Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 9

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

USA > California > Santa Clara County > Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California > Part 9

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Our pilgrims had reached the promised land. Their enduring faith had been lost in sight, and their hopes had ended in fruition. The old patriarch had gathered his flock around him in the shadow of the Cross, in a country through the length and breadth of which the name of his family was destined to be- come a household word, and in the development and history of which they were to become prominent. Of all the property with which they started, little was left on their arrival in California. As Mrs. James Murphy said to the writer, "We brought very little property with us, but we did bring a good many days' work."

After a short rest at Sutter's Fort, the party sepa- rated, each to seek a location and to plant his roof tree in his adopted land.

MR. MARTIN MURPHY, SR., with the unmarried portion of his family, which consisted of his three sons, Bernard, John, and Daniel, and his daughters, Ellen, Margaret, and Joanna, came to Santa Clara County and purchased the Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche, situated on the Monterey road, south of San Jose, near what has since been known as the Twenty-one Mile House. Here he lived for many years, loved and re- spected by all who knew him. Coming daily in con- tact with the native Californians, he commanded their good-will and respect, in spite of their natural jeal-

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

ousy and hatred of the foreigners. In grateful re- membrance of the power which had safely led him by land and sea, through so many perils, to this haven of rest, he built a beautiful chapel on his ranch, which, in honor of his patron saint, he named San Martin. His house was located on the then most traveled road in California, and he always held its door wide open to the wayfarer. His liberal hospitality, his charity, his piety, his inflexible integrity, and his warm heart and sympathizing disposition, compelled the friendship of all who knew him, and when he died there was grief throughout the State. Courts adjourned, and business was suspended, while from every direc- tion people gathered to assist in the last sad rites of the patriarch and pioneer. For the last few years of his life he had retired from active business, making his home at San Francisco, and paying periodical visits to the different members of his family. When death overtook him, which was on March 16, 1865, he was at the house of his daughter, Margaret Kell, near San Jose.

MARTIN MURPHY, JR., the eldest son of Martin Murphy, located, after the emigrant party broke up at Sutter's, on the Cosumne River, in what is now Sacra- mento County. His family consisted of seven chil- dren, as follows: James, Martin, Patrick Washington, Bernard Daniel, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, and Ellen. Here he purchased four leagues of land and erected a house. About the first thing he did after taking possession of his new home, was to look around for a school-teacher. This he found in the person of one Patrick O'Brien, an educated man, who, having be- come reduced in circumstances, had joined the army. He came across the mountains with Fremont and probably deserted. While engaged in teaching at Murphy's, General Sherman, then a lieutenant, ar- rested him and took him away. We understand, however, that he was finally released. This was the first school ever held in Sacramento County. At this place their daughter Mary, afterward Mrs. Richard T. Carrol, of San Francisco, was born. The land which Mr. Murphy had purchased in Sacramento County was very fertile, but, desiring to live near his people, he removed to this county, and purchased the Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas, near Mountain View, containing four thousand eight hundred acres. While awaiting the building of a house on the new homestead, the family took up its residence in San Jose, occupying a house opposite where the convent now stands, which was owned by Mariano Hernandez.

They were living here when Hernandez made his remarkable escape, as is elsewhere reported in this history. The first intimation the family had of this event was the visit of the officers to search the house. The John Foster whom Hernandez was accused of murdering was a brother of the Joseph Foster who crossed the plains with the Murphy party.

The Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas became the permanent home of Martin Murphy, and here he, with his estimable wife, reared their large family. Here was born James T. Murphy, their youngest child. The mantle of Martin Murphy, Sr., had de- scended on his oldest son, and all the traits which characterized the founder of the family seemed de- veloped in a greater degree, if that were possible, in the son. His strict integrity, devout piety, kind and gentle disposition, liberal hospitality, united with a firmness of character, all combined to give him a place in the affection and respect of the people that no one has ever since been able to command. His wife was a worthy companion for such a man. Shar- ing all his trials, she lessened them, and partaking of his joys, she doubled them; and together they have impressed their character upon their children to such a degree that they have made them worthy to suc- ceed them. Language can accord no higher praise than this. These people also imprinted their individ- uality on their material surroundings to such an extent that the homestead soon forgot its old Span- ish name and became known throughout the country as the "Murphy Ranch." Their efforts were pros- pered to an eminent degree, and although they ac- quired vast domains in several other counties, they never abandoned the first home which they had erected in Santa Clara County. The facilities afforded by the schools and colleges of the Catholic Fathers and Sisters, enabled them to see their children educated in all the higher branches, and to become cultured men and women, with ability and disposition to carry the honored family name untarnished to future generations.

