USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 17
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CHARLES EDWARD OWEN.
Mr. Owen was born at Rome, Oneida county, New York, October 7, 1828. He was the oldest of a family of six children, sons and daughters of Sam- uel and Catharine (Dickenson) Owen. His Father was a native of Portland, Maine, and his mother of New York State. Five of his uncles were sea captains, one of whom, Charles, who was in the cotton trade, took our subject to sea with him at the age of thirteen, sailing down the eastern coast, visiting Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, then to Liverpool. At times the young voyager was taken to the North and Mediterranean seas. This continued until 1849, when the wonderful gold dis- coveries made in California caused him to join with four or five others and start for the Californian coast. From Panama they worked up on the steamer California, which was the first trip the boat had made. They landed at the Golden Gate about the first of January, 1850. After his arrival Mr. Owen was put in charge of the bark Globe for a few weeks at eight dollars per day, after which she was taken to Sacramento, and Mr. Owen went to Dom Pedro Bar, on the Calaveras, and from thence to Mokelumne, where he was engaged in mining until 1853. Having been prosperous in mining, he returned to the Atlantic coast, and went into the grocery and baking business at the end of a year at Brunswick, Maine. Here he remained until 1859. During his sojourn East his wife died, and be- coming dissatisfied he returned to California. In a few months he selected Siskiyou county, and located on McAdams creek, about where the Steamboat mine now is. He owned a farm there which he afterwards sold on account of having more business than he could attend to, being engaged also in mining and stock-raising on Bogus creek. Mr. Owen now has a patent to about one mile on Indian creek, on
which he is opening a bed rock tunnel, paying by contract to Chinamen $4,300 for work, Owen fur- nishing all supplies. When completed this will be one of the most valuable mining properties in Sis- kiyou county. In connection with this, Mr. Owen is operating a steam saw-mill in Hamblin gulch, which turns out more than four thousand feet of lumber per day, finding a ready market in the valley. He established the first saw-mill on Indian creek, and three years after he removed near to Lone Star ranch at Fort Jones, then a favorite place of resort. Mr. Owen was married October 18, 1848, to Emma Elizabeth Dennison, daughter of Gideon and Amy Dennison, of Freeport, Maine. By this union Mr. Owen has one son, Edward Carrol, born at Brunswick, Maine, May 6, 1854, who was educated in the common schools of Maine, and spent his boyhood days there, while his father was in California. He came here October 9, 1874, and is now interested with his father in mining and milling. Charles E. Owen is a member of United Lodge, No. 8, Free and Accepted Masons of Brunswick, Maine; of Montgomery Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Brunswick; of Portland Commandery, Knights Templar, and also of Fort Jones Lodge, No. 115, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a trustee now. He was one of the first initiated into the Pejepscot Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Brunswick, Maine. The son is also. a member of a lodge and encampment. In addition to his mining and milling property, Mr. Owen has lots and residence in Fort Jones. Careful industry, persistent efforts, and conscientious dealing have won him a suitable reward for his labor, both in wealth and public regard.
JAMES CAMP.
The subject of this sketch was the youngest of a family of seven children, four sons and three daugh- ters, and was born in the Province of New Bruns- wick, now the Dominion of Canada. When he reached the age of nineteen he moved with his rela- tives to Virginia, and resided in the vicinity of Alexandria until 1854. He then emigrated to Cal- ifornia, and became a resident of Del Norte county. In company with his brother Hill and W. S. Titus, he established a business under the name of James Camp & Company. They entered quite extensively into mining and trading at Bunker Hill, an old mining camp on the Klamath river. When this camp shared the fate of the great majority of min- ing centers, the company moved to Happy Camp, where they are now extensively engaged in merchan- dising and mining. In order to supply the large and growing demand for flour on Scott and Klamath rivers, they purchased, in 1877, the old Lafayette or Shores mill, in Quartz valley, from Ed. Bean and N. D. Julien. This they thoroughly repaired and erected a residence and barns, cleared and fenced the land surrounding the mill, and commenced the active manufacture of flour. This property is under the personal superintendence of Mr. Camp, who is an energetic and careful business man. Flour from this mill is packed on mules along Scott river and down the Klamath to the store at Happy Camp.
RESIDENCE AND SAW-MILL PROPERTY OF JOSEPH B. LEDUC, ONE MILE EAST OF SCOTT BAR, SISKIYOU CO., CAL.
69
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
be disorganized and annexed to Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. After consider- able discussion, this resulted in the introduction of a bill by Assemblyman Tulley, for annexation to the counties of Siskiyou and Humboldt. A remonstrance was presented by some of the citizens of Klamath county, who preferred to be united to Trinity or Del Norte, the county seats of the others being almost inaccessible to their locality in winter. The bill was referred to the Klamath delegation.
