Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 91

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 91

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In 1851 Mr. Lord married Miss Caroline Little- field, the daughter of Samuel and Dolly Littlefield, who resided in Hancock County, Maine. From this marriage four children are living, viz .: Hersie F. (a sketch of whom is in this volume), Tobias, who mar- ried Miss May Hamilton, and resides in San Jose; Alice, who married John Moe, residing at Berryessa, Santa Clara County; and Flora D., who married Norval McGregor, residing in San Jose. Mr. Lord is a member of the I. O. O. F. He is a Democrat in politics, and, although never seeking for political hon- ors, was elected a Supervisor of Pierce County, Wis- consin, during his residence there, as also the Chair- man of the Town Board of River Falls.

OSE J. BERREYESSA. Among the historical families of Santa Clara County are the Berrey- essas, to which the subject of this sketch belongs. He dates his birth November 9, 1841, at the old mis- sion of San Jose. His parents were Carlos Antonio and Josefa (Galindo) Berreyessa. His grand'ather, Nicholas Berreyessa, emigrated from Mexico to Santa Clara County over 100 years ago. His mother's father, Crisostomo Galindo, who died in 1877 at an advanced age of 106 years, was born in Santa Clara County, his father having emigrated from Mexico prior to the establishment of the missions in this county. Mr. Berreyessa was reared to farm life and

VIEWS OF RESIDENCE. ORCHARD, ETC., OF HUGH A. LEIGH. (IN THE WILLOWS.)

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

stock-raising; his education was entirely neglected, but in later years he educated himself. After start- ing in life for himself, Mr. Berreyessa was not satis- fied with the life of a farmer, and engaged in other pursuits, among which was that of threshing grain, and by his industry and economy, combined with his acquired business habits, was able to purchase a threshing-machine, engine, etc., and for many years has been actively engaged in this calling.

In 1873 Mr. Berreyessa was united in marriage with Miss Helena Agnes Davis, the daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Herron) Davis. Her father was a native of England, but at the time of her marriage was a resident of Virginia City, Nevada. Her mother was of Irish descent; she died when Mrs. Berreyessa was but three years of age. From the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Berreyessa four children have been born, viz .: Josephine Agnes, December 31, 1876; Mary Catherine, February 13, 1879; Mary Elizabeth, March 20, 1881; and Frederick, November 10, 1885. Mr. Berreyessa is a consistent Catholic. In politics he is a strong Republican, one who takes an intelli- gent interest in the political affairs of his county. He is among the few representatives of the old Cal- ifornian or Mexican families that have been able to thoroughly Americanize themselves. He is deeply in- terested in the growth and prosperity of the county, and is ever ready to render all the aid in his power to any enterprise for the advancement of the section in which he resides. Mr. Berreyessa is the owner of, and resides upon, a tract of thirty-five acres, situated in the Berreyessa School District, on the Schweigert road. This is mostly hill land, and is devoted to hay, grain, and stock-raising. He has some fine Norman horses, though the greater part of his stock is of the common breeds.

UGH A. LEIGH, one of the leading horticul- turists of the Cambrian District, residing at the head of Leigh Avenue, near the old bed of the Los Gatos Creek, was born on the island of Jersey, in the English Channel, December 21, 1855. His father, Dr. Alexander Leigh, was Surgeon of the Sixtieth Rifles of the Queen's Army for many years, and his father had been an army surgeon during his active life. Dr. Alexander Leigh resigned his com- mission for a more quiet practice on the beautiful Jersey Island. There his useful life ended in 1870. His widow (formerly Miss D. H. Godfrey) was left 62

with ample means to care for herself and her two children, Hugh A. and Teresa.

