USA > California > Mendocino County > History of Mendocino County, California : comprising its geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber > Part 48
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Caspar Baptist Church .- This church organization was effected on Thursday, July 22, 1880, by Rev. C. A. Bateman, with the following organ- izing members: Mrs. Sarah M. Gordon, John A. Gordon, W. J. Snow, Robert Ralson, Mrs. Sarah Mathews, John Mathews, Mrs. Georgianna, M. Kelley, Frank Kelley, Mrs. J. R. Ross, Mrs. John McGregor, M. H. Harper, Mrs. David Ross, and Mrs. Obadiah Matthews. The Trustees of the church are Messrs. John A. Gordon, W. J. Snow, Robert Ralson, John Mathews, M. H. . Harper and Frank Kelley, the latter-named being Treasurer and Clerk of the Board. The deacons are John Mathews and Robert Ralson. At present the services are held in the school-house; but steps are being taken looking to the early erection of a church building, and as the Mendocino coast people never look back when once they have put their hands to the plow, and never do things by halves, a handsome structure will doubtless grace this beautiful 27
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little village, and one more finger-board will be established with its spire pointing upward, along the road that all mankind hope to travel.
NoYo .- This is a small place at the mouth of the river of that name, the business part of it being situated at the southern end of the bridge across the stream, while the mill and its little village is located on the north side of the river, on the mesa. The business consists of one hotel, one saloon and one livery stable, with a saloon about one-fourth of a mile south of the bridge. The mill village consists of about twenty-five cottages, and the public school-house is located among them. The upper story of this building is used for a town hall.
ALBION GRANT .- This tract of land was granted to Captain William Richardson in 1844, but was not confirmed. The limits or boundaries of the grant were Big river on the north and the Garcia river on the south. As the Garcia grant extended as far north, according to the disseño, as the Mal Paso, there was a large tract of land that was claimed by both parties. In the course of time this fact gave the settlers much trouble, as some of them had purchased their right and title from Luco and then had to com- promise or engage in an embroglio with the claimants of the Albion ranch. Eventually, however, both grants were declared spurious by the courts, and the whole coast country became Government land and subject to entry as such.
CHUTES, WHARVES AND BOOMS .- Franchises have been granted by the State as follows for the erection of chutes, wharves and booms in Big River township: March 28, 1868, a franchise was granted to James Kenney to extend for a period of twenty years, to construct and maintain a chute and landing which shall be of sufficient capacity to allow the shipment of all the lumber and timber and other commodities to be shipped from the town of Cuffey's Cove.
The following Act of the Legislature was approved April 18, 1859, which has reference to the improvement of the Nevarra river. We reproduce it here in full as a matter of historical interest, and that the reader may see how elaborately those things were gotten up :--
SECTION 1. The right to build a wharf at the mouth of Nevarra river, in Mendocino county, to open the channel of the. mouth of said river so that scows or vessels can pass in and out thereof, and to construct moorings necessary for the anchoring of such vessels, with the right to charge wharf- age, lighterage, and for mooring, is hereby granted to A. W. Macpherson, and those whomever he may associate with him, and their assigns, for the period of twenty years.
SEC. 2. Said wharf shall be built not to exceed one hundred feet in width, and, beginning as near as practicable at low water mark, shall extend out-
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rard not more than eight hundred feet, and shall be completed in two years from the passage of this Act.
SEC. 3. Said Macpherson, and such persons as he may associate with him, and their assigns, shall have the right to open the channel of the mouth of said river so that scows or vessels can pass in and out of the same, and to establish all necessary moorings for the anchorage and safety of scows and vessels.
SEC. 4. In consideration of the building of said wharf, and for opening said mouth of said river, and establishing said moorings, said Macpherson, his associates and their assigns shall have the right to charge wharfage, lighterage, and for mooring all vessels that may use the same.
SEC. 5. The Board of Supervisors of Mendocino county, shall fix the rate of charges herein provided for wharfage, lighterage, and mooring vessels.
SEC. 6. Any and all vessels shall be equally entitled to use said harbor, and its conveniences by paying the rate of toll as fixed by the Board of Supervisors of Mendocino county.
