USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego county, California; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 49
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"Do I know who Alessandro and Ramona were? Yes, but those were not their real names. I know what their names were but I do not care to tell. Mrs. Jackson suppressed them because she did not care to subject the families to the notoriety that they would be sure to get from the publication of the book. They were native families who lived in the country and I was well acquainted with them. I have never mentioned their names to any one and of course I do not care to do so now."
In 1874 Father Ubach laid out the present Catholic cemetery on the hill back of old San Diego. In 1878-80 he went home and visited his people in Catalonia. A large part of his work here has been among the Indians, with whom he has had great influence. The corner stone of the unfinished church at Old Town was laid in July, 1869, but he was destined to be unable to finish it. Three years later, a movement for a new building in new San Diego was commenced and in 1875 he had the satisfaction of occupying a comfortable building on what was then the mesa lands west of the new town. The present brick church was com- pleted and occupied in 1894.
Father Ubach died at St. Joseph's Hospital on the afternoon of Saturday, March 27. 1907. He had been in failing health for several months but insisted upon pursuing his accustomed tasks until he could no longer appear in public. His death, though not unexpected, impressed the community profoundly. It was the sundering of the last link which connected the new day with the olden time, for Father Ubach was in truth "the last of the padres." His funeral, which occurred in his church on the forenoon of Wednesday, April 2d, was exceedingly impressive. Bishop Conaty conducted the elaborate ceremonies and pronounced the eulogy. The church was filled to overflowing, while thousands of mourn- ers remained outside the building. Among the mass of floral emblems nothing was more touching than the wild flowers sent by the Indians from the mountains. The historic priest sleeps in the Catholic cemetery on the mesa, which overlooks the scene of his labors.
Zamorano, Augustin Vicente, was a native of Florida, his parents being Span- iards. He received a good education and entered the army May 1, 1821, as a cadet. After service in Mexico he came to California in 1825 with Echeandia and served as the governor's secretary for five years. In February, 1827, he married Maria Luisa, daughter of Santiago Arguello. In 1831 he was made captain of the Monterey Company. He left California in 1838 but returned in 1842 and died the same year in San Diego. His children were: Dolores, born in 1827, who married J. M. Flores; Luis, born in 1829, and who now lives in San Diego; Gonzalo, born in 1832; Guadalupe, born in 1833, and who married Henry Dalton ; Josefa, born in 1834; Augustin, born in 1836; Eulalia, who mar- ried Vicente Estudillo.
His political career was an active and stormy one. In 1827-8 he was a district elector for San Diego; candidate for congress, 1830; secretary to Figueroa in 1833-5; proclaimed commander general and governor ad interim in 1837, and divided the jurisdiction of the territory with Echeandia for a time. He left California at the fall of Guiterez but returned to take part in the campaign against Alvarado, without achieving anything of consequence.
CHAPTER XLVIII LOCAL HISTORIC AMERICAN FAMILIES
By W. E. Smythe
There were quite a number of American families in Old Town in the '40S and '50s, and many of them are mentioned by W. E. Smythe in his history of San Diego, whose careful research and desire for facts make his work a splendid source of reference. The list as given by Mr. Smythe is reproduced below :
Julian Ames was a sailor from Amesbury, Massachusetts and is said to have been an uncle of the well known Lakes Ames. He married in Lower California a lady by the name of Espinosa. He was an otter hunter in 1846 and served as a volunteer in the Mexican war. He held some offices at an early day, including that of city trustee in 1853 and 1855. About 1859 or 1860, he settled on El Cajon ranch, where he died in February, 1866. His children were: Francisco, who lives in Lower California : Sam, who married Adelaide, a daughter of Jose Antonio Serrano, and lives in Lower California; Jose, who married Maria, daughter of Jose Machado and lived and died in Lakeside; Mary, who married James Flynn ; and Nievas, who married Charles Greenleaf, of Lakeside.
Joshua H. Bean settled in San Diego during the military occupation and was a prominent citizen. He served as alcalde in 1850 and as mayor in the same year, being the last alcalde and the first mayor of San Diego. While mayor, he signed the deed for the "Middletown Addition," May 27, 1850. He removed to Los Angeles in 1851, and at the time of the Garra Insurrection was major general of State Militia and came to San Diego to preside over the court martial. He kept a store at San Gabriel and was a prominent citizen of southern California. He was killed in November, 1852, by Mexican ruffians near Los Angeles.
