USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 5
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Livermore valley was one of the best grain and hay districts in the state and Livermore town sprang into existence, having been founded in 1868. Amador
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
and Livermore became hostile and once had a fight from the effects of which Livermore, who was a small man, came near dying. It was believed that Amador's rapidly gained wealth came from the Mission San Jose spoils. The golden age of the native Californians was from 1833 to the American conquest about 1846. Gambling was a passion and dancing almost a daily pastime. Every house was a hostelry. Grain was thrashed with the feet of horses. Plows were made of crotched logs, carts were very rude, there being no spoked wheels. The hides and tallow of cattle in vast quantities were taken to the embarcaderos with thirty, forty or fifty yokes of oxen and sold to Yankee vessels at Alviso. Mission wine was the principal drink. Amador while majordomo made fifty barrels of wine a year at Mission San Jose. There was much milk and cheese consumed. Pota- toes were unknown. Pinole was plentiful, so was wild bee honey.
Jose Maria Amador was born in San Francisco and had seven brothers and seven sisters. In 1827 he became major domo at Mission San Jose, which position he filled for ten years. In 1829 he applied to the government of Mexico for a grant of land in what became Amador valley-named for him. He did not receive this grant until 1832-3, and was then given four square leagues and 1,800 yards at the southeast to include a valuable spring. At one time, about 1837-40, he had 150 employes, 300 to 400 horses, 13,000 to 14,000 cattle 3,000 to 4,000 sheep and some swine. In 1848 he caught the gold fever and went with four others to the mines. When on the American river fourteen days, they collected II4 pounds of gold; Valentine, his son, was one of this party. They then went to Amador Camp, on Consumne river, where for a short time twenty-two ounces per day were taken out by each man. Later they were not so successful and returned to Amador valley. In 1852 he sold out to J. W. Dougherty, who for many years was the owner. All Amador ever received for this princely estate was about $22,000. He married three times and had twenty- eight children.
1.131897
Guillermo Castro obtained a confirmation to the lands of the San Lorenzo Rancho, April 29, 1865, and a United States patent was issued therefor, while not long after, the settlers on the San Ramon Rancho paid the sum of $111,000 to Horace W. Carpentier for his title thereto. This splendid estate had orig- inally cost Mr. Carpentier, it was said, one sack of flour !
Simon Zimmerman was a native of Germany and was in California before 1849. After working in the mines he returned to Germany, but came again to California in 1853 and bought the Blue Tent place which later became known as the Mountain House. He was in the line of travel and became acquainted with many prominent men who stopped at his place. His principal characteristic was story telling at which he had no superior in the state. In time he became known as "The Old Man of the Mountain."
In 1884 Jose Munos moved from Livermore to East Oakland; he had lived in the valley near there for thirty years. He was a native of Chili. He came from the mission when Robert Livermore had the only house in the valley and there was but one road. He was the manager of the last bull-fight ever held in the old pen near Laddsville and was a leading man among the Spanish speaking citizens.
It was the custom of the old Spanish settlers, when riding over the country on horseback, to turn in their horse when they reached a corral and take a fresh
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
one, the horses being so numerous and cheap that the owners nowhere objected. Continuing their rides they repeated this operation often many times before concluding their journey. Later under the new and stricter laws of the Ameri- cans, they were arrested in many instances for horse stealing when continuing this practice, though in the end the horses were to be returned to their proper corrals.
The Santa Rita Ranch of 1,600 acres near Pleasanton was sold to Samuel Hewlett for $120,000 in September, 1883.
In 1835 thirty residents of the jurisdiction of San Franciso living in the Contra Costa region petitioned the Governor to be transferred to the jurisdiction of San Jose as follows :
SAN ANTONIO, SAN PABLO AND THE ADJACENT RANCHOS NORTH, MAY 30, 1835.
"The residents of the adjoining ranchos of the north, now belonging to the jurisdiction of the part of San Francisco with due respect to your Excellency, represent : That finding great detriment and feeling the evils under which they labor from belonging to this jurisdiction, whereby they are obliged to represent to your Excellency that it causes an entire abandoning of their families for a year by those who attend the judiciary functions and are obliged to cross the bay. Truthfully speaking, to be obliged to go to the port by land, we are under the necessity of traveling forty leagues going and coming back ; and to go by sea we are exposed to the danger of being wrecked. By abandoning our families, as above stated, it is evident that they must remain without protection against the influences of malevolent persons ; they are also exposed to detention and loss of labor and property and injury by animals.
