USA > California > Yuba County > History of Yuba County, California, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks and manufactories > Part 3
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CHAPTER IJ.
HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA.
Discovery Early Voyagers Origin of the Name Establishment of Missions-Discovery of the Bay of San Framisen Seenlarization Revolutiony Settlement of Yerba Buena-Russians at Fort Rows Americans" Desire for the Possession of Californ'a-Blunder of Commodore Jones Thomas O. Larkin's Efforts to Seenre the Territory for the United States Arrival of Fremont Arts of the Bear Flag l'arty Construction of the Noted Flag-Seizure of Mon- terey by Commodore Slont and Yerba Buena hy Captain Montgomery The Mexican War - Trenty of Gundalny Hidalgo Subsequent Events.
THE Spaniards, having conquerel Mexico in 1519, were desirous of possessing still more territory. They had a vague idea that a land lay northwest of " New Spain," as Mexico was called, whiel would rival that entry in wealth and beauty. Cortes, in 1535, made the attempt to discover this region, but after landing on the peninsula of Lower California gave up the search. The coast of California proper was discovered in 1542 by Jose R. Cabrillo, who sailed as far north as the 14th parallel of latitude. Authorities diff'or in regard to the derivation of the name California. The most probable theory is, that the word was found in an obscure Spanish novel, Las Sergas de Explonulian, published in 1510, in which the naune was applied to an island " on the right hand of the Indies, near the Terrestrial Paradiso." For a mimber of years the hook was oxcoodingly popular. It is not claimed that the newly discovered land was tho samo as that mentioned by the Spanish author, or that it was applied on account of the beauty of the country, for the parts explored at that time wero confined to the rough and rocky coast. Liko all new lands, California was supposed to abound in valuable minorals and precious stones, hence the name used in the romance spokon of scemed peculiarly appropriate. This, with the additional desiro to lend greater interest to the country by the use of so popular a name, was undoubtedly tho reason for its application. Another thoory regarding tho naming is that it was derived from the Latin words calidas fornus -- hot oven. The reason assigned by those who favor this theory is the universal nse among natives of the sweat- house or hot-oven in the treatment of disease. In 1579, Sir Francis Drako, an English navigator, after having failed in an attempt to sail through the supposed opon northern sea, turned southward and on the sevonteenth of Juno, sailed into a "faire good bay," which was prob- ably the present Drake's Bay. It was soon afterwards called San Fran- cisco Bay by the Spaniards, but it was not until nearly two centuries had elapsed. that this name was changed to its present application. In 1595, the San Augustin, commanded by Captain Cermenon, was wreckedl in Drake's Bay. The pilot, who escaped to Mexico, went out seven years later in an exploring expedition under Sebastian Viz- caino; the vessels, two in number, stopped at San Diego and Mon- terey, sailed into Drake's Bay and went fiuther northward. The modern Bay of San Francisco had not as yet been discovered. In
1740, a map was published in Spain which had a rough representa- tion of the bay; the source of this knowledge is not known.
The discovery of Lower California was followed by the settlement of that region by the Jesuits. In 1767, an order was issued for the expulsion of the Jesuits, the Franciscan friars succeeding them in the Missions already established in the Californian peninsula. The Mis- sion system was now to be extended farther north into what was called for the first time Upper or New California. Father Junipero Serra was selected to take charge of this enterprise by the superior of the convent of San Fernando, in New Spain, under whose general direction the work was to he carried on. By previous arrangement, four expeditions were sent from Lower California to the new terri- tory, two by land and two by sea. The San Carlos, which sailed on the eleventh of January, 1769, did not reach her destination, San Diego, for three months and a half. In the meantime, the San Antonio, which departed a month later, mecting more propitions weather, arrived at San Diego, April 11th. This was the commence- ment of the permanent occupation of California hy white men. The first land expedition, under Captain Rivera and Friar Crespi, arrived at San Diego, May 14th; the second, under Captain Portala and Father Junipero Serra, reached that place on the first of July. Active operations were now commenced and on the sixteenth of the month the Mission of San Diego was founded. On the fourteenth of July, Captain Portala, governor of the territory, with friars Jnan Crespi and Gomez, and a large party of whites, departed on a journey to occupy Monterey.
