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 39
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The first death in the township occurred February 14, 1851, and was that of a Mrs. Jackson, who was with her husband, visiting at Dr. Russell's house. There was only one white woman, Mrs. McIntyre, present at the funeral, and most of those who attended it were In- dians. At the grave the Indians squatted around on the ground, mak- ing a strange picture. In 1853 a Fourth of July celebration was held at McIntyre's house. The settlers came from all over the county and many from San Joaquin county. A flag was made by four of the
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ladies, the stripes being from a red window curtain and the blue field of a blue shawl.
The stock interests later gave way to grain, and much wheat was raised for years. There was little, if any, mineral in the township.
The town of Galt was laid out by Obed Harvey and the Western Pacific Railroad Company in 1869, and the Galt House, an old hotel erected by S. Fugitt, was moved to the town. It was discontinued in 1872.
Whitaker & Ray started their store in Galt in 1859, and amassed a fortune. The postoffice was established the same year, with John Brewster as the first postmaster.
The First Congregational Church of Galt was established October 13, 1877, Rev. William C. Stewart, pastor, and the first officers were James Ferguson and E. C. Morse, but religious services had been held in the schoolhouse at irregular times by various denominations since 1869. In 1884 the church erected a fine building through the energy of Dr. Harvey and John McFarland. The Methodists in 1879 took a schoolhouse built in 1872 and converted it into a church. The Christian Church was organized in 1887 or 1888. The Catholics laid the cornerstone of their church October 12, 1885, and it being the 393rd anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus, the church was named St. Christopher's Church. Rt. Rev. P. W. Riordan, Archbishop of San Francisco, officiated.
Phoenix Lodge No. 259, I. O. O. F., was instituted in Galt Decem- ber 29, 1875, by Grand Master D. W. Welty. It now has ninety-two members. Galt Encampment No. 65, I. O. O. F., was organized May 13, 1881. Rei Rebekah Lodge No. 132, I. O. O. F., was organized March 20, 1888, with forty-eight charter members. There are eighty- seven members at present. Galt Lodge, F. and A. M., was organized in the fall of 1882 with fifteen charter members and S. W. Palin as master. The Knights of Pythias were organized February 12, 1883. Galt Lodge No. 113, A. O. U. W., was instituted June 21, 1879. Other organizations have been instituted from time to time. The Order of Chosen Friends was instituted in 1882; the Golden Shore Lodge in May, 1889; the Grand Army Post July 12, 1888, and the Order of the Iron Hall, an incorporated order, in 1889.
Hicksville was named after "Uncle Billy Hicks," one of the oldest settlers in the township, who came in 1847 and began stock-raising. The postoffice was established at his place in 1854 and was transferred to the present site of Hicksville in 1857. There is now a postoffice at Arno on the Valensin place, at Arno station, the Hicksville postoffice, which was off the railroad, having been discontinued a number of years ago. At present there are a number of subdivisions being carved out of the large farms in the township, the principal ones of which are the Valensin Colony and Herald. The Central California
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electric road runs through the township, and the colonies are on its line.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
Franklin township was formed out of the original Sutter township by the board of supervisors October 20, 1856. It lies between the Sacramento river, the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers, and Sutter township. The lands in this township are all either agricultural or marsh lands, the latter, where reclaimed, being very valuable for fruit, grain or vegetable raising, and much alfalfa is also produced on them. The agricultural lands have been mostly used for grain raising, being much of them adobe, with some sections of the red plains loam. There are also some vineyards among them. There is a chain of lakes running through the western part of the township and connect- ing with Snodgrass Slough. Along the river are some of the finest orchards to be found in the state, producing all kinds of fruit, berries, vegetables and alfalfa, which are carried to San Francisco and to Sac- ramento for shipment to the east. Almost every orchard has its river landing, where numerous fruit and produce boats ply daily through the fruit season. The titles were all procured from the United States, there being no Mexican or Spanish grants in the township. The largest business enterprise in the township is the brickyard on the river, owned by James O'Neil.
