USA > California > Sacramento County > History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1913 > Part 16
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1861, Amos Adams, Charles Crocker, N. Greene Curtis and Dr. Joseph Powell. Adams, at that time a farmer, afterward became prominent as a member of the Grange. He removed to San Francisco and died at San Jose, March 18, 1896. Crocker was then a dry-goods merchant and afterwards acquired national reputation as one of the builders of the Central Pacific Railroad. He was at one time a city councilman. He died at Monterey, August 14, 1888. Powell prac- ticed medicine at Folsom, where he died November 27, 1869.
1862, W. H. Barton, John F. Benton, James B. Saul, James H. Warwick and R. D. Ferguson. Barton was president of the New Liverpool Salt Company in San Francisco for many years. Benton served also as a senator. Saul removed to Yolo county, where he
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managed a large fruit ranch. He died at Davisville, October 30, 1881. Warwick, an actor of ability and a fine orator, removed from here many years ago.
1863, Amos Adams, W. H. Barton, M. M. Estee, James H. War- wick and Dr. Charles Duncombe. Estee served the county as district attorney in 1864-65. In 1882 he ran for governor and was defeated by Stoneman. He was chairman of the national Republican conven- tion; a presidential elector in 1876; nominee for governor in 1894; United States district judge of the Hawaiian Territory, appointed June 5, 1900. He lived for a number of years at his home in Napa, and died at Honolulu, October 27, 1903.
1863-64, Alexander Badlam, William B. Hunt, John P. Rhodes, Francis Tukey and J. R. Watson. Badlam, in partnership with M. M. Estee, John Simpson, H. C. Bidwell and others, published a paper called the Evening Star for about three months from May 25, 1864. He removed to San Francisco and was elected assessor. He ran for re-election in 1882 and when his friends expressed fear that he might not win, he said that "it would be a cold day when he got left." The day after the election some of his friends sent him a ton of coal and a cord of wood, with a note saying that it might serve to keep him warm during the cold day. He was port warden at San Francisco, 1890-91, and died in that city, January 25, 1898. Hunt kept the French Hotel on Second street for many years. He was an old New York fireman in the days of the volunteer companies and was chief en- gineer of our fire department. He was known as the "Sacramento Statesman" when he was assemblyman; was an assemblyman from San Francisco in 1885, and died there November 13, 1889. Rhodes was a farmer on the Cosumnes, and died there on his farm, December 20, 1866. Tukey was marshal of Boston at the time of the Webster- Parkman murder. He was city superintendent of schools in 1855 and died on his farm near this city, November 23, 1867. For many years Watson was purchasing agent for the Central Pacific Railroad Com- pany, and superintendent of the hospital. He died in this city, Sep- tember 11, 1889.
1865-66, Thomas Hansbrow, Dwight Hollister, Peter J. Hopper, William B. Hunt and J. B. Maholmb. Hansbrow was in business in Sacramento for some years. He was at one time a supervisor, and died August 31, 1868. Hollister was a farmer and fruit-grower near Courtland. He was once a supervisor and served in the assembly a second time, in the twenty-sixth session. He died on his ranch at Courtland, September 7, 1904. Hopper was a lawyer and newspaper publisher at Folsom and afterward moved to Sacramento. He died July 22, 1883. Maholmb was a farmer on the Cosumnes, but afterward moved to San Francisco.
