USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > The beginnings of San Francisco : from the expedition of Anza, 1774, to the city charter of April 15, 1850 : with biographical and other notes, Vol. II > Part 6
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In 1844 Leidesdorff was naturalized and was granted the Rio de los Americanos rancho, eight leagues (35,500 acres) on the left bank of the Ameri- can river. The town of Folsom is on this grant. In 1845 Larkin appointed Leidesdorff vice-consul of the United States. He took an active part in all the affairs of the town, was captain of the port, treasurer, etc., and an enthusiastic advocate of the
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
American cause, going so far as to support the Bear Flag movement, and, it is said, advising the arrest of Hinckley and Ridley with whom he had quarreled. Leidesdorff owned the first steamer that ever sailed on the bay of San Francisco-a little craft thirty-seven feet long by nine feet breadth of beam, drawing eighteen inches of water. She was built at Sitka by an American, as a pleasure boat for the Russian officers, and bought by Leides- dorff and brought to San Francisco on the Russian bark Naslednik in October 1847, and on the 28th of November she started for Sacramento carrying ten or a dozen souls, including the owner and several passengers, and made the passage in six days and seven hours. She was called the Sitka .*
Leidesdorff died suddenly of brain fever on the 18th of May 1848, at the age of thirty-eight, leaving a large and valuable estate. Colonel Mason, gover- nor of California, advised Consul Larkin to take charge of the estate, being under the impression that Leidesdorff was an American citizen. On finding however that he was a naturalized citizen of Mexico, Mason directed John Townsend, alcalde of San Francisco, to place the estate in charge of safe, competent men under bond of double its value. Townsend appointed W. D. M. Howard
* Mckinstry Papers, MS. Bancroft Collection. The author says: "She was so very crank that the weight of one man on her guard would put her on on her beam ends, and when the order was given to trim ship we would pass Mrs. Gregson's baby over to starboard or larboard."
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THE CUSTOM HOUSE
administrator. Leidesdorff was buried at the Mis- sion Dolores with imposing ceremonies befitting his prominence and social virtues. His estate was heavily encumbered, owing some forty thousand dollars, and it was thought doubtful if enough could be realized from it to pay the debts, but the discovery of gold settled that and the estate became immensely valuable. Captain Joseph L. Folsom went to St. Croix, Danish West Indies, and bought from the heirs-the mother and sisters of Leidesdorff-the estate in California for seventy-five thousand dollars and later paid fifteen or twenty thousand more, the property being then worth several hundred thousand dollars.
In 1844 the governor authorized the building of a custom house at San Francisco, the cost not to exceed eight hundred dollars. While Monterey was the only port of entry, San Francisco had a receiver of customs and a few thousand dollars were annually paid there. The receiver in 1844 had his office in Richardson's casa grande which was then occupied by William H. Davis as agent for Paty and McKin- ley. Work on the custom house was begun in the summer of 1844, and the building completed in September 1845. The work was done mostly by Indians and some of the material was obtained from the presidio. It was built of adobe, with tile roof, one story and an attic, fifty-six and a half feet long by twenty-two feet wide, with a veranda six feet wide running across the front and both ends, and
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
it contained four rooms. It cost about twenty-eight hundred dollars and it stood on the northwest corner of the plaza (Portsmouth square) with its front to the plaza and its north end on Washington street. This was the "old adobe" and "old" custom house so frequently mentioned by writers of early times. On the American occupation it was used as a barrack. In front stood the flag pole on which Montgomery raised the American flag. Later the building was used by the alcalde and revenue officers and as law offices. In July 1850, Palmer, Cook & Co. had their banking office in the south end and adjoining the bank were the law offices of H. H. Haight. Edward Bosqui who was a clerk in the bank and slept on the office counter, was awakened one night by a noise outside the building. He looked out of the window and wit- nessed the pleasing spectacle of a man being hanged from one of the beams of the veranda, a few feet from his window. It was the vigilance committee hanging Jenkins.
Bosqui tells of climbing up to the attic, which proved to be a long, narrow, dimly lighted room, filled with a varied assortment of flint lock muskets, pikes, lances, battle-flags, ammunition, cartridge- boxes, tents, and other war-like stores. The building and all of its contents were destroyed by fire in 1851 .*
In 1839 or '40 Spear built a two story frame building for a mill on the north side of Clay street
* Bosqui: Memoirs, pp. 45-58.
CUSTOM HOUSE, SAN FRANCISCO From "Annals of San Francisco."
