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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

..UB.

Table oi' Contents

¦*£3=S*-

PAGK
Argonaut Club of Washington, Murray and Eden Townships. 123
Centerville and Vicinity  59
Civil War Notes  81
Decoto, Town and District  ... .... 109
First Assessment Roll of Washington Township  124
First School Census   130
Introduction  5
Irvington  ....  . . 84
Mission San Jose  37
Names of Members of Pioneer Society  122
Newark   . . ..114
Niles  97
Pioneers of Washington Township.  123
Preface   2
Productions and Acreage  129
Rainfall and Temperature  . . .  132
School Expenditures. . .  132
Senorita Guadalupe de Jesus Vallejo  133
The Indian's Lament. . .  . . .45
The Key to My Old Home  . . "' 133
The Mission of San Jose  28
Union City and Alvarado  46
Warm Springs   91

i o

>tos

FREF^CJE

The Country Club, under whose auspices this history is pub
lished, was the outcome of two political equality societies, one of
Centreville and one of Niles. The first meeting of the Woman's
Club of Washington Township, afterward re-named the Country
Club, was held in December, 1897, at the home of Mrs. C. H. Allen,
Centreville. At that time there were present twenty-five women
from different parts of the township, who became charter members
of the club then organized. At the present writing six of the
seven villages in the township are represented, and there are a
few members from outside districts.
Believing that the history of this township would be valuable
as a part of Alameda County and of the State, the women of the
Country Club began this work early in May, 1903. Every active
member contributed something to it, and the heads of the various
committees compiled the material into papers, which were read
at a "Golden Jubilee" meeting, held May 19th, in the Town Hall
of Centreville, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the organi
zation of the township. The past and the present, represented by
the pioneers, their children and grandchildren, crowded the hall,
which was tastefully decorated with great branches of golden mus
tard blooms, California poppies, and wild oats in luxuriant pro
fusion. On either side of the platform were tables covered with valued
relics and papers belonging to early days. The papers read at
this meeting proved so interesting that the Club decided to pre
serve them in permanent form. To the old settlers some of the
records ma}' appear incorrect, and some so familiar as to seem un
important ; but the compilers believe that every fact and incident
related is of interest and worth recounting, for the events of the
past are rapidly fading away ; and it is hoped that the reading of
these pages may revive old memories and incite each pioneer now
living to put in writing his early California experience, particu
larly that part of it which relates to this locality and its first set
tlement by Americans ; so that not only historical facts may be
gathered, but traditions also may be collected and kept for future
use. The work is not free from errors, and claims no literary merit;
the details of such an undertaking are many and difficult; but

PREFACE 3
much painstaking labor has been given by those having the mat
ter in charge, to guard as far as could be done against inaccura
cies, and to make it not only interesting but reliable.
If, after all our efforts, mistakes are found we trust our readers
will not be harsh critics, but will consider how difficult it is to at
tain to perfection in anything, and how hard to get exact ac
counts of the happenings of even fifty years ago when so few rec
ords were kept.
Thanks are due to many individuals throughout the township
as well as to former residents, for valuable assistance. Our limited
space does not allow detailed mention of names, but the Club is
especially grateful to Mr. J. M. Horner, the first American settler,
and to Mr. Wm. Barry, Secretary of the Pioneer Society, for im
portant data.
We send forth this little volume believing that it will prove
interesting and of some worth to many readers. We hope that
the younger generation and the newer occupants of these lands
will not only be entertained, but profited, by the reading, and
that the old settlers , the few remaining pioneers to whom we al
owe so much, may live over the past in these pages, recalling with
pleasure the days full of the stirring events which meant so much
to them and their associates who, now "life's fitful fever over,
sleep well."

HISTORY

... OF

Washington Township
Alameda Count v. California

Compiled and Published by the COUNTRY CLUB, the Woman's Club
of Washington Township
190-t
The Golden Jubilee of Washington Township was celebrated
by a historical meeting of the Country Club, held in the Town Hall,
at Centreville, May 19, 1903 — fifty years after the settlement of
the township. At that meeting the following histories of the sev
eral towns, or villages, in the Township, which had been prepared
by the Club members, were read. The especial guests on that
occasion were the Pioneers. The following is the program pre
sented on that day.
PROGRAM
Address of Welcome by the President of the Club.
Song Auld Lang Syne, by the Club and Audience
Papers The Mission of San Jose
Mission San Jose (the village)
Union City and Alvarado
Centreville
Civil War Notes
Vocal Solo Miss Stella Graham
The Song of Home (encore Comin' Thro' the Rye)
Papers Irvington
Warm Springs
Niles
Instrumental Solo Miss Tonita Vallejo*
La Filiense, by Raff (encore, Domino, by Miss Tonita Vallejo
Papers Decoto
Newark
Letters were read from Mrs. W. W. Brier, Miss Guadalupe
Vallejot and Dr. J. M. Selfridge, pioneer residents, now living else
where. Song America, by the Club and Audience
*Miss Tonita Vallejo is a granddaughter of Don Jose de Jesus Vallejo
fMiss Vallejo has died since the above was written.

INTRODUCTION.

kHE greater part of Washington Township lies in what Father
Palou, California's earliest historian, calls the Valle de San Jose,
a name applied formerly to the whole long valley, because of
the location therein of San Jose, one of the pueblos of California.
Subsequently it was called Santa Clara, and the upper portion
of it is often spoken of as the Alameda Valley, from the creek
of that name flowing through- it. Father Palou incidentally
mentions that when, in 1773, Capt. Bautista's party went through
here from Monterey in search of San Francisco, the soldiers killed
elk so large that the antlers measured eight feet from tip to tip.
In 1796 the Spanish government of this country decided to estab
lish a third town, or pueblo, and sent out a party to explore, as
appears in the report, from Santa Cruz, Mission "to the place of
the Alameda," and although this place contained a creek, the
pueblo, Branciforte, was located near Santa Cruz Mission, but
was soon abandoned. There were twenty-one missions, four
presidios (garrisons), and three pueblos (civic settlements) includ
ing Branciforte, established before 1833, when the missions were
secularized. The history of the founding of these old missions
is one of interest to everybody. Many of them are now in'ruins,
only piles of adobe indicating the places where they once stood,
but the settlement and civilization of early California were wholly
due to their institution, and although now of little or no civic
importance, they mark a valuable as well as poetic epoch in the
history of the star,?, and the several localities in which they were
established. In 1797 one of them was founded in what is now
Washington Township, and so it follows that the early history
of the township is largely that of Mission San Jose, which appears
elsewhere in this work. In 1834 when the Mexican congress
passed the act releasing the Indians from the control of the mis
sions, and appointing men to manage the affairs of mission prop
erty, Don Jose de Jesus Vallejo was appointed administrator at
Mission San Jose, where he lived many years.
It is believed that the grantees were in possession of their
Mexican grants long before they were dated. At any rate, no
historian has been able to definitely determine the time of settle
ment on them. From the records in the attorney general's office
in Sacramento, the following entries were copied by M. W. Wood,
and appear in his history of Alameda County, viz. : To Fulgencia
Higuera claimant for Agua Caliente (Warm Springs) two square
leagues, granted October 13, 1836, by Nicolas Gutierrez, and
April 4, 1839, by Juan B, Alvarado to F. Higuera containing

G HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
9,563.87 acres. Patented to him (by U. S.) April 17, 1858. (Three
oak trees that marked one portion of the boundary of this grant
may be seen today — one on the summit of the range about one-
half mile below the top and south of Mission Peak, and the other
extending along the ridge in a southerly direction). Los Tular-
citos, owned by Thomas Higuera, was a portion of this grant.
The Curtner and Stanford places are included in it. Jose de Jesus
Vallejo claimant for Arroyo del Alameda, four square leagues,
granted August 30, 1842, by Juan B. Alvarado, containing 17,-
705.38 acres. Patented January 1, 1S5S, (Niles and Decoto lie
within this grant). Andres Pico et al., claimants for Mission San
Jose lands, 30,000 acres, granted May 5, 1846, by Pio Pico to Andres
Pico and Juan B. Alvarado; claim filed March 9, 1852; confirmed
by the commission December 18, 1855, and rejected by the court
June 30, 1859. (This grant was known as the ex-mission lands.
Squatters settled on them, and what was called squatters' rights
caused many quarrels between them and adverse claimants, but
in December, 1867, the United States issued patents to bonafide
settlers, after much trouble and expense to them, thus ending
one of the fiercest agrarian disputes that has ever occurred in
this section. The villages of Mission San Jose, Irvington, Newark
and Centreville are located on these lands.) Thomas Pacheco
and Augustin Alviso, claimants for Potrero de los Cerritos, three
square leagues, granted Mach 23, 1844, by Manuel Micheltorena
to T. Pacheco and A. Alviso, 10,610.26 acres. Patented Feb
ruary 21, 1866. (The land lying from Newark in the direction
of and including Alvarado lies in this tract). It is a pathetic
fact that no descendant of these Spanish-Americans who held
such princely domains occupy any part of the propertv or live
in the valley now, although the heirs of Thomas Higuera own some
portion of Los Tularcitos.
Archbishop Joseph Sardoc Alemany, claimant for Mission
San Jose, founded under Carlos IV, June 11, 1797; claim filed
February 19, 1853, containing 28.33 acres. Patented March 3,
1858. Apparently these few acres are all that are left to the
church that formerly had dominion over thousands. The boun
daries of the grants were the streams, natural landmarks, and
sometimes ditches dug for that purpose. On the George W.
Patterson place, the old Pacheco ditch can still be traced, running
down into "The Willows." The sons have placed their telephone
poles along the line of it. The Sanjon de los Alisos was the boun
dary between the Pacheco and Alviso grant and the ex-mission
lands. The years from 1833 to 1850 have been called "the golden
days of hospitality and good fellowship." The padres and generous
Spaniards welcomed every guest and set before him milk, cheese,

INTRODUCTION 7
mutton, beef, tortillas, figs, grapes and wild honey. Potatoes
were few, but pinole was plentiful.
A native liquor said to resemble cognac, called aguardiente,
and very intoxicating, was the favorite tipple. Mescal, a liquor
made from the prickly pear, was also liked, and brandy and wine
were to be had. Hemp, flax, wheat and corn were grown, and
also melons and squashes. Soap, leather, wool, salt, soda, har
ness, saddles, blankets and clumsy vehicles were manufactured.
A horse was freely given to any in need of one. The young women
were handsome, and all were devotees of the church. The men
were generous, fearless, hospitable and expert equestrians. At
every social gathering at the mission the guests came from all
parts of the country. The Peraltas, the Castros, Higueras, Sotos,
Estudillos, Alvisos, Vallejos, Bernals, Amadors, Sunols, Pachecos,
Noreigas and Livermores (who married a Higuera) gathered there
on festive occasions. These were the wealthy, landed proprie
tors of the country far and near, and lived in a kind of feudal
style, the Indians their vassals. Except for the luxuriant gardens
of the Mission, and the vegetables and cereals grown by the ranch-
eros, the country was covered with acres and acres of wild oats,
tall enough, within the memory of the first American pioneers,
to tie over the head of a man on horseback. Wild mustard from
six to fifteen feet high rolled in golden billows over the valley
and up the hillsides, and birds nested and sang among the blossoms.
The mountains bordering the canons were more densely tim
bered than now, game was abundant, elk and deer were common,
and an occasional "grizzly" gave a spice of danger to the hunter-
Wild geese and ducks literally swarmed in the marshes and lagoons,
while the bark of the coyote, now seldom heard, was incessant
through the night. Then there were the Indians, a few rancheros,
cattle and horses grazing the hills unherded, and the little settle
ment of padres. In other parts of this history the reader is told
how the changes came. How, with gold discovery in 1848, the
sleepy old Mission woke up and became an important trading
point; how, over the old Stockton road through the Mission Pass]
where Fremont and his men had journeyed, a continuous stream
of hardy miners and pioneers came and went; how fortunes were
made and lost, and how from that time the lands of this valley
were coveted and finally obtained by Americans. Under the
trees in the old churchyard of the Mission and in the shadow of
the church, sleep many whose names appear in these pages, and
who were prominently connected with the early history, not only
of the valley and county, but of the state. Some, too,- rest peace
fully in the Odd Fellows' cemetery at Irvington or the cemeteries
in Centreville and Decoto ; others lie far away from the scenes

8 HIS TOR Y OF WA SUING TON TO WNSHIP '
of their busy life here, while a handful of the sturdy old pioneers
survive, honored by all who know them. John M. Horner,- now
living in Hawaii, was the first American settler, coming to. Cali
fornia in 1846 in the celebrated ship, Brooklyn. Mr. Horner
settled near the present village of Irvington in 1847. His brother
William Y , father of the present supervisor, joined him some
time after, and they had extensive business interests. They
were enterprising, generous men. E. L. Beard came to the Mis
sion in 1849. He became interested with Mr. Horner in land and
agriculture, and afterward with his stepson, Henry G. Ellsworth.
The noble old palms planted by Mr. Beard on his home place
(the Gallegos place) are fitting memorials of this interesting and
large-hearted pioneer. Henry C. Smith was also one of the first
comers. A very bright man, who was early identified with the
political history of the state and county. There were several more
of these brave argonauts, but their names, with those of the hardy
pioneers are appended to this history, and their lives enter into
the records of the several towns where they lived.
The United States made a treaty of peace with Mexico in 1 848,
the year of gold discovery, and then California fell under the juris
diction of the federal government. The first legislative assembly
of the state convened in' San Jose in December, 1849, and created
twenty-seven counties, among them Contra Costa and Santa
Clara. In March, 1853, Alameda county was formed from por
tions of these two, and Washington Township is the greater part
of that which came from Santa Clara. The county seat was located
at New Haven, now Alvarado. H. C. Smith was at that tiitre
in the legislature, and fathered. the bill making the new county
A body called the court of sessions had entire control of the civil
business, and organized June fi, 1S53, dividing the county at once
into six townships, viz.: Contra Costa,' Clinton, Oakland, Eden,
Murray and Washington, named for the "father of his country."
In December there was a redivision, and Contra Costa was elim
inated. In 1855 the court of sessions was succeeded by the board
of supervisors, and again the county was redistricted into Alameda,
Brooklyn, Eden, Murray, Oakland and Washington townships',
and in 1902 Pleasanton was formed from a part' of Murray In
1S50 there was a voting place at H. C. Smith's store. Mission San
Jose. When the county was constructed another polling place
was added at the room use 1 as a courthouse in New Haven, and
very soon Horner's schoolhouse at Centreville made a third. ' The
election for the purpose of voting on the question of removing~
the county seat to San Leandro was held December 30, 1854
and in every precinct in the county an astonishing number of
votes were polled. Mission .San Jose cast 203, New Haven or

INTR OD UC TION 9
Alvarado 393, Centreville 170,; total in the township, 766, sixty-
eight more than Oakland. The following year there was a great
excitement over the question of licensing saloons, and we find
the total number of votes cast in Washington was 351. In 1902
the number of registered voters was 1361. Centreville precinct
24S, Irvington 238, Alvarado 219, Niles 195, Newark 177, Mission
168 and Decoto 116.
When the first Americans made their homes here there was
no Oakland, no Alameda, no Berkeley. Therefore in the first
years of county government Washington ruled in matters political,
securing the county seat and nearly all of the county offices, as
follows: A. M. Crane, county judge; Wm. Coombs, district attor
ney; A. M. Church, county clerk; J. S. Marston, county treasurer;
Andrew H. Broder, sheriff; Wm. H. Chamberlain, coroner; and
Rev. W. W Brier, superintendent of schools. The names of the
men, so far as can be learned, who have since been public officials,
although not altogether in the order named, are the late Hon.
John L. Beard, state senator and regent of the state university;
the Hon. M. W. Dixon, Thomas Scott, James Clark, and John
G. Mattos, Jr. (now serving) assemblymen.
P- E. Edmundsen, C. C. Breifogle, and R. A. McClure, county
treasurers; H. M. Vesey, county clerk; W. F. B. Lynch and P. M.
Fisher, county superintendents of schools; Dr. J. M. Selfridge,
coroner; J. A. Mavhew, sheriff; C. J. Stevens, tax collector; E. H.
Dyer, county surveyor; Chas. Whipple, public administrator;
and supervisors, H. C. Smith, J. R. Mason, Jonathan Mayhew,
James Shinn, C. S. Eigenbrodt, H. Overacker, Sr., Wm. Threl-
fall, J. M. Homer, Wm. Whidden, M. W. Dixon, Henry Duster-
berry and C. F. Horner, the present representative of the surjer-
visorial district.
Among the first acts passed by the first board of supervisors
was one creating three school districts and one for the protection
of trees planted along the roadsides. In 1862 a movement was
inaugurated to get Washington back into Santa Clara county,
but failed. June 16, 1856, the supervisors formed another town
ship out of parts of Washington and Eden, and named it Jefferson,
but this action was rescinded at the next meeting. In 1863 the
legislature passed the following act: "Whenever the board of
supervisors shall have created a new township from Washington
and Eden, including Alvarado, it shall have power to elect one
supervisor." In 1870 the Bay Spring Water Company filed articles of incor
poration to supply Mission San Jose and other towns with water
from Barry and Story springs. The capital stock was $50,000,
the number of shares 500, and time of existence fifty years. The

1 0 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
same year a company was granted the right to operate a horse
railroad from Irvington to San Leandro, through Centreville,
Alvarado and San Lorenzo.
The first roads, and they were but little better than trails,
were those used by the native Californians in going from their
ranches to and from the Mission and their embarcaderos. From
the Mission there was one to the pueblo of San Jose, one through
the pass to Stockton, and one to the principal embarcadero, where
Union City was afterward located. This, according to some of
the old settlers, took the course of the high ground to where Centre
ville is now, then branched off by Pacheco's to the Alameda, some
where near the Bell ranche bridge, and followed the high bank
of the creek to the embarcadero. Others think it ran along the
present course of the mountain road, only nearer the hills, then
deflected, striking the creek at the Kelsey ford, and then followed
the bank as before. All agree that there was a road following
along the base of the hills to the creek ford at Niles, running to
Castro's, now Haywards, or near there, and so on to what was
San Antonio. There were these two well-known fords, Vallejo's
Mills and the one between the Overacker and Shinn places on the
Kelsey ranche, now the Marshall Noyo farm. In 1851-2 the
Homers surveyed into 160-acre tracts, and fenced 10,000 acres
of ex -mission lands, and laid out some of the main roads which
are the principal thoroughfares at the present time. One of these
ran from Irvington to Union City, but E. L. Beard fenced on the
north side that part of this road extending from Centreville to
the farther boundary of the late Hon. John L. Beard's home
stead. The cost of cutting this road through the swamp near
Alvarado, and making it passable for teams, was $1 ,500. It was
originally one hundred feet wide, but has been narrowed
since. It is a part of the county road running from
San Jose to Oakland, which is bordered by trees most of
the way and much traveled. The same parties also built
two bridges at Alvarado, where the present ones are now.
One of these the county afterward paid for. The same
parties constructed the mountain road from Mission Pass
to Vallejo's Mills, one from Irvington intersecting this, and the
one from Centreville to the mountain road. Although these
roads were not so substantially built as now, it must be remem
bered that none of the modern road-making implements were to
be had then, and the work was done mostly with pick, shovel and
ax. In 1852 the road from the mission to Union City was de
clared a public highway, and also the one "leading from the county
line east of Mission San Jose to said Mission, thence through the
Stockton pass."

