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 45
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 45
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land, once more turned towards the United States and landed in New York, where he was married soon after his arrival. In October, 1852, we find Mr. Brownlee on his second voyage to California, on this occasion accompanied by his bride and his brother, his wife and son traversing the route, not by the plains, as he had done three years before, but by the more pleasant and swifter one of Panama, arriving in San Francisco in the end of No- vember, and, having pleasant recollections of Vallejo, immediately there- after proceeded thither, where both families located in December, 1852. Early in the next year he commenced farming and a dairy business on a small scale, purchased a tract of fifty acres of land two miles north of the town limits, which he afterwards exchanged with General John B. Frisbie in 1857 for his present place, now in Napa County, but which was then in that of Solano. Since his arrival, up to the present time, Mr. Brownlee has been inseparably connected with Vallejo and its associations, and though he does not reside in the county, he is still spoken of by all as the mnost reliable source of information in regard to the doings in early days. His residence is a magnificent two-storied building, having rooms of fine pro- portions, situated about fourteen miles from Vallejo; he farms over one thousand one hundred acres of land, six hundred and fifty being in Solano County, while this season he has under wheat and barley no less than one thousand one hundred acres. The line of railroad to Sacramento from South Vallejo passes his gate, while there is an averagely good road to his dwelling. A more genial companion, a better citizen or hospitable host does not exist than Robert Brownlee. He was born at Bunkle, in the parish of Cambus- nethen, in the County of Lanark, Scotland, in 1813, married Annie Lamont, October 24, 1852, born in Tamhorn, in the Carse O'Gowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, in 1834, by whom he has Robert A., born October 14, 1853, (the first white boy born in Vallejo); Mary J., born August 1, 1855; Margaret R., born June 4, 1857 ; Gracie A., born July 10, 1862; George, born Feb- ruary 23, 1864 ; William, born November 25, 1866, died March 17, 1868 ; and Frederick J., born August 19, 1870.
BAXTER, TURNER G. Was born in Adair County, Kentucky, Jan- uary, 10, 1821. He resided at his birthplace until he was fifteen years of age, when he started out into the world to do for himself. His first move was to go to Sangamon County, Illinois, ascending the Sangamon River in the little steamer " Talisman," which was the first steamboat that had ever plowed the bosom of that stream. In going up the Sangamon River, they were detained by a mill-dam across the river. There he made his first acquaintance with that good man, Abraham Lincoln, who was clerking in a grocery store, and he will never forget how he looked. This was in a little village by the name of New Salem, twenty miles below Springfield, and the mill belonged to a man by the name of Cameron. This was in
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1836. He remained here for three years, learning the cabinet and carpenter's trade in the meantime. In 1839 he moved to Jackson County, Missouri, where he had an uncle living, and was engaged chiefly, during his brief sojourn in that locality, in journey work. He then went to Platt's Purchase, on the north side of the Missouri River, where he spent two winters. His next move was to Louisiana, Missouri, where he followed his trade until March 15, 1849, when he started across the plains, with ox teams, for the land of gold. He arrived at Sacramento, September 15th of that year. Here he met an old friend, Mr. Martin, and they proceeded to Readings Springs, and started a trading post. But this was of short duration, and on the 13th day of November, 1849, in company with Dr. Brackett, he first set foot within the limits of Napa City. He at once opened a grocery store and saloon, which he continued till the following spring. He then built the Valley House Hotel, which was situated on the ground now oc- cupied by David L. Haas' store. After conducting this enterprise but a short time he sold out, with the intention of going East, but the cholera was very bad at the Isthmus just at that time, so he abandoned the idea. In the summer of 1850 he purchased the steamer "Dolphin," in San Fran- cisco. He took her to Benicia, and after undergoing repairs, put her on the Napa River route. This was the pioneer steamer of Napa, and the first one that ever came up the river. At first he made trips between Napa and San Francisco, but soon changed his terminal point to Benicia, being thus able to make close connections with the river steamers in both directions. At the end of two years he sold the "Dolphin," and again engaged in the hotel-keeping business at his old stand. This he followed but a short time, when he went upon the steamer " Jack Hays," which was soon afterwards sold. During all this time he had not been neglectful of his best financial interests, but had purchased several lots in Napa City and had erected thereon several buildings. In 1856 he went to South America, seeking a suitable place to run a steamboat. At Valparaiso he secured the exclusive right to run a tow-boat about the harbor for twenty years, but the enter- prise was soon abandoned. He then returned to Napa and opened the Valley House restaurant, which he conducted for one year. In 1860 he began work for the California Steam Navigation Company, and ran on the Napa River in their employ for three years. He then ran awhile on the Sacramento River for the company, and then took charge of a boat plying between Napa and Vallejo, in opposition to the railroad. He remained in the employ of this company until 1870. In 1874, in company two others, he bought the steamer " Vaquero," and ran it between San Francisco and Napa for one summer, and then sold her. In 1877 he was on the steamer "Princess " for one summer, and since that time Mr. Baxter has been engaged at the carpenter's trade.
