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 56

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 56

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

before Justice Field in September, 1888. It was a curious condition of affairs, Terry plead- ing his wife's case against Sharon's son-in-law before Justice Field, Terry's sworn enemy, and Newlands' warm friend. During the trial Mrs. Terry sprang up from her seat and ex- claimed, "Justice Field, are you going to order me to give up that marriage contract? We hear that you have been bought. How much have you been paid by the Sharon people?" "Marshal, put that woman out," commanded Field. . Terry resisted the marshal and some witnesses say he drew his bowie knife. He was sentenced to six months in jail in the Ala- meda County prison. While in jail he said to some friends, "When I get out of jail I will horsewhip Judge Fields." "But he will resent it," replied his friend. "Then," answered Terry, "if he resents it I will kill him." Terry was released from jail March 3, 1889, and went to his Fresno home. August 14, 1889, Terry and his wife and Judge Field and his body guard, David S. Nagle, unknown to each other were on the Southern Pacific train bound for San Francisco. As the train stopped at Lathrop for meals Field and Nagle entered the dining room and sat down to a table side by side. A few minutes later Terry and his wife entered the room, she without her hand- bag, containing a revolver, which she always carried. They were conducted to a seat be- yond Field, and as they passed Terry appar- ently took no notice of Field. Sitting down, Mrs. Terry whispered something to her hus- band, and immediately got up and left the room. In the meantime Terry arose from the table and approaching Field from behind slapped his cheek upon the right and the left side. This, according to the Southerner's code was the highest insult that could be giv- en an enemy. Quick as a flash Nagle with his left hand shot Terry twice and he fell to the floor dead. The first ball pierced his heart and the second bullet pierced his ear as he fell. At that moment Mrs. Terry entered the room bearing her handbag and falling upon her hus- band's breast appeared I to take something from beneath his vest. There was where Ter- ry always carried his dirk knife, according to his own statement. Nagle was arrested by the Lathrop constable and taken to the Stockton jail. A warrant was sworn out and served on Justice Field by Sheriff Cunningham, but im- mediately he was served with a writ of habeas corpus to produce Justice Field in the U. S. Court in San Francisco. Nagle was tried in the same court on the charge of murder and acquitted on the ground that he had only per- formed his duty.

Farmington

Farmington is a little settlement well named in 1859 by a man named Wm. Stamper, as it is located in the center of a vast farming dis- trict. As early as 1848 two men named David Wells and George Thayer immigrated here from Oregon and erecting a tule house took up 320 acres of land near the present site of Farmington. The place was known as the Oregon ranch. In 1852 Nathaniel S. Harrold purchased the Oregon ranch as a stock farm. He increased his holdings until he had over 5,000 acres of land. In 1868 he built a hand- some two-story brick residence costing him $10,000. Another settler there in 1855 was Shubal Dunham, who also became a wealthy farmer and erected a handsome residence. Two other well-known settlers were M. J. Drais and J. F. Harrison. In 1858 W. B. Stamper took up land on the present Farming- ton site, and in the following year he sold his two lots to David and Wm. Sanderson who erected a blacksmith shop and hotel. Alexan- der Horn and L. J. Morrow then opened a gen- eral merchandising store. The store, after changing hands many times, was later pur- chased by O. K. Dyke and Fred M. West. When the Oakdale Railroad was built it great- ly benefited the town, and in the early '90s there were three hotels, two merchandising stores, a livery stable, three blacksmith shops, a harness store, two churches and a school. There was an Odd Fellows' lodge instituted July 11, 1882, Farmington Lodge No. 296, which is still in existence, and Crescent Re- bekah Lodge No. 234, with at present twenty- eight members.