"There is no lodging to be had in that port when for a year an aguntamiento is likely to detain them, and should they take their families incurring heavy expenses for their transportation and necessary provisioning for the term of their ยท engagement there is no accommodation for them. Wherefore, in view of these facts they pray your Excellency to be pleased to allow them to belong to the juris- diction of the town of San Jose and recognize a commission of justice that will correspond with the said San Jose as capital for the people in the vicinity. Where- fore we humbly pray your Excellency to favor the parties interested by acceding to their wishes.
"ANTONIO MARIA PERALTA,
"YGNACIO PERALTA,
"JOAQUIN YSIDRO CASTRO,
"BRUNO VALENCIA,
"BLAS NARBOIS,
"JOAQUIN MORAGA,
"RAMON FOVERO,
"Z. BLAS ANGELIUO,
"SAUNAGO MESA,
"JOSE DUARTE,
"FRANCISCO PACHECO,
"JUAN JOSE CASTRO,
"BARTOLE PACHECO,
"CANDELARO VALENCIA, "JOSE PERALTA,
"MARIANO CASTRO,
"FILIPE BRUONES,
"FERNANDO FELES,
"ANTONIO AMEJAI,
"JUAN BERNAL,
"MARCANO CASTRO,
"ANTONIO YGORCE,
"JULIAN VELES,
"RAFAEL VELES,
"FRANCISCO SOTO,
"FRANCO AMEJO."
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
This document was sent to the Governor at Monterey and was passed on favorably by the committee and government who expressed the judgment that the opinion of the aguntamientos of the towns of San Jose and San Francisco should be secured before definite action was taken in the matter and that the document should then be returned for final action by the exalted deputation. This action was ordered and a list of the residents at San Francisco was directed to be taken. The aguntamiento of the town of San Jose said, "With regard to the residents on the northern vicinity, now under the jurisdiction of San Francisco and who in their memorial prayed to be exempted from belonging to that juris- diction, having indispensably to cross the bay or to travel upwards of forty leagues ; while on half their way they can come to this town, under the jurisdic- tion of which they formerly were, which was more suitable and was inconvenient to them, this aguntamiento thinks that their prayer should be granted if it is so found right." But as might have been expected the petition was treated as frivolous by the aguntamiento of the port of San Francisco. It was denied that any of them had ever been wrecked in attending to their business affairs in the Bay of Yerba Buena nor had they been denied the lack of accommodation at the presidio. This reply was signed by Francisco de Jaro and was dated December 20, 1835.
TABLE OF LAND CLAIMS
Domingo and Vicente Peralta, claimants for San Antonio granted August 16, 1820, by Don Pablo Vicente de Sola to Luis Peralta claim filed January 21, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 7, 1854, by the district court Janu- ary 26, 1855, and by the supreme court in 19 Howard, 343; containing 18,848.98 acres. Patented, February 10, 1877.
Jose Dolores Pacheco, claimant for Santa Rita, granted April 10, 1839, by Juan B. Alvarado to J. D. Pacheco; claim filed, February 21, 1852, rejected by the commission, April 25, 1854, confirmed by the district court August 13, 1855, and decree affirmed by the United States supreme court in 23 Howard, 495; containing 8,894.01 acres. Patented March 18, 1865.
Jose Noriego and Robert Livermore, claimants for Las Pocitas, two square leagues, granted April 10, 1839, by Juan B. Alvarado to Salvio Pacheco; claim filed February 27, 1852, confirmed by the commission, February 14, 1854, and by the district court February 18, 1859; containing 8,880 acres. Patented May 25, 1872.
Fulgencio Higera, claimant for Agua Caliente, two square leagues, granted October 13, 1836, by Nicolas Gutierrez, and April 4, 1839, by Juan Bs Alvarado, to F. Higuera ; claim filed February 27, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 14, 1854, and appeal dismissed November 24, 1856; containing 9,- 563.87 acres. Patented April 17, 1858.