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BOOTHE, JEDEDIAH. Was born January 17, 1854. In 1867 he came with his parents to California, and settled in Suisun Valley, where he remained till the fall of 1871. He then moved to Chiles Valley, and settled two miles above the mill. In 1877 he went to the Sacramento Valley and farmed till the fall of 1880, when he returned to Chiles Valley and settled on his present place, comprising eight hundred and forty-five acres, and is engaged in farming. He was married November 25, 1879, to Miss Carrie A. Simmons, a native of Perry County, Illinois, born August 18, 1856. They have one child, Edwin J., born August 26, 1881.
BACHELDER, JOHN. Was born in New Hampshire, March 7, 1817. At the age of twenty he began life for himself. In 1838 he went to Bos- ton, where he was book-keeper in the Middlesex Canal Depot. At the end of three years he became a partner in a similar business enterprise. In 1844 he began the dry goods business in Boston, which he followed for four years. In 1847-8 he invented the Bachelder improvement for sewing ma- chines, which consisted of the yielding presser-foot and feeder. In 1852 he began cotton manufacturing at Lisbon, now Sprague, Connecticut, and continued in that business for sixteen years, and was also in the meantime interested in a woolen mill near Norwich, Connecticut. He came to Cali- fornia in 1873, and in 1875 began the manufacture of wind-mills, etc., at Napa, which he still continues. He was married in July, 1842, to Miss A. Wason. Their children are Herman, Emma L. and Charles S.
BEACH, GEORGE H. Born at New London, Connecticut, October 5, 1817. His father, Chauncey Beach, was born on the fertile banks of the Connecticut River, near Chatham, now changed to Portland. His mother was Mary Holton, born in Winchester, New Hampshire, opposite Brattle- boro, Vermont. His parents moved to New London about the year 1800. In the War of 1812 with England, his father being in the mercantile busi- ness, received the appointment of sutler to that portion of the army sta- tioned at New London. At a time when there was danger of the landing of the enemy at Light-house Point, he locked up his store, volunteered his services with hundreds of others, and joined the ranks of a company, stand- ing guard on his turn, until such time as the British withdrew to a point nearer New York. Just prior to their withdrawal they threw ball and shell all one night into the American camp, located near the shore, at the junction of Long Island Sound and the Thames River. At a moment when the shell were falling thickest, one volunteer, named Charles Louden, who had never before been under fire, in his fright, slipped unseen out of camp, and jumped a stone wall, dropping one foot into an iron pot of hot soup, which the mess-cook was preparing for a midnight serve-up to those on duty. The moment the cook saw the foot go into his hot soup, he called out, "Take your foot out of that pot !" The man obeyed promptly, leaving
& Kelly
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a portion of the flesh of his foot in possession of the cook. From that time on, that became a lasting by-word: "Take your foot out of that pot !" When a man stepped where he should not, or sat where he should not, or slipped and fell on the ice, Charlie Louden's memory had to suffer. On the withdrawal of the British from New London, Mr. Beach's father resumed his business as sutler. In the year 1821, when Mr. Beach was four years old, his father died, leaving six children, three ,daughters and three sons. At the age of sixteen, Mr. Beach left school, accepting a position with Mr. Charles C. Williams as bundle carrier, or youngest clerk, in the dry goods' business. After some two years' experience in the business, having become a salesman, he accepted a position with Messrs. William A. Buckingham & Co., Norwich, Connecticut, with whom it may be properly said he finished his business education. This firm were wholesale and retail dry goods' men and carpet manufacturers, sending hundreds of rolls of carpeting to New York annually. Mr. William A. Buckingham will be remembered as Governor Buckingham, and was called in the time of the Rebellion the " Connecticut War Governor." That State had long been Democratic ; Governor Buckingham's great popularity elected him at the very outset of the Rebellion ; and his great popularity and ardent support of Mr. Lincoln, our President, remodeled the politics of the State, carrying it over to the Republicans. Mr. Buckingham held the Governorship until the close of the Rebellion, when he was elected United States Senator. And at just about this time, Mr. Beach being at the Calaveras Big Trees, named one, the largest and handsomest tree, then unnamed, "Governor Buckingham ;" and, on his return to San Francisco, sent up a marble tablet engraved, which was spiked to the tree, and remains now in good condition. It was some two years before Mr. Buckingham learned who his great admirer and friend in this transaction was, when he wrote to Mr. Beach acknowledging his