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 II > Part 3
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"His life was generous as his life was long ; Full to the brim of friendship and of song."
RICHARD P. HAMMOND.
The history of a community is best told in the lives of its citizens, and when these citizens are men of forceful character, progressive and pub- lic-spirited, giving of the best in their lives not alone to the upbuilding of their own fortunes and the furthering of their own personal inter- ests, but to the establishment and maintenance of enterprises calculated to advance the general welfare of those about them, then indeed is such a career worthy of a place in the highest type of citizenship. Such qualities and characteris- tics distinguished the life of the late Richard P.
Hammond, who from the time he came to Cali- fornia in 1848 up to the time of his death, in No- vember 1891, proved a dominant force in the upbuilding of this commonwealth and the devel- opment of San Joaquin county.
A descendant of one of the oldest and most. prominent American families, Richard P. Ham- mond was born in Hagerstown, Md., October 9, 1820, and was reared and educated there up to. the age of seventeen years. At this age, through. the influence of General Jackson, he secured an appointment to the United States military academy at West Point, where he was associated with many who later attained distinction in mili- tary ranks. Shortly before he was twenty-one years old, on July 1, 1841, he graduated from the academy with honors, being the twenty-first in order of merit in a class of fifty-two. There- after he was assigned as brevet second lieutenant to the Third Regiment of Artillery, which was at that time stationed at Fort McHenry, Md. Promotions followed rapidly, for in the follow- ing September he was made second lieutenant and transferred to the garrison at St. Augustine, Fla., and still later to the arsenal at Augusta. During 1845 and the early part of the year fol- lowing, Lieutenant Hammond was employed in the department of coast survey, but when war was declared with Mexico he was made first lieutenant and ordered to report to Brigadier- General Shields for duty as aid-de-camp and act- ing assistant adjutant-general. As such he marched through Coahuila, and on March 29, 1847, as one of the victorious army he entered the city of Vera Cruz. His gallant and meri- torious conduct at the battle of Cerro Gordo led to his brevet as captain, and for worthy services rendered in the engagements at Contreras and Churubusco he was made brevet major of artil- lery. The storming of the castle of Chapultepec occurred on the 13th of September, and when the troops entered the City of Mexico the following day Major Hammond was appointed secretary of the city government and acting judge advo- cate. At the close of the Mexican war he be- came adjutant of the Third Artillery, and in
Ananas Motif
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January, 1848, he was sent to the Pacific coast for the purpose of making a special survey for the Government. He remained in California until 1850, under leave of absence, and finally resigned his commission and received his honor- able release from the army.
Major Hammond was invited to the little town of Stockton by the father of the town, Capt. C. M. Weber, and still later, in 1850, they entered into partnership. The firm of Weber & Ham- mond was the first real estate firm in Stockton and represented most of the lot ownership, as well as much of the land ownership, in the county. In 1854, however, this partnership was dissolved and the lands and properties were divided. In the meantime. in 1852, Major Hammond had been elected to the legislative assembly and became speaker of that body. Thereafter, upon the expiration of his term, he was appointed collector of the port of San Fran- cisco, a position which he filled until September, 1855. During the latter year he presided over the Democratic state convention. It was in that year also that he returned to San Joaquin county and took up his residence on his ranch in Chero- kee Lane, three miles north of Stockton. Dur- ing his residence here his ranch became famous for the many hospitalities extended, prominent people from all over the state and east being lavishly entertained and treated to the excellent quail shooting which in those days was to be had in the Mokelumne live oaks. This entertain- ment included long drives over the surrounding country, all of which redounded to the great ad- vantage of the country in the matter of adver- tising its resources and its richness.
In 1871 Major Hammond was appointed gen- eral superintendent of what was then known as the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad. In the meantime, in 1868 and 1869, he had served as president of the Board of Education of San Francisco, and from that time until 1873 he was regent of the University of California. On the organization of the board of police commission- ers of that city in 1878 he was elected president. a position which he was filling at the time of his
death. Major Hammond was a confidential aswe ciate of Senator Leland Stanford during the period of his dominance of the Central and South ern Pacific railway systems, and a director ur vice-president of several of its subsihary railwas organizations.
