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 19
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The cold weather drove the coyotes down in the direction of the bay this winter, and in the month of January there was a coyote hunt in the foothills, when several were killed near Brooklyn.
In the month of January the frost was so intense that ice formed an inch thick at Mission San José.
The Portuguese population, or more properly speaking, the Portu- guese colonists from the Western Isles, were settling so rapidly in this county at this time and paying such high prices for small parcels of land, that a humorous correspondent in the county paper, writing at Centreville, remarked that "a Portuguese advancing towards your premises for the purpose of negotiating a purchase, adds much greater enhancement to its value than the assurance of having a rail- road pass through your verandah."
In the month of February the judgment obtained by Contra Costa County against Alameda County, for the old Oakland bridge indebt-
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edness, was affirmed by the Supreme Court. The amount of the judgment was $15,000; so that after all, Alameda had to own up and "pungle." The repudiation of this debt from the first does not appear to have been particularly honest, and had it been paid as it ought to have been, the great additional charge for interest and the cost of legislation on the matter, and useless litigation, would have been avoided.
In February there was a Soldiers' Aid Society formed in Brooklyn. The Haywards Guards applied to the Board of Supervisors for an armory, and were allowed $50 per month for the purpose of procur- ing one. The Alameda Park Hotel, erected by the Railroad Com- pany, was opened this month.
In March the Contra Costa or Minturn Ferry line of steamers, consisting of the Contra Costa and Clinton, was sold to the Oakland Railroad Company.
At the first election of the San Lorenzo Guard, held on the 28th February, the following officers were appointed : Captain, A. L. Fuller ; Ist Lieutenant, Henry Smyth ; 2d Lieutenant, L. Stone ; Brevet 2d Lieutenant, J. L. Shyman ; Secretary, E. D. Lewelling ; Treasurer, Wm. Farris; Ist Sergeant, H. Doppman ; Sergeants, Chas. Harper, Jas. Farris, O. C. Lewelling, O. W. Owen.
On March 22d was incorporated the Contra Costa Railroad Com- pany, the object of which was to connect the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad with Oakland and San Pablo. The Directors of the proposed enterprise were F. D. Atherton, E. B. Mastick, John Caperton, A. A. Cohen and E. G. Walsworth. No work was ever done on this line, but the Central Pacific Company is consummating the object it had in view.
The Committee appointed by the District Court to examine A. A. Moore, who was a candidate for admission to practice in that Court, reported favorably, and that gentleman, who was the first law student of Alameda County to make such an application, was admitted to practice as an Attorney in the Court.
John Green, Postmaster at Dougherty's Station, showed his value of the emoluments accruing to him from that position, by donating the whole sum to the Sanitary Fund. It amounted to $35.35, the proceeds of several years' labor in the postal service of his country.
The 17th of March was celebrated at Alvarado by a ball, the pro- ceeds of which were donated for the purpose of paying off the debt of the Catholic Church in that place.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
On the 18th of March patents were issued for the Santa Rita and San Ramon Ranchos.
On March 18th there died at San José an old Spanish pioneer of Alameda County, Antonio Maria Sunol, who had first settled in the beautiful little valley called after him, forty-eight years previously. He was in his sixty-eighth year.
There was a destructive fire in Oakland on the 25th of March. It broke out at the Railroad Station, and destroyed property to the value of $75,000.
On the 1st of April the Oakland Railroad was extended to Larue's Wharf, in Brooklyn, beyond which it did not extend until purchased by the Central Pacific Railroad Company.
At this period the people of Washington and Murray Townships were suffering much from the depredations of horse and cattle thieves, stock poisoners and incendiaries, and resolving to no longer submit to such outrages and injuries as they had become used to, a large num- ber of them assembled at Milton's Hotel, Centerville, on the 1st day of April, and there resolved to form themselves into a Vigilance Com- mittee. Thos. Scott was elected President, and Dr. J. M. Selfridge, now of Oakland, Secretary; William Tyeson was appointed Treas- urer. There was besides these officers an executive committee of twelve members chosen. The organization of this committee had a . salutary effect, and the evil-doers became thereafter very cautious. The Committee offered a reward of $500 for the conviction of the person or persons who had a short time before poisoned Ellsworth's wheat field.