They passed by the desired spot without recognizing it, journeyed ou ntp the coast, and November 7, 1769, arrived at the Bay of San Fran- cisco. Hence, friar Jnan Crespi, the leader of the expedition, made the real discovery, and it was not accomplished nntil one hundred and ninety years after its supposititions discovery by Drake. The party returned to San Diego and on a subsequent expedition located the Mission of San Carlos and the Presidio of Monterey. The follow- ing, from Hoffman's Reports, volume one (appendix), is a list of the twenty-one Missions established by friars during their occupation, with the date and place of their location :-
NAMES. WHEN FOUNDED. WHERE LOCATED. NO. ACRES.
San Diego .. July 16, 1769. ... San Diego. 22.24
San Carlos de Monterey or
El Carme. June 3, 1770. . . . Monterey 9.00
San Antonio de Padua. . .. July 14, 1771. .. . San Luis Obispo. 33.19
San Gabriel Areangel. .Sept. S, 1771 ... . San Gabriel. 190.69
San Luis Obispo. .Sept. 1, 1772. . . . San Luis Obispo. 52.72
San Francisco de Assis or
Dolores .Oct. 9, 1776. ... San Francisco. S.SI
San Juan Capistrano. . Nov. 10, 1776 .... Los Angeles. 44.40
NAMES.
WIIEN FOUNDED. WHERE LOCATED. NO. ACRES.
Santa Clara
.Jan. 18, 1777 .... Santa Clara. 13.13
San Buenaventura
March 31, 1782. . .. San Buenaventura ... 36,27
Santa Barbara.
. Dec. 4, 1786. .. . Santa Barbara 37.83
La Purisima Concepcion.
Dec. S, 1787. . . .
Santa Cruz.
Ang. 28, 1791 .... Santa Cruz. 16.94
La Soledad
.Oct. 9, 1791. . .. Monterey. 34.47
San Jose.
.June 11, 1797. . . . Alameda County. 28.33
San Juan Bantista
.June 24, 1797. . . . Monterey 55.23
San Miguel Arcangel.
.July 25, 1797. .. . San Miguel. 33.97
San Fernando.
. Sept. S, 1797. .. . San Fernauilo. 76.94
San Luis Rey
.June 13, 1798 ... . Sau Diego 53.39
Santa Incz. Sept. 17, 1804 .... Santa Barbara. 17.25
San Rafael Areangel. Dec. 18, 1817. . . . Marin County. 6.48
S. F. de Solano. Ang. 25, 1823 .... Sonoma 14.20
In addition to those mentioned in the above table and generally accepted as being properly called Missions, the following are given : Canada de los Pinos or College Rancho, located in Santa Barbara County, and containing 35,499.37 acres; La Laguna, located in San Luis Obispo Connty, and containing 4,157.02 acres; Two Gardens, in San Luis Obispo County.
At first the Indians were exceedingly cautious about approaching or connecting themselves with this new style of civilization, but gradually their fears and superstitions were overcome and they began to cluster about the Fathers. Their old habits and manner of living were thrown off and they contented themselves with the quiet life and somewhat laborious duties of the Missions. In 1822, the inde- pendence of Mexico from Spanish rule was formally recognized, and two years later a republican constitution was adopted for the govern- ment of the Mexican citizens, under which California, on account of her sparse population, ranked only as a territory. In 1836, a change having been made in the political affairs in Mexico, the Californians arose in rebellion under Juan Bautista Alvarado and Isaac Grabam, but were finally quieted down and compelled to accept the condition of affairs.
Heretofore the soldiers in the Presidios had played an nnimportant part, the friars in the Missions being the controlling power. but now the Mexican Government intended to reverse the order of prom- inence. August 17, 1833, the Mexican Congress passed a bill to secularize the Missions in Upper and Lower California. This took away from the friars the control of the Mission property. placing it in charge of administrators; it gave the civil officers predominance over the priestly class. The President of the Republic issned his instructions to Governor Figueroa, of California, who in turn. August 9, 1834, issued a decree that in August, 1835, ten of the Missions would be converted into pueblos or towns. A portion of the Mission property was divided among the resident Indians, who had now be-
LITH BY C.L.SMITH & CO. OAKLAND. CAL.
RESIDENCE OF I. S. BELCHER, MARYSVILLE, YUBA CO. CAL.
23
HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
come indepemlent citizens, but their business capabilities were not sufficiently developed and their ohl habits were too strongly implantel, so the greater proportion som resmed their foruor wild mode of living. This action on tho part of the Mexican authorities was the leath blow to the Mission system aml its overthrow was soon accom- plished.