SEC. 7. A list of tolls chargeable at said harbor shall be posted in some conspicuous place near the wharf.
SEC. 8. Said Macpherson, and such persons as he may associate with him, shall incorporate themselves under the general Incorporating Act of this State, within six months after the passage of this Act, or the rights and privileges, hereby granted shall be forfeited.
On the 8th day of April, 1862, another franchise was granted, for a wharf at the Nevarra river, to Messrs. Joshua Hendy, H. B. Tichenor, and Robert G. Byxbee. The terms and provisions of this franchise were very similar to the one above, except, that in addition to the rights granted by it, the right to the use of a strip of land two hundred feet wide, and extending from low water mark, far enough into the sea to answer all purposes of navigation was included in the franchise.
At the same time, a franchise was granted to the above-named parties, giving them the right to establish and maintain a boom or booms at the mouth of the Nevarra river, to be used for the purpose of retaining the logs to be used at the mill of said company.
March 31, 1866, a franchise was granted to Messrs. H. B. Tichenor and Robert G. Byxbee, investing them with the right to build a railroad and a railroad bridge across the Nevarra river, and a wharf at the mouth of the said river. This franchise was to extend for a period of twenty-five years. The track of the railroad was to extend from the mill to the wharf.
On the 11th day of March, 1868, an Act of the Legislature was approved, which authorized Messrs. H. B. Tichenor and R. G. Byxbee to maintain, for a period of twenty years, a railroad track, and a railroad wharf, and a public toll-bridge at the mouth of and across the Nevarra river, Mendocino county, and they were to have, and were granted the right of way across said river.
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The franchise recited that the railroad should commence at the mill of said Tichenor & Byxbee, and thence across the river and along the north bank of the said river to the ocean. The wharf could be extended into the water of the ocean a sufficient distance to accommodate the demands of shipping, and one hundred feet on each side was to be retained by them for the ingress and egress of vessels to the wharf. The Act of March 31, 1866, granting the franchise for a railroad bridge and wharf, as noticed in the last paragraph above, was repealed.
February 14, 1861, an Act of the Legislature was approved, which set forth the following facts: It shall be lawful for A. W. Macpherson, Alfred Godeffroy, William Sillem, John Freundt, and J. B. Ford, who now own, or their assigns, who may hereafter erect, purchase or own, or be in possession of, any saw-mill or mills, whether propelled by water or steam power, for the manufacture of lumber, on the Albion river, Big river, and the Noyo river, in the county of Mendocino, State of California, to build, erect, hang or purchase, and maintain, where, in their estimation the same may be necessary to facilitate the manufacture of lumber, such boom or booms as may be necessary for such purposes, provided, that the navigation of the said streams is not obstructed.
A franchise to construct booms in the Caspar creek was granted to William H. Kelly, April 10, 1862.
There are no chutes or wharfs at Noyo; hence all the freight in or out of that place, is transported to and from the vessels on lighters.
A franchise was granted to J. B. Ford on the 27th of March, 1868, to construct and maintain a wharf at the mouth of Big river, Mendocino county, extending from the north shore of the bay to a small rocky island. The franchise holds good for twenty years.
ROADS AND BRIDGES .- In Mendocino county the matter of a road is something of such importance that the most excellent roads which the trav- eler finds wherever he goes. is worthy more than a casual notice. In this township the roads naturally center at Mendocino City, as that is the prin- cipal town in it. The main road is the one extending along the coast from the southern boundary line, at the crossing of the Gualala river, to Westport, and a few miles beyond. This passes through the entire length of the township, and is a splendid road, and one that affords great pleasure to pass over as the traveler passes continually through varying scenery and ever- changing vista, while ever, as grand stationary backgrounds to the picture, on the one hand lies the majestic ocean, and on the other the "everlasting hills" clothed in their verdant mantle of pine and redwood foliage, and veiled oftentimes with the filmy, gauzy, lace-like drapery of the misty exha- lations of the breath of the adjacent ocean. From Nevarra a road leads to Cloverdale through Anderson valley, while from Mendocino City one road
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leads to Ukiah, and another to Little Lake. All these roads are of easy grade and kept in good order, and to travel over them is to pass through a land almost as beautiful as the fabled enchanted ground of some paradise, made beautiful in the glowing verbiage of song and story.
