USA > California > Del Norte County > History of Del Norte County, California : with a business directory and travelers guide > Part 2
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In the time of Fremont's voyage, and long after, a river in Oregon, now known as Illinois river, was called Smith's river; and it was supposed to empty into the ocean some- where near the mouth of the present Smith's river. It was natural, therefore, that those who crossed the moun- tains and traveled down this river to the coast should call the stream Smith's river, believing, as they did, that the
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MURDERED BY INDIANS.
two rivers were one and the same. In the course of time, when the country became better known, the true Smith's river received the new name of Illinois, while the Del Norte river retained the former name and has kept it ever since.
The first white child ever born in Del Norte county was born in Crescent City to the wife of Mr. Frame, on the 28th day of August, 1853, and was christened " Mary Framc"
The town of Crescent City was rapidly improving, the population of the county was steadily increasing, and bus- iness houses and dwellings were being erected on every hand.
And about this time the influence of the white settle- ment was being felt by the Indians; they were being pushed to the wall by the march of civilization. In the spring of 1853 a man called California Jack, accompanied by several others, started from Crescent City on a pros- pecting tour, intending to visit some place near Smith's river. A short time afterwards an Indian was seen, in town carrying a revolver with the name, "California Jack," engraved upon it. Surmising that the prospectors had been murdered by the Indians, a party of citizens attacked the Indians on Battery Point, near town, killing the one who had the pistol and several others. A com- pany was immediately organized to search for the sup posed murdered men. The camp of the prospectors on the banks of Smith's river was easily found, and further search resulted in the discovery of the bodies of the men, all bearing marks of violence by the Indians.
After the punishment of the Indians at Battery Point, a large number of the survivors removed to a rancheria near the mouth of Smith's river, known as the Yontocket ranch. But the feeling in Crescent City against them was too intense to subside without a further punishment being administered. A company was formed, and procuring a
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
guide who had some knowledge of the country, they with difficulty made their way through the forests, and arriving at a point near the ranch, prepared for the attack on the Indians. Of the manner in which the attack was made, no authentic information can now be obtained. It is well. known, however, that the fight ended in a disastrous defeat to the savages, a large number being killed, while the whites escaped with little or no loss.
Other murders were committed in the same year by the Indians, the accounts of which are meager and not thor- oughly reliable. One account says that in the neighbor- hood of what is now known as Shannon's creek, a few miles north of Smith's river, three men who were travel- ing down the coast were attacked and murdered by the Indians, their bodies being hidden in a cave in the rocks, and afterwards found. Other difficulties between the whites and Indians occurred at intervals, the adventurous spirit of the whites and the reluctance of the Indians to give up their lands to them, causing the breach to grow wider and wider, until it threatened to involve the county in a general Indian war
The summer of 1853 passed quietly away, with but little excitement, except an occasional murder by the Indians, and the patriotic celebration of the Fourth of July, the first celebration of the day we honor ever held in Crescent City. During the fall the steamer Columbia made regular trips from San Francisco to Crescent City, heavily laden with freight and passengers. A number of sailing vessels were also making regular trips, carrying freight and pas- sengers.
It was during the spring and summer of '54 that the most remarkable improvements were made in Crescent City. Money was plentiful, wages were high and laborers in demand, the mines were beginning to attract attention, and everything indicated that a lively city would be built up in this remote corner of California.
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MINING IN '54.
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The year 1854, especially, opened most auspiciously for Crescent City. Nor was the rest of the county behind. The whole county was becoming settled with people from all parts of the Union, and from nearly every part of the civilized world.
On the 10th of June that necessity of all civilized com- munities, a local newspaper, was established, with Messrs. B. F. Fechtig and W. B. Freaner as publishers. It was called the Crescent City Herald, was a five-column paper, published all at home, and ably edited.
The mail service at that time lacked much of being what it is to-day. An accommodation mail was carried by the steamers, and during the summer was received regularly once in two weeks. When winter came, how- ever, it was a fortunate circumstance if a mail was received once a month. Crescent City had perhaps better mail facilities than other parts of the county, and Smith's River Valley, especially, was fortunato indeed if it ro- ceived a mail once a month.
