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, 1923, Part 15

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

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committee in favor of Barton, and by the determination of the long-hairs to run the convention, regardless of the rights or wishes of their opponents. The short-hair convention instructed its nominees for the legislature to vote for Low for United States senator, but he afterwards declined. The breach in the party was not healed by his withdrawal, how- ever, and the opposition lasted until August, when the short-hairs gradually transferred their support to John R. Felton for United States senator. When the state convention met, however, Cornelius Cole was elected, December 16, as the agreed candidate of both wings.

CHAPTER XII

COUNTY GOVERNMENT

S ACRAMENTO County was formally or- ganized in 1850, when the legislature passed "An act subdividing the state into counties and establishing the seats of justice therein," February 18, 1850. Section 17 of that act defined the boundaries of Sacramento County as follows : "Beginning at a point ten miles due north of the mouth of the American River, and running thence in an easterly direction to the junction of the north and south forks of said river; thence up the middle of the principal channel of the south fork to a point one mile above the head of Mormon Island, so as to include said island in Sacramento County ; thence in a southerly direction to a point on the Cosumnes River eight miles above the house of William Daylor; thence due south to Dry Creek; thence down the middle of said creek to its entrance into the Moquelumne River, or into a large slough in the tule marsh; thence down the middle of said slough to its junction with the San Joaquin River ; thence down the mid- dle of said river to the mouth of the Sacra- mento River, at the head of Suisun Bay; thence up the middle of the Sacramento River to the mouth of Merritt's Slough; thence up the middle of said slough to its head; thence up the middle of the Sacramento River to a point due west of the place of beginning, and then east to the place of beginning. The seat of justice shall be Sacramento City."

In the "History of Sacramento," published in 1853 by Dr. John I. Morse, who was the earliest historian of the embryo city and county, he alludes to what was probably the

first election held in what was then known as Sacramento District, as follows: "In the fall of 1848, an election was held at the fort [Sutter's] for first and second alcaldes, and resulted in the selection of Frank Bates and John S. Fowler. Fowler resigned in the spring following, and H. A. Schoolcraft was elected to fill the vacancy. In the spring of 1849, Brannan, Snyder, Slater, Hensley, King, Cheever, McCarver, McDougal, Barton Lee, Dr. Carpenter, Southard, and Fowler were elected a board of commissioners to frame a code of laws for the district. Pursuant to the wish of this legislating committee, the people convened under a broad-spreading oak at the foot of I Street. The report, which was then officially submitted and which was duly accepted by the sovereigns assembled, provided the following officers of a jurisdiction extending from the Coast Range to the Sierra Nevada, and throughout the length of the Sacramento Valley, to wit: One alcalde and one sheriff. H. A. Schoolcraft was then elected alcalde, and A. M. Turner, sheriff. This con- stituted the judiciary of northern California up to the time that those changes took place in very rapid succession after the immigra- tion of 1849 began to concentrate at Sacra- mento."

In 1871 a history of Sacramento was pub- lished in Crocker's directory, which was writ- ten by D. J. Thomas, and alludes in part to the same event, but as will be seen, the list of the legislative committee differs somewhat, and as to which is correct, there is no means of deciding. Mr. Thomas says :

COURT HOUSE

CITY HALL

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

"The first attempt to establish a civil gov- ernment under American ideas of government was made on April 30, 1849, when a mass meeting of the then residents of Sacramento City and other portions of Sacramento dis- trict was held at the Embarcadero to devise a means for the government of the city and district. At this meeting Henry A. School- craft presided, Peter Slater was vice-president and James King of William and E. J. Brooks secretaries. Samuel Brannan explained the object of the meeting, and it was resolved that a legislature of eleven members should be elected, with full powers to enact laws for the government of the city and district. It was also determined to hold the election forth- with, and Henry Bates, M. D., M. F. McClel- lan, Mark Stewart, Ed. H. Von Pfister and Eugene I. Gillespie were appointed judges. The vote resulted in the election of John McDou- gal. Peter Slater. Barton Lee, John S. Fowler, J. S. Robb. William Pettit, William M. Car- penter, M. D., Charles D. Southard, M. M. McCarver. James King of William and Sam- uel Brannan, but upon the announcement of the result, Robb declined to accept, and Henry Cheever was chosen. The eleven were imme- diately sworn in, and some time afterward adopted a code that no laws were wanted. and that all the officers necessary for the dis- trict of Sacramento, bounded on the north and west by the Sacramento River, on the east by the Sierra Nevadas, and on the south by the Cosumnes River. were one alcalde and one sheriff. They then submitted the code to the people for adoption or rejection, and asked them at the same time to vote for officers. The code was adopted.

