USA > California > Napa County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 42
USA > California > Lake County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 42
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acts of Governor Boggs, and much, if not entirely all of his official corres- pondence has been lost and destroyed, so much so that dates and events are only to be obtained from those whose recollections and personal intimacy with the Governor could give account of these proceedings in a general way. Barrels and bundles of public papers preserved by him during his lifetime, which have been lost and destroyed, would have thrown much more more light on his very eventful public as well as private life. The neces- sity that called forth this public act of Governor Boggs, in causing the Mormons to be removed from the State, embittered them against him as the chief cause of their difficulty in establishing the " Church of the Latter Day Saints," as they termed themselves, in Missouri, and it brought down on him the revenge of Mormondom. It was prophesied by Joe Smith, in the New Temple, at Nauvoo, Illinois, where they had established themselves, and had become prosperous for a time, that the ex-Governor of Missouri would die by violence inside of twelve months, and in order to fulfill his prophecy, he employed one Orin Porter Rockwell to proceed to In- dependence, Missouri, whither the Governor had removed at the expira- tion of his term of office, and where he was residing at his old home with his family of little children around him in peace and qui- etude. This emissary of the apostle Joe Smith came to Independ- ence in disguise, and hired to a citizen of the place as a common hostler, and made himself familiar with the ex-Governor's habits, his place of residence, and all the surroundings of his home at Independence. About this time the ex-Governor was a candidate for senator from his old senato- rial district. This midnight assassin, Rockwell, had so managed as to get a discharge from his employer, and after the elapse of some two or three weeks returned to Independence, and at the dead hour of night, under cover of dense darkness, stole up to the Governor's house, and fired through the window close to the Governor's head, discharging a heavily charged German holster pistol, containing some sixteen balls, into the back of the Governor's head, four of which took effect, two of them penetrating the skull and lodging in the left lobe of his brain, and one, passing entirely through the hollow of his neck, came out at the roof of his mouth; the fourth one lodged in the fleshy part of his neck. The remainder of the charge struck the plastering of the room, passing all over and around the heads of his two younger daughters, one an infant in its crib, immediately in front of him, and the elder child, standing in range with his body and the window, was rocking the little one. The other members of the family were yet in the supper-room with their mother. The sudden scream, loud report of a pistol, and the noise of jingling broken glass all seemed simul- taneous, and the family rushed into the room, filled with smoke and smell of gunpowder, to find their father, who a few moments before left the sup-
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per-table in the perfect health and strength of matured manhood, a mass of blood, stunned and bleeding, with his head hanging back over his arm-chair, unconscious, and apparently dead. The noise, and screams of wife and chil- dren, soon brought the surrounding neighbors in the suburbs to his residence. The news spread rapidly, and in half an hour or less some two or three hundred of his fellow townsmen, with physicians, had gathered in. After getting him out on the porch he came to, and was perfectly conscious of all that was passing, but very weak from loss of blood and sick from what he had swallowed. The doctors, some four being present, one of whom, Dr. J. O. Boggs, was his brother, questioned him as to his wounds, and he expressed himself as not knowing that he was shot; felt no pain, and seemed to be perfectly rational and easy. The examination of the head showed that two balls had penetrated the skull to the frontal part, the others as described above. These wounds, either of which the doctors said was sufficient to kill an ordinary man, did not end his mortal career, but came very near doing so, as it prostrated him for one entire year, but did not prevent his election to the Senate, and he re- turned to Jefferson City the following winter. His efforts that winter in the Senate to do something to relieve the distress brought on by the very hard times of the years 1838-9 is well remembered by the citizens of Missouri. His bill for the relief of hard times was prepared and cir- culated long before he took his seat, and was fully discussed by all parties. It passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate. The writer, although present at the debates on the merits and demerits of the bill, was not old enough to remember the provisions of the bill, but it was popular with those who understood its merits. It is utterly impossible to give a full and complete history of the public life of ex-Governor Boggs, which extended throughout his entire residence in Missouri for over thirty years, as it would be too voluminous for this work, and too incom- plete for want of proper data and public documents long since destroyed. He officiated at the laying of the corner-stone of the new State Capitol, erected and completed in 1840. His name is cut in stone over the main entrance to the building, and will no doubt remain there as long as the Capitol stands. While the Governor was at Jefferson City for the last time as Senator, one morning, whilst conversing with some members of the Legislature on the portico in front of the Capitol, one of the balls that entered his neck had worked its way out, and, putting up his hand to the back of his head, as was his custom long after receiving these wounds, he gently squeezed the affected part and the ball slipped into his hand, and, holding it out to one of the gentlemen, said, " See here, I can pick bullets out of my head." This little incident happened in the morning before the usual hour for the Legislature to assemble, and Governor Boggs was the
