USA > California > Mendocino County > History of Mendocino County, California : comprising its geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber > Part 63
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John C. Sarowski. Was born in Hamburg, Germany, December 12, 1838, and attended the common schools of Germany till fourteen years of age. He resided at his birthplace till 1860, when he sailed before the mast and came to America and volunteered in the Virginia Fleet, under Admiral Lee, and participated in the war of the rebellion, and was honorably dis- charged at Norfolk Navy Yard in the fall of 1863. He then sailed to Europe, thence to China, and thence to California, arriving in this State in 1866. He began logging at the Noyo mills, which he followed till 1877, when he purchased his present business at Ocean View. He married Cres- zentia Brenzeng October 9, 1874, a native of Bavaria, Germany, born Sep- tember 21, 1849. They have no children.
James J. Smalley. Was born in Duchess county, New York, June 23, 1830, and resided at his birthplace till he was twenty-two years of age, and was educated in the common schools. In March, 1852, he sailed from New York for California via Cape Horn. He proceeded to the mines at once on the Yuba Bar, and remained but a short time when he went to Sonoma county and located seven miles west of Petaluma, and began farm- ing. He remained there two years, when he went to Santa Rosa and began the livery stable business with Julio Carrillo. In 1856 he settled in Anderson valley and began farming. He has subsequently spent two or three years in Oregon and Washington Territory. He is at present engaged in hotel- keeping at Pine Grove, but still owns his place in Anderson valley, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres. He was married in 1856 to Miss Mary Embrocia, who died leaving two children, Mary Agnes and Isabella. He married, secondly, Miss Elizabeth Rovie. They have two children, Elnora and Abraham.
Isaiah Stevens. Oldest child of Nathaniel and Mollie Stevens, was born in Windham, Cumberland county, Maine, November 27, 1809. He resided at his birthplace till twenty-one years of age, during which time he received a common school education. In 1830 he went to Providence, Rhode Island, and attended school one year; he then returned to Maine. He was married to Mary V. Fall March 25, 1836, who was born in Norway, Oxford
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HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
county, Maine, April 21, 1816. She died July 3, 1859, and by her he had six children, one son and five daughters, four of whom are now living: Stephen G., born December 4, 1844; Rachel F., born September 14, 1846; Emily E., born April 5, 1849; Mary R., born April 14, 1856. He married his present wife, Rebecca S. Coombs, December 6, 1860, in Hallowell, Kenne- bee county, Maine," who was born in Whitefield, Lincoln county, Maine, April 8, 1830. He continued to live in Maine till 1864, when he left Kenne- bec county for California and took passage on the steamer, June 23d, at New York for Aspinwall, and arrived in San Francisco on the steamer Constitu- tion July 18th. He came immediately to Mendocino county and located on his present estate at Little River in 1865, and has continued to reside .there ever since. In 1865 he was appointed postmaster of the Little River post- office, an office he has continually held since that date.
George Switzer. A native of Canada, born near Kingston. When about eight years old his parents moved to Hastings county, Canada, where he remained till seventeen years of age. He then moved with his parents to Terth county, Canada, where his parents still reside. In 1863 he immi- grated via Panama to California. Sailed from New York City on the steamer Northern Light, March 11th of that year, and from Panama on the steamer Golden Age, landing in San Francisco April 6, 1863, where he remained but a few days, when he proceeded to Mendocino county, landing at Caspar ereek, where he resided three years. He then went to Gold Hill, Nevada; remained in that place and Dayton till the fall of 1868. When the White Pine excitement broke out he went there, stayed about six months, when he returned to Canada to visit his parents; remained till January, 1870, when he married Elizabeth A. Hopkins, and returned to this county. In November, 1876, he started in the livery and feed stable business in Mendocino City, which he still follows.