"Nothing further toward adopting a local government was attempted until after the proclamation by General Riley (the military governor) was issued at Monterey on June 3rd. In fact, nothing seemed necessary, if theft was by common consent punished, as the 'Times' says, 'by giving the offender thirty or forty rawhide lashes, and then ordering him off, not to return under penalty of death'."

The proclamation of General Riley called for an election to be held August 1, 1849, to clect delegates to a general convention and for filling necessary offices. A meeting was held on July 5, and a committee was ap- pointed to organize the district into precincts, apportion the representation, and nominate the candidates to be voted for. The commit- tee consisted of R. B. Cornwall. C. E. Pickett, William M. Carpenter. Samuel Brannan. John McDougal. W. Blackburn, J. S. Robb, Samuel J. Hensley. Mark Stewart, M. M. McCarver, John S. Fowler and A. M. Winn.

On the 14th the committee reported, rec- ommending the places for polls, etc. At the

election the vote stood : For delegates to the constitutional convention : Jacob R. Snyder. 469; John A. Sutter, 468; John Bidwell, 462; W. E. Shannon. 458: L. W. Hastings, 450: W. S. Sherwood, 446; M. M. McCarver, 296; John S. Fowler. 289; John McDougal, 281 ; Charles E. Pickett. 193: W. Blackburn, 192: E. O. Crosby, 189; R. M. Jones, 179; \V. Lacey, 123 : James Queen, 130.

For local offices: William Stout, Henry E. Robinson. R. B. Cornwall, Eugene I. Gillespie, T. L. Chapman, Berryman Jennings, John P. Rodgers, A. M. Winn, and M. F. McClellan were elected as members of the city council without opposition, by an average vote of 424. James S. Thomas was elected first magistrate by 393 votes, against twenty-two for S. S. White and five for J. S. Fowler. J. C. Zabris- kie was elected second magistrate; H. A. Schoolcraft, recorder, and D. B. Hanner, sheriff.

Under the call for the constitutional con- vention the district was entitled to but four delegates, and J. R. Snyder, W. E. Shannon, \V. S. Sherwood and John A. Sutter were cer- tified by General Riley as elected representa- tives. Afterwards the representation was in- creased to fifteen, and in addition to the orig- inal four. eleven others were appointed, as follows: L. W. Hastings, John Bidwell, John S. Fowler. M. M. McCarver, John McDougal. E. O. Crosby, W. Blackburn, James Queen, R. M. Jones, W. Lacey and C. E. Pickett.

The convention adjourned in October and an election was called for November 12, 1849, to vote on the constitution, for state officers. and for representatives in the legislature. At that election the vote of Sacramento district was declared to be as follows: For the con- stitution, 4.317 ; against the constitution, 643 ; for governor, P. H. Burnett. 2,409: J. A. Sutter, 856; W. S. Sherwood, 1,929; Thomas Mc Dowell, 87; William M. Stewart, 448.

For state senators: John Bidwell, 3,474; Elisha O. Crosby, 2.610: Thomas J. Green, 2.516: Henry E. Robinson. 2.328; Murray Morrison, 2.171; Gilbert A. Grant, 1,687; Hardin Biglow, 1.407 ; Charles E. Pickett, 905. The first four were declared elected and at the ensuing session the county boundaries were fixed.

