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 87
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 87
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METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- Rev. A. C. Hazzard has kindly fur- nished us with the following sketch of this church : In the spring of 1857 "Clear Lake Circuit," of the California Conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, was organized by Rev. Edward Bannister, D.D., presiding elder of the Petaluma District. Rev. S. W. Norman was employed as pastor. In 1858 Rev. James Corwin was appointed pastor by the Conference, and served that year-G. B. Davis, a local preacher, and George A. Lyon, exhorter, living in the bounds of the circuit. The following pastors served succes- sively : 1859, Rev. Noah Burton ; 1860, Rev. Asa J. White. The first camp- meeting held at Upper Lake. Places of preaching: Lakeport, Big Valley, Scotts Valley and Upper Lake. 1861-2-3, supplied by Rev. S. B. Davis,
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under the supervision of Rev. J. R. Tansy, presiding elder; 1864, S. W. Murphy supplied as pastor; in the fall of 1864, Rev. J. Green was ap- pointed and served as pastor ; 1865, Rev. Wesley Ingham was a supply by the presiding elder ; 1866-7, Rev. J. W. Bryant was appointed and served the circuit ; 1868-9, supplied by S. B. Davis; 1870, Rev. A. J. White was appointed to the circuit, and under his labors, with the assistance of Rev. George Clifford, a gracious revival was manifested, and many converted and added to the church. In this year the church at Kelseyville was built, and dedicated on Christmas Eve by Rev. E. Thomas, D.D., assisted by Rev. J. R. Trefren ; 1871-2, Rev. J. L. Broadus was appointed and served the circuit ; 1873, Rev. George McRea ; 1874, Rev. H. C. Smith ; 1875-6, Rev. M. Wood- ward ; 1878, Rev. J. Cummins ; 1879, Rev. J. C. Jones, and 1880, Rev. A. C. Hazzard, the present pastor, was appointed.
Size of church building at Kelseyville is 36x50 feet, and it cost $2000. The outlook is not, at present, of encouraging aspect. A large part of the people are moving out of the county, which largely has decreased the mem- bership of the church and its future prospects.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS .- Uncle Sam Lodge, No. 347, I. O. G. T., was organized August 1, 1880, with the following charter members : J. R. Allison, A. O. Benson, Charles Eddy, W. A. Hillyer, W. M. Ryerson, O. Allison, Annie Ormiston, Katie Towle, A. Bale, Mrs. F. L. Kelsey and Mrs. Emily Eddy. The first officers were, W. A. Hillyer, W. C. T .; Annie Ormis- ton, W. V. T .; A. O. Benson, W. S .; J. R. Allison, W. F. S., and Mrs. E. Eddy, W. T. The present officers are, W. A. Hillyer, W. C. T .; Mrs. E. Eddy, W. V. T .; H. C. Trailor, W. S .; J. R. Allison, W. F. S., and Mrs. F. L. Kelsey, W. T. The present membership is thirty-one.
CATHOLIC CHURCH WORK .- The Catholic work in Lake County is a mission field which embraces the entire county. As their headquarters is at the mission farm in Big Valley, we include the sketch of their work in the history of this township. The first pastor in the field was Father Luciano O'Suna, who came to the county in 1867, and established the mission. He remained in charge till 1879, when two Fathers Uballs and Fox were put in charge, and so remained until the fall of 1880, when Father Governo, the present incumbent, took charge.
There is a mission farm connected with this charge consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of very fertile valley land lying on the southern shore of the lake. It is all well fenced and eighty acres of it is in a high state of cultivation. This land was purchased by Archbishop Alemany in 1875, at a cost of $5,000. There is a small but very comfortable residence upon it, barns and other necessary out-buildings. There is quite a large rancheria of Indians upon the place and they have built several wooden
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Big Valley Township.
buildings for themselves with lumber furnished by the Mission. There is a school-house for the Indians and quite an effort is being made to get them interested in education. There are about one hundred of these Indians here and they are employed more or less about the place, and are paid for their work. Some considerable quantity of flour and other provisions is annually distributed among these Indians in a judicious manner, the most of it being given to the old and sick ones. The Catholic people have two church buildings in Lake County, one at Lakeport and the other at Kelseyville, the former having been erected in 1870 and the latter in the following year. Both are handsome church edifices, though small. The fathers in charge hold services also at Lower Lake and Middletown. The work is prosperous in the entire field.
