USA > California > San Benito County > History of San Benito County, California : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, farms, residences, public buildings, factories, hotels, business houses, schools, churches, and mines : with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 8
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Captain Sutter, having reached the goal of his ambition, received permission from the Mexican authorities to select a place for settlement in the Sacramento valley. After much difficulty he finally succeeded in reaching the junction of the Sacramento and American rivers.
SUTTER'S FORT LOCATED.
. A location was made, and Captain Sutter commencedl the construction of a house. The spot was named " New Helvetia," in honor of his mother-country. On account of the strength, armament and formidable appearance of the buildings, the ·
place was called by all the early settlers " Sutter's Fort," which name is even now the most general one. This fort was com- menced in 1842 and finished in 1844. In 1841, when his grant of land was to be marle, it became necessary to have a map of the tract, and he employed for that purpose Captain Jean Vioget, a scaman and Swiss by birth: The survey was made by lines of latitude and longitude. Sutter made his application under this survey of 18+1, the same year the map was completed. The Mexicau laws allowed only eleven leagues to be granted to any one person, but Sutter's map contained fifty leagues or more. Nevertheless, he got the idea that he could hold it, and with this came the idea that he could sell it. The original claim embraced a considerable portion of Sacramento and Placer counties, all of Sutter, the valley portion of Yuba, and a little point of Colusa.
1840 .- In the early part of 1839 a company was made up iu St. Louis, Missouri, to cross the plains to California, consisting of D. G. Johnson, Charles Klein, David D. Dutton, mentioned earlier as having come to the country with Captain Smith, and William Wiggius. Fearing the treachery of the Indiaus this little band determined to await the departure of a party of traders in the employ of the American Fur Company, on their annual tour to the Rocky Mountains. At Westport they were joined by Messrs. Wright, Gegger, a Doctor Wiselzeuius and his German companion, and Peter Lassen, also two missionaries with their wives and hired man, en route for Oregou, as well as a lot of what were termed fur trappers, bound for the mount- ains, the entire company consisting of twenty-seven men and two women. At Fort Hall, Klein and Wiselzenins returned, thus reducing the number to twenty-five.
In September, 1839, the company reached Oregon, and so-
RANCH AND RESIDENCE OF T.F . WHITESIDE, NEAR HOLLISTER SAN BENITO CO. CAL.
41
IMPORTANT PIONEER PARTY ARRIVE.
journed there during the winter of that year; but in May, 1840, a vessel arrived with missionaries from England, design- ing to touch at California on her return. Mr. William Wiggins, now of Monterey, the narrator of this expedition, and his three companions from Missouri, among whom was David D. Dutton, at present a resident of Vacaville, Solano county, got on board.
The vessel put in at Bodega, where the Russians were. The Mexican commandant sent a party of soldiers to prevent them from lauding. At this crisis, the Russian Governor orderedl the Mexican soldiers to leave or be shot down. They then retired.
Here our travelers were at a stand-still, with no means of proccedling on their journey, or of finding their way out of the inhospitable country; they therefore penned the following com- munication to the American Consul, then at Monterey :-
PORT BODEGA, July 25, 1840. " To the American Consul of California-
" DEAR SIR: We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, being desirous to land in the country, and having been refused a passport, and been opposed by the Government, we. write to you, sir, for advice, and claim your protection. Being short of funds, we are not able to proceed further on the ship. We have concluded to land under the protection of the Rus- sians; we will remain there fifteen days, or until we receive an answer from you, which we hope will be as soon as the circum- · stances of the case will permit. We have been refused a pass- port from General Vallejo. Our object is to get to the settle- ments, or to obtain a pass to return to our own country. Should we receive no relief, we will take up our arıns and travel, con- sider ourselves in an enemy's country, and defend ourselves with our guns.
" We subscribe ourselves, " Most respectfully, " DAVID DUTTON, " JOHN STEVENS, " PETER LASSEN,
W.M. WIGGINS,
J. WRIGHT."
IMPORTANT PIONEER PARTY.
1841 .- May 8, a party of thirty-six persons left Independence, Missouri, bound to California. They passed near Salt Lake to Carson river, and then to the main channel of Walker's river. Near its source they erossed the Sierras, and descended into the San Joaquin valley. They erossed the San Joaquin river at the site of the present railroad bridge; and, reaching the ranch of Dr. Marsh, at the base of Mount Diablo, the eyes of the party were refreshed with the first signs of civilization which had greeted them from the time of leaving Fort Laramie.