Captain J. C. Bogart was one of the earliest visitors, touching here in 1834, in the ship Black Warrior. In 1852 he became agent of the Pacific Mail Steam- ship Company at La Playa, with headquarters on the hulk Clarissa Andrews, and held the position many years. He represented the county in the state senate in 1862-3, and was actively connected with the San Diego & Gila railroad project. He was unmarried. In 1873 he revisited San Diego and gave some interesting reminiscences.
Judge Thomas Henry Bush was born in Pennsylvania, June 8, 1831, and came to California in 1853. He learned the bookbinder's trade, which he followed in San Francisco, and also engaged in mining and kept a store in Lower California. He came to San Diego in 1865, where at first he kept a store, and in 1868 he became postmaster. In the same year he was appointed county judge to fill the
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unexpired term of Julio Osuna, and held the office eight years. He was also school trustee and city trustee. In the latter capacity he was instrumental in selling the city lands to Horton and signed the deed. From 1878 to 1887 he was absent from San Diego, prospecting and visiting in his native state. In his later days, he engaged in the real estate business, was a notary and secretary of the San Diego Society of Pioneers. He died December 17, 1898. He married Ellen Augusta Porter, and they had one daughter, Bertha, born in San Francisco in 1863. Miss Porter was an early teacher in Old Town. Judge Bush was not a lawyer and might perhaps have made a more satisfactory record as a judge had he been one. At the time of the agitation for the removal of the county seat from Old Town to Horton's Addition, he showed decided bias in favor of the Old Town faction, and the people of new San Diego always remembered it.
Andrew Cassidy, a native of county Cavan, Ireland, came to America when seventeen and was employed three years at West Point, in the Engineering Corps, under General George B. McClellan. He then went to Washington and entered the employ of the Coast Survey office under Professor Bache. About a year later he was one of a party sent to the Pacific coast under Lieutenant W. T. Trowbridge. They reached San Francisco in July, 1853, and a month later came to San Diego, established a tidal gauge at La Playa and left Cassidy in charge. He remained in charge of this tidal gauge and of meteorological observations for seventeen years, and also gave considerable attention to collecting specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. In 1864 Mr. Cassidy became owner of the Soledad Rancho, containing one thousand acres, where the town of Sorrento is situated and engaged in the live-stock business until in 1887, when he sold the property. His first wife was Rosa Serrano, daughter of Jose Antonio Serrano, who died September 10, 1869. He was married a second time, to Mary Smith, daughter of Albert B. Smith, who is now deceased. They had one daughter, Mary Winifred. He was a member of the board of public works as late as his eighty-eighth year.
Henry Clayton came to San Diego with the boundary commission as a sur- veyor. He married the widow of Captain Joseph F. Snook (Maria Antonia Alvarado de Snook). They are both deceased and left no children. Mr. Clay- ton held the office of city surveyor for a short time in 1850 and was the first county surveyor, serving for several terms in the '50s and '6os.
James W. Connors, a soldier, came to San Diego with Magruder's Battalion in 1850. He married Harriet Vandergrift. He was deputy sheriff seven years under James McCoy.
Cave Johnson Couts was born near Springfield, Tennessee, November II, 1821. His uncle, Cave Johnson, was secretary of the treasury under President Polk, and had him appointed to West Point. where he graduated in 1843. He served on the frontier until after the Mexican war and was then at Los Angeles, San Luis Rey and San Diego from 1848 to 1851. In 1849 he conducted the Whipple expedition to the Colorado river. On April 5, 1851, he married Ysidora Bandini, daughter of Juan Bandini, of San Diego. In October of the same year he resigned from the army and was soon after appointed colonel and aide-de-camp on the staff of Governor Bigler. In the Garra Insurrection he served as adjutant and at the courtmartial was judge advocate. He was a member of the first grand jury September, 1850, and county judge in 1854. In 1853 he removed to a tract known as the Gaujome grant, a wedding gift to his wife from her brother-in-law,
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Abel Stearns. Having been appointed sub-agent for the San Luis Rey Indians, Colonel Couts was able to secure all the cheap labor needed for the improvement of his property. His business affairs were managed with skill and military pre- cision, and he became one of the wealthiest men in southern California. He pur- chased the San Marcos, Buena Vista, and La Jolla ranchos, and also government land amounting in all to about 20,000 acres. His home was widely celebrated for its hospitality. He entertained Helen Hunt Jackson while she was collecting materials for Ramona, and part of the story is supposed to be laid at the Gaujome rancho. As Colonel Couts' wealth consisted largely of cattle, the passage of the "no fence" law was a severe blow to him, and one from which he never fully recovered. He died at the Horton House in San Diego, June 10, 1874. He was a man of good education, strict integrity and gentlemanly manners. His widow continued to live on the rancho and manage it until her death. Mr. and Mrs. Couts had ten children, of whom nine lived to maturity.
