USA > California > Alameda County > The centennial year book of Alameda County, California : containing a summary of the discovery and settlement of California, a description of the Contra Costa under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule, biographical sketches of prominent pioneers and public men > Part 10
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
services as Clerk and Auditor of the County, for office furniture and stationery furnished for Clerk's office." It was ordered that $5 per day be allowed to Commissioners to view out and locate highways.
The court resolved itself into a Board of Equalization, and reduced the assessment of Robert Livermore from $36,000 to $20,000. George W. Goucher, County Assessor, was allowed the sum of $540, for forty-five days' services, which was at the rate of $12 per diem.
At the election of Justices of the Peace, held on the 7th and 8th of September, 1853, the following persons were returned and reported : Asa Walker, S. P. Hopkins, H. M. Randall, B. F. Ferris, A. Mar- shall, William Fleming, Calvin Rogers and S. H. Robinson. As required by law, these gentlemen met at the Court-house, in Alvarado, on the 3d day of October, and, from their number, elected two Associate Justices, for the term of one year, the same being A. Marshall and L. H. Robinson, Esquires. The Justices in attendance received for their services at such election the sum of $8 each.
H. Adler was allowed the sum of $10 for his services as Clerk of Election, at the Mission of San Jose, April 25th, 1853, and the fur- ther sum of $10 for his services at the election held on the 7th and 8th of September. The Court ordered that every Judge, Inspector and Clerk of any election thereafter be allowed the sum of $5 per day, and that only two days' services be paid for in any case.
F. K. Shattuck, Deputy Sheriff, was allowed the sum of $40.90 for services rendered the county.
At a special term of the Court, held on the 7th day of November, 1853, District Attorney Moore, of Santa Clara County, appeared, and moved that the Court allow the sum of $7,204.73 to the County of Santa Clara, in accordance with an award made October 27th, 1853, by H. C. Melone, John Youtz, Thos. A. Brown and J. W. Williams, Commissioners, appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of indebtedness due from this county to the Counties of Santa Clara and Contra Costa, which motion was taken under advisement until the next regular term of the Court.
Geo. M. Blake appeared for the first time and presented the peti- tion of sundry citizens of Contra Costa Township, praying that said township be abolished and embraced in the Township of Oakland.
At a meeting held on the 8th of November, Noble Hamilton appeared, taking a part, for the first time, of the firm of Combs & Hamilton, and as Attorney for J. J. Vallejo, presenting a petition with regard to a public highway. Bills for work done on the much-
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charged county desk, it appears, had not all been put in to this date, and Geo. W. Porter was allowed $5 " for work and labor done in and about finishing the County Clerk's desk."
At the session of the Court of December 6th, 1853, the following interesting and important communication was read :
Hon. A. M. Crane, County Judge, &c. :
DEAR SIR-I herewith transmit to you my account with the Oak- land Bridge. In the item of lumber, I have charged $53 per M, which I consider a fair and reasonable average charge. I paid $41 to $63 per M. That portion of the bridge built by me is built in a strong and substantial manner. The old part will require to be replanked and repaired the ensuing season, at an expense of some $2,000 to $2,500.
Very respectfully yours, HORACE W. CARPENTIER.
Oakland Bridge, to Horace W. Carpentier, Dr. :
To hewn timber, $16.28 ; 3,000 feet piles, $960 ; spikes and iron work, $669.08 ; labor, $3,021.25 ; 98,000 feet lumber, $5,194; ten per cent. for sundries not included in above items, $1,147.23. Total, $12,619.56.
In the matter of the claim of Santa Clara County against the County of Alameda, the following report was entered: " Whereas, at the last special term of this Court an application was made on behalf of Santa Clara County for an order upon the Treasurer of Alameda County for that portion of the debt of Santa Clara County which was awarded to be paid to said county by the County of Alameda ; and the Court having had the said matter under advisement, do re- fuse said application, on the ground that the award so made was made wholly without the authority of law, do not admit the same to be in any way correct as to amount, or that anything whatever is due from Alameda to Santa Clara County."
The boundaries of Oakland and Clinton Townships were rear- ranged so as to do away with Contra Costa Township, as desired by the inhabitants of that township.
