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 15
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 year 1861 is eventful in the annals of the nation as the one in which broke out the great rebellion. It was the year of military or- ganizations and the movements of masses of men. Even at this great distance from the scenes of actual conflict, there was a commotion and preparation for conflict, for defense, if not assault. Alameda County was, for the first time in her history, made the chosen camping ground of military bodies. The peace of the State had to be main- tained, lawlessness and violence repressed, and when occasion de- manded it, the life of the nation defended.
There was a "Home Guard" organized at Oakland on the 31st of August, 1861. The officers of this patriotic body were as follows: Captain, James Brown; First Lieutenant, John Potter; Second Lieu- tenant, W. H. Puffer; Brevet Lieutenant, J. H. Hobart; Orderly
154
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
Sergeant, H. H. Crocker; Second Sergeant, T. W. Newcomb; Third Sergeant, W. Woolsey; Fourth Sergeant, Chas. Mckay; First Cor- poral, H. A. Morse; Second Corporal, Henry Sommers; Third Cor- poral, C. Stewart; Fourth Corporal, Jas. Travis.
Two recruiting camps were established on this side of the bay. They were respectively Camp Downey and Camp Merchant. The former was at the Race Course, on the San Pablo Road. It consisted of one thousand volunteers, recruited for the purpose of protecting the United States mails and keeping open our communications with the East. Camp Merchant was formed of a cavalry force, consisting of 500 men, who occupied the ground on Kennedy's farm, Brooklyn Township, for some months. In August they broke camp and pro- ceeded to San Francisco via San José, whence they were sent to the southern portion of the State, the same destination as that of the vol- unteers of the other camp. Their transit from San Francisco was by water. When at Milpitas the horses stampeded, and many of them were lost among the mountains.
The years 1861 and 1862 are memorable in the history of Califor- nia as the years of the second great flood, when Sacramento and Marysville were submerged and the great central valley inundated. Our own county, too, was subjected, in its southern portion especially, to the overflow, and for a time traveling was impossible. The heavy rains of the winter of 1861 proved disastrous to the stock interest, and a great reduction in the number of cattle in the county became thereafter apparent. Hundreds perished for the want of food and shelter, and there were persons known as "skinners," who made a business of divesting the dead animals of their hides and making their own of them. As is the case with almost everything else in California, even in this poor business there was a spirited competition.
The question of levying the tax of $35,000 for dredging the Oak- land bar, authorized by the Legislature, was considerably talked of and discussed ; but the Supervisors levied the rate and enabled the Commissioners to go on with the work, which, when completed, proved to be of only temporary utility.
On the first Monday in February the newly elected Board of Supervisors took their seats. They were as follows: For Oakland Township, F. K. Shattuck ; Brooklyn and Alameda Townships, Henry Robinson ; Eden Township, Wm. Meek ; Washington Town- ship, C. S. Eigenbrodt ; Murray Township, Michael Murray.
The county officers were those elected the previous year, who served until September 7th, 1862.
155
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
. The Joint Senator for Alameda and Santa Clara was A. L. Rhodes, a talented lawyer and a gentleman of high literary attainments, lately deceased at San José. Frank F. Fargo, editor of the Alameda Herald, was our Assemblyman. He was subsequently elected Clerk of the Supreme Court, and finally went East.
At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors held in February, ap- peared Benjamin F. Butler, presenting a bill for engraving and printing county bonds on account of the Oakland bar at the mouth of San Antonio creek. Soon after this name was made conspicuous as the " Hero of New Orleans," the lawyer-general of Massachusetts, who but a few months previously had been acting in politics with the pro-slavery men of the South.
Notwithstanding the reaction that had taken place in the political sentiments of the people, caused by the breaking out of the rebellion, and the fact that Alameda County had gone Republican at the pre- vious general election, the City of Oakland at this year's charter election remained true to her youthful Democratic instincts, and elected Democratic officers, by considerable majorities.
There was something of a movement this year to get Washington Township, or a portion of it, back into Santa Clara County, but it ended in failure.
Among the military appointments made by Governor Downey, were P. E. Edmondson, to the position of Adjutant of the First Brigade, Second Division, National Guard; Col. J. C. Hays, Brigade Inspector, First Brigade, Second Division ; and Wm. Van Voorhies, Judge Advocate, First Brigade, Second Division.