As the desire for religious and educational facilities was the controlling sentiment that induced the Mur- phys to cross the wilderness, it was also the main- spring of their actions after arriving at their destina- tion. To Martin Murphy was due the establishment of the College of Notre Dame in this county. A number of the Sisters had established a school in the Willamette Valley, in Oregon. In 1851, four Sisters from Cincinnati started to join this religious colony, and Sister Loyola and Sister Mary came down from

James Murphy.

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Oregon to San Francisco to meet them. While waiting for the arrival of the vessel from Panama, they accepted the invitation of Mr. Murphy to visit his family at Mountain View. During this visit they called at Santa Clara and San Jose, and determined to establish an institution here. The College of Notre Dame is the result of this determination.

On the 18th of July, 1881, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy celebrated their " golden wedding " at the homestead at Mountain View. This event will be a landmark in the history of the county. About fifteen thousand people were present, including the most distinguished men of the State. People came hundreds of miles to offer their congratulations. They were all entertained in princely style beneath the shade of the noble live- oaks on the lawn. Hundreds of the best animals from the immense herds were slaughtered for the feast, while the choicest vintages of France and Cali- fornia were represented in limitless abundance. The virtues of Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were celebrated in song and in story, the most eminent men of the com- monwealth leaving their business to lay their tribute of respect at the feet of these pioneers.

Soon after this event, Mr. Murphy's health began to fail, and three years later, October 20, 1884, he died, full of years and of honor.

JAMES MURPHY, the second son of Martin Murphy, Sr., was born in County Wexford, Ireland, September 19, 1809, and was eleven years of age when his father removed to Canada. At that time he was a bright, intelligent boy, with stout muscles and an active brain. He was of great assistance to his father in establishing their new home, where he remained until he attained man's estate. He early developed a taste for the lumber business, and when twenty-four years of age, made a journey to Maine in this interest. He remained there but a short time, however, soon returning to Canada, where he went into business for himself, which he conducted successfully for nine years. During this time he met Miss Ann Martin, a beautiful and intelligent young lady, who had come over from Ireland in 1829, with her parents, and settled in the neighborhood of the Murphys, who had preceded them about eight years. Miss Martin was born at Thomastown, in King's County. She was only seven years of age when her parents came to America, and therefore her husband was acquainted with her from childhood, and knew her many sterling qualities. Two children were born to them in Canada, the eldest being a son, whom they named Martin,

from his grandfather, and who died while still in Canada. The other child was a daughter, whom they named Mary, and who afterwards married B. S. Machado, and is now living near Gilroy, in Santa Clara County. In 1842 Mr. Murphy, with his brother Martin, joined the other members of the Murphy family in Holt County, Missouri, on the Platte Pur- chase, as it was then called. The history of this journey will be found in the general history of the Murphy family. During their residence in Missouri, the subject of this sketch visited the lumber regions in the vicinity of St. Joseph, where he was engaged in business for a short time. He accompanied the family in their memorable journey through the wilder- ness to California, and took his full share of the trials and dangers of that historic expedition. After arriv- ing in California, he was one of the first to offer his services in defense of the Government in the Michel- torena war. After the battle of Chauvenga he re- turned to Sutter's and then chosc a location for his family in Marin County. Here he engaged in the lumber business and furnished the timbers for Leides. dorff wharf, the first wharf built in San Francisco, then Yerba Buena.

On the discovery of gold every person who could get there, went to the mines, leaving the fields untilled and the mills idle. Not being able to procure labor, Mr. Murphy's lumber operations came toa halt. Not desiring to remain idle, he determined to go to the gold fields. He visited Sutter's Mill, where gold was first discovered, and from there to Placerville, then called "Hangtown," and visited all the diggings in that vicinity. He came to the conclusion that, for a man who had a family, mining was too precarious a business. Therefore, in the fall of 1848, he came to Santa Clara, and, with his brother Daniel, purchased the Rancho de las Llagas, near Gilroy. He remained here, prospering by agricultural pursuits, until after the survey of the famous five-hundred-acre lots. He purchased a number of these lots, lying north of San Jose, and, having built a house for his family, took possession of his new home in 1849. Here he lived until his death, which occurred January 13, 1878.

