USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 67
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Magoon, William H. Born in Jackson county, Iowa, January 1, 1846; when only six years of age his parents emigrated to California. They spent the first winter in Merced county, and in the Spring went to Stanislaus county, where they resided about two years when they came to this county, and located in Big valley. In 1858 the subject of this sketch proceeded to Mariposa county, where he remained until 1863, when he returned to this county and. attended the public school at Bloomfield two terms, and then attended two terms at Petaluma. In 1866 he entered the State Normal school at San Francisco, from which he graduated May 28, 1868. He then followed teaching for ten years. In January, 1872, he formed partnership with S. B. Holly in the general merchandise and manufacturing business at Stony Point, under the firm name of Holly & Magoon.
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Matzenbach, William B. Born in Germany on January 23, 1825; here he was educated. When fourteen years old he was apprenticed to the baker's trade. When sixteen years old he went to London, England, where he followed his trade till 1848, then emigrated to America, first settling in Bellville, Illinois, remaining till 1852, and on April 5th, of that year, he left for this State crossing the plains, and after a journey of one hundred and eighty-six days, coming all the way on foot, making a halt at Sacramento, working at his trade till the Spring of 1853, then went to Michigan Bluff, Placer county, where he mined, and carried on the hotel and bakery business till 1863, then moved to San Francisco, where he was proprietor of the Enterprise Hotel for two years. On April 18, 1866, he took a residence in Petaluma, opening a restaurant, confectionery, and bakery business, and in April 1874 became proprietor of the American Hotel which he has since conducted. Mr. M. married at Michigan Bluff, California, in 1856, Louisa Rost. She died December 25, 1870. On July 18, 1871, he married Emma Thillemann. Their children are Emma, born May 19, 1872; Mabel, born September 30, 1879; Willie, born May 21, 1874, and died September 28, 1877.
Maynard, Frank Turner. Was born in Lyme, Connecticut, on April 26, 1832. Moved to Conneaut, Ohio, in 1837, where he assisted his father on a farm till 1840; then went to Madison, Indiana, where he remained until 1845, and where he acquired a knowledge of the drug business in the estab- lishment of his brother. The succeeding four years he was in the drug house of G. W. Norton, at Lexington, Kentucky, but left that place for Bal- timore, Maryland, taking passage on the ship " Andalusia," from this port, on April 22, 1849, for California, arriving in San Francisco on September 27th of that year. He, in company with four partners, brought out the large frame hotel from Baltimore, known as the "Graham House," which they erected on the corner of Pacific and Kearny streets, and in 1850 sold it to the city of San Francisco for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which they used for a city hall. Mr. Maynard was engaged in the drug trade in San Francisco from 1851 to 1860. Here he married Miss Mary A. Hoyer in 1860. Came to Petaluma, Sonoma county, in 1861, where ho opened a drug store, in which business he still remains. Has held the office of City Treasurer from 1862 to 1868, and has been Secretary of the School Board sixteen consecutive years. Harry H., Eva E., and Grace Russell are the names of his children.