Oscar White Scott. Was born in Greene county, Illinois, September 24, 1826, being the fourth child of John W. and Margaret White Scott. He attended the common schools of his birthplace, where he received his educa- tion. In 1847 he entered Company D, Captain Bristow, Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for service in the Mexican War. He served till peace was deelared, and then returned to Illinois, where he resided till April 1, 1852, when he started for California. At St. Joe, Missouri, a company of three wagons and seventeen men was made up. His wife accompanied him. They came by the Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie, and Canon route, having a pleasant journey, and making the trip in the short space of one hundred and five days. They entered this State at Voleano, Amador county, where Mr. Seott began mining, and remained there till fall. He still continued in that business at various places till the fall of 1856. In 1857 he moved to Healds- burg, where he lived till September, 1858, when he went to Point Arena,
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Mendocino county, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. He spent 1861 and 1862 in the Nevada silver mines. In 1866 he moved to Bridge- port, and in 1867 he moved to Cuffey's Cove. In 1869 he erected the first blacksmith shop in that place, which he sold in 1870 to Mr. Brown. He is now engaged in speculating. April 2, 1852, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Green Logan, born August 19, 1832, and died November 16, 1865. Their children are: William J., born December 23, 1852; Edgar W., born August 17, 1854; Frank, born, April 3, 1856. They have lost: Flora born January 3, 1858; Arthur H., born May 20, 1859; and Blanch A. and Florence (twins), born August 14, 1861. July 4, 1868, he married Mrs. Caroline Elizabeth Vines, a native of Tennessee, born January 31, 1833; the widow of Solomon Vines. Her two children by her first marriage are : Frances M., born January 21, 1860; and Hattie, born June 11, 1861. There are no children by the last union.
Ruel Stickney. This gentleman and pioneer, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Windsor, Maine, June 17, 1825, and is the son of Thomas and Nancy Stickney. His mother's maiden name was Nancy Cleaves. He resided at his birthplace till 1856, receiving a common school education, and also learned the ship-carpenter's trade. April 5, 1856, he sailed on the steamer North Star from New York to Panama, and was in the riot at that place, where twenty-six of the passengers were killed. From there he came to San Francisco on the John L. Stevens, where he arrived May Ist. At the end of a week he and Mr. Coombs came to the Albion river, and for a few months worked in the woods. They then took the con- tract of logging for the Albion Mill, at which business they remained till 1863, when they came to Little River and made ties for one year. In 1864 they erected the Little River Mill under the firm name of Stickney, Coombs & Co .; and Mr. Stickney remained associated with the firm till 1872, when he disposed of his interest to C. Perkins. Since then he has not been actively engaged in business, but has a sheep ranch in Anderson valley of one thousand six hundred acres, and his home farm of one hundred and sixty acres on the coast, has been a director of both of the Mendocino City banks since their organization. He believes explicitly in the doctrines of Seventh- day Adventists, and lives strictly to the letter of his faith, observing the seventh day as the Sabbath of God. It can truthfully be said of the subject of this sketch, that he has always recognized toil as manly and labor as ennobling; and after passing through an honorable yet checkered life, he is now surrounded by the comforts of a happy home, beside the wife of his youth, blessed by his children and friends, and honored and esteemed by his neighbors and the citizens of his county. March 31, 1847, he was united in marriage with Miss Ann T. Coombs, a native of Whitefield, Maine, born September 6, 1826. They have six living children, as follows: Nancy E. (now Mrs. Perkins), born March 13, 1850; Barbara C., born July 10, 1852;
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HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Silas C., born April 13, 1861; Fred W., born February 4, 1864; Frank W., , born December 12, 1866; and Annie D., born May 4, 1869. They have two children deceased : Vandalia, born March 25, 1848, died September 30, 1866; and Ruel G., born July 24, 1854, died August 15, 1861.
John Standacher. Was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, December 27, 1842, where he resided till he was eight years of age. He remained in that country, however, till 1865, when he sailed on the steamer Bavaria from Hamburg to New York. He came to California in August, 1871, and pro- ceeded at once to the mines, where he spent a year and a half at Coloma. He then went to White Pine, Nevada, and was there during the great silver excitement at that place. He returned to California in 1875, and remained in Nevada and Yolo counties until 1876, when he came to Sonoma county, and in the same year to Mendocino county, and settled on his present place near Mendocino City, comprising one hundred and sixty acres, in the fall of 1878. He is unmarried. On the 26th day of December, 1878, Mr. Stand- acher filed his declaration of homestead in the Land Office for north of north- west, and south-east of north-west, and south-west of north-east, section three, township sixteen north, seventeen west.
