USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 22
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the purpose well. They raised quite a crop of barley. It was harvested and threshed in the month of July. The following description of the modus operandi of threshing the grain is copied from the diary mentioned above: " A corral is constructed of poles driven in the ground in a circle. Several cart-loads of barley are then drawn in and placed within the corral. Forty or fifty horses are then turned into the corral, and driven around at a furious rate of speed. As soon as the grain is tramped out of the upper layer the straw is thrown out, and the process repeated until the bottom is reached. The grain is then removed, and carefully cleaned by hand."
During the year 1851 several new-comers put in an appearance, and the opening of the Spring of 1852 saw the greater portion of the land near the Port taken up by renters. Of these but few remain in that section now, and their names have passed into oblivion. In fact, no name but a nick-name was known for many of them. Of those mentioned above, Mr. Cheeney still resides near this Port, a genial old gentleman, with whom it is a pleasure to meet and talk of the early days. James E. Fowler is now a retired merchant, living a life of leisure upon a handsome competence gained in this township. His beautiful home is located at Valley Ford. He, too, is a most estimable and pleasant gentleman.
The first warehouse at the Port, at the head of the bay, was built by Capt. Smith, in 1848. This was a small building, and was erected rather for the purposes of a freight-house than a store-house. It was only sixteen by twenty. The next warehouse was built in October, 1851, by the Suffolk Company. It was twenty-four by eighteen, with ten feet studding. This company also constructed a boat at this time in which to ferry their potatoes over the creek mentioned above. This creek has its debouchure just north of the point where the landing was at the head of the bay. This boat was a sort of a lighter, thirty-six feet long by ten feet wide, and one foot deep. In 1852, Samuel Potter built a warehouse thirty by sixty feet in dimensions. During the same year Stephen Smith, a nephew of the captain, and Mr. Cheeney erected a warehouse forty by twenty-five. This building is still standing. The first store was built at this point in 1853 by Donald McDon- ald. It was a small affair, with its foundation extending into the bay, causing the whole building to stand over water at high tide. It was reached by a platform extending from the main land. The building is still standing, but in a most dilapidated condition. In the same year or the next, Jasper O'Farrell built a warehouse fifty by one hundred. In 1858, James Stumpf erected a warehouse which was sixty by eighty; and during the same year Tyler Curtis constructed one which was forty by one hundred and fifty. In 1852, Captain Smith erected the buildings for a hotel and bowling alley. In 1860, Tyler Curtis erected the last building ever put up there. It was a warehouse, thirty by eighty. After this the glory of Bodega port departed forever. It began to go into decay, and at the present time there is no more
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forlorn and dilapidated-looking place in the State. Nearly all the buildings are gone, one warehouse and a part of another remain of all the ware- houses which have been built there. The hotel and bowling alley still stand, but where, on a Sunday, at least, one hundred men were wont to congregate and pitch fifty dollar slugs at a peg in front of the bar-room door, scarcely a stranger's face is seen once in a fortnight. The few old buildings are all going to ruin, where was once the bustle and jostle of the great shipping business which loaded a large schooner every day, now the sight of a ves- sel is something to be wondered at. Bodega bay is a small harbor, perhaps five miles in diameter. On the north side of it there extends into the ocean a point of land containing, perhaps, one thousand acres. An old Indian legend is extant to the effect that this point or headland was at one time an island. This idea is substantiated by the fact that that portion of the point next the main land is composed of great sand dunes, while the body of it is fine arable soil. The Indians also say, that at one time there was a powerful tribe who made their headquarters on that island, numbering two thousand and six hun- dred. The old Indian graveyard is still to be seen. It is said by many that the name of Bodega came to be applied to this bay in this wise: Bodega is a Spanish word, and signifies storehouse or warehouse, and after the Russians had constructed their large warehouse on the bay the expression used to designate that locality was, "la bodega de los Russos," which was soon reduced to La Bodega, and, finally, by the Americans into Bodega.
There is certainly an air of probability about this version of the naming the place, and we are rather inclined to believe in this as the origin of the name. Of course this derivation of the term is not quite so " grandioso " as the one usually given.
