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 40
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About twenty-five years ago the first subdivision of this grant was made and named Orange Vale. It was ent up into ten-acre tracts and quickly sold, a water right going with the land. About fifteen years ago the second subdivision was made and named Fair Oaks. Two years ago the Carmichael colony was purchased, it being the last portion of the Cox & Clark land, joining Fair Oaks on the east and the Haggin grant on the west. It was purchased by D. W. Carmichael, piped for irrigation and sold in ten acre tracts. The three tracts, with the San Juanita and Landis tracts, are piped for water, and the water right goes with the land. The Orange Vale and Fair Oaks colonies have been largely planted to oranges and
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other citrus fruits and have proved as well adapted to that culture as the most favored sections of Southern California. In fact they are more favored as, while in the south the orange crop is sometimes frozen, the oranges here have never yet suffered from frost, owing partly to the fact that they ripen and are marketed a month to six weeks earlier than in the south. The Carmichael colony land, which joins Fair Oaks, is especially adapted to oranges and olives. One or two other tracts to the north are also being subdivided, and in a few years Mississippi township will be one of the most productive citrus fruit centers in the state.
Gold was discovered in Mississippi township, along the banks of the American river, in 1849, about the same time as at Mormon island and Negro Bar. Mining was prosecuted actively along the river for some years, until the bars were mined ont. As gold was found also on the higher benches in paying quantities, a company was formed to bring water in a ditch from the north fork of the American near Auburn. This company brought water through a ditch twenty miles long, in 1855, and from that time till 1870, mining was prosecuted. Since then but little has been done, except by Portuguese and Chinese. The Alabama Bar was situated in the northeast corner of the town- ship, in the middle of the American river, and was located in 1850. In 1852 a company named the Alabama Bar Mining Company, (from the fact that most of the company were Alabamans) was formed. It was composed of twelve men, with John Smith as presi- dent, and Alfred Spinks, superintendent. They located the bar and began to work it, but were notified of the prior location. They re- tained possession, however, and bought out the prior claimants, wher- ever they could find them. The gold gave out in 1856, and the bar was abandoned. The company employed about sixty men during the summer, and it is estimated that they took out about $75,000.
The Slate Bar was located just below the site of the state prison, on the opposite side of the river, but was never a large mining camp, as the mining, being what is known as crevice mining, did not offer the advantages that the other bars did. In 1850 James Smith started the first store at Slate Bar.
The American River Ditch Company was incorporated November 27,1854. They commenced work on the ditch in September, 1854, and it was completed to Big Gulch, near Ashland, the end of the main ditch, January 1, 1857. The first dam was built at Tamaroo Bar, twenty-four miles from Big Gulch. The portion from Big Gulch to Mississippi Bar runs through Orange Vale. The first dam was taken out by flood in March, 1855, the second dam, costing $5,000, in 1857, the third dam, costing $12,000, was destroyed by the flood of 1862, and the cost of rebuilding it was $29,000. It was taken out in 1871, rebuilt, and washed out in 1872 and the present one completed, January, 1876. The water is used now mostly for irrigation. The Orange Vale
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Colonization Company has thirty-two hundred acres of land irrigated by it.
The California Central Railroad Company built its road through this township, and another road was started, to run to Auburn, but never got farther than Wildwood station, ten miles out. The Central Pacific subsequently acquired both of these roads and took up the tracks.
Ashland's original name was Big Gulch, and in 1857 it was changed to Russville, in honor of Colonel Russ. It was also called Bowlesville, sometimes, after an old resident named Bowles, who had, or claimed to have, a title to the land. It was christened Ashland in 1860. In early times there were a large number of cabins and a few saloons, but no hotels. Colonel Russ was for a time the central figure around which affairs in Ashland revolved. The following extract from the Folsom Telegraph of August 12, 1864, will perhaps prove interesting. "In 1857 or 1858 the name of the village was changed from Big Gulch to Russville, in honor of Colonel Russ, whose advent was an era in the history of this quiet place. The Colonel was a man of remarkable traits in more respects than one. Being a speculative genius, he induced a number of San Francisco capitalists to form a company for the purpose of mining the quartz rock for the gold it never had contained, and granite for building, and for these purposes a splendid and costly mill was erected. Machinery for dress- ing the granite was imported from the east. For some time the Colonel endeavored to plane granite, but his machine failed to reduce the obdurate rock to the necessary form and shape and it was cast aside. Then tons of quartz were crushed, but unfortunately for the Colonel and the stockholders, the mill failed to produce the 'color,' for the very good reason that the color was not in the quartz. During this period the Colonel erected a neat cottage on the summit of the highest hill in the neighborhood, which was crowned with a flagstaff.
