USA > California > Contra Costa County > History of Contra Costa County, California, including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description; together with a record of the Mexican grants also, incidents of pioneer life; and biographical sketches of early and prominent settlers and representative men > Part 49
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As we first saw this beautiful locality the young grain had not yet put forth its heads, but all was a magnificent vista of never-ending emerald, from the depths of the valley to the summits of the adjacent hills. Every- where proclaimed a rare fertility, and promise of large returns. How dif- ferent, however, must the picture have been that first greeted the eyes of these strangers. The country was rugged in the extreme; wild oats over- ran both hill and dale, through which indistinct trails found their way in perplexing confusion; traveling was more or less dangerous, for beasts of prey were plentiful, while all around bore evidence of an almost impossible fertility; the most that was looked for was unlimited pasturage for horses sheep, and cattle.
We have, so far, only spoken of the earliest American settler in the township; the original locators, however, were Jose Maria Amador, who obtained the San Ramon Rancho in 1S26, but who had his habitation with- out the present precincts of this county, in Alameda, and Valencia (men- tioned above), who, in the year 1828, was granted and occupied the Aca- lanes Rancho (at Lafayette), and Moraga, the Laguna Palos Colorados, or Redwood Rancho. About the same time Juana Pacheco, a widow residing at San José, made application for the San Miguel Rancho, whither she sent her nephew, Ygnacio Sibrian, who built an adobe near Walnut Creek, on land now owned by William Rice, and resided in it.
These, therefore, were the original settlers in what we now know as Supervisor Township Number Two. Later, in 1832, Mariano Castro and Bartolo Pacheco made application for the San Ramon Rancho, and occupied a place near where Leo Norris now lives, while, about the same time, a Scotchman named William Welch applied for that tract of land known as the Welch Rancho, and established his homestead near Walnut Creek.
It was thus that the district now under notice was occupied in 1847 when Mr. Brown acquired the Rancho Acalanes. On taking possession, his first care was the construction of a more substantial home than that men- tioned above, for which purpose he had brought with him lumber already
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Township Number Two.
cut and fit for use. This building he first placed about two miles from the present hamlet of Lafayette, on land now occupied by Thomas W. Bradley, but the supply of water failing here, he was compelled to move to some more advantageous site, yet it was not until after the third transference that the place on which Mr. Brown now lives was selected. At the same period Nathaniel Jones was engaged in the construction of his residence, and these were evidently the two first frame buildings erected in the township.
Here, then, were these two pioneer families, located far away from the world, but safely ensconced in a beautiful valley, with every promise of a bright future. Of course, the ordinary commodities of the household had to be procured from a distance, the nearest point being San José on the one hand, and Yerba Buena on the other. The first was a journey by land and the more readily undertaken, to reach the last the Bay intervened and acted as a determent. To the first named place the trip was by ox-team, but more often on horse-back, through the San Ramon valley, past the residence of José Maria Amador, and out at the point where the town of Haywards now stands, and thence on by the Mission San José to the Pueblo, where Dr Stokes, and a year or two later Charles M. Weber, had well-stocked stores. With the establishment of a household, Mr. Brown, now true to his in- stincts, commenced to test the capabilities of the ground for farming pur- poses. In the Spring of 1848, he sowed some acres of wheat and barley- the Spaniards had before this sowed some very small quantities-all of which he had to transport to Sainsevain's mill at San José to have turned into flour. Mr. Brown, in the year 1849, bought a horse-power mill at Benicia, and erected it near his house on the land now occupied by Mr. Bradley, and thus saved this journey. In the Spring of this year, too, Mr. Jones commenced the artificial beautifying of his home, by planting those fine, large locust trees which now give the name of Locust Farm to his place of residence. These are the product of seed brought to the country by Major Stephen Cooper, of Benicia, in 1846, and subsequently presented to Mr. Jones.
From the foregoing it will be acknowledged that the pioneer families of Township Number Two were those of Hon. Elam Brown, and Nathaniel Jones. The country in its general aspect has been greatly changed since their arrival, especially in the matter of ditches, many of these which now are of considerable magnitude, being then mere drains. The prime cause of this we believe to have been the breaking of the upper crust of the soil by the tramping of stock, which increased in numbers year by year and conse- quently caused the greater damage as their hundreds were changed into thousands.