The news of the assassination of President Lincoln, on the 14th of April, created a profound sensation. The newspapers turned their column rules in mourning, and the people assembled, after due notice, in the old grove of San Lorenzo on the 19th of the month, to express their united sorrow and show their grief for the melancholy event The outpouring of the people was large and the expression of feel- ing manly and earnest. They had formed a warm attachment for the man in .whom they had placed their confidence in the dark and dismal hours of the nation's tribulation, and many a word of admira- tion and sympathy had been spoken of the dead President-he whom they had learned to revere and love-"Honest Old Abe." The Court- house, by order of the Supervisors, was draped in mourning.
On the 29th of April the title to the San Lorenzo Rancho was con- firmed for 26,722 acres to Guillermo Castro, and a United States
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patent issued for the same, which was filed in the Recorder's Office.
On the Ist of May, the new Odd Fellows' Hall, of Crusade Lodge of Odd Fellows, was dedicated at Alvarado by a grand ball, at which 140 couples were present. It was pronounced the finest social affair that ever took place in the southern portion of the county.
The Sanitary Pic-nic at Alameda, on Mayday, was the event of the month. The computation, at the time of the attendance, was that there were 6,000 people present. They were there from San Fran- cisco, Oakland and all parts of the county. The day was lovely and the proceedings joyous. The time-honored May festivities were observed. The crowning of the May Queen was an interesting and pleasing ceremony. Miss May Browne, daughter of our lamented and distinguished fellow-citizen, J. Ross Browne, gracefully repre- sented the Queen of the May. She was attended by a long retinue of young ladies, attired in white and acting as "Maids of Honor." Master Ashley Crane waited upon the Queen in the character of Robin Hood, the bold woodsman, and Charley Saul represented the character of "Jack o' the Green." At noon the grand entry of the Queen and her attendants was announced by the blast of a bugle. They were preceded by the Presidio Band, of San Francisco, and the grand ceremonial was performed in excellent style. Then followed the May dance around the May pole, exquisitely performed in the presence of the Queen by sixteen couples of the young lads and lasses of the San Francisco schools. Dr. Gibbons had composed an ode to the Queen, which was read by Mr. Wheeler, and a stirring oration was delivered by Mr. Frank M. Pixley. Dancing in the open air followed and was generally indulge in. The whole affair was under the superintendence of Dr. Henry Gibbons, to whom much credit was given for the completeness of the arrangements. The gentlemen who acted as a Committee of Stewards during the day, for the preserva- tion of order and decorum, were Messrs. A. S. Barber, Henry Robin- son, J. D. Bostwick, H. Clark, W. S. Lee, Judge Hastings and W. P. Clement. The net sum of $1,404.87 was realized for the benefit of the Sanitary Fund.
On the 24th of May the shock of an earthquake was felt through- out the county, which was considered one of the severest during American experience.
The new school house at San Leandro was started this month. John Q. Dunn was the builder, and the cost fixed at $3,635. It was two stories high, and in dimensions 24x36 feet. It was calculated to accommodate 200 pupils.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
Crops promised finely ; as an evidence, Captain Fuller exhibited barley eight feet long, taken from a field of Wm. Meek, at San Lorenzo.
On the 11th of June Rev. Mr. Alexander was installed a minister of the Presbyterian church at San Leandro, in the District Court- room. Mr. Sessions, of Oakland, Mr. Pierson, of the Brooklyn church, Mr. Beckwith, of San Francisco, and Mr. Brier, of Centre- ville, took part in the ceremony.
There was a jail delivery at San Leandro on the 5th of July. The various officers were so much taken up with celebrating the " Glorious Fourth," that the prisoners were left without a guard, and four of them out of the six then confined there easily made their escape.
