USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 30
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JAMES J. STEVENSON.
J. J. Stevenson resides on the left bank of the Merced River. The residence is shaded from the sultry rays of the sun hy noble fig-trees, and other fine shade and ornamental trees. The bank of the river is adorned by a magnificent belt of gigantic oaks. In the immediate vicinity of the dwelling is an excellent orchard with a great variety of choice fruit trees. There is also a vineyard and garden. The whole farm is inclosed by a substantial board fence.
The river runs within 600 feet of the residence; and in onr large sketch of his home and surroundings, a stern-wheel steamer, such as navigate the river, may be observed through the trees. The view, compared with some of those on the treeless plain, presents a heautiful appearance, surrounded, as
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
the home is, with so many fine trees. The reader will notice that the place is well fenced, and the yard enclosed and laid out in flowers and shrubs. The out-buildings are numerous and ample, and the whole presents a scene of neatness, thrift, and prosperity.
The farm is best adapted to stock-raising, and contains 15,000 acres. On the place is usually kept 3,000 sheep, 1,500 head of cattle, and thirty horses, besides other stock. It is in many respects the finest farm in the county. The railroad is only eleven miles distant. The nearness to both water and railroad communication adds immensely to the value of the property. A school is within two miles, but the county seat with its church can only be reached after a journey of twenty- six miles, which, however, is nothing for Mr. Stevenson, who rode once 600 miles on muleback, in seven and one-half days. The soil is very fair, and would yield good crops if it were cultivated, as is shown hy the few acres around the residence, which are improved.
James J. Stovenson was born November 6, 1828, in Boone County, Missouri. He remained with his parents, Archibald and Charlotte Stevenson, while a child, and was afterwards raised at his uncle's farm, where he remained until he hecame eighteen years of age (1846), when he joined the trading trains attached to General Kearny's Division, crossing with them the plains, and arriving at Santa Fé, New Mexico, in 1846. He spent the winter on the Del Norte River, and on the road to Santa Fé, with Colonel Doniphan's regiment. He arrived March 1, 1847, at Chihuahua, where he unexpectedly met his father, whom he had not seen for eleven years. He spent two months with his father, then continued his journey with the troops to Saltillo, where they fell in with General Wool's Division.
Mr. Stevenson remained in business at Saltillo until the close of the Mexican War, after which, he returned to Chi- huahua, making that trip of 600 miles on muleback in seven and one-half days. He had two companions with him. At that place he met his father again, with whom he stayed until December 27, 1848, when he started on his trip via Durango and Mazatlan, to San Francisco, where he arrived March 25, 1849, "flat broke" as the pioneers term it.
Mr. Stevenson mined on Mormon Gulch, Tuolumne County, during the months of April and May, 1849, with fair success; then acted as agent for Colonel Jackson, at Jacksonville, Tuolumne River, for three months; then his father arriving here, he entered into partnership with that worthy gentleman, in Mariposa County, where they remained from November, 1849, to August, 1852, after which they arrived in this county, as stated.
Mr. Stevenson is one of the oldest of Merced's citizens, having located where he is August 1, 1852, and before the county was organized. In December 27, 1855, he married Miss Louisa Jane Cox, of Cox's Ferry, on the Merced. She was born in
Illinois. They have three children: Samuel, Mary E., and and Fannie B. Stevenson.
Col. A. W. Stevenson, the father of J. J. Stevenson, was a gentleman of high intelligence, and horn in Clark County, Kentucky, in 1804. He received a scholastic education in Kentucky, and was a farmer hy occupation. At the age of twenty-two he moved to Boone County, Missouri, where his son James was born. In 1830 he engaged in the Santa Fé trade. Business required him to journey over the distance hetween Independence, Missouri, and Chihuahua, no less than nine times. He was engaged in this business eighteen years.
He set out for California April 10, 1849, and reached Los Angeles in July. He first entered into various mercantile operations, and on the twenty-third of September, 1852, set- tled on the place last described.
ERASTUS KELSEY.
Another of the '49-ers and prominent citizens is Erastus Kelsey, whose home is near Merced Falls. He was born in Oneida County, New York, April 5, 1827, and was raised on a farm. He engaged in woolen manufacturing, but removed to Cook County, Illinois, in 1844, and engaged in farming.
