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 22

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 22

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Wilson's Exchange Hotel was built in 1850 by W. D. Wilson on the south side of the Cosumnes River. In 1851 he built a bridge across the Cosumnes at the same point, but it was swept away by the high water in 1852; he rebuilt it the same year, but it was again swept away in 1862, and was not rebuilt. The Slough House was built by Jared Sheldon in 1850, and he and his family occupied it as a residence until his death. The Slough House bridge across Deer Creek was built by John Mahone in 1850. It was washed away in 1863, and rebuilt. In 1862 J. C. Austin built a wire bridge across the Cosumnes, located on half of division thirteen of the Hartnell Grant. In 1868 Austin sold it to James D. McCracken, ex-Governor Booth and Colonel James. It was generally known as "the Wire Bridge," and in the later eighties became unsafe and the county replaced it with one that was longer and higher.

In the spring of 1850 the justice of the peace at the Daylor ranch was an old fellow known as "Uncle Ben," but he did not hold the office long. A half-witted fellow had been caught driving off some tame American oxen and was brought before Uncle Ben for trial. The fel-

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

low was almost paralyzed with fear and de- clared loudly that he was innocent of any in- tent to steal, and that he had been hired to drive the oxen to Sacramento. When all was ready for the trial, the prisoner was missing and a party went in search of him. He was found a couple of hundred yards from the house, up to his neck in water and with his head under a bush, and was brought back, more frightened than ever. Being asked how he got away, he said that he had given the justice his purse with the gold dust in it and had been allowed to slip out the back way. The justice denied his story, but the prisoner described the purse and its contents, and on searching the justice the purse and contents were found as described. It was given to him and he was allowed to go, but the judge was tied up to one of the columns that supported the porch and given twenty-five lashes on his bare back with a lasso for a "cat-o'-nine-tails." an Indian officiating. He was then let loose and ordered to leave at once. He left.

In 1850-1851, the settlers in Cosumnes and San Joaquin Townships, which at that time in- cluded Lee, had been greatly annoyed by horse and cattle thieves, until they determined to take the matter into their own hands and administer summary justice to offenders. A man named Orville Hamilton was accused in the early part of 1851 of being accessory to horse-stealing and a number of citizens assem- bled at his place and organized a court and proceeded to try him on the charge. Among the members of the court were Jared Sheldon, William Hicks, Charles Lewis, W. D. Wilson, S. P. Gage, Atwood, Tryce and Allmond. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to hang and a committee was appointed to carry out the sentence, but when they proceeded to carry out their instructions they found that the prisoner had disappeared. This was com- municated to the crowd and created great ex- citement, which was increased when they dis- covered a man wearing Hamilton's hat. He proved to be a merchant of Sacramento named Sage, an intimate friend and old schoolmate of Hamilton's in Connecticut. It was proposed to hang him in Hamilton's place, but cooler counsel prevailed, and he was ordered tied up and whipped. No one appeared willing to un- dertake the job, until Sheldon exclaimed, "Some one has got to see to this thing," and he tied Sage to a tree and an Indian adminis- tered several lashes on his bare back with a lasso. He returned to Sacramento and em- ployed C. A. Tweed to begin suit against Shel- don, Hicks and others, but was non-suited.

By the time all the incidents related had ta- ken place, it was dark and the settlers re- turned to their homes. Gage and Allmond

lived in a cabin about a mile and a half below the Daylor ranch, on the south side of the river, where they were herding horses. When they returned home they were informed by a teamster, who had stopped at their cabin, that two men were endeavoring to drive a herd of horses across a ford about half a mile below the cabin. As this was an unusual proceeding at that time of night, the three men went to the bank overlooking the ford and discovered that two thieves were endeavoring to drive off the horses Gage and Allmond were herding. They would have been successful, undoubt- edly, if the horses had not been unwilling to leave their range after dark. The three men jumped down the bank, pulled the thieves off their horses, disarmed them and made them return to the cabin, where they gave them their supper. After supper. Gage left his com- panions to guard the prisoners, while he start- ed out to summon the neighbors to assemble and try the prisoners the next day. Hicks. Sheldon and Grimshaw were in bed when he arrived, and while he went to summon others, they decided to attend to the matter at once. Accordingly, when Gage returned with some other neighbors, they all agreed on the sub- ject. When they reached the cabin they found there waiting for them John T. Rhoads, Wil- liam B. Rhoads, John Parker and a Mr. Ford, and it was decided to proceed to the trial at once. Sheldon was appointed to preside over the court, when it was found that there were not enough men present to form a regular jury. One of the party, however, spoke on the futil- ity of regular trials in stopping the evil of horse-stealing and said it was necessary to make an example. He offered to be one of a party to pull on the rope to hang the prison- ers and the others agreed. The horses, which had run into the corral, were examined to make sure there was no mistake, and the pris- oners were led out to a tree, lassos placed around their necks and they were informed that they had only half an hour to live. When the time elapsed, they were drawn up, left there all night and buried by the Indians in the morning. This summary dispensing of justice put an effectual stop to horse-stealing in the township.

