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HISTORY
El
Dorado County, California.
LOCAL
HISTORY.
COLOMA.
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19th
Century Northern California from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe
Including
Sacramento, Folsom, Placerville, Nevada City, Grass Valley, Auburn,
Colfax, Dutch Flat and smaller towns in-between
Pages:
202 Photos: 180 |
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Old Coloma ! The town with some history--no, the
starting point of a history of El Dorado county, and of the total
revolution in the history of the whole State, throwing her out of the
lethargy and quietness of hundreds of years in a feverish excitement that
kept her enchained for bout twenty-five years. The discovery of gold in
the race of the Coloma mill, however, did not stop with the
revolutionizing of California; no, it became epidemic and infected the
whole civilized world. The alarm was given out, and Coloma became the
motto of the day, Coloma the longing of millions, and Coloma the endpoint
of the trarvel* of thousands, whose starting points had been most every
where on this globe. And right here it may be allowed to put the question
: Has California been benefited with the discovery of gold at Coloma, and
all the circumstances that followed? The discovery of gold was inavoidable*,
it would have been made sooner or later. But there can be no doubt that
California would be better off nowadays, if the discovery had not been
made before the State became more settled and thicker populated, or if the
discovery would have been kept a secret as Capt. Sutter had proposed it. A
slow development would have avoided the outgrowing of all those monopolies
under which the State is suffering now. What did those miners of early
days care for the welfare of this country ? More than nine out of each ten
came here to make their pile and march home with it, according to the
motto of the great French revolution: "Apre's nous, le
deluge," not a particle different from the Chinamen. How many
millions have been drawn out of this country without leaving anything or
giving anything in return. Look at all these mining towns, what
flourishing and happy settlements would we see all through the mountains,
if their population had not been managed under such haste and
excitement.
Coloma is located on the South Fork of the American
river, in an altitude of 900 feet above the level of the sea, on the upper
end of the Coloma basin, which is surrounded by hills from 800 to 1,000
feet higher up. When El Dorado county was organized Coloma was selected
for the county-seat, there being no other place in the county at that
time; but after a few years already some rivals turned up, and from 1854,
a fight for the removal of the county-seat began which lasted for three
years and ended in a victory for Placerville.
Henry Bigler,
William Johnson, Azariah Smith, James S. Brown |
For the first few years after the discovery of gold all
the new arrivals were bound for Coloma, and though the mines in the
vicinity were rich and plenty of them, the population was growing so fast
that soon many had to be turned away to look out for other diggings, thus
scattering and prospecting all over the country. But a large business was
done here in support of a population that numbered into the thousands. The
first business places in town were Capt. Shannon &
Cady's, the New
York Store, S. S. Brook's store, and John Little's emporium on the North
side of the river. Warner, Sherman &
Bestor, of the United States
army, kept a store here during the winter of 1848-'49 ; Bestor being the
business man of the company. The first hotel was the Winters Hotel,
Messrs. Winters & Cromwell, proprietors; A. J.
Bayley, now of Pilot
Hill, attended bar there. Sutter's saw-mill had been finished and was put
to work by Messrs. Winters, Marshall & Bayley, doing a fine business.
A large two-story building had been erected for a theater in 1852. Capt.
Shannon was Alcalde of the township, and John T. Little first Postmaster,
a Post office having been established already in 1849 ; S. S. Brook became
second Postmaster, but the business was growing so immensely that it
afforded too much time for a storekeeper, and Mr. D. G. Waldron, now of
San Francisco, was appointed Postmaster soon after President Pierce's
inauguration. This then was the principal Post office in California,
concerning the business ; six pony expresses were running between Coloma
and the mines all around, to deliver the half-monthly arriving mail,
charging one dollar a letter for the delivery. Wagon loads of letters had
to be sent to the dead letter office, as most of the people leaving home
made Coloma, their destination, but either had never arrived here, or
turned away to other mining districts.
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The Wells Fargo Company was organized in 1851 in
San Francisco, amid the frenzied stampede for California's gold.