Of this adventurous little band who braved the hardships and dangers of a journey, then occupying months, which can now he compassed within a week, a number are still living in Cali- fornia, among whom may be mentioned General John Bilwell, of Chico-of which he is the honored founder-having filled
high public stations which mark the esteum and confidence reposed in him by his fellow-citizens, not only of his own imme- dinte home, Imt of the entire State ; Captain Charles M. Web- ber, one of the most prominent of the pioneer citizens of Stoek- ton ; Josiah Belden, one of the oldest residents of San Jose.
This party disbanded at Dr. Marshi's, and became scattered throughout the State. Many of these emigrants have played such important parts in the carly history of California that a list of their names is appended :--
COL. J. B. BARTLESON, Captain of the party. Returned to Missouri. Is now dead.
GEN. JOUN BIDWELL,
COL. JOSEPH B. CHILES,
JOSIAH BELDEN,
Resides at San José and S. F.
Resides in Stockton.
Resides in Yountville, Napa county.
CHARLES HOPPER,
HENRY HUBER,
Resides in Oregon.
MICHAEL C. NYE,
GREEN MCMAHON,
NELSON MCMAHON,
TALBOT H. GREEN,
Resides in Peunsylvania.
Returned to Missouri.
AMBROSE WALTON, JOHN MCDOWELL,
*
and died.
GEORGE HENSHAW,
COL. ROBERT RYCKMAN,
CHARLES FLUGGE,
*
and died.
GWINN PATTON,
WILLIAM BELTY,
BENJ. KELSEY, and wife, Reside in Santa Barbara county.
ANDREW KELSEY,
Went to Oregon.
JAMES JOHN,
Went to Callao, thence to Missouri.
HENRY BROLASKI,
Drowned in Columbia river.
JAMES DAWSON,
Drowned in Sacramento river.
GEORGE SHORTWELL,
Accidentally shot on the journey.
JOHN SWARTZ,
Died at San José, Cal.
GROVE C. COOK,
Died at San Francisco.
D. W. CHANDLER,
Dead.
"
THOMAS JONES,
Died March 26, 1878, at Tehama.
ROBERT H. THOMES,
Lives in Youutville, Napa county.
ELIAS BARNETT,
J. P. SPRINGER,
Died at or near Santa Cruz.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE VALLEY.
1841 .- It is a fact that there was not a house in the Sacra- mento or San Joaquin valleys in 1841, except Sutter's. He had one adobe house and a few huts, but his fort was not eom- pleted until some time afterwards.
After the settlement of New Helvetia, the next point where I a dwelling was located was abont two miles north-east of the
P
and died.
Unknown.
Killed by Indians at Clear Lake.
MAJOR WALTON,
Died in California.
NICHOLAS DAWSON,
Resides in Chico, Butte county.
Resides in St. Helena, Napa county.
CHARLES M. WEBBER,
Resides in San Francisco.
Resides in Vacaville, Solano county.
Returned to Missouri.
42
PIONEERS SETTLE IN ALL PARTS OF STATE.
fort, on the American river, in 1841. This was settled by John Sinclair for Captain Elias Grimes and Hiram Grimes, to whom Sutter afterwards sold it, It made a fine ranch and farm, and was extensively stocked.
1842 .- Nicolaus Allgeier, in 1842, was placed on what is known as the town of Nicolaus, on the east bank of Feather river. The next two places were settled almost simultaneously in the fall of this year. Hock Farm, which subsequently became the home of Captain Sutter, was established and mnade his principal stock-farm, the auimals ranging over that part of Sutter county lying west of Feather river, and south of the Butte mountains.
The land in the vicinity of Marysville was leased to Theo- dore Cordua. Cordua made a stock-farm of it to a limited extent. Marysville is located where he erected, at what is now the foot of D street, an adobe dwelling-house, a store-house or trading room, culinary department and out-houses. The walls of the dwelling were thick, and well constructed for withstand- ing a siege. The spot was named " New Mecklenburg " by Captain Sutter, in honor of the place of nativity of Cordua. It soon became known, however, as Cordua's Ranch.
William Gordon settled on his ranch on Cache creek, in Yolo county, in the fall of 1842. The place now known as Vacaville was settled about the same time by Mannel Baca, from New Mexico.
THE PARTY OF 1843.
In the fall of 1843, a party arrived across the plains vin Fort Boise and Pitt river. They came down the west bank of the Sacramento river into what is now Colusa county, and crossed the river below the mouth of Stony creek and went over to Feather river.
Major P. B. Redding, who was with this party, sketched the land about the month of Stony creek, and not being entitled to receive a grant himself, gave the map to the wife of Dr. Stokes, of Monterey, who was a Mexican woman, and she obtained a grant, giving Redding two leagues, or perhaps half the grant, for his locations. This was the first grant made within the limits of Colusa county, and the first settler on the grant was a man by the name of Bryant, who built a house and raised some corn in 1846.
