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 34
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Miss Fatima C. Jemison, the wife of the subject of this sketch, was born in Missouri in 1840; and came across the plains, in 1860, with three sisters and one brother. Sbe was married March 6, 1861, at the age of twenty-one. She was esteemed by all who knew her, and was a devoted wife and Christian. She died August 28, 1878. Sbe has two sisters living, Mrs. Poole, and Mrs. McNeill. One sister, Mrs. Brooks, died November 7, 1871. One brother resides in Wash. Ter. .
The names of Mr. England's children are: Georgia, Artbur, Carrie, Decater, Minnie, Ella, and Theodoria England.
G. W. TOWLE.
In the year 1834, there lived iu the State of Illinois the family of Thomas F. and Ellen Towle, to wbom a son was born May 18th of the same year, who is the subject of this sketch, and whom we know as G. W. Towle. His parents took him, when two years old, to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Thomas F. Towle carried on a nail factory. Afterwards thoy resided on Brady's Bend, on the Alleghany river, Pennsylvania.
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF RESIDENTS.
When G. W. Towle hecame eighteen years of age, he took Greeley's advice, and went West to make his fortune. He took passage to Panama, crossed the Isthmus on a mule, and arrived in San Francisco in February, 1852, from whence he started for the mines.
He mined on the Yuha river, Chipp's Flat and Plum valley, successively, but had poor success; so getting tired of it, he, in 1854 retracedl his steps to Pennsylvania, where, getting restless again, he, in 1856, journeyed west to Illinois, then to Missouri, where his heart was captivated, and he was married, in 1857, to Miss Lydia E. Ackley, a native of Morgan county, Ohio. From Missouri he went with his wife to Nebraska, hut was forced to return to Pennsylvania on account of fevers and ague, which are very prevalent in Nebraska. They stayed in Penn- sylvania until spring of 1859, when he got the gold fever again, and taking his wife with him, crossed the Isthmus, and arrived in California in 1859.
In 1860, while mining at Island Bar on Feather river, he had the misfortune to hreak his leg, which laid him up for six months; after which, in 1862, he turned his steps to Humboldt mines, Nevada, but having poor success again, he concluded to change his husiness, and followed shipping wood from Stockton to San Francisco, heing employed in that husiness for four years. He at last came to this county, his present home, in the spring of 1869, where he is still employed in cattle-raising and farming.
In the fall of 1880, Mr. Towle purchased the O. A. Payne ranch, of the administrator, which comprises eight hundred acres of excellent pasture land. The formation of the land is rolling hills. The farm is situated twenty-one miles from the county seat, fifteen miles from railroad and nine miles from Paicines, on the Tres Pinos creek. Church and school are close hy. He generally keeps four hundred head of cattle, ten horses and eighty hogs on this farm,
Mr. and Mrs. Towle have seven very hright children, whose names are respectively : Charles E., George W., Lena E., Wil- liam Alhert, Benjamin F., Freddie, and Thomas B. Towle.
JOAQUIN BOLADO.
JOAQUIN BOLADO is a self-made man, having acquired his large property with his hands and intellect as his only capital. He was horn in Spain, March 4, 1822. When a hoy he was clerk for his uncle in a shipping and forwarding business in Santander, Spain. He went to Mexico at the age of twenty and hired out to a merchant at a small salary as a elerk, and after three years' service he was admitted as a partner and followed the business in Tacatecas from 1841 to 1849, when he sold out and came to California in search of gold, having the gold fever bad, hut soon recovered after reaching the mines in July, 1849, and left in September, 1849.
He made a contract with six men in Mexico to come to Sonora to mine for him, but when they arrived they quit work,
saying that a contract made in Mexico was not valid in Cali- fornia, although he had paid their passage to Sonora. After some experience in mining he came to San José, and thence to Monterey and San Francisco.
In 1867 he came to San Benito and engaged in stock-raising, and in general farming since 1873. He has nine thousand six hundred acres, one thousand of which is near Hollister. His other ranch joins Tres Pinos. Two thousand five hundred acres is grain land, of rolling hills and valley, and averages twelve centals per acre of wheat. The balance is fine wild- oat pasture land.
He keeps seventy-five head of cattle, ten thousand sheep, twenty-two mules, twenty hogs, and several horses, some of which are very superior breed.
Mr. Bolado has two fine houses on Sutter street, San Fran- cisco, and his family resides there during the winter, and in the summer sojourn at his country seat, of which we have inade one of our largest illustrations. We invite the reader to examine this heautiful location as sketched by our artist.