Branch offices were quickly opened in major inland towns;
Coloma's office was opened in 1852 in Bill McConnell's general
store. An express wagon ran daily from Coloma to Sacramento. When
the competing Adams Express Company folded in 1855, Wells Fargo
moved quickly and soon became the dominate banking and express
company in the West. Each shipment, actually carried on a Concord
stage coach was guarded by a rider, well-armed with a double barrel
shotgun.
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Of other men of prominence in those early days, we
mention : Newell & Williams, and
Thomas H. Hewes, lawyers ; Col.
Clendenin ; Wm. McConnell & Co. ; Geo. Duden ; Asa D. Waldron ; Dr.
Gibbs; Col. Thomas Robertson ; Hon. John
Conness ; Dav. E. Buel ; A. A.
Van Guelder ; D. P. Talmadge ; J. G. McCallum, now of Oakland ; A. H.
Hawley ; Robert Chalmers ; S. B. Weller ; General Thomas Williams ; D. G.
Waldron ; there were A. J. Bayley, now of Pilot Hill; W. M. Donahue, now
of Placerville ; Hon. J. C. Brown, A. St. Clair Denver.
One of Sutter's iron howitzers is still decorating the
front of Meyers' Hotel. It was here that the first plan for obtaining
water by artificial means was derived, and the first ditch in El Dorado
county and California was built ; it was called the El Dorado Canal, and
had a length of six miles. This proving a good investment for the
projectors, soon others followed with the following ditches : The
Hollingsworth & Co's ; the Coloma Canal ; the Shanghai Ditch ; the
Williams Ditch ; the Greenhorn Ditch ; and the largest of them, the U. S.
M. John T. Little, now of San Francisco, also owned the first ferry across
the South fork from the Coloma to the north side. Mr. Ed. T. Raun, in the
Spring of 1850, went on to build across here the first bridge in the
county, which was renewed in 1855. The high water of 1862, however, swept
it away, and now a small wire rope suspension affair, for footpads only,
may be found as accommodation across the river. Sutter's old saw mill, as
already stated, was working at full speed from 1849 to 1852 or '53,
thereafter is was not used any more and commenced to go to
 pieces. When
David E. Buel, who was the second Sheriff and one of the first settlers of
the county, in May, 1854; was leaving Coloma to go east he was presented
with a magnificent gold headed cane, the wood of which was taken from the
head-block of the "Sutter saw-mill." The top of the cane was
ornamented with an accurate and beautiful engraving of the old mill, and
immediately below the rim the names of the generous donors. A letter,
dated Coloma May 28th, 1854, accompanying the present was signed by the
Under and Deputy-Sheriffs : E. N. Strout, J. S. Welton, Henry
Larkin, Adam Burget, H. A. Young and John
Orr. Thus it seems that the pieces of the old
mill, where used to transfer them into presents for memory and relics,
which will be highly valued by the coming generations.
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The store of Robert Bell as it looks today |
In 1854, the Sunday law passed and the undersigned
business men gave notice they would close up their stores on and after
December 10th, 1854 : Wm. McConnell & Co ; O. Camp & Co ;
Dunn
& Bell ; Kimball & Co ; Geo.
Vincent & Co ; E. Weller & Co
; M. Holmes : A. G. Tryon ; Frank
Beckhart ; M. Skolney ; J. Morris ; J.
Bernhard & Co ; Wm. Dormody ; Jos. W. Seeley ; A.
Dombrowsky ; J.
Waters ; Wm. Clatworsly and T. Elkus. These were the leading business
firms then.
The Odd Fellows were the first to form a lodge of their
order at Coloma, it was organized as "Coloma Lodge, No. 27," on
August 21st, 1854, with the following first officers: J. C. Brown, N. G.;
A. St Clair Denver, V. G.; R. E. F. Moore, Secretary; Wm
Patterson,
Treasurer, and Joshua Jones. Soon after the organization they build their
own hall.
Acacia Lodge, No. 92, F. & A. M., was organized
November 1st, 1855, and received their charter from the Grand Lodge at
Sacramento, dated May 8th, 1856. The first officers were : J. M. Reed, W.