He left Cook County, March 4, 1849, via Council Bluffs, Fort Laramie, Salt Lake, and Carson River, and arrived in Sacramento the eighteenth of August, 1849, making eighty- five days from Council Bluffs. He went to the mines and joined the Quincy Mining Company, which had honest John Wood, President, who was afterwards Governor of Illinois. In November, 1849, he settled on a ranch on the west side of the Sacramento River, in company with Joel D. Nichols, J. W. H. Camphell, and another by the name of Shryer, under the firm name of Nichols, Camphell & Co., and in April, 1850, in company with Nichols and Campbell, he went to Auhurn and Spanish Flats and engaged in mining. Here they made five dollars per day. At the roots of the big pine tree in Auburn, they made $6.25 per day, and further down the ravine, at Hughes' garden, made seven ounces per week. The last of May he returned to the raneb and engaged in gardening, etc. He also raised horses and mules, and operated a ferry three miles below Sacramento. While here his youngest brother arrived, after much suffering on the plains from cholera and want of food.
In November, Mr. Kelsey sold out his interest to his partners and returned East, taking passage on the bark Susan. It took forty-seven days to reach the Isthmus. After crossing he took the passage for New Orleans. The vessel was blown ashore on the Chandelier Islands. The passengers, after five days, were taken off by a fishing sınack and landed at Proctorville. Thence to New Orleans and by steamer to St. Louis, and hy stage to Aurora, Illinois. In March, 1851, he bought eighty acres of land in McHenry County, Illinois, improved it, but as is usually the case, he thought no place was like California, so
ELCAPITAN STABLE
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ELCAPITAN LIVERY STABLE M.MªCLENATHAN PROP. MERCED.
MERCED EXPRESS
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OFFICE OF"MERCED EXPRESS" W. P. STONEROAD & CO. PROP.
OFFICE OF "MERCEDSTAR" HARRIS BRO'S PUBLISHERS.
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PIONEERS OF MERCED COUNTY.
selling the farm he was soon on the way to the land of sun- shine. This was in 1852.
In 1851 he married Miss Malinda Powers, a native of New York. She died in March, 1879. The names of the children are: Charles, George P., Horace G., and Arthur L. Kelsey, all born in California except Charles.
He settled on his farm in 1853. It consists of 475 acres under cultivation, and nearly 8,000 acres of grazing land, on which he keeps 2,500 sheep, 6 borses and 30 hogs. He has a large orchard of about 600 fruit trees, and a vineyard of 5,000 mission grape-vines. He has a pleasant house situated on the bluff opposite his first home.
In 1869 he made another visit East by railroad, and was on the first train that made connection with the Union Pacific at Ogden, He met a brother ou the Elkhorn River and went into partnership with him, and constructed a flouring mill, and founded the town of Waterloo on the Union Pacific Railroad removing his family there in 1871. In 1873 he sold out to his brother, and again took up his residence in California. In July, 1880, he married Mrs. Ellen E. Weed.
WILLIAM NELSON.
The history of William Nelson is very interesting. We are sorry that space does not permit us to recite the whole of it; suffice the following facts :-
William Nelson was born in New Hampshire, December 2, 1812; he worked on a farm until he was twenty years of age, then learned the millwright business. He followed that business in Maine and New Brunswick until 1847, when he sailed in September of that year with his wife and one child for Califor- fornia, arriving in San Francisco May 2, 1850.
He at first mined with fair success for two years, then went to Humboldt Bay in the wiuter of 1852, on the steamer Santa Clara, which he converted into a saw-mill for Ryan, Dupp & Co. He was employed at wood cutting near Humboldt Bay on that improvised mill until vessels came to take the loads of lumher away. They loaded the first vessel that came, and Mr. Nelson was ordered to go along in her to superintend the management. The vessel was cast away after crossing the Bar and was lost. Fortunately all hands were saved. A similar fate overtook two more vessels with which Mr. Nelson started for San Francisco. The third vessel and several pas- sengers were cast away on the South Spit and remained iu the breakers twenty-four hours. He cut away the masts with the assistance of John Vance, a carpenter, who now owns the Vance House, Eureka .. Hedid not arrive in San Francisco until July. In San Francisco in the fall of 1852, Mr. Nelson built a flouring-mill on Jackson street, which he ran for three months with fair success, and in 1854 moved to Merced County.
THE MERCED FLOURING MILLS.
