USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 50
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
" The exquisite flower beds are adorned with a myriad of blossoms of every light and shade; and you almost fancy that, at twilight hour, the goddesses come stealing in, to deck themselves for the festal eve. Here is the palm, the fig, the olive, the almond, and the magnolia in all its splendor; the heliotrope, fuschia, geranium, oleander, jessamine, clematis, ivy, and the century plant. Here, too, flourishes the palm from Panama; the origanum from Patagonia; the cedar from the Himalaya Mountains and from Lebanon; charming vari-
-
440
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
eties of cypress from China and Japan, and many from the Pacific coast. Here grows, too, in all its grandeur, the beautiful eucalyptus; and here the arching willows shade the sparkling fountains. Here fair ladies may gaze with delight at the beautiful Japanese arbors, and hedges entwined with the fragrant honey-suckle, the jessamine, the clematis, and ivy. Mexico, too, has furnished her pepper trees, with their graceful narrow-leaved boughs, to aid in the adornment of these lovely grounds.
" I observed a eucalyptus, planted in 1865, which measures fifteen inches in diameter. It is a wonderful growth, and shows how well this climate is adapted to its culture. Seventeen varieties of the acacia, and fifteen of the eucalyptus grace this forest, besides many varieties of the pine, the cyprus, the arbor-vitæ, the juniper, the palm, and the fir; also the yew, the laurel, the native nutmeg, the bay, the madrona, the manzanita, the tamarack, the Washingtonia and the New Zealand flax, have their share in forming this aborical host. Nor has the Monterey cypress, so grand in form, been left out of the ranks. A magnolia, planted in 1866, is now fifteen feet high, and has been blooming all Summer. A weeping willow, planted in 1858, now measures twenty-nine inches in diameter. The avenue, one thousand feet long, planted two and one-half years ago, is, on an average, thirty feet high, and the trees six or eight inches in diameter. The rapidity of the growth of these trees is truly wonderful.
" The deciduous trees, which are so very highly appreciated in the Eastern States, are continually falling by the ax of the horticulturalist, to make room for rare varieties of evergreens. This lordly estate is dotted here and there with artistic works of statuary ; standing, seemingly, to guard the enchant- ing scene from the touch of the spoiler.
" How lovely it is to leave the city's hum, to wander in these green fields, amid the groves and pastures, near the hour of eventide; see playful children build their miniature gardens, hear the watch-dog's voice, the rippling fount- ains, and the merry birds warbling farewell to parting day. As one views all this, when the setting sun gilds the western sky with rose and purple tints, and floods all nature with soft and mellow light, it seems the work of enchantment.
" The premises so far described are dedicated to the pleasures of man-not profit; and yet they are a wealth to him in cultivating the finer feelings of his nature, in increasing his love for the beautiful works of the Creator, and making him what that Creator intended, a refined, intelligent man, above the sordid mind which seeks for naught but filthy lucre.
" The pecuniary profits of this estate will be derived from the culture of the grape, and the manufacture of wines and brandies. Among the one hun- dred and fifty varieties of grapes, here are the Peneau, the Riesling, from which Johannis wine is made, and La Folle Blanch, the only grape from
441
SAN JOSÉ TOWNSHIP.
which cognac brandy is produced; all of which have been cultivated with great success, and the manufacture of wines and brandies therefrom has been equally successful. The development of the extraordinary flavor and deli- cacy of the wines and brandies produced here, is truely wonderful.
"The wine-house, with a capacity of one hundred thousand gallons, for com- pleteness and condensation, with all the improvements of the present times, is unsurpassed in this or any other country.
" The first-class brandies manufactured by General Naglee are scarcely equalled, certainly not excelled, by any other in the world. The reason is apparent. The quality of the grape produced here is equal to any on the globe. These grapes are not pressed, so that the wine made therefrom con- tains none of the juice of the skins and seeds, nor of the stems (those por- tions which produce fusil oil and tannin), hence the freedom of the wine from these deleterious substances. In Europe this mode is not adopted, from the fact that wine and brandy manufacturers cannot afford it. They press the grape on the score of economy, that none of the juice may be wasted. The brandies and wines, therefore, cannot be free from the impurities already mentioned. The brandies of General Naglee only lack age. The oldest which he now possesses is nearly of the age of two years. All of his older wines and brandies were destroyed, together with the distillery, by fire, February 24, 1869. It was the work of an incendiary. His loss thereby was not less than sixty thousand dollars, having no insurance. Notwith- standing his loss, he has rebuilt the premises, making them fire-proof, and superior to the former ones. He has one wine tank, of the capacity of six- teen thousand gallons."
