USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 23
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The county judges were first, W. A. Robertson, then R. L. Westbrook, A. M. Rosborough, Win. Mc- Conaughy and Edwin Shearer.
The district judges that presided in this county were, first in order, Judge J. Montgomery Peters, a native of Virginia, a man of fine attainments and finished training, but from lack of energy he was a failure as a ju lge. He returned East, and finally died in Baltimore.
Elija Fruto
VAR VLECK
MRS. ELIJAH STEELE.
ELIJAH STEELE.
This gentleman is the son of Orlo Steele, and was born near Albany, New York, November 13, 1817. When he was three years of age the family moved to Oswego, in the same State, where Elijah was educated. He read law in the office of Grant & Allen, the latter gentleman being Judge of the Court of Appeals. At the July term, 1840, he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of New York, and then went to Wisconsin, landing in Kenosha (then Southport) on the fifth of October. That fall he was admitted to the Circuit Court of Wisconsin and Illinois, and in 1841 to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. He practiced law there until April, 1850, during which time he was a member of the first constitutional convention of Wisconsin. In 1849 he was elected to the State Senate, but before his term expired he left for California for his health, intending to stay one year. He landed in Sacramento from across the plains October 5, 1850, just ten years after his entry into Wisconsin. He went at once to Shasta and commenced mining at Middletown. He soon went below again for medical aid. He fell in with some of the Scott river prospectors, and went to Shasta to winter. In January, he started with others for Scott river. The trip was tedious and the estimated distance from Shasta to Shasta Butte was one hundred and ninety miles. He worked for a few days at Scott Bar, and then came to Yreka when news was received of the discovery here, and took up a claim north of Rich gulch. It was a poor one, and he met with Robert Atherton, Stephen Watson and others to the number of twelve, and took up a claim on Greenhorn. With James Mc- Cummins and Barny Simmons, he went prospecting about Shasta Butte and lay camped back of Sheep Rock two nights in a terrific snow-storm, which date he places at the twenty-first and twenty-second of March, 1851. In the fall of 1851 Steele joined with Sloan, Briggs and Tiernan, and started an express from Scott Bar via Yreka to Sacramento. They took up a land claim two miles this side of
Fort Jones, and established a trading-post with Tier- nan in charge, and another at Scott Bar with Sloan in charge. Steele road the express. On one of his trips he was taken sick in Sacramento, and it was reported that he was dead. Early in the winter his partners closed up the business and departed. Steele met Briggs at Trinity Center with part of the mules. He took from them his own mules and took pos- session of the ranch near Fort Jones. He was joined by Lucius Fairchild, from Wisconsin. He practiced a little in his profession, and for defending a man charged with murder he received four head of beef cattle, worth $500. With these Steele & Fairchild started a butchering business. Fairchild took charge of the market at Scott Bar and Steele stayed at the ranch. They continued together till 1855, when Fairchild returned home, became Secretary of State, Governor of Wisconsin three terms, General in the army, Consul to Liverpool, and Minister to Spain. Steele formed a law partnership with A. M. Rosborough and J. Berry. In 1856 he sold the ranch and invested in mortgages on Scott River ditch and lost it all. He then went to Yreka to practice his profession. He associated himself with John D. Cosby from 1857 to 1859, and afterwards partner of F. E. Ensign, and then practiced alone. In 1867 he was elected to the Assembly. In 1879 be was chosen Superior Judge of Siskiyou county. He has always taken an interest in the promotion of agri- culture, and has imported considerable blooded horses, cattle and fowls, and in 1866 was one of the founders and for several years President of the Sis- kiyou County Argicultural Society. In 1843 Mr. Steele married Miss Lucia A. Hart, of Oswego, New York, by whom he had four children, two of whom lived to manhood. Edwin, the eldest, died in 1878, at Lakeview, Oregon. William is now mining at Silver Reef, Utah. Their mother died in 1853, at Oswego. In 1857 he married Louisa P. Hamblin, at Yreka, who died in January, 1866. He afterwards married Louisa E. Lanze, at Yreka, by whom he has three boys, Hubert Elijah, Alden John, and Orlo.
4ª
L
RESIDENCE OF JUDGE ELIJAH STEELE. SOUTH SUBURBS OF YREKA, SISKIYOU CO. CAL.
