IX
TV
rs
THE:
ASTOR, LE
TILDE:
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, 1)V
C. A. MENEFEE,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
• ' ■ I <
Cheeked
TO
The Pioneers of California,
THE BRAVE AND THE TRUE,
The purest Nobility, the Vanguard of Civilization,
THIS VOLUME IS
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATE])
P>y the AUTHOR,
H
W
•»
O
3
^blio li5J
EXCHANGE. )*
PREFACE.
The author of this volume offers no other apology for his appear-
ance in the role of book-maker than the desire to assist in the per-
petuating in memory the scenes, the events, and the men of the
past and present, who have acted so prominent a part in the forma-
tion and progress of our State and county; also the desire, fairly and
honestly, to represent the beauties and attractions of the part of the
State of which this volume treats. The merits of the subject are
great, the endeavor to represent these merits fairly has been honest.
\\\<\ if the endeavor has failed, the failure is wholly attributable to
the inability and want of judgment of the author. The work is
purely local. It treats simply of local subjects, the early history, the
pioneers, the progress of civilization, and the present condition and
attractive features of these four counties. The labor that it has cost
has been very great; yet looking upon the country of which it treats.
as the garden spot of California, the task has been a labor of love.
The work has been completed under the most annoying and dis-
ouraging circumstances. A more than due share of delays and
disappointments has attended its compilation and its publication.
I T lis is the first local work of the kind ever published in California,
and the first book that has ever been printed in the State that ha^
been so illustrated, all the engravings of which were made by Cali-
fs >rnia artist*.
6 PREFACE.
The historical portion of Napa count}- was chiefly compiled by
Mr. R. T. Montgomery. Me likewise arranged a few of the
biographical sketches. He was engaged to finish the whole of this
county, but circumstances prevented him, and the author was com-
pelled to take up the half completed task, revise, re-compile, and
complete.
The author here wishes to express his sincere thanks for the many
courtesies that have been extended to him by numerous persons.
And especially has he cause for expressing his gratitude to Mr. J. L.
Edwards of St. Helena, Mr. Tunis of Lakeport, and Mr. A. O.
Carpenter of Ukiah, for valuable assistance rendered. Much of the
interesting- matter herein contained is due to the interest these ( ^en-
tlemen took in the work, and the material aid they rendered.
Great as the work has been, and strong as the desire to have it
complete, the work is far, very far from equaling what the author's
ideal was when it was commenced. That it is imperfect he well
knows; that many things of great moment, and many pioneers oi
note have been omitted, he freely acknowledges; but that it is the
best that time and circumstances would admit, is claimed. It is so
far from what he had intended, that it is with a feeling of mingled
regret and disappointment that the author gives it to the reader.
But, such as it is, with all its imperfections, it is placed before an
appreciative public f( r their approval or condemnation.
CONTENTS
NAPA COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
THE INDIA'; TRIBES. PAGE
Their general appearance. — Numbers and tribe.-. — Food a i
habits.— Cause of their dee; . : in numbers. — Sweat
Hoi Funeral rites and ideas of a future state. - - - 17
CHAPTER II.
i'A COl ..; ■ GENE! I DES B I ION.
lion and boundary. »n of the land.— The
Central Valley. — West side of the Valley. — East side
the Valley.— The minor Valleys.
J 2
CHAPTER III.
( LIMA I E 03 fAPA COUN'J k'.
Snow. Spring Rains. — Harvestii 41
CHATTER [V.
PROGRJ 5S OE THE CI IV AND COUNTY.'
ndition under Mexican rule. Earlj business in Napa
City. — The inhabitants. --The first Court House. — Im-
provements in City and Valley. The Nina Valle) Rail-
'. The Schodls. - - 45
8 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY.
Early Records. — Early prices. — Case of N. McCauiey.—
Value of lands in 1852. — Various items of Record. —
County indebtedness in 1857. — Election returns and tax-
levies from 1857 to 1872. - 71
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS.
The Napa Reporter. — The Pioneer Press. — The Napa Regis-
ter. — The Napa City Herald, and other papers. — Daily pa-
pers. --------- 82
CHAPTER VII.
MINES AND MINERALS.
The great mineral excitement. — Phoenix Mining Company. —
Redington Mining Company. — Pope Valley Mining Com-
pany. — Washington Mining Company. — Hamilton Min-
ing Company. — Valley Mining Company. — The Summit
Mine. — Oakville Mining Company. — New Burlington
Mining Company. — Red Hill -Mining Company. — Silver
Bow Mining Company. — Overland Mining Company. —
Mutual Mining Company. — Mammoth Mining Company.
— Petroleum Company. — Coal Companies. - - 88
CHAPTER VIII.
MISCELLANEOUS CORPORATIONS .
Napa Valley Railroad. — The Bank of Napa. — Napa Ga.s
Company. — Napa Valley Savings and Loan Society. — Pio-
neer Engine Company. — Masonic Cemetery Association. —
Town Hall Association. — Odd Fellows' Hall Association.
— Napa Library Association . — Calistoga Hotel Company.
— White Sulphur Springs Hotel Company. — Water Com-
panies. - - - - - - 105
CHAPTER IX.
CHURCHES AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS.
Presbyterian Church; Napa. — Baptist Church, Napa. — Chr s
CONTENTS. 9
Church, (Episcopal), Napa. — Presbyterian Church, St.
Helena. — Methodist Church, Napa. — Catholic Church,
Napa. — Christian Church, Napa. — Unitarian Society,
Napa. — Presbyterian Church, Calistoga. — Methodist
Church, Calistoga. — Methodist Church, St. Helena. — Bap-
tist Church, St. Helena. — Napa Cemetery Association. —
Napa Chapter R. A. M. — Yount Lodge, F. & A. M. —
Xapa Lodge, Odd Fellows. — St. Helena Lodge, Odd
Fellows. — Emery Lodge, Good Templars. — Yountville
Lodge, Good Templars. — Monroe Lodge, Good Tem-
plars. — St. Helena Lodge, F. & A. M. — Other Lodges. - 112
. CHAPTER X.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
Napa Collegiate Institute. — Napa Ladies' Seminar}'. - r 2 1
CHAPTER XL
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
( icorge C. Yount. Capt. John Grigsby. Nathan Coombs.
Guy Freeman Fling. Simpson Thompson. Governor
Edward Stanley. Johnson Horrell. Capt. Robert West.
William II. Nash. William Gouverneur Morris. John
Lawley. Col. James Clyman. ElishaG. Young. Ralph
Ellis. Peter I). Bailey. Charles Hopper. Governor L.
W. Boggs. Joseph Mecklenberg. John Stcckter. 11.
N. Amesbury. Lyman Chapman. J. II. Howland. J.
B. Horrell. Samuel Heald. Wm. H. Winter. Thomas
Earl. A. B. Walker. Wm. Baldridge. E. Biggs. G.
\. Corn well. Robert Crouch. John M. Patchett. W.
W. Stillwagon. A. Y. Easterby. David Hudson. John
York. William Russell. A. G. Clark. James II. Good-
man. Peter Storm. William Pope. Elias Harnett.
R. D. Hopkins. R. T. Montgomery. A. J. Cox. Col.
1. B. Chile Wm. 11. Baxter. K. N. Boynton. .-b\
Robinson. C. P. Brigj R. C. Gillaspy. Sim. Bu-
ford. Chancellor Hartson. Samuel Brannan. B. W.
Arnold. Cayetano Juare [ohn S. Stark-. M. i>. Ril
chie. C. H. Allen. - - - - 12;
io - contents:
«
CHAPTER XII.
:<;\VNS AND WATERING PLACES.
Youmviile. — St. Helena. — Monticello and Berryessa Val-
ley. — Calistoga. — White Sulphur Springs. — Napa Soda
Springs. — Petrified Forest. — Mount St. Helena. - L.85
CHAPTER XIII.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
Hop Culture. — The Tea Plant. — Fruits and Nuts. — Stock
Raising. — Other Productions.— Sericulture. — Viniculture
and Vine growers. _____-- i,y,
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FUTURE OF NAPA.
The Labor Problem. - - - - - - 2 1 s
LAKE COUNTY:
2 2 ">
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Clear Lake. — Big Valley. — Blue Lakes. — Boras Lakes.—
Sulphur Banks. -------
CHAPTER II.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Elections. -- -- - - - - 229
CHAPTER III.
SOURCES OF WEALTH.
Agriculture, Mining, and Stock Raising. . -
CHAPTER IV.
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES.
Lakeport. — Lower Like. — Middletown. — Guenoc. — Bartlett
°-3±
CONTENTS. i i
Springs.— Beautiful Scenery. — Harbin Springs. — Adams
Springs. — Sigler Springs. — Caldwell Springs. — Soda Bay.
Cobb Valley. — In General. — Moral and Social Status. —
Financial Condition. - - - - - 237
SONOMA COUNTY.
CHAPTER J.
NERAL DESCRIPTION.
vn of Sonoma and surrounding Valley. — Santa Rosa Val-
-. — Russian River Valley. - - - - - 251
CHAPTER ii.
: WATERING FLACJ
na. — 1 .— Petaluma.— Santa Rosa. — Healds-
urg. — Cioverdale. I places. — Skaggs Springs. — The
Geysers. - - - - - - 256
CHAPTER III.
SOURCES C! WEALTH.
iral. ral.- -Forests. -Mineral.— Vineyards.
CHAPTER IV.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
Cyrus Alexander. Col. Agoston Haraszthy. insom
Powell. A. P. Petit. Wm. Ross. John Mathe\
E. I.. Davis. Attila Haraszthy. D.Cook. A. G. Lyon.
C. V. Smart. Win. B. Read. Wm. Hood. James A.
Shaw. N. J. S. Long. Louis Adler. O.W.Craig! H.
(.'lark. Solomon Carriger. C. C. Carriger. Nicholas
Carriger. C. W. Lubeck. L. W. Meyer. Franklin
Sears. G. T. Pauli. Edward Neblett. Thos. Hopper.
John Brown. W.S. M. Wright. E. Latapie. John In-
aham. W. R. Morris. Wm. McPherson Hill. J. P.
Walker. V. M. Leavenworth, [oseph Wright. Charles
1 2 CONTENTS.
Hall. "J. R. Snyder. M. G. Vallejo. Wm. M. Boggs.
Wm. J. Reynolds. D. Chamberlain. Matheu Engler.
J.K.Smith. 283
CHAPTER V.
GENERAL MISCELLANY.
Schools. — Churches. — Benevolent Orders, etc. — Railroad.
Election Returns. — Value of Land. - - - 314 \
MENDOCINO COUNTY.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Location. — The Coast Division. — The Russian River Divis-
ion. — The Eel River Division. - - - - 331
CHAPTER IL
GENERAL MISCELLANY.
Historical Sketch. — Resources of Mendocino. * - - 338
ADDENDA.
BIOGRAPHIES AND STATISTICS.
John York. J. B. Warfield. C. INI. Hudspeth. James M.
Hudspeth. - - - - - - - - 345
The Bar of Napa ; - . - - - - - 349
Tables showing progress of Napa City, - - - 351
Statistics of the Four Counties, - - - - - 352
Valuation of property in Napa and Sonoma, - - 353
Climate in Napa, - - - - - - - 354
Vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, - - - - "355
Plaza in Sonoma and Bear Flag Party, - - - 357
$
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
Sonoma Barracks Frontispiece.
Young Ladies' Seminar}' 16
At the Rancheria 17
Scene from the White Sulphur Springs 45
R. T. Montgomery 80
A. J. Cox 80
R. D. Hopkins 80
Calistoga Springs, looking West 88
Napa Collegiate Institute 105
Bank of J. H. Goodman & Co 112
The Bank of Napa 124
St. Helena Mountain, from Calistoga 125
Wm. Gouverneur Morris 144
George C. Yount 176
W. H. Winter 176
Thos. Karl 176
View in Cobb Valley 185
White Sulphur Springs Hotel 193
View at the Geysers 196
Point Arena Light House 215
Uncle Sam, from I^akeport 223
View of Harbin Springs 237
Gov. L. W. Boggs 248
Moonlight on Pluton Canon 266
The Witches' Cauldron 271
J. R. Snyder 288
Charles Hopper 328
Scene at the Mouth of the Albion River 331
Napa Insane Asylum 244
odp: TO NAPA
BY R. M. S.
Iii the dark and sullen gloom
Of years long since gone by,
Once lay thy now happy homes
Uncarved, unmade, unknown.
The wild man trod thy roliing hills,
And bent his springing bow,
And sped his arrow at the game,
And lived as Nature taught him how .
Beaten trails among the brakes
And tangled ferns he made,
And in the clear and limpid streams
His swarthy limbs ho bathed.
Silence reigned o'er hill and dale.
Save when his echoing whoop
Ilang from crag to peak
Then floated on the gale ;
Save, too, the hawk's shrill scream ,
Or the night bird's lonely cry,
Or the savage howl of cruel beast.
Naught but thy old oaks can tell,
Or the twinkling stars unfold
Tho changes wrought, and what befell,
Through those long years of Nature's rule,
Of earthquakes, storms, and floods,
Of Summer suns, and Winter routs ;
And yet, the Sage of Nature sees
ODE TO NAPA. 15
Symbols in rocks aud tongues in trees,
To him her hoary scars and shadowy signs
Speak wisdom, truth and eloquence.
A change came o'er thy mystic life,
Like the dawn of polar light
The dark and gloom began to break.
And flee away as if in fright.
One early morn the curling gmoke
Of a stranger's camp fire rose,
And melted away in the mists of the morn
Like incense of the wild-thorn rose.
A signal of the red-man's doom,
Frought with a potency divine.
His power supreme so long endured,
Must swiftly, surely soon decline ;
For e'er twelve moons shall wax. and wain 1 .
A thousand camps shall brightly burn ;
And pale-faced bands with nerves like steel
Though strangers in this Western land.
Shall make the red-man feel the might
And power of his conquering hand.
By magic all the scene is changed :
Where grew the lordly forest tree,
The plowshare turns the fallow lea,
The waving grain and rustling corn.
Hill and dale in times adorn ;
And where the old adobe stood.
Its roof red-tiled and low,
A mansion now adorns the spot.
And dripping fountains flow ;
Beneath the city's busy trea 1
Lie the wigwams of yure.
And now high steeples mark the :-t
Whore dusky maids in years before,
At the sami! wigwam door,
Sat thoughtless of their coming lot.
The steam-car rattles o'er the plain-;.
The light'ning Bpeaksin word-.
And where the Light can" •
Athwart the stream they allot,
The puddled barge her course pursues,
With lungs of iron and breath of tire,
She stems the tide with giant strength.
The whirls and eddies hooding net ;
And to thy marl like white winged bid-*
In search of bounteous fields,
The sailing fl« u do gather la re
1 6 ODE TO NAPA
To take the golden yield,
The spoil of those who toil,
Who sow and reap on thy rich soil.
And sail away to other marts,
To furnish those who work the arts.
And when the evening chimes ring out
And the faithful laborer's work is done,
The motherly matron spreads the board
And happy children full of glee.
Haste to give their sire a kiss.
And when the holy Sabbath dawns,
Thy bells ring out, then pause.
The echo'ing answer hearing.
Peal on peal while ringing,
And the joyous throng while nearittg.
Off'rings of faith are bringing.
No day e'er dawned with more apace.
No sun with more of splendor rose.
Than when the stranger came
And smiled at Nature's repose ;
The warm South wind but gently blew,
And meekly bowed the flowers,
While twittering birds their carols sang,
Half hid in leafy bowers ;
The soft large moon looked mildly down.
The stars but twinkled in mirth,
The swaying boughs tlie chorus joined
And praised the new day's birth.
King out ye bells, ring loud and clear,
The spell-bound years are gone,
New life and light are dawning lure.
While p!< is ty and peace abound.
NAPA COUNTY.
4y-» /. Hancror: scoff
NAPA SEMINARY
AT THE RANCHERIA.
Napa County :
AS IT WAS AND IS.
CHAPTER I.
THE INDIAN TRIBES.
THE Indians inhabiting the region now known as Napa County
did not differ essentially from the other tribes — those found in
Southern and .Middle California. They presented the same physical
characteristics, habits and customs. They were generally of small
Stature, broad shouldered, and possessed of great strength. They were
of swarthy complexion, beardless, and had long, coarse and straight
black hair. The shape of their heads indicated a low rank in the
intellectual scale, and a predominance of all the propensities of I
brute creation. Indeed they seemed to be rather an intermediate
race or connecting link between man ami the brutes, scarcely supe-
1 8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
rior to the higher types of the latter, and only in a few points resem-
bling the lowest class of the former. A few exceptions existed,
but as a race, they were inferior to all the aboriginal tribes of this
continent.
It is exceedingly difficult at this time to give an accurate account
of these tribes. Their numbers were never exactly known, their
habits being migratory, and their camps seldom permanent for any
great length of time. It is not probable that the Indians knew their
own number, or that they cared to know, and their rapid disappearance
has left very few of whom even to make inquiry, and perhaps none
who could give any definite information. We are therefore neces-
sarily left to the alternative of estimating their numbers from the
statements of early settlers and others who visited California at an
early day.
Kit Carson says that in 1829, the valleys of California were full of
Indians. He saw much of large and flourishing tribes that then ex-
isted. When he again visited the State in 1859, they had mostly dis-
appeared, and the people who resided in the localities where he had
seen them, declared that they had no knowledge of them whatever.
They had disappeared and left no record of the cause which had led
to their extermination. No estimate of their numbers appears to have
been made until 1823, and it was known that they had then greatly
decreased.
Down to 1856 they thronged the streets of Napa City in great
numbers, especially on Sundays, picking up odds and ends of cast-
off clothing, occasionally fighting, and always getting drunk if the
means were procurable. Male and female, they encumbered the
side-walks, lounging or sleeping in the sun, half clad and squalid —
pictures of humanity in its lowest state of degradation. Now an In-
dian is rarely to be seen.
It was the custom of the Indians to establish their rancherias upon
the grants of the early settlers, in order to gain a livelihood by oc-
casional labor. In 1843 there were from fifty to one hundred upon
Bale Rancho, four hundred upon the Caymus Rancho, six hundred
upon the Salvador Rancho, a large number upon the Juarez and the
Higuera Ranchos, and a still larger number at Soscol. These were
in some sense permanently fixed and residing constantly in one
place. Besides these there were thousands of nomads, who roam-
THE INDIAN TRIBES. 19
cd the valleys and ■ mountains as caprice or hunger dictated. A
few remain upon some of the ranchos named, but there are not one
hundred altogether in the entire county.
George C. Yount, the first white settler in Napa Valley,, (who ar-
arrived here in 1831) said that, in round numbers, there were from
10,000 to 12,000 Indians ranging the country between Napa and
Clear Lake. Of this number he says there were at least 3,000 in
Napa County, and perhaps twice that number. It is only certain
that they were very numerous, and that they have mostly disappeared.
As late as in 1856, they were quite numerous in the environs of
Napa Citv, and were wont at certain times to make night hideous
with their howlings among the willows along the banks of the river,
with what purposes or motives we are left to conjecture.
At the time of Mr. Yount's arrival in the Valley, in 1831, there
were six tribes of Indians in it, speaking different, although cognate
dialects, and almost constantly at war with each other.
The Mayacomas tribe dwelt near the Hot Springs (Aguas Calien-
tes) now Calistoga, at the upper end of this Valley, and the Callajo-
manas, on the lands now known as the Bale Rancho, near St. Hel-
ena. The Caymus tribe dwelt upon the Yount Grant, to which they
gave their name. The Napa Indians occupied the Mexican grant
of Entre Napa, that is, the lands between Napa River and Napa
Creek, to which they also gave their tribe name. The word Napa
is said to signify "fish." The authority for this signification rests
on the declaration of old pioneers, and is corroborated by the fact
that in the cognate languages of the tribes on the northern coast,
the word still bears the same signification. At least we have the in-
formation from one who was among the Gold Bluff adventurers,
and who made a fish trade with an Indian, selling his shirt from off
his back in exchange for a salmon. Doubtless the Indian word for
fish must have been strongly impressed upon his memory by such
a transaction.
The Ulucas dwelt on the East side of Napa River, near Napa
City, and one of their words survives in the word Tulocay Ranch
and Cemetery. The Soscol tribe occupied the Soscol Grant, on
which are now situated the magnificent and extensive orchards of
Messrs. Thompson, and of Morrissiana, the estate of Maj. U'm.
Gouverneur Morris, U. S. Marshal.
The languages of the various tribes on this coast appear to have
20 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
some words in common, and in the opinion of the missionary wri-
ters, were derived from one common stock, yet the dialects and idi-
oms of the different tribes were so distinct and peculiar, as nearly
to prevent verbal intercommunication among them.
The remnants of these tribes seem partially to have abandoned
their native tongue since the occupation of the country by civilized
men, and to have learned and adopted a large number of Spanish
words, and more recently, some of our own language. These mix-
ed with a goodly proportion of Indian, form a conglomerate "lingo,"
perhaps sufficiently expressive, but not remarkable for harmony or
elegance.
The great numbers of these Indians is corroborated by the nu-
merous circles of earth, stone and rubbish which mark the site of
their rancherias, and by the remains of their inseparable "sweat-
houses." They are found near springs or along the streams through-
out Napa Valley and others adjacent. These perishable and per-
ishing monuments tell us almost all that is to be known of a re-
cently numerous, but almost extinct race. Of their wars and the
causes of them we know nothing. Of their hopes, fears, joys and
aspirations, we can form no conception. We only know that
they were and are not — their poor remaining remnant being doomed
to extinction as complete as that of the Narragansetts of New Eng-
land, whose language, although preserved in print by the zealous mis-
sionary, Elliott, in his Indian Bible, can no longer be deciphered
by a single human being.
All these Indians were in fact, as in name, "Diggers." A con-
siderable portion of their food consisted of wild edible roots, among
which was the amok, or soap-root. They could dig small animals
out from their burrows, and when hard pressed would eat almost
anything that had life — even to earth worms. Of fish, they had at
most seasons, an abundant supply. Grasshoppers were one of
their favorite "dishes." Thev also made a kind of bread, some-
times from acorns, with which the valleys abounded, sometimes of
pine-nuts, and at others from the crushed kernels of the buckeye,
washed to eliminate their bitter and noxious qualities.
Incredible as it may seem, and loathesome even to think of, it is
well authenticated that they carefully gathered certain large, fat and
reddish spotted worms, found at some seasons of the year upon the
THE INDIAN TRIBES. 21
stalks of grasses and wild oats and used them as "shortening" for
their bread. The statement is made on the authority of a pioneer
of unquestionable veracity, who was with a party of Indians, and
who seeing one of them gathering ever}- worm he met with and put-
ting it in a pouch at his side, enquired what use was to be made of
them. He had been eating of their bread, but it is hardly neces-
sary to add that the stomach of even an old trapper, revolted from
that hour against Indian cooker}'.
Their food corresponded well with their position in the scale of
humanity, and this was well nigh the lowest. Of the building of
permanent and comfortable habitations, they had no knowledge.
They constructed for themselves in the rainy season, rude shelters
with the boughs of trees, by no means impervious to rain or wind,
and which, architecturally considered, were far inferior to the hut of
the bear, or the lairs of the lower animals. In summer they en-
camped among the willows along the streams, or in the first thicket
that promised even the semblance of protection from the elements.
They deemed it unhealthy to sleep in a house, and indeed for them
it probably was so. At least, when years afterwards, young Indians
male and female, were either captured or kidnapped, and made use
of by white settlers as servants or slaves, as they were for several
years, they seldom lived more than two or three years, being gen-
erally carried off by pulmonary diseases.
Before the period of the occupation of the country by Americans,
the Mexicans tilled but a small portion of the soil, their chief pur-
suit being stock-raising. Immense herds of cattle roamed over the
country, and many of the Indians, either by stealth, or by trifling
labor for the owners of grants, could obtain a supply of beef and
corn and beans to eke out a precarious support from other sources.
The sudden influx of an American population put an end to this
condition of things. The wild cattle gradually disappeared. Game
grew shy ami scarce. The holders of land grants were encroached
upon by "squatters," who appropriated the soil without ceremony,
bo that they had no longer any use for the services of the Indians,
and no motive, even if they had the power, for supplying th
wants, exi ept ill rare instances. The valleys were fenced up and
cultivated, and the right of private domain asserted and enforced on
the banks of streams where the Diggers had fished from time im-
22 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
memorial. It became more and more difficult for the compara-
tively few that remained to subsist under the new regime so unex-
pectedly and so inexorably established.
It does not appear difficult to account for the rapid decrease in the
number of these savages. We have already stated that the different
tribes were almost continuallv at war. Besides this, the cholera
broke out among them in the fall of 1833, and raged with terrible
violence. So great was the mortality, they were unable either to
bury or burn their dead, and the air was filled with the stench of pu-
trefying bodies. A traveler who passed up the Sacramento Valley at
this time, relates that on his way up he passed a place where about
300 Indians, with women and children, were encamped. When he
returned, after an absence of three or four days, the ground was lit-
erally strewn with their bodies — all having died except one little In-
dian girl. She occupied the camp alone, while around her lay the
festering bodies of her dead companions, and the air was rendered
noxious by the horrid stench of decomposing dead bodies, which
were found not alone in the camp, but for miles up and down the
Valley. The disease does not appear to have been local, but gen-
eral. As late as 1841, Mr. Charles Hopper, a most estimable citizen
of this county, who is still living, in passing up the San Joaquin Val-
ley, observed the skulls and other remains of great numbers of In-
dians lying in heaps, and was told by the Indians of that region, that
a pestilence had swept away vast numbers only a few years before.
Dwight Spencer, Esq., in 1851, also saw upon Grand Island, in Co-
lusa county, the remains of more than 500 Indians.
It must be confessed that to all the causes, which we have as-
signed for the rapid disappearance of the Indians in this Valley, as
elsewhere, we must add another, not creditable to civilization, The
early Mexican settlers were not very chary of the lives of Indians,
and their American successors have not unfrequently followed their
example. While the Indians were yet comparatively numerous,
their means of subsistence, at some seasons of the year, must have
been very scant and precarious. The grant holders had abundance.
Their cattle swarmed by tens of thousands over the country, and of-
fered a constant temptation to the hungry Diggers. Theft was easy,
and detection difficult. The settlers were annoyed by repeated losses*
It was impossible to trace the offense to individuals. They only
THE INDIAN TRIBES.
2 3
knew in general that the Indians had stolen their cattle, and when
possible, meted out to them cruel and indiscriminate punishment.
Only a few years before the American occupation, and within the
memory of persons now living, a terrible instance of this kind
occurred on the Bale Rancho, near Oakville. The settlers in Sono-
ma had lost great numbers of cattle, and traced their losses to the
Callajomanas tribe. A party came over one night and surrounded
the "sweat house, " in which about 300 Indians were assembled.
The whole number were slaughtered, man by man, as they passed
out, and the tribe thus almost exterminated at a blow. A similar
instance occurred in Trinity County in the Fall of 1850. The
Americans surrounded the rancheria at night, and destroyed the
whole tribe, excepting a few children.
In 1850 a party of Americans came over from Sonoma to avenge
upon the Indians in general the murder of Kelsey in Lake county,
in which the Indians of Napa had no hand. This party were on
;heir way to Soscol to attack the Indians there, but were turned back
another party of white men at Napa, who prevented them from
crossing the ferry. They then returned to Calistoga, and murdered
in cold blood eleven innocent Indians, young and old, as they came
out of their "sweat house," and then burned their "wickeyups, " to-
other with their bodies. The murderers (for they were nothing
ss) were arrested by authority of Governor Mason, and taken to
1 Francisco. However, the country was in such an unsettled and
unorganized condition, that they were set free on habeas corpus, and
never brought to trial.
The concurrent effects of savage warfare, pestilence, and such
wholesale massacres as we have described, seem quite sufficient to
account for the rapid decline of numbers among the Indians, long
before the conque
In the excellent work of Mr. Cronise, entitled "The National
Wealth of California," the influence of the Mission system is stated
to be one of the causes of the degradation and consequent final ex-
termination of the aboriginal inhabitants. The writer says: "There
is no room to doubt that the degradation of the existing race is in
ne degree the result of the Mission system, which deprived their,
•of the instincts that Nature had implanted, and left them no depen-
dence but upon the will of the Fathers, which was impotent to save
24 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
them from extermination by the irresistible force of a higher civ-
ilization, in which they are unfitted to participate."
We are not inclined to the opinion that any such sinister influence
was ever exerted upon the Indians of this region, or at least, to such
an extent as to have changed them from manly, dignified, peaceable
and intelligent people into the squalid and wretched creatures that
were found here by the early American settlers. The nearest Mis-
sion was established at Sonoma, in 1820, and could not have done
much towards the degradation of the Indians in this region. We
think it pretty evident that the Napa tribes must have been a differ-
ent race from those dwelling upon the coast, whose superiority seems
to be fairly demonstrated. There must have been an original and
radical difference between the Diggers and those tribes considered by
Venegas as "equal to any race;" described by Captain Roberts as
"tall, robust, and straight as pine trees;" and said by the great navi-
gator, Capt. Beachy to be ' 'generally above the standard of English-
men in height." Nor could they have been the same race of men
seen at San Francisco in 1824, and described by Langsdorf, the sur-
geon of Admiral Kotzebue's ship, who had "full, flowing beards,"
or of whom La Prouse savs: "About one half of the males had
such splendid beards that they would have made a figure in Turkey,
or in the vicinity of Moscow." It is simply impossible that any
amount of Missionary oppression could have wrought such a physi-
cal change as this. There must have been a vast original difference
between the tribes inhabiting California. None of them dwelling
in this count}' had beards, nor were they of great stature, and in
point of skill and intelligence, it can only be said that very little ev-
idence exists which indicates the possession of either, however much
these attributes may have distinguished other tribes.
We have said that war and pestilence had thinned their ranks long
before the conquest of the country, and it would seem that the pres-
ence of civilized society, with the great change of condition attend-
ing it, must necessarily have borne heavily upon them, and finally
well-nigh completed the work of extermination. Indeed, no savage
tribe thus far, has long survived the contact of civilization and
its attendant vices. The California tribes will certainly not prove
exceptions. Notwithstanding the eloquent plea which is made for •
the intelligence, benevolent disposition, and high physical develop-
THE INDIAN TRIBES. 25
ment of the Indian tribes on this coast, the savages in this region
appear to have been lower in the scale of intelligence than any other
upon the continent of America; so low, indeed, that since the secu-
larization of the Missions, scarcely an attempt, by missionaries or
others, has been made for their instruction or elevation. The hea-
then of other lands have had millions of dollars and years of toil
expended upon them by every Protestant denomination of Christians,
while the heathen tribes of California, have perished like brutes, in
our midst, without even an attempt to provide for their spiritual wel-
fare. Indeed, the most zealous Christian, the most sanguine philanthro-
pist, acquainted with their mental and moral condition, would despair
of making any lasting good impression upon a being so utterly
stupid and stolid as the Digger Indian. No argument or authority
could have made the least impression upon a being so low in the
scale of intellect.
Even the truly benevolent efforts of the United States Govern-
ment to improve at least the physical condition of the California
Indians, have generally been singularly barren of good result.-.
Wretched as their mode of life seems to us, there appears to be for
them, a charm in it, since nothing short of compulsion or absolute
hunger will induce them to remain upon a Reservation. In the
opinion of the writer, much of the clamor against the Superintend-
ents of Indian Reservations has been without cause. It is simplj
impossible for any man, however enlightened or benevolent, to truly
civilize a Digger Indian. He may be taught to plow, reap, split
rails, and perform many kinds of out-door work. He may be fed
to a goodly degree of fatness, and made to wash his face and wear
decent clothing, but benevolence can go no farther. At the first im-
pulse he returns to his vagabond life of idleness, his grasshopper diet
and his wretched wigwam of boughs — the same untamed and un-
tameable savage.
If they were superior to the wretched natives of Tasmania, we
have overlooked the evidence of the fact. Certainly their dwellings,
their modes of life, their weapons and utensils afford no such indi-
cations. A wretched shelter of boughs, a rude bow and arrow of
little avail for killing game at a distance, a stone pestle and mortar, a
• feather head covering — these were all. Their arrows and lance-
heads were made of obsidian, great quantities of which are foun !
26 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
near Uncle Sam Mountain, in Lake county, and their mortars and
pestles of the hardest bowlders to be found in the streams. They
are found in considerable numbers all over the country. R. M.
Swain, Esq., Under Sheriff of this county, has collected numerous
specimens, some of which exhibit considerable skill. To chip out
such a brittle and refractory material as obsidian into arrows and lance
heads must have required much time and labor, but of the former
the Indians had abundance, while the sharp spur of necessity com-
pelled them to submit to the latter. For a great portion of the year
they wore no clothing, and even in winter were only half-clad in the
skins of beasts.
True, the climate is so mild in this part of the State that, except
in the rainy season, they scarcely needed clothing, so far as bodily
comfort was concerned, and habit seems to have inured them to ex-
posure to cold. A Digger, perfectly naked, once met General Val-
lejo on a very cold morning, at Sonoma. "Are you not cold?''
asked the General. "No," replied the Indian; "Is your face cold ?'"
"No," replied the General. "Well,'*' replied '.he Indian, "lam all
face /" After the introduction of sheep by the early Mexican set-
tlers, they were enabled to obtain a coarse wool, which they con-
verted into blankets without loom or spindles. They twisted the
threads with their fingers, and stretched the warp, attaching the ends
to wooden pegs driven into the ground, and the filling was put in
place by hand, a thread at a time. These blankets, no doubt, must
have added greatly to the comfort of the few who could obtain them ;
but the great mass of the Diggers never attained to such a luxury.
Of navigation they were almost wholly ignorant. Their only
method of crossing streams was by means of rafts constructed of
bundles of tule bound together, somewhat similar, but far inferior
to the bolsas used by the Peruvian Indians upon Lake Titicaca, far
up among the Andes.
Their knowledge of the proper treatment of disease was on a
level with their attainments in all the arts of life. Roots and herbs
were sometimes used as remedies, but the "sweat-house" was the
principal reliance in desperate cases. This great sanitary institu-
tion, found in every rancheria, was a large circular excavation cov-
ered with a roof of boughs, plastered with mud, having a hole on
one side for entrance, and another in the roof to serve as a chim-
THE INDIAN TRIBES. 27
ney. A fire having been lighted in the center, the sick were placed
there to undergo a sweat bath for many hours, to be succeeded by a
plunge in cold water. This treatment was their cure-all, and whether
it killed or relieved the patient, depended upon the nature of his
disease and the vigor of his constitution. A gentleman who was
tempted, some years ago, to enter one of these sanitary institutions,
gives the following story of his experience : "A sweat-house is of
the shape of an inverted bowl. It is generally about forty feet in
diameter at the bottom, and is built of strong poles and branches of
trees, covered with earth, to prevent the escape of heat. There is
a small hole near the ground, large enough for the Diggers to creep
in one at a time; and another at the top of the house, to give vent
to the smoke. When a dance is to occur, a large fire is kindled in
the center of the edifice, the crowd assembles, the white spectators
crawl in and seat themselves anywhere out of the way. The aper-
tures both above and below, are then closed, and the dancers take
their positions.
"Four and twenty squaws, en deshabille, on one side of the fire; 2
as many hombres in pun's naturalibus on the other. Simultane-
ous with the commencement of the dancing, which is a kind oi
shuffling hobble-de-hoy, the "music''" bursts forth. Yes, music fit
to raise the dead. A whole legion of devils broke loose ! Such
screaming, shrieking, yelling and roaring was never before heard
since the foundation of the world. A thousand cross-cut saws, filed
steam power — a multitude of tom-cats lashed together and flung
over a clothes line — innumerable pigs under the gate, all combined,
would produce a heavenly melody compared with it. Yet this up-
roar, deafening as it is, might possibly be endured ; but another
soon comes to be saluted. Talk of the thousand stinks of the
City of Cologne ! Here are at least forty thousand combined in one
grand overwhelming stench ; and yet every particular odor distinctly
definable. Round about the roaring lire the Indians go capering,
jumping and screaming, with the perspiration starting from every
pore. The spectators look on until the air grows thick and heavy,
use of oppressing suffocation overcomes them ; when tl
make a simultaneous rush at the door, for self-protection. Ju I
their astonishment, terror and dismay, to find it fastened securely :
i oiled and I arred on the outside. The}' rush frantically around the
28 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
walls in hope to discover some weak point through which they may
find egress ; but the house seems to have been constructed purposely
to frustrate such attempts. More furious than caged lions, they rush
bodily against the sides, but the stout poles resist every onset. Our
army swore terribly in Flanders, but even My Uncle Toby him-
self would stand aghast were he here now.
" There is no alternative, but to sit down in hopes that the troop
of naked fiends will soon cease, from sheer exhaustion. Vain ex-
pectation ! The uproar but increases in fun-, the fire waxes hotter
and hotter, and they seem to be preparing for fresh exhibitions of
their powers. The combat deepens, on ye brave ! See that wild
Indian, a newly elected Captain, as with glaring eyes, blazing face
and complexion like that of a boiled lobster, he tosses his arms
wildly aloft, as in pursuit of imaginary devils, while rivers of per-
gpiration roll down his naked frame. Was ever the human body
thrown into such contortions before ? Another effort of that kind,
and his whole vertebral column must certainlv come down with a
crash. Another such a convulsion, and his limbs will assuredly be
torn asunder, and the disjointed members fly to the four points of
the compass. Can the human frame endure this much longer? The
heat is equal to that of a bake oven. Temperature 500 degrees
Fahrenheit. Pressure of steam 1,000 pounds to the square inch.
The reeking atmosphere has become almost palpable, aud the vic-
timized audience are absolutely gasping for life. Millions for a cubic
inch of fresh air ; worlds for a drop of water to cool the parched
tongue ! This is terrible. To meet one's fate among the white caps
of the Lake, in a swamped canoe, or to sink down on the Bald Moun-
tain's brow, worn out by famine, fatigue and exposure, were glorious;
but to die here, suffocating in a solution of human perspiration,
carbonic acid gas and charcoal smoke, is horrible. The idea is ab-
solutely appalling. But there is no avail. Assistance might as well
be sought from a legion of unchained imps, as from a troop of Indi-
ans, maddened by excitement.
• 'Death shows his visage, not more than five minutes distant. The
fire glimmers away leagues off. The uproar dies into the subdued
rumble of a remote cataract, and respiration becomes lower and
more labored. The whole system is sinking into utter insensibility,
and all hope of relief has departed, when suddenly with a grand
THE INDIAN TRIBES.
29
triumphal crash, similar to that with which the ghosts closed their
orgies, when they doused the lights, and started in pursuit of Tarn
O'Shanter and his old gray mare, the uproar ceases and the Indians
vanish through an aperture, opened for the purpose. The half dead
victims to their own curiosity, dash through it like an arrow, and,
in a moment more, are drawing in whole buckets full of the cold,
frosty air, every inhalation of which cuts the lungs like a knife, and
thrills the system like an electric shock. They are in time to see
the Indians plunge headlong into the ice cold waters of a neighbor-
ing stream, and crawl out and sink down on the banks, utterly ex-
hausted. This is the last act of the 'drama, the grand climax, and
the fandango is over."
The sweat house also served as a council chamber and banquet
hall. In it the bodies of the dead were sometimes burned, amid
the howlings of the survivors. Generally, however, the cremation
of the dead took place in the open air. The body before burning,
was bound closely together, the legs and arms folded, and forced by
binding, into as small a compass as possible. It was then placed
upon a funeral pile of wood, which was set on fire by the mother,
wife, or some near relative of the deceased, and the mourners, with
their faces daubed with pitch, set up a fearful howling and weeping,
accompanied with the most frantic gesticulations. The body being
consumed, the ashes were carefully collected.
A portion of these were mingled with pitch, with which they daubed
their faces and went into mourning. During the progress of the
cremation, the friends and relatives of the deceased thrust sharp
sticks into the burning corpse, and cast into the fire the ornaments,
feather head-dresses, weapons, and everything known to have belonged
to the departed. They had a superstitious dread of the consequences
of keeping back any article pertaining to the defunct. An old In-
dian woman, whose husband was sick, was recently asked what ailed
him. Her reply was that "he had kept some feathers belonging to
a dead Indian that should have been burned with his body, and that
he would be sick till he died."
The idea of a future state was universal among the California
Indians, and they had a vague idea of rewards and punishment.-.
As one expressed it: "(iood Indian ^ r <> big hill ; bad Indian go
bad place." Others thought if the deceased had been good in
30
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
his life-time, his spirit would travel west to where the earth and sky
meet, and become a star; if bad, he would be changed into a griz-
zly, or his spirit-wanderings would be continued for an indefinite
period. They expressed the idea of the change from this life to an-
other, by saying that, "as the moon died and came to life again, so
man came to life after death;'' and they believed that "the hearts of
good chiefs went up to the sky, and were changed into stars to keep
watch over their tribes on earth." Although exceedingly supersti-
tious, they were evidently not destitute of some religious conceptions.
Certain rocks and mountains were regarded as sacred. Uncle Sam, in
Lake county, was one of these sacred mountains, and no one except
the priest or wizard of his tribe dared to ascend it. Two huge bowl-
ders between Napa City and Capel Valley, were also sacred, and no
Indian would approach them. They also held the grizzly in super-
stitious awe, and nothing could induce them to eat its flesh.
The Diggers, too, had their sorcerers, male and female, who had
great influence over them. They pretended to foresee future events,
and to exercise supernatural control over their bodies, and to cure
diseases by curious incantations and ceremonies. Four times a year
each tribe united in a great dance, having some religious purpose
and signification. One of these was held by night at the Caymus
Rancho, in 1841, about the time of the vernal equinox, and was ter-
minated by a strange, inexplicable pantomime, accompanied with
wild gestures and screams, the object of which the Indians said was
"to scare the devil away from their rancherias." An old gentleman
who witnessed the performance, says he has no doubt that their ob-
ject must have been attained if the devil had the slightest ear for
music. Superstition enveloped and wrapped these savages like a
cloud, from which they never emerged. The phenomena of nature
on every hand, indeed, taught them that there was some unseen
cause of all things — some power which they could neither compre-
hend nor resist. The volcano and the earthquake taught them this,
and many accounts of these in past ages are preserved in their tra-
ditions. But farther than this their minds could not penetrate.
It does not appear, that under the Mission system, they made the
slightest advance in moral or religious culture, in spite of the most
zealous efforts of the Fathers. They were taught to go through the
forms of Christian worship, and did so, but without the least com-
THE INDIAN TRIBES. 31
prehension of their significance. The whole subject of religion was
beyond the reach of their untutored intellects, and it maybe doubted
whether a trace of their early teachings now remains in the mind of
a single Indian in California. Heathen they were from the begin-
ning, and heathen they will remain to the end.
Forming our judgment of their mode of life from our stand-
point, as civilized men, we are apt to conclude that the Diggers were
a most unhappy race, and they were so, according to all our ideas of
happiness. But it is probably true, nevertheless, that they enjoyed life
as well as the most civilized nations. They knew no other kind of
life, and aspired to nothing better. Habit inured them to hardships,
exposures and privations, which they considered as necessary and
normal conditions of their existence. A kind Providence has so
ordered that in whatsoever condition a man may find himself, not
one can be found who would willingly exchange places with anv
other. Many might wish to change conditions in certain respects,
but not one would lose his identity in another for any earthly con-
sideration. The Esquimaux who dwell in the midst of the ice
fields of the Polar regions, regard their country and their mode of
life as preferable to any other, and after having visited civilized
countries, return to their old haunts and rude life with joyful alacrity.
Just so was it, doubtless, with the Digger Indians. They were as
happy after their fashion as their civilized successors and extermina-
tors, and would have so remained, but for the advent of a superior
race. Probably the sum of human happiness was as great be-
fore as after the settlement of the country by the whites. It was
simply a substitution of one race for another — of so many tame men
for so many wild ones. In such changes might gives right, and will
gives law, and the result was inevitable; but for the savages, savage
life was unquestionably the happiest of which they were capable.
3 2
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND *S.
CHAPTER II.
XAPA COUNTY GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
This county is relatively small, but one of the most salubrious and
fertile in the State. Its total area is about 450,000 acres, (828 square
miles before the recent addition of territory from Lake county) a
large portion of which consists of mountains, worthless for the pur-
poses of agriculture. Many of the mountains and hills are, how-
ever, of some value for grazing purposes, while a few are totally
barren. The Assessor's returns show that in 1871, there were 107,-
650 acres enclosed, and in 1872, 48,000 acres under cultivation, of
which 31,500 were in wheat and 3,725 in barley. The county at
the time of the conquest, formed part of the Northern Military De-
partment, under the Mexican Government, of which the headquar-
ters were at Sonoma. It was organized and its boundaries fixed by
the Legislature, April 25th, 1851. The boundaries were afterwards,
changed by an act approved April 4th, 1855. A considerable por-
tion of its area was cut off by an act approved May 20th, 1 8 6 1 ..
NAPA COUNTY— GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 33
(amended Feb. 29, 1864) and became a portion of Lake county.
At the last session of the Legislature a further change was made,
changing its northern line, and giving a portion of Lake county to
Napa. Lake county still bounds Napa on the north, but the dividing
line cannot yet be given, as no map is yet made which exhibits the
changes made by legislation. It is bounded on the vest by Sonoma',
on the south by Solano, and on the east by Solano and Yolo
counties. It is divided, for all legal purposes, into three town-
ships — Napa, Yount, and Hot Springs. A good general idea of
the topography of Napa county may be obtained by considering
it as consisting of three nearly parallel series of valleys (like the
spaces between the four fingers of the hand) running in a north-
westerly and south-easterly direction, and approximately parallel with
the trend of the Pacific coast. These valleys are separated by ranges
of mountains and hills, with innumerable spurs, at varying angles,
which, although they detract somewhat from the agricultural value
of our lands, add greatly to the beauty of the scenery of Napa. The
main dividing ranges consist of mountains from 500 to 2,500 feet
high. The Mayacamas mountains separate into two branches in
the county of Sonoma, one of which forms the boundary between
Napa and Sonoma, and are united by various spurs with the general
coast range, which, with a few interruptions, extends southeasterly,
the entire length of the State. The other branch bounds the valley
of Napa on the east. It is exceedingly difficult, and perhaps impos-
sible, by any mere written description, to convey any adequate idea of
the mountains of California. If we say, in general terms, that any
two ranges are parallel, we do not tell the exact truth, for these
ranges are in many places united with each other by mountains run-
ning in all directions, some of which are as high as those which form
the ranges themselves. It would perhaps be as near the truth to say
that our mountains form a stupendous net-work, irregularly woven,
with occasional threads running in nearly parallel lines.
The mountain range which bounds Napa on the east, contains sev-
eral peaks of considerable elevation, the highest being Mount St. Hel-
ena, supposed to be an extinct volcano, 4,343 feet high. North of
the same twelve miles, is Pine Mountain, nearly as high as St. Helena.
Directly east of Napa City, at a distance of three miles is "Raid Moun-
tain," a lofty peak in the general chain which forms the eastern boun-
34 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
daryof the county. There are many other peaks to which local names
have been given, but their altitudes have not been measured. This
range every where shows evidence of volcanic action. In some
places the rocks, generally a species of whitish sandstone, stand
nearly in a vertical position, showing that the original crust has been
broken up by internal convulsions. In others the surface is formed
of volcanic ashes, or of rocks bearing evidence of the action of fire.
Portions of this range are rocky and bare, but most of them are
clothed to the summit with chemisal, "grease-wood" and other
small shrubs of great beauty, whose dark green hides the deformities
of the shattered rocks from which they spring. Here, as all over
the State, the peculiar vegetation upon the mountains gives them a
beauty not found in mountains at the east. On their lower portions
the pine, redwood, manzanita and madrona attain a vigorous growth.
The same trees are also found occasionally, although dwarfed, upon
the highest peaks.
The evidence of mighty internal convulsions in past ages, are vis-
ible all over Napa and Lake counties. The topographical character
of this region must, at some time, have undergone a complete
change. Many of the mountains were volcanoes, as is proved by
the existence of old craters, volcanic ashes, melted scoriae, obsidian
and pumice stone. Some of the hills and mountains must once
have been below the level of the sea. At Knoxville, within a mile
of the Redington mine, 40 miles from the ocean, and at least 1,200
feet above its level, there is a large tract of limestone rock almost
entirely composed of fossil sea shells. Oysters, clams, muscles,
cockles, and many other kinds of shell fish, are found in vast quan-
tities, and as perfect in form as when they were living in their native
element. The petrified forests near Calistoga also give evidence of
volcanic changes. All the valleys were unquestionably once sub-
merged. Below the alluvial surface soil is a bed of clay, varying
in depth, and then a bed of rounded, water-worn pebbles and small
bowlders, in horizontal strata, which may be seen in many localities
along the banks of the present water courses. No other agency than
that of running water could have rounded these pebbles and spread
them out in regular strata over so great an area. No one who has
attentively examined this region can doubt that sometime in the re-
mote past, our hills and mountains were islands, whose shore-lines
NAPA COUNTY— GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 35
were far above the present level of the streams, and that fishes once
sported where men now cultivate their fields and erect their habita-
tions. Nothing else than some great convulsion of nature could
have wrought such a change, and it may well be that the tradition
current among the Indians, that the Golden Gate was opened by an
earthquake, may commemorate it. The existence of almost count-
less mineral and hot springs, the abundance of sulphur impregnating
the rocks and soil in many localities, and the proximity of this coun-
ty to the Geysers in Sonoma, and the Sulphur banks and gas springs
of Lake county, show that we are within the scope of the great sub-
terranean agencies that have changed, and may again, the whole face
of the country.
The great central valley between the two branches of mountains
named, is about thirty-five miles long and widens gradually towards its
southern extremity to about five miles. The upper portion beyond
St. Helena, is quite narrow — in some places less than a mile wide.
Its general course is about N. 30 W. It is traversed through its
whole extent by Napa River, which gives its name to the county.
This stream is quite tortuous, especially in the southern portions,
where it passes through a large tract of level tule land. It runs gen-
erally close to the foot hills on the east side of the valley.
All the valleys in the county are approximately level, but with a
gradual descent towards the southwest.
All are intersected by water courses, whose sinuous banks are
fringed with trees and shrubs. Laurel, live oaks, buckeyes, manza-
nitas, alders, willows and the ash, are the principal trees. Of shrub-
bery there is a great variety, among which we name the ceanothus or
California lilac, elder, bay, and hazel nut. There are also in many
places, large tracts covered with a species of dwarf holly, bearing-
beautiful red berries in heavy clusters. Wild grape vines abound
along every stream, and used to afford the grizzly a considerable por-
tion of his provisions during the fall.
Except in the mountains there is no heavy timbered land in the
county. The land when fenced is all ready for the plow. Away
from the water courses, ever}- valley is dotted over with majestic
oaks of several varieties, with occasional gigantic madronas, whose
bright green leaves and reddish bark give them, at a distance, the.
appearance of orange trees. In the northern portions of the conn-
3 6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
;v, besides the trees named, are found firs, pines, cedars and red-
woods. Very few of the latter, however, are found north of Howell
Mountain, east of St. Helena. Upon this mountain sugar pines are
found six feet in diameter, and of enormous height. The "bull
pine,''' is found in all parts of the county, but is almost worthless ex-
cept for timber, and very inferior, even for that. Indeed, we may
here properly remark that we have very little "hard wood"' timber,
that is of much value except for fuel. All kind of oaks that grow here
are brittle and worthless. The ash is rare and inferior, and almost
all our supplies of oak, ash and hickory are brought from the East.
The laurel is a beautiful wood for furniture, but of little value for
other purposes.
Where man has not changed the natural condition of things, the
surface of all our valleys is densely covered for several months of the
year with clover, wild oats, and flowers of great beauty, which afford
food and covert to great numbers of quail, hare and rabbits. The
larger valleys are in some parts quite narrow, where the foot-hills
project at a large angle. Their surface is also diversified by isolated
hills, which stand like green islands in an ocean of level verdure.
WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY.
The mountains on the westerly side of Napa Valley put forth va-
rious spurs and foot-hills, forming several minor valleys. Among
these, on the southerly slope, are Carneros and Hwichica Valleys, and
on the eastern, near Napa City, Brown's Valley, one of the most
fertile and picturesque in the State. On the eastern declivity rises a
small stream called Napa Creek, which empties into Napa River at
Napa City. This creek, like all the water-courses in California, car-
ries a large volume of water in the rainy season, but is insignificant
in summer, although never wholly dry.
In early spring, during the spawning season, salmon of large size,
are often caught in these streams, many miles from tide water.
The writer has caught several that weighed from 7 to ioi- pounds
in the Carneros, five miles from its mouth, where the water was
not a foot deep. Many are stranded upon the shoals when the
water falls, upon the cessation of the rains.
NAPA COUNTY— GENERAL DESCRIPTION. $ 7
Gold has been found in small quantities in Huichica Creek, but
none has ever been found in Napa county in paying- quantities.
Another creek rising in the same range, called Sulphur Creek, and
passing through the canon upon which the celebrated White Sul-
phur Springs are situated, two miles west from St. Helena, runs
eastward into Napa River. Cinnabar has been found in these moun-
tains, and several claims are now being worked, further notice of
which will be found in the chapter on mines and minerals. Red-
wood timber was formerly abundant upon the lower portion of this
range, but it is now rapidly disappearing. The demand for building
purposes and fencing has increased so rapidly that our supplies are
now mostly obtained from Mendocino and Humboldt.
EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY.
The range of mountains bounding Napa Valley on the East, are
generally somewhat higher than those on the West, and of the same
geological character. Seen from the valley, these mountains pre-
sent a most picturesque and varied outline. Indeed, in our won-
derfully clear Summer atmosphere, ever)- mountain seems where
meeting the sky, sharp cut as a cameo, exhibiting its dark green fo-
liage in vivid contrast with the cloudless blue of the heavens.
The passes through this range to the series of valleys Eastward,
are generally steep and difficult in their present condition, although
heavy sums have been expended in improving them. None, how-
ever, are beyond the skill of the engineer, with an adequate outlay.
The principal road at present in use through this range is the one
leading from Napa City to Monticello in Berryessa Valley, and
thence to Knoxville and Lower Lake. Knoxville is the seat of the
celebrated Redington Mines, and was named after Mr. Knox, the
first lessee of the mines, of which we shall have occasion to speak
hereafter. This road was built partly by a subscription of $4,000,
and partly by contributions from the General Road Fund, and the
Road Funds of the Districts through which it passes. Its original
cost was about $12,000, and a large amount has since been expen-
ded upon it. Two roads cross the range from St. Helena by v..i\
of Howell Mountain to Pope Valley. The "old road ' is now
38 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
little used. The new grade, surveyed by T. J. Dewoody, formerly
County Surveyor, is one of the best mountain roads in the State.
The steepest grade in it is one foot in eight. Another road passes
from Calistoga, over the South side of Mt. St. Helena to Lake
County, another South-westward to Santa Rosa, the County Seat of
Sonoma, and another Westward to Russian River Valley and Healds-
burg.
