USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles county, Volume I > Part 45
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
This is fine, and said as only a good newspaper man can say it. And yet there is something else to be said, although it is difficult to know just what words to use to the end that one who has never seen Los Angeles might still be made to know what it is like.
It is a common saying that one city is like another, and this is true in a general way. Yet there are many cities that have distinct personalities, if we may be permitted to use that word, and Los Angeles is certainly one of them. It has a peculiar character all its own-something that the sometime guest within its gates never fails to remember when he goes away, though he may be unable to put his impressions into speech.
Like other great cities, Los Angeles has miles of paved streets, block after block of tall skyscraping business buildings, wonderful stores, theaters, hotels, and eating places-things that all great cities have. But it has also a peculiar friendliness for the stranger, which the stranger instantly and instinctively feels the moment he sets foot in it. And it is a city well-
366
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
beloved by those who are its habitants. It is a clean city-a good town. Its skirts have always been kept clean. The grafter and the looter have never been able to exploit it. It is industrially free and independent, with- out prejudice against honest labor or whoever it is that God gives the privilege to of earning his bread by the sweat of his brow. It is a city of high ideals, and a God-fearing place, as God-fearing goes.
When swart old Don Felipe de Neve drove the corner stakes of Los Angeles between the mountains and the sea, he little dreamed that his deed would become immortal and his name imperishable. For, it was upon that far September day, when this good soldier of the king started the new pueblo on its way, that the stars of destiny sang together in the sunset skies.
CHAPTER XI MISCELLANEOUS ANNALS
The following paragraphs concerning the City of Los Angeles are here given, as they contain points of general interest to the county, as well as the city readers of this work:
FIRST AND IMPORTANT EVENTS
The first brick house was erected on Main Street in 1852. A brick building opposite was occupied, in 1859-60, by Captain Winfield S. Han- cock, subsequently a military leader at Gettysburg and a presidential candidate.
The first newspaper established at Los Angeles was started in May, 1851, and styled the Star.
The first English speaking school was taught by Rev. Dr. Hicks, in 1850.
The first American child born in the place was John Gregg Nichols, on April 15, 1851.
The first Protestant minister of the place was Rev. J. W. Brier, of the Methodist Episcopal faith, who arrived in 1850, his only property being his ox team which he drove to the country. He held his first religious services at the house of Colonel J. G. Nichols.
In 1854, the town boasted a population of 4,000, but the previous year the place contained only three general dry goods stores.
In 1854 the first Masonic Lodge was chartered. The first hive of honey bees was brought in from San Francisco that year by O. W. Childs. A tannery was also placed in operation. Bull fighting was prohibited by law in 1854.
In 1856 the first legalized hanging took place.
In 1867 a castor-oil mill was set in operation; also the first gas works installed.
In 1868 the Los Angeles City Water Company obtained a franchise, and the first railroad was built to the city. It was twenty-two miles long and connected Los Angeles with San Pedro. The same year the first regular fire company was organized.
In 1872 the pioneer woolen mill was installed.
The City Public Library was opened in 1873.
In 1874 the first fruit drying establishment was erected, on an extensive scale.
In 1875 a broom factory and an artificial stone factory commenced operations.
The first brick were made here by Captain Jesse D. Hunter in 1852. From his first kiln he built his house at the corner of Main and Third streets; from the second kiln, the same season, he furnished brick for the new jail.
367
368
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
The first barber in Los Angeles was Peter Biggs, who opened a shop in 1852. He had been a slave and was sold to an officer at Fort Leaven- worth. At the close of the Civil war he was left on California territory and his freedom was necessarily recognized. He resided in Los Angeles many years thereafter.
Samuel C. Foy, in February, 1854, started the first harness shop of the place and was joined the following summer by his brother, John Foy.
The first hospital was known as "The Los Angeles Infirmary," and was established by the Sisters of Charity who settled here in 1854-55.
The first United States land patent was issued in 1859 to Don Manuel Dominguez, for San Pedro Rancho.
Los Angeles was first lighted by gas in 1867. It was during that year that Doctor Griffin and Hon. B. D. Wilson, by means of a ditch costing $15,000, conveyed water from the Arroyo Secos to the lands of the San Pasqual Rancho.
The city of Los Angeles was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, approved April 4, 1850.
