USA > California > Solano County > History of Solano County...and histories of its cities, towns...etc. > Part 32
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
The Rev. Daniel King, being much of the time of his long pastorate of this church enfeebled by sickness, and more latterly by age, the church, by his request, employed the following ministers as assistants to the pastor: In January, 1860, Rev. Orin Critenden was employed, who served with great zeal and efficiency until April, 1863. Then the Rev. J. E. Barnes was em- ployed for one-half of his time, until May, 1868, and then they employed all his time, until January 8th, 1871. From then until June 1st, 1872, Rev. D. King labored alone as pulpit supply, and then Rev. John T. Prior, of Georgia, was called as an assistant to the pastor, and continued for one year. In November, 1872, Rev. J. L. Blitch began to preach to the church as an assistant to the pastor, and continued as such until the death of Rev. D. King, which, as above stated, was October 3d, 1877. Then he was chosen pastor of the church, and continued to serve as such until July, 1878. The church then, through their committee on pulpit supply, engaged the services of Rev. O. C. Wheeler, Rev. C. A. Bateman, Rev. C. C. Bateman, Rev. C. A. Buckbee, Rev. John Frances, Rev. C. W. Hughes and Rev. James E. Barnes. The last named began to supply the pulpit on September 7th, 1878, and has continued to do so, and is still doing so at the present writing.
Including the constituent members, this church has had connected with it 249 members, and now has a membership of 106. They have a church property worth about $12,000.
NEWSPAPERS-Dixon Tribune :- The "Tribune" made its appearance at Dixon on the 14th day of November, 1874. R. D. Hopkins editor, and R. D. Hopkins & Co. publishers. About one year after it was started Hopkins became sole proprietor, and continued its publication until April 1, 1877, when it went under the present management of Alfred B. Nye. The "Tribune" was started as a neutral paper in politics. In 1875 it was Demo- cratic. Under the management of Mr. Nye the paper is independent and non-partisan. Size, 24x36 inches. It is a weekly, and has a circulation of about 600 copies.
288
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
SUISUN.
Suisun Township is bounded on the north by those of Elmira, Vacaville and Napa county ; on the west by the townships of Green Valley and Benicia ; on the south by Suisun bay, and on the east by Montezuma, Den- verton, and Maine Prairie townships. It is the largest in the county, and was originally one of the two first divisions into which Solano was parti- tioned. Included in it are the following islands, which form a portion of the delta of the Sacramento river, which debouches into the bay above named : Joice, Grisley, Hammond, Wheeler, Gray, Rich, Long Point, Rowe, Chips, and two smaller ones not named. The present limits of the town- ship were settled on June 27, 1866, and took its name from the Suisun Indians, who were the lords of the soil when the settlement of the district was commenced. Suisun has an area of 110,000 acres, 10,000 of which are water, its general characteristics being a large level plain of some six miles square in extent, which opens out on the east into the vast valley of the Sacramento. The Potrero hills occupy about twelve sections of this ex- panse, and are surrounded on either side by swamp and overflowed lands, except a narrow neck of low valley on the north side. The higher ridges are two hundred feet in height, and recede in elevation as they approach the border of level land adjoining the tule swamps. It is also well watered, the principal stream within its limits being the Suisun creek, which has its rise in the adjoining county of Napa, thence flowing in a south-easterly direction, empties into the Salt marsh, nearly a mile and a half east of Bridgeport. Its springs, marble and other quarries are also famous; it will, however, be unnecessary here to dwell upon them, as an exhaustive description thereof will be found on page 91 and the following. of this work.
