USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of the State of California and biographical record of San Joaquin County; containing biographis of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 44
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at the post of duty the Brotherhood of Locomo- tive Engineers erected a beautiful memorial.
The citizens were friendly with the Southern Pacific at this time, but they still continued to charge "all the traffic would bear" and when the merchants learned that the Traffic Association had resolved to build an opposition line to Bak- ersfield they rejoiced. The Commercial Asso- ciation, anxious to have Stockton selected for a terminal point, visited San Francisco and asked the directors what they wanted. Claus Spreck- els replied : "We want all we can get ; we are poor, not I, but the company. We need con- tributions and they are going to influence us greatly." The committee returned to Stockton and under the direction of P. A. Buell, presi- dent of the body, began one of the most ener- getic and businesslike subscription campaigns ever made in the city so that on March 28, 1893, when the directors visited Stockton, the association was ready to talk business with $100,- 000 as a starter. That evening the directors were entertained by the association in the Yose- mite club rooms and the following day made an inspection of the right of way and depot grounds, although they had a good knowledge of what they wanted from the report of their engineer. The citizens made a proposition to deed them, free of cost, four blocks of land for depots, the right of way through the city and take $100,000 in stock. This offer was accepted, provided the association would give them the right of way to the boundary line of Stanislaus county in addi- tion, also twenty-five acres, then owned by Sena- tor Boggs, for a yard site and thirteen acres on the water front, then owned by Wilhoit and Dav- endorff. To this demand the association agreed, although it was an additional expense of $75,000. The amount was reduced by the farmers giving the right of way through their lands and the owners of the other property making reductions in their prices. To raise the amount a mass meeting was called April 5 in the Yosemite thea- ter, upon the same spot where forty-two years before a similar meeting had been held in the interests of the Central Pacific. A number of the citizens expressed optimistic views of the future of the city if the road was built. $12,000
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was raised at this meeting. The ladies entered heartily into the work and obtained over $1,200 by publishing a railroad edition of the Mail. Edited by Mrs. L. Clair Davis, it was published Sunday morning April 14 in a twelve-page edi- tion and the advertising alone brought over $800.
The San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad directors sent their surveyors to Stock- ton and April 8 began the survey; July 20 grad- ing on the road bed was started and that even- ing an impromptu celebration was held, a pro- cession was formed in which the dirt carts were an important feature and, led by a band of music playing "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-Night," citizens marched the streets for an hour singing and being assisted in the jolli- fication by the firing of sky rockets, Roman can- dles, fire crackers and red fire. That night they slept peacefully, dreaming of an unshackled free- dom from the monopoly. It was only a dream, for in less than two years the road was sold to the Santa Fe, and by them it was extended
to Oakland, and the old prices prevailed. The Santa Fe, however, gave Stockton much bet ter service than had the Southern Pacific, both in accommodations and time, but what of the future ?
In the spring of 1906 an unknown agent quiet ly visited Stockton and began purchasing halı blocks of land on the west side of Ophir street. residence property, where the owners had lived for more than twenty years, paying them, in many cases, more than their price. Rumors were common regarding the generous purchaser and the future use of the land. Nothing definite was learned until the Western Pacific, now reported as a part of the Gould line, asked the common council for rights of way along Ophir strect. The franchise was given and the company, with- out asking the county for a dollar in lands or coin, laid their roadbed, purchased a site for their yards and soon the third trans-continental railroad will be in operation. Will we have cheaper rates or a combine of the three roads in one? Time alone will tell.
CHAPTER V. PULPIT, SCHOOL AND PRESS.
S TOCKTON has been called the "City of Churches." The name is very appropri- ate, for she has within her limits nine- teen different congregations, including the Ad- ventists, United Brethren, Christian Science, Jewish Congregation and the Salvation Army.
