USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 8
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Captain Sntter, having reached the goal of his ambition, received permission from the Mexican authorities to select a place for settlement in the Sacramento valley. After much difficulty he finally succeeded in reaching the junction of the Sacramento and American rivers.
SUTTER'S FORT LOCATED.
A location was made, and Captain Sutter commenced the construction of a house. The spot was named "New Helvetia," in honor of his mother-country. On account of the strength, armament and formidable appearance of the buildings, the place was called by all the carly settlers "Sutter's Fort," which name is even now the most general one. This fort was com- mcneed iu 1842 and finished in 1844. In 1841, when his grant of land was to be made, it became necessary to have a map of the tract, and he employed for that purpose Captain Jean Vioget, a seaman and Swiss by birth. The survey was made by lines of latitude and longitude. Sutter made his application under this survey of 1841, the same ycar the map was completed. The Mexican laws allowed only eleven leagues to be granted to any one person, but Sutter's map contained fifty leagues or inore. Nevertheless, he got the idea that he could hold it, and with this came the idea that he could sell it. The original claim embraced a considerable portion of Sacramento and Placer counties, all of Sutter, the valley portion of Yuba, and a little point of Colusa.
1840 .- In the carly part of 1839 a company was made up in St. Louis, Missouri, to cross the plains to California, consisting of D. G. Johnson, Charles Klein, David D. Dutton, mentioned earlier as having come to the country with Captain Smith, and William Wiggins. Fcaring the treachery of the Indians this little band determined to await the departure of a party of traders in the employ of the American Fur Company, on their annual tour to the Rocky Mountains. At Westport they were joined by Messrs. Wright, Gegger, a Doctor Wisclzenius and his German companion, and Peter Lassen, also two missionaries with their wives and hired man, en route for Oregon, as well as a lot of what were termed fur trappers, bound for the mouut- ains, the entire company consisting of twenty-seven men and two women. At Fort Hall, Klein and Wiselzenins returned, thus reducing the number to twenty-five.
In September, 1839, the company reached Oregon, and so-
RES. OF JAMES CUNNINGHAM, 16 MILES EA:
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FRONT VIEW OF #LIIDENCE.
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OF MERCED, MERCED CO. CALIFORNIA.
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IMPORTANT PIONEER PARTY ARRIVE.
journed there during the winter of that year; but in Miay. 1810, a vessel arrived with missionaries from England, design- ing to touch at t'alifornia on her return Mr. William Wiggin- now of Monterey, the narrator of this expedition, and bis three companions from Miwouri, among whom was David i) Dutton, at present a resident of Vacaville, Solano county, got on board.
The vessel put in at Bodega, where the Russians were. The Mexican commandant sent a party of soldiers to prevent them from landing. At this crisis, the Russian Governor ordered the Mexican soldiers to leave or be shot down. They then retired.
Here our travelers were at a stand-still, with no means of proceeding ou their journey, or of finding their way out of the inhospitable country ; they therefore penned tlw following com- munication to the American Consul, then at Monterey :---
PORT RODEGA, July 25, 1840. " To the American Consul of California-
" DEAR SIR :- We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, being desirous to land in the country, and having been refused a passport, and been opposed by the Government, we write to you, sir, for advice, nud claim your protection. Being short of funds, we are not able to proceed further on the ship. We have concluded to land under the protection of the Rus- sinns; we will remain there bfteen days, or until we receive an answer from you, which we hope will be as soon as the circum- stances of the case will permit. We have been refused a pass- port from General Vallejo. Our object is to get to the settle- ments, or to obtain a pass to return to our own country. Should we receive no relief, we will take up our arms and travel, con- sider ourselves in an enemy's country, and defend ourselves with our guns.
" We subscribe ourselves, " Most respectfully, " DAVID DUTTON, WMr. WIGGINS,
"JOHN STEVENS, " PETER LASSEN,
IMPORTANT PIONEER PARTY.
1841 .- May 8, a party of thirty-six persons left Independence, Missouri, bound to California. They passed near Salt Lake to Carson river, and then to the main channel of Walker's river. Near its source they crossed the Sierras, and descended into the San Joaquin valley. They crossed the San Joaquin river at the site of the present railroad bridge; and, reaching the ranch of Dr. Marsh, at the base of Monnt Diablo, the eyes of the party were refreshed with the first signs of civilization which had greeted them from the time of leaving Fort Laramie.