Here then were these gentlemen left "monarchs of all they surveyed," until the discovery of gold. At this period that vast horde of immigrants, who had left their homes in the Atlantic and other States to the potent
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shibboleth of gold, commenced to find their way into the fertile valleys and metal-producing gorges of California. Nearly all took a turn at the mines, some to amass wealth, others to be plunged into irretrievable ruin of mind and body. Happily, among all these, there were some with home instincts still left in their bosoms, who sought out the valleys pregnant, too, with wealth, but of a different nature, and fixed their abodes in what was then a soli- tude, but which by their own industry, and the unremitting labor of others, has, to-day, become a fruitful and populous country, still holding out prom- ise of yet greater productiveness.
First among these to settle in Township Number Two were Leo Norris and William Lynch, in the Fall of the year 1850. They came to the San Ramon valley, and took up the land now occupied by them. Here they found a branch of the Soto family residing in an adobe house then standing about a hundred and fifty yards from the site of Mr. Norris' present resi- dence, and which they occupied by permission of the Amadors. They only remained, however, for a month or two after the arrival of Mr. Norris. In the month of September, 1850, Messrs. Norris and Lynch erected the house now occupied by the former, which was the first frame building put up in the valley, the lumber for which was brought from the redwoods of San An- tonio. As there were no roads, its transport from there to San Ramon by way of Mission San José, Suñol valley, and the spot where now the village of Dublin is planted, was a tedious undertaking, but all was surmounted, and the dwelling completed in time to be occupied before the Winter had set in. In the Spring of 1851, these energetic pioneers put in the first crop in the valley, on land now owned by Mr. Lynch-about twelve acres of barley which yielded one hundred and ten bushels to the acre. That same season a field was fenced by them with willows procured from the banks of the adjacent creek, the saplings, some of which were never removed, having in the intervening years become handsome trees of goodly proportions. These may be seen still standing to the rear of Mr. Lynch's house lot. In the same year, but later, a Mr. Russell located near the head of the valley, on land that has since been divided up, but a portion of which is now occu- pied by Elisha Harlan. In a conversation with David Glass, who occupies a handsome dwelling near the head of the valley, we were informed that in the month of November, 1850, he settled about a half a mile from where the town of Walnut Creek now stands, on land at present in the possession of A. D. Briggs. At that time a man named William Slusher lived in a little cabin near where the Walnut Creek House has since been erected, while Alexander Boss resided where now dwells William Rice, and there cultivated some vegetables. The Francisco Garcia family lived near the present residence of Col. Stone, in the vicinity of Alamo, while not far from there were other Spaniards dwelling, who were interested in the San Ramon Grant.
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Township Number Two.
By the year 1851 those individuals who had been to the mines, and had felt the blessings of the " glorious climate of California," came down from the gold-producing mountain gorges, spied out the land, took up claims, and returned whence they came. Of course, it has been impossible to keep track of who these were, or where they located; they were simply birds of passage, who knew no other permanent roost but the mines. In this year, however, one man, named John R. Boyd, located on what is 'now popularly called the Railroad Ranch, but how long he remained there we have been unable to gather. In Sycamore valley there settled in 1851 Leonard Eddy on that tract of land at present owned by Hon. Charles Wood, while in the Tasajara valley there located about the same time Abner Pearson, and the Gillett brothers, who in the following year raised a crop of grain on the farms now owned by John Johnston and Harrison Finley. On that portion of the San Ramon Grant, now occupied by Mr. Hemme, there lived, in 1852, a Mr. Sweitzer, who it is presumed located there during the previous year. Where Mrs. Jamieson's house now is, there settled in 1851 one Francisco Otoya.
