History of Humboldt County, California : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, farms, residences, public buildings, factories, hotels, business houses, schools, churches, etc., from original drawings, including biographical sketches, Part 10

Author: W.W. Elliott & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: San Francisco : W.W. Elliott
Number of Pages: 344


USA > California > Humboldt County > History of Humboldt County, California : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, farms, residences, public buildings, factories, hotels, business houses, schools, churches, etc., from original drawings, including biographical sketches > Part 10


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49


PIONEERS SETTLE IN ALL PARTS OF THE STATE.


Wolfskill settled on his grant on Putah Creek, south of Cache Creek, and south of Gordon's grant, in 1843.


General John Bidwell says: " In my trip up the val- ley, in 1843, I went as far as the present town of Red Bluff I way in pursuit of some stolen animals, and was in haste to overtake a party going to Oregon, whieli I did, and recovered the animals. My party consisted of Peter Lassen, James Bru- ham, and an Indian.


" In the summer of 1843, a company arrived from ' the States' vist Oregon, where they had wintered. This party was under the lead of L. W. Hastings, and N. Coombs, of Napa, was one of the party. Hastings was so well pleased with the land lying ou the west bank of the Sacramento River just below the present town of Colusa, that he got ine to make a map of it, intending to apply for a grant. He did not succeed, however. Some two or three of Hasting's party-their names I do not now recall-were in the habit of shooting at Indians, and had killed two or three before reaching the Colusa village, which was the only known point within about forty miles above, and thirty miles helow, where horses could be watered from the river. At last the Indians became alarmed, and the tribe ahead had notice of the coming of the Oregon party. On attempting to approach the river at Colusa the Indians attacked them. For this they were reported hostile, and Sutter went with abont forty men- mostly Indians whom he had taught the use of fire-arms and whom he employed as hunters and trappers-and punished them severely. Many Indians were killed-mostly of the Willy tribe. Sutter's forces crossed the river six or seven miles above Colusa on a bridge built by the Indians-the Duc- Dues, I believe-for fishing purposes. This bridge was abont sixty feet wide and very long, for the river was wide but not deep.


"On my return from Red Bluff in March, 1843, I made a map of this Upper Sacramento Valley, on which most of the streams were laid down, and they have since borne the names then given them.


FIRST SETTLEMENT NORTH OF SUTTER'S FORT.


" Peter Lassen then selected what afterward became his grant ou Deer Creek (now in Tehamna County), and it was the first place selected and settled north of Sutter's grant. He started there in December, 1843, but camped at Sutter's Buttes (now called Marysville Buttes or Butte Mountains) till January or February, 1844, before proceeding to his destination. Several other places were examined and mapped in 1843, but little was done in this line till 1844, because those who wanted the land had not been here long cuongh to become citizens and be entitled to receive a grant."


Knight's graut, on the Sacramento River, was settled hy himself, in 1844. The settlement hy Samuel Neal and David Dutton on Butte Creck, about seven miles south of Chico, was made in 1844. About the same time Edward A. Farwell, with Thomas Fallon, settled on his grant ou Chico Creek, about a


mile below the present town site of Chico. The same year, but a little later, a settlement was made on the present property of General ,John Bidwell, by William Diekey, who obtained the graut.


PIONEER PARTY OF 1844.


1844 .- This party consisted of eleven wagons, twenty-six men, ciglit women and about a dozen children. Let us give the names: Dr. John Townsend and wife; Martin Murphy, Sr .; Martin Murphy, wife and four sous-James, Martin S., Pat- rick W., Bernard D .; James Murphy, wife and one child- Mary F .; Bernard Murphy (unfortunately killed on board the Jenny Lind iu 18331; Miss Ellen Murphy (the present Mrs. Weber, of Stockton): John M. Murphy, Dauiel . Murphy, Jas, Miller, wife and four children ; Allen Montgomery and wife, Captain Stevens, Mr. Hitchcock, Mrs. Peterson and family, Mat Harbin, Moses Schallenberger, John Sullivan, his sister and two brothers, Robert and Mike; John Flomhoy, Joseph Foster, Oliver and Franeis Marguet, Mr. Mastin, Sr., Dennis Mastin, Pat Mastin, John and Brittain Greenwood, and old Mr. Greenwood. About May 1, 1843, these intrepid pioneers started from Council Bluffs to undertake the untried journey which lay before them, little thinking of its thousand dangers and vicissitudes, hardships enough to deter the bravest.