93
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Next, William P. Daingerfield, a native of Vir- ginia. His residence was Shasta. He afterwards removed to San Francisco, where he was elected dis- trict judge, and finally one of the supreme judges, and died on the bench in 1880. He was a man gen- erally respected, and the records of the courts, entered by his associates upon hearing of his death, speak his standing and worth.
The third was E. Garter, of Shasta, a native of New York, a man of much greater legal attain- ments than his predecessors. His history is written in the minutes of his court. He died at Shasta in 1880. His son, Charles Garter, is now practicing his profession in Red Bluff.
He was succeeded by A. M. Rosborough, who hell the office until relieved by the constitution in estab- lishing the Superior Court of the county, to take the place of county and district courts.
In this history of district judges we have omitted the name of Judge Smith, of Oroville, who was elected district judge by the suffrages of the voters of this county, this being then claimed as a part of that district. After his election he refused to acknowledge it as pertaining to his district, for the reason that in the Act organizing Siskiyou county from a portion of Shasta county, which was in his district, the county was not assigned especially to any district. He died soon after entering upon the duties of his office.
Elijah Steele was elected superior judge in 1879. and is now holding that office.
The attorneys practicing in his court are W. I. Nichols, Calvin Elgerton, Hudson B. Gillis, E. Shearer, and Thomas A. Bantz, of Yreka; I. S. Rey- nolds, of Fort Jones; and J. S. Beard, of Etna.
CHAPTER XIII. SCHOOLS.
THE constitution of 1849 made provisions for a public school system, and set apart the five hundred thousand acres of land granted by Congress to new States, to be appropriated for the support of these schools. Near the close of the first session of the Legislature, 1849-50, the committee on education reported that it was not alvisable to pass a bill tax- ing the people for the support of the public schools. and no action was therefore taken in the matter. On the last day of the session of 1850-51, a bill was passed concerning the common schools. The first "school law" was exceedingly imperfect, and none of the lands set apart for the school sup- port were sold under its provisions. John G. Mar- vin, the first State superintendent of public instruc- tion, in his first annual report to the third Legisla- ture, January 5, 1852, among other suggestions, recommended the creation of the office of county superintendent. He also reported the estimated number of children in the county and the number of schools then being taught. As there was then no organized school system, the schools were nearly all private or maintained by subscription. The esti- mated number of children between the ages of four and eighteen years was six thousand. During this
session a better educational bill was passed providing for a school tax of five cents on each one hundred dollars, for three school commissioners in each dis- trict, and granting counties and incorporated towns the right to levy a school tax not to exceed three cents on each one hundred dollars. The Legislature of 1853 amended the law in several respects, among other things making the county assessor ex officio county superintendent. During the session of 1855 another bill was passed, the most important pro- visions of which were the election of county super- intendents, limit of taxation, and the election of city boards of education and city superintendents. The Legislature of 1860 provided for a county board of examination, to be appointed by the county super- intendent. A provision in regard to a State series of text books was also adopted, but was repealed in 1861.
The senate committee on education, in 1863, referred the labor of revising and codifying the school laws to State Superintendent John Swett. He performed the work in a very satisfactory man- ner, and much of the completeness of the school law is due to his advanced ideas and knowledge, as embodied in his report. The Legislature of 1865-66 passed a complete school law that suffered but few alterations until the adoption of the new constitu- tion. Provisions were made for a State series of text-books, the establishment of graded schools, State and county taxation, and the formation of boards of examination. Mr. Swett, in his second biennial report, 1866-67, gives thirty-two points as a sum- mary of the improvements effected by the revisions of 1863 and 1865. By the new constitution the management of schools is given into the hands of the board of supervisors.
At every session of the Legislature the matter of the disposal of the school lands was brought up, and changes were made in the law, principally affecting the manner of payment. The result of tinkering with the matter was that the five hundred thousand acres realized only about six hundred thousand dol- lars, not one-half of their real value.
