USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 40
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 40
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 40
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A. M. BROWN .- He was born in Franklin county, Maine, January 28, 1847. His father, John Brown, was a farmer, and died when our subject was seventeen years of age. When twenty-two years old he came by rail to California, arriving in Sierra valley September 18, 1869. He was employed the first year in a saw-mill, and since that time has been engaged in farming. In the fall of 1876 he bought from A. M. Haselton a farm of forty acres, two miles west of Randolph, on which he has since lived with his mother, who has made her home with him.
ISAAC S. CHURCH .- Mr. Church was born October 25, 1829, at Ferrisburg, Vermont. He came to California, via Panama, in the spring of 1850. He mined a short time at. Horse Shoe Bend on the Merced river, and then went to Nelson Point on Nelson creek. He finally went to Downieville, and in 1851 was fluming the river. In the fall he began packing from Marysville, which he followed for ten years. He went east in 1859, returned in 1860, and located in Sierra valley ; and has the oldest patent for land in the valley. He was married in Vermont, February 16, 1860, to Sarah Ellen Geer, daughter of Seth and Mary Geer, and by this union they have had seven children ; viz., Francis S., Charles Pease, Mary Piert, Charlotte Abbie, Albert B., Roxy E. J., and Harriett. E. P. DOLLEY .- He was born September 15, 1841, in Franklin county, Maine. In the spring
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of 1860 he came to California, via Panama. Upon his arrival he began mining in Plumas county, which he followed for three years. In 1863 he returned overland by stage to Indianapolis, and enlisted in company D, fifth Indiana cavalry. He was in active service all the time until his dis- charge in September, 1865. He was at the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee, and marched through Georgia with Sherman. In the spring of 1866 he again came to California, via Panama, and has made Sierra valley his home ever since, being engaged mostly in farming. In 1876 he bought the O. B. Dolley ranch of 320 acres, which he still owns. He was married February 9, 1875, to Miss E. M. Robbins of Kennebec county, Maine. Their child, Ole Clare, was born February 7, 1876.
E. J. GALLAGHER .- He is a native of Texas, where he was born September 25, 1850. In 1860 he went on the high seas with his uncle, and followed a sea-faring life for about eleven years. He then freighted on the plains, and carried mail for the government for four years. In 1870 he came to California, and followed various occupations until 1876, when he began farming in Sierra valley, and has principally confined his attention to it since. He was married September 23, 1878, to Miss Mary Hay, who was born in Redfield, Iowa, August 8, 1855. Their children are Myrtie Irvin, born November 6, 1879; Fredrika, born August 16, 1881.
E. H. HAMLEN .- This gentleman was born in Kennebec county, Maine, January 16, 1836. On the thirty-first of December, 1856, he started for California, coming via the Isthmus, and arriving at San Francisco January 29, 1857. He was engaged in mining and lumbering for two years, in Alleghany, Sierra county. In June, 1859, he came to Sierra valley and purchased the Higgins farm of 540 acres, on which he lived most of the time until 1875, when he went to Roop county, Nevada, and with three others purchased a large stock range and the Buffalo Pass toll road. They have since dealt heavily in cattle. Mr. Hamlen moved over there, and remained until August, 1881, when he returned to his farm in Sierra valley. He was united in marriage October 9, 1865, to Mrs. Hattie E. Heselton of Stratham, New Hampshire, by whom he has had three children: Edmund H., born November 11, 1866; Calvin M., born December 10, 1868; and Rose E., born July 30, 1871. Mr. Hamlen is a member of Sierraville Lodge No. 184, F. & A. M.
PLUMAS TOWNSHIP.
One of the townships into which the county was divided immediately after its organization was Plumas, consisting of the American valley, in which was located the county seat, and the mountains surrounding it upon all sides. [For boundaries and changes see Official History.] With the exception of the mining near Elizabethtown, on Spanish creek, at Argentine and a few other localities, this section is and has been chiefly agricultural. The American valley, which forms the heart of the township, is one of the most fertile and lovely of the mountain valleys that lie scattered throughout the whole range of the green Sierra. The altitude at Quincy is given by Lieutenant Tillman as 3,381 feet, and by Mr. Mills 3,416 feet. The valley contains about ten and one-half square miles, or 6,720 acres, chiefly of rich, arable land, that gives a good yield of wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and vegetables of all kinds. Considerable hay is cut, and excellent apples and other fruits of the temperate zone are raised. Two saw-mills cut large quantities of lumber used in building and in the mining claims. Some of the farms of the valley are in a high state of perfection, and are represented in our illustrations.
