History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 82

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 758

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COUNTY ASSESSOR.

Lewis T. Burton was appointed in 1850. Burton resigned in 1851, and E. S. Hoar was appointed to fill the vacancy. Hoar resigned April 14, 1852, and

347

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS.

Francisco de la Guerra was appointed; and elected November 2, 1852. Albert Packard appointed June 20, 1853. Antonio de la Guerra elected in 1854, and re-elected in 1855. Nicholas A. Den elected Septem- ber 7, 1855. Den resigned June 12, 1857, and Eugene Lies was appointed to fill the unexpired term. Miguel Smith was elected September 7, 1857. An- tonio Arrellanes was appointed September 29, 1857, and elected September 8, 1858. Guillermo Carrillo appointed March 22, 1859. Guillermo Carrillo elected September 7, 1859, and re-elected September 10, 1861. Augustin Janssens elected in 1863, re-elected in 1865, and 1867. J. J. Elizalde elected in 1869. C. E. Alvord elected in 1871. A. B. Williams elected in 1873. J. M. Garrettson elected in 1875, re-elected in 1877, 1879, and in 1881.

COUNTY TREASURER.

The first record we find regarding this office is that Antonio Maria de la Guerra resigned April 14, 1852, and that J. W. Burroughs was appointed same date. On the following December 6th, Raymundo Carrillo was appointed, and on April 12, 1853, Henry Carnes was appointed Treasurer and Public Administrator, and at the general election, September, 1855, Ray- mundo Carrillo was elected. Isaac J. Sparks was elected September, 1858, and resigned August, 1859, when Charles E. Huse was appointed. In September, 1859, Victor Mondran was elected, and Guillermo Carrillo in September, 1861. Alfred Robinson was elected September, 1862; José Maria Yndart, Sep- tember, 1863, resigning June, 1864, Juan Arata be- ing appointed. In September, 1865, F. W. Frost was elected, and re-elected in 1867, 1869, 1871, 1873, and 1875; and in September, 1877, U. Yndart was elected, and re-elected in 1879, and again in 1881.

COUNTY CORONER.

The first record that we find with regard to this office is the fact that in 1851 J. C. Vidal received $60.00 for services as Coroner; the next, that J. W. Burroughs was appointed in 1851, and December 6, 1852, Gustavus Millhouse was appointed, and on July 26, 1853, S. B. Brinkerhoff received the ap- pointment, and in September, 1855, was elected to the position. In November, 1856, Wm. A. Streeter was elected, and March 6, 1857, Heath was appointed. At the September election James L. Ord was elected, and re-elected in 1858. In 1859 Gus- tavus Millhouse elected. In 1861 James L. Ord was again elected, and February 6, 1863, received the office again by appointment. At the September election of 1863 Wm. A. Streeter was again elected. We find no record of any Coroner in 1865, but in 1867 Wm. A. Streeter was again filling the office. C. J. Freeman was elected in 1869, and re-elected in 1871 and 1873. R. F. Winchester was elected in 1875, and J. C. Freeman in 1877, and H. J. Finger in 1879.

COUNTY SURVEYORS.

The first record we have in regard to this office is that Vitus Wrackenreuder was elected November 2, 1852. Joseph A. Hinchman was appointed Febru- ary 16, 1854, and in April of the same year Wm. Maxwell was appointed to hold until the next election. Ebenezer Nidever was elected November 11, 1856, and re-elected September 7, 1857. Chas. E. Cook was appointed April 10, 1858, and E. Nidever elected September 7, 1859, and re-elected September 10, 1861. Thomas Sprague was appointed February 4, 1862, elected September 10, 1862, and re-elected September 5, 1863. Wm. H. Norway elected in September, 1865, and re-elected in 1867, and again in 1869. John T. Stow elected in 1869, and re-elected in 1871. W. H. Norway elected in 1873, and re- elected in 1875. John Reed elected in 1877, and re-elected in 1879.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.

Previous to 1855, the Assessor was ex officio Super- intendent of Schools. In September, 1855, Joaquin Carrillo was elected, but in the fall of the same year we find George D. Fisher appointed, who resigned October 14, 1856, and Guillermo Carrillo was ap- pointed, and at the November election of 1856. John Kays was chosen, but in September of 1857, A. F. Hinchman seems to have been acting under appoint- ment. At the election in September, 1857, John L. Smith was elected. In September, 1858, A. F. Hinchman was elected. In September, 1859, J. F. Maguire was elected. In October following, Charles E. Huse was appointed, and thirty days later, in No- vember of the same year, James Lord was appointed, and during the spring of 1860, A. F. Hinchman appears as Superintendent. In November, 1860. John Clar was elected; Pablo de la Guerra, in 1861, and re-elected in 1862. In November, 1862, J. F. Maguire was appointed; February 7, 1863, Charles Fernald, appointed; August 7, 1863, A. B. Thompson, appointed, and elected September, 1863, and re-elected in 1865 and 1867; April 2, 1869, Thomas G. Williams appointed, vice A. B. Thompson, deceased. In the September election of 1869, J. C. Hamer was chosen, and again in 1871 and 1873; and in 1875, G. E. Thur- mond was elected, and re-elected in 1879.