At this time Hon. J. B. Felton was a prominent candidate for the position of United States Senator, and much was said, whether truly or otherwise, about his making free use of money for the object of his ambition. The Oakland News warmly espoused his cause, and the San Leandro Gazette as warmly opposed him.
At the beginning of August it was reported that the California Steam Navigation Company, which had become the great monopoly of the coast, had purchased the Oakland Ferry and Railroad.
In August there was a successful festival at Alameda, for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
At the harvest this year a field of wheat in the Martin Ranch, Amador Valley, yielded eighty bushels of wheat to the acre.
The County Union Convention was held at San Leandro, on the 5th of August. The Democratic Convention was held on the 24th of the same month. The following was the platform adopted :
1st. In favor of a hard-money currency, with an extension of the Specific Contract Act, to include verbal contract for workingmen's wages. 2d. Opposition to Negro or Chinese suffrage. 3d. In favor of the reconstruction of the Southern States on the principles established by President Johnson.
At the election held on the 6th of September the following votes were cast :
State Senator-Henry Robinson, - 1278
W. H. Glascock, 844
Assembly-John L. Wilson, - 1119
Thos. Eagar, 1215
John B. Ward, 861
Jas. Graves, 849
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Sheriff-Henry N. Morse, - 1399 Ed. Neihaus, 723
Clerk-I. A. Amerman,
- 1216
Chas. Gleason,
865
Treasurer-Socrates Huff, Eb. C. Farley,
- 1400
716
County Attorney-Geo. M. Blake,
1416
A. H. Griffith, 683
- 1346
Public Administrator-Duncan Cameron, Frank Maillot, 769
County Sup. Ed .- Rev. Chas. E. Rich,
- 1315
Thos. A. Smith, 796
County Surveyor-Wm. F. Boardman, - 1359
W. Hughes, 749
Coroner-Sabin Harris, Thomas Greene, 777
-
1342
In every instance the Union Candidate occupied the first position.
The Clinton Cotton Mill was established this month, by Rector & Sons, and got to work by the middle of November.
The Brooklyn Guards, a new military company, was organized in August, with Capt. W. H. Hamilton at their head. .
The settlers on the San Ramon Ranch, in Contra Costa County, purchased the title of H. W. Carpentier to the same. It was said that all the ranch cost Carpentier was a sack of flour given to some old Spaniard, but the settlers, in order to possess clear titles, paid that unscrupulous grabber the sum of $111,000.
In September of this year was formed the Contra Costa Water Company, the immediate object of which was to bring the water of Temescal Creek into Oakland.
An unfortunate fracas occurred at San Antonio, on Sunday night, September 30th, 1865, between a Frenchman named Cora, of San Pablo, and Samuel S. Kennedy, of San Antonio. In the fight, Kennedy was very much hurt, and died from the effects of his in- juries on Tuesday evening following. On Wednesday, Dr. M. P. Gibbons made a post-mortem examination on deceased, and on Wed- nesday a coroner's inquest was held by Judge Walker, when the jury rendered a verdict that Kennedy came to his death by the hands of Cora, with kicks from his feet and blows from a club of some kind. Deceased, who was a native of Scotland, aged 42 years, left a wife and three children. Cora was arrested and lodged in jail to await arraignment before the Grand Jury.
Grain-warehouse building was a feature of this fall. Mr. Edmond-
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
son added sixty feet to his warehouse at Haywards, and the Alameda Railroad Company erected warehouses at both San Leandro and Haywards. Capt. Roberts also added to the accommodation of the warehouse at his landing. It was a year of large crops.
Ninety couples attended the ball of the Brooklyn Guards, on the 5th of October. The music was by Fuller's Band.
There was a severer earthquake than that already mentioned, on Sunday, the 8th of October. It created quite a sensation, as it was felt in San Francisco, San José, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Petaluma, Stockton and Sacramento. At San José a portion of the fire-wall of the Jail was thrown down. At San Leandro the vibration was sufficient to toll the bell in the steeple of the Catholic Church, and the spire, 100 feet high, swayed like a reed in the wind, but no damage was done. Even the Court-house, which was considered an unsafe structure, withstood the shock. In Oakland no damage was done.
