USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 43
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Early Settlement .- It is probable that the sett ement of this section by the Russians was contemporaneous with that of Bodega township. It is quite probable that when Alexander Koskoff and his company began to establish themselves at Romanzoff or Bodega bay in January, 1811, he fonnd strenuous opposition from the Spanish authorities of California, who always looked upon the Russians as usurpers of the soil and were always ready to embrace any and all opportunities to drive them off. Open warfare was threatened and the Russians had reason to believe that the threats would be carried out. There was another enemy to ward against-the Indians-over whom the Spaniards, through the missions, had absolute control, and the Russians apprehended that this power would be used against them. Several expeditions were organized by the Spanish to march against the Russians, and while they all came to naught, yet they served to cause them to seek for some stronghold of refuge in case of an attack. They did not care to seek for this stronghold at any point nearer the bay of San Francisco, as this would bring them nearer the enemy, hence they went in an opposite direction. The Russians would doubtless have been glad to have adopted a laissez-faire policy towards the Spanish, and would have been very well
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satisfied to have let them alone if they would only have retaliated in like manner; fearing, however, to trust the Spaniards, the new Muscovite settlers at once proceeded to search for a location which would afford them natural protection from their enemies. In passing up the coast to the northward, they came to the level and extensive tract lying adjacent to the present site of Fort Ross. Here they found everything they could desire. Vast meadows stretched to the eastward affording pasture to flocks without number.
"This is the forest primeval; the murmuring pines and the hemlocks, Bearded with moss and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight, Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic, Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms, Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep voiced neighboring ocean
Speaks and in accents disconsolate, answers the wail of the forest."
There was a beautiful little cove in which vessels might lie in safety from the fury of the northern storms; near at hand was an ample stretch of beach, on which their rude yet staunch argosies could be constructed and easily launched upon the mighty deep; no more propitious place could have been found along the entire coast of Sonoma county for the establishment of the headquarters of the Russian colony. The location once chosen, they set to work with a will to prepare their new homes. A site was chosen for the stockade near the shore of the ocean, and in such a position as to protect all their ships lying in the little cove, and prevent any vessels inimical to them from effecting a landing. The plat of ground inclosed in this stockade was a parallelogram, two hundred and eighty-eight feet wide and three hundred and twelve feet long, and contained about two acres. Its angles were placed very nearly upon the cardinal points of the compass. At the north and south angle there was constructed an octagonal bastion, two stories high, and furnished with six pieces of artillery. These bastions were built exactly alike, and were about twenty-four feet in diameter. The walls were formed of hewed redwood logs, nicely mortised together at the corners, and were about eight inches in thickness. The roof was conical-shaped, having a small flag-staff at the apex. The stockade approached these towers in such a way that one-half of them was within the inclosure and the other half on the outside. The entrance to these was through small doors on the inside, while there were embrasures both on the inside and the outside. They were thus arranged so as to protect those within from an outside enemy, and to also have all within under the range of the cannon, so that in case of an internal eruption the officers could readily quell the trouble. The stockade was constructed as follows: A trench was dug two feet deep, while every ten feet along the bottom of the trench a hole was dug one foot deep. In these holes posts about six by ten inches were inserted, and between the posts and on the bottom of the trenches there was a strong girder firmly mortised into the posts, and fastened with a strong wooden pin. Slabs of varying widths, but all being about six inches thick, were then placed in an
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upright position between the first posts and resting on the girders in the trench, being firmly fastened to them. At a distance up the posts of twelve feet from the lower girder, there was run another girder, which was also mortised into the posts and made fast with pins. These girders rested on the tops of the slabs mentioned as being placed between the posts. These slabs were slotted at the top, and a piece of timber passed into the slots, then huge wooden pins were passed down through the girders and the piece in the slots and well into the body of the slab. The main posts extended about three feet higher, and near the top a lighter girder was run along, and be- tween the last two mentioned there was a row of light slabs, two inches thick and four inches wide, pointed at the top like pickets. It may well be imagined, that when the trench was filled up with tamped rock and dirt that this stockade was almost entirely invulnerable with the implements of assault likely to be brought against it in those days of rude weapons of war. All around the stockade there were embrasures suitable for the use of muskets or caronades, of which latter, it is said, there were several in the fortress.