The following extract is from the original report of the Rev. Father President of the Mission establishments of the Upper Cali- fornia, dated the 31st of Decomber, 1828, now in tho possession of Mr. J. Alexandor Forbes. It shows the result of the labors of the Authors during a period of fifty-nine years from 1769.
21
Number of Missions,
83,696
BAptiXHIM,. 22,009
Marriages,
59,082
Deaths, 18,731
Existing Indians, .
173,238
Hornet Catth,
183,183
Sheep,
4,944
= (inats, . . .
1,508
Swine, ..
Brewling Mares, 14,417
= Tame Horas, . 5,103
66
Mnles, . . . 1,907
A margin should be added to the number of live stock, as the Inthers, who woro compelledl to douate to the support of the Presidios in proportion to tho property possessed by thom, would report below the truo amount.
In the menntime, foreignors had commenced their visitations and settlemonts. Iu tho summer of 1835, Wm. A. Richardson moved from Saucolito to Yorhu Buonn (San Francisco), opened a store, and began trading in hides und tallow. Jacob P. Locse, for a number of years n resident of Los Angeles, in July, 1836, built a store in Yerba Buena. He had previously met many obstacles in obtaining a grant of land upon which to locate the building, but by the authority of Governor Chico, this was finally offectod. Previous to the location of Richardson and Leese, tho only inhabitants of the Pueblo and Mission at Yerba Buena were Spaniards, Mexicans und Indians; in other parts of tho State, several Americans had settled. In 1840, there were in Yerba Buena for Americans, four Englishmen, and six other Europeans. For a number of years, the Russians had been occupying and trapping in the country around Bodega bay under a charter from Spain, their headquarters being Fort Ross. Although the Mexican Government had cast envious eyes on the little settlement, the authorities did not dare to molest the occupants. Finally, in 1840; the Russians withdrew, disposing of their establishment and property to Capt. John A. Sutter, for thirty thousand dollars, to be paid on time.
The desire for the possession of California by the Americans commenced with the dawn of the nineteenth century. The sway of the feeble Mexican power cansed no advancement in the condition of the population, mol a land of such vast resources needed stronger and more enlightened rulers. Being located confignous to the United States, and having a large part of its population of that nationality, it was no womler that the tendency for annexation was in that direction. An offer was made to Mexico for California in 1835. when it was expected that the annexation of Texas would be accom- plished, but it was rejected. Notwithstumbling this refusal, from 1837 the securing of the State was regarded as a certainty, and in event of a war with Mexico, California was to be seized. Acting under instructions, Commodore Jones entered the harbor of Montercy, October 19, 1842, with the frigate United States and the corvette Cyune, and hearing the rumor of war, took possession of the town. The falsity of the report was learned next day, and the lowering of the flag, and the offering of an apology quickly followed. With the inauguration of President Polk ou the fourth of March, 1845, the movement tending to the acquisition of California took a more definite shape. June 24, 1845, the Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft, issued orders to Commodore Sloat, in command of tho North Pacific Squadron, directing :- " If you should " ascertain with certainty, that Mexico has declaredl war against the " United States, you will at once possess yourself of the port of San " Francisco, and blockade or occupy such other ports as your force " may permit." Both England and France desired the possession of the territory, but neither dared to take the initiatory steps towards securing it.
Thomas O. Larkin, the American Consul at Monterey, who under instructions had gained a great amount of influence among the leading native Californians, suggested and caused the issuance of a cir- cular by Governor Pico, in May, 1816, calling a convention of thirty of the more prominent men in the country. This assemblage were to discuss the condition of affairs and to petition the Mexican anthorities for an improved government; if the request met with a refusal, the territory was to be sold to some other power. The ten- dency of this discussion would be towards the transfer of the terri- tory to the United States. The convention did not meet, however, as events transpired which precladed the possibility of a peaceful trans- fer. Lient. Jolm C. Fremont arrived in that year, and soon became embroiled in a wordy contlict with the authorities in regard to the ownership of a horse, which nearly led to a pitched battle. This serious complication was averted, and Fremont moved off towards Oregon. On the fourteenth of June, 1846, the Americans north of San Francisco, under Captain S. Merritt and Mr. Wm. B. Ide, withont
consultation with the representative men of the lower portion of the country, suddenly siezed the town of Sonoma, imprisoned General M. G. Vallejo and others, declared California independent, and raised the celebrated " Bear Flag." It seemed necessary for these revolu- tionists to have some standard under which to pursue their career of eonquest, and accordingly they devised, and with the rude appliances at hand constructed a banner. Perhaps no botter description of this noted tlag can be given than that published by us in our Ilustralad History of Sonoma County. " Three men, - Ben Duell (now of " Lake County), Told and Currie,-made tho flag. Duell and Currie, "as it happened, were both saddlers, mul did tho sewing; Ford painted " the stripes and the bear. The material of which the stripes were " made was not, as has been stated, an old red Immunol petticoat, but " wns new flannel and white cotton, which Duell got from Mrs. W. B. " Elliott, who had been brought to the town of Sonoim,-hor Imshand, " W. B. Elliott, being one of tho bear-llag party. Somo blue domestic " was found elsewhere, and used in making the flag; the drawing was " rudely done, and, when finished, the bear,-from which tho flag and " party took their name,-resomblod a pig as much as tho object for " which it was intended. Tho idea of tho bear was, ilint having " entered into the fight, there was to bo no back-down, or surrender, " until the end in view was accomplished.