The first location was made by the Turner brothers in 1850. They claimed all the land lying south of Spanish creek, dealt largely in stock, and pastured animals belonging to emigrants and
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miners for a consideration in keeping with the times. In 1852 they sold out to Joseph Greena and a Frenchman whose name is forgotten. A short time afterwards, Mr. H. J. Bradley came along, and purchased an interest with the new proprietors. The same fall William Houek, George W. Sharpe, and E. H. Pierce bought one-third of the property, and the ranch was soon after divided : the three last named taking all that portion lying west of the creek, which at that time ran from the ravine south of the town through the ranch to Spanish creek. But one building, a log cabin, had at that time been erected. The same fall Houck, Sharpe, and Pierce built a log house on the site of the present Plumas House, and opened a place for the entertainment of travelers, presided over by Sharpe. A division was subsequently made, Pierce and Houck taking all that portion of the land that lies south of Jackson street, and Mr. Sharpe retaining the remainder. Bradley had also erected a building, and opened a public house, calling his place the American ranch.
The New England ranch, now owned and occupied by Daniel R. Cate, was located by him, E. W. Judkins, L. F. Cate, and Asa Judkins, in 1852. That winter E. W. Judkins, D. R. Cate, and J. S. Boyington built a saw-mill on Mill creek, two miles and one half from the American ranch. The Illinois ranch, now owned by John W. Thompson, was first located in 1851. The Uncle Sam ranch was located in 1852 by Elijah Poorman. The National ranch was settled upon about the same time, by James W. Hayes.
In the spring of 1853 D. R. Cate and E. W. Judkins procured wheat in the Sacramento valley, which was hauled into the American valley over the snow on hand-sleds. With this they sowed fifteen acres on the New England ranch, which yielded an average of fifty bushels to the acre. This was sold for seed in this and Indian valleys, bringing eighteen cents per pound. It was thrashed out with a flail, and cleaned in a fanning-mill. The next season a large quantity of wheat was put in by the ranchers in both valleys, but a severe frost in the month of June killed nearly all the crop. In 1855 a great quantity of wheat was raised, 3,000 bushels being produced on the New England ranch alone. In 1854 Cate & Judkins built a grist-mill on the New England ranch, and began making flour, grinding but little the first year on account of the failure of the crop.
ELIZABETHTOWN, OR "BETSYBURG."
A few miles from Quincy, on the road to Indian valley, is the old mining town of Elizabeth- town, the first place of importance in Plumas township. In 1852 Alexander and Frank Tate dis- covered gold in what is known as Tate ravine. Soon afterwards, Lewis Stark, Peter Day, and George Ferrier, who had just come in with their families through Beckwourth pass, went to work just above the Tate brothers, but met with no success for a few days. One morning they went prospecting up Elizabeth ravine, and by noon had panned out an ounce. After dinner they used a rocker, and secured several ounces. In a few days they dug a small ditch from the creek near by, and did well, finding one piece of twenty-eight ounces. Miners began to come in and prospect around, soon finding good diggings opposite Elizabethtown. Stark built houses for his family at the mouth of the ravine, and shanties were put up by the miners, until there was quite a village collected. The only young lady in town was Miss Elizabeth Stark (now Mrs. W. A. Blakesley of Quincy), and the chivalrous miners bestowed her name upon the young town. Later, especially after a rivalry sprang up with Quincy, the place was as well known by the name of Betsyburg as by its proper appellation.
Not many remained during the winter of 1852-53, having, in common with the miners in other places, deserted the mountains. Provisions sold at one dollar per pound, and were scarce; so much
JOHN F. HARTWELL.
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so, that early in the spring Stark and two others made their way to the Sacramento valley, and with great difficulty drove up several beef-cattle through the mountains to save their families from the danger of starvation. In the spring of 1853 a crowd of miners came to Elizabethtown, and it became one of the largest camps in the county. Stark opened a hotel, and another was built by John Cornelison. James A. Blood built a fire-proof stone structure, in which Blood & Shannon (Thomas B.) kept a store. The first store had been opened by Joseph Taylor, Fred Robinson, and William Kinsey, and bore over its portal the sign "Joe, Fred, and Jacky," the last being the familiar title of Kinsey. Ross & Gloyd (D. J.) soon after erected a hotel building, in which was a large dance hall. In 1854 a Masonic hall was built by a lodge of that order that had been insti- tuted there. A division of Sons of Temperance was also organized in the town. Elizabethtown became so metropolitan in 1854 that the postal departmant established an office there, with Lewis Stark as postmaster. W. A. Blakesley was deputy, and it was in his house that the office was kept. No mail contract was let, and Jonas D. Ritchie carried the mail from Rabbit creek (La Porte), twenty-five cents being charged on each letter to pay the expenses of th .? service This was a great saving, as the expressman demanded one dollar for the same service.