Early Settlement .- As has been previously remarked, the Suisun Indians were the original occupiers of this fertile domain, while Rockville, a small town at the foot of the valley would appear to have been their head- quarters ; at any rate, in 1850, they moved their lares et penates from there to Napa county. It has been shown in our chapter on Mexican grants that in January, 1837, Francisco Solano, the chief of this tribe, applied for a grant of the land which he claimed belonged to him by right of primo- geniture, which was finally made to him in January, 1842. The applica- tion of Solano was, in 1839, followed by one from Jose Francisco Armijo, a Mexican by birth, requesting that the lands known as Tolenas should be
a M& Pike
NEW Youa
Ast .em
,
289
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
ceded to him, which was done in March, 1840. It was subsequently decreed by the Supreme Court of California that owing to the non-approval of the Departmental Assembly of the cessions, the grants were informal: there- fore, in 1849, the title to the land held by Solano was acquired by General Vallejo by purchase, while that of Armijo, upon the death of the elder, by his son Antonio, in the same manner. In 1846, we hear of one Jesus Molino, an Indian, having certain ground under cultivation at or near Rockville, while in the spring of 1847 Daniel M. Berry with his family settled in the valley and pitched his tent on land now farmed by Joseph Blake. He was in the spring of 1849 followed by Landy Alford, who located on the site of the farm of Lewis Pierce, and Nathan Barbour, who had crossed the plains with him, but had gone to Sonoma and thence to Benicia, but so few were the people that in 1847, when Captain Von Pfister made his jour- ney to Sacramento, then Sutter's Fort, there were only three houses within what was then Suisun township, namely, the adobes of Molino at Rockville, Berry's residence and the Armijo rancho. In December, 1850, there also came to the valley J. H. Bauman, a German, who camped on arrival at or near the farm now owned by Mr. Bucher, afterwards moving to various places as a sheep herder until 1853, when he settled in the Montezuma hills. He is now a resident of this valley. In this year Robert Waterman, an old sea-captain, of thirty years' standing, also arrived from New York City. He now oc- cupies a beautiful farm a few miles to the northwest of Fairfield. In 1851, E. F. Gillespie (deceased), a native of Watertown, N. Y., came to the upper end of the valley. There also permanently located in this year on what was called the Island, now the site of Suisun City, Captain Josiah Wing, who had during the previous summer commenced running boats up the creek to the embarcadero. In October, 1851. there also arrived James G. Edwards who settled on the farm of John McMullen. Colonel D. D. Reeves came to the township on November 14, 1852, and built a blacksmith shop on the farm occupied by Mr. Ledgewood, where he worked at his trade until 1857, when he moved into Suisun city, and in conjunction with his brother Co P. Reeves, erected some of the largest and most substantial brick buildings in the town. In this year there arrived also J. B. Lemon, the present County Treasurer, and Allen C. Miller, and last, though by no means least among the early settlers who had helped to subdue this valley to fertile grain fields, establish manufactories and well conducted business enterprises, are the names of John M. Jones, Under Sheriff, who settled in 1853, Asa Crocker, in 1854, John W. Pearce, in 1856, D. E. and D. M. Stockman, the former in 1856 and the latter arriving in 1858, when there also located J. Frank and Moses Dinkelspiel. In 1857 there came William J. Costigan. In 1860 R. D. Robbins arrived; P. J. Christler in 1862, while among the first settlers were J. B. Hoyt and E. P. Hilborn ; we have been, however, unable to glean the precise date of their arrival.
19
290
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
SUISUN CITY .- This city stands on an island in the midst of the tule lands which form a marshy desert lying between the Potrero hills and Benicia. As far back as the year 1850, Curtis Wilson and Dr. John Baker sailed up the Suisun creek in an open boat, and landed on the present site of the city. To them is due the honor of its discovery. They did not, however, remain long enough to give them the rights of residents of the place, but it is supposed left in search of places bearing a more captivating impress. Mention has been made of Captain Josiah Wing having been engaged in the running of schooners, or other craft, to this island in the summer of 1850 and of his settlement on it in 1851. In this year he built the first building erected on the present site of the city, it being a warehouse, on the place now occupied by the livery-stables of George W. Hall, on the east side of the Plaza, situated opposite the Post-office. In the summer of this year the first store was opened by John W. Owens and A. W. Hall, while in the following years others came and commenced building up the city of Suisun. In the year 1868 a petition signed by the residents of the now flourishing country town was handed to the Board of Supervisors of the county, requesting that steps might be taken whereby Suisun should re- ceive the rights and privileges of a city, which prayer was granted on October 9th of that year, when she developed into an incorporated city.
Suisun, as it is to-day, is a flourishing little town of about 1,800 inhab- itants. Its streets are, as a rule, well filled with people, while its stores of which there are some very handsome ones, appear to have a fair share of business. It is connected with Fairfield, the county seat, by a plank walk of nearly a mile in length, there being situated half way between the rival towns the California Pacific Railroad depot, under the charge of J. C. Maxwell.
