Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 4

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

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This was in the latter part of the month of Novem- ber, a season when our lovely valley possesses a peculiar beauty, and which, it seems, was sufficient to entrance these holy friars, although they had long been accustomed to the delightful climate of what is now known as Southern California. This valley was then known as the San Bernardino. The party pro- ceeded to San Francisco, which they reached on the twenty-sixth of November. Having discharged his official duties at the presidio, Don Fernando re- turned to Monterey, and, at the Mission Carmel, took the preliminary steps toward establishing a mission at the place which had so charmed him on his journey to San Francisco. A party, under the direction of Rev. Father Murguia, was organized and started for their new field. By the last of December all the soldiers intended for guards, together with their families, were mustered at San Francisco, and on the sixth day of January took their departure for this valley. The party consisted of Rev. Father de la Peña, the com- mandant of the presidio, and the soldiers and their families. On reaching their destination a cross was

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

erected, and on the twelfth day of January, 1777, the first mass ever said in the valley was celebrated by Father Peña.

This planting of the symbol of the church and the celebration of its rites marks the true beginning of the history of the Santa Clara Valley. The cross which was then upraised still stands erect and marks the dividing line between idolatry and Christianity-be- tween barbarism and civilization. A few days after this Father Murguia arrived from Monterey with his party, and on January 18, 1777, the formal ceremonies prescribed by the church for the founding of missions were performed, and the Mission of Santa Clara was established; and from this time this valley, which had hitherto been known as San Bernardino, became the Valley of Santa Clara. That our readers may more readily comprehend the work of the missions we present the followi g brief general description, as given by Father Gleeson in his work entitled, "History of the Catholic Church in California:"-

"The buildings were generally quadrilaterals inclos- ing a court ornamented with fountains and trees, the whole containing the church, the Fathers' apartments, storehouses, barracks, etc. Within the quadrangle, at the second story, was a gallery running round the entire structure, upon which opened the workshops, store- rooms and other apartments. The entire manage- ment of each establishment was under the care of two religious; the elder attended to the interior and the younger to the exterior administration. One portion of the building, which was called the 'monastery,' was inhabited by the young Indian girls. There, under the care of approved matrons, they were care- fully instructed and trained in those branches neces- sary for their condition in life. They were not per- mitted to leave till of an age to be married-this with a view of preserving their morality.

" In the schools, those who exhibited more talent than their companions were taught vocal and instru- mental music, the latter consisting of the flute, horn, and violin. In the mechanical departments, the most apt were promoted to the position of foremen. The better to preserve the morals of all, none of the whites, except those absolutely necessary, were em- ployed at the mission. The daily routine was as follows: At sunrise they arose and proceeded to the church, where, after morning prayer, they assisted at the holy sacrament of the mass. Breakfast next followed, after which they proceeded to their respect- ive employments. Toward noon they returned to the mission and spent the time from then till two o'clock

between dinner and repose, after which they repaired to their work and remained engaged until the even- ing angelus, about an hour before sundown. All then betook themselves to the church for evening devotions, which consisted of the ordinary family prayers and the rosary, except on special occasions, when other devotional exercises were added. After supper, which immediately followed, they amused themselves in divers sports, games, and dancing, till the hour for repose. Their diet consisted of an abundance of beef and mutton, with vegetables in the season. Wheaten cakes and puddings or por- ridges, called atole and pinole, also formed a portion of the repast. The dress was, for the males, linen shirts and pants, and a blanket which was to be used as an overcoat. The women received each, annually, two undergarments, a gown, and a blanket. In years of plenty, after the missions became rich, the Fathers distributed all the surplus moneys among them in clothing and trinkets."

From this it will be seen that the good Fathers had a care over the temporal as well as the spiritual wel- fare of their charges. Santa Clara Mission soon became a flourishing institution. The natives were teachable, willing to learn, and reasonably industrious. The land was fertile and yielded abundant harvests, and each year saw a gratifying increase in the num- bers of those who relinquished heathenism for Chris- tianity, and the habits of savagery for the arts of civilization.

