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 51

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 51

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The Visit of the Grand Sire

On the evening of January 19, 1920, the Odd Fellows of San Joaquin County celebrated the most important event in the history of Pacific coast fraternal organizations, in their recep- tion to Grand Sire H. V. Borst of the Sover- eign Grand Lodge. It was a very memorable event as never before had the highest officer visited the coast, save in September, 1878, when John B. Harmon, a California pioneer was elected Grand Sire. Grand Sire Borst was about to visit Australia, sailing from San San Francisco, and Grand Representative Karl Brueck persuaded him to visit Stockton. The reception took place in the Masonic hall which was crowded with Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. After a selection by the orchestra and songs by Mrs. Bruce Olmstead and Frank Smith, the Grand Sire was welcomed to Cali- fornia by Grand Master K. C. Keene of So- lano County. Responding to the greeting, the Grand Sire was then welcomed by Stella M. Merrick of Los Angeles, president of the Re- bekah Assembly. Karl C. Brueck then intro- duced the Grand Sire, who then made the ad- dress of the evening. It was the largest as- semblage of state officers ever seen in Stock- ton and seated upon the stage were a Grand Sire, grand master, two deputy grand mas- ters, and grand secretary, grand treasurer, president, and deputy president of the Assem- bly, two past presidents, two past grand mas- ters, two grand representatives, and a trustee of the Odd Fellows' Home.

Odd Fellows' Cemetery

It is enjoined upon the Odd Fellows "to visit the sick and bury the dead," and Captain Weber in 1854 deeded the two lodges a block of land on Union and Flora Streets for a burial ground. Some three years later they began to improve the property by enclosing it with a picket fence, planting trees, and flowers, laying of walks and erecting a windmill and tank for the purpose of pumping water for the trees and flowers, and three years later the news- paper, lamenting the condition of the city ceme- tery said, "We have a fine Odd Fellows' burial ground." The grounds were used as a place of burial for the members of the order and their families until 1874, when interments were dis- continued. Care was taken of the cemetery until 1909, when the block was sold to the Western Pacific Railroad. An Odd Fellows' plot was then purchased in the Rural Ceme- tery and all of the bodies transferred to the new home of rest.

The City Silent

The beautiful city of rest and peace Where trouble and sorrow forever cease, The city I love for my friends are there,

Whose spirits have flown to the bright some- where.

"The time is fact approaching," said the Republican in November, 1859, when meas- ures must be taken to furnish more space for general cemetery purposes in this city. It is proposed to lay out a rural cemetery which it is desirable to fit up after the fashion of some of the eastern cemeteries." In the following year the same paper said, "The Odd Fellows are rendering their cemetery very attractive to the eye by tasteful improvements. They have built a windmill at a cost of $520 for the purpose of irrigating the trees and shrubbery and in a short time they will have the most beautiful city of the dead in the county."

The example of the Odd Fellows, coupled with the cemetery law passed by the legisla- ture in 1859, caused a few citizens to take action in regard to a new cemetery. A meet- ing was called for that purpose by 18 promi- nent citizens, March 20, 1861. The meeting was held in the city hall and the Rural Ceme- tery Association incorporated with the follow- ing officers and dirrectors : E. S. Holden, pres- ident; Samuel Fisher, vice-president; V. M. Peyton, secretary and treasurer; B. Walker Bours, Wm. Biven and George West.

The trustee selected for the cemetery pur- poses a tract of land about a mile north of Stockton belonging to Edward M. Howison. The tract comprised some seventy-five acres and to assist in its purchase, Captain Weber contributed $1,000. Sixty acres of the tract was devoted to burial purposes and fifteen acres for the superintendent's home. A place

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was set apart for Chinese burials, and for a potter's field. The lots, some 1,500 in number. varying in size from 12x20 feet to 24x40 feet. were sold from $20.00 to $150.00, according to the location. The cemetery was dedicated Sun- flay afternoon, August 31, 1862, in the pres- ence of some 400 persons, including nearly all of the pastors of the city. The ceremony opened with a short historical talk by Dr. E. S. Holden, the chairman of the board of trus- tees ; opening hymn by a choir of twenty-five singers from the various churches; address, Rev. Robt. Happersett of the Presbyterian Church ; dedication prayer, Rev. John G. Gass- man of Episcopalians; closing hymn by the choir. Since then many additions have been made to the grounds and today over 8,000 of Stockton's former citizens lay asleep in the City Silent.