The "Ringwood Farm," the homestead of James Murphy, is one of the landmarks of Santa Clara County. From the time he took possession of it in 1849, it was carefully and intelligently tilled, and not- withstanding the open-handed liberality of its owner, was very profitable. In 1872 he erected a magnifi- cent mansion at a cost of forty thousand dollars, and surrounded it with beautiful grounds. He planted

PEN PICTURES FROM TIIE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

one of the first olive orchards in the county, and dem- onstrated that this valuable fruit could be profitably grown in the Santa Clara Valley. At the time of his death, he had accumulated property valued at about $300,000. His death was much regretted by the en- tire community, which followed him as mourners to his last resting-place. His widow, a bright and intel- ligent lady of seventy-six years, still occupies the homestead, which is managed by the youngest son, Daniel J, a worthy son of a good father. They have had nine children, as follows: Martin, born and died in Canada; Mary F., born in Canada, February 4, 1842; Martin D., born at Sutter's Fort, February 6, 1845; Helen E., born at Corte Madera, December 18, 1847, deceased. The other children were born ať Ringwood Farm, and are: Wm B., August 21, 1850; Lizzie A, July 8, 1853; Julia A, January 6, 1853; Helen, April 18, 1860, died in infancy ; Daniel J., April 25, 1861.

BERNARD MURPHY, son of Martin Murphy, Sr., came to Santa Clara County with his father, and lived with him on the ranch near the Twenty-one Mile House, until he married. His wife was Miss Catherine O'Toole, who afterwards married James Dunne. They had one child, Martin J. C. Murphy, a bright young man whose early years gave promise of an illustrious career. He, however, was attacked by disease in the midst of his studies, and died .at Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia, in 1872. His father, Bernard, was killed in the fatal explosion of the steamer Jenny Lind, in 1853.

JOHN M. MURPHY, son of Martin Murphy, Sr., soon after settling in this county, with his father, entered the store of Chas. M. Weber, in San Jose. At the discovery of gold, he went to the mines, taking with him a stock of goods. He employed the Indians to prospect and dig for him, and probably has had more gold in his possession than any other miner on the Pacific Coast. He was the first treasurer of Santa Clara County, and was afterwards elected re- corder and then sheriff. In later years he was en- gaged in mercantile business, which he followed until failing health compelled him to retire. His wife is Virginia F. Reed, daughter of James F. Reed, and one of the ill-fated Donner party.

DANIEL MURPHY settled with his father on the ranch at the Twenty-one Mile House. He, with his brother Bernard, bought other property, and at the

time of his death he owned large landed estates in California, Nevada, and Mexico. His rancho in Du- rango comprised some million and a half acres, and included the mountain of magnetic iron made famous by the report of Alex. Von Humboldt. He devoted nearly his entire life to the cattle business, his herds numbering thousands of head. He died October 22, 1882.

ELLEN MURPHY married Chas M. Weber, of San Jose, afterwards of Stockton.

JAMES MILLER and his wife (Mary Murphy) set- tled in Marin County, where they became prominent citizens.

Sketches of the younger generations of the Murphy family will be found in other pages.

MOSES SCHALLENBERGER was born in Stark County, Ohio, November 9, 1826. He was a son of Jacob and Barbara Schallenberger, who were emi- grants from Germany, his father being of Swiss and his mother of German birth. They both died in Stark County, when Moses was but six years of age, and he was taken into the family of Dr. Townsend, who had married his sister. It was with them that he made the famous journey across the plains, as above related. Dr. Townsend was induced to undertake the journey to California by the ill health of his wife. At that time they were living in Buchanan County, Missouri, as was Mr. Montgomery, another of the party. Montgomery was a gunsmith, and, during the winter of 1842-43 made a quantity of guns and pistols, ox shoes, and also fixed up the wagons, and did every- thing in the way of iron-work necessary to furnish a complete outfit for the trip. They had intended to start early in the spring of 1843, but a Mr. Potter, who had an interest in the expedition, dying unex- pectedly, the start was delayed until the next year. They spent this time in perfecting their arrangements, among which was the marriage of Mr. Montgomery to a young lady, Miss Armstrong, who was living at Dr. Townsend's. About the first of March they arrived at the rendezvous at Nisnabotna, where they were joined by the Murphy party. To Mr. Schallen- berger we are indebted for the facts concerning this historic journey which we have given above. Of these first wagons that made tracks in California, Mr. Schallenberger has in his possession a wheel, which he guards as a precious relic. Mr. Schallenberger's first employment in California was in the mercantile es-

RESIDENCE . OF . THE . LATE . JAMES MURPHY . "RINGWOOD . FARM " .