The first locomotive built in Los Angeles was designed by Fred L. Baker and installed at the Baker Iron Works in 1889, for the Los Angeles & Pacific Railroad Company, and bore the name "Providencia." Its weight was fifteen tons.
In the spring of 1875 the "Forest Grove Association" planted the first extensive tract of the eucalyptus, or blue gum, for timber.
GREAT FLOODS
The year 1815 was noted for its immense rainfall. The river left its bed and ran along San Fernando Street to Alameda, and made a new chan- nel. In 1825 there was still a greater flood, and the river returned to its original (present) channel. A large number of valuable cattle were drowned in the San Gabriel river in that flood.
The never-to-be-forgotten flood of 1861-62 began with the rain on Christmas 'eve, 1861, and continued unceasingly until January 17, 1862. Vivid lightning and loud thunder attracted much attention and no little fear. Torrents of water fell, but no great loss of property and life was reported. The city dam was broken, some adobe houses fell, travel was impeded, and southeast gales delayed the arrival of Brother Jonathan at San Pedro. At El Monte the San Gabriel River made a new channel, entering the town near Lexington. The danger was soon averted by the plucky settlers. On the Santa Ana, thirty miles above Anaheim, on January 17th, the flood destroyed the thriving New Mexican, settlement of Agua Mansa (Gentle Water). There was no loss of life, but everything agri- cultural was destroyed. More than five hundred persons were made home- less and wandered about on the nearby hills.
In 1867, a tremendous flood caused the San Gabriel to leave its bed and form an entirely new channel, known since as New River and then a formidable stream. Five persons were drowned in the floods of that winter. The Los Angeles River also flooded some of the country along its banks and destroyed many orchards.
Since the settlement of the county and the methods of controlling flood
1
369
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
waters have been improved, the county has not experienced so much loss from heavy floods as in the earlier period.
MAYORS AND CLERKS
Since the incorporation of Los Angeles the following persons have served as mayors and clerks of the municipality : Mayors-A. P. Hodges, 1850; B. D. Wilson, 1851; John G. Nichols, 1852; A. F. Cornell, 1853; S. C. Foster, 1854; Thomas Foster, 1855; John G. Nichols, 1857-58; D. Marchessault, 1859; H. Mellus, 1860; D. Marchessault, 1861-64; Jose Mascarel, 1865; C. Aguilar, 1866; D. Marchessault, 1867; C. Aguilar, 1868; Joel H. Turner, 1869-70; C. Aguilar, 1871-72; J. R. Toberman, 1873-74; P. Beaudry, 1875-76; F. A. McDougal, 1877-78; J. R. Toberman, 1879-82; C. E. Thom, 1883-84; E. F. Spence, 1885-86; W. H. Workman, 1887-88; John Bryson, succeeded H. T. Hazard, on March 21, under new charter; H. T. Hazard, 1889-92; T. E. Rowan, 1892-94; Frank Rader, 1894-96; M. P. Snyder, 1896-98; Fred Eaton, 1898-1900; M. P. Snyder, 1901-05; Owen McAleer, 1905-07; A. C. Harper and William Stephens, 1907-09; George Alexander, 1909-13; H. H. Rose, 1913-15; C. E. Sebastian and F. W. Woodman, to 1917 ; F. W. Woodman (elected ), 1917-19; M. P. Snyder, 1919-21; George E. Cryer, 1921-term expires in 1923.
Among the earlier city clerks the records show the following: W. G. Dryden, 1850-59; W. W. Stetson, succeeded by J. F. Crawley, August, 1862; B. S. Eaton, 1863; C. R. Ayers, 1864-65 ; O. N. Potter, 1866; W. G. Dryden, 1867-70; M. Kremer, 1871-75; S. B. Caswell, 1876-78; W. B. Robinson, 1879-86; F. G. Teed, 1887-88; F. M. Stiles went out with old charter and F. G. Teed served in 1889.
CHAPTER XXXII
A VALUABLE HISTORICAL REMINISCENCE- AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
BY HON. B. D. WILSON*
The following narrative of Hon. B. D. Wilson was dictated by him at the request of Hubert Howe Bancroft, who was gathering data for a history of California, and a copy was retained for himself and family, from which this paper is taken. The narrative has kindly been furnished through relatives of Mr. Wilson, including the George S. Patton family. Before introducing the narrative, a brief statement should here be inserted concerning the various public offices held by one of the sturdy, true and manly pioneers of California, whose career was a worth-while one to the State and Nation.