"The Colonel, turning his attention to politics, was elected justice of the peace of Mississippi township. Whenever a case was to be tried, up went the 'Stars and Stripes' on the flagstaff, and the Colonel mounted the seat of justice, which was about six feet high. There the Colonel sat, invested himself with the majesty of the law, and dis- pensed justice according to a code of his own; the statutes were of no use to him. From his court there was no appeal, and any one mentioning an appeal in that court was liable to be immediately fined for contempt. The Colonel's term expired, the quartz company ex- ploded, and granite would not work, the Colonel's cash ran out, and he departed from Russville. Shortly after the village was christened Ashland, and the only monument now remaining near Ashland of the Colonel's genius and enterprise is a mining shaft two hundred and
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fifty feet deep, sunk to find the bed rock, which some of those inter- ested in the company succeeded in doing, though not in the shaft."
The first mill run by water power in the county of Sacramento was built by James Smith, a native of Denmark, in 1851, and was a sawmill. In 1852 he built a small gristmill, being his own carpenter and millwright, and when the mill was completed he became his own miller. In 1854 Edward Stockton of Sacramento, observing the great possibilities of water power, purchased a half interest in the mill and power. The mill was enlarged to three run of stone, with a capacity of one hundred barrels a day, which established a profitable business, and in 1861 the mill, then owned by Coover & Stockton, was enlarged to nine run of stone, the tail race being five hundred feet long, equal in effect to four thousand horse power. The floods in December, 1861, damaged the mill and power to the extent of $12,000, and the third flood, in January, 1862, carried away the three buildings comprising the mill. Stockton afterwards entered into partnership with Carroll & Mowe of Sacramento, and a mill was erected fifteen feet higher and two hundred and fifty feet farther from the river. It was sixty by eighty, four stories high and contained nine run of stone, with a capacity of seven hundred barrels of flour daily. It was built of gran- ite and cost $140,000. Stockton built a spur track to the mills, but in 1867 they were destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. The ruins remain to this day.
Quarries of a very superior quality of granite have been operated successfully since 1856. The pioneer in this industry was Griffith Griffiths. The blue granite for the earlier buildings in Sacramento was from Folsom, at the state prison quarry, while the lighter-colored granite was from Rocklin.
NATOMA TOWNSHIP
Natoma was one of the nine original townships established by the court of sessions, February 24, 1851. It included all the present township and a part of the present township of Cosumnes. In August, 1853, the court of sessions divided the township into two parts, all that portion south of the Coloma road being called Prairie township. The present boundaries were established by the board of supervisors October 20, 1856, beginning at the southeast corner of Granite town- ship and running along its eastern line to the northern boundary of the county; thence along the northern and eastern boundaries of the county to the center line of township 8 north, of range 8 east, of Mount Diablo base and meridian; thence west on the center line of said township, to the eastern boundary of Lee township, and thence north and along the line of that township to the place of beginning. The township is mainly devoted to agriculture and dairying, though there are still a few mining claims that are worked to some extent. The southern part is devoted to dairying and grain growing, wheat and bar-
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ley being the principal grains. The northern part raises hay and grain.
The first prominent settlement, outside of Mormon island, began in 1852. Before that time there were settlers located along the public roads, who kept public houses. Among the first settlers who began farming were Jacob Broder, who came in 1852; his brother, Oswald; Samuel Ricker and family; Charles Shead, John McComber, Charles Bishop and George Peacock, all of whom settled in the vicinity of Mormon island. William Jarvis and family opened the Valley House in the fall of 1852, on the Coloma and Sacramento road. Peter Hous- ton settled on a ranch on the Coloma road in 1852, and his brother joined him in 1854. Peter returned to the east in 1857. E. B. Town- send settled near Mormon island in 1852, and engaged in dairying and butchering. R. K. Berry settled in the northwest part of the town- ship in 1852, and died in 1859. Dr. Morse settled in 1852 on the ranch afterwards owned by Charles W. Porter. H. E. Barton and brother came about the same time. Joseph Woodward settled in the township in 1853 on the Illinois ranch, now known as the Gould farm. John Wielde settled near Mormon island in 1851; W. H. Williams on section five in 1852; Joseph Wall in 1850. Wall subsequently lo- cated Wall Diggings. Joseph Wilson came in 1853. Others were Van Triece, Ingersoll, J. Caples, J. D. Duval, W. J. Milgate, G. K. Nye, William Sales, Charles Saul, A. W. Topper, A. H. Thomason and Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson. A. J. Lester came in 1850 and his brother George settled in the southern part of the township in 1852. A. G. Kinsey came in 1849, as did A. P. Catlin, who resided there till 1856.
