USA > California > San Bernardino County > Ingersoll's century annals of San Bernadino County, 1769-1904 : prefaced with a brief history of the state of California : supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and portraits of many of its representative people > Part 39
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How many times I remember that good American family and pray God to bless them.
BISHGP VERDAGUER.
Laredo, Texas, August 4th, 1903.
DANIEL SEXTON.
Daniel Sexton, says, as quoted in "San Bernardino County, Its Climate and Resources," 1876:
"I was born in Louisiana, the 24th day of March, 1818. I arrived at Old San Bernardino in December, 1841. The Indians at that time had full and entire possession of the country. I hired a number of Indians to cut and saw timber in the San Gorgonio Pass, just north of where Dr. Edgar's ranch is located now (1876). I furnished lumber to Williams on the Chino, and to others. I paid the Indians twenty-five cents per day for labor ; horses and cattle could be bought for fifty cents each ; one hide was worth two living ani- mals. I acquired great influence over them and could have raised 500 war- riors in a few hours. In 1842, the Indians asked me if the Americans had any feast days ; I told them that they had and I made an American flag and hoisted it over the camp north of San Gorgonio Pass, and with the Indians celebrated the Fourth of July, 1842.
During this year the Lugos came in and brought with them cattle and horses to stock their ranch. There were already three or four thousand wild horses on this plain. I have seen hundreds of them in a drove go down in bands to water at the river near Riverside. At the Old San Bernardino Mission, the Indians cultivated more ground than is now under cultivation and raised large crops of corn, potatoes and beans. Mill Creek zanja was then in better condition than now. The Indian, Solano, who laid off this ditch in 1822, died at my house in 1858. He told me about the Temescal tin mines. I married his niece in 1847. In 1852 I built a saw mill near the foot of the San Bernardino mountains in Mill Creek canon. There was more rain in that early day and more feed for stock than at present."
THE DISCOVERY OF BEAR AND HOLCOMB VALLEYS.
By W. F. Holcomb.
In the fall of 1859. I reached Los Angeles. Here I met an old mount- aineer who told me of a valley about one hundred miles to the east which was known as "Bear Valley" on account of the number of bear seen there. I determined to visit this valley and my friend, Jack Martin, decided to accom- pany me. We procured horses and supplying ourselves with a little flour, bacon and salt, started. The first day out, we could hear nothing of the place, but the second night we camped on Lytle Creek near the ranch of
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George Lord. He directed us to San Bernardino, a place which I think I had never before heard of. Here we were told to go up the cañon and we would find an old settler, F. M. Van Leuven-Uncle Fred, as he was known- who could tell us how to reach Bear Valley. We went up the Santa Ana cañon and Mr. Van Leuven gave us all the information he could about the route and told us that a party was already up there.
We strated on, following the trail of the burros. The second day we reached the sum- mit and found deep snow, so deep that our horses had great difficulty in floundering 'through. By good luck we ran across the company who were camped here and they re- cei ved us kindly-pioneer fashion. This party, as well as I can now recall, was made up of Jo Caldwell, Josiah Jones, Jack Elmore, Jim Ware and Madison Chaney. They had found a little gold but not in paying quantity.
Martin and myself located near the other fellows and began prospecting. Days and W F. HOLCOMB weeks rolled by and still we prospected here and there, with no success. Sydney P. Waite and a partner were also in the valley at this time, prospecting for quartz and working an arrastra.
Martin at length decided to abandon the attempt and return to his family in Los Angeles. I determined to stay until the bear came out. As yet, we had killed nothing but deer and small game. On the day before his departure we strolled up to the top of a little hill. I said to Martin, "We have pros- pected every likely place we have seen in the valley, now let us try this hill- side where we are sure there is no gold." He objected, but I insisted and shoveled up a pan of dirt off the naked bed rock, pine leaves and all. Martin took it to the foot of the hill to wash out while I sat down and waited. Presently I noticed that he seemed excited and he came rushing up the hill to exhibit about ten cent's worth of fine gold. We scraped up another pan of dirt and after washing it out found about the same amount. We kept on working and by night were convinced that we had at last struck "pay dig- gings." The next day we began to work with a rocker and found that we could make about five dollars each per day.
