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 21

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 21

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Gold was discovered at Cook's Bar (named after a man named Dennis Cook, who settled there in 1849) about the same time as at Michigan Bar, and quite a large town, with a large hotel, stores and saloons and 500 popu- lation sprang up, but practically ceased to exist in 1860.

Sebastopol, a mining town, sprang up in 1854. The place was so named by the miners, the Crimean War then being in progress. During the lively times 300 to 400 ounces of gold dust were sold here weekly, but the town dwindled down to four houses by 1859. Kates- ville, another mining town, was established in 1854 and deserted in 1862.

Live Oak was also established in 1854, and for several years gold to the amount of $2,000 to $3,000 was sold there weekly. Wells Fargo & Company had an office there from 1858 to 1861, and the Hamilton line of stages ran through Live Oak on their way from Moke- lumne Hill to Sacramento. There were three stores, two hotels and other business houses, but the place went down in 1861. Among the early settlers were B. R. Robinson, Henry Lancaster, W. S. Crayton, Thomas Olive, J. C. Dunn, Patrick Gaffney, John Gaffney, George Freeman, R. D. Reed, Alfred Ball and V. Perry. George Mckinstry came to the state in 1847, and opened a store and trading post on the Cosumnes River in 1849. He owned a part of what was known as Sacayac Grant. later called the Pratt Grant, on the Cosumnes River, and sold the ranch and store to Eman- 11cl Pratt, who ran it till 1855, when he closed out the business. J. O. Sherwood settled on the south side of the Cosumnes in 1850. Jacob A. Hutchinson, Sr., crossed the plains in 1846, and settled on the Cosumnes River in 1849. He soon started on a prospecting trip to the northern mines, and was never heard of again. James Pollock came to the state in 1846 with his family, and settled on the Cosumnes in 1853. He claimed that his daughter, Mary, was the first white child born in the state, butt the claim is disputed.

Jared Sheldon, the owner of the Sheldon Grant, in 1851 bought a piece of land half a mile above where McCabe's bridge was after- wards built. He built a costly dam and dug a race three-quarters of a mile long, the dam being built of square timbers, tied together with oak ties, and filled in with rocks, six- teen feet high. The miners learned of his in- tention and protested, on the ground that it would overflow their claims, but he disre- garded their protest, and completed the dam. When the water began to reach the claims

several meetings were held, both sides being represented. Sheldon built a fort on a point of rocks which commanded the dam, placed a cannon upon it, and employed a number of men to defend it. July 12, 1851, however, the fort was surprised and taken, Sheldon being absent. He was sent for to come and let the water off, and arrived soon after with a dozen men, but refused to let the water off, and the miners made an ineffectual attempt to blow up the dam. When it failed, one of the miners, of whom there were about a hundred present, seized an ax, and calling on the others to pro- tect him, walked to the edge of the dam and began chopping. There is a dispute as to who fired the first shot, one account stating that Sheldon ordered one of his men to shoot the miner who was chopping the dam, and that this man and another fired at him, whereupon the miners fired at the Sheldon party, killing Sheldon, and Johnson and Cody, the two men who fired. The only man injured on the min- ers' side was the man on the dam, who was slightly wounded. The dam was opened and the water let out, and it was entirely swept away by the high water of 1851-1852.

Jordan H. Lowry settled at Michigan Bar in 1854, and lived there for many years. There were plenty of hotels in the township between 1850 and 1862. The Public House, built at Coats' Ferry, closed in 1858, and another hotel, built by Coats, on the other side of the river, was closed in 1857. The Hamilton House, on the Sacramento and Dry Town road, near the river, was burned in 1853, and never rebuilt. The Gold Spring House, on the Gold Spring Ranch, was built in 1849 and closed in 1853. The Mountain House was built in 1850 by James Gordon, whose wife gave birth to twins the same year, the first twins born in the township. The Wilbur Hotel, built by Y. S. Wilbur in 1850, and sold to Larkin Lamb in 1851, was closed by him in 1858. The Ohio House, built by a company from Ohio, was sold in 1856 or 1857 to James Cummings, who changed its name to the Cummings House. It was located at Sebastopol and burned down in 1864 and was never rebuilt. The Hamilton Hotel was opened at Sebastopol by J. H. Hamilton in 1857. The Prairie Cottage, about a mile and a half above Sebastopol, on the Ione Road, was built in 1851 and closed in 1864. The Blue Tent House, on the Buckeye Ranch, built in 1849 by Sage & Company, closed as a hotel in 1870. The Niagara House was opened in 1849 on Willow Springs Creek by Moore & Ball, and closed in 1856. Cook's Bar House, opened by Chenault & Hall, in 1854, did a good business for several years, but closed in 1870.