One of the earliest mob executions in the county outside of the city took place May 14, 1855, when William Lomax was hung by a mob for the murder of Frederick Bohle, who was killed on the 7th. Bohle was a stock- raiser and lived in a cabin about a mile above the old Daylor ranch. Some parties who went there to purchase cattle found him dead. He had been cut with a knife and chopped with an ax, the indications pointing to a desperate struggle. The alarm was given at Grimshaw's

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house, and Grimshaw and Oliver Saunders went out and brought in the body. Lomax had been seen about the premises and he was ar- rested in Sacramento and taken out to thé scene of the murder. He asked that the trial be postponed until he could produce a man named Van Trees, with whom he said he had passed the night previous to the murder at a ranch on the American River. The people of Michigan Bar and Cook's Bar took possession of him, promising that they would bring him back when Van Trees came, which they did. Van Trees corroborated the story of Lomax that he had been at his place, but added that when he departed he had stolen a mule. Lo- max was convicted and hung on a tree in front of Grimshaw's place.

Mississippi Township

Mississippi Township, as it was originally established by the court of sessions, February 24, 1851, included not only nearly all the later township, but also the whole of what was Granite Township. Very few changes were made until the south line was established Oc- tober 20, 1856, being made by the supervisors the Coloma road. The later boundary began at the northeast corner of Center Township; ran easterly along the northern boundary of the county to the American River; thence southerly and westerly along the American River to the eastern boundary of Center Township; thence north along the eastern boundary of Center Township to the point of beginning. A large part of the land in the township was mineral; the better part of the mining land has been worked out and the resi- dents have turned their attention to agricul- ture and in later years to fruit. The North Fork Company's ditch runs through the town- ship, affording facilities for irrigation through- out the year. The San Juan Grant includes the greater part of the township, there being only about 5,000 acres outside of its lines. The largest landholders thirty-five years ago were Cox & Clark and S. C. Hastings.

About thirty-five years ago the first subdi- vision of this grant was made and named Or- angevale. It was cut up into ten-acre tracts and quickly sold, a water right going with the land. About twenty-five years ago the second subdivision was made and named Fairoaks. More recently the Carmichael colony was pur- chased, it being the last portion of the Cox & Clark land, adjoining Fairoaks on the east and the Haggin Grant on the west. It was pur- chased by D. W. Carmichael, piped for irriga- tion 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 Orangevale and Fair- oaks colonies have been largely planted to

oranges and other citrus fruits and have proved as well adapted to their 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 Fairoaks, is especially adapted to the growing of oranges and olives. Other tracts to the north are also being sub- divided, and in a few years there will be devel- oped here one of the most productive citrus fruit centers in the state.

Gold was discovered in Mississippi Town- ship, along the banks of the American River, in 1849, about the same time as at Mormon Island and Negro Bar. Mining was prose- cuted actively along the river for some years, until the bars were mined out. 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 River 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 Chi- nese. The Alabama Bar was situated in the northeast corner of the township, in the mid- dle 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 president, and Alfred Spinks, super- intendent. They located the bar and began to work it, but were notified of the prior location. They retained possession, however, and bought out the prior claimants, wherever they could find them. The gold gave out in 1856, and the bar was abandoned. The company employed about sixty men during the sum- mer, 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 com- menced work on the ditch in September, 1854, and it was completed to Big Gulch, near Ash- land, the end of the main ditch, January 1, 1857. The first dam was built at Tamaroo Bar, twenty-four miles from Big Gulch. The

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portion from Big Gulch to Mississippi Bar runs through Orangevale. 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 com- pleted in January, 1876. The water is used now mostly for irrigation. The Orangevale Colonization Company has 3,200 acres of land irrigated by it.