The first school was opened in a small build- ing on the land of M. J. Drais, with Wm. Chapman as the first teacher. A new school was erected in 1889 at a cost of $6,000. Reli- gious services were there held as early as 1853 by a Presbyterian minister, Rev. M. Crow. In 1872, through the work of the Rev. Charles Yager, a Cumberland Presbyterian pastor, a Union church was built through the subscrip- tions of members of all denominations, at a cost of $1,500. In 1878 the Methodist Episco- pal Church was organized, and in 1889 they built a $2,500 edifice.

Clements

Clements, the most northeasterly town in the county, was founded by Thomas Clements, the biggest hearted and most generous man in that section of the country. The present site of Clements and adjoining bottom lands were purchased by him in 1871 from David S. Ter- ry, and in 1872 Clements located on his ranch. Terry obtained this particular piece of prop- erty in 1850, the bottom lands along the river being some of the richest soil in the county.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Terry came to this ranch after his release from "Fort Gunnybags" by the San Francisco Vigilance Committee for the stabbing of Hop- kins, and he there practiced pistol shooting just previous to his duel with Senator David C. Broderick. At this time the traveled road ran along the river bottom to the ferry, and in 1854 Terry and a man named Hodge estab- lished a flour mill on the flat and called it the Lone Star Mill, Terry naming it after Texas, the Lone Star State, his birth place. The mill is said to have continued in operation until 1885 under the management of S. L. Magee. The only house in that section for many years was the Poland House built by George Poland on the well traveled road to Mokelumne Hill. It was a stage and teamsters' station, and in boyhood the writer well remembers the place, as he slept in the attic over night, while assist- ing in driving some cattle from Stockton to Sutter Creek. In 1878 a man named Lukins established a blacksmith shop and home at Clements and Daniel Marceau opened a sa- loon. After the arrival of the railroad George Ringer erected a two-story brick building as a hotel and barroom. Then Moses Bruml and Charles Bomert came up from Lockeford and opened a general merchandising store. Soon after this Bomert was the leader in forming the Farmers' Trade Union, and buying out the M. Bruml and Bogert firm they erected a two- story brick building and put in a $15,000 stock. The San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada narrow guage railroad running from Brack's Landing through Clements to Valley Springs, originat- ed with Jacob Brack and others. They failed in their object, lacking the financial end, and about 1884 the Southern Pacific took it over and made it a broad guage road with Lodi as the terminus. At Clements their agent was Wm. J. Siegel, who had the manifold position of railroad agent, warehouse man, telegraph and Wells Fargo agent, and a notary public. The first postmaster was Charles Bomert, and among his successors were Miss Cecilia Gillis and her sister. Their father was the first jus- tice of the peace.

The schoolhouse was on the second flat, erected by P. A. Athearn in 1869. A two-story brick school was erected in 1877 on the up- land about a quarter mile from the town. It was built by the cooperation of citizens. S. L. Magee deeded the land, Thomas Clements gave the brick from his brick yard, and other public-spirited men subscribed the money. to purchase other building material and hauled it free of cost from Stockton. One of the first teachers was a Mrs. Hornshell. Later Amy Stowe and W. R. Stone, who later became a Stockton attorney, were teachers. Religious services were held in here by the Rev. W. H. Pascoe, a Congregational minister from

Lockeford. In 1891 the Methodist Episcopal denomination erected a house of worship, and the pulpit was supplied by pastors from Lockeford. The Presbyterians had erected a house of worship the previous year at a cost of $6,000, which was dedicated Sunday morn- ing, September 27, 1891. The dedicatory ser- mon was delivered by the Rev. D. S. McDon- ald of San Rafael, and those assisting in the dedication were Revs. M. D. Steen, the pastor of the church, J. C. Huber, president of the San Joaquin Valley College at Woodbridge, and Bishop Hott, af the United Brethren de- nomination.

