USA > California > Contra Costa County > History of Contra Costa County, California; with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 40
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August 7, 1926 .- Sale of the Port Costa Water Company, founded and operated for many years by the George W. McNear interests, to a group of investors represented by the bond house of Pierce, Fair & Co., was announced jointly Tuesday afternoon by E. H. Shibley, manager of the system for years, and Harry Reinhardt of Berkeley, who succeeds Shibley as manager of the water company. Neither Shibley nor Reinhardt
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was in a position to make public the price paid the McNears for their controlling interest in the water company, but it is understood to have been a sum of sizeable proportions. The deal involves all lands, wells, pumping plants, pipe lines and storage reservoirs owned, controlled or operated by the Port Costa Water Company.
September 18, 1926 .- The Contra Costa Gazette, the first newspaper established in Contra Costa County and one of the few of the early-day newspapers of the State to have continued without change of name through all the years from 1858 to the present day, and never having missed a single issue, today celebrates its sixty-eighth birthday.
And on this, its sixty-eighth birthday, it is with pardonable pride we announce the passing of the old reliable Contra Costa Gazette from the weekly to the daily field, thus taking the place of the Daily Gazette which holds the distinction of being the oldest daily newspaper now published in Contra Costa County. Hereafter the Contra Costa Gazette will be pub- lished daily, excepting Sundays and legal holidays.
On September 18, 1858, Vol. 1, No. 1 of the Contra Costa Gazette made its appearance in Martinez, then a village of a mere handful of souls. Some years later, when Pacheco became the principal business center of the county, the Gazette was moved to that town and published there for a number of years, returning to Martinez when the county seat again took precedence and became the principal seat of business for the central part of Contra Costa County.
The management of the Gazette points with justifiable pride to the long career and enviable reputation which this old-established pioneer journal has enjoyed for more than half a century and still holds. And in announcing this change in publication policy the Gazette celebrates its birthday by the installation of a specially built press room of the latest model Goss-Comet perfecting web press, shipped directly from the factory in Chicago. The Gazette's new Goss-Comet press operates at high speed. being fed from great rolls of print paper, and has a capacity of four, six or eight pages printed simultaneously, and being delivered from the press folded and ready for the carriers at a speed of several thousands an hour.
With its new press and two of the latest model linotype machines, with other modern equipment, the Gazette finds itself on this, its sixty-eighth birthday, in a position of being able to give to the people of Martinez and all Contra Costa County a newspaper chronicling local and county events, second to none in its field, it being the aim of this newspaper in future as in the past to furnish the reading public with a true, accurate and depend- able account of the events of the day and concerning people and affairs in which they are most interested.
The Contra Costa Gazette, published daily, will be a bigger and better paper than ever before in its history, if the ambitions of the management and staff meet with successful fulfillment. All the news that's fit to print all the time will continue to be found in the Gazette with such features as are aimed to please and interest both young and old.
"GOLD STAR" HEROES OF THE WORLD WAR
Following are the names of the seventy-six from Contra Costa County who gave their lives in the World War:
Anderson, Simeon M.
Keenan, Patrick J.
Bauer, Adolph C., Jr.
Kennedy, Lawrence S.
Beyer, Peter
Lacey, Howard F.
Brandon, Hazel L.
Latkoski, Joseph
Brown, Elmer B.
Lee, George M.
Brown, William J.
Lorentson, Oscar
Carroll, J. R.
Luchsinger, Fred W.
Crowley, Dennis
McQuarrie, John E.
Damiano, Leo L.
Davidson, John T.
Magreil, Thomas
Del Zotto, Caesar
Miller, James P.
Depianti, Domenico
Morgan, Albert J.
Dias, Edward M.
Nesbitt, R. J.
Dingman, R. L.
Parenti, Ameda
Doglio, Joseph J.
Parkinson, Royal A.
Duncan, Henry C.
Peterson, William
Dunn, V. L.
Prestridge, John B.
Dunn, W. E.
Redding, Earl W.
Eryavich, Joseph F.
Remani, Frederick W.
Fleming, William J.
Ross, G. W.
Flinn, Roy E.
Roveda, Pompeo
Franco, John
Rumble, Ernest
Freitas, George
Secor, B. A.
Freml, Wesley, Jr.
Frerichs, Melvin L.
Severns, Sydney
Gatto, Pietro
Solari, David A.
Spears, Matthew J.
