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 60
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 60
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PALMER, PHILIP HENRY. Whose portrait appears in this work, is the son of Philip and Ann A. Palmer. He was born in Mason County, Kentucky, December 8, 1838. When but six years of age he, with his parents, moved to Johnson County, Missouri, and there resided till the 10th of May, 1850, when, with his parents, he started across the plains to Cali- fornia, arriving in .Nevada City October 6th of the same year, locating on Brush Creek, two miles from Nevada City, and there remained until Octo- ber, 1852. In that year he moved with his parents and settled in Suisun Valley, Solano County, and there resided until 1867, and for several years during the latter part of this time was engaged quite extensively in the
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stock business near Fort Ross, Sonoma County, when he came to his present ranch in Pope Valley, October 16, 1867, consisting of five hundred and forty-four acres. Was married August 9, 1865, to Miss Sarah E. Lewellin, who was born in Harrison County, Indiana, October 13, 1841. By this union they have no children.
PRATT, EUGENE F. Was born in Du Page County, Illinois, June 23, 1851, and is the son of W. B. and Alzina Page Pratt. He resided in his birthplace until he was eight years of age, and then moved with his parents to Missouri. Remaining there about two years, he returned to Illinois, attending school at Lake Forrest, Lake County, in the above State. He then returned to Cole County, Missouri, and engaged with his father in the milling business, and continued in this until August, 1870, when he started for California, his father having preceded him to this State. Remaining in this State but a short time, he proceeded to Idaho and there remained until March, 1874, when he returned to California, locating in Calistoga. He opened a livery and feed stable, and remained in this business for eight months and then sold and engaged in farming for one year. In May, 1878, he, with his family, moved to Washington Territory and remained two years, and then once more returned to Napa Valley and purchased his present property of twenty acres. He was united in marriage with Miss Emma Teale, October 29, 1875. By this union they have two children : Henry T. and Eleanor.
PETERSON, WILLIAM. Was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts, Octo- ber 19, 1820. Twelve years of his early life was spent with his father in the sail-making business; but this occupation being distasteful to him, in May, 1842, being then twenty-two years of age, he commenced a sea-faring life, beginning in the forecastle as a common sailor. After passing through all the grades of seamanship, he was in 1851 promoted to the position of captain, and followed the sea continuously for thirty-one years. During this time he had sailed several times around the world, and visited ports in every quarter of the globe. The ten years previous to settling in California, he had sailed between the Atlantic ports, San Francisco and Europe, carry- ing grain cargoes. To his good fortune it may be said, that during a quarter of a century as commander of a ship, he never met with any serious acci- dent on the ocean. In 1873, after a varied career on the sea, he concluded to spend the remainder of his days in quiet on the land, and removed to St. Helena with his family, where he is now engaged in viniculture on his ranch of forty acres. Since locating here he has performed one voyage from San Francisco to Europe via Philadelphia to California. Captain Peterson has been thrice married. His first two wives were natives of Duxbury. His present wife was Mrs. Jane M. Gilvery, a native of England, whom he
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married in London in 1864. By his first wife he had three children; by his second two, and by the last three ; three only of which are living. A daughter by his first marriage is now the wife of Captain Frederick Bailey, at present in the East Indies. His two sons by his last wife, William and Henry T., are residing with him in his present home.
PRATT, GEORGE L. Is a native of Maine, and was born December 16, 1825, and remained in his birthplace until he was fourteen years of age. He then went to sea and followed a sea-faring life until he started for Cali- fornia, which occurred in February, 1849. He sailed from Boston on board the ship " Corsair," to the Isthmus of Panama, and on the Pacific side, on board the Scotch bark "Colona," and after an unusually long passage of one hundred days from Panama, he arrived in San Francisco in June, 1849. On his arrival, Mr. Pratt proceeded immediately to the mines at Beals Bar, on the north fork of the American River, and continued mining there until the spring of 1852. His next move was to Colusa County, where he engaged in farming, and where he resided twenty-three years. In 1875, he moved to Napa County, purchasing his present valuable property of forty acres, lo- cated inside the corporate limits of St. Helena. He is now engaged in vini- culture.