CONCLUSION OF THE HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA.

This ends the history of the matters pertaining exclusively to this county. The next chapters will be given to the history of Ventura, from the time it came under a separate jurisdiction to the present year (1882), after which such matters as are of common interest to both counties will be treated in a closing chapter.

FISTORY®

VENTURA

COUNTY,

CALIFORNIA

WITH

ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

OF ITS

PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.

OAKLAND, CAL. THOMPSON & WEST. 1883.

HISTORY OF

VENTURA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.

CHAPTER XXXVI .*

CONDITION AND COUNTY ORGANIZATION.

Oid Families-Don Ygnacio del Valle-American Residents- Fourth of July, 1860-Wet Winter of 1861 -- 62-Dry Season of 1864-Town Surveys, etc .- Inhabitants of San Buena- ventura-High Water in 1867 - Division of Ranches- Fourth of July Celebration-Builling the Wharf-Desire for a County-Newspaper Established-Statistics in 1871- Passage of the Act-The Law Creating the County-Bound- sries-Building of a School House-Number of Schoot Chit- dren-Water Companies-Santa Clara Irrigating Company- Farmers' Canal and Water Ditch-Political Affairs-Organ- ization of the County Government-Town-hips Formed- Supervisor Districts -- Election Precincts-The First Elec- tion-Republican Ticket-Democratic Ticket-Voting Pla- ces-County Officers, 1873 -- Dr. Cephas L. Bard-City Council-Road Districts-County Bonds Issued-Settle- ment with Santa Barbara-Court House.

ALTHOUGH the general history of the county has been included in that of Santa Barbara, down to the first day of January, 1873, some preliminary remarks seem necessary to fairly introduce the subject. The county sprang full-sized to life, it is true; yet, by a kind of umbilical cord, it is connected with the past, and had to some extent a history of its own-a his- tory of the enterprises and failures, the individualities and generalities which, in later years, made it long for an independent existence. The history so far has been substantially the history of the city of Santa Barbara and the neighboring Missions. Pastoral life furnishes but few points for history-few lights and shades With the discovery of gold, and the influx of men of various habits and designs, came a corre- sponding change. Ranchos exchanged owners; new faces were seen everywhere; new merchants opened stores of costly goods to satisfy the vanity and lux- urious desires of the shepherds, who formerly were satisfied with the simplest surroundings. Carriages were seen in the streets, where formerly the clumsy ox-cart did duty for a wagon. The steamers now waited in the offing, transferring passengers to the land, who had recently come from Boston, New

York or Paris. The drowsy world had begun to move. Grain was cultivated as well as fruits. Finer houses were erected. The school house sent forth its busy throng. The whir of machinery was heard. The o'd, easy-going, contented existence was gone, no more to return. The portion of the world organ- ized into the county of Ventura had its own financial and social existence long before its first courts were established. A long tract of waste land divided it from Santa Barbara. Its very climate, with its brac- ing character, gave man an energy of action that induced a difference. The soil too was different; the cacti on the hill-sides were of other varieties. The rivers, that had their sources in the region of snows, by their very presence spoke of different surround- ings. In short, " Ventura" had a life of its own long before it became named-a life that was demon- strated in its great projects for railroads, mining projects, agricultural projects. Even the old residents who came with the fathers, had something of the enterprise which characterized the subsequent popu- lation.

OLD FAMILIES.