INTRODUCTION ' 11
Soon after the organization of the county three road districts
were ordered in the township: No. 1, the highway from Mission
San Jose to Union City, two miles each side thereof; No. 2, the
road leading from Mission San Jose towards San Jose to county
line; No. 3, the highway leading from Mission San Jose to Stockton,
to the crossing of Alameda creek. There are now seven. The
boards of supervisors have been diligent in improving the old
roads and laying out others as necessity arose. All are oiled or
sprinkled, and there are few better ones anywhere.
In 1852 the first stage began to make regular trips between the
Mission and Union City. This was "Horner's stage," and ran
along the line of the present road, connecting with a steamer
owned by the same party, which, under command of Capt. Trefry,
plied between Union City and San Francisco, often carrying from
one to two hundred passengers. The stage continued to run
regularly until '54, when it was abandoned. A regular stage line
had been established, however, between San Jose and San Antonio
as early as 1853. The route was by Warm Springs, which had
become such a resort that a postoffice was established there (or
at least mail had to be left). From there the stage ran to Mission
San Jose, and thence along the mountain road to San Antonio,
afterward East Oakland. Probably McLaughlin's was the first
through line running by way of "The Corners" and' Centreville.
In 1856 the Camerons put on opposition coaches, and exciting
times followed. The fare came down to $1, or less, the trip. Old
settlers laugh now when they speak of Cameron's galloping bronchos
and the famous runs they made. Ashley Cameron of Centreville
held the reins, and never failed to deliver the mail on time, although
sometimes obliged to forsake the stage and walk the fences across
stretches of high water. He also carried and threw with unerring
hand the Alta Californian to subscribers along the way as the
bronchos flew onward. It is said that when they were fairly
under way no stop could be made for way passengers. In times
of high water, mud wagons were used instead of coaches, and
even these were not infrequently "stuck in the mud." At such
times the men passengers were of necessity compelled to get down
and help pry out before the journey could be continued. Although
this seems a prosaic employment, at least one romance began
in the Alvarado slough, for it was there that two of our old set
tlers first met.
An interesting feature of these trips was the fact that the
steamer at San Antonio could not wait for the stage, if it chanced
to be late, for the boat had to go with the tide, which waits for
no man. Then Mr. Cameron would hurry his passengers into
light wagons and rush them across to what is now Alameda,

12 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
arriving before the steamer made the landing at that point.
The stages continued to run to San Antonio until the railroad
was completed to Haywards, when that was made the objective
point. But when the railroad service was extended to Oakland
they were discontinued. Hoag was the first expressman with his
pony and cart, and after him came the Bamber Brothers.
The following description of the appearance of the valley in
early American days will interest many. It is written by Bayard
Tavlor, the traveler, poet and scholar, who went through it in
'49, tramping to Monterey, and going muleback from San Jose to
Stockton. In '53 he came again with his wife, this time staging
from San Jose to San Antonio, now East Oakland. Of his trip
in '49 he writes: "The valley is well watered, and may be made
to produce the finest wheat crops in the world. It is dotted all
over its surface with clumps of magnificent oaks, cypresses and
sycamores. * * * Sheltered from the cold winds of the sea
the climate is like that of Italy. * * * The Mission (San Jose),
a spacious stone building with courtyard and long corridors, is
built upon the lower slope of the mountains dividing San Fran
cisco Bay from the San Joaquin valley, and a garden extends
behind it along the banks of a little stream. The sight of a luxu
riant orchard peeping over the top of its mud walls was too tempt
ing to be resisted, so, leaving Lieut. Beale to jog ahead with Tomp
kins and the loose animals, Col. Lyons and myself rode up the
hill, scrambled over, and found ourselves in a wilderness of ripen
ing fruit. Hundreds of pear and apple trees stood almost breaking
with their harvest, and cartloads lay rotting on the ground. Plums
grapes, figs, and other fruits not yet ripened filled the garden.
There is no such wheat country in the world. Even with the
imperfect plowing of the natives, which does little more than
scratch the surface, the earth produces a hundred fold. * * *
I was told by an old settler in the valley of San Jose of a ranchero
who planted twenty fanegas (Spanish bushels) of wheat, from
which he harvested the first year 1,020 fanegas; the second year,
without resowing, he reaped 800, and the third 600 fanegas. * *
I saw corn green and fresh, although no rain had fallen for four
months. Vegetables thrive luxuriantly, and melons, squashes,
beans and potatoes require no further care than planting. * * *
A Frenchman named Vigne made 100 barrels of wine from a vine
yard of about six acres at Mission San Jose. Many clusters of
grapes weigh four or five pounds and in bloom, richness and flavor
rival the choicest growth of Tuscany on the Rhine. * * •" The
soft, cloudless sky, the balm)- atmosphere, the mountain ranges
stretching far before me until they vanished in purple haze, the
sealike sweep of the plain, with islands and shores of dark green

INTR OD UC TION 1 3
foliage, combined to form a landscape which I may have seen
equaled but never surpassed. When these great ranches are
properly divided, and thousands live where units now are living
there will be no more desirable place of living on the Pacific coast.''
In 1853 he says: "The land appeared to be tolerably well divided
into farms, the fields fenced with redwood regardless of expense,
and the most superb orchards and vineyards springing up every
where. We were obliged to stop at Warm Springs, which lies
off the road, on account of the mail. The national flag which
floated over a clump of sycamores and live oaks announced a
hotel, a pleasant retreat. A shady verandah opened upon a
garden of flowers in the midst of which a fountain played." This
was under the regime of the Columbets. The stage drove on
through the Mission, but he found, he says, "a thriving village >
the former peaceful seclusion was gone forever. From the Mis
sion the road ran along the base of the hills, and we saw huge
stacks of sheaves in immense wheatfields, flashing like perfect
gold; the grain cleaner, purer, and more brilliant in color than
any we had ever seen before."
Washington township, in general terms, is bounded north
by Eden and Murray townships, east by Murray, south by Santa
Clara county, and west by San Francisco Bay. The area is 108, ~
316.11 acres. The greater part lies in the level valley, with a
background of foothills and mountains, and next the bay is a
fringe of marsh land of about 10,000 or 15,000 acres, mostly re-
claimable. Lying along the bay for a little distance, however, is
a line of curious, isolated hills, the Los Cerritos, which gives a pretty
touch to the landscape. The Contra Costa branch of the coast
range runs the entire length of the valley at an average distance
of six miles from the bay, and is cut at intervals by canons, most
of them more or less wooded with maple, bay manzanita, madrono,
poplar, buckeye, some oak, although this appears mostly on the
open hills and plains, sycamore, alder, wild cherry, which closely
resembles holly, and chapparal. There are also many ferns,
vines and shrubs, including the dainty white waxberry, and the
toyon, said to grow only in the Coast Range; a shrub growing from
six to ten or fifteen feet high, and bearing in winter great clumps
of the beautiful red California Christmas berries. Alameda canon,
a gorge of wild and romantic beauty, is a cut extending entirely
through the mountains. The sides are high, rugged and precipi
tous, with broken steeps often wooded to the tops, which here and
there fall back, leaving open grassy spaces fringed with laurel,
masses of shrubbery and tangled vines. Alameda creek runs
from Sunol valley through it on its way to the bay. A well-oiled
road now takes the place of the former rude trail, affording a

>

>

INTRODUCTION 15
drive of much interest and scenic beauty from Niles to Sunol ; and
the S. P. R. R. trains entering the canon at the former place,
thirty -three miles from San Francisco, steam through to Liver-
more, Stockton and Sacramento, giving connections with the east,
and also south with Fresno and Los Angeles.
Morrison canon, a little to the south of Alameda, is perhaps
two miles long, and ends on the tops of the hills which are cultivated
and where the fruit ripens in the orchards a little later than in
the valley. The sides of this pretty little ravine are well wooded.
The southern bank is said to have the largest variety of wild flowers
of any place in the township, and in it there are never-failing
springs of water. This and other canons are well worth visiting,
especially the beautiful one through which Stony Brook dashes
and gurgles on its way to meet the Alameda, and the glen where
the Warm Springs are situated.
Alameda creek, from which the county takes its name, has
its source far up in the Mt. Hamilton range, and, running down
towards the valleys, is joined by the Calaveras, Arroyo Honda,
San Antonio, Arroyo Valle and other mountain streams. Reach
ing Sunol valley it lazily broadens out, and then narrows again
as it reaches the great canon through which long ago it cleft a
channel on its way to the sea. At the pretty village of Niles, the
Vallejo's Mills of the old days, the creek enters this valley and
runs a somewhat crooked course westerly until it empties into
the bay beyond Alvarado. It is the most important stream in
the county, and formerly its entire course was marked by heavily-
wooded banks of sycamore, willow and other trees. Hence the
name Alameda — shaded way. More properly speaking, perhaps,
the different channels were so traced, for indisputably there were
more than one. Without doubt the San Sanjon de los Alisos
described in the Centreville history was originally the main stream.
In summer, the bed of the Alameda is dry in many places, the
water sinking and reappearing again further along. But this
droning summer brook in some winters becomes a swollen and tu
multuous torrent, and since the American occupation has at times
overflowed its banks, and cut other channels, as well as filling
all of the old ones, doing considerable damage but also much good
by drowning gophers and covering the land with rich alluvial
deposits. The Spring Valley Water Company of San Francisco
In the early '70s began purchasing riparian rights along the creek,
and later built dams and aqueducts, and conveyed the water in
conduits to and under the bay to San Francisco, making this a
part of the water supply of that city. The people, fearing that,
the water would be diverted from the township by this com
pany to the injury of the farms and orchards, organized in 1871

16 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
a ditch company called the Washington and Murray Township
Water Companv, incorporated, for the ostensible purpose
of preserving the waters of the Alameda for the benefit
of the settlers, ensuring thereby a sufficient flow of
water in the summer for the protection of trees and all
other practical purposes. This purpose has been defeated, how
ever, by the Spring Valley Company, which claims to own all of
the water of the creek by virtue of the purchase of all riparian
rights up and down the stream, and unappropriated water; and
the company also endeavors to prove by legal reasoning that the
ditch company never had any rights. In like manner the Contra
Costa Water Company of Oakland purchased a considerable tract
of land in Alvarado in the artesian belt, established a pumping
plant, and piped the water to Oakland. Since then the subter
ranean supply has been materially lowered, so that hand pumps
have had to be resorted to, because water in wells that formerly
flowed through and over a pipe five or eight feet above the ground
is now that much below the surface.
Besides the Alameda there are two other creeks of some im
portance, Mission Creek flowing from the mountains down into
Mission San Jose and always giving a good supply of water; on
this creek was the primitive adobe flour mill of the padres and the
better one of Beard and Ellsworth. This stream empties into the
lagoon, but the outlet to the lagoon is through Irvington and fin
ally into the Bay. The stream flowing through the lower end of
Mission Pass joins Mission Creek near the electric power house.
Segunda, or Dry Creek, is the other one mentioned which reaches
the valley at Decoto, and joins the Alameda near Alvarado. There
are, however, several springs in the township, giving home sup
plies of water, from which small brooks flow. From the Bav num
erous tide water creeks or sloughs put into the mainland, affording
landing places for sloops and schooners and are much used for
commercial purposes. These landings were the embarcaderos of
the Spanish-Mexican days.
Probably no place in California has a better all around climate,
although within the limits of the township, even, there is some
diversity owing to topography altitude, currents of air, etc. But
anywhere the winters are mild yet bracing, with rain and sun
shine alternating, and the summers, with cool westerly trade winds
prevailing, have little discomfort. Snow is not infrequently seen
on the mountain tops, but seldom falls in the valley ; and although
sharp frosts may continue for several consecutive nights, even
freezing water and the earth, yet strangely enough flowers bloom
on from one year's end to another. The fruit, as well as other
deciduous trees, drop their leaves in autumn, but the pepper, with

INTRODUCTION 17
its graceful habit and wealth of red berries, the Australian euca
lyptus standing tall against the skyline, the live and other oaks
of similar character, the tropical-looking palms, the orange, lemon,
loquat and olive, the cypress, pine and redwood trees, together
with the fresh green of the hills give to the landscape a verdant
appearance, so that by vegetation the seasons are scarcely marked.
Nothing can be more beautiful than the fields and hillsides in late
winter and early spring covered with richest verdure and studded
with the gorgeous yellow and orange of the great California pop
pies, mingled with the varied colors of many other wild flowers.
All winter the joyous song of the clear-throated meadowlark greets
one from the trees, telephone wires and fences; early in March the
almond orchards are white with bloom and other orchard blossoms
follow in succession, and then other bird songs are heard — for in
spite of the indiscriminate shooting that has prevailed, in a morn
ing hour of last September twenty-seven different kinds were
counted from Bell Ranche bridge.
Perhaps it is proper here to say a few words about earthquakes
which have so fearsome a sound to the strangers in our midst.
But one has been of serious import within the memory of the "old
est inhabitant," that of 1868, mentioned elsewhere. These dreaded
upheavals may consist of "a sudden jarring of the earth, some
times accompanied by a short rumbling noise, followed by a few
quick vibratory motions, and all is over; although occasionally
two or three shocks follow consecutively." These are seemingly
preferable to the blizzards, cyclones, gales, tornadoes and dreadful
electrical storms of the eastern States.
Frobablv the best hay in the world is wild oat hay, which here
grows to perfection. The different clovers, grasses and alfilaria
are mostly annuals, starting up fresh and green with the rains of
winter, curing on the ground as summer comes on, and affording
excellent pasturage, sweet and nutritious until the rains fall again
to start the fresh new feed. Except for the stubble fields after
the hay and grain are off, and the marsh meadows, the uplands
and hills are the pasture and grazing lands; although there also
a good deal of hay and grain are raised.
In the winter between rains the farmer tills his land, the horti
culturist cultivates his orchards, and the vegetable grower is al
ways busy with one crop after another. In May, haying time,
there are sometimes late showers, when watchfulness is necessary
to avert injury. After that, rain is rarely seen before late October,
or earlv November; then the southerly winds bring in the wished
for showers, which continue off and on until in May, blowing in
through the "Golden Gate" the trade winds come again. These bring
long and comfortable days when the farmer unconcerned by fears

1 8 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
of storms, harvests and threshes his grain, piling up his filled sacks
in the fields until a convenient time to haul them to the warehouse
or send the grain to market. These days are busy ones for the
orchardist, as one after another the crops of cherries, apricots,
peaches, plums, pears and prunes ripen; but between the different
harvests he may find time when with his family he can go for a
camping trip or some other outing. The vintage comes in the
autumn, also the gathering of almonds and other nuts, and then
the sugar-beet grower is busy digging and drawing to the mill his
saccharine vegetables. Olives are gathered in winter. The small
fruit and vegetable growers market their produce the year round.
The proportion of tillable land to pasture and marsh land is
greater here than in any other township of the county, and this,
too, is one of the finest agricultural districts in the State. The
soil varies from a rich dark loam, six to fifteen feet deep, with a
substratum of sand and gravel in the valley, to the lighter soil of
the foothills and high hills beyond. There is some adobe in places,
which is heavy and sticky, yet if continually worked, as it is rich
in nutritive qualities and retains moisture, it gives abundant re
turns; in fact, the earth is everywhere fertile.
The hills are cultivated to the tops, and on these sunny slopes
early vegetables are grown for the city market. Bees do well and
poultry raising has become quite an industry.
What wonder that with so many advantages the valley and
uplands have become a succession of gardens, orchards, vineyards
and grain fields?
As this township was the first part of Alameda county to be
settled by Americans, so here the first experiments in agriculture,
not only in the locality, but in the State, were begun, amazing
those who made them by the amount and size of the productions.
Wm. Simm, in 1853, shipped from Irvington to the World's
Fair, New York City, in hermetically sealed cases, samples of
California grain which attracted much attention. There were oat
stalks ten feet three inches in height, with heads twenty-two to
twenty-eight inches in length. Also the product of a single grain
of wheat, viz.: seventy spears, or stalks, having four thousand
two hundred grains or kernels, and some wheat heads consisting
of from fifty to eighty grains in a head.
Horticulture began, of course, with the Mission fathers, and
before the discovery of gold we read that grapes, pears and other
fruit were regularly supplied from the Mission to General Sutter
When gold mining began, vegetables and fruit brought fabu
lous prices. Onions were $1 per pound; cabbages sold at $1 per
head; potatoes, 16 cents per pound; wheat, eleven cents, and barley
from five to seven cents. As one acre produced 600 bushels of