On October 8, 1852, D. P. Smith located a little to the east of Alamo, but moved to his present property the year after. When he came to the township there were only four houses between what is now the village of Alamo and the county seat at Martinez ; these were, the shanty already noticed as being occupied by David Glass, the next was the residence of Elwell and Wall on the Biggs place, the old Welch house, and a building near Martinez in the possession of M. R. Barber. In that same year there located, on the stream southwest of Walnut Creek, Josiah Shafer, James Bell, Daniel Seeley, William Comstock and Zelotus Reed. There came also about the same time Carroll W. Ish, who took possession of the little house a short distance above the mansion of August Hemme, while John Smith, a Scotch- man, resided on the land now owned by William Hemme, a nephew of August Hemme, to the south of Danville, and William Chick dwelt on the land now owned by James M. Stone. In this year Henry Russell went to San Ramon with Samuel Russell, and now lives near Leo Norris, on the way to Haywards. John P. Chrisman resided on the creek above Danville, where now lives Thomas Flournoy, while in the Tassajara district Philip Mendenhall occupied a portion of the land now in the possession of Hon. Charles Wood. Further up the valley, on the Sycamore creek, Wade Hayes lived on Bell's land, Francis Matteson was located where he now resides, and on the Tassajara road there were Mark Elliott and Wilson Coats on their present places, and Levi Maxcy. On a portion of the present property of Mr. Flournoy there dwelt a Dr. Watts, while in the same year Horace W. Goodwin settled on the place now occupied by Mr. Coats. In the month of September of this year Benjamin Shreve came to Lafayette. In October R. O. Baldwin visited the San Ramon valley, and being impressed with its
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History of Contra Costa County.
beauties, he, therefore, in partnership with William Meese, purchased three hundred acres of land, which they have since divided, the old friends being now next-door neighbors. On their arrival they found two brothers, Alex- ander and Henry Moore, in possession of a large tract of land, engaged in stock raising, and residing in the house now occupied by Albert Young; while, in Walnut Creek, there located about the same time the Sanford family, Erastus Ford, who arrived in Martinez in 1850, Benjamin Hodges and William Wells.
In the year 1852, David Glass started a small trading-post on the place now owned by Hon. A. W. Hammitt, which was patronized by the settlers in the country round, and is supposed to be the first store in the county opened outside of Martinez. The fate of this little mart was as follows : In 1855, Mr. Glass disposed of his stock to Henry Hoffman, who transferred it to, and opened a store at the place where the village of Alamo has since been built. In this year, too, on the same property, Mr. Glass planted the first orchard in San Ramon valley, the trees having been obtained from Oregon, while, to this year, is the honor of building the first house in the village of San Ramon, which was constructed by John White, and is now the residence of George McCamley. It may be remembered that one Wil- liam Slusher occupied a cabin near the Walnut Creek House ; in 1852 we find that it belonged to George Thorn, who had purchased it, its original owner leaving the district. In this year, too, we have the establishment of a school-house at Lafayette, and another in the San Ramon valley. The latter stood at the foot of the eminence known as Cox's hill, near the vil- lage of Limerick (San Ramon), while another, at a very early date, was taught by one Sylvester Degan, near a clump of oaks on Leo Norris' land. Mr. Degan, upon the abandonment of this last seminary, became the pre- ceptor of the first mentioned institution.
In the year 1853, Socrates Huff and L. C. Wittenmyer came to the Isaac Russell place, while B. Alcorn located next to Mark Elliott. Felix G. Coats, too, came in this year, as did also three men named Jones, Lane and Beemer, on the Jenkins place. In the Summer of this year Milo J. Hough came to the township and first settled at Lafayette, where he found among others there located, Hon. Elam Brown and family, Nathaniel Jones and family, James H. Gorham and family, and George W. Hammett and family. He here, too, found in the course of construction by " Squire " Brown, a grist-mill, which commenced operations in that Fall. It stood about seventy-five yards from the present hotel, on the site now occupied by the store and residence of Benjamin Shreve. That same Fall, Mr. Hough located a hotel in that hamlet. About the same time there settled in the district, David Hodge and family, on the stream known as Release creek, as did also Isaac Hunsaker, Wesley Bradley, Ira True, Dr. Turner, John W. Jones, Sol. P. Davis, near Pacheco, and several others whose names are now unremem-
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bered. To the San Ramon valley, in the year 1853, there came William W. Cox, while to Green valley was William Z. Stone, and to the vicinity of Walnut Creek, John Baker.
Besides these mentioned above, we have since learned that there were living in the year 1853, in Township Number Two: Richard Fergusson, on the land adjoining Messrs. Baldwin and Meese; at the time August Hemme was in partnership with Wade Hayes; Andrew and Daniel Inman, Henry Seymour and Jesse Bowles were in Green Valley, on the place now occupied by L. L. Boone ; " Old Man " Mitchell, with his wife, and Isaac N. B., and John Mitchell settled in San Ramon, on the tract adjoining that of Erastus Ford; James M. Thomson also located, and at that time resided in a frame house near the San Ramon creek, a few hundred yards north of the present village of Alamo ; John McDonald settled in Green Valley, on the land now occupied by J. P. Chrisman ; James M. Allen built a house in the " Willows," adjoining the property of E. H. Cox in San Ramon valley.