Owing to the frequent occurrence of murders and other crimes of magnitude in Murray Township, without the making of arrests, the Sheriff appointed Jas. S. Kapp as Deputy for that section of the county. This was the first step to repress lawlessness in that thinly- settled and mountainous district.
At the Session of the District Court, held in March of this year, was indicted E. W. Bonney, for the murder of Auguste Hirsche, under peculiar circumstances. Both parties resided in San Fran- cisco, and had been friends. Bonney was subsequently convicted of the crime.
The bondsmen of Breyfogle, the defaulting Treasurer, had resisted the demand to make good the amount of that officer's defalcation, and defended a suit for recovery brought against them in the Dis- trict Court by the county. The suit went against them, and they
156
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
appealed to the Supreme Court, where they were again defeated, and mulcted in considerable costs. The amount of their liabilities was about $10,000, besides their own costs ; altogether about $12,000. The principal bondsman was Mr. E. A. Haynes, who has recently been again placed in a similar unfortunate position. The claim was subsequently compromised by authority of the Legislature.
This year extensive veins of coal were discovered in Mount Diablo, and soon after coal was found in Corral Hollow and the Stone Cor- ral in the Livermore Pass. The discovery in Mount Diablo proved valuable, but not so with any of the others.
The Gazette of March 30th made this prophesy with regard to the new Court-house building, which proves it to have been a flimsy affair at best : "Our Court-house will fall down one of these days. What with earthquakes and equinoctial storms, the one shocking from top to bottom, and the other sending small rivulets through and through, it cannot be expected to stand. We suppose the Board of Supervisors are unable to control the earthquake, but they may shut out the rain."
The small amount of business before the Courts in the April Term led the editor of the Gazette to make the following reflections : 1st. That the county morally is in an exceedingly healthy condition. 2d. That the county physicially is in a healthy condition. 3d. That the county, so far as litigation is concerned, is in a deplorably healthy condition. That editor was a lawyer, as is plain to be seen.
That the lawyers did not have a great pressure of business, nor were the clients particularly unhappy, will be gleaned from the fol- lowing in the same paper :
"COURT FESTIVITIES. - The past week has been one continued round of enjoyment for the good people of San Leandro. The session of the District Court having brought an unusual number of strangers to our town, was seized upon as occasion for nightly impromptu 'soirees' at the ' Estudillo,' which eclipsed in true enjoyment all the studied arrangements of any public ball that ever was given. The fairest of San Francisco's daughters and the beauties of San Leandro combined to chain the attention and admiration of the gallants of both places night after night, until 'the wee sma' hours.' The fine parlor of the Estudillo, so admirably adapted for the purpose, re- sounded with natural and unaffected gaiety. The votaries of the Muses ruled the hour, unaffected and uncontrolled by fears of writs, commitments or attachments, legal or otherwise."
Commencement exercises of the "College of California " were held in the Presbyterian Church, Oakland, Tuesday, 12th of June. The
157
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
anniversary address was delivered by J. D. Whitney, State Geologist. J. R. Ride, editor of the Daily Evening Journal, read a poem pre- pared for the occasion. After music and a benediction, the audience repaired to the grove within the College grounds and refreshed them- selves at a table bountifully supplied by the ladies of Oakland.
At a May ball at Milton's new hotel at Centreville, 150 ladies were reported present, "all beautiful to behold." May festivities were general this year. The influence of the fair sex was surely growing powerful.
There was trouble among the settlers on the Chabolla Ranch, in Santa Clara. In reply to a letter of admonition addressed them by Governor Downey, they replied as follows :
" We know you have a duty to do, and so have we. We only ask to be let alone until the suits now pending in Washington are de- cided. But if that cannot be done by the plaintiff's interested in the present suit of restitution, then, live or die, sink or swim, we will, by the help of our own strong arms and the aid so generally tendered, relying upon Divine Providence, defend our rights, our homes and our families as best we can." There was no bloodshed, however, after this expression of Spartan determination.
The fruit crop was damaged one-half by frost. On the 12th of June there was a heavy rain, which was more injurious than other- wise ; the year's crops would have been good only much was injured by rust.
A company of dragoons was formed at Centreville, under C. Eigen- brodt, in the latter part of the year. It was organized under a late militia law of the State.
