton for three or four dollars per ton, which was less than half the ordinary price of fuel. Subscriptions to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars were made by the citizens of Stockton. A survey was made under Schuyler, and the project fairly inau- gurated. A favorable contract for coal and the necessary land for depot grounds was entered into and the building of the road let to W. H. Platt, of San Francisco, for the sum of four hundred thousand dollars, payable in installments as the road pro- gressed. The route of the road was to have been by way of Waterloo, Lockford, Poland House, Zimmer- man's creek, Jackson valley, to Ione, a route involv- ing but few heavy grades or expensive bridges. A few miles were graded and a few rails laid down; a passenger and two or three box cars were partly built. Two narrow-guage engines were shipped from the East and brought to Stockton, and, at one time, it looked as if the road might be built. Considerable money was paid in on the subscriptions, which seemed to be wasted in mere show, and finally the project fell through. The engines were soon removed and put upon the Nevada Narrow-Guage, and the half-finished cars upon which a hundred or two dollars were expended is all to show for the fifty thousand dollars or more paid in by the citizens of Stockton.
GALT ROAD.
This was projected by F. C. Hall, who never had much confidenec in the Stockton enterprise. In 1876 the Central Pacific Company having finished some of their main lines, were induced to turn their atten- tion to some of the side lines. A survey was made and the route found to be inexpensive. It was intended to run the road up Dry creek, but some of the farmers evincing hostility to having the road pass over their lands, it was defleeted up Buckeye crcek, running directly to the coal mines, at what is now Carbondale. The road was intended mostly to carry away coal, and it seemed that the company were in no hurry to extend it to lone. This did not look favorable for the prosperity of the town, as the travel from the upper towns might be diverted from Ione. A donation of some twelve thousand dollars, nearly or quite enough to pay the right of way and grade the line from Buekcye, was made by the citizens, and the cars came into the town about December 1, 1876. Much difference of opinion exists as to the benefit of the road. Freight on goods is somewhat cheaper, though not enough to prevent wagons from doing some of the work. A greater number of teams get
RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF ISAAC W. WHITACRE, NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C., CAL.
LIIM. BRITTON & REY. S. F.
RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF JOSEPH WOOLFORD, PLYMOUTH, AMADOR CO, CAL.
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IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY.
employment into the mountains than were engaged before its completion. Considerable wholesale trad- ing is now done at Ione. The amount of goods received by rail is constantly inereasing, necessitating a recent inerease of storage at the depot. Those who believe that freshets, drought, pestilence, famine, and failures of mines follow in the mareh of rail- roads, will undoubtedly think that Ione and the other portions of the county have been damaged by.it. When the farmers adapt their erops to the ehanged eireumstanees, and raise such things as the fine soil and elimate ripens to perfection, such as grapes, peaches and apricots, they will probably diseover that the railroad is beneficial.
OVERFLOWS.
The same ageney which has deposited the fertile soil of the valley, oeeasionally becomes a means of destruction. A large water-shed is at the head of Dry and Sutter ereeks. In early days when no tailings or slickens burdened the water, the overflows were comparatively harmless, but not so when the streams are taxed to their utmost eapacity to pre- eipitate on the valleys the mud, sand, and roeks, from a thousand mining elaims. The most disas- trous overflow occurred in 1861-62. The piles of tailings-the accumulations of years -- were foreed through the eanon, and, though pulverized by the constant attrition, lodged soon after reaching the valley, filling the channel, nearly to the surface; eon- sequently the great mass of water either eroded new channels, or earried great quantities of sterile sand over the farms, destroying orehards, vineyards, and gardens-the work of years ofindustry-leaving only a waste produeing willows and malaria. Some of the finest farms were hopelessly buried up in this way. A stream of water several hundred feet wide left Sutter ereck near Ione; portions of it going through the town swept across the raneh formerly owned by Thomas Rickey, in some places carrying away several feet of soil, in others leaving as mueh sand. Houses, bridges, fenees, and all improvements were swept away. At the lower part of the valley, the waters from Mule ereek had already buried some of the land with tailings. This freshet piled on new horrors, adding several feet more of slickens, and covering a still larger area. At Dry ereek a new channel was eroded through, perhaps, the finest eorn field in the State, leaving, as on Sutter ereek, a great waste of useless sand. Mr. Seott, an elderly and mueh esteemed man, was swept away at Ione, and drowned, his body being found some miles be- low, after several days' search.