In March, 1854, he constructed a flour-mill at Merced Falls, and has continued to run it ever since. In 1866 his son became
a partner in the business. In 1867 they formed a company and huilt a woolen mill near the flour-mill. In 1872 both were hurned. But not discouraged, the flour-mill was rebuilt the same year. Both these mills are described elsewhere, together with illustrations showing the mills and water-power.
To the mill property is 320 acres of land, on which is raised on an average from twenty to forty hushels of wheat or barley to the acre. It is located at the castern edge of the county and bordering the foot-hills of the Sierras.
HENRY NELSON.
Henry Nelson was born in Fredericktown, New Brunswick, August 17, 1843. He was hrought out to California by his father, and attended the first school which was started in San Francisco. He came in 1849, on the ship Teal, around Cape Horn. They stopped in Brazil and Valparaiso, also in Chili. The voyage took seven months and seven days. They had a pleasant trip, excepting one storm which necessitated throw- ing a good deal of freight overhoard iu order to save the ship. They also saw many whales, one of them at one time came right under the ship, causing great anxiety and fear to a good many of the passengers. He entered into business with his father at Merced Falls, as stated, in 1866.
He was married in 1870, to Miss Lola A. Lawrence, of New York, and has five children, one boy and four girls, named William N., Lola, Almah, Inez, and Etta Nelson.
THOMAS CLAIBORNE DEAN.
T. C. Dean, horn in Mercer County, Kentucky, in 1826, is another of the constantly diminishing band of pioneers. He was left an orphan at the age of fifteen. After living in Missouri a short time he returned to Kentucky, and left there in 1849 hy the southern route for California, and was six months on the journey, reaching this section of country in September, 1849. He lived in what was then Mariposa County, until the formation of Merced, and engaged in stock-raising.
His farm is 300 acres, situated fifteen miles from Merced, and is devoted largely to general farmning. He keeps consider- able stock, having at the present time seventy-five head of cat- tle, one hundred hogs, fifteen horses, hesides other animals. He has twenty acres of alfalfa, which produces large quantities of feed for stock.
The culture of cotton promises at some day in the near future to rank among the important industries. The experiments with this plant have proven successful, surpassing in their results the most sanguine expectations; and its production, as an enter- prise, is drawing the attention of agriculturists and speculators. There are hetween 2,500 and 3,000 acres planted in cotton in Merced County, all of which presents excellent prospects of a heavy yield; a larger product heing prohable than last year. Cotton proves a successful crop on Mr. Dean's land, although we have no statistics of his efforts for any length of time.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
" Grizzly Adams."
ADAMS carried on his operations in the region of the Stan- islaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers and their head-waters. It is, therefore, proper to give our readers some account of his exploits, which are now known only by some of the pioneers.
James Capen Adams was a native of Medway, Massachu- setts, where, at an carly age, he learned and followed the trade of shoemaking, until attaining his majority, when he resol ved to gratify his intuitive love for the wild, roving life of a hunter, and, at the first opportunity hired himself out to a company of showmen, for the purpose of obtaining a collection of native wild animals for exhi- bition.
In 1849, at the height of the gold excitement, he turned his steps towards California, and arrived here by way of Mexico, in the fall of that year, . .
He says: "From the date of my arrival in the country till I went into the mountains, my occupations were various-some- times mining, sometimes trading, sometimes raising stock and firming. Sometimes I was rich, at other times poor. At one time, in 1850, while farming in the neighborhood of Stockton, I pos- sessed thousands of dollars' worth of cattle, most of which were stolen from me in a single night. At another time, I possessed mining claims, which ought to have made me very wealthy ; and at another, lands, which are now worth many fortunes; but one after the other passed out of my hands, partly on account of my own reckless speculations, partly through the villainy of others. In the space of three years, I failed three times; from the heights of prosperity I was plunged into the depths of difficulty ; until at last, in the fall of 1852 disgusted with the world and dissatisfied with myself, I aban- doned all my schemes for the accumulation of wealth, turned my back upon the society of my fellows, and took the road towards the wildest and most unfrequented parts of the Sierra Nevada, resolved thenceforth to make the wilderness my bome and wild beasts my companions.
"My hair was already beginning to turn gray; and as I wore it long, with long gray beard, and long mustaches,-such being the custom in those days,-my appearance was that of
"GRIZZLY ADAMS " AND HIS PET BEAR, BEN FRANKLIN.
an old man, though, in truth, I was hut in the prime of life, and could bear almost any degree of exposure, privation, or fatigue.