News of the war on the Rio Graude renched Commodore Stout at Mazatlan on the, soventh of Jnuo, 1846, and on the following day ho sailed in the Savannah for Monteroy, arriving on tho second of July. On the seventh, Captain Mervine went ashore and took pos- session of the Custom House and Presidio, raised tho Stars and Stripes and read a proclamation from Commodoro Sloat announcing that " henceforth California will be a portion of the United States." The next day Captain Montgomery, commanding the Portsmouth then lying at Yerba Buena, received his orders from Commodore Stoat and hoisted the flag on the plaza. Three days afterward, tho colors wero floating at Monterey, San Francisco, Sonoma, Bodega, and New Hel- vetia, and soon afterwards at Los Angeles and San Diego. The war between Mexico and the United States lasted for two years, although little fighting was done in California, and that was confined to the lower parts of the territory. The occupation of the Mexican capital by General Scott, September 14, 1847, practically ended tho war, although the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was made February 2, 1848, and the ratifications were exchanged May 30th.
The discovery of goldl, January 19, 1848, an account of which will be found in a subsequent chapter, gave a wonderful impetus to immigration. Men flocked in from all parts of the world, populating this region heretofore comparatively unknown. The need of a more stable government being felt, and as it was certain that the new
24
HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
territory would soon possess the necessary requirements of a State, General Riley, the Military Governor, issued a call for a convention to prepare a constitution. The delegates assembled September 3, 18,19, and when their work had been duly ratified, the election for State officers was held. After a hated and bitter discussion between the Northern and Southern members relative to the question of slavery in the new nequisition, Congress, on the seventh of September, 1850, passed a bill submitting California as a State, and two days later, the President's signature was appended.
On its subsequent history, volumes could be written, but most of the information would prove so finmiliar to the reader as to preclude any glance at the pages. The progress has been marvelons, and while it has been by irregular movements at varied intervals, still tho smumit of prosperity is far in the future.
CHAPTER 111.
INDIANS.
('ol. J. J. Warner's Account The Srourge of 1833 General John Bidwell's Description of its Kfferts Theory Regarding its Contraction. Division of the Indians of California - Adum dolaze's Report Local Indian Frites in Yuba und Sutter Counties Characteristics- Features Dwellings Huir Ornaments Cuvering Manner of Gathering Food-Kinds- Prijuratim for Enting Water ('ratt Weapons Festivities.
ErANDLocIST's have written and theorized in reference to the California Indians, but have come to no satisfactory conclusion regarding the place whence they immigrated, or the date of their actual settlement on this coast. It is sufficient to know that when the first white man passed through this valley, he found the Indian villages swarming with the rude barbarians.
('ol. 1. J. Warner, at present residing in Los Angeles, was one of the Ewing Young party, who, while on a trapping expedition, passed up though the Sacramento valley in 1832, and returned in 1833. His description of the Indians is as follows :-
" The banks of the Sacramento river, in its whole conrse through " its valley, werr studded with Iulian villages, the houses of which, " in the spring, during the day-time, were red with the salmon the " atorigines were curing. At this time there were not, upon the San " Jmumin or Sacramento rivers, or any one of their tributaries, nor " within the valleys of the two rivers, any inhabitants but Indians, " among whom we occasionally found one, who had fled from some of " the Missions of California. On no part of the continent over " which I had then, or have since traveled, was so mmnerons an " hulian population, subsisting upon the natural products of the soil "and waters, as in the valleys of the San Jonynin and Sacramento. " There was no cultivation of the soil by them; game, fish, nuts of " the forest, aml seeds of the fields, constituted their entire food.