On December 8th William H. Chamberlain presented a bill for his services as Coroner, in holding an inquest and burying a dead body, amounting to the sum of $27, which account was allowed. H. Adler was allowed $20 for his services as interpreter before the Grand Jury. H. C. Sill presented a bill for $25 for his services in
7
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
making a post mortem examination of the body of a man found dead on the 14th of November. Was allowed $15.
At the meeting held on the 2d day of January, 1854, the county was divided into three road districts. No. 1 comprised the town- ships of Washington and Eden; District No. 2, the townships of Oakland and Clinton; District No. 3, the township of Murray. William Blackwood was appointed Supervisor of No. 1; D. N. Van Dyke of No. 2; Michael Murray of No. 3.
It was ordered that each able-bodied man between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years be required to work on the highways three days during the year 1854, or commute by paying $3 in money for each day. Albert E. Crane was allowed a bill of $3,071.94 for building two bridges across San Lorenzo and San Leandro Creeks, and was voted $300 for his services as Commissioner for the building of said bridges.
At the term of the Court of Assize, held on the 6th day of Feb- ruary, 1854, it was resolved, in the matter of the claim of Contra Costa against Alameda County: "Whereas, an application has been made on behalf of Contra Costa which was ordered to be paid to said county by the County of Alameda; having had the same under consideration, do refuse said application, upon the ground that the award made was made wholly without authority of law. And the Court in placing their refusal upon the ground that said award was made without authority of law, do not in any way admit the same to be correct as to amount, or that anything whatever is due from Alameda to Contra Costa County.
William Blackwood was allowed $12 per day for his services as Supervisor of Road District No. 1.
On Feb. 7th J. W. Dougherty, Wm. R. Defrees and Wm. Glaskin applied for a franchise to construct a toll-road from Dougherty's house, for seven miles through the cañon, towards Haywards, which was granted on certain conditions. John Hogan, Marshal of the Town of Oakland, was allowed $118.40 on his account against the county.
On the 1st day of May the court resolved itself into a Board of Equalization, and it was ordered that the following be the rate of taxation for the year 1854 : For State purposes, 60 cents upon each hundred dollars ; for county purposes, 50 cents ; and for school pur- poses, 3 cents ; in all, $1.13 per hundred dollars.
On May 2d several considerable amounts, to Justices and Attor-
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neys, for services in criminal cases relating to the stealing of cattle, were allowed ; and Michael Murray, for disbursements in the case of People vs. Leonard, was allowed $96.10. The disbursements this month were particularly heavy.
It seems that Santa Clara had a just claim against this county, and had enforced it ; for on the 24th day of August it was ordered that the sum of $3,237 be levied upon the taxable property of the county, to be apportioned according to the aggregate and individual amounts of the assessment-roll for the present year, for the purpose of paying that portion of the indebtedness of Alameda to Santa Clara, ordered to be paid on the first of January next, pursuant to the pro- visions of the Act of the Legislature upon that subject, passed at the last session of the Legislature.
On September 14th, 1854, the Court of Sessions, Judge A. M. Crane presiding, and A. Marshall and S. H. Robinson as Associates, the Township of Alameda was constituted, and changes made in the boundaries of Washington and Eden Townships. At this meeting Henry C. Smith was allowed $200 for rent of Court-room, which was over his store, in Alvarado-the first mention made of any such charge. On the 3d of October, 1854, the Justices of the Peace met for the purpose of selecting Associate Justices from among their num- ber, and selected John Travis and S. H. Robinson,
It was ordered that the order creating the Township of Alameda, heretofore made, be amended so as to prescribe the following bound- aries : Commencing in the centre of the estuary or Bay of San Leandro, northeastwardly from the place known as the Bay Farm ; thence running northwestwardly up the centre of the Brick Yard Creek, and thence to the northwest corner or point of the Encinal San Antonio ; thence around said Encinal, on the west- wardly side thereof, to the northwestern corner of the incorporated Town of Alameda ; thence southwardly to the shore of Bay Farm, and so along the shore of the Bay of San Francisco to the southeast- erly end of said farm ; and thence in a right line to the place of beginning, so as to inelude said Bay Farm and the whole of said Encinal. A. Marshall was appointed Judge of the Plains.