Jose de Jesus Vallejo, claimant for Arroyo del Alameda, four square leagues, granted August 30, 1842, by Juan B. Alvarado to J. de Jesus Vallejo; claim filed March 2, 1852, confirmed by the commission October 18, 1853, by the dis- trict court March 2, 1857, and appeal dismissed July 28, 1857; containing 17,- 705.38 acres. Patented January 1, 1858.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
Juan Jose Castro, claimant for El Sobrante, eleven square leagues, granted April 23, 1841, by Juan B. Alvarado to J. J. Castro, claim filed March 9, 1852, confirmed by the commission July 3, 1855, and appeal dismissed April 6, 1857.
Andres Pico et al., claimants for Mission San Jose 30,000 acres, granted May 5, 1846, by Pio Pico to Andres Pico and Juan B. Alvarado; claim filed March 22, 1852, confirmed by the commission December 18, 1855, and rejected by the district court, June 30, 1859.
Jose Maria Amador, claimant for San Ramon four square leagues and 1,800 varas, granted August 17, 1835, by Jose Figueroa to J. M. Amador, claim filed March 23, 1852, confirmed by the commission August 1, 1854, by the district court January 14, 1856, and appeal dismissed January 10, 1857. Patented March 18, 1865.
Antonio Sunol et al., claimants for El Valle de San Jose, described by boundaries, granted April 10, 1839, by Juan B. Alvarado to Antonio Maria Pico et al., claim filed May 18, 1852, confirmed by the commission January 31, 1854, by the district court January 14, 1856, and decision of the United States supreme court as to the right of appeal in 20 Howard, 261 ; containing 48,435.92 acres. Patented March 15, 1865.
Jose Joaquin Estudillo, claimant for San Leandro, one square league, granted October 16, 1842, by Juan B. Alvarado to Joaquin Estudillo; claim filed May 31, 1852, confirmed by the commission January 9, 1855, by the district court May 7, 1857, and by the United States supreme court ; containing 6,829.58 acres. Patented July 15, 1863.
Thomas Pacheco and Augustin Alviso, claimants for Potrero de los Ceritos, three square leagues, granted March 23, 1844, by Manuel Micheltorena to T. Pacheco and A. Alviso; claim filed May 31, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 14, 1854, by the district court October 29, 1855, and by the United States supreme court ; containing 10,610.26 acres. Patented February 21, 1866.
Antonio Maria Peralta, claimant for part of San Antonio, two square leagues, granted August 16, 1820, by Pablo V. de Sola to Luis Peralta: claim filed June 18, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 7, 1854, by the dis- trict court December 4, 1855, and appeal dismissed October 20, 1857. Patented February 3, 1858.
Ygnacio Peralta, claimant for part of San Antonio, two square leagues, granted Angust 16, 1820, by Pablo V. de Sola to Luis Peralta ; claim filed June 18, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 7, 1854, by the district court January 13, 1857, and appeal dismissed April 20, 1857. Patented February 10, 1877.
Guillermo Castro, claimant for part of San Lorenzo, 600 varas square, granted February 23, 1841, by Juan B. Alvarado to G. Castro and for San Lorenzo, six square leagues, granted October 24, 1843, by Manuel Michel- torena to G. Castro; claim filed July 8, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 14, 1853, by the district court July 6, 1855, and appeal dismissed January 16, 1858. Patented April 14, 1877.
Barbara Soto et al., claimants for San Lorenzo, one and a half square leagues, granted October 10, 1842, by Manuel Micheltorena and January 20, 1844. by Juan B. Alvarado to Francisco Soto; claim filed January 22, 1853. confirmed by the commission April 24, 1855, by the district court April 23, 1857, and appeal dismissed April 29, 1857. Patented February 14, 1865.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, claimant for Mission San Jose, in Alameda county, founded under Carlos IV, June II, 1797; claim filed February 19, 1853, confirmed by the commission December 18, 1855, appeal dismissed in Northern District, March 16, 1857, and in Southern District March 15, 1858; containing 28.33 acres. Patented March 3, 1858.
Guillermo Castro, claimant for land granted January 14, 1840, by Juan B. Alvarado to G. Castro; claim filed March 2, 1853, rejected by the commission, May 15, 1855, and appeal dismissed for failure of prosecution March 9, 1857.