On the northern side of the eastern angle there was erected a chapel which it is said was used by the officers, alone, of the garrison. It was twenty-five by thirty-one feet in dimensions, and strongly built, the outer wall forming a part of the stockade, and the round port holes for the use of caronades, are queer looking openings in a house of worship. The entrance was on the inside of the fort, and consisted of a rude, heavy wooden door, held upon wooden hinges. There was a vestibule about ten by twenty-five feet in size thus leaving the auditorium twenty-one by twenty-five. In this, rude yet roomy and comfortable benches were placed for seats, and two of these are still to be seen at Fort Ross. From the vestibule an excessively narrow stairway leads to a low loft, evidently not used for anything originally. The building was surmounted with two domes, one of which was round and the other pentagonal in shape. It is said that the Muscovites had a beauti- ful chime of bells in these towers, which used to peal out the matins and vespers in the most mellifluous tones. The roof was made of long planks, either sawed or rove from redwood, likewise the side of the chapel in the fort. Some degree of carpenters' skill was displayed in the constructing of this building. A faint attempt at getting out mouldings for the inner door and window casings was made, a bead being worked around the outer edge of the casing, and it was mitered at the corners.
On the west side of the northern angle there was a two-story building, twenty-eight by eighty feet in dimensions. This was a roughly constructed building, and was doubtless used for barracks for the men of the garrison. The framework of all the buildings was made of very large, heavy timbers, many of them being twelve inches square. The rafters were all great, heavy, round pine logs, many of them being six inches in diameter. On
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the northern side of the western angle there was a one-story building, twenty-nine by fifty fect, constructed in a better style of workmanship, and was evidently used for officers' quarters.
On the southern side of the western angle was a one-story building, twenty-five by seventy-five feet. This was probably used for a working house, as various branches of industry were prosecuted within the walls. On the eastern side of the southern angle there was a row of low shed buildings, which were probably used for the purpose of stabling their stock and storing their feed.
This includes the stockade and all its interior buildings. There were a number of exterior buildings, and we will now turn our attention to them. Be it known that there was a colony consisting of at least two hundred and fifty souls at one time at this place. We will first notice the dwelling houses. We are indebted to Ernest Rufus, of Sonoma, who went to Fort Ross in 1845, for much valuable information in regard to the Russian economy. He states that there was at that time a village of about twenty-five small dwelling houses on the north side of the stockade. These houses were in keeping with the houses of the peasants already described in Bodega. They were small, being probably not over twelve by fourteen feet in dimensions, and constructed from rough slabs riven from redwood. These hardy Muscovites were so rugged and inured to the cold of the higher latitudes that they cared not for the few cracks that might admit the fresh, balmy air of the California winter mornings. Also, to the northward of and near this village, situated on an eminence, was a wind-mill, which was the motor for driving a single run of burrs, and also for a stamping machine used for grinding tan-bark. This wind-mill produced all the flour used in that and the Bodega settlements, and probably quite an amount was also sent with the annual shipment to Sitka. The burrs were made of the sandstone indigenous to that section, and seem to have answered the purpose well indeed. These stones were about three feet in diameter, and one foot in thickness. One of them is still lying on the site of Fort Ross. This was probably the first flour-mill of any description north of San Francisco and in the State. The stamp for crushing tan-bark was made of solid iron, and was about four inches square. It was hung upon a crank, upon the main shaft of the wind wheel, and the motion was thus given to it. It was a simple and very effective device, but required the constant attention of an operator to turn the bark and stir it up. This mill and stamp did good service for several years after the Americans came into possession of it; but not a vestige is left of it now, save the stone. This should certainly be cared for, in connection with the burr at the site of Captain Smith's old mill in Bodega, by the Society of Pioneers.
We will now follow this tan bark farther on and see what use it was put to by the old Muscovites. To the south of the stockade, and in a deep gulch at the debouchure of a small stream into the ocean, there stood a very large
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building, probably eighty by a hundred feet in size. The rear half of it was used for the purpose of tanning leather. There were six vats in all, constructed of heavy, rough redwood slabs, and each with a capacity of fifty barrels. They had all the usual appliances necessary to conduct a tannery, such as scrapers, mullers, etc., but these implements were large and rough in their make. It is said, however, that they were able to manufacture a very good quality of leather, and did so in large quantities.
The front half, or that fronting the ocean, was used as a work-shop for the construction of ships. Ways were constructed on a sand beach at this point leading into the deep water of the cove, and upon them were built a number of staunch sea-going vessels. The very first ship or vessel of any kind which was ever launched in California was set afloat at this place. It occurred about a year previous to the launching of a vessel at Monterey. It was claimed by all for years that the Monterey vessel was the first, but it has now been established that it was not, this Russian vessel having about one year's priority. These vessels all did good service, and one of them was sailing not long ago. It is said that some of the first ones built here did not last very long, owing to a sort of premature decay setting in. It was found that this was owing to the fact that the redwood lumber was worked up into the vessel while green. They afterwards seasoned all the lumber thor- oughly, and had no more trouble of this character. One of these vessels, a schooner, passed into Captain Smith's hands, and he gave it the name of "Sacramento," and it is stated that the street in San Francisco of that name derived its appellation from the fact that this schooner made its landings at the foot of that street. Still farther to the south, and near the ocean shore, stood a building eighty by a hundred, which was evidently used by them as a store house. It was very strongly constructed, and well adapted for this purpose. This building was blown down by a storm July 16, 1878, and there will soon be nothing to mark its site.
