USA > California > Kings County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 3
USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
16
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
were not disposed to take the same view of the necessity of adopting a more severe penalty for the Indians than was meted out to whites for similar offenses. The chief was anxious to preserve peace and volunteered his services to aid in the arrest of the culprit. The officers deputized to make the arrest were (. R. Wingfield and Jim Hale. They, in company with the chief, went to Cottonwood creek, near Elder Springs (Woodlake). Here the old chief suggested the plan of having the officers remain under a tree while he should go and make the arrest.
Among these Indians the province of a chief is to advise rather than command, and the old chief perhaps regarded it as uncertain whether the young men of the camp would acquiesce in the surrender until they knew what the character of the pun- ishment would be. The chief's pony was well jaded and Wing- field suggested an exchange of horses. After the officers had remained under the trees until they began to grow impatient, they saw two or three Indians on foot approaching from a dis- tance. They came up and sullenly seated themselves under the tree. Soon after three or four more appeared. They were bounti- fully supplied with bows and arrows and Wingfield made the comment that they were going to be able to make an arrest quite beyond the scope of their original purpose. He saw no other plan, however, than that of awaiting the return of his horse. Soon the chief made his appearance with the prisoner, followed by about forty Indians fully equipped for war.
When they came up, the officers, assuming a bold front in an unpleasant emergency, took the prisoner in charge and started for camp, a distance of about ten miles. Arriving there the pro- cession halted in front of the office of the justice of the peace, i.e., under the election tree. The Indians were resolved to allow no punishment which they did not sanction to be inflicted. The whites, of whom there were eighteen, were unaccustomed to brook anything like insolence from an Indian without shooting him down, and, having started in with the case, they saw no means of retreat without feeling a loss of dignity.
Such an astounding capture, though unexpected, was fully comprehended and both parties were well assured that the first display of force on either side until the matter was arranged would lead to indiscriminate slaughter. For two days and two nights the matter was angrily discussed and finally the Indians submitted to having the case tried in the white man's way. The evidence on both sides was heard, and a judgment rendered that the accused Indian pay a fine of fifty bnekskins to the owner of
17
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
the ox. The Indians accepted this verdict as being perfectly just. the fine was at once paid and good feeling re-established.
In the new settlement, by the close of '53 and the beginning of '54. many enterprises had been undertaken and much activity along many different lines manifested. Warren Matthews was building a millrace and a gristmill, using largely Indian labor. Nathan Baker had opened a store; a man named Ketchem started a saloon; many settlers made the trip to Stockton for seed, im- plements and provisions. A school was started with about half a dozen scholars. Children had been born, Commodore Murray being the first and "Sieb" Stevenson the second. O. K. Smith put up a sawmill for entting oak timber, about half a mile east of Visalia.
But we will pause here in the narration of historical events, while we have the opportunity, to survey the conditions in which the settlers found themselves. In 1853 the Williamson topograph- ical survey party, in search of a railroad route through the in- terior of California, passed through this valley. The impressions of mineralogist William B. Blake, set down at the time, are so vivid and interesting that they are reproduced here.
"Kings river to the Four Creeks, Ang. 1, 40.4 miles: Left camp on the borders of Kings river and travelled along its right bank to Poole's ferry, twelve miles below.
"From the banks of the river at this ferry, there is nothing to obstruct the vision across the whole breadth of the Tulare valley, and the coast mountains may be dimly seen rising above the limits of the far-stretching plains. The Sierra Nevadas also present a magnificent spectacle from this place. The chain ap- pears to reach a great altitude and to rise abruptly from the surrounding subordinate ridge. The ontlines of the distant chain were sharply defined and the prominent peaks showed out boldly against the clear blue sky. Snow was resting on the summits in broad white fields that glistened under the rays of an unclouded sun and by its rapid melting kept the rivers well supplied with water.