MILLS .- There is no great amount of timber in this township suitable for building purposes, therefore there are but few mills.
BOGGS SAW MILL .- This was the first saw mill in the county and was put in operation in 1858. It was built by Thomas Boyd, better known as " Dobe " Boyd, and was a saw and grist mill combined, although at first there was no boult connected with it. Later several improvements were added and a boult was put in, making it a fair average country flouring mill. It was run by steam from the first. The mill was burned in 1860, being totally destroyed. It was rebuilt and located on the road leading from Kel- seyville to Cobb Valley, or what is popularly known as the Boggs road.
Mr. Boyd sold the mill to Messrs. Allen & Shaul Brothers (George and Benjamin) and they disposed of it to Benjamin Moore. In the fall of 1866 H. C. Boggs became proprietor, and the property remains in his possession to the present time. The mill, when rebuilt, had a capacity of ten thousand feet daily, and the machinery consisted of a double circular saw and an edger. Mr. Boggs put in a planer after it came into his possession. In 1880 the mill was moved and is now located about three miles north of the Harbin Springs, in a well timbered section.
COBB MILL .- In 1859 John Cobb, the pioneer settler of Cobb Valley, built a combined saw and grist mill in Cobb Valley. Its capacity both for lumber and flour was very small, and it was run by water-power. It was burned in 1866 or 1867.
HARBIN MILL .- This mill was built in 1873 by J. M. Harbin, and is lo- cated on the road-side at the summit of Cobb Mountain. It had a capacity of ten thousand feet of lumber daily, and had there been the timber around it in proportion to the capacity of the mill and the excellence of its machinery, it would have proved a fortune to its proprietor, instead of a " humbug," as it is generally denominated by the citizens of that section.
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There never was a great amount of lumber sawed by it, and it is now going to ruin. So much for misdirected energy and misapplied capital.
ALLISON FLOUR MILL .- This mill was built by Thomas Allison about the year 1860, and was located on Kelsey Creek, about two miles above the town of Kelseyville. In September, 1867, the mill was destroyed by fire, and was at that time the property of Messrs. Allison and Standiford. It was immediately rebuilt, and is at present owned by Peter Burtnett.
SPRINGS .- While there are doubtless any quantity of mineral springs all through this section, only a few have been located upon and thrown open to the public. The principal one of these is the
HIGHLAND SPRINGS .- These springs are situated at the extreme south- western corner of Big Valley, about eight miles from Lakeport and six from Kelseyville, and the stages from Cloverdale to the latter place pass by the door. An old hunter by the name of Ripley discovered and located upon them away back in the " sixties " sometime. He did not do much in the way of improving the place, and, in fact, he erected no buildings at all except his own cabin. He dug a small tunnel into the bank of the creek, and in this epsom salts and alum formed in crystals ; also, carbonate of soda. A strong odor of petroleum was said to be emitted from this tunnel.
Ripley sold the property to H. H. Nunnally, and he to Dr. A. B. Cald- well, who began making improvements in 1871 by erecting the north wing of the main hotel. In the fall of 1872 H. Shartzer and S. M. Putnam pur- chased the place, and the following year Mr. Shartzer bought Mr. Putnam's interest. In 1875 the main part of the hotel wes erected, and they can now accommodate sixty guests in the building, besides those who can be accom- modated in the five cottages on the grounds and adjacent to the springs.
There are nine springs at this place, as follows: One cold iron and mag- nesia spring, located in the bed of the creek; this is a strong spring, and the water is very palatable, and is in fact the favorite of the guests. The next spring, to the south, is a warm magnesia and iron spring, with a tem- perature of 82 degrees, and it is from this one and two others of similar character and temperature-all three lying adjacent to each other-that the water for the baths is obtained. The next spring has borax for its chief characteristic, and is thermal. The next one is a magnesia spring, and is also warm. The last one in this coterie is a magnetic iron spring, with a temperature of about 60 degrees. There is, at some distance to the east- ward of the above-named, a cold soda spring, the waters of which are very fine indeed, and have performed some almost miraculous cures of dyspepsia. About one-half mile east of the hotel is a spring that has equal parts of soda, sulphur, and iron, and is a veritable curiosity, for soda and sulphur
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Big Valley Township.
are not generally good friends, or rather are too good friends, and are too apt to form a union, glauber salts being the result.