PRIEST, JOSHUA J. Was born in Holmes County, Ohio, February 14, 1826. He worked on a farm until 1849, when he, in company with his cousin, J. L. Priest, started in March of that year across the plains for Cal- ifornia, arriving in Sacramento August Ist. They immediately went to the mines on the American River, and embarked in mining, which they followed until 1860. In that year Joshua moved to Solano County, where he engaged in the stock business, which he continued until 1863. He then came to Capelle Valley, Napa County, and began farming. J. L. Priest remained in the mines until 1866, when he joined his brother in Capelle Valley. They continued there until 1869, when they came to Chiles Valley, where they purchased their present ranch of seven hundred and forty acres, and are engaged in farming and stock raising. The subject of this sketch was married November 20, 1862, to Miss Sarah Foster, who was born in San- gamon County, Illinois, May 28, 1848. By this union they have eight children, Catharine, born February 14, 1864; William H., born December 31, 1865 ; Daniel C., born December 22, 1867 ; James L., born December 22, 1869; David Q., born January 29, 1872; Alonzo, born July 27, 1874 ; Charles H., born June 16, 1877, and Lafayette, born August 20, 1879.
PETTENGILL, DR. JOHN A., Surgeon Dentist. Was born in Methuen, Essex County, Massachusetts, March 24, 1829, and is the son of Deacon Ben- jamin and Frances Currier Pettengill. Was married January 30, 1850, to Corrella F. Prescott, born in Mount Vernon, New Hampshire, March 4, 1832.
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He came to California that year via Panama, and engaged in mining and mercantile pursuits, which he followed nearly one year. On his return, accompanied by his wife, he visited, professionally, Mexico, and remained nearly five years. From Mexico he went to New Granada and Venezuela ; from thence to all the Dutch, English, and Spanish West India Islands. In May, 1861, he sailed from New York in the ill-fated bark " Almena " for the East Indies, and practiced his chosen profession in Java, Singapore, Pe- nang, Hong Kong, and the Philippine Islands. From the islands he arrived in 1870, almost an invalid, and bought his present place, the White Rock Vineyard, for the purpose of recuperating, and is now engaged in wine- making.
PELLET, HENRY ALPHONSE. The subject of this sketch, whose portrait will be found in the body of this work, was born February 6, 1828, in Canton Neuchatel, Switzerland, and is the second son of John Samuel and Elizabeth Javet Pellet. He remained with his parents until he was fifteen years of age, receiving in the meantime the rudiments of his educa- tion, and also working in his father's vineyards. At that age he entered the high schools, which he attended for two years. He then studied sur- veying for one year. In 1846 he accepted the position of book-keeper for Messrs. Perret & Co., watch manufacturers in La Chaux de Fonds, which he held until February, 1848, when he resigned his position, and took part as a volunteer in the revolution which ended the sovereignty of the King of Prussia over the Canton of Neuchatel. In May of that year he immi- grated to the United States, and immediately proceeded to St. Louis, Mis- souri, having brought with him a stock of watches and watchmakers' tools and materials, he established himself in that business. Disposing of most of his stock to jewelers in the West, he returned to Switzerland in the fall of 1848, and in the spring of 1849 he returned to St. Louis via New Orleans with a replenished stock of goods in his line. He remained in St. Louis until the spring of 1850, when he fitted up two six-mule teams at his own expense, and organized a company of twelve men for the overland trip to California. He sent his teams overland to St. Joseph, whither he soon followed them by steamer ; and on the 16th of May of the above year he started with his train from the last named place for the land of gold. He came by way of the northern route, leaving Salt Lake City to the south, coming via the Sublette cut-off and Fort Hall to the St. Marys or Humboldt River ; thence down that river to the Sink ; thence across the desert to the Truckee River; thence across the Sierra Nevadas, arriving at Nevada City September 16, 1850. On the route they suffered a great deal for want of provisions. After being out but two weeks they broke one of their wagons, and were compelled to lighten by throwing out some of their supplies ; and they were for six weeks without bread or anything made of