M.; Thomas Robertson, S. W. ; Thomas H. Williams, J. W.; J. L. Chapman,
Treasurer ; A. A. Van Guelder, Secretary ; C. N. Noteware, S. D. ; M.
Barowsky, J. D. ; H. S. Herrick,
Tyler.
 E. Clampsus Vitus order was organized February 11th,
1856, with the following first officers : E. B. Carson, N. G. H. ; Thomas
M. Reed, G. R. P. ; M. R. Elstner, C. P. ; P. B. Fox, C. V. ; A. H.
Hawley, G. R. T. ; John Hume, G. R. F. ; A. W. Merrill, G. R. S. ; James
Sullivan, G. R. M ; John F. Long, R. S. ; M. Barowsky, Tyler.
Coloma Musical Association, Wm. H. Taylor, President.
On the 14th of September, 1881, a charter was granted to
members of Coloma Lodge, No. 203, A. O. U. W. with the following first
officers , Daniel Haggart, P. M. W. ; Simeon Hunt, M. W. ; Jos. H. Thomas,
F. ; Morris G. Bradley, O.; M. J. Allhoff, Receiver; Jos. Allhoff,
Finance; Wm H. Hooper, Recorder, Jos. Anderhalden, G. ; James W.
Quirk, J.
W. ; J. W. Chappleman, O. W.
Notwithstanding the great accumulation of all classes of
people from all different nations, Coloma was a very quite and peaceful
mining camp ; but very few incidents of violence are known to have taken
place here. In March, 1860, James Hannum killed one Anthony
Martin, on
account of some difficulty arising out of a game of cribbage. He was
indicted for murder in the District Court, the Jury failing to agree, and
he interposed a plea of guilty for manslaughter. He was sentenced to four
years in the State prison.
A party of miners on Monday, March 4th, 1861, became
incensed at the Chinese of this town, and created riotous proceedings ; in
consequence of which thirty-six of them were arrested. W. S. Long, of
Sacramento, and John Hume were employed in their defense, and N. G. Curtis, of Sacramento, assisted District Attorney
Sanderson in the
prosecution. They were tried, and O'Donnel and fifteen others were found
guilty of riot in the Court of Sessions on March 16th, and sentenced to
pay a fine of $200 each and the costs.
Coloma has not only a place in history, but also in the
hearts of all romantic visitors. There is no hamlet in the Sierras more
serene and poetic ; the air is perfectly ethereal, during the day mellow
and golden, during the night silver and purple. Then the moon rises over
the hills, arraying orchards and piney summits and quiet cottages with
veils of silken radiance. Here may be heard yet the rattle of the rocker,
and perhaps close by the roar of the hydraulic pipe may fill the trum of
your ear.. Here is still the old-time log cabin, where pork and beans with
additional flap-jacks were luxuries, alongside the elegant cottage,
embowered in roses, surrounded by almond and peach groves. Much gold has
been taken out of this valley, but the time where minder occupied this
ground, and mining events and interests constituted the topic of the day,
lay far back. Vineyards and orchards line the hillsides as high up as high
up as water for irrigation can reach, and the sunny grape draws its
sparking juice from among soil sprinkled with virgin gold. And, though,
the Coloma basin has lost a great richness in the shape of gold, it has
copiously made up in permanent improvements. The fruit grown in this
vicinity and on this soil is unsurpassable in juice and flavor ; and has
made a name for itself. Upon the decline of the mines many persons engaged
in planting fruit trees ; among the first to plant on the north side were
E. Woodruff and A. A. Van Guelder. The latter was the first engaged in
general fruit growing ; he was followed my Henry Mahler, Jonas
Wilder,
Henry Pierce, Edward D. Lohry, J. H. Williams, H. Hawley, Joseph Allhoff,
J. G. Vanderheyden, Jno. Crocker and Mrs. Robertson.
The Coloma basin is about 3 1/2 miles in length by about
a mile in width. The number of vines of all varieties bearing in the
valley is about 350,000 and of choice fruit trees within this space about
30,000, located as follows ; On the north side, 50,000 vines and 5,000
trees ; Coloma proper, 180,000 vines and 10,000 trees ; below Coloma,
120,000 vines and 15,000 trees.
