History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 6

Author: Carpenter, Aurelius O., 1836-; Millberry, Percy H., 1875- joint author
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1090

USA > California > Mendocino County > History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 6
USA > California > Lake County > History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 6

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).

The pay roll of the mill and timber camps, ties, bark and post sales, are the main support of the town, as the farming products do not furnish a tithe of the consumption of the town. Jarvis & Nichols, the principal dealers in ties, had 125,000 piled upon the landing in 1911, most of which were shipped the following season.

Of business houses there are the following in the town: Four hotels, five general merchandise, two groceries, one photographer, one confectionery, one shoe shop, two blacksmiths, one butcher, one livery stable, one under- taker, two jewelers, four soft drink saloons, two shoemakers, one moving picture show, three barber shops, one bakery, one billiard parlor, one harness shop, two drug stores, two lodging houses. There are of professional men three notaries, two doctors and three of the ministerial profession-Presby- terian, Baptist and Catholic.

The "Beacon" is the only newspaper in the town, and is ably edited and managed by its proprietor. A. A. Heeser, son of its founder. William Heeser. It was established October 6, 1877, succeeding after an interval, the "Star," for a short time published by M. J. C. Galvin. It supplies all that is required in a local paper, is fully alive to the needs and interests of the community, and has a good circulation and the latest in printing facilities, a Simplex type casting machine and power press. There are many fine residences in the town, and so situated on the elevated slope as to give a beautiful view of the ocean, the bay, and the wooded slope beyond. On the highest point of the ridge west of town is situated a fine high school building, with a corps of efficient teachers, and near by the Catholic church; farther east in an elegant location is the grammar school. The Presbyterian church is in the center of a lawn on the main street. The town has regular steamer service with the city, besides the lumber vessels coming in at all times. Mail stages up and down the coast connect it with railroads at Fort Bragg and Cazadero,

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mails coming through from San Francisco in twelve hours. The climate is such that in sheltered locations fuschias and geraniums keep green the year round, and apples, pears, quinces and plums grow to perfection. All the vegetables, except corn and tomatoes, flourish and new land produces the finest potatoes in the world.

Of secret societies Mendocino possesses. a superfluity. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was the first to organize in the town. Stella Lodge No. 213 was instituted November 22, 1872, with the following charter mem- bers: . J. F. Nichols, M. J. C. Galvin, N. Iversen. W. H. Cureton, George Sanders, and J. E. Kennedy. The first officers were, J. F. Nichols. N. G .: M. J. C. Galvin, V. G .: N. W. Lane, secretary. The lodge has flourished, built two halls and now numbers one hundred and sixty-nine members. The present officers are : William Fleming, N. G .; L. P. Hanson, V. G .; G. W. Jarvis, secretary ; Eugene Bailey, treasurer. The hall now in use by this Order was built in 1893, two stories. The lower story is used as a general assembly room, and for general public purposes. The upper story con- tains the lodge room proper, ante rooms, and in front dressing and card room and library. In the rear is a fine banquet room and kitchen. The building cost over $9000 and is a useful ornament to the town and a monument to the Order.

Mendocino Lodge No. 179. F. & A. M., was instituted in October, 1865. Its first officers, under dispensation, were E. J. Albertson, W. M .; William Heeser. S. W .; G. R. Lowell. J. W .; R. G. Coombs, treasurer, G. C. Smith, secretary. The charter members included the above and F. B. Lowell, J. Gschwend. Silas Coombs, I. Stevens and William Booth. A hall was built in 1866, by stock subscription, which has all passed into the ownership of the lodge. To its first Worthy Master, E. J. Albertson, much of the ornamenta- tion, for which the hall is remarkable, is to be credited. He worked long and faithfully upon it, without hope of reward. Its present membership is one hundred and thirty-two and the present officers are J. H. Chambers. W. M .; George E. Bassett. S. WV .: H. A. Atwood, J. W .; John A. Chambers. secretary ; H. H. Jarvis, treasurer.