SAN FRANCISCO
Il con about twenty-eight 11 4rood on The northwest hmmmmouth square) with its orth end on Washington "old adobe" and "old" le mentioned by writers American occupation it mint stood the flag pole word the American flag. Later che billing was used by the alcalde and revesure officers and as law offices. In July 1850, Pogrom: Cool: S had their banking office in the le were the law
who was ОБЛІЮЩАЯЯ ВАС АВИОН МОТО the office counter, was awakened one night by a noite outside the Iwillive Ne Inoked gor of the window and wit- wool the ple udine spectacle of a man being hanged al ue came of the veranda, a few feet at the vigilance committee
ruimbing ap to the attic, which frog, mirow, dimly lighted room with a suited . HAloftment of flint lock musket .. : bottle-may., ammunition, cartridge- Casimir, md ofler war-like store. The building Twowomenwere destroyed by fire in 1851. Mo Spear built a two story frame motion the north side of Clay street
hi. 04
Custom Hunse on the Plaza.
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A SAILOR IN THE WELL
between Montgomery and Kearny. It stood fifteen feet back from Clay street, was run by mule power, and was the first grist mill in California. Daniel Sill was the builder and miller. Thomes in 1843 speaks of an old adobe mill about a cable's length from Clark's Point, run by mule power, which ground out some sweet and nutritious but very dark flour .* It was not an adobe building and was more than a cable's length from Clark's Point, but Thomes was writing from recollection many years after.
In 1844 Benito Diaz built an adobe house on the east side of Montgomery street, between Jackson and Pacific, near the lagoon. In 1847 Diaz sold this to Alfred J. Ellis who opened a boarding house and groggery. Beside the house was a well twenty- three feet deep. When a peculiar taste to the whisky caused Ellis to suspect the water, he cleaned out the well and found a drowned Russian sailor. Brown says that most of the citizens had been to Ellis' saloon and had drunk the water and with some of them it went very hard. Captain John Paty lay in bed for two days from the effect of it, and Robert A. Parker and many others were made very sick.f
John Finch, known as "John Tinker," an English blacksmith and tinker, built in 1844-5 a saloon and bowling alley on the northwest corner of Kearny and Washington streets where afterwards stood
Thomes: On Land and Sea, p. 186. The building was sold in 1848 to Cross, Hobson & Co., who used it for store, dwelling, and office building. t Brown: Early Days, Chap. iv.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Wright & Co.'s Miners' Bank and later the Bella Union theater. John Finch was present at the raising of the American flag July 9, 1846.
William Davis Merry Howard, one of the principal citizens of San Francisco, was a native of Boston and came to California in 1839 as cabin-boy on the ship California. He worked for a while as clerk for Abel Stearns in Los Angeles and was for several years supercargo of various Boston vessels in the California trade. In 1845 he formed a partnership with Henry Mellus and bought the Hudson's Bay property on Montgomery street. Mellus came on the brig Pilgrim with Richard H. Dana, and left the vessel to become clerk for Alfred Robinson, the company's agent; he was supercargo of several of the Boston vessels, including the Admittance, the ship that brought Thomes in 1843. The firm of Mellus and Howard became very wealthy. Mellus married a daughter of James Johnson of Los Angeles, whose wife was a Guirado, and in 1850 withdrew from the firm. His name was originally given to Natoma street but the citizens were angered by charges made by him against Howard and changed the name of the street to Natoma.
In 1848 Mellus and Howard built on the south- west corner of Clay and Montgomery streets the first brick building in San Francisco, and transferred their business to this store. They were also the principal promoters of the Central Wharf project, now Com- mercial street, and gave to the company the right
533
WILLIAM DAVIS MERRY HOWARD
of way-thirty-five feet-across the block owned by them and bounded by Clay, Sacramento, San- some, and Battery streets. Howard was a large, fine-looking man, deservedly popular with all classes, and taking an active interest in everything pertain- ing to the welfare of the town. His name was first given to Sacramento street and later, in 1848-9, to Howard street. His first wife, who died in 1849, was an adopted daughter of Captain Eliab Grimes of Honolulu and San Francisco. His second was Agnes, daughter of Dr. J. Henry Poett. He died in 1856, at the age of thirty-seven, leaving one son by his second wife .*
In 1845-6 Stephen Smith of Bodega obtained à fifty vara lot on the southeast corner of Dupont and Washington streets where he built a wooden house. In 1846 he leased it to Sam Brannan who lived and published the Star there. . Smith was a native of Maryland and came to California first from Peru in 1841. He obtained permission of Governor Alvarado to set up a steam saw-mill with a promise of land suitable for his operations. He. brought the mill machinery from Baltimore in 1843, and with it also three pianos, the first steam mill and the first pianos in California. In 1844 he was naturalized and received from Micheltorena a grant of eight leagues of land at Bodega and there he set up his mill.