In the month of July, of this year, 1865, the fifty-vara lot on the north- west corner of First and Santa Clara streets was purchased by Dr. Knox, at a cost of twenty-one thousand dollars, and soon after he erected that magnifi- cent block which bears his name, at a cost of thirty thousand more. The Knox Block is one of the most chaste and beautiful specimens of architec- ture in San José.
At this period, San Jose was, we are assured, in a moral and orderly point of view, notwithstanding the high party feeling that existed, incom- parably in advance of any city or town in the State, and without a parallel on the Pacific coast. There was less gambling, drunkenness, and debauchery than in any other place in California. In regard to the facilities for educa- tion, from a primary to a thorough collegiate course, it was, and still is, with- out a peer on the Pacific slope of the continent, while its climate is an attraction which then was, now is, and ever shall be.
1866 .- On the seventh day of January of this year, there died at the Warm Springs, Alameda county, Major Samuel J. Hensley, after a long and pain- ful illness, of many months' duration. He was one of the early pioneers, and
442
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
was thoroughly identified with the history of this city-indeed, of the State -and was a gentleman of large wealth, kind and benevolent disposition, affa- ble manner, with many warm personal friends. As a mark of respect to his memory, the following resolutions were passed by the Mayor and Common Council of the city of San José :-
" At a special meeting held January 10th, the following resolutions were read and permanently adopted: That, WHEREAS, Major Samuel J. Hensley, long a distinguished resident of this city, has departed this life; and, whereas, it is fitting that upon this sad occasion some expression of the feelings of this community upon the sad event should be made; Now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Mayor and Common Council, that in the death of Major Hensley, the city of San José has sustained the loss of a citizen who was emi- nently distinguished in his life and character of the private gentleman, the citi- zen, neighbor, and friend. Be it further Resolved, That the citizens of San José have learned, with the deepest sorrow, of his death ; and that they all real- ize and deeply feel that they have sustained the greatest loss which can fall to the lot of the community-the loss of a citizen who was good, and kind- hearted, tender of the rights and feelings of others-whose hand was ever extended to assist and sustain the friendless, the widow, the orphan; and who illustrated in his daily walk and character the highest and most admired attributes that adorn the character of the Christian gentleman. "Be it further Resolved, That the lamented deceased, our fellow-citizen' neighbor, and friend, was, in our midst, distinguished for his genial and kind heart, his blameless life, and generous friendship, and that we recog- nize in his life and character the illustration of the noblest characteristics of our kind-and that an enduring record of his character may be made, we order that these resolutions be spread upon our records, and that the Hon- orable the District Court of the Third Judicial District of the State of Cali- ifornia, now in session in this city, be requested to record these resolutions upon its minutes, and take such other proceedings as may, in its judgment, be proper to attest the deep-felt sorrow of this community. Be it further Resolved, That General H. M. Naglee be, and he is hereby requested to pre- sent the foregoing resolutions to said Court, and request that the same be entered upon its records. And be it further Resolved, That the Mayor and Common Council do attend the funeral of deceased in a body. Be it fur- ther Resolved, That our kindest sympathies are tendered to Mrs. Hensley and her family in this their hour of deep affliction."
Scarcely had the official ink dried 'ere the corporation were called upon to pen the following resolutions condoling with His Honor Mayor Quimby :-
" God, in His mysterious providence, having removed from our midst Minerva E., wife of our esteemed Mayor, who departed this life on Saturday, the 13th instant : Therefore be it. Resolved, That in the death of this excel-
443
SAN JOSÉ TOWNSHIP.
lent lady our community has lost one of its best and brightest ornaments,- the husband, a kind and loving wife,-the children, an affectionate mother -the poor and afflicted, one whose hand was ever open to their wants and ready to administer to their relief. Resolved, That we tender to the bereaved husband and family our heartfelt sympathy in this afflicting dispensation."