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flour, and subsisted for four weeks on jerked beef alone, which they pro- cured from crippled and half dead cattle left on the road. He engaged at once in mining, which he continued with good success until the following February, when, in company with five other miners, he went to the north fork of the Feather River, at a place named Rich Bar, where he mined for five months, and then returned to Nevada City. In the fall of 1851 he, in company with others, opened a quartz mine, erected a mill thereon, and in less than six months the venture proved a complete failure. This was check number one, but a situation as foreman in a quartz mine at eight dollars per day being offered, he gladly accepted, and remained in that position until the fall of 1852. He then came to San Francisco, when in connection with J. L. Cabanne, he erected a flour mill at North Beach, and operated the same with varying success for one year. In the fall of 1853, the mill was moved to Napa City, and located at the corner of Main and Fourth streets, it being the first steam grist mill built in Napa County. The mill started as a toll mill, and proved a great convenience to the farmers then scattered over Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties. Teams with their loads of grain could be seen every day, some coming from Russian River Valley, some from Clear Lake, others from Petaluma, Sonoma, and less remote places, and returning to their homes the next day laden with the much needed and indispensable " staff of life." He remained connected with this mill until June, 1855; and while it proved a great benefit to the farmers, it proved quite the reverse to its owners, owing, perhaps, to the want of experience in the manner of taking toll. This may be explained by a remark made at the time by General W. S. Jacks, a prominent resident of Napa, that "H. A. Pellet was too conscientious to be a successful miller." In June, 1855, he severed his connection with the mill, and returned to the mines in Siskiyou County. In 1858 he returned to Napa, and engaged in farming. In 1860 he leased Patchett's vineyard, near Napa City, and began the wine business. Mr. Charles Krug had made some wine on this place in 1859, which was the first wine made in the county by other than the old Mexican process ; hence, Mr. Pellet has the honor of being the second wine maker in the county. In 1863 he came to his present place, now consisting of forty- five acres, of which thirty-eight are in vines. He had charge of Dr. G. B. Crane's vineyard and cellar up to 1866, when, in connection with D. B. Carver, he built a cellar, and followed the wine business, buying grapes and manufacturing wine, under the firm name of Pellet & Carver, up to 1878, when the partnership was dissolved. In 1876 he was elected as Supervisor of the Third District of Napa County. Was re-elected in 1878; and in 1880, although strongly urged to allow his name to be used in the same connection, positively refused to serve any longer. He has served two terms, and is now for the third time a member of the Board of Trustees of
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the town of St. Helena. He was married February 5, 1856, to Miss Sarah S., daughter of Pressley and Lovicy Walker Thompson, born in Sandusky, Ohio, June 6, 1830. Their children are, Frank, born March 23, 1857 ; John S., born September 11, 1858 ; Louis A., born May 4, 1861; and they have lost two.
PEACOCK, EZRA A. Whose portrait appears in this work, is the son of Joseph and Deborah Comstock Peacock, and was born in Oneida County, New York, October 6, 1834. At thirteen years of age he began the battle of life for himself, and removed to Wayne County, that State, where he worked for wages until 1852. April 20th of that year, he sailed from New York City on board the steamer " Daniel Webster," to Nicaragua, and from Panama to San Francisco, on board the steamer "Old Independence," arriving in that city May 26th of that year. He first found employment in the harvest fields of Colusa County, after which, with his two brothers, he proceeded to Siskiyou County and engaged in mining on Humbug Creek, which they con- tinued for two months. He then proceeded to Yreka, where he, in partner- ship with his cousin Samuel, purchased a ten-pin alley, which they converted into a livery stable, and conducted the business until 1855, at the same time being engaged in farming in Scotts Valley. In the above year they turned their entire attention to farming and thrashing, receiving as high as fifteen cents per bushel for thrashing wheat. They continued this business in con- nection with staging and teaming until 1861, when, in November the subject of this sketch moved to Solano County and began farming in Green Valley, which he continued until 1866. We next find him in Berryessa Valley, where he erected the first house in Monticello. He then began farming in that vicinity, which he followed until 1872, when he began the liquor busi- ness, soon afterwards opening his present hotel. Mr. Peacock has held the office of Road Overseer, Constable, and is now Deputy Sheriff under Bennett James. He was married at Yreka, Siskiyou County, in 1861, to Miss Martha Ann London.
