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 19

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

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, 1923 > Part 19

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1905-07, J. A. McKee. For a generation Mr. McKee has been a successful practicing physi- cian in this county and resides in this city, still practicing his profession.

1909-11. Charles B. Bills. Mr. Bills is a successful business man of this city and form- erly was the head of the Pioneer Fruit Com- pany. He now is associated with the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin Bank.

1913-15, P. C. Cohn, fruit grower and capi- talist. He now is engaged in the mercantile business at Folsom.

1917-19, J. M. Inman, leading attorney of Sacramento, and active in development, civic and other matters. Senator Inman led the fight in the legislature for the enactment of laws restricting the land-leasing liberties given the Japanese and other Orientals, although the measures were not enacted until the forty- fourth session, in 1921.

1921-23, J. M. Inman.

CHAPTER XVI

SACRAMENTO COUNTY ASSEMBLYMEN

T HE first assemblymen, members of the legislature of 1849-1850, were H. C. Cardwell, P. B. Cornwall, Rev. W. Grove Deal, W. B. Dickerson, T. J. Henley, E. W. Mckinstry, John Bigler, George B. Tin- gley, Madison Walthal, Dr. Thomas John White, John T. Hughes and John F. Williams. Sacramento district was entitled at that time to nine assemblymen, as it comprised all of the northern part of the state, but Cornwall resigned and was replaced by Deal; White resigned and was replaced by Henley, and Bigler took the place of Dickerson, whose seat was declared vacant. Cardwell died at Los Angeles, July 4, 1859.

Cornwall arrived in Sacramento in August, 1848, and was a member of the first city coun- cil. He, with Sam Brannan, foresaw that a great city would soon spring up on the Sacra- mento River at the head of navigation, so they came up from San Francisco to investigate. Seemingly unimportant events often bring about great changes. They decided that Sut- terville would be the most eligible spot for the city, on account of the high ground there. Ac- cordingly, they endeavored to make satisfac- tory arrangements with L. W. Hastings, who owned the land there, for going into business. They were unable to do so, and having on their way up passed two launches loaded with supplies for the mines, they returned and met them and persuaded them to go farther up and unload their cargoes on the Sutter Embarca- dero at Sacramento. Through this little cir- cumstance their trading post was established at this place, and soon a small city sprang up. Had Hastings agreed with them, the city would have been located at Sutterville. Corn-

wall afterwards went to San Francisco and engaged in business and died there September 5, 1904. He was a member of the first consti- tutional convention and of the board of re- gents of the University of California.

Henley was the father of ex-Congressman Barclay Henley, and was a native of Indiana. In that state he served several terms in the as- sembly, being once speaker. He was a con- gressman from Indiana three terms, serving with President Lincoln. He arrived in Cali- fornia in 1849 and engaged in banking in Sac- ramento. In 1852 he was a Presidential elec- tor ; was chosen postmaster in San Francisco in 1853; appointed superintendent of Indian affairs in 1854; and defeated for Presidential elector in 1868. He died at his farm in Round Valley, Mendocino County, May 1, 1875.

Mckinstry was a native of Michigan, and arrived in California in March, 1849. He was elected judge of the seventh district, Novem- ber 2, 1852; re-elected September 1, 1858; elected judge of the twelfth district (San Francisco) October 30, 1873, but resigned in the latter part of 1873, having been elected a justice of the supreme court October 15, 1873. He was reelected supreme justice September 3, 1879, and resigned October 1, 1888. He died at San Jose, November 1, 1901.

Bigler was a Pennsylvanian, and was a jour- nalist and lawyer. He arrived in Sacramento in 1849, and became an auctioneer and also a woodchopper. For a time he was speaker of the first assembly; he was elected governor September 3, 1851; re-elected September 7, 1853; defeated for that office in 1855. He served as United States minister to Chile from 1857 to 1861; was defeated for congress in

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

1863 ; served as a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 1864 and 1868; was appointed assessor of internal revenue for this district in 1866 and edited the "State Capital Reporter" from January, 1868, until his death, November 29, 1871. His body was interred in the City Cemetery.

Tingley was a native of Ohio and was a bril- liant lawyer. He removed to Indiana and there served in the legislature with T. J. Hen- ley and Vice-president-elect T. A. Hendricks. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States senate, being defeated for con- gress in 1851. He died at San Francisco, August 3, 1862.