Humboldt county seemed to look with favor upon the scheme, while in Siskiyou there was a great diversity of opinion. Political feeling entered into the matter as well as local interests. It was claimed by the Republicans that it was a Democratic scheme to retain control of the county, as the sec- tion proposed to be received had a large Democratic majority, which would atone to that party for the votes lost by the segregation of Modoc. Again, the scheme was bitter y opposed in Yreka for local rea- sons. It was feared that the annexation of this section would make the western end of the county so strong, that the next move would be to take the county seat away from Yreka and locate it in Scott valley. Although any intention of this kind was disclaimed by the people of that valley, still they were arraved on one side of the question, and the people of Yreka and Shasta valley on the other. Petitions for and against the proposed action were sent by both factions to the Legislature, and the dis- cussion was warmly maintained, both in the news- papers and on the street. It was argued with a great deal of force by the opponents of the measure, that the proposed territory was separated from the county by the Salmon mountains, to cross which, in winter, was almost, and sometimes entirely, impossi- ble, save upon snow shoes, thus leaving it and its inhabitants completely isolated from the main part of th . county a portion of the year; that the collec- tion of taxes, the administration of county affairs and the conduct of legal business of that section, would be difficult, expensive and annoying; and, finally, that the county would have to assume a debt of ten or twelve thousand dollars, which the value of the acquired assessable property was not sufficient to justify.
However well founded these objections seemed to be, they did not prevent the passage of the bill, although it was so amended as to have it take eff et only upon a favorable vote of the people of this county.
The Act of March 28, 1874, provided for an elec- tion to be held in Siskiyou county, upon the ques- tion of receiving a portion of the territory of Klamath, and if the result was favorable to the measure, the Act was to take effect, and not other- wise. The division was as follows :-
Commencing at the point where the present boundary of Klamath and Del Norte crosses the Klamath river; thence run- ning easterly in a direct line to where the Salmon river enters the Klamath river; thenee in a southerly direction, following the ridge of the mountain that divides the waters of the Salm 11 and its tributaries from the waters of Klamath and Trinity rivers and their tributaries, to the northern boundary line of Trinity county.
All of Klamath county north and east of this line was to become a portion of Siskiyou county, and all south and west a portion of Humboldt. Causes in
the courts were to be transferred to the proper tri- bunals in the two counties, and two commissioners each were to be appointed by Humboldt and Siski- yon, to apportion the debt and cash on hand in pro- portion to the valuation of property in each section. County property was to be sold and the money paid into the treasury.
As the day set for the election approached the dis- cussion grew warmer, the question narrowing down to a trial of strength between the castern and west- ern portions of the county, as the following vote clearly indicates :-
ELECTION HELD MAY 30, 1874, ON QUESTION OF ANNEX- ATION OF A PORTION OF KLAMATH COUNTY.
FOR
AGAINST
Fort Jones
104
10
Oro Fino.
63
1
Rough and Ready (Etna)
129
0
Callahan's .
50
McAdams' Creek
28.
2
Buckeye Bar
22
16
Scott River.
36
3+
Cottonwood
16
13
Humbug
13
15
Butteville
3
62
Table Rock.
10.
39
Bogus
1
8
Willow Creek
2
11
Yreka
52
278
Total
529
492
Majority
37
It can be readily seen, that, had Yreka been as nnanimous against the proposition as Etna was in favor of it, the majority would have been on the other side and the measure defeated.
Dissatisfied citizens of Klamath county took legal steps to contest the Act. An injunction was issued by the county judge, J. T. Cary, in June, restrain- ing the bo irds of supervisors of the three interested counties from taking any action in the matter until the constitutionality of the Act could be tested in the Supreme Court. This did not prevent the appointment of the commissioners, and on the twenty-fourth of August, Hon. E. Steele and A. Swain, on the part of Siskiyou county, met John A. Watson and John Keleher, commissioners of Humboldt county, at Orleans Bar, to carry out the provisions of the Act. They found that in obedi- ence to the injunction the supervisors and officers of Klamath county had taken no steps towards set- tling the affairs of the county. They were refused access to the books by P. W. Wasmuth, the treas- urer, and were unable to accomplish the task that had been assigned them. Under these circum- stances they adjourned and reported the situation to their respective boards. Nothing further was done until the decision of the Supreme Court was ren- dered.