Ocean View Chapter No. 111, O. E. S., instituted September 19, 1891, with officers as follows: Emily McCornack, W. M .; Elizabeth J. Clark, A. W. M .; C. J. Wood, Secy .; Mary J. Paddleford, Treas .; C. W. White, W. P. Present officers: Florence N. Weber, W. M .; Ava L. Valentine, W. A. M .; George Bassett, W. P .; O. Tarmlund. Treas. ; Nannie M. Flood, Secy. Nun- ber of members, one hundred and twenty.

Mendocino Lodge No. 70. A. O. U. W., was instituted December 7, 1878, with the following charter members: B. F. Higgins, G. H. Bowman, D. N. Le Ballister, John Sorowski. T. R. Smith, E. W. Potter. J. McCroden, A. Freding, O. Hamilton and N. E. Hoak. The first officers were G. H. Bow- man, W. M .; D. N. LeBallister, F .; J. Sorowski, O .; T. R. Smith, recorder ; E. W. Potter, Fin .; J. McCroden, Rec. For years it was one of the most flourishing of the Orders in the town, but death and depression of the lumber trade thinned its membership until now only a handful remain faithful. Its officers now are: C. L. Knight, M. W .; E. S. Knight. F .: J. D. Silveria, O .; Wm. T. Wallace, recorder.

Council Amor da Sociedade No. 41, S. P. R. S. I., was instituted Septem- ber 15, 1901, with twelve charter members as follows: Maria J. Ramus, Henrietta C. Silva, Mayme C. Lopes, Anna F. Luiz, Maria P. Silva. Maria

MENDOCINO AND LAKE COUNTIES

G. Brown, Joaquina King, Mariana Pimental, Emilia V. Lemas, Maria C. Machado, Maria S. Neto, Rosa T. Ramus. Present officers: Anna M. Gon- salves, Pres .; Henrietta C. Silva, V. P .; Mariana Pimental, Secy .; Frances Escobar, Mes. of Cores. ; Adelaide C. Silva, Mar .; Joaquina King, G. Number of members, sixty-six. The initials S. P. R. S. I. are the abbreviation of Sociedade Portugueza Rainha Santa Isabel, or Portuguese Society of Queen St. Elizabeth, which has a membership of about six thousand, with a grand lodge in Oakland and eighty-five subordinate lodges in California.

Far West Rebekah Lodge No. 176 was instituted October 22, 1891, with the following charter members: B. W. Bowden, G. H. Bowman, A. F. Mahl- man, J. O'Donnell. G. B. Bever, J. Seimore, H. L. Frederick, George Switzer, Mary S. Bever, Emily McCornack, W. A. McCornack. The present member- ship is ninety-seven and the elective officers are Jennie Swansen, N. G .: Marie Iversen, V. G .; Lena Bowman, Secy .; Annie Brown, Treas.

Mendocino No. 88, R. A. M., was instituted September 5, 1903, with the following charter members: William A. Butterfield, Joshua Grindle, Wil- liam Heeser, Fred Halling, Henry B. Hickey, H. H. Jarvis, J. A. Nelson, C. O. Packard, C. J. Wood. The first officers were John Leishman, H. P .; J. C. Rice, King; Frank Hall, Scribe; H. H. Jarvis, Treas .; Charles Banker, Secy. The present officers are W. H. Higgins, H. P .: Frederick Halling, Scribe; J. C. Rice, King; H. H. Jarvis, Treas .; Charles Banker, Secy. Num- ber of members, sixty-eight.

Waw Beck Tribe No. 164, I. O. R. M., was instituted June 7, 1905, with charter members as follows: R. R. Armas, William Shaw, William Emerick, Alex Cameron, Harold Switzer, A. O. Sjaland, John Zellerhend, James Cooney, A. W. Biggers, J. M. Gwin, A. J. Scott, John Flanagan, S. A. Bloyd, W. P. Howe, F. E. Lermond, William Fleming, H. G. Bowens, J. W. Millikin, C. A. Tracy, William Spangle, T. S. Wallace, J. S. Tongg, Chester Byrne, George Hoe, C. H. Nichols, C. F. Bond, F. C. Peirsol and C. F. McDernitt. Present membership one hundred and thirty-five. Present officers are: Hel- mer Olson, Sachem; Simon Boos, Sen. Sagamore; Albert Brien, J. S .; William Shaw, C. of P. Membership, one hundred and thirty-five.