After a few days, Martin left for Los Angeles to bring up provisions and also bring his family back with him. He exhibited some of the gold dust in San Bernardino. This raised quite an excitement. When he got to Los Angeles and paid for a considerable bill of goods with dust, there was a stir. People at once began to rush into Bear Valley.
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About this time I one day took my gun and strolled northward to look over the country. When I reached the summit of the ridge that divides the head waters of the Santa Ana and the Mojave, I looked down from this eminence in a northerly direction and saw about two miles distant, a beautiful little valley. In camp that night I told the boys of the discovery I had made and one of the men-Jim Ware-at once offered to go with me and explore "Holcomb's Valley" as they jokingly called it.
The first time we visited the valley I killed two bear and we had no time for examining our surroundings. The next day we took donkeys and went over after our bear; it took all day to make the trip and at night we had a general jollification over our bear steak and "that valley of Holcomb's." One of the party, Ben Choteau, proposed to go with me and prospect the new valley. The first day we wounded a bear and in following its trail came upon a quartz ledge. We stopped to examine it and found gold. We let the bear go and taking some dirt in a handkerchief, went down and dug a hole in the main gulch and washed it out. To our joy we found that we had a good prospect. Then we panned out some dirt from the main gulch and found more gold and still further examination showed us several good prospects.
When we returned to the camp in Bear Valley there was great rejoicing and a big bonfire to celebrate the discovery of gold in "Holcomb's Vallev." The next day, May 5th, 1860, we returned and located our claims. Many people were now in Bear Valley and log cabins were going up. A store, with a liquor bar of the most infamous sort, had been started by one Sam Kelley. and John M. Stewart had established a blacksmith shop. The place began to assume the appearance of a busy little village. The remains of these old log cabins, the reservoir and the diggings-long since worked out-can still be seen.
WVe moved over into the new valley and camped on the main gulch be- tween what is now called upper and lower Holcomb Valley. There were eight in our party and we met with very good success from the start. We had not worked long before our gold dust began to be scattered about in the different avenues of trade. As soon as it became known that we were taking out considerable quantities of gold from the new claims in Holcomb Valley. the excitement grew. People came in from every direction, some on horse- back, some with pack animals and some with their outfits on their backs. Most of this immigration was made up of honest, industrious men, who were anxious to make a few honest dollars. Every day strangers would call upon us and question us about the diggings. We made it a point to tell them truth- fully that we were making from five to ten dollars to the man. Before the end of July many buildings-some mere brush huts, some of a more sub- stantial character-were going up. A number of the new claims were paying well. Among these early arrivals I might mention Dr. Whitlock, Allen and Fred McIntyre, Jim Jackson, Gregory, E. H. Thomas and his son Mark,
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brother to C. L. Thomas, Beverly Boren, brother to A. D. Boren, and U. U. Tyler. Tyler and Boren opened a store. A blacksmith by the name of Van Dusen came in with his wife, and W. H. St. John.
The water gave out at our first camp and we had to move to lower Holcomb Valley, where we built a comfortable log cabin. We brought our pay dirt down with horse and cart or in sacks on burros. Scarcity of water in the valley greatly hindered mining operations.
Some new developments of water and of mines were made in upper Holcomb, and a new town sprang up there in a very short time. It was here that we held our first Fourth of July celebration. Mrs. Van Dusen furnished the flag for the occasion and we named the place, on that account, Belleville, after her little girl, Belle.
Lumber was also scarce and very high. Provisions must all be brought in by pack mules and were of course very dear. The necessity for a wagon road was so great that the miners subscribed $1500, and a road was con- structed down the easterly slope of the mountains to connect with the old toll road through the Cajon Pass. This road proved to be a great advantage to the valley. Later the miners constructed a road from Holcomb to Bear Valley, thus giving that section an outlet. These roads were built entirely at the expense of the settlers in these valleys and were free to all. At the presidential election of that fall, Belleville, the new precinct which had grown up in little more than six months, cast a vote of nearly one hundred, while the entire vote of the county was 820.