Three sons and a daughter mourned Mejor Hammond's death, his wife having diel some years before. At the present writing caly twp children survive, the well known mining engineer, John Hays Hammond, and the dargheer. Elizabeth. Major Hammond was a typical Cali fornian in his hospitality and a westerver when viewed in the light of his energy and enter prise. His ideals were high and govoreel an his actions; his motives were never queinone l by those who knew him best and appreciatel him most for the qualities of character so rarely met with, so steadfastly disciplined, so honestly manifested. It is enough to say that hic was representative of the type of men who have inade California what it is today.
ANDREW WOLF.
To depict in their entirety the salient everita in the life of Andrew Woli would be to portray the progress of California during the period toi has elapsed since its American mecupones and such portrayal would fortunately ismfinire the younger generation of readers with ney of the thrilling adventures expepenal try me men known in history as the plancopy of ':) To this class belongs Mr. Wolf, who in the fish of young manhood made the nirmeralle journey across the plains to the tikten regine lying beside the sunset sea. Travelers of the proms dav, crossing the comtigen; in Ife edili)- equipped limiteils, cannot reibire the dangers and hardships incident to that trip talen midler Hir
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conditions existing sixty years ago. To that journey as made by Mr. Wolf there was added to the dangers from attacks by Indians and star- vation through being lost on the desert the even greater danger of cholera, whose victims fell by the wayside where their bones met the eyes of the traveler to add terror to his dreams by night.
The life which this narrative depicts began in Bath township, Greene county, Ohio, May 26, 1821, in the farm-home of John W. and Mary (Hawker) Wolf. During the era ante-dating the Revolution the Wolf family became establish- ed in America, its first representative in this country being a pioneer of Pennsylvania. There John W. Wolf was born in 1791 and from there in 1792 he was taken by his parents to Greene county, Ohio, the family settling on what was then known as the western frontier. The first recollections of the boy were associated with visits from friendly Indians and with hunts for wild animals, the securing of game being the means of furnishing the family larder with meat. During 1812 his father died of the plague and later he bought from the other heirs their interests in the old homestead, where he engaged in farm pursuits. During the war of 1812 he volunteered in the American army and served at the front until the surrender of General Hull, when he was honorably discharged.
The first wife of John W. Wolf was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, November 17, 1800, and died March 5, 1837. Eight children were born of that union, namely : Israel, born in 1819, deceased at the age of fourteen years; Andrew, whose name introduces this sketch; Catherine, born in 1822; Susannah, born in 1826, and who is living in Indiana; George W., born in 1828, a pioneer of California, where he died in 1861 at the age of thirty-three years; Mary A., born in 1831; Malinda, born in 1833, now living in Dayton, Ohio; and Louise, born in 1835, now the wife of Putman Visher, of Stockton. The second wife of John W. Wolf, whom he married February 25, 1838, was born in Ohio in 1808 and bore the maiden name of Rebecca Swadner.
Her death occurred in 1899, at the age of ninety- one years. Of her six children the two eldest, Elizabeth (born in 1838) and William B. (born in 1840) are deceased. Benjamin, born in December, 1843, is a resident of Bryan, Ohio. Martha A., born in 1845, makes her home in Dayton, Ohio, where also reside John M. (born in 1849) and Charles E. (born in 1852).
