USA > California > Monterey County > History of Monterey County, California : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, farms, residences, public buildings, factories, hotels, business houses, schools, churches, and mines : with biiographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
The dews and fogs are almost as serviceable as rain to the erops of this valley.
Nearly the whole of this seetion is settled by American and European farmers, and is in a high state of cultivation. Well- tilled farms lie here and there throughout the valley; villages, school-houses, churches and picturesque residenees, dot the land- seape whichever way one turus; the foot-hills are covered with floeks and herds; the lower ranges are thickly timbered with live oak and madrona.
The Pajaro river runs westerly through this valley, and finds an outlet in Monterey bay.
THE CARMEL VALLEY.
A few miles baek of Monterey lies the Carmel valley, dotted with farm-houses and dairy buildings. On this soil, which is very productive, were raised the first potatoes enltivated in California. Dairying and stock-raising are extensively engaged in the valley. The planting of vines and almonds has been successfully tried here; while peaches, apricots, pears, nectarines, cherries and strawberries tbrive well.
In the mountain streams south of the Carmel river there is fine trout-fishing. Quails, rabbits and hares are abundant, and deer and bear are found in the hills and towards the coast. The prodnets of the valley are beef, butter, cheese, potatoes and pork, whale oil and dried fish being also extensively shipped.
South of Monterey and along the coast there is a great extent of government land, all well watered and much of it having good soil.
CHARACTER OF CARMEL VALLEY.
The Carmel is smaller than the Salinas valley, yet far sur- passing that in the beauty of its adjoining regions. Ranges of mountains rise abruptly on each side, varied in every feature of the admirable, with their irregular summits often hidden in overhanging elouds. The upper portions of the western range are generally covered with forests of evergreen trees, with larger or smaller openings of beautiful grassy land; while the steep sides of the immense gorges are often too precipitous for trees or seemingly even grass, but are elothed with dense underbrush, the sinall roots of which enter deep into the seains of the rocks, holding all in their place in spite of rain and wind. The lower foot-hills are the finest of pastures for thousands of sleek-look- ing cattle, feeding peacefully upon the green herbage, or repos-
ing quietly under seattering trees of oak, laurel or madrona, which enhance the scene of beauty by their wide branching forms.
On the east, the whole side of the range to the summit, though wonderfully gorged through vast periods of time in the past, yet exhibits a surface smooth as a pasture, with thin stunted grass, streaked by many outeropping parallel edges of strata of old sedimentary rocks. Small strips of timber seem ereeping up the deeper eañons, while occasional dwarf pines appear, braving tbe difficulties of the situation.
The intervening moderate valley of the Carmel is a region either of fine large oak openings, splendid parks of beauty, or of lovely small prairie scenes green with rich native grasses, or of more beautiful views of fields of grain, or meadows, or pas- turage, or orchards, with ornamental yards and gardens around pleasant dwellings.
THE CHOLAME VALLEY.
This valley lies in the south-eastern part of the county, and is reached from Salinas by railroad through Gonzales to Soledad, thence up Long valley to the Peach-tree valley, thenee through Staek's Cañon to Cholame valley. A correspondent of the Index, February 4, 1881, says :-
"On the 1st of this month we had seven shoeks of earth- quake, the first two very hard ones. They knocked down several chiluneys, one adobe store-room of A. Imus, and one end of an adobe barn of William Imus. At Mr. Parkinson's place it kuoeked down the chimney, and I counted thirty quite large eraeks in the ground running across the road. It also opened several springs of water on Mi. Parkinson's ranch ; one I noticed between his honse and the road boiling up quite strongly; and just baek of the house it started sulphur springs, and just where those sulphur springs are, the ground, about twenty paees square, is sunken about four feet."
PEACH TREE VALLEY.
This section and its approaches are thus described by a trav- eler wbo visited that region in 1880 ---
" We passed over Three-mile Flat, one of the flattest looking flats that ever man cultivated, bearing a erop of dwarf wheat whieh if headed at all to advantage will have to be done with sheep.shears. It is estimated that two bags of chicken feed will be the full average of the entire erop. From there we eross the river to our left, and traverse an undulating barren looking country for twenty miles, until we strike the San Lorenzo ereek, whose waters are elear, cold and bitter. The appearance of the country from this on improves, and thrift and comfort are plainly discernible, and we feel that we are approach- ing a better agricultural country than the one we left behind us in the morning.
