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 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
The whole county has been townshipped by the U. S. Surveyors, but none of it sectioned. The Mount Diablo meridian passes through Amador Valley, enters the Bay Valley at the Mission of San José, and strikes the said land at the southern extremity of the county.
Respectfully, your obedient servant, H. A. HIGLEY,
County Surveyor, Alameda Co.
107
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
While Mr. Higley's sagacity, in pointing out the only feasible pass for a railroad in the Mount Diablo range, is to be commended, it is unpardonable that he should have mentioned the banks of the San Lorenzo Creek, instead of the Alameda, as the position of this pass. The Shell Road referred to does not exist but for a few miles in Alameda Township, and what wagon road there was through the Alameda Canon was wantonly destroyed by the railroad engineers when making their road through the pass. Shells for road purposes were plentiful, and large mounds of them are yet to be found in various places along the water-front. The plank road to the " em- barkadero of San Lorenzo " was made by John B. Ward, who secured a franchise to build said road and a wharf, from the previous Legis- lature. There is but little of the mountain land which Mr. Higley mentioned as valueless that is not now utilized and good crops pro- cured therefrom, excepting that portion adjoining Santa Clara, on our southeastern border.
Accompanying Mr. Higley's report were duplicates of two land- warrants located by him in the county, which, with a few others, he said had been floated, showing how little Government land there was even then in the county considered worth taking up, all having been disposed of in Spanish and Mexican grants. The Assessor's Report for 1854, the first made out for Alameda County, was as follows :
Alameda-Area, 800 square miles ; no mineral lands ; nearly all the arable land claimed by Mexican grants ; all " townshipped " by the general Government ; none " sectioned ;" overflowed and subject to overflow, 20,000 acres ; land under cultivation, 61,000 acres ; in barley, 24,000 acres ; in wheat, 20,000 acres ; in oats, 6,000 acres ; in potatoes, 5,000 acres ; in nurseries, trees, etc., 1,000 acres ; in vegetables, 2,000 acres ; in canary beans, plants, etc., 3,000 acres. Yield per acre : wheat, 36 bushels ; barley, 66 bushels; oats, 80 bushels. Total crops : barley, 1,584,000 bushels ; wheat, 720,000 bushels ; oats, 480,000 bushels ; potatoes, 1,000,000 bushels.
Live stock : Cattle, 110,000; horses, 60,000 ; sheep, 20,000; hogs, 13,000 ; goats, 350. GEO. W. BOUCHER, Co. Assessor. The County School Superintendent's Report was as follows:
Number of children between five and eighteen years, 577; boys, 330; girls, 247. Number of pupils attending school, 214; daily average attendance, 129. State Fund, $1,072.35; School Fund on hand October 31st, 1854, $1,339.72. Expended on rents and repairs to school-houses, $425. Amount raised in boundary and paid teach- ers, $4,100. Total amount expended for school purposes in 1854, $4,765. W. W. BRIER, County Superintendent.
108
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
School Warrant returns prior to January 1st, 1854, two for 320 acres; for the year 1854, two of 160 acres; two of 320 acres.
Apportionment of School Fund by Townships, January Ist, 1875: Washington, 179 pupils; Eden, 92; Alameda, 50; Oakland, 204. Brooklyn and Murray appear to be omitted in return.
Abstract of total value of property assessed in 1854, and amount of State Tax thereon. For the purpose of comparison, four counties are included :
Value of Property.
State Tax.
Alameda,
$4,383,179
$26,298.91
Contra Costa,
2,330,084
13,980.46
Santa Clara,
6,582,062
39,492.36
Sacramento,
8,775,966
52,655.79
It will be well to keep these figures in view to show the compara- tive increase of each county to the present day.
At the election of county officers, held September 6th, 1854, the following persons were chosen: J. S. Chipman, District Attorney ; B. S. Marston, Treasurer; A. H. Broder, Sheriff; Edward Barnes, Public Administrator; H. A. Higley, County Surveyor; A. M. Church, County Clerk; L. N. Crocker, Coroner; C. C. Breyfogle, County Assessor. A. M. Crane was the County Judge.
It has been already stated that an agitation was started at an early day for the removal of the county seat, and San Leandro, then with only a few scattering houses around the Estudillo homestead, was pitched upon as the place to be substituted for Alvarado. A vote upon the question was ordered, but by what authority does not clearly appear. At any rate, it was taken on the 30th day of De- cember, 1854, with the following result:
Alvarado.
San Leandro.