On the 8th of October there died at San Leandro an old pioneer, named George Fleming, a respected gentleman, who had for a short time filled an official position. Mr. Fleming was born in Westmore- land County, Pa. In the year 1816 he went to Carlisle, Pa., and engaged in the printing business. In 1823 he became editor of the Weekly Religious Miscellany ; in 1830 editor of the Carlisle Exposi- tor, which was afterward united with the Herald, of which he was editor and proprietor until about the year 1837. In 1834 he com- piled and published a collection of sacred music, called " Evangelical Music." His talent for music made him a valuable leader in public praise in the church, of which he was a member forty-three years. He held the office of Prothonatory of Cumberland County, Pa., dur- ing the administration of Gov. Ritner. He came to California across the plains in 1849 ; settled in Alameda County in 1853, on a farm on the San Lorenzo Rancho, where he resided until his removal to San Leandro, in 1863. He served part of that year as Associate Judge of the county. For several years previous to his death he was afflicted with disease of the brain, which gradually gained the mastery over his bodily and mental powers.
In the month of October the Oakland Railroad was placed under the management of A. A. Cohen, who was the principal stockholder and Superintendent of the Alameda and Haywards road. This event was for some time expected, and was looked upon as adverse to the interests of Oakland.
In October the Brooklyn Guard mustered fifty-four men, rank and
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file. The list of its officers was as follows : Captain, W. Henry Hamilton ; First Lieutenant, John H. Campher ; Second Lieutenant, John Sutch ; Third Brevet Lieutenant, Eben E. Webster ; Orderly Sergeant, Asa Cochran ; Second Sergeant, George Lewis ; Third Sergeant, Caleb Cadwell ; Fourth Sergeant, Peter Rimelard ; Fifth Sergeant, Homer Shuey ; First Corporal, Vernal S. Northey ; Second Corporal, Benjamin Neiderman ; Third Corporal, Alfred Wright ; Fourth Corporal, Enos Taylor ; Ensign, James Moffit ; Drummer, James Knapp. Regular drill night was every Saturday evening, at 73 o'clock ; officers' drill and instruction, third Monday in each month ; squad drill, second and fourth Monday in each month; stated meetings, first Monday in each month.
At the Judicial election, held in October, S. W. Sanderson, the Republican nominee, received in this county, for Judge of the Su- preme Court, 390 more votes than Hartley, the Democratic nominee.
Remillard Brothers started their first brickyard in Alameda County, at Haywards, in the latter part of this year, and made a good article.
There was raised for the Contra Costa indebtedness this year $4,110.56, which sum was paid over to the Treasurer of that county, in compliance with the decisions of the Courts.
As an addition to the agricultural facts already mentioned, it may be stated, on the authority of the local paper, that J. W. Harlan, of San Leandro, raised a squash measuring seven feet six inches one way and nine feet the other, and weighed 142 Ibs.
School opened in the new school-house, San Leandro, on the 13th of November, with Mr. Bullard and Mrs. Hart as teachers. It was pronounced one of the finest then in the State, and cost altogether $3,800. The thanks of the community were due to Messrs. Geo. E. Smith, Lysander Stone and William Abel, the Trustees, for the attention they had given to its construction.
The robbery of Chas. Garthwait's house, near Pleasanton, took place one night in October, in the absence of Mr. Garthwait. Mrs. Garthwait shot and wounded one of the robbers, named Welch, who was subsequently arrested.
The Haywards Guards elected the following officers : Captain, A. L. Fuller ; First Lieutenant, Jas. A. Webster ; Second Lieutenant, Jos. H. Taylor ; Third Lieutenant, D. C. Kennedy ; Orderly Ser- geant, Harvey Rice ; Sergeants, A. J. Packard, O. Lewelling, J. Meyers, D. St. Clair; Corporals, J. Davis, D. Walgen, Chas. Thoerer.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
The new ferry steamer Alameda, built at the Potrero, San Fran- cisco, was launched on the 2d of December, and christened by Mrs. A. A. Cohen. She is yet doing good service on the ferry route.