Shortly after the death of his mother Andrew Wolf started out to seek his own livelihood in the world and at first clerked in a store in Day- ton, Oliio, owned by an uncle, William Van Cleaf. Two years later he embarked in business with J. R. Coblentz and continued there until October of 1847, when he severed the partner- ship and went to Iowa to visit an uncle, Abram Morgan, of Davis county. This uncle met him at Burlington, Iowa, but before proceeding with him he paid a visit to an old friend at Blooming- ton (now called Muscatine), Iowa, and later went to his uncle's home. Through this friend he secured a position with Greene & Stone, general merchants and pork packers of Muscatine, with whom he continued from November 1, 1847, to March 1, 1848. On leaving their employ it was his intention to return to Ohio. However, he was interviewed by Alexander Oglebie, the merchant who had sold the first yard of calico in Muscatine. Having planned to re-enter busi- ness, Mr. Oglebie asked Mr. Wolf what he plan- ned to do and was told that he intended to re- turn east as soon as he could get across the river. The next inquiry was as to the terms on which he would enter the employ of Mr. Oglebie. Re- plying that "my price would be so high that you would not want me," he named the terms, not thinking they would be accepted, but at once Mr. Oglebie closed the bargain. At first Mr. Wolf thought he would offer $100 to be released from the bargain, but he decided it would be best to fill his part of the contract and accordingly he took charge of opening up the mercantile busi- ness of Oglebie & St. John, whose stock of goods had been purchased in St. Louis.
Meanwhile the tales of the discovery of gold in California proved so alluring that the young
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
clerk determined to try his luck in the west and at once he began to make his plans for the trip. The outfit for the overland journey, consisting of four pair of steers, one yoke of cows and a mule, was carefully selected by a friend who knew the requirements of stock for such a trip. Among the party were S. C. Hastings, Dr. Owles, James Baker and a Mr. Smith. Two friends of Mr. Wolf, William Scott, an experienced cook, and Isaac Heath, a teamster, were asked to accom- pany him, but having no money Mr. Wolf agreed to pay their expenses, they to reimburse him as soon as they had earned the means in California. Mr. Heath stated that he would drive every step of the road to California and upon his ar- rival there would pay back one-third, besides giving Mr. Wolf the outfit. In the party there were thirty-six persons, three to each team, and Mr. Scott cooked and washed. for their party of three, besides doing duty as guard.
Leaving Iowa April 5, 1849, the party pro- ceeded to St. Joseph, Mo. There they found the regular ferry would not cross the river for six weeks with their outfit, as each party had to wait their turn. Thereupon they proceeded to make a special ferry, at which they worked from the IIth to the 13th of May. On the launching of the boat their twelve wagons were ferried across free of cost in return for their work, while if they had waited for the regular ferry it would have cost them $300 to get their teams across the river. Meanwhile hundreds of emigrants were dying of the cholera and during the night of the 14th one of their party died of the dread disease. This was the only one they lost, although three others were very ill for a time. With them was a doctor who never lost a case of cholera if notified in time and through his instrumentality many emigrants were saved for he always responded to appeals for aid from other parties than his own. An abundance of meat for the party was secured through the kill- ing of wild animals, and Mr. Wolf had a record for killing more antelope than any other man in the train. In selecting a route the expedition adhered to the road surveyed by Gen. John C.
Fremont for the government and traveled to the sink of the Humboldt over the hart rul and the sand. Well equipped with water aod hay as per instructions, they arrived at t . stod strip about three o'clock in the afternoon, in tending to travel the twenty five nales et ine length during the cool of the night, and ly nl doing they avoidel disastrous consequencese but all along the trail they met wagone with emigrants who had disobeyed orders and were begging for assistance, as their stock bad beouens worn out with hard driving in the heat of the day. By taking every precaution they KUL through safely to California, but for two week they were never free from the sight of chuleta victims. A saving of sixty miles was chertel through continuing the journey via Fort Lara mie and the Sublette cut-off and they entered California at Truckee. They camped and lepl in the cabin that had been occupied by the in fated Donner party and from there traveled across the Sierra Nevada mountains and entered Hangtown ( now Placerville), where the on- pany disbanded. Mr. Wolf, with his two inien ! Heath and Scott, and some menibers of an Hli nois train, found a place to put their stock 10 recruiting it, and then proceeded to the nine
A German who belonged to the company com found gold that he could pick up with his hands and claims were at once staked out by all In three days Mr. Wolf cleaned up $1.500 worth of gold, but on the fourth day he was blin lel by poison oak so that further work was inpor sible. Hiring a driver at Sio per day he trail his team to Sacramento, meanwhile suffering untold agonies all the way. It was ho good fortune to meet an emugrant train m which à woman had some sugar of lead, which flic gave him, besides rendering every assistance in bien power. Without her timely and he would amely ably have perished on the road, but the help came in time and after recruiting ier seven ilaye in Sacramento he was able to priceel to Sao Francisco. October 15, 1849, he arrived mm Stockton, and ever since then he has been In- separably associated with the leveligences we
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this part of the state. Until 1851 he engaged in freighting between Stockton and the southern mines. Later he built a livery stable on Main street and in time this business increased until he owned two hundred feet on Main, one hun- dred and thirty feet on California, one hundred and fifty on Market and one hundred on Sutter. The Wolf stables became known throughout the entire state and remained in the same location until 1906, although after 1865 he leased the business to other parties. As early as 1860 he became interested in farming and in 1865 he moved his family to his ranch on the Mariposa road, eight miles from town, where he owned eight hundred acres of land. For this he paid $2.50 per acre after buying out some squatters who had settled on the tract. With character- istic generosity he donated land to the railroad and for the opening up of highways, which less- ened his ranch to seven hundred and fifty acres. The land is fertile and still ranks among the finest properties of the kind in the entire valley ; since 1875 he has made his home in Stockton and with the exception of twenty years he has con- ducted the ranch himself.