INTRODUCTION 19
onions, potatoes averaged three hundred bushels, and grain from
fifty-six to seventy-five, it will readily be seen that the farmer
had a veritable gold mine in his produce. Capt. Bond, of Centre
ville, at an early date sold blackberries for fifty cents per pound,
and in 1863 cherries, the first raised, for sale in the valley for thirty
cents per pound. John Proctor got $1 apiece for pears.
Two Frenchmen kept a wayside house on the road which ran
on the back part of the Jesse Beard (now the. J. L. Beard) place,
and there raised vegetables for market. One of them procured
some watercress seed from France and planted it near the house
in a bend of the creek, and from this the other streams in this
valley may have been supplied.
The Americans who settled here soon procured cuttings from
the Mission orchard and fruit trees from the east.
In 1853, Earl Marshall had three hundred sent out by way of
Panama, and about the same time E. L. Beard imported others,
which were brought across the plains. Beard and Lewelling did
quite a business in that line, and some of these old trees are still
growing on the John Beard homestead, some at Crandall Slough
and other places in the vicinity. Of the Marshall stock, Capt.
Bond and George Loyd planted several trees in Centreville ; on the
Capt. Bond place a few of the apple trees remain, and on the Stiv
ers' place, Irvington, are others.
The investment in these trees was extremely profitable for all
concerned. John Proctor afterward started a nursery at Centre
ville. Then James Shinn established one on a large scale about
half way between Centreville and Vallejo's Mills, importing rare
trees from the Orient and other parts of the world; many of them
are still growing on the home place — among others might be men
tioned the carob tree, locust bean or St. John's bread, which is
interesting because identified with the tree producing the husks
eaten by the prodigal son, and the locusts of St. John the Baptist.
B. D. T. Clough, of Niles, was also one of the early nurserymen
and had a flourishing business. These are now all gone, but under
the management of the veteran John Rock, the California Nursery
Company, of Niles, has six hundred acres in fruit, ornamental
trees and plants, shipping a vast amount of nursery stock far and
near. John M. Horner was the first man to demonstrate that veget
ables and grain could be raised in California in paying quantities ;
the fame of his achievements went abroad and many eastern people
believed that this valley was the only place in California where
vegetables could be grown in appreciable quantities. His cor
respondence in regard to this belief was very amusing. Mr. Horner
and his brother operated on a large scale. About the time pota-

20 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
toes became a drug in the market they turned their attention to
grain, and built the big steam flouring mill at Alvarado. E. L.
Beard was another large farmer, and with his stepson, H. G. Ells
worth, built a water mill at the Mission. Vallejo's Mill at the mouth
of Alameda Canon made three in operation early in the history of
the township. Many other pioneers engaged in grain raising, and
all were astonished at the immense crops produced. The products
now may be classed as grain and hay, fruits in great variety, from
the loquat, fig, lemon and orange, to the apple.
The Mayhew orange grove at Niles, also Mrs. Pickering's, the
Shinn's and Ellsworth's, Mr. Crowell's at Irvington, Mr. Curtner's
at Warm Springs, and a small one of O. B. Simpson's, at Centre
ville, demonstrate what can be done in citrus fruits; but every
man can have his own oranges and lemons in his garden if he so
desires. The Imperial prunes raised by Senor Juan Gallegos, at
Mission San Jose, are as fine as any in the famed Santa Clara County
district, and everybody knows of the Vanderpeer apples at Alvar
ado. At Stony Brook, up near Mission Peak, on the C. S. Haley
anche, and other places, excellent ones are also raised. There
are the products of the gravel beds, the molder's sand quarries the
stone quarries, and in addition to the industries already spoken
of several others should be mentioned — stock-raising, dairying,
poultry raising, the drying and curing of fruits and nuts, seed cul
ture and the cut flower industry which is increasing in value. The
salt and sugar works, the wineries, the car shops, foundry, planing
mill, lumber and coal yards give employment to many men. Con
siderable wood is cut in the timbered hills, perhaps more than
ought to be to ensure the preservation of the woods.
In earlv times there was, of course, only the Mission Church,
but after the Americans came, the Latter Day Saints held services
in the upper story of the adobe on the Naile place and soon after
in Horner's school house in Centreville.
Early in the fifties, two Protestant organizations (Presbyterian
and Methodist) were perfected in Centreville, and soon had church
buildings. Now every village has one and some have two or three
church edifices.
Originally school districts in the county had the same boun
daries as the townships, but almost immediately others were formed,
three first and then more ; there are now fourteen in this township
with comfortable school buildings in each. The first school taught,
however, was at the Mission, when this township was a portion of
Santa Clara County.
In 1856, there were but nineteen teachers employed in the
county, at an average salary of 176.70 per month; thirty-eight

INTRODUCTION. 21
are now teaching in this township in the high and grammar schools,
ten men and twenty-eight women.
The salary list for the school year of 1903 and 1904 amounted
to almost $3,000 per month; the average salary for men was about
$99 per month, and for women a little over $72.
The schools rank well — in 1899 a girl graduated from the Cen
treville grammar school with the highest standing of any examined
by the County Board of Education, and the following year one
from the little country district of Rosedale carried off like honors;
it is pleasant to chronicle that both attended high school and that
one is now studying in the State University.
In 1890, the Legislature passed the Union High School law,
and under its provisions twelve districts in the township united
to establish a high school.
The trustees of these districts met at Centreville, and on the
eighth ballot to determine a location. Centreville was chosen. The
site of two acres on the Centreville-Niles road was donated by the
citizens of the village and vicinity and afterward the Board of
Trustees purchased an acre additional.
School was opened in 1893 in the Masonic building,
with two teachers, Mr. William Wentworth, principal, and
Miss G. R. Crocker assistant, and twenty-two pupils were
immediately ' enrolled; the reputation of being one of the
best schools in the State was at once established, and this
standard has been jealously maintained. In 1893 the present
fine building was finished at a cost, including other improvements,
of nearly $11,000. Trees, shrubs and flowers were planted which
now make the place very attractive. The first year there was one
graduate, and the next two; but the banner class in point of num
bers, twelve, was that of '96. In 1903 there was a large entering
class, and the enrollment is now about seventy, with a corps of
five teachers. The course of study must be prepared or sanctioned
by the Board of Trustees, and approved by the County Board of
Education; the text-books must be those recommended by the
State Board. The school is fully accredited and prepares for all
courses in the State University ; the faculty has always been com
posed of excellent scholars and teachers — two of them have been
graduates of the school and of the State University.
The pupils generally have reflected credit upon the school and
teachers, a good proportion of them* have taken college work in
California or Stanford, and were known as good students; several
have been graduated from the Normal Schools and are teaching
successfully in the township or elsewhere. Some have been dis
tinguished on the foot-ball and base-ball 'varsity teams.
In 1902, Alvarado joined the union, so that at present all dis-

22 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
tricts except Stony Brook belong to the high school district. The
rate of taxation for the support of the school has varied, but for
1903 and 1904 it was .07 on the hundred; the State aid received,
according to the new law, for the first year is about $1,100. The
first president of the Board of Trustees was H. A. Mayhew, Niles,
and the first secretary was L. F. Jarvis, of Newark, who resigned
upon removing to Oakland ; to his untiring care much of the beauty
of the grounds is due.
There are no incorporated towns within the limits of the town
ship, but the several villages are thriving business places. Two
lines of the S. P. R. R. run through, about five miles apart, and
surveys have been made, presumably for a competing road. It is
likely but a question of time when the different villages will be
connected with electric roads. Telephone and electric light lines
run everywhere.
The Portuguese population was represented early in the '50s.
The first comers were four sailors, in 1852, who were immediately
employed in the harvest fields on the Naile place, now Mrs. Kate
Overacker's. Two of these made permanent homes very soon;
Frank Rose buying land near the hills on the mountain road, and
Frank Silva Joulin eventually purchasing near Mowrv's; another
Frank Rose remained two or three years working in the vicinity
then returned to the Azores, married, went to New England and
finally returned here. The fourth left after the harvest was over.
Many more have settled in the valley since then and own some of
the best small farms. They are an industrious and thrifty people,
taking pride in building neat homes and cultivating their farms.
Situated near Decoto, on the foothills of the Contra Costa
range and commanding a superb view, is the Masonic Home, a
prominent landmark, seen from most points in the valley. The
buildings, considered architecturally, and with the site, are not
surpassed by any like institution in the United States. They
stand for an expression of what the fraternity feels that it owes to
aged and unfortunate brethren, their mothers, wives, widows and
orphans; this is not thought of as a charity, but rather as a duty
gladly performed for the amelioration of hardships in the lives of
old and less fortunate members of the masonic order. Certainly
no more beautiful or practical manifestation of this sentiment
could have been planned.
Few of the buildings of early days remain now — one only of
those built by the Mission priests — this is the old adobe which
was used as a store. The tiled roof has been replaced by shin
gles and a framed addition attached to the end, which detracts
from an otherwise picturesque appearance. It is hoped that the
Church will restore and preserve this link which connects us with

INTRODUCTION 23
the venerable past of the padres. In Niles is a part of Vallejo's
Mills, fast crumbling away, an adobe house standing in the Cali
fornia Nursery's grounds, and another at Warm Springs are
perhaps the only adobes left.
On the Niles-Irvington road, the house built by J. M. Horner
still stands, doing duty as a barn and dove-cote; the old "Horner's
School House" is not far from the warehouse in Irvington. A part
of the zinc-roofed house brought by Timothy Rix "around the
Horn," can still be seen near the same village. The Torry house
in Centreville; the ranche house built by E. L. Beard, on what is
now the Eugene Stevenson place, an interesting reminder of the
primitive ranching days, these and a few others are all that remain
of the old-time buildings.
The Indian burying ground, belonging to the Mission church,
where the remnant of a once numerous people is buried, and which
will soon receive the last one, lies on a sunny hillside, between the
Mission and Irvington, forlorn and neglected — typical of the race.
This spot should be fenced and cared for. There are in different
parts of the township several natural landmarks of interest. The
low line of softly-rounded, undulating hills already mentioned as
lying next the Bay, called Los Cerritos by the Spaniards, by the
Americans less euphoniously dubbed Coyote Hills, and again the
Lone Hills, are worth noting. They are quite different from the
high hills on the other side of the valley, and seem to be of the
same formation as a portion of San Francisco; whether there is a
dip under the Bay or not, there appears on this side, first, an is
land, and then these hills composed of a red rock which rapidly
disintegrates on exposure to the elements. Apparently they stop
rather abruptly near Jarvis' Landing, with upstanding rocks along
the slope, but after quite a sweep of marsh and tide-water ditches,
two or three little knobs rise up in succession and these are the
end. From the center of the township and farther west one can see,
looking easterly, Mt. Hamilton and the white globe of Lick Obser
vatory; in the far northwest, Mt. Tamalpais; on the north side of
Alameda Canon, Sunol Peak, over two thousand feet high, and
beyond Mission Peak range, the Calaveras Mountains, frequently
white with snow in winter.
Directly above Warm Springs is an extinct volcano. Although
in plain sight from the valley, one should visit it to see the peculiar
appearance of the old crater, (which has two mouths) — the geological
formation of rocks at its western rim and the never-failing cone-
shaped hill in the center. Near one of the crater's openings is a
group of wild cherry trees about sixty in number, not growing in
a thicket as elsewhere, but as individual trees, which is quite un-

MISS/ON PEAK

INTRODUCTION 25
usual. In the mouth of the crater giant red clover grows rank
and lush. In 1860, fifty tons were mowed there with a scythe by
Mr. Wm. Barry. South of this crater is Monument Peak, mark
ing the boundary of the township and county, and so designated
in the acts creating them.
The landmark that dominates the whole region, however, is
Mission Peak, with its scarred front, the result of ancient and
more recent landslides. It has been variously estimated to be
from 2275 to 2900 feet high, and although the former estimate
appears in several histories, the authority for it seems unknown.
Whitney gives the height as 2566 feet, and Dr. Lorenzo Yates, a
noted scientist, formerly resident of the township, measuring with
a barometer made it 2750. He also found at the base fossil ele
phants, mastodons, llamas, tigers, wolves, etc., and at the top rare
land shells and fossils. The rounded point just south he computed
to be about 300 feet higher than the peak, although from its posi
tion it is not so noticeable. There is a big flat stone on the top
of this point, and upon it is carved the initials of a name with a
date. Ten years later, cut by the same hand, appears the same
lettering, the date only changed. It is told that the man who
fashioned this inscription had made a vow to return every ten
years as long as he lived and repeat his work. The years have
come and gone, but no later record has been added. Who was
this stranger' Is he living, or has he passed over the great divide?
Perhaps the denizens of this valley are so accustomed to the
sight of Mission Peak that they fail to appreciate the dignity and
individuality which it gives to the landscape. Whether the out
lines, snow-capped may be, are sharp and distinct on a clear, frosty
morning in winter, or overspread with the purple afterglow of a
summer sunset; whether rising grim and rugged against black
storm clouds, or emerging into sunlight from unwinding fogwreaths,
the mountain has a majesty of its own. The rain torrents of
winter have for ages beaten upon it, the scorching heat of summer
suns have fallen upon it, but unmindful of the elements, of changes
wrought by men, this grand old peak stands overlooking the entire
valley, a giant sentinel forever on guard. It is a singular fact that
many living in the township, even some born and reared here,
have never ascended this mountain. They have gone to Tamal
pais, tramped to Diablo, and to other mountains farther off, ignor
ant of the vast and wonderful landscape to be seen from their own.
Standing on the top, when the day is clear, we can see far in the
east the shining summits of the high Sierras to Pyramid Peak,
and beyond the Yosemite the snow peaks of the Lyell group.
Spread out between is the great plain of the San Joaquin, and the
smaller valleys of San Ramon, Livermore and Sunol. The canon

26 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
immediately in front drops down 2,000 feet into Rosedale, and
on the other side are the serrated crags of the Calaveras. Far
and faint in the south is the huge bulk of the Gabilans, while nearer
is flat-topped Loma Prieta, and closer still the silver dome and
clustered dwellings of Lick Observatory, with the higher top of
Mount Hamilton behind. Due north rise the splendid double
peaks of Monte Diablo, the giant of the Coast Range. Turning,
the great valley, our own, stretching north and south and full of
busy life, lies at our feet a variegated patchwork of orchards,
gardens, farms, meadows, marshes and meandering streams. The
Santa Cruz mountains, topped with their giant redwood forests,
are in the southwest, and climbing over their foothills just where
the narrow gauge railroad plunges into the mountains, is the beau
tiful village of Los Gatos. So near, that we look into the streets
and see with a glass the trolley cars, which appear like toys as
they speed back and forth from San Jose and Santa Clara. On
the other side of the lower arm of the bay backed by the blue
Palo Alto hills, and showing amidst magnificent groves of live oaks,
are Palo Alto, Stanford University, Redwood City, Menlo Park
and San Mateo. The trains running from Monterey to San Fran
cisco and touching at these points are distinctly seen. Faint,
yet plainly outlined away off in the northwest, is the superb solitary
mass of Mt. St. Helena, and between it and San Francisco, the
sleeping beauty, Mount Tamalpais. Between San Francisco on
the far side, and Oakland and Alameda on this, dotted with specks
of sails, numerous steamers, and ferry boats crossing and recrossing,
are the shimmering waters of the great Bay of San Francisco,
curving out to the Golden Gate. Here and there throughout the
valley are the little towns not only of Washington tonwship, but
also of Eden. The old padres have moldered into dust, gone
are the teepes of the Indians, the adobes of the Spanish-Americans
and their herds of grazing horses and wild cattle. The stage
coaches of the pioneer days have given place to electric lines, and
the numerous railroad trains that steam up and down the valley
and out through the mountains trailing airy ribbons of smoke 
while scattered over the plain, nestling among the foothills, or built
on natural terraces of the mountain sides, are pretty cottage homes
and more pretentious country houses, where live an industrious
and contented people.
It is not within the scope of this article to write fully of the
varied interests of the township, which is fortunately situated on
the continental side of the bay, and has great resources The
products include almost everything grown in the temperate zones,
and many semi-tropical productions. Land is not cheap, because'
when the owner can make from fifty to two hundred dollars per

INTRODUCTION 21
acre it enhances in value. In educational, social and religious
respects the inhabitants fare well. Aside from the excellent
grammar schools, the high school and Anderson's academy, there
are in close proximity the State University and Stanford, Mills'
college for girls, Santa Clara for boys and men, and the technical
and business schools of Oakland and San Francisco. There are
good roads, and all of the modern requirements of good living
can easily be obtained. Oysters, clams and fish are abundant
in the waters, wild geese and ducks are in the marshes, quail, rabbit
and sometimes deer are found in the plain and upland, stock and
poultry thrive well, our dairy products are excellent, our manu
factures are equal to any, and the climate is never extreme. But
the greatest natural advantages are of little avail unless there are
men to make them serve the beneficial purposes of mankind.
Such men were the pioneers. Whether we and those who come
after shall reap the profits of the future depends upon the energy
and enterprise of our people.