As before remarked, the town and county were rapidly improving. Large numbers of people were attracted hither by the mineral and agricultural resources which were known to exist in the immediate vicinity of Crescent City. The mining region lying back of the town was thought to be among the best and richest in the State. And although the expectations of the miners in regard to the lasting qualities of the placer mines were not fully realized, yet the mines "panned out " exceedingly well, and the deposits were sufficiently abundant to cause a considerable excitement in regard to them. The miners on Myrtle creek, twelve. miles from town, were doing exceedingly well. The general average was from five to fifteen dollars per day to the hand, and in the month of June one man took out, in two hours, four hundred dol- lars. Now diggings were discovered on the South Fork of Smith's river, and in other parts of the county. The
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
miners on Smith's river were making from ten to twenty- five dollars per day to the hand, while laborers were mak- ing from one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars per month. New diggings were discovered on Indian creek, near Happy Camp, which proved to be very rich. They prospected from $1 to $3 to the pan. Laborers on Indian creek were getting $100 per month and found. On the Klamath river miners were meeting with extraordinary success. New and rich diggings were daily being dis- covered, and the mines yielded from $20 to $40 per day to the hand. At Happy Camp, several large ditches were constructed, thus commencing the extensive system of ditches and fumes that now furnish water to nearly all the bars in the vicinity Gold was also discovered on the middle fork of Indian creek, a tributary of the Klamath, and a lively mining camp was soon established there. Some twenty houses were erected and about eighty miners were at work, making from $9 to $15 per day to the hand.
Twelve miles from the above named diggings, situated on the Klamath at the mouth of Indian creek, were the Happy Camp digging's. At that time the village . f Happy Camp consisted of six or eight houses, the placers lying scattered in the neighborhood. About sixty miners were working here, averaging from $5 to $12 per day to the hand. A short distance below Happy Camp, on Elk creek. a stream running from the south into the Klamath river, new diggings were struck, yielding from $10 to $15 per day to the hand. On the 4th of November new diggings were discovered on a creek running from the redwood ridge an t emptying into Smith's river near the ferry then owned by White & Miller, now known as Peacock's ferry. The mines were about six miles from Crescent City. Dirt paying from three to five cents per pan was found in large quantities. and some claims were worked which panned out from ten to twenty cents to the pan.
Nor were prospectors for the golden treasure content
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GROWTH OF CRESCENT CITY.
to confine their operations to the mountains, gulches and ravines --- they even staked off the beach in front of Cres- cent City into mining claims. But eventually it was ascertained that the sand was not of sufficient value to repay the expense of working the same, and the claims were abandoned to the winter revels of old Neptune, who gave his first notice " to quit " by the loud blast of a " sou- easter."
And the agricultural interests of the county were not neglected. During the spring and summer of '54 nearly seventy-five farmers located in various parts of the county, and rapidly brought into cultivation much of fertile land. The first crops raised in the county were raised in Smith's River Valley by Ray Wallace and T. Crook, and were harvested in the above named year. The seed was mostly obtained from Oregon, being brought across the mountains by pack trains. Vegetables in large quantities were also raised, and daily and weekly supplies were received at Crescent City from the surrounding country. In addition to cultivating the land already cleared, the farmers were also busily engaged in clearing more land. building houses and fences, setting out fruit trees, etc.
But however rapid was the development of the mining and agricultural resources of the county, they could not keep pace with the extraordinary growth and improve- ment of Crescent City, In the spring of '53 there was but one house standing on the present site of ('rescent City, In the spring of '54 the town contained nearly three hundred houses, with a population of between eight hundred and a thousand inhabitants. Like the mining towns in the good old days of '49 and '50, it had sprung up as if by magic, and demonstrated the fact that " a city may be born in a day."