William B. Couts, a brother of Cave J. Couts, married a daughter of Santiago E. Arguello. He was county clerk and recorder from 1855 to 1858, postmaster in 1858, justice of the peace in 1861 and held other offices. In 1857 he seems to have held nearly all the county offices at one time.
Philip Crosthwaite was born December 27, 1825, in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland, where his parents were visiting their old home, they having emigrated to the United States some years before. On their return to America, Philip was left in the care of his grandparents and lived with them until sixteen years of age. In 1843 he returned to Ireland to complete his education, entering Trinity College, at Dublin. In 1845 his grandmother died and he then came to America, intending to return to Ireland to complete his education. While in Philadelphia he met a young man from Boston with whom he became acquainted and the two deter- mined to take a sea voyage. Going to Newport, Rhode Island, they shipped on board the schooner Hopewell, in command of Captain Littlefield, supposing they were bound on a fishing trip to the Newfoundland banks. To their dismay, after reaching the open sea, they found the ship was booked for San Francisco. They begged so hard to be put ashore that the captain finally promised to allow them to return by the first ship they met, but Mr. Crosthwaite related it as a singular circumstance that they never saw another sail from that day until they reached the bay of San Diego.
Mr. Crosthwaite and his friend, Rhead, deserted here and waited until the Hopewell had departed. A ship bound for the east came along soon after but as there was room for only one there was a toss-up for the vacant berth, and Mr. Crosthwaite losing, he gave up all thought of leaving San Diego. He was strong and adventurous and made his way. In 1846, when the Mexican war broke out, he was on an otter hunting expedition on the Lower California coast, with Julian Ames, John Post, John C. Stewart and William Curley. Learning of the war at Santa Rosario Mission, they all returned to San Diego and served in the San Pasqual campaign. They reached the town late at night and early the next morning were awakened by a thundering knock at the door. It was Captain Gillespie, who said: "There can be no neutrals in this country ; you must either enlist for three months (as the war will probably be over by that time) or be imprisoned on the Congress." He intended to list anyway but the choice was made easy. He was slightly wounded by Pico's rangers in the slaughter of Vol. I-27
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December 6th. After the troops left for the capture of Los Angeles he performed garrison duty until the close of the war. In 1851 Mr. Crosthwaite served in the Garra Insurrection with the rank of third sergeant. After these troubles he was the mainstay of the citizens in preserving the peace, at the time when the San Francisco "Hounds" were terrorizing the town and was seriously wounded in the discharge of his duty, as has been related. He held a number of offices at an early day, being the first county treasurer, deputy sheriff several years and sheriff one or two terms. He was also school commissioner in 1850, county clerk and recorder in 1853-4 and justice of the peace in 1854. He lived for several years in Mission valley, above Old Town, and later owned the San Miguel Rancho in Lower California. He was lessee of the San Diego Mission in 1848, and later went to the mines. He also kept a store in Old Town and later in new San Diego, in partnership with Mr. Whaley. His old ledger kept in 1853 is now owned by Joseph Jessop, and shows many curious things. The first entry in it shows the sale of over $200 worth of provisions to Lieutenant Derby, for the use of Indians working on the San Diego river dam. The prices charged are also very interesting now.
He purchased the San Miguel rancho in 1861 and removed to Lower California but still spent much of his time in San Diego. He was an active and earnest Freemason and was the first worshipful master of San Diego Lodge, No. 35- the oldest lodge in the southwest. When Lieutenant Derby left San Diego he presented Mr. Crosthwaite with the past master's jewel, which the latter gave to the lodge, which is much cherished by that body.
Mr. Crosthwaite married Josefa Lopez, a daughter of Bonifacio Lopez, of San Diego, in 1848, and they became the parents of several children. He died in San Diego, February 19, 1903.
