USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 16
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AN ADOBE HOUSE DISCOVERED.
"We made an acoru meal at noou, and hurried on; the valley beiug gay with flowers, and some of the banks being absolutely golden with the Californian poppy, ( eschescholtzia crocea. ) Here the grass was smooth and green, and the groves very opeu; the large oaks throwing a broad shade among sunny spots,
"Shortly afterwards we gave a shout at the appearance, on a little bluff, of a nently-built adobe house, with glass win- dows. Wo rede up, but, to our disappointment, found ouly Indiaus. Thore was no appearance of cultivation, and we
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CAPTAIN FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.
could see no cattle; and we supposed the place had been abandoned. Wo now pressed on more eagerly than ever; the river swept round a large hend to the right; the hills lowered down entirely; and, gradually entering a broad val- ley, we came nnexpectedly into a large Indiau village, where the people looked clean, and wore cotton shirts and various other articles of dress. They immediately crowded around us, and we had the iuexpressible delight to find one who spoke, a little indifferent Spanish, but who at first con- founded ns by saying there were no whites in the country; but just theu a well-dressed Indian came up, and made his · salutations in very well-spoken Spanish. In answer to our inquiries, he informed us that we were upon the Rio de los Americanos, (the river of the Americans, ) and that it joined the Sacramento river ahout ten miles helow. Never did a name sound more sweetly! We felt ourselves among our conntrymeu; for the name of American, in these distant parts, is applied to the citizens of tho United States, To onr eager inquiries he answered, 'I am a vaquero (cowherd) in the service of Capt. Sutter, aud the people of this rancheria work for him.' Our evident satisfaction made him eommnuicative; and he went on to say that Capt. Sutter was a very rich man, aud always glad to see his country people. We asked for his house. He answored, that it was just over the hill hefore us; aud offered, if we would wait a moment, to take his horse aud couduct us to it. We readily accepted this offer.
FREMONT
MEETS SUTTER.
"In a short distance we came iu sight of the fort; and passing on the way the house of a settler on the opposite side, (a Mr. Sinclair,) we forded the river; and in a few miles were met, a short distance from the fort, by Capt. Sutter himself. He gave us a most frank and cordial receptiou-conducted us immediately to his residence-and under his hospitahle roof we had a night of rest, enjoyment and refreshment, which none but ourselves could appreciate. "The uext day, March 8th, we encamped at the junction of the two rivers, the Sacramento and Americanos ; and thus found the whole party in the beautiful valley of the Sacramento. It was a convenient place for the camp ; and, among other things, was within reach of the wood necessary to make the pack-saddles, which we should need on onr long journey home, from which we were farther distant now than we were four mouths hefore, when from the Dalles of the Columbia we so cheerfully took up the homeward line of march.
FREMONT'S DESCRIPTION OF SUTTER,
" Captain Sntter emigrated to this country from tho western part of Missonri in 1838-39, and formed the first settlement in the valley, on a large grant of land which he obtained
from tho Mexican Government. He had, at first, some trouble with the ludians ; hut, hy the occasional exercise of well-timecl authority, he has succeeded in converting them into a peacoable and industrious people. The ditches around his extensive wheat-fields ; the making of the sun- dried bricks, of which his fort is constructed ; the plough- ing, harrowing, and other agricultural operations, aro entirely the work of these Indians, for which they receive a very modorate compensatiou-principally in shirts, blankets and other articles of clothing. In the same manner, on ap- plication to the chief of a village, ho readily ohtains as many boys and girls as he has any nse for. There were at this time a number of girls at the fort, in training for a future woolen factory ; hut they were now all busily en. gaged in constantly watering the gardeus, which the un. favorable dryness of the season rendered necessary. The occasional dryness of some seasons, I understood to he the only complaint of the settlers in this fertile valley, as it sometimes renders the crops uncertain, Mr. Sutter was ahout making arrangements to irrigate his lands hy means of the Rio de los Americanos, He had this year sown, andl altogether by Indian lahor, three hundred fanegas of wheat .*
DESCRIPTION OF SUTTER'S FORT.
" Tho fort is a quadrangular adobe structure, mounting twelve pieces of artillery (two of them hrass), and capahle of admitting a garrisou of a thousand men ; this, at present, consists of forty Indians in uniform-one of whom was always fonud on duty at tho gate. As might naturally he expected, the pieces aro not in very good order. The whites iu the employ of Capt. Sutter, American, Freuch and German, amount, perhaps, to thirty men. The inner wall is formed iuto buildings, comprising the common quarters, the blacksmith and other workshops ; the dwelling- house, with a large distillery-house, and other buildings, occupying more tho ceutre of the area.