76
DESCRIPTION OF THE SMALLER VALLEYS.
Coyotes and foxes are abundant in Peach Tree valley, fre- quently emerging from their holes by the roadside to the no small disgust and fear of teams traveling.
VILLAGE OF PEACH TREE.
The village of Peach Tree consists of a store, saloon and post-office in one building, a hotel, blacksmith shop and another saloon. Here the settlers gather up their weekly mail, and have a chat upon the political situation of the day.
The Peach Tree ranch, owned by Miller & Lux, is fourteen miles long and about five miles wide, and is divided into four fields designated by the points of the compass. The valley portion of the ranch averages about thirce-quarters of a mile wide, and contains the best land in the valley, one thousand five hundred acres of which is cultivated into grain this season and is enclosed by a neat, substantial post and board fence, running parallel with the county road to Slack's Canon and Cholamc. Some three or fonr miles of the lower end of the valley portion of the ranch is being cultivated by renters on shares.
Three or four miles further np the valley, the range of mountains on the east suddenly widens and forms a bend or pocket about a half a mile across. Within this bend, upon a solitary mound, is situated the " Ranch House," beautiful for sitnation, wbile about two hundred yards to the south, on the flat, is situated the store-house, barn, stables, blacksmith shop, milk-house, and cattle corrals, giving it, at a distance, the appearance of a village. Around thesc, and seven miles up the valley to the ranch fence, are pastures for horses and cat- tle, the same being well watered and adapted for stock-raising.
THE " LONG VALLEY."
This traveler says :- " We crossed the valley, ascended the mountains, and were soon cantering down Long valley, a very pretty piece of country about seven miles long and averaging one-half a mile wide. For four or five miles down the crops were good, but from there on, a complete failure. The great drawback of this section is a lack of water both for domestic and agricultural purposes. They are compelled to haul water a considerable distance for house nse. After a most pleasant ride of about twenty miles, we returned home by " the trail," a most precipitous and head-swimming path leading down into the Peach Tree valley.
PRIEST VALLEY,
Priest valley is one of the prettiest little valleys in the State, being well watered by pure, cold mountain streams. It is reached on horseback, traveling up canons, over mountain heights, along the edges of deop precipices, regardless of trails or beaten paths. On the way are many springs and watering
places for the cattle roaming over these mountains, numbering over three thousand head. The land is all enclosed by a sub- stantial fence some sixty miles long, including cross fences.
The scenery on this trip is magnificent beyond description, sometimes towering above and again below, in awe-inspiring depths, the pleasure being doubly enhanced by views of the weird and fantastical rocks and abysses, by the great variety of trees encountered, and the abundance and variety of game inhabiting these mountains. This valley is reached by a fair wagon road over steep grades.
Besides tbesc valleys just mentioned, there are a great many others of similar character.
SAN ANTONIO VALLEY.
This valley is situated on a ercek by the same nainc, in the south-western part of the county. The stream rises in the Santa Lneia mountains, and running south-easterly empties into the Salinas river. The valley is narrow, and is chiefly noted for being the location of the old mission of San Antonio. From Soledad to this mission is about thirty miles by way of "Relez Cañon," or by stage route it is abont forty-five miles. For campers and pleasure parties the cañon is preferable, as there is abundance of scenery, wood and water. The mission is in ruins, and all its former glory has departed. The valley is famous for its fruits, Figs, grapes, olives, and peaches can be cultivated here, as well as cereals.
SAN ANTONIO MISSION.
The mission buillings were in 1849 in good order, with buildings on three sides of the square. To the left of the church as you looked south, were the rooms for the Indians Behind the mission was the garden with adobe walls around it, covered with tiles to protect them from the weather. The vineyard of several acres hal a gool adobe wall around it, tiled like that of the garden, and had a small alobe house, with a red tiled roof, inside the enclosure. Some of the viues were six inches, or more, in diameter. The vineyard aud garden could be irrigated from the small stream behind the mission, but the plain in front, when the mission was in full charge of the priests, was irrigated by water from a ditch that tapped the San Antonio river some two or three miles above, on the wny to Milpitas. Part of this ditch was dug in the solid rock. There used to be a grist -mill at the mission. There were a good many people living at the mission itself, but not very many on rauches, which were wide apart-Mauricio Gonzalez at San Miguelita, Marinno Soberanes at the Ojetos, and Jouquin Soto at Piojo ranch, being the principal lund owners around. An Indian mmed Ygnacio Pastor was living on a small ranch at the Milpitas, since swelled into an eleven-league one. A description of the mission is given on page sixtren.