The gentlemen who framed the first constitution, some of them residents of California but a few days, and most of them but few months, were wise in providing for a school system when there appeared to be no children to profit thereby. Among the thousands of men that flocked to the coast in 1849 and 1850 there were few accompanied by their families. Their only desire was to procure, as speedily as possible, a generous quantity of the golden fruit the earth was yielding so bountifully, and then return to their homes. Such being their intention, it was folly to encumber themselves with their families and make their loved ones endure the hardships and privations of a long sea-voyage or a journey across the plains, and subject them to the annoyances incident to pioncer life in a mining camp. Such was the spirit that actuated men of family, but it must be remembered that the great majority of the " Argonauts" were young, unmar- ried men, who had no families to bring. Especially was there a scarcity of women and children in Sis- kiyou county, for even the few men who had brought their families into California did not care to take them to a region of high mountains and hostile In-
94
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
dians to follow the uncertainties of a mining excite- ment. When the county was organized in 1852 there were scarcely a dozen women within its limits, and few, if any, children. The emigrants who came in 1852 were, in many instances, accompanied by their families, so that in the fall the county assessor reported ninety children between the ages of five and eighteen years. The next year he reported only seventy. So few were the children and so scattered throughout the county, that only in Yreka was any thought given to schools. Even there the proportion of men without families was so great that but little
attention was paid to educational matters. The parents of the few children were very naturally desirous that they should receive instruction, and besides the parents were a number of liberal spirited gentlemen who were willing to contribute to the support of a school. There were many school teach- ers and professional men in the mines, or engaged in business, who were thoroughly capable of instruct- ing, but who could do so much better, financially, that they had no desire to don the pedagogic robes. Finally, in 1855, a public school was opened in Yreka by W. B. Bonnifield, supported by subscrip- tion, and attended by forty-three scholars. The school cost that year $1,050. At that time there were ninety-three children in the county, according to the assessor's report. In 1855 this school was still maintained by subscription, but the following year the new school law went into effect, and it be- came a regular public school. The same year a school was started at Hawkinsville and Cottonwood, and in 1857, on Scott river and Greenhorn, making five in all.
The following table shows the gradual develop- ment of the public schools of the county and the proportion of children attending them, as well as the cost of educating each scholar.
TABLE OF STATISTICS FROM 1854 TO 1881.
YEAR.
Districts.
No of
Schools.
No. of
Teachers.
No. of
Children
Census
ance.
Attend-
Expendi-
Cost.
Average
1854
1
1
43
$1,050 524 65
1855
1
1
157
46
1,097
23 85
1857
5
5
5
385
172
1860
13
14
14
670
325
5,483
16 87
1865
18
19
21
720
469
9,185
19 56
1870
40
40
45
1,600
1,142
17,619
15 43
1875
34
39
39
1,705
1,309
27,187
20 76
1880
41
47
45
1,887
1,464
25,539
17 51
1881
41
47
47
1,860
1,523
25.355
16 60
The first school in Yreka was a small private one in the winter of 1853-54, and the following winter another was taught by Mrs. William Morton. In 1855, a public school was maintained by subscription, W. B. Bonnifield being the teacher. In 1856, a frame school-house was built by the subscription of the citizens, where Mrs. Dr. Greer now resides. This building now forms a part of Elijah Carrick's resi- dence. When this became too small, school was held in the Metropolitan hotel, where the Episcopal church now stands. In the fall of 1869, the build- ing of a new brick school-house was decided upon and the block upon which it stands was donated to
the district by Shepard & Warren. An election was held Jannary 14, 1870, to decide whether to build on this block, on the old lot, or on a lot offered for four hundred dollars, resulting largely in favor of the present location, in the south end of town, between Fourth and Oregon streets. A lottery scheme that was to have ten thousand tickets at two dollars and one-half each, and to divide thirteen ·thousand dollars in prizes, was inaugurated, but failed and all money paid for tickets was refunded. An Act was then passed by the Legislature, author- izing the city to issue bonds to the amount of ten thousand dollars, all of which were canceled in a few years. On the fourth of July, 1871, occurred the great fire that devastated the business portion of the city, and in the general ruin was included the Metropolitan, with furniture and school appliances. The new school-house was completed that fall, and dedicated by a ball on the twenty-ninth of Septem- ber. It cost about twelve thousand dollars, and is a fine two-story, brick edifice containing school-rooms, halls, cloak-rooms, etc., and is well supplied with fur- niture, books and apparatus. It stands in the center of a splendid play-ground, surrounded by a good fence, and ornamented by young trees.
