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 33
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This mining region offers an encouraging field for the prac- tical and scientific prospector, for the tren of small means who wish to take a prospector's chauces, or for the representative of heavy capital.
The rich placers that have been found on the Trinity, the Klamath and their tributaries, are conclusive evidence that the " Black Bear" is not the only rich gold bearing quartz lode in this section. These mountains are veined with rich quartz. and a careful. patient and intelligent prospecting will bring many of them to light.
Coal was found on Mad River as early as 1854, but no pay- ing veins were discovered. At a later date, it was found on Eel River. At Point St. George, several years ago, a shaft was sunk, and a good quality of coal obtained; for want of capital the work was abandoned. It is similar to all the coal on this coast-lignite or brown; and as it does not occur in the carboniferous formation of the earth, it can hardly be called true coal.
Petroleum, which is very nearly allied to coal, has been found quite extensively in several places in the county. The first vein located was at Petrolia, which was in 1864. This vein was so rich with petroleum, that several gallons flowed from it daily. Some of the wells yielded several hundred barrels of the crude article, but none of the wells turned out to be flowing ones. The production was slow and limited, and the business not being considered very profitable was at last abandoned.
Copper in well-defined ledges has been discovered in the south part of the county. When these mines were discovered there was a great excitement and rush for claims, everybody ignoring the rule that it requires money to successfully oper- ate in copper mining. Del Norte has several successful copper mines; one is now worked.
Iron ore was discovered as early as 1854, by United States Surveyor Murray, on Eel River. At later dates other bodies. bave been found all along the coast. No serious attempts have ever been made to develop them, except in Del Norte County
152
EARLY HISTORY OF THE KLAMATH INDIANS.
INDIANS AND THEIR RESERVA- TIONS.
Klamath Indians-Names of Various Tribes -Indian Wars and Treaties-Their Disappearance-Indian Reserva- tions-War Claims, Etc.
THE Indians of the section, originally called Trinity County, were estimated in J854 at 10,000, and divided into several bauds which were subdivided into numerous ranches of fami- lies, Their languages were divided into six general divisious:
The Weett and l'ol-ta-welt Co-mill occupied lower portions of Eel and Mad Rivers and the bay country.
The To-lick Si-li-qua ranged along the coast and the Klam- ath from Port Trinidad to Bluff Creek, a small stream eight miles above the conllueuce of the Klamath and Trinity and some sixty miles from the ocean.
The Car-rook Ar-rah occupied a territory extending along up the Klamath some ninety miles, being bounded on the north by the Shasta.
The No-ten-ta-yah No-ov-stuk, or Trinity Indians, occupied the 'I'riuity from its junction with the Klamath to its South Fork, and were also scattered over the Bald Hills and on Red- wood aud Mad Rivers.
The Patch-wies were a small band located on New River and upon the main Trinity above the South Fork and extending through all the country embracing the head-waters of Panther Redwood, Mad, and Eel Rivers. This also included a wing of a powerful tribe known as the Win-toon, or " Mountain Dig- gers.'
KLAMATH INDIANS.
The Indians known by the general term of Klamath River Indians included all those mentioned and that occupied the river between the Shastas and the sea. The Klamath River Indians were the finest specimens of physical manhood to be found among the natives of California, powerful and fierce, and gave the whites trouble from the time they first placed foot on their hunting grounds.
Indian difficulties will be treated of in the order of their oc- curreuce, and facts and causes related with as close an adher- ence to the truth as is possible when information is drawn solely from the testimony of the whites. It will be seen, how- ever, that even then the record is by no means ereditable to our boasted civilization. We shall not attempt to give a full history of all the Indian difficulties. Our space would not allow recital of even of a small part of the difficulties and en- counters with the Indians. We will give a few leading items which show something of the state of affairs in this part of California and the trials of the pioneers. These Indians had
no chiefs in the common acceptation of the term. But In- dians who were wealthy in their own peculiar goods and had many relatives were very influential in their districts. Among these may be mentioned Ken-no-wah-i, or "Trinity Jim," Zeh- frip-path, who lived on the Upper Klamath, Mo-roo-kus and Kaw-tup-ish, on the Lower Klamath. These last mentioned were the firm friends of the whites in early times. Many dif- ficulties were adjusted by their intervention and assistanec.