The Mission of San Jose.
fN February, 1697, three hundred years ago, two Spanish
Jesuit fathers, Juan Maria Salvatierra and Francisco Ensebro
Kino, asked permission of the King of Spain "to attempt the
spiritual conquest of the Californias." Their request was granted,
upon the distinct understanding that the country should be
taken possession of in the name of the Spanish crown, and that
the king should never be called upon for any of the expense at
tending the enterprise.
Lower California had been discovered some two hundred and
fifty years before, and was supposed to be an island. Upper
California, also supposed to be an island, directly adjoining
Greenland, was well known to many Spanish navigators, who
claimed to have sailed around it. These priests found no diffi
culty in collecting funds to an " aggregate of sufficient import
ance to find much mention from time to time thereafter, in
both Spanish and Mexican history, as the ' Pious Fund of the
Californias.' "
Thirteen missions were established in Lower California within
seventy years, when in 1768, all Jesuits being banished from
all Spanish possessions by the king, the Viceroy of Mexico was
ordered to pass the work of the Jesuit missionaries over into the
hands of the Franciscans. He appointed the marvellously en
dowed Father Junipero Serra of the convent of Zacatecas, Mexico,
president of the missions. In 1769, a full century after the Pious
Fund was started, the establishment of the missions in Upper
California began, and it took forty years to complete this chain
of twenty-two missions.
"Missionaries were to give place, as need of missionary work
ceased, to secular clergy, and the mission churches were then to
become parish churches."
As is well known, the missions were for the civilization of the
Indians, but the colonization of California began at the same
time. The missions were under ecclesiastic rule, but the govern
ment furnished soldiers and presidios to protect them and the
pueblos, or towns, which it was hoped would spring up about
them. To this end goodly grants of land were given to all who
chose to come to the new land, and immigration, especially of
the educated class of Spanish-Mexican people, was encouraged
by the Mexican government. Therefore, at every mission were
to be found a half dozen or more soldiers, and a few Spanish fam
ilies with their Mexican retainers. As the Indians worked well

THE MISSION OF SAN JOSE 29
they were taken as servants by the Spanish families, hence the
mixture of the Mexican and Indian races that began early in the
century. The first mention made of any governing body in California
is of Gov. Senor Don Felipe Neve, in 1777. Twenty years later
the Mission of San Jose was founded. On June 11th, 1797, Father
de Luzuen came up from Santa Clara, placed the cross and chanted
the litanies. This cross for many years marked the burial place
of the dead, a small sacred enclosure, still close under the northern
wing of the old church. Quaint old stones, illegible with age,
with historic names all blurred, are clustered within, where to
be on sacred ground, tier upon tier, one over the over, the dead
lie buried. With wonderful foresight these padres, reared in a vine-clad
land, where fig and olive and fruits abound, saw the riches of
these acres, and so obtained from the great San Jose pueblo (or
town) lands, a mission site, some twelve miles to the north of
San Jose and well up on the beautiful slopes of the peak, hence
the name of Mission San Jose.
Fathers Ysidro Barcenilla and Augustine Merino were ap
pointed the first missionaries, and with ten soldiers under com
mand of a sergeant, laid the foundations of the mission. Acres
upon acres of ripening grasses were waiting for the cattle portioned
to them, villages upon villages of Indians were near, wood was
plentiful, game everywhere, and workers at hand to be taught
to harvest and to plant. Springs were near, and were soon walled
in ready for use, and still supply water in abundance. So
began, immediately, the building of the church, the necessary
living rooms and courts. This work seems to have taken some
ten years, not being finished until 1808. The work of christian
izing the Indians also began immediately, for within a year, in
September, 1797, one baptism is recorded. The dimensions
of the old church were "one hundred and twenty-five feet
long, and forty feet wide, with four foot walls twenty-four
feet high." The rest of the bulidings were one story, fifty feet
wide, room after room continuous about an enclosed court two
hundred feet square, into which each room opened. Some were for
guests, some for the monastery, others for school rooms, and
living rooms for the unmarried Indians, and for the serape factory,
where the clothes were woven. Within the courts were the priests'
houses, which formed three sides of a smaller court. Within
the outer court the Spanish and Indian population were wont
to assemble to celebrate great holidays with immense feasts and
barbecues. Fifteen acres were enclosed about the court by an
adobe wall some ten feet high. The church facing the west met

30 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
the walls upon either side. Within and against the walls was
a hedge of prickly pear — the Mexican nopal or tuna. Long rows
of these hedges remained as late as 1853. Various needed build
ings were afterward built within this enclosure. A portion of
one old house, a small section of the wall, and a cactus here and
there may still be seen.
In some of these buildings the fathers and mothers of some
of our club members found shelter when, a half century later,
they crossed the trackless plains seeking homes in a new land.
The enclosed land was laid out with much taste and judgment.
To quote from Miss Vallejo, "apples, pears particularly, peaches,
apricots, plums, cherries, figs, olives, oranges and pomegranites"
were growing in these gardens, being planted before 1800; and
grapes everywhere. So while Washington still lived, enjoying
the peace but just proclaimed on our eastern shores, in 1797, the
civilization and colonization of this valley began.
To secure their portion of the Pious Fund, careful reports
had to be sent by the fathers each year to the president of the
missions and to the governor of the territory. We need to but
glance at these to see the success of the work. The first vear
there were five marriages and thirty-three baptisms; the second
year twenty-nine marriages and one hundred and sixtv-two bap
tisms, one hundred and fifty-four Indians were under instruction.
There were also one hundred and fifty head of cattle, one hun
dred and eighty head of sheep and goats, twenty-one horses and
six mules. The harvest that year — 1800 — was thirty-three fane
gas of wheat, twelve of beans, one of barlev, and two of corn.
A fanega is about two bushels.
The Indians were "persuaded to come to the Mission where
possible, but when necessary" — one smiles at the word neces
sary, the soldiers were sent out and gathered them in, even
going as far as Suisun and San Joaquin. Hundreds were thus
brought in in the first few years, but many came willingly, as the
race was a peaceful one, fond of community life. They were
taught the trades, farming and gardening. Tallow and soap,
and pottery were made, and salt also, as early as 1830, on the
site of the present salt works. Weaving, housework and sewirg
were taught the women, — all were given thorough religious train
ing, and a crude schooling. They were given plain woven cloth
ing, though their clothing had been of rushes and skins before
the advent of the padres. The unmarried men and maidens
lived in the rooms off the court, but had their own individual
huts outside when married. They were given their portion of
beef, which they cooked in the crudest manner. They gathered
acorns, nuts and grasshoppers, ground them into a paste, mixed

THE MISSION OF SAN JOSE 31
with suet or "montego," which they baked in small cakes between
hot stones.
When the fathers entered upon their work in this valley they
found some seven villages or rancherias, with from two to four
hundred people in each village, making a total of about two thous
and Indians in the valley. Each rancheria had its own language or
idiom, though many of the inhabitants were familiar with that
of the others, owing to frequent intermarriages. They did not
practice polygamy, although Bancroft asserts that they did in
some parts of the state. They are described as "stoutly built
and heavy limbed, with short, broad faces, wide mouths, thick
lips, broad noses and extremely low forheads." They were poor
hunters of large game, but skillful in making nets for fish and
small animals. They lived on clams, sturgeon and other fish
from the salt water sloughs, while from the mountains they se
cured acorns and pine nuts, from which they made flour. They
caught wild ducks and geese in nets, removed the bones and dried
them. Thev also made a mush from the buckeye, and sometimes
used the deadly nightshade. So closely did these people live
to nature that they knew just when and how to use these poison
ous plants without any ill effects.
The women made very beautiful baskets from grasses, and
wove into them colored feathers from the wild ducks or gay-plum-
aged birds. Some few very fine specimens are to be found today
in the possession of members of some of the old settlers' families.
It was the custom when any one died to burn or destroy, or bury
with them all of their valued possessions, so very few relics of
any kind are to be found extant today.
The men were the only dancers, and they wore gay and fan
tastic headdresses of feathers and skins. One or two such pieces
have been purchased by white people, and are greatly valued
by t eir owners.
In winter these people wore a garment of skins, and in summer
a fringe of tules hanging from the waist. Their dwellings in sum
mer were merely a "lean to" of branches; in winter a hut, or a
"wickiup," of branches and tules, plastered with mud. Each
hut sheltered a whole family related by blood or marriage, the
size of the hut being dependent upon the size of the family.
The Indians around San Francisco Bay had no canoes, but
used bundles of tules lashed together, cigar-shaped. Some were
long enough and strong enough to hold half a dozen persons astride.
These they propelled with flat sticks.
It was the custom of these people to bury their dead in a sitting
position close to their wickiups, and this practice resulted in making
a mound about which their huts were built, and upon which they

32 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
built their fires for burning the possessions of the dead, and for
other purposes.
In reading of the details of the building of the Mission, it is
interesting to learn of the burning of the tiles, the making of the
adobe bricks, and of the cutting and carrying by hand of the heavy
timbers from the redwoods of San Antonio, thirty miles away.
Each of these materials took months to prepare, so it is not aston-
ing that ten years elapsed before the Mission was completed. The
windows were brought from Spain at great expense. The five
bells also came from Spain, being Spanish gifts. Of these bells,
three remain in the church today ; one is supposed to be in Father
King's church in East Oakland; the other cannot be traced.
In 1800 there were brought from Spain several religious paint
ings and two wooden figures, all of considerable merit. The
figures are about life size. One is of the Christ; the other a Spanish
saint. The paintings still hang in the church, but the figures
have been given to the sisters in the Josephineum Orphanage,
where they are highly prized. A few rare, worn vestments, a
piece or so of old altar silver, and the four vellum books filled
with rare records, of names famous in our land, and of deeds worth
telling are about all that remain of the belongings of the old church.
These books are now most carefully treasured in the archives
of St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco.
The earthquakes of 1812 and of 1822 did some injurv, which
the earthquake of 1868 completed. The church was soon rebuilt,
more modern in architecture, on the old site. A section of the
rooms opening upon the court, which was rented for years for
various purposes, and is now a storage room belonging to the
priests; the old tiled steps at the entrance to the church; the tiled
floor (now covered with wood) and the three bells are all that
are left of an old, distinctly Spanish type of structure, a type so
suitable to our country, so desirable for our climate, so capable
of artistic development, that it is coming into use, in its modified
form, all over our state.
The several Spanish families about the Missions, composed
of cultivated and refined people, formed a sort of aristocracy,
having large land grants, many retainers, and herds of cattle.
Their houses were of adobe, and each house had its ovenilla, tiers
of shelves made of tiling to cook upon, the smoke escaping from
a horizontal slit in the back of the ovenilla, and thence out through
another horizontal slit in the walls. In the kitchens hung highly-
polished cooking utensils. In their rooms were well-made, though
rude pieces of furniture, now becoming so popular because of
their genuine artistic merit, an occasional good painting, a rare
rug, or bit of tapestry. Their wives and daughters had laces.

THE MISSION OF SAN JOSE 33
jewels, fine china, and wore exquisite garments, for as early as
1822 the Russians began to come down to the Missions from Fort
Ross to trade such goods for hides and tallow, wheat and pelts
of deer, bears and foxes brought into the mission by the Indians
or wandering hunters. This trading continued until Fort Ross
was abandoned, in 1841, when it was taken up by the great traders
from Europe and the far east, and as the Russians had done, so
did they anchor off what was later known at Beard's Slough and
also off Mowry's Landing. The padres owned boats at both land
ings, capable of carrying one thousand hides, and all bartering was
done on board the ships, the Indians taking the goods back on
their shoulders, as they had taken their goods there for exchange.
Sometimes the padres drove to the landings in a "calesa" or "vo-
lante," a rude two-wheeled cart, which they used on all their
excursions. They drove six white mules, mules being much
prized, and white mules rare.
In 1813 the Spanish Cortez passed a law to close the missions
and appoint parish priests within a given time. Mexico, however,
passed from Spanish rule in 1821, before the law could be enforced,
and the Pious Fund, passing into Mexico's possession, the Mis
sions were continued. In 1824 Mexico became a republic, modeled
after the United States government.
In 1 830 there were nearly three thousand Indians in this valley
The padres built quite a large mill, and grew much wheat and corn.
Horses were worth $10, cows $5, sheep $2, wheat $3 a fanega.
In 1834, when the Mission was at the height of its prosperity,
there were 2,300 Indians, 24,000 cattle, thousands and thousands
of uncounted horses and mules, and 1,900 sheep, goats and hogs.
Bands of elk and deer roamed the valley with the cattle. Various
grains were planted, covering nearly a square mile. The grain
was harvested by the old-world method, — piled within great
corrals into which horses were driven and urged in a mad race,
round and round, by the Indians upon the stacks, until the grain
was all trampled out. It was cleaned by being tossed in the air
upon a windy day, and the careful housewife washed the grain
before she ground it.
A very pretty ceremony closed the harvest season. The
Indians took four of the best sheaves of wheat, tied in the form
of a cross, to the priests who, carrying the cross on high, led the
way to the church, where the bells were rung and a Te Deum was
chanted. The Indians possessed the true musical ear, and some
times had good voices. They took part always in the church
song services. After the harvest one-third of the Indians were
granted a vacation to go to the hills to gather nuts, roots and
herbs, and to hunt and fish. They continued the custom handed

34 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
down from father to son, and held their three or four annual dances
to insure success in hunting and fishing, and no game but the
kind danced for could be brought into camp. The dance in Sep
tember was a very serious, ceremonial dance, lasting several days.
Their dresses, worn for the dance, were very elaborate and well
made, of feathers. Upon one day, the Coyote dance, a rude sort
of play, was given, one of the favorite characters being Cooksuy —
a clown. There must have been some meaning of a memorable
character to this dance, because when asked why they danced,
they always replied: "Because our fathers are dead." Their
tradition of the coming of death into the world is as follows: A
beautiful maiden lay in a trance, and no creature should make
a sound for four days. The lark, however, forgot and began its
song, "who-who." The maiden died, and death came to all there
after. Today, if an Indian kills a lark he will strike its bill with
his forefinger, and say, "If you had not spoken death would not
have come to us." The dances were continued annually until
about twelve years ago, but as the old leaders and full-blooded
Indians are nearly all gone, these dances have ceased. The very
last one was given near Pleasanton in 1897. This peaceful, pas
toral life, this patriarchal care of a dependent race was soon to
cease. In 1833 Mexico ordered the withdrawal of the mission
aries. This took two or three years to accomplish, and in 1836
the Pious Fund was withdrawn, parish priests were appointed
and administrators were put in charge of the Missions until such
time as the properties could be rented or sold, according to their
financial conditions. Don Jose Vallejo, who had a large grant
to the norttfof this Mission, was put in charge here until it could
be rented, as was ordered. He made his home at the Mission of
San Jose from that time until 1876, and with his family held a
most interesting position in the social life of this section. The
very names of the Sunols, Amadors, Alvisos, Higuerras and Vallejos
who held large grants of land in this valley, conjure up stories
of fair women and brave men, of bull fights and bear fights, of
gay dances, of rodeos and races, of daring riders and gay trap
pings and of happy homes. How, later, these same generous,
open-hearted men welcomed the Americans, helped them to secure
homes; how their lands, through disturbed governments and
grants lacking early confirmation, passed into the hands of others,
is a matter of history, written elsewhere.
With the withdrawal of the Pious Fund, the appointment
of parish priests and of administrators in 1S36, the Missions ceased
to be. Abuses and disputes arose, and troublous times came for
the Missions and their wards. The history of these troubles would
mean the history of California for the following ten years. In

THE MISSION OF SAN JOSE 35
all the years of political and religious disturbances Catholic services
have never ceased to be held regularly at Mission San Jose — a
church with a history of continuous worship for 107 years. How
ever earnest and anxious the priests were, they had no means
to keep the Indians together and care for them. So, set adrift
and uncared for, they went back into the hills, or to unclaimed
bits of land by the streams. The only remaining Indian villages
today in this part of the state are in this township. They are,
in the native tongue, El Molino, the mill, near Niles, and Alisal
near Pleasanton, with perhaps half a hundred persons in each
village. In the former, the last full-blooded Indian chief died
some three years ago. In Alisal, the wife of the chief still lives,
and six others of full blood. There are but seven full-blooded
Indians in all this part of California. Alisal is on Mrs. Phoebe
Hearst's property, and that lady has always a kindly hand ready
to help them when necessary. This same year, 1836, cholera
carried off hundreds of Indians, doubtless from exposure and
lack of care. They retained much of the training of the priests;
still they fell back to old manners and customs.
All of the information appearing in these papers concerning
the old Indian history and customs has been gleaned from these
seven full-blooded Indians, one being the widow of the last chief,
whose name was Jose Antonio. There will never be another
chief. They had a curious custom called "pooish," — throwing
of prized bits of shell or cloth, or scraps of baskets upon piles of
stone which were on the tops of the hills, and about which they
danced at night to charm away the devil, which sometimes they
drove out in the form of a great white bull, or a white snake. How
ever, they believed the padres had driven out this devil, as it had
never appeared since their advent.
In 1843 the administrators and major domos were withdrawn,
and the secular priests were given sole charge, but their reign
was very insecure. Gov. Alvarado and Gen. Vallejo having quar
reled, two other governors followed in rapid succession. Alvarado's
faction declared for English possession; Vallejo's for independence.
War between Mexico and the United States began, and upon the
memorable 7th of July, 1846, Commodore Sloat raised the Amer
ican flag at Monterey. Another peaceful conquest of a wonderful
country. These events all occurred in rapid succession within
two years. The administrators claimed possession of the Mis
sions, as did the major domos appointed under them. The Mex
ican government also claimed them, and the priests held possession,
until Kearny, in command on land under Sloat, ordered all Mis
sions to remain in charge of the priests, who should be respon
sible to the United States government. Bishop Alemany imme-