In the range separating Pope Valley from Napa are numerous
Quicksilver mines, which are now being successfully worked, at-
tracting a considerable immigration, and affording a home market
for many farm products. Cinnabar is found in this range for a dis-
tance of twenty miles North of the Pope Valley Mines. Another
road passes from Napa Valley through Conn Valley and canon,
into Chiles Valley, which is connected with Pope, only a low "di-
vide " intervening. This road presented to the engineers most for-
midable difficulties, the canon through which the road passes for
some five or six miles, being very steep on both sides, and so nar-
row as to afford only room for a small stream called Conn Creek.
This creek when suddenly swollen by rains often rises to a great
height within a few hours, sweeping every thing before it. The
road formerly passed along its bed, but of course, in the rainy s
son it was useless as a highway. The grade has been raised and great-
ly improved, being protected for long distances by substantial stone
walls. Portions of it, however, are still very steep and narrow, and
a large sum will be necessary to make it a good road even for Sum-
mer travel. To place it beyond the reach of floods would probably
require a much higher grade and a reconstruction of the whole
road.
THE MINOR VALLEYS.
The valleys East of the mountains separating Napa Valley from
Pope are comparatively narrow and short, and are connected by
roads passing over moderate elevations. Beginning with Coyote
Valley in Lake County, on the North we pass into Pope Valley over
a very steep hill, high enough to pass for a mountain in England.
The latter valley is about ten miles long, and in some places three
miles wide. It is dotted over with fine oaks, with occasional pines
NAPA COUNTY— GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 39
and madronas. A large portion of it is excellent grain land ; other
parts being gravelly and sandy, would be better adapted to fruit or
vines. It is still very sparsely settled, except immediately about the
quicksilver mines, and the price of land is very moderate. This
valley is connected with Chiles by a road which passes over a low
' ' ' divide. " Chiles Valley is about five miles long, and is very fertile.
In a southerly direction are Gordon Valley, about five miles long,
and Wooden Valley, of still less dimensions. Connected with the
valleys thus far named, and at various angles on both sides of the
mountains, where the main range is broken into branches extending
easterly or westerly, are numerous smaller valleys, each having a
communication more or less direct with all the rest. Thus Foss,
Wild Horse, Wooden, Gordon and Conn Valleys connect directly
with the main valley of Napa.
The valleys of Lake county are also connected with each other
and with those of Napa, forming a chain of valleys, large and small,
each of which has its own peculiar beauty. Among them are many
only large enough for a single farm, but all possess similar charac-
teristics of soil and climate. Some of them are apparently encir-
cled wholly by mountains as is a jewel by its setting, beautiful in
themselves, yet almost completely isolated. About twelve miles
Northeast from Napa City on the east side of the dividing ridge, is
the small but beautiful Capel Valley, apparently shut out from all
the world, but connected with Napa City by a mountain road, and
with Berryessa Valley by a canon six miles long. Coal has been
found here, but little is known of its extent or value.
East of Pope Valley is another range of mountains, some of which
are very lofty and precipitous. Commencing at the Redington Mines,
which are near the Northerly boundary of the County, the traveler
passes Southeastwardly through Sulphur Canon. This canon is very
steep and narrow, but occasionally widening out so as to afford a
limited area of arable land. It is about twelve miles long, and is
traversed by a small creek, with high and steep banks, very crooked,
and crossing the road many times, making a difficult thoroughfare
for the traveler.
This cafion opens into Berryessa Valley, which is about fourteen
miles long, and from one to three miles wide, next in size to Napa
Valley, and scarcely second to it in [beauty and productiveness. It
40 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
has been settled within the past four years, and yields a very large
amount of wheat of the best quality. The new town of Monticello
is in this valley, about twenty-five miles from Napa City.
An almost continuous wall of exceedingly steep and lofty moun-
tains separates Sulphur Canon and Berryessa Valley on the east
fsom the level lands of Yolo and the Sacramento plains. The
northern part of this range has, from its perpendicular western side
and level, horizontal outline, received the local name of "Table
Mountain."
Berryessa Valley is watered by Putah Creek, which at its foot takes
an easterly direction, cutting off the continuity of the mountain
chain, and passing for six miles through a most rugged, rocky and
difficult canon, and emerging into the level plain at Wolfskill's, on
the northern boundary of Solano county. Until the building of
the Putah Creek bridge and Berryessa road leading to Napa City, the
productions of Berryessa Valley could only reach a market at Sacra-
mento by traversing this canon, or at Suisun by travelling Rag Can-
on, almost equally bad, and thence by way of Gordon and Green
Valleys- But neither of these routes, bad as they were, could be
taken in winter, when the Putah was swollen, and the plains beyond
Wolfskill's were under water. The few inhabitants of the valley
four years ago, could only leave it by swimming their horses, and
crossing the mountains to Pope Valley, from which communication
to other points was practicable. The construction of the Putah
Creek bridge and the opening of the road from Monticello to Napa
have removed this difficulty, and the whole valley having been pur-
chased four or five years since by Messrs. John Lawley, J. H. Bost-
wick and Wm. Hamilton, and cut up into small farms, Berryessa
lands have risen in price 500 per cent., and are considered equal to
any^in the State for'every agricultural purpose.
CLIMATE OF NAPA COUNTY. 41
CHAPTER III.
CLIMATE OF NAPA COUNTY,
The climate in all parts of the county is mild and semi-tropical,
but varies considerably in different localities. Those portions which
are partially sheltered by mountains from the prevailing winds have
the most equable temperature, and those far from tide water have
the greatest extremes of heat and cold. In no part, however, are
these extremes so great as in the northern counties of the State. The
contrast between the climate of San Francisco and other towns 013
or near the ocean and that of the interior is remarkable. The
change is as great in traveling from San Francisco to Napa, distant
only fifty miles, as from New York to Florida. When the lightest
summer clothing is worn in Napa, heavy overcoats are generally
quite comfortable near the ocean. San Francisco has a more equa-
ble temperature than the interior, and is free from frosts throughout
the year, but it is always many degrees colder, and exposed, during
a portion of the year, to a harsh sea breeze and heavy fogs, which
42 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
are unpleasant to strangers. The lower end of Napa Valley is open
to the breeze, which passes northeasterly throughout its entire length,
about forty-five miles, and keeps down the extremes of heat and
cold to a remarkable degree. The lower part of the valley, south
of Napa City, being level, is exposed to its direct action, but not to
so great an extent as to be disagreeable. The wind is greatly modi-
fied in its force and temperature in passing over the warm surface of
the land, and its effects are felt less and less as it penetrates inland.
Probably the pleasantest climate is found in and near Napa City.
The sea breeze, by passing over a long stretch of level land, loses
its roughness, and yet keeps down the heat of summer, and renders
the winters mild. The farther north, in the valley, the greater the
extremes of temperature. About Napa City the thermometer scarce-
ly ever gets beyond So , although it has been, in rare instances, as
high as 105 °. In winter ice is sometimes formed at night half an
inch thick upon standing water, but it disappears the next morning
before the heat of the sun. Snow is a great rarity in this part of the
valley. None has fallen about Napa City, except in three instances,
during the past twenty years, and then to the depth of only half an
inch. The surrounding mountains sometimes put on a snowy man-
tle for a few hours, but it soon disappears. The towns further
North have a little more snow, being on higher ground and
further from tide water, but never sufficient to cover the ground
more than a few hours. Mount St. Helena, however, sometimes
wears its diadem of snow for several weeks. The smaller valleys,
being shut out from the sea breeze, are hotter and colder than the
valley of Napa, but there is no part of the county where out-door
work is unpleasant in the coldest part of the year. In many busi-
ness houses no fires are lighted from January- to December. In re-
gard to temperature, the climate is not unlike that of Savannah,
Georgia. [Many of the more hardy plants and vegetables grow
throughout the year. Most varieties of roses never lose their leaves,
and flowers are plucked in December. Cabbages, beets, and many
other garden vegetables grow during the winter, and hardy vegeta-
bles of several kinds are often sown as early as the first of January.
The first rains generally fall in October, and continue at intervals
until ^Iay, and by the middle of December the whole county is as
green as the Eastern States are in -May, and beautiful beyond des-
CLIMATE OF NAPA COUNTY. 43
cription. Strangers are apt to suppose that the "rainy season" is
one of continuous rain, and exceedingly unpleasant. It is, how-
ever, excepting a few days, the pleasantest part of the year, with a
bright sun and almost cloudless skies. Indeed the month of Feb-
ruary is generally the most delightful in the whole year.
No shelter is required for cattle during the rainy months. Do-
mestic animals thrive with little attention during the coldest portion
of the year. There is, however, a short period between the spring-
ing of the grass and its growth, when they require a small supply of
food. In the dry season, when the grass has withered, they still find
abundant nourishment. There being no rains in summer, the grass,
wild oats, and various kinds of clover, are changed into hay where
they grew, retaining all their nutritious qualities. The seeds also
falling to the ground, are eagerly devoured by cattle. This remark
does not apply to Napa county alone, but to most parts of Califor-
nia. The farmer here has little need of barns or sheds for any pur-
pose. In summer he can leave his grain in the field unthreshed or
in sacks. He can leave his hay in stacks without protection for
months, and is never obliged to obey the proverb about "making
hay while the sun shines," being perfectly sure that not a drop of
rain will fall before the latter part of September or the first of Oc-
tober. However, during the early part of the haying season light
showers occasionally fall. Sometimes these Spring showers are suf-
ficient to give the farmer considerable trouble about his hay, but it
is rare that they do much damage.
We have described the practice of our early farmers. It was
rough and rude enough. Many cattle were lost yearly from ex-
posure and lack of food. The later comers from the East . have
brought their ideas with them, and it is now pretty well understood
that adequate shelter for cattle is a good thing; economicallv con-
sidered. A better supply of food than the open range afforded,
is now one of the things towards which the intelligent stock-raiser
directs his attention. Under the old system, cattle could generally
live, but when the question of profit came in, it was found best to
resort to the old and sure practice of Winter feed and shelter. As
our lands become more and more subdivided, a new system will
lake place of the old, and probably, our old plan of stock-raising
may give place to another, which affords a certainty of the con-
44 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
tinued health of animals in the worst weather, and a good arti-
cle of beef for market at all times of the year.
The mean temperature in the shade, at Napa City, will be found
at the end of the volume.
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY
+ :>
SCENE FROM THE WHITE SULPHURS, NAPA COUNTY,
CHAPTER IV.
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY,
Twenty-five years have wrought a wonderful change in. this county,
in common with others. In 1S47 there was not a house in the
county, excepting a few adobe buildings, occupied by Mexicans.
There was not a store, hotel, saloon, church, or school within its
borders. There were neither roads, bridges nor fences, excepting
a few small enclosures, one of which was on the Rancho of Cayetano
Juarez, east of the river, opposite Napa City. With these excep-
tions, the whole county was open. Wild cattle and horses roamed
over the county at will. The universal mode of traveling was on
horseback, and horses were so plentiful and cheap that a rider never
hesitated, when his steed became tired, to turn him loose and lasso
the first fresh one that came to hand. In 1849 a ru( ^ e bridge was
built across Napa Creek near the line of Brown street, which fell in
the autumn of 1851, under the weight of a load of wheat belong-
4 6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
ing to J. W. Osborn, killing two horses. Another, in its place, was
built on Main street, which was carried away by a freshet in the
winter of 1852-3, and the drift and debris lodging against the trees,
threw back the waters and flooded the town. Another bridge was
built on First street the same year.
The agriculture of the Mexicans was on the most limited scale.
They had no market for agricultural products, even if they had had
the desire to extend their operations. A little wheat and corn, a few
beans, watermelons, onions, and Chile pepper, for home consump-
tion — these were all they produced in this garden spot of the world.
Even in 1850, when onions and eggs commanded 50 cents a piece,
and watermelons from $2 50 to $5 00, the Mexicans were too in-
dolent to supply the market, and when the Americans took posses-
sion, they soon monopolized the business of furnishing vegetables and
almost everything else that was needed by the emigrants. In gen-
eral, the Mexicans made little use of vegetables, their chief reliance
being upon beef. They were stock-raisers, not farmers. The Vallejo
rancho, (Entre Napa) the largest in the county, had in cultiva-
tion only a narrow strip along the river, three or four miles long,
and some twenty rods wide. Even this was unfenced. The Indi-
ans, of whom there were several hundreds on the rancho, built their
"wickey-ups" or wigwams at intervals along the line of the tract
cultivated, and the women and children kept watch of the cattle by
day. At night mounted Indians rode up and down the line, driving
away intruders. This was a "live fence" in the literal sense of the
term. Occasionally, in damp ground, they supplemented this with
closely planted lines of willow. The Mexicans, in general, con-
sidered most of the valley land as of little value except for stock-
raising purposes, and supposed it impossible to raise anything with-
out irrigation. For this reason they always built their adobes near a
stream of water, where they could raise the few articles of vegetable
food to which they were accustomed. It was not until after the ad-
vent of the Americans that they learned to appreciate the agri-
cultural value of their lands.
Hides and tallow were the only articles which they could exchange
for the products of other parts of the world. A fat cow was con-
sidered worth $8 — §6 for the tallow and $2 for the hide. For these
they received payment from the "droghers" along the coast, in
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 47
clothing, articles of hardware and trinkets at an enormous price.
When they stood in need of supplies from the outside world, they
collected together and slaughtered hundreds of cattle, leaving the
flesh to putrefy or be devoured by wild animals, buzzards, or In-
dians. The slaughter grounds are said by early pioneers to have
been the most disgusting places imaginable.
D. M. Howard (afterwards Howard & Melius), of San Francisco,
represented the "Boston Hide Company," and two of their clerks,
Teschemaker and J. P. Thompson used to come up the river with
launches to deliver goods and receive hides and tallow in return.
This mode of doing business continued as late as 1850. Such was
commerce in California, and Napa was in the same condition as the
rest of the State.
The first mention in a newspaper, of what is now Napa City, is in
an article in the Calif "orm'an, published by Brannan & Kemble, in
1848, in which it is stated that the ship Malek Adhel had passed up
the Napa River and found plenty of water to a certain point, and
that beyond that was the Embarcadero de Napa. There were no
buildings near the town site, excepting two adobe dwellings, one oc-
cupied by Nicholas Higuera and the other by Cayetano Juarez. The
site of the original city was a field of beans in 1 847, and contained
only a few acres, bounded East by the river, west by the line of
Brown street, and extending six hundred yards from the creek to
the present steamboat landing.
In consequence of the enormous prices of lumber and labor,
buildings were often imported from Norway and the Eastern States
ready framed, and some of them are still standing. Three of these
united in one formed Gregg & Seawell's store, and now constitute a
portion of the German Hotel on the corner of Brown and First
streets. The store lately occupied by A. Y. Easterby & Co., and the
store opposite (burned several years since), a portion of the old
Court House, the Napa Stable, the first building erected at Oak
Knoll, a small store erected for Lawrence & Kimball, and the pres-
ent residence of Geo. N. Cornwell, Esq., on First street, were
among these imported buildings. As an example of prices in those
days, we give this illustration. In 1849 Vallcjo & Frisbie (Don
Mariano de Yallejo and John C. Frisbie) had three stores, one in
Napa, one at Benicia, and another at Sonoma, in which Geo. N.
4 3 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Cornwell, Esq., was also interested, and acted as superintendent.
He states that the lumber for the Napa store cost delivered at Bdde-
ga Mills, S300 per thousand feet. The freight by wagons by way of
Sonoma was $80, and it was thence shipped to Napa upon boats be-
longing to the firm. Mr. Cornwell also paid to John Wooden in
1849, f° r tw0 string-pieces for a bridge sixty feet long, $100 each !
The same year he fenced forty acres of barley on what is now called
" Comwell's Addition, " with rails that cost one dollar each. He
paid $400 for threshing the barley in Mexican style, $400 for a fan-
ning mill, and $125 each for old fashioned cradles. However, he
had the satisfaction of getting his money back, as he raised sixty or
seventy bushels of barley to the acre, and sold it at from eight to
fifteen cents per pound.
Early in May, 1848, the first building was erected in Napa City.
It was a story and a half high, and in size 18x24 feet, and was built
by Harrison Pierce for a saloon. The building is still standing and
in good condition. It is near the river on the South side of Third
street, and in the same enclosure with the "Shade House." The
lumber for this building was sawn by Ralph Kilburn, Harrison
Pierce, and Wm. H. Nash, at Bale & Kilburn'' s mill, two miles above
St. Helena, and was hauled to Napa by Wm. H. Nash. Six build-
ings were framed the previous Winter at these mills, and shipped to
Benicia and San Francisco. Lumber was then worth only $40 per
thousand. The town site had been recently surveyed, and nothing"
but lines of stakes showed the locations of streets and lots, and even
these were not easily found, being well nigh concealed bv a luxu-
riant growth of wild oats. Most of the land now covered bv the
town was mowed in 1848 b}' John Trubody, who had a contract for
supplying hay to the Government. The pioneer building was first
put together, all excepting the rafters, and located, by mistake, in
the middle of Main street. Nicholas Higuera and Harrison Pierce
discovered the mistake, and the frame was pushed back to its present
position and completed. On the 8th of May gold was discovered,
and the building left unoccupied. On the 20th of May, the owner,
Harrison Pierce, Wm. H. Nash, Ralph Kilburn, John Kelley, Frank
Kellogg, William McDonald, Hiram Acres and Benj. Duell, (to-
gether with an old Indian, Guadalupe and his wife, who had been
brought from Mexico by Wm. Gordon and Pope), left Napa for the
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 49
newly discovered gold fields. Returning in the Fall the new
building was opened by Pearce as the "Empire Saloon." The
following Summer it afforded accommodations in the shape of
lodgings, and "square meals" of beef, hard bread and coffee at
$1,00 each. The first election in Napa County was held in this
building in 1847. It was subsequently occupied by various per-
sons, among others by the author, as a dwelling house. The old
sign "Empire Saloon,'' was still visible in 1857.
Other buildings, small, temporary structures, half canvas, half
redwood "shakes,"'' were erected in the Fall and Winter of 1048-9,
and a ferry established by William Russell and a partner, at a point
near the foot of Third street. There was a ford near this point,
passable at low tide. At high water men swam their horses pre-
vious to the establishment of the ferry. In 1851 a toll bridge was
built just above the site of the Vernon Mills, by J. B. Horrell,
who obtained a franchise for the same from the Court of Sessions.
The first store was opened in 1S48 by J. P. Thompson in a build-
ing erected at the foot of Main street, on the site of the Star Ware-
house. Yailejo & Frisbie's, on the point at the junction of Napa
Creek and River was the next. In the winter of 1S4S-9, the town
was almost entirely deserted by its male population, none remaining
except Geo. N. Cornwell, J. P. Thompson, and a few old men.
There was another store erected by Capt. Brackett and R. L. Kil-
burn on Main street, below the American Hotel, (occupied by
Montgomery & Cox in 1856 as a printing office), and within the next
two years several others, among which was Hart & McGarry's, on
Main street, near the site of Messrs. Goodman's Bank. It was
originally used as a dwelling, and was built by Arch. Jesse, facob
Higgins built a store on the Southwest corner of Brown and First
streets, now forming a part of German Musical Hall. ( hi the North-
wot corner was the store of Seawell & Gregg, a one story frame
building owned ami kept by J. Mount and another, subsequently
:>v Angus Hoggs, and afterwards by J. II. Howland. The shop
now occupied by M. Haller on Second street, was occupied a-
dwelling. There were two other stores on Main street, one on the
Southwest corner of Main and Second streets, and another on the
Northwest cornet occupied by Penwell & Walker. The McCombs'
4
5 o NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
building on the Northeast corner of Main and First streets, now
occupiedby Zubrick& Kiefer, was occupiedasa butcher stall bv R. M.
Hill, and for years afterwards as a saloon. On the Southeast corner was
Guthries' blacksmith shop. Excepting a few dwellings on Coombs
street, there were few buildings down to 1854, except mere shan-
ties, West of the Court House. The first of any considerable size
was the dwelling of Maj. John H. Seawell, which has since been re-
modeled and is now one of the buildings connected with Miss
McDonald's Ladies' Seminar}-. South of this street was an open
common with here and there a shanty, down as far as the residence
of Col. W. S. Jacks at Jacks' Point. The first warehouse was erec-
ted on the South side of First street, at the then steamboat landing"
but was carried off by a flood the Winter following. Anoth-
er "warehouse, was put up in 1850 by John Trubody, near
the foot of Main street, on what is known as Short street, and near-
ly in rear of the lumber yard of J. A. Jackson & Co., directly
upon the river bank, and was occupied successively as a warehouse,
store, saloon, post office, church, magistrate's office and boarding
house. It was still standing in 1871, a relic and remembrancer of
early days. Another warehouse was erected by Angus L. Boggs in
the Spring of 1851, a block North on the same street.
The first steamer which ran between Napa and San Francisco
was the Dolphin, Capt. Turner G. Baxter. She commenced running
in 1850. She was very small, not much larger than a whaleboat,
and her engine similar to that of a locomotive. Her few passen-
gers had to " trim ship ' : very carefully to keep her from upsetting.
It is said that when coming up the river, the Captain (who is very
tall) came in sight long before the smoke stack. Col. W. S. Jacks still
preserves the bell of the Dolphin as a relic. The next steamer was
the Jack Hayes, Capt. Chadwick, who was afterwards lost on the
Brother Jonathan.
In 1 85 1, the bark Josephine, which had been in Morehead's Ex-
pedition to the Gila, was purchased by Geo. N. Cornwell, and sailed
up the river by Capt. Chadwick for $100. Having been dismantled
and housed over, she was anchored to the bank of the river, near
the point of confluence of the river and creek. East of the First
street bridge, and used for several vears as a wharf-boat and store-
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 51
ship. She was ultimately sold to Wm. A. Fisher, who rented it for
the same purposes, and finally removed it on the change of the land-
ing place to the present steamboat landing.
The population in 1848 was made up of a motley collection of
ail the nations under the sun. The New England Yankee elbowed
the " Sydney duck," and the Chinaman and Neerro stood cheek bv
jowl with the Digger Indian. Napa was a favorite resort for the
miners in Winter, whether "flush'' or "dead broke."' The chief
places of business were the saloons. A store or two made its ap-
pearance, and gold scales were upon even- counter. Very little
United States coin was in circulation. Down to 1856 the medium
of exchange was either gold dust, foreign coin or a substitute for
coin issued by the Assay office of Kellogg & Humbert in San Fran-
cisco. They issued gold pieces of the value of $5, Sio, $20 and
S50, which were of full weight and equal in fineness to the Govern-
ment standard, and these were everywhere accepted as legal coin.
Without them it would have been impossible to transact business.
The French franc and English shilling passed freely at 2 5 cents, and
the five franc piece for a dollar. No silver was used smaller than a
"bit," or dime. The prices of everything, especially of labor, were
enormous. Money was the only thing that was plenty. Gambling
was the most fashionable pursuit, and men of all classes engaged in
it. San Francisco saw itself repeated on a smaller scale in our nas-
cent city. A more rollicking and reckless set of men was never
seen. Fights were hourly occurrences, and practical jokes of all
sorts were the order of the day. There were neither churches nor
schools, and practically there was no law. Each man was " a law
unto himself. " Very few had settled habitations. Rents even for
the meanest structures were enormous. The mass of the people
had no family ties to hold them in check, and there were no place>
of public resort excepting the bar-rooms, saloons and gambling
houses. It is not strange that very many of the early pioneers con-
tracted ruinous habits, causing the premature death of many, and a
life-long regret to those that survive. They lived in a fever of ex-
citement, careless of the morrow, and determined to enjoy the pres-
ent at all hazards, to the full.
With the organization of the county in 1S51, came the necessity
52 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
of a Court House. The first one was erected on the corner of
Coombs and Second streets — a small two-story structure innocent of
plastering, with Court Room below and Clerk's office above. Per-
sons sentenced for long terms were confined in the adobe jail of
Sonoma county. Petty offenders were confined in the upper story
of the Court House. This was occasionally occupied on Sundays
as a place of worship, but oftener as a hall for itinerant lecturers.
We have a vivid remembrance of having seen a Professor Some-
body, who lectured upon "Biology"' (whatever that may be), de-
scribe a double sommersault through the back window into a hogs-
head of water. This feat must have been miraculous, for the
' ' boys " declared unanimously that they had no hand in it. The
old Court House was removed on the erection in 1856 of the pres-
ent structure, and is now used as a tailor's shop on Main street.
The corner stone of the present Court House was laid in the
Summer of 1856, with Masonic ceremonies. The jail occupied
about half the first story. It has since been entirely re-modelled —
a new jail erected in rear of the building — a fire-proof vault con-
structed for the offices of the Clerk and Recorder, rooms fitted up
for the Supervisors, Judges, and other county officers, and the po-
sition of the cupola changed. Indeed, it is probable that money
enough has been expended in altering and adding to the original
building to erect a new one. It is evident that with the rapid in-
crease of population the Court House building and jail will be in-
adequate, making the erection of new and larger buildings an abso-
lute necessity.
The Court House Plaza was occupied by Lawley & Lefferts as a
lumber yard in 1855. ^ na d long been a vacant lot covered knee-
deep in tar weed. After the erection of the county buildings, the
Supervisors contracted with John H. Waterson, (afterwards for many
years Deputy Sheriff), to build a fence around it for §572. In 1857,
A. D. Pryal took the contract for grading the grounds and planting
shrubbery. The expense was met partly by an appropriation of
$200 by the Supervisors, and partly by private subscription.
Napa City was laid off as a town by Hon. Nathan Coombs in
the Spring of 1848. The original limits of the town included
only the land included between Brown street and the river, and ex-
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 53
tending 600 yards from Napa Creek to the steamboat landing.
Captain John Grigsby and Mr. Coombs built a building for Nicholas
Higuera and took this tract of land in payment, Shortly after Capt.
Grigsby sold out his interest to Mr. Coombs. They had taken a bond
for a deed, but when the conveyance was finally made, Mr. Coombs
purchased and had included in it, an additional tract, including the
land now known as "the Commons."
Several other "additions" to the original town plat have since
been made, by various owners of lands adjoining it. Among them
are Thompson's, Briggs & Russell's, Hills', Hartson's, Corn well's,
and Lawley's Additions, all which are now considered for all legal
purposes, as portions of Napa City.
The town was formerly divided into "Napa AUa ,: and "Napa
Abajo" — upper and lower Napa, the latter constituting Thomp-
son's Addition of over 100 acres, and these names are sometimes
still used in descriptions of land. The Embarcadero, or landing, at
the head of navigation, and the ford just above it, determined the
location of the town. There being no bridges in those days, gave
the ford much importance.
From 1849 to 1854, the population both of city and county had
increased largely. Most of the valley lands were taken up by Amer-
ican immigrants, fenced and put under cultivation, yet large tracts
remained untouched. The Spanish Grants, which covered all the
best lands in \he county, for a long time, checked immigration, as
no valid title could be secured. A large portion of the immigrants
therefore became "squatters," to the great annoyance of the Gran*
holders, who had to pay the taxes upon their lands, while the squat-
ters had the free use of them, and bade them defiance. But for
this fact doubtless the population of the county would be don
what it is to-day.
Still, the soil and climate are so very inviting that even at this
early day they attracted people from abroad, and there was a con-
stant increase of business and population. In 1854 Napa City could
boast of a population of 500 or 400 people, and about forty build-
ings, mostly of a temporary character. The American Hotel was
erected in 1850 by Nathan Coombs, Lyman Chapman and Samuel
Starr: and the Napa Hotel, by James Harbin the year following,
54 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Several lodging houses and restaurants had previously been opened,
as apendages to saloons. In addition to the American and Napa
Hotels, there were in 1854 a blacksmith shop on First Street, near
the corner of Main ; a butcher shop on the corner, kept by R. M.
Hill; a restaurant just below it, kept by Sanderson; a saloon just
below it, kept by J. M. Dudley, and a store kept by J. C. Penweli
and A. B. Walker, on the present site of the Bank of Napa. On
the east side of Main Street were Charles Hoit's store, the Shade
House, and a few temporal*}- buildings, mostly occupied as saloons,
or restaurants. Arch Jesse built a dwelling, afterwards used by
Hunt & McGregory as a store, where Goodman & Co.'s banking
house now stands.
In the fall of 1855, the first brick building was erected by John
S. Robinson. It is a small dwelling house, now occupied by John
Simmons, gardener. The same year the first church edifice (Pres-
byterian) and the first school house were erected. The church has
since been remodeled "and improved, so that it bears little resem-
blance to the original edifice. In 1856 Wm. H. James, in connec-
tion with Thomas Earl, erected a brick block on the corner of Main
and First Streets. Adjoining it on the west, A. W. Norton soon af-
terwards built a brick blacksmith shop. These now form a part of
Edgington's block. The numerous other structures since erected
need not here be noted.
On the 4th of July, 1856, appeared the first newspaper published
in Napa City — the Napa Couxty Reporter, by A. J. Cox. The
writer of this chapter was the first subscriber, and has the subscrip-
tion book still in his possession. Further reference to this subject
will be found in another chapter.
As late as 1856, very little effort had been made to improve the
streets or highways. Both were almost impassable in the rainy
season. There were only two places in Main Street where a pedes-
trian could cross, one opposite the American Hotel, and the other
nearly opposite the Napa House. The crossings were made of bund-
les of straw thrown into the mud till the bottom was found. Woe
to the unlucky wight who got belated, or who had too much '•tangle-
toot" aboard. A single misstep would send him in mud up to the
middle, to flounder out as best he might. The streets in wet weath-
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY.
:o
cr resembled mud canals rather than thoroughfares for men or horses.
In summer they dried up and became solid enough, but were full of
undulations, and not very gentle or regular ones. They soon be-
came, owing to much travel and the passage of heavy teams, cut up
into deep ruts, and canopied with intolerable clouds of dust, through
which people floundered over a strange mosaic of rubbish, cast-oft'
clothing, empty bottles and sardine boxes. These were the days in
which ever) 7 man wore heavy boots over his pantaloons, and, in the
winter time, was covered to the knees with mud, while in summer
he choked in a cloud of dust; and every one laughed at these annoy-
ances, knowing that they were common to all, and the necessary
concomitants of a new settlement in a wild unoccupied country.
From 1856 the town increased steadily, though not rapidly, in
business and population. The statistical tables at the end of this
volume will afford much interesting data in regard to the progress of
this beautiful young city.
The first bank was established by J. H. Goodman & Co., Septem-
ber 1 st, 1858. It proved of great public utility, and is still in suc-
cessful operation.
A telegraph line was built to Yallejo the same year. It was built
by a company of twelve citizens of Napa, of whom the writer was
one, who subscribed $ioo each, the number of shares being twen-
ty-five. The remaining shares were taken by Mr. Lambert, who
put up the wires and superintended everything. It was not erected
for profit but for public convenience, and never paid the stockhold-
ers for their original investment. Indeed, it was impossible that it
should, as the rates were well nigh prohibitory. A message of ten
words cost fifty cents. Then it passed over another line to Benicia
at the same cost, and finally over a third line to San Francisco for
fifty cents additional, making $1.50 for sending a message often
words fifty miles !
Another line from Napa City to Calistoga was built in 1S67.
Both lines have since been transferred to the Western Union
Telegraph Company.
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
THE XAPA VALLEY RAILROAD.
The Napa Valley Railroad Company was chartered by the Legis-
lature of 1864-5, and a clause inserted leaving the question to the
people whether or not to vote a subsidy of $5,000 per mile from
Napa City to Calistoga, and $10,000 per mile from Napa City to
Soscol, payable in bonds of the County bearing ten per cent, inter-
est and payable in twenty years. The subsidy was voted by a large
majority, and the road was built from Napa to Soscol immediately.
In the Spring of 1867 it was extended to Calistoga, its present ter-
minus. Under a special Act of the following Legislature the Board
of Supervisors were authorized to issue County bonds for the fur-
ther sum of 830,000 to reimburse the Directors for advances made
to procure the necessary rolling stock. After some litigation the
bonds were issued. The indebtedness of the County was thus heav-
ily increased, to pay the interest on which her citizens were to pay
thirty cents on the Si 00 in the shape of taxes. Under the former
assessment taxes as high as sixty and one-half cents was paid. The
County received in exchange for her own bonds those of the rail-
road, and default having been made in the payment of the interest,
outside holders of the bonds foreclosed, and the road passed into
the hands of the California Pacific Railroad Company, and subse-
quently into those of the Central Pacific. The County thus lost her
interest in the road altogether.
Looking at the facts thus far presented, it would seem that the
County had made a very bad bargain. But in fact, the County has-
been evidently a great gainer. An impetus has been given to even-
branch of business, and both County and City have awaked as if
from a long slumber. The value of land in the upper half of the
County has been enhanced from 100 to 300 per cent., and this
advance alone would repay the subsidy four-fold. The railroad, by
giving us the means of rapid communication with San Francisco,
and all parts of the State, and the East, has called attention to our
town and valley, and caused a heavv immigration of the best class
of citizens. If the railroad were to be removed, a million of dol-
lars would not cover the loss. It is not here intended to defend or
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 57
apologize for the management, or heavy rates of fare and freight
charged on this road, but merely to state the general proposition, that
nothing yet has done so much to call forth the latent resources of the
County, and increase her wealth and population, as the railroad.
The upper portions of the valley have been specially benefitted.
St, Helena and Calistoga have risen into thriving towns, and lands
in their vicinity are dotted over with vineyards and villas, where
nothing of the kind before existed. Within five years it will double
the population and wealth of this county, and the market value of
ever}* acre.
The progress of the town has never been rapid until within the
past two years. Still it has been constant and sure.
From 1854 to 1858 there was a period of stagnation all over the
State, and Napa made comparatively small progress. There was lit-
tle immigration. The Ham- Meigs frauds were followed by heavy
bank failures, and the organization of the Vigilance Committee in
San Francisco produced many disastrous results in city and country
alike. Still, more and more attention was given to agriculture.
Some small exportations of wheat were made, and individuals here
and there commenced the planting of vineyards. The discovery of
the Frazer River Mines in 1858, for a while depleted the population
of California, and rendered real estate almost unsaleable.
In 1862 the discovery of rich mines in Washoe, poured immense
wealth into the State, and city and county received a fresh impul
In spite of the war between the States, business and population in-
creased, and Napa shared in the general advancement.
Instead of having no churches and no schools as in 1858. we
have now seven churches, several of them fine edifices, a Collegia: •
Institute, a flourishing Ladies' Seminar}-, two public school hou- -
and several private schools.
The " Town of Napa City ' was incorporated and the provisions
of a special Act of the Legislature, passed at the session of 1S71-2.
and the first officers were elected under its provisions on the 6th <»•
May, 1S72. John Even, J. A. Jackson, T. F. Raney, Henry Fow-
ler and Louis Brack constituted the first Board of Trustees E.
Biggs was elected Marshal, and C. E. Comstock Treasurer ; S. E.
Smith Clerk of the Hoard.
5 8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
The town had long needed a separate and independent organiza-
tion for the protection of its citizens and for securing a better local
government than could be well furnished by a Board of Supervi-
sors. The municipal regulations established thus far appear to
work advantageously and economically. No public debt has been
thus far created, and it is safe to say that our citizens will never con-
sent to the election of a Board of Trustees that will create anv city
indebtedness. The income of the corporation is small, and its ex-
penses small in proportion, yet the beneficial efforts of a city organ-
ization are already manifest on every hand.
A constant improvement in streets, sidewalks and buildings has
gone forward with the increase of population and wealth. The
principal streets, formerly almost bottomless in Winter, are filled
with gravel or stone, and the buildings are generally of a better class
than are commonly found in a place of the size of Napa City. Many
of the private residences are elegant and substantial structures.
The town is mostly built of wood, excepting its principal business
houses, the grain warehouses, banks, and the Collegiate Institute.
Thousands of shade trees and shrubs have been planted within a few
years, adding greatly to the beaut}' of the town, which now ranks as
one of the most pleasant and prosperous in the State. In general,
each citizen owns his own house and lot, and the evidences of good
taste and thrift are seen on every hand.
The towns of St. Helena, Yountville and Calistoga have im-
proved quite as rapidly as Napa City. St. Helena, in particular, has
grown into a place of importance. It is one of the most beautiful
villages in the State, and is the center of the vineyard district, which
produces an immense amount of wine and brandy for exportation.
All the quicksilver from the Redington, Manhattan, California, and
Pope Valley Mines is transferred to the cars at St. Helena on its
way to Napa City. From present indications it is probable that
Yountville may eventually dispute the palm with her in the export
of wines. Calistoga is also growing into a considerable inland busi-
ness center, being the Northern terminus of the valley railroad, and
a center of trade for the people of Lake County. Monticello, in
• Berryessa Valley, is a new town, not five years old. It is improving
year by year, and has now 300 or 400 inhabitants. Several stores,
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 59
a fine hotel, and most kinds of mechanics' shops, accommodate the
inhabitants of this great wheat region. Knoxville (now again
a part of Napa County), has grown up since the discover}' of the
Redington Quicksilver Mines eleven years ago, into an important
business place. Ten years ago its site was called the "Buck-Horn
Ranch," with only a single house upon it.
The great outlines of valley and mountain remain as in early
days, but the filling up of the picture is entirely different. Three
elegant and substantial stone bridges span Napa River and creek at
the County Seat.
The roads are everywhere greatly improved throughout the coun-
ty. The principal one — that from Napa City to Calistoga being
heavily gravelled for eighteen miles to St. Helena. Beyond that
point the soil is such as to require little more. This is also true of
the valley road East .of the river. Many more and important roads
have been opened, and substantial bridges built wherever needed
for public convenience.
We have now manv beautiful drives, comparatively free from
dust, most of the heavy teams having left the highways, and the
freighting business having been transferred to the railroad. Popu-
lation is increasing all along the line of the road, and new build-
ings, many of them elegant mansions, are becoming numerous,
where room existed before the advent of the iron horse. The great
ranches of other days have been, and are being constantly subdivi-
ded and cultivated. The result is better and more thorough culti-
vation, increased production, the multiplication of schools and
churches, and the general improvement of the county.
There are very few spots on the earth's surface more beautiful than
Napa Valley, especially in Spring-time. The magnificent moun-
tain scenery on both sides, the rich verdure of grain-fields, vineyards
and orchards, the scattered oaks in foliage, and the cosy dwellings
embossed in flowers and shrubbery, form a picture of surpassing
loveliness, which thousands of travellers and tourists have already
learned to appreciate. Every year increases their number, as the
valley increases its attractions. If it is lovely now, with only twen-
ty-two years of cultivation and improvement, what will it be twen-
veare hence, when taste and wealth shall have completed its
adornment?
60 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
But it is not alone the beauty of this county that commends it.
The soil and climate of Napa are almost unrivalled. We have nei-
ther extreme heat, nor extreme cold. The land is remarkably fer-
tile, even far up among the foot-hills. There has never been a fail-
ure of crops since its settlement by Americans, an assertion that
can be truly made by few other counties in the State.
The means of communication and transportation are ample from
almost all parts of the county. The cross-roads of the main valley
and those leading to the minor valleys all serve as feeders to the
valley railroad. There are two daily lines up and down from Calis-
toga, passing through St. Helena, Oakville, Yountville, and Napa
City, to Vallejo, and connecting at that point with steamers for San
Francisco, so that a resident of almost any part of the county can
visit the Metropolis and return within twenty-four hours, while from
most parts of the valley the same journey can be made in twelve
hours. A tri-weekly steamer also runs between Napa City and San
Francisco, and a large freighting business is done by means of
schooners.
There are six feet of water at Napa City at high tide, in the dryest
season. Many vessels of one hundred tons are constantly employed
in river transportation. Napa, is moreover, directly connected by
rail, express and telegraph with all the lines in California and the At-
lantic States. Thus connected with all points, and possessing within
itself so many elements of attraction, it is evident that Napa must
alwavs be a favorite resort of tourists, and a section of the State to
which immigrants from the East will be sure to turn their attention.
SCHOOLS.
The first school house in Napa County was built by Wm. H.
Nash, near Tucker Creek, above St. Helena, in 1849. In it a pri-
vate school was taught by Mrs. Forbes, whose husband perished with
the Donner party in 1846.
PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 61
In no respect has the county made greater progress than in the
facilities provided for education. Down to 1854 there was not a
public school in Napa County. Two or three private schools were
opened previous to that time. In 1855 a public school house was
erected by subscription in Napa City, which is still occupied as a
school for colored pupils.
In 1857 there were only 911 children in the county (this includ-
ing Lake) between the ages of four and eighteen years, and only
thirteen teachers. In 1858 the official returns show that less than
half the children between four and eighteen attended school. Labor
was so dear that parents generally could not well afford to send their
boys to school more than a short time during the Winter, and many
did not care to send them at all. A large proportion of the popula-
tion then consisted of hardy and worthy frontiersmen who had little
appreciation of the value of book-learning, and who considered it
more important to teach their sons how to ride a wild mustang and
handle a rifle with skill, than to fathom the mysteries of grammar or
arithmetic.
It is gratifying to note the great change in public sentiment which
has since taken place with regard to the importance of education.
Probably no county in the State of like population is now better sup-
plied with facilities for education than Napa. Besides the Collegiate
Institute and Ladies' Seminary at Napa City, both institutes of high
merit, the county has now thirty-five public schools. Many of
the school houses are neat and commodious edifices, such as would
compare well with those of the Eastern States.
The present public school house in Napa City was erected in
1868-9, upon a lot 240 feet square, at a cost of about §17,000, the
cost being defrayed by a special tax upon the inhabitants of the Dis-
trict. It is an elegant and commodious building, and accommodates
300 pupils. Very commodious and elegant school houses have
also been erected at St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville and Soscol,
and many others of smaller dimensions at various points throughout
the county.
By the Report of the Superintendent it appears that there were on
.the 30th day of January, 1872, 2,071 children in these districts be-
tween the ages of five and fifteen, and 1,01 1 under the age of five
62 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
years. Of these, from five to fifteen, i,on were boys and 999
girls. Number attending public schools, 1,533; private schools,
100 ; attending no schools, 446. The total expenses of these
schools for the year was $26,136.50, of which $23,460 was for
buildings and apparatus ; $23,092.51 for teachers' salaries ; $142.34
for libraries, and $2, 3 14. 3 5 for rents, repairs, and contingent expen-
ses. Number of school houses of wood, thirty-six, of concrete, 1 .
Male teachers, 21 ; females, 23 ; average wages of male teachers,
$77.58 ; female, $67.10.
It is most gratifying to record such a progress in school matters.
Few portions of the New England or Middle States are better sup-
plied with the facilities for a good Common School education than
Napa County. The schools are generally well attended, and are
accomplishing much good for the great success of the rising gene-
ration. Of course they can, here as elsewhere, only furnish the ru-
diments of a thorough education, but even these are of incalculable
value. For those who desire to study higher branches, the Colle-
giate Institute and the Young Ladies' Seminary in our own county
furnish ample facilities. In addition to these two excellent institu-
tions, Prof. C. W. Blake has lately opened a high school for boy.-,
at which a limited number can be accommodated, and instructions
given in all the higher branches, including the Classics. Also, in
connection with the Public School of St. Helena, one of the finest
Public Schools of the county, there has for several years been a
department especially designed for giving instruction in the higher
branches. The State University and Normal School also
furnish to the youth of California the means of persuing a course
of study as thorough and comprehensive as in the best institutions of
older States. For the present flourishing condition of our schools,
the thanks of the public are due especially to Rev. Mr. Higbie, Rev.
E. J. Gillespie, and the present Superintendent, Rev. G. W. Ford.
They have done their utmost to secure the co-operation of our citizens
in elevating the standard of instruction, in promoting the building of
proper school edifices, the purchase of libraries, and in securing
teachers of sound attainments and character. Excepting San Fran-
cisco, there is probably no county in the State that has a more ef-
ficient corps of teachers, or that can boast a higher standard among
pupils.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 63
CHAPTER V.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY.
In the earlier records there appears considerable confusion ; ap-
parently it took some time for the people to understand whether
they were under Mexican or American rule. The first deed re-
corded in this county is dated April 3d, 1S50, from Nicholas 11:
iruera " of the County of Napa and State of California " to John
I '. Brown, and acknowledged before M. H. N. Kendig, Recorder.
Many of the records are in the Spanish language.
The second is dated February 15th, 1850, from Nathan Coombs,
and Isabella his wife, to Joseph Brackett and |. W. Bracken "of
Napa Valley, District of Sonoma, in the Northern Department <>!
California." The property conveyed was M Lot 3 in Block 5, Nap.i
City." acknowledged before "R. L. Kilburn, Alcalde.''
The next deed recorded is dated November 29th, 1848, from
Nicholas Higuera to Joseph P. Thompson, acknowledged before
" L. W. Boggs, Alcalde of Sonoma."
64 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Another early deed is dated October iSth, 1845, from George
Roch to Jacob P. Leese, conveying the grant called "Guenoc."
It is in the Spanish language and acknowledged before "Jose de la
Rosa, Seventh Constitutional Alcalde of Sonoma.''
As illustrative of the value of money at an early day we mention
a mortgage dated October 20th, 1850, from Jose S. Berrvessa to
W. R. Basshaw, for $1,000 at 10 per cent, interest per month !
Strange to say, the money was paid within a few months.
So far as it is now possible to ascertain from the records of Napa
County there must have been an election for county officers previ-
ous to July, 1850. The date of the first entry in book "A." of
the Records of the Court of Sessions bears date August 4th, 1S51,
but there is no record extant of such an election. The first pro-
ceedings of the Court of Sessions are not recorded, but filed on
separate sheets of paper. The earliest of these bears date July
50th, 1850.
John S. Stark was Judge, and M. D. Ritchie and S. H. Sellers
were Associate Judges ; M. W. McKimmey, Sheriff, and G. N.
Cornwell, Deputy ; H. H. Lawrence was Clerk, and P. D. Bailev,
Deputy Clerk ; District Attorney, Bristol. Contract was let at the
December Term for building a Court House 20x30 feet, "to be
erected of good substantial materials, with a corridor the whole
length six feet wide, covered overhead by an extension of the roof,
the stairs to be in said corridor, outside ; the second story to be di-
vided by a hall four feet wide running through the center, and into
four rooms 13x10 feet each ; all rooms to be ceiled, both walls and
overhead ; seven doors, fifteen windows, a plain desk and railing
for the bar, and six benches eight feet long.*'
A right to establish a fern- across Napa River was granted to N.
McKimmey. Following are the rates of ferriage :
Wagon and 4 animals S3 50
3 " "2! 50 :
2 ■• 2.00.
Carriage of every kind, 1.00.
Kach horse or mule attached to carriage, =;o.
Horse or mule, and rider, 1.00.
" " without rider, 50.
Footman. 25.
Each head of cattle, 50.
R. T. MONTGOMERY
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 65
Sheep and hogs per head, 20.
Money was plenty in 1850, but not more plenty than was neces-
sary to pay such charges for crossing a small river, which every citi-
zen can wade across at numerous points free of expense.
In the proceedings of the October Term, 1850, the name of C,
Hartson first appears as District Attorney.
It used to cost something to take care of prisoners in those days.
At the May Term, 1S51, the following items were allowed:
To N. McKimmey for taking charge of prisoner,
X. McCauley, charged with the murder of Sellers,
a justice of the Peace, $126,75.
To B. F. Weed for services as guard, 280,00
E. H. Cage, " " " 121,00
J. R. McCombs, " " " 44,oo
Charles Leach, " *' " 74,oo
VV. W. Stillwagon, " " 44, 00
Win. Streets, " " " 26,00
H. H. Lawrence, room rent for prisoners, 62,50
lames N. Edmondson, guard, 1 12,00
L. Miller, " 36,00
James M. Watson, " 1 1 2,00
Erastus Pond, • • 94,00
Jason Smith, " 44, 00
81176.25
McCauley was tried and convicted at the March Term, (records
of which are missing. ) J. D. Bristol, District Attorney, was or-
dered paid Si 20 for his services.
McCauley was confined in the upper story of the building on
the southwest corner of Main and Second streets, the first story of
which was occupied by Lawrence, Kendig & Kilburn, and subse-
quently by Pauli & Schultze, Muller & Schultze, and by A. V.
Easterby & Co., as a store. Great efforts were made by his friends
to obtain a reprieve from Governor McDougal, and were finally
successful. On the day appointed for execution, one report states
that Stephen Cooper, now of Colusa, arrived from Benicia with the
rieve, but was refused a passage across Napa River at the Fern-,
and compelled by parties inimical to the prisoner to proceed up the
river to the " Trancas," some three miles North of the town in or-
6
66 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
der to cross. While he was making this brief journey, the people
took the law into their own hands, imprisoned the Sheriff and hanged
the prisoner in the room where he was confined, in spite of the re-
prieve, which they well knew was in the hands of Mr. Cooper.
At this distance of time we cannot give any details, except as they
are given to us by the pioneers of those days. All accounts agree
that McCauley was illegally hanged, but the circumstances are dif-
ferently related. Mr. Wm. H. Nash, who was subsequently one of
the Coroner's Jury in the case, slept on the night of the hanging in
the building on Brown street, then occupied by Angus L. Boggs, as
a store, and states that about two o'clock in the morning officers
from Benicia came to the door and asked Mr. Boggs if he thought
it would cause any public excitement if they attempted to serve the
notice of reprieve upon the Sheriff. Mr. Boggs thought it would
not. They returned at daylight and told Mr. Boggs that they had
visited the building where McCauley was confined, before coming
to his house, and that they had found a rope extending out of the
door of the upper story and fastened to the railing of the outer
stair. From this they were satisfied that the prisoner had been
hanged before their arrival. Whoever his executioners were, they
were never discovered. They first broke the padlock to his fetters
and hanged him by one of the collar beams of the building. The
evidence was that he was hanged by " persons unknown."
At the same term John B. Howell received a charter for a Toll
Bridge across Napa River, (near Vernon Mills), for twelve years.
Tariff of charges : 4 horse team, $1.00 ; 2 horse team, 75 cents ;
50 cents for horse and buggy ; 28 cents for horse and rider, and
1 2 § cents for footmen.
County Order No. 1 was issued to the Assessor for $258, for his
services.
At the June Term, Judges Johnson Horrell and M. D. Ritchie
presiding, the first licenses were issued, as follows :
To Hart & McGarry to sell foreign and domestic goods one year,
and to retail liquors six months. Joseph Mount to sell foreign and
domestic goods one year, and liquors three months at "Our
House/' also to sell liquors at his public house. Also, licenses to
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 67
sell liquors granted to James G. Baxter, Stephen Broadhurst and L.
Miller.
$150 allowed H. H. Lawrence for rent of room six months for
offices of Recorder, Treasurer, and County Clerk.
At a special session held in July, 1 851, the Court examined the
new Court House.
Hon. E. W. McKinstry was in 1851 a practising lawyer in this
county.
At the August Term it appears that fifty cents on $100 was levied
for general county purposes, and twenty-five cents on $100 to pay
for the Court House. Edward H. Cage and E. G. Phelps were
allowed for guarding the body of Hamilton McCauley $64 each.
Joel P. Walker S200 for services as Assessor, and J. D. Bristol
$200 for services as District Attorney.
At the October Term Hon. Johnson Horrell was presiding Judge
and Matthew D. Ritchie, associate. License to Soscol Fern' re-
newed to M. G. Vallejo and M. Brookerman on payment of §200.
Rates of ferriage: 4 horses and wagon, $1.50; two horses and
wagon, $1 ; horse and buggy, 75 cents ; horse and rider, 50 cents ;
footman, 25 cents.
At the April Term, 1852, Hon. Johnson Horrell presided. M.
D. Ritchie and David H. Steele were associate Justices. N.
McKimmey, Sheriff; C. Hartson, District Attorney, and John H.
Seawell, Clerk. Edward McGarry resigned the office of Treasurer,
to which he had been elected at the general election on the 3d day
of September, 1851. Of this election no record can be found.
Joseph D. Bristol was appointed Treasurer, vice McGarry resigned.
E. A. d'Hemecourt was at this date Countv Survevor. At the
May Term, 1852, Jesse C. Penwell was appointed Assessor in place
of Wm. H. Nash, resigned.
VALUE Of LANDS IX 1 85 2.
At the July Term the Salvador Ranch assessed at $5, was raised
to $10. L. YV. Boggs, 600 acres, raised from $5 to $S. John
Grigsby's land assessed at $6, was raised to $8 per acre. Lands of
68 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
J. S. Stark, Wm. H. Nash, M. D. Ritchie, R. L. Kilburn, F. E.
Kellogg, Fowler & Hargrave, Henry Owsley, Enoch Cyrus, and J.
York, raised from $3 to $5 per acre. Nicholas Higuera, 1,200
acres at $4, raised to $7. Ingle & Cook, 2,560 acres, raised from
$1.50 to I3. Cayetano Juarez, 8,000 acres, raised from S3 to $5,
A. Fierpont & Baxter, 64 acres, raised from Si. 50 to $4. Peter D.
Bailey, 37c acres, raised from $8 to $10. Sisto Berryessa, 26,640
acres, assessed at $1.50, raised to $3. James Capel, 444 acres,
raised from $1 to $2. Estate of Pope, 8,880 acres, raised from
Si. 50 to S3. A. A. Ritchie, 39,960 acres, raised from 40 cents to
50 cents. Many other assessments on land were raised from 25 to
60 per cent.
These facts are given as illustrations of the prices of land in this
county twenty years ago. Much of the land named will now com-
mand from S70 to $100 per acre, and probably none of it could be
purchased for less than $18, except such tracts as are situated in the
mountains.
At the October Term, 1852, the County was divided into three
Townships, Yount, Hot Springs, and Napa, as it is still divided.
At this Term W. W. Culver was one of the Associate Justices.
At a Special Term held October 20th, a contract for repairing the
bridges was awarded to Paisley Thompson at $1,190. The Court
at this Term made choice by ballot of Wm. Culver and Geo. F.
Fulsom as Associate Justices.
At a Special Term, held October 23d, 1853, J U{ Jge Johnson Hor-
rell, presiding, J. H. Hatch and Wm. D. Deering, Associates, J.
M. Dudley was appointed Supervisor, vice F. E. Kellogg, resigned,
and Jotham H. Howland was appointed Public Administrator.
December 9th, 1853, Henry Edgerton was admitted an attorney
and counsellor at law.
April Term, 1854, Hon. Chancellor Hartson, presiding ; Asso-
ciate Justices Wm. D. Deering and W. H. Hatch ; A. J. Watson,
Clerk ; N. McKimmey, Sheriff.
At this time Gen. John F. Miller was a practicing attorney in this
countv.
April 6th, 1852, Board of Supervisors met. John M. Hamilton,
F. E. Kellogg and Jesse W. Whitton constituting the Board.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 69
The indebtedness of Napa County was ordered to be ascertained
by the Board of Supervisors December 6th, 1852, and found to be
Si 2,000, against which were claims against the State amounting to
$3,824.40, and the Treasurer was ordered to retain any moneys in
his hands belonging to the State until such indebtedness be paid or
liquidated.
May 3d, 1858, Sheriff McKimmey was found to be indebted to
the county $1,465.01.
October 17th, 1853, Board met, consisting of James McNeil.