Mecham, Harrison. The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this volume, is a native of St. Lawrence county, New York, having been born there June 20, 1833. When but an infant he was taken by his parents to Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and at seven years of age accompanied them to Springfield, Illinois, when, having remained a year, they removed to Keokuk, Lee county, Iowa, where they sojourned until 1845. From here
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his family transferred their habitation to Fremont county, Iowa, and there were domiciled for two years more. At this period Mr. Mecham became acquainted with the parties that piloted Commodore Stockton from Califor- nia, after the closing of the war with Mexico, across the plains to St. Joseph, Missouri. These men were all old mountaineers, and telling such marvelous stories of grizzly bears, elk, wild cattle and horses being lassoed, that young Mecham became inspired with the desire to partake in these adventures, and so appointed to meet and accompany them, the rendezvous being Fort Kearney, on the Missouri river. From that point they were to start for California, on April 1, 1848. Without the knowledge of his parents Mr. Mecham started for Fort Kearney; no money in his pockets-no clothes save those on his back. On arrival, he found the party, consisting of twenty-five souls, already assembled. He became acquainted with Dr. St. Clair, an old Texan ranger, and was engaged by him to drive an ox-team to California, he receiving for this labor his board and clothes. On the day appointed a start was made, Mecham arrayed in his new buckskin suit and Pike county revolver. He took charge of his team, eracked his whip, and started for the land of promise. After making roads, building bridges, engaging Indians, and encountering many a hair-breadth escape, they made Fort Hall, which at that time lay on the direct route to Upper California. At the date of which we write the fort was the property of the Hudson Bay Company and under the command of Captain Grant, who announced that it would be impossible to go to California on account of the danger to be expected from hostile Indians on the route, proposing at the same time that if the party would remain at the fort during the Winter he would provide them with an escort early in the following Spring. This courteous offer they, how- ever, declined, determining to make their way through at all risks. From the time the party struck the head of the Humboldt until they reached the Truckee river, one continuous fight with the natives was main- tained. The first news of the discovery of gold in California was imparted to them by a company of Mormons, on their way from that Territory to Salt Lake City. Proceeding on their journey, following the Truckee river, they passed through the Cannibal camp, where they saw the remains of the ill-fated Donner party; in one of the cabins there still remained remnants of the human bones from which the flesh had been torn in the frenzy of hunger. On September 10th they made Johnson's ranch on Bear river, on the edge of the Sacramento valley. While here, on the day after they arrived, there came into the camp Nick Carriger, of Sonoma, who desired assistance in effecting the capture of a rancheria of Indians that had slain two of his party (Hollingsworth and Newman, of Sonoma), near where the town of Auburn now stands; he next day saw the force surrounding the Indians capturing the chief and bringing him into their camp, informing the remain- der that if the murderers were not produced and given up in two days their
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chief would assuredly be killed .. At the end of the allotted time the four perpetrators of the deed were handed over; they all were hanged to one limb of a tree, and there left suspended, but their bodies were afterwards burned by their confreres, according to the cremation rites of the Indians. Here Mr. Mecham separated from his company-of them he writes: "They were as brave and noble a little band as ever trod the wilds of the West. Here I wish to speak of three noble and courageous women, who never flinched in the time of danger: Mrs. Dr. St. Clair, Mrs. Slusher, and Mrs. Hitchcock." On the separation, the subject of our memoir, accompanied by a few others, went up the Yuba river, to a place now called Parks Bar, where he com- menced mining. His first duty was to purchase a miner's outfit-a neces- sary but expensive requisite. This consisted of a wooden rocker, about three feet in length, price three hundred dollars; a crow-bar, ninety-six dol- lars; a common milk-pan, thirty-two dollars; a pick, sixty-four dollars, and two wooden buckets, twenty-five dollars cach, which comprised what is known as a running outfit. He also paid such extravagant sums as ninety- six dollars per pair for blankets; fifty dollars for a pair of stogy boots; forty dollars for a frying-pan, and other articles in like ratio. At the above mentioned place he remained until April 1, 1849, when they proceeded eight miles higher up the stream, to a spot named Industry Bar, where he stayed until June Ist, then moving twenty more miles further to a point which they named Foster's Bar and there tarried until the 1st of July. From here they still further ascended the stream twelve miles to the Slate Bar, which place they named, remaining there until the middle of September when it was concluded that the party should return to the Sacramento valley. This they did and encamped on the site of the now thriving city of Marysville, where they remained a week, and thence proceeded to the confluence of the Feather and Sacramento rivers. On gaining this point Mr. Mecham found the surveyors busy laying out the present town of Fremont. Here he was robbed, it is supposed by a man named Wambo, of eight out of ten thousand dollars which he had brought with him; the remaining two thousand he invested in property in that town. Mr. Mecham sojourned at Fremont until December Ist, when intelligence was received of the finding of gold on Clear creek in the vicinity of Shasta; he therefore started for the new discovery, the journey thither occupying two anxious weeks. Here he mined and prospected until February 15, 1850, when he retraced his steps to Fremont and found the town "booming," and could have realized twenty thousand for his two thousand dollars invest- ment. He was willing enough to sell; however, his friends advised him to " hold on," as " it would soon be worth a hundred thousand," for it was then believed that Fremont would be the true head of navigation. He remained here until the 1st of April, and then went back to the mines on the Yuba, to a place called Negro Bar, working there and in its vicinity until September