" I left my mountain fastness and drove down to a place ealled Howard's Ranch, laid in a stock of ammunition, and such otber necessaries as were required; exchanged my oxen for mules and pack-saddles, and gathered such information regard- ing the northern countries and the roads to them as could be ohtained. I opportunely fell in with a young man, named William Sykesey, who bad heen in these regions before. This young man came originally from Texas, and seemed to bave a tinge of Indian blood in his veins, which was betrayed by his high cheek bones, his long, coarse, black hair, and very dark complexion. He had a good rifle, and was a fair marks- man; and, being well acquainted with woodcraft, my meeting with him was fortunate.
" From Howard's, Sykesey and I proceeded, with our mules and paeks, to Strawberry ranch, on the Tuolumne river, where we procured tbe services of two Indian boys, about twenty years of age. These lads, wbo proved to be true and faitbful fellows, had lived a portion of their lives among white people, could speak the English language, and under- stood the use of the rifle. The elder of them, from the name of his trihe, I ealled Tuolumne; the younger, for the same reason, Stanislaus. Our party was now complete, consisting of myself and three vigorous young men, having two good stout mules. We were all four cased in buck- skin, and three of us carried rifles upon our backs." In their expeditions they trapped and otherwise captured many grizzly bears. His account of these adventures is full of thrilling interest and also gives accurate descriptions of these animals and their habits.
Adams first exhibited his animals at San Jose and after- wards established a menagerie at San Francisco, and thence shipped his animals to New York.
His adventures were dramatized in three acts and seven tab- leaux, and presented to audiences in all parts of the East under the title of "Grizzly Adams, or the hunter of the Sierras." It was played in San Francisco as late as December, 1880.
Adams died at a small town near Boston, where his wife and daughter lived, from the effects of the terrible blows he had received from time to time while teaching his animals " docility.'
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES.
Biographical and Descriptive Sketches. JOHN F. MCSWAIN.
John F. McSwain, the efficient County Recorder and ex officio Auditor of Merced County, was born in the State of Missouri on the fifth day of December, 1853. His father died in the fall of 1861. The following year his mother came with her family to California, making the transit of the continent and located in Merced County, where she now resides. Young MeSwain attended the publie schools of the county and by his perseverance obtained a good business education. He is now one of the best accountants in the county. In 1872, after passing a satisfactory examination before the County Board of Examiners he was granted a certificate to teach school. He followed the profession of teaching for two years, at the end of which time he found the calling not a pleasant one and gave it up for a more active life.
In 1874 he was appointed agent of a warehouse company at Plainsburg, which position he held for a year. He then resigned and engaged in ranehing, which as he terms it "was a successful failure." In 1878 he was offered his old position as agent of the warehouse company at Plainsburg, which he accepted and held until he was appointed by the Board of Supervisors of Merced County as County Recorder, to fill an unexpired term. So far he has filled the office with credit to himself and friends.
W. J. QUIGLEY.
W. J. Quigley, the present Treasurer of Merced County, was horn in Derry, Ireland, on the twenty-seventh day of July' 1844. His parents came to the United States in 1847, and located in the city of Philadelphia. Here young Quigley grew to manhood, and shared alike with the youth of all great cities the opportunities for good and evil. He served part of a term of apprenticeship at a trade until 1861, when at the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he entered the Federal army, serving three years and six months in the army of the Potomac, and receiving an honorahle discharge at the close of the war. In 1865 he came to California and located on Bear Creek, twelve miles east of present site of Merced.
In 1866 he went to Nevada, and engaged in mining opera- tions with varied degrees of success until . 1871, when he returned to California and located in Hornitos, Mariposa County, and engaged in the livery husiness.
In March, 1872, he returned to Merced County and engaged in the livery husiuess in the town of Merced.
In 1877 he was elected a member of the County Board of Supervisors, which position lic filled ereditably to himself and his constituents for the term of three years.
In the fall of 1879 he was elected to the responsihle position of County Treasurer.
JOHN H. SIMONSON.
J. H. Simonson, the subject of this sketch, was horn in Germany, about two miles from Hamburg, on the sixth day of November, 1850. In the spring of 1858 his parents, with their family of children, emigrated to the United States, and located in what was then the Territory of Minnesota. Here young Simonson was afforded only the educational advantages of the public schools of Washington County, wherein he continued till the spring of 1864. During that year he entered into the employment of a mercantile firm in Marine, Washington County, Minnesota, as clerk and confidential hook-keeper. He continued with this firm almost uninterruptedly for twelve years until 1876, when he resigned his position to come to this State. In the winter of 1874-75 feeling disposed at least to begin business for himself, he in copartnership with another young gentleman, engaged in the logging business in Wisconsin. The enterprise, however, not proving as lucrative as the young fortune-seekers desired, was soon ahandoned.