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topic of the day, and was frequently spoken of as the man with his head full of bullets. He returned home to his family at the close of the session, having left his wife and younger children at the farm of his son, Henry C. Boggs, some twenty-five miles south of Independence, where they had passed the winter. From there the family removed to a farm a few miles farther east on the prairie, and after remaining only a few months at this place the family removed to Independence again for a short time, when the Governor, in company with his brother-in-law, Alphonso Boone, eldest brother of his wife, purchased a fine farm in Cass County, where both he and Colonel Boone moved with their families. About this time his son Thomas, the eldest boy by his last wife, left home and went to the Rocky Mountains, and engaged to Bent's company, on the Arkansas, as a trader with the In- dians. The Governor made some improvements on this new home, but losing his eldest daughter Martha at this place, he became dissatisfied, and after in- terring his daughter at Independence, he returned and disposed of the farm, and together with his family removed to a small farm near Independence, where he erected a comfortable home again, in the vicinity of some fine springs of cold water, and at this place he and his younger sons engaged in farming. His attention at this time was taken up with an idea that he had for a long time been meditating, and that was a removal to the Pacific Coast. His constant theme of conversation was directed to a map of California, on the Pacific Ocean. This was about the years 1843-4, and a party of his old neighbors from Jackson County had gone out to explore the country west of the Rocky Mountains, had penetrated as far as the Pacific Ocean. Among this party was Captain John Rickman, Charles Hopper, (the same Uncle Charley Hopper who died recently and was buried in Yountville, Napa County, California,) Colonel Bartleson of Jackson County, a large man, a good judge of new countries. These men gave good accounts of the climate and natural resources of the country, but could not see how emi- grants with families could make the journey safely, as the country was unex- plored and there were many difficulties to overcome. Notwithstanding all this, Captain Rickman believed that the country would eventually fall into the hands of the Americans, and he had been as far in California as Yerba Buena, now the city of San Francisco. Captain Rickman was an enthu- siast and advocated the idea of an overland railroad across the continent, and he and Governor Boggs would converse for hours over the feasibility of constructing a railroad to the Pacific Ocean, from some point on the Missouri River, and the old man actually purchased forty acres of land on the Missouri River near Independence, and proceeded to cut and fell the timber with the view of making that his starting point and depot for the great overland railroad, which was to follow over the route which he had made with such difficulty on pack mules, a year or two previous. The Governor wrote an
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article in 1842 on the subject, which was addressed to the editor of the St. Louis Reporter, edited by Shadwick Penn. This article described the route over which the road was to pass, also an estimate of the cost, basing his calculations on the costs of the railroads of Pennsylvania. He chose the route by way of Santa Fé, which is about the same as that of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé Road, only his starting point was to be from Independence, Missouri, and the terminus was to be at San Diego, Lower California, along the thirty-fifth parallel. This original article on that important subject, at such an early day, is not far from the correct estimate, and cost of construction of the roads now being built along that route. The document is still preserved and was handed over to the Pioneer Association at Sonoma as a relic. The emigration to Oregon had been talked of, and one or two parties had started from Independence. Governor Boggs declared his intention of removing with his family to Cali- fornia, and he and his old friend Captain Rickman talked often and dis- cussed the best means and method of making, at that time, what was con- sidered a very hazardous trip, especially with families. Before starting to that distant land his old friends would often advise him to give it up, but his knowledge of a great portion of the route derived in former years from his old trapper friends, enabled him to overcome all scru- ples or fear of taking his family on so dangerous a journey. His two eldest sons, Angus and Henry, were residing on farms in Jackson County, and appeared to be permanently settled. Thomas, his first son by his second marriage, was in the Rocky Mountains, or at Bents Fort, now Colorado; his next