PARKER, HARRY C. Whose portrait appears in this work, was born on Staten Island, of English parents, January 9, 1816. During his infancy his father was engaged in the Mint at Philadelphia ; and while he was yet a child they moved to New York City, and resided there until he was twelve years of age, when his father and mother died within one year of each other, leaving him an orphan without a relation whom he had ever seen. Mr. Gibson, being a friend of his parents, cared for him by taking him to his home, which was located where Brooklyn now stands. Here he remained one year. At the age of twelve he began the seafaring life, and followed it until his eighteenth year. He then went to New Orleans, and was employed until the winter of 1837. . In this year he began the study
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of the navigation of the river as pilot, and subsequently followed this occu- pation for twelve years. In June, 1849, he left New Orleans on the bark "Seneca" for Chagres. Arrived in Panama July 1st, and celebrated our seventy-third national birthday in that city. Left Panama in this month on the bark "Wilhelmina," and landed in San Francisco September 11, 1849. Pitched his tent in "Happy Valley," near where is now Mission and First streets. After a few days he proceeded with his traveling com- panion, Alex. Mckenzie, to the mines, halting at Woods Creek, near Sonora. They found that the Mormons had been there before them, and after con- sultation they took their departure for Indian Bar, Tuolumne River, and commenced operations with rocker and bowl (first experience in rocking the cradle), which they followed till November, when the river rose and floated off their entire mining outfit. Mr. Parker then returned to San Francisco and remained till February, 1850. Having shipped merchandise from New Orleans on the bark " Madonna " previous to leaving there, and which then arriving, he took his goods to Stockton and commenced a mercantile busi- ness, in which he continued till December, 1852, having suffered loss by the customary casualty of being burned out in May, 1851. In 1853 he went to San Francisco and entered as a partner in the firm of J. Y. Halleck & Co., in which he continued until 1864. In that year he retired from business. The following year he purchased his present home, four miles north of Napa, and has since been engaged in farming.
PEARSON, ISAAC N. The subject of this sketch was born in Fayette, Howard County, Missouri, July 14, 1835. When he was about two years old his parents and grand-parents moved to the north-western part of that State, and settled in Scotland County, in the timber, near a large prairie, where they built houses for themselves, cleared off the land and followed farming for several years. In the meantime a little country town sprung up in the county, which was called Memphis, and to this place his father moved with his family, and Mr. Pearson remained there until April 5, 1853, when he and his mother and a party of friends started for Napa Valley, California, where they arrived September 20th of that year. Here he engaged in farming for about two years, when he went to the mines, and followed that business until 1865. He then concluded to turn his attention to farming again, and returned to Napa Valley and purchased a ranch near Yountville. At the end of two years he disposed of his interest and moved to Napa City, where he engaged in the manufacture of buck gloves, and is still engaged in that business, having built up a splendid trade, and as a fruit of his labors, has a nice house and a competency. He was married September 16, 1865, to Miss Mary A. Jackson, a native of Peoria County, Illinois, who was born November 8, 1848, and by this union they have three living children : William L., Lila C., and John M. L. R.
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POND, MILO BUSHNELL, M. D. Third son of Ananias Rogers Pond, of Revolutionary stock, of Vermont, and his wife, Frances Mann Bush- nell, of the same State, was born February 22, 1836, in Dearborn County, Indiana, and emigrated to Wisconsin in 1840. Early in life he showed a love and aptitude for learning, evinced by "spelling down " an entire school, and then two lawyers-who volunteered to spell against him-one of them Allen Barber, District Attorney of Grant County, Wisconsin, in the spring of 1842, when but six years old. He immigrated to California in 1853, driv- ing a team of cattle across the continent, which took six months. For several years he worked upon his father's farm, clearing and improving, with but little time for school, but carrying a book at all times in his pocket, and studying each while the team rested. Thus algebra and other studies were mastered without a teacher. He is by nature a Republican, believing in free and equal human rights, and the duty of all to protect them. This was made manifest in 1856, at a public school exhibition, in a Democratic stronghold district, where as a pupil he took part, as orator of the occasion, by making an anti-slavery speech, which called forth threats of "tar and feathers" from some Missourians, one of whom was trustee of the school. He was elected a delegate to the first Republican County Conven- tion of Solano County, and was secretary of the first meeting organizing the Union League of that county, at Suisun, when the news of the firing upon Fort Sumter was first received, and ever took an earnest, bold part in keeping California in the folds of the Union. At that time, having secured a first-grade certificate, he was teaching, alone, the