Wolfskill settled on his grant on Putalı creek, south of Cache creek, and south of Gordon's grant, in 1843.
General John Bidwell says; "In my trip up the valley, in 1843, I went as far as the present town of Red Bluff. I was in pursuit of some stolen animals, and was in haste to overtake a party going to Oregon, which I did, and recovered the animals. My party consisted of Peter Lassen, James Bru- ham, and an Indian.
" In the summer of 1843, a company arrived from ' the States' eir Oregon, where they had wintered. This party was under the lead of L. W. Hastings, and N. Coombs, of Napn, was one of
the party. Hastings was so well pleased with the land lying on the west bank of the Sacramento river just below the present town of Colusa, that he got me to make a map of it, intending to apply for a grant. He did not succeed, however. Some two or three of Hastings' party-their names I do not now recall -- were in the habit of shooting at Indians, and had killed two or three before reaching the Colusa village, which was the only known point within about forty miles above, and thirty miles below, where horses could be watered from the river. At last the Indians became alarmed, and the tribe ahead had notice of the coming of the Oregon party. On attempting to approach the river at Colusa the Indians attacked them. For this they were reported hostile, and Sutter went with about forty men- mostly Indians whom he had taught the use of fire-arms and whom he employed as hunters and trappers-and punished them severely. Many Indians were killed-mostly of the Willy tribe. Sutter's forces crossed the river six or seven miles above Colnsa on a bridge built by the Indians-the Due-Ducs, I. believe-for fishing purposes. This bridge was about sixty feet wide and very long, for the river was wide but not deep.
GENERAL BIDWELL GIVES NAMES TO STREAMS.
"On my return from Red Bluff in March, 1843, I made a map of this upper Sacramento valley, on which most of the streams were laid down, and they have since borne the names then given them.
FIRST SETTLEMENT NORTH OF SUTTER'S FORT.
1844 .- " Peter Lassen then selected what became his grant on Deer creek (now in Tehamna county), and it was the first place selected and settled north of Sutter's grant. He started there in December, 1843, but camped at Sntter's Buttes inow called Marysville Buttes or Butte mountains) till January or February, 1844, before proceeding to his destination. Several other places were examined and mapped in 1843, but little was done in this line till 1844, because those who wanted the land had not been here long enough to become citizens and be entitled to receive a graut."
Knight's grant, on the Sacramento river, was settled by himself, in 1844.
The next settlement was by Peter Lassen, in Techama county. on Deer creek. Lassen started to take possession of the land in December, 1843, but did not reach his destination till Janu- ary or February, 1844. The settlement by Samuel Neal and David Dutton on Butte creek, abont seven miles south of Chico, was made in 1844, About the same time Edward A. Farwell, with Thomas Fallon, settled on hisgrant on Chico creek, about a mile below the present town site of Chico. The same year, but a little later, a settlement was made on the present property of General John Bidwell, by William Dickey, who obtained the grant.
43
UNLIMITED POWER EXERCISED BY ALCALDES.
THE PIONEER PARTY OF 1844.
1844 .- A band of hardy pioneers worked their laborious way through the drifting snow of the mountains, and entered the beautiful San Joaquin valley, one of them remaining in his snow-bound camp at Donner lake until returning spring inade his rescue possible.
The party consisted of twenty-three men: John Flomboy; Captain Stevens, now a resident of Kern county, California; Joseph Foster; Dr. Townsend; Allen Montgomery; Moses Schallenberger, now living in San Jose, California; G. Green- wood and his two sons, Jond and Britt; James Miller, now of San Rafael, California; Mr. Calvin: William Martin; Patrick Martin; Dennis Martin; Martin Murphy and his five sons; Mr. Hitchcock and son.
They left Council Bluff's May 20, 1844, enroute to California, of the fertility of whose soil and the mildness of whose climate glowing accounts had been given.
TRUCKEE, THE INDIAN GUIDE.
The dangers of the plains and mountains were passed, and the party reached the Humboldt river, when an Indian named Truckee presented himself, and offered to guide them to Cali- fornia. After questioning him elosely, they employed him as their guide, and as they progressed, found that the statements he had made about the route were fully verified. He soon became a great favorite among them, and when they reached the lower crossing of the Truckee river, now Wadsworth, they gave his name to the beautiful stream, so pleased were they by the pure water and abundance of fish to which he had directed them. The stream will ever live, in history, as the Truckee river.
CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS,
1845 .- William Hardy . came ashore from a whale-ship in the latter part of the year 1845. He first went to work as a car- penter for Thomas O. Larkin in Monterey. He had not been employed in this way long before Roselean and Sansevain sent over to Monterey for carpenters to come to Santa Cruz and build a schooner. Mr. Hardy came, among others, and they went to work on the vessel. The vessel was completed iu 1846, and was called the Santa Cruz, and sailed to the Sand- wich Islands to be coppered. She returned, and was lost at sea.
THE FIRST GRINDSTONES.
W. C. Moon settled at " Moon's Ranch," Tehama county, in 1845, and with him a noted hunter and Indian fighter by the name of Merritt. They, with Peter Lassen, made a large canoe-load of grindstones on Stony creek in 1845, and packed them on mules over twenty miles to the river.
They sold a few at Sutter's Fort, and peddled the rest out all around the Bay of San Francisco. When the canoe left Sac- ramento, it was laden to within six inches of the top. As they proceeded from point to point, the canoe became lighter, of course; but, at first, it seemed anything bnt safe, even for inland navigation.
TILE CELEBRATED ALCALDE.
In the year 1845, William Blackburn came to Santa Cruz. He came over the plains from Independence, Missouri, and arrived here in October. He was a native of Virginia, born in 1814. He came over the country in company with Jacob R. Snyder, George McDougal, and Harvey Speel.
They stopped together on the Zyante and went to making shingles. William Blackburu was a cabinet-maker by trade, and in the year 1844 worked at that business in New Orleans. But men arriving in California, of course, took hold of any business that would pay. So these men seem to have been still engaged in lumbering and shingle-making when the Bear flag went up in Sonoma.
When the Bear Flag battalion came marehiug down towards Monterey early in July, 1846, William Blackburn and his associates joined it. Just now, too, the United States flag went up iu Monterey, and the battalion weut sonth to see that its authority was acknowledged. In due time Blackburn returned to Santa Cruz and went into the merchandising business in the adobe building fronting on the upper plaza.
In the year 1847, he was appointed alcalde by Governor Mason, and for a year or two dispensed justice in a way peenliarly his own.
BLACKBURN AS ALCALDE.
Many curious illustrations of it could be given, but we will instance one or two. Many eularged stories have been told of Judge Blackburu, but these here mentioned are taken from the records, or from living wituesses' statements.
The alcalde records in the County Clerk's office of date of August 14, 1847, show that on that day a jury tried Pedro Gomez for the murder of his wife, Barbara Gomez, and found him guilty.
Sentence of the Court: "That the prisoner be conducted back to prison, there to remain until Monday, the 16th of Angust (two days only) aud then be taken out and shot."
" August 17. Sentence carried into effect on the 16th accordiugly. W. BLACKBURN, Alcalde."
Pretty summary justice that! It shonkl, perhaps, be stated that, according to law, Judge Blackburn ought to have reported the trial of this criminal to the higher court iu Monterey, and have bad the action of his court sanctioned, before the execu- tion. "For some reason he did not do this, but had the eriminal shot, and then reported both the trial and execution to head- quarters !
14
SCENES AND ACTS OF THE EARLY COURTS.
This did not quite suit Governor Mason's ideas of propriety, even in that lawless time, and some pretty sharp correspond- ence followed between the Governor and Judge Blackburn. This exact course of procedure does not seem to have been repeated !
A TOUCHING SCENE.
But there was a sequence, on the 21st of August, before the court, that is touching indeed. Josepha Gomez and Balinda Gomez, orphan children of the murderer father and the mur- dered mother, were brought into court-two · little girls-to be disposed of by the Court.
The Court gave Balinda, eleven years ohl, to Jacinto Castro " to raise" until she was twenty-one years of age, unless she was sooner married; the said Jacinto Castro ohligating him- self to give her a good education, and three cows and calves at her marriage, or when she arrives of age.
The Court gave Josepha, nine years old, to Alexander Rod- eriguez, with some similar provision for her education and care. But it is a sorry feeling that comes over us as we seem to see those poor little orphan girls parted there to go among stran- gers. It is hoped their lives have been less a grief than their childhood.
SERVED HIM RIGHT.
But in court, still further, November 27, 1847, the case of A. Roderiguez vs. one C -- ; plaintiff' sued defendant, a boy, for shearing his horse's mane and tail off. It was provedl that the defendant did the shearing.
An eye witness of the trial says, that when it came to the inatter of the sentence, Judge Blackburn looked very grave, and his eyes twinkled a good deal, and he turned to his law book, and examined it here and there, as if looking up authorities touching a very important and perplexing case. All at once he shut up his book, sat back in his chair, and speaking with a solemn tone, said :-
" I find no law in any of the statutes applicable to this case, except in the laws of Moses-' An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' Let the prisoner be taken out in front of this office, and there be shcared close."