Of these old patrician families, there were, in Ven- tura, in 1854, representatives of the de la Guerra, Sanchez, Arnaz, Olivas, Ayala, Del Valle and Gon- zales families, besides others of lesser prominence. Don Juan Sanchez and wife kept up the style of hos- pitality in vogue among their countrymen of equal rank. Dr. Poli, who became possessor of the ex-Mis- sion Rancho, and was accidentally killed at Stockton, by a fall from his horse, lived in town, and possessed much influence. Manuel Gonzales, Ysidro Obiols and Don Felipe Gonzales also were prominent. Don Ray- mundo Olivas, a worthy gentleman, quite a cattle king too, asserted the dignity of the former posses- sors of California, until his death, on February 24, 1879. In passing, it may be remarked that this patri. arch was of the approved Biblical mode of life, his sons and daughters numbering twenty-two, all begotten with one wife, formerly Señorita Feodora Lopez, with whom he lived happily during his fifty-three years

"For the sake of convenience the sequence in numbering the chapters is jieserved, as the conclusion of the volume will be common to both counties

350

HISTORY OF VENTURA COUNTY.

of wedded life. Victor Ustusaustegui, then as now, a resident of San Buenaventura, has always been known as a man of dignity and high character. Don José Arnaz is a name with which the reader has be- come familiar, recognizing the Don as one of the most progressive and enterprising of his raee. His connee- tion with the vital interests of the country are else- where referred to. One who has also been largely identified with Ventura County is

Ignacio del Valle

Of the Camulos Rancho, was born in Compostela, State of Jalisco, Mexico, on the first of July, 1808. He received a liberal education, his parents having been persons of wealth and position.

In the year 1818, depredations were committed on the coast towns of California by pirates, under the command of a desperado named Bouchard. To pro- teet the country, two military companies-one from San Blas-were sent by the Mexican Government in 1819. Don Antonio del Valle, father of the subject of this sketch, was Lieutenant of the San Blas Com- pany. Six years after the arrival of Don Antonio in California, he sent for his son, Don Ygnacio, who landed in Monterey on the 27th of July, 1825. In March, 1828, Don Ygnacio entered the service as Second Lieutenant, being attached to the staff of General Echeandia, Governor of California, with headquarters at San Diego, remaining there till 1833, discharging various functions at that place, as Cap- tain in command of the Station, and Chief Custom House officer. On the arrival of Governor Figueroa, in 1833, Lientenant Del Valle was transferred to Monterey, where he continued to discharge his duties on the staff of Governor Figueroa, until the latter's death, in 1836, when, on account of the insurrection-

ary movement led by Castro and Alvarado against the Government represented by Gutierrez, Lieuten- ant Del Valle, unwilling to take part in the move- ment, remained separate from the service until 1840, when he obtained his discharge. In 1844, Don Ygna- cio was appointed Commissioner by Governor Figueroa, in the secularization of the Missions of Santa Cruz and Dolores. In 1845, he was a member of the Junta Departamental, or Depart- mental Assembly of California, and in 1846, he was appointed Treasurer of the Department, occupying said office until the United States took possession of the country. In 1850, he was Alcalde of Los Angeles, and, on the first election under the American rule, was elected Recorder of the county, and in 1852, was Member of the Assembly from Los Angeles County. From 1861 to the time of his death in 1880, he resided with his family on his rancho in Camulos, devoting his time to the rearing and proper education of his children; developing the resources of his beau- tiful domain, and lavishing the utmost hospitality on all.

Don Ygnacio was twice married. No issue of the first marriage survives. At his death he left a widow and six children, the eldest being the Honorable R. F. del Valle, who was re-elected to the Legislature the present year (1882), with prospects of being pro- moted to still greater honors. Few men have im- pressed upon the memory of their friends a livelier sense of excellence and unsullied virtue. than the elder del Valle. He possessed an enlightened benevo- lence and a warm sensibility, always eager to advance those who were within the sphere of his influence. He was a man of inflexible honor and integrity, a devout lover of truth, and conscientiously scrupulous in the discharge of his duties.

AMERICAN RESIDENTS.

Although quite a number of American traders, sailors, and adventurers generally had settled in vari- ous parts of what afterwards became Santa Barbara County, it had happened that up to the time of American military occupation none of them had per- manently located at San Buenaventura. Santa Bar- bara, being quite a town, far overshadowing its neighbor in importance, had attracted the American population almost exclusively. When Colonel Steven- son's regiment was sent to establish American su- premaey on the coast of Southern California, Isaac Callahan and W. A. Streeter were put in charge of the Mission at San Buenaventura. Some few years later Russel Heath, in connection with Don José de Arnaz and -Morris, established the first store in the county. C. C. Rhynerson and wife, emigrating from the Mississippi Valley, came across the plains, and arrived in town in 1850, and camped for a time at the mouth of the San Buenaventura River, but afterwards loeating near Linden on the Calaveras River, in what is no v San Joaquin County. A. Co- lombo, who lived in a small house where Spear's

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CONDITION AND COUNTY ORGANIZATION.

block now stands, was the first American farmer, and Ware was the first blacksmith. In the en- tire region there were, even as late as 1857, but two houses of entertainment, one a tent on the Sespe Rancho, the other, Mr. John Carr's little estab- lishment in town, in the rooms in the east wing of the Mission buildings, which were afterwards occu- pied by Gilbert & Chaffee as a store. Mr. Carr was the happy possessor of an American wife, whose tact, kindness, and other social qualities still form matter of pleasant recollection. She was said to have rendered the place attractive to wayfarers by reason of her capable handiwork and social habits. The couple had lived together for twelve years and remained childless, but within two years of their arrival in San Buenaventura, they realized a family of five children ! Mrs. Carr attributed it to the climate.