This is a lovely place for camping and spending the season. The ground around it is quite level, hence there is ample opportunity for exercise, while the best of level roads lead from the place in several directions, so that fine drives may be had. Game is abundant and easy of access, while there is no end to the trout. It is easy of access and the accommodations the best. No finer camping place can be found in the State, than the cool shady plot of ground just south of the springs.
THE EPSOM SALTS SPRING .- There is a spring about three miles west of Lakeport, that is characteristically an Epsom Salts Spring. It is not opened to the public and would probably not be very popular if it were.
SODA BAY .- This lovely pleasure resort is located on the south side of Clear Lake, and at the northern foot of Uncle Sam Mountain. It is a small bight which makes in from the body of the lake, and takes its name from the mighty soda spring, which comes up out of the bottom of the bay at the entrance to it. The property is owned by Rev. Richard Wylie, of Napa, and is leased by A. K. Gregg, who came here in 1879. The proprietor has made all the improvements on it, which consist of a main hotel and six cot- tages, also a bowling alley and billiard room. The grounds are shady and romantic, and it is no wonder that during the summer season there are hosts of people there. But the chief attraction to the curiosity and wonderful-in- nature seeker is the gigantic soda spring spoken of above. It is situated about a quarter of a mile from the hotel in a northerly direction, but quite near the outer and eastern head of the bay. There is a reef of rocks which extends some distance out into the lake from this cape, and it is in this that the spring is located. Whence comes this mighty volume of soda water is a question that none dare try to solve. This stream is about as large in diameter as a barrel, and fairly gushes from the rock below, rising, in low water to a height of two or more feet above the surface of the lake, but in the high water of the winter season to about a foot. The water is so strongly charged with carbonic acid gas, that when a man bathes in it he has to be careful that he does not become asphyxiated. Such an accident did happen in the case of John O'Shea, Coroner of Lake County, who lost his life while bathing in the spring. There are a host of other springs of a similar nature in the bottom of the lake, and a few of them come spurting up above the surface, but this one is the greatest curiosity of all.
GLENBROOK .- This is a pleasure resort and hotel in Cobb Valley, and is a most delight place to spend the summer, more for pleasure than for health, perhaps, but the sweet mountain air, the bright sunshine, and the
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
excellent food provided at the hotel, ought to bring back the glow of health to any cheek. Game and fish are abundant in that section, and several of the most noted springs in the county are of easy access from this place. Truly, this is one of nature's loveliest places, and its rare beauty must be seen and enjoyed to be appreciated.
THE GAS KNOLL .- Of all the curiosities in the county or in the State, this is the chief. This phenomenon covers an area of six acres, and is located only a few hundred yards east of Kelseyville. This wonderful lusus naturæ was discovered by John Gard in 1868. Choosing the place, which is a beautiful prospect, for a building site, he proceeded to dig a well. When he had gotten down about twelve feet, the man who was at work in the bottom of the well complained of a queer feeling, and came up out of the well. A doctor happened to be present, and he remarked that "death damp," as miners call carbonic acid gas, might be the cause of his sensations, and said he would test for the presence of that deadly element. He ac- cordingly lit a match and attempted to hold it down into the body of the well, when to his horror and surprise an immense volume of gas was lighted, and an ardent and suffocating blaze enveloped his head and shoulders, almost singing every hair off from his head and chin. As it was, he was horribly punished for his temerity in invading the unknown precincts of the queer laboratories which nature has in some hidden recesses far away under the surface.
This gas is found to be veritable carburetted hydrogen, such as is used in the common street lamp, but the properties are not quite the same. This gas burns with a bluish blaze, but when it is aerated, and the oxygen comes more rapidly into contact with it, the blaze is white and clear and more ardent. The same effect is produced by passing any foreign substance through the blaze rapidly, which, however, amounts only to another form of aeration. The gas can be found in sufficient quantities to burn anywhere on the knoll by boring a hole from three to fifteen feet deep. The usual way is to bore a hole and sink a piece of pump stock, and from these such a volume of gas escapes that small birds will fall dead in flying through the jet even when it is not burning.