* Howard Presbyterian Church was named for him. He gave the land on which the church was built, and was very liberal in contributions of money.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
By the operation of a law increasing the number of inhabitants necessary for a municipal government, San Francisco lost its ayuntamiento in 1838. From that time until September, 1847, the town was ruled by an alcalde, who was a judge of first instance, and tried all minor cases. Noé, the last alcalde under Mexican rule, lived on the northeast corner of Dupont and Clay streets. José de Jesus Noé came with the Híjar and Padres colony in 1834 and settled in San Francisco. In December 1845, Noé received from Pio Pico a grant of the San Miguel rancho, one league, in what is now the geographical center of the City and County of San Francisco. A tract of one thousand and fifty acres of the rancho is yet undivided and belongs to the estate of the late Adolph Sutro. Francisco Guerrero y Palo- mares, was another of the Híjar and Padrés colonists who settled in San Francisco. He was receptor and administrator of customs, alcalde, and was sub-prefect of the San Francisco partido, at the time of the conquest, and again under American rule, in 1849. He was a man of high standing and well regarded by Americans as well as Cali- fornians. He married Josefa, daughter of Francisco de Haro, and both he and De Haro lived at the Mission Dolores. Guerrero was murdered in San Francisco in 1851. He bought from Galindo in 1837 the Rancho Laguna de la Merced in San Francisco, and in 1844 was granted Corral de Tierra rancho at Half Moon bay.
535
POPULATION OF YERBA BUENA
According to Davis the inhabitants of Yerba Buena in July 1846, numbered about one hundred and fifty. I have accounted for some of the more important ones and the rest, consisting mainly of small traders, saloon keepers, and mechanics, I see no reason for enumerating here. Davis mentions Henry Teschmacher and R. S. Sherman as residing in Yerba Buena at that time, but I think they were later in settling there.
* Authorities: Bancroft, Hist. of Cal. ii-vi. Davis' Sixty Years. Hittell, Hist. S. F. Bosqui, Memoirs. Thomes, On Land and Sea. Soule, Gihon and Nisbet, Annals of San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 26, 1909. Alta Cal., Feb. 17, 1867. Brown, Early Days. Dwinelle, Colonial Hist. Simp- son, Narrative. Cong. Doc. Senate No. 17.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CONQUEST
I T "T was believed that Mexico, torn with internal dissensions, would not be able to maintain much longer its feeble hold on the rich province of California, and it was known that a change of nationality would not be unwelcome to the higher classes of citizens, both native born and naturalized. The Americans were rapidly colonizing the country and made little effort to conceal their intention of acquiring possession. It was also understood that the English in California were making strong efforts to induce their government to interfere with the evident plan of the Americans to appropriate the country by the filibustering method. The actions of the Bear Flag party at Sonoma and elsewhere confirmed the belief of the English residents and the course of events was closely watched. In Yerba Buena interest was quickened by the arrival, shortly after the affair at Sonoma, of the United States sloop-of-war Portsmouth, twenty-four guns, which came in quietly and dropped her anchor in front of the town. Rumors were current of an expected conflict between the Portsmouth and an English man-of-war, for which, it was said, Forbes, the English consul, had sent to Mazatlan. On board the Portsmouth strict vigilance was maintained and the men were refused shore leave. Brown says that one morning early in July, they were startled by the report of a large gun and in a few minutes heard the long roll beat on board the Portsmouth and the
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
ship was cleared for action, the guns run out and every man was at his post. The people came out of their houses expecting to see an engagement as an English war ship sailed into port and came to anchor abreast of the Portsmouth. She proved to be an English frigate on surveying service.
On the 8th of July, Captain John B. Montgomery of the Portsmouth received orders from Commodore Sloat to take possession of Yerba Buena and the northern frontier. Sloat advised Montgomery of his action at Monterey and enclosed him copies of his proclamation, in English and Spanish, instruct- ing him to hoist the flag in Yerba Buena within reach of his guns and post the proclamation in both languages.