Fairfield public school, of over sixty pupils, which embraced, at that time, all grades from the alpha- bet to trigonometry and Latin; the two latter branches, however, were taught as a special favor to some bright young men in attendance, outside of reg- ular school hours-which, by the way, then embraced from eight A. M. to six P. M. Here he organized a literary society and library, which flourished for three years, but failed during his absence for want of public spirit among the people-the books, some hundred of them, being divided between a few of the old pupils. He was a member of the Board of Teachers' Examiners until he moved out of the county, and always took an active interest in the public schools. Examinations at that day were principally oral, and the superintendent a political officer, as now-a bad system, which ought to be abolished, as trades in conventions often result in nominating the poorest qualified applicant. The Rev. Mr. H-, when, as president, he was organ- izing the Board, " wanted it distinctly understood that we are here to ask questions and not to answer them for any of the teachers." In his case it was a bold, clever, and necessary protective measure. He graduated in med- icine from the Toland Medical College, San Francisco, March 7, 1865, being one of a class of seven who first graduated from the college. He held the
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position of resident physician in the City and County Hospital of San Francisco for some time, leaving there to locate in Napa City, in the fall of 1866, where he still resides. He, with Dr. Frisbie, of Vallejo, and Dr. Campbell, of Suisun, (now dead, but an earnest, worthy member of the profession,) worked long and earnestly to organize a District Medical So- cicty for Solano and Napa Counties, and finally succeeded ; but it languished for a year and a half, and died for the want of a quorum of seven, though the above organizers were never absent from a meeting during all that time, though never meeting a quorum. He received an addendum diploma from the Medical College of the Pacific December 7, 1870. Has always been an active member of the California State Medical Society. He is the inventor of the split canula, for tracheotomy, and a double curved needle for intro- ducing sutures in the operation of staphyloraphy, or cleft palate, and presented them to the fraternity at the meeting of the State Medical So- ciety held in 1873, and read a paper describing them and their use as used by him, which appears in the published transactions of the society for 1873, both instruments being illustrated by engravings, and are valuable additions to surgery. Dr. Pond has performed most of the major operations in surgery with marked success, including ovariotomy, tracheotomy, staphyloraphy, enterotomy, perineoraphy, vesico-vaginal fistula, recto-vaginal fistula, for strangulated hernia, extraction of the hip and knee joints, etc., and enjoys an enviable reputation for the treatment of women. March 25, 1881, like a true surgeon, he submitted himself to the knife for the radical cure of ventral hernia, under the hand of Dr. L. C. Lane, and was rewarded by a perfect cure. He has always taken an active part in local societies for culture and refinement, as well as manly and social clubs, and is an active citizen in all respects.
PINKHAM, PORTER. Was born in Freeport, Maine, August 9, 1816. Here he resided until eighteen years of age, when he went to Massachusetts, where he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed until 1859, at which time he started for California. He came via Panama, and arrived at San Francisco in May of the above year. He worked for a short time for a railroad company, building bridges near Folsom, after which he went to San Francisco and was rendered unable to work on account of poor health for about eighteen months. We next find Mr. Pinkham in San José, where he remained about one year. He then returned to San Fran- cisco, where he followed his trade until November, 1868, when he returned East on a visit via Nicaragua. The following spring he returned to Cali- fornia, and brought his family. He settled in Oakland, where he followed carpentering until September, 1876, when he came to Napa County and bought his present place, consisting of ten acres, located near St. Helena.
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Mr. Pinkham married March 30, 1841, Miss Harriet L. Parker, a native of Massachusetts, by whom he has three children, Parker, Ellen M., and Willis P.
POE, JOHN. Was born in Ash County, North Carolina, May 19, 1834. In 1850 he, with his parents, moved to Missouri, where two years were spent, and in 1852 he, leaving his parents behind, went to Texas, where he resided until 1857. He then came to California and located in Sonoma County, where he remained about one year, after which he came to Napa County, where farming was prosecuted for two years. We next find Mr. Poe in Santa Cruz County, where he followed the same business until 1863, when he once more took up his residence in Sonoma County. Here he resided until 1876, when he returned to Napa County, and followed farming in Pope Valley for one year. From this time until 1880 his time was divided between Yolo and Tehama Counties. In January of the last-named year he returned to Napa County, and purchased four hundred acres of land near. Monticello, and is engaged in farming. He married, January 1, 1863, Miss Martha S. George. Their children are, James E., Anna L., George, Maurice and Ida.
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