On the south side of the bay, and dividing it from the ocean is a sand spit extending nearly across the mouth of the bay. This makes it a completely land-locked harbor. The point of egress is quite narrow, but there is, or was in the early times always a good stage of water there. The water used to be very deep in the entire bay, but now the greater portion of it is bare at low tide. Vessels were in the habit of coming up to the shore at high water by the side of the warehouses and taking on one-half of the load. Then they hauled out into deep water, and the remainder of the cargo was taken out to them in lighters. Keel vessels of seventy tons, and scow-built vessels of one hundred tons could then come into the bay and load with ease, and get away without any trouble. Some of these old-time lighters, with the wind- lass by which, and ways on which they were drawn out of the water for repairs, are still to be seen, but all vestiges of the pristine glory of the place are fast decaying, and soon nothing will be known of it more than what is preserved in legend or story. .
Bodega was made a port of entry in 1852. It appears that General Estey had one Michael Doherty employed as a book-keeper; Doherty was a shrewd
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enterprising kind of a man, and on several occasions had displayed his abil- ity much to the benefit of his employer, and in such a way that his employer felt that he must do something to repay him. We have been told that Gen- eral Vallejo could give the details of some of these transactions, but we have not been able to consult him on the subject. Be that as it may, Estey exer- cised his influence for the establishment of a port of entry at Bodega, and also to have Doherty appointed as Inspector of the port. This he succeeded in doing, and Doherty held the position for two years at a salary of ten dol- lars per diem, for rendering imaginary service to the United States, as no foreign vessel ever entered the harbor, or ever had an idea of it.
Among the many contentions and quarrels which naturally occurred among a population so cosmopolitan, but one led to fatal consequences, as far as we now know. A man by the name of Capt. John Campbell had a ware- house leased, which was the property of Capt. Tibbey, and which was situated near the site of the old Russian buildings, one of which was occupied by an Italian fisherman. There was a spring of water close by, and Campbell claimed to own it, and ordered the Italian not to go to it any more for water. As Campbell had no more right to the spring than the Italian, of course his orders were disobeyed. Campbell did not have the courage to murder the Italian himself, so he inveigled a boy by the name of Alex. Shaw into doing the horrid deed. He promised the boy perfect immunity from any punish- ment whatever. It is said that when the full truth of the matter was made known that Campbell did not dare to come to the port for a long time, lest he should be pounced upon by an indignant populace, and made to meet his just doom for concocting the dastardly plan.
From time to time there has been more or less excitement in the vicinity of Bodega port in regard to gold. Men have been known to wash out one dollar per day, although they would not average that. Considerable prospecting has also been done along the quartz ledges above, and traces of gold have been found. It is more than likely that gold will never be found in this section. That found was what is known as "miners' shot," each grain being about the size of a pin-head, and round. In prospecting the black sand is found in abundance, but the gold is wanting.