The California Central Railroad Company built its road through the township, and an- other road was started, to run to Auburn, but never got farther than Wildwood station, ten miles out. The Central Pacific subsequently acquired both 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 Bowles- ville, 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. Colo- nel Russ was for a time the central figure around which affairs in Ashland revolved. The following extract from the Folsom "Tel- egraph" of August 12, 1864, will perhaps prove interesting: "In 1857 or 1858 the name of the village was changed from Big Gulch to Russ- ville, 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 specula- tive genius, he induced a number of San Fran- cisco capitalists to form a company for the purpose of mining the quartz rock for the gold it never had contained, and granite for build- ing, 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 poli- tics, was elected justice of the peace of Miss- issippi 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 maj- esty of the law, and dispensed justice accord- ing 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 exploded, 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 250 feet deep, sunk to find the bed rock, which some of those interested in the com- pany 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 grist-mill, being his own carpenter and millwright, and when the mill was completed he became his own miller. In 1854 Edward Stockton of Sac- ramento, 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 100 bar- rels a day, which established a profitable busi- ness, and in 1861 the mill, then owned by Coover & Stockton, was enlarged to nine run of stone, the tail-race being 500 feet long, equal in effect to 4,000 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 Car- roll & Mowe of Sacramento, and a mill was erected fifteen feet higher and 250 feet farther from the river. It was sixty by eighty, four stories high, and contained nine run of stone, with a capacity of 700 barrels of flour daily. It was built of granite 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 gran- ite have been operated successfully since 1856. The pioneer in this industry was Griffith Grif- fiths. The blue granite for the earlier build- ings 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 eight original town- ships established by the court of sessions, February 24, 1851. It included all the later township and a part of the later township of Cosumnes. In August, 1853, the court of

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sessions divided the township into two parts, all that portion south of the Coloma road be- ing called Prairie Township. The later boundaries were established by the board of supervisors October 20, 1856, beginning at the southeast corner of Granite Township 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, from Mt. Diablo base and meridian ; thence west on the center line of said town- ship, to the eastern boundary of Lee Town- ship, and thence north and along the line of that township to the place of beginning. The land 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 barley being the principal grains. The northern part raises hay, grain and fruit.

The first prominent settlement, outside of Mormon Island, began in 1852. Before that time there were settlers located along the pub- lic roads, who kept public houses. Among the first settlers who began farming were Jacob Broder, who came in 1852; his brother, Os- wald; 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 Houston settled on a ranch on the Co- loma road in 1852, and his brother joined him in 1854. Peter returned to the East in 1857. F. B. Townsend settled near Mormon Island in 1852, and engaged in dairying and butcher- ing. R. K. Berry settled in the northwest part of the township 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. Jo- seph Woodward settled in the township in 1853 on the Illinois Ranch, now known as the Gould farm. John Wielde settled near Mor- mon Island in 1851; W. H. Williams on sec- tion five in 1852; Joseph Wall in 1850. Wall subsequently located Wall Diggings. Joseph Wilson came in 1853. Others were Van Triece, Ingersoll, J. Caples, J. D. Duval, W. J. Mil- gate. 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 prospect. They went to the fort the next day and informed Sam Brannan, of the firm of C. C. Smith & Company, who traded goods for hides, tallow and wheat at their trading post. Brannan was at that time the spiritual guide and director of the Mor- mons of the New Helvetia and other districts of the state. He went to where they found the gold, set up a preemption claim, and de- manded 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, accumulated sev- eral thousand dollars, with which he formed a partnership with Mellus, Howard & Company, 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 about 2,500 people, 900 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 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 Sac- ramento to Coloma, and the other from Sacra- mento 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 postmas- ter. Dallas & Kneass opened the Miner's Ho- tel in 1851, and it was burned in 1856 and never rebuilt. The Mansion House was kept by Thomas Stephenson from 1853 to 1856,

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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 & Company'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 within the old town- ship lines is 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 sus- pension bridge the next summer, which was washed away in the flood of 1862, and was re- built by Shaw. Some years ago this was re- placed by a higher and more costly one by the supervisors of this and Eldorado Counties. The first ball in the county was given at Mor- mon Island in the "jolly old days of 1849," and a humorous account of it was given in the "Record-Union" of June 21, 1873. Many pub- lic houses existed 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 pub- lic 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. The Half-way House was built by Briggs & Hoffman in 1852, sold in a year to one Martin, who sold in turn to John E. Butler.

San Joaquin Township

San Joaquin was one of the original town- ships and included Dry Creek and parts of Alabama, Franklin, Brighton and Lee Town- ships. Dry Creek Township was set off in 1853, and October 20, 1856, the supervisors established the boundaries of San Joaquin as follows: It joined Brighton Township on the north, ran eastward to the range line be- tween ranges 6 and 7 east of Mt. Diablo meri- dian, south to the Cosumnes River, west to the eastern boundary of Franklin Township, 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 10,000 acres, the title to land in the township was 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,

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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 22

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