Pepperwocd Camp No. 756, W. O. W., was instituted June 24, 1903, with ten charter members as follows: H. C. Tanner, Fred Post, C. V. Brere- ton. T. W. Hoak, J. N. Garvin, H. G. Bowens, C. B. Johnson, O. O. Boggs, Theo. Hansen, C. D. Tindall. Present membership, fifty-five. Present offi- cers : William Shaw, C. C .; James Porterfield, A. L .: Charles Banker, Clerk; Olaf Tannlund, Banker.

Society Consuelho Luiz de Canoes No. 6, U. P. E. C., instituted in February, 1889. Present officers: Mattie Osborne, Pres .; Antone Pacheco, V. Pres .; Frank Valladae, Secy .; Antone C. Noyo, Treas .; J. S. Valladao, M. of C .; J. J. Brown, G. of G .; J. A. Brown, G. of Ex. Number of members, seventy-six.

Consello Estrella du Norte No. 62. I. D. E. S., was instituted March 27, . 1904. Present officers: H. V. Silva, Pres .; J. M. Fraga, V. P .; J. R. Rod- eriques, Secy .; A. M. Fraga, Treas.

West Coast Encampment No. 70, I. O. O. F., present membership, fifty-nine. Present officers: H. L. Mallory, C. P .; P. Gramstead, H. P .; Robert Law, S. W .; G. W. Jarvis, Scribe; Eugene Bailey, J. W .; William Fleming, Treas.

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The harbor is a bay at the mouth of Big river, or "Booldam," as the Indians. called it. It is almost circular, and nearly land locked, but open to the southeast, from which point come the most destructive gales. The government has been repeatedly importuned to build a breakwater, and thus create a harbor of refuge for distressed vessels in time of storm-the only one between San Francisco and Oregon. It is roomy and deep and would accommodate several vessels at one time. The northern side turns around to the south in a curve, and on its point is located the shipping cable, over which everything goes and comes, and so complete and expeditious is it that a large ship is loaded with lumber in a day. The "Point" is pierced by the action of the water, so that a row boat can go through from side to side, and in stormy times the dash of the waves makes the rock tremble. Several vessels have been lost in the harbor from the parting of their moorings, four or five totally, and as many more that were repaired and floated. The saw mill was first built on the point, but for many years it has been on the flat about half a mile up the river. Meiggs' schemes and plans proved to be too far in advance, and too expensive for the times, and the mill property passed into the hands of his principal creditors, Godeffroy, Sillem & Co., E. C. Williams, J. B. Ford, and others, who for many years, with varying fortunes, through many vicissitudes, carried it on until it gave each of them a fortune.

The logging was done by river-driving, and occasionally a season's work went to sea on the crest of a flood. D. B. Millikin for many years was logger for the company, at so much per thousand, logs delivered in the boom, the company paying all bills and settling up at the end of the season. Lost logs were the logger's loss and at one time Millikin was $40,000 in debt to the company. Two successful seasons evened up, and left him a competence, which he invested in Fresno vineyards, and he is the only one living of all the old timber men of the early days.

This system of logging obtained on all the rivers of the coast, the Gualala, Garcia. Navarro, Big River, Noyo, and Albion. Now only Big River is using it. And here they have a railroad seven miles long, built in 1893, which is used to supplement the river driving in dry seasons, or emerg- ency calls for specific cargoes. The capacity of the mill is 100,000 feet, but at one time 300,000 feet was forced through it in one day of less than twelve hours on a competitive sawing with Little River mill. It has been burned and rebuilt once.