Of this adventurous little band who braved the hardships and dangers of a journey, then occupying months, which can now he compassed within a week, a nmber are still living in Cali- fornia, among whom may be mentioned General Jobu Bidwell, of Chico-of which he is the honored founder-having filled
high publie stations which mark the estem and confidence reposer in him by his fellow-citiz .no, not only of his own imme- diato lome Int of the entire State . L'aptain t'barles M Will- I.r. one of the most prominent of the pioneer citizens of Stock- ton; Josh Bolon, one of the old at residents of San Jose.
This party disbanded ne Dr. Marib's, and Incam scattered throughout the State. Many of these emigrants have played such important parts in the carly history of California that a list of their names is appended :-
COL. J. B. BARTLESON, Captain of the party. Returned to
Missouri. Is now dend.
GEN. JJOUN BIDWELL.
Resides in Chico, Butte county.
COL. JOSEPH B. CHILES,
Resides in St. Helena, Napa county.
JOSIAH HELDEN,
Residles at San José and S. F.
Resides in Stockton.
CHARLES HOPPER,
HENRY HUBER,
MICHAEL C. NYE,
Resides in Oregon.
CHEES MCMAHON,
NELSON MCMAHON,
Returned to Missouri.
TALBOT II. GREEN,
Kesides in Pennsylvania.
AMBROSE WALTON,
Returned to Missouri. =
and died.
JOHN MCDOWELL, =
GEORGE HENSHAW,
=
Unknown.
WILLIAM BELTY,
BENJ. KELSEY, and wife, Reside in Santa Barbara county.
ANDREW KELSEY,
JAMES JOHN,
Went to Oregon.
HENRY BROLASKI,
Went to Callao, thence to Missouri.
JAMES DAWSON,
Drowned in Columbia river.
MAJOR WALTON,
Drowned in Sacramento river.
GEORGE SHORTWELL,
Accidentally shot on the journey.
JOHN SWARTZ,
Died in California.
GROVE C. COOK,
Died at San Jose, Cal.
D. W. CHANDLER,
Died at San Francisco.
NICHOLAS DAWSON,
Dead.
THOMAS JONES,
ROBERT H. THOMES, Died March 26, 1878, at Tehama.
ELIAS BARNETT,
Lives in Yountville, Napa county.
J. P. SPRINGER,
Died at or near Santa Cruz.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE VALLEY.
1841 .- It is a fact that there was not a house in the Sacra- mento or San Joaquin valleys in 1841, except Sutter's. Hc had one adobe house and a few huts, but his fort was not com- pleted until some time afterwards.
After the settlement of New Helvetia, the next point where a dwelling was located was about two miles north-cast of the
and died.
COL. ROBERT RYCKMAN,
CHARLES FLUGGE,
=
and died.
GWINN PATTON,
Killed by lilians at Clear Lake.
CHARLES M. WEBBER,
Resides in Yountville, Napa county.
Resides in San Francisco.
Risiles in Vacaville, Solano county.
J. WRIGHT."
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PIONEERS SETTLE IN ALL PARTS OF STATE.
fort, on the American river, in 1841. This was settled by John Sinclair for C'aptain Elias Grimes and Hiram Grimes, to whom Sutter afterwards soll it. It made a tine ranch andl farm, and was extensively stocked.
1842. Nicolaus Allgeier, in 1842, was placed on what is known as the town of Nicolaus, on the east bank of Feather river. The next two places were settled almost simultaneously in the fall of this year. Hock Faren, which subsequently became the home of Captain Sutter, was established and made bis principal stock-farin, the animals ranging over that part of Sutter county lying west of Feather river, and south of the Butte mountains.
The land in the vicinity of Marysville was leased to Theo- dore Cordna. Cordua made a stock-farin of it to a limited extent. Marysville is located where he erected, at what is now the foot of D street, an adobe dwelling-house, a store-house or trading room, culinary department and out-houses. The walls of the dwelling were thick, and well constructed for withstand- ing a siege. The spot was named " New Mecklenburg " by Captain Sutter, in honor of the place of nativity of Cordna. It soon became known, however, as Cordua's Ranch.
William Gordon settled on his ranch on Cache creek, in Yolo county, in the fall of 1842. The place now known as Vacaville was settled abont the same time by Manuel Baca, from New Mexico.
THE PARTY OF 1843.
In the fall of 1843, a party arrived across the plains via Fort. Boise and Pitt river. They came down the west hank of the Sacramento river into what is now Colusa county, and crossed the river below the mouth of Stony creek and went over to Feather river.
Major P. B. Redding, who was with this party, sketehed the land about the mouth of Stony creek, and not being entitled to receive a grant himself, gave the map to the wife of Dr. Stokes, of Monterey, who was a Mexican woman, and she obtained a grant, giving Redding two leagues, or perhaps half the grant, for his locations. This was the first grant made within the limits of Colusa county, and the first settler on the grant was a man by the name of Bryant, who huilt a house and raised some corn in 1846.