White served as speaker till February, 1850, when he resigned the office and was succeeded by Henley. He was at one time city council- man, and died at Los Angeles in December, 1861.

Deal, a Methodist minister, was elected to succeed Cornwall (resigned) and he qualified March 4, 1850. He died in Indiana in June. 1892.

1851. John Bigler. D. J. Lisle and Dr. Charles Robinson. Lisle built the Twelfth Street bridge across the American River. At a special election he was chosen to fill the va- cancy caused by the death of L. Dunlap, who had been elected, but died of cholera before the meeting of the legislature. He went to San Francisco and died there February 8, 1855.

Robinson came here from Massachusetts. He was prominently identified with the squat- ter element in 1850 and was second in com- mand of the forces of that party in the riot which took place in August of that year. He was wounded in the fight and was arrested on the oath of several citizens that he had been seen to aim deliberately at the mayor, who was shot four times during the fight. He was con- fined in the prison brig when he was elected to the assembly. In 1854 he, with S. C. Pom- eroy, led one of the parties of Free State men into Kansas, and was prominently connected with the Free State party in the slavery agita- tion in that commonwealth. He was elected governor by the Free State men under the To- peka constitution January 15, 1856, and was indicted in May by the grand jury for treason. with the other officers who had been elected. Some of them fled from the territory, but Rob- inson was arrested and confined for four months. While in prison his residence was burned in the sacking of Lawrence. He was elected the first governor of the state after the adoption of the constitution in 1859, and died at Lawrence, August 17, 1894.

1852, Gilbert W. Colby, Alpheus Kip, G. N. McConaha and Dr. Joseph C. Tucker. Colby was also senator one term. McConaha was a

lawyer and was drowned by the upsetting of a boat at Seattle, May 4, 1854. Kip lived on the farm near Brighton where Sheriff McKin- ney was killed by Allen, its then owner (1850). The farm was owned later by John Rooney. Kip left this country many years ago. Tucker went to live in San Francisco and died in Oak- land, December 22, 1891.

1853, J. W. Harrison, J. Neely Johnson, Rob- ert Robinson and J. H. Estep. Robinson was afterward county judge, and was for many years connected with the law department of the Central Pacific Railroad Company. He was adjutant-general in 1865-1866 and died at San Francisco, September 26, 1894. Estep re- moved from Sacramento and died at Lakeport January 11, 1876. Harrison left Sacramento in the fifties. Johnson was elected district at- torney of Sacramento in 1850 and in 1855 he was elected governor on the Know Nothing ticket. After his term as governor he removed to Nevada, where he served as a member of the constitutional convention and as supreme justice. He died from the effects of a sun- stroke at Salt Lake City, August 31, 1872.

1854, J. M. McBrayer, Dr. F. A. Park, T. R. Davidson and J. W. Park. F. A. Park was a dentist and at one time was deputy sheriff. He died at San Francisco. November 13, 1870. The others removed from Sacramento some years after they served.

1855, John G. Brewton, Philip L. Edwards, H. B. Meredith and James H. Vineyard. Ed- wards was a native of Kentucky. He visited San Francisco with a party of traders in 1836 and returned to the East. He was admitted to the bar, elected to the Missouri legislature in 1843, chosen a delegate to the Whig na- tional convention in 1844, removed to Sacra- mento in 1850, defeated as the Whig candidate for congress in 1852, and ran unsuccessfully for United States senator in 1855. He died here May 1, 1869. Vineyard was a member of the city council at the time of his election to the assembly. He died at Los Angeles, August 30, 1863. Meredith, a brother of ex- Supervisor James H. Meredith, of Folsom, practiced law while living in Sacramento County. In 1864 he removed to New York, where he carried on business as a broker, and where he died. Brewton went to San Fran- cisco and died there.

1856. George H. Cartter, George Cone. George W. Leihy and Dr. J. W. Pugh. Cone was for many years justice of the peace in Center Township and was an unsuccessful nominee for county treasurer on the Demo- cratic ticket. He was a brother of ex-Railroad Commissioner Cone, and died at Red Bluff, November 12, 1883. Leihy, a farmer and miner, was murdered by Indians in Arizona Novem-

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

ber 18, 1866. Cartter was district attorney in 1852 and 1853. He left this state many years ago and went to Oregon, where he died at Portland February 24, 1862. Pugh removed from the county many years ago, and died at Stockton, January 24, 1896.