BODEGA CORNERS .- We will now pass from the Port of Bodega to the town of the same name. This is situated near the site of the Smith Ranch house, and of course he was the first settler in that section. We will now give a full sketch of this grand old pioneer, setting forth such facts as we have been able to collect from all available reliable sources. We have already given a graphic description of the inauguration of his saw-mill, and his esta- blishment at this point. On the 14th day of September, 1844, one year after his arrival here, he applied for a grant to the Bodega Rancho. This grant was confirmed by the Deparmental Assembly in April, 1846. The grant em-
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braced eight leagues of land and contained 35,487 acres. This was granted to him with the provision that he would maintain upon it a steam saw-mill. The Mexican government was very willing to comply with his request for a grant of land, for they recognized in him a man of energy and enterprise, and one who would advance all the material interests of the country, and they wished to encourage him, and also to entice him to remain where he was; hence the stipulation that the steam saw-mill should be maintained. From this time till 1851 everything on the ranch seems to have pursued the even tenor of its way, with the exception of the year 1846-the year of the memorable Bear Flag war. Captain Smith had just received a grant from the Mexican government, and had all his property and social interests most closely allied with that people, hence it is probable that he did not care to take any active part in the uprising of the Bear Flag party. It is fair to presume, however, that his heart was with the brave men who were taking such a gallant stand for the freedom of the country. It does not appear from any available records that there was any communication between him and the Bear Flag men, but when it was announced that war had been declared between the United States and Mexico, and when the stars and stripes had taken the place of the bear ensign, and a messenger was sent to his rancho with an American flag and the, to him, welcome news of the declaration of war, he gladly and earnestly espoused the cause of his native government, and aided and abetted the American soldiers on all the occasions which pre- sented themselves. Upon receiving the flag sent to him from Sonoma. he at once proceeded to the woods and 'selecting a beautiful strait tree about fifty feet high, he cut it and brought it to the top of an eminence near his house. He then fashioned a rude figure of a bear with a star attached to the extremity of its tail. This novel emblem was placed at the top of the flag- staff, and reared aloft. The stars and stripes were then run to the top of the staff and unfurled to the breeze for the first time in that section, amid the rousing huzzas of men and the boom of cannon, for be it known that the captain had quite an arsenal of his own there, consisting of either four or six field pieces, all mounted, and a large number of old-fashioned Spanish muskets. When the flag had reached the top of the staff there was a curious com- mingling of the three emblems of liberty, at that time so justly famous, and popular, viz .: the stars and stripes, the bear, and the lone star. Later, during the progress of the war, it is said that he sent a " caballada" of sixty horses to General Fremont, and that his own cannon saw some service in his country's cause. The honor is at least due to him of raising the first Amer- ican flag in that section. The excavation for the flag-staff was made in the solid rock, and to-day it stands, bearing proudly aloft its double ensign of the bear and the lone star. It is getting well worm-eaten, and is tottering under its weight of years, and will soon be numbered with the things that were. It leans well to the northward, but cannot fall till broken off, as it is held firmly in the excavation in the solid rock.
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We now pass on to the year 1851. On the 20th of February of that year Stephen L. Fowler arrived at Capt. Smith's, and we will quote from his diary. From that we get a great many glimpses at the private and public life of the captain. Mr. Fowler says : "We walk from Bodega port to Capt. Smith's, a distance of about five miles. He has a very pretty valley to live in. The most of the buildings were erected by the Russians. The old captain is very hospitable. He has been here about eight years. He has quite a great deal of poultry, a number of hogs, and a great many cattle." He next gives us a glimpse at the domestic economy of the Smith household : " They have coffee about sunrise, at ten o'clock, breakfast, and dinner at dark. This is a Spanish custom." He next pays a visit to the mill : " We walked to the Bodega Steam Saw-mill, where we were kindly treated. We took dinner, and they showed us through the mill. They put the saw in motion, and explained what we did not understand. . There are a number of build- ings near the mill. The place is called 'Mount Pleasant.' I think it very appropriately named, as it is a very pleasant place."