Springer, Charles E.
Stone, William E.
Studebaker, Floyd A.
Harding, Stacy L.
Trelut, Frank
Harper, Richard J.
Turner, Guy A.
Hartnett, James
Vargus, George B.
Walsh, Martin
Henegar, Hugh M. Hoey, Matthew J.
Wilkinson, Charles
Johnstone, William H., Jr.
Wood, Lloyd
Granzella, Agripino
Hagen, Louis C., Jr.
Hampton, Robert B.
Sweet, Ora A.
Sievers, M. H.
Gavin, Raymond F. Glum, William
MacDiarmid, Orvis R.
Catelini, B. L.
McNamara, Henry A.
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW PIONEERS, PAST AND PRESENT
٠
Humus Brown
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
PIONEERS, PAST AND PRESENT
THOMAS ALLEN BROWN .- A pioneer of the Pacific Coast coun- try, Thomas Allen Brown first came to Oregon in 1843, and it was he who laid out the city of Portland in 1844, before gold was discovered in California. He was born on October 16, 1823, in Greene County, Ill., and was the oldest of four children born to Squire Elam Brown, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this history. When he was four- teen years of age the Brown family settled in Platte County, Mo., and six years later, when he was twenty years old, young Brown joined a party of emigrants and crossed the plains and mountains to Oregon. He had had the advantages of a good education and had chosen the profession of the engineer, which he followed in Oregon. When he was only twenty- one he was chosen to make the original survey and plats of the city of Portland.
His advent to California came in 1847, when he made a visit to his parents, who had come to California in 1846 and stopped at Mission San Jose until Squire Brown could find a location for a home, which was soon found in the Moraga Valley. In 1848 T. A. Brown went back to Ore- gon to settle up his affairs, and then at once returned and for a short time was in the mining districts, after which he came direct to what is now the city of Martinez. In 1849 he was appointed alcalde of this district, and held office till April, 1850, when he was elected county clerk and recorder under the new county government. In 1849, before California was ad- mitted as a State, Mr. Brown was selected by Col. William Smith, agent for the Martinez family who were owners of all the land lying west of Alhambra Creek, to survey a townsite and lay out 120 acres. The lots were quickly sold, and then the heirs of the Welch Rancho, on the east side of the creek, employed Mr. Brown to survey and plat about 500 acres, which he did in 1850-1851, and this is known as the Additional Survey. Mr. Brown erected a building that stood about on the spot where the present Scott Hotel is located, and here, with his brother Warren and N. B. Smith, he conducted the first store in Martinez, the town being named after the owners of the grant on which it was located. He next
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served as a supervisor one year, and then took up the study of law while acting as county clerk. He was admitted to practice in 1860, and from that date until his death he was considered one of the brightest men in the legal profession in Contra Costa County.
Mr. Brown was elected county judge in 1856 and served until 1864. In 1865 he was elected to the State Assembly, and served during two ses- sions. He practiced his profession in Martinez; and in 1874, upon the death of Judge Lander, he was appointed county judge, and held that office until the State constitution went into effect and created the superior court, when he became the first superior judge. He remained in this of- fice until he resigned a very short time before his death.
Thomas Allen Brown was united in marriage in 1851 with Miss Caro- line Thelia Cameron, born in Fulton County, Ill., on January 5, 1834. She was the daughter of Rev. John M. and Polly Cameron, and came with them to California across the plains with ox-teams in 1849 and lo- cated for a short time in Sacramento. The family then came to Contra Costa County and Mr. Cameron erected the first brick house in Martinez, at the corner of Las Juntas and Green Streets. There were eleven girls in the Cameron family and one son, Thomas M. W. W. Cameron, who married Alice Marsh, daughter of Dr. John Marsh, was the son of this Thomas M. Cameron. Later, after his family had all married, Rev. and Mrs. Cameron went to Sonoma County and settled near Sebastopol, where they both passed away. About the time of his marriage to Miss Cameron, Thomas A. Brown erected a brick house just north of the creek, above what is now the State Theatre, and this was their first home here. Three sons were born of their union: Elam C., who is mentioned on another page of this history; Wallace, born in 1857, who died in 1921, unmar- ried; and Byron Brown, now the only survivor of the entire Brown family.