Charles B. Strode, claimant for part of San Antonio, 5,000 acres, granted by P. V. de Sola and Luis Antonio Arguello to Luis Peralta; claim filed March 2, 1853. Discontinued.
Charles B. Strode, claimant for part of San Antonio, 10,000 acres, granted by P. V. de Sola and Luis Antonio Arguello to Luis Peralta; claim filed March 2, 1853. Discontinued.
NAME OF RANCH
NAME OF CONFIRMEE
San Antonio
Ygo. Peralta
San Antonio
Y. and D. Peralta
San Antonio
L. M. Peralta
San Leandro
J. J. Estudillo
San Lorenzo
Barbara Soto, et al.
San Lorenzo
Guillermo Castro
Agua Caliente
Fulgencio Higuera
Arroyo de la Alameda
Canada de los Vaqueros
R. Livermore, J. Noriego
Mission of San Jose
Andres Pico and Alvarado
El Pescadero
A. M. Pico and H. Nagle
Las Positas
R. Livermore and Noriego
Potrero de los Ceritos
A. Alviso and D. Pacheco
San Ramon
J. M. Amador
Santa Rita
Yountz Administrator
Valle de San Jose
Sunol and Bernales
Area of private grants 196,036.95
Area of public land. 275,963.05
Total area in acres 472,000.00
J. de Jesus Vallejo
Mission of San Jose
Bishop Alemany
CHAPTER III
THE AMERICAN SETTLERS
In the spring of 1826 Jedediah S. Smith, of New York, and a party of Amer- ican hunters crossed the Rocky Mountain system to the Green River valley which they followed down to the Colorado river, thence took a westerly course, crossed the Sierra Nevada range and reached the Great Central valley of California near its lower extremity. During the winter of 1826-7 the party spent the time near Tulare lake and in the valleys of the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, continuing until the summer of 1827. In May, 1827, Smith pitched camp in what is now Alameda county near the Mission San Jose to the sur- prise of Father Narcise Duran, who not knowing who they were and wishing to find out, made verbal inquiries with that object in view. He received the following reply in writing from Captain Smith.
Reverend Father: I understand, through the medium of one of your Chris- tian Indians, that you are anxious to know who we are, as some of the Indians have been at the mission and informed you that there were certain white peo- ple in the country. We are Americans on our journey to the River Columbia. We came in at the Mission San Gabriel in January last. I went to San Diego and saw the general, and got a passport from him to pass on to that place. I have made several efforts to cross the mountains, but the snows being so deep I could not succeed in getting over. I returned to this place (it being the only point to kill meat) to wait a few weeks till the snow melts so that I can go on. The Indians here also being friendly, I consider it the most safe point for me to remain until such time as I can cross the mountains with my horses, having lost a great many in attempting to cross ten or fifteen days since. I am a long ways from home, and am anxious to get there as soon as the nature of the case will admit. Our situation is quite unpleasant, being destitute of clothing and most of the necessaries of life, wild meat being our principal subsistence. I am, Reverend Father, your strange but real friend and Christian brother.
J. S. SMITH.
No doubt this courteous letter satisfied the father. In all probability the Smith party while in this portion of the state in the spring of 1827 explored the entire eastern coast line of the bay of San Francisco; and if so passed over the present site of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and their suburbs.
In 1850 a small flour mill was built at Niles and was the property of J. J. Vallejo; three years later he built a much larger and better one on the same site-both run by water power. In 1852 a small flour mill was built at the Mission San Jose by E. L. Beard and H. G. Ellsworth; it was likewise operated by water power. In 1853 J. M. Homer built a steam flour mill at Alvarado. Mr. Homer raised large quantities of wheat, barley and potatoes which at
41
42
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
certain times brought almost fabulous prices and at others nothing at all. Mr. Homer's mill at Alvarado was afterward bought by Calvin J. Stevens and moved to Livermore. John Boyle in 1853, built at San Lorenzo the first blacksmith shop in the county; it was the start of the big agricultural works there.