The last meeting of the Court of Sessions, as a municipal body, was held on the 22d day of January, 1855, an act of the Legislature having been passed on the following April, creating a Board of Supervisors for the County of Alameda ; and thus closes the first chapter in the history of our municipal management.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
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WHITTIER, FULLER & CO., ( Late W. S. MURPHY
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALERS IN
Doors, Windows, Blinds, AND GLASS.
W.'S. MURPH
FRONT DOORS, PANELED DOORS,
SASH DOORS, Transoms, Side Lights,
indows, french Windows, Imitation
french
Windows,
Weights, Cords & Pulleys, at the lowest market prices.
BLINDS, OUTSIDE AND INSIDE,
Constantly on Hand or Made to Order.
TWELFTH ST., opposite the Market,
P. O. Box 640.
OAKLAND, CAL.
Printed Price Current on application.
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CHAPTER XV.
1853-1855.
FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
More About Road-Making and Bridge-Building-Toll-roads-Land- ings and Ferries-Oakland a Pleasant Resort-Hunters About -Salt-Gathering on the Marsh Lands-Indebtedness to Contra Costa and Santa Clara Repudiated by the Court of Sessions- An Act Passed to Compel Payment to Santa Clara-Clinton Laid Out-Oakland Incorporated as a City-A Newspaper Started-Senators and Assemblymen Elected-Legislature of 1854-Time for Holding the Courts-Santa Clara and Contra Costa Abolish their Boards of' Supervisors and Transfer the Municipal Business to the Court of Sessions-Payments into the State Treasury-First Reports of the County Surveyor, Assessor and Superintendent of Schools-Comparative Statement of the Value of Property in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and Sacramento Counties-County Officers for 1854-Vote on Change of County Seat to San Leandro-Act of the Legislature Neces- sary-Progress of the County and General Condition-County Officers for 1855-The Board of Supervisors Established-Other Legislation of 1855.
In the foregoing chapter the machinery of the new county organ- ization is shown at work. The great want of the people at that date was roads and bridges, and, as has been seen, they went vigorously to work to provide them. Road-viewers, commissioners and super- visors were numerous, and the Court of Sessions had its hands full at every meeting, receiving petitions and reports and making appoint- ments.
The system of roads established was not a very expensive one. "There was little quarrying and cracking of stones at that date, and the pick and shovel did nearly all the work. There were many marshy places close to the margin of the bay that had to be raised or filled, and the beds of ereeks had to be crossed. Gravel and shells,
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
however, were plentiful and easily procured from the numerous creeks and mounds, and the great expense was the hauling. While in the valleys and low lands it was filling in and banking up, on the moun- tain sides it was cutting away and digging out. The bridges gen- erally required were simple and inexpensive, but a bridge to cross the arm of the estuary, between Oakland and Clinton, was a serious affair, and much time and labor over it were necessary. The con- struction of it had already become an embarrassing matter, involving the credit of the old county and trouble to the new. The other most important bridges required were the one crossing the San Leandro Creek, at the town of the same name, and that which spanned the Alameda at Alvarado. No others presented any serious obsta- cles, and in a couple of years we had an excellent showing in the way of improved highways. As a rule, toll-roads were eschewed, yet franchises were granted in two or three instances to make roads, build bridges and collect tolls. One of these was to Mr. Carpentier, for the Oakland bridge ; the other to Hiram Thorne, for a few miles of road over the mountain, back of Brooklyn, into Contra Costa County; and a few miles to J. M. Dougherty and others, on the route from Haywards to Dublin. There is but one road now on which toll is collected in the county, and that is on the Thorne road, here referred to, and the franchise for that will soon expire.
At first, on account of the sparsity of population, crossing the bay from San Francisco to Oakland and San Antonio was a serious matter. We have shown the inconvenience of this, many years. before, to the Mexican settlers. So soon, however, as the inducements seemed sufficient, small steamers commenced to cross. As early as 1850, the Kangaroo was put on the ferry route and made two trips a week, sailing to and from San Antonio, then the principal place of traffic ; in 1851, a small steamer, brought from New York and. belonging to Captain Rhodes, ran to Oakland. In 1852, the Boston made a few trips and was destroyed by fire. Then followed the Kate Hayes the latter end of the same year ; until finally the Contra Costa Steam Navigation Company was established, with two steamers, making regular daily trips, and charging $1 for each passage. This. large charge was reduced by opposition until finally, some years later, 25 cents became the regular fare. Thus the means of access and communication were early established, and proximity to the harbor of San Francisco, as well as possessing one of the most im-
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portant passes to and from the mines, gave the county every advan- tage in securing population.