About eight o'clock on the morning of July 9th, Montgomery landed with seventy men at the foot of Clay street, marched to the music of fife and drum up Clay to Kearny, thence to the plaza, where he hoisted the American flag on the pole in front of the custom house. There was no Mexican flag on the pole to haul down, for the receptor de la aduana (receiver of customs), Don Rafael Pinto, had departed to join Castro and had taken the flag and placed it with his official papers in a trunk which he left with Leidesdorff for safe keeping. Montgomery's force consisted of a company of marines under Lieutenant Henry B. Watson and a few sailors under Lieutenant John S. Misroon. There was not a Mexican official in town from whom
541
THE FLAG RAISED BY MONTGOMERY
to demand a surrender. Sub-prefect Guerrero had retired to his rancho; the acting commander of San Francisco, Francisco Sanchez, had sent all his available militiamen to Castro, and, having no force to oppose the American commander, avoided the mortification of a surrender by retiring to his rancho; Port-captain Ridley was a prisoner in the hands of the Bears, and Receptor Pinto was with Castro.
The Portsmouth saluted the flag with twenty-one guns and the salute was followed by three hearty cheers on shore and on board. Captain Mont- gomery made a short address to the people assembled and then Sloat's proclamation was read in English and Spanish and copies in both languages were posted on the flagstaff. Lieutenant Watson was appointed military commander and with his marines took possession of the custom house. In his address, Montgomery invited citizens willing to join a local militia to meet at Leidesdorff's house and form a military company, choosing their own officers. He said that in case of attack all necessary force would be landed from the Portsmouth. The meeting was held and a company organized with W. D. M. Howard as captain, William M. Smith, first lieu- tenant, John Rose, second lieutenant, and about twenty privates. Lieutenant Misroon, with Purser James H. Watmough of the Portsmouth, Leides- dorff, and several volunteers made a tour of the presidio and fort. At the fort they found three
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
brass cannon and seven of iron, spiked by Frémont. Two days later, in company with Leidesdorff and a party of marines, Misroon visited the mission and removed therefrom a lot of public documents. San Francisco thus became an American town without the firing of a gun and with the apparent satisfaction of most of its citizens.
On the 9th, before landing, Montgomery sent Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere in the ship's boat to Sonoma to take possession and raise the flag. Revere arrived at Sonoma before noon, and summoning the troops of the garrison (Bears) and the inhabitants of the place to the plaza, he read to them Sloat's proclamation and then hauling down the Bear flag he raised the stars and stripes in its place, much to the satisfaction of the Californians. Revere sent an express to the commander at Sutter's fort with a United States flag to be raised and a copy of the proclamation to be read; also one to Stephen Smith at Bodega. The flags were hoisted at both places with the proper ceremonies. At Yerba Buena all was quiet. At Montgomery's invitation Captain Sanchez came in on the twelfth and pointed out where two guns were buried, and a few days Sub-prefect Guerrero came from his rancho at Montgomery's request and gave up the papers of his department. Lieutenant Misroon landed a party of blue jackets from the Portsmouth and constructed a battery at Punta del Embarcadero (Clark's Point). The work was begun about July
--
543
ARRIVAL OF THE BROOKLYN
17th. High on the steep bluff facing the bay Misroon excavated a terrace whereon he mounted a battery of five guns .* This was called "the battery" and gave the name to Battery street, whose lines inter- sect it at Broadway. It was later called Fort Montgomery. The battery was in existence as late as the fall of 1849. On the 3Ist of July the ship Brooklyn arrived from New York, with about two hundred Mormons in charge of Elder Samuel Bran- nan. They had sailed from New York February 4th and June 20th were at Honolulu where they met Commodore Stockton about to sail for Monterey. Surmising that California would soon be occupied by the United States and not knowing what they might find there, Brannan bought in Honolulu one hundred and fifty stands of arms and drilled the men of his company on the way over. He had announced to Brigham Young before sailing that he would select the most suitable site on the bay of San Francisco for the location of a commercial city, but finding the United States in possession the project was abandoned.
The landing of the Mormons more than doubled the population of Yerba Buena. They camped for a time on the beach and the vacant lots, then some went to the Marin forests to work as lumbermen, some were housed in the old mission buildings and others in Richardson's casa grande on Dupont
* Two brass pieces from the old Spanish fort; two from Sonoma, and one brass twelve pounder dug up at the presidio where it had been buried.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
street. They were honest and industrious people, and all sought work wherever they could find it.