oldest son, William M., had been out to New Mexico, and spent one year with the Indians on the Plains, and in the Rocky Mountains had associated with experienced men of the Plains like Kit Carson and other noted guides, and, of course, was ready to accompany his father to his new home on the Pacific Slope. The outfit was prepared at Indepen- dence in the spring of 1846, and about the 10th of May started on the long journey with ox-teams. The overland party of that year consisted of about one hundred wagons and families, among whom was the Donner family, that suffered in the Sierra Nevadas in a snow-bound camp. Wil- liam M. Boggs married, just before starting, Miss Sonora Hicklin, daughter of John Hicklin, Esq., a former friend of the Governor's, who, when a young man, often accompanied the Governor in his business of trading with the Indians on the frontiers of Missouri. William, with his bride, embarked on the journey for a bridal trip a few days after his wedding, in fine spirits, with a good rifle and fair outfit, consisting of a good supply of clothing and provisions, and plenty of pluck. He was elected captain of the emigrant train at Ash Hollow, on the Nebraska River, and conducted his father's party safely through to California, hunting and scouting most of the
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time, and always bringing to his party plenty of buffalo-meat, and finding good camping-grounds. The Governor arrived at Sutters Fort in the month of November, 1846; but previous to his arrival in the Sacramento Valley, he had been met by Colonel Fallon, of Fremont's party, who informed him that the American flag was flying in California, and that hostilities had actually commenced ; and the Colonel's business was gathering recruits for the army of Colonel Fremont, who was then at Sutters Fort organizing his forces. The Governor was kindly received by Captain Sutter; and after spending a few hours in his hospitable fort, he took leave of him, and crossed to the west side of the Sacramento, and reached Sonoma about the 8th of November. After camping a few days during a heavy rain, he was visited by General Vallejo, and Lieutenant Revere of the United States Navy. General Vallejo tendered him the use of his house on the Petaluma Rancho, where he spent the winter of 1846-a long and dreary wet winter, with no society but the members of his family and an occasional visit from General Vallejo, whose hospitality knew no bounds. His son William recruited a small party of volunteers and crossed the bay and tendered his services and those of his party to the United States officers at San Francisco, and was despatched at once to reinforce the troops at Santa Clara and Monterey, and served until the close of the Mexican War. The Governor returned in the spring to the town of Sonoma, and entered into the mercantile business with a Mr. William Scott, who had a small stock of goods. Colonel Mason, the Military Governor of California, appointed him Alcalde of the Northern District, his jurisdiction to extend to Sacramento, including Sutters Fort ; thence northward to the Oregon line and down the coast to the bay, and all the country north of the bay of San Francisco. The duties of this office were to try all cases that would now come before a Superior Court, and to preserve and maintain order in his department, with authority to call on the military when he needed assistance. These duties the Governor discharged to the entire satisfaction of the commanding officers and Military Govern- ors who succeeded Colonel Mason. About this time a trial was to come off before his court at Sonoma wherein Captain Sutter was a party to the suit, and charged Armijo, of Suisun, with kidnapping his Indians, and the cause or complaint was made to the Alcalde, at Sonoma. Governor Boggs sent a summons by his Sheriff for Captain Sutter to appear on a certain day for trial, at Sonoma. The distance, about one hundred miles, to Sutters Fort, was made on horseback in those days. Captain Sutter failing to put in an appearance, judgment for costs of suit was entered against him-costs amounting to something near $300. The Alcalde was surprised one morn- ing by an Indian handing him a letter and package from Captain Sutter, stating that owing to the discovery of gold on the American River, his business was of such importance that he hoped the Alcalde would excuse
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him for not obeying his summons, and in the package accompanying the letter was a bottle of gold dust amounting to some $300, to pay costs of suit, etc. This was the first news that Sonoma had of the discovery of gold, and the Governor was kept busy for several days exhibiting the gold to the eager citizens of all classes, and a rush was made to the mines. The Gov- ernor remained at Sonoma and pursued his mercantile business. The returning miners brought sacks of gold and deposited with him for safe keeping, purchased largely of him, and his business increased rapidly, and in a few years he was enabled to settle up his old debts, which were caused from the hard times and failures in Missouri. These debts were all looked up and paid off. The Governor then retired to his farm in Napa Valley, where he lived until he died in 1861. Among the many official acts of ex-Governor Boggs, while acting as Alcalde in the occupation of California by the United States authorities, and before the organiza- tion of any State Government, was that of performing the marriage ceremony, which duty he took great pleasure in doing, and on many occasions would ride twenty-five or thirty miles on