USA > California > Los Angeles County > Pasadena > History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, the early Spanish, the Mexican, the American, the colony, and the incorporated city, occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual, and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other objects of interest: being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining to this region > Part 17
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During these first years my greatest anxiety was where the next sack of flour was coming from to feed the hearty kids that were constantly put- ting in an appearance in the family circle.
The ranch abounded in jack-rabbits, cotton-tails, quail, and some deer. Of wild fruits there were none except a few cherries that grew on a brilliant green shrub near the base of the mountains. This production hardly de- served the name of fruit, as it consisted principally of a pit about the size of a cherry, with a very light veneering of flesh. [See foot-note, p. 23.]
Bears were frequent visitors in early days ; not grizzlys, perhaps, but the brown bear, very much like them but not so large. One of these "varmints " had the audacity to enter Mrs. Johnston's door yard in the day- time, tip over a bee-hive and help himself to honey. He was discovered by Sid Johnston, then a lad of seventeen, who in the absence of fire arms, drove him off with rocks, at the same time denouncing him as a "dog-gon thief." The first visit I received from the gentry was in the spring of 1865, when a big fellow whose tracks measured eleven inches, came within fifty yards of the house in the night, and slaughtered a calf. Being disturbed by my dogs and men before he had finished his feast he beat a retreat. I tracked him into Rubio Canyon, where I set a big trap, hanging a part of the calf on a tree above. He sprung the trap, but escaped only to find his death by eating another piece of the slaughtered calf, which I had loaded with strych- nine. The following summer I was engaged most of the time building a dam up in the canyon. In going up mornings I frequently saw the tracks of a large California Lion, or puma, and on one occasion he waded through my mortar bed and left the impress of his great foot-prints upon many a boulder, from which I concluded he was a big fellow. One morning later I went to the creek to get a bucket of water. A Mexican boy accompanied me. It was very warm and we sat on the edge of the stream close to a big
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
clump of bushes and slaked our thirst from the clear, beautiful stream. A few moments elapsed when the Mexican, who sat next to the bush, sud- denly jumped up, and turning around, exclaimed "What animal is that ?" I had also risen to my feet, and turning, saw within reach of a buggy whip, the biggest lion I have ever seen. He did not seem a bit scared, and walked off leisurely, keeping his head turned so that he could watch us. I had
nothing but a tin cup to defend myself with in the event he had felt aggres- sive. I even held my hands behind me to convince him I was a non-com- batant. But this interview did not end our acquaintance. Some days later one of my gentle driving horses was missing, and after a brief search, I found her not far from where the Allen house now stands, dead-the body still warm. There were evidences in the disturbed earth around that there had been a violent struggle. He had evidently sprung upon her while sleeping, sunk his teeth in her flank, and never relaxed his hold until she surrendered. There was no question as to the cause of her death ; for the lion, as is their custom, had dragged up grass and rubbish in an attempt to cover up the carcass. Knowing full well that he would return at night to finish his feast, I seasoned the body with strychnine. He did not come back but once. I saw no more of his tracks in the canyon ; and six months afterward one of my boys discovered his carcass about a half mile distant from where he took his last supper.
The next year I had quite a lot of hogs and a litter of fine shoats that I kept in a pen not far from the house, and they began to disappear one by one. Of course I knew pretty well where they had gone ; and considering them an insecure piece of property in that region, I disposed of all but one fine, fat animal that I had reserved to put into ham and sausage about Christmas time. I had thought that as she would weigh about 250 or 300 pounds, she would be too much of a load for the wild animals to pack away, and was therefore safe. I reckoned without my host, for one morning she was gone and had not even given a squeal.
I learned from some Mexican wood choppers about that time that there was a she-lion with two cubs living in one of the deep ravines that lead up to where the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel now stands. After cleaning me out of my hog-meat, she turned her attention to horse-flesh, first killing a colt, and afterward a lame mule belonging to Mr. Wilson. She also caught one of my horses and wounded three of his legs, but he was young and strong and escaped from her. I finally disposed of her by dosing that dead mule's carcass with strychnine.