Lockeford

Lockeford was one of the liveliest towns in the county, and a strong Union town during the Civil War, they hung Jeff Davis in effigy, and organized a military company called the Mokelumne Dragoons, with George C. Hol- man as captain. Settlers began locating on the river bottom and on the bluffs as early as 1849. D. J. Staples, Dr. D. J. and Elmer H. Locke coming at that time. Charles R. Mont- gomery located there in 1852, and trees are still standing on his place as landmarks. Jos- eph Putnam, Edward Whipple, and Daniel Howard took up land near Lockeford in 1851 and gave it the name of the New England ranch, they coming from the New England States. Putnam probably was a relative of Israel Putnam, one of the heroes of the Revo- lutionary War. Reuben Metcalf, crossing the plains with two oxen, located on the Moke- lumne River in '57, and Charles Pope located across from the Athearn ranch in '53, and Mrs. Belle Sheridan, then a girl of four years of age, came with her parents in '52, their home, the Ryan ranch, being west of the Harmony Grove church. Thomas B. Parker settled on his ranch in 1854 and Mrs. Amanda Flanders, Clarence Flanders and Mrs. Clara Howard came to California with their father, L. C. Flanders, and settled near Lockeford in 1860. The "mother of Lockeford," and one of the most patriotic women in San Joaquin County, is Mrs. Delia M. Locke. Marrying Dr. D. J. Locke in Massachusetts in 1855, then a girl of 19 years, she immediately started on their honeymoon for California and Lockeford, ar- riving there in July. She is the mother of thirteen children, all born in Lockeford.

The first domicile in Lockeford was the log cabin of the Lockes on what is called Yankee Hill. It was erected early in 1851 beneath three large oak trees, still standing. When Dr. Locke returned to the town with his bride the log cabin was replaced by a neat wooden structure now standing in the Locke orchard. The present two-story brick home was built in 1865. If Mrs. Lou M. Locke's history be

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correct Christian Megerle built the first hotel in 1857, where now stands George Clements' house, and in 1862 Mrs. Amanda Flanders kept the . Megerle House. The so-called Lockeford Hotel was moved to its present site in 1859 by a man named Clapp, its owner. The building was erected in 1857 on Bear Creek ranch by Mr. Moore and sold to Clapp. Luther Locke deeded a lot to Clapp on condition that it be opened as the Lockeford House. Captain Vincent, who had been living in a tent, erected a new house in 1857. In 1858 D. J. Locke erected a two-story adobe house to be used as a granary, with a public hall in the second story. In that hall was organized the Locke- ford Good Templar Society, the Congregation- al Church, and the Ladies' Home Library As- sociation. It was also during the Civil War the armory of the Mokelumne Dragoons. A wheelwright named Reed built a home in '61, which is now occupied by M. Bruml. The grandfather of J. C. Hammond built in '67 the house in which he lives. The first store was started in July, 1856, by Luther Locke. It is now the residence of N. H. Locke. It was known as the White House, the post office be- ing in the store. In 1881 Lockeford was quite a manufacturing center; there were three firms making light wagons, two carriage painting shops, Tretheway & Daly employed four men constantly, and C. P. Grant had six men, Benjamin Steacy kept busy nine men and the J. M. Hooly saddlery and harness shop had three men.

The first school was taught in a canvas tent on the river bottom, supported by willow poles. Mrs. Belle Sheridan, who attended this school, called it "The Rag School House." A few years later, 1856, a wooden building was constructed about half way between Staples Ferry and the town. In 1864 the building was removed to Lockeford. The population of the place increased quite rapidly, and so did the children, and in 1874 a much larger and more convenient school was erected.

The first religious service in Lockeford was held November 24, 1861, by the Congregation- alists in what was then known as the "Sons of Temperance Hall." This hall, an adobe build- ing on the Locke property, now used as a granary or warehouse, was the public assem- bly place of all the people. The Congregational Church was there organized in February, 1862, and seven years later at a cost of $2,800, this amount including the bell, they erected a house of worship. It was dedicated Septem- ber 19, of the same year. The first officers were: David J. Locke, Thomas B. Day, George Hommand, Thomas B. Jeffreys and Isaac Brown. It is still in use for religious services.