And in accord with the marvelous growth of the town, was the extraordinary and far-reaching enterprise of its citizens. Every day some new project for the improve-
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
ment of the place was set on foot and energetically carried forward to completion. Hotels and business houses were constantly being opened to the public, the town was rap- idly encroaching upon the adjacent forests, and buildings were even erected on the beach; secret societies and orders were formed, and a fire department was organized; saloons and billiard halls flourished in close proximity to the only house of God the place supported; in fact, it soon became the type of a ('alifornia mining town. The streets were filled with people and presented a busy scene -- the miner from the mountains jostled the farmer from the valley; the merchant and the trader vied with each other in the use of the cunning arguments of trade; speculators in town lots talked loudly to new- comers of the advantages of this, "the garden spot of God's green earth, God bless you, sir;" young men from the States, eager to join the great army who were search- ing for gold, bartered for animals and outfits; pack trains just in from across the mountains, passed other 'trains preparing to start on their trip across the Siskiyous, heavily laden with merchandise and mining implements.
Several express companies were doing a rushing busi ness, including Leland & McCombe's express (connecting at San Francisco with Wells, Fargo & Co.,) and Adams & Co., who also had connections in San Francisco.
Crescent City was becoming the center of a large and increasing trade, and her merchants soon began to agitate the question of building a wagon road to Illinois valley, O. T. Good roads are a prime necessity of civilization, and realizing this fact, the people of Crescent City held a public meeting on the 10th of June, 1854, to devise means to build the road, having previously subscribed 86,000 toward the enterprise. At the meeting referred to, the preliminary organization for the formation of a Joint-Stock Company, to build a plank and turnpike road, was com- pleted, twenty-five citizens comprising the company of
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INCORPORATION OF CRESCENT CITY.
preliminary organization. llon. S. G. Whipple was elected President, F. E. Weston, Secretary, and S. H. Grubler, Treasurer. The corporate name was declared to be, " The Crescent City and Yreka Plank and Turnpike Company," and a resolution was offered and passed " That the President, Secretary and Treasurer are hereby con- stituted a Board of Directors for this Company;" and the Directors were empowered to employ a competent Engi- neer to survey the road, and also to employ suitable per- sons to assist in the looking-out and survey of different routes.
In the meantime, while this question was being agitated among the citizens, an " Act to Incorporate Crescent City " passed both houses of the Legislature in April, 1854, received the signature of the Governor, and became a law. This Act defined the limits of Crescent City as follows:
" The boundaries of Crescent City shall be as follows: Commencing at a point established by T. P. Robinson, County Surveyor of Klamath county, east of Elk creek, running thence south to low water mark, and north twen- ty-five chains and links; thence west one mile: thence south to low water mark, and thence following low water mark to the intersection of the cast line."
After the passage of this Act the town began to put on city airs. A full-fledged Common Council was let loose upon the public treasury, constable- were elected, mar shals were appointed, and a complete organization of the city government effected
And about the same time, the question of the boundary line between California and O. 1. was permanently settled. The disputed territory comprised all that mining country in and about Sailor Diggings and Althouse creek --- a coun- try abounding in precious metals, and the possession of which would have been a valuable addition to the mineral wealth of Del Norte. In June, 1854, " surveying party under T. P. Robinson surveyed the northern boundary of
1
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
the State of California, and decided that the disputed ter- ritory belonged to O. T., and not California, as was gen- erally supposed. The decision caused some excitement in the neighborhood of Sailor Diggings and Althouse creek, as the miners did not like to be so suddenly transported from California to Oregon. They had before both voted in California and O. T., and had refused to pay taxes to either.
On Thursday, June 22, 1854, occurred one of those shocking tragedies so common in the early history of California. It appears that a young man named James T. Kelley, in company with another young man named A. K. Ward, joined a party for the purpose of serenading some of the citizens of the place. At the time the fatal blow was struck Kelley was playing on the violin, and it is supposed that the bow struck Ward on the arm, when he (Ward) exclaimed, "Don't draw that on me!" and stabbed him ( Kelley) in the region of the heart A doc- tor was called, but his skill was of no avail. The wounded man spoke but three words -- " ] am killed"-and expired in a few minutes. Immediately after the commission of the murder, Ward was arrested, and after examination lodged in jail to await his trial. He afterwards broke jail, but was captured in Sacramento some months later. He was tried at Yreka in 1855 and acquitted. Although the mur- derer was acquitted of the charge against him, yet the affray was a striking commentary on the evil influence of intoxicating drinks, as the evidence adduced at the trial disclosed the fact that all the parties were in a state of' intoxication at the time of the killing.