The ground upon which the law was contested was, that it was a delegation of legislative power to the people, as it made the disorganization of Klam- ath county, and the taking effect of the law, depend- ent upon a vote of the people of Siskiyou. In March, 1875, a decision was rendered, fully sustaining the legality of the Act, deciding that it was not a dele-
70
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
gation of authority, but the making of the Act to take effect upon the happening of a contingent event, namely, the affirmative vote of Siskiyou county to receive a portion of the territory and assume a por- tion of the debt.
It now remained to carry the law into effect. After considerable correspondence and a failure to meet, Commissioners Steele and Swain resigned, and H. B. Warren and W. T. Laird were appointed. A meeting was arranged for October, but the Siskiyou commissioners failed to be present, and the matter still remained unsettled. The next winter a bill was introduced into the Legislature by Assemblyman Clark, of Humboldt, to settle the difficulty. It authorized the Humboldt county supervisors to set- tle the affairs of Klamath county, and apportion the debt ; made it obligatory upon Siskiyou to assume the portion thus assigned to it ; provided for a tax in both counties to pay the Klamath county bonds ; provided for the transfer of causes in the courts to the courts of Humboldt county ; and donated the county real estate to the Orleans Bar school district. Assemblyman Harris, of Siskiyou, submitted a sub- stitute, which differed from the original bill by placing the settlement and apportionment in the hands of four commissioners, two from each county, and providing for the sale of the county real estate at auction. The Act was passed as thus amended, and became a law March 31, 1876.
The supervisors of this county appointed John Daggett and John V. Brown May 22, 1876, to serve as commissioners under the amended Act, which called for a meeting June 5, at Orleans Bar. The commissioners of Humboldt county, W. J. McNamara and W. P. Hanna, were there at the appointed time, but Daggett and Brown failed to appear, the expenses of the meeting, according to a provision in the law, falling upon Siskiyou county, through whose laches it had been rendered futile. After this failure, new commissioners were appointed by both counties, James Beith, Jr., and Hudson B. Gillis on the part of Siskiyou and Thomas Cutler and William P. Hanna for Humboldt. They met in Orleans Bar August 14, 1876, examined the books, settled up the county affairs, and made the following apportionment :-
VALUATION.
Portion in Siskiyou. $328.018
" Humboldt. 273,511
$601,529
OUTSTANDING DEBT.
To Siskiyou.
$13.063 27
" Humboldt. 10,892 59
$23955 86
CASH ON HAND.
Apportioned to Siskiyou. $2,414 81
Humboklt 2,013 54
$4,428 35
The report of the commissioners was accepted by both counties, and Klamath county became a thing of the past. The sale of public property reduced the indebtedness assumed by this county to $5, 133 26. No bonds were issued, but the assumed warrants were registered and have been gradually paid by an
annual tax levied for that purpose, until only $867.55 remain unpaid.
The boundary between Scott River and Mountain townships was slightly altered, on the first of March, 1875, in accordance with a petition of citizens residing near the line.
The election on the question of receiving a portion of the territory of Klamath county having resulted favorably to that proposition, the board of super- visors, on the fifth of April, 1875, created thetownships of Liberty and South Fork, to embrace exactly the same territory they did when a portion of Klamath county, neither the name nor the boundaries being changed. The balance of the acquired territory was disposed of November 1, 1875, by creating Salmon township, with the following limits :----
Embracing all that territory formerly known as Salmon township in the old county of Klamath, commencing at the in outh of Salmon river, and running up the said river to the forks; and thence up the south fork of Salmon river to themouth of Know Nothing creek; and thence up the north fork of Salmon river five miles, to the line of Liberty township.
The last change in township boun laries was made February 8, 1876, by taking from Cottonwood and adding to Humbug township a section described as follows :--
Commencing at the precipice on the north side of Klamath river, opposite the mouth of Humbug creek; running up the mountain ridge, in a no therly direction, until it strikes the top of the divide between Cottonwood creek and Klam ith river; from thence westerly, along the summit of said dividing ridge, Hungry and Beaver creeks on one side and Cottonwood creek on the other side; thence running southerly, along the summit of the Beaver creek divide, until it meets the line of Mountain townsh p; thence follow sail linie down to Klamath river, and thence eust to the starting point.
The foregoing embraces all the actions ever taken by the board of supervisors in regard to the town- ships. It is almost, if not quite, impossible to define the boun laries of any of the town ships as they exist at the present time, so little effort was made to keep them clear cut and definite. It is generally under- stood in what township any given locality lies, but to define the limits or trace them on a map from the official records is a matter of great difficulty, if, indeed, it can be done at all. There are now eleven townships, in some of which there is a full comple- ment of officers, in some but a portion, and in others no officers whatever. They are as follows :-
COTTONWOOD TOWNSHIP. No officers.