The so-called Church of Christ was organ- ized in March, 1876. They purchased a little stone building then located on the Locke grounds, and removing it to its present loca- tion anticipated an increase of their numbers. They failed to materialize and the building was sold to the Catholics. They remodeled the building at a cost of over $1,000 and re- named it St. Joaquin Church. It is now in the Lodi parish.

The Lockes were a strong temperance fam- ily and as early as January, 1860, a Sons of Temperance Lodge, known as Live Oak Divi- sion No. 29, was organized with the following charter members: D. J. Locke, John Griffith, Jacob Hesman, Paul Dennis, John D. Wood, Peter Cahill, J. W. Simpson, John P. Hill, E. P. Megerle, John A. Simpson, R. T. Vance, H. P. Pelton, A. Hall, D. C. Fugitt, P. L. Me- gerle, T. J. Mofitt. In 1864 a Good Templar lodge was organized called Rescue Lodge No. 115, and this organization absorbed the tem- perance lodge.

Progressive Lodge No. 134, I. O. O. F., was instituted on May 11, 1867, by Grand Master Charles N. Fox, assisted by Past Grand Pa- triarch B. W. Barnes and members from Woodbridge and Campo Seco. The officers elected and installed were Peter Moore, noble grand; P. B. Wagner, vice-grand; S. B. Sa- bine, secretary; and Philip Cahill, treasurer. After the installation of the officers and the initiation of fourteen candidates the brethren enjoyed a banquet in Wm. Kitt's restaurant.

Live Oak Rebekah Lodge was instituted October 26, 1885, by Grand Master Nathaniel Cook and Grand Secretary Wm. H. Lyons. The following, officers were elected and in- stalled: Mrs. Clara Howard, noble grand ; Mrs. J. Ostrander, vice-grand; Mrs. Wm. B. Piper, secretary; Mrs. M. Bruml, treasurer; Mrs. George Ruger, warden; Mrs. J. B. Thorp, conductor ; Mrs. M. G. Flanders, inside guar- dian; and Miss M. McCloud, outside guar- dian.

Vesper Lodge No. 194, K. P., was instituted February 7, 1884, with thirty-nine charter members. The first officers were: Wm. En- nis, past commander ; Wm. B. Ambrose, chan- cellor commander; B. F. Foster, vice-com- mander ; J. B. Throop, prelate; Luther Locke, keeper of records and seal; J. Blois, master of finance; M. Bruml, master of exchequer; C. McCloud, master of arms; C. H. Dial, inside guardian ; A. V. Tretheway, outside guardian.

During the latter part of the Civil War the town boasted of what was known as the Lockeford Dragoons. They were in existence only a time and disbanding in October, 1867, their equipment consisting of saddles, bridles, swords and uniforms, were returned to Sacra- mento.

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The Lockeford brass band was organized June 11, 1882, with John Wagner, Thomas Daly, W. B. Christy, D. Jane, F. Star- key, J. Curtain, J. Macgurney, Charles Baker, Thomas Baker, J. Brummel, John Blois, John Hammond, Jabez Harris,

of Stockton, On director. October er 11, 1890, the young men of Lockeford organized a second brass band with Henry Bruml as leader. The members were: Osias Grubs, Au- gustus Barker, Edward Locke, Virgil Holey, Charles Emsley, Abraham Farrington, George Hartwell, Early Farrington, Charles Maxwell, Daniel Dorsey and Charles Gilos.

Collegeville

Another of the bygone villages is College- ville. It was so named after the college erect- ed there in 1866 at a cost of $8,000. The build- ing was destroyed by fire and never resurrect- ed. One of the first settlers in that locality was John Kehoe. Another settler was Dr. L. R. Chalmers in 1850, and he it was who caused the location there of Morris College. The set- tlement is on a line between Dent and O'Neal townships and as a farming center was quite a busy burg. Teaming for Mari- posa all passed that point, also the stages for the mountain towns. At one time, 1879, it boasted of the usual wayside saloon, a black- smith shop and wagon shop, a butcher shop, schoolhouse, church and eight or nine dwell- ings. The railroad and automobiles were the cause of its decline, and there is now a grocery store, an old schoolhouse, church and two or three residences.