"From Kings river to the Four Creeks the surface of the ground shows but few undulations and may be considered as nearly level. The soil contains a large proportion of clay and must necessarily become soft and miry during the rainy season. About three miles northward of Elbow creek a large area of surface is composed almost wholly of clay without any admixture of sand or gravel and has evidently been nearly fluid in the wet season. This was shown by the deep tracks of animals in the then hard, sun-baked surface, and by great numbers of skeletons of cattle that have sunk in the deep, thick mud and been left
18
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
there to die of starvation. Their whitened bones stood upright in the clay like posts around a grave. The drying up of this clayey ground has produced deep shrinkage cracks and fissures similar to those observed in the rich soils around the bay of San Francisco.
"Four Creeks: From the level of the arid and treeless plain (what is now our richly productive tree and vine covered Alta district) bounded on the west by equally barren mountains, we made a sudden descent of about ten feet to the bottom land of Four Creeks. Here the aspect of the landscape suddenly changed. Instead of the brown, parched surface of gravel, to which the eye is accustomed on the surrounding plains, we find the ground hid- den from view by a luxuriant growth of grass and the air fragrant with the perfume of flowers. The sound of flowing brooks and the notes of the wild birds greet the ear in strange contrast with the rattle produced by the hot wind as it sweeps over the dried weeds and gravel of the plain.
"The whole scene is overshadowed by groves of majestic oaks and the eye can wander down long avenues of trees until lost in the shadows of their foliage. This scene of natural beauty is the result of natural irrigation, the ground being abundantly watered by the Pi-piyuna river, which supplies the water that forms the Four Creeks * * In fact, a broad delta is here formed between the Tulare lake and the mountains, and the profuse vegetation may not only be referred to the presence of water, but to the fertility of the soil, which is alluvial and is frequently enriched by overflows of the creeks."
Visalia at this time was practically situated in a jungle sur- rounded by a swamp. On the plains beyond and in the more open portions of the oak forest, deer, elk and antelope abounded. Here, too, were numerous bands of wild horses.
Capt. Thomas H. Thompson, in his history of Tulare county thus graphically speaks of these: "The region, too, as early as the summer of 1850, had been visited by large numbers in the pursuit of wild horses, these being in droves of thousands on the plains and about the lake. Westward but a short distance were the great ranchos of the Spanish period and from these the Indians had driven large bands of horses which became wild on the plains and increased in vast numbers. These animals in their wild freedom, their grace and beauty, their long flowing manes and tails, their speed and numbers, had attracted the attention and won the admiration of the immigrant of 1849, as he, with feeble ox or wornout mule, passed from the southern deserts through the valley on his painful journey to the mines farther north. He was fascinated with the beautiful and
19
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
romantic sight, as great troops of the fat and glossy animals gal- loped past. Many of these immigrants and many other adventurous spirits returned the following year in the hope of wealth by captur- ing the wild horses of the Tulare plains. Large corrals of brush and fence and tule with branching wings were constructed, pits were excavated and other devices were essayed; fleet horses with skillful riders with lassos were employed, and all the efforts possible were made to capture the wild horses. Many were taken, a comparative few were tamed and subdued to use; great numbers were killed, and so vigorous was the onslaught that but a year or two elapsed when the wild horse was a rarity in the valley. They were beautiful animals, and in numbers a grand sight in their wild state, but when captured difficult to tame, always dangerous to handle, skittish and nervous, retaining during life their wild and untamable spirit. At least, such is the experience the writer of this had with the wild horses from the Tulare in 1850."
20
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
CHAPTER II INDIAN WAR OF '56
In the growth of the settlement Indians materially aided. They were docile, friendly, willing to work and were employed in taking care of stock and in farm and household work. And yet in 1856 the settlers had trouble with them of so serious a nature as to develop into what has been called the "Indian War."
For an account of this we are principally indebted to Stephen Barton, writing in 1874, when the principal actors in the drama were still alive and he had every opportunity to obtain an accurate version of the matter. Additional facts secured through the researches of George W. Stewart in 1884, are linked in with the narrative which we present here.