In 1841 came the first real organized immigration party to Los Angeles County. Its members were largely from Pennsylvania and included among the forty members these three later well-known citizens-William Workman, B. D. Wilson and D. W. Alexander. From 1844 to 1849, Mr. Wilson was numbered among the very few merchants of Los Angeles. In 1853, Mr. Wilson was the government's Indian Agent for Southern California. It was he who was one of the framers of the constitution of the First Protestant Society of Los Angeles, and was one of its first trustees (see Church history). Just prior to 1859, he had donated the society a lot, on a part of which now stands the County Courthouse. He was elected in April, 1850, as the first clerk of Los Angeles County, but with the understanding that he was to leave most of the work in such office to Dr. William Jones. When the city was incorporated, Mr. Wilson was elected the first mayor, but he resigned, after a few months, to assume more ยท important official duties. This made him foremost in the county and municipal governments. He was first to protest against California being admitted as a Slave State into the Union. In 1855 and 1869-70, he served as State senator. In all of these public positions Mr. Wilson proved himself to be a strong and trustworthy character, as will be seen in the subjoined autobiography which is replete with historic interest.
I, Benjamin David Wilson of Nashville, Tennessee, was born Decem- ber 1, 1811. My father was born in a Fort in the Territory of Tennessee in 1772, in what is now Wilson County. He died when I was eight years old, having lost by bad speculation, his fortune, which left his family poor.
We however were assisted to some education by our grandfather. When I was about fifteen years of age, I went into business for myself, at Yazoo City, on the Yazoo River above Vicksburg, where I kept a little trading house, to do business with the Choctaro and Chickasaw Indians.
*A noteworthy connecting link between the old times and those of the modern period.
370
371
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
My health entirely broke down, and I was told by physicians I could not live in that country ; must either leave or die. Went then up the Arkansas River to Fort Smith, an outer post then of the country. The Company I was to join did not go, for the reason that the river did not rise in time. From there I went to Missouri, joined the Rocky Mountain Company, and crossed the plains with them. Nothing worthy of mention occurred until we reached Santa Fe, in the fall of 1833.
Being without money, I joined a trapping party, to go and trap in the Gila and Apache country for beaver. The first year, there was no event worthy of record, except that we were quite successful; explored the Gila River, and returned to Santa Fe, in the spring of 1835.
Refitted and returned at the head of a small company formed by myself. One of this party was Enoch Barnes, of Missouri, who was mur- dered in Los Angeles, some six years ago, by (Sic) Cyrus Sanford. The first party to which I belonged was commanded by James Kirker, an Irishman, who died in California about 1852 or 1853. I never saw him in California, but I did get a note from him. He probably left a family, for he was married to a Mexican lady in El Paso, Chihauhua. She was hand- some, and a fine woman whom I saw many times.
I will now relate events connected with this expedition, and its results. The Apaches up to this time had been extremely kind and friendly to the Americans; but owing to bad treatment of their Chief Juan Jose, by the Mexicans, there was a deadly hostility existing between them, the Apaches and Mexicans, which has lasted to the present day. Juan Jose was educated originally for the Church, and could read and write, and keep accounts, etc. He was really quite an educated man. The Mexicans murdered his father, which prompted him to leave the whites, and place himself at the head of his people, and wage war against the Mexicans. But his relations with Americans, both traders and hunters, were of the most friendly character, and he never lost an opportunity to show them his friendship. Whenever by any mistake any animals belonging to American parties were stolen by Apaches, Juan Jose would have them returned to the owners.
There was an American, by name James Johnson, living and married to a native woman in Oposura, who had, during several years, been trading between that country and New Mexico, and had thus secured himself quite a competency ; he had been invariably an object of friendly regard from the Apaches, and occasionally when some of his stock had been by mistake captured, the same had been returned to him. Indeed, Juan Jose desired to maintain the best of friendly, as well as uninterrupted trading relations with American hunters and traders. The Mexican governor of Sonora was exceedingly anxious to secure the capture and destruction of Juan Jose, who had become a terror to the Mexicans; he would send out his men and intercept despatches, and thus kept himself well posted as to the movements of his enemies.
