USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 28
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RESIDENCE OF E.M STODDARD , MERCED, CAL.
RESIDENCE OF CHARLES MURRAY, MERCED FALLS
RESIDENCE DF S. R. MURRAY, 3 MILES WEST OF MERCED FALLS , MERCED CO. CAL
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PIONEERS OF MERCED COUNTY.
leaving Tucson, the party proceeded across the country to the Rio Gila, better known as Rio Heler River, and struck this river at an Indian village called Pemos, which was situated where Maricopa Wells Station on the Southern Pacific Railroad now stands. The Indians at this village were very peaceably dis- posed. From here Mr. Stoneroad and party traveled dowu the Gila over an entire desert country for several hundred miles.
ATTACTED BY INDIANS,
When the party arrived at the Colorado River they encoun- tered tbe Yuma tribe of Indians wbo were hostile, and demonstrated their unfriendliness by making frequent attacks upon them in order to prevent them from crossing the river. This country at that time was inhabited only by Indians, and so, in the absence of a ferry-boat by which to cross the river Mr. Stoneroad's party had to improvise one by cutting down dead cottonwood trees standing along the banks, and lashing them together, thus forming a raft upon which they rolled tbeir wagons, and with cottonwood sticks used as oars, paddled across. While the work of building their raft was in progress, they were annoyed and harrassed by frequent attacks from the Indians on both sides of the river. These Indians finally suc- ceeded in damaging the party to the extent of stealing several valuable mules, After leaving the Colorado River the party came to Los Angeles, and from thence up the coast to San Jose. At this time there was no road whatever from Los Augeles by way of Four Creeks or Visalia.
Mr. Stoneroad arrived in San Jose sometime during the month of October, 1849, and after remaining in that village several days looking for business, and finding none suitable, he, on the first day of November of that year, left for the mines of Mariposa, crossing the coast range of mountains at Pacheco Pass, and arriving in Agua Fria, Mariposa County, iu tbe latter part of the same month.
The distance from San Jose to Agua Fria is less than 200 miles, and with modern facilities for traveling the journey can now be made in less than twenty-four hours. This will give to the readers of this sketch an indefinite idea of the many changes which have taken place iu California since "the days of '49," and also portray in slight degree the difficulties and dangers encountered by tbose hardy pioneers, wbo paved the way to the present civilization and prosperity of our State.
No man did more, neitber does any mau deserve greater credit for what he did towards the development and advance- ment of the great resources of the mining, stock-raising, and agricultural regions east of tbe San Joaquin River, than did N. B. Stoneroad. Possessed with but little of this world's goods upon arriving in California, he bas, tbrough a life of honest, arduons, and persevering industry, succeeded in acquir- ing for himself, not, it is true, a fortune, but, at least, a com- fortable competency. And, be it said to his credit, that while
tbus engaged in building for bimself he assisted many another up the rounds of fortune's ladder.
ONE OF THE FIRST MERCHANTS.
At Agua Fria Mr. Stoneroad at first engaged in the busi- ness of mining, and continued thus to employ his time for several months, meeting with fair success, when, becoming tired of mining, he launched forth into the mercantile business at Horseshoe Bend, on the Merced River, in Mariposa County, and continued in that business at that place until October, 1850, when he moved his store to Garota, No. 2, in Tuolumne County, where he continued the business of merchandising until the fall of 1851, when, having accumulated quite a sum of money, he returned to the State of Arkansas. He remained in Arkansas until the spring of 1852. He again started over- land for California, by way of El Paso, in company with a party which he had formed for that purpose. An incident worthy of note, and which came near proving fatal to the whole party, occurred on this second trip West. When about 150 miles the other side of El Paso they were attacked by a large band of Apache Indians, who, wbile they did not sue- ceed in killing any of the party, owing to the stubborn resist- ance with which they were met, yet did contrive to stampede and run off all their horses and mules, leaving the whole party iu a manner, afoot. There were one or two ox-teams in the company, which the Indians did not get, and so Mr. Stoneroad and many others of the party had to leave their wagons and much of their personal effects on the plains, but employed the owners of the ox-teamus to haul their provisions and blankets to El Paso, wbere Mr. Stoneroad bought an ox-team and continued his journey by way of Los Angeles and Visalia, arriving at his old home in Mariposa in the fall of 1852.