Gas comes up all over the surface, as may be seen when it has rained and water is standing in the ground. Bubbles will then be seen on all sides where the gas is coming out. One time a hole was bored by John Kelsey, a former proprietor, thinking to find out what kind of water there was in such a place as this. Reaching the required depth, he put in a pump, witlı the ordinary iron pipe extending to the bottom of the hole. The water was found to be an oleaginous mass, slightly acidulated, and altogether dis- agreeable to the taste, smell and touch. But the strangest part of the
David Human
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Big Valley Township.
story remains to be told. In the course of a week or so he wished to use the pump elsewhere, and took the pipe out of the hole. When he had put it in it was rusty, and when he took it out it shone just like a mirror. He remembered that the water had been slightly acid, and he imagined that the oxyd of iron had been eaten off by the acid, and the surface left bright, but great was his surprise to find that this shining surface was only a species of electroplating as it were, and some substance, looking much like quicksilver, had been deposited on the surface of the pipe, in a very thin, but perfect coat. What that substance was is not known, and will not be until some scientific man goes at it properly to make careful investiga- tions and thorough analysis of all the phenomena presented at this veritable · " Curiosity Shop " of nature.
John Gard sold the tract of land on which this knoll is situated, to Z. Devee, and in 1876 he disposed of it to John Kelsey, and he to W. G. Young, the present proprietor. Messrs. Kelsey and Young were joint owners for a time also. Early in the spring, 1880, these gentlemen procured a steam boiler and set it up on the gas knoll, and proceeded to project with it, en- deavoring to find out if it could be made to yield heat enough to generate any great amount of steam. A small pipe leading from three pump stocks about an inch square on the inside, and with no pressure except that of nature, was connected with the flues of the boiler. At first it did not work from some cause. The gas burned, but there was not sufficient heat to gen- erate any amount of steam. At last the trouble was found and obviated, and in twenty minutes there were sixty pounds of steam in the boiler. The difficulty lay in the fact that the gas was not sufficiently aerated at first. It is stated by Mr. Kelsey that water can be made to boil in an open vessel in the open air in twenty minutes, and he once tried an experiment between that and a wood fire, the conditions being the same, and the gas heated the water first to a boiling point.
Whether this gas can ever be utilized or not is a mooted question, some affirming in the most positive and sanguine manner, and others denying just as vigorously. One thing is certain, an appliance will have to be discovered by which it can be properly aerated before it will burn successfully, either for lighting or heating purposes, and especially is this true for the former. It is thought by some that it will prove a treasure in that it can be used in the most economical manner for fuel, and that mills and machinery of any and every kind that can be used to advantage there can be run at no expense whatever for fuel. Should this prove true, it will be a grand thing for some- body. The soil is an oily, tough, jelly-like substance, from which a strong odor of petroleum is emitted. What it is, or what it is formed of, or whence comes the gas, and how generated, are all mysteries which it will require
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
much careful and patient research to discover and disclose. That it is a grand freak of nature is evident, and it will repay any one to visit the place.
MOUNT KONOCTI .- This mountain is now generally known by the name of Uncle Sam, but certainly the old Indian name is more musical and euphonious. A visit to its summit is a rare treat, and it is only within the past few years that it could be accomplished with any degree of ease or comfort. Mr. O. S. Morford owns the summit, and to him must be accorded the honor of having constructed a road from the base to that point, by which the latter may be reached with a team and vehicle. This road was completed in 1878; and on the first day of May of that year, Mr. Morford, in company with Miss L. Mendenhall and Miss Rachel Benn, ascended the mountain with a team to within a short distance of its summit. They then proceeded to the very pinnacle, and there unfurled the stars and stripes to the breeze. It is Mr. Morford's intention to establish a grand summer resort there, which will be a charming place for visitors to spend a few days.
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Upper Lake Township.
UPPER LAKE TOWNSHIP.
GEOGRAPHY .- The boundaries established for this township by the Board of Supervisors are as follows: Beginning at the north-west corner of Lower Lake Township on the county line ; thence northerly to the sum- mit of Hulls Mountain ; thence west on a direct line to Mount Sanhedrim ; thence southerly, following the summit of the ridge dividing the waters of Russian River on the west and Clear Lake on the east, to a point on said ridge one-half mile east of Dalton's cabin ; thence south-easterly along the northern boundary line of Big Valley Township to Peaks Point; thence along said line of Big Valley Township to the place of beginning. By this it will be seen that it is bounded on the north-east by Colusa County, on the south-east by Lower Lake Township, on the south-west by Big Valley Township, and on the north-west by Mendocino County. In its territory is embraced a portion of Clear Lake, the Blue Lakes, and some small streams which are tributary to these lakes.
