History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 13

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660

USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 13

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

For the third time the cry of fire startled the citizens about 11 o'clock on the morning of February 21, 1855. It started in a restaurant a few doors from Levee Street, and so rapidly flew the flames in a few minutes' the buildings adjoining were on fire. For a time it was feared a clean sweep would be made of the en- tire business portion of the city, for buildings equally destructible, stood not eighty feet dis- tant to the east. The flames were checked at the Shades saloon on the Levee by tearing down several buildings in their pathway. The greater part of the buildings destroyed had been erected after the fire of 1851. The loss was $50,000. The firms made homeless in- cluded Emile Sutro, cigar dealer, a brother of the famous Adolph Sutro of San Francisco; the New York bakery and restaurant of John Henderson, later for years keeper of the Grand hotel, corner California and Channel streets ; Jack Keeler saloon, Stephen Starbuck's da- guerrean saloon and J. & C. Ling, jewelers. During the fire Mersfelder's bakery on Hun- ter Street caught fire but was quickly extin- guished.

The citizens seemed to be very much alarmed over the destruction of their property by fire and yet it took them four years to pur- chase a fire bell, and ten years before they had even a fairly good fire equipment. However the quickest move for betterment the citizens ever made in the history of the city was on the evening of the fire. Over three hundred citi- zens, a large crowd for that date, met in the 6

city hall together with the common council. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Buffington, and George H. Sanderson, whose son is now asylum physician, was elected secre- tary, a resolution was offered and quickly adopted, "that in the opinion of those present the council should pass an ordinance prohibit- ing the erection of wooden buildings within proscribed fire limits." The meeting was ad- journed and a special meeting of the council was then held and they passed an ordinance which declared: "From and after this date it shall be unlawful for any person to erect any wooden building within the limits of Levee, Hunter and Main streets (100 feet south of the said Main Street) and west by Commerce Street. The penalty for disobeying the ordi- nance was a fine of from $1,000 to $2,000 and not less than thirty days in jail. It was a good law then, but very bad for today, for brick . buildings were erected that are today an eye- sore and a detriment to the progress of the city. They are paying big rents and their owners, having no civic pride, will not tear them down and rebuild creditable buildings. Here is an illustration; soon after the fire of 1851, Avery & Hewlett built on the corner of Hunter and Main Street, a two-story brick building. Time passed, and forty-two years later a sharp Hebrew bought the property and opened a clothing store. In the meantime the San Joaquin Valley Bank erected a magnificent four-story brick building adjoining this old structure. Wishing to enlarge their business and erect a splendid building on the corner, the bank directors asked the price of the corner lot, about 30x50 feet. The Hebrew would not even give them a price. It was practically a magnificent hold-up. The bank did not get possession of the property at a fair valuation until after the death of the owner. Now under the name of the Bank of Italy, they will in time construct on the corner an imposing ten- story building.

Like a shuttle cock on the weaving machine I am jumping back and forth through a period of seventy years, but this is unavoidable. Once again for the fourth and last time block No. 1 was a scene of desolation. The alarm was given early on the morning of September 27, 1864, by the watchman on the steamer Helen Hensley. The fire, set by an' incendiary, started in the City Hotel on the east side of Center Street, the half block which had been burned in 1849 and 1851. Sixteen firms were homeless, the aggregate loss amounting to $30,000. In the number was the City restau- rant, owned by Charles Mersfelder, Fisher & Company, stage office, corner of Center and Levee, the well known Angelo House, and the "Jim" Darcey & Lewis Henry saloon. In the

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

track of the hottest flames stood the first home of the Stockton Independent which, like its predecessor, the Stockton Journal, seemed doomed for destruction. Located in the two- story brick 'structure, known as the Shirley Building, the two powerful streams of water thrown on the building by the Weber steam fire engine saved it. So hot was the flames "the zinc roof melted and ran off like rain."

A Block of Fire Traps

The block east of block No. 1, was, as you may have noted, as well filled with fire-traps as the pioneer tract. No fire of importance, oc- curred in this block until 11:30 on the evening of the National holiday 1858. At that time "Uncle" John Andrews, a very popular land- lord, conducted a lodging house in the second- story of what was known as the Massachu- setts Bakery. The fire started in one of the sleeping rooms and as usual spread rapidly north and south of the bakery. It soon en- veloped in flames the William Ward butcher shop, a Chinese wash-house and ice cream saloon, and Jonas Stockwell's grain-sack fac- tory. It then spread eastward through the block, destroying the warehouse of Charles M. and P. M. Bowen, who saved a part of their stock in their brick building. The brick build- ing of Henry Hodgkins stopped its progress towards the Levee and the J. W. Ferris brick building, occupied by Nash & Beamis, stayed its progress towards the south.