A great destruction also oeeurred on Sunday, Feb- ruary 16, 1878. This overflow was not the product of a long-continued rain, but of a cloud burst, which . was only of a few hours' duration and limited in extent, the rain-fall being the greatest nearly on the line of the Mother Lode or along the towns of Jaek- son, Sutter Creek, and Amador. The shower has been more particularly deseribed in the history of
Jackson. Only one ineh of rain fell at Ione; proba- bly ten times that fell at other points. The nature of a eloud burst limits it in its operations, or we might have a repetition of Noah's flood. In this instance, the torrents from the neighborhood of Sut- ter and Amador filled the channel full, and over- flowed the surrounding country, Ione being for a time another Veniee. Doctor Cummings' costly im- provements were swept away, and many farms were damaged.
These overflows produce malaria, as well as destroy land and property. The debris question is the most serious danger the valleys have to confront, and will be treated more extensively in the chapter on gravel mining.
FIRES.
Ione has been particularly fortunate in not having shared the usual fate of California towns-a general conflagration. Occasionally, a small fire would arouse the population to greater watehfulness. On the night of October 8, 1865, occurred the largest fire that Ione has experienced. The block bounded by Main, Buena Vista, Jackson, and Church streets, was entirely consumed. The night was perfectly ealm, and the blaze went straight up in one tall column; otherwise the whole town would have been destroyed. The losses were : Farnsworth's blaek- smith shop; Stevens' paint shop; Bona Beiter's bak- ery; Ringer's saloon; Miller's saloon; Ludgate & Surface's livery stable, and a barber shop. The block was soon rebuilt, much better than before, many of the new buildings being of briek ..
In this fire the old Ione Valley Hotel, one of the first buildings ereeted, was destroyed.
BUENA VISTA.
This is the eenter of a farming region, and, as its name implies, is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in the State. Jackson ereek here comes out of the mountains, and the valley spreads out from one to two miles in width, maintaining this ehar- aeter until Dry ereek comes into it, some five or six miles below. The long sweep of hills around the valley have the effeet of a fine setting, and the Buena Vista mountain, with bold eastellated peaks, varying their outlines with every ehange of view, bring to mind some of the ruins of the older world, and make one feel that he is on the ground of aneient civilization. The rich, blaek soil, eovered with grass as high as a man's head, early attracted the attention of settlers, though it is impossible to learn who first visited it. It forms part of the traet of land granted to Teodosia Yerba* in 1840, by Gov- ernor Juan B. Alvarado; though it is doubtful whether Yerba, or any Mexiean, or other eitizen of California, ever set foot on the land at that early date, as it was inhabited by the Nesheans, Luek- lumlas, Mokelkos, and other Indians, who had taught
*The name is spelled Yerba and Yorba. It is probable that the family did not know how it was spelled, as they signed their names witli a cross.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the native population to respect the San Joaquin river as the boundary line.
Cattle were grazed here as early as 1848, whether by some of Hick's and Martin's vaqueros, is not known; but the land was claimed by a man by the name of Diggs, who kept a trading post, ranched cattle and sold becf, in 1849. In 1850, it was purchased by Charles Stone, Warren Nimms, and Fletcher Baker, all from the castern part of New York. Stone seemed to have been the business man of the firm, and, under his management, the valley had quite a princely look. They run a log fence around a thousand acres or more of land, put up buildings, costing, with the then high price of Inmber and labor, several thousand dollars. They purchased large herds of cattle in southern California at low figures, kept them on the place until the condition of the market or the cattle was favorable, and sold them at a great advance. They also went into farming, and raised large quantities of barley, when it readily brought from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars per ton, hay being sold on the place for fifty dollars per ton. It is said that the yield of barley was sometimes one hundred and twenty bushels to the acre, and seven tons of weighed hay were sold from an acre at fifty dollars per ton, though, says the narrator, it was not quite cured. They were not suffered to enjoy such abundance in peace, however. The Johnston family, as well as others, laid hold of a quarter section, here and there, and expensive law- suits resulted. An attempt was made to get a bill through Congress, donating the land to them in consideration of their improvements, which were estimated at forty thousand dollars, but Congress failed to give them any relief. In 1852, Congress donated to California five hundred thousand acres of land for school purposes, and the State issued warrants for the same to settlers who wished to pur- chase land. Attempts were made to locate under these warrants, but the land was unsurveyed, and no land offices had been created; and all that could be done was to record in the county archives, the intention of locating them. These disturbances pro- duced a dissolution of the copartnership, Baker sell- ing out to Stone, and going East. A division of property then took place between Stone and Nimms, the latter taking the western half of the tract. He put up fine buildings (fine for that day), and main- tained the suits against the jumpers with increased vigor, which soon reduced his purse to such a low ebb, that he was compelled to dispose of the land, although he had succceded in holding it on the ground of priority of possession, Judge Murry, before whom the ease was tried, holding that the log fence, being sufficient to turn cattle and save the crops, was an inchoate title, which was good until a better one was shown. Nimms went to preaching the gospel, and is now (1880) engaged in the same profession somewhere in Nevada.