Richard C. Haile, and F. E. Kellogg. Proposal of Wm. A. Fisher
to build a bridge for $1,600 across Napa Creek at the head of Main
street, accepted.
December 16th, 1853, the East room over the court room or-
dered to be appropriated as a jail.
December 19th, 1853, Edward McGarry and others authorized to
build a bridge on First street at a eost of $400.
Special Term, May 5th, 1855. John S. Robinson resigned, and
the Court appointed Archer C. Jesse to fill the office for the unex-
pired term.
August Term, 1855, Hon. Chancellor Hartson, presiding, Wm.
A. Haskin and S. Jesse, Associate Justices ; R. R. Pierpoint, Dis-
trict Attorney, H. Johnson, Sheriff, and A. J. Watson, Clerk.
December Term, 1855, Hon. C. Hartson Judge, A. B. Walker
and W. L. Webster, Associate Judges ; Henry Edgerton, District
Attorney, J. S. Stark, Sheriff, and A. J. Watson, Clerk. Supervisors.
October 2d, 1854, R. C. Haile, Wm. Baldridge and Jesse Grigsby.
April 3d, 1855, tax l evv ordered as follows : General county pur-
poses, 45 cents on $100 ; 5 cents for public schools ; 60 cents for
State purposes, and Poll Tax $3.
May 5th, 1855, Robert Crouch was appointed Sheriff, vice John
S. Robinson, resigned.
August 7th, 1855, lands were classified for assessment as follows :
All valley land between Napa City and Dry Creek, $15 per acre :
all valley land between Dry Creek and Vounts North line, $10 per
acre; all valley land between Yount.s North line to head of valley,
$7 per acre.
Special Term, May 5th, 1855.
70 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
This shows something of the value of real estate at this date. A
great portion of this same land, under its present highly cultivated
condition, could not be purchased short of from Sioo to $200 per
acre. Many of the wealthy people in the valley have become so
chiefly by this great rise in the value of real estate. If values
continue increasing as they have done in the past, it is hard to es-
timate what they will be a few years hence. The valley lands
are continually being divided and subdivided, and beautiful and
pleasant homes going up on each. Even- such improvement adds
largely to the value of the land.
On page S3, Book "A" of Supervisors Transactions, under date
of September 17th, 1S53, appears the first entry of election returns,
as follows :
For Assembly, Richard C. Haile ; County Clerk, A. J. Watson ;
Sheriff, John S. Stark; County Treasurer, Wm. H. James; Dis-
trict Attorney, Henry Edgerton ; County Surveyor, A. L. Haven ;
County Assessor, G. W. Dennison ; Superintendent Common
Schools, Wm. E. Taylor; Public Administrator, J. B. Smith; Cor-
oner, I. Ritchie ; Justices Napa Township, A. B. Walker and Pu-
laski Jacks ; Justices Yount Township, W. L. Webster and Jesse
W. Whitton ; Justices Hot Springs' Township, J. H. ^IcCord and
R. H. Lawrence.
John H. Waterson received the appointment of Under Sheriff
November 29th, 1S55.
Ordered that §1,000 be paid Charles E. Hart for a bill of sale of
the toll bridge in Napa City.
January 8th, 1856, $205.25 ordered paid to W. H. James for a
safe for the use of the county.
May 28th, 1856, contract entered into with A. C. Latson for con-
struction of Court House and Jail for the sum of $19,990. Be-
sides this sum, $350 was subsequently allowed for making box frames
with weights for windows, and $750 for a cupola.
Cornelius Coyl appointed January 27th, 1856, superintendent of
the work.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 71
COUNTY ELECTION RETURNS, 1 856.
Assembly, Thos. H. Anderson; County Surveyor, N. L. Squibb ;
Public Administrator, John Lawley ; Justices Napa Township, Pu-
laski Jacks and John Gage ; Justices Yount Township, P. F. Har-
ris and R. H. Walker; Justices Hot Springs Township, J. H.
McCord and J. Stafford ; Justices Lake Township, R. B. Houghton
and A. Brown.
COUNTY INDEBTEDNESS.
Board of Supervisors, Edward Evey, J. W. Whitton and I. N
Larrimer.
February 5th, 1857, the financial condition of the county was re-
ported as follows :
Amount funded to January 31st, 1857 §28,797.03
Probable amount to be funded 2, 500.00
Court House debt 1 1,855.41
Indigent sick debt 542.49
$41,194.93.
Amount in treasury January 31st, 1857. . . .$5,889.92
Revenue for 1856 uncollected 9,712.82
Of which about $5,000 may be available, leaving actual debt
$30,505.01.
August 31st, 1857, old Court House ordered sold to highest bid-
der.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED SEPTEMBER 2, 1857.
Representative, Thos. II. Anderson ; County Judge, Pulaski Jacks ;
' lerk, Robert Crouch ; Sheriff, John S. Stark; District Attorney,
72 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Robt. R. Pierpont; Treasurer, Wm. H. James; Assessor, A. S.
Roney ; Coroner, John Lawley ; Surveyor, N. L. Squibb ; Superin-
tendent Schools, J. C. Herron ; Public Administrator, Riley Gregg.
Justices Napa Township, J. C. Penwell and Henry Hensley ; Jus-
tices Yount Township, M. R. James and P. F. Harris ; Justices
Hot Springs Township, J. H. McCord and John Newman ; Justices
Clear Lake Township, J. Bowers and W. Crawford.
Supervisors elect, Charles H. Allen. A. F. Grigsby, W. A. Has-
kin.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 185S.
State, 70 cents on one hundred ; County, 50 cents ; Court
House, 40 cents; Schools, 5 cents; Sinking fund, 25 cents: Road
fund, 5 cents ; Special Hospital, 8 cents; Special road fund, 25
cents. Total, $2. 28.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED SEPT. 1ST, 1 858.
Assembly, Wm. R. Mathews. Justices of Napa Township, Wm.
N. Seawell, J. C. Penwell ; Justices Yount Township, J. J. May,
A. W. Guilders ; Justices Hot Springs, James H. McCord, Jona-
than Ball ; Justices Lake Township, J. F. Houx, W. W. Meredith.
Supervisors, C. H. Allen, Jesse W. Whitton, Lansing T. Musick.'
April 4th, 1859, contract for constructing Chiles Canon road
awarded to James W. Warren at $4,999. A further sum of S245
was allowed him on one section of said road. Also $500 for mak-
ing "turn-outs.
At the June Term of the District Court 1858, John H. Smith
was tried and found guilty of the murder of B. F. Taylor at Lower
Lake, Aug. 3d, 1857. Sentenced to be hanged on the 6th of Au-
gust, 185S.
June 25th, 1859, the contract for building a jail and jail yard
was awarded to Benjamin & Sandford at $7,000.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED SEPT. 7TH, I859.
Assembly, Nathan Coombs ; Sheriff, John S. Stark ; Treasurer,
John S. Woods ; District Attorney, R. D. Hopkins ; Assessor, T.
Ix *w
A. J. COX.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 73
Frank Raney ; Public Administrator, Jonathan Bell ; Superinten-
dent of Schools, John M. Hamilton ; County Surveyor, T. J. De-
woody ; Coroner, Francis Schultze ; Justices Napa Township, G.
W. Towle, S. S. Tucker ; Justices Yount Township, A. A. Hunne-
well, W. A. Childers ; Justices Hot Springs Township, Albert
Knapp, John Nusman ; Justices Lake Township, J. F. Houx, G.
A. Lyon. Supervisors, Jesse W. YVhitton, Geo. N. Cornwell, L.
T. Musick.
TAXES LEVIED FOR i860.
For county purposes, 50 cents ; sinking fund, 25 cents ; special
road fund, 25 cents ; general road fund, 5 cents ; school fund, 5
cents; hospital fund, 8 cents; Court House, 22 cents. Total,
Si. 40.
S70 allowed G. F. & H. T. Barker for furnishing and planting
eighty trees and shrubs in Court House Square.
Contract awarded to Williston & Murphy for building stone bridge
on Main street, 40 feet span, at $5,397.
Contract awarded to same parties for stone bridge in continuation
of First street, in feet span, at $11,890.
Contract awarded to Gillam, Barron & Warren for bridge across
Napa River near St. Helena, at 81,050.
September 28, i860, T. Frank Raney was allowed $85.32 for en-
rolling 1,422 persons subject to military duty.
TAXES LEVIED FOR l86l.
For State purposes, 60 cents ; for general county purposes, 50
cents ; for sinking fund, 25 cents ; for special road fund, 25 cents :
for general road fund, 25 cents; for hospital fund, 5 cents; for
school fund, 5 cents. Total, $1.95 on $100.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED SEPTEMBER 4IH. l86l.
Assembly, Edward Evey ; County Judge, Pulaski Jacks ; Coun-
ty Clerk, Robert Crouch ; Sheriff, Charles II. Allen ; County Tr
urer, Geo. E. Goodman; District Attorney, G. \Y. Towle ; As
sor, A. B« Walker ; Coroner, E, N. Boynton ; Count}- Surveyor,
74 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
T. J. Dewoody ; Superintendent of Schools, Win. Jacobs ; Pub-
lic Administrator, Thomas Earl. Justices Napa Township, John
H. Waterson, A. A. Hunnewell ; Justices Yount Township, J, J.
May, Marston Jarvis. Supervisor 2d District, W. A. Elgin. Jus-
tices Hot Springs Township, T. H. Anderson, AY. A. Haskin.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 1 862.
For State purposes, 62 cents; for county purposes, 50 cents; gen-
eral road fund, 20 cents ; hospital fund, 5 cents ; school fund, 5
cents. Total, $1.42. .
Napa Guard allowed S5 6, February nth, 1862, for two months
rent of Armory.
Alfred Higbie appointed February nth, to fill vacancy in the
office of Superintendent of Common Schools.
April 15th, 1862, Win. N. Seawell appointed Supervisor of Sec-
ond District, vice J. W. Whitton, resigned.
July gth, 1862, contract awarded to James M. Warren for build-
ing <:one bridge on First street at $9,318. Subsequently allowed
$i,4m for extra work.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED SEPTEMBER, 1 862.
Assembly, C. Hanson ; Superintendent of Schools, Alfred Hig-
bie ; Supervisors, Thos. H. Thompson, Silas Ritchie, Peter Bun-
nell ; Justices Napa Township, A. A. Hunnewell, Elijah True ;
Justices Yount Township, W. A. Childers, Stephen Mead ; Justi-
ces Hot Springs, W. A. Haskin, Henry Owsley. Number of votes
cast, 1,329.
October 13th, 1862, the amount of public debt was $26,428.57.
Indebtedness of General County Fund over revenue for ensuing
year, $492.49. Indebtedness of Road Fund over revenue,
*3-°i7-35-
OFFICERS ELECTED SEPTEMBER, 1 863.
Senator 1 8th District, Chancellor Hartson ; Assembly, Napa and
Lake, W. B. H. Dodson ; Sheriff, A. B. Walker; County Clerk, J.
M. Carter; Treasurer, G. E. Goodman; Recorder, J. H. How-
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 75
land ; District Attorney, J. E. Pond ; Assessor, B. W. Arnold ;
Surveyor, T. J. Dewoody ; Coroner, Jonathan Bell ; Public Ad-
ministrator, Thomas Earl ; Superintendent of Schools, Alfred Hig-
bie ; Supervisor, Silas Ritchie. Total vote, 1,566.
At the Judicial election held October 21st, 1863, the following
persons were elected : Robert Crouch, County Judge ; Alexander
Coles and Sam'l Heald, Justices for Napa Township ; W A Chil-
ders and M. K. McCorkle for Yount Township ; W. A. Haskin and
Henry Owsley for Plot Springs Township.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 1 864.
For State purposes, 92 cents ; for county purposes, 52 cents ; for
road fund, 25 cents; for school fund, 10 cents; for hospital pur-
poses, 10 cents ; Napa and Clear Lake Road fund, 1 cent ; Napn
Valley and Clear Lake road fund, 10 cents. Total, $2. 90 ; to
which was added the State tax of 30 cents. Total, S3. 20.
April 1 8th, 1864, contract awarded to Bart. R. Sheehan for grad-
ing Clear Lake and Napa Valley Road at $4,604, and with " turn-
outs,'"'" $4,896. Contract for bridge at Yount's Mill was awarded to
E. M. Benjamin at 8800. To the same for building stone wall
along the Chiles canon road, section first, $10.60 per rod lineal
measure ; section 2, $11.80 ; section 3, $10.80, and with excava-
ting per cubic yard $5.50, amounting to $9,860.57. To the same
for constructing fire-proof vault in Clerk's and Recorder's office
$1,900.
In the District Court, June Term, 1863, Charles Britton was
found guilty of the murder of Joseph W. Osborn at Oak Knoll on
the 1 8th of April previous, and executed on the 1 Sth of August.
A special election authorized by the Legislature was held May
11th, 1864, to determine whether the county should subscribe $10,
000 per mile to the capital stock of the railroad, from Napa to Soscol,
and $5,000 per mile from Napa to Calistoga. Total vote 659 ; ma-
jority for the subscription 318. Cars first ran to Calistoga in the
Spring of 1867.
October nth, 1864, rates of toll established for the Lakep
Turn] tike Road Company.
76 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
November 12th, 1864, $150 for rent of Armory allowed to Napa
Rangers., " §750 for 3 months'' allowance from August 1st to No-
vember 1 st, to Washington Artillery Company."
November 7th, 1864, Peter Burtnett was elected Supervisor.
November 14th, 1864, contract for bridge in Chiles Canon awar-
ded to J. B. Chiles at $250.
February nth, 1865, purchase of 150 feet of hose authorized for
Pioneer Engine Company No. 1.
taxes for 1865.
For State purposes, Si. 15: for county purposes, 55 cents; for
road purposes, 25 cents; for school purposes, 15 cents; for hospi-
tal purposes, 8 cents ; Napa City and Clear Lake Road, 1 o cents ;
Napa Valley and Clear Lake Road. 10 cents. Total, $2.38.
March 14th, 1865, additional levy of 25 cents to provide for pay-
ment of railroad subscription. Total, $2.63. Poll tax, $2.
March 1 6th, 1865, $7 50 allowed Washington Artillery for three
months.
March 1 6th, 1865, contract for Soscol bridge awarded to George
Ward at $730.
At the February Term of the District Court, J. Gilbert Jenkins
•was found guilty of the murder of Patrick O'Brien, and executed
March 1 8th. His published confession showed that he was guilty
of nineteen murders.
June 5th, 1865, contract awarded to George Wood for building
fire cisterns at corner of Brown and First streets and in Court House
Square, at $1,279 each.
Same date contract awarded to Jones <k Co., for painting Court
House, brick and wood work, re-glazing windows at S750.
Same date contract awarded to E. M. Benjamin for building a
bridge across the slough near Chas. Thompson's, in Yountville. at
S600.
July 3d, 1865. the railroad from Napa to Soscol being completed,
county bonds amounting to $41,000, were issued to the Company.
ELECTION OF SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1 865.
Assembly. John M. Coghlan : Clerk. C. B. Seeley ; Sheriff. R.
HISTORICAL .MISCELLANY. 77
Ellis ; Treasurer, George E. Goodman ; District Attorney, W. W.
Pendegast ; Assessor, B. W. Arnold ; Recorder, J. H. Howland ;
Surveyor, W. A. Pierce; Coroner, R. H. Olmstead ; Public Ad-
ministrator, Matthias Dorr ; Superintendent Schools, A. Higbie ;
Supervisor, 1st District, T. H. Thompson ; Supervisor, 2d Dis-
trict, Joseph Mecklenberg.
Judicial Election, October iSth, 1S65. — Justices Napa Township,
A. A. Hunnewell, A. M. Poe ; Justices Yount Township, H. N.
Utting, A. Beauchamp ; Justices Plot Springs Township, W. A.
Haskin, J. W. Clark.
TAX LEVY FOR 1 866.
For State purposes, Si. 13 ; general county purposes, 55 cents;
for road purposes, 2 5 cents ; for school purposes, 2 5 cents ; for hos-
pital purposes, 5 ; Napa City and Clear Lake Road, 10 cents ; Napa
Valley and Clear Lake Road, 10 cents ; Napa Valley Railroad, 25
cents ; Napa City Improvement Fund, 50 cents ; District Road
Fund, 50 cents. Total, $3.68.
February 12th, 1866, construction of wharf at the foot of Brown
-treet by the California Steam Navigation Com pan}-, duly author-
ized by the Board.
February 26th, 1866, canvass of vote at election held February
2 1 st, on the proposition to subscribe a further sum of $5,000 per
mile to the stock of the Napa Valley Railroad from Napa City to
Calistoga. Total vote, 1,307. For subscription, 415. Against,
->)2. Majority against subscription, 477.
May nth, 1866, purchase authorized of 250 feet of hose for
Pioneer Engine Company No. 1.
September 5th, 1866, a special election was held to decide upon
the question of constructing a McAdamized road, and the question
whether to donate to the Napa Valley Railroad the county's inter-
est therein. On the first proposition the vote was "No" 402;
•Yes"' 82. On the second, "No" 243; "Yes" 241.
Ai a special election held January 2^d, 1867, Smith Brown was
elected Supervisor to serve the unexpired term of Thos. H, Thomp-
son, resigned ; and Win. A. Trubody the unexpired term of Albert
G. Boggs, resigned.
7 S NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Exclusive privilege granted to William Smith and others, (Napa
City Gas Light Company), to lay down gas pipes and supply Napa
City and its additions with gas for fifteen years. Price of gas limi-
ted to $7.50 per 1000 feet. The county to take all the gas required
for public purposes and street lamps at rates to be adjusted at the
end of three years from commencing, and every five years thereaf-
ter. The charge for the first five years to be thirty cents per street
lamp per night. The first lamp was lighted August 28th, 1867.
The price of gas was fixed at $7.50 per 1000 feet.
May 9th, 1867, contract for building Engine House on Brown
street awarded to Wm. Richmond at 85,450.
A lew of ten cents additional to the school tax authorized.
ELECTION RETURNS SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1 867.
Senator 18th District, W. W. Pendegast ; Representative Napa
and Lake, John C. Crigler ; Sheriff, A. B. Walker; Recorder, J.
H. Howland; Treasurer, A. G. Boggs; Clerk, C. B. Seeley ; Dis-
trict Attorney, R. N. Steere ; Superintendent of Schools, E. J.
Gillespie ; Public Administrator, I. N. Larrimer ; Surveyor, E. A.
d'Hemecourt; Coroner, M. B. Pond; Supervisor 3rd District, J.
Mecklenberg ; Assessor, J. M. Mayfield.
September 10th, 1867, bonds for $10,000 conveyed to Napa Val-
ley Railroad Company.
October 16th, 1867, Judicial Election at which Robert Crouch
was elected County Judge ; F. M. Hackett and A. A. Hunnewel!
Justices for Napa ; A. J. Ford and R. C. Gillaspy for Yount ; Ed-
ward Evey and J. W. Clark for Hot Springs Township.
December 10th, 1867, contract entered into with Napa City Gas
Light Company to put up twelve street lamps at $9 per month each
for five years.
At the election held November 3rd, 1868, Ralph Ellis was elected
Supervisor for the 1st District.
November 30, 1868, Napa Wood Company authorized to build
a wharf at Soscol and collect tolls thereon for ten years.
December 18th, 1868, eight more lamp posts authorized to be put
up by Napa City Gas Light Company.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 79
$22,500 bonds ordered issued to Napa Valley Railroad Company.
January 14th, 1869, in view of the prevalence of small pox,
Dr. B. S. Young, Dr. R. Garnett, Dr. J. S. Adams, and Dr.
A. Fouch were appointed to attend to vaccinations, and authorized
to procure buildings in their several districts as pest-houses.
$1,000 bonds issued to Railroad Company.
February 8th, 1869, purchase from C. Hartson of twelve acres
of land for $1,500 authorized, for the site of a County Infirmary.
March nth, 1S69, contract awarded to B. Robinson for build-
ing Infirmary at $8,218.55, and $759.13 allowed for extra work.
May 31, 1869, contract for building bridge in Road District No.
1 and 2, awarded to B. Robinson & Son at $4,995.
ELECTION OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1 869.
Representatives of Napa and Lake, John C. Crigler ; Sheriff, A.
B. Walker ; Clerk, C. B. Seeley ; Recorder, L. M. Corwin ; Treas-
urer, A. G. Boggs ; District Attorney, T. J. Tucker ; Assessor, B.
W. Arnold ; County Surveyor, T. J. Dewoody ; Superintendent
of Public Instruction, G. W. Ford; Supervisor ist District, E. N.
Boynton ; Supervisor 2d District, John Finnell ; Public Adminis-
trator, J. D. Blanchar ; Coroner, C. T. Overton.
Judicial Election October 20th, 1869. — Judge of Seventh Judicial
District, W. C. Wallace ; Justices of Peace for Napa Township. I ).
W. Towle, E. D. Sawyer ; Justices for Yount Township, R. C. Gil-
laspy, A. C. McDonell ; Justices for Hot Springs Township, L. N.
Duvall, J. H. Allison.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 187O.
For State purposes, 97 cents ; for general county purposes. 40
cents; infirmary fund, 1 5 cents ; school fund, 25 cents; road dis-
trict fund, 25 cents ; railroad interest, 60 cents; general road fund,
25 cents ; Napa City improvement fund, 30 cents. Total, $3.17.
June 14th, 1870, $1,150 ordered paid to E. M. Benjamin for
building bridges from Rutherford's station across the Napa River.
August 2d, 1870, contract awarded to E. M. Benjamin for build-
ing bridge across Putah Creek at $8,350. $1,2^4 allowed for e:
work and material.
So NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
September 7th, 1870, at a special election Joseph Mecklenberg
was elected Supervisor of the 3d District.
March 6th, 1871, contract for building road over Howell Moun-
tain awarded to B. Robinson at 88,749.'*- June 13th a further al-
lowance of $1,779.90 was made for extra work.
The sum of $1,151 ordered paid to J. C. Brush for building fence
around the Court House Square.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 1 87 1.
For State purposes, 86- 1 cents; for county purposes, 54 cents;
for school fund, 2 5 cents ; railroad interest, 60J cents ; general road
fund, 25 cents ; district road fund, 25 cents ; Putah Creek bridge,
19 cents ; Napa City improvement fund, 30 cents; infirmary fund,
15 cents. Total, $3.40. Road Poll Tax, $3.
March 8th, 1871. the sum of $779.18 ordered paid to J. H. Gris-
wold for constructing side-walks around Court House Square.
ELECTION" RETURNS OF SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1 87 1.
Member of Congress, John M. Coghlan ; Senator iSth District,
W. W.Pendegast ; Representative, W.W. Stillwagon ; County Clerk,
C. B. Seeley ; County Recorder, L. M. Corwin ; District Attorney,
R. Burnell ; Sheriff, John F. Zollner ; County Treasurer, A. G
Boggs ; County Assessor, B. W. Arnold ; Superintendent of Schools,
G. W. Ford ; County Surveyor, W. A. Pierce ; Public Administra-
tor, A. S. Knapp ; Coroner, M. B. Pond ; Supervisor, first Dis-
trict. Robert Brownlee. For amendment of the Constitution,
1,021 majority. To re-fund the debt, 114 majority.
Judicial Election October 1 8th, 1871. — County Judge, Thomas
P. Stoney ; Justices for Napa Township, R. 31. Swain, G. W. Towle;
Justices for Yount Township, A. C. McDonell, D. O. Williams ;
Justices Hot Springs Township, J. H. McCord, A. C. Palmer.
R. 31. Swain, Esq., was subsequently appointed Under Sheriff,
having resigned the office of Justice of the Peace.
November 6th, 1871, the Spencer Creek Water Companv was au-
thorized to lay down water pipes in Napa City and its additions.
Works to be completed tn one year.
R. D. HOPKINS.
HISTORICAL MISCELLANY. 81
November i6th, 1871, two additional street lamps ordered.
The town of Napa City was incorporated by an Act of the Legis-
lature approved March 23d, 1872.
May nth, 1872, the town of Napa City was set apart by the
Board of Supervisors from Road District No. 2, in pursuance of said
Act and the road taxes therein ordered collected and paid over to
the County Treasurer until the indebtedness of said District (Si 3,-
440.07) and interest shall be liquidated. The Board also released
to the city all control and interest in the Engine House, Engine and
equipments, and the fire-cisterns outside the Court House block.
Contract with the Napa City Gas Light Company was annulled
and declared terminated.
August 1 2th, 1872, the time for supplying street lamps was exten-
ded to July 31st, and $567 allowed for the same.
October 8th, 1872, the Board authorized the construction of a
draw-bridge across Napa River at the foot of Third street, the cost
not to exceed $10,000. Also a bridge across Napa River in Yount
Township, where the road petitioned for by J. R. Garner and others
crosses said river, and also a bridge crossing the slough on said high-
way. Cost not to exceed $1,800.
TAXES LEVIED FOR 1 872-3.
For State purposes, 50 cents; for county purposes, 41 cents;
for school purposes, 5 cents ; railroad interest, 30 cents ; general
road fund, 5 cents ; for road district, 25 cents; infirmary fund,
1 1 cents ; bounty fund, 3 cents ; Napa City improvement fund, 20
cents; Napa City, 10 cents. Total, $2.30. This levy was made
upon property at its actual cash value, under the new law regulating
assessments, and amounted to $8,235,587. The percentage would
have been about twice as large upon each Si 00 under the old system
of assessments.
<••
$ 2 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
w
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS IX XAPA COUNTY.
The Napa Reporter was the first newspaper published in Napa
count}. The first number was issued on the 4th of July, 1856, by
Alexander }. Cox, editor and proprietor. R. T. Montgomery be-
came joint proprietor in December of the same year, and in Februa-
ry following new material was procured and the paper enlarged and
improved. When first established, Napa had neither business nor"
population adequate to the support of a newspaper. The Reporter
consequently maintained but a sickly existence for the first six
months. It was issued irregularly, sometimes once a week, and at
others once in two or three weeks, according to circumstances. It
f
NEWSPAPERS.
\;
was a small sheet of four columns to the page, and one-fourth the
size of the Alta California, with two of its pages constantly filled with
dead advertisements. The subscription list up to 1857 did not con-
tain the names of twenty paying subscribers, and its advertisement-
were mostly such as were required by law to be published. It pai I
nothing because it was worth nothing.
The office was in a rickety old shanty about eighteen feet square,
next below the American Hotel on Main street. It was neither
ceiled, plastered nor papered, and the floor was of rough lumber,
through which were cracks an inch wide. In the roof was a large
hole, apparently left for a flue or chimney, through which the rain
descended in torrents. There were no windows, except a couple 1 >i
sashes nailed directly to the wall. It was with great difficulty in win-
ter (even when wood was obtainable) that the place could be kept
warm enough to work in, and it often happened that wood could n< > r
be had at any price, in consequence of the horrible condition of the
roads. In the winter of 1856-7, the publisher paid $5 for as much
as filled the box of a buggy. It was hauled less than 20 rods, an I
the seller got "stalled"' on Main street, buggy and horse sinking in
the mud, and it cost in "treats" more than the cost of the wood to
pry the team out and place it upon terra firma. The editorial lodg-
ing room was in the garret. An iron camp-bedstead and a few blan-
kets comprised its entire furniture.
THE PIONEER PRESS.
The material of the office was on a level with the building
which it was contained. It consisted, all told, of a Washingti m Press
(foolscap size), with platen 14 by 17 inches, on which the paper was
printed a page at a time, and a small font of second-hand minion
and another of long-primer. There was no jobbing material what-
ever. The press is now in possession of the Sonoma Pioneer-. 1:
was brought to San Francisco from Mexico at the close of the war.
and taken by Mr. Cox to Sonoma, where it was used some three
years in printing the Sonoma Bulletin. He then removed it to V
iejo, and in the Fall of 1855, in connection with Dr. E. B. Eaton,
published for a few weeks the Vallejo Bulletin. In June. 1856,
8 4 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
brought it to Napa, where the Reporter was printed upon it (a page
at a time) until February, 1857, when a new press and material were
purchased by Montgomery & Cox, and the office removed to the
corner of Main and Third streets, where Hartsons brick building
now stands. On the 6th of September, 1858 Mr. Cox left the
Reporter, and in the division of the material the old press fell to his
share, and was used for three months by Cox and Fairell in publish-
ing the Napa Semi- Weekly Sun. Shortly after, Mr. Cox removed his
office to Healdsburg, and used the same press in printing the Healds-
burg Review. Thence the press went to Lakeport, Lake county,
and did service in printing one or two small political papers, each of
which died a natural death. Probably its labors are now at an end,
as in the hands of the Pioneer Association it will be kept as a relic of
the olden times. The writer has earned manv a thousand dollars
and performed many a hard day's work upon it in the days of high
prices, when very common cards and bill-heads were $3 per 100,
and small sheet handbills $30 per 100.
The Reporter could hardly be called an established newspaper un-
til Montgomery & Cox, in February, 1857, purchased new material,
enlarged the paper, and began to publish it regularly on the appoint-
ed day. From that time, through all the changes of proprietorship,
it has never failed to appear punctually. The office began from that
time to be a paying institution, and to command a respectable sub-
scription and influence. For two years the paper took no part in
politics; but finally, when the great split occurred in the Democratic
on the Kansas question, became the advocate of the principles of
Stephen A. Douglas.
Mr. Montgomery, in connection with M. D. Brownson, A; M.
Parry and J.I. Horrell, continued to publish the paper down to Oc-
tober, 1863, when the establishment passed into the hands of Miner
& Higgins, and finally into the hands of Lank Higgins alone. The
political character of the paper was changed, and it became a vehe-
ment opponent of Lincoln's Administration. In the winter of 1870
it was sold toW.F. Henning, who still continued it as a Democratic
organ. In October, 1871, R. T. Montgomery purchased the estab-
lishment. Soon after C. A. Menefee became a partner, and in Aug.
1872, purchased the whole establishment. Shortly after a half in-
NEWSPAPERS. 85
terest was sold to A. A. R. Utting, and the paper is still published
by these gentlemen under the firm of C. A. Menefee & Co. From
the date of Mr. Montgomery's purchase great additions have been
made to the material of the office, and it has gradually grown up from
a small beginning to be one of the most complete in the country.
The Reporter is now published as an independent paper, and is in
a nourishing condition. In November, 1872, it was enlarged, and
printed on a new Taylor & Co.'s cylinder press. An engine has since
been purchased, and all the machinery of the establishment is now
run by steam power.
THE NAPA REGISTER.
The Napa Register was started by Horrell & Strong, August 10th,
1863. On the 14th of November following, Mr. Strong died sud-
denly of apoplexy, and on the same day R. T. Montgomery took the
editorial charge of the Register, which he retained until January 1st,
1864, when Mr. Horrell sold a half interest to Mr. N. E. White.
Mr. Montgomery still continued to contribute to its columns, and at
the end of a month purchased Mr. Horrell's interest. The paper
was continued by Montgomery & White until January 1st, 1866,
when Mr. White purchased the establishment. On the first of May
following, Mr. Montgomery became sole proprietor, and so continued
down to October 23d, 1869, excepting only a period of six months
ending July 1st, 1868, during which Mr. White was publisher and
proprietor. October 23d, 1869, the establishment was sold by Mr.
Montgomery to R. D. Hopkins & Co., who some months afterward-
sold a half interest to G. M . Francis, the firm becoming Hopkins &
Francis. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Hopkins sold out his inter
to G. W. Henning, one of the present publishers. The Register has
an excellent office, and has always been a successful newspaper. In
politics it has always been an advocate of the principles of the Repub-
lican party.
In 1858 the Xapa City Herald first made its appearance. It v.
owned by a joint stock company comprising the most influential
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
i democrats in the county. It was a strong advocate of the measures
i if Buchanan's Administration, and of the Southern view of the slav-
.;v question. J. D. Lillard, Esq., a young lawyer from Kentucky,
was its first editor, and was succeeded by Wm. H.Towns and Thos.
f. Tucker. The paper, however, proved unsuccessful, and stopped
within a few months. The establishment soon after came into the
hands of Farrell & Higgins (Frank Farrell and J. Wallace Higgins),
and a new paper of the same character appeared in 1859, un der the
head of the Napa Times. This paper also died in a few months for
iack of support. The office shortly afterwards was purchased by
Montgomery & Brownson of the Reporter.
Jul}- 20th, 1861, Alexander Montgomery commenced the publica-
tion of the Napa Echo, which violently opposed the Administration
of President Lincoln and every measure taken to subdue the Southern
rebellion. Its circulation and patronage were limited, and in a pe-
cuniary point of view it was never successful. Still it kept on until
April. 1865, when it suspended publication on the morning of the
:i"imcement of Mr. Lincoln's assassination.
DAILY PAPERS.
I he Napa Daily Advertiser appeared September 22, 1S66, but was
suspended after a few issues, as it was found that the undertaking
Lild not pay. It was edited and published by R. T. Montgomery.
The Napa Daily Reporter was published in 1866 by Higgins &
Leach, and after a few months by Higgins & Gregg, when it was
•-continued for lack of support.
In the Spring of 1870, W. J. Bowman commenced another paper
styled the Napa Daily Gazette, which was only published about three
mi inths.
In December, 1872, the first number of the Daily Register ap-
peared. It is published by Messrs. Francis & Henning, and the
s.ime matter used in making up their weekly edition.
It will be seen that since 1856 Napa City has had no less than nine
spapers — only three of which survive. It cannot be doubted,
hatever their imperfections may have been, that each has contribu-
NEWSPAPERS. 87
ted something to the welfare and advancement of the county . The
Reporter and Register, having been longest in the field, have unques-
tionably earned the thanks of the people of Napa.
The Calistoga Tribune was first issued June 15, 1871, by Thomas
McGeorge, and takes a respectable rank among the local papers of
the State.
88
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
CALISTOGA SPRINGS, LOOKING WEST.
CHAPTER VII.
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS.
Our little countv enjoys most of the luxuries afforded bv other
parts of the State, but in some of them she has shared only to an
infinitesimal extent. While Washoe, Gold Bluff, Kern River, and
other kindred localities have supped full of enormous "strikes"
and astonishing developments, Napa, being only a "cow county,"
dropped behind in the general current of excitement, and was nev-
er, but once, aroused from her customary impassivity as to the enor-
mous mineral resources of this region. However, the good old
county could not altogether escape.
In the Winter of 1858-9 there arose an excitement really worthy
of the "good times" in the mineral districts. All at once, no-
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 89
body could very well tell why, a grand silver excitement arose,
which permeated the whole community. It was found by various
parties that the mountains on the East side of the valley were full
of the ores of silver, of untold, because unknown richness. Si-
multaneous with this grand discovery, every unemployed man from
Soscol to Calistoga turned prospector. Blankets and bacon, beans
and hard bread rose to a premium, and the hills were lighted up at
night with hundreds of camp-fires. Hammers and picks were in
great demand, and there is ocular evidence even to this day that not
a bowlder or projecting rock escaped the notice of the prospectors.
There was silver in Washoe, why not in Napa? It was a question
of probabilities which were bound soon to harden into certainties.
Indeed, it was only a short time before silver prospects were pos-
sessed of a defined value. Claims were opened, companies formed,
and stock issued on the most liberal scale. Everything wore the
couleur de rose. As usual, upon similar occasions, there was great
strife about claims. Some were "jumped " on the ground of some
informality twice in twenty-four hours. Heavy prices were paid for
"choice" ground, and it is quite safe to say that our mountain
sides and summits have never since borne such an enormous valua-
tion. It seemed as though the whole community had been bitten
by the mining tarantula. One man, whose name we withhold, in
his perambulations in the profound canons about Mount St. Helena,
in company with his son, discovered a ledge of solid silver. As
neither had brought either blankets or "grub," the old gentleman
concluded to stand guard over the precious discover}- during the
night, armed with a shot-gun, while the son went down into the
valley for those indispensable supplies. When the morning broke,
the old man was still at his post, shot-gun in hand, but tired, sleepy
and hungry. The son, laden with food and other inner comforts,
"toiled up the sloping steep " with the de quoi manger strapped to
his back, and both father and son sat down in the gray of the morn-
ing, by a hastily lighted fire, to discuss their rude breakfast and the
limitless wealth before them. It would not do to leave such an
enormous property unguarded. It would be "jumped" in ten
minutes. So the shot-gun was transferred to the son, while the
father, with an old pair of saddle-bags stuffed to repletion with " si I-
9 o NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
ver," descended the mountain. His mule soon brought him to
Napa, the denizens of which town he was shortly to astonish with
his great discovery. He walked up into the Reporter office, sad-
dle-bags in hand, opened the fastenings with an exultant smile
but a trembling hand, when out fell some brilliant specimens of iron
p\ Hies. Alas, that it should be told, but such was the scope and
extent of his great silver discover}'. But the opinions of the un-
skilled were of no value. A regular assayer would, of course, tell
a different story. And, we suppose, on the principle that the
"supply always equals the demand," there were discovered in
San Francisco large numbers of "assay offices," at which, for the
moderate price of $15, a certificate of quantitative analysis of
anything from a brick-bat to a lump of obsidian could be had,
showing silver anywhere between §20 and §500 per ton ! We
were shown numbers of these certificates, and probably gave them
all the credence to which they were entitled. There were a few
individuals here who had understood from the beginning the
character of the whole excitement. One of these, G. N. C, was
the recipient of a sample of a very dark pulverized ore of some-
thing, and, being fond of a joke, dissolved a two-bit piece in
nitric acid, and added the resultant to the powdered ore. When
the assayer's certificate got back, there was an enormous excite-
ment. The specimen forwarded had yielded S428 to the ton ! Of
course, when the joke had been duly enjoyed, the secret was
revealed, to the great disgust of the lucky proprietors.
Judge S., formerly Sheriff of the county, had been up the vallev
on business in the muddiest part of the winter, and on his way back
met a chap on his way to the "mines." "Have you been to the
mines?" said the fellow. "Yes," answered the Sheriff, "but every-
thing is pretty nearly taken up — at least, all the best claims." "But
d — n it," said the would-be proprietor, "isn't there anything left ?"'
"Oh, yes," returned the Sheriff, "you might, perhaps, get in on some
outside claim." Without waiting to make any reply, the fellow
clapped spurs to his Rosinante, headed up the valley, and, as the
Sheriff declared, "in less than two minutes you couldn't see him for
the mud he raised.
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 91
The excitement lasted for several weeks, and grew better and
better. Scores of men laden with specimens thronged the hotels
and saloons, and nothing was talked of but "big strikes" and "as-
tounding developments.'"' A local assay office was started, for the
miners could not wait the slow process of sending to San Fran-
cisco. It is probable that this local assayer, Mr. Frank McMahon,
a very honest and capable man (since engaged about the Knox-
ville mines), did more than any one man towards pricking the
great bubbles of the time. His assays were far less favorable than
the imported article, and it came to pass that his customers were
dissatisfied with the results of his experiments. Finally, as these
threw a shadow of doubt over the value of the argentive discove-
ries, some of the heavy operators concluded to consult some of the
most skillful and well-known assayists of the city — men whose de-
cisions were bevond the reach of suspicion, and whose reputation
was above cavil or doubt. Several specimens, considered to be
of the highest value, were forwarded. The general disgust of claim
owners may be conceived when the formal certificates of assay were
returned. Most specimens contained no silver at all, and the very
best only "<7 trace." Nothing of value had been discovered. —
Thereupon ensued a sudden hegira of prospectors to the valley.
The millionaires of to-day left their rude camps in the mountains,
and, with ragged breeches and boots out at the toes, subsided at
once into despondency and less exciting employments. The hotel
and saloon keepers, saying nothing of the editors, proceeded to
disencumber their premises of accumulated tons of specimens of
.ill kinds of "shiny rocks" to be found within an area of thirty
miles square — making quite a contribution to the paving material
of the streets of Napa City. Thus subsided the great mining ex-
citement. The result was that a few were a little poorer, but many
hundreds a great deal wiser than they hoped to be.
Thus far no mines have been worked in this county, except those
of cinnabar. Some discoveries of copper and iron have been made,
but so far as tested, nothing of practical value has been developed.
Indications of coal have been found in several localities, but it is
-till a matter of doubt whether any true coal veins exist in the coun-
ty. Geologically considered, the prospect must be regarded as un-
92 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
favorable. Of gold we have none, and it is quite doubtful whether
we have any ore of silver worth working. From explorations thus
far it is probable that quicksilver will be, for a long time to come,
the only metal found in Napa that can be profitably obtained. The
principal ore of this metal, cinnabar, is very widely diffused in the
mountains on both sides of the valley of Napa, and numerous
"claims " have been recorded. Many companies have been incor-
porated for working them, and several have proved successful.
It is now established beyond doubt that Napa County possesses
vast mineral wealth, but it is confined to this one mineral, cin-
nabar. There appears to be a wide belt of country rich in this
ore, extending along the whole Northwestern, Northern, and
Northeastern sections of the county. New discoveries have been
made in the mountains West of St. Helena, and in the North-
ern part of the county towards the Geysers, and the surface ore
is flattering as that of any of the mines already developed. W e
can but look upon the mineral resources of the county as only
awaiting development to be one among our chief sources o f
wealth.
In order to give an idea of the progress thus far made, we give the
following list of incorporated Quicksilver Companies, together with a
sketch of the condition and prospects of each, up to the present
time.
Quicksilver Mining Companies organized under the Act of April,
1853, to form corporations for certain purposes.
PHCEXIX MIXING COMPANY.
Location, Pope Valley. Certificate filed November 15th, 1861.
Term of existence 50 years. Names of original Trustees, C. B.
Sharp, A. H. Botts, John Waterson, John Newman, J. A. Butler.
Capital Stock, $19,200. Shares 192 of $100 each. Original loca-
tors, John Newman, R. P. Tucker, F. B. Gilmore, J. A. Butler, J.
H. Waterson, J. W. Tucker, Wm. H. James, James Lefferts, M.
J. Church, G. W. Morris, A. H. Butts, S. A. Morris, G. W. Ames-
bun-, C. B. Sharp, Jacob Ellsbury, C. H. Holmes, E. Boukofsky.
Capital stock increased January 13th, 1868, to $955,000. Most of
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 93
the stock of this Company is now held in Napa City. More exten-
sive excavations have been made in this mine than any other in the
Pope Valley district, and it has yielded a much larger amount of
metal.
The following particulars concerning the Phcenix Mine have been
kindly furnished by George Fellows, Esq., Superintendent. The
communication of Mr. Fellows is dated December, 1872 :
The Phcenix Mine is situated on the side of a steep mountain
sloping to the Northeast. It is twelve hundred feet in breadth, and
includes the main portion of a well, denned mineral belt, commenc-
ing at an altitude of four hundred feet above the valley, and extend-
ing back four thousand feet to the top of the mountain. The ore
is in true fissure veins, running diagonally through the belt, and
crossing the mountain in a Southeast and Northwest direction.
The first discovery of cinnabar was made in September, 1S61,
by John Newman. A Company was organized soon after and some
prospecting done, when a considerable quantity of ore was found
scattered over the surface of the ground at the extreme lower end
of the claim, having apparently broken off and rolled down from the
numerous ledges above.
Some time in the Winter of 1862, the mine was leased to James
Hamilton, who worked it for about one year, but failed to make it
pay, (as tradition has it), through bad management and inexperience
in mining. After the Hamilton Company suspended operations
there was no more work done at the mine for three years, and
most of the owners disposed of their interests at a low price. In the
Summer of 1867 work was again resumed, and in the Spring of
1868 a new bench of retorts was put up, the work being carried on
under the management of Daniel Patten, but again without meeting
with financial success, and during the succeeding Winter work was
wholly suspended. In the Spring of 1870, having been appointed
Superintendent of the mine, I commenced work the 12th of April,
with six men. In May following, three of the old retorts were fixed
up, and we commenced reducing ore. Working altogether in the
mine and at the retorts only sixteen men during April, May, and
June, and producing sufficient quicksilver, (sold at the market price)
to put $10,000 in the treasury of the Company over all expenses.
94 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
In August a new bench of six retorts was put up, together with a
crushing mill for breaking the ore, and a circular saw for cutting
the wood. A steam boiler was put up at the mouth of the tunnel,
a steam pump put into the mine and a steam engine attached to the
boiler on the outside for driving the crushing mill at the retorts.
Commenced reducing ore again the first of September, run until
January, 1871, and closed down for the Winter, having produced
during the season 960 flasks, or 73,440 pounds of quicksilver, which
amounted to $50,673.
Continued to work eight men in the mine during the Winter, and
commenced reducing ore again the first of April, 1871, and run un-
til the last of October, when we stopped and commenced building-
furnace. Worked twenty-five men during the Summer, and pro-
duced 764 flasks of quicksilver, or 58,446 pounds, which amounted
to $40, 326. Commenced erecting furnace October, 1871, and com-
pleted it January, 1872, but did not get it to working right until the
first of July. Have kept forty-five men employed this Summer, and
have produced up to the present time, October 1st, 670 flasks, or
51,255 pounds. We are now making 60 flasks a week. Since
April, 1870, there has been a double shaft put down 150 feet, and
2,200 feet of tunneling down, besides taking out the ore that has
supplied the reduction works. The richest ore worked this season
has been taken from the lower level, and there is now a sufficient
quantity cut to keep the furnace running for two years.
The improvements consist of one furnace of the Knox & Osborn
patent, capable of reducing 600 tons of ore a month, costing, with
fixtures, some $30,000 ; building over furnace, 30x30 feet square,
and 40 feet high ; building over condensers, 65 feet long by 30 feet
wide, and 16 feet high ; wood house 120 feet long by 30 feet wide
and 16 feet high ; draw shed 30 feet long by 16 feet wide and 14 feet
high; one large house for assorted ore no feet long by 30 feet
wide, and 14 feet high; two sorting sheds, each 60 feet long by 30
feet wide, 1 2 feet high ; boiler house and blacksmith shop 4 5 feet
long by 32 feet wide, 12 feet high; wood shed adjoining boiler
house 80 feet long by 30 feet wide and 14 feet high; boarding-
house and office, main building, ^2 feet long by 18 feet wide, two
stories ; L part for dining room, 60 feet long by 1 6 feet wide, one
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 95
story ; L part for kitchen and store-room 50 feet long by 16 feet
wide, one story ; two lodging houses each 30 feet long by 18 feet
wide, one story ; one lodging house $6 feet long by 22 feet wide,
one story ; one house for reading room 24 by 24 feet square, one-
story ; 5 family houses 22 by 24 feet one story ; one barn 40 by 50
feet. There are a number of miners' cabins interspersed among
the other buildings, which, together with the family houses along
the side of the mountain, give the place an appearance of a small
town .
#
The machinery consists of one 25-horse power boiler set in stone
masonry, with a Blake pump for feeding ; one 12-horse power hoist-
ing engine at the top of the shaft in main tunnel ; one No. 8 steam
pump in shaft capable of throwing 30,000 gallons of water an hour;
also No. 6 steam pump in shop to use in sinking air shaft ; one
12-horse power engine with boiler set in brick masonry, for driving
blower and soot pan at the furnace.
What has been done in opening the mine so far, can only be
called prospecting, although the working has about paid fop all the
improvements, besides some dividends to the stock-holders.
The Phoenix Mining Company was incorporated in 1868, with a
capital stock of $96,000. Principal office in Napa City-.
At the last annual meeting the following Trustees were elected :
John Lawley, C. Hartson, C. B. Seeley, J. F. Lamdin and George
Fellows. At a subsequent meeting of the Trustees George Fellows
was elected President and Superintendent, C. B. Seeley, Secretary,
Robert Crouch, Treasurer.
George Porter is underground Foreman in the mine ; Win. 1'.
Cook, Engineer at main shaft ; Jos. Hartshorn, Foreman at the fur-
nace ; J. H. Cowan, Bookkeeper.
The mine is now in good working order. By another year it can
be made to pay handsome dividends ; and there is but little doubt
it will be, at no distant day, one of the richest mines in the State.
X. I.. C. K. MINING COMPANY, NOW THE REDINGTON.
[location Sulphur Canon, North of Berryessa Valley. Certificate
filed December 16th, iS'u.. Capital Stock $420,000, in 4*0 shares
96 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
of $ 1,000 each. Original Trustees, George N. Cornwell, R. T.
Montgomery and George E. Goodman. Locators, George N. Corn-
well, R. T. Montgomery, A. Y. Easterby, James Lefferts, P. Hun-
singer, John B. Phippin, Seth Dunham, Isaac Day, W. H. H.
Holdermann, Francis A. Sage, W. W. Stillwagon, George E.
Goodman, M. G. Ritchie, L. D. Jones, J. S. Stark.
This Company leased their mine in 1862, to Knox & Osborn,
who after working it for a year, found it to be one of the richest in
the State, and second only to the New Almaden. Most of the stock
had been meanwhile purchased by Redington & Co. , of San Fran-
cisco, who are still the principal owners. The monthly production
is about 1, coo flasks of quicksilver.
Considering the immense value of this mine, some account of
its discovery may be worthy of notice. The writer, having been
one of the original locators, is familiar with the circumstances. In
i860 a company of twelve was formed in Napa City for the pur-
pose of prospecting for mines and minerals, and two old pioneer
prospectors, Seth Dunham and L. D. Jones, were sent out to ex-
amine Napa and the adjacent counties. What might be found was
matter of doubt, but the Company, informally organized, conclu-
ded to pay a small monthly assessment of $2. 50 per month each, in
order to find out what might be the resources of the land. The
prospectors were wont to bring in, about once a month, the results
of their labors. The prevalent idea then was that silver abounded
in the mountains of the county, and accordingly all eyes were di-
rected to the discover)- of the ores of that metal. The Company
individually, and the prospectors as well, were well nigh equally
ignorant of mineralogy, and the "specimens" brought in ranged
from iron pyrites to bituminous shale, all of which were supposed
to contain silver. Every newspaper office and hotel bar were re-
plete with these samples of the wealth and value of the mineral re-
sources of the county, all of which, economically considered, were
only inferior specimens of macadamizing stone, glistening, but
valueless. At last, Messrs. Jones and Dunham, in their perambu-
lations among the hills, struck a new road, then recently built be-
tween Berryessa Valley to Lower Lake, and on ascending a hill at
the head of Sulphur Canon, just above the "Elk Horn Ranch;"
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 97
where the soil arid rock had been removed to permit the passage of
teams, discovered on the upper side of the road, at the turning
point, that the rocky point, partly removed by the road-makers, was
of a peculiar color and texture. Fragments broken off were very
heavy and of a liver-color. They were brought to town, and by
the experts of those times pronounced cinnabar. And such they
proved. This first discovery led to the opening of the rich mine
of which it was but an indication. The ignorant workmen who
had constructed the road, had rolled down into the canon below-
many tons of cinnabar, which would have yielded 50 or 60 per
cent, of metal. This discovery led to the opening of this splendid
mine, which is now probably only second to the far-famed New
Almaden.
POPE VALLEY MINING COMPANY.
Location Pope Valley. Certificate filed February 15th, 1868.
Capital stock $300,000, divided into 3,000 shares of $100 each.
Original Trustees, A. Y. Easterby, T. J. De woody, G. W. Towle.
Locators, A. Y. Easterby, T. J. Dewoody, G. W. Towle, R. Bur-
nell, T. J. Tucker. No work as yet has been done upon this claim
beyond preliminary prospectim
iff-
WASHINGTON MINING COMPANY.
Location Pope Valley, adjoining the Phoenix. U. S. Patent se-
cured. Certificate filed December 2d, 1862. Original Trustees,.
C. B. Sharp, D. D. Wickliff, R. F. Miles, J. M. Hamilton, W,
\V. Stillwagon. Locators, J. M. Hamilton, W. W. Stillwagon.
Wm. Brigham, D. I). Wickliff, C. O. Billings, R. F. Miles, Jacob-
Elsbury, Joseph Clayes. Capital stock increased from $50,000 to
$500,000, with 50,000 shares of $10 each.
About one-half the stock in this Company has since changed
hands, and is now held principally in Napa City. Dr. \V. \V. Still-
wagon owns a controlling interest. The mine was prospected to
some extent in 1865-6, but nothing found of importance. Within
the last year, however, it has been under lease to Messrs. Stillwagon
& Patten, and reduction works erected. The surface ore lias been
7
9 8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
found sufficiently rich to pay an average profit of $1,000 with the
labor of six men, which it still continues to do.
A recent discovery has been made of a mass or ledge of good
ore, (some of which is of the highest grade), and which extendi
nearly horizontally into the hill to a distance of 200 feet, and of
unknown depth. It is sufficient, even as far as already developed,
to supply a 1 o-ton furnace for two years. This ledge will yield
probably five per cent, of quicksilver on an average, although some
portions will yield as high as 60 per cent. Work on this ledge is
still in progress, and no signs of its giving out are yet seen. On
the contrary, the ore improves with every foot of progress. It
seems now beyond question that the Washington will prove highly
valuable property. The Company have a U. S. Patent for their
mine, and for 160 acres adjoining, making altogether 274 acres.
Present officers : W. W. Stillwagon, President ; E. N. Boynton,
Secretary ; A. Y. Easterby, Treasurer. These three gentlemen,
with J. F. Lamdin and Jacob Ellsbury constitute the Board of Di-
rectors.
HAMILTON QUICKSILVER COMPANY.
Certificate filed June 30, 1862. Capital stock $28,800. Num-
ber of shares, 144, of $200 each. Original Trustees, J. M. Ham-
ilton, I. N. Larrimer, T. B. McClure, H. H. Coster and W. P.
Hammond comprising all the corporators. This Company was
formed to work the ores of the Phoenix mine, and did so for sev-
eral months, but in a pecuniary point of view, unsuccessfully. In-
sufficient works and lack of experience, brought its affairs to a
stop within a year after its organization.
VALLEY MINING COMPANY.
Certificate filed May 1 6th, 1867. Location, Pope Valley. Cap-
ital Stock $30,000 in shares of $50 each. Original Trustees, John
Newman, Ezra Carpenter, R. T. Montgomery, H. F. S warts, Joseph
L. Duchay, Jesse Barnett. Capital Stock increased April 21st,
1 87 1, to $300,000 in 60,000 shares of $5 each. The mine worked
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 99
by this Company is situated directly in Pope Valley, in level
ground. It was leased by Col. J. W. Colt soon after the organiza-
tion of the Company, and reduction works erected of his own in-
vention. These, however, proved a complete failure, and his lease
was abandoned, the mine reverting to its original owners. Exten-
sive works have been since erected, and are producing 50 flasks of
quicksilver per month. The works upon this mine are of a cost-
ly and substantial character, and the indications are that the proper-
ty will become quite valuable. To all appearances the supply of
ore is inexhaustible, although thus far it has been of low grade.
The mine being located in the valley itself, and in ground approxi-
mately level, some trouble has been experienced in getting rid of
the water in the lower excavations. A powerful steam pump is in
constant operation, and the prospects are so favorable of a higher
grade of ore, that the Company do not hesitate to incur the ex-
pense of artificial drainage. Mr. Edward Clark, the Superinten-
dent, has full faith in the success of the mine.