The officer commissioned to organize the battalion was Major Thompson, of Oakland. The battalion was subsequently attached to the Massachusetts Second Cavalry Regiment, to enable it to fill the quota of that State. It was mustered into service in October, 1862, and mustered out in August, 1865. But few members of Company E, the one raised in this county, are now resident here, besides Col. Thompson. One of these is John T. Campbell, who resides near Brusha Peak.
At the election of 1861 there were three tickets in the field- Republican, Democratic and Union Democratic. The Republican ticket was everywhere successful. Leland Stanford, Republican candidate for Governor, received 1,932 votes; J. R. McConnell, Democrat, 356 ; and John Conness, Union Democrat, 511.
158
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
For State Senator, A. M. Crane, Republican, received 1,274 votes ; N. Hamilton, Union Democrat, 616; and H. Linden, Democrat, 288. There were no less than six candidates for Assem- bly in the field, last year's apportionment having given Alameda County a State Senator of her own and two Assemblymen. The successful men were S. B. Bell and J. M. Moore, Republicans. All the other Republican candidates were elected.
A meeting of the Board of Delegates of the Bay District Agricul- tural Association was held at the Fair in San José, in September. The Board of Delegates consisted of seven members from each county. At the annual meeting the following gentlemen were elected officers : President, Sam. Bell McKee, of Oakland ; F. K. Shattuck, Rodman Gibbons, Oakland; Henry Thompson, Washington Township; and John Lewelling, Eden, Vice-Presidents ; A. A. Cohen, D. L. Per- kins, Alameda, Directors ; G. W. Crane, of Monterey ; B. F. Fish, of San Francisco; H. A. Innis, of Santa Cruz ; Andrew Inman, of Con- tra Costa; Wm. Reynolds, of Santa Clara; and John Cummings, of San Mateo, Vice-Presidents ; Edward Hoskins, of Oakland, Secre- tary ; and Harry Linden, of Oakland, Treasurer. It will be seen that Alameda County possessed the " lion's share " of the offices and responsibility belonging to the Bay District Association.
In September the officers of the Oakland Guard received their commissions, duly signed, as well as their arms and accoutrements.
The Alameda County Agricultural Fair was held in the last week of September and first of October, and was pronounced a substantial success, and reflected much credit on the county. There was horse- racing, as usual, and a ball at the close.
A correspondent sent the following obituary notice to the editor of the Gazette :
" MR EDITOR : Squire Marshall, 'with his quiddits, his quillets, his tenures and his tricks,' is no more. He died at 11 o'clock last evening, of apoplexy. Yes ; the ' Old Squire,' with all his eccentri- cities, now lies wrapt in the cerements of the grave, after a residence of eight or nine years amongst us, during which time, save one year, he served as Justice of the Peace, and was successful in establishing a reputation suitable to the capacity of 'Judge of the Plains.' The career of this old man, with its privations and vicis- situdes, if biographized, would fill a large-sized and interesting volume. Although not an admirer of his acts and qualities while living, I could not, last night, while gazing upon the inanimate features of that once eccentric old man, but evince a hope that after ' life's fitful fever' he sleeps well ; and trust that his enemies will
159
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
forgive him, bury his faults with their victim in the grave, and say ' Peace to his ashes.'"
The annual school report of J. D. Strong, County Superintendent for the year 1861, showed the following condition of the school de- partment: Children from 4 to 18 years of age, 1,823; more boys than girls, 111; increase during the year, 204; enrolled in the public schools, 772; number of schools, 22; total school expenditure during the year, $9,986. At this time there were three times as many male as female teachers employed in the county. The school houses were generally very inferior. Those in Oakland, Brooklyn and Alameda, were altogether inadequate to meet the wants of scholars. So con- spicuously was this the case in Oakland, that the Superintendent re- marked: "Oakland, especially, with its four hundred and sixty-four scholars, has not adequate accommodation for more than thirty. And yet, strange to say, the district had more than $1,600 lying idle in the County Treasury. In addition to the public schools there were at this time nine private schools and colleges in the county, with about 190 pupils.
The following constituted the Legislation of the year for the county :
An Act to fix the times of holding the County Court, Probate Court, and Court of Sessions in and for the County of Alameda. Ac- tions not to be affected by change.
An Act to extend the time for opening of a channel at the mouth of San Antonio Creek.
An Act to fund the city debt of Oakland.
An Act relating to collection of delinquent taxes.