FAIRFIELD .- This little town is the county seat of Solano, it having at- tained to that proud distinction by a vote of the people canvassed on Septem- ber 2, 1858, when it was declared to be the choice of the voters by a major- ity of 404 over Benicia. This selection of Fairfield was made, in the first place, on account of its central position, and secondly on account of the gift to the county by Captain R. H. Waterman of certain lands, should the county seat be legally located there. The town site was surveyed by Capt. Waterman and A. E. Ritchie, and the plat filed for record on May 16, 1859, and the new County Capital named in honor of the birthplace of the Captain in Connecticut. The first residence erected on it was that of J. B. Lemon, the premises being those now occupied by him. Fairfield is a pretty little town of considerable promise, and possessing, as it does, the county buildings, there is considerable bustle to be observed during the sessions of the different Courts. Its houses, for the most part, are enclosed by neat fences and well kept gardens, vineyards and orchards, while the streets are wide, though not much worn by traffic.
,
291
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
Court House and Jail .- On September 13, 1858, the Board of Supervisors met and canvassed the votes of the general election for that year, and, among other things, it was declared that Fairfield had been selected as the county seat, and also a new Board of Supervisors were elected, viz: J. G. Gardner, D. B. Holman, and E. F. Gillespie. The new Board met and organized on the 2nd day of November following.
The county records having been moved from Benicia, and a temporary Court House built and certain buildings rented from Waterman and Wil- liamson, for the temporary use of the county officers, on November 18, 1858, the following order was entered in the minutes of the Board : "Or- dered by the Board of Supervisors that specifications of a plan for the Court House and jail, for Solano county, be advertised for in the Solano County Herald for the term of two weeks, and that the amount of fifty dollars be allowed to the architect whose plans shall be received and approved by the Board. Said specifications to be handed in on or before the 5th day of December, A. D. 1858. Said jail to be 35 feet square ; the Court House to be 40x50 feet, to contain rooms for the county officers and jury rooms."
On January 21, 1859, the Board of Supervisors passed an order requesting " our Senator and Assemblyman " to pass an act authorizing the Board of Supervisors to levy a special tax, for the term of two years, of fifty cents upon each one hundred dollars, upon the assessed value of property of said county, for county purposes ; for the purpose of building Court House and jail for said county. On the following day the plans and specifications, submitted by James H. White for a Court House and jail for Solano county, were accepted and approved.
On February 9, 1859, the vote adopting the plans and specifications submitted by James H. White was reconsidered, and the plans and specifi- cations submitted by George Bordwell were accepted and adopted February 10, 1859. Ordered that sealed proposals be received for building the Court House and jail, according to the plans and specifications of George Bordwell, adopted by the Board, up to the 14th day of March, 1859, and that the same be advertised by the Clerk in the Solano County Herald for thirty days ; and it is further ordered that George Bordwell be appointed architeet to superintend the erection of said buildings. March 14, 1859, they met to open the proposals received, and award the contract for building the pro- posed Court House and jail. Bids were received as follows: From William B. Carr, $28,400; A. Barrows, $38,500; George W. Cord, $28,200; E. M. Benjamin and N. Smith, $27,200 ; C. Murphy, T. Collins, and J. J. Doyle, $31,200 ; Samuel T. Carlisle, $37,745; J. J. Denny, $31,000 ; John B. Sanford, $27,350; William McCarty, $29,500; Charles B. Tool, $34,300; Larkin Richardson, $24,440. The bid of Larkin Richardson being the lowest, the contract was duly awarded to him, upon his filing a bond in the sum of
292
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
$48,880, being twice the amount of his bid, the conditions being that the buildings were to be completed according to the plans and specifications- the jail by September 1, 1859, and the Court House by September 1, 1860. Subsequently an order was made that the Court House should be built on Union Square so as to front on Union street, and to run 40 feet back to the centre of the square east and west, and that the jail be located on a line with the Court House, eastward, half way of the block; and it was further ordered that the County Surveyor run the necessary lines.
And it was also ordered that the architect superintending should be allowed seven per cent upon the contract price ($24,440) for his services. The percentage was afterwads changed to eight per cent.
It appears that an Act was passed by the Legislature in accordance with the request of the Board of Supervisors, for on April 11, 1859, the Board ordered that a tax of fifty cents, upon each hundred dollars of the taxable property of the county, be levied and assessed for the building of the Court House and jail, in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of the Legislature.