That was abont the last of bear and lion on the ranch, unless I mention a laughable incident which occurred about 1870. A man by the name of Orr had a bee ranch on what is now the Elms place, above Altadena. Absenting himself for awhile from home, he found on his return that bears had been there and upset eleven stands of bees, robbing them of all the honey. Hot for revenge, he went over to old man Seabury's (now Kinneloa) and got the old gent to go with him and kill the thieves. They hunted three or four days through the mountains, and finally returned worn out, and slept at Orr's ranch. That same night the bears came in silently and helped themselves to the contents of three more stands, and retired without alarming the hunters. This impudent behavior so disgusted Orr that lie abandoned the place and never returned.
One year after my vineyard commenced bearing, the bears ate off all the grapes from a remote corner of it. The coyotes were formerly abundant
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here, and were also destructive on the grape crop. Mr. Wilson once told me that discovering that the ranch abounded in jack-rabbits, he bred a lot of gray-hounds, and anticipated great sport in the chase ; but he had no sooner got his dogs ready than the eagles discovered the game, gathered about and caught the jacks in such numbers that they were greatly thinned out, and the sport was spoiled.
Along the base of the mountains rattlesnakes were quite plentiful, but they do not increase rapidly and soon disappear upon occupation and culture of the territory. The first year at "Fair Oaks " I killed eleven, three of them having eleven rattles each. Every year the number killed became less, and the last year we encountered but one, and he a little fellow with but one rattle.
Of tarantulas, scorpions and centipedes there were enough for family use, but as they are harmless, they are only proper subjects for natural history. I have never known any one injured by them.
HOW "A CASE OF ASTHMA" DECIDED THE LOCATION OF PASADENA.
Judge Eaton furnishes the following graphic account of D. M. Berry's first night at his house, and how it proved the turning point which led ulti- mately to the settlement of Pasadena-a story now for the first time told in print. Also a sketchy narrative of the beginnings of colony work :
Dr. Griffin wishing to dispose of his remaining interest in Rancho San Pasqual, for two years I made a business of bringing out prospective buyers, but met with no one who could see anything in it. At last, happening into a real estate office in Los Angeles, I was introduced to a slender, pale, weak- looking, round-shouldered man, with a stove-pipe hat, and other character- istic features that proclaimed him a "tender-foot." He told me that he was one of a pioneer committee of three who were in search of a tract of land on which to establish a colony of " Hoosiers," already organized in Indian- apolis. I invited him to go out home with me. * * It was a long,
dry and dusty drive to my home, and the ranch, which had been pastured very closely with sheep, showed not a vestige of green. Arriving at Fair Oaks about sundown a different scene greeted his eyes. Broad live oaks surrounded the little cottage, affording a grateful shade, and in front a vine- yard of 60,000 vines presented a sea of verdure. On either side of the house were groves of orange, lemon and lime trees. The following morning he looked two inches taller, and upon my asking him how he rested, he straightened up, and striking himself heroically upon the breast replied, "Gloriously ! Do you know, sir, that last night is the first night in three years that I have remained in bed all night? "
"Why so?" I inquired. "Don't you go to bed and sleep nights, like a good Christian ? "
" Yes, I go to bed all right, but by midnight I am obliged to get up and sit in a chair until morning, for I can't breathe lying down."
This circumstance has led me to remark sometimes, "that it was a case of astlima that determined the location of the Indiana Colony."
I kept Mr. D. M. Berry, for my guest was none other, for two or three days, during which I drove liim around the neighboring country. I showed him the waters of the various springs in the Arroyo ; and knowing well the topography of the country, I explained to him how the waters could be
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brought out and distributed over the plains. Then we visited Wilson's and Rose's to see places that had been improved long before I broke ground on my place.
Mr. Berry was so certain that he had found the desired spot that he immediately sent back a description of the property and what it would cost. Negotiations began, and steps were taken for a partition of interests between Wilson and Griffin, the former not wishing to dispose of his. It was three months before a satisfactory partition was effected. Meanwhile the Indiana Colony Association failed ; but those who had embarked in it were determined not to give it up, and commenced immediately to canvass tlie city of Los Angeles to fill the places of the delinquent subscribers. Their efforts were crowned with success, and a new organization was formed and incorporated under the name of the "San Gabriel Orange Grove Association." Messrs. Porter, Green, W. T. Clapp, Barcus, Mundell, Bristol and Col. Banbury were Los Angeles recruits. In the meantime the partition of the Griffin and Wilson interest was completed, and about 4,000 acres were allotted to Dr. Griffin, who sold it to the colony, and the balance, 1,600 acres, to B. D. Wilson. [Wilson's allotment included the original water ditch from Devil's Gate .-- ED.]