The first Monday of October was fixed in the first election law as the day for the elec- tion of state officers, denominated the general election. The first Monday in April was des- ignated as the day for the election of county officers, which was called the county election. The legislature of 1851 repealed the clause fixing the time for the county election and provided that it should be held at the same time as the state election, and the time for that election was changed to the first Wednes-

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

day in September, where it remained for a number of years. Originally, the terms of the county officers commenced on the first Mon- day in May, 1850, but the legislature of 1851 changed it so that the term commenced on the first Monday in October following the election. The legislature in 1863 changed it again so that the official terms commenced on the first Monday in March following the elec- tion. The new constitution, adopted in 1879, fixed the time for the commencement of the terms of office of all state and county officers on the first Monday in January.

The first county officers, elected April 1. 1850, to serve until April, 1852, were as fol- lows: County judge, E. J. Willis: sheriff, Joseph Mckinney: clerk, Presley Dunlap : recorder, L. A. Birdsall: district attorney, William C. Wallace; county attorney, John H. McKune; treasurer. William Glaskin : assessor. David W. Thorpe; surveyor. J. G. Cleal : coroner, P. F. Ewer. J. S. Thomas was elected district judge by the legislature of 1849-1850, and he resigned, January 1. 1851. Tod Robinson was appointed January 2, 1851, and served until the first part of August, when Ferris Forman, who was secretary of state during the administration of John B. Weller, succeeded him on the 14th of August. and presided one month. Lewis Aldrich be- came district judge September 15, 1851. Joseph McKinney. sheriff, was killed near Brighton, on the evening of August 15, 1850, the day after the Squatter riot, and Ben McCulloch was elected at a special election to fill the vacancy, on the first Monday in September. The office of county attorney was abolished by the legislature of 1851, the duties of the office being assigned to the district attorney. Wallace resigned in the meantime, and was succeeded October 18, 1850, by Milton S. Latham, afterward governor. William Glas- kin resigned the office of treasurer August 22, 1850, and John W. Peyton was appointed to fill the vacancy. He in turn resigned Novem- ber 29. 1850, and Charles H. Swift was ap- pointed treasurer and collector by the court of sessions, of which he was a member.

The court of sessions was composed of the county judge and two associates and was the court of criminal jurisdiction. The associates were elected by a convention of justices of the peace, held the first Monday in October of each year, except the first convention, which was held May 20, 1850, when Charles H. Swift and C. C. Sackett were elected asso- ciates. This court filled vacancies in office in the county and attended to the financial affairs of the county in early times. When Swift was appointed treasurer he was succeeded by James Brown as an associate, who assumed

his duties February 7. 1851, and was succeeded August 14 by D. D. Bullock.

County officers to serve from October, 185], to October 5, 1853, were elected September 3. 1851, as follows: County judge, E. J. Willis; sheriff, A. D. Patterson ; clerk, L. B. Harris; recorder and auditor. W. S. Long; district attorney. George H. Carter ; treasurer, Cyrus Rowe: assessor, W. A. Selkirk; sur- veyor, John G. Cleal; coroner, S. J. May ; public administrator, John T. Brown: asso- ciate justices, George Wilson and James B. Gates.

A board of supervisors in the several coun- ties to transact the financial business in their counties was provided for by the legislature of 1852. and a special election was held on June 14 of that year. John Noyes, Louis Z. Hagen, James S. Meredith, James Martin, and E. M. Pitcher were elected, Meredith being elected chairman when the board was organ- ized. At the general election held September, 1852, the following were elected: William McNulty. Luther Curtis, John A. Watson, H. H. Lewis and H. B. Waddilove. Watson was elected chairman and the board conducted the county business until May 16. 1853. After that time the court of sessions assumed con- trol of the civil business of the county.

At the election September 7. 1853, the fol- lowing county officers were elected, and served until October. 1855: County judge, John Heard : sheriff, D. N. Hunt ; clerk. Abner C. Hunter ; recorder and auditor, John L. Craig : district attorney, James H. Hardy ; treasurer, J. Griswold; assessor. H. J. Bidle- man; surveyor. W. L. DeWitt: coroner, Ephraim Smith; public administrator, James B. Mitchell.