ap- preciation of the act. Mr. Buckingham is now with Abraham Lincoln, and leaves a name only second to his, except it be that of George Washington, to whose memory all do homage. In 1845, Mr. Beach entered into the dry goods business in Norwich, with Mr. James B. Goddard, son of Calvin God- dard, one of Connecticut's most eminent lawyers, under the firm-name of Goddard & Beach. June 1st, Mr. Beach was married to Miss Elizabeth Tracy Morgan, daughter of Dr. Consider Morgan, of East Windsor, Con- necticut, where she was born. Her mother was Miss Lucy Hyde. Dr. Morgan was one of three brothers, all physicians and surgeons and all bear- ing eccentric names-Dwill, Lot, and Consider. Mr. Beach and wife have had born to them four children, three sons and one daughter, three of whom are now living, and all at home under their paternal roof. The youngest, Carl Morgan, died at the age of sixteen, from injuries received from a fall from his horse, and is buried in the Odd Fellow's Cemetery at
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St. Helena. Mr. Beach is an Odd Fellow of many years standing, a present member of the Abou Ben Adhem Lodge, No. 112, San Francisco ; and is a member of the Pioneer Association, that city. To return to Connecticut : we should say that after some two years' connection in business with Mr. Goddard, he purchased his interest and received his brother Chauncey as part- ner. About the first of January, 1849, he, by long and close confinement to business, had become somewhat impaired in health, which, together with the exciting news of the discovery of gold fields in California, determined him to change his base of action, and try his luck in the new El Dorado. He sold his interest to his brother. He had a store 20x50 feet framed, with all the materials for completion, with a small stock of merchandise shipped ; part on the bark "Croton," from New York, and the rest on the ship "Mentor," from New London, both vessels sailing the first part of February. At the earliest moment he obtained a through ticket from New York to San Fran- cisco via the Isthmus, for which he paid $300, bid good-bye to his wife and her sister, leaving them in their own pretty home which he had purchased at time of marriage, which has never been parted with to this day, and it is kept in good preservation, yielding a fair interest in rental money. Stop- ping off one day at New London to make a farewell visit to his mother and sisters he pushed off to New York, sailing from there on the steamer "Falcon" February 1, 1849. Was detained about four weeks at Panama, awaiting the steamer "Oregon," which had started in December via Cape Horn. The first part of March his steamer came into port and was immediately filled to overflowing, many paying $300 from Panama up with no berth accommoda- tions, it being understood on the start that they must even furnish their own blankets. Some who had taken tickets with this understanding, resold at $500 and in two or three instances $700 was obtained, those selling awaiting their chance on the next steamer. Among the list of passengers were clergymen, lawyers, physicians, merchants, sea captains and naval officers-between three and four hundred passengers. The ship's boats were filled nights with lodgers. The company was graced with two lady passengers, the wife of Governor Geary and wife of Captain Bezar Simmons. General Geary and Captain Simmons were passengers also. On the first day of April they entered the bay of San Francisco. The "Oregon " was the second steamer which entered the port of San Francisco, the "California " being the first, having preceded the "Oregon " just thirty days, which at the time of the arrival of the " Oregon" lay at anchor with but her officers attached to her, the crew all having run away, as did the crew of the "Oregon." One hundred and fifty dollars a month had to be paid to obtain crews to take these steamers to Panama again and back. At this time San Francisco was mainly a town of canvas tents, and governed by an Alcalde, Doctor Leavenworth holding that posi-
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tion, succeeded afterwards by Governor Geary. This was John W. Geary, afterwards General Geary, in the Union Army at the time of the Rebellion. On the fourth day after arrival Mr. Beach completed a purchase of a business lot on Sacramento street for $3000, paying $1000 down. On the 7th he started for the southern mines via Stockton, taking a small stock of mining goods with him, and returned to San Francisco last of June, with money sufficient to pay up the balance due on his property, $2000, with sufficient left to pay freights on arrival of his ships. The 4th of July one ship, the " Mentor," with his stores, came in, and on the 10th the bark "Croton," with merchandise, arrived. In addition to merchandising, Mr. Beach had three consignments of vessels to him sailing from different ports of Connecticut. He purchased invoices of goods brought in by adventurers. He purchased interests in small sail vessels and steamers, receiving the agency and