Saturday, June 24th, the first Masonic celebration ever held in Del Norte county was held in honor of the anni- versary of St. John. The oration was delivered by Dr. E. Mason. At 2 o'clock a dinner was served at the Oriental Hotel, at which there was a convivial flow of good feeling. The regular toasts were:
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FIRST MASONIC CELEBRATION.
"OUR MASTER-As the sun continues to shed abroad his light by day, and the moon to illume the night, so may our Master prove the reflection of both.
OUR SENIOR WARDEN ---- As the clear, blue sky is to the sun, and the bright twinkling stars to the moon, so may the Senior Warden ever be to the Master."
The survey of the route for the Crescent City and Yreka plank and turnpike roa I was completed by T. P. Robinson in October, and a subscription book was opened by the Company. The capital stock was fixed at $85,000, divided into 850 shares of $100 each, and before the end of the year subscriptions to the amount of $18,500 were received.
During the year, in the month of August, the first vessel built at Crescent City was launched, being named the Rosalie, commanded by E. A. Babcock, and built for S. T. Crowther, of San Francisco. She was a small schooner, 9 feet deep and measuring 53 tons. She was built of spruce and hemlock, and was intended for the bay trade at San Francisco.
Toward the close of the year 1854 the trade of Crescent City had grown to quite respectable proportions The steamers Major Tompkins. America, Columbia, Crescent City, and Fremont were making regular trips between San Francisco, Crescent City and the Columbia river. A number of schooners were also making regular trips. The inland transportation was confined to pack trains, of which there were large numbers engaged in carrying merchandise from wholesale houses in Crescent City to Happy Camp. Althouse. Sailor Diggings and other points in Southern Oregon.
Below will be found the trade of Crescent City for the period of seven months from March 16th to October 22, 1854. For a town at that time only nineteen months old, its harbor at times insecure, its outlets only mountain trails, it is certainly a wonderful and creditable showing,
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
indicating on the part of its merchants a degree of busi- ness enterprise worthy to be imitated at the present time.
The number of arrivals, according to the Custom House reports, were, steamers, 39; sailing vessels, 9; total, 48, Amount of freight carried by steamers, 3,385 tons; by sailing vessels, 540; total, 3,925; or, in round numbers, 4,000 tons of merchandise.
During the same period the number of passengers car- ried from San Francisco to Crescent City, according to the Purser's reports, was 2,286.
Thus it will be seen that the travel to this part of the State was very large, and that its many natural advantages were at that time receiving the attention they deserved.
About the Ist of November a tragedy occurred which was the direct cause of bringing about difficulties between the whites and Indians. Mr. A. French, a farmer living about three miles from Crescent City, went on a hunt with a party of three others to the South Fork of Smith's River, camping on the Bald Hills, about ten miles from town. It was agreed that French should return home on the following Thursday, while the rest of the party were to. continue their hunt a few days longer. French left the camp on Thursday morning, the rest of the party supposing that he had returned to his home. But when they arrived at Crescent City on Saturday evening they were met by Mrs. French, inquiring for her husband. He had not returned home, and nothing had been seen or heard of him.
It was at once suspicioned that the Indians on the South Fork of Smith's River had murdered the missing man. The citizens, with their usual promptness in cases of the kind, appointed a committee to apprehend all the Indians about town and in the neighborhood. But little informa. tion was gained from them; nevertheless, the suspicion that French had been murdered became more of a cer- tainty, and parties were sent out to hunt for the body.
