USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 73
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Davis, L. T. (Physician and Druggist). Was born in Kentucky in 1814. Moved to Clermont county, Ohio, in 1826. Went to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1835. Returned to Ohio in 1836, and commenced the study of medicine under Dr. A. F. McCall in Bethel, Clermont county, Ohio. In 1840, went to Madison county, Indiana, and commenced the practice of medicine. Moved to Delaware county, Indiana, in 1844. Started to Calif- ornia in 1848, and landed in San Francisco in February, 1849. Returned to Indiana in October, 1851, and from there moved to Henry county, Iowa, in 1853. Was in the Confederate service from 1860 to 1863. Came to Calif- ornia the second time in 1863. Went to Josephine county, Oregon, in 1863; thence to Jacksonville, Oregon, 1864. Left Jacksonville in 1872, and settled in Windsor, Sonoma county, where he at present resides. Was made a Master Mason on the road to California in October, 1848, and has been an affiliating member of several lodges since. He is now a member of Santa Rosa Lodge by affiliation.
Faught, Willis. A native of Franklin county, Kentucky, born October 14, 1819. When but a mere child, his father moved to Shelby county, where he remained until Willis was ten years of age, when he took up his residence in Hendricks county, Indiana, where in March, 1833, the father died, leaving a widow and three sons. The subject of this sketch married
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Miss Nancy E. Lockman June 30, 1842, and in 1843 they took up their residence, in company with his mother and two brothers, William and Jabez, in Davis county, Iowa. Here they endured a great many hardships, for at that time they were on the extreme frontier. In April, 1854, he, in company with his two brothers, crossed the plains to California, arriving in this county September, 1854. His first settlement was on a farm about four miles west of Petaluma. In 1860, he moved and took up his residence on a ranch at Mark West Station, where he remained until November, 1877, when he located upon his present estate about one mile cast of Mark West Station. Mr. Faught has held the office of Justice of the Peace in this county for two years. Their children are: Mary J., born April 22, 1843; Thomas J., born December 12, 1844; Carrie, born August 6, 1847; Sarah E., born November 7, 1852; John H., born November 26, 1855; William Francis, born February 19, 1857; Willis, born February 19, 1857, died May 5. 1872; Ellen, born June 12, 1861; Edwin M., born January 17, 1865.
Graham, J. W. Born in the English Channel on August 25, 1835, and is of Scotch and Irish descent. His father being a sea-captain for twenty years, the subject of this sketch spent the early part of his life with relatives, and resided in the cities of Glasgow, Scotland, and Belfast, Ireland. When he arrived at the age of twelve he became convinced that he would like the life of a sailor. The fond parents at once decided in the negative, and refused to release their son or give their consent. Accordingly the next morning the youthful son came up missing, having run away in company with another lad of about the same age. They proceeded to Belfast, Ireland, bound themselves as apprentices to a ship, and on the following morn- ing were shipped by steamer to Liverpool, where they boarded a vessel bound for New Orleans. He followed the sea about two years-some of the time he served as cabin boy, but most of the two years was before the mast. He soon learned to box the compass, and could steer the ship as safely as any sailor, except in stormy weather. In New Orleans he and his companion ran away from the ship on account of ill treatment from the mate. After remaining two weeks in a sailors' boarding house, they shipped on an Ameri- can vessel bound for Liverpool. Remained on this ship until she drew off from this line of trade and was about to start for the Arctic seas on a whaling expedition. Not having any desire to grapple with the king of the finny tribe he left the ship at New Orleans in 1849, and proceeded up the Missis- sippi river to St. Louis, with the intention of prolonging his trip to the Lakes but while at St. Louis he came across a gentleman from Illinois by the name of Samuel Rannels, who persuaded him to go to the country and stop with him, saying that he was too young to be a sailor, and after a good deal of per- suasion he accompanied him, with the understanding that he would take him back to St. Louis. After remaining one year, he served three years' appren- ticeship at the blacksmith's trade with Mr. J. W. Manson, of Morgan county,
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Illinois. About six months after finishing his trade, on March 29, 1854, he started in company with Mr. J. O. Hamilton, a brother-in-law of Mr. Man- son, for California, driving five hundred head of cattle across the plains, and arrived at Sacramento on September 6th. He immediately proceeded to the mines on Sly creek; he prosecuted mining for a short time only, as the weather was very severe, and he had no shelter and was obliged to make his bed on mother earth, often awakening in the morning finding himself buried under two feet of snow. From here he went to Marysville and found employment in a blacksmith's shop at five dollars per day. In the Summer of 1855 we find him again at Galena Hill, engaged in blacksmith- ing, about six months, then sold out and purchased a gold mine, which he worked until the following Fall, when he came to Windsor, this county, and visited Mr. Hamilton, the gentleman he crossed the plains with. Here he worked at his trade for G. P. Hubbard, a gentleman who was well acquainted with his old blacksmith boss, J. W. Manson, of Illinois. In the Fall of 1856 we find him working at his claim, where he extracted eighteen dollars per day. In 1857 he sold his claim and returned to Windsor, and purchased a one-half interest in the blacksmith shop of Mr. Hubbard. In the Fall of 1858 he purchased his partner's interest, and has been engaged in the above business ever since, with the exception of three months, when he sold to a Mr. Allard and at the expiration of that time bought the business back, this being in 1860, and has conducted the business continuously ever since. He was married January 2, 1860, to Miss H. C. Means, of Windsor.
