USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 24
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The residents of Merced County are prosperous farmers and stock-raisers, some of whom count their lands by hundreds of acres, and their herds and flocks by the thousands and tens of thousands. Can any one, then, fear that a well-established business of any kind in Snelling, the county-town of the wealthy county of Merced, will languish for want of pat- ronage? We say not. Any man competent to conduct a mer- cantile business successfully in any locality in this State, will see at a glance that the offering of well-selected stocks of goods at reasonable prices would cause sufficient trade to cen- ter bere to build up a large and prosperous inland town. Already there are two good and well-stocked livery stables, two wagonmakers' shops, an excellent blacksmith's shop, a buteber shop, a boot and shoe shop, tbree carpenter's firms, a printing shop, all of which (except the latter) previous to the fire, were driving a profitable business. There were also an excellent botel, a restaurant, two stores, and a saloon, and not one of them complained of a want of patronage.
RESPONSIVE TO THE CALL.
In response to our invitation through the Banner, a few weeks since, to families to come and settle in our pretty and promising little village, the following bigbly respectable and useful families have concluded to make Snelling their future home: Mr. and Mrs. Rector, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Basse, Mr. and Mrs. Martin, and Mr. and Mrs. McDonald. Tbe above families bring with them some fifteen children, --- Contrary to our advice, one young bachelor has ventured to come, and has already commenced the practice of law. As he has been in California but a few weeks, we take him on pro- bation for one year; if he does not redeem himself from the stigma of bachelorism, by taking to himself a wife in that time, we shall politely request him to pass on.
We have become an advocate for the future growth and prosperity of Snelling, and we intend to labor zealously to accomplish the work, and we ask others of more influence to come out and assist us. Here, as far as the eye can discern, are leagues of rich land, much of which is uncultivated; our beautiful river ripples idly by; but we hope to see this beauti- ful prairie dotted all over with neat cottages aud farm-houses, and fields of golden grain waving in its richness; and also to hear the clank of tbe busy mill on the bank of the Merced, which will afford employment to the industrious of both sexes.
SNELLING IN 1865.
The town had four stores, three saloons, one hotel, one livery stable, two blacksmith shops, two carpenter shops, oue wlieel-
1
117
TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF MERCED.
wright shop, one tin shop, one barber shop, one printing office, and one school house. There were four lawyers, two doctors, two surveyors, one school teacher, three printers, two editors, four blacksmiths, three carpenters, two wheelwrights, one shoe- maker, one barber, and loafers, bummers, and hangers around in proportion.
SNELLING A GAY TOWN.
According to the Banner, Snelling must have been a lively town in 1870. It says :-
"Snelling has been in an unbroken spell of gayety and pleas- ure, mingled with dancing, visiting, confectionery, toys, smiles music, songs, laughter, turkeys, mince pies, frosted cake, lectures presentations, trees, happy hearts, lovely faces, coquettish glances, rich dresses, sparkling jewelry, heavenly forms, con- quests, stolen kisses, weddings, sudden recoveries, unrumpled pillow-cases, fire-crackers, hand-organs, serenades, tramp of steeds, rattling wheels, merry jests, hearty hand-shakings, chil- dren in want of bits, well seasoned with the sound of miniature musical instruments.
SNELLING LOSES ITS PRESTIGE.
The advent of the railroad in the center of the valley and the consequent change of center of population for the county, made inevitable the removal of the county seat to Merced, which is more fully mentioned elsewhere. Business and conse- quent growth of Snelling was retarded, and it is now a quiet country town, the courts and county business having been removed to Merced in 1875.
MERCED FALLS.
As this place is one of the best water-powers in the San Joaquin Valley, at one time it was a place of a good deal of business, and the few old pioneers who still remain, are often heard telling of more prosperous days-days when the village boasted of having the only flouring mill in that part of the country; when barley was a bit a pound, and flour twenty dollars a barrel, and even at those prices it was impossible to supply the demand; days when there was a foundry in full blast, aud when the woolen mill was run by white labor, and the long rows of adobes was lined with goods. But now, the mill runs but part of the time, and even then its supply far exceeds the demand. The foundry is only a thing of the past; the adobes have lost their occupants, and the Chinaman is monarch of the factory.
The erection of Nelson & Sons flouring mill is fully described on page 145. The following is the old advertisement :-
NELSON'S MILL, MERCED FALLS, MERCED COUNTY.