In his orchard are three hundred or four hundred trees, bear- ing all kinds of fruits-figs, cherries, plums, prunes, pears, strawberries, and all kinds of table fruits. His vineyard! of one thousand vines, includes all kinds of foreign grapes.
Mr. Bolado manages his large ranch, and is, as he says, his own foreman and manager. The ranch is also inclosed with fence and subdivided into fields suitable for stock pastures, with plenty of living water and springs in every field. Also an abundance of live and white oak for shade in all the fields. He employs some twelve or fourteen hands in all his various business operations.
Joaquin Bolado is in the prime of life and bids fair to con- tinue in the enjoyment of his estates and husiness for many years. His career shows that energy and perseverance are the chief roads to fortune. He married Miss Julia Ahrego in 1857, and they have one child, Julia Bolado.
He was one of the firm of Sanjurjo, Bolado & Piyol, who were commission merchants in San Francisco; also kept large droves of stock in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties. He is now in partnership in the wholesale butcher business in San Francisco (Bolado & Hasson), he being the senior partner.
GEORGE A. MOORE.
In a pleasant nook of the Gahilan mountains, surrounded by sheltering hills, which protect it from the cold winds which sweep over the valley in the winter, stands the home of Mr. G. A. Moore, one of those thrifty men of whom every one says : He is a self-made man.
Mr. Moore is a native of Maine ; was born August 15, 1829; farmed until he came to California, and is married and has four children, viz .: George H., Carrie C., Arthur S., and Ervin W. His wife is a native of Hallowell, Maine, and her maiden name was Emma C. Carr. Married July 11, 1867. His par-
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF RESIDENTS.
ents were A. W. and Eliza Moore, of North Anson, Maino, his birth-place.
Arriving in San Franciseo in June, 1857, after a pleasant voyage of twenty-eight days, via the Isthmus, he went to Santa Barbara county, then to Los Angeles county, where he keep eight thousand sheep, and came, in 1869, into this county, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Moore's thrift and hard work was not without blessing, for after hard toil he now owns a farm of one thousand and seventy acres, located within five miles of the county seat, railroad, church, and school, and within twenty miles of water communication. He cultivates two hundred acres for grain, twenty-five acres of vineyard, and the rest he uses as pastur- age for his stock, consisting of one hundred head of cattle, six horses, and sixty hogs.
His fine orchard contains mostly soft-shell almonds, some peaches, apricots, apples, pears, cherries, in fact, some of all kinds of orchard fruit. Amongst his stock we find some thoroughbred Durham cattle (Golden Duke), and two fine calves full bloods, so that, on the whole, Mr. Moore can be more than satisfied with his success.
THOMAS F. WHITESIDE.
An adventurous spirit brought Mr. Thomas F. Whiteside and two brothers into this State. Mr. Whiteside is a native of Oxford.county, Canada, where he was born August 24, 1836. His parents, who had eight children (he being the third. eldest), were John and. Mary Whiteside. At the age of fifteen Mr. Whiteside went to Wisconsin, where he rafted on the Missis- sippi river for four years. Then in 1857 he came, by the way of Panama in thirty. days, .to San Franciso, which, after a short stay, he left in order to get rich in the mines. He mined a short time at Michigan Bluffs, and turned towards Gilroy. From Gilroy he made an excursion to Frazer river, but his funds giving out, he returned to Gilroy. In 1859, he, in company of another gentleman, went to Alviso, Santa Clara county, where they farmed for three years; then 'going to Nevada he tried various businesses, making quite a success of it. He also farmed for several years in Salinas, Monterey county, after which, in 1871 he moved to his present home, which is beau- tifully situated in the foot-hills south of Hollister, on the west bank of the San Benito river.
In 1867 he was married to Miss Mary E. Boyd, a native of Arkansas, and is now the head of a family of seven children -- Willie J., Maggie F., Hattie E., Alice E., Francis T., Florence M., and Ernest Elmer Whiteside.
Mr: Whiteside keeps fifty head of cattle, thirty hogs, and fifteen: head of horses on his farm, which is within two and a half miles of the county scat and church; the railroad runs past within ono mile, a school is close at hand, and water travol can he reached within twenty miles. The farm consists of four
hundred and thirty acres of good land, averaging fifteen centals per acre, also a fine orchard of all kinds of fruit.
Mr. Whiteside was well acquainted with Mark Twain (Sam Clemens), remembering his droll ways vividly, and having been with him when Mr. Twain's carpet-sack was attached for a board bill.
GEORGE S. HARMON.
One of the coziest homes, which bids fair to be a credit to its owner and to the county, belongs to Mr. G. S. Harmon. The house, which has a fine appearance, is encircled hy a yard dot- ted with choico trees and shrubs, some of which are Lebanon cedars, rose trees, bridal wreath, etc. A fine view of the Ga bilan mountains is obtained from his veranda, and the adjoining young orchard bears as fine table fruits as are to be found in the county.