Thomas Allen Brown was one of the most public-spirited citizens of this county, and was always doing his share to advance the best interests of his fellow citizens. His wife was an accomplished woman, and was en- deared to her family and a large circle of friends. Mrs. Brown died on January 14, 1922; and Judge Thomas A. Brown died on August 5, 1889. As surveyor, engineer, merchant, lawyer and jurist, he was recognized as the leading citizen of Contra Costa County, and was known and respected throughout the entire State.
DR. JOHN MARSH .- The most conspicuous character of Contra Costa County was the late Dr. John Marsh, the first white man to locate within the county, and here to begin farming and stock-raising. He it was who first extolled the wonders of this far western country as a farmer's paradise and, as the pioneers wended their way across the plains in search of gold or a home, he made it a particular duty to welcome all of those that came within his boundaries. Dr. Marsh had about 6000 head of cattle on his broad acres at all times and their increase was about 1500 head each season. His only help were the Indians of this region and
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these he taught to speak English so they could be understood. He found them very willing to do whatever tasks they were set to perform and he was always humane in his treatment of them.
John Marsh was born in Danvers, Mass., on June 5, 1799, and was a son of John and Mary (Brown) Marsh. He prepared for college with the Reverend Doctor Eaton, of Boxford, Mass., and finished at the Phillips Academy at Andover. At the age of eighteen he entered Harvard University and while attending college taught in his native town to defray his expenses. As a youth he was fond of hunting and trapping. After he had graduated he went to Fort Snelling (now St. Paul), Minn., where he had been appointed instructor to the children of the officers at that post. Leaving there after two years, he went to Detroit, Mich., and with Gov- ernors Schoolcraft and Cass, he went to Prairie du Chien, Wis., and for three years was Indian agent at Fort Crawford, near there. From 1828 to 1835 he was engaged in the mercantile business at St. Joseph, Mo., then he sold out and started West on horseback, with an exploring expedition. He entered California at its southern end and stopped for a time in the pueblo of Los Angeles. It was while there that he obtained from the Mexican government a grant of land at the base of Mount Diablo, in northern California. Immediately proceeding to this location he made a settlement and began raising cattle, his only assistants being the native Indians. He was the first white man to raise grain in what is now Contra Costa County.
The land secured by Doctor Marsh was known as the Los Meganos Rancho and was ten by twelve miles in extent. He settled there in 1837 and named his ranch "Rancho de los Pulpunes." With the aid of the Indians be built an adobe house and after carrying on farming with success for several years, began to write to his friends in the East, and to the newspapers, describing the wonders and possibilities of the soil. In fact his were the first letters that "boosted" California lands. In later years when settlers began coming into the State he always extended to them the hospitality of his home and did what he could to show them a welcome fitting his position.
Upon the discovery of gold his lands advanced in value, and soon afterward his property was confirmed to him by the United States govern- ment. He had a landing on the San Joaquin River above what is now Pittsburg, then known as New York of the Pacific. His land was dotted with live-oak trees, and Marsh Creek traversed the entire length of the property. From plans drawn by Thomas Boyd, he began the con- struction of a stone house 60 by 40 feet in dimensions and three stories high. It was made from the native stone found on the ranch, which when exposed to the air materially hardened. There was a piazza on three sides that was ten feet wide. The cost of the building was about $20,000. The house stands to this day, but Dr. Marsh never lived to enjoy his new home for he was killed the year it was completed, 1856. He experimented
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with fruits of all kinds, had several vineyards, and orchards of apples, plums, figs, almonds and pears. The famous stone house was damaged by the earthquake of 1868, but was restored.
Dr. Marsh was married on June 24, 1851, to Miss Abbie Tuck, born in Massachusetts, who left her home in 1850, and upon arriving in Cal- ifornia located in Santa Clara. She passed away leaving one daughter Alice, who married W. W. Cameron, of Martinez. Dr. Marsh met his death at the hands of Jose Olivas, Juan Garcia and Felipe Moreno, on September 24, 1856, while en route to San Francisco to meet with his attorney there. He was intercepted before reaching Martinez and brutally murdered. His driverless horse continued into Martinez and was found by some citizens who went back and found his body a few miles out of town. The Doctor was a man of commanding appearance, a keen observer of men and things, and a man of wide information gained through his extensive travels. He was a good French and Spanish scholar and was familiar with the habits and manners of each race. In the report of the U. S. Exploring Expedition he was considered the best authority for information of the country traveled over. He had made several pri- vate expeditions into various parts of the country. To Dr. John Marsh all honor is due for the early settlement and development of the resources of Contra Costa County and his name will ever be held in reverence by posterity.