In the year 1852 there settled in the San Ramon valley Joel Harlan, who died March 28, 1875. He had been a prominent resident of the county for several years, and arrived in the State in 1846. During the session of the first Legislature Mr. Harlan and his family were residing not far from San José, and on the organization of counties his dwelling fell within the limits of Contra Costa, as then established. Purchasing a tract of land a year or two subsequently, he erected a house in the Amador valley, but on the creation of Alameda county, mainly from the territory originally com- prised in Contra Costa, one of the points defining the boundary line between the two counties was the house of Joel Harlan. The building was always considered to be on the Contra Costa side of the county line, but it was removed or demolished in 1857, when Mr. Harlan removed to the handsome property on which his widow now resides.
Of those settlers who came to the township in the year 1854, we have the name of William Hook, who had lived for a short time in Martinez, during the previous year, engaged in mercantile pursuits, and in the year under notice purchased the property on which he now resides, while in . January of that year James M. Stone settled in the vicinity of Danville. In the Fall of 1854 Jesse H. Williams took up his residence, where he now lives, in the vicinity of the Moraga valley. He there found in that locality William Southard, living on the place now occupied by Dennis Flynn, on the property of Horace W. Carpentier. Jackson Gann had a place in the Redwood canon, and his brother, Wilson Gann, dwelt about half a mile from the store that had then been recently opened by John Courter; Jack Allen resided on the San Antonio (now Oakland) road, while there was a man named Inmer, located near the " Tule Patch," which later in the year was bought by Edward Curry, who took up his residence thereon. Besides these, George and David Meacham were on a place on the road to Walnut
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History of Contra Costa County.
Creek, where it joins that to Oakland, and not far from him was John Merrill. Across the Moraga creek, between the store and the redwoods, lived William Brown, a preacher, well known in those early times, while on the banks of Walnut creek there dwelt Phineas Harrington and Daniel Hunsaker.
We have mentioned the store at Moraga : in the Spring of 1854 John Courter opened it, conducted it for four or five years, and admitted several partners into the concern, finally disposing of the whole stock to Lewis Mason, who, dying, a man named Wilkie managed its affairs for the widow. The business was sold subsequently to Lawrence G. Peel, who in turn dis- posed of it to one Harrington, who closed out in the Spring of 1872. This store was the first frame house built in Moraga valley.
In the year 1854 the nucleus of the village of Alamo had been formed. Two stores were then in full operation, one kept by George Engelmeyer, the other by S. Wolf & Co., the latter being the first built; while, at this period, besides the school-house already mentioned, a Cumberland Presby- terian church stood near it on Mr. Hemme's land. This building was after- wards moved to Alamo, towards the end of the year 1875.
In the Fall of 1855 Milo J. Hough, who we have said located in Lafay- ette, and built a hotel there in 1853, removed to where the village of Walnut Creek now stands, and there built a hotel on the north side of the creek, at the entrance to the town, on the lot now occupied by the widow Shannon. It was twenty-four by forty feet, and in it was opened the first store in Walnut Creek. The hotel, which was known by the name of the Walnut Creek House, was destroyed by fire April 5, 1867, thus removing one of the old familiar landmarks of the county. To the Moraga district there came in 1855, Franklin Hostetter and David Carrick, who located on Wal- nut creek, while in the same year a school-house was opened on the site of the present seminary, and taught by Philip Sage, services being held in the building by Parson Brown, whom we have mentioned above. On Novem- ber 10, 1855, that well-known resident of Danville, Thomas Flournoy, settled on his present property, while, in the same year, the present estima- ,ble proprietor of the Rogers Hotel, in Walnut Creek, W. B. Rogers, settled in the San Ramon valley. In the Fall of that year Joshua Bollinger took up his location in the cañon to which he has given his naine, and John Johnston settled where he now resides, having purchased the land from Abner Pearson and the Gillett brothers.