HOW THE COLONY WORK COMMENCED.
One of the first acts of the Board of Directors was to appoint a com- mittee consisting of Messrs. A. O. Porter, Calvin Fletcher, and B. S. Eaton to superintend the subdivision of the lands and devise the construction of water-works. At the first meeting of the committee, business opened about this way : Mr. Fletcher stated that he had had a good deal of experience in laying out towns, planning streets, etc., and if it was agreeable to the other members of the committee he would take charge of that part of the business, and direct our engineer in his work. "But," he added, "Judge, you will have to look out for the distribution of the water, for I don't know anything about that."
Mr. Porter, in his modest, conservative manner, said, "I know a little something about land, and a little something about water, for I owned a grist mill once. But I am satisfied with your arrangement, and I will act as umpire ; and if I see you going astray will call you off." Accordingly this was the understanding, and each one set about his special task.
Mr. Fletcher was a thorough-going energetic man, and he immediately commenced planning for a convenient and equitable subdivision. He trav- eled on foot from one side of the 1,500 acres which was to be subdivided to the other, and from end to end, studying the topography and the general features of the tract, and in his own judgment determining the character and value of the lands. He so contrived the laying off of lots that one- share stockholders (fifteen acres) had the same chance of obtaining desirable situations and good lands as those who represented twelve shares (180 acres). This obviated a difficulty which had very much perplexed the company-that was, how were selections to be made so that all would be satisfied ?
At a meeting one Saturday night, our engineer announced that his sur- vey was completed-all tlie lots-(100 of them)-were staked off and num- bered. Several of the subscribers were living in a temporary way in Los Angeles with their families and were impatient to get onto their newly ac- quired lands. But how were they to be assigned-that was the momentous
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question. Histories of other colonies were ransacked for precedents and methods of division. Several were suggested, only to be voted down. Ar- guments waxed warm, and a trifle of acerbity was creeping in, when the chair [Judge Eaton himself .- ED.] proposed that every stockholder appear on the ground at an appointed time and we would have a sham fight over the business.
This was apparently showing levity about a serious matter, and was promptly opposed, for the reason that it would probably end in a row, and we would be no nearer an amicable settlement of the question than we were now. Mr. Fletcher had sat back in a corner listening. He was one of the largest stockholders. It was nearing midnight and all were anxious to get away, yet nothing had been accomplished. Finally Mr. Fletcher arose and said, "Gentlemen, as we have not succeeded in adopting any of the plans proposed, suppose that we try the suggestion made by the chair, and all go out there and see how many of us can get just the spot we want. I would suggest that next Tuesday-that will give us one day to look over the ground-we all meet at the foot of what I have named Orange Grove Av- enue, and try and settle this matter to everybody's satisfaction." That proposition was adopted, and we met as proposed.
It was as lovely a day in the month of January (27th) as a California sun ever shone upon. Early rains had fallen and the hills were dressed in living green, while the earth was a carpet of flowers of every hue. By ten o'clock people began to arrive. Men with their wives and children, men with their sweethearts and men without them, and not a few of the neigh- boring settlers attended, as they said "to see the fun." Everybody was happy, surrounded as they were by everything beautiful in nature.
