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 67
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DAVID JACOB .- Born in France, June 4, 1836, where he resided until twenty years of age, when he emigrated to the United States, landing in New York. There he remained one year, after which he went to Brazil, where he stayed five years, and then returned to New York. After stay- ing a short time there he went to Mexico, and resided there until the Fall of 1866; then came to California, and located in San Francisco; remained there six years; spent three years in Spanish Town, San Mateo county, and in February, 1876, moved to Contra Costa county, and settled in San Pablo. There he purchased the general merchandise store of A. Cerf which business he now carries on. In 1880 our subject was appointed postmaster of San Pablo, a position he still holds. Married in San Fran- cisco, October 24, 1876, Jeanne Boris, a native of France. There are three daughters by the marriage, namely: Ellen, Irma and Blanche.
OLIVER F. JAMES .- This worthy subject and old pioneer of Contra Costa county was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, February 12, 1821, where he attended the public schools until fourteen years old. At that age he went to sea, and followed a seafaring life for ten years, most of the time on board of whaling vessels, having made two voyages on one of those craft of three years and a half each. On his return he engaged in the coasting trade until the Fall of 1849, when he shipped on board a vessel bound for California via Cape Horn, and arrived in San Francisco in April, 1850. After a short stay in the above city he came to Martinez- which has proved to be his permanent home-and here first found em- ployment at the carpenter's trade. February 22, 1861, Mr. James received the appointment of postmaster of Martinez. an office he has ever since held with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public, while beyond his connection with the postoffice Mr. James was twice elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. Married in Nantucket, August 17, 1845, Miss Abbie Cortwright, a native of that place. She died April 27,
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1862. By this union they had four children: Eliza, Emma, Walter (deceased), and Mary.
SAMPSON W. JOHNSON .- This old pioneer of the coast is the son of William and Mary Wood Johnson, and was born in Russell county, Virginia, August 20, 1828. When but four years of age his parents moved west, locating in Greene county, Illinois, where he received a common school education, and resided until his coming to California. In April, 1846, Mr. Johnson, then in his eighteenth year, started with a party of friends to cross the plains to Oregon, but upon arriving at the Humboldt the company changed their minds on account of one Applegate, misrepresent- ing a new route to Oregon. Then the party concluded to come to Cali- fornia. Upon arriving at Sutter's Fort, where Sacramento City now stands, young Johnson, learning of the outbreak of the Spaniards, volunteered, with others of the party, and joined General Fremont's army in San Jose, and followed the General during all his marches through the country. While in Los Angeles, Johnson, with others, was detailed under Captain Ben. Hedgepeth, to make a raid against the Indians, down towards San Diego. He remained with the General till the Spring of 1847, when the battalion was disbanded. Then he returned to Monterey, remaining there until the discovery of gold, then drifting with the tide to the gold mines, where he remained until 1849, when he located in San José, and found employment in a store until he was elected to the office of Constable-being the first Constable in that place-serving two terms. In 1854, we next find our subject on a farm in San Joaquin valley, where he followed ranching until the Fall of 1859. He then moved to Contra Costa county and engaged in the livery business in Pacheco until 1879, when he established his present livery business in Martinez. Mr. John- son was united in marriage to Miss Annie Mcclellan, in San José in August, 1850. They have four children : Charles Oscar, James Ewing, Kate Adelaide and Perley Marion.
JOHN JOHNSTON .- This well-known and prosperous farmer of Tassajara valley is a native of Scotland, born in November 1811. When twenty years of age he emigrated to Toronto, Canada, and followed the trade of stone mason, which he had mastered in his native country. In 1834 he crossed to the United States, and to the State of Mississippi, where he remained until March 9, 1849, when he started via Texas, for Mazatlan, and from the latter place sailed for the Golden State, arriving in San Francisco July 9, 1849. He immediately proceeded to the mines and embarked in mining for a short time, then turned his attention to stock-raising in San Diego county ; in this he continued for three years, and in May, 1855, located on the place now owned by Mr. Finley, and
Silbern y o Soto
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there conducted a stock farm. Mr. Johnston has purchased land from time to time, and in 1873 bought his present valuable homestead of fifteen hundred and sixty acres of well-improved and highly-cultivated land; he also owns some fourteen hundred acres of hill land, which is used for pasturing, and is now engaged in general farming and stock raising, dealing more especially in blooded stock, having made two im- portations of Clydesdale horses from Scotland. Mr. Johnston is upwards of seventy-one years of age, but in the full vigor of health, physically and mentally.