While there is some good agricultural land in what was Cosumnes Township, and some

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hopyards along the river, most of the land is classed as mineral and is but little worked. being largely devoted to grazing. The march of progress and the new methods of treating the land will probably result in turning it to fruit-raising.

The first school in the township was opened in 1853, the whole township being included in the district.

Dry Creek Township

Dry Creek Township was originally in- cluded in San Joaquin Township, but was set off by itself in August, 1853, all the land southeast of the Cosumnes River being set off. The boundaries were modified and established by the board of supervisors, October 20. 1856. It was mostly included in the boundary line of the San Jon de los Moquelumnes, or Chabolla Grant. Dr. W. L. McIntyre came into this county in 1849, with his family, settling in Dry Creek Township in 1851. He built the first frame house in the township in April, 1851, near Galt. Mrs. Rosanna McIntyre died at the residence of Ephraim Ray in Galt, Feb- ruary 20, 1889, in her seventy-ninth year.

Calvin T. Briggs and John Burroughs had large herds of cattle on both sides of the river as early as 1850, and Burroughs returned to the East in 1857. Briggs built the second frame house in the township in 1851, they having previously lived in an adobe house. Rev. N. Slater and family came in 1851 and engaged in stock-raising. He sold his 500- acre farm in the Chabolla Grant in 1869 and moved into Sacramento in 1876.

Grant I. Taggart and the Ringgold broth- ers took up a claim in 1852, but stayed only a few months. Taggart was afterwards clerk of the supreme court. Willis Wright pur- chased part of their claim in 1853. Thomas Armstrong came into possession of part of the Ringgold place in 1852, and engaged in the dairy business. Dr. Russell came in 1850, engaging in the cattle business about four miles from Galt, until his death in 1861. Wil- liam H. Young was among the early settlers. S. Fugitt and family settled on Dry Creek in 1852 and kept a hotel for some years. Hiram Chase came in 1852. George Gray settled in the township in 1850, James Short in 1853. Andrew Whitaker in 1852 and John McFar- land in 1851. Evan Evans came in 1851, Henry D. Cantrell in 1853, Thomas McCon- nell in 1855, Thomas Lorin in 1851, George Need in 1852. Peter Planalp in 1852, H. Put- ney in 1853, Peter Williamson in 1852. David Davis in 1853, P. Green and wife in 1852 or 1853, Peter Riley in 1852, Samuel Wriston and Ephraim Ray in 1852.

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 womna. Mrs. McIntyre, present at the funeral, and most of those who attended it were Indians. At the grave the Indians squat- ted around on the ground, making a strange picture. In 1853 a Fourth of July celebration was held at Mclntyre's house. The settlers came from all over the county and many from San Joaquin County. A flag was made by four of the ladies, the red stripes from a red window curtain and the blue field from 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 post- office was established the same year, with John Brewster as the first postmaster.

The First Congregational Church of Galt was established October 13, 1877, Rev. Wil- liam C. Stewart being 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 de- nominations since 1869. In 1884 the church erected a fine building through the energy of Dr. Harvey and John McFarland. The Meth- odists 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 corner-stone of their church October 12. 1885, and it being the 393rd an- niversary of the discovery of America by Columbus, the church was named St. Christo- pher's Church in commemoration of that event. Rt. Rev. P. W. Riordan, Archbishop of San Francisco, officiated.

Phoenix Lodge No. 259, I. O. O. F., was instituted in Galt December 29, 1875, by Grand Master D. W. Welty. Galt Encamp- ment No. 65, I. O. O. F., was organized May 13, 1881. Rei Rebekah Lodge, No. 132, was organized March 20, 1888, with forty-eight charter members. There are 110 members en- rolled at present. Galt Lodge, F. & A. M., was organized in the fall of 1882 with fifteen char- ter 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 organiza- tions 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.

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Hicksville was named after "Uncle Billy" Hicks, one of the oldest settlers in the town- ship, who came in 1847 and began stock-rais- ing. The postoffice was established at his place in 1854 and was transferred to the pres- ent 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 dis- continued 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 electric road runs through what was Dry Creek Township, and the new colonies are located on its line.

Franklin Township

Franklin Township was formed out of the original Sutter Township by the board of supervisors October 20, 1856. It lay between the Sacramento River, the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers, and Sutter Township. The lands in this township are all either agri- cultural or marsh lands, the latter, where re- claimed, 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 upon them. There is a chain of lakes running through the western part of the township and connecting 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 al- falfa, which are carried to San Francisco and to Sacramento 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 be- ing no Mexican or Spanish Grants in the town- ship. The largest business enterprise in the township was the brickyard on the river.