In the spring of 1852 two Mormons, one of whom was Wilford Woodruff, when on their way from Sutter's Mill to the fort, found themselves, near sunset, at the spot known as Willow Springs, in this county. Concluding to camp, they shot a deer and went to the nearest point on the American river where they could procure water and feed for their horses. They descended the bluff to a flat covered with underbrush, and cooked and ate their supper. As it was not yet dark, one of them said: "They are taking out gold above us on the river. Let us see if we can find some here." They took a tin pan, scraped off some of the top soil, and panning out the dirt, obtained a fine pros- pect. They went to the fort the next day and informed Sam Brannan, of the firm of C. C. Smith & Co., who traded goods for hides, tallow and wheat at their trading post. Brannan was at that time the spir- itual guide and director of the Mormons of the New Helvetia and other districts of the state. He went to where they found the gold. set up a preemption claim, and demanded one-third of all the gold taken from the bar. So long as the Mormons were largely in the majority among the miners, this royalty was exacted religiously, but as unbelievers flocked in they resisted Brannan's claim and he was compelled to give up the collection of royalty. He had, however,
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accumulated several thousand dollars, with which he formed a partner- ship with Mellns, Howard & Co., of San Francisco, and this laid the foundation for his large fortune. The place was named Mormon island. As the news of the discovery spread, miners flocked in from all quarters, till, in 1853, the town had a population of abont twenty- five hundred people, nine hundred of whom were voters. The first hotel was called the Blue Tent, and was opened by S. R. Caldwell soon after the island began to be populated; was moved to another part of the town and christened the Caldwell House in 1852, and was discontinued in 1854. Sam Brannan opened the first store in 1848; sold to James Queen, he to Captain Pool, and he in turn to Dewitt C. Stanford (a brother of Governor Stanford), who died in Australia while on a business trip. J. P. Markham opened a hotel and store in 1850, and closed it in 1854.
Two stage lines running to Mormon island were established in 1850, one being from Sacramento to Coloma, and the other from Sacramento to the island. They were both taken off in 1856, and at the same time a line was started from Folsom to Coloma, running through Mormon island. The postoffice was opened in 1851, with J. W. Shaw as postmaster. Dallas & Kneass opened the Miner's hotel in 1851, and it was burned in 1856 and never rebuilt. The Man- sion House was kept by Thomas Stephenson from 1853 to 1856, and then closed. In 1856 a fire destroyed the southwest portion of the town, which was never rebuilt. At one time there were four hotels, three dry-goods and five general stores, Adams & Co.'s Express office, carpenter shop, butcher shop, bakery, livery stable and seven saloons in Mormon island. A school was opened in 1851, and there is now a good school building there.
The principal bridge in the township is known as the Mormon island bridge. The first one was built by J. W. Shaw in 1851. It was a wooden bridge and was washed away by high water in 1854. He built a wire suspension bridge the next summer, which was washed away in the flood of 1862, and was rebuilt by Shaw. A few years ago this was replaced by a higher and more costly one by the super- visors of this and Eldorado counties. The first ball in the county was given at Mormon island in the "jolly old days of 1849," and a humor- ons account of it was given in the Record-Union of June 21, 1873. Many public honses existed on the roads in the township, regarding which no data have been secured. The Smith Exchange was built on the Sacramento and Coloma road near Mormon island, by a man of that name, in 1853, and was the largest public house in the township at that time. He sold out in the fall of 1855 to Cox & Hamilton, who sold to William Jarvis in 1858. He sold to a man named Lee. It was discontinued for a year, when Freeman McComber bought it and fitted it up, and it was finally closed in 1864. The Union Tavern was probably opened as early as 1850, by Mr. Turle, and closed in 1855.
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The Half-way House was built by Briggs & Hoffman in 1852, sokl in a year to one Martin, who sold in turn to John E. Butler.