William Curley was an otter hunter in 1846. He served as a volunteer in the Mexican war. He was an elector at San Diego April 1, 1850. He married Ramona Alipas, daughter of Damasio and Juana Machado de Alipas (later the wife of Thomas Wrightington), in 1844. He was drowned in December, 1856, on the beach near Point Loma, while out otter hunting with an Indian. His widow afterward married William Williams and moved to Los Angeles.
Thomas R. Davnell was a merchant in San Diego in the early '50s. He was one of the organizers of the San Diego & Gila Railroad Company. He was worshipful master of the Masonic lodge in 1858 and left San Diego soon after the latter year.
A. S. Ensworth came to San Diego as a teamster in the government employ. He was elected justice of the peace in 1856 and assemblyman in 1859. After being elected justice of the peace he studied law and engaged in practice, meeting with success. He died in a hospital in Los Angeles.
William C. Ferrell came to San Diego from North Carolina, about 1850. In the same year he was chosen district attorney. In 1852 he was appointed col- lector of the port and served one year. In 1854 he was assessor and school commissioner and the following year served as assemblyman. In 1858 he was a city trustee and in 1859 again filled the office of district attorney. In Decem- ber of the latter year he went to Raventadero, near Descanso, Lower California, where he lived the life of a recluse until his death, which occurred June 8, 1883. It is said that he was somewhat of a testy man and having set his heart upon
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winning a certain case, it was decided against him, whereupon he became enraged, banged his books down upon the table and declared that since he could not get justice in this country, he would quit it, and proceeded to do so.
Lewis A. Franklin came to San Diego in the summer of 1851 with George H. Davis, in a trading vessel from San Francisco. They decided to remain and their San Francisco representative, Thomas Whaley, followed in October, and he and Franklin opened the Tienda California (California Store). The partner- ship was dissolved in April, 1852, Mr. Franklin retiring. In 1851 he served in the Garra campaign as second lieutenant. With his brother Maurice he built the Franklin House, which was long a prominent landmark. He also practiced law in the '50s.
Captain Henry D. Fitch was a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1826-30 he was master of the Mexican brig Maria Ester, calling at California ports. In 1827 he announced his intention of becoming a Mexican citizen and was naturalized in 1833. He was baptized at San Diego in 1829 as Enrique Domingo Fitch. In 1830-31 he was master of the Leonor and brought fifty Mexican convicts to San Diego, where twenty-three of them remained. He kept a general store in Old Town for many years and in 1845 this was the only store in the place. He bought and sold hides, tallow and furs, outfitted otter hunters and made trading voyages along the coast. He was San Diego's first syndico in 1835 and held other public offices. He died in San Diego in 1849 and was the last person buried on Presidio Hill. His widow lived to the age of eighty- two years.
John Forster, often called Don Juan Forster, was born in England in 1815. He came to Guaymas in 1831 and two years later to California, settling in Los Angeles. In 1844 he removed to San Juan Capistrano and purchased the ex- mission lands there, where he lived for twenty years. In 1845 he was grantee of the National Rancho. In 1864, having sold the latter place, he bought the Santa Margarita Rancho from Pio Pico and spent his remaining days thereon. He was for many years a man of great wealth and lived and entertained in generous style but in later years his affairs became involved and he died comparatively poor. He died February 20, 1882. In 1837 he married Isadora Pico and they had six children.
J. R. Gitchell, one of the ablest of the early lawyers, was the first attorney of the San Diego & Gila railroad and drew its charter. He was district attorney from 1856 to 1858 and was a prominent member of the Masonic order. He removed from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Andrew B. Gray was one of the founders of new San Diego, and probably the original initiator of the project. He made the survey for the old Southern Pacific railroad on the 32d parallel in 1854, as far as the Colorado river and from that point he made only a reconnaissance into San Diego, but it was sufficient to demon- strate the feasibility of the route. His report was published in 1856 and is a. very valuable document. During the Civil war he became a major general in the Confederate army.
Robert W. Groom was a competent surveyor and a man of high standing. He filled the office of county surveyor in 1856, 1859, and from 1861 to 1863. He was also assemblyman in 1858 and 1860. He later moved to Arizona.
John Hays was the first county judge of San Diego county and was county
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treasurer in 1853. He came from Texas, where he had been an actor in the early troubles. He died May 24, 1857.