HON. ELAM BROWN .- The second American in Contra Costa County was Hon. Elam Brown, who was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., on June 10, 1797. His father was a farmer and had married a Miss Lyons, both of whom were of Scotch descent. They had three sons and four daughters, Elam being the oldest son. When he was one year of age, his parents moved to Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and six years later they migrated to Ohio, which was at that time a vast timbered wilderness. It was a long hard journey of 700 miles, through a thinly settled country, but after many days of weary traveling through the rugged Alleghany Mountains, and being almost worn out by fatigue and exposure, they came in sight of the broad Ohio River. As they stood upon an elevation and looked upon the grand scene before them, they forgot for a time all about the pleasant home they had left; they thought no more of their weary traveling, but gazed with pleasure upon the beautiful scene spread before them. Below them, on the bank of the beautiful river, stood the little village of Wheeling, while far beyond extended the wild forests of the land to which they were bound. From Wheeling they crossed the river into Ohio. There was at that time but one house on the river opposite Wheeling.
Leaving the river at that point, and traveling thirty miles through the dense forest, they reached Zanesville, a village of eight or ten cabins ; thirty miles from Zanesville was Newark, which consisted of only four or
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five cabins; and about five miles from Newark they came to a cabin on the spot where Granville now stands. There they came to a stop, for twenty-five miles of dense forest lay between them and the destined settle- ment, with not so much as a dim trail through it. The only chance they had to reach the settlement was to open a road, which was a hard under - taking; but the pioneer knows no discouragement. They opened the road and reached the settlement in safety. Their family increased the settle- ment to nine families, four of which were from Berkshire County, Mass- achusetts, and from that it was named the Berkshire settlement. The nearest white settlement north of them was on Lake Erie, about 100 miles distant, and fifteen miles south was the Worthington settlement.
There it was, at seven years of age, that Mr. Brown entered upon a frontier life, with all its hardships and pleasures. There he learned all the inconveniences to be encountered by the pioneer. The first school building in the settlement was a log cabin furnished with seats and desks composed of logs split, and the flat sides hewn off smoothly. It was there that Mr. Brown and his brothers received their first lessons in school. Elam being the oldest son, had to give so much time to the labors of the farm that his educational advancement was very much retarded. Early in life he became deeply interested in history and geography, and made those branches his chief study.
His father died in 1815, and the care of the estate rested on this son, who discharged this duty until 1818. He then left Ohio and went to St. Louis, at that time a French trading post. From St. Louis he traveled on foot 100 miles up the Missouri River, but becoming dissatisfied, he returned, and in company with Charles Gregory, went to Madison County, Ill., where he remained one year, then went fifty miles north to a new settlement on Apple Creek, afterwards organized into Greene County. He married, January 10, 1823, Sarah Allen, the daughter of Thomas Allen, and settled on the first farm he ever owned. He soon sold his farm and moved forty miles north to a new settlement, afterwards organized into Morgan County, Ill., where he resided for fourteen years, twelve of which he served as justice of the peace. He spent the summers of 1826- 1827 in the lead mines of Wisconsin. It was not known at that time whether they were in Illinois or in an unorganized territory. The children of Elam Brown and his wife were: Thomas Allen, born in 1823; Warren; Margeline Smith; and Lawrence Myers.
In 1837 Mr. Brown moved from Illinois to the Platte Purchase, a tract of land bordering on the Missouri River, purchased by the United States from the Indians in 1836. There he located and cleared a farm of 180 acres, upon which he resided until 1846, and here his wife died in 1845. He sold his farm and made preparations to emigrate to the Pacific Coast. Early in the spring of 1846 a company of fourteen families, in- cluding sixteen wagons, was organized, with Mr. Brown as captain. On the first day of May, 1846, the company crossed the river at St. Joseph,
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moving forward as rapidly as was consistent, with nothing to interrupt their progress until they reached the South Platte. They had in the meantime fallen in with other companies, so the train at that time con- sisted of about thirty wagons.
They had been travelling up the river and had camped at the junction of the two tributaries. Soon after dark the cattle stampeded and after a delay of one week spent in searching for them, they succeeded in finding all except 120 head, of which 62 were oxen. This was a serious loss. It left their teams very much broken up, but they managed to buy some cows from other trains, and by working those and what cows and oxen they had, they were enabled to proceed on their journey.