In 1784, nearly seven years after the establishment of the mission, came the ceremony of formal dedica- tion, under the ministration of the Father Junipero Serra, president of the missions of California. This occurred May 16, and was attended by Don Pedro Fages, who had succeeded Neve as Governor of Cali- fornia. Father Murguia did not live to witness this imposing ceremony, he having died of a slow fever five days prior to the event.

In June of the same year in which the Santa Clara Mission was established, Don Felipe de Neve sug- gested to his superiors the advisability of establish- ing a settlement on the Guadalupe River, forty-eight miles from the presidio at San Francisco and seventy- eight miles from Monterey. He described the ex- traordinary fertility of the country and demonstrated that it would not only furnish ample supplies for the troops quartered at the presidio, but would in a very short time yield a handsome revenue to the crown. The suggestion was several months in traveling through the Spanish circumlocution office, but it

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

finally reached the end of its journey and was ap- proved, and in November of that year, Don Jose de Moraga, a Spanish lieutenant commanding at the presidio at San Francisco, received orders to detail nine soldiers who had experience as agriculturists, two settlers, and three laborers, and proceed to form a settlement at the point indicated in the Governor's suggestion. This he did, and located his camp on the banks of the creek just north of the present city limits, and called it the "Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe."

He reported his location to the central government through the usual channels, and two years afterward, March 6, 1779, his actions were approved. In 1782, Lieutenant Moraga was directed to make an allot- ment of land to each of his troops, which he did, as will be seen by the accompanying diagram. The names of the original settlers were: Ygnacio Archuleta, Manuel Gonzalez, Jose Tiburcio Vasquez, Manuel Amesquita, Antonio Romero, Bernardo Rosalez, Francisco Avila, Sebastian Alvitre, and Claudio Alvirez.

It was not long until the settlers discovered that they had made a mistake in the selection of a site for their town. The place was comparatively low, and during the winter frequently overflowed, much to the discomfort of the settlers. This caused much dis- content, but no direct steps were taken to secure a re- location of the pueblo until 1785, when a formal petition was sent to the central authorities asking per- mission to move the settlement to higher ground. In his report on the subject, Lieutenant Moraga states :-

"At the time I obtained command as commis- sioner of the pueblo, the water raised so high that a little more would have carried off our houses. Some of them were much injured, and we were deprived of going to mass and confession, not being able to pass to the mission without going round circuitously a distance of three leagues, to avoid the bad places, which were so numerous in such weather. And in the bad places many were left afoot without being able to use their horses; nor could they look after their cavallado (meaning their horses turned out to graze), nor use them to notify each other in case of any trouble or accident. Already in the pueblo, and in the adjoining mission, on such occasions, the wild, unchristianized Indians have committed depredations. Finally, for sowing wheat, corn, and other grains, the carrying of the mails, and the passage of pack trains, it (the new site recommended), offers great

advantage, as well as for timber and wood; every- thing is nearer and more convenient, and I fully approve of the view of the citizens."

Some of our older citizens now living can remem- ber the miserable condition in which these lowlands were plunged at the time of high water, and could add something to Lieutenant Moraga's list of incon- veniences. But since the improvement of the chan- nel of the creek, under American occupation, nothing of this kind has been known. It required twelve years from the time the first petition was transmitted to the Governor before the removal could be accom- plished, but it was finally effected in 1797, the center of the new site being at about the present northwest corner of Market and El Dorado Streets.