Before his father's death, Hugh A. Leigh, whose name heads this sketch, became enamored of the sea, and entered upon a seafaring life, which he followed until his determination to make this State his home became fixed. This determination was reached in 1872, when, upon the arrival of his vessel at San Francisco, from Hongkong, he employed his leisure time in looking over the country, with which he was delighted. Upon the arrival of his vessel at England, he left the service, and, after spending two months with his mother at his childhood home, he re-embarked for New York city. Thence he went to San Fran- cisco, reaching that city during Christmas week, in 1873. For a short time after his arrival, Mr. Leigh made his temporary home at Mountain View, in this county. In July, 1874, his mother, Mrs. D. H. Leigh, with her daughter, came from England and joined him. They then bought 180 acres of choice fruit land, in the Cambrian District, where they now make their home. For this property, upon which Mr. Leigh and his mother yet reside, they paid $16,300 in cash. The land was under cultivation, and had been devoted to grain-raising and general farming for several years before they purchased it. Mr. Leigh followed the same system, but, not being satisfied with the results, he began tree-planting in 1881, when an orchard of fifteen acres was set. To this thirty acres was added in 1883, twenty acres during the following year, and during the succeeding period the size of the orchard has been increased more or less each year. At the present time (1888) the orchard' comprises sixty acres, as the fifteen acres planted in 1881 were sold in the autumn of the following year, at $300 per acre. " During the same season, seven ten-acre tracts and one tract of five acres were sold, at $200 per acre. A twenty-acre tract has also been disposed of. All of the property which has been sold is now covered with flourishing orchards. The homestead, which is rightly considered one of the finest horticultural possessions in the district, now comprises seventy acres, of which (as before stated) sixty acres are devoted to fruit culture. Prunes and apricots are the leading fruits, while peaches, pears, and a variety of plums are found on the place. Twenty English walnut trees, thirty- three years old, add the grace of their handsome foli- age to the orchard. In 1887 forty-nine tons of apri- cots were gathered from 1,000 trees, of which one-half were three and one- half four years old. This large yield realized nearly $1,500. During the same season,

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$300 worth of fruit was sold from 180 peach trees. Mr. Leigh has had much to do with advancing the horticultural interests of his district, and his fine or- chard shows to the best advantage the capability of the soil of Santa Clara County for fruit culture.

At San Jose, on the tenth of February, 1881, Mr. Leigh married Miss Agnes McBain, a native of Que- bec, Canada East. They have two children: Alice D., who was born November 11, 1883, and May Ag- nes, born May 1, 1888. Mr. Leigh's only sister, Theresa, is now the wife of George Rodgers.

Mr. Leigh is a member of San Jose Lodge, No. 10, F. & A. M., and of Howard Chapter. He is also identified with the British Benevolent Society at San Francisco. The Leighs are all members of the Church of England.

AMES WILLIAM JOHNSON, residing on the Saratoga and Alviso road, in the Millikin District, is the owner of a farm of eighty acres, twelve acres of which is in vineyard, containing about an equal proportion of Mission and Charbano grapes. The remainder of the land is devoted to the raising of hay and grain, and such stock as is needed for farm operations.

The subject of this sketch was born in Washington County, Missouri, in 1828. He is the son of James Clarkson and Susannah Johnson, both natives of Vir- ginia, and descendants of old families of that State. They removed to Missouri at an early date, and were among the pioneers of the county in which they re- sided. Mr. Johnson's early life was spent upon his - father's farm, and was devoted to such tasks as usually fall to the lot of youths in his situation. For school- ing he was dependent upon the primitive schools of that date and place. Whatever may have been the deficiencies of his early education, his energy and natural intelligence have enabled him successfully to overcome them, and have thus insured him the success in life and the accumulation of this world's goods that are acquired by those who start with the prestige that high educational advantages give. In 1849 he, ac- companied by his father, started across the plains for California, and after months of slow and toiling travel with ox teams, undergoing the fatigue and hardships attendant upon this emigration, they arrived at their destination in September of that year, thus enrolling themselves among the pioneers of this great State. Immediately after their arrival, they located in what

is now known as El Dorado County, and, with the gold fever commenced an active pursuit of the shining dust, in which occupation they were engaged, with varying success, until 1856, when J. W. Johnson ceased his mining operations and came to Santa Clara County. Here he purchased land, and took up his residence in the locality now occupied by him.

In 1858 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth England, daughter of John England, of Crawford County, Missouri. From this marriage five children have been born, whose names and ages at the present time (1888) are as follows: John Hunter, aged twenty-eight years, married Miss Lois Hartwick, of Santa Clara County; Mary Ann, twenty-five years of age, the wife of Charles E. Mallette, of British Columbia; Kitty Laura, twenty-two years of age; Joseph Beverly, twenty-one years of age; and Willie Rowe, sixteen years of age.