Montezuma Tribe No. 18, I. O R. M.

The Independent Order of Red Men is the third oldest organization in Stockton In 1869 a number of citizens concluded to organ- ize a Red Men's tribe and, assembling in the Hansel & Wollner hall, corner of Hunter and Church Streets, Montezuma tribe No. 18 was instituted, June 8, 1869, by several chiefs from San Francisco. The following officers were elected and installed : Peter Bargion, sachem ; Minard S. Thresher, senior sachem; J. R. Sel- den, junior sachem; Eugene Lehe, chief of records; Steven Badger, keeper of wampum; and M. Bibero, prophet. The tribe grew quite rapidly and in 1870 they removed to the third story of the Hook Building on Main Street. The Red Men occupied the west half and the Champions of the Red Cross the east half of the building, both entering their halls by the same stairway. The Red Men fitted up their hall in a costly manner and it was dedicated February 14, 1860, the exercises concluding with a ball in Hickman's hall. This tribe was consolidated with Iroquois tribe No. 35 in 1885. This tribe was instituted June 21, 1870, with fifty-six charter members and the follow- ing first officers: J. R. Selden, sachem ; E. H. C. Taylor, senior sachem; J. H. O. Brien, junior sachem; C. W. Pondexter, chief of rec- ords; Fingal S. Hinds, keeper of wampum; and Robert Stevenson, prophet.

Kaw-Wah-Nita Council, Degree of Poca- hontas, was instituted March 6, 1891, with the following charter members and elective offi- cers: Pocahontas, Mrs. Anna Mobray; pro- phetess, Mrs. Alexander McWah; Wawona, Cora Small; Powhatan, A. F. Hillman ; chief of records, Mrs. Fred Hilton; first scout, Mrs. Ed Cruse; second scout, J. L. Mobray ; first runner, Mrs. Harlon; second runner, Miss M. Sexton ; guard of tepee, Mrs. William Clark ; guard of forest, Edward Coons. The additional members were: Mr. and Mrs. George Pierce,

Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Small, Mrs. Sophia, Mrs. Sarah Kaiser, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Winders, R. C. Bonn, Charles Williamson, Mrs. Eliza- beth Harvey, Adolph Smallfield, and John Seiler.

Pohono tribe of Red Men was instituted in Red Men's hall, November 6, 1867, by Great Sachem George W. Collins of San Francisco, and the following year, February 26, 1898, Hiawatha Council No. 21 was instituted. The following are the first officers : Pocahontas, Mrs. P. Brown; Wawona, Mrs. Carrie Hilton ; prophetess, Mrs. J. Keith; Powhatan, J. F. Farnsworth; keeper of wampum, Mrs. John Earl; conductress of wampum, Ethel Willey. Their officers including Louisa Been, Ella Farnsworth, A. L. Easley, Nellie Washburn, Clara Hunter, Cora Baker, Frank W. Matte- son, Edna Willey, L. O. Coon, W. C. Nein- man, Grace Armburst, Phoebe Brown, W. Evans, J. Earl, M. S. Alexander, and W. C. Holden, constituted the charter membership.

The Knights of Pythias

This order was introduced into Stockton by the organization of Charter Oak lodge No. 20, January 27, 1872, in Red Men's hall, with twenty-nine charter members. The only living charter member is Joseph Fyfe. The follow- ing are the first officers: C. M. Small, past chancellor ; W. H. Keep, chief chancellor ; W. F. Fletcher, vice chancellor ; William Kierski, prelate; William H. Hatch, master of ex- chequer ; Joseph Fyfe, master of finance ; J. H. Barney, keeper of records ; S. Y. Strait, master of arms ; C. C. Lyons, inside guardian.