Tracy H. Smith, M. D. Was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, February 25, 1851, and is the son of James and Clarissa Hubbard Smith. He remained with his parents till he was five years of age, when with his grandmother and a bachelor uncle he went to Floyd county, Iowa. At the age of eighteen he entered the Cedar Valley Seminary, at Osage, that State, where he remained two years, spending his winters in teaching. In the spring of 1862 he moved to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and began the study of medicine under Dr. C. H. Robins, and remained with him for eighteen months. In the fall of 1872 he came to California and located in Humboldt county, where he was engaged in teaching and the study of his profession till 1875, when he went to San Francisco and took two courses of lectures, and graduated in October, 1876. He then returned to Humboldt county and located, practicing'medicine till the spring of 1878, when he came to Mendo- cino City.
James Townsend, Whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, September 10, 1830, and is the eldest son of James and Parthenia Townsend. Resided in Lowell until April 5, 1849, at which time he sailed from Boston in the ship Areatus, via Cape Horn, for Califor- nia, arriving in San Francisco September 22d of that year; proceeded to the mines and engaged in mining, and followed it until December, 1851, with fair success. Spent the winter of that year at the Sandwich Islands, and returned to the State May, 1852, and engaged in the saw-mill business in San Francisco (now San Mateo) county, near Woodside, as engineer for G. M. Burnham. The following year Mr. Burnham disposed of his interests to
Berry Wright
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BIG RIVER TOWNSHIP.
George W. Baker, of San Francisco-then Recorder. Townsend took the superintendence of the mill and business and erected another mill near. In 1854 he moved the original mill and run it on contract until April, 1855. In May following moved to Albion river, Mendocino county, and in Novem- ber took the superintendence of the Albion Mill and agency for A. G. Dal- las, under A. W. Macpherson. Was married at Albion December 17, 1859, to Miss Martha H. Milton, of Damariscotta, Maine. Their children are: James, born at Albion June 8, 1861; and Fred., born at Noyo May 19, 1862. He assumed charge of the Noyo Mill January 1, 1861, and moved his family there October 15, 1861. Resided there and had charge of the entire business of the Albion and Noyo Mills until January 15, 1871. Left Mendocino county August 18, 1875, and moved to Haywards, Alameda county, where his family now resides. He became associated with L. E. White, now of San Francisco, in the general merchandising business at Albion in September, 1861, under the firm name of L. E. White & Co., and with Mr. Fred. Brown at Noyo in the same business, October, 1861, under the name of Townsend & Brown, and with Carroll and others on the South Fork of Eel river, Hum- boldt county, same business July, 1869, under firm name of Townsend, Car- roll & Co. In 1875 closed all business connections excepting with L. E. White & Co., and moved to Haywards. In May, 1876, returned to Mendo- cino county, and with Mr. L. E. White took controlling interest in the Sal- mon Creek Railroad Company. Built the road during 1876, the superin- tendence of which is his present business.
George Washington Wright. Was born in Ohio, May 23, 1834. When he was but an infant his parents removed to Missouri, where he resided till he was ten years of age. His parents then took up their resi- dence in Lee county, Iowa, where he remained till 1853. He then crossed the plains to California, settling in El Dorado county, and engaged in mining at Hangtown (Placerville), Mud Springs, and in that vicinity till 1856. He then moved to Sonoma county, settling near Healdsburg, where he engaged in farming till 1857. He then moved to Mendocino county and located at Point Arena, where he was engaged in farming and the lumber business until 1861. He then moved to Bridgeport, where he has since resided and been engaged in farming and dairying. His present farm consists of five hundred and twenty acres. Mr. Wright has always been identified with the best interests of the section of the country in which he has resided, and is one of the School Trustees of Bridgeport district at the present time. He was married, June 27, 1865, to Miss Mary Jane Robinson, born December 28, 1849, and their children are: George Albert, born May 18, 1866; Edwin Lewis, born October 1, 1869, died August 28, 1875, aged five years, ten months and twenty-seven days; William Anson, born December 28, 1872, died August 7, 1875, aged two years, seven months and ten days; Mary C., born July 3, 1875 ; Jennie A., born August 18, 1878.