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tablishment of Larkin and Greene at Monterey, where he remained until the termination of the Mexican War. The firm was largely engaged in furnishing supplies to the United States navy, and Mr. Schallen- berger's duties consisted in procuring these supplies from the country, and superintending their delivery. In July, 1848, furnished with an invoice of goods by the firm, he made a successful venture on his own ac- count in the mines on Yuba River. Later he engaged with James H. Gleason as a partner in trade in Mexi- can goods at Monterey, which he closed in Decem- ber, 1850, when the death of his brother-in-law, Dr. Townsend, necessitated his coming to San Jose to manage his estate. The same fatherly care that he had received from the doctor was, in return, bestowed by him on the doctor's only child, John H. M. Town- send. He was married September 20, 1854, to Miss Fannie Everitt, at the residence of Thomas Selby, in San Francisco. Mrs. Schallenberger is a native of Alabama, born in 1834. Her father, John Everitt, was for six years judge of the Court of Common Pleas at Mobile, and his ability as a lawyer and fairness as a judge, is shown by the fact that no decision of his was ever reversed. Mrs. Schallenberger came to San Francisco in 1852, with her brother-in-law, Mr. S. L. Jones. The young couple set up housekeeping on Dr. Townsend's estate, but a year later they moved to the homestead, on the Coyote River, two miles north of San Jose, where they have lived ever since. The house they first erected was burned in 1870, but was immediately replaced by one more adapted to their prosperous circumstances, and in keeping with the progress of the country. Their present home is large, convenient, and substantial, and is surrounded with beautiful grounds, ornamented with choice shrub- bery and flowers. The house was erected at a cost of $13,000. The farm consists of one hundred and fifteen acres of fertile sediment land, devoted to the pro- duction of fruit and vegetables. Mr. Schallenberger was one of the early horticulturists, having planted ten acres to orchard in 1858. They have had five children, viz .: Louise, wife of Thomas Montgomery, San Jose; Margaret E., a teacher in the State Normal School; Lloyd E., in business with his uncle, S. L. Jones, at San Francisco; Fanny, a student at the State Normal School, and Milton P. Mr. Schallen- berger is a member of the Santa Clara County Pioneer Society, by which association he is held in the highest regard, both on account of his trials in the early days, and his character as a citizen.

DR. JOHN TOWNSEND .- No history of the American pioneers of California could well be written without mention of the subject of this sketch. A thoroughly educated physician, a man prominent in every com- munity in which he ever had lived, who, had he so chosen, could have settled anywhere in the old States, and won renown and fortune,-he was, notwithstand- ing, possessed of that spirit of adventure which con- tinuously led him westward in search of new fields to conquer. He was born in Fayette County, Pennsyl- vania, a county unequaled in that State, and perhaps in any other, in the number of men which it pro- duced and sent out to subdue the wildness of the Northwest and of the Pacific Coast. His father, John F. Townsend, was from England, and was one of the pioneers of Fayette County. Dr. Townsend received his first degree in medicine at Lexington Medical College. He successfully and successively practiced in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, marrying in Stark County, Ohio, in 1832, Miss Eliza- beth Louise Schallenberger, a sister of Moses Schallen- berger, whose history appears in this connection. In the pioneer party of 1844 from Missouri, which did so much in opening to the world this grand valley, Dr. Townsend was one of the master spirits. He was one of the first Alcaldes of San Francisco, and for two years before coming to this county (which he did in 1849) he held the scales of justice so evenly as to cause him to be ever remembered for his judicial in- tegrity. Upon removing to Santa Clara Valley, he established his home in an adobe house, on what is now the Milpitas road, two miles from San Jose. There he commenced the improvement of one hun- dred and ninety-five acres of land, intending to live the life of a quiet agriculturist, avoiding the turmoil of the city, and the cares of a professional life, but the All-ruling Power decreed otherwise, both himself and his wife dying of cholera in 1850. Their pioneer homestead property is now owned by their son and only child, John H. M. Townsend, who was born in San Francisco, November 26, 1848, and in his or- phaned infancy and youth was cared for by his guard- ian and uncle-Moses Schallenberger. He spent the greater part of his school life in attendance upon Santa Clara College, going to England when sixteen years of age. He there studied two years under private tutorship. Later, he was two years a student at Cambridge University. He married Miss Kate M. A. Chisholm at Cambridge, in 1872. They have four children-Eva, Ethel, Arthur, and Maude. Pub- lic-spirited and enterprising, Mr. Townsend is one of