It started into life with two incorporated towns-Oakland an Alameda-and both have ever been eagerly sought as pleasant resorts by the citizens of San Francisco. Oakland grew apace, although its land troubles were innumerable and its population somewhat inharmonious. Its oak groves and level streets were in pleasant contrast with the high hills and barren aspect of the commercial city beyond, and many eagerly sought it as a suburban home.
What helped much, too, to rapidly populate the county and develop its resources was its length of coast line and numerous inlets, on which landings were established and light craft at once placed, carrying freight and passengers. Many new-comers, full of the spirit of adventure and love of exploration, as well as a desire for gain, would come over from San Francisco in row-boats and sail-boats to hunt and fowl on the hills and marshes, and always with profit- able results. They had ever in San Francisco a ready market for all they could capture or kill. Some of our most esteemed pioneers made their beginnings here in this way.
The fact that our low lands, bordering the bay, were productive salt marshes, brought many to gather the salt that was to be had for the scraping ; and as this commodity was a scarce article then, in the market, it brought a good price. Salt-making is now an established business, carried on scientifically with capital and hired labor. It is an important interest in our local industry. Those engaged in it and the modus operandi of its manufacture, will be found fully described elsewhere in this work.
It will be noticed that her separation from Contra Costa and Santa Clara left Alameda with an amount of indebtedness for portions of past expenditures due to each. The Organic Act provided for the payment of these debts, but strange to say, we find our first Court of Sessions coolly repudiating both, while a subsequent Court was com- pelled to make provision for payment. It is to be regretted that this indebtedness should have for several years been a matter of con- troversy, with the interest outgrowing the original amounts. In the Legislature of 1854 an Act was passed in favor of Santa Clara, of which these are the features : Amount of indebtedness adjusted and fixed at $6,475. Court authorized to levy special tax. $3,237 to be paid in cash. Court of Sessions to provide for collecting $3,238. In case
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
of failure of payment, to draw interest at the rate of 3 per cent. per month, until paid, provided the whole shall not exceed 10 per cent. per annum.
The location of the county seat was not at first well chosen, al- though it then best accommodated the largest number of people. The ground being very low, the roads leading to it were not good, and in winter time it was difficult of access. The house accommodation, too, was poor, and the upper flat of a store building was utilized for a Court House and county offices, and there was not a safe place there. An agitation for removal, therefore, soon followed.
In the meantime the work of improvement went on. A wharf had been built at San Antonio. In 1853 the town of Clinton was laid out, and a line of cottonwood trees, a la alameda, planted along the road from the bridge to San Antonio landing. In the spring of the following year a grand hotel was built there by the town com- pany, and a temporary impetus given to the place; but the hotel having been destroyed by fire soon after it was built, a cloud covered it for a while.
By the Legislature of 1854 Oakland was incorporated as a city- a small one, to be sure-but full of the future. It went on pros- perously, and has never had a serious set-back by fire, flood, or business stagnation. Henry Durant had already commenced his college, and the foundation of the future University of California was laid.
In September, 1854, the first newspaper devoted to Oakland in- terests was started by H. Davison, but as the town was yet too poor to own a printing office, it was printed in San Francisco. It was styled the Leader. All litigant advertisements, however, by an Act of the Legislature, had to be sent to the Placer Times and Transcript, published in San Francisco.
There were politics, too, and politicians, and everything went Democratic. Many of the men who were prominent then are prominent now, but the political opinions of quite a number have undergone a change, and those who would not be Whigs, or else but Democrats, before the war, have become Republicans after it. Our Senator in 1853-4, jointly with Santa Clara, was Jacob Grewell, and for 1855-6, Sherman Day. Our Assemblyman for the same years successively was, in 1854 and 1855, Jos. S. Watkins, presumably a Democrat, as Democracy was the political faith of our younger days.