Stone, more prudent and, perhaps, wiser, suffered Nimms to carry on the suits, and awaited results. It is said that he kept the squatters off his portion of the ground with his lariat, with which he was an expert. He would ride up to a beginning of a house, throw his riata around it, and in a few min- utes the residence, that was to be, would be scat- tered in fragments a mile away, fences being served the same way. He could not always scarc men away, however. Jim Johnston, one of the Johnston family, commenced building a house somewhere on Jonathan Ringer's present ranch, which, Stone dis- covering, he rode up and commenced swinging his riata in preparation for an immediate move on the works. Johnston quietly drew a revolver, and warned Stone that he had better not make any such demonstrations with him. Stone seemed to be of about the same opinion, and let the house building go on. After the termination of the Nimms suits, the squatters, who were on the portion claimed by him, bought or left, and this ended the land suits for the time.
About 1856 to 1860 the ranches were generally sold to the present size, Alexander Thompson, William Spray, Samnel Williams (on the farm now occupied by Lyman Tubbs), Moses Hill, John P. Hoff- man, P. Y. Cool, William Joiner, Joseph Fithian, Mathew Leary, William C. Thompson, J. D. Mason, Azariah Sollers, and others, settling in the valley. Calvin Dillon, John Kite, Patrick and William Seulley, Samuel Deardorff, George Martin, J. C. Ham- rick, and Thomas Jones, came in a year or two earlier. In 1857 a school-house was built, which was also used for church purposes. Religious meet- ings had been previously held in Stone's house. The first school was taught by Cyrus James in 1858. From this time forward the place had much of the style prevailing in eastern rural communities.
MINING.
On the north side of the valley considerable min- ing was carried on in the early days. The pay was generally on the top of the ground, and the working inexpensive. Some of the gulches were rich, in some instances as much as eight dollars to the pan being obtained. When the Turner ditch was brought in, quite a town sprang up in the neighborhood of Dillon's ranch. George Walker established the first store. William C. Riehey afterwards engaged in merchandising, and moved his store to the eorner near his present residence, where he traded for a year or two, selling out to John Fitzsimmons about 1860. Fitzsimmons had formerly traded at Poverty Bar, but on the failure of the mines there, he chose a surer if not more profitable trade, in a farming com- munity. He remained in trade until about 1874, and was succeeded by William Cook, from Lancha Plana.
EFFECT OF THE ARROYO SECO GRANT.
This grant included a larger part of this valley, which, like Ione valley, was a great sufferer, though
191
IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY.
not to the same extent as much of the land had been purchased of the first elaimants, in 1857. Some of the principal sufferers were Calvin Cole, Patrick and Wm. Sculley, Chas. Black,- Strobridge, and Samuel Deardorff. When the ejection took place the soldiers were quartered on the premises of Cole, his goods being piled rather roughly out on the common. They made free use of his property, killing his sheep and appropriating whatever was needed by them. It is believed Captain Starr tried to preserve the property from harm, but soldiers are not apt to starve in the midst of plenty, and the old man had plenty, for he was as saving as he was thrifty. It is said that one of the soldiers, while dressing a stolen sheep, received a bullet in his leg, inflicting a severe though not dangerous wound. No inquiry was made for the author.
Charley Black's house was opened in the absence of the family, and the goods, a valuable organ among the other things, thrust out into the storm to be ruined. At other places the same rudeness was dis- played. It must be remembered that the soldiers were not in reality aeting under the commands of their own officers, but under the command of Her- man Wohler, one of the grant proprictors. The soldiers disliked the business and did not hesitate to avow it. After a representation of the matter to the authorities they were relieved from handling hot stoves, and other household goods. When they came to Joe Fithians he had the United States flag hoisted, for Joc was an out and out Union man, and the soldiers disliked more than ever to tumble his family of little children into the street, but the orders were peremptory, and they were loaded into an army wagon and hauled out to the boundaries of the grant with the flag flying over the wagon, so that it had the appearance of a triumphal march. At Deardorff's they found the door locked (which they broke open), and the cooking stove red hot, which was Mrs. Deardorff's system of war. They found means to carry it away however. When they were about locking the door of Bill Sculley's house, after having taken pos- session, Bill shook his fist in the agent's face (the agent's name was Clark), observing, " I would like to loek the gates of hell on you," and looked as though he might make short work of the job then and there. Clark called for protection, but Seulley was not arrested. The following night Sculley's house was burned, no attempt being made to save it. It may be remarked that Seulley obtained very easy terms when he purehased his property, perhaps, for the reason that the grant owners did not care to have him for an enemy, for capital is quite as cowardly as it is unscrupulous and selfish.