The sentence was literally carried into effect, to the great satisfaction and amusement of the native inhabitants, who expressed their approval by saying, " It served him right!"
BLACKBURN'S CAREER.
In 1845 he crossed the plains from Independence, Missouri, to California, iu the company of Jacob R. Snyder, George Williams, George McDougal, and Henry Speel, all being lead- ing men in the company. They arrived in this county in October of that year, and settled on the Zyante, where Black- burn, Snyder, and MeDougal engaged in the shingle business.
Speel left the party at Fort Hall for Oregon, but arrived in California in 1846.
Blackburn, with all of these fellow-travelers, was in Fre- mont's battalion, under the Bear flag, Blackburn being First Lieutenant of Artillery, Company F,-Captain MeLane. At the battle of Buenaventura, Lieutenant Blackburn fired the first gun, loading and handling it. During that campaign, Snyder was the Quartermaster. They continued in the service till the treaty of Couenga, when they returued to Santa Cruz as their home, Blackhurn opening a store on the Old Plaza, which was also an open hotel, for no white man was ever asked pay for supper or lodging; but anything there was in the house was at the service of the guest; open-handed hospitality being the character of host and people in those primitive times, here as elsewhere, throughout California. McDougal settled in Gilroy.
BLACKBURN AS JUDGE.
During those stormy periods of anarchy and lawlessness, he performed the duties of the office to the eutire satisfaction of all; and although his decisions cover points of all the varied questions of jurisprudence, we believe none have ever yet been reversed by any higher court. His pretensions were not based on Coke or Littleton, but on common sense and justice. The records of his court are as amusing as the jokes of " Punch."
Blackburn, as Judge, was always anxious that the law aud justice should be fully anul quickly vindicated, and, after passing sentence, would give uo delay to its execution ; for, although it was the rule for his decisions to be sent to the Governor for approval, they were generally sent after the execution, so that there should be no chance for a delay of justice. Although that might seem to be summary proceeding, yet it met the approval of the people over whom he governed, but at times was the cause of some sharp anil terse correspondence between himself and his superiors.
In 1848 he resigned his office to go to the gold regiou. He returned to Santa Cruz iu 1849, and was appointed a Justice of tho Peace under the Territorial Government.
BLACKBURN'S FARMING PROFITABLE.
In 1851 he settled on his homestead in Santa Cruz, and comninenced farming in company with his brother, Daniel Black- burn, and they planted the bottom with potatoes, and such was the enormous yield of the whole bottom that at thirtecu ceuts per pound, the then price of potatoes, the yield was uearly $100,000; and for several years the profits of potato raising were enorinous. Where the house now stands, four acres yiekled $1,200 worth of potatoes to the acre; they were carly, and brought 123 cents per pound. Next year thirteen acres were rented to Thomas Weeks at $100 per acre, full payment in advance.
RANCH AND RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM NOBLE.
NEAR HOLLISTER SAN BENITO CO. CAL.
$2
15
ACTIVE LIFE OF EARLY PIONEER SETTLERS.
BLACKBURN'S PREMIUMI POTATOES.
From this place the Judge sent samples of potatoes of four pounds weight (which was a general average), to the Crystal Palace Fair at New York, and received a premium for the finest potatoes ever known. From here also was derived the fame which Santa Cruz now holds of producing fine potatoes.
In 1848 Judge Black burn built a vessel, a schooner of about fifty tons burden, called the " Zach Taylor," and Captain Vin- cent commanded it. When Monterey ceased to be the head- quarters of the Pacific, the vessel was run on the Sacramento river. He was also concerned in building the first saw-mill up the Blackburn Gulch.
He was considered a man of enterprise and improvement, and we find him from his start towards the Pacific to have been a man of note, first as one of the leaders in the train with which he jourueyed; again a commander and soldier in the first war towards the generation of a Pacific Government; then, as a jurist, his history is recorded in the archives of the country ; finally as an agriculturist, his mark was made and is on record in the proceedings of the Crystal Palace World's Fair, New York, which was also probably the first visible knowledge demonstrating to the East the capabilities of Cali- fornia to raise her own food.
FIRST PROTESTANT WORSHIP.
1846 .- Mr. A. A. Hecox appears to have commenced Pro- testant public worship in Santa Cruz. He was an authorized Christian minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. Wor- ship was first hell at the house of John D. Green, in August, 1847, and after that in the house of J. G. T. Duuleavy.
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