"The undersigned having just bad his Flouring Mill put in excellent order, would beg leave to inform all his old customers and the public generally that he will insure good work at the following low prices :-- .25 cents
. . 25 cents
For grinding Wheat, per 100 pounds. . . . . 12} cents
Corn,
Flour, corn mcal, bran, shorts etc., for sale at the lowest market prices. WILLIAM NELSON.
.October 18, 1862.
The Merced Woolen Mills were first set in operation in 1868, and did a large business until they were destroyed by fire.
BURNING OF THE MILLS.
While the machinery was in full motion, a fire broke out in the pick room of the Merced Falls Woolen Mills, April 1, 1872. It was impossible to save any of the machinery, but con- siderable of the manufactured goods were thrown out of the windows.
The fire also reached Nelson's flouring mill, which was filled with grain and flour. The whole structure was burned to the ground. The loss was at the time estimated as follows :- Woolen mill, building and machinery . $52,000 15,000
Stock on hand, wool and finished goods.
Total . $67,000
Nelson's mills, buildings and machinery. $ 7,500
Stock on hand, 100 tons grain and flour. 5,000
Total. $12,500
$35,000
Insurance on woolen mill
« " flouring mill 5,500
MERCED FLOURING MILLS.
The flouring mills of Messrs. Nelson & Son, at Merced Falls were rebuilt on a larger scale than ever. The building is 70x30 feet in size, and two stories above ground, with a base- ment. The frame is of heavy and strong timbers, and the machinery is of the most approved kinds. The water-power is the best in that section of the State, and the mills are enabled to turn out a superior quality of flour.
Mr. Nelson worked long and earnestly on the machinery of the mill, constantly making improvements, until he has brought much of it to perfection, and is now turning out as pure, fine and white flour as any mill in the State. He has one of the best millers employed. The corn-meal, Graham and rye flour ground at his mills have no superior in quality. The mill still has a large trade in the mountains, and they give employment to a large number of men, and also supply a good market for several hundred tons of our farmers' wheat each year; the prices have always been from fifteen to twenty per cent. above the range of the Stockton and San Francisco markets.
MERCED WOOLEN MILLS.
Articles of incorporation of the Merced Woolen Mills were entered into in 1874, for the purpose of manufacturing all kinds of woolen, mixed and cotton goods. Capital, $250,000, in shares of $100 each. The incorporators were P. D. Wiggin- ton, Simon, Jacobs & Co., J. B. Cocanour, D. G. Smith, James Morton, Fred. Becker, A. J. Meany and C. S. Peck.
The Directors were P. D. Wigginton, Albert Ingalsbee, C. S. Peck, James Morton and I. H. Jacobs.
The mills are located at Merced Falls, twenty-one miles from Merced, on the right of the old mills that burned down. They
Barley,
118
IIISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
have a very superior water-power and are now doing a husi- ness to the full capacity of the mill.
VILLAGES OF HOPETON AND PLAINSBURG.
This place is located west of Snelling, on the Merced River. It has a small church, school house, store, hotel and a few shops. In October, 1866, the post-office was established and the department authorized the postmaster " to employ a suita- ble person to transport the mail from Snelling's Ranch at the rate of ($8) eight dollars per annum, once a week." This place was known in early times as "Forlorn Hope." It is surrounded by a rich agricultural country.
Plainsburg is a small village in the southeastern part of the county, on Mariposa Creek, formerly known as Welch's store. It is surrounded hy a rich and thickly-settled country, and gave promise at one time of becoming an important business place. The railroad, unfortunately, was located some miles from the town, and of course much business necessarily goes there.
The village is composed of quite a collection of houses, among wbich is a store, a hlacksmith shop, one saloon, and a hotel. Half a mile further to the eastward was the store of Mr. Albeck, the pioneer merchant of the place, who had a hand- some stock of goods, and seemed to be doing at one time a lively business. Plainsburg is situated in the heart of a flourishing settlement of farmers, and the day is not far in the future wben it will become a place of considerable importance.
A writer, who lately described the place, says :-
" Plainsburg is a heautiful little place. The thrifty shade trees seem to have stolen away the first syllable of its name- plains. The town has seen busier times, but none more peace- able. There is only one saloon iu town. Several houses, at a a day not far off in the past, which were called dead-falls, have fallen dead. The little saloon, which in 1872 was started hy William Fahey, and called the ' hoss' shop of the town, is enrobed with cobwebs from top to bottom. The white ribbon temperance wave slackened husiness, and almost destroyed the wbisky traffic."