From December until March, 1844, the party encamped near Donner Lake, and while at this place the first child of white parents born in California saw the light. This was a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Martin Murphy, a young lady who received the name of Elizabeth, and afterwards became Mrs. William P. Taffe.


Martiu Murphy purchased a property on the American Fork, from a man uamed Rufus, comprising two leagues, and there dwelt until 1850, when he disposed of it and removed to Santa Clara Valley, when he purchased the homestead on which he now resides.


The golden anniversary of their wedding was celebrated on the 18th of July, 1881, with all the eclat that wealth could throw around it, and the thousands of friends who paid their respects on that day loudly demonstrated the high estimation in which Martin Murphy and his family are held by the people of California, who look upon him who first broke a wagon trail across the Sierras as the avant courier of a higher civil- ization.


TRUCKEE, THE INDIAN GUIDE.


The dangers of the plains and mountains were passed, and the party reached the Humboldt River, when an Indian named Truckee presented himself and offered to guide them to Cali- fornia. After questioning him closely, they employed him as their guide, and as they progressed found that the statements he had made about the route were fully verified. He soon became a great favorite among them, and when they reached the lower crossing of the Truckee River, now Wadsworth, they gave his name to the heautiful stream, so pleased were


50


UNLIMITED POWER EXERCISED BY ALCALDES.


they by the pure water and abundance of fish to which he had lirected them. The stream will ever live, in history, as the Truckee River.


CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS.


1845 .- William Hardy came ashore from a whale-ship in the latter part of the year 1845. He lirst went to work as a carpenter for Thomas O. Larkin, in Monterey, He had not been employed in this way long before Roselean and Sansevain sent over to Monterey for carpenters to come to Santa Cruz and build a schooner. Mr. Hardy came, among others, and they went to work on the vessel. The vessel was completed in 1846, and was called the Sunto Cruz, and sailed to the Sandwich Islands to be coppered. She returned, and was lost st. NR.


THE FIRST GRINDSTONES.


Mr. W. C. Moon settled at " Moon's Ranch," in Tehama County, in 18445, and with him a noted hunter and Indian fighter by the name of Merritt. They, with Peter Lassen, made a large canor-load of grindstones, on Stony Creek, in Comsa County, in 1845, and packed them on mules over twenty miles to the river. They soll a few at Sutter's Fort, and peddled the rest out all round the Bay of San Francisco. When the canoe lel't Sacramento it was laden to within six inches of the top. As they proceeded from point to point the canoo hecame lighter, of course; but, at first, it seemed any- thing but safe, even for inland navigation.


THE CELEBRATED ALCALDE.


In the year 1845 Mr. William Blackburn came to Santa Cruz. He came over the plains from Independence, Missouri, and arrived here in October. He was a native of Virginia, born in 1814. He came over the country in company with Jacob R. Snyder, George MeDougal and Harvey Speel.


'They stopped together ou the Zyante and went to making shingles, William Blackburn was a cabinet-maker by trade, and in the year 1844 worked at that business in New Orleans. But men arriving in California, of course, took hold of any business that would pay. So these men seem to have been still engaged in lumbering and shingle-making when the Bear tag went up iu Sonoma.


When the Bear Flag Battalion caine marchiug down towards Monterey, early in July, 1846, William Blackburn and his as- sociates joined it. Just now, too, the United States flag went up in Monterey, and the battalion went south to see that its anthority was ackuowledged. In due time Blackburn returued to Santa Cruz and went into the merchandizing business, estab- lishing himself in the old adobe building fronting on the upper plaza,


In the year 1847 he was appointed alcalde by Governor Masou, and for a year or two dispensed justice iu a way pecu- liarly his own, as some of the old records of bis court will show.


BLACKBURN AS ALCALDE.


Many curious illustrations of it could be given, but we will instance one or two. Many enlarged stories have been told of Judge Blackburn, but these here mentioned are taken from the records, or from living witnesses' statements.


The alcalde records in the County Clerk's office of Santa Cruz of date of August 14, 1847, show that on that day a jury tried Pedro Gomez for the murder of his wife, Barbara Gomez, and found him guilty.


Sentence of the Court: " That the prisoner be conducted back to prison, there to remain until Monday, the 16th of August (two days only), and then be taken out and shot."


" Angust 17. Senteuce carried into effect on the 16th ac- cordingly. W. BLACKBURN, Alcalde."


Pretty summary justice that ! It should, perhaps, be stated that, according to law, Judge Blackburn ought to bave reported the trial of this criminal to the higher Court in Monterey, and have had the action of his Court sanctioned, before the execu- tion. For some reason he did not do this, but had the criminal shot, and then reported both the trial and execution to head- quarters!