Besides a military company, Hayward rejoiced in a fire company, officered as follows : Chief Engineer, H. F. Irving ; Foreman, E. Dole ; 1st Assistant, Joseph Rivers ; 2d Assistant, H. R. Hine ; Secretary, Thos. Glaskin ; Treasurer, Alex. Allen; Hoseman, H. Fleury ; Assistant-Hoseman, Chris. Hermann.
A grand new railroad project was confidently spoken of in Decem- ber. It included the extension of the San Francisco and Alameda line to the Western Pacific, at Washington Corners; the continuance of the Haywards Road to Amador Valley ; the Oakland Road to be continued to Goat Island in the bay ; a northern road to be run to Placerville, crossing the Straits of Carquinez. The plan then laid down has been partially followed by the Central Pacific Company, into whose hands all our railroads and ferries subsequently fell.
Eight degrees below freezing point was the depth to which the mercury fell one very cold December night in San Leandro.
Jas. McCurdy, the owner of a drinking saloon in Haywards, announced his new year's sports in the following open, artless man- ner: "Sport ! sport ! On New Year's Day, Monday, January 1, 1866, at Haywards, commencing at 10 o'clock, shooting, raffling, freeze-out, poker, seven-up, etc., etc., for turkeys, geese and all kinds of game, and meerschaum pipes. Come one, come everybody, and have a merry New Year !"
There was no meeting of the Legislature this year. Our County Senator was Mr. Henry Robinson, of Alameda ; and our late As- semblymen, Mr. Thos. Eagar, of Brooklyn, and J. L. Wilson, of Washington.
1866-Target Shooting-Western Pacific Railroad-A $10,000-per- Mile Railroad Subsidy Passed by the Legislature -. Vetoed by the Governor-Railroad Proposed to Goat Island-T. D. Judah Marks the Island Out as the Terminal Point of the Trans- continental Railroad-The Clinton Cotton Mill in Operation- The Bad Luck of an ex-Convict- Home-made Locomotive-A " No-Fence Law" Agitation -- A Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany Organized-Mr. Robinson Introduces a Bill to Provide a Dog Tax-The Alameda Park Hotel Sold at Auction-A Post-
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office Established at Harrisbury-Masonic Celebration at Centre- ville-Telegraph Road Commission-An Indian Convicted of Murder-The Gilman Bridge Debt-The Vallejo Mill Property Sold-Turnpiked Road Through Clinton-Octavia Cora, on a Second Trial, Convicted of Manslaughter-A $ Mark necessary to Legalize a School Tax-Officers of the Brighton Cattle Market -- Prices Fetched There-New Time Table of the Alameda and Haywards Railroad-Jackson Guards Organized in Oakland- New Supervisors Take Their Seuts-New Warehouse-A Freed- man's Association-San Leandro Brightening Up-Ward Avenue Opened-Stock in Murray Township-" Cancelling" the Court- house Walls-Horse Show at Centreville-Ad Valorem Tax -- Base Ball Match at Clinton-May Celebrations General-Grad- ing in Alameda Canon-Presentation to the Haywards Guards- Murder of Saunders M. Simpson-Income Tax Suspended-Fe- nian Brotherhood-Time Extended-County Fair -- May Rains- Enrolling Voters-Great Growth of Grain-Laborers Scarce- Cattle Thief Arrested-Warm Weather-A Murderer Surrenders Himself -Supervisors Elect-Death of Judge Keeny-Horse Thief Shot-Cheap Lots and " Night's Diamond Blankets" -- Severe Norther.