Alameda,
95
39
Alvarado, -
384
9
Temescal,
4
343
Oakland,
44
317
Mission San José,
178
25
Horner's School House,
173
7
San Lorenzo House,
17
98
William Hayward's,
30
47
Jeremiah Utter's,
14
140
J. W. Kottinger's,
92
18
Redwoods,
38
San Antonio,
25
206
Mountain House,
11
14
Totals,
-
1,067
1,301
109
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
It is somewhat singular, but the foregoing is the only official elec- tion return, or any return of an election held in this county, before 1860, that is to be found among the official papers to-day. It shows that San Leandro gained the day by 234 majority ; but at the same time exhibits extraordinary voting capacity on the part of some, if not all, of the precincts. The vote of Temescal, which was only four less than that of Oakland, is particularly noticeable ; but the fran- chise was rather freely handled in those days. The vote, by town- ships was as follows :
For Alvarado.
For San Leandro.
Washington,
735
41
Eden,
47
145
Murray,
103
32
Brooklyn,
39
384
Alameda,
95
39
Oakland, -
48
660
Totals, -
- 1,067
1,301
It will be observed by the above that the vote of Washington was larger than that of Oakland by 68. But how marvelously the latter is shown to have increased in two years, since the contest be- tween Carpentier and Farrelly !
In accordance with this vote, the county seat was removed to San Leandro ; but, in consequence of some informality in the Act, the county offices were removed back, for a time, to Alvarado, until the Legislature, on the 8th of February, 1856, by a special Act, author- ized the removal to San Leandro, and established the seat of justice in that place ; and that was what gave San Leandro a start as a town.
Prior to 1853 there was only one little adobe flour mill in the county-that built by the Fathers at the Mission. In 1853 two expensive mills were erected in Washington Township : the one at Niles, by J. J. Vallejo, and the one at Alvarado, by J. M. Horner. The former was run by water-power and the latter by steam. In 1854 the Clinton mill was built. Other industrial enterprises were in progress. The first blacksmith shop was started in San Lo- renzo, in December, 1853, by a man named John Boyle, whom Henry Smyth, the proprietor of the present extensive agricultural works in that place, succeeded. James Beazell and Chas. Hilton started the first blacksmith shop at Centreville. Stores were established at a few places in the country. Henry C. Smith had removed his from the
110
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
Mission to Alvarado ; Capt. Bond started one at Centreville ; Lacy had one at Brooklyn ; besides those at Oakland and the Mission.
In 1853 attention was first paid to the business of fruit-growing. Before that the only trees in the county were those belonging to the Mission orchards, of which E. L. Beard possessed the best. Several gentlemen clubbed together and sent Captain Whalley, in the fall of 1853, to Rochester, N. Y., for a general assortment of trees. Then came Mr. Lewelling with his nursery stock, from Oregon.
The moral and religious welfare of the population had not as yet received much attention. There were, however, three or four Pro- testant Church organizations in Oakland ; while the Catholics, for the purpose of worship, had to betake themselves to San Francisco, on the one hand, or the Mission on the other. W. W. Brier, at Centreville, was the first Protestant clergyman in the county, and at this period was Superintendent of Education.
The mission town continued the scene of considerable debauchery. Gambling flourished ; fandangos were in favor ; drinking, bull and bear-fighting, horse-racing, etc., were regular Sunday amusements ; and the ceremony of "hanging Judas " on Good Friday, never failed to draw together people from the whole surrounding country-In- dians, Californians, Mexicans, Portuguese, and even Americans.
The Mission, however, was not alone the scene of these noisy amusements. Oakland and San Antonio both had their full share of them, until suppressed by law and better habits were enforced.
Oakland had the only lock-up in the county. At the county seat the Sheriff had to stand guard over his prisoners, or lock them up in a room at the Brooklyn Hotel. To save trouble, sometimes, the Sheriff would be relieved of his charge, and the prisoners taken out in the salt-marsh and lynched. Instances of this kind, however, were not numerous, and, on the whole, the people were a law-abiding class.
In 1855 the county officers elected were as follows : County Judge, A. M. Crane; County Clerk, H. M. Vesey ; Sheriff, A. H. Broder ; Treasurer, P. E. Edmondson ; Assessor, C. C. Breyfogle ; District Attorney, Geo. M. Blake ; County Superintendent, A. H. Meyers ; Surveyor, H. A. Higley ; Public Administrator, A. D. Eames ; Coroner, D. C. Porter. The places of residence of these gentlemen were as follows: Crane, Meyers and Higley, Alameda Town ; Vesey, Broder, Edmundson and Breyfogle, Washington Township ; Blake,
111
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
Eames and Porter, Oakland. Mr. Higley, however, kept his office in Clinton, where Mr. Stratton was his Deputy.