During the winter of 1852-53, Mr. Stoueroad again engaged in the business of mining, meeting with better success than before, and thereby accumulating several thousand dollars.
CATTLE-RAISING PROFITABLE.
In the spring of 1853, Mr. Stoneroad, together with his father and three other gentlemen, formed a partnership under the firm name of Stoneroads, Cathey, McCreary & Kelly, for the pur- pose of engaging in the hnsiuess of stock-raising.
Mr. Stoneroad bought a tract of land lying on Mariposa Creek, iu Merced County, about five miles southeast of where the town of Plainsburg now stands, and there built him a bouse, and established headquarters for the cattle rancho. The business of cattle-raising was entered into and continued by tbe new firm until the spring of 1854, when Cathey and McCreary drew out, and the business was then continued hy Mr. Stone- road and Kelly, under the firm name of Stoneroad & Kelly, until 1860, when the firm was dissolved. From this time until
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
1869 Mr. Stoneroad conducted the business alone. Cattle-rais- ing proved exceedingly remunerative, and enabled Mr. Stone- road to amass quite a large sum of money, amounting in the aggregate at the time he sold out in 1869 to more than $100,000.
AN IMMENSE CATTLE-RANGE.
During the time he was engaged in the cattle business, the whole of the southern portion of Merced County was used for grazing purposes, and the title to the land was in the Govern- ment, which enabled Mr. Stoneroad and others engaged in tho business to graze their cattle without hindrance or let over a vast territory covered with a most luxurious growth of the very best grasses for stock-raising purposes. At this time it was thought that this portion of the county was unfit for agriculture, but about the year 1867 private individuals, few in numbers, began to test the capacity of soil and climate, and soon it was demonstrated beyond doubt that all classes of cereals could be raised with profit.
As soon as the adaptability of the soil to agricultural pur- poses was established, it became generally known, and immedi- ately the Government began to transfer its title into the hands of enterprising farmers, who in a short time took possession, and thereafter a "cattle mau" was not " monarch of all he surveyed."
Many were the difficulties experienced by Mr. Stoneroad and other stock-raisers on account of their cattle tresspassing upou the lands of their neighhors, and soon cattle-raising became quite unprofitable. Mr. Stoneroad was forced, in order to save himself from loss, to abandon the business, and so "taking time by the forelock," he sold, realizing on the whole, as has been saidl, a satisfactory profit, He then turned farmer him- self, and from then until now he has proven, by strict attention to the business and economical management, that farming as well as cattle-raising can be made profitable and even lucrative.
His farm is situated on the south bank of Mariposa Creek, and contains 1,280 acres, all of which is cultivated each year, principally in wheat, His dwelling-house is a commodious and comfortable brown cottage, standing in the midst of a beautiful cottonwood grove, and is surrounded by evergreens of different kinds, and a most magnificent flower garden. Near the dwell- ing is a well which furnishes the coldest water in the San Joaquin Valley, and upon the whole the place is the most pleasant in all the surrounding country.
LARGE DROVE OF SHEEP.
In addition to his farming interest, Mr. Stoneroad in 1872, invested largely in sheep, and began also the business of sheep- raising, which he continued to conduct with profit to himself in this and in Fresno Counties, until 1876.
Mr. Stoneroad, in 1876, together with his two brothers, George W. and Thomas, and William Dickenson, E-q., of San Francisco,
entered into a partnership and started with 10,000 head of sheep across the desert to New Mexico. Mr. Stoneroad went himself with the sheep as far as the Colorado River, and then returned home leaving the sheep in charge of his brother George, who succeeded in reaching New Mexico with a loss of only 1,000 head. This is the most successful journey with shecp that had up to that time, or has since, heen made across the great Colorado Desert, and fully exemplifies the indomitable perseverauce and energy of the subject of this sketch.
Stoueroad Brothers & Dickenson, after arriving iu New Mexico, bought a grant of land containing over 120,000 acres, and commenced the business of sheep-raising on an extensive scale, and at this time the increase in sheep and the profits from the sales of wool has reached a proportion far beyond the expectations of the most sanguine member of the firm at the time the business was first undertaken.
When Mr. Stoneroad came to California he was not married. For sixteen years he continued to live in this wild West without seeking a wife. In 1865 he became acquainted with a lady whose history and adventures as a pioneer extended over a greater period of time than his own, and whose enticing manners and amiahle disposition captivated his bachelor heart at once, and after a courtship of more than a year he was uuited in matrimony to her.