Thomas Dennis kept the first lumber yard, but the date of his arrival is not ascertained. The first American magistrates were Thomas Beebe and Welch, the former a well-known name in the history of the place. A. M. Cameron dated his coming in 1854. Long previous to this T. Wallace More had obtained a title to a vast tract of the richest land in Ventura, claiming over THIRTY MILES along the Santa Clara. His possessions in other districts were nearly as enormous. This land was valued at from ten to fifty cents per acre, and over More's principality 10,- 000 head of cattle roamed. The whole Colonia Rancho was sold, back in the fifties, for $5,000-a price that the purchaser finally decided not to pay. In 1858 there were in town the following American residents: A. M. Cameron, Griffin Robbins, W. T. Nash, W. Williams, James Beebe, - Park, W. D. Hobson, - MeLaughlin, and one other, name un- known. W. D. Hobson came to Santa Barbara in 1854, moving to the Sespe later, and residing on that ranch in 1859, where he built a house. In 1861 he moved to town and built the first brick house known there. Spears, in 1870, constructed the next one. A later arrival than the list given above was V. A. Simpson, who became the first postmaster, on the establishment of the post-office in 1861. It is re- corded that the mail matter was not great in amount, and the obliging postmaster would, on its arrival, bestow the same in his hat, and walk around among the citizens and deliver the letters. This may be regarded as the first introduction of the system of letter-carriers in California. About the time of Mr. Simpson's arrival came also John Hill, Albert Martin, G. S. Briggs, the three Barnetts, G. S. Gilbert, W. S. Chaffee, W. A. Norway, H. P. Flint, Burbank, Hank erson, Crane, and Harrington.

As late as 1860 there were but nine American voters in the precinct. Chaffee & Robbins, and after- wards Chaffee & Gilbert, kept the only store in the place for many years.

THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1860,

Was celebrated with as much of style and formality as the little band of Americans could command. The regular exercises of a soul-stirring orntion and the reading of the immortal Declaration were carried out, Judge Maguire assuming the duties of orator, while Thomas Dennis was reader of the Declaration of Independence.

THE WET WINTER OF 1861-62

Was excessively rainy in Ventura. Rain fell for sixty days successively. The results were damaging to stock, and so many land-slides happened that the face of the country was materially changed. In cer- tain localities half of the land was moved a greater or less distance. Sometimes an acre or more of land would begin moving, crumple up on the surface, and sliding downward with an increasing motion, would conclude with a grand rush to the bottom of the slope. The enormous bulk of these moving masses coupled with its velocity, produced effects still visible. All the land was thoroughly saturated to a great depth; travel was almost impossible; dead cattle abonnded, and almost all the living animals were re- duced to skeletons. The water came up to the Santa Clara House, and other houses were submerged to the windows, or even, in several cases, carried away bodily. The latter fate befell a building owned by Martin & Hill, 48x30 feet in size, which was swept away, and in the morning a gulch ten feet deep had been created by the running water on the spot where the house had stood. The only person whose life was lost was one Hewitt, an inhabitant of Santa Barbara, who had gone to Piru Creek on a prospec- ting tour. The road to Los Angeles was rendered impassable for twenty days, and the losses in stock were very serious. Still the damage to pecuniary interests were not nearly so great as followed the

DRY SEASON OF 1864.

In this disastrous year the ground in the preced- ing rainy season had never been wet to a depth of more than three inches, consequently the famishing of two-thirds of all the stock of Ventura followed.

TOWN SURVEYS, ETC.

As early as 1848 Don José Arnaz laid out a town site near the Mission, advertised the advantages of the place in the Eastern papers, and offered any one a lot who would make improvements thereon. There being no response, the subject was not agi- tated further until 1862, when Waterman, Vassault & Co., owning the lands of the ex-Mission, laid out a town. The survey was rejected by the Board of Trustees after the town was incorporated, and another substituted. The first attempt to incorporate was made in 1863. Messrs. Simpson, Beebe, Stow, Escandon, Chateauneuf, and some others met at the American Hotel, kept by V. A. Simpson. and drew up a petition addressed to the Legislature, asking

352

HISTORY OF VENTURA COUNTY.

for its incorporation. Ramon J. Hill, at that time a member from the county of Santa Barbara, being opposed to it, the subject was dropped until the fol- lowing year, when the project was revived and accomplished, but it was not until thirteen years had gone by that the patents to the town site were received from the Government. Messrs. Coggeswell, William Riley and J. T. Stow were instrumental in securing the title.