It has been already shown that in February, 1855, the Court of Sessions closed its functions as a municipal body. Early in the session of that year's Legislature a bill was introduced to create a Board of Supervisors for Alameda County, and was passed. The Board was to consist of one Supervisor for each township ; Justices of the Peace, county officers and their deputies were excluded from membership.
The first election was ordered on the 3d Monday of March ; the members elected to hold their meetings on the first Mondays of April, July, October and January following, and on the second Monday after each general election, and oftener, if, in their judg- ment, necessary. The salary of the Clerk (exclusive of fees) was placed at $300 a year.
The same Legislature passed the following acts :
An Act to authorize the Supervisors of Alameda to re-assess the taxable property upon which the taxes remained unpaid in said county for the year 1854. To be applied by the Board of Supervisors for the purpose of improving the navigation of the San Antonio Creek and removing the bar from the mouth of the same.
An Act to provide for funding the outstanding debt of the city of Oakland and prevent the creation of new debts by said city; not to exceed $25,000. Also creating Commissioners of the Funded Debt, to be elected by the people.
112
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
NEW PRICE LIST
At the Old Established
BOOT AND SHOE STORE BROADWAY,
845 845
Near Seventh St. OAKLAND.
LADIES
Ladies' Balmorals, foxed, worth $2, for $1 00
Buttoned, foxed, worth $4, for 3 00
Balmorals, scollop, worth $3, for. 2 00
Toilet Slippers, worth $1.50, for. 1 25
MISSES AND CHILDREN.
Misses', Children's and Infant's Shoes, 25 per cent. less than formerly.
Misses' School Shoes, worth $2.50, for $1 75
Children's School Shoes, worth $2, for. 1 50
500 pairs Children's Shoes, per pair. 1 00
100 pairs Infant's Kid Shoes, per pair. 75
MY MEN'S TRADE
Has so largely increased that I am able to sell very cheap.
Grained Leather Boots, worth $5, for $3 50
100 pairs French Calf Boots, worth $6, for 4 00
200 pairs Army Brogans, worth $2.50, for 1 50
Box Toe Congress Shoes, worth $4, for. 3 00
Alexis, best sewed, worth $7, for 4 50
The most of my Boots and Shoes are marked with plain figures.
Remember the place-SIGN OF THE BIG BOOT. OR
I. ALEXANDER.
113
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
CHAPTER XVI.
1855-1858.
FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO THE OR- GANIZATION OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
1855-The first Board of Supervisors-County Officers elected for 1855-6-The vote of the County this year by Precincts and Town- ships-The Acts of the Court of Sessions confirmed-Tax Levy- Safe for the County Treasurer-Rents of Court-rooms-A tem- porary Court-house to be built-Lot donated by the Estudillo Estate-War on Carpentier and his bridge-An ordinance against cutting trees-Gates allowed-The Santa Clara debt-Judges of the Plains-The County Seat removed back to Alvarado-New Board of Supervisors-County Newspapers-Additional Bonds- Vote and Children of four Counties.
The election of the first Board of Supervisors makes a period in the history of our own county, and although it is the plan of the work to print all the county officers elected since the organization of the county together, for the purpose of reference, it is deemed desirable to print them also in the narrative, according to their election. The gentle- men elected were as follows:
Washington Township, Henry C. Smith; Murray Township, J. W. Dougherty ; Eden Township, S. D. Taylor; Clinton Township, J. L. Sanford; Alameda Township, Jas. Millington; Oakland Township, J. L. Sanford. Mr. Dougherty was elected chairman of the Board for 1855. The Supervisors were elected yearly; but the following County Officers were elected to serve for two years-1855-6 :
County Judge, A. M. Crane; County Clerk, H. M. Vesey ; Sheriff, A. H. Broder; Treasurer, P. E. Edmundson; Assessor, C. C. Brey- fogle; District Attorney, Geo. M. Blake; County Sup., A. H. Meyers; Surveyor, H. A. Higley; Public Adm., A. D. Eames; Coroner, D. C. Porter.
Here is an abstract from the official election returns of 1855, show- ing the number of votes cast in each precinct in the county :
8
114
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
Mission,
134
Horner's School House,
145
Alvarado,
256
Hayward's,
163
San Lorenzo, -
107
San Leandro,
118
San Antonio, -
189
Redwoods, -
20
Utter's, -
70
Alameda, -
85
Kottinger's,
63
Oakland, -
202
Smith's, -
-
83
Ocean View,
81
Total, -
- - 1716
By townships the vote was as follows:
Washington, -
535
Eden, -
388
Brooklyn,
279
Alameda, -
85
Murray, -
63
Oakland, -
366
Total -
. 1716
The first meeting of the new Board was held on the 2d of April, at the room rented for a Court-house in San Leandro.