Quite a town had now sprung up at Quincy, which had been chosen as the county seat, not- withstanding Elizabethtown was the larger place, and made strenuous exertions to secure the priz. Hacks were run between the two rival towns, and were well patronized. In January, 1855, the post-office was removed to Quincy, much to the disgust of the people of the rival metropolis, and Squire Stark moved his family to the new seat of his official duties. This was quite a blow to the town, and in the latter part of 1855 the place began to decline. Frazer river called away a great many in 1858, and Elizabethtown soon passed from existence. Two or three families are still living there, and Corbin & Manson have a mining claim which is being worked by drifting.
Among the rich mining claims that were worked in 1853 and 1854 were the Wahoo, by Joseph Kelley & Co .; Fowler, by Fowler & Co .; Varner, by Varner & Co .; Plumas, by L. F. Cate & Co .; O'Neill, by Captain O'Neill; Gloyd, by D. J. Gloyd; Betsy Gulch, by Stark & Co.
QUINCY, THE COUNTY SEAT.
One of the foremost gentlemen in securing the creation of the county of Plumas was Mr. H. J. Bradley, proprietor of the American ranch and hotel. He was named in the Act as one of the three commissioners for the organization of the county, and the statute also located the county seat at his hotel until the people should vote upon the question and select a permanent location. A town was laid out and named Quincy by Mr. Bradley, in honor of the city of Quiney, Illinois, from whence he had come to California. As an inducement to the people to locate the county seat permanently at Quincy, Mr. Bradley offered to construct a suitable building for a temporary court- house, and give the free use of it to the county until such time as the people thought best to build a new and more substantial one. In fulfillment of his promise he constructed a rude shake building in the rear of his hotel, which was used as a court-room, and in which some of the officials kept their offices. John Harbison, the county clerk, soon moved his office to the upper story of the Bullard building, corner of Harbison avenue and Main street. At the fall election there were three candidates for the honor of being the county seat-Quincy, Elizabethtown, and O'Neill's Flat. There were twenty-two precincts in the county, and Elizabethtown sent out Thomas B. Shannon and several others to canvass them in the interest of that place. Shannon was a merchant there, and hence his anxiety to secure for his village the coveted prize. Being locked up in a narrow
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ravine, Betsyburg was wholly unsuitable for the county seat, and the people wisely decided in favor of Quincy, whose location was so favorable.
At that time there were but a few houses in the seat of justice, the oldest being Bradley's hotel. The old Plumas House, that had been built by Pierce, Sharpe, & Houck, was then kept by Samuel Russell, elected coroner that fall. The Masonic hall was built in the spring of 1855. H. J. Bradley, Joseph Greena, and George W. Sharpe presented to the county the public square on which the court-house now stands. At that time the building erected by Bradley was used as a court-house, and for balls, political meetings, and public assemblings of all kinds. William Houck, who owned the land sonth of Jackson street, donated many town lots to those desiring to erect buildings, among others giving to Samuel Russell for a livery stable the lot on which stand the Plumas House stables.
It was in January, 1855, that the postal department, upon representation that Quincy was the county seat and of more importance than Elizabethtown, removed there the post-office from the latter place, much to the disgust and indignation of the people of Betsyburg. A contract was made with Wilson S. Dean, who was then running a saddle-train for passengers between Quincy and Bidwell, to bring up the mail, and take the receipts of the office for his pay. Twenty-five cents were charged for each letter. This continued until 1858, when the department made a regular contract with the California Stage Company to carry the mail from Oroville to Quincy, and the citizens for the first time enjoyed full postal facilities at the regular rates of postage. Whiting & Co.'s dog-express was chiefly depended upon in winter for transportation of the mails.