SAN JOAQUIN TOWNSHIP
San Joaquin was one of the original townships and included Dry Creek and parts of Alabama, Franklin, Brighton and Lee townships. Dry Creek township was set off in 1853, and October 20, 1856, the supervisors established the boundaries of San Joaquin as they now exist. It joins Brighton township on the north, runs east to the range line between ranges 6 and 7 east of Mount Diablo meridian, south to the Cosumnes river, west to the eastern boundary of Franklin town- ship, then along the eastern boundary of Franklin to the point of beginning. With the exception of the land in the southern portion included in the Hartnell grant, amounting to about ten thousand acres, the title to the land in the township is from the United States, and all the land is agricultural. There was considerable timber in the township when it was first settled, but it has been cut off, the old Graham grove, now used as a picnic ground, being about the only timber of any amount in the township.
The earliest settler in the township was Martin Murphy, Jr., who settled with his wife on the Cosumnes in 1844. The farm is now owned by Thomas McConnell, whose house stands within a few rods of where Murphy lived. Murphy died in 1854, and his wife returned to Ireland. Edward Perrin and family settled on part of the McConnell place in 1849. The Wilder Brothers, Asa, Benjamin and John, came to the township in 1849, and engaged in stockraising. Asa and John died in the '60s, and Benjamin died a number of years ago. He married one of the Donner girls, a member of the ill-fated Donner party. She is still living. T. Keno, one of the Donner relief party, came to the state in 1846, and afterwards took up a claim on the Cosumnes river, remov- ing to Stockton many years later. Gabriel Gunn settled in 1850 on the ranch since owned by Abram Woodward; John Whittick settled in the . township in 1850; David P. Crook in 1851; P. Hull and family in 1851; Enoch Madder settled on the Wilder ranch, about three miles north- west of Elk Grove; Jacob Marshall and family came in 1852, and located on the river, and Jacob Swigert and family settled on the adjoining place in 1853. Albin Clark settled on the Upper Stockton road, near old Elk Grove, in 1850, and was one of the first men to raise grain in the township. He also engaged in stockraising, prin- cipally horses and hogs. Johnson Little came in 1852 and settled near him. Robert Parrott opened a hotel in 1852 on a farm adjoining Old Elk Grove, ran it for five or six years and then went to the mines. Norman I. Stewart came in 1852, and settled in 1854 near Elk Grove. He died a few years ago. G. Harvey Kerr settled near Elk Grove station in January, 1854, and became a prominent fruit grower and manufacturer. He reported that very little land was cultivated at 22
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that time, the most of it being along the Cosnmnes river. It was sup- posed that wheat could not be successfully grown, but time proved that theory to be an error. Mr. Kerr died a number of years ago.
The site of old Elk Grove was originally on the Graham place, but it was subsequently moved to Buckner ranch, abont a mile north. James Hall and family came to California in 1850, and opened a hotel on the original site of old Elk Grove, and gave it its name, having lived in Missouri in a town of the same name. He died in Vallejo in 1876. Major James B. Buckner built a hotel in 1850, called the Buck- ner Ilotel. He sold it to Phineas Woodward, who ran it for some time and sold it to Mrs. Erwin, widow of Jared Erwin. She kept it for three years and sold it to Nicholas Christophel. The original old Elk Grove hotel burned down in 1857. Buckner and Woodward both returned east. This was the first postoffice established in the town- ship, James Buckner, postmaster. James Hall was the first justice of the peace.
Elk Grove is a thriving town of seven or eight hundred inhabi- tants, on the line of the Southern Pacific railroad, and in the midst of a rich country, sixteen miles from Sacramento. In 1876 Julius Ever- son conceived the idea that it would make a good business center. Through his efforts the Elk Grove Building Company was incorpor- ated and put up a store building, which was ocenpied in August of that year by Chittenden & Everson, with a large stock of merchandise. They reported their sales for the first sixteen months at $52,000. There are two hotels, the Railroad hotel, built by Morrow H. Davis in 1876, now the Toronto hotel, and the Elk Grove hotel, erected the same year by the Building company. J. N. Andrews had the first store, which was in the depot building, he being the agent of the Cen- tral Pacific railroad. 11. S. Hill built the Elk Grove Flonring mills in 1876. A hardware and tin store was opened by A. J. Longenecker in 1877, and a meat market, a furniture factory, two drug stores, a harness shop, a warehouse and other businesses followed in the course of time.