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Ist, at which time he once more retraced his steps to Fremont, and found his investment worthless. "This," Mr. Mecham says, "taught me a lesson to rely on my own judgment rather than on the advice of friends." September 20, 1850, he started for the lower country, passed through the Suisun valley, crossed the Carquinez straits at Benicia, then down by way of the old Mis- sion de San Jose (where he partook of the first pears and grapes he had tasted in California) to the town of San Jose, which consisted then of a few anti- quated adobe buildings inhabited by Mexicans. From there he proceeded to the Mission of San Juan (where he ate his first apples, which were in size and taste like crab-apples) and then returned to Fremont where he arrived on January 10, 1851. On April 1, 1851, Mr. Mecham and three others proceeded on a prospecting tour between the Feather and Yuba rivers, pitching their camp in Grass valley, on the head waters of the South Feather river, and here discovered the Rabbit creek, Slate creek, Table rock, and Jennison creek mines. The Ist of November saw him back in Fremont. The 10th day of February, 1852, he left that town, and journeyed to the ranch of Captain Stephen Smith in Bodega, Sonoma county, with the purpose in view of purchasing cattle; not succeeding in this scheme, he went over to the rancho of Cyrus Alexander on Russian river, and from him bought three hundred head of steers, and drove them to a ranch which he had already acquired near Fremont. July 20th, he started over the mountains to Carson to buy stock; here he obtained seventy-five head of cows, and took them back to his aforesaid ranch arriving in the middle of October, and there abode until June 1, 1853, when he sold his farm and located in Suisun valley. August 1, 1853, Mecham moved from Suisun to Sonoma county, took up a ranch at the head of Two Rock valley, a mile and a half south of the Washoe House, and located on it. On this property he remained, rearing stock, dairying, and farming until October 1864, when he moved into Petaluma ; still keeping his farm, however, and continuing in the same business. Mr. Mecham is one of the most successful of all of Sonoma's successful farmers. The greatest number of bushels of grain raised by him in any one year was one hundred and three thousand. There is grown on his ranch from one thousand to fifteen hundred acres of potatoes yearly. He rears and fattens from five hundred to twenty-five hundred head of hogs a year. His farm consists of seven thousand acres. His stoek consists of hogs, horses, cattle, and sheep, he having at the present time seven thousand head of the latter on his property. Mr. Mecham has never held office in Sonoma county, save being President of the Sonoma and Marin Agricultural Society, an honorable position he has cccupied, with the exception of one, for ten consecutive years. He married at Fremont, April 17, 1853, Malicia J. Stewart, a native of Indiana, by whom he has Franklin Alma, born June 1, 1854 ; Silva Laretta, born September 3, 1856; Harriet Arceilia, born August 25, 1858; Henry Harrison, born December 22, 1859,
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died October 10, 1860; Mary Isabel, born August 1, 1861; George B. McClellan, born May 3, 1863, and died May 23, of that year.
Merritt John. The subject of this memoir is a native of Marion county, Indiana, having been born there June 30, 1827. At the age of fifteen years he accompanied his parents to Andrew county, Missouri, and with them dwelt for five years longer. In 1847 war was declared against Mexico, and Mr. Merritt among the chivalrous youths of that year enlisted in the Fifth Missouri Cavalry under Captain Rogers, bent to earn a reputation at the cannon's mouth. The first Winter, 1847-48, was passed in the dreary round of garrison duty at Fort Kearney, on the Missouri river ; in the Spring they were moved to New Fort Kearney on Platte river, and were there stationed until the month of October, he being finally mustered out in November 1848. Having spent the Winter of 1848-49 at his home, we find Mr. Merritt on May 4, 1849, starting for California as one of the band of emigrants known as the Savannah company. Their route lay by way of Fort Hall, through the Sierra Nevada at Carson route, making the California line at Placer- ville, then known by the ominous name of Hangtown, on September 4, 1849. At that epoch gold hunting was the occupation of all, old and young, feeble and stalwart. Merritt therefore at once commenced placer mining on the spot, and continued it until the Spring of 1850, at which juncture he removed to Sacramento, but after a short time returned to his engrossing occupation, this time to the Georgia Slide in Canon creek, near Georgetown; where he remained until the Fall of that year, when, in connection with his father who had accompanied him to this State, he opened the first grocery store, at Georgia Slide, on Cañon creek. In the Fall of 1850 he came to Green Valley, Analy township, and commenced the cultivation of potatoes, which was continued there for two years, when he moved to the place known as the "Burnt Ranch " near Petaluma, where he resided until he came to live on his present farm which contains one hundred and two acres. In 1878, having up to that time been engaged in the stock business, he opened his stock yard in Petaluma. As far back as the year 1852, Mr. Merritt shipped the first fat hogs from Petaluma to San Francisco on a sail boat before any steamers ran on the creek. Built the second house in Petaluma, and stacked hay on the site of McCune's block in the Fall of 1851. Married, March 16, 1854, Sarah E. Wilfley, a native of Scotland county, Missouri, by whom he has John T., Edwin B., and Ida Jane.