Yreka has always had good private schools in addition to the public one, the best one being the Yreka aca lemy, opened in 1863, by T. N. Stone, and continued a number of years by him, Mr. Cole and C. F. Myers. In 1869, the Catholics built the St. Joseph's academy, a convent-school, conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. Father Farley had the work in charge, and purchased the residence of F. J. King, to which considerable addition was made. It is thirty-six by fifty feet, with a wing twenty by forty-eight feet, on the corner of Butte and Fourth streets, and has a large yard running back to Second street. The total cost of grounds and building was about seven thousand five hundred dollars. The Sisters arrived the next year and opened a school for both boarding and day-scholars. The first term commenced in February, 1871, with five scholars, but others soon came and the school flourished for several years. For the last year or two the school has not been successful financially, and it will probably be discontinued this fall.
The first school on Scott river was taught by William O. L. Crandall, in the winter of 1857-58 on Johnson's Bar. In 1861 the first school at Scott Bar was taught in the old building opposite the hotel, by Richard Easton, and the next year by Miss Clara Downs. In 1863 the school was moved to French Bar, but in the next year it was moved back again and has since continued at that point. The present neat school-building was erected in 1876 at a cost of about a thousand dollars, the money being subscribed by the citizens.
The town of Fort Jones is now erecting a fine brick school-building that will cost about five thou- sand dollars. An election was held June 22, 1878, to selest a site upon which to build, the contest being between the upper and lower ends of the town. The upper end won the day, and the building is being erected on the lot north-east of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. For several years the old Odd Fellows hall has been utilized for a school- building.
tures.
95
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
The following history of Etna school district was prepared by J. S. Beard. This school district was established February 20, 1865, and then, and for many years thereafter, was known as Centre district. It was formed from parts of Donglass and Wash- ington districts. March 4, 1865, T. N. Stone, then county superintendent of schools, appointed George Smith, Joseph Young and D. H. Shaw a board of trustees for the district. On the same day the board met, organized, elected D. H. Shaw for clerk, and contracted with F. J. French to teach the school for five months at a salary of $100 per month. The first term of school was taught in the hall of the Etna hotel, then under the proprietorship of Welker & Brown. The first school census marshal's report, of which any record is shown, was made by William R. Price, and filed June 30, 1868. This report shows thirty-two boys, and twenty-three girls, and a total of fifty-five census children, forty-five of whom attended school that year. From unofficial sources the facts are gleaned that about twenty-five chil- dren attended the first school, and that the require- ments for the school were furnished by the parents of pupils.
. During the same year Miss Clara Cadwell (now Mrs. B. R. McClurg) succeeded Mr. French as teacher, and taught a two months' term, in the mill house, then owned by Swain & Vogan, and which was fitted up by the citizens for the purpose at a cost of sixty dollars. The first effort made toward building a permanent school-house was on Novem- ber 15, 1865, when the trustees purchased from the R. and R. Mill Company a granary for sixty dol- lars, which was moved on to the present school lot, and remodeled by Louis Fafa, at a total cost of $517. Of this amount, $400 was paid by donations, and the remainder by special tax and school warrants. This building was sixteen by thirty-two feet, interior dimensions. The constant increase of pupils in a very few years required a building of greater size. In 1870, the school trustees and members of the I. O. O. F. entered into an agreement to build jointly. Mr. Fafa drew the plan of building, which is twenty- five by fifty feet, interior dimensions, and two stories high, each story being twelve feet in the clear. It is a substantial frame building, weather-boarded, plastered, neatly painted, and stands immediately back of site of old school-building. Work on the building was commenced in the summer of 1870. The framing and carpenter work were done by Festus Payne, under contract for $1,650; plastering, by W. W. Thomas, at a cost of $316; painting, by H. W. Sullivan, and cost $158. The additional expenses for porch, fencing, out-buildings, swelled the total cost to $2,500, each party to the agree- ment paying one-half thereof. The school furniture was made by Fafa & Doney for $120. This indebtedness was met in the following manner: By special tax, during two years, $942; sale of old building, eighty-six dollars; proceeds of school ball, given January 2, 1871, $127; and donation of money in hands of W. K. Doney, realized from festi- val theretofore had, forty-five dollars The build- ing was so far completed as to be ready for occu- pancy January 18, 1871.
The old school-building was sold to S. E. Stone, and by him moved on to the adjoining lot, and, by
alditions made thereto, constructed into a neat dwelling-house. In 1860 Mr. S. E. Stone donated lands adjoining the school-lot, which was then too limited in size for school purposes, by which it received a frontage of 150 feet and depth of 278 feet. Three years ago the district and Odd Fellows purchased from executors of Stone's estate the lot West of school-lot, so that the latter now extends from School to Diggles street. Locust trees have been planted on all sides of the lot with a view to shade and ornamentation.