Thornton

This farming center formerly known as New Hope lies at the mouth of the Mokelumne River in the midst of some of the most fer- tile land in the county. The first settler was Arthur Thornton, who there located in 1855. He erected a two-story home, opened a store in which he and A. Bortland were partners. The town in 1880 boasted of a saloon, black- smith, stable, postoffice, and several houses. When the Western Pacific Railroad passed through the town they established a station, erected a large freight depot, and changed the name to Thornton, in honor of its founder. May· 12, 1880 the town was visited by one of the heaviest hail storms ever experienced in the county. In twenty minutes time the hail fell to the depth of three inches, destroying entirely the heavy fruit crops, and the light- ning striking in several places destroyed tele- graph poles and trees.

Navigation on the Mokelumne River

The Mokelumne River is a stream of water that runs swift and deep during the spring of the year, fed by the melting snow of the Si-

erras, but in the fall of the year it is almost dry, above Woodbridge. It is, howover, navi- gable throughout the entire year for light draught steamers, for some ten miles above the point where it enters the San Joaquin River. During the flood of 1852 Woodbridge and the surrounding country was under water and a sailing vessel went as far up stream as Lockeford. In 1857, according to Thompson's history of San Joaquin, Stephen H. Davis of Stockton, sailed a sloop called the Mary Bow- ers up the Mokelumne River to its junction with the Consumnes River, at Mokelumne City. He there established a lumber yard and builing three sloops they sailed up and down the river from San Francisco to Mokelumne City. George P. Taisen purchased one of the sloops in 1860 and he continued running the vessel, but the other schooners were taken off.

In the great flood of 1861-62 the entire coun- try was under water and there was consider- able suffering in the (mountain camp's be- cause of the scarcity of food. Dr. D. J. Locke conceived the idea of chartering a steamer in San Francisco, loading it with provisions, sail- ing the vessel to Lockeford, and make the town a depot of supplies for the mining camp. Then Lockeford would rapidly grow as the head of navigation on the Mokelumne. Going to San Francisco he chartered a small steamer called the Fanny Ann, Captain Haggerty. The steamer was loaded with supplies and left San Francisco February 12, 1862, bound for Lockeford. Mr. Locke instructed the captain to spend two weeks time if necessary to reach- ing that point, as he considered it a very im- portant business proposition, which it was, if successful. In the meantime J. H. Woods, the founder of Woodbridge, did not propose to have the rival town of Lockeford be declared the head of navigation, and he bribed the captain of the Fanny Ann to loaf on the job and cast anchor at Woodbridge. The steamer was eight days making that point and arriving February 20, the captain told Dr. Locke that he would take no chances of a shipwreck by snags in steaming to Lockeford. The goods were unloaded at Woodbridge and hauled to the mining camps by team. Woods had cer- tainly put one over Dr. Locke, as the saying goes, and in the town there was great rejoic- ing. The citizens assembled in Masonic hall, speeches of congratulation were made and $200 was subscribed and Captain Haggerty offered 260 cords of wood if he would make a con- tinuous trips to Woodbridge. He declined the offer.