Mitchener, Jonathan. Born in Fayette county, Indiana, March 12, 1827, where he received his education, and learned the blacksmith's trade. At the age of twenty-one he proceeded to Knox county, Illinois; worked at his trade three years, and returned to Indiana, and engaged in farming until 1854, when he emigrated to California, via Panama, arriving in San Fran- cisco, in February. He went direct to El Dorado county, and after working
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at his trade one year, engaged in mining for a term of three seasons, and then took up his trade and wielded the sledge until 1864, when he engaged in milling in Marin county for eight years; then engaged in dairying four years. In October, 1876, he came to this county, and after a residence of one year in Petaluma, settled on his present estate, located about four miles north-west from Petaluma. Mr. Mitchener married on July 4, 1861, Miss Gardner, a native of Germany. Catherine, William L., Frederick, Philip, and Clara E, are the names of their children.
Moore, Edwin, Native of Clinton county, New York, born December 26, 1826; when but a child his parents moved into Washtenaw county, Michigan. When seventeen years of age he went to Grand Rapids, where he learned the carpenter's trade; here he remained until 1847, then moved to Lansing, Michigan; there remained until 1852, when he started across the plains for California. On arriving here he followed mining until 1858, when he went to Marin county and bought a ranch, which he worked for eight years. In 1866 he settled on his present place, consisting of twenty-five acres, located about one and one-half miles from Petaluma. Mr. Moore married for his first wife Miss Catharine A. Saulter, August, 1845; she died. He married for his second wife Miss Eliza Spaulding, September 13, 1873. By his first wife he has Charles B., Betsie E., and Edwin (deceased), and Mary Edwina. By his second wife he has Phoebe L., George W., and Edwin S.
Morison, S. M. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, July 16, 1840. Emigrated to California, via Panama, in 1850. After spending about two months in San Francisco he went to the mines on Mokelumne river, where he remained until 1854, with the exception of one year, which he spent in school at Stockton and one term at Mokelumne Hill. In 1854 he returned to San Francisco and attended an institution of learning until 1857, when he came to this county, and in 1861 settled on his present place, comprising one hundred and fifty-six acres. He also owns one hundred and sixteen acres about one mile south from Petaluma.
Morse, A. Born in Oneida county, New York, January 29, 1830. When seven years of age his parents moved to Niagara Falls, and after a residence here of one year they proceeded to Carroll county, Indiana. In 1843 he left home and settled in Lee county, Iowa; labored on a farm four years, and thence to Holt county, Missouri, and workel at his trade, carpen- tering, until 1852, when he emigrated to California, crossing the plains with ox-teams, arriving in this county October 11, 1852. In 1854 came to Peta- luma, and resided until 1856, when he took up his residence in Marin county, and farmed four years. In 1860 he returned to Petaluma, and engaged in the livery business and stageing. In 1872 we find him agent for Wells, Fargo & Co., at Cloverdale, and in 1873, under Grant's administration, he was appointed Postmaster at Petaluma, and in 1877 reappointed under
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Hayes' administration, which position he still holds, with honor to himself and credit to the citizens of Petaluma.