1867-68, Marion Biggs, Paschal Coggins, A. Comte, Jr., Bruce B. Lee and Charles Wolleb. Marion Biggs removed to Butte county,
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where he lived until his death. He was a member of the second con- stitutional convention and a member of congress from 1887 till 1891. Coggins was for some time local editor of the Union, and was a mem- ber of the board of education, but left here, shot himself in the head in San Francisco and died from the effects of the wound, November 18, 1883. Comte was also a senator. Bruce B. Lee was a son of Barton Lee, one of the pioneer merchants and bankers, whose deeds of charity in the early days of Sacramento are worthy of remem- brance. He was subsequently harbor commissioner and later removed to Red Bluff and engaged in the real-estate and insurance business. A prominent Mason, he was chosen grand commander of the Knights Templar of California. He died at Red Bluff, October 30, 1890. Wolleb was secretary of the Germania Building and Loan Association for years. He died at Fruitvale, Alameda county, December 21, 1883. 1869-70, James A. Duffy, Isaac F. Freeman, M. S. Horan, John A. Odell and R. D. Stephens. Duffy was also a senator. Freeman was a farmer near Elk Grove. Born in Ohio, he came to this state in 1852, driving a herd of cattle across the plains and walking all the way. After staying a year he returned east, but came back in 1859, settled near Elk Grove and carried on a farm there for many years. He was highly respected by lis neighbors, by whom he was familiarly known as "Uncle Isaac." He died at his home, December 7, 1892. Horan was afterwards a police judge and practiced law in San Francisco and died there, December 10, 1892, three days later than Freeman, his colleague. Odell died at Folsom, May 29, 1881. Stephens was born in Illinois and came overland to California in 1849 with his father. They located near Mayhews, where the son still has a very valuable vineyard and orchard. He has been one of the foremost fruit-growers in the county and has done much to build up the fruit interests of the state. He was elected constable in 1859, to the legislature in 1869, served as warrant clerk in the controller's office from 1875 to 1880, and was a candidate for controller in 1882 in the Democratic conven- tion. He took an active part in the constitutional convention of 1879, and in 1885 was appointed by President Cleveland postmaster of Sac- ramento. He was state library trustee, 1889-94; member of the state board of viticultural commissioners, 1890, and the state board of hor- ticulture from 1896 to 1903. He still lives in Sacramento and carries on his horticultural interests.
1871-72, C. G. W. French, Dr. Obed Harvey, Peter J. Hopper, William Johnston and E. B. Mott, Jr. French practiced law at Fol- som and in this city for many years. He was appointed chief justice of Arizona by President Hayes in 1877; was trustee of the state library from 1866 to 1870, and died in San Francisco, August 13, 1891. Dr. Harvey came from Illinois to California in 1850. In 1859 he was a delegate to the first railroad convention held in the state. In 1869 he located near Galt and acquired large land holdings. He served in
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the state senate and was a director of the insane asylum at Stockton for many years. He died at Galt, January 16, 1894. Johnston was also a senator. Mott was for many years a member of the firm of Gillig, Mott & Co., and was afterward connected with the Pacific Mu- tual Life Insurance Company. He was trustee of the state library from 1872 to 1878, and died here August 4, 1882.
1873-74, James N. Barton, W. E. Bryan, Paschal Coggins, Reuben Kercheval and P. H. Russell. Barton removed to Humboldt county. He was a member of the second constitutional convention. He is still living near Sacramento. W. E. Bryan was a farmer residing in this county. Kercheval was a fruit farmer with large holdings on Grand Island and died there, May 9, 1881. Russell was formerly a prominent grocer in this city. He removed to San Francisco and died there, February 12, 1906.
1875-76, Marion Biggs, Jr., Thomas J. Clunie and A. D. Patter- son. Biggs, the son of Marion Biggs, Sr., was a farmer near Frank- lin, but afterwards moved to Butte county. He died in Sacramento, January 19, 1903. Clunie practiced law for many years in this city and afterwards removed to San Francisco, being sent to congress from that city and also represented it in the state senate. In 1884 he was a delegate to the Democratic national convention. He died in San Francisco, June 30, 1903. Patterson was a native of Pennsylvania. He came to California in 1849 and soon afterwards located at Ron- tier's, his family coming out here in 1852. He was postmaster at Routier's for fifteen years. In 1851 he was elected sheriff and the first three men executed by the authorities were hung during his term. He died at Routier's, December 4, 1884. What is known as Routier's for years was called Patterson's, until the name of the postoffice was changed.
1877-78, Grove L. Johnson, Reuben Kercheval and Joseph Rou- tier. Johnson and Routier were also senators.
1880, Elwood Bruner, Seymour Carr and John N. Young. Bruner and Young were both members of the city board of education. The former has been grand master of the order of Odd Fellows of Cali- fornia, and was elected district attorney in 1886 and 1888. He went to Alaska some years ago. Young was an attorney here for a num- ber of years and finally removed to San Francisco, where he still prac- tices law. Carr was a farmer near Clay station, where he still lives.