Dr. David B. Hoffman served as coroner in 1855 and in the few following years. He was admitted to the practice of law April 1, 1856, and from 1859 to 1861 served as district attorney. In 1857 he was town trustee, assemblyman in 1862, in 1865 served as school trustee and in 1868 was democratic presiden- tial elector for California. He was collector of the port from 1869 to 1872 and also acted as tidal gauger. He died in 1888.
Captain Robert D. Israel, a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, served in the Mexican war in the Second Division, in the Rifles, and saw much hard service. In 1848 after being mustered out he came to San Diego. He lived at Old Town for several years, where he engaged in blacksmithing, kept a saloon and did con- tracting with his brother, Joseph H. Israel. He became keeper of the lighthouse June 14, 1871, and served until January 6, 1892. He was orderly sergeant in the Garra campaign. He served as policeman and jailor in the early '50s, in 1858 was justice of the peace and in 1865 was school trustee. He married Maria Arcadia Alipas, daughter of Damasio and Juana Machado de Alipas.
Captain George A. Johnson was a large rancher and cattle raiser. He was also interested in the Colorado Steam Navigation Company, and served as assemblyman for San Diego county in 1863 and 1867.
Robert Kelly was born on the Isle of Man in 1825. As a young man he came to America and lived first in New York and New Orleans. About 1850 or 1851 he came to San Diego. He was numbered among the early and successful agri- culturists of San Diego county. In 1857 he sold his ranch and became a mer- chant in partnership with Frank Ames at Old Town. In 1860 he again engaged in cattle raising with F. Hinton on the Agua Hedionda Rancho and later became sole owner of the ranch.
Daniel Brown Kurtz was the second mayor of San Diego, succeeding General Bean in 1851. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1819 and came to San Diego in June, 1850. He here studied law under J. R. Gitchell, being admitted to practice in 1856. He was state senator in 1852 and 1855, county judge in 1855-6, assem- blyman in 1861 and again from 1865 to 1866 and was president of the town trus- tees in 1862. He was appointed brigadier general of State Militia by the governor in July, 1856. He was also a director of the old San Diego & Gila railroad in 1855. He was a carpenter and did considerable contracting at Old Town and elsewhere. He removed to San Luis Rey in 1866 and resided there until his death, which occurred March 30, 1898.
George Lyons, a native of Donegal, Ireland, came to San Diego in 1847. He was a merchant at Old Town from 1851 to 1858. In the latter year he was elected sheriff and served two terms; he was city trustee and postmaster in 1853 and 1854 and was also a director of the old San Diego & Gila railroad from its organi- zation in 1854. He was associated with H. A. Howard in the real-estate business in "boom" days, and the Souvenir, published by the firm of Howard & Lyons, consisting of advertisements written for them by Thomas L. Fitch, is famous. Mr. Lyons married, in 1850, Bernarda Billar, daughter of Lieutenant Billar.
Joseph S. Mannasse, a native of Prussia, came to San Diego in 1853 and opened a store here. He began with small capital but soon became prosperous. In 1856 he formed a partnership with Marcus Schiller, which continued for many
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years. In 1868 the firm started a lumberyard at the foot of Atlantic and E streets and soon after bought and stocked the Encinitos Rancho. They built up a large business but suffered severely in the drought and hard times in the early '70s, also in the great fire at Old Town in April, 1872. They laid out and sold Man- nasse & Schiller's Addition, one of the earliest additions after Horton came. In later years Mr. Mannasse's principal business was that of broker and collector. Mr. Mannasse died December 26, 1897.
James McCoy, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, born August 12, 1821, came to America in 1842 and in 1849 became a member of Magruder's Battery and accompanied it to San Diego. He was stationed at San Luis Rey with a small squad for more than two years and had some experience in Indian wartare. In 1859 he was elected county assessor and in 1861 was made sheriff. He served in the latter position until 1871, being reelected five times. In 1868 he married Winifred Kearny.
John Minter was in San Diego in the early '50s. He married Serafina Wright- ington, and they had a family of six children.
William H. Moon came to San Diego in 1849. He was an elector, April I, 1850, and a member of the first grand jury in September of that year. He was justice of the peace and ex-officio associate justice of the court of sessions in 1850-I. He died February 3, 1859.
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