Although Catholicism is the pioneer religion of the coast, the Presbyterian held the first re- ligious service in Stockton, Rev. S. C. Damon, who came from Honolulu, holding services on board one of the store ships in September, 1849. James C. Westbay, a Methodist, located in Stock- ton and pitched his tent on the present site of the Yosemite theater and a few days later, on Sep- tember 15, with two others, held a meeting of prayer and praise. When on his way to the mines, late in December, 1849, a Catholic priest stopped at the home of Captain Weber and while there mass was said, this being the first Catholic
service held in Stockton. In January, 1850, the Rev. James Woods, a Presbyterian minister, held services at the house of Mr. Den, on the penin- sula, and the following Sunday obtained permis- sion to hold services in a tent occupied as a black- smith shop and a "temperance store." During the service, the ringing of the anvil as the black- smith was shoeing a horse (at $4 a shoe) so disturbed the meeting that the preacher sought a new location. During the time of the service the congregation were seated upon barrels which the preacher later found were filled with whiskey
Rev. Mr. Woods organized the Presbyterian society March 17, 1850. and resolved to erect a place of worship. Captain Weber gave him two lots and he also obtained money by subscription. the gamblers giving liberally, and in less than ten weeks a wooden builling was erecteil at a cost of $14,000. The church was dedicated May
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5, and as the streets were covered with water there was "ferryage free to those attending the service." It was known as the "little brown church under the trees" and services were held there till 1859, when the building was sold to the African Baptist denomination for $800 and re- moved to Washington street, where it is still in use. The Presbyterians then moved to the brick building still used as a house of worship and erected at a cost of $17,000 and dedicated ·on Christmas, 1859. The building was remodeled and enlarged in 1886. In June, 1865, the pipe organ costing $2,500 was installed and first heard in sacred concert. J. W. Lundy has occupied the pulpit since 1897.
The Congregational or Pilgrim Fathers de- nomination was organized September 16, 1865, with W. H. Daly as pastor. Meetings were held in the court house until April, 1870, when they removed to their own building on Miner avenue, which was erected at a cost of $7,600. On December 22 of each year the members cele- brate Fore-fathers' day, the anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. Rev. R. H. Sink has had the pastorate since June 9, 1889.
The First Episcopal service was held in the court house by Rev. O. Harriman August 25, 1850, and after the meeting the rector organized the church of St. John. In 1858 they erected the first brick church in Stockton, costing $10,- 000, and four years later introduced the first pipe organ. The corner stone was laid Septem- ber 9, 1857, and June 20 the following year the building was consecrated by Bishop Kip. In 1889 the small chapel was torn down and a much finer and larger building, together with a guild hall and rector's study, was erected.
At the residence of Mr. Den, in December, 1850, the Catholic parish was organized by Fath- 'er Vilarassa, who remained in charge for several weeks. Father Blaive, a French priest, was ap- pointed in 1851 and a frame building erected on 'the corner of Washington and Hunter streets. In 1860 plans were drawn for a building of large proportions and in July, 1861, the corner stone was laid by Archbishop Alemany. The walls of the present building were finished in 1870 and the building was consecrated December 18 by
the same archbishop. The building is still un- finished and has cost already over $50,000. The splendid organ, made to order at a cost of $4,000, was set up in June, 1881, and first used at an afternoon and evening concert. The present priest, Father William B. O'Connor, was appoint- ed to the parish in 1872 and is beloved by all who know him for his high standing as a priest and a progressive citizen. Through his efforts St. Agnes academy was established in 1876 and also St. Joseph's home was founded for old men.
The Christian church was established August 24, 1851, and their first service was held the following day in a private dwelling, where they continued to hold services until May 3, 1853, when they dedicated a house of worship. In 1860 many of the members moved to the southern part of the valley and those remaining pur- chased for $2,000 the property of the Cumber- land Presbyterian church on Lindsay street, now occupied by a school building. Again, in 1872, they purchased the property located on Sutter street owned by that denomination. Later they erected their present wooden structure at the corner of Lindsay and California streets. The present pastor is Rev. J. H. Jopson.