Uniform Rank No. 5, K. of P.

The uniform rank Knights of Pythias was organized in August, 1883, with the following officers elect: John D. Gall, sir knight com- mander ; William Aaron, sir knight lieutenant ; Gus Gumpertz, sir knight herald; Henry Adams, sir knight treasurer; William Lesher, sir knight sentinel. The rank was instituted by fifty-five members of the San Francisco uni- form rank. The city members in their new uniforms marched to the train to the martial music of Schmidt & Dreyfous band. As the parade marched down Main Street, roman can- dles filled the air and colored fire blazed all along the line. After the institution of the rank the entire membership marched to Pio- neer hall, where covers were laid for 150 guests.

The state conclave was held in Stockton in April, 1884, and nearly 2,000 knights were pres- ent from various parts of the state. Many of the business places were decorated in the Pythian colors and prizes were given for the best decorated building. Main and El Dorado Streets were covered with draperies and two

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handsomely decorated arches spanned Main Street, a third arch being erected near the Masonic Temple, where the knights assembled. On the second day there was a parade with Thomas Cunningham as grand marshal with a review on Miner Avenue by the grand offi- cers. The third day there was a drill for three handsome trophies by the uniform rank and that evening there was a dramatic performance in the Avon Theater for the entertainment of the visitors. The play was "Damon and Pyth- ias," staged by the Stockton Dramatic Club. The conclave ended with a banquet and ball in Masonic hall.

Stockton in 1901 was a well-known place of assemblage of state organizations, and May 20 the Knights of Pythias and Rathbone Sisters here assembled, the knights meeting in Ma- sonic hall, and the Rathbone Sisters in the Pythian castle. The reception to the orders took place in Masonic hall on the evening of May 20. H. R. Campbell, the chairman of the evening, introduced Mayor W. H. Harrison, who welcomed the order to the city. The re- sponse was made by Grand Chancellor J. T. Jeter, then lieutenant-governor of the state. The ladies' quartette, Mrs. F. W. Gifford, Mrs. R. Oullahan, Mrs. R. G. Fyfe and Nan Mc- Carty, then gave two songs, and Mrs. Mae A. Clark, chief of Damon temple, welcomed the Rathbone Sisters to the city. The grand chief, Mrs. J. Stibbens, replied. Wednesday after- noon there was a parade participated in by the uniform rank, Knights of Pythias; Canton Ridgley, I. O. O. F .; the Grand Lodge and local knights, and in the evening there was an exhibition drill and concert in the pavilion. The affair closed Friday night with a grand ball. During the week the business houses were trimmed with the Pythian colors, the court house was handsomely illuminated, and on the west side was a large illuminated sign, "Stockton Extends Greetings."

The San Joaquin County Pioneers

An effort was made as early as 1856 to or- ganize a pioneer society, an organization whose record is forever closed when its last member dies. In this first attempt to organize a society, a call was advertised in the newspa- pers that all citizens who came to San Joaquin County in 1849 were requested to meet in the city hall February 22 "for the laudable pur- pose of adopting measures to preserve such historical facts as are being yearly lost, for the future benefit of the county." A meeting was held at the time mentioned, and after some pre- liminary remarks Dr. G. A. Shurtleff was called to the chair and C. O. Burton appointed sec- retary. A committee of twelve was appointed to draft a plan of organization, the committee

comprising W. W. Stevenson, O. C. Emory, J. M. Buffington, Samuel A. Booker, Dr. E. B. Bateman, Nelson Taylor, E. M. Howison, Judge J. K. Shafer, Amos Gove, J. W. Webster and R. K. Eastman. Another committee of three was appointed to obtain the names of all pioneers "who left their homes in '49 to come to California." A second meeting was held in the hall March 7 and the constitution in defin- ing the eligibility of members declared that only those pioneers who landed in California previous to September 9, 1850, were eligible for membership. An organization was effected by the election of John M. Buffington as presi- dent, Dr. George A. Shurtleff, first vice-presi- dent; E. M. Howison, second vice-president ; O. C. Emory, third vice-president, P. A. Ath- earns, fourth vice-president; Nelson Taylor, fifth vice-president; C. O. Burton, secretary, and George E. Drew, treasurer.