" It is built upon a pond-like stream, at times a running creek commnuicating with the Rio de los Americanos, which enters the Sacramento ahout two miles helow. The latter is here a noble river, abont three hundred yards broad, deep and tranquil, with several fathoms of water in the channel, and its bauks continuously timhered. There were two vessels helonging to Capt. Sutter at anchor near the landing-one a large two-masted lighter, and the other a schooner, which was shortly to proceed on a voyage to Fort Vancouver for a cargo of goods.
"Siuce his arrival, several other persons, principally Americans, have established themselves in the valley. Mr. Sinclair, from whom I experienced much kindness during my stay, is settled a few miles distant, on the Rio de los Americanos, Mr. Coudrois, a gentleman from Germany,
*- A fanega le about two and a half English bushete.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
has established himself ou Feather river, aud is associated with Capt. Sutter in agricultural pursuits,
" Au impetus was given to the active little population by our arrival, as we were in waut of everything. Mnles, horses and cattle, were to he collected; the horse-mill was at work day and night, to make sufficient flour; the hlack- smith's shop was put in requisition for horseshoes and bridle-hits; and pack-saddles, ropes and hridles, and all the other little equipments of the camp, were again to be provided.
"The delay thus occasioned was one of repose and en- joyment, which onr situation required, and, anxious as we were to resume our homeward journey, was regretted hy no one. In the meantime, I had the pleasure to meet with Mr. Chiles, who was residing at a farm on the other side of the river Sacramento, while engaged in the selection of a place for a settlement, for which he had received the necessary grant of land from the Mexican government.
"On the 22d we made a preparatory move, and eucamped near the settlement of Mr. Sinclair, on the left bank of the Rio de los Americanos. I had discharged five of the party; Neal, the blacksmith, (an excellent workman, and an nn- married man, who had done his duty faithfully, aud had been of very great service to me,) desired to remain, as strong inducements were offered here to mechanics.
"Althongh at considerahle iuconvenience to myself, his good conduct iuduced me to comply with his request; and I ohtainod for hiin from Capt. Sutter, a present compensation of two dollars and a half per diem, with a promise that it should be increased to five, if he proved as good a workman as had heou represented. He was more partienlarly an ag- ricultural blacksmith. The other men were discharged with their own consent.
THE JOURNEY COMMENCED.
" March 24 .- We resumed our journey with an ample stock of provisions and a large cavalcade of animals, cou- sisting of 130 horses and mnles, and ahout 30 head of cattle, five of which were milch-cows. Mr. Sntter furnished ns also with an Indiau hoy who had heen trained as a vaquero, and who would he serviceahle in managing onr cavalcade, great part of which were uearly as wild as buffalo, and who was, hesides, very anxious to go along with ns. Our direct course home was east, hnt the Sierra would force ns south, ahout 500 miles of traveliug, to a pass at the head of the Sau Joaquin river. This pass, reported to he good, was discovered hy Mr. Joseph Walker, of whom I have already spoken, and whose name it might therefore appropriately bear. To reach it, our course lay along the valley of the San Joaquin-the river on onr right, and the lofty wall of the impassable Sierra ou the left.
" Taking leave of Mr. Sutter, who, with several gentlemen, accompanied ns a fow miles on our way, we traveled ahont
18 miles, and encamped on the Rio de los Cosumnes, a stream receiving its name from the Indians who live in its valley. Our road was through a level country, admirahly snited to cultivation, and covered with groves of oak trees, principally the evergreen-oak, and a large oak already mentioned, in form like those of the white oak. The weather, which here, at this season, can easily he changed from the summer heat of the valley to the frosty mornings and hright days nearer the mountains, continned delightful for travelers, hnt nn- favorable to the agriculturists, whose crops of wheat began to wear a yellow tinge from want of rain. [Who were these settlers raising whoat ?- ED. ]
" 25th .- We traveled for 28 miles over the same delight- ful conutry as yesterday, and halted in a heantifnl bottom at the ford of the Rio de los Mukelemnes, receiving its name from another Indian trihe living on the river. The bottoms ou the stream are broad, rich, and extremely fertile, and the uplands are shaded with oak groves. A showy lupinus, of extraordinary beauty, growingfour to five feet in height, and covered with spikes in bloom, adorned the banks of the river, and filled the air with a light and grateful perfume.