At the death of Father Murguia, as noted above, the Mission of Santa Clara was placed under the di- rection of Father Diego Noba, and under his super- vision continued the successful work of the institution. Looking at our beautiful valley at the present time, covered with orchards and vineyards and stately edifices, it is difficult to imagine what its appearance was at that time. The only writing which will ap- proach a description is from the report of Captain Vancouver, the great navigator, who, having come into San Francisco Bay, visited the mission in 1792. It contains not only a statement of the appearance of the country, but the condition of the mission. He says :-

"We continued our course parallel to the sea-coast, between which and our path the ridge of mount- ains extended to the southeastward, and, as we advanced, their sides and summits exhibited a high degree of luxuriant fertility, interspersed with copses of various forms and magnitude, and verdant open spaces encircled with fruit trees of different descrip- tions. About noon we arrived at a very enchanting lawn, situated amid a grove of trees at the foot of a small hill, by which flowed a very fine stream of excellent water. We had not proceeded far from this delightful place, when we entered a country I little expected to find in these regions.

"For almost twenty miles it could be compared to a park which had originally been planted with the true old English oak; the underwood, that had probably attained its early growth, had the appearance of having been cleared away, and had left the stately lords of the forest in complete possession of the soil, which was covered with luxuriant herbage, and beauti- fully diversified with pleasing eminences and valleys, which, with the lofty range of mountains that bounded

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

the prospect, required only to be adorned with neat habitations of an industrious people, to produce a scene not inferior to the most studied effect of taste in the disposal of grounds. * * *

"Soon after dark we reached the Santa Clara Mis- sion. Our journey, except through the morass, had been pleasant and entertaining, and our reception at Santa Clara, by the hospitable Fathers of the mission, was such that excited in every breast the most lively sen- sations of gratitude and regard. Father Tomas de la Peña appeared to be the principal of the missionaries. The anxious solicitude of this gentleman and of his colleague, Father Joseph Sanchez, to anticipate all our wishes, unequivocally manifested the principles by which their conduct was regulated. The buildings and offices of the mission, like those of San Francisco, form a square, but not an entire inclosure.

"It is situated in an extensive, fertile plain, the soil of which, as also that of the surrounding country, is a rich, black, productive mold, superior to any I had before seen in America. The church was long and lofty, and as well built as the rude materials of which it is composed would allow, and, compared with the unimproved state of the country, was infinitely more decorated than might have been reasonably expected. Apartments, within the square in which priests re- sided, were appropriated to a number of young female Indians, and the like reasons were given as at San Francisco for their being so selected and educated. Their occupations were the same, though some of their woolen manufactures surpassed those we had seen before, and wanted only the operation of fulling, with which the Fathers were unacquainted, to make them very decent blankets. The upper story of their interior oblong square, which might be one hundred and seventy feet long and one hundred broad, was made use of as granaries, as were some of the lower rooms; all of which were well stored with corn and pulse of different sorts; and, besides these, in case of fire, there were two spacious warehouses for the re- ception of grain, detached from each other and the rest of the buildings, erected at a convenient distance from the mission. These had been recently finished, contained some stores, and were to be kept constantly full, as a reservoir in the event of such a misfortune.

"The maize, peas, and beans are sown in the spring months and succeed extremely well, as do hemp and flax, or linseed. The wheat affords, in general, from twenty-five to thirty for one, according to the season, twenty-five for one being the least return from their fields, notwithstanding the enormous waste occasioned

by their rude method of threshing, which is performed in the open air by the treading of cattle. Neither barley nor oats were cultivated. As the superior grains could be cultivated with the same labor that the inferior ones could, they had some time ago de- clined the cultivation of them. Here were planted peaches, apricots, apples, pears, figs, and· vines, all of which, except the latter, promised to succeed well. The failure of the vine here, as well as at San Fran- cisco, is ascribed to a want of knowledge in their cult- ure, the soil and climate being well adapted to some sorts of fruits. The priests had a guard of a corporal and six soldiers." The great navigator did not dream that in less than a hundred years, this fertile valley would be sending her fruits to all parts of the globe. and that her wines would be in competition with the products of the most noted vineyards of the Old World.