Hotchkiss, Benoni. Was born December 20, 1833, in the old Hotchkiss homestead, known far and wide by the stately balm of Gilead trees, which, from their age and growth, had long since hidden the topmost chimney from view. His parents were among the first settlers of Kentucky, and Camp- bellsville, the place of his birth and county seat of Taylor county, was founded by and received its name from his grandfather, Andy Campbell. Benoni Hotchkiss senior, father of the subject of this sketch, was one of the first merchants of central Kentucky, and continued in that business up to the time of his death, which event took place in 1849. Young Benoni, thus left to his own inclinations and an indulgent mother, followed the divers pursuits which most settlers fancy until he became of age and acquired his patrimony. On January 8, 1857, he was married to Virginia, daughter of Jane and Barrett Edrington. With a number of others he crossed the plains in 1860, and first settled in Yolo county, near Knight's Landing, on the Sacramento river. Here he bought a farm, but soon after some parties succeeded in floating a grant over his land, and he was compelled to abandon it. He then moved to Woodland, and built the first hotel in that town, which he kept until 1864, when he came to Sonoma county and bought of the Fitch heirs the land on the lowest southern boundary of the Sotoyome Rancho, on which he has since lived. Mr. Hotchkiss' farm comprises about
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three hundred and seventy-five acres, one-third of which is in the Russian river bottom. The principal products which he sends to market are corn and potatoes, being at one time the largest producer of those articles on the river. His family consists of two children, William Joe and Mary Jane, both born in Kentucky.
Jeffress, J. T. The subject of this sketch was born at Deptford, England, February 17, 1824. At the early age of sixteen he emigrated with his parents to Australia, where he was engaged in sugar refining. In 1850 Mr. Jeffress came to California and entered the employ of the San Francisco Gas Company, with which he was connected for about six years. It is worthy of note, that the first gas used in this State was manufactured under the superintendence of Mr. Jeffress. He was next engaged in sulphur mining at Clear Lake, on the ground now occupied by the celebrated Sulphur Banks quicksilver mine. The discovery of quicksilver in that vicinity is due to him. In 1867 he assisted in building the Golden Gate Sugar Refinery at San Francisco, and for a number of years was superintendent of the works. Since that time he has been connected with sulphur mining and refining, and is at present interested in the sulphur mines of Humboldt county, Nevada. In 1878 he became a resident of Sonoma county, and purchased the charming country seat known as the Riverside Farm, which is situated on the Russian river, about two miles below Healdsburg, and which he has since occupied as a family residence and private resort. He married Miss Elizabeth Kennedy, who is a native of Scotland, August 12, 1845. The following are the names of their large and interesting family: Mary E, Thomas W., Agnes W., Robert, James V., John K., George H., Walter F., Alexander M., and Egbert F.