In 1857 a subscription was made by sundry citizens for the purpose of erecting a suitable court- house on the public square, and on the eleventh of November of that year a notice was published in the Plumas Argus inviting sealed proposals for building a court-house. John Harbison, the county clerk, David J. Wilmans, and John C. Lewis were appointed a building committee to secure subscriptions and contract for the work. August 10, 1858, D. J. Wilmans was appointed by the board of supervisors to superintend the erection of the building, and gave bonds in the sum of $5,000. The board also appropriated $5,000 towards the completion of the structure. November 15, 1858, John G. Corey was appointed to supersede Mr. Wilmans, and February 7, 1859, $3,485 were appropriated to liquidate the debt remaining upon the building. The various officers took possession of the rooms assigned to them on the second of May, 1859. The next day the board passed the following resolution : "Ordered, that on the payment of the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars subscribed by the county judge to the court-house fund, he be permitted to occupy the north-east room in the second story of the court-house for chambers, until the expiration of his present term of office." Judge Hogan enjoyed the thorough business-like manner in which the board was collecting its subscriptions, and with a pleasant smile came up, paid his subscription, and took possession of his office, which he occupied for many years.
In 1861 the board had a little difficulty in collecting rent from Thomas Cox, who was occupying a room in the court-house, and he finally paid in depreciated county warrants. Determined not to be caught napping again, the board passed an order "that the district attorney execute to said Tom Cox a lease of the room now occupied by him, for the period of one year, upon receiving from him sufficient bonds for the payment of said rent." The fence about the court-house was built in 1864, at an expense of $700. In August, 1871, some repairs were made on the court-house, and Mr. Whiting deposited in the north-east corner of the stone wall on which rests the pillar supporting the roof a cast-iron box, containing sundry newspapers, a great register, and a paper printed in Quincy in 1855.
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The first jail used by the county was a small log house, built in the spring of 1855 by John S. Thompson, at a cost of $500. It stood in front of the house now occupied by John D. Goodwin as a law office. The jail was used for a number of years, and three convicts, John Jenkins, Thomas Elder, and Amada Cardinez were secured within its walls until their execution by the sheriff. The jail stood in the street, and was therefore taken away when the present brick structure was crected. This stands in the public square, just in the rear of the court-house, and was built in 1863 by Mowbry & Clark, under contract with the county, for $7,035.
The first conflagration of any importance in Quincy occurred February 28, 1861, when a large portion of the town, including the principal hotel and a majority of the business houses, was de- stroyed. The chief losses were : American Hotel, by Mrs. Mastin ; the mercantile establishments of M. S. Archeim & Co., E. Truett, Jerry Ford, Mr. Newton, Moore & Pierson, Fayette Burr; the saloons of E. H. Pierce and Bass & Co .; the Quincy House, unoccupied ; and a number of other buildings. This was the most destructive fire that has ever visited the town. At that time the citizens had no means of protection from this devastating element, and were able to impose but little resistance to its ravages. After the fire, Houck & Pierce built a fine, large saloon opposite the site of the old one. This was sold in June, 1872, to the Town Hall Association for a town hall, for $1,500. In the year 1860 Coburn Brothers built a fine hotel at a cost of $11,000, which was destroyed by fire April 14, 1862. They immediately erected a new one at an expense of $16,000, which met the same fate as the other, in February, 1865.
A school was taught in 1857 in the pioneer school-house by Mr. S. A. Ballou, afterwards a member of the legislature from this county. Dr. J. N. Hartzell was the first superintendent of schools, and for the year ending October 31, 1855, he reported but two school districts in the county, Elizabethtown and Mineral. There were but ninety-three children, of whom seventy-five were in the Elizabethtown district. The only school at that time was kept in the latter place, by W. K. Logan, with an attendance of but twenty-nine scholars. In 1857 a school was opened in Quincy, in a little building near the site of Judge Goodwin's office. When the Masons built their hall, the ladies raised money by means of fairs, dances, etc., and fitted up the lower story for a school-room. In 1872, a building having been purchased from J. H. Houck by the Town Hall Association, a high-school was carried on at that place. In 1876 steps were taken to give Quincy more adequate educational facilities. W. W. Kellogg, John C. Chapman, and J. R. Wyatt com- prised the board of trustees, and Mr. Kellogg, the chairman, drew up a bill authorizing the district to issue bonds to the amount of $4,000 for the erection of a fine, two-story brick building. The bill passed the legislature, and when the proposition was submitted to the people, only seven votes were cast in the negative. The contract was let to G. W. Meylert for $3,600; the building was completed in due time, well supplied with furniture and the proper apparatus, and Quincy has now a flourishing graded school.