Later in the thirties and early in the forties the Americans further east began to arrive in California. Dr. John Marsh said that in 1846 California had 7,000 persons of Spanish descent, 10,000 civilized or domesticated Indians and about seven hundred Americans, 100 English, Irish and Scotch and about fifty French, Germans, Italians and others. In addition there were immense numbers of wild naked brute Indians. He further said that the far-famed mis- sions no longer existed-had nearly all been broken up and apportioned into farms.
In 1843 Julius Martin, Winston Bennett and Thomas J. Shodden-Amer- icans from the East-crossed the mountains and settled in the Contra Costa region-Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara counties. In 1844 the Mur- phys located in Santa Clara valley. William M. Mendenhall, John M. Horner, Elaim Brown and others came to this region.
A number of the Mormons who came with Samuel Brannan in July, 1846, to San Francisco on the bark, Brooklyn, crossed the bay and settled at Wash- ington, a few miles from San Jose Mission, where they afterward erected a Mormon church. According to the statement of one of them, parties coming over from San Francisco to explore the Contra Costa region landed at the mouth of the Temescal creek, and first visited the house of Vicente Peralta, two or three miles inland, at whose hands they invariably had hospitable enter- tainment ; then following the foothills they called on Antonio Peralta near Fruit Vale; thence on Ygnacio Peralta near San Leandro creek; from there they went to Estudillo's rancho on the south side of the creek, and thence to Guillermo Castro's on the present site of Haywards. The roads then lead to Amador's and Livermore's ranchos, eastward, and the Mission San Jose southward. San Antonio, now Brooklyn, and every other rancho had their embarcaderos on the bay shore, to which trading vessels used to send their boats for hides and tallow.
With the discovery of the gold placers in 1848 Mission San Jose became an important trading center, where fortunes were rapidly made. Henry C. Smith, after a short visit to the mines opened a store at the mission, and made a great deal of money. A small town sprang up which was the nucleus of the first American settlement in Alameda county. There were no settlements beyond the ranchos. Oakland did not exist.
Charles Mclaughlin ran the stage from Oakland to San Jose in 1853-4. Duncan Cameron ran opposition to him, both lines passing through Alvarado and Centerville. Cameron used California bronchos for his stages and mud- wagons; he tamed and subdued them to a certain extent, but they were always wild and largely unmanageable. When they started, after being held until hitched, it was almost like a Roman chariot race to see them going at full speed through mud and water. Often for hours at a time the bronchos and the stage loaded with passengers would be mired down and incapable of mov- ing until pried out. There were such mud holes between Centerville and Alva-
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
rado and between San Leandro and San Antonio. In the end Cameron got the mail contract from Mclaughlin.
In all about one hundred squatters located on the Vallejo rancho and at one time, 1854-5, Mr. Vallejo had about seventy suits pending against them. He tried one case and was defeated on the ground that he could not maintain eject- ment on his Spanish title until he had secured a title from the United States. Vallejo's lawyers were W. H. Patterson of the firm Patterson, Wallace & Stowe, Gen. C. H. S. Williams and Noble Hamilton. The squatters employed Judge S. B. McKee, Judge Archer and Jeremiah Clark. As soon as Vallejo had secured his patent from the United States the squatters on 4,000 of his acres paid him $35 per acre and the others who were unable to pay secured leases. Craven P. Hester was judge when the county seat was removed from Alvarado to San Leandro. At the time of the removal the Estudillo house in which court was being held was burned to the ground. The judge wishing to be technically exact and to comply with the statute held court in the still burning ruins as near the exact spot of the courtroom as the heat and smoke would admit. From this spot came the lawful authority for the construction of a rough redwood board build- ing in which the court was afterward held until the brick courthouse was erected. The latter was destroyed by the earthquake of 1868; the walls fell out and the roof tumbled down upon the floor, the plastering raising a cloud of dust. In front of the courthouse were large, round, brick columns surmounted by iron girders carrying the brick front, all of which fell out with a crash, killing J. W. Josselyn, deputy county treasurer, who with Charles Palmer had rushed out from the back offices.
Don Jose Vallejo contracted with William Garrison in 1853-4 to sell and deliver to him the following year, 1,000,000 pounds of potatoes at 11/2 or two cents a pound, and was paid $5,000 to bind the bargain. To meet his contract Vallejo planted about three hundred acres in potatoes on the Buena Vista rancho. He duly harvested the crop and piled it up, covered it and waited for the call to deliver. But potatoes fell in price so rapidly and completely that Mr. Garrison evaded the delivery until the time for completing the contract was nearly gone. Vallejo awoke just in time and set 300 men at work to place them on the wharf at San Francisco. But in spite of all this he was defeated by trickery and in the end lost from $20,000 to $30,000.