1857. A. P. Catlin, Robert C. Clark, L. W. Farris and John H. McKune. Catlin and Clark were also senators. Farris was in busi- ness here for a number of years, but removed to another part of the state, and died at Alta- ville, Tuolumne County, in April, 1878.

1858, R. D. Ferguson, Charles S. Howell, James E. Sheridan and Moses Stout. For many years Ferguson conducted a horse market here and then went to Nevada and in 1868 was a member of the legislature of that state. Later he went to Arizona. Sheridan was a farmer near Georgetown (now known as Franklin) and died on his farm there, October 12, 1872. Howell was a farmer living near Walnut Grove and was killed by the explosion of the steamboat "J. A. McClelland," near Knight's Landing, August 25, 1861. Stout died on his farm in this county, December 20, 1879.

1859, Dr. R. B. Ellis, A. R. Jackson, James E. Sheridan and Dr. Charles Duncombe. Jack- son, a well-known school teacher, died in San Francisco, August 30, 1876. Ellis practiced medicine here at the time of his election. He removed to Nevada in 1861 and died at Car- son, that state, January 12, 1873. Duncombe was once a member of the city council. His election gave rise to a novel contest in the assembly and one that is often cited in the leg- islature in contested election cases. He was born in Connecticut and about 1817 removed to Canada. A couple of months afterwards he was elected to the colonial parliament and took an oath of allegiance to the then English king. He was denounced as a rebel and fled to the United States in 1837, but was never naturalized. His seat in the assembly was contested on the ground that he was not a citi- zen and January 22, 1859, the house declared his seat vacant. A special election was called and on February 19 he was elected again by a large majority. On the 14th he had been ad- mitted to citizenship under the act of 1795. His seat was again contested on the ground that he had not been a citizen for the constitutional period at the time of his election, and the house again declared his seat vacant. Sacra- mento County therefore lost part of its repre- sentation at this session. Duncombe died at Hicksville, October 1, 1867.

1860, Dr. R. B. Ellis, L. C. Goodman, Henry Starr and D. W. Welty. Goodman was at one time a supervisor and afterward removed from the county. Starr was a practicing attorney and died in this city about thirteen years ago.

Welty removed to Nevada, then returned to Sacramento and practiced law. He removed to Oregon and died at Chehalis, Wash., March 24, 1891.

1861, Amos Adams, Charles Crocker, N. Greene Curtis and Dr. Joseph Powell. Adams, at that time a farmer, afterward became prom- inent as a member of the Grange. He re- moved to San Francisco and died at San Jose, March 18, 1896. Crocker was then a dry- goods merchant and afterwards acquired na- tional reputation as one of the builders of the Central Pacific Railroad. He was at one time a city councilman. He died at Monterey, Au- gust 14, 1888. Powell practiced medicine at Folsom, where he died November 27, 1869.

1862, W. H. Barton, John E. Benton, James B. Saul, James H. Warwick and R. D. Fergu- son. Barton was president of the New Liver- pool Salt Company in San Francisco for many years. Benton served also as a senator. Saul removed to Yolo County, where he managed a large fruit ranch. He died at Davisville, October 30, 1881. Warwick, an actor of abil- ity and a fine orator, removed from here many years ago.

1863, Amos Adams, W. H. Barton, M. M. Estee, James H. Warwick and Dr. Charles Duncombe. Estee served the county as dis- trict attorney in 1864-1865. In 1882 he ran for governor and was defeated by Stoneman. He was chairman of the national Republican con- vention ; a Presidential elector in 1876; nomi- nee for governor in 1894; United States dis- trict judge of the Hawaiian Territory, ap- pointed June 5, 1900. He lived for a number of years at his home in Napa, and died at Hon- olulu, October 27, 1903.

1863-1864, 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, 1890-1891, 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 vol- unteer companies and was chief engineer of our fire department. He was known as the "Sacramento Statesman" when he was assem- blyman ; was an assemblyman from San Fran-

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cisco 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 Company, and superintendent of the hospital. He died in this city. September 11, 1889.

1865-1866, Thomas Hansbrow. Dwight Hol- lister, Peter J. Hopper, William B. Hunt and J. B. Maholmnb. Hansbrow was in busi- ness 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.