In the year 1874 the town of Marine was incorporated, and young Simonson was elected first Treasurer of the Municipal Government. He was re-elected in 1875, and resigned on leaving the State in 1876.
In that year he came to California, and engaged as book- keeper for a mercantile firm in the town of Merced, where he remained until the fall of 1879, when he was elected to the office of County Clerk of Merced County.
This is only one instance among thousands where proper hahits, industry and strict integrity have led from the humhler walks of life to positions of honor and trust among the people.
MARSHALL D. ATWATER.
M. D. Atwater is a native of Bethany, Connecticut, He left Woodhury, Litchfield County, Connecticut, in 1855 for California, leaving New York City on the steamer Empire. City, November 20th, and landed in San Francisco December 20, 1855, and went immediately to Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, and engaged in mining during the years 1856-57-58, trying both quartz and hydraulic mining, with only ordinary success,
During the years 1859-60 and 1861 had charge of toll-road and bridge between Mokelumne Hill and Jackson, Amador County. Afterwards, for little over a year, resided in Ione City, Amador County.
In 1862 settled in Virginia City, Nevada, and engaged in heavy teaming for nearly seven years.
He came to Merced County in 1869 and engaged in raising sheep and cultivating wheat. His farm consists of 4,680 acres, five miles from Merced. In addition to this he rents 4,200 acres for wheat-raising, making in all nearly 9,000 acres.
The soil of Mr. Atwater's ranch is of a rich loam, inclined to red, and easily cultivated. His large farming operations are described elsewhere, under head of " Farming in the San Joa.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
quin." The crop of wheat is far better than could be expected to grow upon the sandy upland. Surrounding his residence is a garden, orchard and vineyard. The grounds are irrigated from a large tank, tbe water being raised by a windmill and pump. In this garden, trees, vines and plants appear unusually thrifty and seem to make a vigorous growth. The soil appears especially adapted to the production of grapes. He bas forty acres inclosed, set out in choice grapes and a large variety of fruits, which grow exceedingly large and of fine flavor, with little or no irrigation, vines, one year old, being loaded with large bunches of grapes, proving the extraordinary fertility of the soil as well as superior system of cultivation. Raspberry, blackberry and strawberry vines all do well, and are laden with fruit every year. His yard and vineyard are inclosed and laid out in walks and drives. The residence is a pleasant two-story house, witb verandas. The out-buildings are large and well-arranged.
Mr. Atwater has in cultivation, annually, several thousand acres of land, upon the higbest eminence of which is his dwell- ing and garden, and though several seasons have been unfavor- able, he has uniformly made good erops.
In addition to grain farming, Mr. Atwater has usually kept a limited number of sheep, which serve to eat up the stubble and waste of the grain fields, and yield good crops of wool, and were thought to be vastly advantageous to the land, feed- ing as they do for most of the year upon that which more improvident farmers burn in order to clear the land for plowing.
The Farmers' Canal Company's ditch brings constantly a full head of water from the Merced River, crossing the western portion of the farm.
Mr. Atwater is one of the largest and most successful farm- ers in the county, and has taken great interest in all organiza- tions formed to assist farmers.
He married Miss Eliza R. Allen in 1850, who lived in Wood- burn, Connecticut. She died April 27, 1852. His present wife, Miss Laura A. Allen, a sister of his first wife, he married April 27, 1870. Mr. Atwater has one child: Eliza A. Atwater.
THOMAS PRICE.
Thomas Price, the subject of this sketch is one of the earliest settlers, and now one of the leading farmers of this county. He was born on the fourth day of October, 1825, in what was then the Territory of Arkansas. His boyhood days were spent in his native Territory (afterwards, in 1836, a State) without the especial and careful guidance of his parents, James Price and Permelia Price, nee Browning, they having died when he was but a child. During this time he was schooled chiefly to the duties of the farm-education, only of a primi- tive degree, being denied by the educational advantages wbich all such new countries afford. In 1846, at the age of twenty- one, he was married to Miss Alice Slinkkard.
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