On November 15th, it began to snow and continued until five feet of snow lay over the valley. This closed mining operations until the next April and the valley became almost depopulated. Early in the spring of 1861, how- ever, people began to rush in again. New mines were discovered almost every day. Stores, butcher-shops, restaurants and a hotel were opened. All was quiet and harmonious until the news of the firing upon Fort Sumter reached the valley, then a change, socially and politically began to appear. The population continued to grow; saloons of the lowest character, gambling dens and bagnios followed. The population was the typical mining town variety, good men and industrious workers, worthless characters and profes- sional "bad" men. Notwithstanding all drawbacks, large quantities of gold were being taken out daily. The diggings were generally shallow and easily worked, in fact, they were what is often called "poormen's diggings," and nearly every working man took out some gold. Quartz mining also began to attract some attention, but was never very successful here. Among the arrivals in the valley this year were Horace C. Rolfe, John W. Satterwhite, Sidney P. Waite, A. F. Mckinney, James M. Coburn and Richard Garvey. But there was also a rush of the very worst characters and the valley became a center of disorder. Night was made dreadful by the drunken yells and cursing ; guns and pistols were fired off at all hours of night and day ; no one
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was safe; the peaceful citizen was in almost as much danger as the rowdy.
At the state election held September 4th, 1861, there was great confusion, and a riot was only prevented by the prompt and determined action of a few . law-abiding citizens. Belleville precinct cast a vote of 300 for governor. One desperado, known as "Hell Roaring Johnson," attempted to kill a con- stable and was shot dead. An attempt was made to lynch the constable but it was frustrated and the man was acquitted as having only discharged his duty. After this the lawless element quieted down somewhat. This reign of lawlessness was of course a great drawback to the successful working of the claims in the valley. The hardworking miner was in almost as much danger from accidental shooting as were the rowdies from intentional shots. Still, of the forty or fifty men who were shot at different times, not more than three or four innocent men were killed. The rest were of the tough element, generally strangers in the place and their bodies now rest in un- marked graves.
Mining has been carried on in Holcomb Valley every year since its dis- covery. Several quartz mills have been erected here, and while they have not added to the wealth of their owners, they have considerably increased the world's supply of gold. Placer mines, both shallow and deep, have always been worked, but every year the product grows less. Yet the entire produc- tion of Holcomb Valley has added materially to the output of gold from this county and from the state.
CAPTAIN JOSEPH S. GARCIA.
One of the first settlers of Cucamonga, Etiwanda and Ontario, was Captain Joseph S. Garcia, a man of unusual character, who had passed through a long life of adventure. He was born in Fayal, one of the Azore Islands, June 9, 1823, the son of Monwell and Ann Garcia. His father was founder and president of the College of Fayal. Later he became an attorney-at-law, and was finally a judge. His parents were Catholic, and, as was the custom of the country, the father desired his only son to become a priest. But the boy was of a restless, venturesome nature, and in consequence, his father yielded to his entreaties, and when he was thirteen bound him for four years to Captain James Wooley, of Lynn, Mass. On the first voyage to Boston, Joseph went as cabin boy. The ship, after unloading at Boston, went south for a cargo of cotton. On its return to Massachusetts, the boy was sent to school for six months in Lynn. He next shipped in a vessel bound for India. During this voyage, the vessel was shipwrecked, and the crew spent seven days upon a desert island with no food but scant rations of hardtack and water. They were rescued by a whaler which had been out for a year, but, on account of the inefficiency of the crew, had secured but one whale. With the addition of the Indiaman's crew, the
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vessel's luck changed and in three months it was well loaded, and Joseph realized quite a sum for his share of the profits upon reaching shore, at Cape Ann. He next sailed from New York on the brig. George Otis, for Manila, where they loaded with hides for South Africa, and on the return voyage took a cargo of horn to Manila, and then loaded with rice, manilla and to- bacco, and returned to Boston. During this trip, Mr. Garcia gained a knowl- edge of the Boers of South Africa, and the natives of Manila. Again he voyaged from Boston to Manila, and thence to Zanzibar, Africa. Here he visited the ruins of the ancient palace of Zanzibar, and saw something of the slave trade. Upon the voyage from Zanzibar. the ship met with a gale which drove them ashore. For twenty- four hours they wrested with the breakers, while their doom seemed certain. One member of the crew was a man of prayer. and he prayed for salvation with all his power. He finally an- nounced that the crew would be saved, but would be en- dangered by cannibals on the shore. The vessel struck and one sailor managed to make his way through the break- ers to the shore with a rope, JOSEPH GARCIA and thus the crew was saved. They began gathering up the wreckage, when they heard the yells of savages, and were soon approached by a party of natives whom they be- lieved to be cannibals. One of their number knew a little of a dialect of the country, and by means of signs, managed to communicate with them. While lie was parleying, a lizard, which the natives knew to be of a poisonous spe- cies, the bite of which was fatal, ran out of the fire and bit the hand of the ship's doctor, who was standing near. The doctor had brought a few of the most necessary remedies with him, and applied some simple antidote, which was effective. The savages watched in wonder, and when they saw none of the symptoms of the bite which they expected, they were so impressed that they declared the man must be a supernatural, being. Naturally the "inter- preter" encouraged the idea, and they fell down before the doctor with cries and homage. They asked if he could heal others, and soon afterwards brought a man on a litter. The doctor was able to relieve the fever from which he was
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suffering, and the natives, completely won, gladly supplied the sailors with fruit and such food as they had. Nevertheless, it was with great joy that the little party sighted a ship in the distance. Signals of distress were made and seen, and the men were taken on board of what proved to be a merchant- man enroute for Hong Kong.