Salmon Creek, which lies a mile south of Albion, was once a busy milling village with two stores, two hotels, two big mills and several saloons, but is now a dead burg, affording refuge to one disreputable saloon, which has been purged by fire as we write. The timber is all cut, and the two mills that shrilly whistled hundreds of hardy woodsmen to labor are things of the past. Prosperous ranches occupy the hills where once the lofty redwood and fir swayed to the ocean breeze, or the wild blue blossom presents its tangled front. Once an hundred thousand feet of lumber and thousands of ties were shipped each day from its wharf, where safe anchorage for one vessel was secured. Now nothing more than a fishing boat ever ties up at it.

Albion, on the mouth of the river of the same name, six miles south of Mendocino, is a mill town of as busy an appearance as any one could wish to see. The mill, lumber yard, store, hotel, and the cabins of the mill hands occupy all the flat along the river. while the residences of business men, a

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store or two, another hotel, are ranged along the hill on either side of the river, mostly up a steep grade. A drawbridge confronts one at the foot of the steep grade on the south side, and from its northern end one gropes along under huge platforms supporting the tracks which carry from the mill its entire output. In former days vessels were occasionally run above the bridge to load from the wharf. or for security in a great storm when more than one was in the harbor. But of late years this has not been done, as there is not water enough for the larger size of vessels now used, and sub- stantial wharves and moorings have been provided in the harbor for even deep water freighters from foreign ports, of which at one time there were four in for loads. For many years it was essentially and exclusively a mill town, its business dominated by the mill owners, and to a great extent is now. The first known settlement was made here by Scharf, who in 1853 built a water mill for Captain Richardson, the claimant of the grant reaching from the Albion to the Garcia. It could not have had more than an ephemeral existence. as Rawson & Rutherford were exploiting the place in 1855-6. to be succeeded by Merrit & Lawrence, then A. G. Dallas, and he by A. W. McPherson. The history of the town is but the history of mill operations. as the mill proprietors transacted all business for some time after the erection of the mill. The first mill was burned in 1867, and a new one of 35.000 feet capacity was at once erected by McPherson, who soon after was joined in the enterprise by Henry Wetherby. L. E. White was bookkeeper for the firm, and finally stocked a store and saloon, and later a hotel, and was eminently successful in all, as all the pay roll passed through his hands. In 1861 James Townsend, superintendent of the mill, became associated with him, and the firm launched out into the tie business and for many years controlled it. In the same year Townsend moved to Noyo and took charge of that mill also. He also was interested with Fred Brown in a store at Noyo, and with Joseph Carroll in a store on Eel river in Humboldt county. These two men were the business men of the coast for twenty-five years and made history in their extensive operations in lumber, timber, railroads and mills. Of late years the mill operations have assumed a more settled and comprehensive form, by the building of railroad, purchase of large tracts of timber land, and great improvements in machinery, dry houses and wharves, which have had the effect of encouraging dwellings of a more substantial character than the cabins of the mill hands, and the establish- ment of stores and hotels other than those of the mill company. There are now three general stores, three hotels, one confectionery, one blacksmith shop, two barbers, and a hospital, and about twenty good dwellings, school house, hall. and church. The railroad has been extended to and past Wend- ling, in the lower end of Anderson, and is eventually expected to connect with the California Northwestern at Healdsburg. The mill and its adjuncts, timber, etc., passed into the hands of the Southern Pacific in September. 1907, with its twenty-four thousand acres of timber land at a stated price of $900,000. The mill has a capacity of 110,000 feet per diem, 30,000,000 feet being its output for 1913. Hickey & Co., who previously owned the prop- erty, are said to have purchased forty thousand acres of redwood timber, mainly in Humboldt county.

There is quite a body of good farming land contiguous to the town. mainly south, and much timber land has been cleared and now in fruit, which takes the first premium wherever exhibited. At Salmon Creek a creamery

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has been in successful operation some years. For many years the logging on the Albion was done by river driving, but the timber has been taken off for sixteen miles up the stream and the volume of water up there is too inconsiderable, unless expensive dams are built to be let loose in times of heavy rains. In an early day when Fred Brown was doing the logging, a chute was used to put the logs down into the river some two miles from the mill. It was a quarter of a mile long, and logs smoked as they went down.