direct- ing their business. Was agent for the ship " Glenmore," running to Pan- ama; the brig "Sarah McFarlain," running to Portland, Oregon; the schooner " Alfred," to the Sandwich Islands, and the steamer "West Point," running between San Francisco and Sacramento. After having passed through two heavy conflagrations, in 1850 and 1851, losing store and heavy stocks, each time suffering heavy losses, a little fortune each time, it may be said, he, on the arrival of his wife, in August, 1851, moved to Marys- ville, Yuba County, where he had a branch store, under the firm of Beach & Brown, and upon investigation Brown was found to be a defaulter in the sum of $10,200. Brown was arrested, but only a small por- tion recovered. About the last of December, 1849, he purchased the steamer " Lawrence," and put her on the route between Sacramento and Marysville, and invested considerable money in town property at Marys- ville. In less than one month after disposing of his property in San Francisco and moving to Marysville, his store; as also the whole block, was burned, he saving nothing from it. This was the third conflagration passed through, all within eighteen months, and in those days there was no in- surance to be obtained. By this time Mr. Beach had become discouraged about trade. He was a bold operator, made money in almost every trans- action, but the fiery element was too much for him. By it he had not only lost much of his courage, but much capital which his vessels had been making for him. Joining John Perry, Jr., and Benjamin P. Smith, of San Francisco, and Henry D. Beach, of Sacramento, he opened an office for the purchase of gold dust, then being brought in large quantity, which he shipped to San Francisco, daily, receiving gold coin in return. In a little over one year he had shipped about one and one-half million dollars in gold dust. This went in lots of three, four, five, and even as high as ten thousand dollars some days. Here again Mr. Beach was doomed to loss as well as profit. Having been admonished by physicians that he must desist
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from blowing dust (the only process known then of separating the sand from the gold), he employed a competent clerk-a well-educated young man, a good book-keeper, and son of a Presbyterian clergyman in Ohio. A part of his duty was to sleep in the office, partly as a matter of safety against burglars. This young gentleman, by name Frank Morse, proved too great an expert. He absconded when Mr. Beach was absent, attend- ant upon his wife's illness in San Francisco, robbing the safe of about $4000. This loss fell upon Mr. Beach, as he managed his end of the line upon a special contract of salary, and percentage on amount of pur- chases, he (Mr. Beach) defraying all the expenses at his end of the line. Some three months prior to this loss he had inaugurated the business of Wells, Fargo & Co., taking the business into his dust office. This was in the spring of 1852. Prior to this his dust all went down in the express of Adams & Co., but none through his own agency (Wells, Fargo & Co.) He retained the business of Wells, Fargo & Co. until a Mr. Frank Rumrill offered to do the company's business at a much less price than Mr. Beach was receiving. A compromise was offered to Mr. Beach, but he re- fused to do the business at any less rate, and the business was trans- ferred to Mr. Rumrill, and the result was that in less than two years Mr. Rumrill became a defaulter to the company of about $50,000. All these facts above are provable, and matters of record. Mr. Beach owned a section of land on the Feather River, which he had taken of General John A. Sutter in payment for money loaned him, $5000. In the winter of 1853, gold dust having run up to so high a price in the mines, from $16 to $18, leaving little or no margin to the purchaser. and finding the business of cleansing the gold a positive injury to his health, he gave up the business and moved upon his farm. A year previous he had imported fruit trees of every variety, grapevines and nursery stock on a large scale, laying the foundation for the orchard, vineyard and nursery business, and putting men in charge of the work. This place he named the " New England Garden," and was popularly known all over the State, especially with nurserymen and San Francisco fruit dealers. His first importation of foreign grapevines numbered about fifty varieties, and the second in 1853, twenty-five more, and from this stock he set his vine- yard and grape nursery. The following season he was able to supply the country about him, and even filled orders from San José nurserymen. From this stock came most of the foreign vineyards in the northern portion of this State. His sales of vines and trees extended into all the neighbor- ing counties, even into Plumas, Trinity and Siskiyou. In this business Mr. Beach found his search after happiness satisfied, as he thought. He is a great lover of nature. He had got away from fires and dishonest partners and thieving clerks, and he could see no enemy in his path.