W W.ELLIOTT & CO. LITH S.F. CAL.
RESIDENCE SALINAS
ERS
-
-
E.S. MODRE .DEL.
OF JAMES LYNN. TEREY CO, CAL.
77
THIE GREAT AND FERTILE SALINAS VALLEY.
SAN ANTONIO AND JOLON VILLAGES.
On the San Antonio creek, after going south from Soledad, is the settlement of San Antonio, which is a stage station on the road to San Luis Obispo. The country lying between it and Soledad is level, with a light growth of timber.
Jolon is ten miles further south, and is only a small cluster of houses, the most noticeable of which is an adobe venerable with age. Beyond this is auother stage station, which is the last settlement in that section of the county, and is ninety miles from Salinas.
Six miles west of this last place is Harris valley, a very fine tract of land, used for grazing purposes mostly, yet some very fine grain is produced. In the summer season it is quite hot, but there is perfect immunity from wind and fog.
Three miles to the west this opens into Sapaque valley, con- taining about one thousand acres, used in part for the produc- tion of grain, and in partfor grazing. There are but few families living in this valley.
Ten miles north-west of Jolou there was much prospecting for quicksilver, and some little prospecting and actual miniug for gold, a few years ago.
CURIOUS AND INTERESTING OBJECTS.
About eighteen miles north-west of Jolon, on the San Anto- nio river, is a cave and rock well worth the trouble and fatigue encountered in paying the visit. The cave, just beneath a huge rock, is about thirty feet wide, one hundred feet long, and suffi- ciently lofty to allow a mouuted mau to pass through the entrance without bending from a perfectly erect position.
The floor, composed of solid rock, is completely punctured with holes, formerly used by the Indians as mortars for pulver- izing their acorns, etc. The cave has formed a place of rendez- vous in times of quiet, and of retreat in moments of danger, and has been inhabited exclusively by such daring outlaws as Joaquin Murieta and Tiburcio Vasquez.
A bridle-path, conducting by a bridge over a chasm formed by the interstice between two boulders, leads to the top of the rock; any party approaching this must "enfilade," as the bridge will admit of the passage of only one at a time.
Running along parallel to one side of the rock is a ditch, possibly one hundred and fifty yards in length, very nearly straight, having a width of three feet at the bottom, of from five to eight at the top, with a depth varying from five to ten feet. It undoubtedly is a specimen of man's handiwork, but how many years or ages since the hand that performed it lost its cunning, none may tell. This rock, in times past, was used by Joaquin's band as a corral for their horses, it being well adapted to that use, having only one approach, and that being easily guarded from its very narrowness. To this day the place is called, in memory of its bandit occupants, " the pastur-
age." This place can also be visited from Soledad, the route being through Reliz canon to the settlement at the head of Mission creek.
CHARACTER OF THE COAST.
Along down the coast, fifteen to twenty miles below Monte- rey, to the south, farm land is crowded to a narrow strip, nowhere over a quarter of a mile wide, between the ocean and the steep grass-covered mountains. Here are a few scattered farmers, far apart, mostly Portugnese or other foreigners, get- ting a comfortable living, but on a rugged coast, where the raging of old ocean's great heavy breakers among hosts of jut- ting rocks and against the steep solid banks, ever wakes the grandest music of the deep. Here the people are away from the curse of old Mexican grants, and rejoice in the ownership of what they produce.
Here are wild romantic gorges with little streams unmurmur- ing adown their way between willow-lined banks, bending often from side to side of little valleys, nowhere over ten rods wide, often but two, while the steep mountains rise immediately from- its edge. Yet along these little valleys the hand of civilized man has been busy in clearing away, in favorable spots, the rugged impediments, and securing good land for potatoes, alfalfa. aud corn. Here homes for intelligent, worthy families are being sought, out of the way of great overshadowing land claims.
THE GREAT SALINAS VALLEY.