Unfortunately for tbe prosperity of the town the railroad was located a few miles distant, and thus business became divided hetween tbe station called Athlone and the old village, to tbe detriment of its prosperity and growth.
VILLAGE OF DOVER.
This little village was started in 1866 and at one time attracted considerable attention. It was situated on the San Joaquin River, above the mouth of the Merced River. A store was established by the Messrs. Simpson, which supplied tbe people with dry goods, groceries, bardware and otber necessa- ries. The place supplied the best landing for steamers on the east bank of the Joaquin of any other point in the county, and was then the natural outlet for an immense trade.
The place is of easy access from all parts of the county south of the Merced River, and in future years must necessarily grow to be an important shipping point, as so many industrious farmers find this a natural outlet. It was laid out in lots by Mr. Hill in 1868.
TOWN OF LOS BAÑOS.
This is the chief business center of a large section of country on the west side of the San Joaquin River. The town is sup- ported and maintained hy the agricultural interests of the great " West Side," which district contains within its limits an area of the most fertile soil in California. The stock-raising interest also contribntes largely to its support. The town bas shown fresh signs of progress within the last few years. A. new stimulus has heeu added hy the carrying out of the irri- gating project of Miller & Lux and others. Canals have been cut through the region of country surrounding, causing the brightest hopes and prospects for the future.
Los Baños is supplied by a mail line on the old route from Gilroy, which connects with the railroad at a point in Fresno County, by way of Firebaugh's Ferry. Another line from Banta comes up to Hill's Ferry. From the latter place to Los Baños, a distance of twenty-two miles, there is no mail. A stage line runs from Merced to Los Baños by way of Ches- ter where there is a hotel and ferry, illustrated in this work.
H. THORNTON'S HOTEL
Is ready to accommodate friends and guests as usual. The hotel is large, neatly furnished, and so well arranged and con- ducted that the most particular would feel at home. From the large veranda many extensive views of the surrounding country may he obtained.
B. SCHEELINE keeps the chief stock of merchandise in that locality. He does a large trade with the surrounding country We give a view of his store and the hotel, looking up the street.
COUNTY OFFICERS FOR 1881.
Superior Judge. Chas. H. Marks
Sberiff. . . A. J. Meany
County Clerk Jno. H. Simonson
County Recorder and Auditor J. F. McSwain
District Attorney. Frank H. Farrar
County Treasurer
W. J. Quigley
County Assessor .W. B. Aiken
County Surveyor J. W. Bost
Superintendent Common Schools. E. T. Dixon
Coroner. Dr. H. N. Rucker
SUPERVISORS.
District No. 1
WV. L. Means
District No. 2. Thos. Upton
District No. 3 .. . N. Bibby
Regular Terms on the first Monday of February, May, August and November.
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY.
Fifth Senatorial District, composed of the counties of Merced Mariposa and Stanislaus-Seuator, D. M. Pool.
Assemblyman, from Merced and Mariposa, J. W. Bost.
River . S. Steele,
MRS. ROWENA GRANICE STEELE.
Mrs. Rowena Granice Steele was born in Goshen, Orange County, June 20, 1824, and went with her parents to the City of New York in 1830. Came to California, with her two children, in 1856, to join her husband, who had preceded her somne three years. Domestic trouble of a sad and sorrowful nature, caused her to change the names of her two children, Harry and George, from the name of their father to that of her own maiden name. Her husband died in San Francisco, in 1859, and she was married to Robert J. Stecle, in 1861.
The San Francisco Chronicle of May 1, 1881, under the heading of " California Authors," pays the following tribute to Mrs. Steele :-
This lady, who was almost one of the California pioneers, and has led a most laborious life, is a tall, brown-haired woman, with sweet, gently molded face, and a suspicion of skepticism erceps over the hearer when told that she was born in 1824, and is now nearly fifty-seven years of age. Her maiden name was Rowena Granice, and she is a native of Goshen, Orange County, New York. In the year 1830 her parents removed to New York City, and she was educated in that place, receiving her education mostly from her mother, a highly cultured
woman, who was left a widow, with a large family of little children. In 1846 she was married, and ten years later came to California with her two little boys, and supported them and herself by her literary work.