The peace and quiet of the town was undisturbed by anything more serious than the arrest of a few of the Portsmouth's men for disorderly conduct and one or two causeless alarms. Brown says that Lieutenant Watson was in the habit of coming to him at the Portsmouth house at a very late hour each night after he had gone to bed, to have his flask filled with whisky. Watson would come to Brown's window and give two raps on the shutter. When Brown answered, Watson would say, "The Spaniards are in the brush." At that Brown would get up and fill his bottle and Watson would go on duty. One night after Brown had gone to bed, Watson came as usual, and gave the signal, but Brown failed to awaken, when Watson, who had been drinking, fired his pistol and sang out at the top of his voice, "The Spaniards are in the brush." Instantly the guard at the barracks gave the alarm, the long roll was beaten and the men turned out under arms. The Portsmouth signaled to know if she should land a party, and the Mormons assem- bling with arms and ammunition ready for service, remained at the Portsmouth house for about three hours. Some shots were fired at what were supposed to be "Spaniards in the brush," but which were found to be only scrub oaks swaying in the breeze. In the morning Watson put Brown under bonds of secrecy, and the town resumed its tranquillity;
.
545
THE BLOCKHOUSE
but that they might be prepared in case the Span- iards really should attack, Lieutenant Misroon landed with a small party of sailors and constructed a log blockhouse at or near the northwest corner of Dupont and Sacramento streets on which was mounted a large Spanish gun from the presidio. After peace was declared this house was used as a jail by the alcalde .*
Another alarm was caused by a City hotel coffee pot which exploded with a loud report. The long roll was beaten, the marines turned out and the citi- zensof the militia formed in line at thebarracks. There was nothing more serious than a badly scalded cook.
On August 26 Montgomery appointed Lieutenant Washington A. Bartlett alcalde, and ordered an election on the 15th of September following, when Bartlett was elected alcalde, his opponent being Robert T. Ridley. This first election under Ameri- can rule was held in a back room of Leidesdorff's store-afterwards the City hotel. Brown claims that he made the ballot box from a box holding bottles of lemon syrup which Ridley had bought of Stephen Smith of Bodega. The inspectors were William H. Davis, Frank Ward, Francisco Guerrero, and Francisco de Haro. Ninety-six votes were cast; of these Bartlett received sixty-six, Ridley twenty- nine, and Spear one. John Rose was elected treas- urer and Peter Sherreback, collector.
* Brown: Early Days, Chap. ii. Alta California, Oct. 26, 1852. The oldest inhabitant (1911) has no knowledge of this blockhouse.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
On July 23d Sloat turned over the command in California to Commodore Robert F. Stockton, and on the twenty-eighth sailed for home on the Levant. In the last days of September the frigates Savannah and Congress arrived from Monterey, the latter flying the pennant of Commodore Stockton, and on October 5th, the citizens tendered the commodore a public reception, which was accepted by him with much pleasure. Guerrero, Sanchez, Vasquez, and all the rancheros in the vicinity sent, for the procession, the choicest horses from their caponeras,* numbering a hundred or more. The people came in from all the surrounding country, and as the commodore landed from his barge at the foot of Clay street he was met by Montgomery, Bartlett, and Frank Ward, while the orator of the day, Colonel W. H. Russell, made the distinguished guest a flowery speech of welcome and presented him to the people. Then the procession, led by the chief marshall, Frank Ward, with a military escort under Lieutenant Jacob Zeilin, U. S. N., marched from Sacramento and Montgomery streets to Washington, to Kearny, to Clay, to Dupont, to Washington, and down Washington to Montgomery street where a platform had been erected. Here the people gath- ered while Stockton made them an address and gave them an account of the conquest of Southern California.37 At the conclusion of the address,
* A caponera is a band of horses kept up by the ranchero for his private use. It consists of twenty-five of his best animals under the lead of a bell mare.
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RECEPTION TO STOCKTON
the commodore with an escort of citizens made a tour on horseback to the presidio and mission and returned to a collation at Leidesdorff's residence .* The ceremonies concluded with a ball in the evening. Davis says that Stockton was a good horseman, was fine looking, of dark complexion, with a frank and off- hand manner, active and energetic, and he impressed them as a strong man of decided ability. One of the first acts of Stockton on assuming command, was to order the release of General Vallejo and the other prisoners of the Bears confined at Sutter's fort. Why they were not released on the day the American flag was raised on the fort no one seems to know.
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