I was then living at "Fair Oaks," but was taking as much, if not more interest in the establishment of the colony than in my personal affairs. As I came in sight of the grounds I saw men on horseback, men in buggies, and men on foot rushing from one side of the plain to the other, occas- ionally stopping to note the number of some lot that they thought might be desirable. When I alighted at the ground where the group had gathered, joy and pleasure beamed in every face, and I deemed it an auspicious omen. The children scattered about gathering flowers and full of mirth, lent cheer- fulness to the scene. Bountiful lunch baskets were brought out, and every- body seemed disposed to a merry-making time. After lunch, which the ladies had provided in the most liberal style, the men began sauntering along in twos and fours and squads toward the point where the Orange Grove reservoir is located, as this afforded the best outlook over the tract to be divided. When all had gathered there the President directed Secretary Berry to call the roll of subscribers, and requested those stockholders present to announce, when their names were called, the number of the lot or lots they would prefer. (The committee on subdivision [Porter, Fletcher and Eaton] had agreed that they would make no selections themselves until all the others had chosen, and they represented twenty-eight out of the 100 shares.) There had been some apprehension felt by the small shareholders that they would be crowded out into some corner, or be obliged to take what was left after the "heavy men" had made their selections. Mr. Fletcher, knowing what was apprehended, had cut some of the most de- sirable sections of the tract into one-share and two-share lots, and the one- share men were called on to select first. After things had proceeded in this way for a time, the secretary was requested to call the names of some of the
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
absent stockholders, and if any one present represented them they were called on to make their choice. In about twenty minutes the whole busi- ness was settled without a clash, and every man had secured just what he wanted. Everybody seemed happy and a general love feast ensued. [For names of members and lots chosen, see page 108.]
Mr. L. H. Titus, a neighbor who had been an interested witness of the whole affair, remarked, " Let me tell you, Judge, this colony is going to be a success. When I see men act as they have today success will surely fol- low." How well that prophesy has been verified the Pasadena of 1894 can testify.
PUZZLES ON MR. FLETCHER.
Mr. Fletcher strove hard to preserve some of the old landmarks on the ranch. He laid off Orange Grove Avenue so as to save two noble oaks, which stand today as mementoes of his careful labors. But he was perfectly at sea about how the levels run in this country. He was so positive that water would run toward the mountains that he spent one of the rainiest days I ever saw in California, wandering over the ranch to see which way the water would actually run in a flood. On his first visit to the ranch I had taken him onto the hill where the Orange Grove reservoir is now lo- cated, and explained that that was the spot from which the waters would be distributed over the colony lands.
" But where is its source ?" he asked.
" Yonder, where that spur comes down into the Arroyo from the west," said I, pointing to " Devil's Gate."
" And do you pretend to say that water will flow from there up here?" "No, sir, it will flow from there down here, with a fall of sixty-two feet.''
"Judge," he replied, in a half-doubting tone, "I s'pose you know ; but I am a railroad builder, and if I wanted to run a line of road between these two points I would bring my engineer right onto this spot and tell him he must wind around and try to get down to that place the best way he could."
California took him at a disadvantage when he went to measuring lands with his eye ; for on the same occasion and from the same standpoint he in- quired, " Where are the 1, 300 acres situated that we got in the deal ?"
I well knew what inspired the inquiry ; for before he started for Cali- fornia, and while negotiations were pending, some malicious fellow wrote an anonymous letter to Indianapolis, telling the colonists that their pioneer committee was being imposed upon, or had entered into a conspiracy with the owners of the ranch, and were bribing the surveyors to make false sur- veys and give enlarged areas; in fact, that the Indianians were being swindled. This caused some trouble for a while ; but as there was no foun- dation whatever for such a story, things came around all right. In reply to his question I pointed out to him a strip along the base of the mountain, bordered on the south by a dark line representing the Monks ditch.
" Why, Judge," says Fletcher, "I can take a couple of yoke of In- diana 4-year-old steers and plow up your 1, 300 acres in a week."
I made no reply, but bided my time. Soon after that, Fletcher, Berry and myself drove over the 1,300-acre tract to the west end, next to the Ar- royo Seco. Fletcher alighted, and began kicking up the dust and examin- ing the soil, as was his custom. Giving Berry a significant wink, I said,
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"Let's go over to the southeast corner and see if we can find that stake which Reynolds said he had driven there."
"Go on ! go on !" says Fletcher ; "I'll walk."
We drove over to the stake. It was a very warm day ; and after we had waited an hour, Mr. Fletcher, who carried a good deal of extra flesh, came up with his coat off, puffing and wiping the perspiration from his cheeks, and exclaimed, " Gentlemen, it's all here ! it's all here !"
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1
1895
JUDGE B. S. EATON, 1895. See foot-note, page 128.
"You won't plow it up, then, in a week with your Hoosier steers !" I said, laughing.
" Well ! well !" he answered, " who ever saw a country so deceiving in its appearances !"