This did not quite suit Governor Mason's ideas of propriety, even in that lawless time, and some pretty sharp correspond- ence followed between the Governor and Judge Blackburn. This exact course of procedure does not seem to have been re- peated !


A TOUCHING SCENE.


But there was a sequence, on the 21st of August, before the Court, that is tonching, indeed. Josepha Gomez and Balinda Gomez, orphan children of a murdered father aud murdered mother, were brought into Court-two little girls-to be dis- posed of by tbe Court.


The Court gave Balinda, eleven years old, to Jacinto Castro " to raise " until she was twenty-one years of age, unless she was sooner married; the said Jacinto Castro obligating himself to give her a good education, and three cows aud calves at her marriage, or when she arrives of age.


The Court gave Josepha, nine years old, to Alexander Rod- eriguez, with some similar provision for her education and care. But it is a sorry feeling that comes over us as we seem to see these poor little orphan girls parted there to go among stran- gers. It is hoped their lives have been less a grief than their childhood.


SERVED HIM RIGHT.


But in Court, still further, November 27, 1847, the case of A. Roderiguez vs. one C -; plaintiff sued defendant, a boy, for shearing his horse's mane and tail off. It was proved that the defendant did the shearing.


An eye-witness of the trial says that when it came to the . matter of the sentence, Judge Blackburn looked very grave, . and his eyes twinkled a good deal, and he turned to his law


51


SCENES AND ACTS OF THE EARLY COURTS.


book, and examined it here and there, as if looking up author- ities touching a very important and perplexing case. All at once he shut up his book, sat baek in his chair, and, speaking with a solemn tone, said:


" I find no law in any of the statutes applicable to this case, except in the laws of Moses-'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Let the prisoner be taken ont in front of this office and there be sheared close."


The sentence was literally carried into effect, to the great satisfaction and amusement of the native inhabitants, who expressed their approval by saying, "It served him right."


BLACKBURN'S CAREER.


In the year 1845 he crossed the plains from Independence, Missouri, to California, in the company of Jacob R. Snyder, George Williams, George McDougal and Henry Speel, all being leading men in the company. They arrived in this county in October of that year, and settled on the Zyante, where Black. burn, Snyder and MeDougal engaged in the shingle business. Speel left the party at Fort Hall for Oregon, but arrived in California in 1846.


Blackburn, with all of these fellow-travelers, was in Fre- mont's battalion, under the Bear flag, Blackburn being First Lieutenant of Artillery, Company F-Captain MeLane. At the battle of Buenaventura, Lieutenant Blackburn fired the first gun, loading and handling it. During that campaign Snyder was the Quartermaster. They continued in the service till the treaty of Couenga, when they returned to Santa Cruz as their home, Blackburn opening a store on the old plaza, which wasalso an open hotel, for no white man was ever asked pay for supper or lodging; but anything there was in the house was at the service of the guest; open-handed hospitality being the character of host and people in those primitive times, here as elsewhere, throughout California. McDougal settled in Gilroy.


BLACKBURN AS JUDGE.


During those stormy periods of anarchy and lawlessness he performed the duties of the office to the entire satisfaction of all; and although his decisions cover points of all the varicd questions of jurisprudence, we believe none have ever yet been reversed by any higher Court. His pretensions were not based ou Coke or Littleton, but on common sense and justice. The records of his Court are as amusing as the jokes of "Punch."


Blackburn, as Judge, was always anxious that the law and justice should be fully and quickly vindicated, and, after passing sentence, would give no delay to its exeention; for, although it was the rule for his decisions to be sent to the Gov- ernor for approval, they were generally sent after the execu- tion, so that there should be no chance for a delay of justice. Although that might seem to be summary proceedling, yet it met the approval of the people over whom he governed, but at times was the cause of some sharp and terse correspond- ence between himself and his superiors.


In 1848 he resigned his office to go to the gold region. He returned to Santa Cruz in 1849, and was appointed a Justice of the Peace under the Territorial Government.


BLACKBURN'S FARMING PROFITABLE.


In 1851 he settled on his homestead in Santa Cruz, andI com- menced farming in company with his brother, Daniel Black- burn, and they planted the bottom with potatoes, and such was the enormous yield of the whole bottom that at thirteen cents per pound, the then price of potatoes, the yield was nearly $100,000; and for several years the profits of potato raising were enornions. Where the house now stands four acres yielded $1,200 worth of potatoes to the acre; they were early, and brought 123 cents per pound. Next year thirteen acres were rented to Thomas Weeks at $100 per acre, full payment in advance.