In the month of May of the year 1856, Albert Sherburne arrived with his family in the county, and settled on a farm owned by his brother, Hon. D. N. Sherburne, in the San Ramon valley near the Cox place. Mr. Sher- burne has since then resided in Sycamore valley, and is now a prosperous resident of Walnut Creek, where he for several years conducted a store. Nathaniel S. and Chas. E. Howard also came to the township in this year, and located where they now reside, about two miles from Danville.
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Township Number Two.
In this year, or the previous, but certainly about that time, a school was established on the site of the blacksmith shop, south of Mr. Glass' store, at San Ramon ; while, about the same period, orchards were first planted in the Tassajara and Sycamore districts. About this year Lawrence G. Peel, who, having disposed of his business at the store in Moraga valley, removed to Walnut Creek and opened a store there, which he conducted until his death in 1869, when the business was purchased by Albert Sherburne. This establishment stood on the place now occupied by Antone Silva, the original store with its internal fixtures still standing.
Among those who settled in the township in 1857 were C. B. Notting- ham, who had resided in different portions of the State since 1851, and came from San José to his present place in the Fall of the year. In this same season came also James Foster, a most respected citizen, who pitched his tent in the then thriving village of Alamo, where he opened a wheel- wright shop, and followed his calling for twelve years, while John Larkey took up his residence near Walnut Creek during that year.
In this year the first school in the Sycamore district was opened in a house that stood near the residence of Mark Elliott, while buildings were springing up in every quarter.
First among the settlers to arrive in the year of 1858 was Albert W. Stone, who purchased his present valuable farm in the month of January. He was followed by J. C. Peterson, F. L. Hamburg, at Alamo ; Michael Kirsch, at Walnut Creek, and ex-Sheriff M. B. Ivory, in Green valley ; the last gentleman now residing in the "Stone House," in Township Num- ber Five.
During the year 1859, we have not been able to gather the names of any new-comers, though of course there were several who settled in the town- ship. We learn that the Hon. D. N. Sherburne moved at that period into the Sycamore valley, to the place on which he has since built his very elegant mansion.
On June 6, 1859, there occurred near Lafayette one of those distressing events, that though unseldom, when they are first announced send a thrill of horror through a whole community. The calamity to which we refer was the death of Mrs. Robert S. Linville and her two children by fire. It would appear that whilst Mr. Linville, in company with a hired man, was engaged a short distance from his house in milking cows, he discovered that his house was on fire. On reaching his dwelling he found it com- pletely enveloped in flames, his wife upon the ground a few yards from it with her feet in a spring of water. Her clothes were entirely burnt off. She endeavored to inform him of the cause of the fire, but could only ar- ticulate the word "lamp." Mr. Linville made an effort to rescue his chil- dren -- one of whom was about three years of age, the other two months- but his efforts were fruitless, and thus the bereaved husband and father
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saw those dearest to him perish (the mother dying about an hour after in extreme agony) in the flames without being able to succor them.
On October 19, 1859, the corner-stone of an academy was laid, under the auspices of the Contra Costa Educational Association. It was a large three-story building, situated about a mile and a half south of Alamo, nearly opposite Mr. Hemme's present residence, and was first placed in charge of Rev. David McClure, Ph. Dr., now Principal of the California Military Academy at Oakland. This gentleman was succeeded by Profes- sor J. H. Braly, at present of the State Normal School at San José, who in turn was followed by a Rev. Mr. King, under whose administration it was destroyed by fire, and never rebuilt. It had a short life, and died a natural death; it was too far in advance of the times and the wants of the community who then resided in the beautiful San Ramon valley. Let us hope that the new institution at Danville, now being talked of, may share a better fate. Of the first we may say : " Quieta non movere. Requiescat in pace !"
In the year 1860 Daniel Seeley located in Alamo, James M. Stow in Danville, William Rice on the place where he now resides near Walnut Creek, and George W. Yoakum in the Morago Valley, besides many others whose names we have not learned.
From the above date the settlement of the township has been rapid, the broad acres, hitherto unreclaimed, being put under contribution by the horny-handed sons of toil who had established themselves on its fertile bosom. In an almost incredibly short space of time, handsome homesteads commenced to rise from the wild oats, and the valleys began to assume an air of true civilization; with what result, it is unnecessary for us here to state; these efforts speak for themselves; let the prosperous fields, orchards, and gardens tell their own tale.
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