INHABITANTS OF SAN BUENAVENTURA.

The following is presumed to be a perfectly accu- rate and reliable list of the citizens of the town in 1862. It includes but few of the Mexican popula- tion, which is presumed to include by far the greater proportion of the inhabitants at that day. They were, Walter S. Chaffee, Volney A. Simpson, John T. Stow, Griffin Robbins, William S. Riley, William T. Nash, Jefferson Crane, John Hill, Henry Clifton, Marshall Routh, George S. Gilbert, James Beebe, William H. Leighton, Samuel Barnett, Sr., Samuel Barnett, Jr., William Barnett, W. D. Hobson, Alex. Cameron, Melvin Beardsley, George Dodge, and George S. Briggs, the eminent orchardist of Marys- ville. All these were Americans, as were Albert and Frank Martin, who came in 1859. Albert de Cha- teauneuf, French, and Henry Dubbers, German, were of the population also. Baptiste Ysoardy came in 1858; Augustin Solari, in 1857; Victor Ustusaustegui, in 1852; Isidro Obiols, in 1853; Antonio Schiappa- pietra, in 1862; John Thompson, in 1862; Oscar Wells and George V. Whitman, in 1859. Of subse- quent arrivals, Myron Warner came in 1863; William Pratt, in 1866; William Whitney, in 1864; Thomas R. Bard, in 1865; Henry Cohn, in 1866; Joseph Wolfson, in 1867; - Clements, in 1868; Thomas Wil- liams, in 1866; A. J. Herring, in 1863; Henry Spears, in 1865. A. G. Escandon, an old resident and a very prominent citizen, was also in San Buenaventura at that time.

HIGH WATER IN 1867.

Next in this retrospection of interesting events is found the overflow of the Ventura River in Decem- ber, 1867. On Christmas day the water rose until it became three feet deep on Main Street. The lower portion of the town was submerged, and the inhab- itants had to be removed to places of safety. The immediate cause of the flood is said to have been a warm rain falling on and melting the recently depos- ited snows of the mountains about the river's source. The land from the Santa Clara House to the river was flooded. Forty-seven women, rescued from the endangered houses, had taken refuge in one little adobe shanty. Some of these females had been taken from their places of residence on horseback, while others had been carried out on the shoulders of men. Some feats of remarkable gallantry are said to have been performed on this occasion, in the rescue of the imperilled fair sex. Messrs. Stow,

Wolfson and others have received merited praise for their share in the matter. The writer uses the word merited advisedly, as there can be no question of the self-sacrificing bravery of a man, young or old, who feels impelled to wade into three feet of ice-cold, muddy water, and carry out a heavy woman, per- haps young, perhaps old, on his manly shoulders, bearing her to a place of safety.

DIVISION OF RANCHES.

Of course with a district of gradual increase, like Ventura, it is difficult to assign a date to which can be referred particular periods of growth. It has, however, beeu customary among the people of Ven- tura to regard 1868 as the beginning of what may be called an era of growth and prosperity. The reason for the rapid increase of business and population at that time, was the division of several important ranches near by into smaller tracts, which became the property of small farmers and fruit-raisers, whose signal successes have been the salvation of the county. In 1866 the Briggs' tract was subdivided and offered for sale. Two years later a general immigration of Americans began, and that time was marked as an epoch of vast impor- tance to Ventura. The extensive ranchos of Santa Paula y Saticoy and Colonia or Santa Clara were broken up and sold to actual settlers, and the pros- perity of the country became assured. The curse of extensive land-owners then became lessened, and public opinion and the lessons of years have contin- ued the valuable work until the lands of Ventura have become open to all whose pecuniary resources can provide homes.

DESIRE FOR A COUNTY ORGANIZATION.

To this beginning in 1868, one may trace what- ever of subsequent growth has taken place here. The throwing open of these productive lands to agriculturists, was the commencement of the tide of prosperity which resulted in the organization of the county of Ventura, and the building up of a commu- nity whose industries, wealth and cultivation far outstripped that of the parent county of a few years before, and whose history it will be a pleasure to recount.

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History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 82

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West Number of Pages: 758

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 758