Wolfskill settled on his grant on Putah creek, south of Cache creek, and south of Gordon's grant, in 1843.
General John Bidwell says: "In my trip up the valley, in 1843, I went as far as the present town of Red Bluff. I was in pursuit of some stolen animals, and was in haste to overtake a party going to Oregon, which I did, and recovered the animals. My party consisted of Peter Lassen, James Bru- ham, and an Indian.
" Iu the summer of 1843, a company arrived from ' the States' ein Oregon, where they had wintered. This party was under the lead of L. W. Hastings, and N. Coombs, of Napa, was one of
the party. Hastings was so well pleased with the land lying on the west bank of the Sacramento river just below the present town of Colusa, that he got ine to make a map of it, intending to apply for a grant. He did not succeed, however. Some two or three of Hastings' party-their names 1 do not now recall-were in the habit of shooting at Indians, and had killed two or three before reaching the Colusa village, which was the only known point within about forty miles above, and thirty miles helow, where horses could be watered from the river. At last the Indians became alarmed, and the tribe ahead had notice of the coming of the Oregon party. On attempting to approach the river at Colusa the Indians attacked them. For this they were reported hostile, and Sutter went with about forty men- mostly Indians whom he had taught the use of fire-arms and whom he employed as hunters and trappers-and punished them severely. Many Indians were killed-mostly of the Willy tribe. Sutter's forces crossed the river six or seven miles above Colusa on a bridge built by the Indians-the Duc- Ducs, I believe-for fishing purposes. This hridge was ahout sixty fect wide and very long, for the river was wide but not deep.
GENERAL BIDWELL GIVES NAMES TO STREAMS.
" On my return from Red Bluff in March, 1843, I made a map of this upper Sacramento valley, on which most of the streams were laid down, and they havo since borne the names then given them.
FIRST SETTLEMENT NORTH OF SUTTER'S FORT.
1844 .- " Peter Lassen then selected what became his grant on Deer creek (now in Tehama county), and it was the first place selected and settled north of Sutter's grant. He started there in December, 1843, but camped at Sutter's Buttes (now called Marysville Buttes or Butte mountains) till January or February, 1844, before proceeding to his destination. Several other places were examined and mapped in 1843, but little was done in this line till 1844, because those who wanted the land had not been here long enough to become citizens and be entitled to receive a grant."
Knight's grant, on the Sacramento river, was settled by himself, in 1844.
The next settlement was by Peter Lassen, in Tehama county, on Deer creek. Lassen started to take possession of the land in December, 1843, but did not reach his destination till Janu- ary or February, 1844. The settlement by Samuel Neal and David Dutton on Butte creek, about seven miles south of Chieo, was made in 1844. Ahout the same time Edward A. Farwell, with Thomas Fallon, settled on his grant on Chico creek, about a mile helow the present town site of Chico. The same year, but a little later, a settlement was made on the present property of General John Bidwell. by William Dickey, who obtained the grant.
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UNLIMITED POWER EXERCISED BY ALCALDES.
THE PIONEER PARTY OF 184%.
1844 -A band of hardy pioneers worked their laborion, way through the drifting show of the mountains, and entrel the beautiful San Joaquin valley, one of them remaining in his snow-bound camp at Donner lake until returning spring made his rescue posible.
The party consisted of twenty-three mnen: John Flomboy: Captain Stevens, now a resident of Kern county. California : Forph Foster; Dr. Townsend; Allen Montgomery; Mos Schallenberger, now living in San Jose, California; G. Green- wood and his two sons, Jond and Britt; James Miller, now of San Rafael, California; Mr. Calvin; William Martin; Patrick Martin; Dennis Martin; Martin Murphy and his live sons; Mr. Hitchcock and son.
They left Council Bluffs May 20, 1814, enroute to California, of the fertility of whose soil and the mildness of whose climate glowing necounts had been given.
TRUCKER, THE INDIAN GUIDE.
The dangers of the plains and mountains were passed, and the party renched the Humboldt river, when an Indian named Truckee presented himself, and offered to guide them to Cali- fornia. After questioning him closely, they employed him as their gnide, and as they progressed, found that the statements he had made about the ronte were fully verified, He soon became a great favorite among them, and when they reached the lower crossing of the Truckee river, now Wadsworth, they gave his name to the beautiful stream, so pleased were they by the pure water and abundance of fish to which he had directed them. The stream will ever live, in history, as the Truckee river,
CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS.