The first Baptist church, now being remodeled through the energy of the pastor, Rev. E. C. Van Ness, was organized March 6, 1853, by Rev. J. B. Saxton. A few months later they purchased property on Center street that had been a Mexican dance hall and fitted it up at a cost of $3,200 for holding divine services. In 1885 Captain Weber gave them a lot on Lindsay street to be used for a parsonage; they bought the two lots adjoining for $900 and in 1860 erected, at a cost of $13,000, one of the largest and most im- posing brick structures in the city, surmounted with a steeple one hundred feet high and crowned with a hand with the index finger point- ing upward. The edifice was dedicated June 23, 1861, by Rev. D. H. Cheney of San Francisco.
The largest and finest church building in the city is the Central Methodist Episcopal, that was erected in 1890 at a cost of $70,000, including the auditorium, Sunday school and lecture rooms. The corner stone was laid December 21, 1889. Bishop Fowler, with a three days jubilee, dedi-
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cated the building April 8, 1891. The Metho- dists have rapidly increased in numbers since the Rev. James Corwin arrived in Stockton in 1850, and March 16th organized the church so as to "beat" the Presbyterians. He became the first pastor and the following year Captain Weber gave them two lots at the corner of Commerce and Washington streets where a wooden build- ing was constructed, and it was dedicated July 28, 1851, by Rev. Isaac Owen. Business "moved up town" in 1860 and so did the church building and congregation, as the trustees had purchased a site at the corner of Weber avenue and San Joaquin street. In less than ten years a larger building was necessary, and selling this proper- ty for $6,500, they bought the Agricultural Hall property and fitted it up for $23,000. Again, in 1889, they were crowded for room, at which time they purchased their present property and began the construction of the present building, at the corner of Miner avenue and San Joaquin street.
Grace, or the Methodist church South, was organized in January, 1851 ; services were held in the Corinthian building by Rev. Charles Gridley. November 2 of the same year a church that they had built at the corner of California street and Weber avenue was dedicated, Rev. Dr. Boring of San Francisco conducting the services. In 1871 Rev. O. P. Fitzgerald, then superintendent of public instruction, was sent to take charge of the church and it was through his labors that subscriptions were obtained and plans drawn for a $9,000 brick building to be erected on the site of the pastor's residence. The Masons laid the corner stone March 24, 1873, and it was dedicated the same year, June 28th.
The German Methodist church was establish- ed in 1855; a small brick building was erected in September which was replaced in 1867 by a large wooden structure costing $7,000. In 1890 this was sold to the Stockton Mail and the church built a handsome building at the corner of Lind- say and American streets.
Although the American people are opposed to any union of Church and State, yet they are in- debted to the church for the first development of California, and the citizens of Stockton for the
first schools. As early as 1852 the Methodists and . Presbyterians established seminaries for girls. Two years previous, Charles Blake, a teacher, made an unsuccessful attempt to start a school; for that purpose Captain Weber had a small building erected on Main street ; this was later used as a residence for the Presbyterian minister. In April, 1850, a number of liberal citizens persuaded Dr. W. P'. Hazleton to open a private school and they would pay part of the expenses. Soon afterward this advertise- ment appeared in the paper: "All orderly chil- dren over six years of age may attend school free." Ill-health compelled the doctor to re- tire from the duties of the schoolroom and then it was carried on by Rev. W. G. Canders, a minister of the Christian church. About the same time Mrs. Isaac Woods opened a private school on the present site of the Washington school building and Mrs. J. B. Saxton, the wife of the Baptist minister, started a school at her residence.