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HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Thomas Walsh. Was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, December 23, 1818. He resided at his birthplace till 1851, when he immigrated to America, and settled in Providence, Rhode Island, and lived in different parts of the Eastern States till 1853. December 20th of that year he sailed from New York City on board the steamer George Law, bound for Panama. On this side he took the steamer Golden Gate, but at San Diego she struck a sand bar, and the entire one thousand one hundred passengers had to be transferred to another vessel, which landed them in San Francisco in Janu- ary, 1854. He immediately proceeded to the mines at Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras county, where he continued engaged in mining operations in that section for three and a half years. July 10, 1857, Mr. Walsh located on his present farm, now consisting of eight hundred and eight acres, where he is engaged in farming, stock-raising and dairying. He is highly respected by all his neighbors, and has been Trustee of the Bridgeport district for several years. In 1863 he married Mrs. Bridget Dood McDonald, relict of Bernard McDonald, who was born in Ireland in 1833. She had by her first marriage two sons, Alexander, born January 11, 1857, and Thomas, born July 4, 1859. The issue of the second union are as follows: William, born January 5, 1865; John, born October 13, 1866; Joseph, born October 13, 1868; James, born April 21, 1871; Mary, born February 5, 1874; and Alice, born October 11, 1877.
George R. Williams, A native of Hillsborough county, New Hampshire, was born February 4, 1833. At the age of fifteen years he began a sea-faring life, which he followed till December 1851, arriving at San Francisco on the 3d day of that month. He immediately proceeded to Mariposa county and began mining, which he continued for one year. He then went to Santa Cruz county, and began farming, which he followed till 1854, when he once more embarked in mining. In 1855, he began sailing along the coast and July 1, 1856, he left the vessel at Albion, and began working in the redwoods, which he followed till September 1856. He then came to Mendocino City and began working in the mill at that place, whero he continued till 1860. In 1864, Mr. Williams visited his native home, and after sojourning six months there, he returned and began the liquor business at Mendocino City, which he followed till 1868. In that year he settled at his present place and began the business which he is now conducting, at Ocean View, half a mile north of Mendocino City. Mr. Williams is unmarried.
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CALPELLA TOWNSHIP.
CALPELLA.
Ranch Angle. Was born in Washington, Illinois, in 1828, and when he was only three years old his parents moved to St. Clair county, that State, where the subject of this sketch was bound out. He remained there till he was fifteen years of age when he went to Sheridan county, Missouri, where he lived one and a half years. He then went to Quincy, Illinois, and chopped cord-wood along the Mississippi river at four bits a cord, selling it to the dis- tilleries. He then went to Warsaw, Hancock county, where he chopped wood till he started to California, May 15, 1850. He came across the plains, and arrived at Placerville, September 23d, of that year. He began mining, and continued at it till 1854, when he purchased a place in the Sacramento valley, twelve miles from Marysville, where he farmed and mined, according to the season. In 1859 he came to Mendocino county and began farming in Walker valley, where he now owns one thousand acres of land. June, 1859, he was married to Miss Catherine Orender, a native of Illinois. They have four living children: Euphrasia Jane, born March 25, 1860; Anania, born July 28, 1861; Carl, born November 17, 1878; Victor, born April 27, 1880. They have lost nine children.
Caleb Bailey. Born in Missouri, May 7, 1827, where he resided on a farm until 1854, when he, leaving his parents behind, went to Oregon, across the plains, with ox-teams. After 'spending two years in Oregon, farming and mining, he came to California and mined for nine years. In 1865 he came to this county, and in 1869 settled on his present place, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, located on the Potter Valley road leading from Ukiah, about four miles from the last-mentioned place, where he is engaged in farming and wool-growing. He was married February 14, 1852, to Miss Arilla Cox. They have six children: Thomas E. C .; Flora C .; Elton R .; Emma D .; Eva L., and Mary.
Z. W. Bransford. Was born in Barren county, Kentucky, May 12, 1834, and when he was six years of age he with his parents moved to Ray county, Missouri, where he received his education, and at the age of eighteen engaged as clerk in a general merchandise store, which occupation he followed for three years, after which he taught school one year. He then engaged with J. P. Quesenberry & Co., in merchandising for five years, when he sold his interest and engaged in farming for four years. In 1864, he with his family crossed the plains to California with ox-teams, and arrived in Plumas 36
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HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
county on November 6th, where they spent the winter, and in the spring of 1865 came to Sonoma county and bought a little farm near Petaluma. Here he followed farming and working at carpentering for five years. He then, in 1870, came to Mendocino county and settled at Little Lake, where he engaged in general merchandising under the firm name of Hardin & Brans- ford, where he remained four years, and in 1874 opened a store at Pomo, Potter valley, where he has since resided. While in Sonoma county, he held the office of Constable, and while at Little Lake was postmaster, and is at pre- sent postmaster at Pomo. Mr. Bransford married December 9, 1856, Miss Mary A. Allen, a native of Ray county, Missouri. Their children are: Mary E .; Williama A .; Ida B .; Z. Lee; Samuel, and Victoria. They have lost one, Ernest.