This valley lies between the Gabilan range of mountains on the east and the Santa Lucia mountains on the west, and opens: upon Monterey bay at the north. It extends south from Moss Landing over one hundred miles, and has a mean width of about. ten miles Its area, therefore, is about one thousand square miles, or six hundred and forty thousand acres of land. Through the valley runs the Salinas river, which has a quicksand bot- tom, andl carries in wet seasons a large volume of water.
The Salinas valley is divided by the San Antonio hills into two portions. The hills stretch across diagonally at about seventy-five miles from the mouth of the river, and the region above is a sort of table-land of low, rolling hills, while below there is a valley gradually opening out to what is a very re- markable width, as much as twelve or fifteen miles in its lowest extension.
Near Mission Soledad, below where the Arroyo Seco joins the Salinas, the bluff bank is at the base of the hills, and is from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty feet high, covered with angular boulders of mica slate. The soil of this plain is very dry, but with water it would be very fertile. There are few trees on the plain, excepting the belt which skirts the river. Fierce winds blow up the valley, and in summer days the air is full of dust. The natural foliage is bunch-grass and pin-grass.
78
CHARACTER OF SOIL IN SALINAS VALLEY.
From the San Antonio hills the Salinas valley forms an uninterrupted plain from six to ten miles wide, entirely without water during the summer, excepting what flows in the Salinas river, as the streams coming down from the mountains on either hand sink down into the soil of the valley. The surface of this plain is remarkably nniform, and has a decided and regular slope on either side from the hills to the river.
This level, rich valley, between mountain ranges on each side, gradually widens toward the ocean until it is some twelve miles across. The soil is a dark sandy loam, almost quicksand in its character, and hence easy to cultivate in scasons of rain best according with its nature. Land usually called adobe is scarcely known in the whole region. The difficulty is the want of sufficient rain-fall to meet the necessities of the growing crops. This is not so much felt in the lower section for fifteen or eighteen miles, as it is farther up the valley.
This lower or northern portion is naturally as finc a section for farming as any in the State. But its great disadvantage is that vastly the greater portion is cultivated by renters on short lea es, generally a year, the longest beiug five years. The result is that the country residences are few and far between, mostly small, one-story, roughly put up, and perhaps white- washed; having either a rude, front-protecting fence, or none at : Il; without a gardeu or with a very poor one, destitute often of a flower-bed, rose-bush or shade-tree; with a well around which perhaps frecly gather hens, ducks, geese and pigs for water. A. rongh barn may be nearly in a corresponding condition of litter. Such a condition is almost inevitable where leases are for a short term of years.
THREE CLASSES OF SOILS.
The lands of the valley are divided into three classes: First- the heavy, rich bottom-lands, good for the growing of almost anything. This soil is mostly black adobe, and frequently con- tains just enough sand to make it work easily. These lands sometimes produce over one hundred bushels of barley to the acre, and of wheat, to the acre, over sixty-five bushels. Aver- age crop of wheat on these lands, thirty-five bushels; barley, sixty bushels.
Second-the table-lands, particularly well adapted to grow- ing wheat and barley, of which grain the average yield per acre is thirty and fifty bushels respectively. These lands stand dry weather or a scant supply of rain better than any others in the valley.
-
Third-the uplands, good for the production of wheat, barley, oats and rye. Thesc lands lie close along the base of the mount- ains, in the lower parts of the canons, and among the lower hills, and differ very much in quality in different localities. Some of this land is the best fruit land in the State, and will produce oranges, lines, lemons, peaches, apricots, almonds, figs, and the other fruits common to this section.
THE VALLEY HAS NO SUPERIOR.
The Salinas valley, in point of fertility and diversity of soil, has no superior in the State, and when this is considered in connection with its mild and healthful climate, the amount of tillable land, and its proximity to the commercial center of the State, the great advantages possessed for transportation of pro- duce, and the cheapness of freights compared with the more remote sections of the State, it has no equal. The amount of land cultivated in this valley is about one hundred and sixty thousand acres. The use of this valley, as agricultura! land, has been confined to the past few years; prior to that time, stock-raising was the occupation of the people, and the land was held in large tracts of from three thousand to forty thousand acres.
The Southern Pacific Railroad running south from San Francisco, extends into Monterey county about fifty miles to Soledad, its present terminus, the most of the way up the mid- dle of Salinas valley, thus affording daily communication with all points north and giving the farmers shipping facilities of the first class. A branch also extends to Monterey.