In 1863 his father left the mines and came and resided with him two years, and then went East. He died in 1874; his mother died two years later.

EDWARD BARRON. One of the beautiful places of Santa Clara County is the farm resi- dence of Edward Barron, in Fremont Town-

1 ship. The entire tract consists of 352 acres, and of this fifty acres is laid out as a park, and embraces the residence grounds. The buildings are beautiful in design and costly in construction. There is an or- chard of ten acres, planted in pears, apricots, peaches, French prunes, and apples.

The subject of this sketch is a native of the south of Ireland, where he was born June 24, 1831. Coming to the United States in 1847, he made New York his home until November 1851, when he started for Cali- fornia via Panama, and arrived January 1, 1852. Not long after landing in San Francisco he commenced dealing in live stock, and so continued until 1860, when he retired with an ample fortune. After pay- ing a short visit to the Eastern States, in 1861 Mr. Barron returned to California to find that the Com- stock Lode, Virginia City, Nevada, had been dis- covered; he thereupon formed a connection with some others interested in the principal mines, and com- menced their development, an association he main- tained until the year 1876, he being in these years the owner of a quartz-mill and ledge himself, and President of such well-known mines as the Gould &

Patrick . Martin.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Curry, Consolidated Virginia, and California, and this, too, at a time when they were paying dividends of over $2,000,000 per month. In 1876 Mr. Barron re- signed these offices and retired from an active par- ticipation in business affairs. He then set out on a one year's tour in Europe; returned in 1877 for a few months; again crossed the Atlantic, and finally came back to California in April, 1878, when he estab- lished his residence at Mayfield. Here Mr. Barron has constructed one of the most attractive homes in Santa Clara County. Its grounds are highly embel- lished with large groves of ornamental trees; the approach is along a well-protected avenue; the build- ing is encircled by parterres of richly-hued flowers, while the tout ensemble conveys the idea of rare opulence and patrician retirement. He married, No- vember, 1851, Maria Cleary, by whom he has two children, George E. and William R.

6 ATRICK MARTIN. One of the substantial citizens of San Jose Township is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is a native of Ireland, born in County Wexford, January I, 1833. His parents, Murtha and Nellie (nee Doyle) Martin, were of ancestry remarkable for intelligence and integrity. Mr. Martin was reared in his native country, and, January 9, 1852, when he was but nine- teen years of age, left home for the purpose of emi- grating to America, to cast his lot among a people much more like the Irish than is any other foreign na- tion. January 29, 1852, was the date of his embarka- tion, at London, on the ship Douglas, bound for San Francisco; and after a prolonged and tedious voyage, having to double Cape Horn, he at length arrived at the Golden Gate, August 22, 1853. He soon came to Santa Clara County, and made his home at the old Seven Mile House, with the Tennant family, with whom he had been acquainted before coming to this country. What a satisfaction it was to find acquaint- ances in a region so far from the land of his nativity, especially friends with whom he could, at least for a time, make his home! But he had no capital, except his strong hands and a stout heart. A determination to win success, combined with rare energy, good habits, and sound business qualifications, enabled him at length to acquire a competence, and even more than sufficient for the needs of advancing years, and to win recognition from all who know him. He im- mediately engaged in farm work, which has ever since

been his vocation. In 1864 he purchased the land where he now resides, which was then a wild spot, having never been cultivated; and all the improve- ments that have since been placed upon it are the work of his own hands. The handsome family resi- dence, which is two stories in height, and has a ground area of thirty-two by forty feet, was erected in 1883, at a cost of $6,500. It has an extension twenty feet square, and a kitchen in the rear of this fourteen feet square. The ranch, which is ten miles distant from San Jose, on the Monterey road, consists of 550 acres, of which about 400 are cultivated for grain, and the remainder devoted to stock purposes. Wheat averages about fifteen sacks to the acre on this place, and hay about a ton and a half. The live-stock consists prin- cipally of cattle.

February 16, 1863, is the date of Mr. Martin's mar- riage to Miss Annie Taylor, also a native of County Wexford, Ireland. They have four children, named Mamie Ellen, John M., Murtha William, and Annie M.

