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HISTORY
El
Dorado County, California.
CHAPTER
XV.
THE ROUTES OF IMIGRANTS TO
CALIFORNIA AND HOW THEY ARRIVED..
Geographical Locations of Both Californias--California's Size and
Population--Pacific Mail and Steamship Company--Different Ways and Routes
to go to California -- Forming Companies -- Old Material to start a new
Business with -- What Emigrants took along with Them -- The First
Steamboat on the Sacramento River -- The Edward Everett Gold Mining
Company -- The Different Traveled Routes in Regard to the Difficulties --
On the Overland Roads -- On the Isthmus -- John Conness on Board the
Sylph Arrived in San Francisco by the way of Ecuador -- Number that
Arrived at San Francisco.
Peninsular or Lower California lying between the gulf
and the ocean is about one hundred and thirty miles in breadth where
joining the continent at the north, under the 32d parallel, and nearly the
same latitude with Savanah, Georgia ; thence running south eastward,
diminishing in breadth and terminating in two points, the one, Cape San
Lucas, in nearly the same latitude with Havanna, the other at Cape Palmo,
sixty miles northeast, at the entrance of the gulf.
Continental California extends along the Pacific from
the 32d parallel, where it joins the peninsula, about seven hundred miles,
to the Oregon line, nearly in the latitude of Boston. The Mexican
government considered the 42d parallel as the northern line of California,
according to a treaty with the United States in 1828. The Golden Gate, the
entrance channel to San Francisco harbor, is located under the same
latitude as the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay and the Straits of
Gibraltar.
California embraces an area of 188,981 square miles or
120,947,840 acres. This gives her the second place of al the States in the
Union ; so far as population is concerned, with her 864,686 inhabitants,
(according to the census of 1880) she takes the twenty fourth place
between the States. The magnitude of the State will be more readily
comprehended by comparing her with Great Britain. California will be found
78,235 square miles larger than the United Kingdom. Of the total
population of 864,686, there are 518,271 males, 346,415 females ; 572,006
are native Americans, 292,680 foreigners ; 767,266 are white, and 97,420
colored.
Before the discovery of gold in California, as early as
March, 1847, Congress had proposed a mail route from New York to Astoria
via the Isthmus of Panama, with semi-monthly trips on the Atlantic side
and monthly trips on the Pacific side, with San Francisco destined to be
one of the way ports, California being then quite sure to become a part of
the United States. An annual subsidy of $200,000 was offered to a
responsible party who would take the contract, but capital seemed to be
scarce, or kept back from the enterprise on account of the probably low
profit, and a full year passed away before Messrs. Howland and Aspinwall,
as the principal capitalists, in April, 1848, formed the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, taking the government's contract. They immediately went
on to construct three new steamers. The discovery of gold was not yet
known in the East, the plan for these boats was drawn as for mail and
freight transportation only, passengers not being provided for. They were
finished as cheaply as possible, in just economy with the profits that
possibly could be expected out of the speculation. These steamers were the
California, the Oregon and the Panama, and they were
to run on the Pacific side from the Isthmus to Oregon.
Just in time the news of the great discovery in
California had arrived East and began to scatter around, showing to such a
clear-headed speculator like Aspinwall that there was something, if not a
million in it, and urging upon him the necessity of changing the plan of
his three steamers, then under construction. This was immediately done,
and their completion hurried on. No sooner than one of them had been
completed and equipped was she sent out on her voyage by the way of
Magellan Straits for the Pacific ocean and San Francisco. The first to
arrive at this latter port on February 28th, was the California,
the Oregon followed on March 31st, and the Panama entered
San Francisco Harbor on June 4, 1849. Thus was opened up a new route to
the El Dorado of the Pacific coast.
Since the St. Louis newspapers, in 1840, had published
the glowing description of California, out of Dr. Marsh's pen, this
country, just far enough distant to become a field for the golden dreams
of many a romantic youth ; publications like Dana's "Two Years Before the
Mast," and the Wilke's exploring expedition, had nourished this feeling,
and some returned whaler had helped and aided in his circle with his
descriptions, that the romance did not die out. Now, then, this land
appeared again in a new dress, "covered with gold," and letters filled
with gold dust had arrived together with more inviting descriptions and
urgent invitations by friends. The romance had developed into reality and
the attraction grew to an irresistible strength, the youth talented with
romantic fancy filled the ranks of the adventurers, ready with the next
chance to start for the newly acquired American province, the new El
Dorado, where everybody could help himself to as much of the precious
metal as he pleased, without the investment of a great capital. And the
only question to be settled by these fresh made adventurers was to decide
by what route they could reach their far destination the quickest.