In the spring of this year there came a rumor that a large hand of cattle on Tule river had been stolen by Indians and driven off. Without investigation hurried preparations for war were at once begun. Scores of young bloods were ready to spring to the service of their country at once. Now, the Indians were generally employed by the settlers in farm work of all kinds, in the care of stock and as household servants, and were proving themselves honest and trust- worthy. Therefore, a few of the settlers conceived the idea of hear- ing both sides of the story and inquired of the Indians what they knew of the stealing, and were soon astonished to find that as a matter of fact, no cattle had been stolen. The Indians said a young man by the name of Packwood had married an Indian girl and that according to their enstom her tribe had assembled for a feast. Pack- wood contributed a yearling calf taken from his father's herd. Thus dwindled to almost nothing the rumor that five hundred cattle had been stolen.
Nathan Dillon, Wiley Watson, Mr. Kenney and several others. feeling that it was an outrage to drive the Indians to the wall on so slight a pretext, undertook to remonstrate. These men were among the most high-minded and substantial citizens of the county, but their arguments proved without avail. The tribe camped a mile below Visalia were ordered to surrender their arrows and to move their camp up to the western edge of the town. A party of mounted men went to the camp of the Yokos, near Exeter, and with vells and shots dispersed the Indians there, who fled, terror-stricken, to the swamps. A band of ruffians met one Indian on the road near Ontside Creek and killed him without provocation.
A crowd of lawless men in Visalia conceived the idea of he-
21
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
sieging a camp of about forty narmed and friendly Indians of all ages and sexes, about two miles east of town, and of putting them to death by night. D. B. James and a few others, hearing of this diabolical scheme, brought the Indians into town where they could receive the protection of those averse to the shedding of innocent blood.
Meantime, the toesin of war continued to sound. Settlers and miners from distant parts gathered and a military organization was effected under the command of Captain Demasters. These prepara- tions frightened the Indians and they fled to join their companions on Tule river. The command of Demasters, numbering fifty or sixty men, started in pursuit and the same day a party of nine mounted men followed the trail of a band of sixty Tejon Indians, who were traveling southward in the direction of the White river. Captain Demasters' company, after reaching Tule river, continued up the north fork several miles, where columns of smoke pointed out to them the location of the camp. They found the Indians occupying a strong position, which, to their surprise, was well fortified. The location was admirably chosen, and the defences would have done credit to an experienced military engineer. A line of breastworks from two to four feet high, composed of boulders and brush, extended a distance of eighty rods along the face of a hill at the head of a little cove, or plain. Immediately in the front of the position the ground was rough and broken, but to reach it it was necessary to traverse the open plain mentioned, exposed to a fire from behind the fortification. At either end, and in the rear of the defences, was a dense thicket of chaparral extremely difficult to penetrate. The position was defended by a force numbering in the neighborhood of seven hundred warriors.
Demasters, confident of the superiority of his men, small as their members were, ordered an attack. To protect themselves against the arrows of the Indians while attempting a breach of this enclosure, a portion of the troops had uniformed themselves in a sort of petticoat made of duck, padded inside with cotton. The petticoat brigade marched boldly to the fray, but their shields proved more vulnerable than anticipated and the whites made a precipitate retreat to a point about a mile distant to await re-enforcements.
The party of nine men previously spoken of, on the trail of the Tejon Indians, kept in their saddles all day and night. and abont daylight on the following morning, near where the village of Ducor is now situated, came upon the Indian camp. The dogs began barking and one of the Indians, painted and decked with feathers. stepped forward to a little knoll that commanded a view in all direc- tions, to ascertain the cause of the disturbance. John W. Williams, afterwards city marshal of Visalia for several years, directed the 2
.).)
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
man nearest him, who had a rifle, to shoot. The Indian dropped dead, and the Americans charged, firing rapidly at the Indians, who scattered precipitately, leaving five dead. Williams and party then rode back to Tule river to join the force under Demasters. It was the supposition at the time that this party of Tejon Indians had been implicated in cattle stealing in Frazier valley, and had gone on a marauding expedition to White river to massacre the few whites living along the stream; but nothing was heard of them afterwards, and as they had a few women with them, they were probably only returning home to their own tribe.