"On the 26th we halted at the Arroyo de las Calaveras (Skull creek), a tributary to the San Joaquin-the previons two streams entering the hay between the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers. This place is beantifnl, with open groves of oak, and a grassy sward heneath, with many plants in bloom, some varieties of which seem to love the shade of trees, and grow thero in close small fields. Near the river, and replacing the grass, are great quantities of ammole (soap plant), the leaves of which are used in California for making, among other things, mats for saddle-cloths. A vine with a small white flower (melothria?, ) called here la yerba buena, and which, from its ahundance, gives name to an island and town in the hay, was to-day very freqnent on onr road- sometimes running ou the ground or climbing the trees.
" 27th .- To-day we traveled steadily and rapidly np the valley, for, with onr wild animals, any other gait was im- possible, and making ahont five miles au hour. Dnring the earlier part of the day, our ride had heen over a very level prairie, or rather a succession of long stretches of prairie, separated hy lives and groves of oak timher, growing along dry gullios, which are filled with water in seasons of rain ; and, perhaps, also, hy the melting suows. Over much of this extent the vegetation wns sparse, tho surface showing plainly the action of water, which, in the season of flood, the Joaquin sproads over the valley.
INNUMERABLE FLOWERS AND PLANTS,
"Ahont one o'clock we came again among innumerable flowers; and a few miles further, fields of the beautiful blue. flowering lupine, which seems to love tho neighborhood of water, indicated that wo were approaching a stream. We
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CAPTAIN FREMONT'S NARRATIVE.
here found this beautiful shrub in thickets, some of them being 12 feot in height. Occasionally three or four plants were clustered together, forming a grand houquet, ahont 90 feet in circumference, and 10 feet high; the whole summit covered with spikes of flowers, the perfume of which is very swoet aud grateful. A lover of natural beauty cau imagine with what pleasure we rode among these flowering groves, which filled the air with a light and delicate fragrance. We continued our road for ahont half a mile, interspersed through an open grove of live oaks, which, in form, were the most symmetrical and beautiful we had yet seen in this country. The end of thoir branches rested ou the ground, forming somewhat more than a half spbere of very full and regular figure, with leaves apparently smaller than usual.
"The California poppy, of a rich orange color, was numerous to-day. Elk and several bands of antelope made their appearance.
"Our road was now one continued enjoyment; and it was pleasant riding among this assemblage of green pastures with varied flowors and scattered groves, and out of the warm, green spring to look at the rocky and snowy peaks where lately we had suffered so much. Emerging from the timher, we came suddenly upou the Stanislaus river, where we hoped to find a ford, but the stream was flowing hy, dark and deep, swollen by the mountain snows; its general hreadth was about 50 yards.
"We traveled about five miles up the river, aud encamped withont heing able to find a ford. Here we made a large corral, in order to he able to catch a sufficient number of our wild animals to relieve those previously packed.
"Under the shade of the oaks, along the river, I noticed erodium cicutarium in bloom, eight or ten iuches high. This is the plant which we had seen the sqnaws gathering on the Rio de los Americanos. By the iuhabitants of the valley it is highly esteemed for fattening cattle, which appear to he very fond of it. Here, wbere the soil begins to he sandy, it supplies to a considerable extent the want of grass.
A PRIMITIVE FERRY.
"Desirons, as far as possible, without delay, to include in our examination the San Joaquin river, I returned this morning down the Stanislaus for 17 miles, and again en- camped without having found a fordiug-place. After follow- ing it for eight miles further the next morning, and finding ourselves in the vicinity of the San Joaquin, encamped in a handsomo oak grove, and, several cattle being killed, we ferried over our høggage in their skins. Here onr Indian hoy, who probably had not much idea of where he was going, and began to he alarmed at the many streams which we were rapidly putting between him and the village, deserted.
"Thirteen head of cattle took a sudden fright, while we were driving them across the river, and galloped off. I re- mained a day in the endeavor to recover them; but, finding they had taken the trail back to the fort, let them go with- ont further effort. Here we had several days of warm and pleasant rain, which doubtless saved the crops helow.