JOHN W. JONES .- This much respected old pioneer, the subject of our sketch, was born in Henry county, Kentucky, January 28, 1822. When but an infant his parents moved to Harrison county, Indiana, and after a short residence there removed to Meade county, Kentucky, where he was educated at the common schools, and resided until fourteen years of age. In 1836 he moved west to Scott county, Illinois, where he resided for two years, and then moved to Platte county, Missouri, where he en- gaged in farming until the Spring of 1844. He then spent the next three years in boating on the Mississippi river, and in 1847 again settled in Scott county, Illinois, where he resided until March, 1853, when, with ox-teams, and accompanied by his wife and family, he started to cross the plains to the Golden State; after a trip of six months he arrived at his brother's place in Lafayette, Contra Costa county, where he remained the first year, and in October, 1855, bought his present valuable place, con- . sisting of three hundred and ten acres one mile southwest of Walnut Creek, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. Mr. Jones was united in marriage in Exeter, Illinois, May 30, 1852, to Miss Martha J. Arnold, a native of Tennessee, by which union they have one son : Henry T.
HON. JOSEPH P. JONES .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait will be found in this History, was born in Owen county, Indiana, January 27, 1844. In the year 1853, Mr. Jones being then nine years old, his parents moved to Marion county, Oregon, where he attended the common schools, and, afterwards, entering the Willamette University, at Salem, there received a thorough scholastic training, and finally graduated, Artium Baccalaureus, in 1864. In 1865, he returned to his native In- diana, matriculated at the State University in Bloomington, where he entered upon the study of law, and graduated therefrom in 1867. His legal curriculum finished, he returned to his home in Oregon, but shortly after located at the mines in the northern portion of California, where he resided until December, 1869. In that year he came to Martinez, Contra Costa county, and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which
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he has achieved considerable success. Upon the election of H. Mills to the post of District Attorney, Mr. Jones was appointed Deputy to the office, and continued as such until the Fall of 1875, when he was nom- inated and elected on the Republican ticket to the office of District At- torney, the functions of which he held until March, 1878. After a lapse of two years, Mr. Jones once more entered the political arena, and in the Fall of 1880 was called to the House of Assembly, and served at the general and extra sessions of the Legislature, being a member of the Judiciary Committee, as well as Chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations. Our subject is now practicing his profession in partnership with H. Mills, a lawyer long associated with Contra Costa, under the style of Mills & Jones. He married in Martinez, February 2, 1870, Jennie Frazer, a native of Oregon, and has three surviving children, viz: Madison R., Thomas Rodney and Carl Richard.
NATHANIEL JONES .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work, was born, January 20, 1820, in Hawkins county, East Ten- nessee, where he resided with his parents until his twelfth year, when they removed to Cooper county, Missouri ; remaining there but one year, they moved to Morgan county. The country was comparatively new, was rich, and extremely sickly. His father died within a year after settling there, leaving the care of a large family of smaller children upon him and a younger brother, in a place where fever and ague came with the reg- ularity of the seasons. His mother was defrauded of the money for the Tennessee property, which left the family in very straightened circum- stances; and, as the country was new, almost entirely without educational privileges. With sickness in the family, as regularly as the years came round, the outlook for the future was indeed a gloomy one; and when the Platte county country was opened for settlement, young Jones, who was then about sixteen years of age, informed his mother that he was go- ing there with some of his neighbors to take up claims. She told him the idea was absurd ; that he was too young in the first place, and not able to go if he was old enough. But said he, "I am determined to go, and if I can get a claim, and you will go there with me, I will take care of you as long as you live; but I am resolved to leave this sickly hole." He did go, and got a third rate claim of one hundred and sixty acres, and, in due time, pre-empted it, and divided it with his younger brother. His mother only lived a few years to enjoy the new home, in what became Buchanan county. August 10, 1842, he was married to Elizabeth C. Allen. Soon after this, reports came from the then far-off west that, on the shores of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, there was a country of perpet- ual Summer, free from drunkenness and vice; that, the Government would donate to each head of a family six hundred and forty acres of
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land. This, to a young man, with a fair prospect for a large family, and only eighty acres of land, and no reasonable hope of ever being able to buy more, was sufficient to induce him once more to "Go West."