36 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
diately applied to the United States government for a confirmation
of the title of the Mission lands. The renting of Mission San Jose
was given in charge of Fremont, who delegated his right to others.
In due time the Mission San Jose lands were rented and paid for
many times over, because of the claims of the various officials.
E. L. Beard, one of the earliest pioneers, so well known to all
old timers, held the mission lands and lived 'there until the final
patent was granted to Bishop Alemany, reading: "Mission of
San Jose, 28 33-100 acres of church property, patented March
3rd, 1858." Mexico, having refused ever to pay to Upper Cali
fornia her share of the Pious Fund, since California became United
States territory, suit has therefore been pending since 1868, which
being placed before The Hague tribunal two years ago — the first
case ever tried before that great peace court — resulted in the
following decision rendered in October, 1902: That "Mexico
shall pay to the Catholic Church of California the sum of $1,420,682
at once, and $43,050 in February of every year thereafter forever."
On June 16th, 1903, Embassador Clayton of Mexico cabled the
State Department of the United States that the Mexican govern
ment had, on the previous day, June 15th, 1903, deposited to
his credit $1,420,682 on account of the Pious Fund. This early
action of the Mexican government in meeting its obligations has
broken all records in arbitration.
Will that sum, or any part of it, be used to ameliorate the
condition of the few remaining Indians in the state, the people
for whom the sum was originally contributed?
Such vague, uncertain boundaries were given when portioning
off grants and selling lands in those wonderful, large-handed days
that the wonder is that lines were ever straightened or patents
secured. It was not until 1864-5 that the final patents were all
secured in our valley. Some of our old settlers hold valued papers
with the name of Lincoln, making good their titles and papers,
that because of the name, are held among their rarest possessions.
With the raising of our flag, this chapter of California history
closed entirely and forever, and there it a breath of gladness that
the gentle founders of the mission did not see its close. Three
days after the raising of the flag in San Francisco (Verba Buena)
the good ship Brooklyn sailed in through the Golden Gate bringing
236 colonists from our eastern shores, with knowledge of trades
and stores of tools. Within the year many of those sturdy fami
lies, whose names and histories will some of them appear" in the
following papers, crossed the bay into this goodly land, and began
the work which marks the fifty years of this township history
as a golden era. Today we behold this fair and goodly land, with
"orchard and meadow fruited deep," filled with a prosperous and
christian people.

Mission San Jose
From the American Occupation

Old Mission of to day — Mission San Jose.

fN 1846, as Col.
John C. Fremont
was on his way to
Oregon, across the
plains and mountains
of California, he ar
rived at Monterey,
and was given per
mission to continue
his journey, via the
San Joaquin Valley.
This privilege was re
voked almost as soon
as given ; but he kept
on his route, however,
through the Mission
San.Jose, Mission Pass
and Stockton, and
had gone as far north
as Klamath when
trouble broke out in
his rear, and dispatches which he received caused him to retrace
his steps. A few weeks later the Bear Flag was raised at Sono
ma; war had broken out between the United States and Mexico,
and Commodore Sloat had hoisted the flag and taken possession
of Monterey, the Capital of California.
One member of Fremont's band, Henry C. Smith, occupied a
prominent position in the settlement of the little town of Mission
San Jose by the Americans, and was appointed Alcalde by Gov
ernor Riley. When gold was discovered at Coloma, on the Amer
ican River, in 1848, Smith went to the mines but remained only
a short time. Returning to the Mission, he opened a store; the
place soon became a very important trading post, as all travel to
or from the "mines" — except by river — necessarily led through
the Mission Pass. All travelers, therefore, were likely to "put
up" at the Mission. It is reported that in a very short time Mr.
Smith's accumulations in gold dust and coin were so great that
their removal required a wagon.
The first money in circulation was of Mexican coinage, later
gold ounces, or "slugs," were used. Slugs were large octaganol

38 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
minted pieces of gold, valued at ($50) fifty dollars. Smith is often
called the "Father of the County," because it was partly through
his efforts that the County was organized, in 1853, from territory
taken from Santa Clara and Contra Costa Counties. His death
took place at Livermore, in 1875.
On the return of the miners, journeying to take the steamer
at San Francisco for their far distant homes in the East, many
pitfalls awaited them — and these they did not escape at the Mis
sion, as a number of gamblers were always there waiting for them.
Joaquin Murietta, the famous "Joaquin," — Mexican gentleman, (?)
gambler, horse and cattle thief — who figures in many a wild bor
der story, had his rendezvous about a mile and a half back of the
Mission, in the Pass, and levied tribute on many a traveler. This
same neighborhood also boasted of "Five-Fingered Jack," Tom
Gear and other well-known cut-throats, who were later dispersed
or captured by the Vigilance Committee.
A small town soon sprang up about the Mission buildings —
the first American settlement, in what is now Washington Town
ship. The courtesy and hospitality of the Mission priests helped
not a little in this settlement. Travelers were given food and
shelter overnight, and names which are well-known in many walks
of life all over our broad land to-day are inscribed in their old
leather bound books, which are now carefully treasured among
the archives of St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.
The great bands of cattle and horses roamed at large as late
as 1855, and among the bands deer and elk often fed in peace.
The coyote, the wolf and fox, the California lion and grizzly were
in the mountains and preyed upon the herds in the valley. They
furnished food and sport for the early hunters and added to the
stock of pelts sold each year from the Mission stores.
Bull fights and rodeos with the attendant festivities, races,
dancing, feasting and the entertainment of guests from leagues
away, furnished the sports and pleasures of the lovely, soft-eyed
Senoritas and gallant Senors. The one street which the Mission
could boast was boarded up, seats were erected on one side for
the spectators, and within this enclosure the gayest sports took
place. Men and women vied with each other in throwing money
and jewels to the victors, and the goodly number of Americans, in
the earlier years of the American occupancy, looked on with as
tonishment and wonder, enjoyed the pleasures, and were almost
as lavish with their gold as the Spaniards themselves. The last
bull fight took place in 1S59.
With the advent of the American, in 1849, the passing of the
lands into settlers' hands, the departure of the Indian into the
hills and the shrinkage of the great herds, the old days departed;

MISSION SAN JOSE 39
sterner workers appeared, business according to modern ideas be
gan to flourish, the broad acres were cultivated, and social life
took on a new aspect.
The Indians, who had numbered thousands in 1S46, had been
so reduced in numbers by disease and lack of care that they were
rarely seen after 1850, except on feast days, which they always
celebrated with unlimited zeal. Of these days the most attractive
to them were Good Friday and the day following, known as Judas'
Day. For more than thirty years the ceremony of hanging Judas
was planned and conducted by old "Chileno." The figure
of Judas, hanging in some conspicuous place, consisted of a bundle
of straw, in which were enclosed some explosives. It was clothed
in a suit of clothes, a pair of boots and hat, and had a grotesque
false face. As the people came out of church, a fuse was lighted
which set fire to the figure and exploded its contents, amidst a
great din. This curious old custom continued from the founding
of the Mission in 1779 until 1902. But poor old Chileno is dead,
and there is no one to take his place. Indeed, there are few of
his people left to miss the old ceremony which meant so much to
them. One by one they are going fast and are laid to rest on the
little hilltop, set off for their especial use more than a century
ago. The funeral ceremonies are conducted to-day much as they
always were ; the men dig the graves, while the women march
around the grave a certain number of times, then cover their heads
while they sit about wailing and weeping.
In 1849, E. L. Beard, of Lafayette, Indiana, secured from Pio
Pico, then Governor of California, an interest in the Mission lands
and settled in the old orchard of the Padres. There he found
flourishing the fig, olive and pear trees; desiring to improve the
varieties he had his friend, Dr. Whaley, bring from the East in
1850, scions of the Bartlett, Seckel, Pound and other varieties of
pears, which were grafted into the trees of the old orchard. He
also procured young cherry trees and the first cherry currants.
From this stock many of the orchards, which were planted later
in the valley, were supplied.
In the midst of the old orchard it is said that a lone apricot
tree grew, which the Padres called the tree of forbidden fruit, and
this appellation secured its safety at the hands of the Indians. Of
all the fine trees which were in this orchard, there are but a dozen
great gnarled old olive trees left to-day. These are beside the
avenue leading to the Josephineum Orphanage. In 1903, these
trees yielded one hundred and twenty gallons of olive oil, besides
several hundred gallons of pickled olives. These Mission lands,
about fifteen acres in all, were afterward returned to the Catholic

40 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
Church, about 1865, and the priests again took up their residence
on the property.
In 1850, Mrs. E. L. Beard, with her sons, Henry G. Ellsworth
and John L. Beard, joined her husband. The journey from San
Francisco to the Mission lay around the southern end of the Bay,
and besides being arduous, was, contrastei with the journey today,
tedious and expensive; the cost of the trip was $50. Mrs. Beard
brought many rose cuttings and other plants, which grew so lux
uriantly that everyone spoke of the place as a little paradise.
In this same year Earl Marshall went to the mines; his wife
moved to the Mission and, having a few cows, conducted the first
dairy, selling her butter at marvelous prices and milk at twenty-
five cents a quart. She cleared, in the year her husband was ab
sent, over $2,500.
This year, 1850, two hotels were built in Mission San Jose —
a name by which the little village was henceforth to be called —
the North Hotel and the Red Hotel. The lumber for the Red
Hotel came around Cape Horn, and was purchased by James Haw-
lev who built and conducted the hotel for two years, or until he
moved into the valley and into the home where he now resides.
His successors as proprietors of the Red Hotel were James Threl-
fall and wife, who kept it for some twenty years, or until it was
burned when the town was destroyed by fire the first time. The
dining-room of this hotel afforded the only dancing hall of that
period. It is said that on gala occasions Mrs. Threlfall wore a tobacco
brown brocaded silk dress, ornamented with five dollar gold pieces
in lieu of buttons, extending from the neck to the hem. Would
that some more facile pen could tell of the gay social events of
those days, of the May-day festivities, of the Fourth of July cele
brations, with grand ball following; of the New Year's balls from
early evening till daylight; of the elegant suppers, with tables
laden with all early day luxuries; of the close friendships formed
in those happy days, and of the many happy marriages and homes
established. The men and maidens of that day who, gay, careless, lovely of
mein, elegant in dress, danced the hours away to the twang of the
"fiddle and the bow," under dim candle lights, now send from their
clear old homes their children and grandchildren to enjoy the mod
ern gala day events, the plays, the concerts and cotillions which
are danced on waxed floors, under brilliant electric lights, to the
strains of an orchestra ! And every day new friendships are formed
and new homes are made, as lasting and as dear as those of half a
century ago.
Some few of the American families living at the Mission in

MISSION SAN JOSE 41
1849 and 1850 were the Jerry Fallons, the Leo Norrises, the Earl
Marshalls, the H. C. Smiths and the E. L. Beards. The popula
tion, too, was constantly changing because of the gold attraction;
the total number is estimated to have been about three hundred.
The first flag-pole ever set up in the township was raised
in front of Musser & McClure's store, which was then located in
the old adobe, adjoining the Mission Church.
In 1853, Mary Brier Moores, the second daughter of Rev. W. W.
Brier, the first American child, was born. In the summer of that
year a school was opened in an adobe building north of the church ;
the class consisted of seven or eight small boys and girls in their
ABC's. The term was three month's long, and the teacher's salary
was $150 per month, collected by subscription. Of the first class,
Emma Hawley, now Mrs. John Ingalls, and George Van Gordon
are the only ones living. The first school supported by public
funds was built at the junction of what is now the Niles road and
the road leading through Stockton Pass. It was completed in
1858. The house still stands, its owner and occupant being one
Pinheiro, a ma"n after President Roosevelt's own heart, the happy
father of twenty-four adult children. The present fine public
school building is on land which was donated for the purpose by
Beard and Ellsworth. Three teachers are employed and the aver
age attendance of pupils is one hundred and thirty.
The first musical instrument in the town was a hand organ,
which was placed in the old church and played by one of Don Jose
Jesus Vallejo's daughters. In 1850, Don J. J. Vallejo, who with
his family lived in a large adobe directly opposite the church,
purchased a piano for the use of his daughters who were all fine
musicians. In 1852, a dauguerretype of the Mission buildings by a good
traveling artist was taken, at the earnest request of John L. Beard,
then a little lad. This is the first and only good picture ever taken
of this interesting landmark. A copy of this picture is the first
illustration in this book.
About 1850, E. L. Beard, following in the footsteps of H. C.
Smith, rented an adobe building from Father Federy and opened
a store. He was succeeded in business by Howard & Chamber
lain, who in turn were followed by Musser & McClure. In 1865,
they sold out to Ehrman & Bachman. A part of this old adobe
building still stands, an interesting relic of those bygone days.
There were two stage lines in these early days between the few
small towns, one conducted by Moore Bros., who used American
horses, the other by the Cameron Bros., who drove mustangs. It
is said the latter never failed to reach their destination on time,
though they sometimes failed to accommodate would-be passen-

42 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
gers, because once started they could not be stopped! The first
express was run by one Hoag; he sold, soon, to Bamber & Co.,
who extended their lines to San Jose and San Antonio.
In 1853, Musser & McClure drove across the plains the first
band of sheep ever brought into the county. They started from
Pennsylvania and were five and a half months in making the jour
ney. They also brought good American cattle and horses.
In 1857, Geo. W. Cook and Pel. Folger came to the town and
took up a tract of land south of town, which they cultivated for
some years.
Mr. Marshall, who was elected the first Justice of Peace of the
township, in 1859, had jurisdiction over a large territory, includ
ing the only towns in the township — Union City, Alvarado, Cen
treville and Mission San Jose, in which latter place he resided.
In 1862, J. C. Palmer, who had recently moved into the locality,
believing the soil and climate to be most suitable for grape grow
ing and wine making, imported from France and Spain ten thous
and grape cuttings. The success of the enterprise was immediate,
and thousands of acres of fine vineyards now crown the beautiful
low-lying hills to the west and south of the town, and a number
of fine wineries are located in this acreage. The excellence of
these wines has brought a splendid revenue to this section, which
is yearly increasing.
In 1868 came the "big" earthquake, which threw down the
old church. Its destruction was but the work of a few seconds.
E. S. Ehrman, who was standing on the porch of the old adobe
store, tells that a crash was heard, an immense cloud of dust arose,
and the old church was in ruins! The five bells were not injured;
three hang in the new church, one is in Father King's church in
Oakland and the other cannot be traced. The foundation and
the steps of the old structure were used in the new building, which,
with a commodious parsonage, was immediately erected. Some
few of the old Dons lie buried beneath white slabs under the old
flooring, which was never disturbed, but is now covered with a
modern wooden floor.
One of the finest of palm trees stands in the Palmdale
grounds, the former home of E. L. Beard. It is sur
rounded by many more of its kind, and is over forty feet high
and fourteen feet in girth. A beautiful curled leaf willow is
also in these grounds, grown from a cutting taken from the grave
of Napoleon. A broad and beautiful olive avenue, which is a
noticeable feature in the landscape, leads from the town of Irving
ton, nearly two miles, through the Palmdale vineyards, prune and
olive groves, to the Gallegos homestead in Mission San Jose.
Frosts have never been known in this favored spot, oranges and

MISSION SAN JOSE 43
lemons thrive, and all fruits bear freely, though the locality is the
home of the orange, grape and olive.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen was organized at the
Mission September 24, 1878, with H. E. Mosher as Master Work
man. This order owns its own building, in which several other
lodges hold their meetings. There is also a large hall owned by
the Order of the Holy Ghost, in which the Portuguese society of
that name hold their meetings.
In 1S84 a very destructive fire nearly destroyed the town, tak
ing all of the old buildings not destroyed by the earthquake, ex
cept the old adobe store, which had been a part of the Mission
buildings. When the fire threatened the new church buildings
and the church itself the great barrels of claret stored in the cellars
in the old adobe were taken, at the suggestion of Mr. Joseph Sun-
derer, and used because of the lack of water to quench the fire,
and thereby the buildings were saved.
After this fire a competent volunteer fire department was or
ganized and maintained, and was of the greatest service when a
second disastrous fire devastated the town in 1895. In this fire all
of the stores and houses on the west side of Main Street were de
stroyed. The town has since been well rebuilt and is a brisk,
thriving, busy little place with about 800 inhabitants.
In 1890, a Catholic Seminary, for the education of young men
desiring to enter the priesthood, was built in the Mission grounds.
The bricks used in its construction were made on the grounds.
This institution was conducted for two years, when the building
was sold with a part of the grounds to the Dominican Sisters,
whose mother convent is situated at Guererro and 24th Street,
San Francisco. In this handsome and commodious building, sur
rounded by beautiful grounds, these Sisters have established the
Josephineum Orphanage. Sixteen professed Sisters and over one
hundred girls between the ages of four and fourteen years are
inmates of this institution.
In October, 1901, the Standard Electric Light Company brought
its line into Mission San Jose from the Blue Lakes, Alpine County.
This is, to date, the longest line in the world, carrying the biggest
voltage in the world — 40,000 volts. The large distributing station
is situated just north of the town and here there is a large trans
former to reduce the power for house distribution.
The Suburban Electric Light Co. was incorporated June 14,
1901, with a capital of $500,000. It distributes light and power
throughout Alameda County, including as a matter of course all
the towns and homes in Washington Township. This Company
secures its power from the Standard Electric Company and from
the Bay Counties Company,

44 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
In 1892, a Columbus celebration was held to commemorate the
400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus. Im
pressive and elaborate ceremonies were conducted in the church
by the Archbishop, assisted by the local and visiting priests. All
of the Indians in the neighborhood were brought in to participate
in the celebration. A procession with various appropriate floats,
preceded by one with R. A. Abbey as Columbus, was a brilliant
feature of the day. Great tables were spread under the old fig
and olive trees, all of the Indians were given a feast, and the old-
time hospitality was extended to the thousands of visitors who
were present from far and near. It was the only celebration of
the kind held in the State.
The founding of the Mission was celebrated on its centennial
anniversary, June 11, 1897, and was also the only one of the kind
ever held in the State. The church services were most imposing
and dignified, as commemorating the anniversary of a church with
a service of 100 consecutive years. The great parade of the vari
ous Catholic societies in the valley, the several beautiful floats,
the splendid music, the numbers of school children, the most lavish
floral display and a happy revival of old Spanish hospitality made
a day never to be forgotten by those attending. Again the few
remaining Indians from their homes near Niles, Sunol and Pleas-
anton were present and were given a feast in the old Mission gar
dens, under the old olive trees. A giant barbecue was held on
the Gallegos place to help feed the 10,000 guests who came
from all parts of the State to be present. The township also sent
its full quota of guests and every vehicle possible to secure in the
valley was utilized to carry the crowds from the station, for Mis
sion San Jose is two miles from the railroad, and the roads were
lined with people walking. To-day the little town is well on the
way, marking off the years of another centurv.