The settlement of the white man soon brought about seem- ingly inevitable confliets. The Indians wero interrupted in their fisheries ; lands were plowed up where they had obtained their grass, seeds and roots ; their game was killed ; trees and shrubs were burned, which furnished nuts and herries, and last but not least, says the Times of that date:
" They are ill-treated and abused, had white men ravish the squaws and whip and beat the men."
INDIAN MURDERS AT MARTIN'S FERRY.
In 1851, Blackburn, his wife and three men were in charge of the above ferry. Blackburn and wife occupied a small shake shanty on the river-bank. One day Mrs. Blackburn, a noble woman of the brave pioneer class that have been led hy love to follow the footsteps of their idol into the very heart of the wilderness, noticed that the stock of hullets had become exhausted. She immediately moulded a large quantity, and by this prudent act and her afterward heroic conduct saved the lives of herself and husband that self-same night. No trouble had been experienced from the Indians for some time by the occupants of the ferry-house, and they retired to rest that night with little thought of the hloody deed the savages purposed to commit. As the shadows of night blended into a universal gloom, the Indians gathered in the forest about the abode of their intended victiins, and waited until their eyes were closed in peaceful slumber and the place was wrapped in a mantle of silence.
When the night had sufficiently advanced to assure them that their vietims were asleep and that they would not he in- terrupted in their hellish deed by the appearance of belated travelers, they ercpt stealthily to the tent where the three men lay sleeping, and commenced the work of death. Two of the men were instantly killed, while the third sprang to his feet and rushed from the tent with a ery for help. He had taken but a few steps when the cry was hushed npon his lips, and he fell to the ground dead beneath the knives of his pursuers, The agonizing cry of the wounded man awoke from their slum- bers the occupants of the house, who knew too well its dread- ful import. Hastily barricading themselves, they prepared for defense. Their arms consisted of two rifles and a revolver, and with these Blackburn kept the savages at bay throughout that long and terrible night, his noble wife reloading the weapons as fast as he discharged them.
With the coming of the morning there appeared on the op- posite bank of the river A. E. Raynes, William Young, and
E
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"LAUREL GROVE"DAIRY RANCH, BEAR RIVER, 17 MILES FROM FERNOALE, HUMBOLDT CO. CAL.RICHARD JOHNSTON, PROP.
.
153
THE INDIAN WARS AND TREATIES.
William Little, who had stayed that night at a cabin a few miles distant, and had come at the request of its occupants to sco if Blackburn had any extra arms, as they feared an attack by the Indians. Blackburn made his appearance from the honse and greeted them with a sal voice, saying, " I'm glad to see yon boys ; they are all killed but myself and wife." When ho had ferried thein across the stream they went to examine the scene of conflict.
SAD MEETING OF FATHER AND SON.
They saw a body lying about 100 yards from the house and hastened to the spot. When the body of the dead man was turned so that they could see his face, Blackburn sprang back with the cry, "Great God ! it is my father," and so it was, killed by heartless anvages in sight of the cabin of his son, whoin he had not seen l'or ten years. The old gentleman had accompanied a pack- train from Trinidad, and when they en- camped that night some ten miles from the ferry, he had pushed on alone, and had fallen before tho knives of the Indians that lay concealed in the forest, awaiting tho time for the attack upon the cabin.
The three men volunteered to push through to Trinidad for assistance, to administer to the Indians a chastisement they would not soon forget, while Blackburn and his dauntless wife romained on guard at the cabin. They lost the trail in the darkness and lay all night in the redwood forest, until daylight vuabled them to again find the trail and push on for help Arriving at Trinidad the next day, they were joined by ouly ten men, and tho littlo party of thirteen started back to the Terry to attack at least three hundred savages.
A number of miles above Trinidad lies a body of water on the low land between the mountains aud the sca, knowu as the Big Lagoon. When the party arrived at this point they came upon a number of Redwood Creek Indians in canoes, whom they decided to attack. They therefore fired upon the canoes, when the savages jumped into the water and swam ashore. A brisk battle was maintained for some time, the men using their animals for protection. The superiority of guus over bows was soon demonstrated, and the Indians with- drew with the loss of two or three braves. The party contin- ucd the contest, and going on up the river, located Happy Camp, as heretofore related.
MCKEE'S INDIAN TREATIES.