MRS. N. B. STONEROAD.
Mrs. Stoneroad's history is full of interest and deserves special meutiou. She is the second daughter of Gallant D, and Isa- bella Dickenson, and was born in Jackson County, Missouri, on the eighth day of March, 1835. In 1846 she emigrated to Cal- ifornia in company with her father and family (eight in num- ber), together with many other fortune-seekers, taking what is known as the Northern route, by way of Fort Laramie and Fort Jackson, arriving at the latter place on the eighteenth day of October, 1846. Her party were only three days iu advance of the ill-fated Donner party, most of whom lost their lives from' cold and starvation, about whom so much has been written, and'over whose untimely deaths so many tears of sympathy have been shed. During Mrs. Stoneroad's journey westward, the party with whom she came encountered more difficulties and dangers than usually fell to the lot of emigrauts at that day. They were attacked several times by Indians, and upon more than one of these occasions had to battle hard for their lives and property, the latter of which they were not always successful in saving, as many of their animals were cap- tured hy these nntutored savages,
In addition to the depredations committed by the Indians, the party suffered much from a disease called the mountain fever, from which a number died and were left buried out on the plains, and while tender hands and loving hearts admiuis- tered the rites of burial, ever after that no tender hand nor lov- ing heart planted flowers upon their last resting-place. At one
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PIONEERS OF MERCED COUNTY.
time all of Mrs. Stoneroad's family except her father and self were stricken down by this dreadful disease, and during their illuess Mr. Diekenson was compelled to drive two teams, and Mrs. Stoneroad, though but a child of eleven years, was forced to do all the cooking and at the same time administer to the wants of the sick.
Fortunately not one of her family was left behind, and early in the winter of 1846 they arrived in Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, where they remained until the spring of 1847, when they moved to Monterey, where they lived for about one ycar. Here Mr. Dickenson had brick made and erected the first brick building that was ever built in this State, and which now stands in the town of Monterey, and is noted as the first brick house crected in California. After leaving Monterey, Mr. Dickenson and family went to the mines in Tuolumne and other counties until October, 1849, when they moved to Stockton.
While they lived at the mines Mrs. Dickenson and her two daughters often found themselves objects of curiosity, on aecount of being the first ladies who had ever been therc. But notwithstanding the scarcity of women, Mrs. Stoneroad and her sister were received at the hands of these sturdy miners with respect which amounted almost to reverence. A white woman in the mines " in the days of '49" is said to have been a greater show than Barnum's Museum.
At the time Mr. Dickenson and family located in Stockton it was but a small village, composed altogether of tents.
Mr. Dickenson put up the first board residence that was erected in Stockton, the sides and ends of which were composed of plank eosting one dollar per foot, and as lumber was so scarce and high at that time, the building was covered with cloth. It may be said, therefore, that Mrs. Stoneroad has known Stockton since its infancy. In 1851 she was married to C. S. Peck, Esq., she being the second lady married in Stoekton. Her sister Margaret was the first. She owned the first piano ever brought to Stockton.
Her eldest daughter, Belle, now the wife of Hon. W. J. Hill, Senator from Monterey County, was the second white child born in Stockton. Mr. Dickenson, together with his original family, two sons-in-law and grandchildren, left Stockton in 1852, and moved to what is known as 'Dickenson's Ferry, on the Tuolumne River, in Stanislaus County, which is furtber noticed under Mr. Dickenson's biography. Mrs. S. subsequently moved to Mormon Bar, in Mariposa County, with her husband, who, after living with her there for about two years, deserted her, for which cause she afterwards obtained a divorce.
In 1867 she married Mr. N. B. Stoneroad, and with him came to live at his place on Mariposa Creek, known as " Locust Grove," sinee which time she has lent her energies to those of her husband in building up and beantifying the face of nature around them, thus establishing the most beautiful and comfort- able honie in the great valley of the San Joaquin.
The issue of Mrs. Stoneroad by her first husband are three daughters and one son, all of whom are now living. Isabella, the eldest, is now the wife of Hon. W. J. Hill, of Salinas, Monterey County; Udola, one of twins, is now the wife of Frank H. Farrar, present District Attorney of Merced County; Tallula, another of twins, is still single and residing with her mother. and Zwingle G. is a law student in the office of his brother-in-law, Frank H. Farrar, at Merced. The issue of Mrs. Stoneroad by her present husband is four daughters: Omaha, now twelve years of age; Natalia, ten years old; Lucille, five years old, and Elba, the baby, all of whom are bright and promising children.