According to the home location, those living on or near the Atlantic ocean
found it most convenient to go by water, either all the way around Cape
Horn, or by the way of Central America, crossing the Isthmus at Panama, at
Nicaragua, or across Mexico ; while those of the Western States mostly
preferred to go the entire distance by land across the plains, where
several routes afforded the way to the Pacific coast : the Santa Fe route,
or generally called the Santa Fe train, via the Arkansas valley to the Rio
Grande, then through Sonora to the Rio Gila, and crossing the Colorado
river to enter California from the south-eastern part ; or the route
Fremont had taken, up the Platte river, through the South Pass of the
Rocky mountains, through Utah, passing by Fort Hall, following the
Humboldt and Carson rivers towards the central part of the Sierra Nevada.
Here the Carson pass leading down into El Dorado county was the most
preferred one ; another favored pass was following up the Truckee river,
crossing on the summit to Bear river ridge and tracing down the latter
river. Another route across the plains took a more northerly direction,
and passed over the Sierra Nevada by the Pitt river route, or Lassen's
Cut-off, to enter California in the northern part.
However trustful everyone was of his own success, there
were certainly few strong minded enough to set out on the expedition
alone-dependent on their own strength and good luck ; all others not in
possession of such amount of self-confidence attached themselves to a
larger body of men, or formed a company for their own protection and
satisfaction ; this being a necessity for the travel overland, it was an
attribute f the travel by sea giving an agreeable comfort. But the
dependency in this direction as well as other necessary preparations,
absorbed, with most of them, too much time to allo3w them to move on
immediately, as the season was too far advanced, thus giving better
opportunity for preparations and for making proselites for the emigration,
to start on the journey as early as spring would allow the moving. The
seaport cities as well as the frontier post of the far west, early in
1849, became the rendezvous places of thousands of people, and their
assemblage and the purpose for which them came, gave birth to many
hitherto unknown branches of industry at these places. Here all the old
horses, mules, oxen and cows, together with old wagons of every
description, were brought to these fitting-out stations and found a ready
market and sale ; the emigrants on their journey being compelled to pay
the highest prices for all things of necessity. There, old vessels, laid
up for years, and half rotten, or forgotten entirely at the moorings, were
brought to life again ; a new coppering and other most necessary repairing
was done as fast as possible, the vessel fitted up as a passenger boat and
advertised as a fast sailing vessel in best order, awaiting passengers for
California, and every one of them were filled with passengers who were
willing to risk the old crafts, being all anxious to reach the far
destination as fast as possible.
And now to say what all was going along with these
vessels, besides the passengers, one could hardly imagine anything that
these smart Yankees had forgotten. Many of the adventurers who were trying
to make fortunes on this coast had an idea that this country was lacking
of everything, and they brought with them all the necessities of life ;
all the implements, tools and machinery for starting most every trade ;
supplies were taken along to open stores of every description ; printing
presses and all the supplemental parts, to bring the blessings of the news
to the new country, whole houses, in all their parts, ready to be put up ;
one wing of Mrs. Perry's hotel at Salmon Falls, El Dorado county, came
around Cape Horn-- we could state a good many more, but this one example
may suffice ; more thoughtful people went on to invent machines for
washing fold and sold them to the adventurers, who stowed them in with the
other baggage to make use of when arriving at the El Dorado. One party,
made up as the "Ganargwa Mining Company," among other curiosities were
accompanied by a coining press, with steel dies, for the coining of five
and ten dollar gold pieces ; for what could they do with all the gold that
they expected to dig without being coined ? And even the first steamboat
ever run on the Sacramento river was imported that way by the excited
adventurer. We give the following from a Boston newspaper, published as a
"Recollection of the late Edward Everett ;" the writer of the articles
calls himself one of the party :
"In the month of December, 1848, a party of adventurers
numbering one hundred and fifty, from all the New England States, became
infected with the gold fever, which raged then extensively all over the
country, in consequence of discovering the precious metal in California.
These men formed a company and purchased a ship called the Edward Everett,
and named their company 'The Edward Everett Mining Company.' The shares
were three hundred dollars each, and no person could hold more than one
share, because the company wanted strength -- not ornamental members.
After the shares were allotted, and the ship purchased, it was suggested
that Mr. Everett should be notified of the compliment the company had paid
him, and that we should be happy if he would give us any information
respecting the country we were about to visit, and the art of mining. The
hint was acted upon, and in a few days we received a letter from Mr.
Everett, in which he stated that, with facts and documents we desired, he
had forwarded us a choice lot of books, the perusal of which he hoped we
would find interesting during our long passage to the new El Dorado. There
were about a hundred and fifty volumes embracing Prescott's, Bancroft's
Sparks' and other standard works ; besides several text books relative to
mining, some pamphlets regarding the climate, soil and geology of
California, and works that gave a very distinct account of the early
settlement of the Jesuits, and the manner in which they had extended their
influence by the aid of Missionaries and Christianity among the Indians.
"After a six months' passage we arrived in California,
moored our ship along the mud banks of Benicia and there built a steamboat
with the material which we had purchased in Boston. It was a flat-bottomed
boat, and a clumsy affair, but it was propelled by the aid of steam and
with paddle wheels, and that specimen of our work we named Edward
Everett, Jr. This steamer was the first one that ever navigated the
Sacramento river ; and it should be known in history that through the
kindness of Edward Everett, the orator and statesman, the one hundred and
fifty adventurers were proud to place his name on the sides of their rude
craft, a wonder in those days, when only sailing vessels ascended the
river."