Mr. Harmon gives us a graphic account of what can be done with a willing disposition and a pair of strong hands. He was born in Machias, Maino, April 5, 1831; attended school and worked in his parents' (George and Eliza Harmon) saw- mill, he, at the age of nineteen, being head sawyer. In 1850 he, like many others, wanted to go to California in order to get rich in the mines; so packing up he took passage in Port Machias, and arrived, after a seven months' trip around Cape Horn, in San Francisco, August 24, 1850.
His health being poor on his arrival, he abandoned his orig- inal intention of going to the mines, and took to farming instead. He went to Santa Clara county, where he hired out as a farm hand for one year, then, having saved up some money, he took a farm on shares. Later on he lived in Ravenswood, San Mateo county, for twelve years, where he, in partnership with J. Leavitt (Harmon & Leavitt), engaged in farming and dairying, the size of that farm being one thousand four hundred acres.
In 1859, Mr. Harmon made a visit to his old home in Maine, going and returning hy the way of the Isthinus of Panama. Afterwards (1865) he farmed eight hundred acres near May- field, Santa Clara county, where he, in 1866, married Miss Anna E. Kennoy, who was born in Mansfield, Massachusetts, the fruit of which marriage is a boy named George Fred Harmon, In 1870 ho moved to Santa Cruz county, where he kept a dairy and lumberyard for eight years, then he moved again into this county, arriving in 1879.
Mr. Harmon owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, fine, sandy loam, which nover fails to yield an average of fif- teen bags of wheat per acre. Vegetables and alfalfa grow also nicely, and furnish food for his twenty-five head of cattle, ten horses and colts, and ten hogs. The city of Hollister, with its schools, churches, and railroad station, is within five miles of his ranch, and water travel can be reached within twenty miles of his home.
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SPRING BROOK FARM, RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. GREEN, NEAR HOLLISTER, SAN BENITO CO. CAL.
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SKETCHES OF MONTEREY COUNTY CITIZENS.
MICHAEL LYNN.
MICHAEL LYNN was born in the townsbip of Bedford, Canada, March 8, 1842. His parents' names were James and Ann Lynn. He left home on the 7th of May, 1862, by the steamer Northern Light to Aspinwall, thence to San Francisco on the steamer Golden Age. He remained in San Francisco five days, aud started for the Cariboo mines in British Colum- bia, in company with his brother William. He was taken sick with small-pox on the way, and while sick his brother was drowned.
He suffered great hardships; during his severe sickness he was without a physician or medicine. These trials and inci- dents are more fully mentioned in the biography of D. McKinnon, on page 128.
Mr. Lynn went to the mines in 1863, and remained on Wil- liam's creek for four years, with only moderate success. The last year he purchased an interest in a mine and became fore- man at a salary of $12 per day.
He came back to San Francisco and remained during the winter. March 18, 1867, he went to the Big Bend of the Columbia; from there to the Cootney mines. The latter part of September be came hack to California, and returned to see his father in Canada.
Not satisfied there, in the month of April, 1868, he came to Monterey county and rented two hundred acres of land, in company with bis nephew, James Lyun, and farmed an addi- tional amount each year. The 3d day of November, 1873, he married Miss Isabel Rice, who was a native of Calaveras county, California, born April 3, 1856. He has three sons: Edward, John, and Francis M. Lynn.
In 1874 he purchased one thousand and eleven acres of land, located twelve miles from Salinas City, the county seat. In 1875 he purchased three hundred and forty-six acres more, making thirteen hundred aud fifty-seven acres in all. The land is table-land; average yield of wheat, thirteen centals per acre. He raises a few horses, and keeps only sufficient horses and mules to cultivate the farm.
His improvements are good, and Mr. Lynn has proved him- self a practical and successful farmer, as is shown by the rapid progress he bas made since he came to Monterey. Mr. Lynn's whole career shows what steady industry and perseverance will accomplish in a few years. By his industry, prudence, and good judgment he lias risen to he one of the substantial and respected citizens of Monterey county.
The artist has sketched the home and surroundings of Mr. Lynn so as to give an idea of the progress he has made since engaging in farming. The whole view is one of business activity, representing harvesting, and other farming operations as carried on by Mr. Lynn. In the back of the picture is a characteristie harvesting scene, and tbe threshing of the wbeat produced on the farm.
JAMES LYNN.
JAMES LYNN was born March 29, 1847 in Canada West. His early life was spent upon a farın.