On the 20th day of April, 1846, he, in company with fifteen or twenty other families from Platte and Buchanan counties, Missouri, started with ox-teams for Oregon, the then " Land of Promise." It was a long and tedious journey, that tried to the utmost the stuff that men were made of. And it is, perhaps, not claiming too much, to say that the same number of families never traveled the same distance and encountered the same difficulties with fewer personal differences. Hardly ever a quarrel or dispute, and not a single fight occurred on the entire trip of six months, which cannot truthfully be said of many emigrant trains. The intention was to go to Oregon. California was a place scarcely heard of. But the entire train was providentially turned to the latter State. They had met a number of returning Oregonians, who said that a Mr. Applegate was looking out a shorter and better route through the Cascade mountains, and if he was met, and he reported favorably, they need not hesitate to follow him, as he was a reliable man and well known all over Oregon. This was the more readily believed as he was related by marriage to several families in the train. He did get into the old trail not far from Fort Hall, a short time before his train passed the California trail. He reported having found a shorter and better route; and that all the trains that he had met had turned on the new route, which his did not hesitate to do. This took them to the south bend of the Humboldt, or Mary's river, as it was called by the emigrants, under the direction of a guide, who, before the train came to the forks of the road, passed on, leaving a note informing them that it was eighteen miles to the next camp, where they would find further instructions. Arriving at the new camp, they found no grass for their stock, and an insufficiency of water, and a note inform- ing them that it was eighteen miles to the next camp, but neither grass nor water for their stock, and twenty-five miles to the next camp, where they would find plenty of grass and water. The Captain of the train called a meeting for consultation, and being satisfied that they had been deceived in regard to the road, and understanding that the road to California was open, with plenty of feed and water, they unanimously resolved to turn back, go to California for the Winter, and proceed to Oregon in the Spring. After crossing that almost Saharan desert of sand, from the sink of the St. Mary's river to the Truckee, they were met by Colonel Fremont's recruit- ing officers, and learned for the first time of the war between Mexico and the United States. All the young men that could be spared from the train enlisted, and started the next morning for the front in their new role, and as they had been inured to hardships in their long march across the plains, they became (in connection with the older pioneers of
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California) the "Ironsides" of the American army in Upper California. The weary miles wore away, and it was announced in camp one morning, that to-day the train would reach the white settlements. All was bustle and excitement, particularly among the female members of the train, who hunted up their long unused pomade bottles and starch bags, and in a short time our train, but for the jaded teams, presented the appearance of a party of pleasure-seekers on a picnic excursion. Johnson's ranch was reached, the teams halted, and the ladies of the train came forward to be introduced to the " bon ton" of California. The Californians soon appeared in full force in undress uniform-that is, all under fifteen years of age were as nude as when born, and the older ones, but little better clothed. When they appeared on the field, the women of the train broke ranks and fled in the wildest confusion to their respective wagons, to meditate on the simplicity of Californian fashions. At Sutter's Fort the train was met by Colonel Joe Chiles, who represented that he had a good place for all who desired to winter there. Mr. Jones, with his own and four other families, accepted his offer and arrived at his ranch, November 2, 1846. After they were securely housed for the Winter, more volunteers being called for, our subject, J. C. Allen and Philip E. Walters volun- teered, and served under Captain Martin until the close of the war, about three months afterwards. Mr. Jones was in the battle of Santa Clara, where twenty-five or thirty volunteers under Captains Julius Martin and Smith, and about seventy marines under Captain Marsden, of the regular army, were engaged with the native forces. The engagement lasted about three hours, and it was reported that a dog was wounded on the American side, and five or six Californians killed. Mr. Jones got his discharge at the pueblo of San José, and returned to his family at Chiles' ranch. In the early part of June, 1847, he left Chiles' taking his family to the Peralta redwoods, to get out timber.