The Elk Grove District Methodist Episcopal Church was erected in 1876, the church having been organized in 1858 or 1859 by A. M. Hurlhurt.
The Elk Grove Presbyterian Church was organized February 12, 1876, but services had been held in 1856 in the schoolhouse near old Elk Grove by Rev. J. C. Herron, and in the present Elk Grove school- honse in 1875 and 1876 by Rev. J. S. McDonald. The church cost $2750, and Rev. William Il. Talmage was the first pastor, from 1874 to 1879, George H. Kerr being the first ruling elder.
Elk Grove Lodge No. 173, F. and A. M., was instituted at old Elk Grove, August 6, 1864, the first meetings being held at the house of O. S. Freeman. The charter members were: A. S. Ferris, James B. Hogle, A. J. Painter, O. S. Freeman, G. W. Chaplin, Thomas Me-
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Connell, B. F. Weathers and W. B. Sullivan. About 1878 the lodge built a fine brick structure at Elk Grove, the lower story being used for a store. Elk Grove Lodge No. 274, I. O. O. F., was organized May 2, 1878, with: Henry Hill, noble grand. Elk Grove Rebekah Lodge No. 136, 1. O. O. F., was instituted May 2, 1888, with fifty-nine charter members. It has eighteen charter members still in the order and num- bers one hundred and fourteen members. Elk Grove Lodge No. 110, A. O. U. W., was established June 16, 1879, but was discontinued. Elk Grove Lodge No. 449, 1. O. G. T., was organized November 9, 1872. The lodge was suffered to lapse many years ago. Elk Grove Parlor No. 41, N. S. G. W., was organized in September, 1884, with W. J. Elder president.
Florin is a small town on the Southern Pacific railroad, about eight miles from Sacramento, and on the dividing line between Brighton and San Joaquin townships. The name was given to the locality in 1864, by Judge E. B. Crocker, on account of the great number of wild flowers which grow in the vicinity, and was given to the town when it was founded in 1875, the railroad station and post- office being built there in that year. F. Sugden was the first postmaster and Johnson & Sugden opened the first store in 1875, being succeeded by Fred Sugden in October, 1879. The schoolhouse was built in 1877, and the only hotel opened by Leonard Goddard in 1875. There is a Methodist and a Presbyterian church in the town. The soil around Florin for several miles in length and width overlies a hardpan, and necessitates irrigation, and it is one of the great strawberry growing centers of the state. There are also many vineyards of table grapes. the Tokay and other varieties always bringing top prices in the east.
Florin Lodge No. 364, I. O. O. F., was instituted July 12, 1890, with the following officers and six charter members: Jasper II. Cooley, P. G .; David Reese, N. G .; Charles L. Buell, V. G .; Charles S. Patton, Con .; James Tootell, Warden; E. F. French, Chaplain; L. M. Lands- borough, Sec .; George H. Jones, Treas. The total membership at present is seventy-five. Florin Rebekah Lodge No. 20, I. O. O. F., was instituted February 14, 1895, with fifty-three charter members. There are now one hundred and twenty-four members. Florin Grange No. 130, P. of H., was established December 17, 1874, with Caleb Arnold, master.
Sheldon never existed as a town, a blacksmith shop, saloon, and two or three houses being its extent in its palmy days. It was a "deserted village" for many years, but since the Central California Traction electric road runs near it, a colony has been started close to it.
McConnell's station is on the Southern Pacific road, four miles below Elk Grove, there being only a depot for passengers there.
The first school district in San Joaquin township was established in 1883, and included nearly all of Dry Creek township, as well as
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San Joaquin, it being all known at that time as San Joaquin town- ship. The first teacher for the term of 1853 and 1854 was a Mr. Sullivan, and Harry Kerr taught the second term, in 1854-55. The first school in Sacramento county, outside of the city, was taught by a Mr. O'Brien, at the house of Martin Murphy.
SUTTER TOWNSHIP
The original boundaries of Sutter township as established in 1851 included a large portion of the county, being as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Sacramento City, and thence running east along the southern line of said city to the southeast corner thereof; thence easterly to the road from Brighton to Daylor's ranch; thence along said road in a southeasterly direction three miles; thence in a southerly and southeasterly direction to the intersection of the Co- sumnes and San Joaquin rivers, excluding all ranches and settlements on the Cosumnes river; thence down the San Joaquin river to its junction with the Sacramento river; thence along said river or western boundary of the county to the beginning.
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