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MURDER OF A. FRENCH,
On Mill creek, (a tributary of Smith's River,) was a rancheria where the Indians of the coast were wont to resort for the purpose of laying in a supply of acorns for the winter. At this rancheria a party headed by J. M. Rosborough examined the Indians thoroughly, and from the knowledge derived from them it appeared that in the latter part of October an Indian from Chetcoe (24 miles up the coast, in Oregon,) had made a proposal to a Klam- ath Indian called Blaek Mow to kill a white man. Black Mow refused, saying that he lived in peace with the whites, and had been for years in the habit of ferrying them across the Klamath. The Chetcoe Indian then offered him the squaw standing by, which offer proved irresistible, and Black Mow answered " soon "
After gaining this information, Rosborough and his men had little difficulty in finding the body. They found it laying under a log and partly covered up, the wild ani- mals of the forest having meanwhile attacked and devoured part of it. With the exception of the hat, none of the elothing was missing, and even a gold ring on his finger was there still. The remains were buried near the spot where they were found, and the party returning to Crescent City, a writ was issued for the apprehension of the Indians Black Mow, Jim and Narpa, accused of the murder of A, French. Mr. Kennedy, Lieutenant of the Company of Klamath Rangers, was deputized to pursue the guilty parties, commanding a party of seven men, namely, T. B. Thorp, Israel Deitrich, T. H. MeGrew, - Leaks, J. R. Sloan, J. H. Ritchie and J. B. Rosborough. The Indians were captured at the mouth of the Klamath, and were taken to Crescent City on the 17th of November.
On the day following the citizens of Crescent City assembled en masse at the Eldorado Saloon, on Front street, and organized by calling E. Mason, Esq., to the Chair, and appointing S. G. Whipple, Secretary. The Chairman stated the object of the meeting to be, the trial
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
of the three Indians then in custody, (and if the evidence should warrant a conviction, the jury to award the pun- ishment,) namely, Black Mow, his son Jim, Klamath Indians, and a Chetcoe Indian called Narpa, accused of the murder of A. French.
On motion, the following named gentlemen were ap- pointed jurors: D. W. McComb, J. B. Taylor, J F. Wen- dell, T. B. Thorp, Richard Barnes. Jacob Lance, M. G. Tucker, T. S. Sanford, T. S Pomeroy, John Miller, J. R. Sloan and Benj. West.
The presiding Judge was Judge Lynch, well known in the early days of California, whose decrees were always final, from which no appeal could be taken. And how- ever unjust and cruel their mode of trial may be deemed at the present time, the early settlers of California were justified in resorting to such extreme measures. Not only is it asserted in the law, but it is, and always has been instinctively felt that " Self-preservation is the first law of Nature." Mankind. in all ages, has recognized the necessity of disregarding the established rules of the law, whenever that law, through its own inherent defects, or because of its non-enforcement by the proper officers, has failed to afford the protection to lite and property for which it was intended.
In the early days of Del Norte, the Judicial system then in force allowed of but few sittings of the courts of justice in this county; therefore, prisoners lodged in jail awaiting trial were liable to make their escape. The jail at Crescent City was a wooden building, affording but slight security against the escape of its inmates. And it is not surprising that the citizens, rather than run the risk of losing the chance to punish the murderers as they deserved, should take the law into their own bands.
The jury in the trial of the murderers of French, after an absence of one hour, returned a verdict of " guilty,"
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JUDGE LYNCH HOLDS COURT.
and sentenced the murderers to be hanged on Monday, Nov. 24th, 1854, at 12 o'clock, M.
On motion, J. R. Sloan, Richard Barnes and Capt. John Boddeby were appointed a committee to execute the sen- tence of the jury.
At the appointed time Black Mow, Jim and Narpa were taken from the jail and hung near Battery Point, a large number of spectators being present. The ropes were tied to the limb of a tree, and the other ends being fastened around the necks of the culprits, the wagon upon which they were standing was driven from under them, and in a few seconds the case was transferred to a Higher Trib- unal, and the souls of three guilty Indians sent to account before the Great Spirit who watches over all.
Before the close of the year the consequences of the French tragedy began to be experienced. At a meeting of the citizens of Smith's River Valley, held at the house of Major Bradford, to devise some means for finding out the nature of some alleged threats made by the Indians in the vicinity, a committee was appointed to make investi- gations, consisting of Dr. Myers, John Leverton, John Vaughan and W. Carman. The committee visited the Indian rancheria in the vicinity. and from their report it appears that the circumstances causing a suspicion of a plot against the whites were as follows: The presence of Rogue River, Chetcoc and Klamath Indians --- the removal of their provisions --- the discovery of secret and carefully concealed paths by which the different tribes communi- cated with each other. These facts were sufficient to arouse the fears of the people of the valley, and a careful watch was kept of the movements of the Indians.
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