The Second Pioneer Society

We hear no more of the pioneer organization until 1868. At that time, November 21, a notice appeared in the press, "To the Pioneers of the County of San Joaquin. Pioneers who arrived in this state prior to the first of Jan- uary, 1851, are respectfully requested to meet at the city hall on November 23, at seven o'clock, for the purpose of organizing, an asso- ciation in this city." About 100 pioneers re- sponded and when the meeting was called to order Dr. Robert K. Reid was selected as presi- dent and John H. Webster, secretary. A com- mittee of nine were appointed to draw up plans for the formation of a society. This commit- tee comprising John B. Hall, George S. Evans, Harry F. Hubbard, E. W. Colt, Dr. Christopher Grattan, George A. Keith, R. B. Smith, J. A. Spencer and E. H. Allen were all pioneers who came previous to the state's admission. Pio- neer S. P. Gorham, who had previously can- vassed the city for pioneers, then reported that he found over 375 who had arrived in Cali- fornia previous to January 1, 1851. This was the first proposed date of eligibility of mem- bership, but the "49ers" kicked and to please them the date of membership was changed to September 9, 1850, and no person was eligible who arrived after that date. The roll was signed by forty-six pioneers, nineteen of the number arriving. in 1849. December 7, they adopted a constitution and elected the follow- ing officers: Dr. George A. Shurtleff, presi- dent; E. W. Colt, secretary, and Thomas K. Hook, treasurer. The vice-presidents were J. B. Hall, John A. Jackson and S. V. Tretheway. The board of directors comprised B. Howard Brown, Dr. C. Grattan, S. P. Gorham, J. A. White, John Schraick, Al W. Brush, William Canfield, George A. Keith and E. W. Atwood.

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Pioneer Hall

In 1869 Henry Hodgkins built his fine two- story brick building, corner of Weber Avenue and Levee Street; the Independent newspaper office rented the corner of the second story and Hodgkins fitted up the south half of the build- ing for a hall for the Pioneers. They occupied this hall until about 1890 when they purchased the lot corner of Weber Avenue and Sutter Street, together with the house, a one-story structure brought around Cape Horn. It was the home of John M. Buffington, and later sold to Rufus B. Lane, who sold the property to the Pioneers. They erected a fine two-story brick building, with a store occupied by E. R. Hedges and a fine hall and dance floor in the second story. The hall was dedicated June 3, 1891 by the roll call of the members by the secretary, W. F. Freeman; address, Theodore Lee, president of the society ; solo and chorus, Ida Petty, Nellie Baker, Al Sanborn and Har- vey Squires ; address and poem by Mrs. Joseph Hale, the Stockton poetess; solo, Edward A. Baird ; poem, Mrs. W. D. Ashley. The Pioneer Society at one time was very large and influ- ential, embracing as it did the most prominent and wealthiest men of the county. They en- joyed many picnics, gave many social dances, and celebrated many September 9th anniver- saries up to the organization of the Native Sons in 1884. The Pioneers then gave way to the younger body, as death and resignation had greatly decreased their number. In June, 1891, the pioneers sold the property to Hodg- kins & Stitt. At that time comparatively few of the members were living, and for many months previous to the sale they had not held any meeting or celebrations.

The following are the names of the mem- bers of the Pioneer Society, the builders of San Joaquin County. They all landed in Cali- fornia previous to September 9, 1850. A few of the number were what was known as terri- torial pioneers, having arrived several years before the admission of the state.