In 1851 the Government appointed three Commissioners of Indian affairs in California, with instructions to make treaties with all the tribes in the State. They were Col. G. W. Barber, of Kentucky, Dr. O. M. Wozencraft, of California, and Colonel Reddie McKee, of Virginia. They divided the State into three districts, Southern, Sacramento, and Klamatb. Barber taking the first, Wozencraft the second, and MeKce coming into this section. They made treaties right and left, promis-
ing enough in the way of blaukets, cattle, etc., to have swampel the whole Government. Mckee came up the Klant- ath in 1852. and many amusing stories are toll of him and his method of treaty-making. He was a self-important man, and to impress the Indians with a sense of his official dignity, and to convince them that he was a great tyce, wore a tlaming redl vest. This sanguinary garment was the envy of every Indian heart and the focus of every Indian eye whenever its wearer appeared among them. The treaty was coneluded in due time, the consideration to the Indians for the relinquish- ment of their claim to the lands outside of the strip set apart for a reservation being 200 head of cattle.
It is a custom among the aborigines to exchange presents upon the conclusion of a treaty, and oll Tolo, one of the chiefs, set his heart upon the envied vest. Ile could scarcely restrain his impatience to sign the document, and when he had affixed his cross he turned eagerly to the agent, threw otr his upper vestment, and exclaimed, " Me take um vest." " What for ?" asked the astonished official.
"Me sign um treaty, you make um me present. Mc take um vest."
McKee did not relish the idea of exchanging his badge of authority for the dirty and he feared otherwise objectionable garment of the chief, and so he said, " I give you my name and you give me yours. You be Mekce and I be Tolo."
The chief consented to take the name, though he preferred the vest, and was thereafter known as McKee. The bad faith which has characterized the dealings of the Government with " the nation's wards " was not wanting in this instance. The promised cattle did not appear. The whites invaded and occu- piell the reservation as well as the ceded territory, while young MeKee went into the ranching business in Scott Valley. No wonder the Indians became dissatisfied, and no wonder they should have little faith in any promises made to them in the future.
THE INDIAN WAR.
The Indian war, if it can be properly so termed, was brought on by the whites, under the most aggravated circumstances. The facts are, as we are informed, says the Times of 1855. that about the 10th of December, 1854, a ruffian attempted to commit an outrage upon the person of an Indian woman, who was accompanied by an Indian boy. The woman clung to tbe boy and the white man drew his revolver and shot the boy down, who afterwards died from the wound. The man after bullying around for sometime, left for parts unknown, The Indians thinking to get revenge, killed an ox that had formerly belonged to this man, but learning that he had sold it, they offered to pay the present owner the value of the steer, which was refused.
The Indians became frightened and by their conduct filled the minds of the miners with suspicion, they attempted to
154
THE INDIAN WARS AND TREATIES.
disarm them without paying the value of the arins; and upon tho Indians refusing to surrender them the miners proceeded to burn the Indian ranches with their winter's supply of provis- ions, which they defended by killing the whites engaged in so doing.
INDIAN WAR CLAIMS.
At a session of the Legislature in 1856 an act was passedl requiring the Governor of the State to appoint two Commis- sioners to examine all claims held by citizens of Klamath, Sis- kiyou and llumboklt Counties for services rendered and for supplies ; furnished in the suppression of Indian hostilities in the years of 1852, 1853, 1854 and 1855.
In pursuance of this act, Governor Johnson appointed E. J. Curtis, of Siskiyou County, and Walter McDonald, of Kla- math, as such Commissioners. Mr. Curtis subsequently re- signed and A. M. Jones, of Siskiyou, was appointed to fill the vacancy thus caused. Each Commissioner was to receive 33,000 as compensation for discharging their dutie.s
INDIAN TREATY.
In Angust, 1857, Major Heintzelman succeeded in getting into Council the head inen of the Klamaths with the Copas, Honags, Yougatucks and T'alawas, which he had recently re- moved on to the reservation, at which time a treaty was made in which they agreed to bury all animosities that have heretofore existed between them-to live together in peace and submit any difficulties that may arise between them to the officer in charge of the reserve for settlement.
WHY INDIANS DISAPPEAR BEFORE THE WHITES.