HUMBUG TOWNSHIP. No officers.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Justices-S. R. Sheffield and John S. Hughes. Constable-B. W. Jencks.
MOUNTAIN TOWNSHIP. No officers.
SALMON TOWNSHIP. No officers. SCOTT RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Justice-Searles Tompkins.
Constable- J. H. Lindsay.
SCOTT VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
Justices-Louis Heller and Robert S. Green. Constable-John W. Wheeler.
71
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
SOUTH TOWNSIIIP.
Justices-George W. Mitchell and Horace W. Sul- livan.
Constable-Nathan C. Evans.
SOUTH FORK TOWNSHIP. No officers.
TABLE ROCK TOWNSHIP. No officers.
YREKA TOWNSHIP.
Justice-E. V. Brown.
Constables-Otto Sippell and John G. Hallick.
Alphabetically arranged the townships, into which Siskiyou county has been at various times subdi- vided, are as follows :-
BIG VALI EY-Created November 3, 1869 ; set off to Moiloc county in 1874.
BUTTE-Changed from Shasta Valley in 1860 ; annexed to Yreka March 15, 1870.
COTTONWOOD-Created December 7, 1852; still exists.
HOT SPRING-Created November 6, 1871 ; set off to Modoe county in 1874.
HUMBUG-Created June 7, 1852; still exists.
KLAMATH-Created August 14, 1856; became Mountain July 15, 1871.
LIBERTY-Created April 5, 1875 ; still exists.
MOUNTAIN-Created July 15, 1871 ; still exists.
SALMON-Created November 1, 1875 ; still exists.
SCOTT RIVER-Existed when county was organ- ized and still exists.
> SCOTT VALLEY-Created February 27, 1855 ; still exists.
SHASTA VALLEY-Created August 7, 1855 ; be- came Butte in 1860.
SOUTH-Created August 7, 1855 ; still exists.
SOUTH FORK-Created April 5, 1875 ; still exists. SURPRISE VALLEY-Created November 21, 1864 ; get off to Modoc county in 1874.
TABLE ROCK-Created August 12, 1862 ; still exists.
YREKA-Existed as Shasta Plains, or Shasta Butte City, when county was organized ; changed to Yreka June 7, 1852; still exists.
But little change has been made in the composi- tion of supervisor districts since they were set off in 1857. Whenever new townships were created, they remained in the same district to which they had previously belonged. When Mountain town- ship was created, it was declared to be in District No. 2, of which Klamath township had previously been a part, the only change being that the new township embraced within its limits a small strip that had formerly been in District No. 1. May 8, 1877, Scott River township was detached from Dis- trict No. 1 and made a portion of District No. 2. The territory received from Klamath county became a portion of District No. I.
As at present constituted, the supervisor districts are as follows :-
District No. 1 .- Scott Valley, South, Salmon, South Fork, and Liberty townships.
District No. 2 .- Cottonwood, Humbug, Mountain, and Scott River townships.
District No. 3 .-- Yreka and Table Rock town- ships.
CHAPTER X.
ELECTIONS AND LIST OF OFFICERS.
The first election held in the State, in 1849, was not participated in by residents of this region. At that time the State was not organized, and election precincts were established only in those interior towns and mining camps that had sprung into recog- nized prominence during the few short months that ha I elapsed since had begun that tumultuous rush for the gold fields of California. As yet the ven- turesome foot of the prospector had not pressed the grassy carpet of these northern altitudes. Of those who were to become the founders of the county of Siskiyou, some were in the early southern mines, some were toiling wearily westward, or tossing upon the heaving bosom of the ocean, eager to reach the land of gold and sunshine, while others were still in their eastern homes, with scarce a thought of that far-off land so soon to beckon them away.
By Act of March 22, 1852, the county of Siskiyou was created and an election called for May 3, 1852, to select the first officers. Wilson T. Smith. H. G. Ferris, D. H. Lowry, Charles M. Tutt and Theodore F. Rowe were appointed commissioners under the Act, to supervise the election and organize the county. The following is a transcript of the proceedings of this board :-
YREKA CITY, April 19, 1852.
Agreeable to an Act to establish the county of Siskiyou and establish the Seat of Justice therein, [approved March 22d, A. D. 1852], Wilson T. Smith, Charles M. Tutt, D. H. Lowry, H. G. Ferris and Theo. F. Rowe, named in said Act as Commissioners to designate the Election l'recincts in the county of Siskiyou for the said election, met at the house of D. H. Lowry, and Charles M. Tutt, Esq., was chosen President and Theo. F. Rowe was cho- sen Secretary.