In the early days there were ferries established at the crossings of all the streams along the coast, beginning with the rough hewn dug-out, like that mentioned above as being used by Capt. Fletcher at the Nevarra river, in which the man was rowed across and the horse forced to swim, and devel- oping, as the demands of the travel required it, into large flat boats, propelled and retained in position by ropes extending from one bank to the other, in which man and beast both were ferried from shore to shore. Then there grew a demand for something that would still more facilitate the crossing of the streams, and bridges were built, under franchises granted by the State, at which such rates of toll were charged as were established by the Board of Supervisors from time to time.
The toll-bridge at Nevarra was put in operation in 1868, the franchise being granted to Messrs. H. B. Tichenor & R. G. Byxbee, March 11th of that year.
The franchise for the toll-bridge at Albion was granted to James Town- send, May 17, 1861. February 28, 1866, a new franchise was granted to A. W. Macpherson, giving him the right to construct and maintain a toll- bridge across the Albion river within one mile of its mouth. The franchise extended for a period of twenty years, and it was required of the builder that he construct a draw-bridge in it to allow the passage of vessels.
The first franchise for a toll-bridge across Big river was granted May 16, 1861, to Messrs. Spencer W. Hill, Isaac P. Smith, and P. S. Palmstream. The franchise included all the rights of way, franchises and immunities of a toll-bridge at that point. The company was to be organized under the name of the "Big River Bridge Company," and were to be incorporated under the general laws of the State. After the expiration of ten years from the completion of the bridge the county of Mendocino shall have the right to purchase said bridge, together with the right of way and the franchise at appraiser's value. If found necessary a draw shall be maintained. The above terms and provisions were set forth in the franchises of the bridges at Nevarra and Albion. January 30, 1864, a franchise was granted to Ruel Stickney to maintain a toll-bridge across Big river, the same being a navi- gable stream. The franchise was to hold good for a term of twenty years, and was to be organized and incorporated the same as those mentioned above, and subject to the same conditions, and was to have a draw in it.
The franchise for the bridge across the Noyo river was granted to John Byrnes and John Warrington, May 17, 1861. The terms and conditions of this franchise were the same as those recorded above. March 22, 1866, a franchise was granted to A. W. Macpherson to build a bridge across the
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Noyo river. The stipulations were the same as above, and included a draw.
The following Act of the Legislature was approved March 23, 1874, and has reference to the bridges in Big River township : " Upon a petition of one- third of the voters of Big River township, the Board of Supervisors are to appoint three appraisers to appraise all the bridges in the township, and also to estimate the cost of building a bridge across Ten-mile river. An election shall be held for the purpose of finding out whether the tax-payers of Big River township will pay one-half of the price to be paid for the bridges. The Board of Supervisors shall issue bonds which shall be known as ' Toll Road Script,' and pay the same, to the amount of fifty per cent, to the bridge owners. If there be a railroad on the bridge, the owners thereof are to keep the bridge in repair for the use of the bridge. If the owners of the bridges refuse to accept the script in payment for their bridges, then the Board of Supervisors shall let to the lowest bidder the contract for the con- struction of a bridge along side of the other bridge."
March 20, 1876, the following Act of the Legislature was approved, and has reference to the roads and bridges in Mendocino county, and also in Big River township: "The Board of Supervisors of Mendocino county are hereby authorized to issue the bonds of the county to the amount of $32,- 000, payable on the first day of February, A. D., 1886; or, at the election of said county, at any time after the first day of January, A. D., 1896, with interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum, payable on the first day of February, with both interest and principal in United States gold coin only. Said bonds are to be issued in denominations of $500 each, and shall be desig -. nated as the ' Mendocino Special Road and Bridge Bonds."" Of these bonds, $12,000, if so much should be required, was to be used in the purchase of the bridges across the Nevarra, Albion, Big, and Noyo rivers.