No effort was made to organize a public school until late in the fall of 1852. In January of that year the legislature had passed a law granting state aid to city schools after they had been in operation three months. In October V. M. Pey- ton, then a member of the city council, called the attention of that body to the necessity of a public school and that they should take ad- vantage of the act of the legislature. As the treasury of the city was empty they wanted the matter postponed for another year. Peyton cx- claimed : "Let's get the money by subscription :" and putting his hand in his pocket said: "Here's $50;" each of the councilmen then contributed a like amount and $500 was the result. Two committees were appointed, one to solicit sub- scriptions from the married men and the other from the bachelors; soon there was a school fund of $1,000. A school ordinance was pas-el and Mrs. Isaac Woods was employed to instruct the girls and Dr. Canders the boys. On Febru- ary 29, 1853, the first public schools of Stock- ton were opened with about twenty pupils in each school. The boys and girls were in sepa- rate schools until 1862. In that year the trustees decided that the children would make better pro-
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gress if allowed to work together, for until this time they would never mingle together except at the annual May-day picnic and the "Crowning of the queen." For this event they would prac- tice songs and other exercises and also take a vote for the "Queen of the May." It was the delight of the parents and friends to assist in this festive occasion and they all were liberal in contributing flowers, carriages, food, money, and even the cornet band gave their services on sev- eral occasions. The first picnic was held in 1855 and it was an annual event from that time until the pupils became so numerous that they could not be comfortably entertained. Public school exhibitions were frequently given and the money used to purchase the first piano was thus obtained. Admission was free to these entertainments and when contributions of money were called for "A shower of gold and silver descended upon the stage, directed by the free handed auditors," said Mrs. Hollenbeak, in her history of the Stockton schools. "A thousand dollars was thus literally picked up and the sum was used to purchase the piano that still stands in the high school build- ing."
The pupils of the early day presented a curious mixture of races, Scotch, Irish, English, French, American, Italian and Mexican, none being ex- cluded except the negro. The foreigner's chil- dren coming from their native lands could speak but little English, if any at all, and the difficulties of the teacher can be imagined better than de- scribed.
The colored children were excluded from the schools, as slavery was then in existence in the south and a majority of the citizens of Stockton considered the colored people an inferior race and would not permit the negroes to send their children to the same schools. For them a private school was provided and this was supported by the colored people and the city. In 1863 the colored people deeded their school building and lot to the city and full control then was put in the hands of the board of education; they em- ployed S. B. Serrington, who had been a barber, to teach the school. Four years later Captain Weber gave a quarter block of land to the col- ored school and a building was erected and dedi-
cated April 27, 1867. Notwithstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation made the colored race free and the Fifteenth Amendment had given them all the rights and privileges of the white race, they were excluded from the public schools of Stockton until 1879. In that year the school was discontinued and the colored chil- dren took their places with the whites. This was not done without strong dissension, however, twenty-three of the leading citizens protesting strongly against the movement.
The children of the Orientals attended the schools without protest until 1895. At that time a native-born Chinese boy was refused admission and Mrs. Hollenbeak says: "His presence in the school room would almost pass unnoticed to a stranger-and the fact that Gum Tye wore a queue did not become known to his mates un- til he was so unfortunate as to lose his head covering at play and stood revealed with a shaven pate and close coiled queue." His kindly re- ception by teachers and scholars encouraged other Mongolians to send their sons to the public school and there are now several of the race studying English.
Naturally, in such an assemblage of mixed children as the pioneers represented, many were born of evil and immoral parents and there were many wilful and disobedient as well as malicious scholars, and the mild, persuasive means of pun- ishment and government in use today would have had about as much effect as water falling upon a duck's back. The extent or kind of pun- ishment given the disobedient ones was left to the teacher's discretion. The child was detained at the intermission and after school, banished for a definite or an indefinite time, and whipped with a strap or ferrule upon the hands. One teacher rapped the "bad one" over the knuckles and slapped his face, boxed his ears or pulled his hair. In 1875 the teachers whipped the pupil unreasonably for various offenses, severely pun- ishing some, and one teacher in anger whipped a boy until his body was black and blue. The directors had permitted this rough treatment un- fortunately until the parents arose in a body and demanded a change. Forty-eight of the leading citizens published a card on March 26 petitioning
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the board "To adopt some plan to reform the present offensive code of government, for the present unjust and excessive punishments can no longer be endured complacently." The trus- tees then adopted a resolution now in force, that no scholar should be bodily punished except aft- er school hours and in the presence of another teacher.