During the two years that I was in that country, Juan Jose was fre- quently in our camp and had mails brought to him to read, which had been captured by his men. We thus became informed of the military movements contemplated by the Mexican Government. That Government would not give permission to Americans to trade or trap in their territory ; we were
372
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
there as interlopers, and smugglers, and would have fared badly had we fallen into the hands of their forces. Juan Jose's friendship was in every way valuable to us. Returning to my story, the governor of Sonora made an arrangement or promise, with James Johnson, to kill Juan Jose, when- ever the opportunity offered for doing so, as it was frequent for Juan Jose and his men to visit Johnson's camp.
It was well known to the Governor that the Apaches were friendly to Johnson and all Americans. Of course it was left to Johnson to effect Juan Jose's destruction, in his own way. Juan Jose was generally hovering on the frontier with a small force of reliable young warriors of about twenty or thirty. Juan Jose was known not to be a fighting man; his people deemed him too valuable to allow him to expose his person in battle.
All those Gila Apaches had been Mission Indians during the Spanish occupation. After the Mexican independence the country became disor- ganized, and the frontier Mexicans treated these Indians so badly, without any effort being made by the Government for their protection, that they rebelled, and from that time kept up a warfare against everything that bore the name of Mexican. They were a civilized people, and indeed, many of them could not speak Apache, and felt a strong contempt for the wild tribes of Apaches, known under the names of Coyoteros, Mezcaleros and Jicarillas. The necessities of the war have since made them more friendly, and to intermarry with the others.
There was a party under Eames from Missouri that had gone to Sonora to purchase mules, taking with them William Knight (the same man who gave names to "Knights Ferry," and "Knights Landing," on the Sacra- mento), to act as their guide and interpreter. The party consisted of ten or twelve men. They were unsuccessful in their expedition; could find no mules, as the Apaches had stripped the whole country ; were returning to New Mexico, and took the route suggested to them by James Johnson, as the nearest one, through the Apache country, assuring them that there was not the slightest danger from those Indians. Johnson concocted the plan of murdering Juan Jose, with a man by the name of Gleason, or Glisson, who also resided at that time in Oposura. Johnson availed himself of Eames party, who were entirely unconscious of the plot to carry out Johnson's plans. All started together, Johnson being the guide. Some days out from Oposura, near the Gila River, they met Juan Jose who had heard of their coming, and also the arrangement between the Governor and Johnson, which he had obtained through some intercepted despatches, but gave no credence to the report, as he could not believe that Johnson, whose friend he had ever been, could possibly entertain any project against his life.
In the camp he told Johnson what he had learned, and the latter of course assured him there was no foundation for the report. Juan Jose them said to him: "Don Santiago, you have never deceived me, and if you give me your word of honor that the report is false, come to my camp with your men and pass the night with us." Johnson repeated his assur- ance, and all went to Juan Jose's camp. After arriving there, Johnson said to the Chief that he had a sack of pinole to give to the women and chil- dren ; the sack was taken out that same evening, and Juan Jose ordered a man to attend to the distribution of the pinole.
373
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
But all the men, women and children collected around the sack. This was a part of Johnson's plan. Johnson had a blunderbuss secured under an aparejo, which had been brought on mule back. The weapon was loaded with balls, chains, etc. Whilst the pinole was being distributed, Gleason had invited Juan Jose to walk out where the latter's fine saddle mule was tied, with the pretext that he wanted to buy the mule.
The plan of Johnson and Gleason was that the former would fire the blunderbuss into the crowd, and Gleason was to shoot Juan Jose, at the same time, with a pistol. This hellish plot was carried out to the letter, the blunderbuss was fired into the crowd, killing and maiming many. Gleason shot at Juan Jose, but did not kill him, the latter cried out to his friend Don Santiago to come to his aid, and clenched Gleason and had him down, with a knife drawn, when Johnson approaching Juan Jose, told him in Spanish, "For God's sake! Save my life. I could kill your friend, but I don't want to do it."
Johnson's only reply was to shoot Juan Jose whilst he was over Gleason, with his drawn knife. Juan Jose fell dead on Gleason.
Thus perished that fine specimen of a man.
I knew the man well, and can vouch for the fact that he was a perfect gentleman, as well as a kind hearted one.