Target-shooting was the natural offspring of so many military com- panies. A match came off at Haywards, on the Ist of January, be- tween the Haywards Guard and the Alvarado Guard. Thirty men from each company fired three rounds each at the target. The Alva- radons made 985 points and the Haywardens 1,030, thereby winning the match by 45 points. In the evening the contestants were enter- tained by a ball at Hayward's Hotel, at which many lovely ladies were present to smile upon the gallant defenders of the State.
The annual meeting of the Western Pacific Railroad Company was held at San José, on the 8th inst., when the following Directors were elected : Chas. H. Fox, John Center, E. F. Pease, Chas. W. Sanger, San Francisco ; B. F. Mann, S. O. Houghton, San José ; and M. J. Dooly, Stockton. The following Directors were elected as officers of the company : President, Chas. H. Fox ; Vice-Presi- dent, S. O. Houghton ; Secretary, Chas. W. Sanger ; Treasurer, B. F. Mann. The report stated that work on this road had been com- menced about a year ago, under contract to Chas. McLaughlin, who prosecuted the work with energy. Grading of twenty miles of the
208
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
road had been completed. In the Alameda Cañon were through cuts of over sixty feet in depth, and side-hill cuts of much greater depth. Some of the embankments were over fifty feet in heighth, and were retained at the bottom by huge walls of solid masonry. Over 1,000 feet of heavy bridging was constructed, some of them as high as thirty feet above the water. Cross ties for twenty miles were deliv- ered on the road, and that twenty miles of the road would be in working order within four months, for which the rolling stock had been already received. Iron for 100 miles, between Vallejo's Mills and Sacramento, had been purchased ; and before the close of 1866 it was supposed trains would be running to Stockton, thus complet- ing the first link of the great Pacific Railroad.
The Legislature was in session in Sacramento, in January, and the Alameda Railroad Company went before it with a modest demand for a subsidy of $10,000 per mile ! Mr. Robinson, Senator for the county, desired an expression of opinion from his constituents on the merits of the bill, and he got it in the shape of numerous remon- strances against it. The subsidy asked for was to be raised by a tax of 25c. on the $100 of the property of the people. The bill was passed, but vetoed by the Governor.
Among the many railroad enterprises afloat at this time was one for the construction of a road from Oakland to Goat Island. A profile of the proposed road was filed in the Recorder's Office, on the 22d of January, certified by Chas. Main, President ; Periguine Fitzhugh, Secretary ; and L. H. Short, Chief Engineer. The route was in a direct line from the outer end of the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Companies' Wharf to the Island. The distance over which the road was to be constructed was nearly two miles, and the greatest depth of water to be passed over was about sixty feet. Such a road would give railroad communication to within 15 miles of San Francisco. Goat Island was looked upon, by railroad engineers, as the terminal point of the transcontinental railroad, and as early as 1863, T. D. Judah, the original projector of the Central Pacific Railroad, put his finger on this spot in the map and said to an Oak- land engineer, " there is the point to which we will ultimately have to go." All efforts, however, to place Goat Island in the possession of a railroad company have been defeated in Congress, that island being United States property.
The Clinton Cotton Mills were well under way, employing 20 girls, and turning out 500 yards of sheeting per day. The raw
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UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES.
material was brought from Mexico. Thirty looms were in place, and a Mr. Fortner was Superintendent.
A man named Welch was convicted of grand larceny in the County Court and sentenced by Judge Hamilton to eighteen months . confinement in the State Prison at San Quentin. He told a tale of his hardships which entitled him to sympathy, if true, and reminds one of some of the incidents in the play of "The Ticket of Leave Man." Welch stated that after serving a term some time previously at San Quentin he resolved to lead a correct life, and went honestly to work on a ranch in Santa Clara County. Pretty soon, however, some of his acquaintances, formed during the term of his confinement, came along, and recognizing him threatened to "blow " on him if he did not give them money. He stood this as long as he could, but finally fled from them to avoid exposure, and went over among the Amador hills, where he thought himself secure from his vile tormentors. He had been there but a little while when his confederates in the crime for which he was then suffering came along and recognized him. They declared if he did not go with them and help to commit the robbery they would kill him, and he yielded.
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