horseback to ac- commodate parties who wished to be united in wedlock; and the Gov- ernor being the only judicial officer at that time, and, in fact, the only authority outside of the Catholic Church, was frequently called upon to perform that important ceremony. Among those whom he united in wed- lock was Dr. Robert Semple, of Benicia, to Miss Frances Cooper, daughter of the venerable pioneer, Stephen Cooper, of Colusa County. Dr. Semple being the founder of the city of Benicia, and Mr. Cooper the first to erect a hotel in the place about the year 1848. The Governor rode from Sonoma to Benicia on horseback to perform the marriage ceremony. He also married William Edgington, Esq., an old resident of Napa County, to Miss Nancy Grigsby, daughter of Captain John Grigsby, one of the Bear Flag party. These families are now living in Napa. David Hudson to Miss Griffith, and Judge James H. McCord to Miss Griffith, all of Napa County, and have large families. The Governor always set a good example to the bridegroom, by first saluting the bride with a kiss. This little joke was always well received by the bridal party, as he had a happy way of pleasing all present with his familiarity. He was assisted principally in his mercantile business at Sonoma by his son, Albert G. Boggs, who for years was County Treasurer of Napa County, and who yet resides in Napa City, attending to the duties of that office. As a farmer the Governor was not an expert ; he followed farming more from taste than as a profit. He was fond of seeing good farming, and was a great admirer of fine stock. He at one time, about the year 1852, sent his son Albert, with his elder brother Thomas, to Missouri with some $15,000 to purchase blooded cattle. They succeeded in bringing across the plains a drove of fine Durham cattle, to Napa County,
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purchased from the best stock-raisers in Missouri and Kentucky, and from this drove Napa County stock was much improved. About the year 1860 his health began to fail; his physicians pronounced his complaint dropsy of the heart, which caused him much trouble for nearly a year. His strong constitution bore up against this distressing malady for many months of suffering, but it finally terminated his life at his farm in Napa Valley, March 19, 1861. His correspondence with the leading men of the country brought him many letters from distinguished persons, one dated at Copenhagen, from the secretary of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, written April 21, 1840, informing him of his election by that society to number among its members his name. This document is partly in the Danish language, and is a beautiful specimen of penmanship-signed by the president and secre- tary of the society, with the seal of the society attached. Their object in making Governor Boggs a member of their society was in furtherance of perpetuating the pre-Columbian history of America. This letter was found among some of his old papers in a good state of preservation. His remains were removed from the farm to the Tulucay Cemetery at Napa City. His wife survived him until September 23, 1880, and their remains rest side by side in the family lot near the center of the cemetery.
BORREO, F. Was born in Italy, November 24, 1837. In 1851 he went to sea, which life he followed for about one year; then came to Cali- fornia. He went up the Sacramento River, and followed fishing for the Stockton market for about two years. We next find him in Shasta, where mining was followed until 1857 or 1858, when he returned to Stockton. Here he engaged in the vegetable business for one year ; then followed the grocery business until 1860. He then went to Virginia City, and was en- gaged in mining two years; then engaged in the grocery business again for a short time ; then mined for one year, after which he opened a restaurant, and conducted it for a few months. He next opened a billiard saloon, which he run until 1866, when he came to Napa, where he is engaged in the grocery business, dealing also in wood, coal and liquor, as well as in farming. Married in 1865 Miss Mary Arata. They have five children : Josephine, Nellie, Mary, William and Ernest.
BOUNSALL, R. C. Was born in Canada, January 12, 1852. In 1870 he went to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and engaged in the hardware business. In January, 1874, he came to California. He spent the first year in San Francisco, engaged in his business; and in the spring of 1875 he came to Napa County, and worked on the Insane Asylum. He then worked in St. Helena for about six months. March 16, 1877, he came to Calistoga, and embarked in his present business-tin and hardware-associated with his brother, J. C. Bounsall, under the firm name of Bounsall Bros. They have recently erected a fine building.
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BOUNSALL, J. C. Was born in Rochester, New York, July 21, 1848. At the age of three years, he, with his parents, moved to Hamilton, Canada. At the age of sixteen he went to sea as a sailor, which he followed for two years during the summer season, and was engaged in lumbering during the winter. He then moved to Wisconsin, and at the end of four years began farming near Waupun, that State. He then went to Oshkosh and remained there till December 12, 1876, when he came to California. He first settled in Humboldt County, where he remained for two years, when he came to Calistoga, where he is engaged in mining. He was married June 18, 1872, to Miss Mary A. Ford, a native of New York. Their children are, Charles J., Georgiana, and Florence L.