THE SUMMIT MINE
Was originally located by members of the Whitton family, of Youni-
ville, and patiently prospected by them for several years . It is situa-
ted three miles from Rutherford Station, upon the very summit of the
Mayacamas Mountains dividing Sonoma from Napa county. The
reduction works are a mile further to the east. Mr. J. Pershbaker
has within a few months become the sole proprietor, having pur-
chased the property for $45,000. The claim is very extensive, and
there are attached to it 160 acres of timber land. The Summit is
one of the most promising Quicksilver claims in the county. The
surface prospect is very extensive. The surface ore is found on the
west side of the mountain for a distance of over 1,000 feet, and can
from its favorable position be obtained to a great depth, at moderate
expense, without tunneling or blasting. The underground work
consists of three main tunnels with seven branches. The main
working tunnel is 400 feet in length. The mine is worked upon two
levels connected by a shaft. There is a substantial railway track in
the main tunnel and chutes from the upper to the lower level, by
loo NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
which ore is passed to the main tunnel and railway. Below the lower
level is a shaft 50 feet deep in which is situated a steam engine and
force pump to keep the works free from water. The lowest work-
ings are 165 feet below the surface, and the quality of the ore im-
proves constantly from the surface downwards. The surface ore
averages about one per cent. That from the tunnels and shafts will,
without selection, pay from 1 J to z\ per cent.
Work upon this mine upon a large scale was commenced in Au-
gust last. The former proprietors, Messrs. Whitton Brothers, up to
that time transported the ore upon the backs of mules to their fur-
nace, which was a small affair of the capacity of one and a half tons
per day, situated upon the site of the present reduction works. The
profits of the mine, worked even upon that scale, were very great,
considering the capital invested. After the purchase by Mr. Persh-
baker, a fine mountain road was constructed from the mine to the
reduction works, which were greatly enlarged. The capacity of the
present furnace is 24 tons per day. New buildings have been erect-
ed, very complete and convenient for ore sheds, boarding houses,
and other purposes. The furnace is of a new and improved con-
struction, and can be fed and discharged hourly, thus capable of being
kept in constant operation. The chimney is some 80 yards from the
furnace, and the condensers are so perfect in their operation that no
particle of mercury escapes. A draft is created by a fan moved by
water power.
No accurate estimate can yet be formed as to the annual product
of this mine, as it has been only a few months in operation; but it is
evident that the Summit must prove very valuable property. Its
contiguity to a market must add greatly to its value. The mine and
works are under the charge of Mr. James D. Ewen, a practical miner
of 25 years experience. The present working force is 22 white men
and 8 Chinamen. A change will be made in the road during the
present Spring, by which the ore can be supplied directly from the
mine to the furnace by means of chutes and cars, saving about a mile
of transportation, and bringing the furnaces and fuel supply into close
proximity.
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 101
OAKVILLE QUICKSILVER MINING COMPANY.
Location west side of Napa Valley above Oakville. Certificate filed
January- 22, 1868. Capital stock, $300,000 in 3,000 shares of $100.
Original Trustees: E. N. Bovnton, S. Hutchinson and O. P. South-
well. Locators: W. W. Stillwagon, E. N. Boynton, S. Hutchinson,
R. Burnell and O. P. Southwell. The capital stock of this company
has wholly changed hands, having been bought by San Francisco
parties at $5 per foot or $^0,000 for the whole mine. Substantial
works have been erected, and the mine promises to be valuable.
Since the purchase of these mines about a year since, very exten-
sive explorations have been made, and works on quite an extensive
scale erected. The first furnace erected was of the capacity of ten
tons for each 24 hours, and the yield of quicksilver from 75 to 102
flasks per month. A furnace of the capacity of 1 5 tons for 24 hours
was completed last December. This will give a reducing capacity to
the works of 2 5 tons per day, and more than double the present pro-
duct of quicksilver. Much of the ore at present used is from the /
surface, being fine carmine-colored cinnabar mixed with yellow clay.
This is made into rude adobes, in order to allow the passage of the
furnace flames through the mass, and the yield of this class of ore is
about one per cent. The excavations already made in following up
the cinnabar are now a mile in extent. They consist of working
tunnels, shafts, inclines, and perforations at all imaginable angles,
upwards, downwards, right and left. The ore from the excavations
thus far yields about 2J per cent., and its value increases as a lower
depth is attained. The mine is already worked at a fair profit, with
eveiy prospect of still better results in the future. John A. McQuaid
is President of the Company and W. H. Mott is Secretary. Mr.
Luckard is General Superintendent and general overseer of the
works. At present there are 16 white men and 30 Chinamen em-
ployed. The close proximity of the Oakville mine to the railroad
and to tide-water, gives it great advantages over mines at points far-
ther inland.
In February, 1873, tne company sold out to the Napa Mining
Company. The new owners intend doubling the capacity of th 5
works, and putting on a larger force of workmen.
102 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
NEW BURLINGTON QUICKSILVER MINING COMPANY.
Location near Oakville, Napa county. Certificate filed May 1 7, 187 1 .
Capital stock, $300,000; shares 3,000 of $100 each. Original
Trustees: David Doak, Wm. Baldridge, Wm. A. Lewis, Henry H.
Harris and John Steckter. Locators: John Philpott, H. H. Harris,
John White, Wm. A. Lewis, Wm. Baldridge, B. F. White, David
Doak, John Steckter. No work done except prospecting.
RED HILL QUICKSILVER MINING COMPANY.
Location, Pope Valley. Certificate filed March 2, 1871. Capital
stock, $480,000, in 4, 800 shares of $100 each. Original Trustees:
W. W. Stillwagon, A. Y. Easterly, Daniel Patten, J. H. Howland
and R. Burnell. Same parties locators. This is a very 7 promising
claim, but as yet not fully explored. Prospecting now in progress.
SILVER BOW MINING COMPANY.
Location, Pope Valley Mining District. Certificate filed October 2,
1 87 1. Capital stock, $180,000, in 1,800 shares of $100. Original
Trustees, J. H. Kester, P. Van Bever, A. W. Norton, Joseph N.
Reynolds and C. E. Comstock. Locators: Jesse Barnett, Henry
Mygatt, J. N. Reynolds, J. Israelsky, P. E. Perl, A. W. Norton, P.
Van Bever, D. B. Parks, J. H. Kester, C. E. Comstock. Consid-
erable work has been done upon the Red Hill mine, and it now
supplies a portion of the ore reduced in the works of the Valley mine.
OVERLAND QUICKSILVER MINING COMPANY.
Location, Summit Mining District, Napa county. Certificate filed
October 6, 1871. Capital stock, $300,000, in 3,000 shares of $100.
Original Trustees: G. N. Cornwell, E. J. Smith, E. N. Boynton.
Locators: E. N. Boynton, W. W. Pendegast, John T. Smith and H.
H. Clark. This claim is now being prospected, and gives evidence
of being valuable. The claim is adjacent to the Summit mine and
probably upon the same lead.
MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. 103
MUTUAL QUICKSILVER MIXING COMPANY.
Location, adjoining Oakville mine in Napa Mining District. Cer-
tificate filed March 1, 1872. Capital stock $300,000; 3,000 shares
of S100 each. Original Trustees: R. H. Sterling, T. H. Thompson,
Henry Fowler, W. W. Thompson, J. F. Lamdin. Locators: R. H.
Sterling, Henry Fowler, W. C. Watson, W. W. Thompson, J. F.
Lamdin. Nothing yet done except prospecting.
MAMMOTH MIXING COMPANY.
Object to own, occupy and work mines of cinnabar and to extract
quicksilver and other metals from the ores of said mines, and to carry
on the business of quicksilver mining generally in Napa and Lake
counties. Certificate filed Sept. 22, 1871. Original Trustees: John
I.awley, John Pershbaker, T. P. Stoney, M. B. Pond and Sylvester
K. Smith. Capital stock, $4,000,000, in 40,000 shares of $100 each.
No work done yet except prospecting.
Many other certificates of incorporation have been filed and com-
panies formed for working gold and silver claims in Nevada, and
petroleum claims in this county and Humboldt, but none of them
have succeeded in developing anything of value. The petroleum
companies whose claims were in Humboldt county found plenty of
oil, but the rock strata overlying its sources were found to be so
broken up that it could not be obtained in wells as in Pennsylvania.
The oil oozes out of the ground through innumerable fissures in the
rocks over a large tract of country, showing itself upon even - spring
and water-course near the Mattole river, and even covering the ocean
with a film for a long distance at its mouth; but all the claims are
abandoned. The inhabitants of the oil region easily collect enough
for home consumption, but none is obtained for commercial pur-
poses. The great excitement of 1865-6 lias completely subsided.
104 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
COAL COMPANIES.
PACIFIC COAL MIXING COMPANY.
The organization of these companies is mentioned here as a fact
of local history, although nothing has been done by any of them
beyond preliminary prospecting of their several claims. A few
small seams of good coal have been discovered in Capel Valley,
but nothing yet, thus far, of commercial value. Farther prospect-
ing may give better results.
Certificate filed May 17th, 187 1. Object, "to mine for coal
beds or strata." Capital Stock, $2,000,000 in 20,000 shares of
Si 00 each. Original corporators and Trustees, E. Huguenin,
Henry Mygatt, W. W. Stillwagon, J. H. Kester and W. A. S.
Holt.
NAPA COAL COMPANY.
Certificate filed February 1st, 1871. Object to "purchase and
own coal lands in the State of California and open coal beds and
veins thereon, and remove the coal for the purpose of commerce."
Capital 3,000,000 in 30,000 shares of $100 each. Original Trus-
tees, W. C. S. Smith, George N. Cornwell, W. R. Brown, E. N.
Boynton and John Mudgett, being the corporators.
CLARK COAL MINING COMPANY.
Certificate filed March 7th, 1871, to mine coal on lands owned by
George W. Clark in Napa Count}-, and to purchase and sell coal
lands. Capital Stock, $2,000,000 in 20,000 shares of $100 each.
Trustees and corporators, W. W. Stillwagon, Henry Mygatt, Ralph
Ellis, E. Huguenin, Robert Crouch.
ATLANTIC COAL COMPANY.
Certificate filed May 17th, 1871. Object to work coal beds or
shale. Capital Stock $2,000,000 in 20,000 shares of $100 each.
Henry Mygatt, John H. Kester, E. Huguenin, W. W. Stillwagon,
and C. E. Comstock, original Trustees and locators. •
MISCELLANEOUS CORPORATIONS.
10 =
NAPA COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE.
CHAPTER VIII.
NAPA VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY
Certificate filed March 26, 1864. Incorporation formed under the
•Act providing for the incorporation of Railroad Companies, and the
management of the affairs thereof, and other matters relating thereto,
approved May, 1861, and the several Acts supplementary to and
amendatory thereof." Capital stock, $750,000, in 7,500 shares <>■
$100 each. Original Board of Directors: Anthony V. Easterby, John
Lawlcy, James II. Goodman, Chancellor Hartson, Charles Maync.
Samuel Brannan and Alfred A. Cohen. ( Original subscribers to the
capital stock: Charles Mayne, 30 shares; A. A. Cohen, 30 do.; C.
Hartson, 10 do. ; S. Brannan, 30 do.: W. R. Garrison, 3odo. : R. B.
io6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Woodward, 30 do.; H. Barroilet, 30 do.; Edw. Stanley, 5 do.; Jas.
Graves, 20 do.; C. F. Lott, 30 do.; S. Alstrom, 30 do. ; J. H. Good-
man, 10 do.; Thos. Knight, 20 do.; Geo. C. Yount, 20 do.; A. Y.
Kasterby, 10 do.; J. F. Lamdin, 5 do.; John Lawley, 10 do.; Smith
Brown, 10 do.
THE BANK OF NAPA.
Certificate filed Sept. 14, 1871. Objects: to invest and loan its
capital, surplus and trust funds; to receive money on deposit for such
time 'and at such rates of interest as may be agreed upon; to receive
valuable property, packages and papers for safe keeping, and to
charge for the care of the same; to act as an agent in the purchase
and sales of real and personal estate, in the collection and payment
of debts, and in other monetary affairs; to act as trustee in holding
and managing real and personal property for the benefit or security
of other parties; to act as a receiver of assets belonging to estates, of
funds waiting disposition in cases of litigation, and to transact every
business that may properly be done by a financial agent, or by a safe
deposit, loan, trust, or banking company. Capital, $250,000, in
2,500 shares of $100 each. Original Board of Trustees: John F.
Zollner, W. C. Wallace, C. Hartson, Edward Stanley, W. H. Nash,
R. H. Sterling, E. L.Sullivan, A. B. Walker, W. W. Thompson,
W. A. Fisher, R. B. Woodward, Henry L. Davis, Thos. H. Thomp-
son, I. N. Larrimer, John Lawley, D. McDonald, D. L. Haas..
The present officers are — President, C. Hartson; Cashier, W. C.
Watson. Finance Committee — R. H. Sterling, W. W.Thompson,
T. H. Thompson.
The Bank was first opened October 2d, 1871, in the building on
Main street, occupied by Wells, Fargo & Co. "s Express. Their ele-
gant and substantial structure on the corner of Main and Second sts.
was completed in the Spring of 1872.
NAPA CITY GAS LIGHT COMPANY.
Certificate filed May 25, 1867. Object, to manufacture illuminat-
ing gas, and to distribute and sell the same. Capital, $80,000, in
800 shares of $100 each. Original Trustees and Corporators: James
H. Goodman, W. W. Beggs and Jas. Freeborn.
MISCELLANEOUS CORPORATIONS. 107
XAPA VALLEY SAVINGS AND LOAN SOCIETY.
Certificate of incorporation filed Sept. 25, 1871, under the Act of
1862 for the formation of corporations for the accumulation and in-
vestment of funds and savings, and all amendatory thereof and sup-
plementary thereto. Capital stock, $100,000, in 1,000 shares of
$100 each. Object: to aggregate the funds and savings of the mem-
bers thereof and others, and to preserve and safely invest the same
for their common benefit. Directors: Smith Brown, Henry C. Boggs,
Nathan Coombs, James H. Goodman, John M. McPike, George E.
Goodman, H . C. Parker and Philip L. Weaver. This institution is
doing a safe and prosperous business, and is proving of great public
benefit. Its place of business is in the magnificent bank building of
Messrs. J. H. Goodman & Co.
The private banking house of James H. Goodman & Co. was first
opened September 1st, 1858. It has ever since been doing a pros-
perous business, and has been a great convenience to the people.
Cntil the organization of the Bank of Napa, this was the only bank-
ing house in the town.
PIONEER ENGINE COMPANY NO. I .
Was organized in April, 1859, by the election of Robert Crouch,
President; E. S. Chesebro, Foreman; J. H. Moran, Assistant; J. W.
Hemenwav, 2d Assistant; Harvev Wilder, Secretarv, and B. f .
Townsend, Treasurer. The first trial of the engine was on the 6th
of June, i860.
MASONIC CEMETERY ASSOCIATION.
Certificate filed Feb. 29th, 1872. This association was formed at
a meeting held at St. Helena Feb. 24th, 1872, at which J. H. Alli-
son was Chairman and A. C. Kean was Secretary. J. H. Allison, 1).
B. Carver, C. E. Davis, Thomas Greer, Sam. G. Clark, G. S. Chris-
man, David Galewsky, L. Lazarus, A. C. Kean, J. R. Wright and
Joseph Kaiser were the original associates. Purpose, to procure and
hold land to be used exclusively for a cemetery. Original Trustees:
C. E. Davis, G. S. Chrisman, D. B. Carver, E. K. Cooley, J. R.
108 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Wright and J. H. Allison. The Trustees were divided into three
classes, viz: C. E. Davis and E. K. Cooley in the first class, to hold
their offices for one year; G. S. Chrisman and J. R. Wright in the
second, to hold their offices for two years; and D. B. Carver and J.
H. Allison in the third class, to hold office for three years.
TOWN HALL ASSOCIATION.
Certificate filed March 3, 1871. Object, the purchase of land and
the erection of a Town Hall thereon, and to manage and improve
said property and to conduct the leasing and use of said Hall. Cap-
ital stock, $10,000, in 100 equal shares. Original Trustees: A. B.
Walker, Lyman Chapman, E. Biggs, A. Sampson andG. W. Manuel.
Corporators: E. Biggs, A. B. Walker, J. A. Jackson, L. M. Corwin,
Ralph Ellis, Lyman Chapman, A. G. Boggs, C. N. Everts, G. W.
Manuel, G. N. Cornwell, C. B. Seeley, A. Sampson.
The association erected a building on Second street, 50 by 180 ft.,
which is used for a skating rink, concerts and other public gather-
ings. It will accommodate four times as large an audience as anv
building in the place, and proves a great public convenience.
ODD FELLOWS HALL ASSOCIATION OF XAPA.
Certificate filed January 2, 1868. Object, to purchase a lot in
Napa City and erect a building thereon for the purposes of use and
rent. Capital stock, $25,000, in 2,500 shares of $10 each. Origi-
nal Trustees and Corporators: W. R. Brown, J. D. Blanchar, E. N.
Boynton, E. Biggs, A. B. Walker and H. H. Custer. The building
proposed by this company has not yet been erected.
XAPA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
Certificate filed Sept. 1st, 1870. Purpose, to erect, procure and
use a public library in Napa City. Pursuant to articles of association
subscribed by citizens, a meeting was called August 27th, 1870, of
which G. W. Ford was President, and at an election then held the
following gentlemen were elected as Trustees and Officers of the
Association: E. N. Boynton, President; H. H. Knapp, Vice-Presi-
MISCELLANEOUS CORPORATIONS. 109
dent; T. P. Stoney, Recording Secretary; J. H. Goodman, Corres-
ponding Secretary-; T. N. Mount, Treasurer; R. S. Thompson and
F. A. Sawyer. The association occupies the second story of Fire-
men's Hall on Brown street, and has secured by gift and purchase 1,000
volumes of valuable works, which are kept in constant circulation
among the members. It gives promise of great usefulness, and
stands high in popular favor.
CALISTOGA HOTEL COMPANY.
Certificate filed April i st, 1872. Object, to lease, carry on and
conduct and manage the Calistoga Springs Hotel, and all business
appertaining thereto. Capital stock, $20,000; 200 shares of $100
each. Trustees and Corporators: Alex. Badlam, Jr., Ezra R. Bad-
lam and George Burgess.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS HOTEL COMPANY.
Certificate filed Sept. 7, 1859. Purpose, to purchase the grounds
and buildings comprising the White Sulphur and other Springs, and
to erect a hotel, and transact such commercial business in relation
thereto as may be necessary and proper. Capital stock, $100,000,
in 1,000 shares of $100. Trustees: Dexter Tafft, R. E. Brewster and
R. J. Van Dewater. Corporators: R. E. Brewster, H. P. Janes, R.
J. Van Dewater, S. P. Dewey, Wm. Norris and John Weeks. A
magnificent hotel 250 feet long was built by this company, and ex-
tensive improvements made to the grounds and drives adjacent at an
outlay of $100,000. The hotel was destroyed by fire, with all its
contents, a short time after its completion.
WATER COMPANIES.
SPENCER CREEK WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed October 7th, 1871. Object to supply Napa City
and other places in the County with pure, fresh water. Capital
Stock $100,000 in shares of $100 each. Original Trustees and
corporators, Dwight Spencer, Frank E. Corcoran, Donald McDon-
ald, S. C. Hastings and William Doolan.
no NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
NAPA CITY WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed September ist, 1870. Capital Stock $250,000,
with 2,500 shares of $100 each. Original corporators and Trus-
tees, A. Chabot, D. P. Barstowand C. H. Potter.
CAYMUS CANYON WATER COMPANY'.
Certificate filed October, 1871. Capital Stock, $500,000. Ob-
ject "to take and appropriate the waters of the creek in Rector
Canon of Yount Township, and other streams and creeks of Napa
County, to supply the towns of Napa, Oakland, Vallejo, Mare Island
and San Francisco with pure, fresh water. " Original corporators
and Trustees, S. C. Hastings, C. Hartson, \Ym. Doolan.
NAPA AND VALLEJO WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed November 24th, 1869. Objects, to supply Napa
City and township, and the city of Vallejo with pure, fresh water.
Capital Stock $200,000 in 2,000 shares of $100 each. Trustees, C.
Hartson, J. S. Miller, M. M. Estee, E. J. Wilson and R. Burnell.
Original Trustees and corporators, C. Hartson, T. J. Dewoody, R.
Burnell, D. McClure, and M. M. Estee.
UNOYOME WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed October 24th, 1871. Object to take the waters
of Unoyome Creek, known as the South branch of Tulocay Creek,
and also the waters of the North branch of said creek, for irrigating
and manufacturing purposes and for supplying pure water for the
use of families and residents along the line of the proposed works,
and also Napa City. Capital Stock $50,000 in 500 shares of $100
each. Original Trustees and corporators, Nathan Coombs, Thos.
H. Thompson and J. H. Howland.
HUICHICA WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed October 28th, 1871. Object to supply farmers
and gardeners in Napa and Sonoma counties with water for irrigating
purposes. Capital Stock $50,000 in shares of $100 each. Trus-
tees and corporators, Wm. H. Winters, J. C. Hastings, W. K. Sal-
mon, John F. Zollner and A. F. Roney.
in MISCELLANEOUS CORPORATIONS.
SOSCOL WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed October 26th, 1871. Objects to irrigate and sup-
ply water for domestic and agricultural uses, and for irrigating
farming lands in Soscol valley, also for mechanical, manufacturing
and dockage purposes in and adjacent to Soscol, using and diverting
for such purposes the waters of Soscol Creek, tributary springs and
water courses adjacent thereto. Capital Stock $100,000 in 1,000
shares of $100 each. Original Trustees and corporators. Robert
Sheehy, Simpson Thompson, Wm. Gouverneur Morris.
CALISTOGA WATER COMPANY.
Certificate filed February 23d, 1872. Object to take the waters
of Mill Creek in Hot Springs Township, and other streams and
creeks in Napa and Sonoma counties, to supply the counties of
Napa, Solano, and Sonoma with pure water for domestic, manufac-
turing and irrigating purposes. Capital Stock $50,000. Trustees
and corporators, Samuel Brannan. A. C. Palmer, and A. Badlam.
None of the water companies named have erected works or laid
down any mains, but some of them will undoubtedly do so at no
distant period. There is abundance of water, and the growth of
the town will before long compel a supply beyond what wells can
furnish. These companies which propose to furnish water for irri-
gating purposes can easily do so whenever it becomes desirable.
ii2 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
CHAPTER IX.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Organized February 12th. 1856 by the election of Chancellor
Hartson, J. M. Mansfield, James Lefferts, George E. Goodman
and S. Wing as Trustees to hold their offices subject to the rules
and regulations of the church.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
The earliest record of the Baptist Church in Napa is dated Feb-
ruary 13th, 1864, showing the appointment of John Norton, A. J.
Dotey and Ezra Carpenter as Trustees.
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CHURCHES AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS. 113
CHRIST CHURCH, (EPISCOPAL.)
Christ Church Parish was organized August 29th, 1858, at a
meeting held for the purpose, Rev. Mr. Ewer presiding. R. D.
Hopkins and Richard Dudding were appointed Wardens, and James
Lefferts, James McNeil, R. T. Montgomery, Wells Kilburn, and
Thomas P. Stoney, Vestrymen.
The original associates for the organization of the Church were
R. D. Hopkins, James McNeil, Eugene B. Gibbs, R. T. Mont-
gomery, J. Brome Smith, A. Coles, Richard Dudding, James Lef-
ferts, C. M. Nichols, Thomas P. Stoney, C. W. Langdon, A. J.
Donzel, J. L. Egleston, E. B. Eaton, George Fairfield and Wells
Kilburn. The canonical consent of Bishop Wra. Ingraham Kip
was given on the 1 8th day of September, 1858. September 1 6th,
1858, Rev. E. VY. Hagar was unanimously elected Rector of the
Church. The appointment was accepted by Mr. Hagar October
16th, 1858. July 9th, 1859, James' Hall was rented for the ser-
vices of the Parish. Rev. Mr. Hagar gave notice of his intention
to leave the Diocese on the 15th of October. November 30th,
1859, R- ev - -^ r - Goodwin was invited to accept the Rectorship. Feb-
ruary 28th, i860, a lot 80 feet square, on Randolph street, was
purchased of Richard Dudding for $400 for a church edifice.
March icth, i860, a plan for a church was prepared by Mrs. Julian
Matthieu and was adopted by the Vestry, and proposals published
for erecting the edifice. April 1 6th, i860, a contract was awarded
to John B. Horrell, in pursuance of his bid.
THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IX ST. HELENA,
Was organized August 17, 1863, by the election of a Board of Trus-
tees consisting or Thos. B. Townsend, L. Murray, and A. J. Hud-
son. Corner stone of church edifice laid with Masonic ceremonies
July 14th, i860. The pastor, Rev. Y. A. Anderson, came from
.Missouri in 1855, and died May 19, 1862.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NAPA.
A lot for church purposes was donated by Hon. Nathan Coombs,
8
ii4 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
May 9th, 1853, t0 ErwinF. Kellogg, Charles Hopper and Nathaniel
Squibb, Trustees. The lot was the south half of lot No. 2, block 28,
of Napa City. He also subsequently conveyed the present site of the
church, 1 20 feet square on Randolph street, for a nominal consider-
ation. The original church edifice was removed in May, 1867, to
Washington street for the uses of the colored Methodist Church, be-
fore the erection of the present elegant edifice.
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
On the 28th of September, 1856, the lot on which the church
edifice now stands was donated to Bishop Allemany by George N .
Cornwell, Esq., and the deed was confirmed by a deed dated Dec.
1866, by Hon. Chancellor Hartson, who also sold to the church lot
7 in block 4 adjoining the original lot. The church was built in
1858 and dedicated by Arch-Bishop Allemany Nov. 6, 1859. The
same denomination has erected a neat building at St. Helena, and
have a large congregation.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF NAPA CITY.
Certificate filed May 25, 1872, under the Act of April 22, 1850,
and amendments thereto. Original Trustees: G. W. Deweese, W.
W. Smith and J. C. Willson. A fine church edifice was erected in
1 87 1 at a cost of $6,000.
UNITARIAN SOCIETY.
Among the places of worship in Napa City is to be considered
the house of meeting: of the Unitarian Societv. This societv wa>
formed in 1871 . It has quite a large membership, and the officia-
ting minister, Rev. Mr. Hudson, has always had fair audiences.
So far, the meetings have been held in the Court House Hall.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CALISTOGA.
The members of. the Presbyterian Church at Calistoga, though
numerous, had no suitable place of worship till the Fall of 1871.
At this time they completed a large and beautiful church edifice at
a cost of near $2,500. Trustees: A. Safely, John Wass, Dr. R.
Garnett, R. Wright, and John McCausland.
CHURCHES AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS. 115
METHODIST CHURCH, CALISTOGA.
The Methodist congregation at Calistoga in 1869, erected a com-
fortable church building at an expense of about $2, 500. The first
Trustees were Wm. McDonnell, Peter Teal, and Alonzo Hopkins.
The building was used for a time as a public school house, but since
the erection of the fine and commodious school house, is used only
for church purposes.
METHODIST CHURCH, ST. HELENA.
The congregation of Methodists at St. Helena worshipped in the
Presbyterian church building till in 1867 they erected a building of
their own. The Trustees, under whose management the edifice and
improvements were made, Wm. McDonnell, Peter Teal, J. B. Ris-
ley, and John Howell.
BAPTIST CHURCH, ST. HELENA.
The Baptist Church at St. Helena is the oldest church building
in that place. In 1857 Hyram Louderback donated a lot for the
purpose of a church site to the Baptist Home Missionary Society.
John Cyrus, Henry Owsley, and David Fulton were the first Trus-
tees. A suitable building was erected on the lot donated. In the
Fall of 1872 the building was moved to the rear portion of the lot
and thoroughly repaired and re-arranged.
There are church organizations and large congregations in every
neighborhood in the county, but these mentioned above are all that
have church edifices especially erected to their use.
NAPA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION.
The Cemetery grounds of 48 4-5 acres was a free gift to the as-
sociation from Don Cayetano Juarez. There was not in 1858 an
enclosed cemetery in Napa County. The Tulocay Cemetery As-
sociation was organized by the subscribers thereto January 10th.
1859, at a meeting held at the Court House for the purpose, at
which time the deed was delivered by Don Cayetano Juarez to the
Trustees. Twelve acres were set apart for the use of the Catholic
1 1 6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
church, and a considerable tract for the burial of paupers. Soon
after a substantial stone fence was erected, walks and drives laid out.
and a large quantity of trees and shrubs planted. The cemetery
grounds are situated on the hill side East of the river and overlook-
ing the town. The situation is one of great natural beauty, and
many beautiful monuments already mark the resting place of the
dead. The cemetery is a favorite resort of many of our citizens
during the Spring and early Summer.
NAPA CHAPTER OF R. A. MASONS XO. 30, XAPA CITY.
Organized May 9th, 1S62. Charter members, O. P. Southwell,
Geo. C. Yount, H. H. Knapp, M. L. Haas, \V. W. Stillwagon, N.
A. Greene, Wm. H. Holliday, J. Mecklenberg, D. B. Parks. Pres-
ent officers, R. Ellis, H. P.; Beeby Robinson, R.; W. C. S. Smith,
S. ; P. Van Bever, Treasurer; L. M. Corwin, Secretary. Past High
Priests, R. Crouch, H. H. Knapp. Number of members, 40.
YOUNT LODGE XO. 12 OF F. AXD A. MASONS, XAPA CITY.
Organized May 6th, 1 85 1 . Charter members, Wm. D. Deering,
James M . Small, M . T. McLellen, W. W. Stillwagon, Geo. C .
Yount, Joseph Mount, B. Vines, Thos. Chopson, J. W. Moody,
M. H. Kendig. Present officers, H. H. Knapp, W. M. ; R. Ellis,
S. W.; R. Crouch, J. W.; P. Van Bever, Treasurer ; B. H. Gor-
ton, Secretary. Past Masters, H. H. Knapp, R. Crouch, Wm. H.
Holliday, T. J. Tucker, F. M. Hackett. Number of members, 80.
1XDEPEXDEXT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Napa Lodge, No. 1 8. received its Charter from the Grand Lodge,
November 26th, 1853. Charter members, J. D. Stetenius, David
Monnett, Robert Hopkins, Edward A. Hazen, John H. Waterson,
D. C. Tripp. List of members in 1859 : All those marked *
are deceased. Past Grands, E. B. Eaton, J. H. Waterson, *J. C.
Penwell, G. N. Cornwell, * James M. Wilson, *J. M. Dudley, Thos.
Earl, ^Jonathan Bell, R. D. Hopkins, James Lefferts, C. N. South-
er, T. B. McClure, *J. N. Cosgrave.
Brothers of the Fifth Degree : John B. Horrell, M. L. Haas,
CHURCHES AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS. 117
D. B. Parks, J. Magee, Robert Hastie, R. T. Montgomery, J. S.
Stark, *L. G. Lillie, J. H. Dames, *Johnson Horrel, Rt. S. Har-
din, *P. Hunsinger, Jacob Blumer, *J. A. Butler, R. B. Adams,
Joshua Carter, Samuel B. Snow, L. L. Dennery, D. V. Norton, W.
J. Gose, C. W. Langdon, *J. A. McGimsey, Geo. W. Hampton,
C. R. McGimsey, Wm. C. Phagan, H. A. Pellett, M. Haller, E.
Chatelain, Wm. D. Hensley, Jos. Enright, D. S. Cheney, Charles
Marx, J. Chord, *Rees Smith, J. L. Foote, C. Breedlove, *Ne\vton
Morse, James Parsley, G. B. Crane, B. M. Townsend, Wm. Mor-
row, Thos. Horrell, Wm. N. Bell, *Charles Van Pelt, Julius Solc-
monson, D. Thompson, F. Levinson, Jno. P. Hensley, A. Bran-
nan, J. H. Baldwin, J. B. Walden, Jos. Eggleston, T. H. Ink, T.
W. Alexander, Jno. G. West, J. Barnes, E. True, Wm. H. Clarke.
Brothers of the Third Degree : N. Coombs, Jerome J. Snow,
J. F. Houx, *G. W. Custer, J. C. McWilliams.
Initiates : G. W. Towle, P. Veeder, J. Heath, E. Bounds, W.
H. Winters, N. P. Ingalls, A. S. Rooney, H. K. VanBuskirk,
Simon Peake, J. M. Snow, George Grigsby, Julius H. Frank.
The above is given merely as a matter of history, to show of
whom this benevolent order was at that time composed.
List of members for 1872. Past Grands : H. L. Amstutz, J.
N. Reynolds, W. R. Brown, A. B. Walker, G. B. Clifford, E. N.
Boynton, W. W. Pendegast, L. M. Corwin, R. N. Steere, J. C.
Pierson, W. R. Aldersley, A. Sampson, A. G. Boggs, L. Davis,
F. W. Colman, J. Israelsky.
Brothers of the Fifth Degree, 47; of the Third Degree, 5; of the
Second Degree, 2; of the First Degree, 2; Initiates, 21.
Officers for 1872 : H. T. Barker, N. G. ; H. J. Baddeler, V.
G. ; E. N. Boynton, Treasurer; J. C. Pierson, R. S.j H. L.
Amstutz, F. S.
The Lodge is in a very prosperous condition, and has upon its
books the names of ninety-five members in good standing.
ST. HELENA LODGE, I. O. 0. F., NO. 1 67.
Charter granted January 31st, 1870. Charter members: C. E.
Davis, J. C. Penwell, P. G., J. S. Adams, A. Koms, P. G., II . A
Pellet, H. A. Wyman, J.I. Logan, P. G.
nS NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Number of members November 14th, 1872, fifty-eight; 5th de-
gree members, fifty ; 3rd degree members, two ; 2d degree mem-
bers, two ; initiates, four.
List of officers at this date : Past Grand, G . W. Montgomery :
Noble Grand, Robt. Hastie ; Vice Grand, John Mavity ; Record-
ing Secretary, W. R. Wilson ; Permanent Secretary, E. A. Straus ;
Treasurer, J. K. Hall ; Warden, W r m. McCormick ; Conductor,
N. Howe ; Inside Guardian, P. R. Johnson ; Right Supporter to
Noble Grand, W. A. C. Smith ; L. S. to N. G., Thos Grear ; R.
S. to V. G., J. Straus; L. S. to V. G., John Keaster; R. S. S„
James Lowe ; L. S. S., C J Field ; Chaplain, J I Logan
EMERY LODGE NO ^6j , ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS, NAPA CITY
Charter granted February nth, 1870. Charter members: F.
M. Caldwell, Mrs. A. J. Caldwell, S. N. Mount, J. L. Trefren, Rev.
G. W. Ford, R. J. Bishop, Mrs. N. Bishop, Mrs. J. L. Trefren.
Mrs. L. A. Ford, F. A. Trefren, W. A. Johnson, F. Adair, A. J.
Ford, H. A. Chapman, J. S. Mallony, L. W. Boggs, J. L. Robinson,
J. Ritchie, G. W. Manuel, Mrs. A. Lamdin, Mrs. G. Bowman.
Mrs. M. Snow, Mrs. Sheppard, Mrs. L. C. Manuel, Mrs. J. Jen-
kins, H. A. Clark, L. C. Clark, L. Chapman, C. Robinson, E. E.
Snyder, M. E. May, G. W. Riley, H. W. Leek.
Officers, November, 1872 : J. Eggleston, W. C. T.; E. Clark,
W. V. T. ; A. J. Clark, W. S. ; T. Mount, W. F. S. ; Miss L.
Grover, W. T. ; H. Baterman, W. M. Number of members in
good standing, seventy-five.
YOUNTVILLE LODGE NO. 369.
Charter granted February 17th. 1870. Charter members: J. L,
Cook, A. E. Cook, A. G. Clark, G. W. Oman, H. Bateman, L„
Gilbert, A. J. Clark, S. Clark, C. Clark, S. Kinsey, J. C. Oliver..
C. A. Menefee. Number of members, November, 1872, twenty.
This Lodge surrendered its Charter a short time since.
MONROE LODGE OF GOOD TEMPLARS, CALISTOGA.
The Monroe Lodge of Good Templars at Calistoga was organized
by Miss Emery, State Deputy, about the istof Februarv, 1870, with
CHURCHES AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS. 119
twenty-four charter members. This has, since its organization,
been a flourishing Lodge. Its present membership is fifty in good
standing.
ST. HELENA LODGE, NO. 93, F. AND A. M.
May 6th, 1856, Caymus Lodge of Masons was organized at
Yountville with the following Charter members : Simon Rosen-
baum, J. W. Deering, G. C. Yount, P. R. Hazelton, J. J. May,
Wm. Baldridge, B. Vines, Joseph Evey, Edward Evey, and Wm.
Hargrave. The first officers were J. J. May, W. M. ; Edward
Evey, S. \V. ; G. C. Yount, J. W.; J. M. Wright, Treasurer; W.
Baldridge, Secretary. The Lodge continued to meet in Yountville
till August 5th, 1865, when it was moved to St. Helena and its name
changed to St. Helena Lodge. The Lodge now numbers forty-
two. Present officers : D. B. Carver, W. M. ; C. H. Powers, S.
\V. ; E. M. York, J. W. ; John Weinberger, Treasurer; A. C.
Kean, Secretary ; W. L. Simmons, S. D. ; S. G. Clark, J. D. ;
\V. W. Bradbury, Tyler.
OTHER LODGES.
In 1854 there was a division of the Sons of Temperance formed
at St. Helena. The meetings were held in a little school house near
the present site of the fine residence of Hon. Seneca Ewer. Among
the organizers of the Division we mention D. Hudson, Wm. Hud-
son, J. H. McCord, and W. E. Taylor. At this time the town of
St. Helena consisted of only a store and a few other buildings. On
account of the fine view obtained of St. Helena mountain, the Di-
vision was named St. Helena, and the Division gave the name to
the town. The Division soon surrendered its charter.
In 1858 Grand Lecturer Roney organized another Division at the
same place with a long list of Charter members. In the following
year a Lodge of the Temple of Honor was organized by Rev. B.
I*'.. S. Ely, I). G. W. C. T. , with the following Charter members :
P>. E. S. Ely, Y. A. Anderson, M. Vann, T. II. Anderson, }. T.
Edwards, I. F. Kingsberry, J. L. Edwards, D. V. Norton. W. A.
Elgin, D. II. Haskin, and Joseph Haskin. A L r reat portion of the
120
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
regalia and jewels of the Temple of Honor still remains in the
possession of J. L. Edwards awaiting the resurrection of that Order
in this State.
April 1 2th, 1 86 1, Franklin Lodge No. 29, Order of Good Tem-
plars, was instituted in Napa City. It continued till the Fall of
1868, when it surrendered its Charter.
In 1864 a Lodge of the same Order was instituted at Yountville,
but did not exist long. The records are all lost or destroyed. Also
in the same year Grand Lecturer Johnson organized another Lodge
of the same order in St. Helena, but it, together with these other
temperance organizations, has long since been disbanded.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 121
CHAPTER X.
XAPA COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE.
Certificate filed Nov. 22, 1870. A committee appointed for the
purpose by the California Annual Conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church of California, Sept. 22d, 1870, appointed the following
persons Trustees to receive, hold and take charge and care of the
property in Napa City known as the Napa Collegiate Institute prop-
erty, and direct and control an institution of learning thereat for said
Conference: George Clifford, Nathan Coombs, Geo. Fellows, Henry
Fowler, George E. Goodman, Win. Hamilton, C. Hartson, J. A.
Mutton, George Linn, E. S. Lippitt, A. YV. Norton, E. Thomas, J.
L. Trefren, A. D. Wood and R. R Woodward — to hold their office
122 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
for one year from the first day of October, 1870, and for such further
time as the Conference may determine.
The Institute was originally erected by a subscription of $ico each
by the citizens of Napa county. It was first opened August 8, i860,
and conducted by A. N. Hamm as a private enterprise. The coun-
try was too new and sparsely populated for such an enterprise, and it
was inadequately supported. It was afterwards conducted by Rev.
W. S. Turner for two or three years, but, in 1870, fell into the hands
of the Methodist Conference of California. The corner stone of the
edifice was laid with Masonic ceremonies by Grand Master W. H.
Howard of San Francisco, June 24th (St. John's Day), 1859. The
oration was delivered by Rev. Mr. Hagar, the pastor of the Episco-
pal Church in Napa. The grounds are five acres in area and the
main edifice of four stories 46 by 70 feet. It was entirely remodeled
at an expense of over $6,000 in 1870, and is now one of the finest
school edifices in the State.
Faculty: — T. C. George, A. M., Principal, Mental and Moral
Science; W. C. Damon, A. M., Latin and Greek Languages; Mrs.
R. R. Thomas, A. M., Preceptress, Natural Science and Modern Lan-
guages; Miss M. W. Wells, A. M., English Literature; Mrs. E. L.
Smith, Music, Drawing and Painting; Miss Maggie McDowell, As-
sistant in Music; Rev. George Clifford, Agent.
NAPA LADIES SEMINARY.
This Institution was established by Miss Harris in i860, and con-
ducted by her until 1864. After her resignation, and a short interim
of a few months, the school was resumed by Miss Maria S. McDonald,
through whose untiring energy and indefatigable labors it yearly in-
creased in numbers and influence, by accessions both from home
and abroad.
Miss McDonald assumed the position of Principal in 1864, and
conducted the Institution for five years, at the expiration of which
time Death cut short her usefulness, and overwhelmed the school
with sorrow and loss. It is but due to her memory here to speak of
the executive talent which she so eminently possessed, also her powers
of persuasion, her rare art of discipline, her tact and originality, and
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 123
■
more than all, her scholarship and Christian culture — all of which
adapted her pre-eminently for the profession she had chosen and in
which she achieved such signal success.
The event of her death left the school in the care of Miss Sarah F.
McDonald, (sister of the deceased), who has since held the position
of Principal, with what success the present record and condition of
the school testify.
The entire history of this institution has been one of progress,
and cherished in the hearts of its patrons, it now stands well denned
in its proportions and triumphant in its results.
This Seminary is duly authorized by the Legislature to confer
diplomas upon such of its students as may have passed through the
prescribed course of study. Since the erection of the new Seminary
building, an elegant structure 40 by 55 feet and 3 stories high, the
accommodations for pupils are equal to those afforded in any other
educational establishment in the State. # The Seminar}- is well sup-
ported and merits the high standing which it has attained in the pub-
lic esteem.
Instructors — Miss Sarah F. McDonald, Principal, and Instructor
of Higher English Branches ; Miss S. M. Holland, Mathematics,
Natural Sciences and Latin ; Miss E. A. Follansbee, French and
Italian Languages and Instrumental Music ; Miss Mary Mulholland,
Drawing and Painting ; Miss Flora A. Rasche, Vocal and Instrument-
al Music and German ; Miss Ella Lamb, Teacher of Preparatory De-
partment and Gymnastics.
These are all the educational institutions that by their past succes-
ses have become permanent. But it must not be supposed that the
educational facilities of our county are confined to these. Many pri-
vate schools in various parts of the county, under the management
of able educators, have at various times been opened, but all ceased.
The cause was not that the teachers were not in even- respect capa-
ble, nor that the people were not disposed to patronize the schools,
but simply that the public schools have been so good, the teachers,
especially in the towns, such superior educators, that the people
found that their children progressed better here than in the private
school Prof. Blake, as elsewhere in this volume noted, recently
124
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
opened a high school for boys in Napa. The number of scholars is
limited, and the course of instruction thorough. The Professor is
one of the ablest educators in the county, and so far his school prom-
ises to become one of our permanent institutions and be of great
benefit to the community. Mr. W. A. C. Smith, of St. Helena,
for several years that he has been Principal of the school in that
place, has had private classes in the higher English branches and in
the Classics. He has done an excellent work in educating the
community to the importance of thorough schools. Similar re-
marks might be made about other teachers and other schools in our
county, but this must suffice.
THE BANK OF NAPA.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
125
ST. HELENA MOUNTAIN, FROM CALISTOG.A.
CHAPTER XI.
GEORGE C. YOUNT.
The great beauty, salubrity and fertility of this part of California
caused its early settlement by Americans. Several years before the
conquest of the country, a number of American emigrants had chosen
homes for themselves in Napa Valley and others adjacent to it. As
early as February, 1831, George C. Yount reached Napa Valley and
settled here, having come out with a party of trappers fiom Missouri
which arrived at Fort Yuma in 1827. He was a representative of
the pioneers of the Mississippi Valley in the last century. At the
age of 18 he had served under two sons of Daniel Boone, against the .
Indians, in the war of 181 5, and had conversed with the venerable
Daniel Boone himself. Inspired with the love of adventure, as a
trapper he took up the trail on the border of the Missouri, ami pro-
ceeded westward through the valleys of the Platte, the Arkansi-.
i 2 6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Green River, the Colorado, the Sacramento, and finally the Valley
of Napa. So far as is now known he was the earliest pioneer of
American civilization from the Sonoma Mission in California to the
distant hunting grounds of the Hudson Bay Company, unless we may
count as such occasional deserters from whale ships along the coast
of the north Pacific, and the Russians who established a colony near
Bodega in 1812. Further south a few settlers preceded Mr. Yount.
The country at the time of his arrival was filled with hostile tribes of
savages. As many as 10,000 or 12,000 occupied the country now
forming Napa and Lake counties, of which 3,000, and possibly 6,000,
according to Mr. Yount, were dwellers in this valley. Grizzly bears
were found in great numbers, and indeed are not unfrequently met
with among the mountains even at this day. To use the words of
Mr. Yount, ' 'they were everywhere — upon the plains, in the valleys
and on the mountains, venturing even within the camping grounds,
so that I have often killed as many as five or six in one day, and it
was not unusual to see fiftv or sixty within the twenty-four hours."
The streams abounded with fish and the hills with deer and small
game, while in the low and marshy tule grounds along the rivers
were the favorite haunts of the gigantic elk . Mr. Yount continued
his occupations of hunting, trapping and catching the sea otter until
1834, and then spent two years in various occupations in different
places, sometimes taking charge of the Sonoma Mission while the
Padre was at San Rafael, where another Mission required his atten-
tion. In 1836 he finally settted upon "Caymus Ranch,'*' a tract of
two leagues of land in the heart of Napa Valley, which was granted
to him by the Mexican Government. In the Fall of 1836 he here
erected the first log house and raised the first chimney ever built in
California by an American. His house was not only a dwelling, but
a fortification — having a room 18 feet square below, and another 20
or 2 2 feet square above it fitted with port holes, and through these
Mr. Yount was often called upon to defend himself by firing upon
the savages who from time to time came down from the mountains
to attack him. He also erected the first flour and saw-mill in Cali-
fornia. At this time his only companion was an old Frenchman who.
had fought under Napoleon, and his only neighbors five or six fami-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 127
lies of friendly Indians, who had taken up their abode near by. He
had no other neighbors nearer than the Sonoma Mission on one side
and the Hudson Bay Company on the other. This brave old pioneer
had numerous fights with the hostile savages, but with the aid of a
few friendly Indians always succeeded in defending himself.
Mr. Yount obtained another extensive grant of land from the Mex-
ican Government, called "Lajota," situated chiefly in the moun-
tains and broken country on the east side of the valley opposite the
town of St. Helena. Both his grants, after long delay and annoyance
with squatters and law suits, were confirmed by the United States.
Their value was of course enormously increased by the American
occupation and the subsequent discovery of gold. He lived long
enough to enjoy for a season his large estate, and the universal re-
spect of all who knew him. He was a great hearted, true man, of
unbounded generosity, and his house was ever open to dispense hos-
pitality. Even during the later years of his life, notwithstanding his
many trials and sufferings, he retained almost the energy and elas-
ticity of youth, and his memory seemed as vivid as ever. He was in
manners simple and unassuming, and would relate incidents of his
life of the most thrilling nature, without the least display of vanity or
egotism. When in the mood, sitting at his own fireside, with a cir-
cle of neighbors or visitors, he would allow himself to be "drawn
out,"' and relate his many adventures on the Plains and among the
savages with a simplicity and evident truthfulness that charmed all
who listened. The writer of this article remembers with pleasure
more than one such occasion. Many of the incidents of this sketch
were collected and published by the gifted Mrs. F. H. Day, in the
Hesperian for March, 1859.
Mr. Yount was born in North Carolina in 1794, and died at his
residence on Caymus Ranch, Oct. 5th, 1865. He was buried with
.Masonic honors in the cemetery at Yountville (a town situated upon
the same ranch and named after him), and a suitable monument
erected to his memory. On the four sides are sculptured represent-
atives of his life as a trapper, hunter and agriculturist.
The white settlers in Napa Yalley next after Mr. Yount, were Sal-
vador Mundo Vallejo, Cayetano Juarez and Jose Higuera — the first a
i28 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
native Californian and the two others natives of Mexico — who came
about 1838. Each obtained a grant of land; the Vallejo grant being
north of the site of Napa City, the Juarez grant east, and the Higuera
grant southwest. About a year later, Dr. E. T. Bale, an English-
man, married to a native California lad)-, obtained and settled upon
a grant — the "Carne Humana" — north of Yount's grant. These
with the Soscol, made six ranches, all of which have been confirmed.
Pope Valley was granted at an early day to Antonio Pope and Berry -
essa Valley was also a Mexican grant. Both the grantees are long
since dead. Salvador M. Vallejo and Cayetano Juarez are still liv-
ing ; also the widow of Dr. Bale. The Yount grant, as well as a
subsequent one called " La Jota,'' have been disposed of under the
provisions of his will. The widow of Dr. Bale still resides upon
the ranch granted to her husband, but a considerable portion of the
land has been sold. Cayetano Juarez has sold a portion of his
ranch, and still resides upon the remainder. All the other ranches
named have passed entirely into the hands of Americans.
It was the custom of the Indians to establish their rancherias upon
the grants of the settlers in order to make a livelihood by their la-
bor. In 1843 there were from fifty to one hundred upon the Bale
ranch, about 1000 upon the Yount ranch, a large number upon the
Juarez and the Higuera grants, and a still larger number at Soscol.
A few may be still left upon some of these ranches.
Charles Hopper and Joseph B. Chiles first came out in 1840 over-
land in the same party with John Bidwell, of Butte county, and
others. Both are still hale and vigorous men, and large landholders.
The vallev was visited in 1S41 by Wosnessenskv, a Russian nat-
uralist, who recorded his visit upon a plate of copper at the summit
of St. Helena. The plate was removed for preservation by the of-
ficers of the geological survey.
William Baldridge, a pioneer of 1843, resides upon his farm near
Yountville. Ralph Kilburn, who resides near Calistoga, arrived in
1842.
William Fowler, Sr., and his sons William and Henry, and Wil-
liam Hargrave, are among the earliest settlers. William Fowler,
Jr., came across the plains to Oregon in 1841, and returned East.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 129
All the parties named came to Napa Valley in 1843. Messrs. Fow-
ler and Hargrave are among our most respected citizens.
Harrison Pierce settled in Napa in 1843, having landed in Ore-
gon from a whaleship in 1842. He died in 1870.
The emigration of 1846 was quite numerous. Among the num-
ber were Gov. Lilburn W. Boggs and family, who came overland
and settled first in Sonoma, and in 1852 upon a beautiful farm in
Napa Valley, seven miles above the county seat.
The same year John Cyrus, F. E. Kellogg, R. P. Tucker, David
Hudson, L. Keseberg, Col. M. G. Ritchie, Arch. Jesse, Wm. H.
Nash, and James Harbin became settlers in the valley. Mr. Nash
is well known as the proprietor of one of the earliest orchards and
nurseries in the State, and as the present owner of the beautiful
Magnolia Ranch, five miles from Napa City.
A list of the early emigrants now residing in this county, and
taken from the records of the Pioneer Association of Sonoma, Napa,
and Marin, will be found more fully set forth at the close of this
volume. To William Boggs, the President of the Association, grate-
ful thanks are due for many points of information contained in this
work. Also, to Henry Fowler, Esq., of Napa City.
CAPT. JOHN GRIGSBV.
This gentleman came into the county about the same time as Mi\
Coombs, having been for two or three years elsewhere in the State.
He carried on a large farm near Yountville until 1861, when he re-
turned Eastward, and is now said to be in Texas.
NATHAN COOMBS.
lion. Nathan Coombs, who laid out the countv seat, came to this
coast in 1843, anc ^ settled in Napa in 1S45. ^ e nas served in the
State Legislature, and always been a prominent citizen. He has
been a liberal contributor to public improvements, and is known all
over the State as a raiser of blooded stock and a patron of the turf.
His farm, the " Willows,'* two miles from Napa City, is one of the
finest in the vallev.
1 3 o NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
GUY FREEMAN FLING.
Among the early pioneers of Napa County may be classed Guy
Freeman Fling, who, at the age of eighteen, came out upon the
wlaaleship Courier from Boston in 1825, and settled at Monterey in
1827. He piloted Mr. Yount from Monterey to Napa in 1831, re-
turned to Monterey and finally settled in Sonoma, whence he came
to Napa in 1850. He was at one time an armorer on the United
States ship of war Portsmouth, Capt. Montgomery, and when on
shore followed the trade of a gunsmith. The kind-hearted and ec-
centric old man was as well known in this part of the State as any
other that could be named. He died in Napa City in 1872.
SIMPSON THOMPSON.
This gentleman is well known all over the Pacific Coast as the
proprietor of the celebrated Soscol Orchards, and is entitled to the
honor of having first introduced the system of fruit culture in Cali-
fornia without irrigation. His theory w r as that thorough cultivation
was sufficient without any artificial supply of water, and his experi-
ments demonstrated its truth. At first his experiments were derided,
and few could be made to see the correctness of his views. In a
short time, however, Mr. Wolfskill and Mr. Wm. H. Nash per-
ceived the advantages of his system, and abandoned their costly
system of irrigation. Their example has been generally followed,
except in some of the Southern counties, and the practice of irriga-
tion has almost disappeared.
Mr. Thompson was born in Buckingham, Berks county, Pa., in
1803. His great grandfather, John Thompson, bought the old
homestead farm in Berks county, directly from William Penn, and
it may be remarked as something very rare in American family his-
tory, that the property is still owned by his great grandson, the sub-
ject of this sketch. John Willson, his great, great grandfather on
the mother's side, emigrated with his family to America and settled
in the same township. He was the eldest son of James Willson,
who had violated the law of the realm by marrying Isabel, the
daughter and heiress of the Earl of Carsik, in Scotland, and had
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 131
been compelled to flee with his bride to the county of Antrim, Ire-
land. Of the same family, two generations removed, was Margaret
Willson, who was in 1685, at the age of 18, sentenced to be
drowned in the waters of the Bladnoch, near Wigton, Scotland. An
aged lady of 63 years, named Margaret McLachland, was con-
demned at the same time. Their only crime was refusing to take
the oath of recantation, and to abandon the principles of the Scot-
tish reformation. A beautiful cenotaph of white marble was erec-
ted to the memory of these martyrs in the city of Stirling, and still
commemorates their "faithfulness unto death." The following is
an extract from the minutes of the Kirk Session of Penningham
Parish, February 1 9th, 1 7 1 1 : " Upon the eleventh day of May,
1685, these two women, Margaret McLadland and Margaret Wil-
son, were brought forth to execution. They did put the old woman
first into the water, and when the water was overflowing her, thev
asked Margaret Wilson what they thought of her in that case ? She
answered, ' What do I see but Christ wrestling there. Think yc
that we are the sufferers ? No, it is Christ in us, for He sends none
on a warfare on their own charge.' Margaret Wilson sang Psalm
XXV from the 7th verse, and the eighth chapter of the Epistle to
the Romans, and did pray, and then the water covered her. But
before her breath was quite gone, they pulled her up, and held her
till she could speak, and then asked her if she would pray for the
King. She answered that she wished the salvation of all men, but
the damnation of none. Some of her relations being at the place,
cried out, ' she is willing to conform,' being desirous to save her
life at anyrate. Upon which Major Winram offered the oath of
abjuration to her, either to swear it, or to return to the waters. She
refused it, saying, ' I will not, I am one of Christ's children, let me
go.' And they returned her into the water, where she finished her
warfare, being a virgin martyr of eighteen years of age, suffering
death for her refusing to swear the oath of abjuration and hear the
curates."