In a few years the excitement abated and industry was resumed, although men rested.uneasy, not know- ing when the torch should fire the dry grain fields and the fire sweep away the accumulations of years of industry, but the law was suffered to take its course; indeed, the people of this valley have ever
been remarkable for their law-abiding character, not a single homicide ever having been committed in the valley.
The valley suffered considerably from the overflow of 1861-62, getting a forctaste of what slickens can do in ruining land. For nine years mining had been carried on above, but most of the debris had lodged in the small gulches, and up to this date no overflow had left any serious amount of sand or gravel. The unusual quantity of water in that season sent it down all at once. The channels were filled with moving sand to the depth of several feet. After the water went down, boulders weighing several pounds were found in the cañon above, nine feet above the bed of the stream, showing that the moving gravel had been that high. The most of the gravel had been ground to sand when it had reached the valley, but the streams were so full even when the water was down, as to make crossing dangerous. The stage generally managed to get through, but frequently eight or ten horses hitched to the wagon with a long rope, would be required to pull it out. When the wheels commenced sinking, the only alternative was to get the horses loose from the carriage and pull them ashore, as they were utterly helpless in the quicksand. Early in the storm the creek broke over its banks a mile or two below the foot of the cañon, and carried a great quantity of coarse sand on the ranehcs of John Kite, Samuel Williams & Son, William Spray, and others below, burying the fertile soil from one to three feet deep with the debris. Some of these lands have been partially reclaimed; others still produce nothing but worthless weeds.
Recently the debris has begun to dam up below and seems inclined to bury the lower part of the val- ley first, though every year the point of deposit is advancing up the valley. Since 1861-62 the overflows have not seriously injured the land in consequence of the almost entire suspension of hydraulie mining on the different branches of Jackson creek. Some years since, when what is called the Isaacs claim, on the east side of Jackson valley, was opened, it was feared that the valley would be inundated with tail- ings, but fortunately, for the farmers at least, the elaim did not prove remunerative, and work was suspended and the danger averted.
The " cloud burst " which played such havoc in Jackson in February, 1878, dumped the broken build- ings and dead Chinamen on the ranches near the foot of the cañon, the bodies of several of the drowned being found on Mr. Tubbs' farm.
At the present writing (1881) it is by far the most beautiful spot in Amador county. The finest fruit as well as the abundant erops attest the capacity of the soil. Artesian water enables the people to have green crops through the year (although all the fruits and cereals flourish without irrigation) and have per- petual, blooming flowers around their generally ele- gant residences, and altogether the people may feel proud of their homes as well as their history.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
BUCKEYE VALLEY.
This valley, beautifully sitnated with low rolling hills for a setting, was inferior to Ione for cultivated crops, but furnished an abundance of the finest quality of hay. It was occupied .mostly by stock- men. Samnel Hill, Captain Good, I. N. Kay (now of Alameda), Wayburn, Mugford, Barrett, and others, being the first settlers. The Ione & Galt R. R. Co. have a station here called Carbondale, from which is taken annually a great quantity of the soft coal, or lignite, which is said to underlie the whole valley. Miss Wilbur, the poetess, better known under the nom de plume of " Gordon Bracket " resides in this valley. She has written some very good lines. Perhaps her poem on the death of J. W. Coffroth is an average of her work.
The soil of the valley having been farmed and cropped many years with no return, has ceased to be productive. In the northern part of the valley Addington & Son have, for many years, made a good article of fire brick, also of pottery, out of the clays overlying the coal. He was the first to utilize the clays for this purpose, his works having been in operation some twenty-three or four years. Until the opening of the C. P. R. R., which crossed the same formation at Lincoln, quite a trade existed in this clay, the return freight-wagons loading with it and supplying several potteries at Sacramento.
IRISH HILL.
This hill, situated on the north side of Dry creek, where it leaves the cañon, was a mixture of river and beach diggings, unlike Muletown, having bould- ers from river-wash mingled with the beach-wash. It was also very rich in an early day. Four men, Hawley, Nelson, Millner, and - (name unknown), made nine thousand dollars each in seven months. Nelson is still working in the vicinity-poor. Hawley went East, and by a fortunate venture converted his dollars into thousands. He came back recently to see the place where he had made his start. Millner was killed by the caving of a bank in his claim. He was buried in the graveyard in Ione. A hundred or more men, dressed in black pants and gray shirts, walked in procession from Irish hill, taking turns in carrying the bier.
The place is still worked, the ground being owned by Alvinza Hayward and Stanford & Co., the latter being owners of the grant of which this hill forms a part. The water used comes from the Plymouth ditch, after being used at the Empire mills.
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