Daniel Adee, Elijah W. Atwood, Joseph Adams, Henry Adams, Wm. H. Ashley, Hen- ry E. Adams, Geo. W. Ashley, E. H. Allen.

A. B. Brown, Stephen Bergun, Louis Beys- ser, B. Howard, Albert W. B. Brush, Morris H. Bond, Charles G. Bruckman, Dr. E. B. Bateman, Henry Barnhart, John H. O'Brien, Wm. R. Barnes, John Behaps, A. B. Bennett, Sanborn Blaisdell, H. G. Boisseller, Charles D. Benjamin, C. D. Bidwell, Laogier Basilio, J. A. Blasingame, H. G. D. Barnhart, Wm. A. Ballard, Louis M. Booth, H. B. Bishop, A. C. Blossom, Charles W. Brunton, Wm. M. Baggs.

Martin Cahill, '44, Edwin Colt, Wellington Canfield, Samuel Catts, '47, Cornelius Chaplin, N. C. Culver, Louis M. Chicard, Francis Cul-

ver, Wm. Colnon, Thomas Corcoran, Henry A. Chaplin, Peter Clapp, F. C. Condell, T. J. Chaloner, Dr. Asa Clark, J. H. Cole, H. K. Clifford, J. D. MacClelland, Edward Canavan, R. W. Craig, Henry T. Compton, J. M. Mc- Closkey, John Canavan, C. C. Cushman, Mi- chael Caricof, W. McK. Carson.

Manuel Dyer, David F. Douglas, Stephen H. Davis, Shubel Dunham, Charles Dial, James A. Davis, Charles Dallas, M. J. Drais.

J. J. Evans, Ransom Eccleston, George S. Evans, Peter Esau, John S. Evans, Wm. En- nis, Ben E. S. Ely, W. W. Easten, Edward A. Everett.

Samuel Ferguson, D. W. Fanning, H. L. Farrington, Philip Fitzgerald, John H. Field, F. M. Ferguson, John H. Fischer, Wm. F. Freeman, J. M. Fisher, John H. Fowler, Rus- sell Farnham, Henry Fisk, J. W. Farley, H. S. Farrington, Wm. J. Floyd, W. H. Fairchilds, S. H. Fickett, J. M. Fowler.

Wm. Gilebert, '44, S. P. Gorham, Dr. Chris- topher Grattan, George Gray, Andrew Girard, T. D. Gilbert, James M. Garnett, H. C. Gil- lingham, John Ginn, John Greer, Charles Grunsky, Wm. Graham, Amos E. Gove, John Gross, Wm. Glassen, Ed McD. Graham, John Grattan, Augustus Goodhart, C. Grupe, T. Gaffney.

Thomas K. Hook, Thomas Henderson, John B. Hall, Joseph Hale, Henry H. Hewlett, Co- lumbus Hampton, John H. Haines, George W. Hurley, Henry Hodgkins, Allen M. Harri- son, J. B. Harrison, J. A. Henry, Wm. D. Howell, Ben C. Harris, J. D. Hamilton, T. D. Heisell, Charles I. Hamilton, John B. Hall, L. L. Huntley, Hiram Hamilton, J. M. Hogan, Josiah Hunter, N. S. Harrold, J. W. Ham- mond, Elias Hildreth, Hiram Hall, John W. Hammond, Rowie Harrison, Elias Ireland.

David Jockers, Peter Jahant, Geo. A. Ja- hant, John Inglis, L. F. Jarvis, Wm. A. Jack- son.

George A. Keith, O. P. F. Kallenback, Oly C. Kroh, Joseph Kile, H. Kraft, Geo. M. Kas- son.

Wm. Lottman, A. Leatch, D. A. Learned, Theodore Lee, George Lemon, J. A. Louttit, Geo. S. Ladd, C. H. Lindley, Rufus B. Lane, Ben F. Langford, Theodore Lucas, John Lovejoy.