The above name of Mount Pleasant is probably the writer's translation of the name "Buena Vista," which was applied to a high hill in the neighborhood of the Smith Ranch, and being a stranger he probably supposed it to apply to the entire immediate section. He remarks, further on : "Near Captain Smith's there is a brook where salmon are caught during their season. We saw here a Russian dog, said to be forty years old. The captain's nephew (Stephen Smith) has charge of the ranch. The captain is about to start a tannery." On the 23d of June, 1851, the contract for the woodwork on the adobe house, which now stands there, was let to Stephen L. Fowler and one of his partners, Mr. Hedges. An extract from the diary of that date says: "To-day Hedges and myself (S. L. Fowler) rode to Capt. Smith's, to make arrangements about doing some carpenter work. We contracted to do the work of an adobe house, 27x70 feet. We have two floors to lay, ceil it over- head, partitions to run to make six rooms, twelve windows to case, besides casing doors and hanging them, and putting .in and trimming a front door, and ceiling under the piazza. We are to be boarded and to receive $450 for the job." While at work on this contract and boarding at the house he gives us another glimpse at the internal management of the domestic affairs of the family ; also, a bill-of-fare for one day : "We eat four meals a day. At sunrise we have a most excellent cup of coffee, with bread and butter; at ten o'clock we have breakfast, which consists of coffee, soup, meat, vegetables, and bread ; at one o'clock we have a lunch of roast beef, bread, etc., and at six o'clock we have dinner, which consists of about the same as the breakfast, except the coffee. We can have a cup of tea any time during the evening, and brandy and water when we wish. We do not eat with the family, as they have much company, and the table is generally full." On the 5th day of August, 1851, we find the following entry: "We
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had a very good dinner to-day, it being Mrs. Smith's birthday. We had roast turkey and pig, with plenty of vegetables and a good pudding. To-night the ladies came into the building, and the children danced several Spanish dances to the music of a guitar. James (E. Fowler) declaimed 'Richard the Third,' and, with singing, etc., we passed the evening very pleasantly. There were several bottles of wine sent in by the captain and Mrs. Smith." Being sixteen at the time of her marriage in 1843; she was born August 5, 1827. Two days later, on the 7th, we find the following entry : To-day the cap- tain has given us the dimensions of the two buildings he wants built for his tannery. One is twenty-four feet square, and ten feet studding; the other is twenty-four by fifty feet, and two stories high." For this contract they were to receive four hundred and fifty dollars. We find that a man by the name of Watson was the tanner; that he had a birthday, when the boys got a little jolly. It was doubtless in this tannery that the first real leather was made in Sonoma county by the American process of tanning. Of course the Russians tanned leather in their way, and probably made a good article, too. After them, and using their appliances, came Major Ernest Rufus. Cyrus Alexander, of Alexander valley, is reputed to have tanned some leather in a crude way. It would therefore seem that to Capt. Smith belongs the honor of establishing the first successful tannery in the county. This tannery afterwards passed into the hands of James Stewart. After him came a man by the name of Henry Lane. The building was destroyed by fire in 1868, after doing duty for seventeen years.
Capt. Stephen Smith was one of nature's noblemen. He was generous to a fault, large and warm-hearted, kindly disposed, and a man against whom none can say aught, and those who knew him never tire of sounding his praises. It is said that all strangers were welcome within his gates, and that he was offended if a man seemed in haste to leave. It is related of him that a man once came there sick, and remained two weeks. At the end of that time he was well and ready to go on his way. It being yet early in the morn- ing, the Captain had not arisen; the man gave ten dollars to the Captain's son. When the Captain came out of his room the money was duly handed to him, with an account of whence it came. The Captain forthwith flew into a rage, and ordered the young man to mount the fleetest horse on the ranch, over- take the departing stranger, and return his money to him. His house was a veritable hospital, to which all the afflicted in the vicinity could come for treatment, without price and without money. Senora Minungo Torres, the Captain's mother-in-law, was an excellent doctress and nurse, and it is to her skill and attention that many a man owes his life. She would undergo any hardship in carrying out her great mission of love, and it was nothing else than a mission of love with her, as she would never receive any remunera- tion for her services, and would work as faithfully with a dying Indian as with any one of her own nationality.
13
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A band of Indians, known as the Bodegas, had a "rancheadero" on the banks of a little stream which lay just west of Captain Smith's house. Mrs. Smith and her mother, Senora Torres, were very kind to these Indians, and had them fully under their control. They acted as missionaries to them, and a priest came to the rancho and baptized them all. Their graveyard was consecrated, and rude wooden crosses were placed at the heads of the graves. When the rancho passed into the hands of Tyler Curtis he drove the Indians all away to the reservation. A very few of them are now left at the reservation near Healdsburg, and they occasionally pay a visit to the scenes of their childhood and youth. Their graveyard, which lies in an open field to the south of the adobe house, is fast being obliterated. The crosses are nearly all broken down, and the mounds are nearly leveled with the adjacent fields, and very soon, indeed, will all traces of the existence of this people be swept away by the remorseless hand of man and time.