WATER SUPPLY.
Good water is obtained from wells at from forty to one hun- dred and forty feet deep. Some are flowing wells. The foot- hills abound in springs of pure water. The numerous rivers and streams furnish a large supply.
The chief peculiarity iu the location of Salinas City is that it is in the midst of natural lakes, some of them of considerable depth and fed by springs. Entering Saliuas on the Santa Rita road the traveler passes between two of these lakes, one of great depth. Entering by way of the Castroville road, he passes several other lakes. On the south of the town, and some miles distant, there are several similar lakes. In fact, there is a chain of lakes of varying sizes, reaching from Salinas City to Castroville. Some of the lakes are deep and perma- nent. Others are shallow, and surrounded with wide belts of marsh and tulc.
Irrigation has attracted but little attention, because, as a rule, irrigation has not been needed. However, the means for irrigating large bodies of land in the Salinas valley and other parts of the county are abundant and will gradually be availed of. Some of the Salinas river water has been diverted so as to run through Salinas City.
PRODUCTION OF WHEAT.
The Salinas valley, in a favorable senson, turns out a mar- velous amount of grain, und taxes every means of transporta- tion. Wheat is the grent staple, but barley and other cereals are cultivated to considerable extent. As late as 1846 wheat
79
SITUATION OF CAPES, BAYS AND HARBORS.
was trodden out on the ground by horses, after which it was washed and dried before grinding. The mill used and style of farming is described on page twenty-three. Now all the more modern improved agricultural machinery is employed, as rep- resented in some of our illustrations of the best farmers such as James and Michael Lynn, D. Mckinnon and others whose farming operations are more fully deseribed elsewhere.
OTHER PRODUCTIONS EXTENSIVE.
Potatoes are extensively cultivated, and make in mauy local- ities immense yields and are very profitable. The best land for late potatoes is the light sandy or sediment soil near the bay or coast; these lands produce from one hundred to two hundred sacks of potatoes, weighing from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and thirty pounds per sack. Al- most any of the land in the valley will produce a fine erop of early potatoes.
Beans are extensively cultivated in this county-largely iu Pajaro valley. Alfalfa does well in almost every locality in this county and produces from three to four erops of hay, of from two to four tons per aere every year where it is used for making hay, and furnishes a perpetually green past- ure, good for all kin ls of stock, where used for the purposes of pasturage. The only enemy to alfalfa is the gophers. If these little animals are not killed out, they prove very destrue- tive to the plants, by cutting off the large roots near the top of the ground.
Flax and mustard are cultivated to a considerable extent. Black mustard is inligenous, but of late years white mustard has been introduced and does well. Vegetables of every description are easily raised. Beets yield on good soil and proper cultivation, from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty tons per aere. The crop can be left growing all winter and the beets sometimes weigh from ninety to one hundred and sev- enty pounds.
FRUIT TREES AND BERRIES.
All kinds of fruits do well, although there are not many large orchards in the county. A few years ago nearly the entire county was a pasture for sheep and eattle, and as these herds were moved out to make room for farmers, orehards have been planted in different parts of the county, although most of them are quite young.
Apples do well anywhere in this eounty and are of as fine quality as can be found anywhere.
Pears find a climate licre just suited to the production of the most luscious fruit.
Pluins bear well anywhere in this section and the fruit is of good quality.
Quinces raised in Monterey county cannot be exeelled any- where both as to quality and quantity of the fruit produced.
Peaches can be grown anywhere in the county and the fruit arrives at great perfection in the mountains, valleys and eañons.
Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and eurrants do very well on almost any of the land.
STOCK RAISING.
Stoek-raising is a prominent interest in this county, espe- cially in the mountainous and hilly portions, which are covered with sbeep and cattle. Horses are raised for the markets by many of the farmers, and the better class of horses find a ready sale. Some persons have given attention to the raising of hogs, and the number shipped from the county every year is very large. The raising of hogsis very profitable in connection with farming, dairying, ete. No kind of stock requires feeding, except such as are kept up, as they find sufficient grazing the entire year. Monterey is one of the best sheep counties in the State. The lands of the great valley are however too val- uable, and pastutrage is found in the hills.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.