Tradition says that to the eastward of the fort and across the gulch, there once stood a very large building, which was used as a church for the common people of the settlement. Near this church the cemetery was located. A French tourist once paid Fort Ross a visit. He arrived after dark, and asked permission to remain over night with the parties who at that time owned that portion of the Muniz grant on which Fort Ross is located. During the evening the conversation naturally drifted upon the old history of the place. The tourist displayed a familiarity with all the sur- roundings which surprised the residents, and caused them to ask if he had ever lived here with the Russians. He answered that he had not, but that he had a very warm friend in St. Petersburg, who had spent thirty years at this place as a Muscovite priest, and that he had made him a promise upon his departure for California, about one year before, to pay a visit to the scenes of the holy labors of the priest, and it was in compliance with
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this promise that he was there at this time. Among the other things inquired about was the church close to the cemetery mentioned above. All traces of this building had long since disappeared, and the settlers were surprised to hear that it had ever stood there. The tourist assured them that the priest had stated distinctly that such a building once stood there, and also that a number of other buildings stood near it, used by the peasants for homes. Mr. Rufus tells us that when the land went into disuse after the Russians had left, that wild oats grew very rank, often reaching a height of ten feet, and that the Indians were accustomed to set it on fire, and that during these conflagrations the fences and many of the smaller houses of the Russians were consumed, and that he well remembers that there were a number of small houses near the cemetery, and that the blackened ruins of a very large building also remained, which the half-breed Russo-Indians told him had been used for a church. The tourist mentioned above stated that his friend, the priest, was greatly attached to the place, as had been all who had lived in the settlement. They found the climate genial, the soil pro- duetive, and the resources of the country great, and, all in all, it was a most desirable place to live in.
The Russians had farmed very extensively at this place, having at least two thousand acres under fence, besides a great deal that was not fenced. Their fence was chiefly what is known as rail and post, although there was some picket fence also used more specially for small lots or for dividing fences. As stated before, these fences nearly all perished in the wild fires. Their agricultural processes were as crude as any of their other work. Their plow was very similar to the old Spanish implement, so common in this country at that time and still extant in Mexico, with the exception that the Muscovite implement possessed a moldboard. They employed oxen and cows, both for draft animals, using the old Spanish yoke adjusted to their horns instead of to their necks. We have no account of any attempt at constructing either cart or wagon, but it is probable that they had carts similar to those described in this work as in use among the Californians at that time. They also doubtless used sleds to a great extent for transporting their produce. Their grain was cut with a seythe when it was ripe, and transported on these sleds to the threshing-floor. This threshing-floor was constructed differently from those common in the country at that time and described elsewhere in this work. It was simply a floor composed of heavy puncheons, circular in shape and elevated somewhat off the ground. Between the puncheons there were interstices through which the grain fell to the ground under the floor as it was released from the head. The threshing was done in this manner: A layer of grain, in the straw, of a foot or two in thickness, was placed upon the floor. Oxen were then driven over it, hitched to a log with rows of wooden pegs inserted into it. As the log revolved, these pegs acted well the part of a flail, and the straw was expeditiously
James Austin
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relieved of its burden of grain. It was doubtless no hard job to winnow the grain after it was threshed, as the wind blows a stiff blast at that point during all the Summer months.
The Russians constructed a wharf at the northern side of the little cove and graded a road down the steep ocean shore to it. The grade is still to be seen, as it passed much of the way through solid rock. This wharf was made fast to the rocks on which it was constructed with long iron bolts. All that remains of the wharf now is a few of the bolts driven into the rocks. It was gone before Mr. Rufus went there, hence we are unable to give its dimensions or farther details concerning it.
These old Muscovites, doubtless, made the first lumber with a saw ever made north of San Francisco bay. They had a pit and a whip-saw. The pit used by them can be seen to this day. Judging from the number of stumps still standing, and the extent of territory over which they extended their logging operations, they evidently consumed very large quantities of lumber. The timber was only about one mile distant from the shipyard and landing. The stumps of trees cut by them are still standing, while beside them from one to six shoots have sprung up, many of which have now reached a size sufficient for lumber purposes. This growth has been remark- able, and goes to show that if proper care were taken each half century would see a new crop of redwoods sufficiently large for all practical pur- poses, while a century would see gigantic trees.