1867-1868. Marion Biggs, Paschal Coggins, A. Comte, Jr., Bruce B. Lee and Charles Wol- leb. Marion Biggs removed to Butte County, where he lived until his death. He was a member of the second constitutional conven- tion and a member of congress from 1887 till 1891. Coggins was for some time local editor of the "Union," and was a member 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 mer- chants and bankers, whose deeds of charity in the early days of Sacramento are worthy of remembrance. He was subsequently harbor commisisoner 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.

1869-1870, James A. Duffy, Isaac F. Free- man, 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 his 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 developed a very valuable vine- yard and orchard. He was long one of the foremost fruit-growers in the county, and he did 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 convention. He took an active part in the constitutional convention of 1879, and in 1885 was appointed by Presi- dent Cleveland postmaster of Sacramento. He was state library trustee, 1889-1894 ; member of the state board of viticultural commission- ers, 1890, and the state board of horticulture from 1896 to 1903. He lived in Sacramento for years, carrying on his horticultural interests, but is now deceased.

1871-1872, C. G. W. French. Dr. Obed Harvey, Peter J. Hopper. William Johnston and E. B. Mott, Jr. French practiced law at Folsom 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 fromn 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 the state senate and was a direc- tor 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 & Company, and was afterward con- nected with the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was trustee of the state library, 1872-1878, and died here August 4, 1882.

1873-1874, James N. Barton, W. E. Bryan, Paschal Coggins, Reuben Kercheval and P. H. Russell. Barton removed to Humboldt Coun- ty, but later returned. He was a member of the second constitutional convention. He is now deceased. W. E. Bryan was a farmer re- siding in this county. Kercheval was a fruit farmer with large holdings on Grand Island and died there, May 9, 1881. Russell was form- erly a prominent grocer in this city. He re- moved to San Francisco and died there, Feb- ruary 12, 1906.

1875-1876. Marion Biggs, Jr., Thomas J. Clunie and A. D. Patterson. Biggs, the son of Marion Biggs, Sr., was a farmer near

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

Franklin, 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 Fran- cisco, being sent to congress from that city and also representing it in the state senate. In 1884 he was a delegate to the Democratic national convention. He died in San Fran- cisco, June 30, 1903. Patterson was a native of Pennsylvania. He came to California in 1849 and soon afterwards located at Routier'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, Decem- ber 4, 1884. What is known as Routier's for years was called Patterson's, until the name of the postoffice was changed.

1877-1878, Grove L. Johnson, father of the present United States Senator Hiram W. 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 was a grand master of the order of Odd Fellows of California, and was elected district attorney in 1886 and 1888. He went to Alaska and is deceased. Young was an attorney here for a number of years and finally removed to San Francisco, where he still prac- tices law. Carr was a farmer near Clay Sta- tion, where he died in 1918.

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 1885-1892; justice of the supreme court, 1894-1899; trustee state library, 1899; code commissioner, 1899-1903; judge of the United States district court, northern district, in 1907. which office he still holds.

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. LaRue 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 constitu- tional convention. In 1863-1864 he was a mem- ber of the assembly, being speaker for both terms. He was a delegate to the national Democratic convention in 1884; was president of the State Agricultural Society for several years and an ex-officio regent of the state uni- versity, and served as railroad commissioner from 1895 to 1899. He died at Sacramento, December 12, 1906. Ryan was born in Sac- ramento, 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 Sut- ter's Fort, 1891-1903; commisisoner 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 incidents and records, and in 1890 published a history of the county, col- lected with much care and to which the writer of this history is much indebted for valuable matter, both then and subsequently. He died at Marysville, August 3, 1909. Jones served the county several terms as district attorney. He was chosen an alternate elector in 1888. He died in April, 1921.

1887, H. W. Carroll, L. S. Taylor and Sey- mour 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. Later he removed to Seattle, where he held the office of city con- troller. 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 dis- trict attorney. For some years he practiced law in this city and was a county commis- sioner. 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 1893-1895. Mr. Petrie for over fifty years was a resident of this city and a successful merchant. He served a number of terins as a member of the city board of edu- cation, of which he was a member until the new city charter abolished the board, having been reelected term after term. He died in the fall of 1919. Mr. Fassett was a farmer and died at his home near Freeport, December 16, 1889. He served one term as supervisor.

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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 19

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