On the 19th February William Isaac was granted the contract for a sys- tem of sewerage. On the 28th the Council passed an ordinance setting forth the manner and mode of applying for titles to city lots under the pueblo grant, and on March Ist Wm. J. Knox and T. Ellard Beans started the first banking establishment in San José in the Knox Block.
The following municipal officers were elected April 9, 1866: Mayor, J. A. Quimby; Common Council, J. M. Cory, James A. Clayton, Abram King, with three others holding over ; Marshal, A. B. Hamilton ; Clerk, John T. Colahan; Treasurer, Chapman Yates; Superintendent of Schools, W. C. Hart. The foregoing officers were chosen under the charter dated March 22, 1866.
April 19th, the Common Council passed an ordinance directing the selling of certain portions of Market square outside of the plot drawn, as part to be reserved, the owners adjacent thereto being first entitled to the lands thus to be sold at one dollar and a half per foot front. May 7th the following resolution was passed: " WHEREAS, By the payment of the city debt, and by recent enactments of the Legislature of the State of California, the fund known as the Sinking Fund of the city of San Jose is no longer required : Therefore be it Resolved, That the City Treasurer transfer all the moneys in his hands belonging to the Sinking Fund to the Pueblo Land Fund." This was followed on the 6th August by the accompanying proceedings: A com- munication was read from the City Treasurer in relation to the redemption of the last vestige of the city indebtedness, which was referred to the Com- mittee on Finance; whereupon the committee reported the following resolu- tion which was on motion, adopted : " WHEREAS, The whole outstanding indebtedness of the city having been fully paid and properly cancelled, thereby rendering it unnecessary to keep open the following different accounts by the City Treasurer and City Clerk, viz .: Sinking Fund, Interest Fund, Scrip Sinking Fund, and the Scrip Interest Fund, it is therefore hereby ordered that the City Treasurer transfer the money remaining in said respective funds to the General Fund." June 4th the following resolutions were adopted by the Common Council : " WHEREAS, The Supreme Court of the United States, having confirmed to the city of San Jose certain pueblo lands ; Therefore be it Resolved, That Mayor Quimby and Councilman Clayton be and are hereby appointed a committee to communicate with the Surveyor-General and take such other and further steps as will insure an immediate survey of said lands." In continuing this measure it was resolved on the 7th June, "that
444
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to draw from the Pueblo Land Fund the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars for the purpose of defraying necessary expenses to be incurred in surveying and perfecting the title to the pueblo lands." And on December 6th, this minute appears on the Records: In the matter of securing the services of C. Conway to procure the patent for the pueblo lands, the following resolution was read, and on motion adopted: "Resolved, In the event there is no protest against the pueblo survey, filed on or before December 12, 1866, or the time required by law for filing protests, that the Mayor be instructed to accept the proposition of Mr. Conway to attend to procuring a patent from the Government to the pres- ent survey of pueblo lands for the sum of eight hundred dollars-one-half to be paid in hand, and the remaining one-half to be paid when the patent is received by the city authorities, provided it is received on or before March 1, 1867."
On September 3, 1866, the subject of making the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department a salaried officer was brought up, as the annexed extract from the Records of the Common Council will show: "In the matter of the petition to make the office of Chief Engineer a salaried office, the Com- mittee on Fire and Water reported: That, under the provisions and restric- tions of the City Charter, the Common Council have no authority to attach a salary to that office; although it seems that justice would demand that an officer performing the arduous duties of Chief Engineer of our Fire Department should receive a compensation for his services, but your Com- mittee believe a remedy is only with the Legislature, by amending the charter in that particular:"-whereupon, on motion, the report was adopted; while, on the 13th it was resolved that the Committee on Public Buildings and Land proceed at once to cause a survey of such parts of the lands on an d in the vicinity of the Penetencia creek, as they may deem sufficient and neces- sary, for the purpose of being set apart, for all time to come, as a public park
Sunday, September 23, 1866, the church of the Methodist Episcopal Body, at the south-west corner of Second and Santa Clara streets, was dedi- cated by Bishop Kingsley. The cost was nearly fifteen thousand dollars; unhappily it was destroyed by fire, after it hal been moved on to Second street. In this year, too, a new industry had commenced to be grafted on the now populous and flourishing city. L. Prevost had raised one hundred thousand silk-worms, while, through encouragement received from various sources, Neuman & Myers had been in lucel to locate their silk manufac- tory in San José. The site fixed upon was near the residence of Mr. Prevost; at this period we find that an attempt was being made to secure the estab- lishment of the State Agricultural College and School of Art in this city. In the Mercury, of October 18th, we note: " Last week a company of Span- iards brought an immense live grizzly, weighing some six or eight hun- dred pounds, to this city, and confined it at the race-track. They then
445
SAN JOSÉ TOWNSHIP.