On September 1, 1859, the following appears on the minutes of the Board: " Whereas, the contract for building a county jail and Court House was awarded to Larkin Richardson, and the time for the delivery of the same, completed, has arrived ; be it, therefore, resolved, that the said Richardson be and he is hereby required to deliver to the county the said jail, finished according to his contract, and upon his failing to do so, to be held respon- sible for all damages; and that he be furnished with a copy of this resolution."
November 10, 1859, the following order is entered upon the minutes : "Ordered that the public building known as the jail in Fairfield be now received from the contractor, Larkin Richardson; the Board reserving the right to claim damages, and Richardson reserving the right to subsequently present his bill for extra work."
And it was, thereupon, ordered that the prisoners (which had heretofore been confined in the jail of Contra Costa county) be removed to the Fair- field jail.
On March 12, 1860, the contract was let to A. P. Jackson to fit up the court room and offices in the new Court House for the sum of $1,994. Jackson's contract was subsequently cancelled, and on April 21, 1860, a new contract, for fitting up the rooms, was entered into with J. W. Batcheller, at the sum of $1,963.
On April 21, 1860, the following order was entered: "Ordered by the Board of Supervisors of Solano county, that the public buildings of said county, known as the Court House and jail, in Fairfield, be and the same are hereby received from the contractor, Larkin Richardson. The said Richardson hereby giving up and releasing all claims and demands against the said Board of Supervisors on occount of said buildings; the said Board
293
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
having made the said Richardson an allowance in full amount due on the original contract, and for all extra work done on said buildings."
On the completion of Batcheller's contract, shortly after, an order was made for the county officers and courts to remove from the temporary buildings used into the new Court House, which was at once complied with, and these buildings are in use at the present date.
The old frame Court House, used temporarily, was, a few years after the completion of the new building, removed to the present Court House block and placed on the west side of the Court House, about the same distance from it as the jail is upon the east.
The Hall of Records .- At the session of the Legislature of 1877-8, an Act was passed authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Solano county to issue $15,000 of bonds, bearing seven per cent. per annum interest, to create a fund to be called " The Court-House Improvement Fund," and also to levy an annual tax for their redemption, for the purpose of erecting a fire-proof addition to the Court House for the safe preservation of the records of the County Clerk's and County Recorder's offices. In 1878, these bonds were prepared and, after advertising for proposals to purchase them, were sold to Sutro & Co., Bankers of San Francisco, for $15,356. The board then pro- ceeded to build the desired edifice, plans and specifications were prepared by George Bordwell (the former architect of the Court House) which were approved and accepted and proposals were immediately invited for the erection of said fire-proof building. A large num- ber of bids were received and, at the opening thereof by the board, the contract was awarded to Richard and John McCann, of San Francisco, for the erection of said building according to the plans and specifications, at the sum of $11,597. The building is located twenty feet from the Court House on the west side; and is sixty feet long by thirty feet in width, and two stories in height, and is fire-proof in all particulars, connecting with the Court House by an iron bridge, crossing in the second story. The contract . was let in July, 1878, and it was completed in November of that year ; the furnishing contract was let to John B. Lucksinger & Co., of San Francisco, for $2,000 ; and after all the extra work done by both contractors was paid for and certain other extra articles furnished-the whole outlay amounted to the sum of $15,400.
This building has the Recorder's office on the first floor, with an excellent fire-proof vault for the records in the rear of the front office, and the County Clerk's office in front on the second floor, with the Supervisor's room in the rear-being one of the best arranged and satisfactory buildings of the kind to be found anywhere in the agricultural counties of the State.