The up-to-date school of today is conducted along scientific lines and the methods of our fathers are obsolete. Up to 1903 a pupil's knowl- edge of his studies was learned by means of monthly written papers, his yearly standing being based upon his yearly average above or below a certain percent. This method was adopted after a long series of experiments first introduced in 1867 by Prof. A. H. Randall, then teacher of the grammar school. He introduced what is known as the percentage system. Since 1903 pupils have been promoted without stated ex- aminations or monthly markings, on the judgment of principal and teacher. Prior to that time all examinations were conducted under the oral sys- tem, and were held semi-annually. It was ad- vertised in the newspapers and the parents of the pupils, the board of education and the public assembled. The scholars would answer all ques- tions in their several studies asked by the board of education or the citizens. The exercises were opened with prayer and were varied by singing by the school and recitations and dialogues by the "bright scholars."
In the days of '49 it would have been useless if possible to attempt to classify or grade the schools, so unequal were the children in knowl- edge, for perhaps a child of fifteen would be a poor reader, but with a good knowledge of arithmetic ; while a child of ten would be a fair reader and have no knowledge of numbers. Un- der the conditions the pupils were grouped to- gether under what was known as the primary, in- termediate and grammar grades. No success- ful efforts were made to grade the schools un- til 1869. Then they were reorganized and formed into four primary and two grammar grades. Years later the grades were increased to nine, number nine being the infant grade. To make those grades harmonize with those in other
cities the numbers were reversed in 1894, the primary and grammar school work decreased to eight years, and now number eight stands at the door of the high school.
Since the carliest time the cry of the schools has been "more room," but so low was the money in the city cash box, thie providing of sufficient school accommodations was a problem. The first school rooms were in low wooden buildings with cloth and paper walls and ceilings, hot in summer and cold in winter. Buildings unfit for any other purposes were generally rented and they were often in a very unhealthy location. In 1855 the windows of the boys' room overlooked a hog pen where about fifty hogs were squeal- ing and fighting all day, and in the girls' school, the academy building, loud talking or marching in one room could be heard distinctly in the one adjoining, as the partitions were made of cloth and paper. In 1858 the trustees succeeded in ol> taining sufficient money to erect, on Center street, a two-story brick building costing $9.000. It was dedicated in February, 1858, and the scholars marched to the new building, led by the cornet band. In 1863 the citizens voted $15,000 for the erection of a four-room brick building and in December of the following year it was ready for occupation. The total cost was $17.300, for the building, lot and fencing. To this buil ling Charles T. Meader, the copper king. presented a large fine toned bell, the copper in its composition being from the mines at Copperopolis. In this building the first class was graduated from the high school in 1870 and they received their di plomas from the principal, A. H. Ran lall. Later the high school was removed to the Washington building, which was completed in 1869. From that building the graduates were sent each year until 1902, when the present building was erected. The city now has twelve excellent school buil 1- ings, ten of brick, one of wood and one of granite. Prior to 1895 "school architecture was a matter to which little attention was paid. As a conse- quence, no schools built before 1898 are models. for the interior was lacking in many points now considered necessary to modern school architec- ture. The Eldorado, however, erected in 1800. is perfect in every appointment and marks a new
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era in school architecture in Stockton," says Mrs. Hollenbeak. Two years later, in 1902, on the site where the colored school stood, the Monroe school was built, "the most beautiful specimen of school architecture in Mission style that the northern part of the state can boast."
The crowning glory along the building line is the high school, completed in 1904, and which cost, including the gymnasium, $155,000. A ten-acre plot of ground was purchased and at the special election held April 29, 1901, the citi- zens voted 1,444 to 65, to bond the district for the amount of money necessary. The corner- stone was laid April 18, 1903, by the Grand Master of Masons and the building was com- pleted the following year. The grounds are large enough for trees, grass and flowers and there is also plenty of space for football and other athletic sports now considered incidental to school work. The cost of maintenance of the high school is over $22,000 per year, which the citizens willingly pay that their sons and daugh- ters may have an education that will qualify them for life's duties. Over one thousand gradu- ates acknowledge the Stockton high school as their Alma Mater and they are found doing good service in all walks of life.
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