TOPOGRAPHY .- The topographical features of Upper Lake Township are somewhat varied, ranging from level valley to mountain peak. Begin- ning at the western line, we find ourselves on the summit of a ridge of mountains ; thence going eastward we descend into the Blue Lake Valley, or cañon, rather, and where it unites with the Scott Creek Valley, it widens into a level tract of quite respectable proportions. East of the Blue Lake Cañon is a ridge of mountains with a south-eastern trend, which extends to the valley around the upper end of Clear Lake, where it vanishes in a series of rolling hills. This chain of mountains is pierced by lateral valleys and canons on the south, the principal one being that in which Pearsons Springs are located. To the north-east of this ridge is Bachelor Valley, with its two arms, one extending up to Witter Springs, and the other passing up to the north-west along Middle Creek.
These valleys all center around the head of Clear Lake, and form what is known as Upper Lake Valley, which is quite an extensive tract of level land. Passing on to the east we come to Clover Valley, through which flows Clover Creek. This is a beautiful valley, quite wide at its lower end, but growing narrower until it becomes a cañon, and finally a mere mountain
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
gorge, from which the stream leaps into existence as it were. Farther to the eastward we pass over a high range of mountains, and descend into the valleys of the head waters of Cache Creek. The one in which Bartlett and Allen Springs are located is quite narrow, but has some considerable level land in it. To the east of this is a series of very high and rugged mount- ain ranges, extending to the county line. Passing over the high dividing ridge we descend into Long Valley-so very appropriately named from its extreme length as compared with its width. In the extreme north-west portion of the township lies Gravelly Valley, which is a very small affair.
The general trend of the valleys and mountain ridges is from north-west to south-east-those north-west of the head of Clear Lake converging at that point, while those in the eastern series trend toward the Sacramento Valley. The notable exceptions to this rule are Gravelly and Clover Val- leys, both of which trend westerly, the former lying in the Eel River group, whose waters flow into the Pacific Ocean, and the latter lying east of the head of Clear Lake, and still centering at that point. There are a number of smaller valleys, such as Big and Little Squaw, etc., but the general topog- raphy is embraced in the above description.
GEOLOGY .- The geological characteristics of this township are in general keeping with the whole county. There is but little other than volcanic rock to be seen in it, and of this there is assuredly an abundance. Basalt and trap form the greater portion of this, while there are large beds of lava still visible, extending from ashes to scoria. There are a host of nondescript, amorphous and metamorphic rocks, ranging from the scoria of the lava to the pure crystal. There are here and there to be seen shale out- croppings, but that is about all of the true aqueous formation that is to be seen.
SOIL .- The soil of this township is as varied as the location, and it is quite a curiosity to study it. It extends through all the grades from the barren rock to the very richest loam. On the mountain sides there is often found the very richest of soil, but much more frequently very poor soil is found there. In many places in these mountains, in what is known as the chemisal lands, the soil is red, being really the slag-pile of some huge internal iron smelting works which were operated in nature's laboratory centuries ago. The action of water and air upon it during all these years has oxydized the remnants of iron until these places here became vast beds of iron rust. Sodium, in all its known compounds, such as chloride, car- bonate, sulphate, nitrate, biborate, etc., abound in greater or less quantities in the mineral springs of the section. Sulphur, iron, magnesia and all kin- dred substances, also abound in these waters.
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Upper Lake Township.
In the valleys the soil is greatly argillaceous in character, being formed pri- marily and chiefly by the detritus from the adjacent mountain sides. In many places it is very rich, being formed of vegetable mold. This is especially the case around the head of Clear Lake, where the soil is probably twenty feet deep and is an alluvial formation of as rich a character as can be found in the county. In Gravelly Valley there is but little soil at all, it being composed mostly of a great bed of boulders which has washed in from the mountain sides adjacent and is covered with beds of finer gravel. In Long Valley the same is witnessed to a great extent, only the upper crust of soil is deeper and of a richer nature. By observing the banks of the stream passing through it, great boulders will be seen at the bottom, while as we ascend we come to smaller and smaller boulders until we come to a layer of alluvial soil.
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