In May, 1852, Mr. Thompson came out to California :'/'<? the
Chagres river and Isthmus route, making part of the journey from
Gorgona to Panama upon a mule, and sleeping in the open air with
1 32 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
a box of medicine for a pillow. He came up the coast upon the
steamer Golden Gate with 1 500 passengers, among whom were some
40 or 50 store-aways, who came on board at Acapulco, and who
had been wrecked upon another steamer. These were treated rath-
er roughly, and made to work at whatever they were able to accom-
plish. At last, Samuel Brannan, who was aboard, made a speech in
their favor and headed a subscription list with $500 for their relief.
William Neely Thompson, brother of Simpson Thompson, with
Thomas H., the son of the latter, had come out to California via
the Horn in 1849, on tne sn ^P Gray Eagle, 120 days from Philadel-
phia. William Neeley entered in a co-partnership with Mr. Black-
burn in the lumber business in San Francisco, and furnished most
of the material for the State House at Vailejo, and in 1851, 320
acres of the Soscol ranch was taken in payment at $12 per acre.
Subsequently about 300 acres more were purchased. A town a mile
square had been laid out on the property, by Gen. Vailejo. Some
of the stakes on the lines are still remaining. When Mr. Simpson
Thompson arrived in 1852, his brother had sent men up and planted
a small lot with potatoes at a cost for plowing alone of $12.50 per
acre. Nothing else was done on the farm, and the man in charge
abandoned his place, being completely discouraged. Mr. Thomp-
son had come out for the purpose of taking part in the enterprise of
lighting San Francisco with gas, and was provided with some of the
necessary fixtures, but when he found that coal cost $50 per ton,
abandoned the project, and for want of anything else to do, came
up to Soscol and took charge of the place. Here he spent the first
six weeks under a big oak tree, making his own bread and doing his
own washing. This tree is near the present mansion house, and is
surrounded by a circular arbor and cherished with the greatest care.
Mr. Thompson found the place in a state of nature. Soscol
creek, which is now confined within artificial bounds and empties
into the river, in 1852 spread over a wide area, converting it into a
morass. This is now reclaimed and constitutes the richest portion
of the Soscol orchards. The first trees were obtained from Roches-
ter, N. Y., and from New Jersey. Seeds of trees of many kinds
were brought out, but thousands of dollars were sunk by losses in
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 133
transportation. Trees packed in charcoal dried up and died ; those
packed in wet moss mostly rotted on the way, but those packed in
dry moss arrived in good condition. The first peach pits were plant-
ed in April, 1853, an< ^ m ost of them grew vigorously. Ripe peaches
were raised from these pits in sixteen months from the time of
planting. The Mexican residents when they saw them put out.
and preparations making for a nursery, laughed at the idea of such
a thing. They said that without water it was impossible, that barley
would not grow over two feet, and wheat not over six inches, with-
out irrigation, while trees would not grow at all. It may be well
supposed that they were somewhat astonished when sixteen months
afterwards Mr. Thompson showed them finer peaches than had ever
been seen in the State ! Apples were also produced from the seed
in two years and a half. Garden vegetables of all kinds were pro-
duced in abundance, and of great size, without irrigation. The fact
stood demonstrated, that nothing more was needed to render the
lands productive than deep plowing and thorough cultivation. The
Mexicans admitted that Mr. Thompson had produced better results
in one year than they had after twenty years of experience. All
the fruit cultivated by them was from seedlings, and of course of in-
ferior quality. But a new era was at hand . Mr. Wolfskill and
other cultivators at once purchased trees and buds from Mr. Thomp-
son's select varieties, and soon produced the best varieties of fruit in
other parts of the State.
The first basket of peaches sold from Soscol orchards, brought
$23.75, or about eighty cents per pound. They were retailed at
$1.25 each. The first basket of plum peaches brought $34, o
$1.1 z\ per pound. A small area, only about one-fourth of an acre,
was planted with gooseberries, and the product was three tons. This
fact, when reported at the East by visitors, was rejected as absun!
and beyond belief. It may be of interest to some readers to note
the prices of fruit at an earl}- clay, and the books of the establish-
ment L, r ive the following figures. Wholesale prices of fruit in 185'' ;
Apricots, per pound, 70 cents ; early apples, 50 cents ; peach
$9 toSia per bushel 6f 28 pounds ; peaches, best quality, S18.7:
per bushel, or 55 cents per pound : yellow rareripe peaches, 60 cent-
134 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
per pound. In 1855, $3 per pound were offered for the cherry crop
before they were picked and ready for market.
The prices of nursery trees were in proportion. In 1856, trees
in the dormant bud by the 1000 sold for 60 cents each ; peaches one
year old brought $2.50 each in 1855, and $1.50 in 1856 ; apple
trees sold for 75 cents to $1.50 each ; a single fine tree brought $5.
It is stated by Mr. Thompson that in 1856 the trees in the origin-
al orchard would have sold for a larger sum than he could now
command for the land, orchard, and all included. The farm and
orchard that year yielded $40,000, a sum greater than it has ever
yielded since, although the area under cultivation is greatly exten-
ded, and the product increased ten-fold. Prices of most kinds of
fruit are now so low as to leave but a small margin for profit. Mr,
Thompson does not speak very favorably of one of his experiments
in shipping fruit to the East. Three years ago he shipped sixty
boxes of the very choicest Fleming Beauties and Bartletts, each pear
wrapped repeatedly in paper, to Chicago and New York. The fruit
was of the highest excellence and brought 10 cents per pound in
Chicago, and 7 to 8 cents in New York. But after paying freight,
commissions, &c, there was left only 42 cents per box for the fruit,
just 10 cents more than the boxes cost ! Mr. Thompson for many
years carried on the establishment in connection with his two sons,
Thomas H. and James M. Thompson, and more recently with the
assistance of the latter alone. Indeed, James M. Thompson is
really the active manager of this magnificent property. The old
gentleman, surrounded by everything that could render life enjoya-
ble, and held in universal respect by all, beyond the necessity or de-
sire of active labor, willingly entrusts his affairs to younger hands.
The family mansion in which he and his youngest son reside, is a
model of convenience, widely known for its generous hospitality.
The grounds are laid out with great beauty and dotted over with rare
shrubs and trees from ever)- part of the Union. It is a place of
great resort for visitors who come here to admire the beauty of the
place. Notwithstanding the attractions of Soscol orchard, it is a
place of serious business throughout the year. Hard work and
plenty of it is always in progress, and a large force of men are em-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 135
ployed. The reclamation of a large body of tule land is now go-
ing forward, which is destined to add greatly to the value of the
property.
GOVERNOR EDWARD STANLEY.
Governor Edward Stanley, who died suddenly of paralysis at the
Grand Hotel in San Francisco July 10th, 1872, was a pioneer and
citizen of Napa County. He purchased a beautiful site between St.
Helena and White Sulphur Springs in 1868, and had for many years
been a large landholder in the county, although his place of business
was in San Francisco. He arrived there early in 1872 from New-
bern, North Carolina, the place of his nativity. He was born in
1811. Commenced the practice of law in 1832. In 1837 he Mas
elected to Congress, and was twice re-elected. In 1844 he was
elected a member of the lower branch of the Legislature, and be-
came Speaker of that body. In 1847 he was elected Attorney Gen-
eral of his native State. Two years afterwards he was again sent to
Congress, where he strongly advocated the admission of California
as a State. In 185 1, in spite of much dissatisfaction among many
of his constituents on account of his voting for the admission of
California, he was re-elected. In 1857 he was the Republican can-
didate for the Governorship of California, but was defeated by the
Democratic candidate, John B. Weller. In 1862 he was appointed
by President Lincoln Governor of North Carolina, and after having
held the position with honor and credit for eighteen months, at a
most critical period, returned to California. Governor Stanley was
a sincere and upright man, a fearless and able advocate, and a
zealous Christian. He held a large landed estate in this count}-,
of which he was one of the most eminent citizens.
JOHNSON HORRELL.
Johnson Horrell was born July 3d, 1798, in Tuscarora Valley,
Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and moved to South Bend, Indiana.
in [834. After having practiced the legal profession and holding
office of magistrate and State Attorney at that place for sev<
136 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
years, he removed to California in 1849. He erected the first dam
ever constructed across the Yuba river, and afterwards aided in
laying off the city of Marysville. In 1851 he became a resident
of Napa, and took a prominent position in public affairs. He
was appointed Justice of the Peace in place of Sellers, who was
murdered by Macauley, and afterwards held the office of Coun-
ty Judge for three years. He was the owner of the first silver
mine opened in Washoe, and disposed of it for a large sum, but
which was a mere trifle in comparison to its value as afterwards as-
certained. Judge Horrell during the last years of his life was deep-
ly engaged in mining enterprises, and passed through all the changes
of good and evil fortune. He was widely known throughout the
State as a hard-working and skillful lawyer. His death occurred
February 28th, 1867.
CAPTAIN ROBERT WEST.
This venerable gentleman was born in Monmouth count}', New
Jersey, April 14th, 1797, and was engaged in the European and
coasting trade for many years. His last European voyage was made
in 1847. O n me I0tn °f June, 1849, he came out to California as
Captain of the Pilgrim, with an assorted cargo belonging to G. W.
Aspinwall, of New York. The Pilgrim was a canal boat of eighty
tons, and had been employed on the route between New York and
Wilmington, N. C, via the Dismal Swamp canal. She was of the
usual scow pattern, and looked like anything rather than a sea-going
vessel. She was rigged as a fore-and-aft schooner, and before start-
ing was fitted out with temporary railings instead of bulwarks, and
proved entirely seaworthy. On the 2d of January, 1850, she ar-
rived in San Francisco, without the slightest accident or injury to
vessel or cargo. In about latitude 10 N. when on the Atlantic, a
large English ship passed the little Pilgrim, under a press of can-
vass, and shortly after carried away her foretopsail. Capt. West
came up under the lee of the ship and spoke her, inquiring if he
could render any assistance. The Englishman appeared quite in-
dignant at the offer, and inquired in reply, ' ' What, in — , assistance
can you give?" and when told by Cant. West that he was bound to
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 137
San Francisco, the Englishman replied incredulously, "San Fran-
h — 1 !" The Pilgrim made no landing from New York to San
Francisco, and arrived ahead of several vessels which sailed at the
same time. Capt. West engaged in the coasting and river trade for
two years after his arrival on this coast, employing three vessels, the
Aspinwall, the Jilt, and the Pilgrim. The latter was sold to the
California Steam Navigation Company, and converted into a barge,
and finally laid up in 1855 at the foot of Third street, Napa City,
where she remained several years. She was finally sold and broken
up by Capt. OrlofT Reed, and her material used in building the
schooner Zina Reed, which was lost after a few vovages to the lum-
ber ports on the Northern coast. Captain West became a resident
of Napa on the 4th of July, 1852, and has resided here ever since.
(The greater portion of his life has been spent on "the rolling deep,"
ane he is never perfectly at home upon land.) He possesses a large
store of information, and is universally respected as an honest man and
good citizen.
WILLIAM H. NASH.
This gentleman is well known all over the State as a pioneer or-
chardist and farmer, and his success furnishes a marked example of
what may be accomplished by untiring industry and careful experi-
ment. Mr. Nash was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, on the
Clinch river, thirteen miles from Cumberland Gap, on the nth of
October, 1821. He removed to Jackson county, Missouri, in 1838.
In 1846 he emigrated to California with a company having sixty-
three wagons. A portion of this company was destined for Oregon,
and a portion for California. They separated at Fort Bridger, twen-
ty-five wagons proceeding by Hastings Sc Hudspeth's cut-oft" South
of Salt Lake, and others by way of Fort Hall to California. Of the
original party the following persons remained together all the way
to Napa Valley. Win. H. Nash, his wife and two children, Enoch
Cyrus, Henry Owsley, Zimri Hollingsworth, — Matthews, fathei
and son, \V. Ashley, Win. Piles and his son, John Lard, — White-
man, and some others. Other companies from Westport and In-
138 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
dependence were on the road at the same time, the largest of which
was headed by Governor L. W. Boggs.
At the head of the Sweetwater, near the South Pass, the party
with which Mr. Nash travelled, met Mr. James Hudspeth and L.
W. Hastings, who persuaded them to take the cut-off, which affor-
ded more plentiful grass and water, and would save 500 miles of
travel and bring the party to California three weeks sooner than the
old route. Fremont had previously discovered the South Pass, but
the route had been first passed over with wagons by Messrs. Hud-
speth and Hastings, after whom it was named. Mr. Hastings was a
gentleman of great abilities, and had in 1842 travelled extensively
in California, and on his return to Cincinnati published a pamphlet
setting forth in glowing terms the beauties and attractions of this al-
most unknown region. It was the reading of this work in 1845
that induced Mr. Nash, in spite of all remonstrances, to venture on
the tedious and perilous trip to California. One strong inducement
was the offer of grants of land by the Mexican Government. Mr.
Nash, found, as he says, that Mr. Hastings' pamphlet was literally
true in every particular, although he was prevented by the conquest
of the country from obtaining a grant.
Messrs. Hudspeth and Hastings informed the party that a revolu-
tion was going on in California, and hostilities initiated between the
Mexican and American population, and therefore urged them to
hasten their speed in order to aid their countrymen.
Fremont, who had an exploring party of 130 men at Sutter's fort.
excited the jealousy and fear of the Mexicans, although he com-
mitted no acts of hostility, and did not even know that war existed
with Mexico. The first news he received to this effect was from
Lieutenant Gillespie, who had been sent out by the Government via
Mexico, as a secret agent to confer with him. Gillespie went first
to Sutter's fort in quest of Fremont, when he heard that the latter
had gone with his party to Oregon. He overtook Fremont at Rogue
River, and informed him of the existence of war with Mexico.
The party then returned immediately to Sutter's fort. During the
absence of Fremont's party, the Mexicans had manifested a hostile
disposition, and murdered two young men, about three miles from
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL, 139
Santa Rosa, while on their way to Fort Ross. This was the imme-
diate occasion of the formation of the "Bear Flag" party. The
Americans were enraged, and hastily collected at Sonoma, declared
their independency and resolved to conquer or die. They were but
a handful of men, surrounded by enemies, and dispatched Harrison
Pierce, one of their number, to ask assistance from Fremont.
Pierce rode fifty-five hours on this expedition without stopping, ex-
cept once at Wolfskin's to change horses. He delivered his dis-
patch and received Fremont's promise to come on immediately,
when with a fresh horse he returned to Sonoma. During his ab-
sence the Americans had had their first fight with the Mexicans
near San Rafael, killed eight of them, and taken a large number of
prisoners, whom they confined in Gen. Vallejo's house at Sonoma.
Jacob P. Leese, an American by birth, but long a resident of the
country, was taken prisoner also, much to his great surprise and in-
dignation. Fremont's party formed a hollow square about the build-
ing and sent in an interpreter to say that the Americans had been
civil and harmed nobody, but had been abused and imposed upon ;
that their only chance left was to leave the country or fight, and that
they had chosen the latter alternative. The prisoners assured them
that they would all take sides with the Americans against the Mexi-
can Government, £nd did so. Fremont then moved Southward,
arrested the Governor, Pio Pico, in his bed, and sentenced him to be
shot, but spared him at the intercession of his family. Pico then
solemnly promised to co-operate with the Americans, and did so,
going from Mission to Mission to warn the people of the folly of re-
sistance, and exhorting them to submit to the new order of things.
Having inserted this episode as being of interest in itself and as
illustrating the condition of the country at the time of Mr. Nash's
arrival, we now return to his personal memories. Mr. Nash pur-
chased 338 acres of land on the Bale Ranch from R. L. Kilburn
in 1847 at $2 per acre, naming the place "Walnut Grove." In
1872, 288 acres of this land was sold for $25,000. The discovery
of gold, and a mining expedition of a few months to Mormon Island
and the North fork of the American River, kept Mr. Nash from
settling upon his land until November 26th, 1848, when he camped
140 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
upon it with his family, and erected a shanty of slabs from Kilburn
& Bale's mill. For three weeks all the cooking was done under a
tree. The place was as wild and uncultivated as nature made it,
and he had few neighbors within a distance of several miles.
Mr. Nash commenced his first orchard in January, 1849, by set-
ting out thirty-six 2 -year-old seedlings, which had been brought out
by Mr. Barnett from Kentucky. They cost $1 each, and there was
no way of obtaining any others. In the Fall of 1849, in connec-
tion with R. L. Kilburn, a lot of small trees were ordered from a
nursery in Pennsylvania, around the Horn. They were packed in
moss and boxed, arriving the Spring following. The cost was $1
each. In the Fall of 1850 a further supply was obtained from Quin-
cy, Massachusetts, via the Isthmus, and from Portland, Oregon, at
the same price.
The only plow in use when Mr. Nash commenced his experi-
ments in agriculture was a forked stick shod with iron, such as is
still used by the peons of Mexico, and which is in no respect better
than that used by the inhabitants of Judea 2,000 years ago. He was
among the first to inaugurate a new and better system of agriculture
in California.
He then supposed, as did everybody else, that nothing would
grow without irrigation, and accordingly expended some $2,000 in
bringing water out of the mountains for his garden and nursery. He
continued the irrigation process for eight years, and then abandoned
it. We saw his place in 1854, when his conductors and reservoir
were still in use'. He had no reason to complain of want of suc-
cess either, having in 1850 sold the peaches upon two three-year-old
trees for $300. They were purchased by Mr. Giorgiani, of San
Francisco, who retailed them at one dollar each. In 1852 he was
led by the example of Simpson Thompson, Esq., of Soscol, to sub-
stitute deep and repeated plowing for irrigation, and did so with the
best results. He plowed his ground three times— the last time as
late as the 20th of June. He put out thirty acres more of vines
and trees, and found that under the new treatment they made twice
the growth that had been attained by those which had been irriga-
ted, and indeed, to this day, the unirrigated portions of his old or-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 141
chard and vineyard have kept up their superiority. The irrigated
trees received a sudden check when the water was stopped, from
which they have never recovered. The reason is that irrigation
causes the trees to throw out lateral roots near the surface, where
the ground is naturally dry-, whereas in well pulverized ground,
without irrigation, the roots tend downward in search of the natural
moisture of the soil.
In 1868 Mr. Nash sold his land and purchased the magnificent
Magnolia Farm, upon which he now resides, about five miles and a
half from Napa City. When he took possession it was a mere wheat
field, but it is now the model farm of Napa County. It is beautiful-
ly located, and under as thorough cultivation as a garden. No irri-
gation is used upon the place, nor is it needed where the soil is kept
thoroughly pulverized. Mr. Nash has devoted his best energies for
the past twenty-six years to the business of fruit raising and general
farming, and has experimented extensively, in order to secure the
varieties of fruits best adapted to our soil and climate, as well as to
ascertain the best plans of cultivation. His success has been great,
and he has now a high reputation among the orchardists and farmers
of California.
MAJOR WILLIAM GOUVERXEUR MORRIS.
The subject of the following sketch is a much respected resident
of Napa County. Major Morris is the son of Brevet Major Gen-
eral William W. Morris, U. S. Army, who graduated at West Point
in 1820, and faithfully served his countiy for nearly half a century,
he having been engaged in the Yellowstone Expedition, the Black
Hawk, Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, and other Indian wars, in the
Mexican war and in the defense of the Union during the Rebellion.
In the latter war he commanded the Middle Department and
Eighth Army Coqxs. During his long and varied services General
Morris received three brevets for gallantry in the field, the first
being that of Major during the war in Florida.
Major Morris is a scion of an illustrious stock. His great-grand-
father was Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, whose half-brother, Gourerneur Morris, occupies a
i 4 2 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
prominent place in the early history of our country, he having been
a distinguished military officer during the Revolution, and when
our national independence was won, he held several important civil
offices in New York, his native State, and under the Federal Gov-
ernment. He was elected United States Senator, and was appoint-
ed Minister to France by President Jefferson.
Morrisiana, in Westchester county, New York, the ancestral
home of the Morris family, is one of the most ancient homesteads
in the country, having been granted to Richard Morris by the King
of England in 1 670, more than two centuries ago. The family is
of Welsh origin. Several members of it were distinguished as val-
iant leaders under the famous Oliver Cromwell, during the Com-
monwealth in England Its members have ever been staunch
Protestants. Lewis Morris, already referred to, while Colonial Gov-
ernor of New Jersey, named a county in that State Monmouth, in
commemoration of the family estate in Monmouthshire, Wales.
For nearly two centuries the family has had its representatives in
the service of the State of New York, in the army and navy of the
United States, and among the ministers of the Episcopal Church.
Its members are allied by marriage to most of the distinguished old
families of New York, including the Knickerbockers, the Van Rens-
selaers. Schuylers, Jays, Livingstons, Van Cortlandts, Hoffmans,
Vanderhorsts, Lorillards, Stuyvesants, Rutherfords, and others.
Major Morris is on his mother's side nephew of the late Captain A.
A. Ritchie, one of the early settlers in Napa county, who was the
owner of Calistoga, Guenoc, and Loconoma grants. His maternal
grandfather was a distinguished surgeon in the army during the Rev-
olution. The subject of our sketch is also related to Dr. Hugh
Williamson, who was Governor of North Carolina during the Revo-
lution, and to Dr. Archibald Alexander, the distinguished Divine,
so long President of Princeton College. Major Morris was born at
Brooklyn, New York, in 1832, and has received a liberal collegiate
education. After leaving college he studied law at Key West,
Florida, with Hon. William Marvin, Judge of the United States Dis-
trict Court, one of the ablest Admiralty lawyers in the nation.
During his residence at Key West, Major Morris was elected Clerk
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 143
of the Council, and was appointed Inspector of Customs. In 1855
he obtained the degree of L. L. B. at the Dane Law School, How-
ard University, and soon after came to California and entered the
law office of the celebrated Joseph G. Baldwin, subsequently one of
the Supreme Court Justices. In 1856 he was appointed Reporter
of the Supreme Court of California, and while filling that position
published the " Fifth Volume of California Reports." In 1857 he
settled at Visalia, Tulare county, and engaged in the practice of hi.s
profession. While here he was appointed Notary Public and State
Locating Agent of School Lands. In 1861, during the disturbances
among the settlers on the Chabollo grant, in Santa Clara count}',
when a large body of these settlers were in open, armed resistence
to the authorities of the county, Governor Downey selected Major
Morris to prevent a rupture of the peace, a mission which he car-
ried to a successful issue. Major [Morris has never received the
credit he fairly deserved for his management of this delicate busi-
ness. Had open hostilities broken out between the settlers and the
authorities, civil war, which then just commenced at the South,
would have been inaugurated in this State. The Major had sever-
al conferences with General Sumner, who then commanded the
United States forces on the Pacific Coast, and by his tact and skill,
the threatened hostilities were averted, and the whole matter was re-
ferred to the Legislature, which body subsequently disposed of it to
the satisfaction of the parties directly interested.
In September, 1861, Mr. Morris was appointed 1st Lieutenant
and Adjutant of the Second Regiment of California Cavalry, com-
manded by Col. A. J. Smith, of distinguished fame as a cavalry of-
ficer, now Postmaster at St. Louis, Mo. In the following March
he was promoted to the rank of Captain and appointed by President
Lincoln Assistant Quartermaster of Volunteers, a position he held
with credit to himself and advantage to the country till mustered
out of service at the close of the war in the Spring of 1866. While
serving as Lieutenant in the Second Regiment California Cavalry,
Mr. Morris performed the arduous and responsible duties of Super-
intendent of Videttes, and transported the dispatches between the
California Column sent to Texas and the head-quarters of the De-
144 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
partment of the Pacific, duties which required himself and his com-
mand to be almost constantly in the saddle, and exposed them to
the perils of the desert, the Indian, and the rebels on the frontiers
of civilization. His duties as Supervisor of Videttes kept him near-
ly three years travelling between Southern California, Arizona, and
New Mexico, the most unpleasant field of duty on the Pacific Coast.
On his promotion to Captain and Assistant Quarter-master, his du-
ties became more responsible, and were performed with the same
zeal that distinguished him in the field. He constructed Drum Bar-
racks, and the immense military depot at Wilmington, Los Angeles
county, and the military quarters on Catalina Island. For these and
other important sendees, at the close of the war, he was promoted
to the rank of Major by brevet for "faithful services." While sta-
tioned at Benicia, as Commander of the depot at that place, Major
Morris, attracted by the beauty and fertility of the climate and soil
of Napa county, determined to settle in this county. With this ob-
ject in view he purchased a portion of the splendid estate on which
he now resides, and which in a few years, when his contemplated
improvements shall be completed, will form one of the most pleas-
ant of the private homes in the State.
In August, 1869, Major Morris was appointed United States
Marshal for the District of California, a position which he at present
fills to the entire satistaction of the Federal authorities and all who
have business with that important office. An examination of the
books of the United States Marshal's office, arranged by Major
Morris himself, will show at a glance, that as an accountant and
statistician, the Major is quite as zealous and efficient as he has
proved himself to have been on the field or in the quarter-master's
department of the military service.
He is one of the authors of the prize essay on the " Manufac-
turing Interests of California,'"'' a work replete with valuable infor-
mation relating to a most important subject. The Mechanic's In-
stitute of San Francisco awarded a premium of $400 for this useful
essay. In 1870 he had charge of the United States census, in tak-
ing which he made such arrangements to secure accuracy, and per-
formed the duty so effectually as to have won the special commen-
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 145
elation of the Superintendent of the Census. Major Morris is
a member of many civic and military societies, in all of which
he is an active and zealous worker. He is a prominent officer
of the military order of the Loyal Legion ; he is a mem-
ber of the Society of the Cincinnati, the most distinguished
society in the United States, which was founded by Lafayette, and is
hereditary. Major Morris inherited the position from his grand-
father, who was an officer of artillery during the Revolution.
The Major, although taking a deep and active interest in the
political and local affairs of Napa county, and enjoying the respect
and confidence of its citizens, has never sought any public position
at their hands.
The Major's beautiful farm, which he has called " Morrisiana of
the Pacific," in commemoration of the family seat in Westchester
county, New York, is a portion of the celebrated Soscol Rancho. It
contains about nine hundred acres of as fine land as there is in the
State, thoroughly cultivated and well stocked, and is supervised by
the Major himself, who manages to find time to attend to the oner-
ous and responsible duties of United States Marshal, to take an ac-
tive interest in the political and local affairs of the county, and to
superintend his extensive farm, which includes one of the largest
and most valuable fruit orchards in the State, which contains many
hundreds of choice apple, pear, peach, apricot, cherry, and other
fruit trees.
Major Morris is a bachelor ; he is a gentleman of. pleasing ad-
dress, of splendid physique, a most reliable friend and a relentless
enemy ; liberal and benevolent to a degree bordering on extrava-
gance, he is most rigid in exacting his rights in all matters of busi-
ness. In politics he is an ultra-Republican, occupies a leading po-
sition in that party, is always a member of its most important com-
mittees and conventions, and is a good representative member of
that party.
Napa county has reason to be proud of such citizens as the subject
of our brief sketch, and such men are invaluable in emergencies.
Their experience, skill and energies are always available for the pub-
lic service when required. The greatest defect in the Major's charac-
ter is his persistent celibacy, a defect we hope to see removed some
of these days.
10
1 46 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
JOHN LAWLEY.
Mr. John Lawley came to this country from Alabama, his native
State, in 1853, via New Orleans. He engaged in the warehousing
business in Napa City, and did a successful business for several
years. In 1867 he purchased an interest of three-fourths in the
Phoenix Mine, a considerable portion of which he still holds. After
his purchase the mine remained undeveloped for two or three years,
when he disposed of a portion of his stock and active operations
were commenced. In the Spring of 1866, he in connection with
Wm. H. Hamilton and James W. Bostwick, purchased Berryessa
Valley for the sum of $ico,ooo, which has been since sold out in
farms, and now is the greatest wheat raising region in the countv.
He has held several public positions with credit, and is well and
favorably known in this part of the State.
COL. JAMES CLYMAN.
Col. James Clyman is another of the early pioneers of this coun-
ty. He was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, A. D. 1793. His
father moved to State county, Ohio, in 181 2, about the time of the
battle of Tippecanoe. Having learned the profession of a surveyor,
young Clyman was engaged for a while in surveying Govern-
ment lands in Indiana, under Major Morris, who had a contract for
the work. In 1823, when this was completed, he enlisted in Lt.
Governor Wm. H. Ashley's expedition against the Indians up the
Missouri, during which he experienced terrible hardships, and Was
engaged in fierce battles with the Rickarees and other Indian tribes,
the marks of which he bears to this day. He returned to the States
and remained in Missouri and Wisconsin for seventeen years. He
returned just in season to bear a part in the Black Hawk wars, and was
out in the whole of it, serving in the same company with Abraham
Lincoln.
Bad health induced Col. Clyman in the Winter of 1842-3, to
try a trip across the plains. He joined a party at Independence,
Missouri, and traveled overland to Oregon, thence by the land
route he arrived in Napa in 1845, and returned East the following
Summer. Three years after he made a final settlement upon the
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 147
beautiful farm upon which he now resides, two miles Northwest of
Napa City. Col. Clyman kept an itineracy of all his journeyings,
which he wrote up at night by the light of his camp-fire. It evinces
good intelligence, sound judgment and shrewd observation. He
describes the soil, scenery, timber, climate, and other peculiarities
of California with a minuteness of detail not elsewhere to be met
with, giving the most vivid and graphic pictures of the country just
as it was in 1845. This venerable gentleman, now 79 years of
age, is still in full possession of all his faculties. His life has been
strange and eventful, but its evening is full of peace. He is re-
spected by all as a brave, reliable and truthful man.
ELISHA G. YOUNG.
Elisha G. Young came to this county in 1850, and has persued
the occupation of a farmer ever since. He has been quite success-
ful in his favorite employment, and ranks high as a trustworthy and
useful citizen. He merits a notice in a local history, as one of the
pioneers of agriculture.
RALPH ELLIS.
This gentleman is a native of Pennsylvania, came to California in
1853, and was for two or three years treasury expressman in the
mountains for the banking and express company of Everts, Wilson
& Co., whose principal house was at Marysville, with branches at
La Porte, St. Louis, Gibsonville, Pine Grove, and Poker Flat.
Stages ran only to La Porte. Beyond that point all the coin was
sent to the mining camps on the backs of mules, and gold dust re-
turned by the same conveyance. As much as 300 pounds avoirdu-
pois of dust was frequently carried at a time, and the perils of the
business were such as to require the services of men of strong
nerve and unflinching courage. Mr. Ellis was elected Clerk of
Sierra county in 1857, and removed to Napa City in i860. He
served as Sheriff of Napa county for one term, and then entered
upon an extensive warehouse business, and the purchase and sale of
grain. As an intelligent and upright business man he has no su-
perior.
i 4 8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
PETER D. BAILEY.
Peter D. Bailey, Esq., is a native of Ireland, and one of the pio-
neers of this county. He came by the overland route to Napa in
1849, an d nas ever since been a resident. He was among the first
who commenced the cultivation of grain on an extensive scale, and
demonstrated the value of our valley lands for agricultural purposes.
A thorough education and excellent judgment have enabled him to
attain success in his favorite pursuits and to win the respect of all
classes. He was here when the county was organized, and took
part in public affairs in the day of "small beginnings.'' We are
indebted to him for many details of early history which are em-
bodied in this volume.
CHARLES HOPPER.
Mr. Charles Hopper was born in North Carolina, A. D. 1800,
and although now 73 years of age, has a full head of hair — fuller
indeed than most men have at 40. His memory is perfect, even to
the smallest details, and the old fire is in him yet. No better ex-
ample can be cited of the venturesome, courageous, yet wary and
shrewd frontiersman. One thing we specially mark and leave to
the judgment of the reader. Uncle Charley has a firm and abiding
faith in some supernatural power that watches over men. We do
not speak of the idea of a general Providence that rules over all
things, and which is common to all men. His thought is rather,
if we understand him, that, especially, when a good man is alone
and in danger, whether from within him or from without, there will
come teachings and warnings of supernatural origin and distinctness,
entitled to implicit confidence. He gives the following instance,
which occurred while crossing the great desert Southeast of Tulare
Lake. "Here we were two days without water, and camped at
night in the worst of spirits, not knowing whether to go back or keep
on, and there was a good deal of murmuring in camp. I do not
know how to account for it, unless there was some supernatural in-
terference — and I think from this circumstance, as well as others in
my experience, that there was — but towards morning, whether in a
dream or not, I cannot say, I sazv a green spot where there was
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 149
plenty of water, and could perfectly see the course that led to it. It
was so perfectly plain, and I was so sure of it, that I got up, mount-
ed my horse, and told the party when they got up to follow my trail.
I struck out Northwardly, away from the trail we had come over,
and everything I came to was Just as I hadbeforl seen it, so that I
wasn't one bit surprised when I saw a few miles ahead, a green, gras-
sy spot, where, when I came up to it, there was the blessed water
we so much needed. Can it be that we, who are immersed in the
learning of the books, and " tutored in the rudiments of many des-
perate studies,'' are less wise than the lonely trapper who rolls him-
self in his blankets under the silent watch of the stars ? Is it true
that there are
1
" Airy tongues that sy liable men's names
On sands and shores and desert wildernesses?"
There are similar experiences in the life of Geo. C. Yount, of
whicn we have memoranda, which we omit as foreign to our present
purpose.
He set out in May, 1841, with a party of thirty men, one woman
and one child, from Jackson county, Missouri. John Bartleson was
Captain of the company, which was increased to seventy-five before
starting, by another party commanded by Captain Fitzpatrick, bound
to Oregon, and which seperated from Captain Bartelson's company
at Soda Springs, near Fort Hall. Mr. Hopper remembers the
names of the following persons who belonged to his party :
Col. John Bartelson, Col. J. B. Chiles, (now of Chiles' valley),
John Bidwell, (Hon. John Bidwell, of Butte county). Andrew Kel-
sey, (afterwards killed by the Clear Lake Indians), Nathan Toms,
Michael Nye, Captain Rickman, McMahan, Benjamin Kelsey, C.
M. Weber, (now a prominent citizen of Stockton), — Chandler.
John McDowell, Green McMahan, — Springer, Grove Cook, Mrs.
Benjamin Kelsey and child.
He describes San Francisco, then called Verba Buena, in 1S41, as
follows :
" It was a miserable place — nothing but a lot of sand-hills, a lit-
tle trading port of the Hudson Bay Company. There was one Inn.
said to be a sort of tavern, and Col. Chiles and 1 went in and called
for something to eat. The landlord said, ' ( Jentlemen, I have noth-
ing in God's world to give you, but will look around and try to g
150 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
you some beef. ' Well, he did get some after a while, and broiled
it for us. That was the kind of accommodations you got in San
Francisco in those days. It's a little different now !"
Mr. Hopper returned to Missouri in 1842 by way of New Mexi-
co, and in 1847 returned to California with his family. He then
purchased a large farm on the Caymus Grant from Mr . Yount, upon
which he still resides. His early life was spent as a trapper and
hunter in the great wilderness between the Mississippi and the Pa-
cific, and many are the hair breadth escapes which he has expe-
rienced, from the savages and the fury of the elements. He cor-
roborates Mr. Yount as to the great number of grizzly bears in this
, region, having killed no less than ntne within a mile of his house in
the Summer of 1848, and seen great numbers of them. Bear hunt-
ing seems to be his favorite sport, and he still sometimes takes the
field against them, when tired of the monotony of in-door life.
He is apparently as hale and vigorous as a man of twenty, and his-
eye-sight is as keen as ever. No one stands higher as a conscien-
tious, true-hearted and generous man, whose word is inviolable.
He is universally respected, and is affectionately called "Uncle
Charley" by all who know this brave old pioneer.
• GOV. L. W. BOGGS.
The first great rush of immigrants to California was in 1846,
during the pendency of hostilities between the United States and
Mexico. Among the arrivals that year was Governor L. W. Boggs
and family. Much of the early history of Sonoma and Napa is
identified with that of Governor Boggs, and a history of these coun-
ties with his name left out would be as the play of Hamlet with the
ghost omitted. At the time of his arrival here, Mr. Boggs found
the town of Sonoma, then the seat of justice for the Northern Dis-
trict of California, almost deserted. The few native Californians
had taken the oath of allegiance to the United States and lived in
social friendship with the Americans, were prompt and faithful in
the discharge of their duties as citizens, and honorable in all their
dealings. At the close of the Mexican war, Gen. Riley appointed
Governor Boggs as Alcalde for Sonoma, on account of his former
experience as an executive officer.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 151
Governor Boggs was born in Lexington, Kentucky, 1798. He
was at the battle of the Thames under Shelby's command of Ken-
tucky troops. In 1 818 he emigrated to Missouri and settled at St.
Louis. Here he was married to a daughter of Col. John Bent, and
by her had two sons. Soon after the birth of the second son he be-
came a widower. He afterwards married a daughter of Col. Jesse
Boone, son of old Daniel Boone of Kentucky fame. His last wife,
who still lives at her fine home in Napa Valley, is the mother of
nine children. She was married to L. W. Boggs at the age of
eighteen. Mr. Boggs was closely related to the Andersons, of
Sumpter notoriety, the Olivers and Frazers of Kentucky. Much of
his early life was full of adventure and hardships. For a considera-
ble time he was extensively engaged in trading with various tribes
of Indians in the territories, and at another time engaged in the
overland trade to Santa Fe. At that early day — from 1826 to 1840 —
this Santa Fe journey was considered a very hazardous trip. After
successfully following this business for a considerable length of time,
Mr. Boggs with his family settled down on his old home and farm
adjoining the town of Independence, Jackson county, Missouri.
Here he filled various offices of trust from that of post master to the
Governor of the State, and took an active part in the framing of
many of the laws of that State. During his term of office as Gov-
ernor, he was often petitioned by the people of Western Missouri to
remove the Mormons, who had become a great trouble, both to the
people and to the authorities. He finally ordered out the militia
and compelled the Mormons to cease their depredations and leave
the State. For the firm action of Governor Boggs in freeing the
State of this great Mormon evil, he received the thanks of the peo-
ple and the congratulations of the Governors of other States. But
the Mormon leaders selected him for assassination. Joe Smith the
Mormon prophet, selected a young man, Orrin P. Brockwell, to
proceed to Independence and murder Mr. Boggs. The attempt at
assassination was made and came near proving successful. This
emissary from Nauvoo had made himself acquainted with the resi-
dence and habits of Mr. Boggs, and one evening as the latter took
his accustomed seat in his sitting room, fired a charge of some ten
or fifteen buck-shots from a large holster pistol. Only four of the
i 5 2 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
balls took effect. Two penetrated the skull and lodged in the lobe
of the brain over the left eye, one passed through the neck and came
out at the roof of the mouth, and the other lodged in the neck.
Much doubt was long entertained of his surviving, and he never
wholly recovered from the effects of the wounds.
Mr. Boggs was one of the first persons who advocated settling the
Pacific coast, and he was the author of the first essay in regard to
the feasibility of constructing a trans-continental railroad. He
formed the idea that a road near the 35th parallel could be con-
structed and would prove the greatest enterprise of the age. Time
has proved the correctness of his estimates. On his leaving with his
family for California he was escorted far out on the plains by num-
bers of his old friends, who bade him adieu, wishing success in his
new enterprise. At the time of his departure from Missouri, Gov-
ernor Boggs was uninformed of the declaration of war with Mexico,
and upon being informed by a messenger from Col. Boone of West
Port, would have returned, only for the opposition of his son, Wm.
M. Boggs, who proposed making the journey, war or no war. The
Governor's former experience as a trapper and trader on the fron-
tiers was of great use to him on this journey.
On his arrival in Sonoma, Governor Boggs engaged in mercantile
pursuits. He was selected by General Riley as Alcalde for Sonoma
and filled that position to the satisfaction of the people. He was
at one time an extensive land-holder in Sonoma valley. But dis-
posing of his property in Sonoma, he, in 1852, moved to Napa
valley and settled upon a beautiful farm seven miles North of Napa
City. He died March 14th, i860. His older sons are well known
as citizens of enterprise and intelligence. Angus Boggs, after a long
residence here, removed some years since to San Jose. Henry C.
Boggs, although still a property-holder in Napa, resides in Lake
county, and George W. Boggs in San Joaquin valley. Albert G.
Boggs has served the county as Treasurer for many years ; and Wm.
M. Boggs, a resident of Napa City, and President of the Pioneer
Association of Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Maryi, is well known and
highly esteemed as a citizen of worth.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 153
JOSEPH MECKLENBURG.
This gentleman came overland to California from Ohio in 1853,
and has since been engaged in farming and carrying on the business
of a miller above St. Helena. His attention, however, has not been
confined to his private affairs. He has taken an active part in the
political affairs of the county, and for three successive terms filled
the office of Supervisor with credit to himself and advantage to the
public interests. On all public questions his course has been up-
right and honorable. Mr. Mecklenburg is a man of large and en-
lightened views, and when he has once formed a deliberate opinion
of a proposed measure, is always ready to stand by it in spite of op-
position. Many of our principal public improvements have been
either originated or made successful through his influence. He is
still a member of the Board of Supervisors.
JOHX STECKTER.
Mr. John Steckter came to this county overland in 1849, al idLjli ls
since resided upon his beautiful and- j^vto- f ? - -, i-^* s - r>„i. v ;n P
„,. , 1 T ,. a extensive farm neai Oakulle.
I here were tar more Indian? & , . , . • 1 rr • nnp
c , , Alian whites on his arrival. He is one
01 our most respected and- . , . . tt- j a( ,™inf; n n nf
v n . . h a substantial citizens. His description ot
fiNapa Citv as it was in,r' . ,. :««.:„« oi'mrJv
. * /, . ! 840, is brief and graphic, consisting simpl)
in the statement thy ^ v ' , \ , T u f , nsme
t J t "there wasn't any such place. I he name
had get there son/ , v . » -r, „ „.__. ..p;,!,.,.
t •, nehow, but the city hadn't." There were neithei
17 toT. 1 ' ™lks, and little to indicate where either were inten-
se and i Thc wa y s troddcn 1)V mcn and h ° rSeS had a COnvem6nt
whhout n- way of going pretty much where they had a ^ndjo
store on « ch rc ^ rd to line and com V^' ^ allc J° & Fribbie had a
tor arriv the point where the river and creek meet, when Mr. Steck-
strcct ^d in the countv, and a few scattered shanties on Mam
*. h . k His farm adjoins the quicksilver region on the V\ est side ot
H»valley.
uar
t' r HORATIO NELSON AMESBURV.
' l This gentleman is one of the pioneer farmers of Napa county
"Sell and favorably known as one of the most thorough and skillful
'in his profession. 1 te was born in Stonington, Connecticut, in 1814,
'54 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
and came to this State via Cape Horn in ,8 S o in the F,ll f u- ,
year he settled in this county He was em m 'h \ *' hlCh
•he American Hotel, then in corns TeSS J? S2f T
wards engaged in his favorite pnrsuit of "Sure In ^ T
purchased Roscobel Farm in Brown's V, 11. T 8 " he
upon which he still rerfde, T >' he ma S nifice <» Place
City. M, Amsbury -J^^tT.^4? *T
with great distinctness. On one occasion L J » '' dayS
Coombs had bnsiness in Benicia but Mr A k , H ° n - Nathan
by the usual conveyance, the m ie steamer nt^' ^^ '° S °
her safe, and therefore J * * "** ^^
2S Sirs r c - : ™« £ "
-*- -eS: Jiss a e 4t sir i h ; L
H« oncket Mr Antl g ^ "^ might be fo ™d in
M. Bolt, Ir - ^- mesbu ^' was am ° n S the earliest orchardists in
^Governor's former experience a* 854, and brought out a laro-e
the valley, having commenced irvn this 71 the East in 1855. He has
sortment of choice varieties of trees fro. ^ ^ on of cotton, tobacco, lie
also experimented somewhat in the cultiv^., ^
and Japan rice. - th q .
na
LYMAN CHAPMAN.
Na about a
Mr. Chapman, who now resides upon his beautiful far; n countv>
mile from Napa City, was born at Groton, New Londc uel g^
Connecticut, in 182 1. He with Nathan Coombs and Sam, iging . Q ' f
built the American Hotel, which is still standing. The ri^. regli _
this building excited a good deal of attention, as it was the nrs. from Q
larly framed edifice erected in this region. People came even k, Wm
the Russian River region to see it, and a great crowd was gather nee ,
to see the raising. It cost Mr. Coombs about $400 for ' ' egg-nog nd
to treat them— and he came off cheaply at that, as eggs at that tim<
cost $12 per dozen. Mr. Chapman kept the hotel for three year
and then entered upon agricultural pursuits, which he has follower
successfully ever since.
:e
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 155
JOTHAM H. HOWLAND.
J. H. Howland, Esq., was one of the early settlers of this State
and county. He sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, on the bark
Carib, and after a passage of 180 days arrived in San Francisco in
1848. The Carib was the first vessel from the Atlantic coast that ar-
rived here after the discovery of gold. In 1851 Mr. Howland en-
gaged in mercantile business in Napa City, where he has resided
ever since. He has held the offices of Public Administrator and
that of County Recorder for several terms with credit, and ranks
high for honor and intelligence. Although in the prime of life, he
ranks as a pioneer of civilization on the Pacific coast, and is in even-
sense a true Californian.
JOHN B. HORRELL.
J. B. Horrell is one of the pioneer mechanics of Napa, and has
been largely engaged in the business of a carpenter and builder since
his arrival from Pennsylvania in December, 1849. His first work
was upon a building erected for T. G. Baxter for a restaurant, upon
the site of Earl's Block, Main street. He was also employed upon
the Napa Hotel in 1850. He has lived to see Napa City expand
from a little hamlet to its present proportions, and is still in the full
strength of manhood. He owned and constructed the first bridge
ever built across Napa River, known as the " toll bridge." It was
situated a few rods East of Vernon Mills, and was in use down to
1858.
SAMUEL HEALD.
Mr. Heald, a millwright by trade, is a native of Ohio, and came
out from Missouri in 1849. After remaining a few weeks at Mr.
Kellogg's in Napa Valley, he went to Fitch's ranch (upon which
Healdsburg now stands) and returned East via New Orleans in Jan-
uary, 1 85 1. He then returned across the plains to Napa and was
employed the Winter following upon Yount's mill. In the Fall of
1852 he removed to Santa Clara. In the Spring of 1854 he visited
the East, and in the Fall returned to Santa Clara. In the Fall of
1856, he settled finally in Napa City, where he still resides. He
156 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
was for some time proprietor of the Vernon Flour Mills, first alone,
and then as a partner in the firm of Heald, Cooper & Kester. Mr.
Heald was one of the first organizers of the Republican party in this
county, when the opposite party were so strong as to make imme-
diate success out of the question. He is a man of strong convic-
tions, following out and practising what he thinks to be right, with-
out fear or favor. He is widely known as an advocate not only of
total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, but from animal food, to-
bacco and ever}- other narcotic. What he preaches he practices,
and his evident intelligence and sincerity command the respect of
even those who hold opposite opinions.
WM. H. WINTER. .
This excellent citizen and old pioneer is descended from English
stock who traced their ancestors back to the Saxons. He was born
in 1 819 in Vigo county, Indiana. His father had settled in that
county when it formed a part of what was known as the Northwest
Territory, and died a short time before the birth of our subject. —
When about five years old, Mr. Winter's mother moved up near
Crawford ville, in the same State, and here his boyhood was spent.
The only feat of note was his sailing or floating down the Wabash,
Ohio and Mississippi once on a flatboat to New Orleans. This, in
those days, was considered a great feat. Soon after his return, he
started for this coast. He came out as far as -Missouri in 1841, and
remained there, in Johnson county, till the Spring of 1843, when
he joined a party and started for California. On the Platte River
he fell in with the Chiles party. They all traveled together to Fort
Hall, when they separated. The wagons came down the Humboldt,
guided by the famous mountaineer, Col. Joe Walker. His company
again separated at Fort Boise,, on the Snake River. He, in compa-
ny with five others, passed down to Oregon. At Walla Walla the
company sold their horses to the Hudson Bay Fur Company, and
bought a kind of flat-bottomed boat, propelled by oars, and in this
they passed down the Columbia River to Portland. The Winter of
1843-4 was spent at the Willamette Falls. In the Spring of 1844
he joined the Kelsey party, of which William Hargrave and Henry
Fowler were members, and came to California. Many hardships,
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 157
adventures and hair-breadth escapes were met with on the way, but
no serious accident. They came down the Sacramento Valley to
Cache Creek. After leaving the Mission on the Willamette, the
party had seen no signs of white people till they arrived at Cache
Creek. Soon after, they went to Sutter's Fort. Here he met with
a Mr. Williams, with whom he had become acquainted on the Plains,
and these two made a journey down through the San Joaquin Valley
over to San Jose and Gilroy. At this time no inhabitants lived in
the San Joaquin Valley ; only wild bands of mustang horses were to
be seen. On their return, however, they found that Col. Weber,
who had obtained a large grant of land in the San Joaquin Valley,
had sent out one Lindsay with a large herd of cattle, and that this
person had stationed himself near the present site of Stockton. The
Indians were so bad, that the following Winter they killed Mr.
Lindsay and drove off the cattle. Thus ended the first attempt at
settling the San Joaquin.
After returning to Sutter's Fort Mr. Winter came over into Napa
Valley, and visited Mr. Yount's ranch, and then passed over to
Sonoma. In the latter place he fell in with Messrs. Fowler and
Hargrave, and spent the Winter with them in that valley. In the
following Spring, 1845, ne an d other parties from various portions
of the State made Sutter's Fort a rendezvous, to form a party to go
back across the Plains. The party, when completed, consisted of
thirteen members. This party was the first that ever attempted to
cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains going Fast. A few parties had
found their way over the mountains into the State, but none had at-
tempted to recross. They crossed over in safety; passed up the
Humboldt and Bear River; camped for a time with a party out re-
cruiting; crossed to the South Pass, and traveled on to Fort Laramie.
Here the party separated. The Indians were very bad, and some of
the party wanted to halt and go from there through to the Missouri
River with the provision wagons; seven, of whom Mr. Winter was
one, concluded to attempt to go straight through. They succeeded
without any great accident. On reaching the Missouri the company
disbanded, the parties going to their several homes. He and his
companion, Mr. Johnson, traveled on together 10 Indiana, retaining
all the wav their pack animals with which they left this country. —
i 5 8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Mr. Winter remained in Indiana till the Spring of 1849, when he
o-ot up a company and came out to California. On the head waters
of the Blue River, before starting across to the Platte, the party found
they were the head train of the season. The company crossed with
nothing more than the usual number of accidents and losses allotted
to such perilous journeys. After reaching California, Mr. Winter
settled near Mokelumne, and engaged in mining. He opened a
provision and grocer}' store, and obtained a postoffice for the place
— afterwards known as WinterVBar — and did considerable business.
In 1850, however, he sold out and went back home by way of the
Panama and Chagres River route. Soon after his return to Indiana
he was married and engaged in farming. In 1851, becoming dis-
satisfied, he traveled through Texas in search of a better country,
and not being satisfied with that State, returned in 1853 w ^ tn ms
family to California. The Winter of 1853-4 he spent in Colusa
county, and in the following Spring moved to Lake county. In
Lake county he found one of the best places he had ever seen for
gratifying one of his greatest passions — bear hunting. The bears
were plentiful all over the county. In 1855 he came over to Napa
and bought a tract of 664 acres on the Huichica ; some time after-
wards he purchased 600 acres more. This place he has ever since
made his home. Mr. Winter's life has been an eventful one: and
the many incidents, travels, hardships and hair-breadth escapes that
have been allotted to him would, if collected, make a volume more
entertaining than the finest romance. From youth till his settling
in Napa, his life was one of continual adventure. As a trapper,
mountaineer and explorer, he had few equals. Since his settling ,
down on his farm in this county, he has surrounded himself with
all the comforts and conveniences of life. He has made very ex-
tensive and beautiful improvements, and his farm now is regarded
as among the best in the county. He has, also, been an extensive
stock raiser, and in taking care of his herds has spent much time in
various parts of this State and in Nevada. Mr. Winter has always
taken an active part in whatever was of interest to the county and the
State. He has, though never a politician, always taken a deep in-
terest in the political changes and transactions in the county. He
has always- been an advocate of the principles (not the practices) of
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 159
the Democratic party. As a stock raiser, a farmer, vine grower, he
stands second to few in the county; and as an upright, honorable
and trustworthy citizen, has no superiors.
THOMAS EARL.
This gentleman is a native of Canada. He emigrated in 1835 to
Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, where, with the exception of one
year spent in Lexington, Kentucky, he remained until 1850. On
the 20th of May of that year, with three others he started overland
from Independence with a team of mules. The party were three
months making the journey to Sacramento. In a short time he
visited Napa, tried the mines awhile, and finally established the
pioneer saddlery and harness business in Napa City. In this pursuit
he was very successful, and satisfied with the prospects of this part
of the State he determined to become a permanent resident. He
accordingly purchased 85 acres of land from James M. Harbin, and
erected a house thereon near the homestead lot of R. T. Montgomery
in 1853. The tract was used by tenants for farming purposes until
1858, when it was sold to John Lawley, Esq. In 1853 Mr. Earl
bought a lot .60 feet square on Main street adjoining the lot on the
corner of Main and First street, owned by Wm. H. James. In 1856,
after much urging, the latter joined with Mr. Earl in erecting a sub-
stantial brick block on the two lots, being the first brick building
erected in Napa City. The brick were procured by Mr. Earl in
Sacramento. The first floor was used for stores, and the second
story of Mr. Earl's part of the building was occupied for several years
as a Masonic Hall. In 1857 Mr. Earl erected another brick store
of 36 feet front adjoining the first. The upper story was finished in
one room 36 by 55 feet, for a public hall for lectures, theatrical per-
formances, etc. It was known as Earl's Hall, but is now occupied
as a Lodge room by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. This
building had the first iron front ever erected on the north side of the
Bay. In 1859 Mr. Earl erected a second iron front building ad-
joining the former. He has the honor also of having erected the
first concrete building in Napa county. It is 34 by 34 feet, 2 stories
high, and a very substantial structure. It will be seen that Mr. Earl
has done his part toward improving the appearance of the town.