The legislature passed another act in 1855, relative to boards of supervisors, and as the supreme court had decided that it was con- templated by the constitution that the birsi- ness interests of the various counties should be managed by the boards, the court of ses- sions was not eligible to act, and the counties again elected boards of supervisors. The first election under this act was held April 2, with the result that J. L. Howard, L. P. Ormsby and F. S. Munford constituted the board. which commenced its sessions early in May. In September. 1855, L. R. Bickley, Josiah Johnson and S. R. Caldwell were elected to the board and Johnson was chosen chairman.

September 5, 1855, county officers were elected as follows, serving from October, 1855, to October 1. 1857: County judge, John Heard; sheriff, W. S. White: clerk, C. H. Bradford; recorder and auditor, John L. Brown: district attorney, Frank Hereford ; treasurer. David Maddux: coroner. R. Bell; public administrator, Gordon Backus; super-

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

intendent of common schools, F. W. Hatch (the first school superintendent elected by the people). Up to the time Mr. Hatch assumed the office its duties were performed by the county assessor : the board of 1856 was com- posed of L. R. Beckley, A. Spinks and Julius Wetzlar, and Beckley was chairman. In 1857 the members of the board were Jared Irwin. C. C. Harrington and Frank Hastings, the lat- ter being chairman.

September 2, 1857, the county officers elected were: County judge, R. Robinson; sheriff. \V. S. Manlove ; clerk. J. B. Dayton ; recorder and auditor, Jerome Madden; district attor- ney. Robert F. Morrison; treasurer. Morgan Miller ; assessor. E. Black Ryan; surveyor, John G. Cleal: coroner, J. P. Counts ; public administrator, L. R. Beckley ; school superin- tendent, N. Slater. The legislature of 1858 passed a law consolidating the government of the city and county and increased the board of supervisors five members, making the pres- ident of the board a separate office. A special election was held in April, at which H. L. Nichols was elected president and Mark Hop- kins. J. A. Carroll, S. C. Fogus, E. Stockton and W. K. Lindsay the new members. These. with the old members, met May 8, 1858. In September, 1858, a board was elected, consist- ing of the following: E. Granger, John Leavitt. Sylvester Marshall, H. T. Holmes, I. N. Babcock, John B. Taylor, L. C. Good- man and W. K. Lindsay, and the president was continued another year. August 4, 1859, B. H. Hereford was elected in place of Lind- say, resigned.

The members in 1859 were: President, William Shattuck: members, E. Granger, John Leavitt, R. L. Robertson, A. Henley, I. N. Babcock, A. M. Green, L. C. Goodman and Larkin Lamb. S. Marshall served until October 11, when he was succeeded by Mr. Robertson. Thomas Letson was clerk, being the first elected under the consolidation act. October 12, 1859, Thomas Hunt was elected. vice Goodman, resigned.

County officers elected September, 1859, and serving until October, 1861, were: County judge, Robert Robertson: sheriff, Sylvester Marshall ; clerk and recorder, Jerome Madden ; district attorney. Cornelius Cole : treasurer, C. L. Bird : assessor. E. B. Ryan ; surveyor, J. G. Cleal; coroner, D. Murray ; public ad- ministrator. Jared Irwin ; school superintend- ent, F. W. Hatch ; clerk of board and auditor. Thomas Letson. Len Harris was elected coun- ty warden in 1861, but the office was abol- ished. The board in 1860 was composed of E. Granger, Thomas Hansbrow. P. H. Russell, A. Henley, J. S. Woods, A. M. Green, S. Waterman and Larkin Lamb. Shattuck, the president, was continued. The members of

the board in 1861 were: President, William Shattuck. E. Granger, Thomas Hansbrow. P. H. Russell, S. Hite, J. S. Woods, Jacob Dickerson, S. Waterman and John Hall. .