He arrived in San Francisco, May 1, 1868, from Clinton, Canada West, by steamer from New York. He came to Monterey county September 12, 1868, and engaged in farming. He has six hundred acres one mile from Salinas. It is styled table-land and will produce a great variety of crops, hut wheat is the main product, and is generally a profitable crop. On the place are kept about twenty horses, ten mules, and a few cows and other stock.
He married Miss Mary Ann Rice in 1872, who was horn in California. Their children's names are: William, James, Thomas and Mary Alice Lynn.
In the view of James Lynn's farm and home will be noticed the grand mountains of Gabilan range lying in the rear of his land. His house is surrounded with trees and a wind-mill supplies the water required ahout the yards and house. His outbuildings are ample. The farm is well fenced and every- thing about the place indicates the prosperous owner.
In the foreground of the large view of Mr. Lynn's farm, the artist has made a life-like sketch of a California threshing scene, showing how the straw is fed to tbe separator hy the derrick fork operated hy horse power. The straw-burner engine furnishes the power for the separator. The straw after threshing is being hauled away as fast as thrown off tbe macbine. Men are also seen sewing up the sacks of grain and stacking them preparatory to hauling to market.
J. B. SCOTT.
J. B. SCOTT was born in Delaware county, New York, in 1843. He was educated in the common sebools of his native connty, Andes Collegiate Institution and Eastman's Commercial College, Poughkeepsie, New York.
He served in the war of the Rebellion; was a member of Company E, 144th Regiment, New York S. V., and was honor- ably discharged at the close of the war in 1865.
From about that time until the spring of 1868 he was engaged in teaching school.
He left New York for California, April 15, 1868, per steamer, and arrived in San Francisco May 8th, and in the Salinas valley the 11th of the same month. Salinas City was thien in einhryo, having been surveyed hut uot a single house huilt.
Mr. Scott was connected with the post-office in Salinas from an early day up until March, 1874.
He assumed the duties of County Auditor in 1874, to which office he had been elected the election preceeding. He was re-elected in 1875, and served until March, 1878. Since that time le has been engaged in the grocery business.
He married Miss Emma M. Craft, of Newark, New Jersey, in May, 1873. They have no children.
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SKETCHES OF MONTEREY COUNTY CITIZENS.
J. B. Scott has one of the neat residences of Salinas. The grounds are laid out, and trees, shrubs and flowers are in a flourishing condition. The trees were planted in January, 1876, and at that time the Monterey Cypress were only four feet high and one inch in diameter. Now these trees are ahout thirty feet high and twenty-five to thirty inches in circumfer- ence. This shows with what rapidity grounds may he made beautiful hy the rapid growth of shrubhery under such care as Mr. Scott has given to trees and flowers. His grounds comprise four and a half acres, all laid out and carefully tilled, making the hest large grounds in Salinas.
GEORGE W. HATCH.
GEORGE W. HATCH was horn January 31, 1845, at Mineral Point, Iowa county, Wisconsin. His parents' names were Joseph and Rebecca Hatch. He resided in Mineral Point with his parents up to 1852, when, in the month of April, he came to California with his parents; crossing the plains with ox-teams, traveling on the north side of the Platte, on route known at that time as "Suhlett's Cut-off." No incidents of great note occurred upon the trip except a slight skirmish with the Indians; the loss of a sister, who died with tho cholera; and one or two lively chases after huffalo, one of which made a holt through the camp one day, when all hands fired upon him, seemingly without any effect, as the huffalo never faltered or changed his course.
They were about five months on the road, arriving at a place called "Whisky Diggings," which at that time was a very lively mining camp, in the latter part of the month of October, where they remained for a short time. From there they came on to Marysville, thence to Sacramento City and remained until May 1, 1853, after having had some novel experiences with fire and flood. During the time they remained in Sacramento Mr. Hatch's mother died.
From Sacramento they removed to Pajaro valley, Santa Cruz county and farmed for one year, raising potatoes exclu- sively. The following season they moved over into Monterey county, locating upon what was then known as the " Vallejo Grant," where they remained until 1866. His father returned in the meantime to Santa Cruz county, where he still resides in good health. The father's family consisted of sons, Stephen, Isaac, and George W., hesides a hahy hoy who died while living in Sacramento; daughters, Julia, Harriet, Amanda, the one who died while crossing the plains; Jane, now Mrs. William Vanderhurst, residing in Selinas with her hushand, who is the senior partner in the firm of Vanderhurst, Sanhorn & Co. She is the mother of ten children, eight of whom aro still liv- ing; Rosana, who married William Komp, of Santa Cruz county. She has since died. Julia married John Wangaman, Mineral Point, Wisconsin. She is now residing in Santa Cruz county, the mother of ten children, nine of whom are living.