After that occurrence, the party had to keep together, and fight their way back, for the Indians, by smoke and other means, had got together a large party and pursued them. Whilst that villainous act of Johnson and his accomplice was taking place I and my party were camped some thirty miles from Juan Jose's camp, on the Gila River, and about forty miles from Charles Kemp and his party of trappers, who were below me on the Gila.
After the Indians fought Johnson's party into Oposura, they went to Kemp's camp, and killed every one of the party, twenty-two in number. I was on march returning to Santa Fe, entirely ignorant of what had been taking place ; my object being to intercept East of the settlement of New Mexico, the caravan bound to Missouri. When we arrived at the trail, discovered that the caravan had passed there two days before.
We then started with the view of overtaking them by forced marches, but were intercepted by a party of Apaches, and taken prisoners, every- thing we had being taken from us. We were marched to the Apache camp. There we were given to understand that something terrible had happened, between the Apaches and Americans, and that the young warriors were determined to sacrifice us. We expressed our astonishment at the changed conduct of the Apaches, from whom we had ever before received so many evidences of friendly feeling.
That party did not seem to be fully informed of the causes of the change of feeling. In camp that night, the Indians kept up a war dance, to the east of the wigwam, where the chief Mangas kept us confined. That old chief was opposed to us being sacrificed, as he said that he had received many favors from Americans and believed it was to the interest of his people to keep up the amicable relations existing till that time.
Our party was at this moment reduced to only three. Originally it was six, the rest having managed to steal off, and reached the settlements with some of their property, leaving the balance in our hands, to be turned
374
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
over to their friends in Missouri. Of course, that was before we were captured.
Mangas had told us that he had been doing his best to dissuade his men from destroying us, but unsuccessfully. Finally at a late hour of the night, Mangas came in greatly excited, and said he had to return to his warriors, and one of us must leave, as it was the only way he could save the others. I asked my men what we should do. One, named Maxwell, had a sprained ankle, and could not walk; the other, named Tucker, was a kind of invalid, and replied that if he was to die, it would be as well to die there, as he could not possibly get into the settlements, distant one hundred and fifty miles, on foot. So it was concluded that I should go, and that forthwith, because, from the chief's intimation, the warriors were coming in a few minutes to take us out and burn us alive, for which they had been already preparing the wood.
I caught up a small buffalo robe, threw it over my shoulders (the Indians had stripped us of all clothing), and left. The camp was situated at the base of a little stony, mountain, on the prairie. I started up the hill, and had been out but a few moments when I could hear a general turmoil in the camp, and the whole country soon swarmed with horsemen who had started in all directions in pursuit of me. I heard them in my rear, and crept into a rent in some large rocks, where I remained perfectly still till they passed me, and I heard them all going back to their camp. The mountain was about twenty miles from a deep canon, the only hiding place in all the country. I had therefore to get into the canon before day- light, for in that plain a man could be seen from the hill, in the daylight, at the distance of twenty miles, in all directions. I ran and walked as hard as I could, and succeeded in getting into the canon, just as the day was breaking, got on the ledge, and sat down to rest before hiding myself. As I had expected, at daylight the plains were full of horsemen. I slid down. into the deep chasm, or cut, among the vines and brush, and remained there all day without food, and what was worse, had the prospect before me of over one hundred miles to march without nourishment. The next night was also a perilous one, having thirty miles of prairie to cross, before I could get into the next hiding place. That night I walked thirty miles, and got into the spur of the Rocky Mountains; traveled until daylight, rested awhile, and went on in a fine looking country. I traveled all that day, and kept on after taking a little rest; during the night, and when near daylight on that third night, I unexpectedly arrived at a sheep ranch that I knew nothing of.
I there got some mutton and atole. My shoes were entirely worn out. My feet bleeding. Stayed there the whole day with the herder, who had the kindness to make me a pair of moccasins out of some untanned sheep skins with the wool on them. Continued my journey until I reached the settlements, at a place called Mouo ; procured a pair of shoes and some food.
Finally walked in about three or four days' time, the one hundred miles, or upwards, intervening between that place and Santa Fe, where I arrived without money, clothing, or friends, not even an acquaintance, and perfectly worn out. Two days after, news arrived of the disaster to a party of Americans, known at that time as the Keykendall party (pro- nounced Kurkindall), about one hundred and fifty miles south of Santa
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.