She wrote domestic stories for the Golden Era, which were collected and published in 1857, under the name of " The Family Gem." " Of Victims of Fate," a later production, an edition of 5,000 copies was sold, for California stories were appreciated at home in those early days, and every miner in the State sought copies. Subsequently, she published a story which attracted considerable attention at the time on account of its references to events of Broderick's life, and her latest books are called " Leone St. James," and " Within the Meshes." She was married in 1861 to R. G. Steelc, a well-known rural journalist, and has been for many years associated with him in editing and publishing the San Joaquin Argus at Merced.
She has been an active worker in the temperance cause, and a leader in the woman's suffrage movement in the State, but, in contradiction to the popular idea on the domesticity of such women, her home at Merced, under her own personal supervision and carc, is said to he an ideal of neatness, comfort and beauty. One of her sons, a promising and gifted hoy, died a few years ago. The other is studying at the Stockton Business College.
120
HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
HARVEY J. OSTRANDER.
The subject of this sketch was born in Smithfield, Madison County, New York, October 7, 1825. His father, Alexander Ostrander, was the youngest son of Alexander, who had emi- grated from Holland to Washington County, New York, about the year 1720, where Alexander, the father of Harvey J., was born, being the youngest child of his parents. Harvey J. was also the youngest son of his parents, which accounts for the length of time composing the generations of the family from the arrival of the grandfather in the New World from Holland. Mr. Ostrander's family name in Holland was "Von Stronder," but became changed in the new country to the present one of Ostrander, but at what particular date is not known to the members of the present generation.
Mr. H. J. Ostrander was brought up on a farm in his native country, and received a common English education in the commou schools and academy. He followed the occupation of farmer until 1849, when he came to California by way of the Rio Grande, and across the country through the northern States of Mexico to Mazatlan, on the Pacific, and thence on board the ship Dolphin for San Francisco. But after beating up the coast for a long time without making much progress, provisions and water became exhausted on board the vessel.
PASSENGERS LANDED IN A DESERT.
Mr. H. J. Ostrander, together with some forty-five oth- ers of the ship's company, were landed at a point on thic coast of Lower California, about 300 miles southward of San Diego, with an allowance to each passenger there put ashore, of one pint of water and one day's rations from the ship (jerked beef), there being no house, road, trail, or any sign of human life whatever in sight, and no guide to lead them in a direct course to the point of their destination, save the coast and the sun, moon and stars. The country was a perfect desert, without fresh water or anything to support human life, save what could be picked up from the sands on the beach. From the point of debarkation they proceeded on foot, carry- ing their arms and baggage, with their slender allowance of jerked mcat for six days, each one casting away blankets, guns, and clothing, as they became tired and exhausted with hunger, arriving on the sixth day of their pilgrimage at a spring, where some Mexicans had left a broken-down horse, which they killed for food. After eating of the horse-meat thus providentially obtained, a council was held, and all but four of the party of forty-six weary and starving gold-seekers determined to rest at the spring and jerk the remainder of the meat to carry with tbem upon their journey. Having been compelled to subsist upon brackish water and a very small quantity of jerked beef for six days in a torrid clime, the fresh water and plentiful supply of meat obtained at the spring induced them to seek the rest their wearied limbs
required. Mr. Ostrander, and three others of the party, pushed forward, cach with a small quantity of horse-meat to sustain life on the road; and finally, foot-sore and weary, arrived at the Mexican village of El Rosario, where they found provisions and water in abundance, and were not long in fitting out a relief party of Mexicans to go to the aid of their companions with gourds of fresh water and provisions; the Mexicans being induced to perform this act of kindness by the stories of the throwing away on the road of guns, pistols, blankets, and clothing, by the starving Americans.
They were not long in reaching them and affording them the relief they so much needed, aiding them to overtake their more resolute companions at the village of El Rosario. One of the party died at the springs from colic brought on by excessive eating of the meat of the horse.