"On the 1st of April, 1844, we made 10 miles across a prairie withont timher, when we were stopped again hy another large river, which is called the Rio de la Merced,* (river of our Lady of Mercy.) Here the country had lost its character of extreme fertility, the soil having become more sandy and light; hnt, for several days past, its heauty had heen increased hy the additional animation of animal life; and now, it is crowded with hauds of elk and wild horses; and along the rivers are frequent fresh tracks of grizzly hear, which are unusually numerons in this country. "Our route had heen along the timher of the San Joaquin, generally abont eight miles distant, over a high prairie.
"In one of tho hands of elk seen to-day, there were ahout 200; hnt the larger hands, hoth of these and wild horses, are generally found on the other side of the river, which, for that reason, I. avoided crossing. I had been informed helow, that the droves of wild horses were almost invariably found on the western bank of the river; and the danger of losing our animals among tbem, together with the wish of adding to our reconnoissance the numerous streams which run down from the Sierra, decided me to travel up the east- ern bank.
THE TRANQUIL SAN JOAQUIN.
"2d .- The day was occupied in building a hoat, and ferrying onr haggage across the river; and we encamped on the hank. A large fishing eagle was slowly sailing along, looking after salmon; and there were some pretty hirds in the timher, with partridges, ducks and geese iunnmerable in the noighborhood. We wero struck with the tameness of the latter hird at Helvetia, scattered ahout in flocks near the wheat-fields, and eating grass on the prairie; a horseman would ride hy within 30 yards, without disturbing them.
"3d .- To-day we tonchod several times the San Joaquin river -- here a fine-looking tranquil stream, with a slight cnr- rent, and apparently deep. It resembled the Missouri in color, with occasional points of white sand; and its hanks, where steep, were a kind of sandy clay; its average width appeared to he ahont eighty yards. In the bottoms are freqnent ponds, where our approach disturbed multi- tudes of wild fowl, principally geese. Skirting along the timher, we frequently started elk; and large hands were
"-FRESIONT IN EnnOR .- Fremont evidently made a mistake and called ibe Tuolumne river the Rio de la Mercel. He does not mention the former river at all; but says he traveled ten miles to the Merced. This is about the distance from the Stanislaus to tho Tuolumno, but not far enough from either to be the Merced: bence the conclusion is un. avoldable tunt he was in error, On his map three rivers are delineated just where they should bo for the Stanislaus, Tuolumue and Merced, but the Merced is left without a Dante.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
seen during the day, with antelope and wild horses. The low country and the timher rendered it difficult to keep the main line of the river; and this evening we encamped on a tributary stream,* about five miles from its mouth.
THE VALLEY IN ITS NATIVE STATE.
"Ou the prairie hordering the San Joaquin hottoms, there occurred during the day hut little grass, and iu its place was a sparse aud dwarf growth of plauts; the soil heing sandy, with small hare places and hillocks, reminded me much of the Platte hottoms; but, ou approaching the timher, we found a more luxuriant vegetation, and at our camp was au ahuudauce of grass and pea-vines.
"The foliage of the oak is getting darker; and every thing, except that the weather is a little cool, shows that spring is rapidly advancing; aud to-day wo had quite a snm- mer rain.
"4th .- Commenced to rain at daylight, hnt cleared off hrightly at sunrise. We ferried the river without any difficulty, and continued up the San Joaquin. Elk were running in hands over the prairie and in the skirt of the timher. We reached the river at the mouth of a large sloughi, which we were unable to ford, and made a circuit of several miles around. Here the country appears very flat; oak-trees have entirely disappeared, and are replaced by a large willow, nearly equal to it in size. The river is ahout a hundred yards in breadth, branching into sloughs, and interspersed with islauds. At this time it appears suffi- cieutly deep for a small steamer, but its navigation would he hrokeu hy shallows at low water. Bearing in towards the river, we were again forced off by auother slough; and pass- ing around, steered towards a clump of trees on the river, and finding there good grass, encamped. The prairies along the left hank are alive with immense droves of wild horses; and they had been seen during the day at every opeuing through the woods which afforded us a view across the river. Latitude, hy observation, 37° 08' 00"; longitudo 120° 45' 22".
"5th .- During the earlier part of the day's ride, the country presented a lacustrine appearance; the river was deop, and uearly on a level with the surrounding country; its hauks raised like a levee, and fringed with willows. Over the hordering plain were interspersed spots of prairie among fields of tule (hulrushes), which in this country are called tulares, and little ponds. On the opposite side, a line of timber was visible which, according to iuformation, points out the course of tho slough, which at times of high water connects with the San Joaquin river-a large body of
water in the upper part of thio valley, ealled the Tule lakes. The river and all its sloughs are very full, and it is probable that the lake is now discharging. Here elk were frequently started, aud one was shot out of a hand which ran around ns. On our left, the Sierra maintains its suowy height, and masses of snow appear to descend very low towards the plains; prohahly the late rains in the valley were snow on the mountains. We traveled 37 miles, and eucamped on the river. Longitude of the camp, 120° 28' 34", and lati- tude, 36° 49' 12".