The beginning of the present century saw both the religious colony at the mission and the civil colony at the pueblo fairly settled. There had been some dis- pute as to the line dividing the two jurisdictions, but it had been finally determined by locating it midway between them, or about the position of the Mt. Diablo meridian. The present Alameda was also laid out, for the purpose of affording easy communication be- tween the pueblo and the mission. It was about one hundred feet wide, with a row of trees on each side, and one through the center. The trees were of black willow and sycamore, but the sycamores have long since disappeared. There was, originally, a ditch run- ning through the center of the road for the purpose of drainage, but when the adjoining fields began to be cultivated, the water was diverted from the ditch, and it gradually filled up and was obliterated. There is a tradition among the older inhabitants that the trees were planted on the Alameda for the purpose of affording a refuge from the attacks of the cattle that were running at large through the country. This, however, must have been a mistake, for, at the time the Alameda was constructed, there were only one hundred and fifteen head of cattle owned in the district. Although this was not the object of their planting, there are many well-authenticated cases where these trees have afforded protection to pedestrians from the horns of infuriated steers.

The history of Santa Clara County is divided into three distinct periods: The grazing, or stock-growing era; the agricultural, or grain-growing era; and the horticultural, or fruit-and-vine-growing era, and the lines between them are plainly marked. The mission and the pueblo were both pastoral communities, and

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

by them was inaugurated the first era; the second came with the American occupation, while the third dates its birth from the advent of the transcontinental railroads.

From the founding of the two original colonies up to the American occupation, the Santa Clara Valley has no history of importance, and, in fact, no records from which history could be written, except the mis- sion archives. The population increased as the fer- tility of the soil became known, and in a very few years the Spaniards had taken possession of all the then desirable land without reference to the rights of the natives. In fact, the Indians were not considered to have any rights, unless they had placed themselves under the protection of the mission. The herds increased more rapidly than the population, and it was but few years until the entire plain was covered with cattle, horses, and sheep. The latter were grown principally for their wool, from which the people manufactured their clothing; the horses were used for transportation and in the care of their herds, while their chief dependence was their cattle. Money was exceedingly scarce, and its substitute was hides and tallow.

Outside of the pueblo all was grazing land, and any citizen of good character, who had cattle, could have assigned to him a tract of any reasonable extent. These grants were called ranchos, and the grantees, rancheros. There were no regular lines dividing the ranchos, their boundaries being deter- mined by certain permanent landmarks. The grants usually ran for a specified number of leagues, which were measured in a very primitive manner. Two men on horseback, with a measuring line of rawhide, would ride around the boundaries, accompained by a judge and witnesses. In addition to the impossi- bility of horsemen making accurate measurements, the rawhide rope would either stretch or shrink according to the state of the atmosphere. But this was a matter of little consequence at that time. The land was worth nothing to the Government, and if the measurements varied a few leagues from the amount specified in the grant it made no particular difference so long as it did not conflict with previ- ous grants. There were generally no improvements except some rough buildings and corrals, many of the rancheros residing at the pueblo. There were no fences, the cattle roaming at will through the country, the owners relying on their brands and ear- marks for identification. At a specified time each year, generally about the middle of March, earlier or

later according to the peculiarities of the season, all of the cattle were brought up, the proper brands and marks placed on the calves, and returned to their respective ranchos.

These annual segregations were termed rodeos, and were attended by all the rancheros and their vaqueros, or herdsmen, in the district. This was necessary, for the reason that cattle would sometimes stray for a distance of fifty or sixty miles, and owners of large herds would find some of their property on nearly every rancho in the country. Notice of a rodeo would be given by sending messengers to all the cattle owners in the district, and these, with their vaqueros, would assemble on the appointed day at the designated place. All the cattle on the rancho were gathered in one place, where each ranchero would take out those bearing his brand, including unbranded calves which followed their mothers. What was left belonged to the owner of the ranc o. It often happened that calves would escape the rodeo and reach maturity without branding. These were termed orejana, and belonged to no one, or, more properly, they belonged to any ranchero, who, finding them on his rancho, would take them up and mark them. The party would move from rancho to rancho until all the cattle in the district had been through the rodeo. The rodeo season was one of festivity. On each rancho entertainment was furnished for all, and evenings devoted to music, dancing, and feasting would follow each day's work.