Little River, two miles south of Mendocino, is now essentially a resi- dence town with one store, one hotel, and about sixteen dwellings, a church, school house, and blacksmith shop. There is an excellent small harbor at this place, where steamers often run in when it is too rough to land in any other harbor in the county, or between San Francisco and Oregon. Years ago a vessel came in during a foggy night without intention on the part of her crew, much to the captain's astonishment in the morning. A few ties and some bark and posts are shipped at this time. Ruel Stickney, Silas Coombs and Tapping Reeves built the town when they built their mill in 1864. But the amount of timber available was soon exhausted, though the mill was once rebuilt after a fire. No vestige of the mill now remains, and some buildings have succumbed to time and neglect. The early settlers, W. H. Kent, Ruel Stickney, Tapping Reeves, Silas Coombs, Charles Perkins, A. F. Mahlman, Isaiah Stevens, Richard Coombs, Charles Pullen, have passed to the great beyond. and their children and grandchildren perpetuate the family names in school, church and business. Little River was at one time a lively ship-building port, Capt. Thomas H. Peterson having built twenty schooners there.

Caspar, five miles north of Mendocino, is another town built primarily by the mill business, though it has something in the way of agriculture and orcharding to give it support. It took its name from a German who first settled there at some unknown date. The harbor is little more than an open road- stead and is avoided in rough weather. The mill was built in 1861 by Kelly & Rundle, and passed into the hands of J. G. Jackson in 1864. Outside of the mill company the first business set up there was a saloon by George Heldt, though Pine Grove, three-fourths of a mile south, provided a hotel and bar which up to that time accommodated the thirsty. This may be considered as part of Caspar, as it drew all its support therefrom and was for many years owned by Harry Kier, who made a fortune cashing orders for mill hands, acting as banker for them, and loaning money deposited with him. Capt. Peter Thompson was the first settler at Pine Grove, and farmed a little and ran a band of cattle there in 1853. Harry Kier sold out to Sever- ance and Maxwell, but they did not long continue, as the erection of other business houses at Caspar proper cut off the patronage from Pine Grove. A brewery was maintained here from 1873 for a number of years, but was discontinued for want of patronage. There are now four or five dwellings, and it is a farming community. Brown & Wooster ran a store here in the '60s. A government lighthouse has been recently erected on the point west, called Cabrillo Point. It is a revolving ten-second flash light and is visible fifteen miles. Three cottages have also been provided for the crew and wrecked people. Harry Harrison built the first hotel in Caspar, about where the company's store now stands. The writer must have been his first patron, for a blanket on the bare floor was the only bedroom equipment fur-

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nished, and that under the eaves where it was not fully closed in from the night air. The town consists of some thirty or forty dwellings, two stores, two hotels, and at present writing no saloons, the territory having been "dry" for the last three years.

The mill is up-to-date in every particular and has a capacity of 75,000 feet. Its logs are brought by rail from the Noyo watershed and are shot down into the dam at the mill with startling effect upon a strange horse passing. The mill was burned in 1888, but was immediately rebuilt; loss, $75,000; insurance. $20,000. Upon the death of J. G. Jackson the property passed into the hands of his daughter, Mrs. Abbie Krebbs, who, with the assistance of her son, C. J. Wood, has successfully conducted it. The com- pany has an orchard of eighty acres on cleared redwood lands that in 1911 yielded 10,000 boxes of apples of a quality far superior to the far-famed Watsonville fruit. There have been secret societies here, but all passed away long ago except the I. O. G. T., which flourished apace, and the result has been a dry town, and Court Caspar No. 8217, which was instituted May 15, 1894. The principal officers at the present time are George Allen, C. R .; Randolph Pfiester, S. C .; Arch Bailey, P. C. F .; Cecil Gregor. Fin. Sec .; Gus C. G. Wahlstrom, Treas.