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In this he had to contend with inexperience in the line of business, as also in the nature of the soil and seasons. It was a pioneering undertaking ; but Mr. Beach was not one to hunt difficulties ; he was much more apt to brush them to one side. All seemed a probable success. Mr. Beach studied all the horticultural works he could obtain ; was bold in experimenting, solving problems only to be obtained by experiments. Hundreds profited by Mr. Beach's work. As we have said, his labors seemed to prosper and give the fairest promise, until in 1855, when grasshoppers in myriads for a whole month covered his entire grounds, as did they his neighbors' small grain fields, leaving him not a vestige of fruit for market, and doing thousands of dollars damage to his nursery. In 1856 he harvested a hand- some income from his orchard; 1857 saw him again perfectly devastated by the same pests. These two years of pests entailed a large outgo, with no income ; 1858 gave him a crop of $20,000, but yet he was behind ; 1859 caught him again, with the same result nearly as in 1855 and 1857. This scourge, together with the floods in his low lands depositing millions of tons of the miners' debris, discouraged him beyond endurance, and he sold out for $17,500, leaving him without a dollar to his name in California, as he devoted the last dollar in liquidation of obliga- tions entailed through these many reverses. In 1857 Mr. Beach was elected a Vice President of the State Agricultural Society; in 1858 he was the Recording Secretary of the same, which constituted him one of the Board of Directors. All the funds of the Society, about $30,000, which came into the Society that year, were received and dis- bursed by him; he received and deposited with the Treasurer, and no money could be paid out by the Treasurer without the order of the Record- ing Secretary, countersigned by the President. That year, 1858, the Rev. O. C. Wheeler was Corresponding Secretary. The Society published sta- tistics in book form, of each year, giving the full details of all its doings. That year Mr. Beach received a vote of thanks, and the Society voted him $500 for his services, but the money Mr. Beach did not accept, as the Society really needed it more than he thought he did. In March, 1864, Mr. Beach left Marysville and entered the large commercial house of N. J. Brittan & Co., wholesale stove and iron merchants, San Francisco, (now Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson), as salesman. Towards the close of the year a friend requested him to call on a large tobacco and cigar firm, who felt anxious to make his acquaintance. He did so, and the result was an en- gagement with them as commercial traveler, and at much increased salary. But a primary object then was a change from an encaged life to one mostly in the open air. The orchard and vineyard business had about spoiled him for an indoor life. He pursued that business for some twelve years, until in the fall of 1876, when by accident he was thrown from a
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buggy, breaking his leg, the femur bone, which laid him up some months, bidding fair to leave him a cripple for life; but with good coun- sel, a good constitution, a system in the very best of condition, and an iron will within him, he came out of his bed apparently as sound a man as ever, and now, four years after, shows no signs of ever having met with such an accident. On getting out of his bed he determined to travel no more; and in the spring of 1877 built a store on his property, alongside his residence in St. Helena, Napa County, and filled it with goods which pertain to a stationery, fancy variety store, miscellaneous reading, periodicals, keeping a handsomely assorted stock of between three and four thousand dollars. Arthur B. Beach, his eldest son, is manager of the business. In July, 1877, Mr. Beach took a trip into Puget Sound, Eastern Washington, and Oregon, which restored his impaired health and strength, caused by his long confine- ment from his accident. His trip was a complete success ; he still makes this trip annually. Mr. Beach tells us that he took a lively interest in the organization of the Republican party in his county in 1856, and of the elec- tion of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, organizing clubs in his county, Yuba, and the counties adjoining north of him. He inherited his Whig principles from his father. Was a Whig from the time he had any thought in politics, and so continued until the formation of the Republican party. His first presiden- tial vote was cast for William Henry Harrison in 1840, and with his club sang their popular campaign songs through the canvass. He was one of the seven to organize the First Congregational Church in San Francisco. He organized the first two church choirs that ever sung in this State: that of the First Congregational and First Baptist, both of San Francisco. Also, organized the first choir in Marysville, Yuba County, California : that of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Beach never played a game of cards or a game of billiards in his life. Has been, and is, a great lover of music. Had the honor of leading a large choir at the age of twenty. Is a great lover of boating. Being brought up on the Thames River, near Long Island Sound, Connecticut, had the opportunity, and did become an expert both in sailing and rowing a boat. He, when a child, had a perfect mania for the water. Has fallen overboard a dozen times, and was virtually drowned twice. Says he believes drowning must be the easiest death one can die ; but that it is no agreeable time when being brought to. We copy herein from the published history, in book form, of the First Congregational Church, San Francisco, his letter to the trustees on the occasion of the celebration of the golden wedding-the twenty-fifth anniversary of the church. It will be found full of interest and amusing. We also publish a letter from Mr. H. T. Hutchinson to the St. Helena Star, naming Mr. Beach's identity with the early steamboating on the California waters. These seem to be of interest, and in making up his biography, we feel it our duty to
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