September 4, 1861, the election for county officers resulted as follows: County judge, Robert C. Clark : sheriff, Benjamin N. Bugby ; clerk and recorder, Jared Irwin : district attor- ney, W. W. Upton; treasurer, C. L. Bird ; assessor, E. B. Ryan : surveyor, G. W. Colby ; coroner. J. W. Reeves : public administrator, F. McComber : school superintendent, F. W. Hatch: clerk of board and auditor, Josiah Howell. Bird absconded and James C. Mc- Donough was appointed treasurer by the board. The board in 1862 was composed of E. Granger, N. L. Drew, Thomas Ross, S. Hite, J. L. Graves, Jacob Dickerson, D. L. Williams and J. Hall, with Shattuck as presi- dent. They served until March 7. 1864. In 1863 the legislature divided the city and coun- ty government and reduced the board of super- visors for the county to five members. The new organization took place in the spring and the following composed the board: A. C. Bidwell, Thomas Ross, Joseph Hull, H. A. Thompson and Dwight Hollister, Ross being chairman.

At the election of September 2, 1863, the following county officers were elected to serve until March, 1866: County judge. R. C. Clark; sheriff, James McClatchy ; clerk and recorder, A. C. Bidwell: district attorney, M. M. Estee : treasurer, F. S. Lardner ; asses- sor, P. R. Beckley; surveyor, G. W. Colby ; coroner, J. WV. Reeves ; public administrator. J. E. Miller : school superintendent, Sparrow Smith ; clerk of the board of supervisors and auditor, Josiah Howell. At the general elec- tion in September, 1863, the members of the board elected were as follows: D. W. Clark, Thomas Ross, Joseph Hull, H. A. Thompson and Dwight Hollister. Thompson failed to qualify : and on November 16. Jesse Couch was elected in his place. This board was elected to serve two years and took their seats the first Monday in October, 1863.

An election was held September 6, 1865. and county officers elected as follows to serve from March 5, 1866, to March 5, 1868: County judge, Robert C. Clark: sheriff, James Lan- sing : clerk and recorder, E. D. Shirland ; dis- trict attorney. James C. Goods; treasurer, Ezra Woolson ; assessor, E. Black Ryan ; sur- veyor, A. G. Winn; coroner. Joseph A. Con- boie : public administrator. Findley R. Dray : school superintendent, F. W. Hatch ; clerk of board and auditor. W. A. Anderson ; members of the board: D. W. Clark, M. McManus, Joseph Hull, Jesse Couch, and William Beck- man; Hull was chairinan.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

An election was held September 4, 1867, and the following persons were elected to the county offices, serving from March, 1868, to March, 1870: Sheriff, Edward F. White (con- tested by Hugh M. LaRue) ; clerk, W. B. C. Brown; district attorney, James C. Goods ; treasurer, A. Spinks; assessor, F. R. Dray ; surveyor, John Doherty; coroner, J. P. Counts ; public administrator, William Shat- tuck; school superintendent, Augustus Traf- ton; clerk of board and auditor, W. A. Mc- Williams; board : John Domingos, C. I. Ross, Benjamin Bailey, James S. Meredith and Will- iam Beckman; Meredith was president. These members were elected for two years, and under the provision of the statute which was in force at the time of their election, their terms would have expired in October, 1869, but the legislature of 1867-1868 extended the term of the members from the Third, Fourth and Fifth districts ( Bailey, Meredith, and Beckman) to 1871, and they served four years. Judge Clark was successively re-elected each time until the county judgeship was abolished in 1879 by the new constitution.

At the election September 1, 1869, the fol- lowing county officers were elected, and served until March, 1872: Sheriff, J. S. Wood ; clerk, W. B. C. Brown; treasurer, Alfred Spinks ; recorder and ex-officio auditor, W. A. Mc- Williams; assessor, F. R. Dray; district at- torney, John K. Alexander ; surveyor, A. G. Winn ; coroner, J. P. Counts ; school superin- tendent, Augustus Trafton ; public administra- tor, William Shattuck; supervisors: John Domingos, James H. Groth, Benjamin Bailey, James S. Meredith and William Beckman.