Kennedy, A. E. Born in Scotland, February 21, 1827; moved to Canada in April 1842; thence to the State of Wisconsin in the Fall of 1846, and on January 2, 1849, started across the plains for California. Made this trip in eight months and three days; arrived in California on the 5th of September. Mined a short time near Hangtown (now Placerville) El Dorado county; thence to Sierra county, and mined near Downieville till July, 1859; then went to Virginia City, and followed the same occupation until April, 1860, when he went back to Scotland, the place of his birth After an absence of one year he returned to Virginia City, being at the time interested in several of the mines on the Comstock, On September 22, 1862, he married Miss Maggie Drummond, of Boston, Massachusetts. He remained in Virginia City, actively engaged in mining, until October, 1868, when he returned to California, to take charge of mines in Calaveras county, where he resided until May, 1878, and on the 5th of the following July settled on his present estate, about one mile south of Windsor. His children are: Annie E., born December 15, 1864, in Virginia City; Maggie E., July 30. 1866, in Virginia City; Charles H., October 6, 1868, in Virginia City ; Eva
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G., September 10, 1870, in California; Alexander E., September 22, 1872, in California ; Mabel, December 24, 1875, in California; John W. M. November 28, 1878, in California.
Kruse, James. A native of Europe, born November 12, 1828. At the age of nineteen years he visited St. Petersburg, London, Italy and Belgium, whence he went to Philadelphia. Traveled all through the Southern States, and when in New Orleans was stricken down with the yellow plague, but under good treatment recovered after an illness of two months. He then took up his abode in New York City, and followed clerking for six months. In 1850 he emigrated to California, arriving in San Francisco November 23d. About two months later he went to Sacramento, where he was engaged in a storeship for about eighteen months. He then came to this county and settled in Russian River township, where he has since resided. He owns four hundred acres of land, two dwellings and one store in the town of Fulton. Married Miss Rabrekt August 31, 1857; she was born in Germany March 18, 1837. Their children are: John, Annie, Freddie, Charley, James, Henry and August. Have lost one child, Carrie.
Laughlin, James H. Was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, January 11, 1819. Here he received his education and lived on a farm until nineteen years of age, when he accompanied his parents to Van Buren county, Iowa. At this place Mr. Laughlin married, December 22, 1853, Frances E. Briggs, a native of Windsor county, Vermont. He followed farming in this locality until April, 1854, when, in company with his wife, mother, and a brother and sister, he crossed the plains to this State, bringing with them a drove of two hundred head of cattle. They arrived on Cache creek October 10, 1854. Here Mr. Laughlin engaged in farming until the following September, when he came to Sonoma county and settled on his present place, at Mark West station. Here the subject of our sketch and his belongings camped, using the same gear as that which had been brought into requisition on the plains. Necessity compelled them thus to be housed, for lumber had yet to be cut out of the forests and transported to the spot. This was done in about three weeks, and soon a simple, clapboard house sprung into existence. To-day, on the old site, there stands a finer dwelling than is to be found in the county. Mr. Laughlin has large interests in Men- docino county, and is also a large stockholder in the Santa Rosa Bank, as well as being a director of that institution. His living children are: Sarah, born January 20, 1856; Annie A., born January 23, 1863; James H., born July 24, 1866; Frank W., born November 15, 1869; Grant A., born July 23, 1870; Clyde B., born December 1, 1871. Two children have died, Francis M. and Albert.
Laughlin, Lee. Son of Nancy and Thomas Laughlin, was born in Louden county, Tennessee, January 28, 1833. His father having a large
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family to support, four boys and six girls, young Lee left home early in 1854 and arrived in California on June Ist of the same year, having taken steamer by way of Cape Horn. He first proceeded to Nevada and engaged in mining, but not being satisfied with that section, he came to Russian river township in April, 1855. He was engaged in various enterprises until 1858, when in March of that year he purchased a farm, and was married on the 3d of May following to Mary A. Shinn. In 1862 he was seized with the Salmon river excitement, over the stories of whose fabulous wealth the whole country went wild, and with a company of four or five hundred men he proceeded to that place, but met many disappointed men on their way back, who reported the diggings a failure. After traveling over a great part of Oregon, he returned to his family on Russian river. In 1865 he visited the home of his childhood in Old Tennessee, from which he returned the following year. In 1873 he bought the place known as the old Hewlett farm, where he has since resided. This farm comprises three hundred and seventy-five acres, and is one of the best on Russian river. Mr. Laughlin is a large producer of corn and potatoes, having also an extra good orchard and fine vineyard, with a first-class press and apparatus for making wine. His family is composed of three girls-Josie, Ella, and Cynthia-and four boys -Albert, Robert, Burton, and Ernest.