1845,- . Willinin Hardy enme ashure from a whale-ship in the Intter part of the year 1845. He first went to work as a car- penter for Thomas O. Larkin in Mouterey. He had not been employed in this way long before Roselean and Sunsevain sent over to Monterey for carpenters to come to Santa Cruz and build a schooner. Mr. Hardy came, among others, and they went to work on the vessel. The vessel was completed in 1846, and was called the Santa Cruz, and sailed to the Sand- wich Islands to be coppered. She returned, and was lost at sen.
THE FIRST GRINDSTONES.
W. C. Moon settled at " Moon's Ranch," Tehama county, in 1845, and with him a noted hunter and Indian fighter by the name of Merritt. They, with Peter Lassen, made a large canoe-load of grindstones on Stony creek in 1845, and packed them on mules over twenty miles to the river.
They told a few at Sutter's Furt, and pekiled the rest ont all Around the Day of San Franciscu When the canoe left Sac- ramento, it was laden to within six inches of the tap. As they proce les from point to point, the canoe became lighter, of ronne; hint, at first. it wermel anything but safe, even for inland navigation
In the year 1549, William Blackburn came to Santa Cruz fle came over the plains from Independence, Missouri, and arrived here in Detaber. He was a native of Virginia, born in 1814. He came over the country in company with Facol. R. Snyder, George MeDougal, and Harvey Spel.
They stopped together on the Zynnte and went to making shingles. William Blackburn was a cabinet-maker by trade, and in the year 1844 worked at that business in New Orleans. But meu arriving in C'alifurnin, of course, took hohl of ny business that would pay. So these men seem to have been still engaged in lumbering und shingle-making when the Bear Hag went up in Sonoma.
When the Bear Flag battalion enme marching down townrds Monterey early in July, 1846, William Blackburn and his associates joined it. Just now, too, the United States Hay went up in Monterey, and the battalion went south to see that its authority was acknowledged. In due time Blackburn returned to Santa Cruz and went into the merchandising business in the adobe luikling fronting on the upper plaza.
In the year 1847, he was appointed alcalde by Governor Mason, and for a year or two dispensed justice in a way peculiarly his own.
BLACKBURN AS ALCALDE.
Many curious illustrations of it could be given, but we will instance one or two. Many enlarged stories have been toll of Judge Blackburn, but these here mentioned are taken from the records, or from living witnesses' statements.
The alcalde records in the County Clerk's office of date of August 14, 1847, show that on that day a jury tried Pedro Gomez for the murder of his wife, Barbara Gomez, and found him guilty.
Sentence of the Court: "That the prisoner be conducted back to prison, there to remain until Monday, the 16th of August (two days only) aud then be taken out and shot."
" August 17. Sentence carried into effect on the 16th accordingly. W. BLACKBURN, Alcalle."
Pretty summary justice that! It should, perhaps, be stated that, according to law, Judge Blackburn ought to have reported the trial of this criminal to the higher court in Monterey, and have had the action of his court sanctioned, before the execu- tion. For some reason he did not lo this, but hal the criminal shot, and then reported both the trial and execution to head- quarters !
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SCENES AND ACTS OF THE EARLY COURTS.
This did not quite snit Governor Jason's idea- of propriety, even in that lawless time, and some pretty sharp correspond- etter followed between the Governor and Judge Blackburn. This exact course of procedure does not seem to have been repeated'
A TOUCHING SCENT.
But there was a sequence, on the 21st of August, before the court, that is touching indeed. Josepha Gomez and Balinda Gonez, orphan children of the murderer father and the mur- dered mother, were brought into court-two little girls-to bu disposed of by the Court.
The Court gave Balinda, eleven years old, to Jacinto Castro "to raise" until she was twenty-one years of age, unless she was sooner married; the said Jacinto Castro obligating him- self to give her a gool education, an I three cows and calves at her marriage, or when she arrives of age.
The Court gave Josepha, nine years oldl. to Alexander Rod- eriguez, with some similar provision for her education and care. But it is a sorry feeling that comes over us as we seem to see those poor little orphan girls parted there to go among stran- gers. It is hoped their lives have been less a grief than their childhood.
SERVED HIM RIGHT.
But in court, still further, November 27, 1847, the case of A. Rodriguez es. one C -; plaintiff sued defendant, a boy, for shearing his horse's mnauc and tail off. It was proved that the defendant did the shearing.
An eye witness of the trial says, that when it came to the matter of the sentence, Judge Blackburn looked very grave, and his eyes twinkled a good deal, and he turned to his law book, and examined it here and there, as if looking up authorities touching a very important and perplexing casc. All at once he shut up his book, sat back in his chair, and speaking with a solemn tone, said ;--
" I find no law in any of the statutes applicable to this case, except in the laws of Moses-' An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' Let the prisoner be taken out in front of this office, and there be sheared close."