The Caspar, South Fork and Eastern Railroad was incorporated July 7. 1903, with $500,000 capital.

Chronology

October, 1879, Schooner Annie Stoffer ashore at Caspar. February 3, 1880, Schooner Norwester wrecked at Little River. February 19. A. W. McPherson died, aged fifty-six years. He was agent for the English firm of A. G. Dallas, and built and ran the Albion mill for them. Afterwards became its owner, with Wetherbee, as also the Noyo mill. March 6, Bever hotel burned; loss $5000, insurance $3200. August 24, a sixteen year old boy killed three bear at Half Way House. February, 1881, Albion mill passed into hands of A. W. Starbird. Thirteen schooners were loaded in ten days. A pear tree at Pine Grove yielded twenty bushels pears. By the breaking of a chain a team of oxen went over a bank, killing five. Little River school opened with eighty-one pupils. J. S. Kimball opened up a store at Whitesboro. July 22, 1882, eight whales spouted along Mendocino. November 20, five schooners went ashore between Navarro and Westport. Tie output for 1883, 880,000. A reading room was established in Mendocino. Albion freshets brought down 32,000 logs. August 20, 1884, Charles Pullen, Sr., died at Little River. He was a fine mechanic, who assisted in, or erected the Little River mill, several bridges, and left a large family of mechanics to continue his work. Game so plentiful that A. Davenport in four days' hunt killed a six hundred pound bear, six deer and a panther. Apples weighing from sixteen to twenty-nine and one-half ounces on exhibition. Winter rains began December 15, 1884. February 1. 1885, Little River ashore, and a total loss in Little River harbor, where she was built. Isaiah Stevens, a Little River pioneer, died December 10, 1885, seventy-six years of age. August. 1884, Caspar Co. bridged Jug Handle creek, for logging railroad, high and long; it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1906 and rebuilt. Electric light introduced at Caspar January, 1887. January 6, 1887, Irma and George R. Higgins ashore at Whitesboro. April 9, 1887, J. Eppinger at Navarro, and the Pet at Albion, ashore. May 11, 1887, schooners Albion, Champion, Charlotte, and a tug, ashore at Navarro. July 9, 1887, Mendocino

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procured a fire engine. January, 1888, twenty thousand logs came down Big river. Z. B. Heywood wrecked at Navarro. Haskett Severance died at Navarro, April 19, 1888. J. B. Ford died in Oakland, October 25, 1889. C. W. Denslow died September 25, 1889, aged seventy-five years. Henry Witherbee died January 29, 1892. E. W. Blair died May 4, 1892, aged fifty- five years. J. D. Murray died May 25, 1892. All pioneers.

Albion logging train wrecked by a bull and three men killed, June 13, 1893. Navarro mill shut down September 25, 1893, $500,000 in debt. Little River mill closed up its career, August 20, 1893.

Mendocino high school dedicated May 11, 1894, accredited July, 1897. L. E. White gave orders that all married woodsmen should be given employ- ment in his tie camps, although there was already an oversupply of ties. J. C. Byrnes died January 18, 1894.

S. W. McMullen killed by accident, April 26, 1895. August 18, 1895, a mail route was inaugurated from Philo to Greenwood. A combination of all the coast saw mills was again attempted in 1895, to limit production. W. H. Kelly died December, 1905, aged eighty-four, a pioneer. He practically built the Baptist church at Mendocino.

A tidal wave of over seven feet struck the coast between 2 and 4 p. m., June 17, 1896. Randlett hotel burned in Little River, October 29, 1896. A. W. Hall died February 6, 1897, seventy-three years of age. Capt. Samuel Blair died May 31, 1897. Wintzer store burned at Navarro, July 12, 1897. A ledge of iron ore and polarized gravel discovered at Mendocino.

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History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 6

Author: Carpenter, Aurelius O., 1836-; Millberry, Percy H., 1875- joint author Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1090

Author: Carpenter, Aurelius O., 1836-; Millberry, Percy H., 1875- joint author
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1090