A Horrible Death

Another fire, spectacular in its appearance was that of October 4, 1864, when the only tragedy of all these fires occurred. A man drunk with liquor was burned to death in the lodging house over the Eureka saloon. The fire, supposed to have been set by an incen- diary, started in the rear of Charles Whit- koph's saloon on the Levee, a few doors from El Dorado Street. The fire bell rang out its startling alarm and the fire engines were soon rattling over the streets. The Eureka hand engine was set at the fire cistern, corner of Main and El Dorado ; the San Joaquin at Main and Hunter, and the Weber steamer, stationed on the El Dorado Street bridge, attempted to take water from the channel. It was low tide. The engine immediately began sucking mud, and thus made helpless there were but two en- gines to fight the flames. The fire licked up the buildings like oil, but it was checked on the south by the Hodgkins brick building. Rush- ing east, the Eureka was soon in flames and just beyond the flames were extinguished. The losers were Waldman's cigar factory, the Eureka Hotel, Lee's barber shop; Rosenthal & Isaacs; Charley Whitkoph's whiskey shop, WV. H. Mills, barber; Henry Langmack,

jeweler; Thomas Ecstrom, barber. Most of the buildings destroyed belonged to Henry Hodgkins, Stockton's most progressive citizen. On the corner where stood the former I. O. O. F. building, reaching south to the Eureka engine house and on Main Street to what was known as the Main Street Hotel, the city owned a number of shacks rented to business men. On the early morn of Spetember 4, 1865, the city suddenly went out of business as prop- erty renters. A fire broke out in the Antelope restaurant on Main Street, destroying every- thing in its pathway on both sides of the block. The loss included the restaurant, Judge Brush's office, the daguerrean car on wheels of I. S. Locke, Delano's barber shop, the Na- tional saloon, where Squire Hart killed a Mexi- can, C. R. Gillingham's hide house, and the Patrick Edward Connor city waterworks.

Building Progress

Three of man's best gifts are air, water and fire, but uncontrolled, they are his most de- structive enemies. The flames that devour the old wooden shacks are usually the cause of erection of a much better class of buildings. This was the case in Stockton. Following the fire of 1851 the citizens declared, "Our city im- provements are going on very favorably. Numerous brick buildings are going up and still more are to be erected. The property at the corner of Levee and Commerce Streets will be built over with brick. The west side of Center Street (between Levee and Main) will be one solid wall of brick buildings. Numer- ous frame buildings are going up in the out- skirts of Stockton. This speaks well for the stability." On the east side of the block about midway, John Shirley erected a small two- story brick building, and in the second story Stockton Odd Fellowship and Masonry were instituted. To the south Biven & Branco erected a two-story brick, about 20 by 50 feet at a cost of $9,000, and a few months later Biven, buying the property at $12,000, fitted the upper story for the two fraternal societies. Another big improvement was the Schofield &. Company building. The Repub- lican says, "They have removed to their new fireproof building opposite the old stand on Main Street (between Hunter and El Dorado). Another handsome building is being erected adjoining Schofield's. The fronts are built of a superior quality of brick from the yard of Mr. Rude, which are laid in white mortar and the joints finished after the Baltimore style of front work." The destruction of the frame building of Hestres & Company, in the 1851 fire, was a cause of rejoicing later of the pub- lic in general. We see "that Hestres & Com- pany have removed to Main, corner of El Dorado." While erecting a one-story brick

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

on the southeast corner, the citizens per- suaded them to add a second story for drama- tic use, and for twenty years it was Stockton's only theater. Two other business houses erected that year, 1852, were the I. W. Lyons eating house, a brick building next to Holden's drug store on the north and the Hewlett & Collins two-story brick, 20x30, corner of Hun- ter and Main Streets. The Lyons building now brings in its owner a high rent.