The following Act of the Legislature was passed February 8, 1878 : "The Board of Supervisors of Mendocino county are hereby empowered to sell the remainder of the ' Mendocino Special Road and Bridge Bonds,' author- ized to be issued by an Act of the Legislature ' to provide for the purchase and erection of bridges, etc.,' approved March 20, 1876, and to apply the proceeds thereof to the purchase of the toll-bridge on Big river. The sum to be paid for said bridge is to be determined by persons selected as follows : One by the Board, and one by the Bridge Company, within thirty days. If they fail to agree, then one more man shall be chosen by them both. If the Company fail to take the sum offered, the Board can order and contract for the construction of a bridge along side of the other, not to exceed in cost the sum of $4,000."
Thus we have taken the reader very thoroughly over the ground, and given the details as fully as they could be obtained. The same general facts are applicable to them all, as they were franchised under the same general law, bound by the same restrictions, and the same laws in regard to their sur-
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render to the county, applied to all. Every bridge along the coast road is now free, and the people are liberated from an onerous burden, and a very heavy tax. It was a great convenience, all will readily admit, to have toll- bridges rather than ferries, but free bridges are the best for all concerned.
THE MENDOCINO RESERVATION .- When the first white settlers began to arrive in Mendocino county they found the valleys well filled with quite extensive and strong tribes of Indians. They were peaceable in the main, although there were some aggressive and hostile tribes in the upper valleys, especially in Round and the neighboring valleys. The Government, how- ever, soon took steps to place these tribes all upon a reservation, whether they be peaceable or hostile. Thomas J. Henley was at that time Superin- tendent of Indian affairs on the Pacific coast, and after examining into the matter he decided to locate the Mendocino reservation just north of the Noyo river, and on the coast. It is not the province of these annals to discuss the wisdom displayed in the choice, but to narrate the facts of history. Suffice it to say that as a reservation for the Indians the location was shortly after abandoned, principally on account of its inadaptability to the pur- poses for which it was designed to use it. This reservation was estab- lished in 1856, and the first station was located about one mile north of the Noyo river, at what has since been known as Fort Bragg. Captain H. L. Ford came there as the first agent. Robert White, John P. Simpson, Samuel Watts, - Hinckley, H. Mitchel, Stephen Mitchel, G. Hegenmeyer, G. Canning Smith, H. Kier, H. Bell, and Lloyd Bell, Sr., were there as employes during the first year or two. Dr. T. M. Ames was the first physician. The second station was at Bald Hill, located north-east of Noyo about three miles, with M. C. Doherty agent and John Clark assistant. The third station was at Ten-mile river, a stream coming down out of the mountains and emptying into the ocean about ten miles north of the Noyo, hence its name. Major Lewis was agent there and E. J. Whipple assistant. The fourth station was located about one-half mile south of the Noyo river, and was called Culle-Bulle. John P. Simpson was agent and William Ray assist- ant. The tract embraced in the limits of the reservation consisted of twenty-four thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight and forty-six one hun- dredths acres, and the enterprise, if so we may denominate it, was aban- doned in 1867. Many strange stories come down to the present time about those old reservation days. It is said that the soldiers and employes of the reservations would make incursions into the interior valleys and corral and drive the Indians into the reservation just as they would so many wild hogs or cattle. It was immaterial whether a tribe were hostile or not, all Indians were considered legitimate game for these paid man-hunters who had the mighty authority of our great free Republic at their backs to sustain any and all of their depredations into the peaceful homes of the native denizens
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of the realm. Is it any wonder that forbearance ceased to be a virtue some- times, and that the Indians occasionally " kicked against the pricks?" Their camps were raided and despoiled, and their people kidnapped by the whites. There is to-day an Indian in the Cahto rancheria who was kidnapped when a boy by some white marauder, and as a slave taken to a foreign country. He was taken to Missouri and grew up in the chains of this forced and illegal bondage, and when he got to that age that he could shift for himself, true to his Indian instinct, he started out on the long and almost hopeless journey of returning to the home of his childhood. Days and months were consumed in the trip, but at last, after overcoming almost insurmountable obstacles, made doubly difficult because of his dusky skin, he arrived at his old home, to find only a remnant of his tribe left-the rest had been " re- served," which, being literally translated, means worn out in toiling and moiling on a tract of land kept by the Government from bona fide white settlers, that a few political friends of the administration might be fed and sustained and enriched by their labor. These Indians were vassals, very slaves to those in charge of the reservation, and yet they have never gotten enough work out of all the hundreds of Indians upon it to sustain the inhabitants. Whose fault is it? Certainly work enough has been expended by the Indian slaves to have sustained them, but it has been misdirected.