The present home of Mr. Wolf, erected in 1886, stands on the site occupied by the cottage where in 1852 he married, on the 17th of Au- gust, Amanda Dwelly, a native of Maine. When she was a small child she lost her father and later her mother married again. In 1850 she came to California with her mother and step- father and settled in Stockton. Of her marriage four children were born. Laura, who married W. T. Smith, died at Elko, Nev., March 27, 1889, leaving an only daughter, now Mrs. Charles Henderson, who is the mother of two sons. Franklin resides in Stockton and is engaged in ranching on a part of eight hundred acres be- longing to his father; he married Laura Usher, by whom he has a daughter, Liti, and a son, Andrew. George L., who was born May 26, 1858, is unmarried and resides in Stockton, where he conducts a real estate business. Delia became the wife of Dr. J. J. Meigs and is re-
siding in Stockton; they have one son, John Gerald.
While making the management of his ranch his main activity during the years of his prime, Mr. Wolf found many other enterprises to en- gage his attention, as might be expected of a man possessing such great energy, varied re- sourcefulness, and fine qualities of mind. Many enterprises that afterward became important owed their origin to his foresight and progress- ive spirit. He built the first track and sheds for the fair association, with which he was identi- fied as treasurer during its existence. On the organization of the Stockton Grange he was chosen the first master. As president of the Grangers' Union in Stockton he erected for them a building now occupied by Hudson & King and also had charge of their warehouse, where an immense volume of business was transacted for a number of years. Eventually he resigned his office of president and disposed of his in- terests in the enterprise, since which time he has lived in retirement. In the organization of the San Joaquin County Pioneers' Society he was a prime factor and for one term he officiated as its president. September 3, 1845, he joined Buckeye Lodge No. 47, at Dayton, Ohio, and later became a member of Charity Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all of the chairs. In addition he is associated with the Parker encampment. At this writing he is the oldest living Odd Fellow in San Joaquin county and, so far as known, also in the entire state. At the inception of the Stockton Savings & Loan Society Bank he became one of its stock- holders and still remains a member of its board of directors, in which body the value of his sagacious counsel and optimistic spirit is appre- ciated, as a member of the finance committee.
Seldom is it the good fortune of a man to reach Mr. Wolf's advanced age (eighty-eight years) and yet more seldom is it that the mental and physical faculties are retained after a life- time of strenuous activity. Active in mind and body, thoroughly posted concerning matters of present importance as well as the happenings of
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
pioneer days, Mr. Wolf is a delightful companion for those progressive spirits that seek to study conditions of the past and present, thereby to form an outlook for the future. No one has greater faith in the future of Stockton than he and none is more ready to advance local pro- jects by contributions of time, money and by sa- gacious advice founded upon the experiences of many busy years. To an unusual degree he is honored by the people of his home town and in its annals his name will ever occupy a promi- nent place.
ASA CLARK, M. D.