Joseph Sims came to the state in 1847, with Stevenson's regiment, and for some years be- fore his death was the oldest living member of the Sacramento Society of Pioneers. He set- tled in Franklin Township in 1849, J. B. Greene came in 1850, J. C. Beach in 1850, William 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 had a postoffice. The Six-Mile House was built by a man named Prewitt in 1853-1854. 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 Free- port Railroad Company projected its road in 1862-1863 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 300 to 400 people at that time, but now only a few people remain. It had 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 George- town, has a postoffice, stores, hotel and a num- ber of residences, and was settled in 1856 by Gen. Andrew George. The schoolhouse was erected and used two years as a high school. but was abandoned as such on account of the expense. Franklin Grange, P. of H., was in- stituted January 9, 1874.

Richland was started in 1860 as a landing, and had a large warehouse, a school, a Meth- odist 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 settled 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. & A. M., overhead, was erected in 1860 at a cost of $2,200. Franklin Lodge was instituted in 1861, with George A. Blakeslee as master.

Georgiana Township

Georgiana Township joined Franklin Town- ship 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. com- mencing at a point about opposite to Steam- boat Slough. On October 20, 1856, the board of supervisors established Merritt Slough as the northeast corner. The township was com- posed 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

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busy during the fruit season, and ship pota- toes and vegetables to San Francisco and Sacramento 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 Recla- mation District has excited much comment from press and public. It includes about 9,000 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 4,000 acres fell into the hands of the San Francisco Savings Union, which proceeded to reclaim it under the man- agement 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 8,000 acres, nearly all under cultivation. The leeves and the resi- dents have suffered greatly from floods in the years since the settlement in 1852, but the land is now protected by levees more scientifically constructed, and is very productive.

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 value rapidly, the crops being good and every- thing prospering. The high water of 1878, however, dispelled the rosy anticipations of the owners and brought disaster to them, de- stroying 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 lies in 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 reclaimed. 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 7,000 acres and is all reclaimed. 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 prosper- ity 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 Templars and a Grange of Patrons of Htts- bandry flourished here.

Sutter Island has been under process of reclamation for many years, and is now large- ly under cultivation. Walnut Grove was set- tled by John W. Sharp in the fall of 1851, and there has been a postoffice there since 1855 or 1856. It is situated at the junction of Georgi- ana 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 growing of asparagus and celery has expanded very fast within the past ten or fifteen 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 supervisors and was bounded on the north by Granite Township, on the east by Natoma and Cosumnes, on the south by Alabama and on the west by San Joaquin and Brighton Townships. Of the original town- ships it contains part of what was San Joaquin Township and a large portion of the original Cosumnes Township. South of the Cosumnes River it includes part of the Hartnell Grant; north of the Cosumnes and parallel to it is the Sheldon Grant. About 3,800 acres of the Leidesdorff Grant is in the northern part of the township. Along the Cosumnes River and Deer Creek is the rich alluvial land, pro- ducing alfalfa and fruits. Back from the river is the red soil known as plains or agricultural land. On the high land much 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 em- ploy 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 tiine employed by Sutter as a carpenter. Sheldon,

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who was a naturalized citizen of Mexico, had certain claims against the Mexican govern- ment for services in building the custom house 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 govern- ment interpreter for California under the Mex- ican 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 se- curing the grant, and then purchased 300 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 imme- diately, sending the cattle through the un- known country from Dr. Marsh's to the Cosumnes. They reached their destination safely, and the drovers found a corral for the cattle and a tent for the men, which had been provided by Daylor, assisted by Ned Robin- son and a force of Indians.

These Indians had been found to be docile, friendly, and will- ing to do anything for the whites in consider- ation of a yard of "manta" (unbleached mus- lin) and the game, deer, elk and antelope, which the latter provided, and which com- pensated the Indians for a week's work. With their aid a field of one hundred acres was in- closed with a ditch and planted with 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 oper- ation 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 McCoon, taking a num- ber of the Indians, established a mining camp at a point where 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 the neat sum of $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, de- siring to add to his possessions, bought a piece of land about four miles above his mill, and

becoming involved in a quarrel with the min- ers 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, Eng- land, came to Sutter's Fort in 1840. He died of cholera at Daylor's ranch October 30, 1850.

Sebastian Kayser, born in the Austrian Ty- rol, 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 McCoon 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 Mon- terey 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 In- dian trading post in partnership with William Daylor at Daylor's ranch. He died many years ago.

W. D. Wilson came to this state in 1848, and settled on the Cosumnes River, opposite Daylor's ranch, and died in Santa Clara Coun- ty in 1875.

John R. T. Mahone was a soldier in Doni- phan'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.

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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 21

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