SAAC BRANHAM, deceased. Prominent among the earlier pioneers of California was Isaac Bran- ham, who crossed the summit of the Nevadas on October 10, 1846, arrived in the San Jose Mission on October 31, and settled permanently in San Jose December 2 of that year. He was born in Scott County, Kentucky, August 31, 1803, and raised on his father's farm in his native place up to the age of twenty years. During this time he received what ed- ucation the common schools of the country afforded, and at the same time became adept in the use of the tools required in the simple building operations and wood-working then required of almost every frontier settler. He became also an enthusiastic hunter, his skill with the rifle and shot-gun being remarkable. In 1823, at the age of twenty years, he, with a com- panion named Williams, started on foot to Missouri, all of his worldly effects being packed in an old army knapsack of the War of 1812. On their arrival in Missouri their combined exchecquers lacked twelve and one-half cents of the price of their first breakfast. Feeling the necessity of immediately replenishing his finances, he took a contract for hewing logs for a house of one of the settlers in the neighborhood of what is now Fulton, Missouri.

In about a year Mr. Branham was joined by his brother Franklin, from Kentucky. The brothers then

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PEN PICTUERS FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

undertook to construct a saw-mill from the material available in the woods and country around. In this building and in its machinery there were but the saw and two gudgeons made of metal, all the rest was of wood exclusively, being held together by mortising and wooden pins, there being not even a nail in the whole structure. Unfortunately, before it and the dam were fully completed, a freshet came and washed the whole away, destroying almost a year's work. They went to work hewing out timbers for a second mill, working at it continuously except when neces- sary to do work for other parties that would procure them requisite provisions. This was completed in time for the spring rains, and the mill was a success. They then constructed a grist-mill, which was run by horse-power. To this they added a distillery, and these enterprises were conducted for several years. In constructing his distilling apparatus there was nec- essary a pipe to supply the still with the beer from the mash tubs, the only thing available being an old musket barrel, which was detached from its stock and made to do duty as a part of the still for a num- ber of years. When Mr. Branham was about to leave for California he detached this gun barrel, had it placed in a stock with a rifle barrel, and thus supplied himself with a double-barrel gun, the weapon he car- ried across the plains and used for many years in Cal- ifornia, and which is now in possession of the family, prized as one of the most valued possessions and heir-looms of that grand old pioneer.

Speaking of the old grist-mill in Missouri, one of its earliest customers was our now well-known citizen, Samual A. Bishop, who, when a small boy, used once a week to come to the mill with a sack of corn before him on his horse, to be ground into meal. Each boy or man bringing grist to that mill used to hitch his horse to the machinery and do the driving for his own grinding. This was probably Mr. Bishop's first experience as engineer of a grist-mill.

Mr. Branham having been always devoted to field sports and the chase, loving a good horse and dog and a true gun, his hunting proclivities naturally brought him in contact and friendship with the hunters and trappers of that day. The Rocky Mountain trappers of the time would occasionally visit the settlements, and among them he became acquainted with members of the Sublette family, then noted as hunters and trappers. From these men he learned of the wonder- ful country and climate of California. His health at that time being much impaired, he decided to sell off his property and effects in Missouri and cross the

trackless plains to the Pacific Coast. His family con- sisted of his wife and four children, the oldest about eleven years of age, and the youngest about nine months. The then infant is now B. F. Branham, a resident of San Jose, who from January, 1883, to Jan- uary, 1887, was Sheriff of Santa Clara County. Mr. Branham had been married, in 1832, in Callaway County, Missouri, to Miss Amanda Ann Bailey, who was born in 1813, in Franklin County, Kentucky, her parents removing from Woodford County, that State, to Missouri in 1827.

Joining the immigration starting in the spring of 1846 for Oregon and California, he made the journey in two wagons drawn by three yoke of oxen to each wagon, taking at the same time two horses and two cows, the latter furnishing milk all the way across the plains, and from which he afterward raised con- siderable stock in the Santa Clara Valley. The trip from Independence, Missouri, to the California State line, was made in six months and eleven days. At Independence the various families of immigrants camped until they formed a company sufficiently strong for mutual protection and assistance. Colonel Russell was elected captain of that train. The trip was made without any unusual difficulties or hard- ships, there being but one fight with the Indians, that being on the Humboldt River near where the town of Elko now stands, which took place in the pursuit and recapture of cattle stolen by the Indians. Mr. Branham's party had traveled for a short time that summer in company with the ill-fated Donner party, the last they saw of the latter being at Fort Bridger, where the Donner party struck off to take what was called Hudspeth's cut-off.