When the party of whites rejoined the command under Demas- ters, it was decided to dispatch Williams to Keyesville for assist- ance. Williams set out immediately, going by way of Lynn's valley, Poso Flat and Greenhorn mountain. At Lynn's valley he changed horses and William Lynn, after whom the valley was named, agreed to accompany him part of the way. During their ride, after dark, through a heavily timbered region, where bears were plentiful, an incident occurred that is worthy of note. After riding a short dis- tance into the forest they heard a noise behind, and turning, saw a large, black animal following them. Williams was mounted on a fractions mustang which became frightened and darted up the steep mountain side, but floundered back into the trail. Soon they reached a small opening and here they determined to try the effect of a shot at the brute, which followed them persistently. Lynn dis- charged a load of buckshot and the bear fell at the first fire, greatly to their relief.
Sixty miners from Keyesville armed themselves and accom- panied Williams back. On the return the "bear" killed by Lynn was found to be a large black mule owned by a settler. It took $90 to square with the mule's owner, but that was the least of it. For a long time afterwards the mere mention of "bear oil" was sufficient to cause either Williams or Lynn to stand treat and before the joke wore ont it had cost them in the neighborhood of $500.
When the Keyesville party arrived the entire force, numbering one Inumdred and forty, was placed under the command of W. G. Poindexter, sheriff of the county, and a second assault made. During this attack two young Americans, Danielson and St. John. were severely wounded and one other, Thomas Falbert, was shot in the thigh. These were the only whites injured. The attack proved futile and Poindexter ordered his command to fall back. A portion returned to Visalia, the remainder remaining encamped nearby awaiting re-enforcements. Of the force which returned to Visalia Stephen Barton says: "Now commenced one of the most disgrace- 'ul scenes connected with the history of this valley. Having inglor- iously fled from the field of battle, this force now sought a cheap
23
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
plan of retrieving a reputation for heroism by turning on those citizens who had counseled moderation and fair dealing. The Visalia Indians had been compelled to surrender their arms and camp at the edge of town. The same anthority which required this now required that those who opposed the war should, at the peril of their own lives, as well as of the lives of the Indians involved. convey the Indians out of the settlement. Dillon, Watson, Keeney, Judge Baker, the Matthews and several others were the men who now found their lives imperiled by the fury of a lawless mob, for no other reason than that of having used words of moderation during a moment of popular frenzy. Dillon gave $10 and a thousand pounds of flour, the Matthews gave flour, and the other parties named gave in proportion and Jim Bell was hired to take a heavy ox team and haul the poor outcasts to Kings river."
The "soldiers" left in eamp ocenpied themselves in searching ont and destroying the caches of provisions which the Indians had made at different points along the foothills. These were found without difficulty, as they were usually placed in the forks of oak trees and covered with thatch.
In a few days a company from Millerton, under command of Ira Stroud, and one from Coarse Gold Gulch under command of John 1. Hunt, arrived. From Fort Miller was sent a detachment of twenty-five soldiers under Captain Livingston, bringing with them a small howitzer; and from Fort Tejon half as many mounted cavalry under the command of Alonzo Ridley, an Indian sub-agent. Captain Livingston assumed the chief command of the force which now numbered about four hundred and comprised nearly all the able-bodied men of the valley. After all had reached camp a con- sultation was held and it was agreed to divide the command into four divisions and attack the Indians at daybreak the following morning, from the front, rear and both flanks. Parties were sent out to view the country so that the several divisions might be guided to their respective positions without confusion, and Captain Livingston with his soldiers and abont sixty volunteers ascended an eminence commanding the Indian fortification in order to select the most advantageous position for mounting their howitzer.
The Indians unexpectedly made a vigorons attack on this party, precipitating the engagement. Livingston ordered a charge and with his officers, led the men in. They forced their way through the brush, at the same time firing upon the Indians, who became demoralized and fled from their strong position into the mountains where they had left their women and children. The Americans con- tinued the pursuit for several days but, failing to discover another camp or any large body of Indians, retired to the valley. Several (lead braves were found inside the fortification and there was ovi
24
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
dence of many having been borne off through the brush. This was the last real engagement and the loss to the Indians in killed and wounded from the first breaking ont of hostilities was estimated at about one hundred.