The rancheria on Indian. Island was attacked on Saturday night, February 20, 1860, by an unknown party of men, and, with the exception of three or four that escaped, the whole tribe, with many Mad River Indians stopping there, were killed. It may be well imagined that this unexpected attack on the Diggers so near town, says the Times, accompanied with such a terrible and indiscriminate slaughter, produced considerable excitement. In the midst of it, news reached town that the ranches on South Beach had also been attacked tbe same night, and the wbole number of Diggers there extermin. ated. It was afterward reported that a considerable number of Indians ou Eel River were killed at the same time. The ranches at Bucksport and on Elk River were not disturbed. As there were only squaws and children at these places, except two ol bucks, it would seem that the design at first was only to kill the bucks. The killing appears to have been principally with knives and hatebets or axes. The whole number killed at the different places on that night did not fall far below one hundred and fifty, including bucks, squaws and children.
Three days before, a large rancb of Indians above Eagle Prairie, on Eel River, was attacked, and twenty-six Diggers killed, mostly bucks, and among them some that were known
to be desperate villains. The next day another ranch opposite " The Slide" was attacked, but we did not learn how many were killed or taken.
GRAND JURY REPORT.
Some effort was made by the authorities to punish the per- petrators of these murders. The following report of the Grand Jury, in April, 1860, shows no one was punished: "We cannot close our report without commenting upon the massacre of Indian women and children lately committed in this county. We have endeavored, by summoning 'before us a number of citi- zens of this county whom we supposed could give us some in- formation, to enable us to bring to trial the persons engaged in this revolting crime; and after a strict examination of all the wit- nesses, nothing was elicited to enlighten us as to the perpetra- tors. We would express our condemnation of the outrage, and regret our investigations of this matter have met with so de- plorable a result."
D. MASTEN, Foreman.
J. Ross Browne, in speaking of these Indian troubles, says: " I am satisfied, from an acquaintance of eleven years with the Indians, that had the least care been taken of them, tbese dis- graceful massacres would never have occurred. A more inof- fensive and harmless race of beings does not exist on the face of the earth, but wherever they attempted to procure a sub- sistence they were hunted down; driven from the reservations from the instinct of self-preservation; shot down by the set- tlers upon the most frivolous pretexts, and abandoned to their fate hy the only power that could afford them protection."
The massacre of Indians still continued, and in February, 1861, thirty-nine Diggers were killed by the settlers on main Eel River, above the crossing of the old Sonoma trail. It seems that the few settlers at Kentinshaw, at the beginning of winter, in order to avoid danger to their stock from snow, moved down on main Eel River at the point mentioned. Not long after some of them returned to look after their houses, etc., and found that the Indians had destroyed all of them. Thereupon a company started in pursuit of the offenders, taking along some friendly Indians to assist them. They found the band that committed the damages and killed the above number of males.
Of course the Indians retaliated as best they could, and the settlers were driven from the interior. It was estimated that 9,000 head of cattle were killed by Indians. Another war was inaugurated, in which the local volunteers participated.
For many years the Indians in this State were abused and defrauded of their natural rights, and sometimes cheated out of Government bounties. Their domestic happiness was dis- turbed by lawless adventurers, and they were driven from their favorite fisbing-grounds and hunting-places, under a pre- tense of Indian hostilities, when the primary object was to get possession of choice locations, and incidentally make money out of the Government pending disturbances.
155
KLAMATH AND HOOPA RESERVATIONS.
These encroachments upon the natural rights of the Indians aroused their dormant passions and savage nature, until they hecame dangerous foes to the white race, and caused much suffering, and for a time retardel the growth and prosperity of the country. Latterly they have been more peaccable and contented; many have been collected upon the reservation, and under promise of protection hecome happy and industrious.
INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
Under the Act of Congress passed in 1864, it was provided that not more than four reservations should be set apart for Indians of this State and two Superintendents. These were accordingly established as follows : Kound Valley (Mendocino County), Hoopa Valley (Humboldt County), Smith River (Del Norte County), and the Tule in the southeastern part of the State. The last two were leased from settlers.
Congress in July, 1868, authorized the abandonment of the Smith River Indian farm and the removal of the Indians to the Iloopa Valley Reservation in Humboldt County. The route from the former to the latter place is by a devious mountain trail, probably the most difficult on the Pacific Coast to travel or drive stock over. There were many rivers and mountain streams to cross, and a portion of the way led along the sea heach, uttorly impassable except at low tide aud in moderate weather. Tho first twenty miles only, from Swith River to the foot of tho first range of mountains, had ever heen traveled with wagons. The entire distance from there to Hoopa was but a serpentino trail through mountain fastnesses, deep gorges, and over rocky cliffs.