160 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
He also contributed liberally in time and money, in 1857, to pre-
vent the recession to Solano county of a strip of territory annexed to
Napa by the Legislature in 1855, an d also toward purchasing the toll
bridge across Napa River and making it free for the use of the pub-
lic. Hon. Nathan Coombs contributed $200 for the same object.
The territory in dispute is one of the richest portions of this county,
and pays an important share of the public taxes. Old residents will
remember the very active exertions of Mr. Earl to save this impor-
tant portion of our territory, as well as his efforts at a more recent
period to secure the establishment here of the State Normal School
and Odd Fellows' College. He believes in the manifest destiny of
Napa, and has always done his utmost to promote its growth and
prosperity. His record is that of a useful, unostentatious man, who
seeks rather to promote quietly, the welfare of the place than to have
the honor of doing so.
A. B. WALKER.
This gentleman emigrated to this count}' from Sandusky City,
Erin county, Ohio, in 1852, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits
in company with J. C. Penwell, on the corner of Main and Second
streets. He has since been prominently known in connection with
the political and public affairs of the county, having served one term
as Assessor and three terms as Sheriff. Notwithstanding the deci-
ded stand he has always taken in politics in exciting times, he has al-
ways retained the respect even of his opponents, and after several
years of sen-ice in responsible positions, his record is irreproachable
as' an upright and faithful public officer.
WM. BALDR1DGE.
This old pioneer was born in East Tennessee, 181 1. In 1 819 he
left his native State and emigrated to Missouri, where he learned
the trade of millwright.
In 1830 Mr. Baldridge, while in a hotel, heard a man named
Mills, partner of Air. W. L. Sublett, the celebrated Rocky Moun-
tain trapper, describing the soil, productions, and climate of Cali-
fornia. Mr. Mills had passed the previous Winter here, and gave a
GEORGE C. YOUNT.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 161
•
glowing description of the country. Mr. Baldridge was struck with
this description, and knowing that a warm climate agreed with his
constitution, determined to come out here. In 1840, his friend,
Col. J. B. Chiles, now of Chiles Valley, had returned from Florida,
and while on a visit to Mr. Baldridge, spoke of the benefit his health
had derived from traveling. These two agreed to make a journey
to California the following Spring, but on account of having con-
siderable work to finish, Mr. Baldridge was unable to come as
agreed. So Col. Chiles came out with the party that Spring and re-
turned. He followed his trade in Missouri till 1843, when, in connec-
tion with Col. J. B. Chiles, he formed a company and came out to the
Pacific Coast. The company left the Shawnee settlement on the
29th of May of that year, and traveled together to Fort Hall. Here
it separated, one portion with Col. Chiles at the head, taking the Pitt
River route, the other, in which was Air. Baldridge, together with
the wagons coming down the Humboldt River and crossing the
Sierra Xevadas at Walker's Pass. They did not arrive at Sutter's
Fort till January, 1844. Their Christmas dinner, consisting of horsj
flesh boiled in an iron kettle, was eaten on the bleak mountains
Fast of Tulare Valley. He came then direct to Xapa Valley. In
1844 he built the grist mill in Chiles Valley. In 1846 he joined the
Bear Flag party, and was with the army during its operations in Cali-
fornia under General Fremont. In 1851 he settled on his farm near
( )akville, where he has ever since resided, and where he has gained
the esteem of all who know him. He is brave and generous to a
fault, a man of extensive reading and sound judgment.
K. BIGGS.
Mr. E. Biggs is one of the pioneers of the State, having crossed
the plains to this coast in 1849. He has made Xapa City his home
since 1859, and his always enjoyed the confidence and esteem of
the people. At the first municipal election held in Xapa City, in
the Spring of 1872, he was elected City Marshal, which office he
filled with credit to himself and profit to the town.
GEO. \. COK.NWKI.I..
Mr. Cornwell was bom in Waterford. Xew Vork. in 182^. ilr
11
i 62 XAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
spent his early life in his native State, working at the trade of cabi-
net maker. He enlisted and came out to California in Colonel
Stevenson's Regiment, Company H, Captain J. B. Frisbie. He
arrived in San Francisco in March, 1847. He was stationed at San
Francisco and the Presidio until the Summer of 1848, when Com-
pany H was removed to Sonoma, and in the Fall was disbanded.
After the disbanding of his Company. Mr. Cornwell spent a short
time mining near Hangtown, now Placerville, afterwards at Big Bar
on the North fork of the American River. But he soon tired Of
mining and returned to Sonoma, where he engaged in the merchan-
dising business with Vallejo & Frisbie. He established for this firm
a store at a point South of First street, between Xapa Creek and
river. He continued in the mercantile business in Sonoma and
Xapa, until 1 S53. In addition to the business at these two places,
he also had an establishment opened at Benicia. In 1849 an ^ 1850
he was Secretary to the Prefect for the Sonoma District. In i8>?
lie was elected to the Legislature from Xapa county, and served one
term. He was Post Master in Xapa City for eight years, and served
three years as Supervisor, lie served six vears as under Sheriff,
and as such gave good satisfaction and proved himself one of the
most efficient officers Xapa has ever had. He was one of the orisr-
inal locators of the Redington Mine, and is the only one of these
locators who now hold an interest in the mine. He is one of the
present Board of Directors.
Mr. Cornwell has always been known in politics as a Democrat.
He has made his life a season of hard study, and is well posted on
all questions of general interest. He is a man of strong convic-
tions, and is frank in the avowal and advocacy of his sentiments,
ever ready to give a reason for the " faith that is in him."
ROBERT CROUCH.
Among the well tried, faithful and efficient servants of the county,
few can claim to be peers with the subject of this sketch — none su-
periors. Mr« Crouch is a native of Ohio, where he was born in
1823, and where he lived till 1844. Fie then moved to Farming-
ton, Illinois, where he studied medicine, and for many years prac-
ticed as a physician. In April, 1852, he started overland for Cali-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 163
3
fornia. He reached Salt Lake City in August of that year, and spent
the Winter in Mill Creek Canon near that city. During the time
he remained there he worked on a saw mill, and at other severe
labor. In May of the following year he left Salt Lake for Califor-
nia, arriving at Sacramento in June. Thence he went to Marys-
ville and worked at the carpenter business. Later in the same year
he came to Napa Valley, continuing to work as a carpenter. In
1854, in connection with James H. Page, he built the old White
Sulphur Springs Hotel for Lillie & Evey, The Winter of 1854-5
he spent in Campo Seco, but returned to Napa early in 1855. In
April of that year he received the appointment of under Sheriff, and
soon after, on the resignation of the Sheriff, was appointed by the
Board of Supervisors to fill the unexpired term of that officer ; but
the Coroner claiming to be Sheriff by virtue of his office, Mr.
Crouch would not qualify, and returned to his trade. In the Fall
of the same year he received the appointment of Deputy Clerk un-
der A. J. Watson. At the election of 1857 he was elected County
Clerk, which office he held until 1863, when he was elected Coun-
tv Judge. He served as Judge till 1871, when he was succeeded
by Hon. T. P. Stoney, who still presides. He has since his term of
office expired, been engaged in the practice of law with Mr. I).
McClure as partner.
Mr. Crouch is a Republican, of strong convictions. Yet he did
his dutv so well as an officer, and was so courteous to opponents
that he always carried a large vote among the Democrats. 1 1
served the count}' longer, made more friends and fewer enemies
than probably any other man who was ever here.
JOHN M. PATCHETT.
Among the most respected of our pioneers is the subject of this
sketch, Mr. John M. Patchctt. lie was born in Lincolnshire, Eng-
land, in 1797. In 1 81 7 he removed to the United States and set-
tled in Pennsylvania, where he lived till 1835. In the Fall of thai
year he removed to Illinois. In 1837 he moved to Iowa and laid
off the town of Philadelphia on the Pig Bend of the Des Moines
River. In 1840 he moved up the Des .Moines about seventy miles,
where he resided till 1850. In Pennsylvania he followed the busy-
1 64 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
ness of a brewer, and after leaving that State engaged in farming,
which occupation he has mainly followed since. In the Spring of
1850, attracted by the favorable reports of the richness and the
pleasant climate of California, he started in company with man}
others for this State. After a tedious journey of five months— a
journey which must be gone through with to be fully realized and
appreciated — he arrived at Placerville. Later in the Fall he re-
moved to White Oak Springs, Eldorado county, and remained here
till 1853. I 11 T 852 he had made a visit to Napa Valley, and being
favorably impressed with the valley, purchased a tract of about 100
acres adjoining his present homestead. In 1853 ne came down to
his property here, and just before moving purchased his present
home in the Western part of town. On his settling in Napa he en-
gaged in agriculture, and has ever been esteemed as one of the fore-
most cultivators of the soil in the county. Though repeatedly so-
licited to, he has never consented to accept any office, prefering the
quiet and more agreeable labors of farm life. He was the first per-
son who planted a vineyard worthy of any note in the county. His
vineyard was of Mission grapes and planted in 1850. The same
year he also planted out an orchard of about eight acres. In 1859.
having become convinced that the business of raising grapes and
making wine could be made remunerative, he erected a stone wine
cellar 33x50 feet. He had made about 60c gallons of wine the
year previous, selling it at $2 per gallon. The stone for his cellar
was quarried out of the hills back of the residence of Cayetano
Juarez. The cellar is still standing and is as good as ever.
DR. W. W. STILLWAGON.
Dr. W. W. Stillwagon was born at Connellsville, Favette countv.
Pennsylvania, in 1827. He studied and practiced medicine there
till 1848, when he removed to Illinois. In March, 1850, he star-
ted across the plains, and arrived in Sacramento in August of the
same year. He spent a short time at mining near Oroville, but in
the Fall of the year came to Napa and commenced the practice of
his profession. He has ever since been a resident. He served one
term as Coroner. He had been elected to the office but refused to
give bonds and qualify, yet was, by popular sentiment, compelled
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 165
to serve, and his acts afterwards legalized. He has at different
times filled the position of County Physician for the space of five
years, and always gave satisfaction. In 1871 lie was elected to the
Assembly from Napa and Lake, and while in the Legislature did
much towards so presenting the desirability of Napa, that the Branch
Insane Asylum was located here. He was active in getting several
bills of a local nature passed.
As an officer he always acquitted himself with credit, and as a
physician he has few superiors.
The Doctor was a Whig when he came to the county, and affilia-
ted with that party till the formation of the Republican, of which
he has ever since been a prominent member. But party lines have
never been strictly drawn in local affairs in Napa count}', and as a
result she has always had good and efficient officers. Dr. Stillwagon
was one of the Charter members of Yount Lodge No. 12. of Ma-
sons, and labored earnestly in the establishing of that Order in the
count}-. He was also one of the Charter members, and the first
Noble Grand <>f the Odd Fellows in Napa City. He has of late
years been devoting much of his attention to quicksilver mining in
Pope Valley.
A. V. EASTERBY.
This gentleman was born in the county of Surrey, England, Jan-
Man- 1 81 8, and is of the family of the Lasterbys of Northumber-
land. At the age of fourteen he went to sea in the merchant ser-
vice of Great Britain, and during the year 1836. accompanied the
expedition to the river Euphrates for the purpose of opening an
overland route from the Mediteranean to the Persian Gulf. At the
of twenty-three he became Commodore of the first Mediter-
ranean line of screw steamers laid on from Liverpool to the Levant.
This line was owned by A. Mongradine of Liverpool, Cunliffes &
1 'o. of London, and A. Y. Easterby, who was Captain of one < t
steamships, the Levantine, hi 1848 Mr. Easterby came out to
Chili, and in October met Commodore Schenck, then Lieutenant,
in Piata, and from there accompanied him to Panama. In cons
quence of this gentlem m's representation he returned to Callao, an S
here induce! parties to lay on a shin to San Francisco, and <.
1 66 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
signed his portion of her cargo to DeWitt & Harrison. On the ist
day of January, 1849, Mr. Easterby arrived in San Francisco, and
there in company with his brother-in-law, Frank Gray, purchased a
number of vessels and converted them into store-ships. Among
these ships were the Lindsay, Edwin, York, Mentor, and Henry
Ewbank, all deserted by their crews on the breaking out of the gold
fever. The Edwin was the first bonded warehouse in San Francis-
co, and she laid on the mud flats at the corner of Pacific and Front
streets, from whence she was cut out in 1855. He remained in
business in San Francisco till the above year, and then came to Napa
City and bought out the firm of Schultz & Miller, on the corner of
.Main and Second streets, where now stands Wm. Quentin's Bank
Exchange. In February, 1864, Mr. Easterby purchased the store
and fixtures of Lamdin & Coghill, directly opposite his old stand,
and during the month before his removal to his new quarters, his
old store and nearly all its contents was consumed bv fire. He re-
mained in business on the East side of Main street up to 1S72. He
then went into the real estate, mining, canal, and farming business,
in which he is at present engaged.
Mr. Easterby has never run for any office in this countv, but has
been Chairman of the Republican County Committee. Fie was the
first President of the Napa Valley Railroad, of which lie was also
one of the original incorporators. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and
with the late Governor Geary opened the first Chapter of Royal Arch
Masons in San Francisco in 1850.
DAVID HUDSOX.
Mr. David Hudson was born in Missouri in 18-21. His early life
was spent in the frontiers and was full of trials and adventures. He
emigrated to California in 1846, and lived in various parts of the
State, but being attracted to Napa by the salubrity of the climate,
and the advantages of pasture, as well as the fertility of the soil, he
made this county his home. He purchased an extensive tract of
land Northwest of St. Helena from Mr. Bale, and improved it for a
homestead. He was a large stock-miser, and devoted much of his
lime and attention to this pursuit, yet he found time to engage very
largely in agriculture. Fie was always regarded as one of the lead-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 167
ing men in his neighborhood, and none stood higher than he for
probity and honor. In 1872 he disposed of his fine farm near St.
Helena, and is now a resident of Lake county, engaged in his fa-
vorite pursuit, stock-raising. He has always taken a deep interest
in public affairs, though never agreeing to receive anything at the
hands of the people.
• • JOHN YORK.
Mr. York came to California overland among the emigrants ante-
rior to the gold discovery. He is from Tennessee, where he was
born in 1820. Mr. York settled near St. Helena as early as 1849,
where he has ever since resided, and is en e of the prosperous farmers
of that part of Napa county.
WILLIAM RUSSELL.
Mr. Russell is a native of the State of Maine, and arrived in San
Francisco Bay in 1846, on board a whale ship, of which he was car-
penter. He was a member of Fremont's Battalion, and was with it
and shared in its hardships on the famous march southward in the
Winter of 1846-7. Mr. Russell is still a resident of Napa county,
and enjoys the esteem of all who know him.
<;. CLARK,
The subject of this sketch was born in Butler county, Ohio, in
1 81 8. When about six years old his parents moved to Montgomery
county, Indiana, where he resided till 1835, occupied on a farm and
as a clerk in a dry goods store. He was also employed for a time
as clerk in Michigan City. In the Fall of 1837 he moved to the
lead district of Galena and Dubuque, and soon after went to farming
in Jackson county, Iowa, and was also engaged in merchandising.
He continued here till in 1849, when he removed to Council Bluffs
on the .Missouri River. In the Winter of 1849-50, he went on a
trading expedition with the Indians up to the Big Sioux River,
and in the Spring of 1850 started overland for California with his
wife and three children. After traveling for some distance, owing
1 68 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
to the scarcity of feed, the train, which consisted of thirty-two wag-
ons and accompanying stock, was separated. Mr. Clark and two
others agreed to travel together into California. Soon after the sep-
aration the men connected with these two wagons and their families
were all taken sick, and for a period of six weeks it devolved upon
Mr. Clark and two young men with him to care for the sick, take
charge of the wagons, and stand guard at night. This was indeed a
gloomv time. At Fort Hall thev were advised bv the Commandant,
Major Grant, to take the road to Oregon. They did so, and came
through to the Dalles on the Columbia River with nothing more
than the usual incidents of such journeys. At the Dalles they sold
their wagons and sailed down to the Cascades on a kind of yawl
boat. Thence they passed down to Astoria on the first steamer that
ever sailed on the Columbia River. The vessel was an old whale
boat fitted with a small engine, and the deck stood but a few feet out
of the water. On the way down it devolved upon Mr. Clark as his
business to keep the boat in trim and keep both wheels in the water
by rolling a barrel of flour from one side to the other, as the boat
changed position. We imagine he was anxious for passengers to re-
main quiet. From Astoria he took the steamer Panama, the first
steamer that ever went up the coast, then on her second trip, to San
Francisco, where he arrived on the 29th of September. After a
short time spent in the mines he went over near the foot of Mt.
Tamalpais in Marin count}', and worked as a carpenter in the erec-
tion of two saw-mills. He remained there about fifteen months, re-
ceiving wages of $1 per hour.
At the close of this time he purchased property in Port Orford,
Southern Oregon, but in going up to it was on the 26th of January,
1852, wrecked in Flumboldt Bay. Escaping with his family from
the wreck he built the first residence in Eureka. He remained in
Eureka most of the time till 1856, engaged in lumbering, mining,
and land speculating. He made an expedition to the mines up near
Klamath River, found fine prospects, laid off a city called Soda City
and left for home, intending to return in a short time. Soon after
he left the Indians destroyed the camp and killed twenty-two of the
men. He never went back. While a resident at Humboldt Bav
W. H. WINTER.
£
J V
o I g
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 169
he became intimately acquainted with General Grant, while the lat-
ter was stationed at that point.
In 1856 Mr. Clark left for San Francisco, and- was in the latter
place during the reign of the Vigilant Committee. In this year he
purchased a large tract of land near Yountville, and moved on to it
with his family. Here he remained engaged successfully in farming
till in the Fall of 1871. Since December, 1871, he has been en-
gaged in the hardware business in Xapa City.
Mr. Clark has been a close observer of the progress of Califor-
nia, and always taken a deep interest in public affairs. Up to 1855
he affiliated with the Democratic part} - , but that party, in his esti-
mation becoming so corrupt and abandoning its principles, he left
it and united with the Know Nothing party. He supported Gen.
Fremont for President in 1856, and has since affiliated with the Re-
publicans. He was a zealous supporter of Lincoln's Administra-
tion, and is now of that of President Grant.
Mr. Clark is a man of positive character, is either a warm friend
or a relentless foe. He has for years been an earnest advocate of
temperance principles. He was one of the Charter members <-!
Yountville Lodge of Good Templars, and is now an active worker
in the Lodge of that Order in Napa City.
JAMES II. GOODMAN.
Mr. J. H. Goodman, a native of New York, came to California
and settled in Napa at an early date. In [858, in connection with
his brother, Geo. I'.. Goodman, who served one term as Treasurer
for Napa county, he opened the first bank in Napa City. Since then
he has confined himself principally to the business of banking. He
and his brother have been earnest laborers for the building up and
prosperity of Napa. Their banking house has been a great accom-
modation and benefit to the people of the county, and In- their fair
dealing they have won man}- warm friends. They took great interest
In getting tin- bill passe 1 through the Legislature of [871 2 incorpo-
rating Napa City, and in securing the 1<>l ition of the Branch tnsan •
Asylum, and various other important measures looking to the ii
and welfare of both citv and countv.
ijo XAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
PETER STORM.
The history of this old Swede is so familiar to most Californians as
the man who rudely sketched the famous Bear Flag, that little may
be said beyond the fact that he still lives near Calistoga, and though
over seventy years of age, is in good health, with a prospect of living
( nit another decade.
WILLIAM POPE.
William Pope, the pioneer from whom Pope Valley derived its
name, was born in Kentucky. From there he went, when a young
man, to New Mexico, and for twenty years lived as a hunter and
trapper, traveling over the regions now comprising the Territories
of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. He spent much time
in trapping beaver on the sloughs extending from the head of the
Gulf of California. In 1830 he came into the Mexican town of San
Diego for the purpose of procuring supplies, and was there arrested
because he had violated the Mexican laws in entering their dominions
without a passport. He was kept in confinement at San Diego for
about a year, when the captain of an American merchantman which
had entered the port, having heard of Mr. Pope's situation, took
the matter in hand, and prevailed upon the Mexican officials to re-
lease him — they affecting not to have understood his case. Thank-
ful for his unexpected deliverance from imprisonment, the daring
pioneer hastened to his family in New Mexico, and in 1836 he
emigrated to Los Angeles. Having obtained a grant of land in Pope
Valley from the Mexican Government, in 1841 he brought his fami-
ly to Geo. C. Vount's ranch, in Napa Valley, which he made his
headquarters until he had erected buildings upon his grant. His
grant was six miles in length and three in width . During the last
of May, 1 84 1, he moved upon his ranch, of which he was justly
proud, but his happiness was destined to be of short duration. In
the Fall of the same year, while hewing out some logs for building
purposes, he accidentally cut his leg very badly, severing an artery.
In those days doctors were unknown, and his wound, after having
been bound up by his friends many times, finally broke out bleed-
ing, and all attempts to stop it proving fruitless, he expired in No-
vember, 1 84 1, just twelve days from the date of his wound.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 171
Mr. Pope's wife was a Mexican lady, by whom he had five chil-
dren. They continued to live in the valley until the greater portion
of the grant was sold. Several of the children are yet living, among
whom is the wife of Mr. Juan Burton, a resident of Pope Valley.
ELIAS BARNETT.
Mr. E. Barnett, now a resident of Pope Valley, is one among the
oldest pioneers in the State. He was born in Prestonburg, Floyd
county, Kentucky, in 1805. After traveling in Virginia, Ohio, Illi-
nois, Indiana and Tennessee, during his early manhood, he settled
in Jackson county, Missouri, in 1831. He joined the emigrant train
of which Chiles and Hopper were members, elsewhere noticed, and
crossed the Plains to California. The portion of the corapanv with
which he traveled on into California after the separation near Fort
Hall, came into the Stanislaus, but the company suffered greatly for
want of food after leaving the Humboldt till they reached this State.
At one time the company was compelled to subsist on horse lit-,;
mules and covotcs. In Harnett's language. "I was so near starved
that the coyote did taste good, but hang me if I could make the horse
or mule taste well; it was too bitter."
The company reached Dr. Marsh's place, near Mount Diablo, on
tiie 20th of November, having been over six months on the road.
After a few days' rest the most of the company went to Sutter's Fort.
Mr. Barnett remained during the Winter and then went to Geo. C.
Yount's in the Spring of 1842. During the time that Mr. Harnett
was at Sutter's he aided in putting in a crop of two hundred acres of
wheat. As an example of productiveness of the soil at that time, he
-ays that Sutter sowed 300 pounds of a variety of wheat which he had
received from the Russians, upon ten acres of choice land, and re-
ceived 510 bushels. He stopped with Yount for a lew weeks, and
then went to Alexander's place, near where Healdsburg now .stand--,
where he worked in building an adobe house. At this time Mark
West. Mrs. Carrillo and Alexander were the only settlers in Santa
Rosa Valley. Deer, bear, and other game were found everywhere
in the valley and on tin- hills.
in the Fall <>i 1 S4 2 the Americans at Alexander's place received
news, by a rumor, that ('apt. Graham, of' Santa Cruz, with a com-
1 72 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
pany of foreigners had reached Sutter's Fort and was waiting for white
settlers to join him for the purpose of wresting the country from
Mexico. Barnett hastened to Sutter, and after the plan had been
given up, he returned to Billy Gordon's place on Cache Creek, where
he remained during the Winter.
After spending some time working for Yount and hunting, Mr.
Barnett came to Pope Valley in 1843. In the Spring of 1 844 he was
married to widow Pope, and has, almost ever since, made this valley
his home.
Mr. Barnett joined Sutter when he espoused the cause of Mitchell
Toreno, the Mexican Governor, against the native Californians, un-
der Generals Castro and Pio Pico . In this campaign the foreigners
on either side did not engage, but withdrew by mutual consent to
witness the bloodless battle of San Fernando Plains, in Los Angeles,
which secured the authority of Pico as Governor.
Mr. Barnett was one of the famed Bear Flag Party, and in 1846
enlisted under Gen. Fremont for his march to Los Angeles. The
army started in September, 1846, and reached its destination in
March, 1847, after undergoing untold suffering from drenching rains
and fatigues of the march.
R. D. HOPKINS. •
Mr. R. D. Hopkins, formerly editor of the Napa Register, is a
pioneer of this State, having come out in the great rush overland in
1849. He is a native of Maryland. He studied law and was ad-
mitted to the Bar the year previous to his coming out to California.
He settled in the mines, and served as District Attorney of Placer
county two years from 1851 to 1853. In 1857 he became a resi-
dent of Napa. From 1859 to 1861 he was District Attorney for
the county. During 1868-9 ne was a resident of Vallejo, and editor
of the Recorder, a paper then published in that city. From 1869 to
1 87 2 he was editor of the Register of Napa. In the Fall of 1872 he
sold out to Mr. Henning, and has since been editing the Yolo Mail.
As a Christian and a man of strict integrity, Mr. Hopkins stands
high wherever known.
R. T. MONTGOMERY.
Mr. Montgomery, who is well known as the editor of several news-
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 173
papers in Napa during the past seventeen years, and who is compiler
of a portion of this book, was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1S21.
It would be difficult, and superfluous if it were not, to follow the
erratic wanderings of an old printer. From early manhood he has
been connected with the printing business in various capacities.
Coming to this State in 1853, he employed himself as school teacher
until December, 1856, when he took hold and assisted Mr. Cox in
the Napa Reporter while in its infancy. He has been a resident of
Napa ever since, and almost constantly engaged in the newspaper
business. As a talented and vigorous writer he is too well known to
need extended notice.
a. j. cox.
There are few names more familiar in this and adjoining counties
than that which heads this paragraph. Mr. Cox is a native of Charles-
ton, South Carolina, where he served an apprenticeship at the print-
ing business. In 1846, while in New York, he joined Stevenson's
Regiment, and in one of the transport ships arrived in San Francisco
Bay in March, 1847 — s0 tnat > u ^ e -^ r - Cornwall, he is a soldier
pioneer. He has had his share of the vicissitudes of life in Califor-
nia in earl}- days. It was not until 1852 that he resumed the busi-
ness of printing, when he established the Sonoma Bulletin, the first
newspaper north of San Francisco. Mr. Cox has, at different pe-
riods, started five newspapers in this State, which argues that in his
younger days he was not idle — that he contributed much in labor to
public enterprise, though of little profit to himself.
COL. J. B. CHILES.
Col. J. B. Chiles is a descendant of an old Virginia family. He
is born in Clark county, Kentucky, in 1810. His parents were
among the pioneer settlers in the present State of Kentucky, Mr.
Chiles lived in his native Slate till the Fall of 1831, when he emi-
grated to Missouri. In 1838 he went with Col. Gentry's Regiment
to Florida, and was engaged there in hostilities with the Indians.
For his conduct in this war, Mr. Chiles was brevetted Lieutenant.
He was in the battle of Ocachoba, where Col. Gentry was killed.
After he left Florida he returned to Missouri, and in 1 841 started
i 7 4 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
for California with the Bartleson company. Col. Chiles, C. Hopper
and Benj . Kelsey guided the party through, and they arrived at the
Soot of Mount Diablo in October, 1841. Here the company sepa-
rated. Mr. Chiles and Mr. Hopper traveled together during the
whole of the ensuing Winter. After passing up Napa Valley, they
crossed over into the San Joaquin, and prepared for a return trip to
Missouri. The return was made by way of New Mexico, and was
made under great hardships and many strange adventures. In 1843
Mr. Chiles came out a second time across the Plains. This year
Mr. Chiles brought out from Missouri the family of Geo. C. Yount.
The following year he settled in the valley to which he gave his
name, and where he has since resided. In 1844 he obtained a
grant of two leagues of land, where he now resides. He accompa-
nied Commodore Stockton's forces back across the Plains, and in
1848 returned, bringing his three daughters and one son. In 1852
he returned to Missouri by way of the Isthmus, was married to his
second wife, and in 1854 again crossed the Plains. Since this time
he has resided most all the time at his farm in Chiles' Vallev. He
has been engaged extensively in stockraising and agriculture. Tike
other old pioneers, Col. Chiles has passed through many adventures,
and has seen more of the hardships of life than most men. His
history is so closely related to that of other pioneers in our valley
that we refrain from entering into further details.
WH. H. BAXTER.
The subject of this short sketch is a native of New York, where
he was born in 1825. His youth was spent in his native State,
working on a farm . At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to
learn a mechanical trade, and after serving out his time as appren-
tice, spent several years in the Southern States. He married early
in life. In 1 8 so he came bv way of theflsthmus to California. On his
arrival in San Francisco he was employed as agent of the Atlantic
and Pacific Express Company, a short lived institution of early days
in California, and as such won great credit by the promptness and
energy displayed in carrying on the business of the company. This
was at the time when California applied for admission into the Union,
and the news had to be brought by way of the Isthmus; so that a
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 17-
/ .
great rivalry existed between the various express companies of that
day to get the news first on the arrival of the steamers and distribute
to the citv and country. Mr. Baxter won the reputation of excell-
ing all others in getting and distributing news.
After remaining in San Francisco a few vears he went to Nevada
City and engaged in mining. He was quite successful and accumu-
lated a large amount of wealth; but he was induced to invest in a
smelting furnace, one of the first on this coast, and in this operation
sunk all, or nearly all, he had previously accumulated. After this
severe reverse of fortune he returned to San Francisco and engaged
in merchandising. Getting interested in mining stock in the city he
again sunk a fortune.
In the Spring of 1869 he came into Napa Valley. His object-
were to engage in sericulture. He purchased a farm a few miles
from Napa City, named by him the Spring Dale Farm, and he has
made it one of the prettiest places in this section. Mr. Baxter is a
man of great activity and energy, and has won the esteem of a large
number of friends for his enterprise, industry, and sterling integrity.
Since coming into the county he has identified himself with all the
movements promising abetter system of industry, and freeing of
the people from the extortions of carriers and middlemen. In
.March, 1873, ne instituted the first Lodge, or Grange, of the Order
of Patrons of Husbandry, in Napa City. His silk experiment will
be duly noticed in our review of the agricultural resources of the
countv.
E. X. BOYNTON.
Dr. E. N. Boynton is a pioneer and one of the substantial citizens
of Napa. He was born in Bainbridge, Chenango count}-, N. Y.,
in 1834. He studied medicine 'and graduated in 1843 ^ rom ^ ,c
Medical College at Geneva, in his native State. lie practiced his
profession there successfully till 1850, when he emigrated to Califor-
nia. He crossed by way of Santa Fe* and Arizona, and arrived in
San Diego about the first of September of that year. He engaj
in mining near Auburn and on the Feather River till 1853. In the
latter year he came to Napa, and was for two years engaged in mer-
chandising and practicing his profession in this and Lake counties.
i 7 6 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
In 1855 he moved to Vallejo, and there engaged in practice and as
a druggist for a period of three years. In 1859 he moved back to
Napa, formed a copartnership with Dr. W. W. Stillwagon in the
practice of his profession. Soon after, they purchased the stock of
drugs, medicines, etc., of L. J. Walker, who kept in the store now-
occupied by Messrs. Colman & Co., and conducted the business of
druggists and apothecaries with that of their profession. In i8'm
lie moved into his present place of business.
Although he ranks as a pioneer, he is still in the prime of life.
He has served the county three years as Supervisor, and is widely
known as a most worthy and public spirited citizen, awake to even-
thing tending to the enhancement of the interests of his county and
State. He also stands high in the ranks of Odd Fellows, and has
done much to make that benevolent Order prosper in the count}-.
He was among the mcst zealous laborers to get the Odd Fellows*
College and Home located here, and was among the last to acknowl-
edge that the Order would not erect the College as proposed. Dr.
Boynton is also a member of the Pioneer Association of Napa. Lake,
Sonoma and Marin counties.
BEEBY ROBIXSOX.
Beeby Robinson is a native of England, where he was born in 18 14.
He lived in the northern part of England till he was about seventeen
years old, when he moved to the United States and settled in the
city of New York. He was here married to Miss Emeline Parker,
daughter of Hon. Joseph Parker of that city. In 1837 he removed
to Missouri and settled in Jefferson City, where he was engaged in
building the State Capitol. He afterwards settled in Jackson count}-.
in the same State, where he remained till 1849, when he emigrated
to California. In 1850 he established himself in Benicia. where he
built the first magazine for the War Department. This was at the
time Capt. Jones, since General, was in command there. In 1856
he removed to Napa City, and has ever since made this his home.
Mr. Robinson was educated to the business of carpenter, builder and
architect, and has followed this through life. He has, while working
at his trade, been employed in various parts of the country and in
Canada, so that he has traveled very extensively. Since his locating
THOMAS EARL
'THE NEW YORK
URY
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. i
/ /
in Xapa he has been engaged in building in the count}'. Many of
the public buildings, bridges, school houses, etc., have been erected
by him. In 1872 he completed the elegant and substantial building
pr the Young Ladies'" Seminary, one of the most imposing buildings
in the town. Mr. Robinson has raised a large family, most of whom
have married and settled in this county. His son. Joseph I... has
for several years been engaged with him in his trade. .Air. Robinson
always been one of the most respected citizens of the community.
c. P. BRIGGS.
Charles P. Briggs, an early resident of Xapa. but now living in
arlestown, Massachusetts, first arrived in California in 1845, illu '
was also attached to Fremont's Battalion, in which he served very
creditably. On the breaking out of the late civil war, Mr. Briggs
left Xapa to join the L'nion forces, and has not since returned.
K. C. GILLASPY.
Among the prominent residents of Berryessa Valley is R. C. Gil-
laspy, who is also one of the early settlers in Napa county. He was
born in Madison county, Kentucky, in [829. In 1849 he came to
Monroe county, Missouri, where he remained till April, 1852,
when lie started to seek his fortunes in California. The company
.•.Inch he formed a part consisted of sixty-two men. women and
children, with fourteen wagons and about four hundred head of cat-
The company suffered a great deal from sickness during the
trip, resulting in the death of Wesley Hill. Nancy fane Hill. Henry
Hill, all connected with the Hills now >A Soscol, a Mr. Quigley, and
a negro bow One pleasant and liappy circumstance connected with
the journey was tin- arrangement for the future marriage of Mr.
Gillaspy to Miss Angeline M. Hill, daughter of Wesley Mill who
died on the plains. The proposed marriage took place on the 22d
ol Ma) . 1 853, at Si >s< ol.
The journey's end « is reached on the 14th of < Ictober, 1852,
[he present ranch ol Mrs. fames Hill, of Soscol, where the cattle
re turned out in wild oats as high as a horse's ba< k. When he
"1 there were but two or three families nearer than N'apa
Vallejo : and ladii re so seldom seen in California during
L2
i 7 s NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
the early settlements that it became a proverbial saying "That the
sight of a woman was good for the sore eyes," and "Uncle Bob,"
as he is familiarly called, says his eyes were very weak " them days,"
and hence he made good use of the remedy by his frequent calls on
his intended.
At that day there were thousands of wild cattle, horses, and game
of all kinds roaming over the valleys and mountains. Mr. Gillaspv
lived in Soscol, Napa county, from his arrival in California till the
grant of Berryessa Valley Mas divided up and opened for settlement,
when in 1866, with his family, ten persons in all, he moved into
Berryessa, Napa county, where there were few settlements and no
schools. He organized the first school district, and was one of the
first in aiding in organizing a congregation of Christians in the val-
ley. At the time he moved into the valley a town had been laid out
by a company who had bought the grant, but no building had been
done. The town has since sprang up into a lively little village called
Monticello.
After he moved to the valley he spent four years in managing the
large ranch of \Y. H. Bostwick, of San Francisco, and becoming
so well pleased with the healthfulness of the climate and fertility of
the soil, he bought a portion of Mr. Bostwick's ranch, where he is
now pleasantly situated and devoting himself to wheat raising and
wool growing.
Mr. Gillaspv has served the people of Berryessa for several years
as Justice, and has in all his actions acquitted himself with credit,
and none stand higher in the esteem of his neighbors for honesty
and integrity. Yet, he is a firm believer in the correctness of the
adage " laugh and grow fat. " and is ever ready to enjoy a good
joke.
SIM BUFORD.
This gentleman is a native of Missouri, where he spent his early
years working on a farm. He worked a considerable time learning
the trade of printer. He came out to California in 1849, and on
his arrival in this State engaged in mining. He followed the life of
a miner principally in the Northern districts, with, varying success,
.till in 1854, when he started for home. He took passage in the
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 179
Yankee Blade, and was wrecked off Cape Aguilar, in Santa Barbara
count}'. He returned to San Francisco, and embarked the second
time in the Fall of the same year. He remained in Missouri, Wis-
consin and Minnesota till in 1856, he returned to California by way
of New Orleans and the Isthmus. After returning he went up to
the Salmon River Mines, but did not succeed well. In 1858 he
came -to Napa Valley, and has been here ever since. Till 1868 he
was engaged in farming and stock raising in Soscol ; and since then
he has been a resident in Berryessa Valley. He has a large tract of
land near Monticello, and has been doing a successful business in
farming. He is one of the most prominent and respected citizens
of his section of country.
CHANCELLOR HARTS0X.
Hon. Chancellor Hartson is one of the pioneers of Napa count)',
and has acted a very important part in the history of the town and
county. He was born in Otsego county, New York, in 1824, grad-
uated at Madison University in the same State in 1845 - ; was admit-
ted to the practice of law in the Supreme Court in 1848, just hav-
ing closed a course of study at Fowler's Law School, then estab-
lished at Cherry Valley ; came to California in 1850, and settled in
Xapa Valley in July of the following year. He entered upon the
practice of law, and in September of that year was elected District
Attorney. In the following September and at the close of his term
of office in 1853, was elected County Judge and administered this
office until 1858.
In 1856 helped to organize the Republican party and elected to the
Assembly in 1 861 , and to the Senate in 1862. In both Houses was
Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, and took an active part
in legislative proceedings. In the years 1867 and 1868 was the
nominee of the Republican party for Congress, but failing of an elec-
tion by 375 votes at the first contest and 263 at the second. In 1867
George C Gorham being candidate for Governor, and in 1868 Gen-
eral Grant being candidate for President, neither of whom had a
majority in this District.
In 1 87 1 retired from the practice of law and aided in the organi-
zation and establishment of the Bank of Xapa. and was then elected
i8o NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
»
President thereof, which position he still holds. He has taken
an active part in almost every work of improvement in the coun-
ty, and has done more, probably, than any other one man towards
the building up of Napa City. He was chiefly instrumental in
getting the Branch Insane Asylum located here, and has occupied
the position of President of its Board of Directors since the location.
SAMUEL BRAXXAX.
Mr. Samuel Brannan was born at Sato, Maine, in 1819, and there
spent his youth and received his education. In 1833 ne removed to
Lake county, Ohio, and was apprenticed to learn the printing busi-
ness, but did not serve out his full term. In f 836-7 he was infected
with the great mania for land speculation that so raged in those year s
throughout the whole Union. But he did not succeed well in this
land-jobbing arrangement, and soon returned to the press, and for
the next five years traveled from town to town and State to State.
experiencing the grim delights (fully known and realized only by his
fraternity) of a journeyman printer. During these live years of toil
and vicissitudes, he learned much of the world that was afterwards
used to advantage. In 1S42, having become acquainted with the
teachings of Joe Smith, the great Mormon prophet, he connected
himself with that sect, and for years labored in disseminating its doc-
trines. He was for a considerable time engaged in publishing the
Mormon organ, the "New York Messenger;' In 1846, having
heard so much of the Pacific Coast, he determined to come here,
and, if possible, establish a colony. He chartered a ship, the Brook-
lyn, fitted it up for passengers, and invited adventurers to embark
with him. Two hundred and thirty-six passengers, about sixty of
whom were females, and forty children, embarked. These passen-
gers were mostly, if not entirely, Mormons. Mr. Brannan at that
time, most likely, entertained the idea of planting this Mormon
colony on the coast, gradually growing powerful, till this coast should
be in the possession of that sect, and an independent government
here established. Mr. Brannan provided a liberal outfit for his colo-
ny for the new country. Among the articles supplied was a printing
press, types, and a stock of paper, machinery for flour mills, and
various agricultural implements. The Brooklyn sailed from New
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 181
York on the 4th of February, 1S46: live months after touched at the
Sandwich Islands where provisions, arms and ammunition were pur-
chased for the colony, and arrived at Verba Buena (now San Fran-
cisco) on the 31st of July. His colony settled on the sand hills of
Verba Buena. and all their business was carried on in the name of S.
Brannan & Co., till 1847, when the concern was dissolved. In 1846
Mr. Brannan had erected two flouring mills in that place, and in
January, 1847. ne commenced the publication of the pioneer paper
of San Francisco, the California Star. This paper was the parent of
the Alfa. Mr. Brannan was likewise engaged in farming in the San
Joaquin Valley, and in merchandising" at Sutter's Fort. In the first
he failed entirely, but in the latter succeeded beyond expectation.
The discover}- of gold drew crowds to California, and his store was
the only one in the whole Sacramento Valley, so that fabulous prices
could not only be asked but obtained. It is stated on good authority
that during 1848 and 1849 the average monthly sales reached the
enormous sum of $150,000. At the same time. Mr. Brannan was a
large speculator in town property in the infant city of Sacramento,
.and owing to the unprecedented rise in real estate there, caused by
the great mining excitement, he found himself suddenly possessed of
vast wealth. In 1849, in addition to his business as land-jobber in
San Francisco and Sacramento, he embarked in merchandising with
iiina. and in 1851 purchased extensive property in the Sandwich
Island-. In nearly all of his early business transactions in California
lie was eminently successful. Indeed, it seemed that. Midas like,
whatever he touched turned to gold, till he was considered the richest
man on the coast.
In [859 Mr. Brannan came into Napa Valley and purchased of
<Japt. Ritchie a square mile of land at Calistoga. On this tract are
situated the famous Hot Springs. Soon after, he purchased other
lands of Messrs. Fowler and Hargrave, till his landed possessions
about Calistoga exceeded 2,000 acres. It was his design to make
'I this place, called by him the Saratoga of the Pacific, a great water-
ing place. Hi^ expenditures for buildings, laying off of grounds and
other improvements at this place, has probably not been less than
half a million dollars. .Mr. Brannan has spared no effort to make
his chosen town of Calistoga, and the whole upper part of the count);,
1 82 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
prosperous. He has, since permanently locating there, added large-
ly to his landed possessions, and has ever been liberal to actual set-
tlers and those desiring to carry on trade and business calculated to
enhance the value of property by making the community more
prosperous.
Since locating in Napa Valley, Mr. Brannan has continued his
varied business affairs; but it seems that the talisman is gone, for of
late years serious financial reverses have overtaken him.. He has,
since the first foundation of government here, taken a deep interest
and performed an active part in all public measures. But his char-
acter and history are too well known to need further notice.
H. W. ARNOLD.
This gentleman is a native of Massachusetts, where he was born
in 1823. He lived mostly in Rhode Island till in 1849, when ne
took passage on a sail vessel and came around Cape Horn to San
Francisco. After arriving in San Francisco he went to San Jose and
Santa Cruz for the benefit of his health. He then went into the
mines. In the Fall of 1850 he went up to Trinidad to engage in
merchandising, and, up to the time of his removal to Napa Valley,
was engaged at various places in mining, merchandising, and other
pursuits. At one time he went out to the Salmon River mines,
when freight cost $175 per pound. In 1857 he removed to Yount-
ville, Napa county, where he has, until lately, resided, engaged a
greater part of the time in merchandising. He held the position of
Postmaster for several years. At the election of 1863 he was chosen
Assessor for Napa county, which office with the exception of two
years, when he was deputy, he has ever since held. Since first ar-
riving in the State he has never left it. His family came out by way
of the Isthmus in 1853. His continually being kept in the service
of the people is more demonstrative evidence of the high esteem in
which he is held than anv encomium we could offer.
CAYETANO JUAREZ.
"DonCavetano," as he is familiarly known by so many, is a native
Californian, born in 1810, in Monterey, the former capital of Upper
California. In 1827 Mr. Juarez came to Sonoma in the capacity
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. i% 3
of a soldier, serving under Commander M. G. Yallejo, who had just
established that, the first Mission or settlement, north of the Bay.
After a time he obtained a grant of two square leagues of land in
the locality now occupied by him, and in 1840 settled on his ranch.
His generous gift to the public of Tulocay Cemetery has already been
noticed in the beginning of this work. He has always been — even
in the days of the Bear Flag party — a staunch friend to the Ameri-
cans, and contributed liberally to relieve the necessities of the early
emigrants. He is one among the few native Californians who have
had the shrewdness to retain a goodly portion of their original estates.
Though now 63 years of age, he is as vigorous as a man of 25, and
bids fair to survive many more years. Mr. Juarez has reared a
family of 11 children, 8 of whom are living.
|OHX S. STARK .
Mr. Stark is one of the ante-gold-discovery pioneers, having ar-
rived here overland in 1846. He is a native of one of the Western
States. He served as Sheriff of Napa county, from 185610 i860.
and did the duties of his office satisfactorily. .Air. Stark has always
been esteemed as an honorable and useful citizen.
M. I). RITCHIE.
Col. Ritchie is a native of Pennsylvania, bom in 1805, but lived
in Illinois for many years before coming to California. He arrived
here overland in 1846, and settled in Sonoma ; a few years after he
moved to Xapa Valley, where he still resides. Col. Ritchie was the
first man who made an effort to rescue the Donner party who were
snow-bound at Donner Lake in the Winter of 1846- -.
C. II. ALLEN'.
Col. Allen is a native of Providence, Rhode Island, born in KS17.
He sailed from Stonington, Connecticut, in the ship Calume/, for
California zud ('ape Horn, and arrived at San Francisco' in March,
1850. Col. Allen came to Xapa in November, 1S53, since which
lime he has been a permanent resident, thoroughly identified with
and taking an active interest in the gradual growth of the place. i 1 •■
opened the fust tin and hardware establishment in Napa City, which
1 84 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
lie sold to Smith ct Chesebro in 1856. It may be remarked here
that Col. Allen was the first man who bottled our soda water by
machinery — an article now in such general use. As a good and
useful citizen, the community in which he lives can bear witness.
Here we close our biographical sketches, not that we have nearly
finished, nor that we have mentioned all who deserve a notice, but
that time and space prevent us doing more. There are many old
pioneers whom we have been unable to see, and therefore unable to
give them a notice. Some have refused to give us any information
in regard to their lives, and some were unknown to us till it was too
late to get their lives. We therefore close, assuring all that we have
not intentionally slighted anv. nor given any unmerited notice.
TOWNS AM) WATERING PLACES.
1 85
VIEW IX COBB VAI.I l-'.Y
CHAPTER XII.
TOWN'S AND WATERING PLACES OF N'AI'A.
Among til*- important elements going to make up the history ol a
county is the rise and progress of the towns oi the count}'. The)
arc. in fact, the centers of historical transactions. We shall, there-
fore, devote a short spate to these. Also, the watering places, or
general resorts for tourists, are important as the) go to make up the
desirability of a country for travelers and settlers. Nfapa City, hav-
ing been so thoroughly noticed in noting the progress ol the county
we omit from the list :
YOl \ I Y1I.1.I-.
The little village ol Vountville is situated near the center of the
\alk-\ "ii the Hue of the railroad, about nine miles above Napa City.
It took its nunc from Mr. Yuuni, the first white settler in the
COUntv. His hom 1 I. where his widow still resides, is about
j 86 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
two miles north of the present town. It is in the center of a rich
agricultural section, but, owing to its proximity to Napa City, has
never done much business. Yet it has, probably, one of the most
equable temperatures in the county. It is iar enough from the Bay
that the winds, so disagreeable to many, are tempered down to
pleasant breezes, and it is not far enough in the interior to be cut off
from these breezes, and to be subject to intense heat. In the early
part of 1870, Air. J. Groezinger, of San Francisco, purchased a large
tract of land having a line vineyard thereon, of H. C. Boggs, and
lias erected there one of the largest and most substantial wine cellars
in the State. More particular reference will be made to this cellar
in our review of the vinevards of the countv.
ST. HELENA.
This town is one of the most pleasant plaees in the whole county.
It is situated on the line of the railroad, eighteen miles north of Napa
City. Its first beginning was in 1853, when a Mr. Henry Still, who
owned a large tract of land there, in connection with Mr. Walters
built a store and dwelling house. The valley surrounding was sparse-
ly settled: but some, even at that early dale, had an idea that at no
distant day a considerable town would grow up there. In 1855 Mr.
Still announced that he would donate lots to any persons who would
erect business houses on the same. Among those who accepted the
offer were John S. Keister. who erected a shoe shop on the present
site of the National Hotel; Mr. j. Howell, a blacksmith shop, and
Robert Calderwood a wagon shop on a lot adjoining the present St.
Charles Hotel. The infant town was christened St. Helena, from
the name given to the Division of Sons of Temperance established
there about this time.
In 1856 a hotel was erected by A. Tainter on a lot nearly opposite
where the Pope Valley road now intersects Main street. This hotel
was destroyed bv lire in i860. The next building of note was the
Baptist Church edifice, [noted in the chapter on Churches and Benev-
olent Organizations; also the other churches and Lodges are duly
noted in the same chapter. | At the laying of the corner stone of the
Presbvterian Church, there was the grandest time that the town had
ever before known. People came from Sonoma. Napa and other
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 187
places to witness the laying of the corner stone and hear the oration
delivered on the occasion. The following are some of the articles
placed in the corner stone : A copy of the Napa County Reporter \
the confessions of faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church:
names of the members of the Church and of the Sunday School; con-
stitution and by-laws of the Sons of Temperance and of the Temple
of Honor, and also of the Masons; a copy of the Cumberland Pres-
byter, a church paper published at that time in Santa Clara county,
and some pieces of coin .
The second hotel was erected in 1862 by John Wolf, on the same
site as the first one. This one likewise was destroyed by fire in 1 866,
and has never been rebuilt. In 1865 Mr. Rampendahl completed
the National Hotel. This has since its erection been the resort for
large numbers of persons visiting the White Sulphur Springs, a,1(J
going to enjoy the pleasant climate and beautiful scenery of this sec-
tion of the valley.
In 1867 Mr. J. Vick purchased a lot of H. H. Dixon, and on it
erected the large and commodious brick building, the St. Charles
Hotel. He has the greater part of the time, till the Fall of 1872.
conducted the betel, at which time lie leased it to Mr. Reeve. Si.
Helena is the centre of an extensive agricultural region, and is in
direct communication with the mining districts of Pope Valley and
Knoxville. It is in the great vine growing section of the county.
and bids fair soon to become an important point for the Eastern
wine trade. The community surrounding St. Helena, in a moral,
social and intellectual view, is probably not excelled in the State.
There are four church edifices, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and
Catholic; two Lodges, Odd Fellows and Masons: and one of the
best schools in the couhtv.
MO.VIK Kl.l.o AM) BERRYESSA VALLEY.
The town <>l Monticello is a thriving little village in the rich valley
ol Berxyessa. It has been entirely erected since the purchase and
division of the valley. Benyessa Valley is one of the chief wheat
growing districts in the county. It has not been settled thickly, still
being owned by a comparative])- few persons. The Berryessa gram
originally contained 36,000 acres. As only a slight general descrip-
1 88 XAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
tion of this valley is elsewhere given, we here note the following
items : The valley lies between two spurs of the Coast Range Moun-
tains,, running about 29 degrees west of north, and lies 24 miles
north of Napa City. Putah Creek, a most beautiful mountain stream,
runs through the valley, filled with a great variety of fish— while along
the foothills and even on the mountain tops are found numerous
springs. Putah Creek runs through a canon bearing the same name,
to the southeast into the Sacramento Vallev, where its waters sink in
the tule. Putah Canon has been surveyed for the purpose of build-
ing a railroad into the valley from Sacramento Valley. The route is
a very feasible one, as the canon, forming a natural inlet to the val-
ley, has a fall Of but 14 feet to the mile and lias a fair wagon road
through it at the present time. It is merely a matter of time as to
the building of a railroad into Berryessa; and the time will be very
soon after the dividing up of the extensive farms into smaller ones
for actual settlers. The valley is capable of producing sufficiently,
we think, to warrant the construction. The vallev is about 20 miles
long and from 1 to 3 wide, and is, together with the surrounding
mountains, covered with an abundance of timber, while the scenery
is the most picturesque and beautiful in the State; and the healthful-
ness is not excelled anywhere, separated as it is by three ranges of
mountains from the Bav winds; the air becomes dry, extremely
bracing and healing to the lungs, and thus it promises a safe retreat
for the afflicted. The soil is rich and fertile, producing large crops,
and is very promising as a fruit and especially a grape growing re-
gion. From the contour of the valley it has evidently been an inland
sea at or not far from the time when the great throes of Nature
brought into existence not only the coast range mountains, but
opened the "Golden Gate,'' formed the fertile valleys of the Pacific
Coast, and laid out the beautiful county of Napa. The surrounding
mountains of Berrvessa furnish an abundance of wild game. Mount
"Sugar Loaf, " being the principal peak, lying southwest of Monti-
cello, is easily recognized by its conical shape.
The first settlers of the valley were Cap. Hardin, John Adams,
Wm. Moore, Edward Cage, and Andrew Wester, who were in the
valley before the grant was divided. The first houses erected in the
valley were the Berryessa adobe, the W T ester adobe, and the Cap.
towns and watering places. 189
Hardin adobe. After the division of the land, R. C. Gillaspy erect&l
the first house for J. If. Bostwick, and Ezra Peacock built the first
house in Monticello. There are four school districts in Berryfcssa
Valley, and two religious organizations, the Cumberland Presbyte
nans and Christians.
Berryessa Valley, like many other localities in California, is suffer-
ing greatly from land monopolists. Such large ranches prevent set-
tlements from advancing, strangle the surrounding villages, and
make sickly schools. A change in this matter must take place soon :
we miist have smaller farms and manage them better.
calistoga.
The beautiful town of Calistoga, situated in the Northern part of
the valley, and at the terminus of the Napa branch of the Pacific
Railroad, has become famous on account of its medicinal springs
and fine scenery. These Springs, though known to the Indians and
Mexicans long before, seems to have attracted little or no attention
till about the time Samuel Brannan, in 1S59. purchased the exten-
sive tract of land on which they are situated. They were known to
the native Californians, Mexicans and Indians as the aguas calien/es,
hot springs", and their curative properties were by these early inhabi-
tants occasionally used. The Springs arc situated in the level valley,
and are surrounded except on the South side by high and picturesque
mountains. After the purchase of the property, Mr. Brannan im-
mediately commenced improvements on an extensive scale. He set
about making all the improvements and furnishing all the comforts
necessary to render this the most attractive places of resort for invr-
lids as well as tourists in the State. The main grounds belonging to
the Springs proper consists of a tract of about one hundred acres.
near the center of which stands a small hill called Mt. Lincoln. ( In
the summit is an observatory, from which a line view ol the whole
of Calistoga and of the surrounding country can Ik- obtained. On
this hill is a reservoir which holds ninetv thousand gallons. The
water is brought from Napa River by means <>< steam.