First Steamer to Lockeford

Dr. Locke was most decidedly angry be- cause of the duplicity of Captain Haggerty, but not in the least discouraged he concluded to try again, but under different conditions.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Again visiting San Francisco he purchased a small steamer called the Pert, on condition that she make the port of Lockeford. We do not know the time taken to make the trip, but the telegraph item went out over the state, "The steamer Pert, Captain Allen, successfully navigated the Mokelumne to Lockeford on April 2, 1862. The event was celebrated with great rejoicing as the deed is done." The little steamer had on board about thirty tons of freight and sixty passengers. A large crowd of farmers from all sections of the country were present to greet the first steamer at Lockeford. Not long after this event the Mokelumne Steam Navigation Company was formed with Dr. D. J. Locke, Edwin Foster, James Talmadge and George L. Locke as di- rectors. They purchased the Pert, paying $4,000 for the steamer, and put her in com- mand of Captain A. P. Bradbury. They also purchased two more steamers, the O. K. and the Mary Ellen, which ran on the river for a time, but the loss of the Pert by striking a snag, blasted all of their future hopes of mak- ing Lockeford an inland port.

Woodbridge

The first settlers at Woodbridge were the French Canadian trappers of the Hudson Bay Company, probably in the early '40s, and the first house was a log cabin built by them on the banks of the river. In 1850-51 the country in that vicinity was settled by J. P. and Ros- coe S. Sargent, Jacob Brack, James Talmadge, George W. Emmerson, Mathew Webb, Elbert and Henry Chandeler. Alexander McQueen, John C. White, George W. Emmerson, J. P. Sargent in 1851 harvested a crop of barley where now stands Woodbridge. The next year August, 1852, Jeremiah H. Woods with his family located there and camped under a tree while the father erected a log cabin, in which to live. He and McQueen then pur- chased from the Sargent brothers the Wood- bridge site and Woods, building a boat, estab- lished a ferry across the river. The place was known as Woods Ferry. Woods was one of the most enterprising men of that day, and he had in view a scheme to outshine Stockton by making Woodbridge the county seat of the new county, the head of navigation to San Francisco, and the main route of travel from Stockton to the capital city, Sacramento. He had a strong rival in Dr. Locke, but he had the advantage of Locke in location and a fertile soil surrounding the proposed town. The first thing was to get the travel, and in October, 1852, John J. Flood, E. H. Comstock and others petitioned the Court of Sessions to order a public road from Stockton by way of Woods Ferry to Davis bridge on Dry Creek. The order was made, J. H. Woods was appointed one of the commissioners to lay out the road.

and in August, '53, it was declared a public highway. This road was known even as it is today as the Lower Sacramento road. The travel over the Upper Sacramento road crossed the Mokelumne River at Staples Ferry near Lockeford. This also was the stage road to the capital, but Woods, by making his place a stage station and giving the stage free ferri- age, succeeded in getting the stage owners to route their travel by Woods Ferry. Another important thing, Woodbridge was made a post- office and that gave them daily communica- tion with Stockton and Sacramento. In 1854, said Mrs. Laura de Force Gordon, he erected a hotel for the accommodation of teamsters and travelers. In 1858 at a cost of $1,000 he built a toll bridge across the river, which not only made it quicker and safer for travel, but brought him in nearly $10,000 the first year.

James B. Folger, John C. Thompson and H. D. Shinn located in the town in 1860, Dr. Horace Bentley in 1856, Wm. H. Devries in 1860, and Charles O. Ivory in 1867. These men married, erected homes and reared fam- ilies that became socially quite prominent. The home erected by J. H. Woods is now the residence of Dr. A. E. Arthur and the Folger home is now occupied by C. L. Newton. Dr. Bentley said that when he arrived in Wood- bridge there was but one store and one build- ing, the Woods Hotel. He erected the first brick building in 1865. It was a two-story structure in which he opened a general mer- chandising store and with his family resided over the store. Bentley carried a stock of groceries, hardware and medicines, for he was not only a merchant but a practicing physi- cian. He was also Wells Fargo express agent. John R. Rutledge erected a one-story brick in '68 and did a good merchandising business. Charles O. Ivory, a Stockton blacksmith, moved to Woodbridge in '67 and that made the third grocery store. John Levinsky came down from San Andreas and opened the fourth gen- eral merchandising store. The town grew like a mushroom from 1859 to 1870 and almost as quickly faded away. In December, '60, said a correspondent for the press, "Numerous

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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 56

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