294
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
M. E. Church-Fairfield .- The first methodist sermon preached in Suisun Valley was at the house of D. M. Berry, in November, 1849, by Rev. Isaac Owens. Rev. S. D. Simonds was the first regularly appointedcircuit preacher and his jurisdiction embracing "all north of the bay." He was appointed February 1, 1851. Rev. M. C. Briggs had preached occasionally prior to this. The first class or society was organized by S. D. Simonds, in the Spring of 1851, the following were members: Jas. Dorland and his wife, Benjamin Davisson, Jasper S. Sheldon and Charlotte Berry. The first Sunday school was organized the last of March, 1851, at D. M. Berry's by S. D. Simonds, S. D. Simonds was succeeded in August, 1851, by Jas. Corwin ; he traversed the same territory until February, 1853. The head- quarters of this extensive circuit was at Sonoma. In February, 1853, E. A. Hazen was appointed to Suisun and Napa circuit; he remained until May, 1855; during this time a small church was built about three miles west of Suisun, which was known for years as the "Valley Church." In May, 1855, Jas. Corwin and Colin Anderson were appointed to the circuit as colleagues. In September, 1857, Jas. Hunter was appointed and the Suisun circuit established. He remained until September, 1859 ; during the year 1858, lots were secured in the then newly laid out town of Fairfield, and about the same time the present parsonage was erected. In September, 1859, Rev. J. W. Hines was appointed; he remained two years, until Sep- tember, 1861; during the first year of his pastorate the construction of the present brick church in Fairfield was commenced, but remained unfinished until the next year ; it was then completed and dedicated in the Summer of 1861. Its total cost was about $8,000. In September, 1861, Jas. Corwin was appointed pastor. In September, 1862, H. J. Bland was appointed. In September, 1863, W. S. Urmy. He remained until September, 1865 ; during this time the debt on the brick church was paid and it has since remained free of debt; during this period the Valley Church was sold and, after re- moval, was converted into the present school house in Gomer District. The subsequent pastors have been as follows: September, 1865, W. S. Corwin ; September, 1866, John Daniel; September, 1867, W. S. Turner; August, 1869, R. W. Williamson; September, 1870, O. S. Frambies ; August, 1871, A. R. Sheriff; September, 1872, J. M. Hinman; September, 1874, E. E. Dodge ; September, 1875, G. D. Pinneo; September, 1877, M. D. Buck ; September, 1878, R. E. Wenk, present incumbent. During these years the church has had fluctuating prosperity. The present membership is thirty. A Sunday school has been maintained throughout the whole history of the church ; the present number is sixty ; Superintendent, R. E. Wenk.
Grace Church, Suisun-Episcopal :- What is now known as Grace Church was the first place of worship erected in Suisun, being built A. D. 1857, under the auspices of the "Old School Presbyterians." Captain
295
THE HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
Richie of Fairfield offered a lot in that town ; but the people of Suisun offered to give the land and put up the building. Their proposition was accepted, . and Mr. Joseph Merrill received the contract for building the Church. Mr. Reubin Pringle gave the lot. The Rev. Mr. Wood was the first minister in charge. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Fairburn, who only remained a short time, as the zeal of the people had weakened, and he was not sup- ported. The church remained without a pastor for some time, and in the year 1861 it was sold to the Methodists. The first minister of this denomi- nation was the Rev. Mr. Baily. He was succeeded by the following named ministers : Rev. W. B. Gober ; Rev. O. P. Fitzgerald ; Rev. Samuel Brown ; Rev. O. Fisher; Rev. A. P. Anderson ; Rev. T. E. Barton ; Rev. Samuel Brown ; Rev. T. H. B. Anderson ; Rev. Samuel Brown; Rev. W. F. Comp- ton. The first Episcopal service was held April 28th, 1867, by the Rev. Henry G. Perry, at that time rector of St. Paul's Church, Benicia. These services were continued by the same clergyman, at intervals, until August 25th, of the same year, when he resigned the mission to the Bishop of Cali- fornia. The parish was organized July 28th, and the Bishop made his first visitation in company with the Rev. Mr. Perry, August 25, 1867. From this time until 1872 the following clergymen held service at this place : Rev. Messrs. Smith, Gray, Breck, Cowan, Powell, Brotherton and Kelly. In the winter of 1872 the church was purchased by the Episcopalians, and the Rev. Geo. R. Davis was called from Nebraska, and assumed the rectorship of the parish, March 10. Before the year closed he accepted a call to Ma- rysville, and the parish was again vacant. On the sixth Sunday after Trinity, 1873, the Rev. T. E. Dickey took charge of the parish, and on the 28th of September, 1874, he resigned his rectorship, and accepted a call to Silver City, Idaho. The Rev. Giles Easton held services in this church from August, 1875, to May, 1878. The present rector, Rev. E. C. Cowan, as- sumed his duties on the 1st of August, 1878.
St. Alphonsis, Catholic :- Was established about the year 1860, Father Dyeart officiating. He was followed by Fathers Ougar and McNaboe, the latter being still in charge. The construction of the present church edifice was begun in 1868, and a debt of $6,000 incurred by its building, which has been entirely liquidated under the able management of Father McNaboe. This year (1879) they are building an addition. The membership of this church is about three hundred.
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.