Harriet married in Columbus, Ohio, to Mr. Meeker, who moved to California and died in Los Angeles county.
Of the boys, Stephen and Isaac served through the war of the Rebellion in the Union army, returning to California after the war. Stephen married and now lives in Alameda county. Isaac is still single, and resides upon his farm in Monterey county.
George W. Hatch came to Salinas City, which was then in its infancy, in the year 1868, where he has since resided, occupied as salesman for Vanderhurst, Sanhorn & Co. He mar- ried Miss Oda Selby, April 26, 1879, a native of California, born at Sacramento City, 1853. They have had four children born to them, only one of whom is now living-Ada Maud, aged five years.
J. M. SOTO.
J. M. SoTo started, in 1866 and '67, to huild the town of New Republic, now called Santa Rita. He was the first per- son to attempt agriculture, on the table-lands near Salinas. This was in 1862. His Santa Rita ranch was the first rancho fully fenced in the county. He established a newspaper here, called the New Republic, mentioned elsewhere, which advo- cated a railroad to this valley. It was also an advocate of the Grangers' association.
J. M. Soto was born in Peru, South America. His early life was spent in general merchandise, farming, and stock-raising. He lived in Lima, the capital city of Peru, and sailed from Cal- lao in July, 1849, for California, and reached San Francisco in September of that ycar, at that time called Yerba Buena. He went to tho Sonora mines, hut never succeed in finding much gold, and in 1851, returned to San Francisco.
He came to Monterey county in 1853, and engaged in team- ing, farming, and finally in conducting a store. He now has four thousand four hundred and twenty-four acres of land, three miles from Salinas, on which is the sottlement of Santa Rita, where there is a church and school. The farm is black soil, in part, and balauce a sandy loam, suitable for wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, corn, and heans. He keeps generally ahout forty horses, ten head of cattle, and hogs, sheep, and other stock for family use.
He married Miss Perez, June 29, 1854, who was horn in Monterey county. They have children named: Romulo, P. W., Diana, Gregoria, Lucinda, Docleciana, and Leonidas.
Mr. Soto started a colony in Santa Margarita, in San Diego county. He put the first landing in that place, and did much to advance tho interest of that locality. The colony promises to he a complete success, as both the soil and climate aro very superior.
He was also ongaged in the cattlo and sheep business on a largo scale in southern California, and in Los Angeles county. Tho drought of 1876-7caused great destruction of stock,and Mr. Soto's losses were very heavy in cattle and sheep.
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SKETCHES OF MONTEREY COUNTY CITIZENS.
GERARD FREDERICK BUTT.
GERARD FREDERICK BUTT lives at " Springhurst," Nativ- idad, six miles from Salinas. Here he has nine hundred and eighty acres of land, composed of hill and up-land, devoted to cultivating wheat and to dairying. The residence is beanti- fully situated, as may be seen by the view on another page. Back of the house is a noble peak of the Gabilan range. The farm extends up on this mountain, and at the foot, farming operations may be seen. The place is supplied with the neccs- sary out-buildings, and the farm is well fenced. Trees line the road and surround the house, and the young orchard and vines are in a flourishing condition. On the place arc some eighty head of cattle, fourteen horses, and thirty hogs, besides other small stock.
G. F. Butt was born at Hampstead, in the County of Mid- dlesex, England, in 1838. He weut to reside in Birmingham, in the County Worwick, in 1866. He practiced the profession of law as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature, in England.
He came to Monterey county, July 27, 1876, and engaged in the occupation of farming. He married Miss A. E. Smith, in 1878, who was a native of Birmingham, Englaud.
MRS. T. C. MCCUSKER.
MRS. T. C. MCCUSKER was born in the State of Georgia, in 1824, emigrated to Arkansas in 1830, crossed the plains to Oregon in 1842, and thence came to California in 1843, and located in Santa Cruz county. Mrs. McCusker is one of a very few of the pioneers of that early period, who still remain with us.
The pioneers are fast passing away. Those who came, like Mrs. MeCusker, at an early day, are getting to be few in num- ber. It has heen theirs to subdue the wilderness and change it into smiling fields of hright, growing grain. Tod and priva- tions, such as we ean little appreciate now, was their lot for many years. Poor houses, and even no houses at all, but a simple tent, sheltered them from the rigors of the storm and the inclemency of the weather. But they were happy in that life of freedom from the environments of society and social usage. They breathed the pure, fresh air, untainted hy any odor of civilization; they ate the first fruits of the virgin soil, and grew strong and free on its strength and freedom.
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