The first business was to order that all the public highways thereto- fore located and established by the Court of Sessions of the county, and then remaining of record, be confirmed. The same rules as those established by the Court of Sessions for the government of Road Su- pervisors were adopted for the government of the same officers to be appointed thereafter by the Board of Supervisors.
The tax levy ordered was $1.50 on the $100 for the different funds, as follows: For State purposes, 60c .; for county purposes, 50c .; for school purposes, 5c .; for building Court-house, and salaries, 25c .; for Santa Clara indebtedness, 10c.
The sum of $200 was voted to provide a safe for the Treasurer ; and a committee appointed to provide suitable rooms for holding Courts and accommodating public officers.
At this meeting, in describing the route of a certain road, " Val- lejo's Old Mill" was mentioned as if it had been an ancient land- mark.
Among the bills presented were one from Geo. W. Leland, for rent
115
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
of Court-room in San Leandro, $61.64 ; and one from L. C. Smith, " for rent of Court-house at Alvarado to date," $100. The Court and the Boards, it will be seen, had been paying for temporary ac- commodations all along. At a subsequent meeting, April 14, 1855, temporary quarters were rented at $75 per month.
Then, however, the first step was taken for securing the erection of a building for the special use of the county, but this also was only a temporary expedient, as the building contracted for was only a frame of 30x60 and 12 feet high, and not to exceed in cost $1,200.
It is not heretofore mentioned in this narrative that the Estudillo estate had donated a block of land in San Leandro for county pur- poses, and the new building was put upon this. We shall soon see how unsatisfactory such a cheap county house as this became, and how speedily an agitation was started to provide a building more in accordance with the necessities of the county and the dignity of the people.
One of the first acts of the new Board was to make war on Car- pentier and his toll-bridge. At the meeting held on May 1st, on motion of Mr. Sanford, it was resolved that the bridge now in pos- session of H. W. Carpentier, and crossing San Antonio Slough be- tween Clinton and Oakland, be declared a public highway."
The gatekeeper, Mr. John Watson, had had trouble enough be- fore to stand his ground and collect his toll, but now that the bridge by the Act of the Supervisors had been declared free, it is pretty evident that his position afterwards had become perilous and difficult. On one occasion his brother, Wm. J. Watson, was in attendance at the gate when a Spaniard, supposed to be one of the notorious Joaquin Muriatti's men, rode up on horseback and demanded free passage, and on being refused compliance with his request, drew his pistol and snapped it at Mr. Watson three times, but without effect. The latter, nothing daunted, ran into the toll-house for his shot-gun. When he came out, the bandit had got through the gate, and was riding off at full speed. He was fortunate in being favored by the darkness of the night, for Mr. W.'s gun never missed fire, and he was " a dead shot." Personal encounters between passengers and the gatekeepers became frequent, but somehow or other, either in consequence of their prowess or their prudence, they managed to escape without any serious personal injury.
One of the first ordinances of the Supervisors was directed against the destruction of trees, which were becoming precious, as the only
116
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
lumber region of the county, the Redwoods, was becoming rapidly depleted of its forest, no less than four saw-mills having been at. one time in operation there.
At this period most of the roads were unfenced, and generally were through fields with growing crops; and, in order to protect. them, the Board of Supervisors granted their owners authority to put up gates for the purpose of keeping out cattle.
On the 10th of July the temporary Court-house was reported com- pleted, according to contract, and ready for occupancy, aud C. P. Hester, then Judge of the Third District Court, held his Court. there.
Santa Clara became pressing for the payment of her debt, and, on a writ of peremptory mandamus, brought action against this county at San Jose, on the 11th of July. Mr. Dougherty was instructed by the Board of Supervisors to appear there and represent the county, which he did.
This year not one but three "Judges of the Plains" were appointed for the county, in accordance with De la Guera's Rodeo law ; and these were John W. Martin, Wm. Glaskin and Aninah Marshall, all but the latter residents of Murray Township, and large cattle-owners.
A few months after this inauguration, the Board of Supervisors met with a serious interruption in their proceedings, and instead of going on with their bucolic business in quiet and peace in their new Court-house, in the embryo town of San Leandro, that had cost the magnificently liberal sum of $1,200, the fact was discovered, and the fiat went forth, that the county seat had been illegally removed from Alvarado ; and back they had to trot over the Salt Marsh road to the triple-named City of New Haven, Alvarado and Union, there to remain until such time as they could be released by the Legislature.