Joseph Sims came to the state in 1847, with Stevenson's regiment, and is the youngest member living of the Sacramento Society of Pioneers. He settled in Franklin township in 1849, and has a valuable farmn. J. B. Green came in 1849, J. C. Beach in 1850, Wm. H. Fry in 1852, Joseph Green in 1851, Truman N. Fassett in 1852, George W. Hack in 1855, R. Kercheval in 1850, David T. Lufkin in 1850, Jacob Miller in 1853, John Reith in 1855, Solomon Runyon in 1850, Myron Smith in 1853, Adam Warner in 1853. Union House was established in 1852 by Amos Butler, and has a postoffice. The Six-mile House was built by a man named Prewitt in 1853-54. The Twelve-mile House was built in 1850 by a man named Hesser.
Freeport, eight miles from Sacramento on the river, was the place from which the Freeport Railroad Company projected its road in 1862-63 to connect with the Sacramento Valley road, and enjoyed quite a shipping trade to the mines for several years. A. J. Bump built the first store in 1863, and the first hotel was started by E. Greer the same year. There was a population of from three hundred to four hundred people at that time, but now only a few people remain. It has a postoffice. Freeport Lodge No. 26, I. O. G. T., was instituted in January, 1884, and built a lodge building. The order went down some years ago.
Franklin, for many years known as Georgetown, has a postoffice, store, hotel and a number of residences, and was settled in 1856 by
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Andrew George. The schoolhouse was erected and run for two years as a high school, but abandoned as such on account of the expense. Franklin Grange, P. of H., was instituted January 9, 1874.
Richland was started in 1860 as a landing, and had a large ware- house, a school, a Methodist church and a few residences.
Courtland is a landing for all the steamers, and was established in 1870 by James V. Sims. It has a postoffice, telegraph and Wells- Fargo office, and a store. In December, 1879, a fire destroyed the part of it known as Chinatown, which was rebuilt.
Onisbo, named after a chief of the Digger Indians there, was set- tled by A. Runyon in 1849. A postoffice was established in 1853, but was moved to Courtland in 1857. The schoolhouse, with the lodge room of Franklin Lodge No. 143, F. and A. M., overhead, was erected in 1860 at a cost of $2200. Franklin Lodge was instituted in 1861, with George A. Blakeslee as master.
GEORGIANA TOWNSHIP
Georgiana township joins Franklin township on the south, and was set off from Sutter township, of which it was originally a part, by the court of sessions, August 14, 1854, commencing at a point about opposite to Steamboat Slough. On October 20, 1856, the board of supervisors established Merritt Slough as the northeast corner. The township is composed almost entirely of what are generally known as the River islands, including part of Sutter island, almost all of Grand island, and all of Andrus, Tyler, Twitchell, Brannan, Sherman and Wood islands, and having about one hundred miles of levee. No richer land is to be found than that in this township, and the lands along the river and sloughs, when reclaimed, yield prodigiously. The orchards of all kinds of fruit keep a number of boats busy during the fruit season, and ship potatoes and vegetables to San Francisco and Sacra- mento all the year round. The land is being devoted extensively to the raising of asparagus and celery of late, yielding great profits. The stretch of land on the river from Freeport down, with its thirty- five miles of orchards, has been famous for years, and the nine miles of river front on the Pearson reclamation district has excited much comment from press and public. It includes about nine thousand acres, and a splendid levee was constructed around it in 1878. The old levee gave way and it was flooded, many of the owners being ruined, and about four thousand acres fell into the hands of the San Francisco Savings Union, which proceeded to reclaim it under the management of P. J. Von Loben Sels. Over $300,000 was spent in levees, pumping plant and other improvements. The land reclaimed has proved of marvelous productiveness for grain, potatoes, beans and other vegetables.
Brannan island has about eight thousand acres, nearly all under cultivation. The levees and the residents have suffered greatly from
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floods in the years since the settlement in 1852, but the land is now protected by levees more scientifically constructed, and is very pro- ductive.
Sherman island is the southernmost point of Sacramento county, and was first settled by Robert P. Beasley in 1855. It was all re- claimed in 1873, and the land increased in valne rapidly, the crops being good and everything prospering. The high water of 1878, how- ever, dispelled the rosy anticipations of the owners and brought dis- aster to them, destroying the levees and making a swamp of the island. At various times since then the levees have been rebuilt with the same result. Within the last few years, however, the levees have been raised and strengthened by huge dredgers, and are considered secure at present. A great drawback to the reclamation of the islands is due to the fact that they are of peat formation, and at various times the weight of the sand placed on them too close to the river has caused the levee to slide down into the river. Of late the levees have been set further back, with a long slope on the side next to the river, and as a result all the islands will be ultimately re- claimed. There are two wharves on the island, and Emmaton is a small place on the Sacramento river.