At the general election of September 6, 1871, the officers elected were as follows, to serve until March, 1874: Sheriff, Mike Bryte ; clerk, Lauren Upson; treasurer, John Bellmer ; re- corder and auditor, Jesse A. Stewart; asses- sor, F. R. Dray; district attorney, Henry Starr ; surveyor, John Prentice ; coroner, J. W. Wilson ; school superintendent, S. H. Jack- man; public administrator, N. G. Feldheim ; board of supervisors : John Domingos, James H. Groth, James S. Meredith, S. B. Moore and J. V. Sims. In September, 1873, Daniel Brown, J. J: Bauer, L. Elkus and H. O. Sey- mour were elected.

In September, 1873, the following were elected county officers : Sheriff, Hugh LaRue; collector of taxes, Joseph W. Houston ; clerk, Ham. C. Harrison; theasurer, John Bellmer ; district attorney, Charles T. Jones ; recorder, Matthew Clarken ; auditor, Jesse A. Stewart ; public administrator, H. S. Beals ; superintend- ent of schools, George H. Kelly ; surveyor, Ed. Murray ; coroner, J. P. Counts ; commis- sioner of highways, S. D. Johnson. The supervisors who served in 1874-1875 were:

James S. Meredith, S. B. Moore, Daniel Brown, J. V. Sims, H. O. Seymour, L. Elkus, and J. A. Mason, the legislature having in- creased the number of districts to seven.

In September, 1875, the officers elected were : Sheriff. M. M. Drew : clerk, A. A. Wood; district attorney, C. T. Jones ; assessor, James Lansing; treasurer, D. E. Callahan ; auditor, R. C. Lowell; public administrator, G. F. Bronner ; surveyor, A. G. Winn; coroner, R. K. Wick; superintendent of schools, F. L. Landes; supervisors: S. B. Moore, Edward Christy, P. R. Beckley, those holding over being L. Elkus, Daniel Brown, H. O. Seymour, J. A. Mason. A. S. Hopkins and F. R. Dray served to fill the vacancies caused by the deaths of Seymour and Mason.

The officers elected in September, 1877, were as follows : Sheriff, M. M. Drew ; clerk, Thomas H. Berkey ; treasurer, D. E. Callahan ; auditor, W. E. Gerber; district attorney, George A. Blanchard; superintendent of schools, F. L. Landes; public administrator, Troy Dye; surveyor, John Prentice; coroner, A. J. Vermilya. The supervisors serving from October, 1877, to October, 1878, were: S. B. Moore, J. W. Wilson, J. J. Bauer, P. R. Beckley, Samuel Blair, Daniel Brown and Ed- ward Christy. In 1878-1879, Benjamin Bailey served in place of S. B. Moore.

The county officers elected in September, 1879, were: Sheriff, Adolph Heilbron; clerk, Thomas H. Berkey; assessor, Joseph W. Houston; auditor, William E. Gerber; treas- urer, Ezra Woolson; public administrator, George F. Bronner ; district attorney, Henry L. Buckley ; superintendent of schools, Charles E. Bishop ; coroner, A. J. Vermilya ; surveyor, James C. Pierson. Supervisors, 1880-1881 : J. W. Wilson, Benjamin Bailey, P. R. Beckley, Edward Christy, Stephen W. Butler, Samuel Blair and John F. Dreman.

The legislature of 1822 changed the time of elections to November, to correspond with the election of President of the United States. In November of that year the officers elected were : Sheriff, A. H. Estill; clerk, C. M. Coglan ; assessor, John T. Griffitts ; treasurer, A. S. Greenlaw; district attorney, John T. Carey ; auditor and recorder, W. E. Gerber; public administrator, George F. Bronner ; su- perintendent of schools, Charles E. Bishop ; coroner, J. Frank Clark; surveyor, J. C. Pier- son ; supervisors : J. F. Dreman, J. W. Wilson, Samuel Blair, S. W. Butler, Edward Christy, P. R. Beckley and Benjamin Bailey.

At the election on November 4, 1884, the county officers were elected as follows : Sheriff, J. W. Wilson ; clerk, W. B. Hamilton ; auditor and recorder, J. Henry Miller ; district attorney, Henry L. Buckley; treasurer, George E. Kuchler ; public administrator, F. H. Russell ;

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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, 1923, Part 15

Author: Reed, G. Walter Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026