Peter Smith, Martin Marx and J. S. Beard consti- tute the present board of trustees. The last named has been connected with the school as teacher and trustee continuously for twelve years.
The first twenty volumes for the school library were received May 30, 1866. Now the library contains 227 volumes of well-selected and standard historical, poetical, biographical, and other literary and scientific works. The school is also supplied with globes, charts, and other modern works for successful teaching.
Recently the trustees contracted with the Odd Fellows for the purchase of the interest of the latter in the lot and building for $1,750, and now occupy the entire building. The principal occupies the upper, and the assistant teacher the lower room. This arrangement will give ample school accom- modation for many years.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
BERRYVALE-Includes Strawberry valley and Soda Springs. Created May 3, 1870.
BLACK BEAR-Includes Black Bear mine and vicinity. Created May 5, 1879.
BOGUS-Includes Bogus creek. Created August 7,1871.
BUTTEVILLE-Includes Edgewood and vicinity. Created February 7, 1865, from Shasta Valley dis- trict.
CALLAHAN'S-Includes Callahan's and vicinity. Set off from South Fork district June 1, 1874.
CEDAR PARK-Includes the country east of Butte- ville and south of Little Shasta. Formed out of Mount Shasta district, May 3, 1869.
COTTONWOOD-Embraces the town of Cottonwood and vieinity. Created June 21, 1856, the third in the county.
COTTAGE GROVE-Includes Cottage Grove on the Klamath.
DOUGLAS-Between Etna and South Fork. Cre- ated February 7, 1860. Lost a school-house by fire October 5, 1875; value $1,000.
EAST FORK-Includes east fork of Scott river and Plowman and Norris valleys. Set off from South Fork district February 25, 1867.
ETNA-Includes the town of Etna and vicinity. Created as Center district February 20, 1865. Changed to Etna November 4, 1873.
96
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
FRANKLIN-West of Scott river and north of South Fork and Douglas districts. First defined October 4, 1859.
FORKS-Embracing forks of the Salmon.
FOOTHILL-East of Willow creek and north of Table Rock district. Created May 4, 1880.
GREENHORN-Embraces Greenhorn and Forest House region. Created October 3, 1859. Merged into Yreka district December 30, 1868. Again set off October 7, 1878.
HAMBURG BAR -- Klamath from mouth of Scott river to Sciad valley. Created June 1, 1874.
HAWKINSVILLE-Includes the town of Hawkins- ville and vicinity. Second district created in the county, May 6, 1856.
HOOPER-Indian creek. Set off from Lincoln district June 2, 1874.
KIDDER CREEK-Embraces Kidder creek. Cre- ated October 5, 1880.
KLAMATH-Embraces Little Humbug and Bark- house creeks and Klamath river from Ash creek to Scott river. Created March 14, 1870.
LINCOLN-Includes McAdams creek. Created May 2, 1865.
LITTLE SHASTA-Embraces Little Shasta valley. Created in 1857.
MEAMBER-North of Quartz valley and west of Oro Fino. Created May 3, 1870.
MOFFITT CREEK-Moffitt creek above Fort Jones. Created May 2, 1870.
MOUNT SHASTA-Between Edgewood and Shasta Butte.
OAK GROVE-Between Bogus and the Oregon line. Created July 1, 1877.
ORO FINO-The town of Oro Fino and vicinity.
Set off from Quartz Valley district August 5, 1867.
QUARTZ VALLEY -- Includes Quartz valley and vicinity. Created February 9, 1860.
SALMON RIVER -- Embraces south and east forks of Salmon. Established November 6, 1877.
SAWYER'S Bar-Includes Sawyer's Bar and vicin- ity. Established August 2, 1875.
SCIAD VALLEY-Includes Sciad and Klamath to county line. Created November 11, 1872.
SCOTT RIVER-Embraces Scott Bar and vicinity. Established in 1857.
SCOTT VALLEY-Includes the town of Fort Jones. One of the early districts.
SHASTA VALLEY-Embraces Edson's and vicinity. One of the early districts.
SOUTH FORK-South fork of Scott river next to Callahan's. Created February 1, 1864.
TABLE ROCK-Includes Table Rock, upper end Little Shasta river and east to Modloc county. Cre- ated May 2, 1870.
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