1881, John E. Baker, W. C. Van Fleet and J. N. Young. Baker was a soldier during the Civil War, and was a farmer down the Sac- ramento river. He died in this city, May 2, 1881. Judge Van Fleet was born in Ohio and came to California in 1869, and studied law with Beatty and Denson. He was admitted to the bar in 1873 and practiced in Nevada, returning here in 1876; was appointed a state prison director in 1883; elected to the superior court in 1885-92; jus- tice of the supreme court, 1894-99; trustee state library, 1899; code commissioner, 1899-1903; judge of the United States district court, northern district, in 1907, which office he still holds.
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1883, Gillis Doty, Hugh M. LaRue and Frank D. Ryan. Doty was for many years a farmer near Elk Grove and enjoyed the con- fidence of the community. He was supervisor several times and was also a state senator for two terms. He was a member of the auditing board for the commissioner of public works from 1897 to 1902. He died at Elk Grove, July 23, 1909. La Rue was born in Kentucky and came to California in 1849, locating at Fiddletown (now called Oleta), but came to Sacramento in 1850. In 1857 he was elected sheriff by a few votes, but lost the office on a contest. He was elected again in 1873, and in 1879 was a member of the second constitutional conven- tion. In 1863-64 he was a member of the assembly, being speaker for both terms. He was a delegate to the national Democratic conven- tion in 1884; was president of the State Agricultural Society for sev- eral years and an ex-officio regent of the State University, and served as railroad commissioner from 1895 to 1899. He died at Sacramento, December 12, 1906. Ryan was born in Sacramento, was admitted to the bar in 1880; was grand president of the Native Sons in 1889; trustee of the state library, 1898-1902; trustee Chico Normal School, 1899-1901; trustee Sutter's Fort, 1891-1903; commissioner of public works, 1899-1907; died near Pleasant Grove, February 9, 1908.
1885, Winfield J. Davis, Charles T. Jones and Dwight Hollister. Davis was a valuable man in the history of this county. Having a taste for literature and history, he preserved many of the early in- cidents and records, and in 1890 published a history of the county, collected with much care and to which the writer of this history is much indebted for valuable matter, both then and subsequently. A biographical sketch of him will be found elsewhere. He died at Marysville, August 3, 1909. Jones served the county several terms as district attorney and still lives in this city, practicing law. He was chosen an alternate elector in 1888.
1887, H. W. Carroll, L. S. Taylor and Seymour Carr. Carroll was born in Sacramento, was a University of California graduate, and engaged in various kinds of business here. He was a prominent Mason and was engineer officer, brigade inspector, lieutenant-colonel and aide-de-camp on the staff of Governors Stoneman and Bartlett. He removed some years ago to Seattle, where he is city controller at present. Taylor was a native of Ohio and came to this state in 1850. He spent some time in the mines and later went to Solano, holding for a year the position of deputy district attorney. For some years he practiced law in this city and was a county commissioner. He was a past grand master of Odd Fellows, and died in this city, February 6, 1895.
1889, E. C. Hart, W. M. Petrie and L. H. Fassett. Judge Hart was a member of the senate in 1893-95, and is now a justice of the third district appellate court. Mr. Petrie has been for nearly fifty years a resident of this city and a successful merchant. He served a number of terms as a member of the city board of education, of which
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he was a member until the new city charter abolished the board, hav- ing been re-elected term after term. Mr. Fassett was a farmer and died at his home near Freeport, December 16, 1889. He served one term as supervisor.
1891, Elwood Bruner, Judson C. Brusie and Gillis Doty. Mr. Bruner was for many years a resident of Sacramento, but went to Alaska during the gold excitement some years ago and still resides there. He was also a member of the assembly in 1879 and was dis- trict attorney of this county for a time. Judson C. Brusie, a prac- ticing attorney of this city and previously an assemblyman from Amador county, was secretary of the railroad commissioners from 1903 to 1908. He died in Los Angeles, June 10, 1908. In addition to being an attorney and public man, he was a very versatile writer and the author of a successful play.
1893, H. C. Chipman, W. A. Anderson and Eben B. Owen. Mr. Chipman was a resident of this city for many years and died here, May 26, 1899. Judge Anderson is an old-timer, having come to this county with his father at four years of age, in 1849. He was elected city auditor and took the office four days after attaining his ma- jority; was admitted to the bar of the supreme court while yet a minor. In 1868 he entered the practice of the law and has been for many years one of the best known and successful attorneys in the state. He has filled the office of city attorney for several terms and also that of city justice. From 1867 to 1875 he was assistant ad- jutant-general of the Fourth Brigade, N. G. C., with the rank of major. Mr. Owen was a farmer living near McConnell's on the Cosumnes, where he has a large ranch.