At a meeting held. June 6, 1872, John D. Goodwin, I. B. Shreve, and John C. Chapman were elected trustees of the Quincy Town Hall Association, an organization for the purpose of erecting and maintaining a hall for the use of the public. The by-laws provided that each person who paid $2.50 was allowed one vote at all meetings. Subscriptions were received amounting to $710.25. The fine building that had been built by Pierce & Houck ten years before for a saloon was pur- chased of J. H. Houck for $1,500, and fitted up for the purpose .. A school was maintained in the ball until the erection of the new school-house. In 1876 J. M. Chapman and A. H. Ferguson succeeded J. C. Chapman and J. D. Goodwin as trustees ; and in 1877 J. C. Coburn succeeded Shreve. J. W. Thompson, J. H. Whitlock, and W. T. Byers were chosen trustees in 1878, and
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subscriptions to the amount of $431.25 were made to apply on the debt still resting upon the association. The hall is used for public gatherings of all kinds, and is of vast convenience to the people.
Until December 19, 1878, Quincy had no protection from fire whatever. At that time Quincy Hose Co. No. 1 was organized, with W. W. Kellogg, foreman ; A. Hall, assistant ; J. M. Chapman, treasurer ; B. B. Hughes, secretary. Liberal subscriptions were made by the citizens, many of whom also sustained the movement by becoming members of the organization. A hose-cart was purchased for $80, and a small building erected for its accommodation for $59. The company also purchased 500 feet of hose for $550. The first call upon the services of the new company was made but a few days after its complete organization, when, by promptly extinguishing a fire that had burned the roof of Hall & Howard's saloon, they probably saved the town from a great disaster. In July, 1879, W. E. Ward became assistant foreman, and Edward Gurner treasurer; $150 were appropriated to the company that year by the board of supervisors. In January, 1880, W. E. Ward was chosen foreman, and A. Hall assistant ; in July, A. Hall foreman, and W. H. Moore assistant ; in January, 1881, W. E. Ward foreman, and P. L. Hallsted assistant; in July, P. L. Hallsted foreman, and M. S. Light assistant. A bell was purchased in July, 1881, for $120. The by-laws are subscribed by the following gentlemen : W. W. Kellogg, A. Hall, W. E. Ward, William Goodwin, G. B. Sumner, J. M. Chapman, A. H. Hapgood, C. J. Lee, W. H. Moore, R. W. Gill, A. W. Wilson, George Wilson, Edward Gurner, C. W. Blakesley, W. J. Variel, W. T. Bell, M. S. Light, Daniel Cate, E. Huskinson, B. B. Hughes, T. C. Lee, J. W. Larison, H. Esburn, William Edwards, Henry Maurer, J. W. Brown, R. L. Bell, J. E. Smith, Arthur W. Keddie, R. H F. Variel, Fenton P. Whiting, W. H. Lake, W. J. Bell, G. C. Owens, P. L. Hallsted.
The neat little church erected five years ago, and managed and controlled by the Methodist Episcopal denomination, was built by the subscription of members of various denominations, as well as gentlemen who give their adherence to the tenets of no creed whatever. The express understanding when these sums were donated was that the church would be open to the use of all denominations, as is evidenced by the following copy of the original subscription list :
" (1) It is mutually agreed that the friends of religious culture in Quincy and the American valley undertake to raise, in labor, money, and materials, the sum of $2,000, for the purpose of erect- ing a church edifice at Quiney, to be known and styled the Methodist Episcopal church, and to be under the especial care and keeping of the Methodists; but to be always liberal toward other branches of the Christian church, never to be exclusive in the dispensation of its privileges, but to open its portals and extend its favors to others of the Christian brotherhood who may 'use and not abuse.'
" (2) The plan for raising the amount proposed is by contribution ; and every member of any branch of the Christian church, living in this community, and every lover of peace, order, an 1 good- will among men, is hereby requested to lend his influence and his efforts, and contribute of his means what he can, to the consummation of an enterprise so essential to the well-being of our com- munity ; and are hereby constituted agents, and authorized to solicit pledges and donations of any amount and from all persons.
"It is desirable that all small sums should be collectable at such time as may be agreed upon, and forwarded to the finance and building committee. All pledges of more than $10 should have some part paid down when the work on the building is ready to commence, and the rest in equal `installments, as the work progresses. So that none will be pushed in the payment of their pledges, and yet all will be paid by the time the work is completed.
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