The first stop made in California was at the Mis- sion San Jose, for about three weeks, where Mr. Branham was enlisted by Lieutenant Pinckney, of the United States sloop-of-war Portsmouth, and placed in charge of the supplies to be issued at that point to the wives and families of the men who had joined the American army and gone with General Fremont to Los Angeles. After being several weeks on that duty, he was ordered by Lieutenant Pinckney to re- move to San Jose, the American families having al- ready removed there from the mission from fear of an uprising of the Mexicans. About this time the Mexicans, under Castro, were defeated near Santa Clara, and Mr. Branham's military services were no longer required.

In the summer of 1847 he, in conjunction with Captain Julian Hanks, a Connecticut man who had

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come to Santa Clara Valley from Lower California in the summer of 1846, constructed a saw-mill and dam on the Los Gatos Creek just above the present station of Alma. To show the thoroughness of his work and the quality of material used, it is enough to state that this dam is now in use and forms the head of supply of the San Jose Water Company's flume. This mill was first run in the spring of 1848, and within a few months was sold to Zachariah Jones and known for years as Jones' Mill, supplying all the lum- ber used in the Santa Clara Valley. During the summer of 1848, two men, named Whipple and Wheaton, brought around Cape Horn a forty-horse- power steam boiler and engine, and landed it in San · Francisco. Hearing of this, Mr. Branham made a trip there on horseback, bought an interest in it, and entered into partnership with these men in building a mill in San Mateo County, at what was called Brown's Redwoods, near where the town of Searsville now stands. This mill was started in the spring of 1849, and was the first steam saw-mill established on the Pacific Coast.

The whispers of the finding of gold caused a stam- pede to the mines, and they were obliged to pay $250 a month to the loggers to furnish logs for the mill. Starting to the mines to investigate the truth of these rumors, on his return he met his force of loggers on their way to the diggings, and learned that his mill had stopped for want of material. In the summer of 1850 he sold his interest in this mill to R. G. Moody, taking in payment lumber at the price of $300 per thousand. At this time Mr. Branham owned and lived in a house on the property now owned by John Balbach, No. 523 South Market Street. He had also just purchased a large two-story adobe building which stood where is now the corner of Guadaloupe and San Carlos Streets, which he placed temporarily at the service of the State Government, and where the Senate of the State of California convened and held the early meetings of its first session during that winter. In that house he soon after removed, and lived until 1856.

Mr. Branham, with eighteen other citizens, volun- tarily came forward and executed a note of $34,000 to purchase a building for the occupation of the State Legislature, the credit of the pueblo of San Jose, nor of the State, being sufficient guarantee for the amount in the eyes of the owners. They did this because it had been represented to the Constitutional Conven- tion that the Legislature, if it convened at San Jose, would be amply provided with buildings and con- veniences. That $34,000 bore interest at the rate of

eight per cent per month until paid! This amount was afterward in great part made good to these gen- erous and public-spirited men by the State and city.

In 1852 he purchased 2,000 varas square (656 acres), being a portion of the San Juan Batista Rancho, situated five miles south of San Jose, to which place he removed in 1856 and there resided un- til his death, November 3, 1887.

In 1854, in conjunction with Josiah Belden, he ex- plored a prospective road from the Santa Clara to the San Joaquin Valley, this road leading by the foot of Mount Hamilton through San Isabel Valley and down the Orestimba River to the San Joaquin plains, being practically the same route now proposed to be opened by the Mount Hamilton Stage Company, to transport tourists direct from the Yo Semite Valley to Mount Hamilton and return. While they succeeded in finding a practical route, they found it would be too expensive for the limited travel of that day. In 1857, in conjunction with Jackson Lewis, he pur- chased 2,000 acres more of the same rancho. From 1852 to the time of his death he was engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising. During these years he also in- vested in mines and mining in Mexico, as well as in the counties of El Dorado and Lassen. In these mining operations his experience was gained at a cost of about $50,000, results which have been very fre- quent in large mining operations on this coast.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 91

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