Twitchell and Tyler islands have been great sufferers from floods, the former having been purchased by the Tide Land Reclamation Company in 1869 and reclaimed in 1870, only to be overwhelmed by the water.
Andrus island was settled in 1852 by George Andrus, at the upper end. It contains about seven thousand acres and is all re- claimed. Isleton, forty-one miles from Sacramento, is at the lower end of this island. It was established by Josiah Pool in 1874, and has enjoyed prosperity for many years. The wharf was built in 1875. Formerly the principal industry was the raising of sugar beets, but it was finally discontinued. For some years a lodge of Good Tem- plars and a Grange of Patrons of Husbandry flourished here.
Sutter island has been under process of reclamation for many years, and is now largely under cultivation. Walnut Grove was set- tled by John W. Sharp in the fall of 1851, and there has been a post- office there since 1855 or 1856. It is situated at the junction of Georg- iana Slough with the Sacramento river. It has a wharf at which the steamers stop going both ways, also a store, schoolhouse, a hotel and a hall. It is a point from which much produce is shipped. The grow- ing of asparagus and celery has expanded very fast within the past three or four years, and a large area of the splendid alluvial soil near the river is being devoted to it.
LEE TOWNSHIP
Lee township was formed October 20, 1856, by the board of super- visors and is bonnded on the north by Granite township, on the east
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by Natoma and Cosminnes, on the south by Alabama and on the west by San Joaquin and Brighton townships. Of the original townships it contains part of what was San Joaquin township and a large por- tion of the original Cosumnes township. South of the Cosnmnes river it includes part of the Hartnell grant, north of the Cosumnes and parallel to it is the Sheldon grant. About thirty-eight hundred acres of the Leidesdorff grant is in the northern part of the township. Along the Cosummes river and Deer creek is the rich alluvial land, producing alfalfa and fruits. Back from the river is the red soil known as plains or agricultural land. On the high. land umch of it is gravel and used principally for grazing.
Approaching the Cosumnes river on the old Jackson road, as one reaches the brow of the hill, a beautiful green valley strikes the eye, and winds toward the south with the river. In the summer, when the hills are brown, it gives one beholding it for the first time a pleasurable surprise. One summer evening in 1840 William Daylor, who was in the employ of Captain Sutter, while on a cattle hunt, rode to the top of the hill which overlooks the valley of the Cosumnes. The valley at that time was thickly populated with Indians and as Daylor did not care to make too close an acquaintance with them, he did not descend into the valley, but went back to the fort. He reported what he had discovered to his friend, Jared Sheldon, who was at the time employed by Sutter as a carpenter. Sheldon, who was a naturalized citizen of Mexico, and had certain claims against the Mexican govern- ment for services in building the custom honse at Monterey, saw his opportunity, and made an arrangement with Daylor, by which he (Sheldon), through his friend, E. P. Hartnell, who was then secretary of state and government interpreter for California under the Mexican government, should obtain a grant of the valley discovered by Daylor, in liquidation of his unsettled claim. Daylor was to settle with two or three companions on the grant, while Sheldon was to stock the ranch with cattle, and the two were to become equal partners in the land and cattle.
Sheldon took the preliminary steps for securing the grant, and then purchased three hundred head of cattle of Dr. Marsh, of Marsh's landing (now Antioch), for which he was to pay in carpenter work, which he entered upon immediately, sending the cattle through the unknown country from Dr. Marsh's to the Cosumnes. They reached their destination safely, and the drovers found a corral for the rattle and a tent for the men, which had been provided by Daylor, assisted by Ned Robinson and a force of Indians. These Indians had been found to be docile, friendly, and willing to do anything for the whites in consideration of a yard of "Manta" (unbleached muslin) and the game, deer, elk and antelope, which the latter provided, and which compensated the Indians for a week's work. With their aid a field of one hundred acres was inclosed with a ditch and planted with
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wheat, which was procured from Captain Sutter. During the first year the diet of the settlers was confined to venison, but after the crop was gathered boiled wheat was added to their menu, which was unvaried until 1847.