advertised a gran desafio between the grizzly and a wild bull, to come off on Saturday. But not having their pen ready in time the encounter was postponed until the present week. On Monday the animal broke loose from its confinement and seized one of the company, a Spaniard named Echabarria, who was standing near, and mangled him in a shocking manner. The man was taken up for dead, but afterwards revived. After biting and shaking the man as a terrier would a rat, the grizzly broke and fled, scattering all obstacles to the right and left. It was followed by several Mexicans, mounted, and with lassoes, and, after a fearful struggle, the brute was cap- tured.
On November 3d, J. J. Wing, an old resident residing about four miles from San José, was knocked down and robbed of twelve hundred dollars, near the Coyote bridge, the robber succeeding in making off with the booty ; and on the 26th the San Jose Water Company was organized by D. Mckenzie and John Bonner of San Jose, and A. Chabot of Oakland, with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. Exclusive privileges were obtained for supplying the city of San Jose and the town of Santa Clara for a term of twenty-five years, while tanks and engines were at once con- structed, and pipes laid through the principal streets. The further history of these operations will be found at the end of this chapter.
During the year 1866, Haskell and Porter had built a fire-proof building on the west side of First street, near San Fernando; while not far from it other structures were put up by Strauss and Brown, Messing, S. A. Clark and J. Stock; indeed, the improvements then effected were considerable and lasting.
1867 .- On January 21, 1867, as the City Records show, the following resolu- tion in relation to Pueblo Lands was passed: " WHEREAS, the lands confirmed to the city of San Jose by the Supreme Court of the United States has been finally approved by the Surveyor-General of California; Therefore be it Resolved, That all persons in the possession of such lands, outside of the city limits, are hereby required to make application for the same in accordance with the rules and ordinances of the Common Council of the city of San Jose within ninety days from the first day of February, 1867; and all lands remain- ing not applied for in accordance with the intent of this resolution, shall be disposed of by the Common Council without reference to prior possession ;" and on March 21st, the Common Council having heard argument by counsel in the matter of the application of Charles M. Weber, for the purchase of city lands, on the 25th, presented the following opinion and judgment :-
" WHEREAS, in the hearing of the application of Charles M. Weber for seven thousand four hundred and fifty-three acres of land in the valley of San Felipe and in the vicinity thereof, the title to said land being vested in the city of San Jose, the testimony, in the opinion of this Council, proves that the said C. M. Weber, although having at different times since the year
446
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
1844 until 1865 the use and benefit of said land or portions thereof for the purposes of stock-raising, yet failed to make any improvements of a perma- nent character, or more than stock-herders are accustomed to erect for their own temporary convenience; and the testimony further shows that the only house of a permanent character used by the said Weber or his agents on the aforesaid lands was erected in the year 1850 by one George Osborne for his own use and benefit, who, after a possession of about two years, vacated the premises on the supposition that the Rancho de San Felipe y Las Animas, owned by the applicant in the present ease, would embrace them within its boundaries; the testimony also shows that the said Charles M. Weber has at different times left the said lands, entirely unoccupied by himself or agents; also, that in or about the year 1858, he located some twelve hundred acres of School Land Warrants on different portions of this tract of land; but there is no evidence to prove that such lands so located were improved or occupied in a more permanent manner than the remaining portions; and, whereas, to the aforesaid application of C. M. Weber there are about thirty contestants, a majority of whom by the testimony in the case, have settled in good faith upon different portions of the lands applied for, and have remained to this day in peaceable possession and occupancy of such lands, and have built many improvements, cultivated the soil, planted vines and fruit trees, graded roads through the mountains to make their property more accessible, and in various ways have shown an intention of making permanent homes, and do now live upon and occupy their different places as homesteads; and, whereas, in all former cases of contested lands before this Council, the fact of cattle, horses or stock of any kind ranging over any lands, and the temporary improvements necessary to care for them, or the fact of locating pre-emption claims or School Land Warrants, has not been deemed sufficient to establish priority of possession as against prior actual occupancy and possession ; but, in every case hitherto, prior settlement and continuous personal occupancy has been considered essential to entitle any one to the privileges accorded by the ordinances of this city to purchasers of its lands; Now, therefore, be it Resolved, First, That the application of C. M. Weber for the aforesaid tract of land, or any part thereof, is hereby denied; second, That those of the con- testants to the aforesaid application who are actual settlers upon portions of said lands, are hereby granted the privileges in justice and equity to be pur- chasers from this city of their different tracts of land in such quantities and at such prices as may hereafter be determined." A resolution was presented to give one hundred and sixty acres to Weber, which was lost, and the original resolution approved.