The Indian's Lament
Tanaya, the Chieftian, awoke from his slumber,
Woke from a sleep of a century's years,
Opened his eyes with a wild look of wonder,
Gazed on the landscape, and burst into tears.
"Where are the tall waving grasses and flowers,
Where are the beautiful sycamore trees?
How oft 'neath their branches we rested for hours,
Soothed by the silence and fanned by the breeze !
"Once a broad river ran down in its splendor,
Singing in beauty its song to the sea.
Now its scarred banks are the only reminder
Of all the bright hours we spent there in glee.
"How oft we were wont to go gaily riding
And chasing the antelope over the plain!
Has the great 'white snake,'* which I see swiftly gliding,
Destroyed the vast herds of the cattle and game?
"Full well I remember the good Father's coming
To gather my people and make them obey;
To teach them the beauty and value of learning,
To teach them to labor and teach them to pray.
"I see not the camp fires which always were burning,
I hear not the sound of their laughter and song;
Deep in my heart I feel a fond yearning
To welcome my people, to whom I belong.
"Naught but the mountain, in splendor reposing,
Remains to remind me of all which I seek;
And now as I feel my eyes again closing,
The last rays of sunset illumine its peak.
"No one to care for whatever betide me,
None to remember, wherever I roam;
Take me again to thy bosom and hide me,
To wake in a happier hunting-ground home."
*The great 'white snake' refers to the old Indian superstitution
of the white snake in their Pooish worship, and also to the smoke
of railroad trains, which now trail their length through the valley.

Union Citv and Alvarado

First Couii House in Alameda Countv

In the days of long ago — days that are now classed as those
"before the Gringo came" — Union City and Alvarado came into
existence upon a portion of the Rancho Portrero de los Cerritos
in the northwestern portion of Washington Township in what
is today Alameda County.
Union City, the first of the two to be settled, is located on the
banks of Alameda Creek near a point then known as the Devil's
Elbow. It was in 1851 that Union City first sprang into existence
Mr. J. M. Horner being its founder and the builder of the first
warehouse upon the bank of the creek. This stream pours its
waters into an extensive slough which stretches far out toward
the bay. where a very tortuous channel was formed.
It is said that in 1846 this creek was navigable for light craft
as far up as Bell Ranch Bridge. In fact, until 1878 small vessels
used this channel as far as the sugar refinery, but todav the channel
is filled, and the course of the water entirely changed.
The founder of Union Citv developed a plan for cutting a canal

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 47
across the marshes to connect with the bay, which should be a
continuation of Crandall slough. By this means the water
flow would have been admitted into the canal, and thus the flooded
marshes would have been reclaimed, the creek relieved of surplus
water, and Union City, together with Alvarado, would now have
been in direct communication by water with San Francisco, as
they were in the early days. In addition, hundreds of acres of
marsh land could have been reclaimed. Unfortunately, Mr
Horner's canal scheme never existed beyond his own ideas, and
the result was that the Devil's Elbow, where the water has dammed
and overflowed, eventually filled and is now a bed of sandy sed
iment. Union City and Alvarado are nearly surrounded by marsh,
and in the old days every year brought an overflow from the
creek, which caused a few days' flood, wherein the going out of
doors without rubber boots was anything but agreeable. The
two little towns had the advantage of good lands, extensive ware
houses, with steamer and schooner communication, which tended
to rapidly develop the rich agricultural surroundings to the east.
It is known that Union City received its title from the first
steamer which plied between that place and San Francisco. This
vessel, "The Union," had a novel history, having been originally
constructed in New Jersey and brought in sections, aboard ship,
around Cape Horn, and imported to the coast by Charles Minturn.
When this steamer first entered upon the service between Union
City and San Francisco it was owned by Mr. J. M.- Horner, and
was placed on the route to carry produce to market. It had
limited accommodations for chance passengers.
Mr. Horner had, in 1851, purchased an extensive tract of
land, which included the original townsite of Union City. From
his own and other agricultural interests, a large amount of freight
was carried from Union City to the city of San Francisco. History
states that the sales of produce from Mr. Horner's acreage alone,
one year, brought forth a revenue of $270,000.
Prior to the entry of the steamer "Union," freight transporta
tion had been confined to sailing vessels, many of which plied
between Union City and San Francisco at regular intervals. "The
Union'' was a historic craft upon San Francisco bay, her first
owner, Charles Minturn, having been the originator of the ferry
between Oakland and San Francisco. Her first master was Capt.
Olney, who afterward commanded the "Senator." Following
Capt. Olney came Capt. Marston, who later dwelt at Centreville,
where some of his descendants grew to manhood and womanhood.
Next, "The Union" was commanded by Capt. Trefry, who for
vears guided her destiny. He was afterward a resident of Centre-

48 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
ville, and for many years filled the office of constable. Union City
was the location of the first flour mill of any size established within
the limits of the state, this being also an enterprise of the Homers,
(John and Wm. Y.) who, in 1853, built at the little port a mill
having a run of eight burrs, costing at that time $85,000. It
was operated by steam power, and the flour gained a state reputa
tion, through the award at the first Agricultural Fair in California
of the first premium. The Union City flour competed with eight
samples ground from California grain, and the united judgment
of three New York merchants awarded the premium for excellency
to the sample from "Horner's Mill at Union City." This pre
mium was a silver cup.
In the early '60s this mill was the scene of a distressing accident.
Mr. Jos. Lyndall, a half brother of Mr. McClure, who was a part
owner in the mill at that time, was caught by a belt, and being
dragged against the machinery, was terribly injured. From the
effects of this accident Mr. Lyndall died two days later.
This mill was operated for many years, but was finally aban
doned. The buildings were moved to where the foundry now
stands, and are yet in use.
The first dwelling in Union City was originally occupied by
Capt. Bulmer, and today still does duty as a home. It stood
where the buildings of the water works now are until it was
moved to its present location, opposite the foundry. This house
is said to have been built of dry goods boxes, but later to have
been improved by additions of lumber. It was first occupied as
a home by Mr. Joseph Ralph and family, later by Capt. Marston
and family, A. E. Crane, Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Cameron, and Mr.
and Mrs. Churchill. It then passed into the possession of one
John Miller, who sold it to G. Piatt, who in turn transferred it to
a man named Quigley. Afterwards it became the property of
Capt. C. C. Scott, and at present is owned and occupied by Mr.
Dennis Harrington. During these years its uses have been ex
tremely varied. It has done duty as a store, saloon and gambling
house; also as a men's furnishing store. It afterward was used
again as a dwelling house, then a boarding house, later as a saloon,
and later still, again used as a home.
Another old house is the one occupied by John Moffit, built
by Capt. C. C. Scott in 1852. This historic landmark was owned
and lived in by the Curraghs, one of the earliest families of Union
City the members of which, with the exception of Dr. John Cur-
ragh of San Francisco, have years ago passed to their long home.
In 1851 William M. Liston came to Union City to take charge
of the two warehouses that had been built there by Henry C.
Smith. In addition to these warehouses, the two dwelling houses

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 49
mentioned were then in existence, and Mr. Liston constructed the
third. The first retail grocery store in Union City was kept by Capt.
Bulmer. This establishment first occupied a tent, but was later
moved into a wooden structure. Capt. Bulmer, Union City's
pioneer merchant, now sleeps in "Lone Tree" cemetery at Hay-
wards. The first hotel was established by A. M. Veasy, who afterward
gained political prominence as county clerk of Alameda county.
Almost contemporary with Mr. Veasy's hotel, a second hotel
was opened by one Andrew Forbes, the building being added to
and improved by Joseph Ralph. Later Mr. Ralph turned his
attention to farming near Alvarado.
The first white child born in Union City was the daughter
of Edward D. and Mary Gadding Clawiter. The Clawiters had
emigrated to California from Bremen, coming around Cape Horn
on the ship "Reform," having been six months on the way. They
arrived at Union City in 1852, and their daughter was born on
August 7th of that year. Her birth was a great event in those
days. People came from all directions to see the wee stranger,
and many brought gifts. From Mr. J. M. Horner she received
a town lot, and was by him christened "Union." The lot, which
was the baby's christening gift, has long since been washed away
by the floods, and today not a vestige of land remains to show
where, it was located.
Union Clawiter grew to be a handsome woman, cultured,
refined, and possessing a lovable disposition. Her education was
acquired at the public schools and at the "S. S. Harmon Pacific
Female College" of Oakland. She was the first of a long list of
young ladies who attended that school frcm this vicinity. At
twenty years of age Miss Clawiter married Converse Howe, a
member of the well-known Drexler family. She made her home
in Southern California, and became the mother of four sons. Mrs.
Howe passed away on January 19, 1890, and her husband followed
a year later, both finding a last resting place at Pomona.
From 1852 arrivals increased, and Union City soon became
a good-sized community. As has been already told, the Horner
mill building was moved from its original location. Its size was
largely increased under the owners-hip of George Tay & Co., who
in 1870 eslablished in it a foundry at Union City, investing therein
a capital of $75,000. This industry became at once a financial
success, netting for many years 40 per cent on the investment.
It was later operated by a stock ccmpany, and was called the
"George H. Tay Co." Its business manager and superintendent
was Charles R. Nauert, who was retained by the company through

50 HIS TORY OF WA SUING TON TO WNSHIP
thirty-six years of service. His son, A. Bertram Nauert, was em
ployed as the company's shipping clerk for a number of years.
The Tay foundry gave employment to thirty-five men, and dis
bursed about $4,000 a month to the employes.
Another enterprise of Union City was a glue factory, estab
lished in 1873 by Frank Fernholtz, its location being near the
present water works. The humidity of the atmosphere prevented
the production of a first-class quality of glue, and after two years
of experiment, this factory was closed, much to the relief of the
residents. Artesian water was first discovered on the old Henry S. Smith
place, the original well having an eight-inch flow. Shortly after
other wells were sunk by Quigley and Capt. Richard Benson, the
last being extremely active. Its overflow was distributed into a
natural depression, which Capt. Benson first covered with rock
and gravel, thus forming a pretty little lake about 300 feet in
diameter, and about 8 or 10 feet deep. The Benson place having
passed into the possession of Capt. Richard Barron, its new owner
built up an island in the center of the little pool, upon which were
planted all kinds of vines, while the banks of the lake were fringed
with a hedge of calla lilies. Small boats were kept on the lake,
and it became one of the attractions of the country side, many
people coming miles to view the beautiful hedge with its wonderful
growth of white flowers.
The Barron place in 1896 became the property of Mr. W H.
Dingee of Oakland, together with a large amount of property
adjoining. Upon this land Mr. Dingee sunk thirty-five wells,
ranging from 72 to 500 feet in depth, and from S to 14 inches in
diameter. The largest flow of water comes from a well close by
what is called " Plummer's Creek." Using this artesian tract as
a basis, Mr. Dingee organized the Oakland Water Company, carry
ing the flow into Oakland through a large water main. Later he
transferred this holding to the Contra Costa Water Company.
A minor industry established at Union City, and after a few
years' existence at that point, transferred to Oakland, was the
soap factory of Lanz Brothers.
Union City had a rival, in Alvarado, which was located one-half
a mile to the east, and was first called New Haven. It is claimed
that Alvarado was the outgrowth of political spite on the part of
Mr. Henry C. Smith.
Having once been honored by being the county seat of Alameda
County, Alvarado may claim precedence over other small towns
in Washington township.
In 1853, Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties were repre
sented in the assembly, the first by H. W. Carpentier and the

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 51
latter by W S. Letcher and Henry C. Smith, who dwelt at "New
Haven." On March 10, 1853, the legislature then being convened at
Benecia, Solano County, at that time the state capital, Mr. Smith
presented a petition from the residents of Santa Clara and Contra
Costa Counties asking that a new county, to be called Alameda,
be created from territory then comprised within the limits of the
two original counties. Acting on this petition, a bill entitled
"An act to create the County of Alameda and establish the seat
of justice therein, to define its boundaries and provide for its organ
ization" was passed by the legislature. Under these conditions,
Henry C. Smith may well be called the "Father of the County,"
as it was by his persistent efforts that Alameda County became a
reality. Upon the presentation of the bill, a sharp contest arose between
Mr. Smith and Mr. Carpentier as to the location of the county seat,
each desiring it to be in his own locality.
On March 28, 1853, the bill creating Alameda County received
the governor's signature, and on the 6th of April, 1853, Alameda
County became a division of the state, with New Haven as its
seat of justice, this name having been originally given to Alvarado
by Mr. J. M. Horner. This town was afterward called "Alvarado,"
in honor of Don Juan B. Alvarado, governor of California in 1836.
In the month of May, following the establishment of Alameda
County, the first election of officers took place. This election
still stands in the memory of old residents as the "Steeple Chase,"
there being five or six candidates for each office. Whigs and
Democrats were the parties in those days.
In the election so little regard was paid to the proper names
of persons that until after the ballots were cast, many candidates
were known only by their nicknames. One elected official who
upon the ballots, was represented by the name of Tom Snook,
proved upon election to be A. H. Broder, Esq., Sheriff of Alameda.
Alameda's first Court of Sessions convened at Alvarado on
Monday, June 6, 1853, in a room above the store of A. M. Church
& Co.
After organization the court adjourned until the following
morning at 8 o'clock, and during the consideration of extensive
business many claims against the county were presented and
allowed. It is interesting reading to the people of the present
day to know what the commonwealth had to pay for goods and
services, also who were the first creditors of Alameda County.
To D. L. Lord, for blank book and stationery, etc., $425.
A. M. Church, services for obtaining books, etc., for desk, $49.
Liberty Perham, for work on county desk, $33.

52

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

W C. Weaver, for work on county desk,
J. L. Long, two days' services as ass. jus. C. S., $12.
A. Marier, one day's service as ass. jus. C. S., $6.
A. W. Harris, one day's service as ass. jus. C. S., $6.
J. M. Horner, for lumber for county desk, $16.50.
C. J. Stevens, for lumber for county desk, $9.
The salary fund the first year was $4,500.
This first holding of court was a great day at Alvarado, and
there were many visions of a city to spring up along the banks
of Alameda Creek which would rival in size and business the San
Francisco of today.
On September 14, 1854, the court of sessions again met, and
Henry C. Smith was allowed $200 for rent of the court room located
over his store, he having purchased the building from A. M. Church.