At another time the same party were coming up the Arroyo Seco road from Los Angeles, when Fletcher, who was always inclined to chaff
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Berry, good naturedly said to him, "Berry, you will never be able to make a corner on sand and boulders in your settlement, as you and Elliott used to make on corn and wheat back East."
When our local paper noticed the fact that this same sand and boulders of which he had spoken so derisively was worth twenty-five cents per load, "as it lay," Mr. Fletcher was reminded of his little joke by the report of the totally unexpected rise in the value of these waste-land commodities .*
E. W. GIDDINGS.
Our families consisted of L. W. Giddings and wife, with their children, married and unmarried, as follows: Oldest daughter Elsie, and her hus- band E. H. Royce, with their daughters Jennie and Florence Royce. Eugene W. Giddings ; Mary, and her husband Calvin Hartwell. Laura Giddings, J. Reed Giddings, Jr., and Grotius L. Giddings.
We all came with our own teams from Sacramento, and arrived at Pasa- dena November 4, 1874. We did the breaking or first plowing on much of the colony land ; but finally settled on the bench of land at mouth of Mil- lard canyon, commonly called "Giddings Heights."+
As to wild game, I have taken all sorts, from rabbits or quail to grizzly bears. I have always kept hounds-have six on the ranch now, and scarcely a week passes that I don't get at least one or two foxes. Once I was hunting near Devil's Gate, when my hound treed four big wildcats in one tree. I shot two of them; the third one jumped and the dog grabbed him-then the fourth one sprang on the dog, but he never let loose his grip. One got away after being wounded, but " Cash," the dog, and I got three to carry home as trophies-though he was laid up for some time with the bites and scratches the cats gave him. This was the same dog with which I got thirty-seven deer within two miles of home, oue year. Once I shot a young buck ; he fell, and I ran to him, laid down my gun and grasped his
*From a biography of Judge Eaton prepared by Mrs. Carr for the Los Angeles Co. Ilistorical So- ciety, I gather a few main points, as follows : BENJ. S. EATON-born December 20, 1823, at Plainfield, Conn. Both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the revolutionary war ; and his father was in command of Fort Trumbull in the war of 1812. Young Benjamin taught district school in Southbridge, Conn., and Oxford, Mass. Studied law at Newbury, N. Y., and Ellington, Conu. Graduated from Harvard Law School in July, 1846 In spring of 1847 was married at Liberty, Missouri, to Miss Helen Hayes of Baltimore, Md., sister to Benjamin Hayes who afterward served twelve years as Judge of Los Angeles connity, Cal. In 1847-48 published a newspaper at Weston, Mo. I11 1850 came to California with ox teams via Salt Lake to Sacramento, and engaged in newspaper work. In 1851 went gold digging. I11 1852 came to Los Angeles because his brother-in-law, Judge Hayes, was living there. In 1853 was elected District Attorney. [See Chapter 11 for list of public offices held by him.] In December this year his family came here via Isthmus of Panama. In December, 1858, he came onto Rancho San Pasqual with live stock. In May, 1859, his wife died in Los Angeles. In 1860 he went back overland to Plainfield, Conn., to visit his mother, then eighty-four years old. In February, 1861, was married to Miss Alice Taylor Clarke, at Plainfield, and returned to Los Angeles about May ist. In February, 1865, settled at Fair Oaks, on Rancho San Pasqual ; but while residing here was employed in superintending construc- tion of ditches, flumes, canals, reservoirs for supplying water to the hill portions of Los Angeles. His work on the Rancho, and his part in the original colony settlement are given elsewhere. State Engineer Win. H. Hall, in his official report for 1888, p, 502. says: " The Orange Grove Association's original works, planned and carried out under the supervision of Hon. B. S. Eaton, were the first constructed in Southern California wherein water was conducted and distributed for general horticultural irrigation by means of iron pipes and under pressure." [This is a mistake, for B. D. Wilson and J. De Barth Shorb had done the same thing at Alhambra two years earlier .- ED.]
+L. W. Giddings died September 23, 1891 ; and the Daily Star of next day said : "He had been sick about a year. He is of a historic family, being a nephew of the great abolitionist, Joshua R. Gid- dings. He was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, sixty five years ago last June ; and seventeen years ago he came to Pasadena, settling on the mesa near the foot of the mountains, whence he was only removed two and a half months ago to Ellis street in this city for convenience of treatment."
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