The experience gained through active profes- sional work, first in the mining section around Placerville, and later in Stockton, has given to Dr. Clark a broad and humanitarian outlook upon the science of medicine and has brought him a high rank among physicians in central California and Nevada. During the years of his earlier professional work Dr. Clark was great- ly impressed with the fact that special care and special needs would be required to properly con- trol and handle the large and increasing num- ber of insane cases that came to his attention. This observation led him to make a thorough research into the treatment of mental diseases and was followed by his election as assistant physician to the State Insane Asylum at Stock- ton where his further observations and experi- ence have brought him to rank among the fore- most in this important branch of the medical profession. As proprietor of the Clark Sani- tarium in Stockton he is devoting his entire attention to the care of insane patients, his forty- seven years of continuous practice making him competent to cope with mental diseases of all stages.
The life which this narrative depicts began in 21
the home of Curtis and Electa ( Macham) Clark, both natives of Vermont, but at the tom of the birth of their son, June 20, 15244, red. dents of Essex county, N. Y. Subsequenth they removed to Oswego county, samme state. later settled on a farm in the middle west, near Park Ridge, Cook county, Ill., from there final ly removing to Minnesota, where the mother died in 1862, at the age of seventy years, and the father in 1883. at the advanced age of ninety- three years. At the time Asa Clark was af school age the family home was m lupi. where he first attended the district schools in Park Ridge, and his academic education was re ceived in Wilson's Seminary, Chicago. In the meantime he had formed clear-cut ideas as to his future course in life, having decided to fol low the medical profession, and his thereafter were conducted under Dr. Bramenl. of Rush Medical College, Chicago. Receiving His diploma in 1849, he set out that same year inr California, going directly to Placerville, where he opened an office for the practice of his pro fession. Necessarily his practice was antall at first, and in order to enlarge his income he he- came interested with others in the establishment of a general store in the town, and also was in terested in mining to some extent. He dil wit remain in Placerville very long. livesin at that time, for the year 1850 foun 1 han in Santa Clara, and the year following he was in Siria Barbara. Two years later. however. 1u 1853. he returned to Placerville and resumel los pric tice, remaining there for eight years
It was in 1861 that Dr. Clark came tx Said ton to assume his duties as assistant phissiden for the State Insane Assim, ah Mince ut time his entire thought and stulls have liem directed toward a wise and hymwars plan. Arve to relieve and cure those mentally afsted an l secondly to put a check on the mess of the malady. By arrangements with the arterles of Nevada Drs. Langdon and Girl were on trusted with the care of the insane to the terri- tory, then numbering about thirt. all other patients as should be committed on these
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
care. They were first located in Woodbridge, and four years later opened their office in Stockton, having in the meantime also formed a contract with Arizona for the care of her insane. Both contracts remained in force until each territory built its own asylum, Nevada in 1882, and Ari- zona in 1888, although after 1880 Dr. Clark carried out the contracts alone, owing to the death of Dr. Langdon in that year. In 1874 Dr. Clark had established his private sanitarium, then known as the Pacific Hospital and now known as Clark's Sanitarium; this possesses many ad- vantages over public institutions, not the least of which is the greater dispatch in gaining ad- mission and extra accommodations when re- quired. The buildings are spacious and com- fortable, situated in the midst of forty acres of ground located south of the city limits.
In Placerville, Cal .. in 1856, Dr. Clark was united in marriage with Mary Elizabeth Mount- joy. Her parents were natives of Virginia, but at the time of the birth of their daughter, in 1838, were residents of Ohio. Subsequently, in 1852, they brought their family to California and here they passed the remainder of their lives. Dr. Clark and his wife became the parents of the following children; Hattie Electa, who became the wife of William M. Baggs; George Curtis, deceased ; and Dr. Fred Pope, the present superintendent of the State Asylum. This posi- tion was formerly occupied by his father for fourteen years. Dr. Asa Clark is a thorough student of his profession, keeping in close touch with advancements and new discoveries through the reading and study of the latest medical and scientific journals.
GEORGE H. LOCKE.
It is an unusual occurrence for one who has been born and reared under the sunny skies of Cali- fornia to seek a home in any other part of the
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