When they came within a few miles of Fort Laramie, Mr. Brown, with five companions, started on ahead of the train in order to make some arrangements for more oxen, and to have some blacksmith work done at the fort by the time the train came up. They had gone but a short distance when an Indian met them and seemed very anxious to communi- cate something to them, but they were unable to understand him, so he turned and accompanied them. They had gone but a short distance when they reached an elevation from which they could look down on the Platte, about two miles distant; there, to their amazement, they saw about three hundred well mounted Indians. The Indian with them waved his blanket as a signal and the others advanced towards them in solid column, on a cavalry trot, their arms and dress glittering in the bright sunshine.
Mr. Brown says that he never saw a better parade by well trained cavalry than he witnessed by those red men of the plains. He judged the signs to be favorable, and on being asked by Mr. Crowly, who exhib- ited considerable fear and anxiety, what it all meant, told him to go back and give instructions to the trains to come up in two lines, so that they could swing together in case of an emergency, and to look well to their arms. Mr. Brown was left with one companion, Mr. Scott, the others having gone back on the first appearance of the Indians.
When they came within twenty-five feet of Mr. Brown he raised his hand as a signal for them to halt; they did so. The chief dismounted from his horse and walked back and forth in front of the line, addressing them. After he finished he advanced and extended his hand to Mr. Brown; then eleven others came forward and presented their hands to him. By this time the train had almost reached them, and Mr. Brown sent for some tobacco; when it was brought he sat down on the ground and motioned to the chiefs to be seated; they did so, forming a circle. He handed the tobacco to the head chief, who distributed it and lighted a pipe, and after taking a whiff, he passed it to Mr. Brown, who did the same, and passed it to the next, and so on until it was passed around the circle. The oxen became very restless and Mr. Brown motioned to the chief to have the lines opened so that the teams could pass on. The re-
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quest was immediately granted, and the train passed on by the fort and camped on the North Platte. The Indians came on and camped near the emigrants. Other trains, on hearing of the appearance of Indians, pushed forward as rapidly as possible to join Mr. Brown's train. During the evening some of the Indians came into camp and began to meddle with things in the wagons. Complaint was made to the chief, who mounted a wagon and made a speech, and the Indians left the camp of the Ameri- cans and bothered them no more.
Mr. Brown was informed by a French trader that the Indians desired the emigrants to give them a feast, claiming it as a tribute for passing through their country and destroying their game. The emigrants could not do so that evening on account of the wind; but the next morning plenty of provisions were prepared and taken out a short distance from the camp and placed upon some logs; then the Indians were invited to par- take of it, when, unexpectedly, only the chief and eleven others came for- ward and partook of the feast. After it was over the emigrants had, through an interpreter, a friendly conversation with the Indians, and made them a few presents, and all separated good friends.
The next morning the emigrants left for Fort Laramie and traveled up the river all day. They camped by a spring about half a mile from the river. About dark the cattle took a stampede, going back the road they had come, but on reaching the river they plunged in and swam to an island about eighty rods from the shore. Two young men, Joseph Still- well and George Marsh, doffed their clothes, swam the river and fol- lowed the cattle to the upper end of the island, and succeeded in getting them back to camp about midnight.
The train passed through the Black Hills, crossed the North Platte, then traveled up the Sweetwater, crossed over the mountains on to Green River, with nothing but sickness to interrupt their progress. They crossed Green River and traveled on to Fort Bridger; there Mr. Brown had to leave his son, Warren, who had been sick twenty days with typhoid fever. They traveled on over to Bear River, and to Fort Hall on the Snake River. thence down the Snake River about forty miles, and turned south over on to the Humboldt. They went down the Humboldt to the sink, thence west across the eight-mile desert on to the Truckee. They traveled up the river, crossing it twenty-seven times with much difficulty, on account of the large rocks and swift current, and arrived near the summit. The mountain reared its summit far above them, and the ascent was so steep that their weary teams could not draw the wagons up it. They knew something had to be done; winter was near, starvation with it. After considerable trouble they managed to get fifteen yoke of oxen to the top of the mountain. They then extended a chain from the teams to the wagons, which were 200 feet below, but to prevent the chain from bearing too heavily upon the ground they placed on the summit a large roller made of a log, over which they passed the chain, and by that means they were
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