BOOTH, JAMES RILEY, (deceased). Was born in Patrick County, Virginia, March 1, 1822, and resided in his native State until he was eight years of age. Then his parents moved to Jackson County, Missouri, and there remained until 1852. Then, with his family, he came across the plains to Marion County, Oregon. There the subject of this sketch embarked in farming and mercantile pursuits until 1867, when he came to California, locating in Suisun Valley. He remained there until 1871, when the family moved to their present home of nine hundred acres. He was married October 26, 1843, to Miranda Williams, who was born in Jackson County, Missouri, December 7, 1827. There are eight living children : Clayton A., born October 24, 1849 ; Sabin A., born July 26, 1851 ; Jedediah, born Jan- uary 17, 1854 ; Sarah M., born November 25, 1855 ; Alfred, born June 25, 1857 ; Rosetta, born March 27, 1859 ; Meta M., born October 8, 1862 ; Nellie, born February 25, 1866.
BALDRIDGE, WILLIAM. This worthy pioneer of pioneers, whose portrait we take pleasure in presenting to our readers in the body of this work, was born near Newport, Cocke County, Eastern Tennessee, December 2, 1811, and is the son of James and Mary Thrash Baldridge. His father was of the Scotch-Irish descent. He remained at his birthplace until 1819, when he started West with his father's family, and arrived in Missouri January 2, 1820, settling in Saline County. At the age of seventeen he went to learn the mill-wright's trade, under an Englishman by the name of Michael Rice. He followed that business in various places in La Fayette and Jackson Counties, Missouri, and in the Indian Territory (now Kansas), until 1843. In 1830 he spent a night at a hotel in Lexington, Missouri, and there heard a man by the name of Mills, who was a partner of the famous William Sublette, telling wonderful stories about California, and giving a glowing description of the country generally. He said that he had been out there for the purpose of buying mules for the firm of which he was a partner. This set Mr. Baldridge to thinking that he would like to pay the country a
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visit, and determined that, should an opportunity present itself, he should certainly embrace it to come out. At the close of the Florida War Colonel J. B. Chiles returned home a well and hearty man, having been afflicted very severely with dyspepsia before that, and he attributed his cure to the fact of his rough life during the time of his service, and was loth to go back to his former habits of life, lest his old affliction should come upon him. In the course of a conversation with him, Mr. Baldridge told him what he had heard about California, and proposed that they pay the country a visit. To this the Colonel readily assented, and all arrangements were made for starting out on the trip in 1841. Mr. Baldridge was detained, however, on account of a mill which he had on hand, and was under contract to com- plete. Colonel Chiles, however, proceeded to organize the company, and crossed the Plains during that season. There came with him Charles Hop- per, lately deceased, and for years a resident of Napa County, John Bidwell, Andrew, Samuel and Benjamin Kelsey, three brothers, and others, whose names are not now at hand. Benjamin Kelsey brought his wife along with them, and she was the first white woman other than Spanish ever in Cali- fornia. In 1842 Colonel Chiles returned to Missouri, and gave a good account of his trip to California. In the spring of 1843 a party was made up, consisting of Colonel J. B. Chiles, William Baldridge, Thomas Wesley Bradley, afterwards a resident of Contra Costa County, Jesse Beasley, Wil- liam Hicks, who subsequently lived on the Cosumnes River, - San- ford, Major Walton, who had come to California with Colonel Chiles in 1841 and returned with him in 1842, P. B. Reading, Samuel J. Hensley, who afterwards lived and died in San José, - Atkinson, commonly called " Old Wheat," on account of his sterling worth of character, Julius Martin, the pioneer of Gilroy, Santa Clara County, Mrs. Martin and their two children, Bartlett Vines, son-in-law of George C. Yount, Mrs. Vines and their two children, Miss Elizabeth Yount, who subsequently married J. C. Davis, Adam Fisher, Milton McGee, William Martin, who was the Colonel of the Oregon emigration, Captain John Grant, formerly an officer in the United States regular army, now dead and buried in the graveyard at Yountville, Milton Little, Charles McIntosh, John Conn, of Conns Val- ley, since deceased, James, John, Squire and Isaac Williams, four brothers, who afterwards settled at Santa Cruz. This list comprises the whole party, with perhaps one or two exceptions. The party left Westport, Missouri, May 30, 1843, with a full equipment for the long and tedious trip over new and undiscovered routes and mountain passes. They passed up the Platte by old Fort Laramie, on the north fork of that river ; thence to Fort Bridger; thence to Fort Hall. Here the party divided, Chiles, Hensley, Reading, Grant, Bradley, McGee, and the four Williams brothers going on ahead on horse- back, by way of Fort Boise, Idaho, to the head of Pitt River, and thence
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