The finest buildings of that period were the Stockton Theater, the county court house, the Holden drug store, the Newell & Company Express building, and the Weber House; the three last-named are today standing, useful business houses and old landmarks of the days of long ago. In reference to the Newell and Company building . on Center Street near Levee, the press recorded in August, 1852, "During the summer quite a change has taken place in the appearance of our city for the better. The old wooden shacks have been torn down and brick buildings have been erected in their stead. Two have just been completed which have elicited the general admiration of the public." The Newell Express Company building was 25x50 in size, the first story be- ing fourteen feet in the clear and the second story twelve feet. "The front is pressed brick of Stockton manufacture and all the walls twenty-two inches thick. The roof is laid in brick and cement after which is a cover of tin, making the building perfectly water tight and fireproof. The inside will be finished with plaster of paris, and in the lower story there will be a heavy cornice of the same material. The counters and desks are of solid mahogany and the floor is of marble. In the second story there will be four offices, one will be occupied by the attorney, Samuel A. Booker and an- other office by the dentist, John M. Hill. The foot walk in front will be completed of gran- ite." It was fifty years later before a sidewalk as lasting as this one came into general use.

The Holden drug store, which was the same ground size as the present store, was two stories in height and cost $13,000. It was no- ticeable for its "ornamental iron piazza in front. It has a cellar floor laid in cement and perfectly waterproof. The exterior will be covered with mastic which will represent free- stone. The building is thirty-five feet in height and the offices on the second floor will be occupied by Dr. Wm. M. Ryer, the dentist, George Warren and Mr. Babbitt." Two years later Dr. Holden and his partner, Havens, erected a second two-story building adjoining. on the Main street side, of pressed brick. The first story was occupied as a dry goods store by Henry B. Underhill and E. R. Stockwell. About 1880 the building was remodelled as it appears today.

The Weber House, still in use, corner Main and Center, was the most costly building of its day, and was a complete failure as far as concerned its builder and owner, James M. Warner. Nevertheless it was a great benefit to the city because of its spaciousness, for it could accommodate any number of visitors to the city in a first class manner. It was fo many years the stopping place of all theatrical and other amusement companies, and as the editor stated: "We have not done Mr. Warner justly credit. He has brought to a successful completion a splendid new brick hotel. Through evil and good report he has steadily pushed his way while some said it would be a failure, others a success." Pioneers told me that the building was erected by Reid & War- ner and that their friends tried to persuade them not to put their money into the building as it was too big a project for a small city of less than 5,000 people, but they had great faith in the city and borrowed money to build it. The hotel with its 120 rooms was opened Dec. 3 with a banquet, Captain Weber, after whom it was named, presiding. The building cost $40,000 but the owners were unable to lift the mortgage. March 28, 1855, it was sold at sheriff's sale and bid in by the mortgagee, John Dillon, for 17,000. He and John Gross, later the baker and confectioner, refurnished the hotel and leased it to Colonel Robert Manning. "We learn that Colonel Manning has leased the Weber House and will open it without de- lay. He is one of the best veteran hotel caterers and will make the house popular," said the reporter in March, 1855. The Colonel con- tinued in charge of the hotel, with a slight in- terruption when he went to Copperpolis, until his death. His daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Tureman, for many years a kindergarten teacher, is still living in this city.

The flames of February, 1855, cleaned out the shacks on the west side of El Dorado Street, north of Main Street. As the fire ordi- nance passed by the city council prohibited the erection of any frame buildings, a block of one-story brick buildings were erected, and much to the detriment of the city's progress they are still there, although some of the build- ings have grown to two stories. In the num- ber of frame buildings destroyed was the jew- elry store of two Germans, J. & C. Ling. They were succeeded by Charles Haas. The two men were Odd Fellows, and putting up a two- story brick in July, 1855, the Odd Fellows dedicated their new hall. The Lings knew that the order was a good advertisement and they advertised June 27 "Ling Bros. store under the Odd Fellows hall." Note the speedy work; the fire occured February 21 and three months later they were in their new store. It was a first class building, a monument today to their

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

enterprise, which was duly appreciated by the Odd Fellows. In that upper story was founded the first children's temperance lodge, "The Band of Hope." A writer in recording these improvements said, "Mr. Forsman, V. M. Peyton, J. and C. Ling, Louis Martin and J. M. Ferris have each commenced the erection of fine brick buildings. Those belonging to the two-first named gentlemen are to have 'cast iron fronts' the first ever used in this city. These improvements give employment to many mechanics and laborers."