First Beet Sugar Mill in the United Stales

This being the first charge of this character against the county, it
produced a great deal of dissatisfaction on account of the inade
quacy of accommodations. In the first place, the county possessed
no lock-up, and the sheriff when holding a prisoner either had to
personally watch him or lock him in a room at the Brooklyn House
the public hotel of the town. This dissatisfaction developed a
strong feeling that the county seat had not been well chosen. An
agitation for its removal arose which bore fruit in the selection
later of San Leandro for this official dignity. San Leandro then

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 53
consisted of only a few scattering houses, located on the Estudillo
homestead. A vote upon the question, ordered from no one knew
where, and by no designated authority, transferred the county
seat on the 30th day of December, 1854, to San Leandro by a
majority of 234 votes. By force of this election, justice was next
administered in the little town located on the Estudillo ranch.
San Leandro 's triumph as a county seat was shortlived, for
after the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors the county
business was seriously interrupted by the discovery that the
transfer of the county seat was illegal. This brought about a
second removal, which necessitated the vacating of a new $1,200
court house at San Leandro, and the transferring back across the
salt marshes to Alvarado of all the paraphernalia of office, where
it remained until moved back again, by an act of legislature.
Upon this return of the county seat to the banks of Alameda
Creek, the Board of Supervisors held its first session in its old
home on the l-6th day of August, 1855.
The fight for the transfer of the county seat was by no means
ended, for on February 8, 1856, the state legislature confirmed
the legality of the election for removal to San Leandro. By this
means, justice was, for the third time, set in motion, and the Board
again convened at San Leandro.
A curious incident occurred in the loss of public monies, belong
ing to both state and county, which was stolen from an insecure
place of deposit in that town during the incumbency of J. S. Mars-
ton as county treasurer. The sum stolen was $7,156.44, a remark
ably large amount for those days.
In 1853 the first private school was established, with five pupils,
the tuition being $5 per month. Not long after the public school
was inaugurated, with Mrs. Warren as teacher. As in many other
young communities, the teacher of this school "boarded around"
among the different families of the community.
The first bridge across Alameda creek was built and wholly
paid for by the Horner brothers. It stood on the exact location
of the present bridge near the sugar refinery, and cost those enter
prising citizens $1,100. They also constructed the second bridge
at Alvarado on the Mt. Eden road, but the cost of this one was
later paid by the county.
The votes cast at an election in Alvarado on the 30th day of
December, 1854, numbered 3,268. It was said by some of the
pioneers that 500 votes were imported from San Francisco.
At that time it was considered much more aristocratic to be a
dweller of Alvarado than of Union City. The social conditions
of the little communities were very pleasant in those years, balls
and parties being quite common. But up to 1860 the moral and

54 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
religious welfare of the people had failed to receive much attention
As exceptions, there were occasional services held in the Brooklyn
House at Union City by Mr. Horner, who was a Mormon elder,
and now and then a sermon by Rev. W. W. Brier, a Presbyterian
clergyman. No regular religious exercises, however, occupied
the people on Sundays, and it was not until a Sunday morning
in 1860 that the first Sabbath school was started. This was estab
lished by the efforts of two good women, Mrs. Charlotte Cornell,
now a resident of San Francisco (who on May day of 1903 cele
brated her 85th birthday), and Mrs. Julia Thompson. One of
these ladies was a Presbyterian, the other a Methodist. The Sab
bath school was held in the public school building.
To the untiring energy and care of Mrs. Cornell was largely
due the building and furnishing of the Presbyterian Church, while
to the fostering love of Mrs. Thompson was intrusted the interests
of the Methodists. Both buildings were completed in 1860, the
Methodist a few months the earlier. These religious edifices were
for a long time called, "Charlotte's Temple" and "Julia's Chapel."
Dr. Hamilton, of Oakland, preached the first sermon in the
new Presbyterian Church, on Sunday, May, 1861.
The Methodist Church, by removal and death of its members,
lost nearly all its congregation, and twenty years since the church
building was sold.
The history of the Presbyterian Church is one of prosperity,
which includes the construction of a handsome place of worship
on the old location in 1902.
A Catholic church building was erected in 1863, and is still
occupied as a place of worship. The building was dedicated by
Archbishop Alemany, and Father Fredi was the first priest in
charge. The first church people were mostly Spaniards. A real
hero, patriot and friend to church and community was Capt. C. S.
Eigenbrodt, who lived on a farm near Alvarado. He was of Ger
man descent, though a native of New York and a graduate of
West Point. Capt. Eigenbrodt was killed in action during the
Civil War, in Shenandoah Valley, September 2, 1864.
To the town he left a sum of money to be used for the found
ing of a library. This was the nucleus of the present Odd Fellows'
library. Capt. Eigenbrodt served one term as supervisor, and
was a member of Crusade Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Alvarado.
The Alvarado Home Guard was formed in 1862, and was com
manded by Capt. Ephriam Dyer, but was never called into action;
the other officers were: 1st Lieutenant, C. P. Johnson; 2d Lieu
tenant, Joseph McKeown; 3d Lieutenant, H. C. Smith; Orderly
Sergeant, Frank Oilman.
The citizens decided that July 4, 1863, should be celebrated

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 55
with spirit and as loud a noise as possible. They collected $150
and bought a cannon, which was fired early and often on that day
and consumed a large amount of gun powder.
The Alvarado Guards had a grand dedicatory ball in their new
Armory on the 23d of September, 1864, in honor of Col. Jackson
and Lieut. -Col. Rowley, which was the greatest social event of the
year. The earthquake of '68 did much damage, knocking down the
large brick building and all of the chimneys, wrecking Stokes'
store and crushing the bridge together so that it was impassable.
A chasm was rent eight feet across near Mr. Dyer's place. For
tunately no lives were lost. In a brick stable, where A. J. Lattin
kept a valuable horse, the timbers so fell that they formed a pro
tection for the animal from the falling debris, and it escaped with
out injury.
Alvarado's first railway was the South Pacific Coast Narrow
Gauge, constructed in 1878, giving quick communication between
that point and the metropolis.
In 1890, Alvarado was visited by a series of mysterious con
flagrations. Buildings were destroyed one after another, no one
knowing from what source the fires started. Later events prac
tically proved that all of this disturbance was of incendiary origin,
there being unmistakeable evidence to this effect. One death
occurred from these fires, the victim meeting his fate in one of the
burning buildings. Untiring investigation failed to discover the
fire fiend, and this bit of history remains today as great a mystery
as ever. The old buildings so destroyed have been replaced by
fine brick structures.
Prior to 1862 the only salt manufactured east of Mt. Eden came
from the salt works of Christian Borthson, located on the banks
of Alameda Creek, adjoining the salt works of John Ouigley below
Union City. J. A. Plummer and sons — J. A. Plummer, Jr., and
C. A. Plummer — purchased in 1869 from Lyman Beard a large
tract east of Alvarado, upon which was established their "Turk's
Island" Salt Works. Prior to the death of Mr. Plummer, Sr.,
in 1883, his interests in the salt properties were transferred to his
sons, and were merged into the firm of Plummer Bros.
The Alvarado Sugar Factory is the pioneer plant in the United
States for the manufacture of beet sugar. It has been in almost
continuous operation under various companies for the last thirty-
three years. The originator of the business was E. H. Dyer of
Alvarado, now retired on account of declining years. At the
time of the establishment of the industry it was not looked upon
as a feasible proposition, and it was hard to obtain the necessary
capital to enter into and develop this new industry.

FIRST BANK IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

UNION CITY AND ALVARADO 57
The California Beet Sugar Manufacturing Company was organ
ized in 1867, with a capital of $250,000. Work first began in 1870.
In 1872 the capacity of the mill was only 7,000 tons of beets per
annum. The factory was run for four years, and then failed.
The machinery was sold and removed to Soquel, in Santa Cruz
County, where a mill was run for a few years and then abandoned
In 1879 the Standard Sugar Manufacturing Company was
organized with a capital of $100,000. It was soon ascertained
that more capital was needed, so it was reorganized under the
name of the Standard Sugar Refinery, with a capital of $200,000.
It was operated until 1886, when the boilers blew up. It was
reorganized a third time in 1887, under the name of the Pacific
Coast Sugar Company, and operated until 1888, when it ended
in financial failure. The property was purchased in 1889 by the
Alameda Sugar Company, an entirely independent organization,
and has since been successful.
In 1897 the factory, under the management of E. C. Burr was
enlarged to double its former capacity, and is now crushing 750
tons of beets per day, during each season.
The Hellwig Meat Co. was organized in 1868 under the name
of P Hellwig & Co. Some changes occurred at different times
until January 1, 1903, when the Hellwig brothers and three others
incorporated the Hellwig Meat Company, capitalized with $50,000.
This company employs eleven men, and has the only cold storage
plant in the township. The firm also has a ma'rket in Hay wards.
Besides this the Lowrie Bros, have a market, sending their wagons
into all parts of the township.
Alvarado's fraternal orders are as follows: Reliance Lodge
No. 93, A. O. U. W.; Wisteria Parlor N. S. G. W. ; Olivina Parlor
N. D. G. W. ; Woodmen, Alvarado Camp; Women of Woodcraft,
Alvarado Circle; two Portuguese lodges, and most important of
all, Crusade Lodge No. 93, I. O. O. F., the first Odd Fellows' lodge
established in the county, and organized November 26, 1859.
The first officers elected were: C. S. Eigenbrodt, N. G. ; A. E.
Crane, V. G. ; James Hawley, Rec. Sec. ; William Hayes, Treas. ;
William Liston, Cor. Sec. Of the charter members there is but
one now living, James Hawley.
In 1864 the Lodge erected a fine two-story building. The
lodge room, banquet hall and library occupy the upper story, and
the ground floor is used as a public hall. There is also a large
order of the Daughters of Rebecca.
The Alvarado Bank was established in 1902, with a capital
of $25,000, under the presidency of I. V. Ralph. The other officers
are: Vice-pres., F. B. Granger; treas., F. P. Hellwig; cashier,
August May.
The estimated population of Alvarado is 600. There are now
but few representatives left of the old families who dwelt in the
little village prior to 1860. Some have moved elsewhere, and
their descendants have scattered into other sections of the state
and of the Pacific Coast.

UNION HIGH SCHOOL

Centreville and Vicinity

'HE highway of the early settlers from San Antonio (East
Oakland) to San Jose followed the most direct route prac
ticable through the Alameda Valley. From a ford of Ala
meda Creek, just back of the Kelsey place, trails led across the
country to the embarcaderos along the Bay.
Where these trails crossed the highway a small settlement was
made, and soon became a thriving village, which on account of the
location was called Centreville.
At the time, an attempt was made to give the place a Spanish
name, and several times since like propositions have been made,
but without success.
Geographically the town is about the middle of the township
and is on the northern part of the old Mission San Jose grant. It
is near a river bed, which, geologists tell us, was once the main
channel of the Alameda Creek, and appears on the old maps as
the Sanjon de los Alisos, or Big Ditch of the Sycamores.
Traces of this creek bed can still be plainly followed. Deflect
ing from the present channel, on the farm of Howard Overackeri
it runs through the Capt. Bond place, crossing the county road
where the Newark road comes in, thence through the Episcopal
church grounds, across the Allen, Hilton, Simpson, Bunting, Pat
terson and Rose places, thence southwesterly through the old
Munyan farm — now the property of S. F. Brown — and the farms
of Frank Sayles, Andrew Ross and C. S. Haley, finally reaching
the Bay at what is now known as Jarvis' Landing. S}'camore
trees still mark its course on the Bond, Bunting, Patterson and
Sayles places, though many of them have long since been cut down
From the town there is a most beautiful view of Mission Peak,
sharply outlined against the eastern sky, rising over twenty-seven
hundred feet above the sea. Its charms vary with every change
of season, time, and atmosphere; always beautiful, whether cold
and clear at morning or bathed in the warm purple hues of even
ing. Back of Mission Peak, a little to the south, can be seen Mt.
Hamilton and the Lick Observatory, and far in the northwest, be
yond the Bay of San Francisco, the outlines of fair Mt. Tamalpais
are plainly discerned.
The range of hills that intercepts the eastern view is a "joy for-

60 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
ever," clothed in varying hues, from the dull grays, browns and
russets of autumn to the soft greens and wild flower tints of winter
and spring. In the west glimpses of San Francisco Bay may be
seen through the gaps of the low Coyote Hills, and beyond them
the high wooded mountains of the Coast Range.
In the outlying districts are prosperous farms and orchards,
homes of the successors of the once wealthy Spanish owners of
this fertile valley.
The first men to locate within the limits of the present town,
early in 1850, were George Lloyd, an Englishman, and Frank Pepe,
an Italian. Mr. Lloyd brought his family with him, and for a
time lived in a blue tent. Here he served refreshments to the
weary traveler who passed his way. .At one time he had a gate
across the road, presumably to delay the passer-by and call his
attention to the wayside retreat. He afterward built a good frame
house, which is still in use as a part of the residence of Mr. Ben
jamin Mickle.
Mr. Lloyd sold his place to Mrs. Randall, who lived there sev
eral years with her two sons and daughter, Mrs. Hall. With her,
also, lived her mother, Mrs. Todd, and the Misses Reeder, who are
now Mrs. Howard Jarvis, Mrs. Frederick Moses and Mrs. Frank
Jarvis. Mrs. Randall sold to John Lowrie, and from him it went
to his children — the daughter, Mrs. Benjamin Mickle, inheriting
the home place.
Frank Pepe worked for George Loyd for a time, but afterward
bought a ranch near Jarvis' Landing, which he subsequently sold
to C. S. Haley.
In 1852, or perhaps early in 1853, Capt. George Bond and Mr.
Stacey Horner built homes in Centreville. The Horner house still
stands where built, on the corner at the intersection of the Newark
and Oakland roads; when constructed this house was one of the
finest in the country ; on the death of the owner the property was
sold to Mr. Tolin, and for years after his death his widow continued
to occupy the place, and with her lived her sister, "Aunt Lo
Smith," known far and wide as a capable nurse and a friend to
those in need. All have now passed away and the place is owned
bv strangers. Captain Bond's house was on the opposite side of the street,
where it still stands in good repair. Captain Bond lived there
many years and his son and daughters were prominent in the
business and social life of the town.
Another of the early date houses, now almost in ruins, stands
under a tree at the back of the lot, opposite the Catholic church.
Mr. Torry, who built the house, hauled the logs from the hills
above San Antonio and sawed out the lumber on the premises

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY

61

C. C. Breyfogle, one of the first county assessors, built the house
that is now the Chadbourne home, and about the same time Wil
liam H. Coombs, the first lawyer in the neighborhood, built the
house (or a part of it) now occupied by Mrs. James Emerson.
In 1853, the ranch house of Mr. E. L. Beard was built on the
farm now owned by Eugene Stevenson. This building still re
mains, the rawhide thongs by which hammocks were suspended,
hang over the hewed rafters, the old bunks are yet in place and
even the pole on the top stands as in the days when the flag was
raised upon it to call the men to their meals.
On the farm opposite the Stevenson place is a little old house

The Old Beard Ranch House

built by the Scrivener brothers in 1853. The property now be
longs to Mr. Rollins.
In 1850, Mr. John M. Horner built a school house on the lot
now occupied by the United States Hotel. The first teacher was
Mr. Harvey Green, and after him a Mr. Kempster taught, and a
Miss Longfellow from New England. Here the children gathered,
some of them walking two and three miles from the scattered homes
in the valley. From one of the pupils we have this account of
those early school days: "We — my sister, two cousins, and I —
started early in the morning, and cheerfully walked the three long
miles of lonely road, with the tall mustard growing high above

62 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
our heads on either side. The school house was a small, plain,
unpainted building, with homemade desks and benches for the
older pupils. Not yet arrived at the dignity of a desk, I sat on
one of the benches ranged around the sides of the room, and with
others of like size and age dangled my feet from nine to four o'clock.
At recess the older boys carried benches out to what is now the
Presbyterian church yard, and turning them upside down, coasted
down the grass-covered banks of the old dry creek channel. Our
teacher was Mr. Kempster."
The first public school house was built back of the Crosby place,
as the old residents say, "near the lagoon." This lagoon was
merely a depression, connected with the present lagoon near Ir
vington by a swale, which in winter allowed the water to run from
the larger to the smaller lagoon. Later the school house was
moved to the corner of the Overacker place, where it was used
until the present school house was built; the old one was then
moved into town, where it is in use as a cyclery.
The following is a partial list of the early instructors: Mrs.
Jonathan Mayhew, Judge Stephen Nye, Frederick Dann, Fred
erick Campbell, Kirke Brier and many others. Mrs. Mayhew be
gan her term of school as Miss Everett, but driving one day with
Mr. Mayhew, to whom she was engaged, they met the Rev. Mr.
Brier, also driving, and the marriage ceremony was performed
then and there, none of the parties alighting from their vehicles.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew were valued members of the commun
ity. Judge Stephen Nye, now so well known, says he got his first
night's sleep in California in a house which stood where the resi
dence of T. C. Huxley now is, and that the first money he earned
in the State was as pedagogue of the district school in Centreville.
He was married here, and while a resident, in 1861, was elected
District Attorney of Alameda County.
Another teacher who taught some years later was Miss Julia
Rappleye; her life would make an interesting story. A woman of
the strongest principles, she afterward became a missionary to
Turkey, where she remained for many years. On her return to
California she married an early sweetheart and died three months
later. As the country became more thickly settled, other schools
were established. In 1856 the Alviso district school was opened,
with Erastus Johnson as teacher. Others that followed him in
those early days were: Charles Johnson, Miss Everett (afterward
Mrs. Johnathan Mayhew), Miss Blackwood, Mr. Pratt, Miss Nay-
lor (sister of Mrs. W. W. Brier), Miss Laura T. Fowler (who later
became identified with the San Francisco schools), and many others

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 63
who long since have taken places in the more prominent walks of
life. Still later, the Lincoln district was taken from the Centre
ville and Alviso districts, and a school house built on the Alvarado-
Newark road, about two miles west of Centreville. Of those who
taught there we may mention Miss Mollie Reeder, Miss Emma
Reeder, Miss Louise Cearley, Miss Flora Brown, Miss Cora Simp
son and Miss Addie Ross, all young ladies of our own neighborhood;
Miss Mott (Mrs. Comfort Healy) and Miss Thompson (Mrs. I. B.
Haines) also taught here.
Mr. Emory Munyan, a pioneer resident, served as a trustee of
this district from its organization until his death, a period of twen
ty-nine years.
Religious services were early held in the Horner school house.
Mr. Horner, who was a "Latter Day Saint," preached in the after
noon, and kindly gave the use of the building in the morning to
the Methodists and Presbyterians who used it on alternate Sun
days. The first child baptized there was Mary Brier, in 1852, a daugh
ter of Rev. W. W. Brier. The building was afterward moved to
Irvington, where it still stands.
In 1853, Rev. W. W. Brier organized the Presbyterian church
in the Horner school house, which has the distinction of being the
first church of that denomination in the county; a large lot
was donated by George Lloyd, and a church building of brick was
erected in 1855, and dedicated January 1, 1856. This was des
troyed by the earthquake of 1868 and rebuilt in wood soon after.
The first trustees were: Jesse Beard, pres. ; Chauncey Cornell.
secretary; Charles Kelsey, Henry Clark, and Jonathan A. May
hew. Charles Hilton was the elder. None of them are now living.
The long series of church festivals that have since been held
in the township were inaugurated November, 1855, in the then
unfinished church. Everyone from Mission San Jose to Union
City assisted, and over $500 was added to the church funds.
In 1877, a manse was erected in the church grounds, and quite
recently a Sunday School room has been added, nearly doubling
the seating capacity of the church.
A Methodist church was also organized about the same time
as the Presbyterian, and in 1856 a church building erected. A
distinctive feature of the services was Robert Beaching and his
bass viol, which added much to the interest of the meetings. The
instrument is in the possession of Mr. Beaching's son, now a resi
dent of the village.
The Episcopal church was erected in 1867, and consecrated
September 28th of the same year by Bishop Kip, the Rev. D. J.
Lee being the minister in charge. Soon after came the Rev. E.