BLACKBURY'S PREMIUM POTATOES.


From this place the Judge sent samples of potatoes of four pounds weight (which was a general average), to the Crystal Palace Fair at New York, and received a premium for the finest potatoes ever known. From here also was derived the fame which Santa Cruz now holds of producing fine potatoes. In 1848 Judge Blackburn built a vessel, a schooner of about fifty tons burden, called the Zuch Taylor, and Captain Vin- cent commanded it. When Monterey ceased to be the head- quarters of the Pacific, the vessel was run on the Sacramento River. He was also concerned in building the first saw-mill up the Blackburn Gulch.


He was considered a man of enterprise and improvement, and we find him from his start towards the Pacific to have been a man of note, first as one of the leaders in the train with which he journeyed; again a commander and soldier in the first war towards the generation of a Pacific Government; then, as a jurist, his history is recorded in the archives of the country ; finally as an agriculturist, his mark was made and is on record in the proceedings of the Crystal Palace World's Fair, New York, which was also probably the first visible knowledge demonstrating to the East the capabilities of California to raise her own food.


FIRST PROTESTANT WORSHIP.


1846 .- Mr. A. A. Hecox appears to have commenced the first Protestant public worship in California. He was an anthorized Christian minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Worship was first held at the house of John D. Green, in August, 1847, and after that in the house of J. G. 'T. Dunleavy.


Mr. Hecox thinks he preached the first Protestant sermon in California at the funeral of a Miss Hitchcock, who died at San Jose, abont December, 1846 .* Feeble in body and leaning upon a staff he made his way to the house of mourning, where he found a few of the relatives of the deceased, who bad assem- bled to bid farewell to their departed sister, who had fallen far,


*See Elliott's History of Santa Cruz County.


52


ACTIVE LIFE OF EARLY PIONEER SETTLERS.


far from home. His remarks were based upon the following words: " Remember how short my time is."


The first Methodist class was formed in the latter part of Feb- ruary, 1848, and the Rev. E. Anthony elected preacher, and Mr. llecox appointed in charge of the work in San Jose.


The gold discovery, however, drew off the people very sud- denly in the latter part of the year, and public worship was practically suspended for the time.


Alfred Ballwin came in 1846. When a boy, living in Delaware County, New York, he got very much interested in this Pacific region through reading Lewis and Clark's jour-


--


The desire to see this country that was said to have no cold winterx, grew upon him. Being in St. Louis in 1845, when a party was starting overland to Oregon, he embraced the oppor- tunity and joined it.


They reached their destination in the fall of 1845. Mr. Bald- win came to San Francisco early in 1846. He very soon enlisted under Purser James H. Watmongh, purser of the sloop of war Portsmouth, with others, to sec that there was no resist- ance to the flag of the United States, which had then just heen raised. They were stationed at San Jose.


THE SAN JOAQUIN.


While they were there news came down from the Mission San Jose, that Indians from the San Joaquin neighborhood were making their usnal raids and stealing all the horses they conld lay hands on.


This was an old habit of the Indians, and frontier ranchos, like Marsh's or Livermore's, could not keep horses.


The spirit of the new flag did not propose to submit to these depredations, So, very promptly, Captain Watmongh organ- ized a party to go and look after these matters. It consisted of some twenty-five or thirty nien.


They went to the Indians' lurking place on the Stanislans River, and there camped for the night. By and by, in the darkness, a band of horses came rushing on them.


The Indians had stolen them from around the mission, as before remarked, and now as they thought they were driving them into their own secure retreat, they were driving them into the hands of our encamped force. The horses were secured and brought back, but the Indians themselves succeeded in get- ting away into the willows and thickets.


Returning to San Jose, the party was ordered at once to go south in a vessel named Sterling to help take care of things there. Getting a little below Monterey, they met the Vandulic coming up with orders that they should return to Monterey, and there fit out an expedition and proceed, in force, down the coast by land. Back to Monterey they came. Men were sent to the Sacramento Valley to get horses to mount the expedition. Mr. Baldwin, meanwhile, worked at his trade in Monterey, get- ting the harnes:es ready for the hanling of the cannon.


STRUGGLE FOR AMERICAN RULE.


In the month of November, 1846, the requisite number of horses having been obtained, they were about to be driven across the Salinas plain toward Monterey.


But just here, Pio Pico, who had heard of this coming band of horses, confronts them with a force of Californians.