Mr. and Mrs. Stoneroad have both passed the meridian of life, but neither of them show siga : of decay on account of old age. Both have lived lives of honesty, and both are houored and useful members of the community in which they live. May many years be added to their lives, and may their children and their children's children rise up to call them blessed.
ELEAZER T. GIVENS.
Eleazer T. Givens was born in Union County, Kentucky, October 17, 1828, and his parents were Thomas and Catherine Givens. His residence until manhood was near Casey ville, Union County, Kentucky, and his early life was uneventful, being oeenpied with farming, stock-raising and attending school, diversified with hunting, fishing and other sports common to that region. Among his schoolmates were George Penn Johnston, of San Francisco, and the Casey Brothers, for whose father the town of Caseyville was named, and one of whom is a connection of Gen. U. S. Grant.
He left Caseyville for California, April 5, 1849, by the over- land ronte, by way of St. Louis and St. Joseph, Missouri, and Salt Lake City, where the party separated. The Givens Brothers remained at Salt Lake six wecks, and then joined a company having old Uncle Jim. Waters, of San Bernardino, as guide, and going southward arrived at the Cucamonga Rancho in October, aud spent the following winter on the Santa Ana River, eight miles from the present site of the city of San Bernardino, there ending a tedious journey of six months and twenty days, almost devoid of interesting incident.
In March, 1850, he concluded to try his Inck in the gold mines. Worked first on Coarse Gold Gulch, Fresno County, with fair success, and then on Agua Fria and Whitlock's Crceks with better success until October 11, 1850.
FIGHT WITH A GRIZZLY.
Early in the morning of that day, John W. Childs shot and wounded a grizzly bear, and came to camp for assistance. Four men, including the subject of this sketch, went with him to the place, and found Mrs. Bruin with two cubs. They started off
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
as soon as the party appeared, wben Childs and Givens shot the old bear, but without killing her. After following them for several hours the party came upon them in a chaparral thicket, where the fight ended. Givens being in close prox- imity to the bear lost about one-half of his scalp and was otherwise badly bitten, but Childs, with true heroism, stood by him, and after firing three shots succeeded in dispatching the bear at the imminent risk of killing Givens. The cubs made good their escape. This adventure put an end to his mining operations. After long suffering he recovered, and in 1851, about a year after the encounter with the bear, he returned to his father's bome in Kentucky.
His parents cmigrated to California in 1852. In 1853 he married Miss Martha F. Pratt, of Morganfield, county seat of Union County, Kentucky, and again began the overland journey to California by his former route to Salt Lake, tbence by the Humboldt and Carson route to Volcano, from whence he continued his journey to the old Texas Rancho in Mariposa County, then owned by his father, with whom he remained during the winter, and where his first cbild, Mary Louisa, was born.
In 1854 he settled on Bear Creek, ten miles above the present site of Merced City. His second daughter, Matilda Frances, was born at his residence on Bear Creek. He livedl there when Merced County was organized, and helped to clect her first officers. It was at this ranch that the first Court was held, under the trees.
In 1856 he moved to Mariposa Creek, where in 1858 his eldlest son, James William, was born. He soon after bought 160 acres of the adjoining land.
In 1867 his wife died at her sister's residence in East Oakland. He then left his daughter in Mills' Seminary at Benicia, and returned home with his son, wbom he afterward educated at the California Military Academy at Oakland.
In 1870 be married Miss Adelaide M. Brooks, a native of Canada, but a resident of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by whom he has four boys and one girl: Arlington Brooks, Helen Libbie Eleazer Virgil, Thomas Thrift, and Frederick Campbell Givens.
In 1875 he bought more land, the whole amount making 1,300 acres, through which the Central Pacific Railroad aud all of the branches of the Mariposa Creek pass. His ranch is situ- ated seven miles from the county seat, twelve miles from San Joaquiu River, two and one-half miles from the school house, and four miles from the church at Plainsburg; is composed chiefly of good agricultural wheat land, producing an average of about twenty-five bushels of wheat, and fifty bushels of barley to the acre.
Usual number of cattle, ten head; horses and mules, twenty- five; small flock of sheep for home consumption, and from 100 to 500 head of bogs yearly. He has a good orchard and vine- yard of about one and one-quarter acres. His pasture of ninety acres is under fence, and there is sufficient timber of oak and ash for bome use on the farm.