Lindsay, J. J. . The subject of this memoir was born on the 25th day of December, 1828, in Ripley county, Indiana. When he was but a small boy, his father, with a family of nine, crossed the plains to Oregon, arriving there in the Fall of 1848, where they remained during the Winter, and in the Spring of 1849 came to Green valley, Sonoma county. Owing to the advanced age and ill health of Mr. Lindsay's father, they did not go to the mines, but located on a ranch in the valley, where Mr. Lindsay, Sr., died in the Summer of 1851. The subject of this sketch remained with his father's family, assisted in working the farm, and a portion of the time attended school, till the Spring of 1862, when he left home and proceeded to Nevada; worked at various kinds of mining, and finally put up a quartz-mill, which for a time proved a success, but mining speculations eventually proved disastrous to him financially, and, after four years, he returned to this county, and commeneed general merchandising in the town of Windsor in the Fall of 1866, where he still continues doing business. He was appointed Postmaster of the town in 1869, which position he still holds. He married, on the 5th day of May, 1869, Miss Esther A. Clark, a resident of Windsor. We now quote Mr. Lindsay's own words, in a letter to us, which says : "The most I have to feel proud of is my two children. The eldest, a boy, Walter C., was born September 10, 1871; the other, a girl, Estella Blanch, born July 31, 1874." No man who looks upon his family with such feeling of pride and honor can be other than a noble-hearted gentleman, respected by his fellow-citizens in all places and under all circumstances.
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Mccullough, Michael. Farmer in Russian River township, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, September 27, 1826; came to America in 1839; first settling in Philadelphia. In March, 1854, he came to California, and settled in Tuolumne county, where he resided till July 6, 1863 (in 1858 he visited British America, and spent five months among the Indians), when he moved to Mono county, on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada moun- tains, and here he resided till April 9, 1878, when, in May of that year, he settled on his present fruit ranch of forty acres, where he has since resided. Married Mrs. Ellen Carsgra June 29, 1872.
McCutchan, J. B. Was born in Augusta county, Virginia, May 19, 1810. When twenty-two years of age he moved with his parents to Rush county, Indiana, where he engaged in farming until 1845, when they moved to Van Buren county, Iowa, where he buried his father and mother, brother and sister. In April, 1863, he emigrated to California, crossing the plains with horse-teams. After spending about eleven months at Fairfield, Solano county, he came to this county, and settled upon one hundred and sixty acres of land, about one and one-half miles from Windsor. He married Miss Rachel H. McClure, January 12, 1832, a native of Virginia, who died September 8, 1871. William C., born December 29, 1833; Elizabeth V., June 19, 1836; Samuel H., July 26, 1838 ; Daniel, October 11, 1840; Rebecca E., September 20, 1845, are the names and births of his children. Samuel H. died December 10, 1862.
McCutchan, William C. A native of Rush county, Indiana, born December 29, 1833. In 1845 his parents and grand parents moved to Van Buren county, Iowa, where his parents lived seven years, when they took up their residence in Davis county. The subject of this sketch married Miss Mary J. Liggett in Livingston county, Missouri, December 11, 1859. She was born in Carroll county, Ohio, November 21, 1834. They came home and wintered under the parental roof. In the Spring of 1860 they lived by themselves on a piece of property near by, where they remained until the Spring of 1863, when, in company with his parents and others, they emi- grated, starting on the 21st of April with horse-teams, and arriving at Fair- field, Solano county, California, on the 21st of August, of the same year. They resided on a ranch near Fairfield until June, 1864, when they moved to this county and settled on a farm one and one-half miles south of Windsor, where they remained six years, when they settled on their present estate, one and one-fourth miles west of Windsor. The following are the names and births of their children: George F., born December 22, 1860; James B., born December 4, 1863; William H., born February 22, 1866, Sarah. J., born January 5, 1871, and died March 1, 1875.