John P. Bevans. Was born in the State of Maryland January 17, 1826. His father was a hotel keeper and farmer, and young John was kept busy in assisting his father until 1843. In the meantime his father died, and in the last-named year the remainder of the family moved into the State of Missouri, and settled on a farm. In 1865 the subject of this sketch and his family came across the plains to California in company with W. J. Hildreth, and after a five months' trip they arrived in Potter valley, Mendocino county, September 10th. Mr. Bevans at once settled on his present place consisting of two hundred and eighty acres located in Potter valley, about one and a half miles south-west of Centerville, where he is engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising. He was married, January 3, 1854, to Miss Harriet E. Hildreth, a native of Missouri. They have ten living children: John W., born October 25, 1854; Marcellus R., born November 2, 1856; Walter S., born February 21, 1859; Mary A., born August 27, 1863; Hattie E., born April 22, 1863; George, born August 8, 1868; Arthur P., born November 18, 1870; T. F., born February 2, 1873; Maggie E., born February 4, 1877; Henry D., born April 24, 1879; lost one child, Lawrence I., aged six- teen years, born June 2, 1861.
John G. Busch. Was born near Hamburg, Germany, June 16, 1826. When seven years of age he, with his family, immigrated to the United States and settled in St. Charles county, Missouri, where the father engaged in farming. The subject of this sketch remained with his parents until about eighteen years of age, when he went to St. Louis, where he engaged with Peck & Barnett to learn the carpenter's business. He served his term of apprenticeship-three years-and then engaged in contracting and build- ing on his own hook, which he followed until about the first of May, 1850, when he, in company with two other men, started across the plains for Cali- fornia. When they arrived at Humboldt river they overtook four men who were hiding from the Indians. They united their trains and traveled together the rest of the way. The Indians would not let them cross the
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river, so they had to travel on the south side, and this was the first train to come through on the southern side of the Humboldt river that year. They arrived at Salt Lake July 2, 1850, where they camped one week and worked for the mormon women, their husbands being in California. Their labor for these women was mowing hay, and in pay for the same they received corn meal and beans. After one week's sojourn here they proceeded on their way, traveling part of the time by night for fear of the Indians. They arrived at the Consumnes river August 10th of that year. Mr. Busch began operations in the mines at once, which he continued till the fall of 1851, when he was taken sick and confined to his bed for about one month, and for twenty-one days of this time nothing but medicine and water passed his lips. On his recovery he engaged at once in merchandising, which he fol- lowed until the fall of 1853, when he sold out and took passage on the steamer Uncle Sam for the East, and on the Atlantic side he took the steamer Yankee Blade. He went with the intention of bringing his mother, one sister, and two younger brothers back with him, but they would not come. After remaining for a period of nine months he returned alone, via Panama, and arrived at San Francisco about October 20th. He engaged at once in merchandising in El Dorado county, which he continued till the fall of 1857, when he sold out and moved to Sonoma county, settling west of Cloverdale. Here he engaged in stock-raising for one year, and then, in 1858, moved into Mendocino county and settled about three miles north of Ukiah. He here followed farming and stock-raising until the fall of 1863, when he moved to Potter valley, where he has since resided. He now owns about one thousand one hundred acres of land and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He married, August 21, 1856, Miss Ann Sweeney, and by this union they have ten children: Charles A., John J., Mary A., George H., Stephen H., Owen W., Minnie E., Catherine, Frances, and Hattie W.
N. P. Compton. Born in Missouri, August 22, 1832. In 1853, he crossed the plains to California, and followed mining in El Dorado and Sierra counties for about twelve years, after which he spent one year in San Joaquin county farming, and one in Santa Clara. In 1865, he came to Mendocino county and settled in Ukiah, where he resided about four years, then moved to Cow Mountain, where he lived until the spring of 1879, when he bought and moved upon the Baker Spring Ranch, where he is engaged in stock-raising and wool-growing. Married August 7, 1873, Miss Emma Bowers, a native of Ohio. They have three children, David C., Louis, and Willis G.
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