" They were experts in catching fish in many ways, and in snaring " game in divers modes. On our return, late in the summer of 1833, " we found the valleys depopulated. From the head of the Sacra- " inento, to the great bend and slough of the San Joaquin, we did not " see more than six ov eight live Indians, while large numbers of their "skulls and dead bodies were to be seen under almost every shade " tree, near water, where the nninhabited and deserted villages had ' been converted into graveyards; and, on the San Joaquin river, in " the immediate neighborhood of the larger class of villages, which, " the preceding year were the abndes of a large number of those " Indians, we found not only many graves, but the vestiges of a " funeral pyre. At the mouth of Kings river we encountered the " first and only village of the stricken race that we had seen after " entering the great valley; this village contained a large number of " Indians, temporarily stopping at that place. We were encamped " near the village one night only, and, during that time, the death " angel, passing over the camping ground of these plague-stricken " fugitives, waved his wand, summoning from the little remnant of a '" once numerous people, a score of victims, to muster in the land of " the Manitou; and the cries of the dying, mingled with the wails " of the bereaved, made the night hideons, in that veritable valley "of death. This disease, which swept down the valley of the " Sacramento, and up that of the San Joaquin, appeared, so far as I " could judge (aml I came near dying from it), to be a most acute " and violent type of remittent fever. It attacked members of our " party, when we were upon the San Joaquin, near the Merced river, " and nearly every one of the party suffered from it. Two Indian " boys about fifteen or sixteen years of age, one a Columbia river or " Oregon Indian, the other from New Mexico, both of our party, " died of the fever. The disease presented none of the symptoms of " cholera. Its fatality among the Indians, was, in my opinion, in " great measure owing to the treatment of the sick, which was to u give them a hot air bath in their sweat houses, and then immerse " them in water; the immersion was soon followed by death. " Excepting the Indians of our company who died, I was the most " severely affected member of our party. In fact I was left, while " on the marsh, the day following our encampment at the mouth of " Kings river, unable to ride, and as was supposed, to die; but in the " evening I revived, and was able to mount my mule and reach camp."
It seems to be a disputed question whether the epidemic which prevailed in 1833 was the small-pox or cholera. General Bidwell and Mr. Claude Chana both agree in the assertion that it was the former. General Bidwell relates that several years before he came to this country in 1841, the small-pox broke ont among the Indians of this valley, contracted, probably, from the trappers of the Hudson
Bay Company, and must have destroyed a large number of them in the valley and depopulated whole villages. The General informs us that he has seen the sites of villages where no Indians had lived since his arrival in the country, strewn with whole skeletons; in fact, he was able to count from a single standpoint, no less than forty. A village is mentioned in particular, located on the east bank of the Sacramento at the mouth of Feather river, and there were numerous others on the west bank of the latter along nearly its whole length, and a considerable number on the east bank. The bodies or skeletons were found on the river banks, and under bushes in the woods, as if the sufferers were endeavoring to protect themselves from the ravages of the pestilence. In many cases the remnants of these tribes were absorbed by others. The fact that the pestilence was small-pox was proven by the stories of Indians, who were themselves attacked and had recovered, carrying with them its marks as evidences. The habit of the Indians when attacked by any kind of fever was to rush into the river, the general result proving fatal from the too sudden chill.
Mr. Chana, already referred to in this connection, states that lie had an Indian woman in his employ, who, having passed through the scourge in 1833, declared the disease was introduced among them by the Hudson Bay Company. She claimed that the company desired to get the Indians out of the valley, as they interfered with the trapping, and in order to accomplish their end, sent to them articles of clothing inoculated with the disease. This feature of the narrative, Mr. Chana states, was verified to him by the trappers whom he met in Saint Joseph, Missouri, before he came here, and it was the prevailing ex- planation among the Indians and the early settlers, as to the origin of the scourge. This theory does not seem credible, as such inhumanity could hardly exist among members of an organization so fair and hon- orable in all its dealings as was the Hudson Bay Company. It is probable that the Indians, in their ignorance and superstition, ascribed it to that canse on account of the jealousy and rivalry existing between them and the foreign trappers.
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