J. A. Munson, J. B. McGowan, Edward Matteson, N. Milner, F. W. Moss, John N. Meyer, J. K. Mead, C. E. Murray, A. C. Meek- er, J. P. McClelland, Samuel Myers, J. A. Mowbray, C. B. Montgomery, J. A. Mahoney, W. H. Minard, Jacob K. Myer, John P. Ma- sọn, Ira McRay, J. R. McDonald, H. O. Mat- thews, Jerome Myers, S. L. Morse.

Eli E. Nelson. John Nagel.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Henry Ortman, W. L. Overheiser, Edward Oullahan, Wm. O'Donnell.

S. H. Pickett, John Perrott, Joseph D. Pe- ters R. I. Patterson, Otis Perrine, D. W. Post, F. J. Pratt, Joseph Pratt, R. B. Parker, John Petty, W. H. Post, Enoch Peyton, V. M. Pey- ton, Joseph Putnam.

Robert K. Reid, Henry Ramsey, Jeremiah Roberson, Wm. H. Robinson, Louis Reffel, C. D. Reynolds, Alonzo Rhodes, Arthur H. Rich, Armand Rolland, H. B. Rodgers, Ben F. Rod- gers, C. R. Ralph, M. M. Richerson, S. F. Rod- man, J. W. Rover, Wm. Robinson.

Roscoe C. Sargent, Wm. Sanders, Thomas Sedgwick, sr., H. C. Shattuck, John Seamons, Geo .. L. Smith, John Shrack, James Smythe, Julius Steiney, Fred A. Spear, Daniel Severy, Russell B. Smith, Charles S. Stevens, Dr. Geo. A. Shurtleff, Charles Sedwick, John M. Small, Henry Stading, W. E. Sanders, James E. Shepherd, J. G. Swinnerton, J. M. Sullivan, W. H. Smucker, W. H. Smith, E. R. Stock- well, Peter G. Sharp. Henry S. Sargent, Har- vey Squires, Geo. W. Smith, Joseph W. Sim- mons, LaFayette Sellman.

George W. Trahern, W. S. Taylor, John Tuohy, Wm. O. Tripp, Henry Tinkham, Sep- tember 12, 1849, bark Lanark, F. B. Taylor, Thomas E. Tynan, S. V. Tredway, Ben F. Thompson, James Turner, A. J. Tibbetts, John H. Tone, Wm. Tierney, Dr. F. W. Todd. J. W. Vanscroten, August Vobbe, Nicholas Vicilich.

Andrew Wolf, Roley E. Wilhoit, James T. Wadsworth, Septimus Williams, L. P. Whit- man, John Wallace, John C. White, Charles F. Whale, Madison Walthall, Jr., Josiah W. Webster, Charles H. Walcott, Thomas S. Wood, M. Whipple, C. M. Weber, J. O. Win- ter, Fred Wright, Ben Watrous, John N. Wood, Albert Woods, E. W. S. Woods. Thomas Wilson, James Woods, E. H. Wood- bridge, John Wasley, George West, Henry Wiggins, Wm. West, Wm. B. White, Wm. Wright, Geo. R. Wells, Ernest Wagner. Frederick Yost.

C. E. Ziengenfelder, John H. Ziengenfelder. Grand Army of the Republic

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, and ended in May, 1865. In that war, on both sides, 1,500,000 men were engaged, and on the Northern side alone 350,000 men were either killed in battle or died from exposure and dis- case. From the survivors of the army of the north there was organized the body known as the Grand Army of the Republic. This body of men, banded together by the strong- est of humanities-a bond cemented by their life's blood-was organized "for the purpose, among other things, of preserving and

strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors and marines, who united to suppress the late rebellion." Annually these veterans assembled at their many posts to decorate the graves of their fallen comrades. It is a custom as old as civilization, first inaugurated in the Grand Army because of a little incident in the South. A number of Southern women who assembled in Columbus, Miss., in 1867, to decorate the graves of their Confederate dead, also decor- ated the graves of their fallen "enemy," the boys in blue. This beautiful trait of pure Christianity was the inspiration of the beauti- ful familiar poem that commences :

"By the flow of the inland river, Whence the fleets of iron have fled,

Where the blades of the grave grass quiver, Asleep are the ranks of the dead : Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day ---

Under the one the Blue, Under the other the Gray."