JOIIN CHAPMAN, THE MOUNTAINEER.
John Chapman, of Humboldt County, was employed, an ex- perienced mountaineer, well acquainted with the route, with the crossings, and with the various tribes of Iudians, through whose country they were obliged to pass He acted as special Iudian Agent or conductor in the matter of removal of Indians and stock. He was a good interpreter, an experienced guide, and packer. He furnished a train of pack mules and several practical packers.
It was found no easy task to move Indians, cattle, horses, colts, and a pack-mule train, all at the same time, over a uar- row mountain trail ; consequently, Mr. Chapman, Henry Or- man, J :. , the Agent at Smith River, and B. C. Whiting, Super- intendent were frequently separated, each having about as much responsibility as a division commander.
The sick and blind Indians, (thirty-eight in number,) hesides a portion of the baggage, were hauled from Smith River to the foot of the mountains, in wagons. This was about twenty miles, and as far as wagons could go; from thence to tbe Klamatb River (a distance of twenty-four miles) the sick were carried in boxes, packed on each side of a mule, as Californians carry smoked bacon or salmon.
From the month of the Klamath the sick were taken in In- lian canoes up that river to its junction with the Trinity, and then up the Trinity River to Hoopa Reservation, where they were landed.
The balance of the Indians, together with the train of pack mules, the Government horses, colts, and cattle, were driven over the mountains, a distance of about ninety miles further, making a total of 134 miles.
KLAMATH RESERVATION.
In 1856 the President by proclamation reserved as a military reservation for the Indians, a strip of land on the Klamath River, one mile on each side and extending from its mouth about twenty miles up the stream, and containing 25,000 acres. It belongs to Del Norte County, but is about a mile north of the Humboldt line.
The number of Indians officially reported on this reserva- tion is upwards of 1,000. But the settlers claim that there is not over one-tenth of that number on the reserve. The settlers complain against the maintenance of the Klamath River Res- ervation, covering and locking up the mouth of a navigable river, from which they have been forcibly expelled hy the United States, and the presence of a military post that, fromn all appearances, has beeu dlevoting itself to the work of insti- gating the Indians to acts of aggression against the whites that are upon tbe free public domain.
HOOPA VALLEY RESERVATION.
This reserve has an area of about 38,000 acres, and the val- ley is estimated to contain about 2,500 acres of arable land. With the assistance of the Smith River Reservation Indians, who are industrious and experienced in farmi operations, a large crop of grain and vegetables has been raised in the valley. The reservation is under a fine state of cultivation and highly prosperous, and tbe Iudians are orderly and contented-a de- cided improvement over the state of affairs with them, when disseusious and bloodshed prevailed to a great extent, There is a U. S. Military Post here, called Camp Garton. This re- serve is also coveted by the whites.
INDIAN TRADITIONS.
The Bay Indians have a tradition that the Humboldt Bay was produced hy an earthquake, which swallowed up the land, and destroyed a large and powerful tribe of Indians, only a few escaping-which statement is almost corrohorated by the evidences presented to us, viz .: Trees huried to the depth of 200 feet and more; palpahle proofs in the immense fissures found in the hills to the southeast of Arcata, which appear to have been made within a century. When Hum- holdt was first settled, the Indians held meetings, at which they offered sacrifices to the Great Spirit, that he would hold the world together.
156
DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
Description of Each Village-When and by Whom Settled-Rapid Growth- Present Condition, Etc.
DURING the year 1851 the population of the county did not increase much, if any, the speenlative population leaving ahout as fast as the industrial came in. Business languished in all places except Arcata, which carried on the trade with the inines with undiminished vigor. In the year 1852 the population increased rapidly, business flourished, and everything wore au nir of prosperity. The trade with the mining increased, agri- culturo was prosecutel with vigor and success in all parts of the county, and the lumbering business increased rapidly. Al- though speculation was the order of the day, yet the different towns immediately commenced such industrial pursuits as seemed inost natural for it. Union and Humboldt both opened trade to the mines, and Eureka commenced shipping piles and square timber, and before the close of the year quite a number of enrgoes of these materials had been sent to San Francisco from the sloughs in her vicinity.
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