As stated above, the cemetery lay to the eastward of the fort, about one- fourth of a mile, and across a very deep guleh. It was near the church for the peasants. There were never more than fifty graves in it, though all traces are obliterated now of more than a dozen; most of them still remain- ing had some sort of a wooden structure built over them. One manner of constructing these mausoleums was to make a series of rectangular frames of square timbers, about six inches in diameter, each frame a certain degree smaller than the one below it. These were placed one above another until an apex was reached, which was surmounted with a cross. Another method was to construct a rectangular frame of heavy planking about one foot high. The top was covered over with two heavy planks placed so as to be roof- shaped, others had simply a rude cross, others a eross on which some mechanical skill was displayed, and one has a very large round post standing high above the adjacent crosses. They are all buried in graves dug due east and west, and, doubtless, with their heads to the west. There are no inscrip- tions now to be seen upon any of the graves, and it is not likely there ever were any. Some of them certainly contain children, judging from their size. Silently are these sleeping in their far-away graves, where the eyes of those who knew and loved them in their earthly life can never rest on their tombs again, and while the eternal roar of the Pacific makes music in the midnight watches will they await the great day that shall restore them to
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their long-lost friends. Sleep on, brave hearts, and peaceful be thy silent slumber !
In an easterly direction, and about one mile distant from the fort, there was an enclosure, containing probably five acres. It was enclosed by a fence about eight feet high, made of redwood slabs about two inches in thickness. These slabs were driven into the ground, while the tops were nailed firmly to girders extending from post to post, set about ten feet apart. Within the enclosure there was an orchard of fruit trees planted, consisting of apples, prunes and cherry trees. It is stated that all the old stock of German prunes in California came from seed procured at this orchard. The apples were small seedlings, and shaped much as an Eastern "sheep-nosed June apple," or rather they were miniature " bell-flowers." At present there are about fifty apple and nine cherry trees standing. They are moss- covered and gray with age, and many of them have bowed their heads to the ground under the weight of their years. The fruit is still pleasant to the taste, but is small and insignificant, when placed beside the great, grafted, rosy-cheeked giants which are now grown in all of our California valleys. But these Muscovite apples excel no apples at all, and there was a day when they were much sought for in the San Francisco market. The cherries were small and sour, and not of any particular excellence. At present but little care is taken of the trees, and surrounded as they are with the wild forest trees, one is reminded forcibly of some of "Johnny Apple- seed's" famous orchards, planted in the wilds of the Ohio forests, years before the State was settled.
The Russians had a small settlement at a place now known as Russian Gulch. They grew wheat here, evidently, for the remains of a ware-house are still to be seen. They lightered their wheat out to the vessel, which was anchored off the shore some distance. The wreck of the frame of one of their lighters can still be seen near that point.
There were several commanders or Colonial Governors who had charge here, but the names of all save the first, Alexander Koskoff, and the last, Rotscheff, have been lost even to tradition. General William T. Sherman relates a pleasant incident in his "Memoirs," which is called to mind by the mention of the name of Rotscheff. It will be remembered that this man had a wife whose beauty was famous throughout the whole section-truly a sec- ond Helen, for the capture and possession of whom even military expeditions were organized. The incident is as follows: While lying at anchor in a Mediterranean port, the vessel on which Sherman was traveling was visited by the officers of a Russian naval vessel. During the exchange of courtesies and the course of conversation, one of the Russian officers took occasion to remark to Sherman that he was an American by birth, having been born in the Russian colony in California, and that he was the son of one of the colo- nial rulers. He was doubtless the son of Rotscheff and his beautiful bride,
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the Princess de Gagarin, in whose honor Mount St. Helena was christened. We have thus fully set forth all the facts concerning the Russian occupancy, and their habits, manners, buildings, occupations, etc. We will now trace the causes which led to their departure from the genial shores of California, and then bid them adios. It is stated that the promulgation of the Monroe doctrine caused them to leave; but that is hardly the fact, for they remained seventeen years after this policy was announced and accepted by the nations of Europe. It is, however, probably true, that European nations had some- thing to do with it, for it is clearly shown in another chapter of this work, that both France and England had an eye upon this territory, and both hoped some day to possess it. As long as the Russians maintained a colony here, they had a prior claim to the territory; hence they must be got rid of. The Russians also r. cognized the fact that the Americans were beginning to come into the country in quite large numbers, and that it was inevitable that they would soon overrun and possess it. The subsequent train of events proved that their surmises were perfectly correct. One thing, however, is evident, and that is, that they did not depart at the request or behest of either the Spanish or Mexican governments. It is almost certain that the Russians contemplated a permanent settlement at this point when they located here, as this section would provide them with wheat, an article much needed for the supply of their colonies in the far north. Of course as soon as the Span- ish authorities came to know of their permanent location, word was sent of the fact to the headquarters at Madrid. In due course of time, reply came from the seat of government ordering the Muscovite intruders to depart. To this peremptory order their only answer was that the order had been forwarded to St. Petersburg for the action of the Emperor.
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