In the meantime Sheldon and Daylor had found a fine site for a mill just below where McCracken's bridge was afterwards built, and in 1847 they constructed a dam and built a grist mill, which continued in successful operation until the stampede of 1848 that caused nearly everyone to forsake work and rush to the mines. After the discovery of gold in 1848 Sheldon, Daylor and MeCoon, taking a number of the Indians, established a mining camp at a point where the Placerville road now crosses Weber creek, and remaining there until the autumn rains set in, they found the result of the summer's work gave to each partner $20,000.
Daylor was married in the autumn of 1846 and Sheldon married in the spring of 1847, their wives being the daughters of Thomas Rhoads of San Joaquin county. Sheldon, desiring to add to his pos- sessions, bought a piece of land about four miles above his mill, and becoming involved in a quarrel with the miners above it, was killed, as narrated elsewhere, July 10, 1851. He was a native of Underhill, Vt., and came to California overland from New Mexico in 1832.
William Daylor, a native of London, England, came to Sutter's Fort in 1840. He died of cholera at Daylor's ranch October 30, 1850.
Sebastian Kayser, born in the Austrian Tyrol, and for many years a trapper in the Rocky mountains, was half-owner of the Johnson ranch at Johnson's crossing on Bear creek, and was drowned in the Cosumnes river in January, 1850.
Perry MeCoon came to California about 1843 and was killed by a fall from his horse near Cook's bar in January, 1851.
W. R. Grimshaw, a native of New York City, was a seafaring man, and arrived at Monterey in June, 1848, in a coasting vessel. He came to Sutter's Fort in October, 1848, and November 15, 1849, he opened a store and Indian trading post in partnership with William Daylor at Daylor's ranch. He died many years ago.
WV. D. Wilson came to this state in 1848, and settled on the Cosminnes river, opposite Daylor's ranch, and died in Santa Clara county in 1875.
John R. T. Mahone was a soldier in Doniphan's regiment during the Mexican war. He married the widow of Jared Sheldon and set- tled at the Slough House in 1852. He died a number of years ago.
Wilson's Exchange hotel was built in 1850 by W. D. Wilson on the south side of the Cosumnes river. In 1851 he built a bridge across the Cosumnes at the same point, but it was swept away by the high water in 1852; he rebuilt it the same year, but it was again swept away in 1862, and was not rebuilt. The Slough House was built by Jared Sheldon in 1850, and he and his family occupied it as a resi-
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dence until his death. The Slough House bridge across Deer creek was built by John Mahone in 1850. It was washed away in 1863, and rebuilt. In 1862 J. C. Austin built a wire bridge across the Cosumnes, located on half of division thirteen of the Hartnell grant .. In 1868 Austin sold it to James D. MeCracken, ex-Governor Booth and Colonel James. It was generally known as the "wire bridge," and in the later '80s became unsafe and the county replaced it with one that was longer and higher.
In the spring of 1850 the justice of the peace at the Daylor ranch was an old fellow known as "Uncle Ben," but he did not hold the office long. A half-witted fellow had been caught driving off some tame American oxen and was brought before Uncle Ben for trial. The fellow was almost paralyzed with fear and declared loudly that he was innocent of any intent to steal, and that he had been hired to drive the oxen to Sacramento. When all was ready for the trial, the prisoner was missing and a party went in search of him. He was found a couple of hundred yards from the house, up to his neck in water and with his head under a bush, and was brought back, more frightened than ever. Being asked how he got away, he said that he had given the justice his purse with the gold dust in it and had been allowed to slip out the back way. The justice denied his story, but the prisoner described the purse and its contents, and on searching the justice the purse and contents were found as described. It was given to him and he was allowed to go, but the judge was tied up to one of the columns that supported the porch and given twenty- five lashes on his bare back with a lasso for a "cat-o'-nine-tails." an Indian officiating. He was then let loose and ordered to leave at once. He left.
In 1850-51, the settlers in Cosumnes and San Joaquin townships, which at that time included Lee, had been greatly annoyed by horse and cattle thieves, until they determined to take the matter into their own hands and administer summary justice to offenders. A man named Orville Hamilton was accused in the early part of 1851 of being accessory to horse stealing and a number of citizens assem- bled at his place and organized a court and proceeded to try him on the charge. Among the members of the court were Jared 'Sheldon, William Hicks, Charles Lewis, W. D. Wilson, S. P. Gage, Atwood, Tryce and Allmond. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to hang and a committee was appointed to carry out the sentence, but when they proceeded to carry out their instructions they found that the prisoner had disappeared. This was communicated to the crowd and created great excitement, which was increased when they dis- covered a man wearing Hamilton's hat. He proved to be a merchant of Sacramento named Sage, an intimate friend and old schoolmate of Hamilton's in Connecticut. It was proposed to hang him in Hamilton's place, but cooler counsel prevailed, and he was ordered
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tied up and whipped. No one appeared willing to undertake the job, until Sheldon exclaimed, "Some one has got to see to this thing," and he tied Sage to a tree and an Indian administered several lashes on his bare back with a lasso. He returned to Sacramento and employed C. A. Tweed to begin suit against Sheldon, Hicks and others, but was non-suited.