Although the whites posted detachments to prevent the Indians from returning to the valley, several parties of mounted Indians succeeded in reaching the plains at night and killed or drove off quite a number of cattle. They also burned a few houses in the foothills, and all but one along the Tule river and Deer creek, thirteen in number, the owners having deserted them for the time being. These raids continued for several weeks, until William Camp- bell, the sub-agent at Kings river, sought the Indians out in the mountains and found them willing to come to terms. The war had lasted six weeks, when the Indians returned to the valley and they have remained friendly from that time to the present day, although a little more than a decade later, a few murders committed on Tule river caused the government to send troops from San Francisco and force the Indians of that section onto a reservation set apart for them.
George Stewart says: "Thus ended the Tule river war of 1856; a war that might have been prevented had there been an honest desire on the part of the white settlers to do so, and one that brought little glory to those who participated therein. The responsibility cannot now be fixed where it properly belongs. Pos- sibly the Indians were to blame. Certainly the whites were not blame- less, and it is too seldom, indeed, that they have been in the many struggles with the aboriginal inhabitants of this continent."
The period between 1854 and the beginning of the Civil war was chiefly remarkable for the discovery of gold and the mining excitement and boom following, and for the Indian war of 1856.
D. B. and Brigham James made the first discovery of the precious metal in 1853 at Kern river. A stampede followed in which several thousand miners participated. Nearly all returned disap- pointed. However, other discoveries at White river, Keyesville. Owens river, in the Slate range and in the Coso district caused other mining booms so that for some seven or eight years there was a large population of miners, and the supplying of their wants hecame an important feature of business.
Two trails were cut across the Sierra Nevada mountains over which pack trains carrying supplies were sent. A wagon road was also constructed from Visalia through Keyesville to Lone Pine and Fort Independence.
As early as 1858 there were three quartz mills in operation in the Kern river district. These, by the way, had a greater valne according to the assessor's figures than all the taxable real estate
25
TULARE AND KINGS COUNTIES
in the county. A few years later several other stamp mills were constructed to mill the ore of the Coso and Owens river districts and the freighting of supplies became a business of great magnitude.
Unfortunately, while rich strikes were found in all these localities, it appeared that the gold generally was found either in pockets or in leads that "pinched out," and no permanent wealth producing camps resulted.
INDIAN TROUBLES IN OWENS RIVER DISTRICT
The war of 1856, with its final engagement at Battle mountain, settled completely all trouble with Indians in Tulare county proper, or that portion lying on this side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. For many years, however, sporadic trouble in the Owens river valley cansed much neasiness to our people. At times these as- sumed such magnitude that several troops of regular cavalry were employed to subject the fighting red men.
Nearly every Visalian of prominence was at this time interested in either the Coso or Owens river mines. Valuable cargo trains were at all times on the road and the menace to these as well as to the lives of smaller prospecting parties at times assumed serious proportions. These troubles culminated in 1862 and 1863. It is impossible to obtain sufficient data to give a connected account of the different uprisings, but the dangerous character of the warfare and the difficulties in the way of providing protection to settlers and miners may be judged by the following :
In the spring of 1862, Visalians sent a party with stores of arms and ammunition to render assistance and gather information. Warren Wassen reported in part as follows: "Being unable on my arrival at Amora to obtain provisions or transportation for the company organized there to receive the arms sent in my charge, 1 was compelled to leave them and proceed, accompanied by Lien- tenant Noble and his command of fifty mounted men. We arrived at the upper crossing of Owens river on the evening of April 6. On the next morning we met with Colonel G. Evans with Lieutenants French and Oliver; Captain Wynne of his command having been left with seven men to garrison the stone fort forty miles below. These were under Colonel Mayfield of Visalia.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.