Munday, B. B. The subject of this sketch was born in Madison county, in the State of Kentucky, March 14, 1813. He moved from his boyhood's home to Jackson county, Missouri, before he was of age, and here married Henrietta Phelps. By this marriage he had two children who lived. In 1845 his wife died. Leaving his children with some of their relatives, he left Missouri and engaged in the Santa Fe trade, carrying goods by ox-train from Missouri to Santa Fe, and between Santa Fe and Chihuahua, in Mexico. Many of his adventures whilst engaged in this trade among the hostile Indians, would form interesting chapters. In 1850 he came, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, to California, but remained only a short time. His journey back to Missouri was made from San Francisco to New York by way of Panama and Aspinwall, thence to Buffalo. From Buffalo he took boat to Chicago, and from there crossed to the Mississippi river. He then continued down this to the Missouri river, and up it to Independence, Missouri-traversing, in this roundabout journey, over seven thousand miles to reach a point now reached in almost a direct line by travelling one thousand eight hundred miles. In 1852 he was married to Elizabeth Cornett, of Independence, Missouri, and immediately, with his wife and two children of the first marriage, started across the plains by ox-team for Cali- fornia. He arrived in September of the same year in this county, and settled near the town of Sonoma. In 1856 he bought the ranch, now owned by James Biggins, in the pass between Petaluma and Sonoma, and there carried on the dairying business. In 1864, selling out to Mr. Biggins, he moved to Petaluma valley and purchased a farm from Fred Alberding, in Vallejo township. Mr. Munday was always more or less identified with the politics of the county. As a politician, he was bold, fearless and honest, and none commanded to a greater degree the confidence of the people of this county. He was a Democrat of the old school. His first vote for President was cast for Andrew Jackson, and he continued consistent in the faith until his death. Withal that he was a strict partisan, he most cheerfully accorded to every one the right to think and act for himself, without questioning his honesty or integrity. His mind was broad and liberal. He went to school only eighteen months, but his education, made up of a varied experience among men, extensive travel throughout the country, continued and extensive reading, and a retentive and investigating mind, was far beyond that of the ordinary. In figure, he was tall, straight as an Indian, and commanding, weighing about one hundred and sixty-five pounds, and a little over six feet in height. As a neighbor, he was kind and commanded the esteem and' friendship of every one who came in contact with him. His latch string was always on the outside, and his entertaining company was a gratification to his numerous acquaintances. In 1855 he was the candidate of the Demo-
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cratic party for member of the Assembly, but was defeated by the candidate of the Know Nothing or American party. He served one term as Super- visor from the Petaluma district. In 1869 he was elected to the Assembly with Barclay Henley and T. W. Hudson, and in 1871 was re-elected, with E. C. Hinshaw and William Caldwell as colleagues. The most important question to the people of Sonoma county that arose during the time he was in the Assembly, was the extension of time to the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad for its completion to Cloverdale and Bloomfield. This was in the session of "71 and '72. The people, by a majority vote, had voted a subsidy of five thousand dollars per mile from Donahue to Cloverdale, with a branch to Bloomfield, to a company composed of McCauley, McCrellish & Co. This company, unable to complete the road, sold out to the California Pacific Company, and they in turn to the present owners. These changes caused of course much delay, and a very severe Winter coming on in 1871, prevented the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad from going on with the work to completion. They asked for thirty days extension on the Cloverdale end, and sixty days for the Bloomfield branch. This request was accompanied with a petition, signed by nearly two thousand voters, and opposed by a remonstrance containing less than one hundred names. Though all the delegation from this county were anti-subsidy men, the three Assem- blymen considered that the request was a proper one, and in view of the fact that it was accompanied by a petition containing so many signers, they sustained a bill to grant such extension. This was vetoed by Governor Haight, and though passed by the Assembly over the veto, it failed in the Senate. In 1873, after a short illness, Mr. Munday died at his residence in Vallejo township, mourned by all who knew him. He had few enemies, and many warm and sincere friends. He left a wife and six children, two already mentioned of the first marriage-Thomas P. Munday and Mrs. S. D. Towne -- both residents of Petaluma, and four of the second marriage. Of these four, one, M. E. C. Munday, is Principal of the Petaluma Grammar School; one, C. F. Munday, is a practicing attorney of Petaluma, and two daughters live with their mother, near Petaluma.
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