1895, L. T. Hatfield, John E. Butler and Judson C. Brusie. Mr. Hatfield, an attorney, has been for a number of years legal adviser of the Sacramento Electric Gas and Railway Company of this city. Mr. Butler was a farmer who lived above Folsom. He died about a year ago at his home in Oak Park.
1897, Scott F. Ennis, L. M. Landsborough and William M. Sims. Mr. Ennis is a prominent citizen of Sacramento, in the wholesale produce and commission business. Mr. Landsborough was a fruit- raiser of Florin and is now a successful business man in that town. Mr. Sims was for a number of years a practicing attorney here, but of late years has been a resident of San Francisco, where he prac- tices his profession.
1899, W. D. Knights, Grove L. Johnson and Morris Brooke. Mr. Knights was for a number of years engaged in business here, but has for sonie years past been a resident of San Francisco. Mr. Brooke was a fruit-raiser for some years, but is at present the head of a large and successful real-estate firm.
1901, Louis F. Reeber, W. W. Greer and Grove L. Johnson. Mr. Reeber was a well-known citizen of Sacramento. He was elected as a Democrat and was backed by the labor organizations of the city. Mr. Greer was a farmer and prominent in Grange circles. He still
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resides on his farm, southeast of the city.
1903, Grove L. Johnson, W. W. Greer and J. M. Higgins. Mr. Higgins has been for a number of years foreman of the bindery in the state printing office and is very popular among the labor unions.
1905, Frank J. O'Brien, Edward F. Lynch and C. O. Busick. Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Busick are both practicing lawyers of this city. Mr. Lynch is a farmer living near Mills station on the Folsom and Placerville railway.
1907, Grove L. Johnson, Frank J. O'Brien and Edward F. Lynch.
1909, E. L. Hawk, W. W. Greer and Grove L. Johnson. Mr. Hawk has been for many years a prominent real-estate dealer of this city, and is very prominent in Grand Army circles, having been de- partment commander in 1910.
1911, John C. March, Charles A. Bliss and E. F. Lynch. Mr. March is well known in this city, and was city justice for two terms. Mr. Bliss, a practicing attorney here, at the recent election under the new charter was elected one of the city commissioners.
CHAPTER XVIII CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY
In 1850 the legislature took the first active step toward securing a state library by enacting a law directing that the scattered books which were the property of the state be gathered together and placed in the custody of the secretary of state, who should also serve as state librarian. This was done, but no considerable addition was made to the number of volumes so collected until 1856, when 3500 standard law books were bought, at a cost of about $17,000, and placed in the library, which soon began to grow, comprising in 1860 about 20,000 volumes; in 1870 it had increased to 25,000; in 1880 to 50,000; in 1890 to about 70,000.
Nearly every stranger in Sacramento visits the California State Library, whose headquarters are in the Capitol building, where they occupy the largest part of the east wing, extending from the base- ment to the top floor. On the shelves of the library are about 165,000 volumes. Its average annual income has been about $45,000. The institution was established by an act of the state legislature in 1851, and was intended originally as a legislative reference collection only. In 1899 the right to appoint the state librarian passed from the legislature to the governor, thus taking the state librarianship out of the danger of periodic scrambles for office incident upon legis- lative changes. The strength and influence of the office was greatly strengthened by the appointment in the same year of the present state librarian, J. L. Gillis, a librarian of unusual executive power. Under his administration the library has widened its sphere of use- fulness until it has become the controlling factor in library work throughout the entire state.
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The work of the institution is carried on through about seven de- partments, briefly summarized as Order and Accessions; Catalogue; Law; Reference; Documents; California; Department for the Blind, and County Library Extension. The most original work is conducted by the last three departments. The California includes besides all books written about California or by California authors, a splendid file of pioneer records, arranged in card-catalogue form, and con- taining invaluable information concerning the social and political history of the state written first-hand by actual observers of the events that make up the annals of early California. A like record is kept of the state's authors, musicians and artists, together with files containing reproductions of the canvases of California painters. Pho- tographs are also on file of the interesting persons connected with any part of the state's history, political, social or artistic. An unique index to California's newspapers and magazine literature is main- tained by this department.