"6th .- After having traveled fifteen miles along the river, we made au early halt, under the shade of sycamore-trees. Here we found the San Joaquin coming down from the Sierra with a westerly course, and checking our way, as all its tributaries had previously done. We had expected to raft the river; hut fouud a good ford, and eneamped on the opposite bank, where droves of wild horses were raising clonds of dust on the prairie. Columns of smoke were visi- hle in the direction of the Tule lakes to the south ward- prohahly kindled in the tulares hy the Indians, as signals that thero were strangers in the valley."
FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS.
Captain C. M. Weher, the founder of Stoekton, was oue of the first to locate permanently iu the valley, although he had heen preceded by Dr. Johu Marsh, whose settlement and occupation was described on page 35.
Weher was induced to come by the glowing accounts giveu hy Dr. Marsh iu his published letters heretofore no- tieed. This was in 1841, before the trip just meutioned of Fremout's.
Iu August, 1844, David Kelsey, with his wife and two children, a hoy and a girl, settled at French Camp, and built a tale-houso. Mr. Gulnac, who was stopping at the Cosnmues river, had offered to give Mr. Kelsey a mile square of laud if he would stop at that place, aud live one year; he turned over to him the "swivel" that Sutter had given him. Every night Mr. Kelsey threw this piece of ordnauce "into hattery," and fired an evening gun; which he did to frigliten the Indians, ou tho same principle that a hoy sometimes whistles as he is going through the woods after dark. At that time there was ouly oue other house in the county, also constructed of tule, occupied by Thomas Lindsay, at Stockton.
Mr. Kelsey remained for several months at that place, and after his family had heen obliged to live for two months on hoiled wheat, meat, milk, and mint toa, gathered along the banks of the creek, he hnried the swivel and removed tomporarily to Sau Jose, where he first saw Captain Weher.
Numerous others hegan to locate in the next few years. The discovery of gold in 1848 brought a grand rush of peo- ple into tho valley on their way to the mines. No one had the slightest itlea of the San Joaquin valley over heing, as it
*- They left the Tuolumne (Merced, os be calls It) on the morning of the 3d of April ond traveled up the San Joaquin, skirting along the edge of the timber, and at ulgbt they camped " on a large tributary of the San Jongnin." This is undoubtedly the Mereed. They crossed about where Jas. J. Stevinson now lives. It will be noticed that no meution Is sonde of toconsiering Indians wblle passing through our county. The longlinde of the eDentipusent on a " farge tributary of the Ban Josquin" ( Merced river) Is given ne 120 de. grecs 58 tuiputes and 03 seconds W.
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MARIPOSA COUNTY DESCRIBED.
now is, a preeminently agricultural country. The rolling prairies and grassy meadows were overrun with cattle and stock-thousands of head. No idea of any other industry but grazing was then thought of in the vast valley, except in a limited way along the rivers by a few who were be- lievers in its agricultural resources,
CONDITION OF THE VALLEY.
There began to settle in this vast valley in 1848-9, that intrepid band of pioneers who had scaled the Sierras, or "sailed around the horn." At length the promised land was gained. The valleys were au interminable grainfield, mile upon mile, and acre after acre, wild oats grew in marvelons profusion, in many places to a prodigious height-one great, glorions green of wild waving corn-high over head of the wayfarer on foot, and shoulder high with the equestrian; wild flowers of every prismodic shade charmed the eye, while they vied with each other in the gorgeousness of their colors, and blended into dazzling splendor. One breath of wind, and the wide emerald expanse rippled itself into space, while with a heavier breeze came a swell whose roll- ing waves beat against the monutain sides, and, being hurled back, were lost in the far-away horizon; shadow pur- sned shadow in a long, merry chase. The air was filled with the hnm of bees, the chirrnp of birds, and an ovorpowering fragrance from the various plants weighted the air. The hill-sidles, overrun as they were with a dense mass of tangled jungle, were hard to penetrate, while in some portions the deep, dark gloom of the forest trees lent relief to the eye.
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