The Legislature of 1854, besides incorporating the City of Oak-
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land and providing for the payment of our debt to Santa Clara, passed an Act fixing the time for holding our several courts. The County Judge after that, was to hold his several courts-Sessions, Probate and County-on the first Mondays of January, March, May, July, September and November ; doing the business of the Court of Sessions first, then the County, and last the Probate. Another Act fixed the time for holding the various terms of the District Court on the third Monday of February, May, August and November.
It is singular that Santa Clara and Contra Costa should at the Session of 1854 have Acts passed to abolish their Supervisor Boards and resort to the Court of Sessions again to transact their municipal business ; while in the following year, Alameda dropped the Court of Sessions for such purpose and established a Board of Supervisors. And Alameda was right, for the Court of Sessions was always an unconstitutional tribunal.
The latter half of 1853 Alameda paid into the State Treasury the humble sum of $696.17. This was her small beginning, for which she amply compensates at the present. Contra Costa paid for the same six months, $7,878.19.
In 1854 County Surveyor Higley made his first report to the Surveyor-General, and as the first document of the kind, it is deemed of sufficient importance to print it in full. It is as follows :
OFFICE COUNTY SURVEYOR, Clinton, Alameda Co. $
Hon. S. H. Marletto, Surveyor-General, Sacramento :
Dear Sir-In obedience to law and in compliance with your cir- cular, I have the honor to submit the following report :
I have no data that would facilitate the making of an accurate map of the county. I have applied to the Court of Sessions for the necessary authority and means to run the county boundaries, and make such surveys as would enable me to make a map of the county, but it failed to grant what I asked for.
There is no internal navigation in the county, except upon arms of the Bay of San Francisco. The pass through the Coast Range of mountains between the Bay of San Francisco and the San Joaquin Valley, that is found along the waters of the San Lorenzo Creek, is admirably adapted for the construction of a railroad, and is probably the only practicable pass, for that purpose, to be found in the moun- tains that separate these valleys. There is now in process of construc- tion a shell and turnpike road, leading from the town of Alameda, through the San Lorenzo Pass, to Stockton. There is a short plank road leading to the Embarkadero of San Lorenzo. It is the property of the Eden Plank Road Company. There is a toll-bridge across an
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
arm of the Bay of San Antonio, between the towns of Clinton and Oakland. This bridge was partly built by Contra Costa County, before the organization of Alameda. The Court of Sessions granted the right to H. W. Carpentier, to complete the same and charge toll until such time as the county shall see fit to repay the cost of its construction, with interest at three per cent. per month. The county has not yet redeemed it.
There are about 800 square miles of land in the county, the greater portion of which is mountainous and therefore unfit for cultivation, though much of it is well adapted for grazing.
The Bay of San Francisco forms the western boundary of the county, and between it and the mountains, running parallel with, and, on an average, four miles distant, there is a very fertile and level valley, well watered with mountain streams and springs. This valley contains about 100,000 acres of as fine land as there is in the State of California, and nearly all of it is under cultivation. Other arable land is found in valleys among the mountains, and a small portion of the San Joaquin Valley. On the east side of the first range of mountains there is a large valley, known in some parts as the Liver- more, in others as the Amador, and in others again as San Ramon Valley, which contains within the county about 50,000 acres of well- watered and fair agricultural land, not much under tillage. Other valleys of less note are also found among the mountains.
There are no known mineral lands in the county. There is no overflowed land in the county, except from the tide-water of the bay; of this there is about 20,000 acres that has salt-water vegetation growing upon it, and is only overflowed at extremely high tides.
I have examined the official map of the State, and, so far as my knowledge extends, there is no material error in it.
Between this county and Santa Clara and San Joaquin, there are about one hundred miles of boundary that should be established. The points in these lines are mostly natural-fixed monuments ; but the connecting lines not having been run, confusion and difficulty often arise as to the location of persons and property, in relation to the several counties.
I have reason to believe there is a small portion of land in the San Joaquin Valley unclaimed by grantees of former governments, but all other arable land in the county is claimed, with the adjacent hill and mountain land. The greater portion of the mountain land is almost valueless. A part, however, is well adapted to grazing. The county, generally, is very sparsely timbered. For reasons here- tofore assigned, I cannot send a map of these lands.
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