By the time all the incidents related had taken place, it was dark and the settlers returned to their homes. Gage and Allmond lived in a cabin about a mile and a half below the Daylor ranch, on the south side of the river, where they were herding horses. When they returned home they were informed by a teamster, who had stopped at their cabin, that two men were endeavoring to drive a herd of horses across a ford about half a mile below the cabin. As this was an unusual proceeding at that time of night, the three men went to the bank overlooking the ford and discovered that two thieves were endeavoring to drive off the horses Gage and Alhnond were herding. They would have been successful, undoubtedly, if the horses had not been unwilling to leave their range after dark. The three men jumped down the bank, pulled the thieves off their horses, dis- armed them and made them return to the cabin, where they gave them their supper. After supper, Gage left his companions to guard ยท the prisoners, while he started out to summon the neighbors to assemble and try the prisoners the next day. Hicks, Sheldon and Grimshaw were in bed when he arrived, and while he went to sum- mon others, they decided to attend to the matter at once. Accord- ingly, when Gage returned with some other neighbors, they all agreed on the subject. When they reached the cabin they found there wait- ing for them John T. Rhoads, William B. Rhoads, John Parker and Ford, and it was decided to proceed to the trial at once. Sheldon was appointed to preside over the court, when it was found that there were not enough men present to form a regular jury. One of the party, however, spoke on the futility of regular trials in stopping the evil of horse-stealing and said it was necessary to make an example. He offered to be one of a party to pull on the rope to hang the prisoners and the others agreed. The horses, which had run into the corral, were examined to make sure there was no mis- take, and the prisoners were led out to a tree, lassos placed around their necks and they were informed that they had only half an hour to live. When the time elapsed, they were drawn up, left there all night and buried by the Indians in the morning. This summary dis- pensing of justice put an effectnal stop to horse-stealing in the township.
One of the earliest mob exeentions in the county outside of the city took place May 14, 1855, when William Lomax was hung by a moh for the murder of Frederick Bohle, who was killed on the 7th. Bohle was a stockraiser and lived in a cabin abont a mile above the
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old Daylor ranch. Some parties who went there to purchase cattle found him dead. He had been cut with a knife and chopped with an ax, the indications pointing to a desperate struggle. The alarm was given at Grimshaw's house, and Grimshaw and Oliver Saunders went out and brought in the body. Lomax had been seen about the premises and he was arrested in Sacramento and taken out to the scene of the murder. He asked that the trial be postponed until he could produce a man named Van Trees, with whom he said he had passed the night previous to the murder, at a ranch on the American river. The people of Michigan Bar and Cook's Bar took possession of him, promising that they would bring him back when Van Trees came, which they did. Van Trees corroborated the story of Lomax that he had been at his place, but added that when he departed he had stolen a mule. Lomax was convicted and hung on a tree in front of Grimshaw's place.
MISSISSIPPI TOWNSHIP
Mississippi township as it was originally established by the court of sessions, February 24, 1851, included not only nearly all the present township, but also the whole of the present Granite township. Very few changes were made until the south line was established October 20,1856, being made by the supervisors the Coloma road. At present it begins at the northeast corner of Center township; runs thence easterly along the northern boundary of the county to the American river; thence southerly and westerly along the American river to the eastern boundary of Center township; thence north along the eastern boundary of Center township to the point of beginning. A large part of the land in the township is mineral, but the better part of the mining land has been worked out and the residents have turned their attention to agriculture and in later years to fruit. The North Fork Company's ditch runs through the township, affording facilities for irrigation throughout the year. The San Juan grant includes the greater part of the township, there being only about five thousand acres outside of its lines. The largest landholders a quarter of a century ago were Cox & Clark and S. C. Hastings.
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