An Act incorporating Corral Hollow Railroad Company. Jos. S. Kohn, John O'Brien and their associates granted franchise to con- struct and maintain a railroad from Corral Hollow to a point on the San Joaquin River, to commence within one year and complete with- in two years.
An Act providing for fee books by Sheriff, Clerk, Recorder and Treasurer.
An Act authorizing and empowering Juana M. Estudillo to sell and convey the interest in certain real estate of her infant child, Jesus Maria Estu dillo.
An Act amendatory of an Act supplementary to an Act entitled an Act to provide for the funding of the outstanding debt of the City of Oakland and to prevent the creation of new debts.
An Act relating to a certain judgment to be funded ; Commission-
160
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
ers, powers, duties ; issuance of bonds; collection of delinquent taxes ; assessment legalized; duties, fees, etc., of District Attorney.
An Act defining duties of Marshal and Assessor of the City of Oakland.
An Act amendatory of the charter of the City of Oakland.
An Act granting to certain persons the right to construct and maintain a railroad through certain streets in the City of Oakland; granted to Rodmond Gibbons, Wm. Hilligas, R. E. Cole, Samuel Wood, Joseph Black and Geo. Goss, for fifty years; road to be con- structed within two years; from the westerly end of the bridge lead- ing from the City of Oakland to the Town of Clinton, to a point in the Bay of San Francisco where the shore nearest approaches Yerba Buena Island.
1862-Continuance and Severity of the Winter Rains -. Great Floods and Loss of Life and Property-Succeeded by Cold Weather in the Spring-Grand Jury Report of the Court of Sessions-Un- satisfactory Condition of the County Property-" Honest" County Officers-Taxation for the Year-Isham Case, County Assessor- Discovery of Coal and other Mineral Deposits-A Legislative Joke at the Expense of Alameda's Senator-A Contra Costa Claim Bill passed in the Legislature-Ferry Trips-Rev. Mr. Willey- Hanging of Edward W. Bonney, the First Judicial Execution in the County -War Tax-The Vallejo Mill Grant Rejected-A Steam-tuy Launched at Mount Eden-An Extensive Fire at San Antonio-A Bloodless Duel in Oakland-Rain in June-Good Crops-Union Convention-Contra Costa Commissioners' Report -First Marriage License under the New Law-Union Mass Meeting at Haywards-Sheriff's Delinquent Tax Advertisements -"Smoking out a Mouse" and Burning of Judge Crane's House in Alameda-Commencement of Work for the Oakland Ferry- Burning of the "Golden Gate" -Union Convention to Nominate Candidates for Assembly - Thunder, Lightning and Rain in August-An "Overland" Train at San Leandro-Union Can- didates Elected -- The Bay District Fair at Oakland-Books for Stock to the C. P. R. R. Opened at Sacramento-Great Soldiers' Relief Mass Meeting at San Leandro, Addressed by Rev. Starr King-Large Contributions-New Supervisors-Horace Higley Fighting with the Rebels-Miscellaneous-Legislation of the Year.
It has been already shown that the early winter rains were very
161
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
severe and that much damage and destruction was the result. The severity of the weather continued throughout the winter and spring. The tides ran very high, and all the lands lying along the bay were inundated by salt water. The Alameda wharf was entirely sub- merged, and the Oakland ferry boats were compelled to omit some of their trips. For want of attendance the January term of the County Court and Court of Sessions had to be adjourned. The Supervisors also adjourned their meeting. Amador Valley was one sheet of water. One of the piers of the San Leandro bridge was broken by the force of the water, and the farms bordering the creek were submerged to the depth of two feet. The current was so strong and swift, that two slaughter houses were carried off and lodged near the bay. At Niles, San Lorenzo, and Yoakum's Ferry, there was a good deal of destruc- tion. Sheep and cattle continued to die in thousands. San Leandro, however, sustained no damage from the overflow. The volume of water that fell in January was immense. In the space of 40 minutes water fell to the depth of an inch on the 23d of the month. The San Lorenzo Creek rose seven feet and two inches in 58 minutes. In Stockton the flood was 22 inches higher than in 1852. The total damage in the State was roughly estimated at $75,000,000. It was computed that as many as 1,400 Chinamen were drowned in the State during the floods. It was an awful visitation. One good result, however, was the destruction of myriads of squirrels, who were un- able to procure food and whose holes in the ground were filled with water.