We are aware that these strictures are, in a measure, severe; but when the matter is thoroughly examined into, it will be found that the facts in the case will bear out all that has been said, and that the half has not, nor can it ever be told. From the day that Columbus landed upon American soil, in the evening of the fifteenth century, to this present time, the declining days of the nineteenth century, it has always been the same old story-ag- gression on the part of the whites-not to use any of the stronger terms ap- plicable to the special cases of wrong usage, and resentment on the part of the Indians, which was no more than natural, and just what any human being would have done. There was no Joshua to lead our ancestors in their furious onslaught upon the owners of the soil, and to declare that their and their children's prosperity would never be full until the last vestige of the hated red men should disappear from the face of the country, and to declare it to be the will of the God of gods that this should be done, and in His name. Still, they have acted on that principle, and the only justification that can be given is, that the whites wanted the land for their own use. No re- gard whatever has been paid to the laws of meum et tuum; but what was theirs by inheritance and God-given right has been made ours by force of might. From the eastern shores of the Mongolian sea of humanity the first rippling waves of the on-coming flood-tide of immigration is beginning to lap gently on our strand; but, far away down toward the middle of the next century we can hear the full roar of the breakers of that grand wave of
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humanity beating and dashing against all the shore-line of the Pacific, and the country is deluged and flooded with a race not so unlike the red man in many respects, yea, so nearly like him that they are evidently first-cousins. Then will our children and our children's children know and feel what we have caused the aboriginal inhabitants of this fair land to feel. It has taken four centuries to usurp all this vast domain, and four centuries more may see only a trace of our vaunted Saxon race, while our boasted institutions of freedom will be things long in the past, and held in such hated remembrance that a mention of them will never be made.
In those days there were some original characters afloat on the surface of the flood-tide of humanity that had set in from the eastern side of the Rocky mountains, and among the most striking and original of the entire crew was this same M. C. Doherty, who was agent at the Bald Hill station on the Mendocino reservation. Legendary report has brought down to the present day a host of the wonderful sayings and doings of this genius; some of which, however, are not well suited for use in these pages. We will give one which has a more direct reference to the reservation, as a sample of the humor that pervaded the man: A stranger coming over hills and mount- ains, and through valleys and cañons, over a scarcely describable Indian trail, which proverbially stretched its sinuous windings in the very worst places imaginable, seeking the steepest mountain sides and the worst stream crossings, found himself just at night at the Bald Hill station, and our hero in charge. A request to remain all night was made by the stranger and very readily granted, for no man loved society better or dispensed hospital- ity with a more lavish hand than did " Mike," as he was known far and near. In the morning the stranger asked for his bill, and of course was told that it was nothing. With many thanks for the kind favor, the stranger was about leaving the room, when Mike spoke up suddenly, as if an idea had just struck him, and told the man that he would like for him to carry a small parcel down to the fort for him, as it would be right on his way. Of course the unsuspecting stranger was only too willing to do anything that would be an accommodation to the generous host whose hospitality he had enjoyed during the previous night. Mike went out to the blacksmith-shop and filled an old valise with broken bits of iron, making its weight about twenty-five pounds. He placed a tag upon it properly superscribed with the address of the commandant of the fort, written with all the flourish he could master. Then two massive green seals were pasted across the jaws of the satchel, and an impress of a seal was placed upon each one, all in the presence of the man. Mike then delivered it over to the stranger, who picked it up for the purpose of starting off with it, when he discovered how heavy it was; whereupon he demurred, saying that the trail was too rough and the day too hot for him to undertake to carry that a distance of five miles on foot. Mike arose to his full height before the man, and looking
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