A*, the foot of Mt. Lincoln, on the Western side, is the hotel and
pleasure grounds. There are near twenty-five neat an 1 < omfor :
table for the accommodation of guests. The grounds are
i 9 o NAPA COUNTY AS JT WAS AND IS.
laid oft' into walks and ornamented with choice selections of trees,
shrubbery and flowers. West of the Spring grounds lies the busi-
ness part of Calistoga, while the county road passes along the West-
ern side of the valley. The town is quite a lively place for business,
being the terminus of the railroad and being closely connected by
stage lines with Lake county, the Geysers, Healdsburg, and Santa
Rosa.
The waters of the springs hold in solution sulphur, iron, mag-
nesia, and various other chemical properties. A few years ago a
well was bored directly in front of the hotel. At the depth of sev-
enty feet rock was struck which prevented further progress. The
water now stands in this well at the uniform temperature of 185 .
There is a Russian steam bath formed by having the bath room erec-
ted immediately over a spring of the temperature of 195 , with
apertures for letting the steam come up into the room. A window
is provided for letting the bather get fresh air, and slides are provi-
ded for regulating the issue of steam . There are a vast number of
different kinds and temperatures, but we refrain from further detail.
One spring or well of hot sulphurous water has a most peculiar taste.
With a little seasoning of salt and pepper, it has a very decided taste
like unto restaurant chicken soup, and is much relished by a great
many. The writer calls to mind a ludicrous scene that took place
at this " soup bowl '"' during the political campaign of 1871. Four
candidates for official honors were assembled around the "bowl'
regaling themselves upon the chicken soup, when one of them
stooping down to help himself to a second plateful, fished up a small
animal of a suspicious looking nature, and jumped up triumphant-
ly exclaiming: "Here's vour chicken, here's vour chicken !''
There was an immediate complaint of want of appetite.
The compiler of Bancroft's Tourists' Guide thus speaks of Calis-
toga :
"There is evidently some mysterious agency at work underground
at Calistoga, not quite comprehensible to visitors. Chemists and
savcuis, indeed, explain the matter in the most learned and scien-
tific manner, by speaking of chemical reaction among mineral sub-
stances and the like, and make out a very plausible theory. But
the explanation, to many people, needs as much explaining as the
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 191
mystery itself; and when a man finds the ground under his feet to
be hot, and the waters issuing from it to be in the neighborhood of
the boiling point he cannot well help harboring a suspicion that the
diabolus ipse is at work within perilous proximity, especially since
the imagination is somewhat helped to the sinister conclusion by a
prevailing and most Stygian odor.
"A well, was bored at this place, preparatory to the erection of the
bath house, to the depth of sixty-five feet, when the boring instru-
ments were blown out with tremendous force, high into the air, as
if some unseen power beneath was resenting the intrusion of mor-
tals upon his domain. The workmen ran for their lives, and could
not be induced to resume operations on any terms.
"Here is another evidence that the presiding genius of the place
does not like to be disturbed. An attempt was made to pump water
from this well. After a few strokes, a violent stream was blown out
of the well, ten or fifteen feet high. If the pumping was stopped
the blowing would stop also, but renewed afresh as often as the pump-
ing was resumed. The water at the top being cold, seems to hold
in abeyance the steam and intensely hot water below : the action of
the pump relieves the superincumbent pressure, when the hot water
below rushes out."
One other feature of considerable interest is a grotto erected in
the shape of a Druidical Temple solely of petrified wood. It is
about fifteen feet high and twenty-five in circumference. The mate-
rial consists of pieces of logs from two to three feet in length, the
apex being occupied by what was once the knot of a tree, in which
is a small flag-staff. The wood or rock was brought from the cele-
brated Petrified Forest.
During four months of 1872. April, May. June and julv. the
number of visitors to this favorite watering place was 3,020. From
the hills surrounding the valley flow fine streams in which trout are
abundant, and ill the hills arc to be found deer and various other
kinds of game, with an occasional bear. A few years ago. Messrs.
Brannan & Keseberg erected an extensive distillery and wine house.
Some of the "California Cognac ' from this distillery is said t<>
rival the finest brands of French brandy. But Mr. Brannan did noi
long continue in the concern, and since his retiring the business has
been limited.
I02 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
The temperature at times is very warm, at limes for. a portion of
the day the thermometer running up to 110° but the average is
very pleasant. Entries are made upon the hotel register at 6 a. m..
12 m., and 6 p. m., and the average yearly temperature For these re-
spective hours was in 1S71-2, 56 . 71 . and 65 . For the months
of May, June. July and August. 1871, the averages were 67 . 8c
and 75-.
In 1 87 1. Mr. McGeorge commenced the publication of the Calis-
toga Tribune, and excepting a few intervals of cessation, has contin-
ued it till the present time.
UK Will IK SULPHUR SPRINGS.
One among the many attractions to St. Helena is the celebrated
watering place, the White Sulphur Springs. These springs are situa-
ted in a deep but romantic canon, nearly two miles west of St.
Helena. Nature lias lavished her beauties upon this place, and art
has added many attractions. A stream flows down the canon or
gorge in the hills, which adds much to the scene, and affords a
line place for anglers. The stream is of the finest water and beauti-
fully shaded with trees and shrubs. The mountains on either side
are hisrh and rugged, mostlv covered with a dense Lrrowth of a kind
of errease-wood-like brush, known as chimisal. A flat on the north
side of the mountain has been cleared and planted in vines and
trees, hut few other attempts have been made to change the natural
beauties of the place. The hotel is a large and commodious one,
and the cottages, of which there are quite a number, all cozy and
pleasant. This place early attracted attention, and. as early as 1855.
we find that a line hotel had been erected there by#Tafft& Brewster.
There has been a line road constructed from St. Helena to these
springs, a telegraph line erected, beautiful flowers and shrubbery
planted, and everything done that can add to the pleasures or com-
forts of guests. The Springs have for many years been under the
management of Mr. Alstrom, and a more attentive host can nowhere
lie found. The scenery from the mouth of the canon is grandly
beautiful. The valley, dotted over with vineyards and farm-houses,
and the rugged hills to the east and north, form a contrast that im-
presses even' one who views it. and compares favorably with mam
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES.
*93
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS HOTEL
of the celebrated scenes of the Old World. The roads leading fr
the Springs, and about St. Helena, are kept hard and smooth, afT
ing fine drives. During the traveling season the hotel and cottages
at the Springs are most always crowded, and man}- visitors get board
with private families, while others board at the hotels in the village.
NAPA SODA SPRINGS.
The Napa Soda Springs, from which is obtained the pleasant cool-
ing beverage, the Napa Soda, are situated on the western side of
the mountains east of the valley, about live miles from Napa City.
This locality is finely suited for a favorite watering place, but, for the
want of hotel and other accommodations it has not as yet become
noted except for the water. The landscape from the Springs is very
extensive and very attractive, and we doubt not that ere long suitable
buildings and improvements will be completed to render this second
to no place in the county as a resort for travelers and invalids. A
line hotel, erected in 1856, was burne 1 only a short time after com-
pletion, and no further attempts have been made to provide accom-
13
i 9 4 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
modations for travelers. The property has changed hfnds several
times and been much in litigation. This probably has been one of
the greatest reasons why accommodations have not long since been
provided. The water of these Springs hold in solution soda, mag-
nesia, lime, iron, alumina, and other properties, and is considered
not only a pleasant but a healthful beverage. It is bottled on the
grounds, and hauled in wagons to Napa City, where it may be
shipped.
PETRIFIED FOREST.
One of the interesting features closely connected with Calistoga is
the Petrified Forest, five miles west of south from that place, and
near the dividing ridge between Napa and Santa Rosa Valleys. The
road from Calistoga to the Forest is picturesque and beautiful. The
hills are covered with groves of pines, oaks, madronas, manzanitas
and other growths, and as the tourist passes over the road he cannot
but be struck by the beauty and grandeur of the scene. The Forest
is on the north side of a deep ravine or canon, and covers an area
of two or three hundred acres. The trees are from a hundred to a
hundred and fifty feet in length, and from two to seven feet in diam-
eter, and are broken up into logs of various lengths. These trees
are only partially unearthed — they evidently having been covered by
dirt and rock of volcanic formation, which has only been partially
washed away by the agency of water. The logs bear almost the
exact appearance of wood, and are in every state of crystalization .
In one place is a large tree growing between and upon the fragments
of a log of rock, which strikes the beholder as a genuine curiosity
of nature, and proves that these logs have existed for countless ages.
The trees are nearly all lying with the tops from St. Helena Moun-
tain, which would seem to indicate the fact that they were over-
whelmed by lava from that direction.
ml
The existence of this forest was first made known by Mr. C. H.
Denison, of San Francisco, in 1870. Various theories have been
advanced as to the cause of this petrifaction. Not being experts in
geological science we refrain from expressing any opinion, and close
by giving the views of Prof. O. C. Marsh, who visited the spot in
1870. He says:
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 195
"It is about two thousand feet in height, and is mainly composed
of metamorphic rocks of cretaceous age, which are in places, as we
ascertained, overlaid uncomformably by later tertiary strata, consist-
ing of light-colored, coarse sandstones and beds of stratified volcanic-
ashes. This ridge had long been covered with a dense growth of
chaparral, but just before our visit a destructive fire had swept over
a portion of it, rendering it comparatively easy to examine a large
tract of country, which apparently had never been explored. A care-
ful examination of the locality where the first prostrate trunks had
been discovered, soon made it evident that those now on the surface
had all been weathered out of the volcanic tufa and sandstones, which
form the summit of this part of the mountain ridge. Several large
silicified trees were, indeed, subsequently found in the vicinity, pro-
jecting from the side of a steep bluff, which had partially escaped
denudation."
MOUNT ST. HELENA.
This mountain, whose summit rises to the height of 4,343 feet,
and is a point from which run lines dividing Lake and Napa coun-
ties, is the culminating point of the Coast Range in this section of
countrv. From Calistoga it is about five miles to the foot of this
mountain, and near ten to the summit. A good trail has been made
for the accommodation of tourists which renders the ascent easy.
From the summit a grand and magnificent view can be obtained of
the surrounding regions of our State. With a good glass, in clear
weather, many towns in the Sacramento Valley can be seen, togeth-
er with the Sierra Nevada range, for over a hundred miles of its
course. San Francisco Bay, and a large portion of the city, can be
seen when not enveloped in the dense fogs, so common to the Bay
region. Towards the North Clear Lake lies mapped out in plain
view. Many of the valleys, mountains, towns, rivers and cities of
the finest portion of California can be examined in a panorama oi
Nature from this elevation. On the West, beyond the Coast Range,
extends the Pacific, rolling for leagues away in superb grandeur, ex-
pressive of "boundless power and inaccessible majesty.'' Taken all
in all the view from the summit is a hundred-fold worth the fatigues
of the ascent, and we recommend all tourists to visit for themselves.
196
NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
VIEW AT THE GEYSERS.
CHAPTER XIII.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
Napa county has two important sources of wealth — her mines, suf-
ficiently noted elsewhere, and her agriculture and kindred resources.
Up to the last few years little attention was paid to developing the
resources of the soil, wheat raising being the chief occupation of the
farmer. There are some fields in the county, off of which for the
last fifteen years, an annual wheat crop has been reaped. There are
few localities in the world where wheat will grow better than in Napa
Valley, but then such a succession of crops must greatly exhaust the
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 197
soil. Nearly the whole of the land in the valley is well adapted to
all kinds of cereals, and with judicious rotation would produce a
large crop every year. Some of the land along the foot-hills is too
gravelly to produce wheat to much advantage, but then this land is
valuable for other productions. Oats and barley grow equally well
with wheat, and fields have been planted in Indian corn producing
crops that would compare favorably with those of the Wabash bot-
toms. Yet corn does not grow thus in any but the rich valley lands.
Early sugar corn matures well on the higher lands, but it must be
planted early.
The land below Napa City down to Soscol is a kind of adobe, but
not very heavy. A great portion of it is swamp and overflowed —
t commonly called tule land, and only waits to be reclaimed to be the
richest and most valuable land in the county. It requires compara-
tively little labor to reclaim these lands, and experiments about Sos-
col prove that when reclaimed they are unsurpassed for the produc-
tion of grasses, beets, sorghum, and other vegetation. Messrs.
Thompson have reclaimed quite an extensive tract of this land, and
find that it surpasses any other they have.
Along the foot-hills on either side of the valley the soil is gravelly
and not well adapted to grain. Yet, this land is the best that can be
found for vineyards. It is also very extensively used for grazing pur-
poses. The quantity of this grape land is very great, and could be
made valuable . About St. Helena, the finest vinevards that are to
be found, are on land that was formerly called waste land, covered
with chemisal. The line vineyard of Mr. G. S. Burrage, Northeast
of Yountville, is on the hillsides, which were useless for any other pur-
pose, barely affording a scant amount of feed a short season of the
year. Indeed, for land that will produce the finest flavored grape,
and one from which wine of the finest bouquet can be made, we must
look to these hill lands.
HOP CULTURE.
The .soil and climate of Napa seem peculiarly adapted to the rais-
ing of hops. The vine grows and blears well, needing but little La-
bor in harvesting. The hops gn;'^n in California contain a large
proportion of resinous lupulin than the imported article, and this
198 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
gives it a greater value for brewing purposes. The main production
of hops in this county has been about St. Helena. Mr. A. Clock
came into that section in 1867, and rented a piece of land from Mr.
D. Cole on the rich bottom land near the river. The first vear he
planted fifteen acres, and till 1871 gathered fair crops, but the mar-
ket price was low, so that he did not realize much of a profit, and
had he not been possessed of great energy would have given up the
enterprise. But in 1871, although his crop was light, the quality of
the California hops had begun to be appreciated, and he realized a
handsome profit. Off of the fifteen acres he gathered over ten tons,
selling the same for an average price of about sixty cents per pound.
This brought him in a revenue of near $12,000. He purchased a
tract of land and set out thirty acres more in hops, and erected a
large concrete dry house 54x70 feet, two stories high. Mr. R. F.
Montgomery, whose farm is situated about one mile North of St.
Helena, has also engaged to considerable extent in hop culture, and
feels well satisfied with the enterprise. He has erected a dry house
30x40, two stories high. From the ample experiments of these two
gentlemen there is no longer a question as to the adaptability of the
soil and climate of Napa for hop culture, nor of its affording a re-
munerative source of employment. There are now hundreds of
acres along Napa River well adapted to the culture of hops, which
now lie idle, covered with briars and willows, affording little or no
revenue to the owners.
THE TEA PLANT.
Mr. S. Brannan a few years ago started a small tea garden near
Calistoga. Everything started off with promise of complete success,
but the garden was soon neglected, so that the experiment proves
only that the plant grows finely. It is probable that if planted in the
foot hills, and cultivated with care, that a good quality of tea would
be produced. Owing to the very large and increasing consumption
of the pilant it is to be hoped efforts will be made to test thoroughly
the adaptability of uwv.soil for its culture.
FRUITS AND NUTS.
It would be superfluous to enumerate the different kinds of fruits
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 199
of Napa County. They are too well known to need any notice.
Suffice it to say that nearly every variety has been produced, and of
the finest quality. Besides the common fruits, experiments have
been made at raising oranges, lemons and other semi-tropical fruits.
Oranges have matured on the ranch of Geo. C. Yount, near Yount-
ville, and there is little doubt but that in sheltered localities on the
hill-land, where frosts are light and rare, that oranges can be grown
well. Gen. M. G. Vallejo, of Sonoma, has oranges, lemons and
olives growing and bearing in his garden. The oranges mostly
grown here have been from the seed, and consequently are not as
good as the grafted ones of Los Angeles. Our climate is peculiarly
adapted to the drying of fruits and raisins. When proper care is
taken in the picking and drying of fruits they command the higheLt
market value, owing to their superiority. Dr. D. K. Rule, of St.
Helena, and W. H. Crabb, of Oakville, have cured raisins which
were superior to any of the imported article. The grape mostly
used for raisins has been the Muscat of Alexandria. The experi-
ments made in producing raisms prove conclusively that the only
reason why this is not now a lucrative business is because proper
care and attention has not been devoted to it.
i^TOCK RAISING.
A great portion of the hill land in the count}' is unsuited to cul-
tivation for other purposes than grapes, and has thus far been used
for pasture. Large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep have been
kept upon these hills. Cattle can be raised in California at less cost
than in any other country, but a greater range is required, owing to
the absence of Summer rains. After the grass is once eaten down
the drouth prevents much of a growth thereafter. Formerly the
hills and valleys of the countv were covered with wild oats, affording:
the finest of pasture ; but the stock has almost entirely destroyed
this. Now, owing to the native grasses on the hills drying up so
early in the season and affording so scant a pasture, those who aie
largely engaged in sheep raising find that the quality of the fleece
from their flocks is benefitted by preparing better feed, and much at-
tention has of late been paid to the growing of grasses for Ux\\. Al-
falfa has been raised extensively and found to be very ffood. Ex-
20o NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
periments with timothy and other Eastern grasses have not been fa-
vorable. Some parties in this and Sonoma counties have experi-
mented with the Texas Mezquit grass and report quite favorably, but
as yet little is known of it. The finding of some grass adapted to
our soil and climate is for our stock raisers a great desideratum. It
is evident that the pastures are gradually failing and something must
be done to supply the deficiency.
OTHER PRODUCTIONS.
There are many kinds of productions which the quality of the
soil in Napa, and the climate give assurance could be raised at a
profit, which never have been attempted. Among these, one is rice.
We do not believe that any attempt has yet been made to raise rice
in this State, except as an experiment, yet the experiments prove that
our tule lands when reclaimed, are excellent for this production. It
is more than possible that at no future day rice may be counted
among the staple productions of our State and county. Flax is also
another production for which large quantities of our land is well
suited, and for which a ready market could be found. Flax, hemp,
ramie and jute could all be produced in Napa Valley, and thus a
very large bill for importations be saved to our producers. These
are among some of the possible productions and the evidence for
their adaptability is similarity of soil and climate to countries where
they grow, and the few experiments made with them. The great de-
mand for sacks in the State to ship the wheat crop makes it appea;
strange that no efforts as yet have been made to raise these textiles
and supply the home market with the manufactured articles. Over
fifteen hundred pounds of flax seed have been gathered from an
acre in other parts of the State, and the stalk above the average in
other countries in regard to strength and the quality of the fibre.
And this was on land no better than hundreds of acres in Napa
Valley. Another production that offers great inducements to capi-
talists to engage in it, is that of raising beets and making sugar.
The beet grows finely all along up the rich bottom lands of our
valley, and in the tule lands wherever reclaimed. There have been
two sugaries in active operation for quite a time in the State, and
they have proved eminently successful.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 201
SERICULTURE.
Several extensive experiments have been made in this county in
sericulture. That the mulberry will grow here, and that the worm
will do well, admits of no question. The trees make a wonderful
growth, and the silk produced is of a superior quality. We do not
claim a superiority for any one county, but over other silk produc-
ing countries. Several years ago Mr. Brannan planted out quite a
large field in mulberry trees, and these have made a fine growth, and
now produce a large quantity of leaves for feeding. In 1872 a
house or room was fitted up for a feeding room for the worms, and
the business carried on quite successfully. The mulberry orchard
and feeding house have since been placed under the charge of an ex-
perienced sericulturist, and more extensive improvements made. It
is rumored that in a short lime a silk manufactory will be erected at
that place.
Messrs. Haliin & Amerup also planted large numbers of trees in
Brown's Valley, West of Napa City, but so far nothing more than
the setting of the trees has been done.
Win. H. Baxter, of Springdale Farm, commenced the culture ot
silk on his arrival in this county in 1869, and has pursued it since
with varying success. As yet, sericulture is almost a new industry
in California, and the processes necessary to its successful develop
ment are things of but yesterday. It was found what was good in
Spain and France would not always be well here. So that many fail-
ures have been sustained, is not surprising. Mr. Baxter shared these
early losses fully, but now he has succeeded in making this a hope-
ful and paying industry. He has abandoned the use of artificial
heat in his feeding house, finding that the climate of Napa is all that
is needed. Mr. Baxter now has over 50,000 trees of the Morei/i,
Alba, and Multkaulis. Last year, (1872), he fed over 300,000
worms, of the French annuals. Thus far he has done little in the
.silk culture, having used most of the eggs in filling large orders from
Prance. The foreign demand for California eggs, which are found
to be the best that can be had, is very great.
One great drawback to silk culture in California is the high price
<>l labor. It is questionable whether the cultivator can afford to pa\
the wages asked by laborers to gather the leaves and feed the worm-.
202 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Yet, as the whole season requires less than two months' work, we
have hopes of seeing this difficulty overcome. The work seems
well suited to women and children. But the greatest obstacle to this
industry is that the two silk factories in this State have not, so far.
supplied machinery necessary for reeling the silk from the cocoons,
but have required this work to be done by the producers. Doubt-
less this want in the silk factories will soon be supplied, and the
}>erson who has a few trees, and produces a small quantity of co-
coons, find a ready market for them. Then silk culture may be re-
garded as a success. California presents more advantages for the
prosecution of this industry than any other country. It requires less
outlay and less care ; the worms are free from disease and the
growth of the tree is most exhuberant. Everything, except the ob-
stacles above noted, points to this State at no very distant day as the
greatest among silk growing countries.
VINICULTURE.
California seems to be the natural home of the vine. Though
there are some favored localities where the finest flavored grapes
grow, yet hill and valley alike produce an excellent quality. The
distribution of the grape is general, not only over Napa, but almost
over the State. It was discovered by the missionary Padres more
than ioo years ago that the soil and climate of California were well
adapted to the culture of the grape. Wine was made on a small
scale for home use long before the conquest of the country by the
United States. But the Mexican and early American settlers plan-
ted a few vines, which are still in vigorous growth. There are sev-
eral small vineyards in this county over twenty years old, the trunk
of the vines being from four to six inches in diameter, which pro-
duce an enormous amount of grapes. Some of these old vines
may be seen upon the farm of Col. J. B. Chiles, in Chiles' Valley,
at Wm. H. Nash's former vineyard above St. Helena, and at the
ranch of Geo. C. Yount, deceased. These vines were all of the
Mission] variety. It took several years for our farmers to learn
that the planting of vineyards on a large scale could be made
profitable, and the manufacture of wine an important and extensive
branch of industry.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 203
The first one to plant a vineyard of any consequence — one for any
other purpose than for grapes for table use — was J. M. Patchett. As ear-
ly as 1 850 a small vineyard had been planted on the property which he
afterwards purchased. The year of his purchase he planted a greater
number of vines and also an orchard. In 1859 he was so well con-
vinced that wine-making could be made remunerative that he erected
his cellar, now standing.
The first vineyards were planted in valley land suited to the cul-
ture of cereals, and grew luxuriantly. It was found, however, that
the grapes produced a wine inferior to those planted in a more grav-
elly soil, or in the foothills upon each side of the valley. Year by
year the area planted in vineyards is extending, the amount of grapes
increasing with the number of vines and the age of those already
planted. There must be in the future a vast extension in viniculture
and the manufacture of wines for export. The home market is
scarcely sufficient for the wine product of a single count} - . Vinicul-
ture has already become a most important industry in this county.
Instead of the old Mission variety, most of the vines recently planted
are the best obtainable in Europe. Careful experiments have been
made to ascertain which varieties are best suited to our soil and cli-
mate, and men of great experience and capital have embarked in the
wine business. Extensive cellars have been constructed, and all the
necessary appliances provided for the production of excellent wines
upon a large scale.
A great change has taken place in the wine business. It has be-
come, to a great extent, centralized in a few hands. The proprie-
tors of small vineyards no longer attempt to make their own wine.
but sell their grapes to large establishments which have the necessary
capital and conveniences for the business. This plan has proved
advantageous to all parties, and has yielded to the vineyard owner a
larger profit than he could have made by cultivating grain.
Since the time when Mr. Patchett commenced his vineyard the
industry has grown till now it stands foremost in the county. The
first shipment <>f wine from Napa county took place in 1857, and
consisted of six casks and six hundred bottles; in 1871 the export
was over hall" a million gallons. And still the industry is but in its
infancy. Among the first who looked upon the wine business as a
2QA NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
lucrative industry, were Drs. G. B. Crane and D. K. Rule, of St.
Helena. Both these gentlemen had been practicing physicians and
apothecaries in Napa City for many years, but in 1859 Dr. Crane,
becoming wearied with the profession, and seeking for a country
home, bought a tract of land on the Bale grant and commenced the
planting out of a vineyard. His vineyard, one of the largest in the
county, is planted mostly with Mission vines. . Much of the land for his
vineyard was such as people at that early day regarded as almost
worthless. His first cellar was erected in 1862, a diminutive affair,
built of wood. In 1870 he commenced the erection of a concrete
.cellar 44x75, two stories high. Dr. Crane labored hard to get Cali-
fornia wines introduced into the Eastern markets. He established a
wine house in St. Louis, and carried it on till the last year or more.
Dr. D. K. Rule, in i860, also purchased a tract of land on the Bale
grant, about one mile southeast from St. Helena, and planted a small
vineyard. His vineyard was planted on land cleared of the chemisal
brush, and that was considered valueless. But he found that this
soil was pre-eminently adapted to grapes. He has at different times
.sold off portions of his farm as first purchased, so that now he has
but a comparatively small vineyard. A considerable portion of his
vines are of the finest foreign varieties. He has no cellar and does
not manufacture wine, but sells his grapes.
Mr. Charles Krug, whose vineyard lies about one and a half miles
north of St. Helena, is a native of Mainz, on the Rhine. He came
to America in 1851, and to California in 1852. In 1858 he entered
into the wine business in Sonoma, and the same year was employed
by Mr. Patchett, of Napa, to make wine. In 1861 he obtained a
tract of land near St. Helena of 800 acres, and set out 15,000 vines.
He has continued increasing his vineyard till at present it covers 68
acres and has 60,000 vines, 40,000 of which are fine foreign varie-
ties, among which are Johanisberg, Riesling, Franken Riesling,
Rhenish Muscatel, Burger, Chasselas, Malaga, Muscat of Alexandria,
Zinfindel, Black Malvoisie, Flame Tocay, Rose de Peru, etc. Mr.
Krug's first wine cellar, still standing, is 14x20 feet, 2 J feet in the
ground and raised 5 J feet above, covered first with straw, then with
earth, and finished with a roofiing of redwood shakes.
The rapid growth of the vineyard and large increase of wine
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 205
necessitated building additional cellar room from year to year, until
the past season, when the present large and substantial concrete was
completed, which* is capable of holding from 250,000 to 300,000
gallons. It is from outside to outside 90x104 ft., the middle or main
building being two stories. The upper room, 44x100 feet clear of
posts, will be the press room or general manufacturing room. Im-
mediately under is a room 43x100 feet that will have all the modern
apparatus for keeping an even temperature for fermenting wine.
The west room, 21x100 feet, contains the distillery and stores for
new wine, with office room at one end. The east room, 21x100
feet, will contain the old wine, except the very old, which will al-
ways be found in the old cellar.
Mr. Krug takes great pride in brandy making, and employs an
aged and very competent Erench distiller making cognac from clean
wine that is only equalled, and not surpassed, by the best French
brands of the same age.
Messrs. Pellet & Carver are more widely known as wine-makers
than as grape-growers, yet their vineyard is among the best in that
vicinity. It is situated adjoining those of Drs. Crane and Rule, and
contains 38,000 vines, mostly foreign, of very much the same va-
rieties as those of Mr. Krug. Their vines, like those of Dr. Rule,
were planted on land cleared of a heavy growth of chemisal. Their
cellar, one among the earliest built in that section, is 50x64 feet,
partly under ground, two stories high. The wine from this cellar
ranks among the best in the valley.
The Giaque Brothers have a cellar two miles south of St. Helena.
It is of concrete, 26x100 feet, two stories high. The grapes mostly
used are purchased.
Mr. J. Backus, who purchased of Dr. Rule, has a small vineyard,
but nearly all of select foreign varieties. In 1872 he completed a
concrete cellar 30x80 feet, lined inside and out with wood. The
temperature is remarkably uniform.
Gen. R. W. Heath, in 1872, purchased the line ranch of Gen.
E. D. Keyes, near the mouth of Sulphur Sprin; canon, one and a
half miles southwest of St. Helena, on which is a vineyard of near
40,000 vines, nearly all foreign varieties; also a ston: cellar three
stories high an 1 most conveniently arranged. The cellar was erected
206 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
by Gen. Keyes, and is so situated at the base of a hill that wagons
can be unloaded into any one of the stories.
About three miles north of St. Helena is the farm of Rev. T. B.
Lyman, formerly owned by Mr. Kellogg. There are about 800 acres
in the farm. There are near 25,000 vines, mostly Mission. A con-
crete cellar 30x100 feet, two stories high, was erected in 1871.
H . W. Crabb, near Oakville, though not a Mine maker, is ex-
tensively engaged in raising grapes. His farm, consisting of 240
acres, is a model for neatness and business thrift. He has forty
orange trees grafted from the grandiflora, all of which grow well and
are beginning to bear. He likewise has a number of Italian chest-
nuts which are growing well. He also has seventy acres planted in
vines, the greater portion bearing.
Mr. Eli Lewelling, adjoining Mr. Crabb on the East, has an ex-
tensive vineyard and orchard, but does not manufacture wine. His
farm consists of 1 20 acres, on which is a fine nursery, an almond
orchard, and 40,000 vines. He is also experimenting in the culti-
vation of oranges.
J. C. Davis, near Oakville, has one among the handsome pieces
of property in the county, and one that is admirably located for a
vineyard. He already has about 28,000 vines, mostly on fine hill
land.
Mr. G. Groezinger, of Yountville, only recently became posses-
sed of his fine tract of land. He purchased the large farm and
vineyard of H. C. Boggs in 1870, and since the purchase has made
extensive and permanent improvements. The vineyard has been
enlarged and one of the finest cellars in the whole State erected. At
the expense of being prolix, we here annex a description of this cel-
lar and that of Messrs. Burrage & Tucker, prepared by us and for-
merly published in the Napa Reporter. The main cellar structure,
built entirely of brick (a quantity of which was made on the spot),
is 150 by 80 feet, and two stories high. Its wine capacity is 400,000
gallons. At the North end of the building, a wing extends back 84
feet, and is 60 feet wide, the same height of the main building, with
a cellar underneath. Joining on to this wing, and running along the
back of the main edifice, is the fermenting room, 105 feet in length
and 30 in width. A portion of this room is used for steaming and
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 207
cleaning casks, etc. The roof of the fermenting room. is nearly
level, and comes up within six feet of the eaves of the main cellar.
This roof is very strongly built, and is on a level with the upper
story of the cellar. On this is all the grape crushing done, in the
open air, skylights being fitted in directly over large fermenting vats
below, into which falls the juice from the crushers. These crush-
ers take a box of grapes, containing from 55 to 60 pounds, every
seven seconds, and their capacity for juice is from 6,000 to 6,500
gallons per day. A platform leads from the roof to the ground, and
one also from the upper floor of the cellar, and as a load of boxes of
grapes is pulled up one platform by a horse below, a load of empty
boxes goes down the other one. On this roof is also made all the
Port, Muscatel, Sherry and Angelica. Two hydraulic presses that
have a power of thirty tons each, are used in this establishment to
press the pumice. The different varieties of wine made at this cel-
lar are as follows : Port, Muscat, Muscatel, Angelica, Sherry.
White Wine, Claret and Mountain Wine. In the rear of the wine
cellar, at the distance therefrom prescribed by law, is the distillery,
where some of the best California brandy made in the State is dis-
tilled. Here are two stills, whose united capacity is about 1 50 gal-
lons per day. A steam engine is here employed, which performs
almost all the work done on the premises. Everything here, as in
ever}' portion of this vast establishment, bespeaks the tidiness of the
Superintendent, Mr. F. Schweitzer, who has combined, all over the
premises, the three best elements of successful wine making : order,
neatness and convenience. Everything that will take a polish shines,
even the floors are swept clean enough to delight the heart of a tidy
housewife, and all the casks are numbered. The rubber hose and
all the various implements in constant use in an edifice of this kind,
are to be found in their appropriate place, and can be made availa-
ble even in the dark.
The cellar is located in an eminently favored location. In the
rear the vineyard rises gradually and forms a background almost as
picturesque in January as it docs later in the season, when the grape
vines are covered with green leaves. About 150,000 vines are
growing here, though not all in full bearing, and only 25,000 ol
these are native or Mission grape. As the estate is large, more
2o8 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
vines will be set out ever)- year till the whole place shall become one
vineyard, before which time, however, its proprietor will have pur-
chased what adjacent land his neighbors will let him have, so thai
there is no telling to what extent this vineyard may reach. The
water used on the premises is furnished from springs on the proper-
ty, of sufficient altitude and force to throw water all over the build-
ing. Four reservoirs have been constructed at the springs above-
mentioned, and now Mr. Groezinger proposes to tap another spring-
on the property of A. G. Clark, and bring that down also. A switch
from the Railroad Company's track is laid within a few feet of the
wine cellar door, and cars can either be loaded with full casks. 01
the empty ones loaded on and then pumped full of wine.
The Vine Cliff Vineyard, Messrs. Burrage & Tucker, proprietors,
is situated about three miles northeast of Vountville. One of the
most romantic spots in Napa Valley is this same Vine Cliff Vineyard.
A semi-circle of inaccessible rocky side-hills, in the canon in which
nestle the buildings, has, by the energy of man, been turned into a
useful and picturesque piece of property. Hundreds of tons of rock
have been patiently gathered off the hill-sides, which now team with
grapevines, and hauled away. Truly does it look to one who saw
it a few years ago as though the finger of enchantment had been
pointed at its frowning, rocky surface, and changed it into a "thing
of beauty and a joy forever.'' This vineyard, which now contains
65,000 vines, only 10,000 of which are native or Mission, was com-
menced seven years ago. A bull tongue and cultivator have done
nearly all the plowing for this flourishing vineyard, which, in the last
two years, has turned off 19,000 gallons of wine. The wine cellar
is four stories high, the lower story of masonry, the stories above of
lumber. The cellar is so built into the precipitous hillside that
every floor is approachable by wagons, save the upper, where a truck
is used to haul the boxes of grapes into the building along a platform
just the right height on to which to unload a wagon easily. The
grapes are thus crushed in the upper story, without any hoisting
process. Through this floor the juice falls into the fermenting vats
on the floor beneath, where it can be either lowered in casks, or by
hose, to the floors below, or loaded into wagon? at the door. In t he-
second story a furnace stands, used to keep the wine at an even tern-
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 209
perature or to generate steam with which to cleanse the casks. From
every floor of this cellar a beautiful view greets the eye, no matter
which way one may happen to look. The live oaks around the
dwelling house, the clusters of toyone with its ruby berries, and the
ornamental trees, planted by the proprietors, all tend to enhance the
beauty of this place. In a grove p of live oaks, is the spring house,
just high enough to force water into every room in the dwelling
house, and allow a fountain to throw its fanciful spray before the
door. Orange and lemon trees can hardly help flourishing in this
favored locality, and as it is the intention of the proprietors to plant
some of these trees this season, we may hope, one of these days, to
eat oranges and lemons in Napa, grown on our own hills.
Extending all along the foot-hills of the valley are smaller vine-
yards of from two and three to fifteen and twenty acres of vinei .
Among these we mention only a few : Mr. Charles Hopper, near
Yountville, has about twenty acres in vines. Mr. Hopper's place is
very romantically situated on the West side of the valley, in a grove
of live oaks and madronas that border a living stream. This is a
portion of the section purchased in 1849 °f ^ lr - ( '- C. Vount at
$1.50 per acre, now worth near S125 per acre. Blackberries and
other kinds of fruit grow well here. Adjoining Mr. Hopper's place
is a tract formerly sold by him, now owned by Mr. Wm. Locker, oj
Oakville ; also near by that of Mr. Greenup Whitton, Further up
the valley we come to the home of Mr. Wm. Baldridge, another one
of the old Pioneers, who has established himself for the remainder
of his existence in a very cozy nook in the hills that border immedi-
ately on Napa Valley. Almost even- variety of grape vine and fruit
tree have been grafted, planted and raised here by its even now in-
defatigable proprietor. An everlasting stream of water flows to his
house from a mountain spring, and ever)" comfort that nature can
lavish or industry furnish in the shape of fruit, can here be found.
Near the house still stands the old log cabin erected here when first
taken possession of by this gentleman, in whose memory lies en-
throned the history of many a stirring scene in the annals of Cali-
fornia.
fust below Oakville is the large farm of Mr. John Benson. It
consists of 400 acres, about 84 of which are set in vines, most white
1 1
210 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS ANT) IS.
[Muscat of Alexandria. This vine} aid was only planted in 1872,
and when the blocks are filled will contain over 60, coo vines. Also
the same year he started a nursery in which were set 60,000 grape
cuttings — same variety as the vineyard.
In this same section, about a mile south of Oakville, lies a tract
of land, now owned by Mr. G. L. Kenny, of the firm of A. L. Ban-
croft & Co.; also one by A. I.. Bancroft. These gentlemen have
superior land, and are having the ^ame highly improved.
Mr. Stoneberger, whose property is nearly opposite Oakville, has
onlv a small vineyard, about ten acres of the Black Malvoisie. He
has become better known as a successful grain grower, and more
latelv of fruit. He has an orchard of 1 . 200 almond trees, and various
other kinds of trees.
Near Rutherford Station, a little place nearly midway between
Oakville and St. Helena, are the vineyards and property of Judge S.
C. Hastings. His family residence is on the Home Farm southwest
of Rutherford; here he has twenty-eight acres of vines. Near Ruth-
erford he has two other vineyards, one of thirty-three acres, the other
of forty-three. The greater portion of his vines are foreign varieties.
Adjoining the Home Farm, above mentioned, we come to a spot
on the edge of our beautiful valley, on which nature has lavished her
happiest charm. With a back ground of hills, sufficiently romantic
to make an Italian envious, through which bubbles a clear and
limpid trout stream, whose silvery sheen can at times be caught sight
of from the county road, is the vineyard of W. C. Watson. Here
are 50 acres in vines, mostly Black Malvoisie. An extensive orchard
has likewise been planted here, and such is the immense advantage
of the water privilege that everything that heart could wish, or eye
desire, can be raised here. An artificial pond has been formed, fed
from the mountain stream, in which trout could be easily raised.
This water is of sufficient depth to admit of a spring-board, from
which the swimmer can take a dive, and large enough to take a pretty
fair swim. Th? house is situated in a grove of large trees, mostly
planted there years ago, which shade without hiding it.
H. N. Amesbury, C. H. Clark, S. L. Marshall, T. A. Mann, the
Kneif Brothers, and several others out towards Brown's Valley, have
small vinevards', many of which are foreign varieties and doing well.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 211
Mr. J. J. Sigrist, whose farm is but a few miles from Napa, is bob.
a grape-grower and a wine-maker, and both on a large scale. His
first cellar, together with all the contents, were destroyed by fire a
few years since. His present one is of a capacity of 100,000 gallons.
He has about one hundred acres in vines, the oldest of which were
planted in i860. He makes his wine from each variety of grape
singly. His crushing machine has a capacity of 2, 500 gallons per
dav, and during the vintage is kept constantly going.
Mr. F. A. Rceder, adjoining Mr. Sigrist, has a vineyard of fortv
acres, all foreign vines, mostly Black Malvoisie, and all in good
bearing.
Further out in Brown's Valley is the fine property lately owned by
Dr. Lockwood. In this vineyard are 50,000 vines, only one-third
of which are Mission, and all bearing. There is a cellar of the
capacitv of 15,000 gallons. This property consists of 100 acres, and
is located on both sides of Napa Creek.
William Woodward, whose farm lies near four miles northeast of
Napa City, has one among the best vineyards in the county. It is
situated along the foothills of the mountains, and is excellent vineyard
land. He has a large area in bearing vines on the place and a cellar with
all the appurtenances common thereto; also a distillery. The brand}
made here is of fine quality, and the sherry wine, which seems to be
a specialtv. ursurpassed . Mr. Woodward's whole farm bespeaks or-
der and business thrift in every part. He has all the convenience of
water power that could l>e desired — a living stream coming down
from the hills. Iu addition to the large business carried on in the
wine and brandy manufacture, he has a dairy and a large farm. He
has done much for the developing of the natural productions of that
part of the valley.
In and about Soscol the land seems not so well adapted to the
growing of the grape. Grains and fruit trees do well, and the vine
grows finely, but the quality of the grape, and especially the bouquet
of the wines, is inferior to that grown upon the hill lands higher up
the valley. But the grapes grown in this section are good, and al-
ways bear a high price in the market. This section of the county
seems better adapted, if possible, to fruits than any other part of
Napa county. The extensive orchards of the Messrs. Thompson.
212 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Mr. R. E. F. Moore, and various other persons, amply testify to this.
East of Yountville, on the foothills, the quality of the soil and its
adaptability to grapes is fully established. Mr. Terrel Grigsby has
a large vineyard in good bearing condition, and his grapes are
equal to the best. He is not a wine-maker. Along up the eastern
side of the valley are quite a number of vineyards, lately set out.
Among these, one of the largest and one set with the finest grapes,
is that of Mr. Geo. Linn. This gentleman, in addition to his vine-
yard situated northwest of the property of Mr. Burrage, elsewhere
noted, has one of the finest tracts of rich, alluvial bottom land any-
where to be found. This tract is situated just east of the town of
Yountville, and is the family homestead.
About five miles northwest of St. Helena, on the eastern slope of
the mountains west of the valley, is a small vineyard of choice varie-
ties of foreign grapes, belonging to Mr. Jacob Schram. He also has
a small cellar, and makes his own grapes into wine, which, from its
excellence, ranks among the best in the whole State.
Above the lands of Mr. Krug is the large vineyard and cellar now
owned by Mr. Weinberger, and above his the extensive vineyard of
Mr. Sayward. One notable feature about Mr. Sayward's vineyard
is that it is set on a rocky hillside that was useless for any other than
vineyard purposes.
"Mr. David Fulton, deceased, owned a large vineyard near St.
Helena, only a portion of which are foreign vines. On the premises
was erected a large cellar and distillery. But little has been done in
the way of wine or brandy-making for a year or more, owing to the
closing up of the estate after Mr. Fulton's death.
Near the base of the mountains west of St. Helena, is the magnifi-
cent farm and vineyard of Mr. John York. Mr. York commenced
the planting of his vineyard soon after Messrs. Crane, Rule and Krug
commenced the enterprise. It is on gravelly land; the vines grow
well and the grapes are much liked by wine-makers. The same
remarks will apply to the vineyard formerly owned by Mr. David
Hudson. Besides the vineyards mentioned near St. Helena, there
are a great number of smaller ones. In fact, there is scarcely a sin-
gle place but has a number of vines planted, some only a few hun-
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. 213
dred vines, and some five, ten, fifteen and twenty acres. The ag-
gregate of these small vineyards is very great.
Of the many large vineyards near Calistoga, we will only mention
one, that planted by Judge Evy, and now owned by Dr. R. Garnett.
This vineyard is situated about three miles north of Calistoga, near
the mouth of the canon through which runs one of the head branches
of Napa River. The first portions of the vineyard were of Mission
grapes, but those set out later are foreign varieties. Judge Evy,
while he had the place, erected a small cellar and made a limited
amount of wine; but the present proprietor has not engaged in wine-
making. The vineyard is on gravelly but rich soil. In addition to
the extensive vineyard there is also a large orchard of choice varieties
of fruit. The Doctor likewise has one of the finest stock ranches in
the countv.
The lands in the upper parts of Carneros and Huichica Creek.-,
are well adapted to grape growing. Mr. Wm. H. Winter, in addi-
tion to his fine orchard, has an extensive vineyard, and has found that
the grapes grow and mature as well as elsewhere. His vineyard
consists mainly of Mission grapes. He has a cellar and a distillery
connected with his vineyard.
Besides the cellars noted in the foregoing pages, there are several
smaller ones which are omitted. In Napa City there are two wine
houses that simply manufacture wine. One is the cellar of Mr. G.
Migliavacca, the other of Messrs. Van Bever & Thompson. Mr.
Migliavacca is a native of Italy, came to California in 1S5S, and
commenced the wine business in 1866. At first he had only a small
house on Main street. In the back part of the house he began the
manufacture of wine on a small scale. The quality of his wine was
good, and met with ready sale. He kept gradually increasing the
capacity of his house, till finally he got his present building. In
addition to the storeroom in this house on Main street, he has
portion of the large brick house commonly known as Crowey's store.
east of the bridge on First street, and used it for the purposes of a
cellar. Mr. Migliavacca. by his industry and his skill, has built up
a fine business for himself in Napa. Messrs. Van Bever iV Thomp-
son commenced the manufacture of wine on a large scale in 1S71.
After moving their store from its previous position on First street,
214 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
near the bridge, to their present commodious place, they used the
old storeroom as a cellar. Here they made a large quantity of wine;
but in 1872 they obtained the old Banner Warehouse on Main street
opposite the Depot. This was fitted up for a cellar, and is now
occupied by these parties as a wine house. The wine from this
house, "Uncle Sam Vineyard Cellar/'" as the proprietors call it, bears
a good price in the market, and is said by experts to compare favor-
ably with the best.
Notwithstanding the great numbers of vineyards now growing in
the county, the work of planting out more is continually going on.
Those who have vineyards and vacant land, keep year by year in-
creasing the number of their vines, entertaining no fears of the busi-
ness being overdone. In 1872 the Assessor returned 2,324.545
bearing vines in the countv. This number will be very materially
increased the present year by large numbers of vines previously
planted coming into bearing. New cellars are being projected and
the business of viniculture in Napa is indeed assuming wondrous
proportions.
THE FUTURE FOR XAPA.
215
POINT ARENA LIGHT HOUSE.
CHAFFER XIV.
THE FUTURE FOR NAPA.
Of course in speaking on what will be the future condition of a
country we can not speak certainly. We can only form estimates
from the past and the present. But, judging from these we think
we can speak with considerable probability of correctness that tlit
future for Napa is destined to be glorious. Our proximity to the
great centers of trade and commcn e give us assurances that we shall
continue to grow and improve, that the resources of our soil shall
i more fully developed and new industries started, till lor material
wealth and enterprise \vi 1 ccond to but few other countries
The pleasant climate in N'apa Valley, and the facilities for travel.
216 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
have already attracted many from the citv, and we find the valley
gradually being divided up into small tracts for homesteads, and ele-
gant improvements being made. The wealth and culture of the
city is in great numbers looking to this valley for a country seat, for a
pleasant home where the substantial comforts of rural life may be
enjoyed, and still the facilities of a rapid transit place them at the
doors of the metropolis. The peculiar adaptation of the soil and
climate of Napa render it easy in a brief time to improve a home
so that shade and ornamental trees, flowers and shrubbery can be-
ll id in abundance, and add their charm to the surroundings.
Already there are numbers of elegant villas and suburban resi-
dences in the county, and the number is being increased yearly. As
an evidence of what kind of palatial residences and pleasure grounds
may be expected in the future, we will notice one of the many now
existing, the Oak Knoll Farm.
The Oak Knoll Farm, of which Mr. R. B. Woodward is the
present proprietor, originally formed a part of the grant known as
the Rancho de Napa. It came into the possession of Otto H. Frank,
and was in 1858 transferred by him to |. W. Dsborn, afterwards as-
sassinated by a desperado named Brittah. In 1862 it was sold to
the present proprietor for the sum of $61,976.85. The main farm,
as 'given to the Assessor in 1872. consists of 1583 acres. This is
rich vallev land, and is under the highest state of culture. One of
the largest orchards in the State is here set out. and the pleasure
grounds about the buildings are richly supplied with the choicest
evergreens, flowers and shrubbery. In 1S72 the present palatial
residence was erected. Mr. Woodward, as the proprietor of Wood-
ward's Gardens, in San Francisco, is too well known to need any
notice here. He is justly esteemed one among Napa's best citizens.
He has since living in Napa, identified his interests with those of
the county, and has done much to advance the general .prosperity.
The population of Napa county is now estimated by the most ac-
curate calculators who are acquainted in the count}" at between
11.000 and 12,000 inhabitants. This is a meagre number com-
pared to what it is capable of supporting. There are now hundreds
of acres only partially cultivated that might, and ere long will be
utilized to support a greatly increased population. When the re-
THE FUTURE FOR NAPA. 217
sources of the soil are more fully developed by not making the cere-
als such a specialty, but by planting more fields in mulberries ; by
carrying on the culture of flax, ramie, jute, or other textiles ; by
paying more attention to the supplying of the market, as we are ca-
pable of doing, with choice dried and canned fruits and raisins : by
devoting more acres to the culture of hops ; by increasing the extent
and quality of our vineyards ; and by starting and maintaining the
varied branches of industry for which nature has specially endowed
us, we may know that we will be on the highway to a successful
career.
The prices for land vary greatly, according to the quality, the near-
ness to the railroad, and other circumstances. The rich bottom
lands, lying along near the line of the railroad, or near the town.-,
commands a high price, ranging from $50 to $150 per acre without
improvements. Vineyards are valued according to the age of the
vine and the kind, and to their location, whether on high or low
land, for from $300 to $800 per acre. But, the lands lying along
the foot-hills, finely adapted to the grape or to sericulture, are much
cheaper. In Gordon, Berryessa, Pope, Chiles, Conn, and many
parts of Napa, such lands rate at from $5 to $25 per acre, according
to quality and position. The tule lands rate low on account of the
outlay necessary to their reclamation. The cost of reclamation is not
verv heavy, and then thev become the most valuable.
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
One of the most important questions presented to the agricultu-
rist is that of labor. The farmers frequently find it impossible to
get laborers to perform their work. A great portion of the labor
employed during the vintage in picking and shipping grapes is Chi-
nese. People arc not favorably disposed to these Asiatics, but often
find themselves reduced to the necessities of accepting these or none.
There is no State in the Union where the laborer has so easy a time
,is in California, but this verv fact has an injurious effect upon the
laborer. It is harder here to find good and trustworthy labor
than elsewhere. Few think farther than the best means of shirking
responsible labor, of getting the largest sum and making the !
return therefor. Many, after the week's work is over, stroll away t 1
218 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
dens of vice and crime, to come away, by no means benefitted.
And frequently, those who claim to be laborers can not be in-
duced to leave these haunts to accept the best position in the coun-
try. They prefer lounging around town, doing little jobs to gain a
bare subsistance in the cities, than leaving for the interior. They
waste their energy in complaining of hard times and cursing the
Chinese, while thev use no efforts to do anything for themselves.
Especially does it seem that in the matter of house servants it is an
utter impossibility to get white persons ; and the scarcity of these
teaches the Chinese to be more insolent and more exacting. It is
next to an impossibility to induce a female servant to leave the city
and go into the country, at any wages. Of course there are many
exceptions, but this is the rule.
The mere fact that Chinese have obtained positions docs not ex-
plain the scarcity of good white laborers. We know politicians
have harped upon the wrongs of the while laborers on account of
the employment of Chinese, fail it has been merely to gain a few
votes. The cause for the condition of the laborers, and their scar-
city cannot be accounted for on the mere fact of the presence of the
Chinee.
The system of farm labor pursued in California is. in our estima-
tion, chiefly responsible, banners have no occasion to employ la-
borers but a few months in the year. During the season of seed-
ing and harvest laborers are in great demand, but when the rush is
over, the}' are dismissed. Between these two seasons come
long periods when it is impossible to get employment. Some may
get jobs of cutting wood, a few mav be retained as permanent hands
on large farms, but the majority are set adrift, to get work for a sub-
sistance as best they may. Thus from the severest of all farm labor,
harvesting, the laborer is thrown into complete idleness. Of these
some drift off into other States, some seek other occupations, while
others, generally the majority, seek the towns, and by performing
little jobs, and by the multifarious ways known to the loafers around
a town, eke out a subsistance. and never dream of their importance
except about election times.
Such alternate changing from severe toil to utter idleness is de-
moralizing to the best of men. If it is hard for those who are busy
THE FUTURE FOR NAPA. 219
to act right, how hard shall it be for these who are idle such a large
part of the time ? And this enforced idleness is in no wise the re-
sult of the presence of the Chinese.
The remedy for this state of affairs, is to be found in a more va-
ried agriculture, and sources of labor. Break up the great wheat
growing mania, and diversify the work so that it will not, as now,
come in two seasons of the year, but extend the year round. Open
manufactures and such as depend in some considerable degree upon
agriculture, and a better day will dawn upon us. At present, com-
paratively few can purchase lands and become producers. It is use-
less to seek for immigration, for the laboring portion of the people-
can see, in farm labor in this State, nothing but alternately the most
enervating idleness and the most exhausting labor. The "bone
and sinew ' of other States and countries dread to come among us,
not that they fear to compete with Chinamen, but that they fear they
cannot find labor, because it is not.
If our State would progress and consummate the glorious achieve-
ments the future has in store for her, something must be done to
ameliorate the condition of farm labor. We must have more intel-
ligent laborers, and we must have some means of giving them em-
ployment more than a moiety of the year. This we cannot do so
long as we remain so exclusively a wheat growing people. Unless
we introduce new kinds of agricultural production, new sources of
employment for labor, we need not expect much immigration from
abroad ; we need not expect to find better nor greater numbers of
1 iborers ; and we must, instead of deprecating the presence of the
Chinese, look upon them as the only possible class that can be had
to perform a very great part of our work.
( )ne of the greatest drawbacks that Napa now lies is the want ol
manufactures. True, there are a few. Various agricultural imple-
plements are manufactured here, not only to supply the home de-
mand but also diat of other counties. The vineyard plows patented
by M. P. Rose of Carneros, ami by J. C. Potter oi St. Helena, and
the gang plows of die Manucls of Napa City, are widely known and
growing in favor. The planing mills, first started by II. T. Barker
and the Groat Brothers, now owned by J. A. Jackson & Co.. is doing
excellent work. But when these and a few others are counted, the
220 NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
list of our manufactures is numbered. Napa presents more facilities
for successfully carrying on various kinds of manufactories than most
other places in the State. Besides the facilities of the railroad for
travel, all the conveniences of water privileges are afforded. Rents
are low, fuel is cheap and abundant, and nothing but the capital and
enterprise are lacking to make Napa an important manufacturing
place. There probably is no place in the State where a beet sugarie
could be started with more assurances of success. This and many
other industries could easily be started here.
But, so far, those in the town and county who view such enter-
prises as feasible, and who would be willing to engage in them, have
not had a sufficiency of capital to guarantee commencing operations.
There is an abundance of capital, but those who control it rarely
think of the material growth of the town and count}". Instead ot
developing the resources of the count}- by investing their capital here,
giving employment to more mechanics and more laborers, creating
a home market for more of the agricultural products that are now
shipped away, and supplying the people with mam- of the necessities
of life, now imported, they only seek the best securities and the high-
est rate of interest for their loans. They are particularly interested
in nothing except the perfect security of one and a quarter per cent,
per month. It is a great convenience to farmers at times to get a
loan; but instead of having a number of capitalists who, leech-like,
live off the substance of the community and add nothing thereto, how
much better it would be to have men who would work to do away
with the necessities of borrowing by making the community more
prosperous ? But the natural advantages of the place so recommend
it to the people that we feel confident that at no distant day capi-
talists from abroad will be found who will build up these industries.