The sentence was literally carried into effect, to the great satisfaction and amusement of the native inhabitants, who expressed their approval by saying, " It served him right:"
BLACKBURN'S CAREER.
In 1845 he erossed the plains from Independence, Missouri, to California, in the company of Jacob R. Snyder. George Williams, George MeDougal, and Henry Speel, all being lead- ing inen in' the company. They arrived in this county in October of that year, and settled on the Zyante, where Black- burn, Snyder, and MeDougal engaged in the shingle business.
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Speel left the party at Fort Hall for Oregon, but arrived in California in 1846.
Blackburn, with all of these fellow-travelers, was in Fre- mont's battalion, under the Bear ing. Blackburn being First Lieutenant of Artillery, Company F .- Captain MeLane. At the battle of Buenaventura, Lieutenant Blackburn fired the first gun, loading and handling it. During that campaign, Snyder was the Quartermaster. They continued in the service till the treaty of Conenga, when they returned to Santa Cruz as their home, Blackburn opening a store on the Old Plaza, which was also an open hotel, for no white man was ever asked pay for supper or lodging; but anything there was in the house was at. the service of the guest; open-handed hospitality being the character of host and people in those primitive times, here as elsewhere, throughout California. MeDougal settled in Gilroy.
BLACKBURN AS JUDGE.
During those stormy periods of anarchy and lawlessness, he performed the duties of the office to the entire satisfaction of all; and although his decisions cover points of all the varied questions of jurisprudence, we believe none have ever vet been reversed by any higher eourt. His pretensions were not based on Coke or Littleton, but on common sense and justice. The records of his court are as amusing as the jokes of " Puuch."
Blackburn, as Judge, was always anxious that the law and justice should be fully and quickly vindicated, and, after passing sentence, would give no delay to its execution; for, although it was the rule for his decisions to be sent to the Governor for approval. they were generally sunt after the execution, so that there should be no chance for a delay of justice. Although that might seem to be summary proceeding, yet it met the approval of the people over whoin he governed, but at times was the cause of some sharp and terse correspondence between himself and his superiors.
In 1848 he resigned his office to go to the gold region. He returned to Santa Cruz in 1849, and was appointed a Justice of the Peace under the Territorial Government.
BLACKBURN'S FARMING PROFITABLE.
In 1851 be settled on his homestead in Santa Cruz, and commenced farming in company with his brother, Daniel Black- burn, and they planted the bottom with potatoes, and such was the enormous yield of the whole bottom that at thirteen cents per pound, the then price of potatoes, the yield was nearly $100,000; and for several years the profits of potato raising were enormous. Where the house now stands, four acres yiekled $1,200 worth of potatoes to the acre; they were carly, and brought 12} cents per ponud. Next year thirteen acres were rented to Thomas Weeks at $100 per acre, full payment in advance.
RESIDENCE OF T.C. DEAN, 4% MILES WEST OF SNELLING, MERCED CO. CAL.
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RES. OF W.J. FERREL, 4 MILES WEST OF SNELLING, MERCED CO. CAL.
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ACTIVE LIFE OF EARLY PIONEER SETTLERS.
BLACKBURN'S PRESHICH POTATOES.
From this place the Judge ment samples of potatoes of four pounds weight (which was a general average, to the Crystal Palace Fair at New York, and received a premium for the first potatoes ever known. From here als was derived the fame which Santa Cruz now holds of producing fine potatis.
la 1819 Judge Blackburn built a vessel, a schooner of about lifty tons burden, called the " Zach Taylor," and Captain Vin- cent commanded it. When Monterey craved to In the haul- quarters of the Pacific, the vessel was run on the Sacramento , river. He was also concerned in lonibling the first saw mill np the Blackburn Guleh.
He was considered a man of enterprise and improvement,
1 and we find him from his start towards the l'acitic to have heen a inan of note, lirst as one of the leaders in the train with which he journeyel; again a commander and sollier in the first war towards the generation of a Pacific Government; then, as a jurist, his history is recorded in the archives of the country ; finally as an agriculturist, his mark was made and is on record in the proceedings of the Crystal Palace World's l'air, New York, which was also probably the first visitde knowledge demonstrating to the East the capabilities of Cali- fornia to raise her own food.
FIRST PROTESTANT WORSHI'.
1846 .- Mr. A. A. Hecox appears to have commenced Pro- testant public worship in Santa Cruz. He was an authorized Christian minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. Wor- ship was first hehl at the house of John D. Green, in Angust, 1847, and after that in the house of J. G. T. Dunleavy.
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