The consequent gloom and despondency was very general; the pe- cuniary outlook was unsatisfactory. Besides the loss of property in mines and stocks, the loss of the hay and grain crops looked very likely. The high tariff recently imposed by Congress, made foreign goods very high, and on top of all came the war tax. The year promised to be the most depressing known to the State. Providence, however, helped the people out; farmers got good prices for what was left of their produce, and the harvest, notwithstanding all the evil prognos- tications made, turned out to be the best ever known in the State.
Not only was the winter of 1861-2 very wet, but very cold. Snow fell several times, and the hills and mountains were covered with a white pall. For the first time since 1859, snow laid in the valleys, and on the last Sunday in January ice formed an inch thick.
The Grand Jury of the Court of Sessions, when it met, with Mr. Edmondson as Foreman, strongly condemned the condition in which
11
162
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
they found the county property-jail, court-house, etc. They urged the rebuilding of the bridges destroyed by the freshets, and the repair of the roads. They reported only three prisoners in jail. The fee books were examined and pronounced correct. The County Officers were made happy by the confidence expressed by the Grand Jury that they were "honest."
The Board of Supervisors, after due deliberation at their March meeting, declared the following rate of taxation for the current year : State Taxes, 62c. ; County General Fund, 50c. ; Common Schools, 20c. ; Road and Bridge Fund, 20c; Indigent Sick Fund, 13c .; In- terest on Oakland Bar Fund, 10c. ; total, $1.75. The Board ordered that the Tax Collector do not accompany the Assessor.
Mr. Isham Case commenced his duties as Assessor for the County on the 15th day of the month of March.
The discovery of a deposit of coal at Pinole, between San Pablo and Martinez, in Contra Costa, was hailed with much satisfaction. The belief seemed to be well founded that similar deposits were numerous in various parts of the adjacent mountains.
Some merriment was caused at the expense of our State Senator, Mr. Crane, on account of the occurrence of a grammatical blunder in the printed copies of a bill introduced by that gentleman in the Legislature, concerning roads in our county. The sixth section of the bill read as follows :
"The Board of Supervisors shall not open or establish any road or highway through the ornamental grounds of any dwelling-house of over three years' growth, etc."
In amendment of which, Mr. Oulton, of San Francisco, moved to insert after the word " through," the following: "The number of years which the house has been growing shall be determined by the rings on the chimney."
In the Senate, on Thursday, April 24th, a bill providing for the payment by the County of Alameda to the County of Contra Costra of the Gilman debt, for the construction of the San Antonio bridge, was, in spite of the determined opposition of Senator Crane, carried by a large vote.
The two boats running on the ferry route between San Francisco and San Antonio-the Oakland and Contra Costa-were thoroughly overhauled this Spring, and made trips daily as follows : From San Antonio, at 7} and 9 o'clock A. M. ; and 123, 2} and 5 o'clock P. M.
The weather continued cold late in the Spring of this year, and on
163
UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
the 5th of April Mission Peak and the foot-hills were covered with snow. On May 17th they were again visited in like manner.
Ramon Romero, who had narrowly escaped the gallows for a mur- der committed in Oakland, was, in April of this year, guilty of killing another man, in Sacramento, with a knife.
In the latter part of April there was a reported discovery of a coal-oil bed in the Contra Costa hills, within 12 miles of Oakland. We have not " struck oil " here yet, however.
Rev. Mr. Willey, one of the pioneer clergymen of San Francisco, was in the Spring of this year elected one of the Vice-Presidents of the College of California, Oakland.
The execution of Edward W. Bonney, for the murder of Aug. G. Hirsch, took place at San Leandro on the 9th day of May, between the hours of twelve and one o'clock P. M. This was the first legal execution for any crime that ever took place in Alameda County. The culprit died protesting his innocence, although the evidence against him was most conclusive.
At their May meeting the Board of Supervisors imposed a tax of 15 cents ad valorem on each $100 of property, real and personal, in the county, as a war tax, besides a poll tax of $2 per capita on each male inhabitant between the ages of twenty-one and sixty years.
On the 20th of May Judge Hoffman filed his opinion, rejecting the claim of José de Jesus Vallejo to the property known as the Val- lejo Mill grant in this county.
On the 22d day of May a steam-tug, built at Eden Landing, was launched, and a large number of persons were present to witness the event. Miss Ellen Barron, daughter of the owner, christened her the Monitor. This is an instance of industrial enterprise of which we have since had but few similar examples.
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.