The incident, first published in the North in the September Atlantic Monthly, 1867, finally led to the order issued May 5, 1868, by General John A. Logan, then commander-in-chief, naming May 30 as Decoration Day, a day on which every post throughout the Union shall assemble and, with appropriate exercises, dec- orate the graves of their fallen comrades. The day was first observed in San Joaquin May 30, 1869, by the members of the Stockton Post No. 9. Assembling that morning at their hall in the Parker building, they took carriages for Linden, where they decorated the grave of Lieutenant Lyman Davis, Third Infantry, California Volunteers. Over the grave Cap- tain Thomas E. Ketcham and Dr. A. T. Hud- son made a few appropriate remarks.

Stockton Post G. A. R.

This post was organized in May, 1867, by Lieutenant R. A. Sedwick, Captain Thomas E. Ketcham, Adjutants E. S. Pilsbury, E. H. C. Taylor, W. N. Glenn and Lieutenant Ed- ward Scott. The post did not receive its char- ter until February 18, 1868, when the following officers were installed: T. E. Ketcham, cap- tain; Robert S. Johnson, adjutant; Richard Condy, musician, with the following additional members: Lieutenant R. T. Mason, E. C. Wil- son, Eugene Lehe, Edward Scott, Charles H. Walscott, and Sergeants George Perry and George Teft. The post continued in existence about five years under the captainship of the following members: T. E. Ketcham, Eugene Lehe, Robert S. Johnson, Edward Scott and C. H. Walscott.

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Rawlins Post G. A. R.

We heard no more of the Grand Army until September, 1881. Then R. S. Johnson, sign- ing himself as commander, and Edward Scott, as orderly sergeant, requested all of the volun- teers of the late war to assemble at Mozart hall for the purpose of participating in the funeral of our lamented President, James A. Garfield. Some forty-seven comrades assem- bled and, having no uniforms they wore part of the Stockton Guards' old uniform-a dark blue blouse and cap, together with belt, cartridge box and bayonet sheath. They were the fea- ture of the parade and much admired for their splendid marching and soldierly bearing. Again the G. A. R. passed from sight and mem- ory until February, 1882, when S. D. Water- man as post adjutant issued a circular stating that Rawlins Post No. 23 had been organized and he was authorized to notify all veterans and to request their active cooperation. "All who now join can come in under the same fee as charter members." The post was chartered April 15, 1881, and the following were the charter members and installed officers for 1883: Eugene Lehe, post commander ; Robert S. Johnson, senior vice-commander; Robert Daly, junior vice-commander; Samuel D. Waterman, adjutant; Edward Scott, quarter- master; John W. Payne, officer of the day; Victor Heck, officer of the guard; Alfred No- ack, chaplain ; Robert K. Reid, surgeon; Rich- ard Condy, quartermaster sergeant; Silas P. Adams, sergeant major ; R. T. Worden, inside guardian; Emile Ellinger, outside guardian. There were enrolled 152 members, who had en- listed from nineteen Northern states. In the following month the Grand Army boys, uniting with the local military companies, the Stockton and the Emmet Guards and the Mexican vet- erans, again enjoyed the routine and pleasure of "tenting on the old camp ground." The en- campment continued for three days, from May 10, and the camp was named Camp Ketcham, in honor of Captain Thomas E. Ketcham. On the last day of the encampment it was given out that a friendly competitive drill would take place between the organizations. The drill, however, was a scheme on the part of the Pio- neers to present the post with a beautiful silk flag, under the guise of winning the prize. The judges selected by John Grattan, a pioneer and very enthusiastic Union man during the war, declared Rawlins Post the winner of the flag, but the local military companies protested against the decision, declaring that they had had no preparation for the contest.

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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 51

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