Some idea of the number of cattle in this district may be had from the statement that one ranchero, Joaquin Bernal, who occupied the Santa Teresa Rancho, about eight miles south of San Jose, branded about five thou- sand head of calves each year. This cattle business developed the settlers into the best horsemen in the world. They lived in the saddle, and it was said that any one of them would walk two miles for the purpose of catching up a horse, in order that he might ride half a mile. In fact, it was unsafe for a pedestrian to be outside the pueblo. The wandering cattle would often attack a man on foot, while they would make no demonstration against one who was mounted. Some of the feats of these horsemen seem incredible. They would, at full gallop, ride down a wild bull, seize it by the tail, pass it under his legs, and throw him on his back without slacking speed. Placing a Mexican dollar between each knee and the saddle, they would leap hurdles without displacing the coin. They could pick up any article from the ground with their horses running at the top of their speed. Their

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

animals were trained so that they hardly needed the rein for their control. The young men especially took great pride in the education of their horses, and it was not an unusual thing to see a party of these caballeros with guitars in their hands and mounted on their gaily-caparisoned steeds, marching through the streets of the pueblo, playing on their instruments, and at the same time controlling their animals so that they kept perfect time to the music. Their dexterity with the lasso or riata, as it was more fre- quently called, was no less astonishing. As an offensive weapon it was more effective in their hands than knife or pistol. With it they could, without dis- mounting, catch, throw down, and tie the wildest and fleetest steer on the plains; and there are many stories now current of the same exploit having been performed on the fierce grizzly of the mountains.

After the rodeo came the butchering season, or matanza, as they called it. This was the annual slaughtering of cattle for their hides and tallow, and usually occurred in May, or at a time in the spring when the season was far enough advanced to predict with sufficient certainty as to the amount of feed that would be produced; and on this depended the number of cattle slaughtered, as their object was to keep only as many as they could furnish pasturage for. The matanza, from an esthetic point of view, is not nearly so attractive as the rodeo, but it was fully as neces- sary, for this was, practically, the gathering of the annual crop. The beeves were killed and skinned and the hides dried in the sun; the best of the tallow was removed and placed in bags made of hides; the other fat was made into soap. The best pieces of meat were cut into thin strips or torn into shreds and dried in the sun, thus making what the Mexicans called carne seca, and which was known to the Americans as "jerked beef." The hides and tallow were sold either to the vessels at San Francisco or to local dealers at the pueblo, and these two articles were all that these primitive people had to export from this fertile valley, the "Garden of the World." What a change has half a century wrought! The average market price · of the hides was a dollar and a half in cash or two dollars in trade, while tallow brought three cents per pound in trade. These prices were within the recol- lection of the "oldest inhabitant," and they must have been much less before the advent of the Americans.

The old records of Eastern commercial houses show that their vessels were sometimes compelled to remain a full year on this coast before they could obtain sufficient quantity of hides and tallow to pay for the

goods brought out for barter with the rancheros. This, however, was only when the season was unfavor- able for stock. The dwellings of these people, although lacking in architectural adornment, were solidly built and very convenient. The material used was the black soil of the lowlands, which was mixed with straw and moulded into bricks eighteen inches square and three inches thick. These bricks were dried in the sun and laid in the walls with a mortar made of the same material. The rafters were rough poles denuded of bark, while the roof was of rushes, called tules, and fastened with rawhide thongs. In later days the tule roof, in the more pretentious buildings, gave place to the tile, a heavy, cumbrous arrangement, but less impervious to water and not so susceptible to fire. The bricks were called adobes, and they gave their name to the soil from which they were made.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 4

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844