Thus the early gold-hunters started out on their voyage
provided with everything the boldest imagination could think of ;
equipped, not as the law directed quite, but as the inclination dictated
them. The trip around Cape Horn was tiresome and absorbed much time ; but,
after all, the travelers that took their choice of this route found that
they had done the best, and in most every line of comparison the advantage
was on their side. They made a continuous progress, and after having
sailed around Cape Horn they did not need to worry themselves; they
proceeded toward their destination, where they arrived fresh and strong,
having their outfit right on hand in the hold of the same vessel. The
overland travelers starting with insufficient knowledge of their own
necessities as well as the character of the country they had to traverse,
had their wagons loaded down to the utmost with not much less of all kinds
of stuff than the former class, soon enough found themselves concerned
with difficulties, and experience was the master that taught them the
right way. Most of the emigrants were overloaded with provisions to such
an extent that it son became a burden to them and their pulling animals ;
but short, they resolved to throw the burden overboard, and as others
followed the same example, there could be found along the different
emigrant roads piled up like cord-wood, all different articles of food,
particularly hams, bacon and flour-barrels, and on more difficult points
of the roads there were wagons loaded with goods left behind, on account
of an insufficiency of pulling animals, those from the abandoned wagons
being required more necessary for the balance of the rigging. From the
Missouri river to the passes in the Rocky mountains there were but little
difficulties out of natural causes, the road leading continuously sloping
up towards the mountains ; but in crossing the mountains an amount of
difficulties were to overcome that none of them had thought before. But
the emigrants of 1849, having toiled with their wagons over unknown plains
and wild mountains across, the sand and alkali deserts, learning by
experience many devices for passing successfully the most serious
obstacles. Zigzag trails had to be cut on the too steep hillsides to
facilitate the passage of pack animals, and even of light wagons, and the
rudiments of some of them may be found to the present time, though
overgrown with lichen and ferns as well as all kinds of chaparral ;
oftentimes wagons had to be taken down by ropes, or by attaching limbs of
trees as a drag to enlarge the friction and thus break or retard the speed
or pressure.
The number of emigrants from the Western States that set
out in the spring of 1849, during the months of April, May and June, on
their travel across the plains can only be approximately estimated,
varying between 50,000 and 80,000, organized in companies numbering from
about a dozen up to several hundred, most of them men, comparatively few
women and children accompanying their husbands and fathers to the new
country. Most of the emigrants, coming by the Santa Fe route, went to the
southern mines ; those entering the territory by the Pitt river route went
to the northern part ; the Truckee river pass led down to the mines on
Bear, Yuba and neighboring rivers ; and the Carson pass brought those
hunting the El Dorado down to the American river, and being satisfied
here, they called it El Dorado. A third route to reach the El
Dorado on the Pacific coast was by the way of the Isthmus of Panama, and
the emigrants who had selected the same, without any doubt calculating on
the shortest and cheapest way, found they had made a miscalculation, and
were in the worst condition of all the emigrants ; for after being landed
at Chargres, Navy Bay, or some other harbor, together with their baggage
and eventually other outfit, they had to go across the Isthmus either
afoot or on mule's back and await the arrival of the next steamer. Thus
from 5,000 to 8,000 American emigrants were compelled to take involuntary
lodgings up to the time when their chances would turn up to move further
on, and not being accustomed to the tropical climate, malarial fever,
cholera, etc., were ravaging badly in their ranks, and only the ardent
desire to reach the land of such extravagant reports and so favorable
promises could keep the minds of most of them upright. But the few
steamers (only two were running yet on the Pacific ocean) could not give
passage to one-fourth of the people arriving every week, the price for
tickets run up immensely, and as comparatively few of the emigrants had
been wise and precautious enough to provide themselves with through
tickets to San Francisco, there was a good chance for other vessels that
happened to be around in this ocean. Vessels of every description came
flocking into Panama harbor to get their share of this travel ; unloading
their cargo if necessary and making some arrangements for the
transportation of passengers-- all ready to be either chartered or sold to
a company of emigrants.
John Conness, now of Boston, but for years a citizen of
El Dorado county, with many other future prominent citizens of this State,
took passage on May 9th, 1849, on board the whaler-ship Sylph,
Captain Francis Gardiner, of Fairhaven, and arrived at San Francisco,
California, after an involuntary visit to the port of Tacamas, Republic of
Ecuador, about 55 miles north of the equator, on July 26th, 1849.
The number of arrivals on the water-way at San
Francisco, from April 12th, 1849, to February 28th, 1859, was 43,824. The
emigrant road from the Carson Pass down into El Dorado alone, saw passing
over it, if not more, as least as many arriving emigrants as those who
landed at San Francisco.
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