In the port of Hong Kong, Mr. Garcia shipped on what was supposed to be a merchant vessel, but which proved to be a slaver bound for Zanzibar. then the center of the slave trade. Here Mr. Garcia again saw the horrors of the slave market. The vessel was loaded, but had not proceeded far when she foundered on the African coast. The departure from the ship was here more dangerous than in the former shipwreck, for 300 negroes were penned up in the hull of the vessel. The officers did not dare to set them free, for fear they would overpower and murder the ship's crew. The hatches were fastened down, and with one exception, the entire cargo of slaves went down with the vessel. The crew reached land and were picked up by a passing vessel bound for Malaga and then for Boston. In 1844. Mr. Garcia sailed for Port Au Prince, Hayti, where he found a revolution in progress and aided in saving some of the refugees. In 1847, he sailed to New Orleans and up the Mississippi river for a cargo of molasses. During his twelve years of sea- faring life, Mr. Garcia had visited many countries, gained much experience. and acquired the fluent use of English, French, Spanish and Italian. His father had thoroughly grounded him in Latin in his boyhood days, which had greatly assisted him in the acquisition of other languages.
In 1849 he arrived in the port of San Francisco. He had been an attend- ant at the mission of Father Taylor in Boston and in the new port, he sought out the Presbyterian church, where he found a congregation of fifteen. His first occupation in California was running a produce boat up and down the Sacramento river, carrying produce and freight to Sacramento and returning with wood. Desiring to see something of the mines which were then the center of all life in the state, he left the vessel in 1850 and joined a prospecting party. He was fortunate enough to make about $5,000 during his six months' experience as a miner, and on his return to San Fran- cisco purchased a share in the ship, Hooker. With this vessel he made several trips to Santa Cruz, handling provisions, etc. At this time, flour was selling at $27 a barrel, sugar and beans at a dollar a pound, and other provisions in proportion.
Two years later he entered into a partnership with Captains Pierce and Norton in the ownership of a number of vessels-the ships, S. D. Bailey. Laura Bevley and W. L. Rice ; the schooners, Arms, Alert and Julia Pringle : and the brigs, Boston, Curlew and Pride of the Sea. Some of these vessels made trips to foreign ports: others were kept in the coast trade, carrying passengers and freight from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Buenaventura, San Pedro and San Diego. The passengers were con-
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veyed inland by stage and private conveyances. This line brought down from San Francisco all the original Anaheim settlers.
In 1860, Captain Garcia bought the block of land in Los Angeles, bounded by First and Second, Main and Los Angeles streets, also a lot 50 by 200 facing on Aliso and running back to Garcia street-named in his honor. This property he disposed of in the seventies. In 1861 he made a voyage to Fou Chow, China, in the service of Macondry & Co. He made this voyage in the "Pride of the Sea," in five months and three days-then the quickest trip on record-bringing back a cargo of tea on which the firm cleared thirty thousand dollars. On the return voyage, a hundred miles out from port they began to meet houses, trees, stock and human bodies-in one case a horse and a buggy, containing a man, woman and child-all dead for days. This was the result of the great flood of January, 1862, which carried all before it on the Sacramento river. In 1862 he made a voyage to Fort Yuma, carrying provisions for the government. It took five months to unload, as there was only one small steamer to carry the freight from the mouth of the Colorado to Yuma. While carrying on the coast trade, he became interested in an asphaltum mine at Santa Barbara. The asphal- tum was obtained along the beach at low tide and was sold in San Francisco. While engaged in loading this product, his favorite vessel, the Pride of the Sea, was lost by drifting ashore. She was built for a yacht but because of some fault in construction was considered unfit for this purpose and was sold. She was a sister ship to the America, which won the cup from Eng- land in 1854, and was a very fast vessel and finely fitted up.