On me tion of W. T. Smith, adjourned to meet here at 2 P. M. 2 P. M .- Met according to adjournment. Present, Messrs. Smith, Tutt, Ferris, Lowry and Rowe. Voted that precincts be established and elections holden at the following places, viz. :
Scott's Bar-at Theo. F. Rowe & Co.'s store. John G. Berry, Inspector.
South Fork Scott's River-at Murch & Co.'s store. Leonard Murch, Inspector.
Scott's Valley-at Lone Star Ranch. James Johnson, Inspec- tor.
Klamath River-Hamburg-at Sloan's store. R. Barnes, In- spector.
Hardy's Bar -- Hardy's house. Hardy, Inspector.
Yreka City-at the Verandah. Joseph Barker, Inspector.
Humbug City-at Tutt's store. Ezra Hall, Inspector. Upper Humbug-at Dr. Barr's house.
Beaver Creek-
Lower Humbug-at Brown's store. James M. Ela, Inspector. Cottonwood Creek-
Brando's Bar-at Binienm & Hatherway's. Gilkey, Inspector. And on motion of Mr. Ferris adjourned to 8 A. M., April 20th.
Tuesday April 20th, met according to adjournment. Present Messrs. Smith, Tutt, Ferris, Lowry and Rowe. Making out election papers for the several precincts. 5 P. M., adjourned to meet at S A. M., April 21.
Wednesday, April 21st. Met according to adjournment, to finish papers. Having accomplished the papers, adjourned to meet at the Verandah on the second Monday of May, at 12 M. A true copy.
Attest, THEO. F. ROWE, Secretary B. Commissioners.
MONDAY, MAY 10, 1852.
The Board of Commissioners appointed to superintend the organization of Siskiyou eounty met pursuant to adjournment, at the Verandah in Yreka City. Present Tutt, Lowry, Ferris and Smith. On motion of Mr. Lowry, H. G. Ferris was appointed Secretary pro tempore, the regular Secretary of the Board being absent. On motion the Board adjourned to 2 o'clock P. M.
Met pursuant to adjonrmment. Present, Tutt, D. H. Lowry, WV. T. Smith, and Ferris, Commissioners. After session of sev- eral hours, during which time the. Board was engaged in counting votes which were cast at the recent election, and examining the election law with reference to election returns, etc., the Board
72
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
on motion of W. T. Smith, adjourned until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock A. M.
H. G. FERRIS, Sec't pro tempore.
TUESDAY, May 11th, 1852.
Met according to adjournment. Present, Messrs. Tutt, Lowry, Smith, Ferris and Rowe. On motion of Mr. Ferris, voted that we enter upon the tabular statement, and count the votes (of) precincts which did not send a copy of the tally papers from the certificates of the Board of Election; and enter an order upon our record requiring the several Boards of Election from precincts where the returns were in some degree defective, requiring the several Boards of Election to perfect their returns by forwarding the certified (returns) which are wanting to complete the returns. On motion of Theo. F. Rowe, voted that H. D. Van Wyck be sent to Cottonwood creek, and request the Board to correct their returns. Voted to adjourn till to-morrow at 8 A. M.
THEO. F. ROWE, Sec. B. C.
MAY 12th, 1852.
Met according to adjournment. Present, Messrs. Tutt, Ferris, Lowry and Rowe. After receiving the corrected returns from Cottonwood creek, whereby the tabular returns of the county were made complete, the President, Charles M. Tutt, Esq.,
declared :- William A. Robertson, Esq., elected as County Judge; Hiram G. Ferris, Esq., as County Clerk; J. D. Cook, Esq., elected as District Attorney ; Charles MeDermitt, Esq., elected as Sheriff; James T. Lowry, Esq., elected as County Surveyor; WV. D. Aylett, Esq., elected as County Treasurer; Richard Dugan, Esq., elected as Assessor; Roger B. Ironside, M. D., Esquire, elected as Coroner.
The President then swore into office the several officers before designated.
5 P. M .- Having completed to the best of our abilities the bus- iness intrusted to our care, on motion, voted that we now adjourn.
CHAS. M. TUTT, THEO. F. ROWE.
President Board Commissioners. Attest. THEO. F. ROWE, Sec'y, B. C.
The tabular statement prepared by the board is given below, showing the vote cast for each candi- date at each precinct, and will be interesting to examine. It indicates where and to what extent the county was populated at the time it was organ- ized into a separate political body.
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