The California Pioneer some time ago had the
following reminiscence of a short stay at Coloma in the fall of 1849, from
the pen of old "Mac," which may have a space here : "
Coloma, then called "the mill," was quite a prosperous mining
center, habitations or dwellings were all constructed of cough logs, of
backwood pattern, except Captain Shannon's mansion, the New York Store,
the Winters' Hotel, and perhaps one or two other unimportnt buildings. The
old Sutter saw-mill, of course, stood out as a marked monument of the
place and the chief point of attraction for strangers. It was then running
to its utmost capacity ; the stately pines were being cut from the valley
and hillsides to supply the great demand for lumber, giving the hamlet the
appearance of a western lumber camp. Boards, not of the finest quality,
sold readily for $400 per 1,000 feet. Winters, Marshall & Bayley were
the owners. Close by the mill were a few log huts, and just below, a log
building occupied by S. S. Brooks for a store, and directly across the
road was a two-story clap-boarded mansion of Captain Shannon, occupied by
Shannon & Cady, as a store and house of entertainment. The Captain was
the head man of the town, and in addition to his military title held that
Alcalde, or [of} Judge of the First Instance, by virtue of an appointment
form the Military Governor. In addition to a retail trade, he entertained
strangers and way-farers with a generous hospitality, and administered to
rogues and vagabonds even and exact justice. In front of his house stood a
stately native pine, straight as an arrow, which on the Fourth of July he
employed one of his old soldiers (Sucre) to trim and surmount with the
American flag, at a cost of $600, to commemorate the great holiday. This
pine stood there for years as a mark of the Captain's munificence and
patriotism. A few rods below the Captain's house was the rude
"shelling" of Patrick and Bridget Doody.
They had come to the country with Col. Stevenson, and looked to the
Captain for protection. Patrick was indebted to Brooks to a small amount
who, like most creditors, wanted his money; and caused an attachment to be
levied on the Doody hut. Patrick being absent in the mines, leaving his
other half to look after domestic affairs and town laundry; the Captain
not at home, Bridget in her dilemma did not know what to do, sent for the
writer. He answered the call and proceeded to her domicile. He advised the
distressed woman that she need have no apprehension ; that her real estate
was not worth selling, except for firewood, and Brooks
had no need of that, and that she might snap her finger at the cruel
creditor, when, suddenly she went down on her knees in the middle of the
room, which was floored with the native soil, and with a knife commenced
digging, to the great surprise of her spectator. Out she drew two large
bottles filled with the finest gold, worth not less than $2000, which she
had saved or filched from Patrick. In her anger she apprehended the
attachment reached this hidden treasure. Mac advised her to pay the debt,
and restore the gold to the old bank where it had lain so long safely
until she and Pat had made up their minds to return to their home in New
York. Near the old ferry was the establishment of John Grantee
and Captain Johnson; a little further up the New
York store of Dunnel & Nichols,
and Winters' new hotel. The came the residence of Peter Weimer
and family; Peter had been in the employ of Marshall when the gold was
discovered in the mill race. He insisted always that Marshall did not
believe the flittering lumps were genuine, until his wife had boiled them
in the wash boiler, and they came out as bright as a new dollar.
" At the extreme limit of the hamlet was a log hut
occupied by Captain Cheever and Robert Gordon
; Case had store hard by. Across the river J. T. Little had his
immense mercantile establishment; Forester and Hildebrand
had small stores there also.
"Gordon was a man of fine literary taste, and was
once on the editorial corps of the Alta California; Cheever had
been a merchant at Manilla ; Captain Shannon was the impersonation of fun
and his countenance ever wore a smile. Syke Baldwin,
the Captain's tender-man, formerly one of his company, in spite of long
years of dissipation, was full of humor, and had a pleasant word for all
who patronized his bar. For those that were acquainted there at the time,
we recall to memory the face of the honest-hearted Winters ; the quiet,
unpretending Marshall ; the tall, dark-eyed Weimer; the brusque Dr. Read ;
the dry Stubbleben ; the rough Gratee ; the
babbling Brooks ; the noisy Miller, and little Jack More.