In the Summer or Fall, Elam Brown bought the Acalanes Rancho, and was anxious for Mr. Jones to take a portion, which he did-an undivided one-tenth-paying therefor one hundred dollars, the proceeds of his Summer's work in the redwoods. We here mention the fact that Mr. Jones' wagon was the first that ever crossed the Straits of Carquinez whole. On his way to the redwoods, in the Spring of 1847, he crossed the Straits in Doctor Semple's ferry-boat-a rude craft propelled with oars. Two other families were waiting to be crossed, but Mrs. Jones was the only one of the women brave enough to go aboard the boat with her family on its experimental trip. There is a belt of country extending through Contra Costa county, of five or six miles in width, where the small valleys, nestling among the hills have a soil as rich as can be, a healthy climate, and scenery of unsurpassed loveliness. In the midst of this Eden of California, the Acalanes Rancho is situated, of which Mr.
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Jones owns three hundred and seventy-two acres ; a hundred acres of as fine valley land as can be found in this State, one hundred and fifty acres of tillable hill land, and the balance good grazing land; a fine orchard of about five acres of choice fruits, and around his residence some of the largest locust trees to be seen in the State. The seed of the locusts were brought to the State in 1846, by Major Stephen Cooper, but as he settled in Benicia and did not wish to plant the seed there, he gave them to Mr. Jones, and they were planted in the Spring of 1848, and were the first black-locust seed planted in the State. Mr. Jones justly claims the right to christen his place " Locust Farm." His entire farm is enclosed with a good fence, and he has a comfortable dwelling of eight rooms, and convenient out-buildings. His title to the land is perfect. Mr. Jones has held several important offices in the county, being the first Sheriff, afterwards Public Administrator and Supervisor-all of which positions he has filled with credit. He has taken a deep interest in all the material interests of the county, and has ever been an uncompromising opponent of extravagance in the use of county funds.
In the early days of California there were in various places, at different times, scenes of intense excitement over daring robberies, which frequently resulted in the hanging of a few of the outlaws. Contra Costa county did not entirely escape such scenes of excitement, though, be it said to the credit of the leading citizens of the county, none of the outlaws were ever hanged by the outraged and excited citizens, as many of them richly deserved to be. In one of such scenes Mr. Jones took an active and lead- ing part. In December, 1855, James Lane and Milton Davy, citizens of Contra Costa county, stole a lot of cattle in San Joaquin county. They were closely followed by the owners of the stock, and near Antioch were overtaken and captured with the stolen property in their possession. They were turned over to the Sheriff of Contra Costa to be delivered to the proper officers of San Joaquin county for trial. On arriving at Mar- tinez they sued out a writ of habeas corpus, the hearing of which had to be postponed for a few days, in order to get some important evidence from San Joaquin county. In the meantime the prisoners were turned loose on what at the time was believed, and afterwards proved to be " straw bail." Meanwhile the Sheriff, N. Hunsaker, had requested lead- ing citizens of the county to be in Martinez on the return day of the writ, as he feared the prisoners and their friends would resist the transfer to San Joaquin for trial. The day arrived and with it two or three hundred citizens to assist the Sheriff, if need be, in the execution of the law. The accused were in Martinez up to a late hour the evening previons, but in the morning they had disappeared, and when the people began to pour into the town, many rumors were industriously circulated, all calculated to intensify the excitement created by the arrest of citizens of the county