In July 1855, we have recorded how the Newell & Company, two-story brick, like a salamander stood against the fire fiend and it was a very instructive lesson to future store builders. A fire, very peculiar as. to date, was the El Dorado block fire on the eve of July 4, 1858. The flames broke out in the Massachu- setts bakery owned by Alexander Gall, with a second-story lodging house kept by "Uncle" John Andrews. Mr. Gall, an enterprising Scotchman, erected a building with a hand- some ornamental front, and fitted up the sec- ond story as a social hall, the first public hall in Stockton. And we read January 18, 1859: "Mr. Gall's new dance hall was dedicated last evening by a pleasant private party gotten up by several young gentlemen. Thirty or forty couple enjoyed the dance." His building was completed long before the adjoining bricks, for June 4, the paper states: "The block of brick buildings on El Dorado Street nearly completed will be occupied by Nash & Beamis, Gray & Hickman, Wm. Ward, the butcher, and Gall, the confectioner." Then came the era of church fireproof building. In 1858 the Epis- copal church, in 1859 the Presbyterian, in 1861 the Baptist and Catholic churches were erected. The first brick church, the German Methodist, was built in 1855, and the first brick public school in 1859. The first merchants in Stockton to erect a building of any size was the firm of B. W. Owens, Edward Moore and W. F. McKee. Purchasing the lot southeast corner of Main and Center streets, where stood the Central Exchange, and the lot to the south, they erected a handsome two-story building 50 feet on Main and 100 feet on Center at a cost of $10,000. "It is of the Corinthian style," said the account, "with two fronts, surrounded by a wide piazza. In the second story there will be twelve windows, six on Main Street. The store will be a great ornament to the city, and work will be commenced next week"-April, 1861. The second-story became the home of the Stockton Argus and the building stands today, the second story without a single change in its structure.

A few persons at that time began erecting brick buildings for residences, and a few of them are today occupied as dwellings, among

them the Joseph Scott and the Dr. Oscar M. Brown homes on East Flora Street; Nathaniel Wormell erected a brick home on East Mag- nolia; the Chittenden family, on North El Dorado, Dr. Ireland on North Madison, and S. M. Reid, on North Hunter. About the same time Dr. Collins erected a home and seminary in the center of the block where now stands the Congregational Church; Dr. Hunt also built a brick seminary on El Dorado Street, now the Belding property. It was stated a few pages back that Henry Hodgkins was the city's most progressive citizens. He built a brick story-and-a-half home on Miner Ave- nue near Sutter as early as 1858 and having great faith in the future of Stockton he bought nearly 200 front feet of land on the southeast corner of Levee and El Dorado Street, shacks and all. When the fire of October, 1864, swept them out of existence he at once began the erection of a large two-story building covering the entire ground. When completed the Stock- ton Independent occupied the corner building ; fitting up a public dance hall on El Dorado Street, the Pioneer Society was there organ- ized, and Laura de Force Gordon delivered one of her first lectures for woman suffrage. Hodg- kins' crowning work, however, was the erec- tion by him and H. E. Hall of the Yosemite Hotel. It had a frontage of 102 feet and cost $30,000. It was opened July 5, 1869, by Alex- ander McBean from Chicago. Over 300 citi- zens sat down to the dinner. The erection of the hotel was followed by the erection of the Yosemite Theatre and the Hook and Wilhoit Building, this making a solid three-story front on San Joaquin and Main Streets to the Hilke Building.

Merchants of 1864

Who were the merchants occupying these buildings? We find a list of ninety-two firms signing an agreement "to close our stores and places of business on Tuesday, November 8, 1864, the same being the day set for the elec- tion of presidential electors," and among the many we remember today, Owens, Moore & Cogshill, corner of Main and Center; E. L. Houche, grocer, on the corner opposite; Wil- liam J. Belding, dry goods; Charles Haas, jeweler, and George Vincent, sewing machine agent on El Dorado Street; Sperry & Com- pany flour mill, Howard Brown and Hale & Newell, produce dealers, and Simpson & Gray, lumber dealers, Levee below El Dorado ; Jones & Hewlett, agricultural implements; Richard Condy, tailor ; John L. Woodman, bag factory ; Mills & Doll, tinsmiths; Louis M. Hickman, hardware; Gray & Hickman, dry goods, B. & A. Frankheimer, clothiers; M. T. Stamp- er, clothing dealer, Main Street below Hunter ; Hedges & Howland, groceries; H. O. Mat-