In 1868 Captain Garcia decided to leave the sea and pass the remainder of his days upon terra firma. He had already become interested with Pierre Sansevaine in the Cucamonga vineyard and he went there to live. In those days Indians were employed during the vintage season and sometimes a hundred families would come down from the mountains and camp during the season. Captain Garcia was the first American settler in the Cuca- monga settlement. In 1875, he sold the vineyard property to the Hellmans, ex-Governor Downey and Benjamin Dreyfus. He had already located on lands that he later sold to Chaffey Brothers and which were included in the colony sites of Etiwanda and Ontario. After disposing of his Etiwanda property he built the first residence in the colony of Ontario. During the remainder of his life he took a deep interest in Ontario and all that per- tained to her welfare. He was always active in public affairs and served as school trustee in both Cucamonga and Ontario districts for a number of years. He was eight times called upon grand juries and did effective ser- vice for the county in this capacity. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and aided in starting the first church in Ontario. He was also a member of the Masonic order and of the Pioneer Society of California.
He was three times married. In 1856, he married Miss Belinda Baird,
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
who survived but a few months. In 1858 he wedded Miss Evalina Boom- hower, who bore him one son that died in infancy. She died in February, 1860. April 2, 1861, he married Miss Elizabeth L. Ford, who still lives in Ontario.
Captain Garcia died on Christmas morning, 1902, at Ontario, and was buried in Laurel Hill cemetery in San Francisco.
ODDS AND ENDS.
ASSESSMENT OF LOUIS ROBIDOUX FOR 1854.
Jurupa Rancho, supposed to be three thousand acres of land at
$1.25 per acre $ 3750.00 San Timoteo Rancho, supposed to be six hundred and forty acres of land at $1.25 800.00
PERSONAL PROPERTY.
Ten gentle work horses, Cal. $30 each 300.00
Fifty mares, wild, Cal. $20. 1000.00
Twenty milk cows and calves, $25.00. 500.00
One hundred and thirty-five cows and calves, wild. 2700.00
Fifty Beef cattle at $20 each. 1000.00
Two hundred young cattle, $20 each
1600.00
Twelve hundred sheep at $2.50 each
3000.00
Houses and improvements
1500.00
One wagon and harness, old .:
50.00
Lyman, Rich & Hopkins note
3000.00
Small notes amounting to.
1000.00
Total
$20,200.00 (Signed) L. ROBIDOUX.
Duly executed before me according to law, this 2nd June, 1854. V. J. HERRING, County Assessor.
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY, JUNE 18, 1859.
"The committee appointed by the Grand Jury to examine the condition of the books of the Auditor and of the Supervisors, are, on examining the same, fully satisfied that the board is incompetent for the office that it fills. "First-For neglect of duty in not making proper examination of the minutes of meetings of the same.
"Second-For a wasteful expenditure of public funds in allowing ex-
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travagant claims, especially in the case of certain school trustees-three individuals in one district having received $180.00; there being eight school districts in the county it would take $1240.00 to pay the trustees alone.
"Third-That money has been drawn from the county treasury amount- ing to over $1000.00, which should have been refunded.
"All of which is respectfully submitted to the Grand Jury for action."
The list of money specified as illegally drawn after the funding of the county debt, $1014.47.
Money illegally paid out, $1404.59.
"In regard to public buildings, we beg leave to report in relation to the jail of this county, that we regard it as being perfectly worthless in its present condition for a jail; and that the foundation of said jail is not good and that it will cost more to repair it than to build a new one, and then it will not be nearly as good or substantial as a new building, properly con- structed, even at the same cost that would be required to repair it.
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