Accordingly, on the 16th of August the Board met again at Alvarado, the " Ancient Capital."
On the 1st of October, 1855, a new Board of Supervisors was elected, of which Henry C. Smith was appointed Chairman. The members were as follows: Washington, H. C. Smith ; Clinton, Thos. Eagar ; Alameda, Henry Haile ; Eden, Geo. Fay ; Murray, F. W. Lucas ; Oakland, S. D. Taylor. The latter gentleman was hold-over on a tie vote, but re-elected Nov. 24th, 1855.
It appears that there were two newspapers in the county at this date, both published in Oakland-the Leader, which was established
117
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
in 1854, and the Contra Costa, in 1855. Both had bills before the Board for printing.
One of the acts of the new Board was to require of B. S. Marston, County Treasurer, to file additional bonds in the sum of $30,000.
Following is the comparative vote in four counties, and the num- ber of children in each, in 1856 :
County.
Vote.
Alameda,
1,665
Children. 847
Contra Costa,
933
Santa Clara,
-
2,058
1,678
Sacramento,
7,765
2,223
1856-Supervisorial Stupidity-No Serious Complaints of Drought to Date-The Wheels of the County Seat in Motion for the Third Time-Back to Søn Leandro-The Law Creating the Board of Supervisors Amended-Name of Clinton and San Antonio Town- ship Changed to Brooklyn-Proposition to Purchase the Oakland Bridge and make it Free-District Attorney Chipman to make " a Full and Complete Report"-Running the County Lines- New County Buildings at Martinez-Proposition to Purchase Bridge reported on Adversely-The Cost of a New Bridge to be Ascertained-Plans for County Buildings-The Township of " Jefferson "-The " Indigent Sick"-Tax Levy for the Year- Contract for building Court-house and Jail let-Mr. Eagar in- structed to remove the obstructions on the Oakland Bridge-A cool proposition from Carpentier rejected-Grand Jury Court of Ses- sions strongly urge necessity for County Buildings-The County Districted-Results of State and County Elections-The Alameda County Gazette established-Acts of the Legislature-Social Con- dition of the County-Amount of Money Disbursed since the County was organized-Money stolen from the County Treasurer at Alvarado-School matters-Agricultural report-$4,000,000 the Value of the Year's Product-Telegraph Lines-Mills-Arte- sian Wells-State Senator and Assemblyman-Supervisors' Elec- tion.
So far the affairs of the county progressed pleasantly, the principal draw-back having been the loss of the county and State monies, stolen from their insecure place of deposit in Alvarado. It appears at this date exceedingly stupid on the part of the Supervisors not to have ordered the deposit of those monies in the San Francisco banks for
118
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
safe keeping, when they possessed no place of safety at home. It may be, however, that there was no great faith put in the banks referred to, and the treasure had to take its chances.
Down to this date we hear of no serious complaints of droughts and failures of crops. But it must be remembered that the wheat-farming which had been done in the county, down to this date, was in the rich slope bordering the bay, where in the dryest years crops were pro- duced. The Livermore and adjoining valleys had not yet been brought to grain cultivation, and it is there where suffering from dry years has since been mostly felt.
On the 16th of January, 1856, the Board of Supervisors met at Alvarado, and among other business passed a resolution in favor of repealing the special Act creating a Board of Supervisors for Ala- meda County ; and also that the Act creating a Board of Supervisors for each county in the State, be so amended as to include Alameda, which could thereby elect her Supervisors in the same manner.
The Legislature being in session at Sacramento, this recommenda- tion was made law, and the vote removing the county seat to San Leandro legalized by the passage of a special Act ; so the wheels of the county seat were set in motion for the third time.
At the meeting on the 10th of March, held at San Leandro, it was resolved, on motion of Supervisor Eagar, that the township heretofore known as Clinton and San Antonio be called Brooklyn. Whether this name was conferred because the worthy Supervisor who had been a passenger on the good ship Brooklyn, which brought the first body of regular settlers to the State, wished to compliment that craft ; or that the relations of the township with San Francisco were considered somewhat similar to those of Brooklyn and New York in the East, is not made evident ; but probably both circum- stances had their weight in the choice. By the same resolution the towns of Clinton and San Antonio were united under the name of Brooklyn.
Up to this time Alameda County had been dependent on her neighbors for jail facilities, and at the March meeting of the Board a committee was appointed to ascertain the cost of building a structure of bricks for the purpose of a County Jail. On the 6th of May the Building Committee was instructed to proceed to Martinez to see the new Court-house and Jail erected there, and report on the feasibility of building a Court-house and Jail on a similar plan.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.