Books for the blind are sent out upon request to countless readers all over the state. The resources of this branch of the work are some 2,132 books in different kinds of raised type, and nearly all the leading magazines for the blind; to which are being constantly added writing appliances, games and puzzles of new invention.
Nowhere is the influence of the state library more helpful than in its organization and encouragement of the county libraries which are rapidly appearing on every side, and promise to spread throughout all the counties of the state. These county libraries, through a well organized system of inter-library loans managed by the state library, are able to secure a constant supply of rare, valuable or technical books which would otherwise be unattainable by them. Also the standard of scholarship and efficiency of these smaller libraries is kept up to a high level through a system of report-making to the state library; through county library conventions conducted by the state library ; through personal yearly visits of the state librarian, and through the influence of the state library board of examiners, which conduets competitive examinations for applicants for county librari- anship.
California is among the first of all the states to recognize the large value of a strong, central library which shall foster the smaller county organizations, and naturally the people of the state are proud of the good work accomplished and yet to be accomplished by their state library at Sacramento.
CHAPTER XIX CITY FREE LIBRARY
Along in the middle '50s the need for a public library began to be recognized, and in 1857 the Sacramento Library Association was
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organized and a good library collected, which, in spite of loss by fire, steadily increased. In 1872 the building on I street, between Seventlı and Eighth, which is now occupied by the Sacramento City Free Library, was erected, and furnished at a total cost of $17,000. $11,000 of this amount was raised by a gift enterprise and mortgage for $6,000 was given. The library opened under favorable auspices, but its existence was not as prosperous as had been expected or was desirable. In 1879, therefore, the directors offered to donate the property to the city, to be maintained as a free library, if the city would assume the debt. When the question was submitted to the voters of the city at the election in March following, the offer was accepted. Soon after the library was re-arranged and re-catalogued and on June 15, was thrown open to the public as a free library with 6,067 volumes on the shelves. It has steadily grown in size and use- fulness and comprises many thousand volumes. The leading papers of the state and many of the leading newspapers of the Union are to be found in its reading room, besides a number of representative foreign newspapers and periodicals, numbering in all, between two hundred and three hundred. Books may be drawn from the library by any citizen of Sacramento, free of cost, upon obtaining the neces- sary permit. The library is supported by a public tax and is under the control of a board of trustees appointed by the mayor of the city. For a number of years they were elected by the people. Among those who have served as library trustees were the following: Judge S. C. Denson, William H. Mills, William C. Fitch, Samuel Howard Gerrish. Add C. Hinkson, Mrs. G. W. Hancock, Miss Georgiana Brewster, Albert Hart, Kirke W. Brier, Francis Le Noir, A. S. Hopkins, L. E. Smith, E. B. Willis.
In 1908 the library, under an agreement with the board of super- visors, extended the library privileges to all the residents of Sacra- mento county, being the first library in the state to undertake this county library work. Branch libraries and deposit stations to the number of twenty-eight have been established in various parts of the county, and school-room libraries have been provided for all schools desiring this service.
The library now has approximately 50,000 volumes, including the county and schools collections, serves 10,000 card holders, and circulates about 200,000 books a year. Under the new city charter, effective July 1, 1912, the management of the library is placed in the hands of a librarian, subject to the supervision of the commissioner of education. The last board of library directors to serve in this capacity, who will go out of office with the incoming of the new charter, consists of W. C. Fitch, president; S. H. Gerrish, secretary; L. J. Hinsdale, F. B. Sutliff and D. S. Watkins The first two have served continuously since the library became a free library. The librarian, Lauren W. Ripley, has been connected with the institution since Jan-
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uary, 1882, and is assisted by a staff of ten people at the central library and twenty-eight branch librarians and custodians of deposit stations.
CHAPTER XX GOVERNMENT OFFICES
The Sacramento postoffice was established in the early days of the city's existence. Since that time its business has increased with the growth of the city, but the facilities for carrying it on have always been less than its needs. The rapid growth and extension of Sacramento and its suburbs during the past few years have sorely taxed the resources of the office, the government furnishing additional carriers and clerks when it could no longer shut its eyes to the fact that the force was inadequate.
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