After a short rest at El Rosario the party started out on foot, reduced to a very limited amount of cash, and bought horses and saddles on the way at villages, and finally reached San Diego, where all except Mr. Ostrander and one companion, named Fred Hoffman, concluded to wait for passage upon a vessel to San Francisco. Mr. Ostrander and Fred Hoffman started out on foot, and reached Los Angeles with the pro- ceeds of the sale of a horse, Mr. Ostrander had sold for sixty dollars in San Diego-minns their expenses-having bought a horse for seven dollars on the road before reaching that place, and were soon remounted, buying horses at ten dollars each, upon which they proceeded up the coast to Los Angeles, after being initiated, at the ranch where they purchased their horses, into the mysteries of mustang breaking, Mr. Ostrander being thrown four times the first day. From Los Angeles they con- tinued their journey np the coast by way of Santa Barbara to San Jose, and thence to Stockton, where they expended their remaining cash capital for a small quantity of ham and hard bread, and lost no time in starting out for the mines on the Tuolumne River. They reached Hawkins' Bar, on the Tuol- umne River, a little over six months from the time of leaving New York, and remained there, mining and merchandising from July, 1849, until the fall of 1850. From Hawkins' Bar, Mr. Ostrander went to the Merced River, in the month of October, and settled on the south side of that stream, opposite Snelling. Here he attempted to plow and plant a crop, but the season was too dry. He purchased beef of Scott & Mont- gomery, hauled it to the mines, and peddled it out in the min- ing camps. He pursued this business some two or three months. He then went to buying cattle in Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo Counties, and drove them to the mines. He pursued this business for nearly two years, using his ranch near Snell- ing as his headquarters.
In tho winter of 1851-52, Mr. Ostrander went back to Mad- ison County, New York, and on the cleventh of August, 1852, was married to Miss Lydia A. Wheeler, of the same county, a cousin of Vice-President Wheeler, tho lady being a native of
121
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL.
Jefferson County of that State, and that Winter returned by steamer to San Francisco, by the Nicaragua route, and reached his Merced River ranch in January, 1853. At this time Wm. Lee Hamlin, to whom Mr. Ostrander had sold a portion of his ranch, was about purchasing a small flouring mill and steamu- engine in Stockton, and they formel a partnership in the pur- chase and erection of the mill. They ran the mill and farmis in partnership for one year, often grinding grain brought from Visalia, a distance of one bundred and twenty-five miles, when they divided the farm and went into partnership in building a water-mill, taking Dr. Dickenson, afterwards drowned while attempting to ford the Merced River near the mill, into the firm with them.
On the eleventh of July, 1853, Frank Mereed Ostrander, the first child of Harvey J. and Lydia A. Ostrander, was boru, being, perhaps, the first white child born on the Merced River in Merced County ; the family now consisting of four sons and one daughter, all of wbom are growu, and were born at the same place. He continued in the milling business with Messrs. Hamlin and Dickenson for one year.
FIRST ALFALFA, ORCHARD AND VINEYARD.
He then turned his attention to farming, gardening and fruit-raising, together with raising of stock, and in 1854, sowed the first field of alfalfa ever planted in Mercedl County ; and in 1855, put out the first orchard and vineyard planted in the county. He also dug the first irrigating ditch in the county. He continued farming, gardening and fruit and stock-raising until 1865. He added a band of sheep to the stock department of his ranch iu 1861. He sold his farm, orchard and vineyard to John A. Robinson. In addition to carrying on the sheep business, Mr. Ostrander bought 1,000 head of beef cattle of J. M. Montgomery, in the summer of 1864, at ten dollars per head, which he drove across the mountains to be fattened for the California markets.
In 1865, the cattle men bought up the land upon which the various water-holes were situated iu the beds of the sev- eral dry creeks between the Merced and Chowchilla Rivers, in order to keep from the range the various flocks of sheep that were being driven into the valley.
FIRST WELL OF WATER ON THE PLAINS.
Mr. Ostrauder in 1865 entered a tract of forty acres, about three miles east of where Merced now stands, for a sheep camp, and dug the first well ever sunk ou the dry plains away from the creeks, and about midway between Mariposa and Bear Creeks, finding an abundant supply of water to serve a large band of sheep, at a depth of sixteen feet from the surface; thus demonstrating the feasibility of maintaining stock-ranches on the dry plains independent of the supply of water afforded by the stagnant pools in the beds of the streams; and immedi- ately after he bought four sections of land bordering on Miles Creek, some ten miles from the town of Merced, and one sec-
tion six miles east of Merced, upon which he built his present family mansion, and entered into the business of wheat-farming and sheep-raising upon a large scale. In 1865, on selling out his farm on the Merced River, he moved his family to Santa Clara to obtain better educational advantages for his promising young family, where they resided for two years, when he moved them back to his old home in New York, and placed his children in school at Union Springs, and after a time again moved them to Ithaca, where the boys entered college, where the family remained until 1874, when they returned to Cal- ifornia, and locatedl iu Oakland, where the boys were placed in the State University at Berkeley; Mr. Ostrander, in the mean- time, continuing his farming and stock-raising enterprises with average success; aud in 1876 moved to his farm home east of Merced with the whole family, where they continue to reside.
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