In August, 1855, a tragedy was committed by one of these Indians which, for cold-blooded and heartless cruelty, can hardly be excelled in all the annals of crime. One day a vaquero by the name of James Phoenix and an Indian named Demos came down to Bodega port from the mouth of Rus- sian river, where they were both engaged in herding stock. While at the port they both drank more or less, but had no trouble. Upon starting away, Phoenix procured a bottle of whisky. He was never seen again alive, and it is not known what difficulty arose between them, but it is said that it was thought at the time that it grew out of some contest over the bottle of whisky. Be that as it may, the facts of the murder were about as follows: When they had arrived at the mouth of Salmon creek the Indian managed to get Phoenix in advance of him in the trail. He then threw his riatta, and the loop caught Phoenix over one shoulder and under the other arm. The Indian wheeled his horse in a flash, and dragged his victim to the ground. He then put spurs to his horse and dragged the unfortunate man a distance of more than a mile over the rough and rocky pathway of the mountain coast trail, dangling at the end of a rope, made fast to the horn of his saddle. He then left his victim until the next day, when he procured the assistance of another Indian named Francisco, and conveyed the body to Willow creek gulch, and hid it under a pile of rock and brush. The two Indians then came down to the "rancheria" and reported that Demos and Phoenix had gone out the night before to watch for bears, which were feeding on the car- case of a whale, and that they believed that Phoenix had been killed by the bears. Immediate search for the body of Phoenix was instituted; suspicion, however, resting strongly upon the two Indians, especially Demos. Senora Torres called Francisco into a room, and placing him on his knees before a crucifix, recited a number of imprecations which would fall upon him in this world and the next if he did not tell the truth concerning the murder. The solemnity of the rites, and the religious influence which the
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woman had over him, conspired to make him confess the entire transaction, Demos was at once placed under arrest, and a wagon despatched, with Fran- cisco as a guide, to convey the corpse to the settlement. When found, the body presented the most ghastly appearance imaginable. The clothing and flesh were stripped completely off from several portions of the body. The Indian, Demos, was brought into Justice Jasper O'Farrell's Court, and had a jury trial. The evidence elicited did not throw any light upon the causes which induced the Indian to commit the deed. The jury did not debate long upon the verdict, which was, that he should be hanged the next day at one o'clock in the afternoon. On the brow of a hill, near the " rancheria," there was a triangle or tripod frame, which was used for suspending animals when butchered. It was decided to hang him at this place, and that Fran- cisco should be his executioner. A grave was dug, and a coffin placed beside it, within a few feet of the place of execution. At the appointed hour he was brought to the improvised scaffold and placed on the head of a barrel, with a rope knotted firmly about his neck. He was then asked if he had anything to say, to which he replied that he desired to be buried with his face down. He then looked over the assembled crowd of whites and Indians, and cast a last wistful glance at the familiar surrounding scenes of his life, then exclaimed : " Adios todo en el mundo"-farewell to all in the world- and was pushed suddenly from his perch upon the barrel. The rope was unfortunately too long, and his toes touched the ground as he fell, where- upon Thos. Murray, Thos. Furlong, and J. Waddell seized the end, which extended through the pulley, and drew it up till he swung clear of the ground, when in a short time he was dead, and had, in a manner, expiated the horrid crime he had committed. There is a sad sequel to this tragedy. The brother of the victim, upon hearing the tragic and cruel fate which ended his brother's career, became a raving maniac, and ended his days in an asylum.
Captain Smith was at one time very wealthy, having as stated above an eight league rancho, on which there is reputed to have been fifteen thousand head of cattle, fifteen thousand head of horses, besides hogs and sheep in large numbers. His income was at one time princely, but misfortune in one way or another overtook him, and at the time of his death he had but little left besides the naked land. It is said that he lost sixty thousand dollars at one time by some Italians in whose safe he had deposited the money. He lost twenty thousand dollars by the first fire in San Francisco in 1851, and a large amount in the second one. He was also somewhat careless about busi- ness matters, and it is said that he once borrowed six hundred dollars of a man at two per cent. per month, and through carelessness neglected to pay the debt until it amounted to over five thousand dollars. Captain Smith died in San Francisco in November, 1855, at the ripe old age of seventy- three. His wife and three children survived him. By will dated August
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