Before he gets the horses, bowever, the men in charge of them turn them aside to a rancho in the bills, and on the next day go out to disperse the opposing California forces.


'The battle of the Salinas resulted, and it went very hard with our few men. It is said to have been the only battle during the struggle for American rule in California that did go hard. with our forces. The record is that Captain Foster, tbe officer in command, was killed, and eleven of his men. But the horses were not captured. That night their faithful Indian guide, " Tom," hroke through and carried the news to Monterey. The entire force there marched immediately over to the Salinas, but no enemy was any longer to be found. The horses were obtained, the expedition was gotten ready, and moved down the country. Of course in December and onward tbey encoun- tered the rainy season, and the storms in the St. Inez Mount- ains were terrible; but they got through at last, and accom- plished the object of their equipment.


WORDS OF A PIONEER.


Hon. Elam Brown, who resides at Lafayette, Contra Costa County, was prominent and active in aiding to establish the rule of the Americans. He was a member of the conven- tion that formed the Constitution at Monterey.


Mr. Brown participated iu the first two sessions of the Legis- lature. What he lacked in ability and knowledge, he in a great measure made up in industry and economy.


Mr Brown tells ns: "I was eighty-three years old the 10th day of last June. I labor under the same embarrassment that the hunter did who could not shoot a duck; for when he took aim at. one, another would put its head in the way. I find much less difficulty in collecting than in selecting incidents. My own and Mr Nathaniel Jones' families were the first Ameri- cans that settled within the present bounds of this, Contra Costa, County. There were no white families nearer than San José Mission. I settled on my present farm in 1848, and I expect to remain on it the balance of my time on earth." *


Mr. Brown disclaims any praise over the tens of thousands of others who have equally participated and aided in the great work of reclaiming the vast waste of wilderness, that seventy- six years ago was almost entirely occupied by the native | Indians and wild beasts, but now eovered over with organized States, counties, cities, towns and farms, with all the comforts and conveniences of art and science that civilization confers. - Being an eye-witness in the front line of a long march, the picture is plain. The work is large to those who have not seen


*Elliott's History of Contra Costa County.


4


Taliaferro Jithe Thinman


HUNTER AND TRAPER OF HUMBOLDT CO.CAL


53


BEAR FLAG WAR INAUGURATED.


the beginning and end of the whole extraordinary advance of settlement and civilization in America from the year 1804 to 1880.


FIRST CAST PLOW.


1846-Elihu Anthony came to California in 1846, from Tudi- ana. Ile stoppel first in San Jose, bnt movedl with his family to Santa Cruz in January, 1848.


Mr. Anthony's foundry inade the first east-iron plows ever constructed in California. Patterns were obtained from the East in 1848, and the eastings made and attached to the proper wood-work. Previous to this they had been imported and Hold at high figures. The modern plow was at this time sup- planting the old Mexican affair, illustrated and described else- where.


FIRST MINING PICK.


At this saine foundry were made, in the spring of 1848, the first picks for mining purposes. As soon as the report of gold discovery was known in Santa Cruz, Anthony went to mann- f'aeturing picks for miners' use. He made seven and a half dozen. They were light and weighed only about three pounds each.


Thomas Fallon, now of San Jose, took them with his family in an ox-team across the mountains to the Sutter mines, or mill, to dispose of them. He sold nearly all of them at three ounces of gold each; but the last of the lot brought only two ounces caclı, as by this time other parties had packed in a lot from Oregon.


These were some of the men who were at the head of affairs here in that stirring transition period between the two flags, the Mexican and that of the United States, and the introduc- tion of California as a State of the American Union. This brings us to what is known as the Bear Flag War.


FIRST WHITE WOMAN ARRIVED.


Mrs. Mary A. Kelsey crossed the plains at the age of eigh- teen years. She left Jasper County, Missouri, with her hus- band, Benjamin Kelsey, in the spring of 1841. She was the only woman in that party, which consisted of thirty-three persons, of which General Bidwell and others were members, as mentioned on page 48. She and her husband remained at Sutter's Fort nntil 1843. They then went to Oregon and resided in Willamette Valley until 1844. Getting dissatisfied with that locality they moved to Napa, and Kelsey was pres- ent at the capture of Sonora in 1846. In 1851 they again went to Oregon and remained nntil 1855, and then again returned to California. In 1856 they pulled out for Texas, which State they reaebed in 1858, and remained there several years. Fin- ally they decided that no place was like California, and returned and located near Stockton.




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