S. K. SPEARS.
March 14, 1850, there arrived at San Francisco, the sailing vessel, Mary Watterman, Captain Higgins; which sailed from New Orleans around Cape Horn, having on board Mr. S. K. Spears, the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Spears was born January 17, 1827, in New York. Studied law and taught school during the time he lived east of the Rocky Mountains, until he, also, was taken with the excite- ment which the stories about California brought forth, and he determined to venture there. Accordingly he left New Orleans per sailing vessel. The trip was pleasant as far as the crew and ship were concerned, but it took six months and fourteen days to reach San Francisco. Mr. Spears was cast away for a few days in a fearful storm off Cape Horn, and came near being lost.
The first occupation he applied bimself to after arriving in the Golden State, was to dig some of its gold out. He suc- ceeded very well but thinking that diversified industry pays best, he went to mining and hotel keeping at Winters' Bar, on the Mokelumne River, and afterwards went to farming in Ama- dor County.
He stayed in Amador County from 1851 until 1856, and there, in 1853, married his wife, a Miss M. J. Wigginton, native of Wisconsin, with whom he came in 1857 into this county, to his present home. He bas three children, viz .: Peter Wiggin- ton, Minnic A., and Mary Frances Spears.
Mr. Spears is engaged in farming, raising cattle, horses and sheep. He has six head of cattle, thirty hogs, 3,000 sheep, and nine horses; has a beautiful orchard of fifty apple trees, fifty peach trees, forty apricots, and thirty-six plum trees, besides a number of various other fruit trees, the orange tree not excepted. His land is of the very best river bottom, yields large crops, and is partly planted with vegetables-producing very good, sweet potatoes. It comprises 180 acres, is twenty-two miles from the county seat and railroad, and one mile from school. A church can be found withiu four miles.
In the Argus of November, 1871, we find the following notice of one of the productious of Mr. Spears' farm, which shows what was being raised at that date: " Mr. S. K. Spears sent us this week a sack of sweet potatoes-yams-about a dozen in the sack, which beat any thing of the kiud we have seen yet. They average about four ponuds each. We are tokl, bowever, by otber gentlemen, that the size is not unusual as many crops turn out equally large oues. Mr. Spears has ten or twelve acres of potatoes, now being gathered ou his ranch, and sent us these as specimens."
Mr. Spears has lived through all the great excitements of the last thirty years, and took part in everything where the peo- ple's interest was concerned. He bas endeavored to advance his county and neighborhood in all that would add to their prosperity.
RESIDENCE
RES. OF E. KELSEY I MILE WEST OF MERCED FALLS, MERCED CO. CAL.
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PIONEERS OF MERCED COUNTY.
GALLANT DUNCAN DICKENSON.
Gallant Duncan Dickenson, a pioneer of 1846, was born in Rutherford County, Pennsylvania, on the sixth day of October. 1806. At an early age he was taken to Virginia, where he was rcared to manhood. He returned to Pennsylvania and was married in 1828 to Isabella M. McCrary. Five years suc- cecding their marriage they started for the West, and joining the tide of emigration then setting toward the fast opening country beyond the Mississippi, they settled in Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833. Here they passed thirteen years. In 1846 they left on their overland trip to the far-off Pacific Slope.
On the sixth of November, 1846, they rested their weary ox-teams this side of the Sierras, in Santa Clara County, after five months weary journeying across the continent.
Since then his home has been in California. They raised six children, four sons and two daughters, to man and womanhood.
In 1847, he, with his family, located in Monterey County. He built the first brick house in the town of Monterey, which has its place in history as the first brick house in California .*
In 1848, he, with his family, went to the mines, spending the winter of that year at Mokelumne Hill. The gulch that now bears the name of Dickenson's Gulch, was named for him
FIRST WHITE WOMEN IN THE MINES.
His wife and two daughters were the first white ladies in that and many other parts of the then new mines. They were honored and respected by all, and were at times a great enri- osity as being the only white ladies in the new country.
In the fall of 1849 he moved to Stockton, then a town built of tents. He built the first hotel in Stockton, a large two-story house, at a cost of $60,000, namned the Dickenson House. The lumber in the house cost one dollar per foot. It rented for. $2,500 per month, and did a very heavy business.
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