Matson, Captain Jacob. Native of Halsteren, born November 27, 1811. When he arrived at the age of fifteen years, he was apprenticed for a
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term of four years to the trade of ship carpenter, at the expiration of which time he became a sea faring man. In 1829 he emigrated to New York, arriving March 1, 1830. He then engaged in running a packet ship by the name of "David Clinton," from New York to New Orleans, for about six months, after which he followed steamboating on the Mississippi for some time. In 1835 he sailed for Europe. After an absence of about five months he returned to New Orleans and worked at his trade for a year or so, when he built a schooner and made a trip to Central America, returning in about three months. In 1837 we find Mr. Matson in Galveston, Texas. In 1838 he built a sloop called " Thomas Jack," this being the first vessel ever con- structed in Texas, which he sailed for three years. He then built a second schooner, known as the " Native of Texas," which was used in the Quarter- master's Department during the Mexican war of 1846-7-8, carrying troops and provisions from New Orleans to the Rio Grande. This was the first vessel that ever sailed from the port of New Orleans under the Texas flag. In 1857 he built the schooner "Union" at Texas. In 1861 he entered Pensacola just as the war broke out, and was there blockaded, and had the misfortune to have his vessel destroyed by fire on the 11th of March, 1862, by confederate troops. He then remained on shore until 1866, when he raised that portion of the vessel which escaped being burned (the hull), and rebuilt the craft. In 1868 he took a load of lumber to Havana, Cuba, and from that point proceeded to New York with a cargo of sugar, sold the same and emigrated to California via Panama, arriving in San Francisco August 20, 1868. Mr. Matson has been master of different vessels for thirty years, He settled in this county September 9, 1868, upon his present estate comprising fifty acres of land. Here, beneath his own vine and fig-tree, sheltered from the fierce storms and the lashing waves of the trackless deep, he has settled, to live in peace and quiet until summoned to guide the bark over smoother waters into a fairer land. Mr. Matson married Mrs. Mary M. Porter, August 12, 1861. She is a native of Mississippi, born December 20, 1824.
Mitchell, R. T. Whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Sumner county, Tennessee, October 31, 1833. When ten years of age he with his parents moved to Todd county, Kentucky, where they remained six years; thence to Washington county, Illinois, where he remained four years. In March, 1853, being twenty years of age, he crossed the plains with Mr. Wilson White, who brought a drove of cattle and ox-teams, arriving in this county in October of the above year, located permanently in the Fall of 1854 on his present estate, about one mile from Windsor. Married Miss Sarah J. Carter, October 1, 1854. She was born in Sumner county, Tennessee, December 17, 1831. Their living children are : Emma C., Bertie and Wil- liam. They have lost two, Johnnie and Robert J.
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James Sıruse
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Van Winkle, Thomas. A native of Perry county, Indiana; born April 4, 1817, where he resided until 1842, when he moved to Jefferson county, Iowa, residing here one year, he moved to Davis county and remained until 1854. In April of this year he emigrated to California, crossing the plains with an ox-team, being nearly six months on the road. He first set- tled in this township, near the town of Windsor, where he resided one year, when he moved to Santa Rosa township, residing two years, and thence to Petaluma township where he remained three years. In the Fall of 1860 he settled upon his present ranch, comprising three hundred and twenty acres of land. He now holds the office of School Trustee. Married Pollie Ann Faught, June 18, 1848. She was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, Novem- ber 24, 1831. By this union they have nine living children: Amanda born April 4, 1849, died June 17, 1853; Mrs. Samantha Mead, born November 25, 1850; William P., born December 13, 1852; Mrs. Nancy Near, born February 26, 1855; Louisa, born February 7, 1857; Isaac Mil- ton, born February 22, 1859; Ida May, born June 10, 1861; Alice, born December 23, 1863; Olive, born May 24, 1866; James Thomas, born April 22, 1869, died February 23, 1878; Evelina, born March 11, 1875.
SALT POINT.
Call, G. W. Whose portrait appears in this work, was born in 1829, in what is now Lake county, Ohio. After living in several of the Western States, he in 1851 left his home in Illinois and went to Missouri, from which State he crossed the plains to California, in 1852. After remaining one year in the mines he went to San Francisco, thence to Oregon and Northern Cali- fornia, and finally went into the lumber or rather the logging business at Humboldt bay. In 1855 he left Humboldt, and the next year, while at San Francisco, he became acquainted with Mr. Adams (generally known as Grizzly Adams), who was then exhibiting some grizzly bears on Clay street, and they made an arrangement by which Call furnished Adams with money to start the museum and menagerie on the corner of Clay and Kearny streets. This institution soon became quite celebrated, and the receipts were large; but the expenses were also heavy, and for over two years Mr. Call, being unable to withdraw from it, remained ostensibly the financial agent, but really the owner of that establishment. In 1858 he went to Puget Sound
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