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

Santa Clara County's representative men. He served in the Assembly of the State of 1883 and 1884, being elected on the Democratic ticket. He has also held local trusts, and has served on the County Board of Supervisors, being elected in 1877. He is actively in- terested in the Santa Clara Valley Agricultural So- ciety, and has served several years as director of that organization. The family residence, shaded and sur- rounded by beautiful grounds, is located near the crossing of the Coyote Creek by the Milpitas road.

Those who came to this county in 1845, as far as can be learned, were Frank Lightston, J. Washburn, William O'Connor, William C. Wilson, John Dau- benbiss, and James Stokes. In the following year, 1846, the survivors of the Donner party arrived, sev- eral of whom became residents of this county. The fearful sufferings of these people make a story of hor- rors almost unparalleled in history. So terrible was their experience that it has been almost impossible to induce the survivors to recount it, the remembrance seeming to haunt their entire lives like a hideous specter. Mr. James F. Reed, the original leader of the party, and afterwards, until his death, a prominent and esteemed citizen of San Jose, in his last years gave his story to the public, and from it we quote :-

" I left Springfield with my family about the middle of April, 1846. We arrived at Independence, Mis- souri, where I loaded two of my wagons with pro- visions, a third one being reserved for my family. Col. W. H. Russell's family had started from here before our arrival. We followed and overtook them in the Indian Territory. I made application for the admission of myself and others into the company, which was granted. We traveled on with the company as far as the Little Sandy, and here a separation took place, the majority of the members going to Oregon, and a few wagons, mine with them, going the Fort Bridger, or Salt Lake route for California. The day after our separation from the Russell Company, we elected George Donner as captain, and from this time the company was known as the ' Donner party.' Ar- riving at Fort Bridger I added one yoke of cattle to my teams, staying here four days. Several friends of mine who had passed here with pack-animals for California, had left letters with Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Bridger's partner, directing me to take the route by way of Fort Hall, and by no means to take the Hast- ing's cut-off. Vasquez, being interested in having the new route traveled, kept these letters. This was told me after my arrival in California. Mr. Mccutchen, wife and child, joined us here.

"Leaving Fort Bridger we unfortunately took the new route, traveling on without incident of note, until we arrived at the head of Weber Cañon. A short dis- tance before reaching this place we found a letter stick- ing in the top of a sage-brush. It was from Hastings. He stated that if we would send a messenger after him, he would return and pilot us through a route much shorter and better than the cañon. A meeting of the company was held, when it was resolved to send Messrs. Mccutchen, Stanton, and myself to Mr. Hastings; also, at the same time, we were to examine the cañon and report at short notice. We overtook Mr. Hastings at a place called Black Rock, south end of Salt Lake. Leaving Mccutchen and Stanton here, their horses having failed, I obtained a fresh horse from the company Hastings was piloting and started on my return to our company with Mr. Hast- ings. When we arrived at about the place where Salt Lake City is built, Mr. Hastings, finding the distance greater than anticipated by him, stated that he would be compelled to return the next morning to his company. We camped this evening in a cañon, and next morning ascended to the summit of a mountain where we could overlook a portion of the country that lay between us and the head of the cañon where the Donner company were encamped. After he gave me the direction, Mr. Hastings and I separated. He returned to the companies he had left the morning previous, I proceeding on eastward. After descending to what may be called the table- land, I took an Indian trail and blazed the route where it was necessary the road should be made, if the company so directed when they heard the report. "When Mccutchen, Stanton, and myself got through Weber Cañon, on our way to overtake Mr. Hastings, our conclusions were that many of the wagons would be destroyed in attempting to get through the cañon. Mr. Stanton and Mr. Mccutchen were to return to our company as fast as their horses could stand it, they having nearly given out. I reached the company in the evening and reported to them the conclusions in regard to Weber Cañon, at the same time stating that the route I had blazed that day was fair, but would take considerable labor in clearing and digging. They agreed with unanimous voice to take that route if I would direct them in the road-making, they work- ing faithfully until it was completed. Next morning we started, under these conditions, and made camp that evening without difficulty, on Bossman Creek. The afternoon of the second day we left the creek, turning to the right in a cañon, leading to a divide.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 9

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