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

thews, grocer; Frank Dake, blacksmith; N. C. Hilke, harness maker; L. L. Creech, grocer ; H. T. Fanning, grocer; W. O. Tripp, harness maker; John T. Hickinbotham, wagon maker ; L. Howard, tinsmith, Main Street east of Hunter; Sidney Newell, bookstore; Dohrmann & Smallfield, grocers, El Dorado north of

Main; R. B. Parker, Hunter near Market; Louis Hansel, Hunter and Channel, grocers; William Bush, real estate dealer; Lippincott & Belding, soda works; George Natt, grocer ; R. B. Lane, flour mill; Weber Avenue east of Hunter, and William P. Miller, wagonmaker, Channel and California.

CHAPTER VII COMMERCIAL EVENTS UP TO 1869

N O PERSON can forecast the trend of trade. And as we have observed as early as 1852, it began moving eastward, as all teaming traveled out Main Street and Weber Avenue. Two years previous, many business men, believing that French Camp would become an important trading point dur- ing the winter months, made an effort to boost South Stockton, on Mormon Channel. Emile Junge, an enterprising Frenchman, advertised in June, 1950, "Store-ship Susanna, Mormon Channel, general merchandise and produce dealer. Lots for sale in the most improving location of the town." Several other promot- ers removed their vessels loaded with goods to Mormon Channel and attempted to establish a run of trade. Spending good money, they as- serted through the newspaper that "the chan- nel was the place to carry on business as the land was high and dry and vessels drawing ten feet of water could anchor at Center Street, and it was the nearest point to French Camp." The levee on Weber Avenue was a sea of mud in winter, as the banks sloped to the water's edge, and all goods from the steamers were landed in the mud. The city, however, built a wharf in 1852. In order to attract purchasers of lots and goods, Captain Young, one of the promoters, refused an offer of $6,500 for his brig, as he intended "to give it to the town gratis, on condition that it be used as a court house." The city at the time were paying $300 per month for a small room in the McNish Building. The scheme of these speculators caused quite an excitement for a time, and lots along Center Street were quickly bought up. In a few days over 700 lots were sold at prices running from $4,000 to $6,000 each. Regarding business locations, Captain Weber's idea was neither Mormon Channel nor block No. 1, but the Peninsula, where ships could land goods within 100 feet of the front of the store, or at their rear door, sailing up Miner Channel. Today a fish market is doing that very thing. Block No. 1 became the business center through an accident or a misunder-

standing. Weber, in erecting his general mer- chandising store in 1848, directed the captain to land the lumber on the north side of the channel, but misunderstanding the command he unloaded the lumber on the south side. Some pioneers said that the captain ran aground on the south side, and, being unable to float his vessel, was compelled to unload. As there was no immediate way of transport- ing the material to the opposite side of the channel, the building was erected on the bank. There the settlers located so as to be near their source of supplies. Naturally, the incoming gold seekers, seeing the settlers' tents, landed on the south side.

The Pioneer Steamer

For seventy years and more, steamers have been landing freight and passengers at the Stockton wharf. The first vessel in the freight- carrying business was the little sloop Maria, which was purchased in Portland, Ore., by Captain Weber. This was in June, 1848. The little pioneer sailer was 38 feet in length, 9 feet 11 inches breadth of beam, and 3 feet 2 inches in depth; she carried 13 tons and cost $4,000. The first passengers from the east arrived in whale boats and engaged San Francisco sailors to row them up to Tuleburg. This was fol- lowed in September, 1849, by the arrival of the "Captain Sutter," a small side-wheel steamer, under the command of Captain Warren, who at different times was in command of seven different steamers running on the San Joaquin route. The arrival of the steamer created great excitement in the settlement, as she un- expectedly sailed up the channel with flags and streamers flying ; the crowd rushed to the water's edge, and, throwing their hats in the air, cheer after cheer greeted the Sutter. It was a great day for the town and it is not sur- prising that the citizens went "wild," for they were no longer cut off from the outside world. The steamer was run daily on the Stockton route until June, 1850, when she was with-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 13

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1660

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660