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whose reputations were good up to this time. It was reported on the street that the Judge was in league with the prisoners, and the question was asked: " Will he proceed with the trial in the absence of the ac- cused ?" In the midst of the excitement A. J. Tice, an intimate friend of Lane and Davy, rode into town, his horse panting and covered with sweat. Reports then began to circulate that many head of stolen stock were on the Tice ranch, and it became apparent to the cooler-headed por- tion of the citizens that unless something was done to allay the excite- ment somebody would get hurt. In the midst of an excited and passionate address to the crowds around the Morgan House, by Colonel Gift, it was moved that they proceed to the Court House and request the Judge to resign. The motion was carried, and the crowd moved to the Court House. A. J. Tice was requested to go with them, which he willingly did. At this time Mr. Jones was appealed to to speak to the crowd to allay the excitement. He said : " I do not see that I can do or say anything to allay the excitement, but let us watch our chance." The Court room was soon full of excited men, Colonel Gift acting as spokesman. Mr. Jones went to Judge John Curry, the counsel of Lane and Davy, and appealed to him not to urge the trial in the absence of the accused, but to no purpose. A proposition was then made to repair to another room to determine what should be done. As soon as order was restored, Mr. Jones, who had in the meantime counseled with a lawyer by the name of Reynolds, moved that a committee be appointed to inquire into the truth or falsity of the reports of stolen stock on the Tice ranch, A. J. Tice being present and consenting to the proceedings; also a committee to search the town for the accused, it being reported that they were con- cealed in the town. The main object of Mr. Jones and those acting with him was to get the excited multitude to disperse, giving men time to cool off and act dispassionately. And, as subsequent facts demonstrated, no better plan could have been devised, as one committee reported that no stolen cattle were on the Tice ranch, and the other, that the accused could not be found.
Here the entire matter should have ended, but it did not. Mr. Tice thought he had discovered a very rich bonanza, as many of the wealthiest farmers of the two counties had taken part, one way and another, in the proceedings. He then, strange as it may seem, went to San Francisco and commenced an action for false imprisonment against about fifty of the wealthiest citizens of the two counties, in the Superior Court, Shattuck being Judge. The modest sum of one hundred thousand dollars was claimed as damages ! A Mr. Comstock, who had been called as a witness before the committee, commenced a similar action, for a like amount, against the same defendants, with one or two exceptions. Mr. Jones was chosen by the defendants to manage the suits, so far as pro-
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curing witnesses and arranging the evidence, and after a very tedious and expensive litigation, which lasted for nearly or quite two years, the cases were decided by giving the plaintiffs one dollar each damages. ' In polit- ical matters Mr. Jones has always acted with the Democratic party, ex- cept for a short time in 1855, when he joined the American party for a distinct purpose, which purpose was to compel the then County Judge, Nat. Wood, to be a little more economical in the disbursement of the county funds or force him to resign, the latter of which he claims he was instrumental in bringing about in 1856. In the late " unpleasantness " between the States, Mr. Jones took an active part against the Republican party, because of the incendiary speeches and public documents of like character, endorsed by nearly all of the leading men of the party, that he claimed must, of necessity, sooner or later, result in the destruction of Constitutional liberty. We cannot show Mr. Jones' position better than by repeating the substance of a conversation that took place between him and a prominent physician of the county during a heated political contest at Clayton, they being engaged in earnest conversation over the future outlook, when Mr. Jones said :-
" Doctor, how many secessionists do you honestly believe there are in this county ?"
The Doctor answered, " About half a dozen," and named them.
Mr. Jones replied, "Had you asked me the same question, I should have given the same answer, and named precisely the same persons," and continuing, Mr. Jones remarked :
" Doctor, you believe that the Democratic party is just as true and loyal to the principles of the Government as the Republican ?"
The Doctor replied, " I certainly do."
" Then," said Mr. Jones, " don't you believe that if everybody in the State admitted that fact, we would beat your 'party by forty thousand in the coming election ?"
"Not to that extent," said the Doctor, " but I believe you would cer- tainly carry the election by a handsome majority."
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