In December, 1863, trouble with squatters commenced on the ranch of H. G. Ellsworth near the mission, but that gentleman got rid of them and ultimately obtained full possession of the property. At the January term, 1865, of the county court this case H. G. Ellsworth versus Elias Simpson and twenty others, for trespass as squatters on a portion of the Mission Ranch was tried, and, after several days in court, the plaintiff was awarded damages to the extent of $1,000. The legal talent on either side were: For plaintiff, Edward Tompkins ; for defendants, W. H. Glascock, H. K. W. Clarke and Judge Collins.
A large settlement around Alvarado came from Berrien county, Michigan, among whom were Henry C. Smith, A. M. Church, Socrates Huff, L. B. Huff, John S. Chipman, Ebenezer Farley, C. J. Stevens, Mario Liston, Ed Chancey and many others. Other early settlers there were William Patterson, Mr. Vesey, Joseph Coombs, Black Hook Coombs, Thomas Coombs, Judge A. M. Crane, W. C. Pease, lawyer, W. H. Chamberlain, Benjamin Williams, lawyer, Red Horner,
44
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY '
Joseph Ralph, Doctor Frans, P. E. Edmondson, Parker and Searing, J. A. Trefry, William Hayes, Capt. J. S. Sand, Benjamin Marston, R. S. Farrelly, Samuel Athey, George Simpson, Joseph Black, E. Munyan, Jeremiah Beedy, George Moore, Justin Moore, J. McCormick and James Dubois. John M. and William Y. Horner arrived in 1851 or 1852 and their parents came in the fall of 1852 directly to Washington Corners (afterward Irvington). The father, Tracy Horner, built the first house in Centerville.
Murray township received its name in the month of June, 1853, when the county of Alameda was created from that of Contra Costa, its sponsor being Michael Murray, one of its pioneer settlers. In 1826 Don Jose Maria Amador settled in the valley which afterwards received his name, and soon after con- structed an adobe house on the site of the old residence of C. P. Dougherty. The earthquake of July 3, 1868, damaged it so that it was found necessary to abandon it. He lived to the great age of one hundred and six years. When he arrived he found the country wild in the extreme; neither habitation nor culti- vation met the eye. The wild cattle of the Mission San Jose roamed at will over the mountains and valleys; the Indian held undisputed sway over the soil of which he was the primeval monarch; the mountains and gorges teemed with game, both feathered and four-footed. The next settlement within the borders of Murray township was by Robert Livermore. He was born in England, in 1799. In his youth he shipped as a cabin-boy on board a vessel and ultimately found himself in a Peruvian port. Here he joined the English fleet, but finding the discipline of the navy too taut, he deserted and made his way to Monterey in a hide-drogher. It was about the year 1820 that he came to California. In the course of time he arrived in the Pueblo de San Jose where he soon made friends, tarried for a space, worked on the ranch of Juan Alvarez and acquired the Span- ish tongue. He finally went to the Rancho Agua Caliente or Warm Springs, and became acquainted with the family of Fulgencio Higuera whose daughter he sub- sequently married. While resident in San Jose he formed acquaintanceship with Jose Noriego, a Spaniard, and with him went to the valley which has since taken its name from the Sunol family, where he located, built a small house, entered upon the cultivation of the soil, and embarked in stock-raising. It is presumable that in his wanderings after his cattle or game he became familiar with the locality, and from the summit of one of the adjacent "lomas" first cast his eyes upon the vale which bears his name today, and whither he moved in the year 1839. From that period can be dated the first step toward the permanent settlement and development of the valley. Livermore at once devoted his attention, almost exclusively, to the raising of horned cattle, horses and sheep. For the first few years he was greatly harassed by Indians, who stole and slaughtered his cattle and even rendered it unsafe at times for himself and family to remain in their wilderness home. On such occasions they sought protection under the hospitable roof of Don Jose Maria Amador, which was rarely molested.
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