"One day in December, '49, a crowd came trooping
down the street to Captain Shannon's mansion, having in custody a vagabond
sailor, charged with having stolen from a miner $600 in dust contained in
a purse, demanding the exercise of the judicial authority of the Captain
as Alcalde. The latter without ceremony opened his court, selected a jury
of six reputable men, appointed prosecution attorney, etc.; the prisoner
was given a full opportunity to establish his innocence. The case, after
the charge of the Alcalde, was given to the jury. After due deliberation,
through their foreman, the jury rendered a verdict as follows:
- We find the prisoner guilty of the charge.
- In consideration of the poverty of the complainant,
if the prisoner will make restitution of the property and depart the
"diggings," he may be discharged.
- If he does not accept the offer, then and there he
shall receive 25 lashes, well laid on, be imprisoned with ball and
chain for a space of 10 days, and then, if he restores the money and
departs, be discharged.
- At the expiration of the imprisonment he shall
receive 25 lashes and leave the diggings.
"The prisoner declined to return the money and
suffered the full penalty; after which he vamosed to parts unknown."
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Sutter's original mill above.
Recreation at the state park below.
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The late Ogden Squires, of
Placerville, had in his possession, and submitted to our inspection, a Day
Book, kept at Sutter's mill, Coloma, Messrs. Winters, Bayley &
Marshall, proprietors, from January 3d to April 22d, 1850. Among other
survivors who are charged with lumber on this book we find the names of
William Rogers, first Sheriff of El Dorado county,
now of Ruby Valley, Nev.; J. W. Marshall, the
discoverer of gold, now residing at Kelsey; Kimball, then of the firm of Pauley
& Kimball, now of Aurora, Nev.; F. Beckhardt,
now at San Francisco ; Edw. T. Raun, now of the architect-firm Kennitzer
& Raun, San Francisco; Storrs & Storer,
the one now in Virginia City, the other of Truckee ; Charles E. Picket,
now of San Francisco ; John T. Little, now real estate broker of San
Francisco; S. S. Brooks, of San Francisco ; and A. J. Bayley, of Bayley's
ranch, Pilot Hill. The first entry for January 3d is a charge against J. Bailess
& Co., to 70 feet lath $35.00. Further down we find Robt. Cadwalader
charged with one scantling 10 2/3 feet, $4.30; then comes J. A. Perry
for 225 feet of scantling at 40 cents, $90.00; Mr. Perry is charged again
on January 9th with $88.oo* for 160 feet of plank and 60 feet of
scantling. On the 10th of January Winters & Bayley commenced
purchasing lumber for the hotel at Pilot Hill, 16 feet for $6.4o. On the
5th of February, Quay, Gardner
& Moore are charged $1,787 96 [note:
decimal points were not used in the book but are added here in most
instances to provide clarity. This most recent entry shows how they were
displayed in the book] for 4,077 feet of dimension
lumber, 135 feed of rough boards and 256 feet of sheating. On the 18th of
April the following are set down among the cash receipts ; 3 1/3 feet of
lumber, $1.00; 2 slabs, $1.00; 5 slabs, $5.00; 4 broken slabs, $2.00. On
the 20th of April, Alfred Finney pays $15.00 for 14 slbs. On the same day
Jacob Stubbleben takes a rough lot (630 feet) of building lumber at
reduced rates, only $189.00; on the same day Walter Buckland
is credited with one month's work in the mill, from March 21st to April
19th, inclusive, with $300.00. The same day we find this entry ; J. S.
Fisk, to 4 pieces, 2x4, 16 feet long, 42 2/3 feet, at 30 cents, $12.80;
memorandum, dentist over the river, payable in six weeks ; reference, Osterhaut
and Allen.
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