On the 8th April, at the charter election, the following officers were chosen: Mayor, J. A. Quimby; Common Council, D. J. Porter, J. A. Leigh- ton, Dr. China Smith, with three others holding over; Marshal, A. B. Ham-
447
SAN JOSÉ TOWNSHIP.
ilton; Clerk, John T. Colahan; Treasurer, Chapman Yates; Superintend- ent of Schools, W. C. Hart.
On the 16th April the ladies of the city established " The Ladies' Benevo- lent Society of San Jose," with the following officers: President, Mrs. J. C. Cobb; Vice-President, Mrs. A. E. Pomeroy; Secretary, Mrs. N. Hayes; Treasurer, Mrs. J. C. Spaw; Board of Managers, Mesdames, W. N. Slocum, George Evans, F. E. Adams, E. J. Wilcox; Visiting Committee, Mesdames, R. B. Hall. D. L. Shead, T. E. Beans, E. Albon, A. L. Rhodes, J. Belden, China Smith, D. T. Adams, McCabe, Joseph Ingham, Wesley Tonner, J. C. Smith, Collins, J. R. Whitney; Auxiliary Committee of Gentlemen, J. A. Quimby, J. J. Owen, D. S. Payne, E. J. Wilcox, Richard Savage, A. B. Hamilton. The objects of the society are entirely what its name suggests. In the month of May we find that James R. Lowe, Jr., late City Clerk had been appointed United States Consul at Tehuantepec, a position he was considered to have the necessary qualifications for. In this month the San José Water Company declared themselves ready to supply the business portion of the city with water; while, at that time the shipment of straw- berries from San José to San Francisco was about four thousand pounds per day. On the 18th July, J. W. Cary was appointed by the Council to paint and affix the names of the streets to the corners of blocks. Rob- beries were. still rife in this year for Dr. Ben Cory was relieved of his watch and money by two highwaymen on the evening of July 23d. The men were afterwards captured and imprisoned, one subsequently escaping from custody. In this month Abijah McCall, the late County Treasurer, an absconding defaulter to a large amount, was tried and found guilty, July 23, 1867. On November 2d, a public meeting was held at the City Hall for the purpose of taking into consideration and adopting measures for freeing the Guadalupe river of timber obstructions, and for protecting the banks of the Coyote river from the wearing of the waters.
Early in 1867 a block of six fifty-vara lots, on the north side of Santa Clara street, between Sixth and Seventh streets was purchased by the City Council for three thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. On these prem- ises was constructed in that year the splendid edifice which now stands there, and about to be evacuated by the Normal School. The building is sixty- four by seventy-five feet, three stories high, and built in the French style of architecture, with what is known as the mansard roof. On the first floor are four school-rooms, with entrances from Santa Clara, Sixth and Seventh streets. The front rooms are each twenty-eight by thirty-two feet, and the rear rooms each thirty-two feet square. Upon the second floor are situated the High School room thirty-two by forty feet; two school-rooms for lower grades, each twenty-eight by thirty-two, and a library or recitation room twenty-four by thirty-two feet. Each of the school-rooms is provided 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.