LAKE COUNTY.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
223
UNCLE SAM MOUNTAIN LOOKING FROM LAKEPORT
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
The territory now known as Lake county was first included in the
Northern District of California, and upon the formation of Napa
county, composed the northern portion thereof. It is bounded on
the North by Colusa and Mendocino, South by Napa and Sonoma.
Blast by Colusa and Yolo, and West by Mendocino and Sonoma. It
is about twenty-five miles wide by seventy-five miles long. This
county has the most natural boundaries of any other one in the State.
The whole of it lies between two main branches of the Coast Range.
The mountains Jo the West are a continuation of the Mavacamas:
224 LAKE COUNTY.
those on the East are locally known as the Bear Mountains. Both
these ranges are formed of narrow ridges of broken mountains, and
present some of the most magnificent scenery. From the beauty
and grandeur of the scenery, this county has justly been named the
Switzerland of America. The culminating point to the South is Mt
St. Helena; to the North, Mt. St. John, near four thousand feet high;
but near the upper end of Clear Lake rises Mt. Ripley, which, next
to Mt. St. Helena, is the highest peak in the range. Bounded on
all sides by mountains, the arable land of the county is in the valleys
between these ranges. Lying about the center of the county is Clear
Lake — one of the most beautiful of mountain lakes. It derives its
name from the clearness of its waters. It is about twenty-five miles
long, with an average width of seven miles, and divided into the
Upper and Lower Lakes by the peak called Uncle Sam, situated on
the Southern side of the lake, and about equidistant from the Northern
and Southern extremities. Rising abrubtly to a hight of nearly two
thousand six hundred feet above the lake, and extending one of its
arms therein, forms "The Narrows" — one and a half miles in width
and some two miles long, and connecting the Upper and Lower
Lakes, the whole composing Clear Lake. This body of water is
much the shape of an old-fashioned silk purse — the well-filled ex-
tremities forming, or representing, the Upper and Lower Lakes, tke
ring in the center "The Narrows." The water is cool, clear as
crystal and pleasant to the taste, generally placid, varying in depth
from eighteen to one hundred and twenty feet. Pike, blackfish.
pearch, trout, suckers, silver-sides and many other varieties of the
finny tribe abound in both lakes. The water fowls are only plenty
during the winter season.
Clear Lake is estimated to have an elevation of about i , 500 feet
above the sea level. It is sixty-five miles from Suisun Bay, and
thirty-six from the Pacific Ocean.
Northwest of Uncle Sam Mountain, rising gradually from the lake
and tending to the upper end of the main valley, is a fertile tract
known as Big Valley. In this valley are situated Kelseyville and
Lakeport. It is crossed by several small streams, the largest of which
is Kelsey Creek. North of Lakeport, and separated from Big Valley
by a low range of hills, is Scott Valley. Extending around to the
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
7 O
northern part of the lake to the little town of Upper Lake is a small
area of arable land lying between the lake and the mountains. On
the eastern side of the lake the mountains extend down close to the
water, so that there is but little arable land. A great many streams
tlow down into the lake, and there is to most of these small bottoms
of fine rich land.
The Blue Lakes, covering an area of about four square miles, arc
situated about live miles northwest of Clear Lake, and twelve from
Lakeport on the road to Ukiah. During the wet seasons they are
connected with Clear Lake. The water is a beautiful sea blue and
of a wonderful depth. They are surrounded by high rugged moun-
tains, which are covered with large pine and fir trees, whose silvery-
tinged tons are rocked ''high in the ethereal air" by the gentle motion
of the mountain breeze. The eastern shore is sheltered by very
high mountains even to the water's edge, while on the western side
there are pretty little nooks with cottages presenting a beautiful view
from the grade, which is several hundred feet above the level of the
lake. These lakes, according to Indian tradition, have in their
waters a huge monster resembling a half fish and half horse, to which
they are pleased to give the euphoneous appellation of Devil Fish.
Different reports as to size of this monster van- the length from ten
to twenty feet. Us presence in the lake, according to Indian history,
is some hundred vears. The monster is held in great dread bv the
Indians. It is said to make its appearance on the surface of the
water only once in ten years. It is asserted that his presence is fol-
lowed by great calamities befalling the Indians. This monster, or
Devil Fish, was seen by the Indians in March, 1872; hence large
gatherings of all the tribes, congregating in Big Valley, on the shore
of Clear Lake, to indulge in a grand pow-wow and making peace-
offerings to the Croat Spirit, to appease his anger and avert the
pending evils hanging over their wigwams. The hotel erected on
the margin of these lakes is quite a paying institution in the summer
season .
At the southern extremity of Clear Lake is the town of Lower
Lake, and the surrounding agricultural country. A short distance
east of the narrow arm of Clear Lake, and separated from it by a
low ridge, is Borax Lake. This is a beautiful sheet of water.
IS
226' LAKE COUNTY.
surface smooth and bright as burnished silver, covering from two to
four hundred acres, according to the season of the year. The moun-
tains through Lake and Napa counties are of metamorphic cretaceous
formation, but around Clear Lake there is unmistakable evidence of
volcanic action. The hills around Borax Lake are of volcanic mate-
rials heaped loosely together, and consist in great part of scorise,
obsidian, and pumice stone. The appearance of the land indicates
that this lake at one time extended much farther to the southeast.
The land for nearly a mile to the southeast is raised but a very little
above the level of the lake, and wells sunk in it fill with water similar
to that of the lake, and rise and fall similarly. The waters of the
lake contain in solution a large per cent, of borax, carbonate of soda,
and chloride of sodium.
The land lying about the lake was located by the California Borax
Company, and was first worked by W. S. Jacks, of Napa City, foj
t his company in 1864. The manufacture of borax in large quanti-
ties was carried on till, in 1869, a disagreement among the members
of the company occurred, and work was stopped.
Dr. |. A. Veatch in 1859 discovered the Lake and detected the
presence of borax, but it was not till some time afterwards that the
existence of large beds of crystals of this valuable material was dis-
covered. On the bottom of the lake is a jelly-like bed of black
mud, some three feet thick. This mud contains large quantities of
the crystals of biborate of soda. Underlying this bed of mud is
a layer of blue clay, also containing large quantities of these crys-
tals. It has been ascertained by experiments that the mud and clay
as far down as tested, about sixty feet, are highly charged with this
material. There is another smaller lake, Little Borax Lake, situa-
ted a short distance Southwest of Clear Lake, just at the foot of
Uncle Sam mountain. There are numerous Springs and small
ponds lying in other parts of the county, also highly charged with
borax.
The Sulphur Banks is another feature of great interest, as show-
ing not only the geological formation of this county, but its com-
mercial value. It lies about a mile beyond the ridge bordering
Borax Lake, and near a small arm of Clear Lake. The Banks
cover an area of near 40,000 square yards, and from beneath them
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 227
appear to flow the hot borate springs found near by. It consists cf
decomposed volcanic rock splintered and fissured in innumerable
places. Through these fissures gas and steam are constantly issuing.
1
All over this mass large quantities of sulphur have been deposited,
and solfatara is still going on. At a little distance this mass looks
like solid sulphur. On being refined it yields about eighty per cent,
of pure brilliant sulphur. Near the Sulphur Banks on the edge of
the Lake is a hot borate spring which is estimated by Dr. Veatch to
yield three hundred gallons per minute, and the waters of which
percolate through the sands over an area of 75 by 150 feet. The
flow of the water, however, seems to vary according to the season.
The waters of this Spring are of such a remarkable character that
we here subjoin an analysis of them made by Mr. Moore :
Grains in one gallon.
Chloride of potassium, trace.
Chloride of sodium, 84.62
Iodide of magnesium, 09
Bromide of magnesium, trace.
Bicarbonate of soda, 76.96
Bicarbonate of ammonia, 107.76
Biborate of soda, 103.29
Sulphate of lime, trace.
Alumina, 1.26
Carbonic acid (free) 36.37
Silicic acid, 8.23
Matters volatile at a red heat, 65.77
484.35
Prof. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist, makes the following re-
marks on this spring :
••In this tabic the constituents are necessarily calculated as anhv-
drous salts ; the biborate of soda, however, contains about 47 per
cent, of water when crystallized, and the 103.29 grains given above
correspond to 195.35 of crystallized borax. The most extraordinary
feature in the above analysis is the very large amount of ammoniacal
salts shown to be present in this water, in this respect exceeding any
natural spring water which has ever been anal} zed. Mr. Moore
thinks that, as in the case of the boracic acid waters <>i Tuscany, this
228 LAKE COUNTY.
ammoniacal salt ma} - be separated and made available for economi-
cal purposes. This locality is worthy of a most careful examination
to ascertain how considerable a flow of water can be depended on.''
One of the most wonderful features connected with the Sulphur
Banks is a large spring, boiling and bubbling up as a might}' caul-
dron, but which, though in the immediate vicinity of the Banks and
the hot borate springs, is almost cold as ice. This spring was
opened or discovered in 1871 in the following manner: One of the
men was digging sulphur just above it, when suddenly the earth
gave way under his feet, and he fell in up to his arm-pits, and hav-
ing his arms extended was all that saved the poor fellow from going
down in this bottomless well or cave beneath. This commotion of
the water, this rolling and boiling, is always the same — the bulk of
the water never increasing or diminishing. The gas from it is so
strong as to almost take the breath. In fact, when it was first
opened birds Hying over it would drop dead. Hares, rabbits, and
many animals were killed here by approaching too near and inhalirjg
this gas.
Petroleum has been found in large quantities in several parts of
Lake count}', but nothing of a commercial value has been discov-
ered.
Between the Clear Lake valley and Xapa county lie Coyote and
Loconoma Valleys. These are small valleys mostly used for pas-
ture lands. Guenoc is the only town in Coyote, and Middletown the
only one in Loconoma. There are various mineral springs through-
out the county, which are becoming celebrated for their medicinal
virtues. A notice of these will be found elsewhere in this volume.
Cobb Valley, one of the most beautiful vallevs in the countv, lies
on the road between Kelseyville and Calistoga. Cobb Muontain.
nearly of equal altitude with Mt. St. Helena, lies west of this valley,
and Pine Mountain, and the cinnabar region to the east.
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 22
29
CHAPTER II.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The first white settlers 'in Take county were Kelsey and Stone
who. in the year 1847, drove a large band of stock into what they
christened "Big Valley." Ranching their stock in this valley seems
to have been their only intention, as they made no efforts at culti-
vation of the soil, nor did they erect any buildings. Their inter-
course with the Indians — the Mayacamas tribe — seems to have been
friendly until December. 1849, at which time they (Kelsey and
Stone) were murdered by the natives near the present site of Kelsey -
ville.
In 1K51 a -party of I. S. troops under command of Capt. Lyon,
consisting of infantry and cavalry, and having two pieces of ordnance,
arrived at the outlet <>f Clear Lake — Cache Creek. Finding no In-
dians in the Lower Lake country, the infantry and ordnance were
sent by boats to the Upper Lake, the cavalry going by land around
2^o . LAKE COUNTY.
o
the west margin of Clear Lake. A junction was made on the north
shore of the Upper Lake, near which the Indians had assembled in a
strong natural position, from which they deemed it impossible thev
could be dislodged. The cannon was brought into use, loaded with
grape and cannister, and at the first discharge produced the utmost
dismay among the Indians. Resistance was forgotten, flight seemed
their only safety, and they ''stood not on the order of their goimr "
The cayalry followed and cut down all alike. About two hundred
were slain, without the loss of even one white man. In 1852 Capt.
Kstell arrived in the Lake country with the "peace and treaty mis-
sion," and succeeded in making a treaty that has not to this day been
broken. After the expedition of 1851, under Capt. Lyon, many
persons yisited the country, some on hunting tours, some prospecting
and some hunting homes. Among the latter were C. N. Copsev
and L. W. Purkerson, in the Summer of 1851. In 1853 these two
men returned, and on the 12th day of February commenced building
a house near the head of Cache Creek— the only outlet of Clear
Lake — which building still stands, being now near the town of Lower
Lake, and the first erected in Lake county. During the same year
Jeff Warden settled on Scott Creek, in what is now called Scott's
Valley.
In April, 1854, a party of emigrants arrived in Big Valley and
settled along the lake shore. In this company were Martin Ham-
mack and family, Brice Hammack and wife, Woods Crawford and
wife, John T. Shinn, J. B. and W. S. Cook. Of these were the
first white women in the county. The following Summer came W.
B. Elliott and family, Ben Duell and family, and others, who settled
on the northwest of the Upper Lake, near the present town of Dan-
ville. Here was erected the first grist mill in the county.
In 1853 Capt. Steele and R. H. Sterling commenced the erection
of what is now known as the Rock House in Coyote Valley. In
June, 1854, they moved into the house and occupied it till 1856.
At the time Airs. Sterling came on the ranch to live, there were but
two or three other ladies living in what are at present the bounds of
Lake county, and she would be for several weeks, sometimes, without
seeing the face of a white woman, except when she went to Napa
Vallev.
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 231
The first school in the county was opened by Mrs. Parmley, in
1855. The first public school was opened two years after by Mr.
Walter Revis, near where the present fine, large public school house
at Lakeport now stands.
In 1857 the population of the country now known as Lake, but
then a portion of Xapa, had increased to some two hundred. The
nearest officer was the magistrate at St. Helena, distant some sixty
miles. This year a new township, that of Clear Lake, was created,
and Woods Crawford was elected Justice of the Peace, and John T.
Shinn as Constable. On the 21st of May, 1861, the countv of Lake
was created by Act of the Legislature. The first election held after
the organization of Lake county resulted in the election of W. W.
Pendegast, Joint Senator; John C. Crigler, Member of Assembly;
O. A. Munn, County Judge; W. R. Mathews, County Clerk; W. H.
Manlove, Sheriff; W. A. Marshall, District Attorney. [Marshall
never qualified for the office, and Woods Crawford filled the position.
The records of Lake county were all destroyed on the night of Feb-
ruary 16, 1867, when the Court House at Lakeport was burned.
For this reason no election returns previous to that date can be given.
However, at the first election Lakeport was chosen as county seat,
and two years later, in pursuance of an Act of the Legislature, an
'.lection was held to re-decide the same question, Lakeport and
Lower Lake being the contestants, when, as before, Lakeport was
successful. Below is given election returns from 1867 to 1872 in-
clusive :
THE ELECTION OF I 867.
Sheriff — W. H. Manlove*, 412; Isaac Alterf, 307. Co. Clerk —
S. Bynum*, 520; X. Cushmanf, 222. District Attorney — S. K.
Welch*, 508; L. D. Winchester!", 234. Treasurer — W. S. Cook".
519; J. G. Manningf, 58. Assessor — H. II. Nunnally*, 463; W.
H. Goldsmithf, 266. Co. Surveyor — J. N. Chapman*, 438; L. W.
Musicf, 277. '•- Democrats — f Republicans.
At the Presidential election of 1868, Seymour received 452 and
< irant 248 votes.
The election of September, 1869, was as follows : .Member of As-
sembly— J. C. Crigler. I).. 408; J. F. Pond. R., 68. Sheriff— I'.
232 LAKE COUNTY.
B. Burger, D., 411. Co. Clerk — S. Bynum, D., 432. Treasurer —
W. S. Cook, D., 429. Assessor — H. H. Nunnally, D., 336; W. H.
Goldsmith, R., 26; R. Kennedy, R., 91. Sup't. Public Schools—
M. Mathews, D., 240; H. W. Turner, R., 135. Co. Surveyor —
Geo. Tucker, D., 418. Coroner — W. R. Mathews, D., 24c; Geo.
Bucknell, R.. 123. Public Administrator — Joel Jenkins, D., 394.
County Site — Lower Lake, 375; Lakeport, 368.
The result of the general election in September, 1S71, was as
follows : Sheriff— T. B. Burger, D., 502; A. B. Ritchie, R., 285.
Co. Clerk — S. Bynum, D., 788. District Attorney — Woods Craw-
ford, D., 447: W. I). Morton, R., 289. Treasurer — J. W.Everett,
1.).. 403, W. S. Cook, Ind't. D., 372. Assessor — Hiram Allen, D.,
771. Sup't. Public Schools — Mack Mathews, D., 758. Co. Sur-
veyor — Geo. Tucker, D., 785. Public Administrator — J. O'Shea,
D.j 455. Coroner — H. H. Sull, D., 479.
At the Presidential election, 1872, the vote was : Greeley, 355;
Grant, 202. For Congress— J. K. Luttrell, D., 456; J. M. Cogh-
lan, R., 142.
It will be recollected that in 1869 the choice of county seat was in
favor of Lower Lake, that place having a majority of seven votes.
This election was contested on the ground that fraud was practiced
at Lower Lake. While in the Courts, and before a decision was
had. by Act of the Legislature an election was held May 2d, 1870,
to determine this question. The result was : For Lakeport, 479;
Lower Lake, 404 votes. This result once more brought the county
seat to Lakeport. In the latter part of May. 1870, the removal was
made.
On account of the uncertainty of the "county town," no public
buildings had been erected, and the consequence was that the Bap-
tist Church was now used as a Court- room. New public buildings
were at once, however, put in process of erection, and in the Fall
of 1 87 1 a neat, roomy, substantial brick Court House and Jail were
completed. This building contains offices for all the county officials,
besides a good Court-room, well furnished. The public square,
upon which the Court House and County Jail stand, is now being
enclosed and ornamented, and will compare favorably with the im-
provements of many older and wealthier counties.
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 233
During 1864 the "Bensley Water Company," sometimes called
•'Clear Lake Water Works," whose ostensible aim was, and is, to
convev water from Clear Lake to the city of San Francisco, com-
menced building a dam across Cache Creek, near the lake. This
dam, constructed for the purpose of obtaining motive power for their
extensive mills, being on the only outlet to the Lake, caused the
waters thereof to rise about thirteen feet above the medium flight.
Thousands of acres of naturally dry land, and of great fertility, was
thereby overflowed and rendered worthless to the owners. Many
suits for damages were instituted against "the Company." but some
were compromised, some dropped, and none prosecuted to judg-
ment. On the 14th of October, 1868, some three hundred armed
men arrived at the works of the Company, tore out the dam, removed
the machinery from the mills, and — the buildings were that night
destrovcd by tire. The "Bensley Water Company"' instituted suit
against the count}' of Lake to recover $200,000. After mam- delays
the suit was set for the May (1873) term °f tne District Court in Yolo
countv .
234 LAKE COUNTY,
CHA1TKR III
SOURCES OF WEALTH.
Lake has several important sources of wealth. In the Southwest
portion are several quicksilver mines that prospect well, and will
doubtless prove of great importance. Several mines have at differ-
ent times been located in the count}, and some of them are now
being developed. One of the most important of these mines is the
American, situated on Pine Mountain about seven miles Southwest
of Middletown. It was discovered by John McFarland, of St.
Helena, but was not worked till in 1871. when it fell into the hands
of Messrs. Lawley, Lamdin, Perchbaker, and others. The St.
Louis Mine is situated a short distance Northeast of the American.
As early as 1861, considerable interest was manifested in quicksilver
mining in this county. Companies were formed and much work
done. The "Cincinnati,"' Dead Broke,'" "Pittsburg,"* "Pioneer,**
and " Denver " were some of the claims located about this time, all
Lying near Pine Mountain. On the road from Lower Lake to Sui-
SOURCES OF WEALTH. 2 y^
sun, about eighteen miles from the former place, is situated the
" Lake Mine," and a few miles further down the "Excelsior
Mine." These mines were worked as early as 1863. Although the
mines in the county have been known and some of them worked
so many years, yet no adequate works have been erected, so as to
develop any of them. Judging from the prospects so far as made,
it is thought that Lake is destined to be one of the foremost quick-
silver producing counties in the State. Silver and gold bearing
quartz have been found in several parts of the county, but nothing
of value has vet been discovered.
J
The only minerals that so far have been obtained in sufficient
quantities to become remunerative are borax and sulphur. The Cal-
ifornia Borax Company during the time they had their works in op-
eration shipped large quantities of borax. The demand for the
borax is very great, and it is to be hoped the Company will soon re-
sume operations. The}' now have probably 8200.000 worth of
machinery lying idle, rusting away and becoming worthless. And
this not because there is any doubt of the remunerative character of
the business, but because of a disagreement among the members of
the Company. Dr. Ayres is doing a successful business refining and
shipping borax from Little Borax Lake. At the Sulphur Banks ex-
tensive works are erected for refining the crude sulphur, and are pro-
ducing about fifteen hundred tons of pure sulphur annually.
Although there is a large area of line arable land in the county.
vet the distance from market has prevented much attention being-
devoted to agriculture. Grain is grown to supply the demand of the
inhabitants and to feed to stock, but for no other purpose.
No accurate agricultural reports are accessible, it is probable they
have never been regularly made.
The first farming was commenced in 1854. In 1S66 the num-
ber of acres of land enclosed was 46,963.
In 1866 the number of acres of land under cultivation was
1 > . Q AQ • • • • • > • • ' •
• 187O
" 1S72 enclosed
4.500
• 5> l6 °
8,730
. I 2, coo
90,614
236 LAKE COUNTY.
The small grains predominate, and an average yield of thirty
bushels per acre is in general received. Indian corn is cultivated
largely in the Northwest portion of the count}'.
Stock raising is the chief source of natural wealth outside of the
mines. The hills are devoted to stock, and so much of the val-
leys as are not used for the production of grain, etc.. to supply do-
mestic demands, is used for the same purpose. Around the lake
are some of the finest dairies any where to be found. Butter and
cheese are produced and shipped in large quantities. The rich land
bordering the lake seems especially adapted to grazing. Clear Lake
cheese is recognized in the markets as the finest that can be found.
Viniculture and fruit growing, on account of high rates of trans-
portation, has been confined to domestic demands. The soil and
climate are proven, however, especially adapted to these branches of
farming, and now that railroad connection is drawing the county
nearer the great marts of the State, vineyards and fruit orchards be-
gin to clothe the hill sides that heretofore have produced naught but
a poor quality of grass. The quality of the grapes and fruits are ex-
tolled by all acquainted with them. The vineyards of Lake are ex-
pected to render fertile many hills that have long "lain beneath the
curse of God, and naught produced."
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES.
37
VIEW OF HARBIN" SPRINGS.
CHAPTER IV.
TOWNS AN' I) WATKKINO PLACES.
The mountains of Lake county arc prolific of mineral springs.
At several of these, hotels and cottages have been erected for the ac-
commodation of visitors. The most prominent of these are, Bart-
lett's, Adam's, Caldwell's, and Sigler's. It is claimed that ten thou-
sand persons visited these different resorts last Summer, (1872), and
hat as many as live hundred remained during the Winter. Won-
derful cures have been effected, and as the report of a county of-
ficial to a State officer remarks, "These springs are death on rheu-
matism."' The proprietors of these different resorts claim to have
effected cures at their springs for all diseases except those of a pul-
monary nature. Their fame has gone out far and wide. Each sec-
son increases the number that come, and those who go away rejoic-
ing. Good roads to all these resorts connect with the railroads at
Calistogaand at Clovcrdale.
238 LAKE COUNTY.
LAKEPORT.
Lakeport, the county seat of Lake county, is situated on the Western
• shore of Clear Lake, and in Big Valley. Distant from Calistoga,
forty miles; from Lower Lake, twenty-five miles: from Cloverdale
and Ukiah, twenty-five miles each. Its first name was Forbestown,
from the fact that Mr. Forbes, who still resides here, had bought
the tract of land on which the town was built, of Mr. YVm. S. Cook,
who had purchased it of the United States in 1858. Mr. Forbes
built a dwelling house and a blacksmith and wagon shop. As early
as 1855. there was a store established about one-fourth of a mile
below the present town, by Mr. Smith, now a merchant of Kelsey-
ville, eight miles below. The county buildings add much to the
place. Besides the splendid Court House, on a beautiful knoll is
situated a fine Public School House, which is a credit to the dis-
trict. The upper story is used by the Odd Fellows and Good Tem-
plars as a Lodge Room. The population is about three hundred.
There are six stores, two saloons, two hotels, one liver)' stable, two
blacksmith and wagon shops, one gun shop, one jeweller, three
churches, Lodges of the Masonic, Odd Fellow and Good Templar
societies, and one public school building. During the past year
there were erected in Lakeport eight dwelling houses, two stores and
one saloon building, and one grist mill. The business of the town
is steadily increasing, and real estate continually advancing in price.
The Lakeport mills have now in operation one of the finest and most
complete establishments North of San Francisco. This establish-
ment, with the planing and moulding machines attached, is a well
supplied long-felt want. A daily mail is in connection with Clover-
dale, also express over same line, and tri-weeklv with Calistoga and
Ukiah.
LOWER LAKE.
Lower Lake is a beautiful village near five miles from Clear Lake
at its Southern extremity. The population is about two hundred.
There are here four stores, two saloons, one hotel, two livery stables,
blacksmith and other mechanical shops. The office of the Superin-
tendent of the Bensley Water Company was long situated here, and
that officer still remains, but except in attending to the landed inter-
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 239
ests of the Company, his occupation, like that of Othello's, seems
gone. Near this place still stands the first house built in Lake coun-
ty, Sfivins: Lower Lake clear title to the claim of the first town in the
county. The Masons, Odd Fellows, and Good Templars have each
an organization. A substantial Public School building serves also as
a church.
Lower Lake is thirty miles from Calistoga, and is connected with
it bv a tri-weekly stage line, which connects here with stages for
Lakeport. Adams and Sigler Springs, Cobb Valley, and Bartlctt
Springs.
MIDDLETOWX.
This is a small town situated in Loconoma Valley, sixteen miles
from Calistoga and about the same from Lower Lake. It gets its
importance from the travel passing through to the various springs.
Besides the usual number of stores, shops, etc., there is a neat
school house, a lodge of Odd Fellows, and one of Good Templar^
GVEXOC.
This is a small town on the main road to Lower Lake. It is sit-
uated in Coyote Valley, and is surrounded by a fine grazing and ag-
ricultural country .
BARTLETT SPR1XGS.
The repute of this place has become, during the last few years,
wonderful. Such almost miraculous cures have been effected that
the halt and lame, the wearied clerk from the counting-room and the
mere pleasure and sight-seeker, have Hocked here by the thousands.
Thev are situated east of Clear Lake, about twenty-five miles from
Lower Lake. They were first discovered by Mr. Bartlctt, the present
owner, in 1868. He was then a resident of Cobb Valley, and was
much afflicted with the rheumatism, so much so that one of his i
had become quite emaciated. In 1870 he went out to these Springs
for the purpose of seeking relief in hunting. The water, of which
he drank frcclv, caused him at first to become swollen and to lose
ihe use of his limbs more than before: but this soon wore off and he
•\ipidlv recovered from his ailment.
2.}o LAKE COUNTY.
A correspondent of the Napa Reporter, who visited these Springs m
the Fall of 1872, thus speaks of them :
"A '49 miner would suppose, should he suddenly come in sight
of this place from the top of some of the high peaks surrounding it,
that some lucky miner had made a rich strike, and that a mining-
camp had sprung up here. Even after arrival. in the camp, it re-
minds one forcibly of early days in the mining camps of California.
The cabins are built with posts set in the ground three feet apart and
sided up with shakes or driven rods, and are from 14 to 16 feet
square, most of them having nature for their floors. Of these there
are about 40 and can be rented for $2 per week where they have no
floors. A few have rough floors laid in them and they rent for $2 50
per week. The livery and feed stables are about the best looking
buildings in the camp, and our horses were well cared for on yen-
reasonable terms. There are almost ice cold springs in the cam}),
one of which furnishes the finest soda water we think we ever drank,
and the other is the one which Mr. Bartlett used and which has cured
so many persons almost miraculously. The basin, which is cleaned
out and walled up, is, we judge, about three feet long, two feet wide
and probably two and a quarter feet deep. The water in it is about
two feet deep, and although there is a continual run of persons from
early morning till late at night earning the water away in buckets,
jugs, demijohns and other vessels, yet the volume of water is never
diminished in the least, that we could see. and it certainly is the
most pleasant mineral water we ever drank in our lives. Only a
partial analysis of the water has been made. It is known to contain
sulphur, carbon, magnesia, manganese, potassium and calcium. —
There are other springs in the vicinity. About \h miles Westerly is
one called the Soap Spring. It is about twenty-five feet long, twelve
feet wide and six feet dee}), with a natural wall of boulders on all
sides of it, forming a splendid plunge or swimming bath. Its waters
are known to contain borax, soda, salt and sulphur. The tempera-
ture is very pleasant for bathing. It is tepid. A few feet from it is
another fine spring containing iron, soda and salt; temperature 85 .
Very near to this is a very cold spring of splendid water. One and
a quarter miles in a Northerly direction from the Bartlett is a very
singular spring known as the Gas Spring. The strong gas issuinir
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 241
from it is the same as met with at the Sulphur Banks. No water
flows from it, and the quantity of water never increases or diminishes,
but is continually in motion, as if it were boiling. The sound, as of
escaping steam, may be heard for a considerable distance from the
spring. The water is intensely cold. This spring is noted for the
curing of corns."
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY.
The same writer thus speaks of the road from Bartlett Springs to
Upper Lake, on the way to Lakeport :
"The country through which we pass is unsurpassable beautiful.
The road is in good order and runs for the greater part through finely
timbered country composed mostly of tall, straight pine trees, many
of them 80 to 100 feet without knot or limb, and straight as an arrow-
Mountain quail may be seen at almost every turn, and the large.
handsome, graceful grey squirrel may be seen springing from limb
to limb on these tall pines, and occasionally the fleet-footed deer is
seen gracefully bounding over the hills. The picture is ever changing
along this beautiful road. Here a beautiful, smooth, symmetrical
hill, covered with tall stately pines or noble oaks with their wide-
spreading branches, affording shade for the herds of cattle and sheep
which roam over these hills, making the landscape all the more
cheerful. On the other hand we behold bold, precipitous rocky
peaks, giving wild romantic beauty. Anil again, we have presented
to our view high cone-shaped hills or peaks covered with immense
boulders, and in one or two instances we noticed a hill or [teak of
this kind on the very top of which was a large boulder surmounted
by a beautiful green tree. Taken altogether, the scenery between
Bartlett Springs and the upper end of Clear Take is grand and pic-
turesque in the extreme, and well repays the tourist a visit. Prom
the mountains we came down into a very fertile little valley known
as Clover Valley, through which we pass into the head of Lake Val-
ley, where we find as rich land as can be found in California, with
large corn and grain fields, while cheerful looking farm-houses gre I
us on every hand. Tall, straight oak trees may be seen from 30 t<>
40 feet without limb or knot. We noticed large farms <>r ranches
[G
242 LAKE COUNTY.
which had been fenced with rails made from this kind of timber,
something not very common in California."
HARBIN SPRINGS.
This is fast becoming one of the most pleasant and best patron-
ized watering places on the coast. It is located about four miles
from Middletown, and is well provided with all the conveniences
for making guests comfortable. Not only are there suitable hote\
accommodations, but also a plat of ground set apart and always kept
clean for the use of those who prefer coming in their own wagons
and camping out. The waters of the springs were used by the In-
dians long before the settlement of the country by whites, on ac-
count of the cures effected. The springs were discovered in 1852
by Messrs. Ritchie and Harbin. The land belonged to the United
States at this time, and was entered by them. Some two or three
years after the discovery of the springs they built a small house near
them which was occupied by Mr. Harbin as a dwelling-house ; he
soon after bought Mr. Ritchie's interest, and in 1S60 built a new
house with live bath rooms in the lower part immediately over the
springs used by the Indians for bathing. The building has since
been removed and fitted up as a lodging house. In 1866 Messrs.
Hughs cv. Williams purchased this property from Mr. Harbin for the
sum of 83.000. Some years afterwards Mr. Williams bought the
interest of Mr. Hughs. Since this time he has built several cosy
little cottages and a commodious hotel capable of accommodating
about one hundred and thirty persons comfortably. There are quite
a number of springs of different temperatures, but most of them
highly impregnated with iron, magnesia, and sulphur. The waters
are much liked for drinking, and afford delightful baths. The cli-
mate about these springs is mild and pleasant. The thermometer
rarely ever, even on the warmest days rises above ioo°, and gener-
ally stands much lower. The evenings are always cool and refresh-
ing. Last Summer, (1872), 1000 people visited this retreat.
ADAMS SPRING.
This spring is situated about four miles from Cobb Valley, and
connected with it by a good road. There are rude accommodations
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 2+3
erected, like those at Bartlett Springs for the use of visitors. The
water, on first tasting, has a strong odor and taste of coal oil, though
after a little use most persons become quite fond of it. There is
only one spring here, but it furnishes a large quantity of water.
The spring has been known for a few years only, but has now be-
come a favorite resort, especially for those afflicted with the rheuma-
tism. An analysis of the water shows that there is a large proportion
of the carbonates of magnesia, lime, soda, and iron, also a consid-
erable percentage of chloride of sodium and silica, besides traces of
salt of potash and nitric acid. It contains a large amount of pure
carbonic acid gas. Mr. Adams, the discoverer, sold the property in
the Fall of 1872 to two of the Whitton brothers of Yountville, Napa
county. These gentlemen have erected additional accommodations
and expect a large travel to this place.
SIGLER SPRINGS.
One of the oldest and most well tried of the many Springs in the
lake region is Sigler Springs. These are situated about six miles
Westerly from Lower Lake. The waters are highly recommended
for their medicinal virtues, the surroundings for their beauty, and the
climate for its salubrity. Good accommodations are here furnished
for tourists.
CALDWELL SPRINGS.
These Springs are situated about eight miles from Lakeport, near
the road towards Cloverdale. There are fifty or more of these
Springs which burst from the banks of Limestone Creek. An analy-
sis shows them to be impregnated with sulphate of magnesia, car-
bonate of magnesia, muriate sodium, carbonate manganese, potas-
sium, silica and calcium, containing a trace of sulphur, and highly
charged with carbonic acid gas. These Springs have been known for
several years as a neighborhood resort for invalids afflicted with various
chronic diseases, and many remarkable cures have been effected.
No improvements or accommodations for the public had been made
until they were purchased last Summer by Dr. Caldwell. The baths
are very invigorating, the water from some of the springs being warm
enough for a pleasant bath, just as it flows from the springs. Visitors
244 LAKE COUNTY.
can choose the waters that best suit individual cases, or as their feel-
ings may indicate. The situation is a very pretty one, and the hills
and mountains surrounding are very romantic and picturesque.- —
Small game is quite abundant, and occasionally deer may be found
in the hills, and the fishing in the neighborhood is fine. These
Springs may be reached daily from Cloverdale, Sonoma county, by
stage, or from Kelseyville, Lake county. It may be remarked that
an old bath tub at these Springs which has been in use for about ten
vears, is almost entirely petrified ; the sides and bottom have become
beautiful hard stone, having the appearance of quartz.
SODA BAY.
Soda Bay is situated at the base of Uncle Sam Mountain. It con-
sists of a considerable area covered by shallow water of the lake,
Over which bubble up great numbers of springs of the finest soda
water. These Soda Springs are found both on the land and in the
waters of the lake, and render this a delightful retreat. The bathing
in this Soda Bav is line and exhilerating. For sublimity and beautv
of natural scenery it completely satisfies the beholder that he need
look no farther to gratify his taste and imagination to the full. Nature
seems here to have done her utmost to produce a scene combining
all the elements of grandeur and beauty. A Bungalow cottage, sur-
rounded with broad verandas, embowered in the shade of wide-
spreading live oaks and rich-colored madronas, with their tropical
verdure, rests on a gentle slope at the foot of a lofty mountain. In
front is the silver-surfaced lake, with its many peninsulas and islands
covered with green foliage. On the opposite shore the smooth
brown sandstone mountain cones rise up in fanciful shapes, and be-
vond them are lofty mountains covered with an evergreen verdure.
Taken as a whole, it is a scene of beautv and enchantment.
COBB VALLEY.
As a pleasant place to enjoy the bracing mountain breeze, cool
fresh water, and the best of facilities for hunting and fishing, there
are few places of more importance than Cobb Valley. The eleva-
tion of this little valley is about 2, 500 feet, and, twenty-eight miles
from Calistoga, is surrounded on all sides by tall pine-clad moun-
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 245
tains. A hotel and cottages have been erected to accommodate
visitors. The heat never is severe and the nights are quite cool.
At least the recollections of the writer is to that effect, especially the
part about the cold nights. His memory brings up a night several
vears ago, before there was anv hotel in the vallev, when he found
himself there overtaken by the darkness (and it gets very dark there)
with nothing to eat and nothing but a saddle-blanket to keep him
warm. He attributes all of his subsequent nervous insensibility to
the severe test this night's freezing gave. From this valley it is onlv
about twelve miles over a good mountain trail to the celebrated Gey-
sers. We know of no place on the Pacific Coast where a few weeks
during the Summer could be more pleasantly spent than in this quiet
little nook, or where kinder, more accommodating, or more pleasant
people could be found with whom to stop.
IX GENERAL.
Besides the attractions of watering places, Lake county oilers tife
finest inducements to hunters and fishers. Game of all kinds
abound in the mountains, and an occasional bear is to be found.
The mountain streams are filled with trout and the Lake with various
kinds of fish. There have been mam- "large fish stories " related
about the wonderful shoals of fish that swarm up the creeks from
the Lake at certain seasons of the year, but none of them that we
have heard arc larger than the facts will warrant. In the late Win-
ter and early Spring these shoals of fish from the lake have been -
great that the whole bodv of the water seemed a living, moving
mass of fish ; and the jam among these shoals so great that stock
in crossing the creeks have been known to kill large numbers.
This is the Indian's harvest season. They c >ngregate on the banks
of streams, and by constructing a kind o\' net or trap catch im-
mense numbers of fish and dry them for Summer use. The per-
son who visited the sweat house mentioned in the chapter on In-
dianology at the commencement of this volume, speaks ol the
scents to which his nostrils were regaled, but hail he visited one 1
these rancherias in the fishing season, he would have thought thai
the odors of the swe.u house as compared with those here ex]
rienced, were sweet as the ottar of rose...
246 LAKE COUNTY.
The roads in Lake count)' are all good. The toll roads connect-
ing at Calistoga and running to Lower Lake, and through Cobb
Valley to Kelseyville : also the one connecting Lakeport with Clo-
verdale, are fine structures, built at great expense. There are good
roads constructed to all of the watering places, and a fine toll road
is now projected from Bartlett Springs to Colusa. From Lower
Lake a road passes down to Berryessa Valley, and from the upper
end of the valley another one passes through the mountain by way
of the Blue Lakes to Ukiah.
MORAL AND SOCIAL STATUS.
The moral status of Lake is of such character that the jail is sel-
dom used. The County Court criminal calendar will not average
over one indictment annually. The religious societies are working
hard and continually, especially so at Lakeport and Kelseyville. At
Lakeport the churches of the Methodists and Catholics are good
substantial frame buildings, neat on the exterior, roomy and com-
fortable within. The Baptist church is rather small, but otherwise a
very suitable building. This edifice is to be torn away this Sum-
mer and either enlarged or rebuilt entirely.
At Kelseyville are two churches, Methodist and Catholic, both
ornaments to the town, while that energetic young place will this
Summer try to erect a brick building for the Presbyterian denomina-
tion . At Lower Lake, at Upper Lake and throughout the county, the
public school buildings are used for Divine worship and for Sabbath
schools.
Of the benevolent societies, the Masons and I. O. O. F. have
each a Lodge building at Lower Lake, the former also a building in
Lakeport, which latter is used by both Odd Fellow and Good Tem-
plar societies also; the latter have an organization also at Kelseyville.
All of these societies are in a nourishing condition.
The educational facilities of the county are mostly confined to the
public schools. There are quite a number of schools in the county.
all well attended, and taught by able teachers.
The population of Lake county has, since its first settlement,
been steadily increasing, and now numbers about seven thousand.
The fertile valleys offer special advantages to the farmer. The hills,
FINANCIAL CONDITION. 24
71-
covered with good grass, are well adapted to stock-raising ; moun-
tains, covered with pine and fir forests, furnish lumbermen with em-
ployment: dairying proves a remunerative business; mining one of
the greatest sources of wealth; and, above all, the climate is both
healthful and pleasant. The seasons are regular, and total failures
in agricultural pursuits unknown.
FINANCIAL CONDITION".
The financial condition is sound, notwithstanding the many im-
pediments and the trouble through which it has passed. It is calcu-
lated that the final settlement of the Tax Collector for 1872 will par
all warrants drawn on the General Fund to the first of October, 1872.
The following are the tax levies since 1867 :
1868 — County, S2 75 per $100. State — $1 00 per $100.
1869, •• 2 53 •• ■• " .97 •• "
1870. •• 303 •■ ■• •• .97 •• ••
1S71, •• 2 73 " ■ ■ .86 •• ••
1872. •■ 1 09 •• •• .50 •• •■
In 1 87 1, expenses incident to building and furnishing public
buildings, and other internal permanent improvements, must explain
the heavy county lev}-.
The Assessor's roll for 1872 shows the following facts:
Number of acres reduced to possession 1 50,61 4
Valued at $871,708
Improvements on same, valued at 246,91 1
City and town lots, " • • 31, 271 >
Improvements thereon. •• 67,093
( )ther improvements, ■ " •• 4,360
Personal property 580,484
Total valuation of property of Lake count}' $1,801,826
From which the average value of land reduced to possession is
live and seventy-eight one hundreth dollars per acre.
SONOMA COUNTY.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 251
CHAPTER I.
.;:■: xeral descriptiox.
Sonoma is one of the most important and interesting counties in
the State. Lake and Mendocino lie on the North ; Lake and Napa
on the East ; Marin on the South and Southwest, and the Pacific on
the West. It is about fifty miles in length bv an average of twenty-
five in breadth. By different branches of the main Coast Range.
Sonoma is divided topographically into five sections. The valleys of
Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Russian River and the coast
country. Considerable streams How through all these valleys. So-
nomaand Petaluma creeks flow in a southeasterly direction, and empty
into San Pablo Pay. They are navigable nearly as far as tide water
extends for small crafts. In the former vessels go up to within a
distance of about three miles from the town of Sonoma : in the lat-
ter to the city of Petaluma. These creeks flow through rich agri-
cultural lands, and are of great importance in shipping. Russian
River, after entering the county at the Northern extremity above
Cloverdale, Hows in a Southerly direction till it passes the town of
llealdsburg. Here it begins to change to the Southwest, and after
passing a few miles changes to almost due West, passes through 1
2 52 SONOMA COUNTY.
gap in the Coast Mountains and empties into the ocean. The val-
ley of this river varies considerable at different places in regard to
width, but everywhere the soil is as rich as can be found anywhere.
Russian River, though a large stream, is not navigable. In the
Summer season the water gets very low in it, and the bars and shoals
prevent the passage of anything more than a light skiff or canoe, and
frequently one of these only at considerable labor. During the Win-
ter, when it is swollen by the rains, it looks as though it would float
the Great Eastern. In the Spring, after the force of the waters from
freshets is spent, a sand-bar is thrown up by the waves of the ocean
across the mouth of the river. This causes the water to rise above
the bar, and this back-water extends many miles up the main chan-
nel . Santa Rosa Creek rises in the Western slope of the Mayacamas
Mountains, flows in a Westerly course through the Guilicos Valley,
through a part of Santa Rosa Valley, and empties into the Mark
West Creek. This latter creek rises in the same mountains, but
farther to the North. It flows through a rich agricultural county
and empties into Russian River.
The Northern part of the county is mountainous. Here the highest
mountains in the whole section of country lie. This is the main
dividing ridge between Sonoma and Lake and Napa. Sulphur Peck,
near the Geysers, is the highest mountain, being 3,741 feet high.
In this range is the volcanic region known as the Geysers, [to be
elsewhere noted].
North of Cloverdale the mountains are very high and precipitous.
Russian River passes a great part of the distance from Ukiah Valley
in Mendocino to the valley around Cloverdale, through a deep
gorge in the hills. Between Russian River, Mendocino county, and
the Coast, is a series of bold, rocky mountains and deep gorges.
Along the Coast, North of the mouth of Russian River, the country
is much broken, in some places the mountains projecting into the
ocean, and in others beautiful coves being formed. In this section
there is very little land that is of any value save for pasturage. In
the Coves along the Coast small farms are found, and vegetation
grows well, but production is mostly confined to domestic necessities.
South of the mouth of Russian River extending to the Marin line
on the South, and the valleys of Santa Rosa and Petaluma on the
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 2 5 5
(r
East, the Coast country is composed mostly of a series of rollin
hills, with small intervening valleys, among which may be mentioned
Big Valley, in which the town of Bloomfield is situated, Green Val-
ley, and other minor ones. Towards the Southern boundary many
estuaries from the ocean put far out into the land. These are the
homes of great numbers of water fowls, but are too small to be of
sen-ice for navigation. Russian River, Santa Rosa and Petaluma
Valleys are all closely connected, very little elevation existing between
them. They extend in a South-southeasterly direction, and many
form the idea that the river formerly flowed down the main depres-
sion, till by some convulsion of Nature the chain of mountains to
the West was broken, and the course of the stream changed. Be-
tween the town of Bloomfield and Petaluma a marked depression
exists in the chain of hills extending down into Marin. Petaluma and
Sonoma Valleys are separated by a high range of hills. Between
Sonoma and Santa Rosa the hills are much broken. The Guilicos,
Rincon, Bennett, and some smaller valleys occur in this section, all
of them of fine soil and beautifully located.
In the Northern portion of the count}' the mountains and hills arc
covered with pine, spruce, and various other species of conifers ;
also madronas, oaks, etc. In the section of country about the Gey-
sers and across into Northern Napa and Lake counties, is found the
California nutmeg. This is a beautiful tree, but the fruit, which
bears considerable resemblance to the nutmeg of commerce, is not
esteemed of value. The hills and mountains to the Northwest are
heavily tirifbered with redwood, spruce, and other kinds of timber.
The live oak here grows to a large size. The hills not densely cov-
ered with timber afford line pasturage for large herds and flocks
Here the native wild oats are still to be found growing rank and vig-
orous over the hills. The hills South of the mouth of Russian Riv-
er, except a small belt of heavy timbered country, are rich, fertile
land, capable of being cultivated to the summits. This is one of
the finest sections for dairies in the whole county. The country ly-
ing between the foot-hills West of Santa Rosi Valley and the town
of Santa Rosa, is covered with a growth of low scrubby oak, and
the soil is in many parts quite gravelly, in others rich and fertile.
A low swale or slough, known as the Laguna, extends alone: the
254 SONOMA COUNT V.
Western side of Santa Rosa Valley and empties into Mark West
Creek. During severe Winters this Laguna spreads out and over-
flows a large portion of the surrounding country.
Another section of gravelly soil lies between the town of Wind-
sor and Healdsburg, known in the neighborhood as Poor Man's
Flat. Although it is not well adapted to the cereals it could be
made valuable for mam- other kinds of productions. ■
Bodega Bay is a small inlet in the Southwestern part of the count}-,
and is a shipping point for the productions of the surrounding country.
Tomales Bay. in Marin count}', lies only a short distance South of
Bodega Bay, and is formed between the same headlands, so that both
Bays are reached through the same entrance. The harbor inside
the heads of this Bay is poor. Water sufficiently deep for schooners
is found near the shore, and it is well protected against any but a
Southerly wind. The headland projecting down on the Westerly
side of this harbor was selected by the Russians in 1812 for a settle-
ment. They maintained the settlement here till 1841.
Knight's Valley, named after the first permanent settler in it, Mr.
Thomas Knight, is situated Southwest of St. Helena Mountain, and
the greater part of it is fine farming land.
Green Valley lies West of Santa Rosa Valley, and is drained by a
small creek, named from the valley, which empties into the Laguna.
This valley is one of the finest fruit growing sections of the county,
and the soil is fine. The apples, plums, pears, and such fruits grown
here, are not excelled anywhere ; yet, the peaches, though of large
and fine growth, have not the delicate flavor which those grown in
] »arts farther removed from the coast fogs and winds have.
The greater part of Sonoma county enjoys a most even and agree-
able climate. The Western portion, or coast country, is subject to the
strong coast winds, but the interior of the county is sheltered by the
hills so that it has a mild and pleasant climate. The whole Western
portion of the county, during the Summer and Fall, is much visited
by dense fogs, and those fogs, in a modified degree, extend over the
whole county. By their influence in moistening the soil, a failure
of crops on account of a dry season is unknown. The climate on
the hill lands, both East and West of the main valley of the county,
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 255
is comparatively free from frosts. Tender flowers have been left
exposed to the weather during a whole Winter, and received no
injury.
2 z6 SONOMA COUNTY
CHAPTER II.
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES.
The town ot ', Sonoma is the oldest one North of the Bay of San
Francisco. The name Sonoma is of Indian origin, and signifies
the Valley of the Moon. It was given to the valley of Sonoma on
account of the great natural beauties of the place and for its shape
as seen by moonlight. The name is peculiarly felicitous. This
town is situated a short distance South of the base of the mountains,
and about three miles from the place of shipment, the Embarcadero.
It is not <>ur intention to enter into a history of this county, want
of space prohibiting, but a few notes historical may not be inappro-
priate. This was established as a Mission as far back as 1820. It
was the chief pueblo of the native California population residing
North of San Francisco up to the time of the settlement of the
country by the Americans in 1846. Gen. M. G. Vallejo, acting un-
der orders from the Mexican Government, in 1835 proceeded North
of San Francisco Bay for the purpose of selecting a site for a town
or pueblo, and locating said pueblo near the base of mountains or
hills on which fortifications might be erected. On account of the
beauty of the valley, the pleasant climate and fertile soil, Vallejo se-
lected the present site of Sonoma. The establishment of the North-
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 257
ern Military Department was mainly caused by a desire to check the
Russians and prevent them from encroaching farther South on the
Mexican domain. The houses erected were built of adobe, around
a plaza, after the old Spanish style. Many of these houses were
abandoned by their owners, who had obtained grants from the Mexi-
can Government, and retired on to the same, and furnished the
main shelter for the immigrants of 1846. After the country was
taken possession of by the United States forces, Sonoma was occu-
pied for some time as a military post. Gen. Vallejo's palatial resi-
dence occupied the principal portion of the North side of the
Plaza. The buildings were in the usual Mexican style, excepting on
a large scale, the front, or main building was two stories high with
a tower of four stories in the center of the building, the West wing
of the front was not complete : in fact, the General had employed
mechanics for years in finishing up the interior of the building long
after the change of government. His brother, Don Salvador, had
also erected a very large and commodious building on the West side
of the Plaza, which has been built upon and occupied at times for
various purposes, such as hotel, Masonic Hall, and at this time used
for a wine cellar. Jacob P. Leese, the brother-in-law of General
Vallejo, erected and occupied a large adobe building at the South-
west corner, which still stands in good repair and is noted for being
the headquarters of General Persifer F. Smith : General, or at that
time Colonel Joe Hooker, Capt. Gibbs, Capt. Stone. Major Leon-
ard, Paymaster, Major Phil. Kearney, Lieut. Derby alias Squi-
bob, or John Phoenix, George W. Stoneman, Capt. Stone, after-
wards General, of Ball's Bluff notoriety, Lieut. Davidson William-
son, and a host of United States officers. Many are still living and
will long remember the happy hours they enjoyed while stationed ai
Sonoma Barracks. Many of these officers purchased lands and in-
tended to make themselves beautiful homes for life. Among those
who purchased land was General Persifer V. Smith. lie selected
1000 acres on the West side of the valley at the foot-hills, which
afterwards became the farm of Capt. Granville P. Swift, who erec
on it the line mansion now occupied by Col. Rogers. This build-
ing is of stone and cost, some $60, 000. Col. Hooker purchase! a
mile of land of Ernest Bufers, an 1 improved it by substantial en<
IT
258 SONOMA COUNTY.
sures and remained on it for some years, tilling the soil and labor-
ing with his own hands, but being a better soldier than farmer, he
did not succeed as well with the plow-share as he did in after rears
with the sword,
Sonoma was a favorite spot with the officers of the army. A great
many of them besides those here mentioned, purchased lots or
tracts of land and commenced improvements. But most had to
abandon their homes to obey the call from the War Department.
The first American officer who laised the Stars and Stripes was
Lieutenant Revere, from the sloop-of-war Portsmouth. This vessel,
commanded by Captain Montgomery, entered the harbor of Verba
Buena early in 1846. Lieutenant Revere was dispatched to take
possession of Sonoma, and arriving on the spot found the Bear Flag
waving and the town in the possession of the Independent party.
The oppressions of the Mexican authorities upon the citizens of the
United States settled and traveling in California, had become ex-
ceedingly onerous, and to remedy their grievances a company of
these citizens had united at Sonoma, and on the 15th of June, 1846,
declared the country independent and hoisted the celebrated Bear
Flag. This flag consisted of two stripes, one blue, the other white,
with the picture of a bear on the upper portion. Several members
of this paru are still living, and have been mentioned elsewhere in
this volume. Nine cannon and about two hundred and fifty stand
of small arms fell into the hands of tlie insurgents. On the fourtii
of the following July, Fremont assembled all the forces at Sonoma,
formally declared the independence of the country and was elected
Governor. William B. Ide had been elected commander of the
place by the Independent party on the hoisting of the Bear Flag.
But when Lieutenant Revere arrived he pulled down this flag and
hoisted the Stars and Stripes. He occupied the old Mexican bar-
racks at the Northeast of the Plaza. After the country passed into
the hands of the United States one Company under the command
of Captain Bracket, of the well known Stevenson's Regiment of
New York Volunteers, was stationed here.
W. B. Ide, while in command at Sonoma, appointed one John
H . Nash, Alcalde. Nash proclaimed himself Chief Justice, and so
exceeded his authority that after the establishment of the American
TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES. 259
rule Gen. Riley had him arrested. Gov. L. W. Boggs, then a mer-
chant in Sonoma, was appointed Justice or Alcalde. As an evi-
dence of the importance of the office, it is only necessary to state
that the limits of the District were Sutter's Fort on the East, the
Oregon line on the North, the Pacific on the West, and the Bay on
the South. Sonoma was the principal place of business and traffic
on the North side of the Bay. The Rancheros came here to buy
their goods. Governor Boggs, and one or two smaller dealers sup-
plied the country around with goods, groceries, etc., taking in ex-
change hides, the circulating currency of the times. They kept
small sloops or schooners plying between Sonoma and Yerba Buena,
bought and sold many thousands of dollars worth of goods. Cargoes
of flour from Chili were bought and disposed of by these country
stores, also Chinese silks and many other goods, principally calicoes
and domestics. It was not uncommon for a ranchero to kill a thou-
sand head of cattle to get the hydes to pay a bill of as many dol-
lars.
Sonoma soon became settled up by an American population, and
Governor Boggs found it necessary to survey out the Pueblo lands
in order to give the people who were settling all over the valley an
opportunity to acquire titles to their land. Accordingly, he em-
ployed Jasper O'Farrel to run off a certain quantity of small lots,
carrying out the original plan as started by General Vallejo ; and
also to survey outside of these small blocks, thirty and forty acres of
land in squares, in conformity 