64 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
Warren, who boarded around among the faithful and was the first
resident clergyman.
The first baptism in the church was James Allen, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Benjamin Marston. A rectory was added to the church prop
erty in 1884. The rectory and church lots are large, well situated
and valuable.
The Roman Catholic Church was not built until 1886, but is
the largest in the township, with seating capacity for a thousand
people. Father Governo, formerly of Mission San Jose, was
priest in charge and directed the construction of the building.
He is still the Father of the parish, and has the regard of Protes
tant and Catholic alike. His residence adjoins the church and his
garden is always beautiful with flowers.
The first cemetery was laid out by J. M. Horner, and might be
called the lost graveyard. It was located in a field back of the
Samuel Marston place, now the Bunting home, on the southeast
bank of the Sanjon de los Alisos. When the ownership of the
grounds passed out of Mr. Horner's hands, it was no longer used
as a burial place. A few of the dead were removed to the present
cemetery, but many were left undisturbed in their first resting-
place. The graves were marked by wooden head-boards, the only kind
procurable at that time; wild mustard grew like the veritable tree
of the Bible and covered everything with its rank growth, and one
autumn a fire swept over the place, destroying nearly every grave
mark. Many have visited the spot in a vain search for their dead.
The stream has changed, the trees are gone, but the dead sleep
quietly on. The present cemetery was laid out in September,
1858, on land given by G. A. Loyd, although burials had been
made in it before then. The first trustees were: Chas. Kelsey,
Erascus Johnson, Chas. Hilton, Dr. J. M. Selfridge and James
Hawley. Many old settlers are buried within these quiet borders
whose names are familiar to those now living — some of them have
borne prominent parts in the history of this part of the State. The
names inscribed on the old tombstones bring up many a picture
and memory of bygone days.
One of the first post offices established in the township was at
Centreville and Capt. Bond was, perhaps, the first postmaster.
The first store in Centreville was a very primitive affair, opened
by Capt. Bond, in 1852. He was succeeded in 1854 by Mr. Clemens,
who erected a two story building about where Mr. Charles Plum-
mer's house now stands. He used the upper floor for a dwelling
and kept a general merchandise store below. He sold the house
to Mr. C. J. Stevens, who used it as a residence. An apricot tree,
trained like a vine against the south end of this house, gave it quite

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 65
a novel appearance. The building was afterward moved opposite
the Gregory House and used as a boarding house.
Mr. Stevens then opened a store about where Pire's machine
shop is now, and afterward put up a two story building where
Hansen's Hall now stands. The lower part was used as a store,
and on the upper floor grain was stored. The building was des
troyed by the earthquake of 1868, Mr. Stevens narrowly escaping
death, at that time there were twenty tons of grain on the top
floor. The wooden building that was erected on the site was used
as a store by Stevens & Bond, Bond & Haley, Haley & Dodge, W.
W. Haley Co. ; afterwards it burned down.
Another store was opened about 1854 by Capt. Bond and Capt.
Valpey, nearly opposite the Newark road. Afterwards Miss Maria
Reeder taught for some time a select school in the building, which
was finally moved across the street and now forms a part of the
Episcopal rectory.
In 1855, William Barry built a store on the site of the one now
occupied by F C. Harvey, which was long after moved back, and
is now a part of the present store. Barry & Wilson kept this store
two years. Then it was sold to Steiner, Popper & Co., then to
Jacob Salz, to Salz & Niehaus, and then to Jos. Herrscher, of San
Leandro. In the early 60's Dr. Robert Hall kept a few drugs for
sale, and then a Frenchman went into the drug business; after
him came Titus, who was succeeded by A. Lernhart, an expert
chemist, pharmacist and druggist; by care and attention he has
built up a good business.
The first blacksmith shop was opened by Capt. Bond and James
Beazell, nearly opposite the Newark road. Chas. Hilton was the
woodworker. The building was afterward moved and rebuilt about
where A. Lernhart's drug store is now, and was then run by Seal
& Beazell, with Hilton still the woodworker. Mr. Beazell after
ward moved to Irvington and then to Livermore, where he fol
lowed his trade until called to be State Senator from this county,
in 1875. Chas. Hilton remained in Centreville until his death.
His widow still makes her home here with her daughter, Mrs. H. W.
Lynch. The first hotel was conducted by William Ogden in a small
building on the present site of the Gregory House. Thomas Nu-
sham was the next landlord, and then Mr. Myer; following him
came Wm. Milton, Milton & Dildine, and Bamber & McLeod, in
1866 McLeod moved to Irvington and built the Union Hotel.
During this time the hotel had burned and Mr. Milton had built
a larger and better one. This one ajso burned and, in 1869, the
present Gregory House was built. Under the management of Mr.

SYCAMORES, SYCAMORE FARM.

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 67
Henry Gregory this wayside inn became very popular, particularly
with the Wheelmen's Clubs.
James Lewis came to Centreville in 1858 and worked a year in
the Ogden House; he then rented a place adjoining Capt. Bond's
and ran a boarding house. The building was afterward used as a
dwelling for two families. Not many years ago it was sold to a
Portuguese and moved away. Mr. Lewis built the United States
Hotel, in 1859, and was landlord until his death. After that Mrs.
Lewis carried on the business until she, too, passed away. Mr-
Santos is now the proprietor.
The first town flag-pole was erected near the center of the road.
The present one was put up in 1877, is 100 feet high, and floats
a forty-foot flag.
The first stage line through Centreville was owned by J. M.
Horner. It ran from Mission San Jose to Union City, where it
connected with the steamer for San Francisco. Chas. Allen,
brother-in-law of J. J. Riser, was the driver.
A stage line running from San Jose to the Embarcadero of
San Antonio (now East Oakland) passed through Centreville at
an early day. Cameron Brothers soon started an opposition
line. The rivalry became intense and excitement ran high. The
fare was reduced to twenty-five cents. People traveled for the
fun of it. Cameron Brothers came off victorious, and continued
to carrv on the business for many years in spite of several attempts
of rivals to drive them from the field. The fare was permanently
fixed at one dollar. The passing of these four-horse coaches was
the feature of the day, for they carried not only passengers, but
also the mail and express. Mr. Ashley Cameron, one of the broth
ers, owned a farm near Centreville, and with his family, resided
there until his death, a few years ago.
An express line was started about 1855 by Mr.. Hoag. After
wards he sold out to Bamber & Co. C. E. Driscoll was the driver.
Later Cameron Brothers carried it. Wm. Barry was the express
agent in Centreville.
John Proctor early established the first nursery in the town
ship. Orchards were planted in 1853, and cherries were sent to
market in 1861 by Capt. Bond, and sold for thirty cents a pound.
Many of the fruit trees planted by the early settlers were brought
across the plains, or by way of the Isthmus of Panama. The
Alden fruit drier, which dried the fruit by artificial heat, was
one of the early industries, but did not flourish long. The build
ing afterwards burned. A cannery met with a like fate. A few
years ago another small drier was started by Oliveria & Son, and
has proved successful.
In 1859, Mr. Daniel Beck, with his family, came to Centreville

68 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
He opened a harness shop, the first in the town, and built up a
prosperous trade. In his later years he handed the business over
to his son, who now conducts it successfully.
A textile manufactory was established in 1855 by Wm. Barry,
where grain bags were made for the use of the farmers.
The first singing school was opened by Mr. and Mrs. Ham.
It was well attended, and proved one of the social events of the
winter. At the end of the session a grand concert was given by
the pupils.
In 1858, Centreville determined to fittingly celebrate the 4th
of July. Invitations were sent out to the adjoining towns to
participate in the celebration, which was not unlike those of the
present day. The Hon. S. B. McKee of Oakland was the orator
of the day.
The old May-day picnics were verv enjoyable affairs, the whole
community taking part. These picnics were made up of family
groups and their friends, each group being independent of the
others, yet in all cases forming a harmonious whole. There was
no dancing then on the grounds, but the day was invariably cele
brated by a May-day ball in the evening at Centreville. Later
the public picnics came into vogue and eliminated to a great degree
the sociability that had existed among the earlv settlers. In
1862, the May-day ball was held in Milton's hotel, and there were
present over one hundred and fifty couples, "the bravest and
fairest in the land."
A fine display of the schools of San Lorenzo, Ha}? wards, Al
varado, Irvington and Centreville in the form of a musical celebra
tion or festival was held June 10, 1870, in Centreville, was largely
attended, and proved very enjoyable.
It was about the year 1854 that Alameda County became thor
oughly aroused by the depredations of a band of cattle thieves,
whose operations spread throughout the count v. Seemingly
no man's cattle were safe while this state of affairs existed. A
mass meeting of the citizens was called to meet at Centreville
in the Methodist church. The meeting was largely attended,
officers were elected, and an executive committee of twelve ap
pointed. In November, 1855, through the energy of this com
mittee, four of the thieves were captured and taken to Alvarado,
where they were placed under guard in the old Brooklyn hotel.
During their first night of confinement, two of them, Mexicans,
escaped. The irate citizens, determined that the other two should
not follow in the footsteps of the fleeing ones, so formed a posse,
took the prisoners from their place of confinement, carried them
to "The Willows" (on what is now part of the Patterson estate),
and hanged them. During the afternoon following the lynching,

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 69
an inquest was held, at which Justice Marshall of Mission San Jose
presided, and from the evidence presented, the following verdict
was brought in: "Found hung, by some person or persons un
known to this jury." The two Mexicans who escaped were pur
sued, captured, and on the same night met their fate on the banks
of the Alameda Creek at the hands of the infuriated and despoiled
citizens. At the time the first two thieves were captured, "a lawyer named
White was arrested and kept prisoner in Centreville to prevent
his assisting the thieves. An investigation of White's actions
by the vigilantes caused the arrest of a bad character called "Grizzly
Jack." who lived in the hills back of Mission San Jose. A man
named Gates was also arrested, but nothing being proved against
these two they were set at liberty, though compelled to leave the
country. One of them went to Nicaraugua with Walker's fili
bustering expedition, was captured and executed there. The
rendezvous of this band of marauders was in Stockton Pass, just
beyond Mission San Jose, at a house occupied by one Tom Gear,
who fled from the state on the arrest of his confederates.
In 1863 occurred another execution near Alvarado. At this
time a band of Mexican desperadoes roamed the hills, and No
vember 23d several parties in Alvarado were fired upon by members
of the gang, who immediately fled. The citizens gave pursuit,
and captured one of them. He was taken to the Brooklyn House,
and placed under guard. That night he was taken out by the
vigilantes and hanged. An inquest was held upon his body,
Justice Bond of Centreville presiding. Another graphic verdict
was produced, the following being its text: "Found hung by
the neck to the rail of Alvarado bridge, by person or persons un
known to this jury." It is claimed by old residents of Alvarado
that this lynching was performed by residents of Alvarado, and
not by the vigilantes, whose organization was established at the
mass meeting in Centreville.
In spite of the fact that it was ofttime searched for, the rollcall
of Alameda County's vigilantes disappeared as thoroughly as if
it had never existed. Doubtless the names written there would
have a familiar sound to many old settlers in Washington Township.
An incident of interest may be mentioned here. Mr. Howard
Overacker, while walking in the orchard back of his house toward
the creek, one Sunday in 1864, heard a call of distress. Hastening
to the spot he found a man with a broken leg, who had lain there
several days without food or other relief. This was a Mr. Gardener,
who, with his companion, Mr. Rice, a well-known auctioneer of
San Francisco, was driving from San Francisco via Haywards to
the then famous resort of Warm Springs, but in the darkness of

70 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
the night thev turned on the road running past the old adobe in
the nursery grounds. Reaching the bank of the creek, the horses
stopped, but the driver foolishly gave them a sharp cut with the
whip, and all plunged about twenty-five feet down into the creek.
Mr. Rice was killed, but with careful nursing Mr. Gardiner
recovered. Politically Centreville has been well represented in the county
and state. Upon the organization of the county in 1853, Wm. H.
Coombs was elected district attorney, J. S. Marston, county treas
urer, and W W Brier, county superintendent of schools. In 1854
C. C. Breyfogle was elected assessor, and at the expiration of his
term of office, was elected county treasurer.
The county Board of Supervisors was organized May 9, 1855.
In 1862, Howard Overacker was elected supervisor, which office
he held until 1866. In 1871 he was again elected, and continued
to hold the position until 1880, when he was succeeded by Henry
Dusterberry, also a resident of Centreville. The present incum
bent, C. F Horner, was elected in 1901.
The office of superintendent of schools was held by W. F. B.
Lynch from 1873 to 1877.
John L. Beard was chosen state senator in 1896, and the present
assemblyman is John G. Mattos, Jr. Judge Sandholdt is serving
his third term as justice of the peace.
Dr. Selfridge held the office of coroner from 1858 to 1860.
One of the earliest settlers in Centreville was the Rev. W. W.
Brier, who came from Indiana with his young wife. He was the
moving spirit in the establishment of churches, not only in this
part of the country, but all over the state. He had charge of the
Centreville and Alvarado churches for several years, afterward
devoting his time to home mission work, and the cultivation
of a fine fruit farm. Dr Bucknel and Dr. Geo. Goucher were
among the early settlers, but did very little in the way of their
profession. Dr. J. M. Selfridge, now of Oakland, was the first
physician to take up a regular practice in the township. His
practice was large, and he was one of the familiar features of the
time as he rode about the country in his sulky, visiting the sick.
He was prominent in church and school work, and was ever ready
with a helping hand for those who needed assistance or encourage
ment. Dr. Cyrus H. Allen, who served in the 8th Vermont Regiment
as surgeon throughout the Civil War, came to California to recu
perate his broken health and settled at once in Centreville, in 1867.
He has lived here continuously ever since, engaged in the active
practice of his profession ; in the early days fording swollen streams
on horseback, or in his high sulky, traveling all over the valley

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY

PIXE AVENUE OX THE H OVERACKER PLACE.

72 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
and into the high hills and mountains as far as Livermore and
beyond; for it often happened that he was the only physician be
tween San Jose and San Lorenzo. Known far and near he is con
sidered as belonging to the township rather than any one locality.
He has recently associated with him a younger man, Dr. C. A.
Wills, whose home is also in the village. Other physicians who
have been residents of the town are Drs. Robert Hall, Buteau,
Hastings, Hall, Walliser, Cabral and Emerson; the latter two are
now living here and in active practice.
The legal profession has always been well represented by men
of excellent reputation. Mr. T. C. Huxley, who has achieved an
enviable distinction in a legal way, came to the township in 1875,
residing at the Mission and on a ranch near Warm Springs for a
time; since then he has made his home in Centreville, where he
has an office and one also in Oakland. His example has been
followed in this respect by Hon. John G. Mattos, Jr., Mr. Benja
min Mickle, although a more recent comer makes a third in this
trio of lawyers, who are well and favorably known, not only through
out the county, but in this part of the State. Mr. John J. Riser,
who came to the State in 1847 as a soldier of the Mexican War.
settled in the vicinity of Centreville, in 1851, and resided in the
town continuously until the spring of 1904.
Captain James R. Trefry came to the township at an early day
and was captain of the steamer "Union," which ran from Alvarado
to San Francisco and other points. He built one of the first houses
in Centreville, was constable for many years and a terror to evil
doers. He has a fund of interesting reminiscences of pioneer davs ;
in 1902 he moved to Newark where he still resides.
Another of Centreville's early settlers was George Lowrie, who
came in 1853, and who still resides in the vicinity.
George W Patterson came to the state in 1849, and soon after
engaged successfully in grain farming near Centreville. He gave
generously to the civil war funds, for the relief of the Nebraska
sufferers in 1873, to schools and to other worthy causes. His
fine grove of oaks and walnuts grown from nuts brought from
Indiana are a fitting monument to his enterprise and love of for
estry. The sons have handsome and substantial dwellings on
the homestead.
Abijah Baker, also an early settler, owned a large farm in the
neighborhood, and also gave generously to good causes. The
lot upon which the Lincoln school stands was his gift to the district.
Dr. Lorenzo Yates was the first dentist, but he is better known
as a careful and scientific investigator. He gave much attention
to the Indian antiquities of the township, and collected an exten
sive cabinet of Indian and other curiosities. Many of these are

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 73
now in Golden Gate Park Museum of San Francisco. Most of
the curios in the cabinet of Lincoln School District were donated
by him. He also recorded a number of geological and barometrical
facts of value. He has written several scientific books of note,
and is a member of the very exclusive scientific Linnean Society
of London, having received his appointment on the demise of
Asa Grey, the noted botanist. There were but eight other mem
bers of this society in the United States at that time. Dr. Yates
now resides in Santa Barbara.
Rev. W F B. Lynch was one of Centreville's most influential
citizens. He was called in 1868 as pastor of the Presbyterian
church, which position he held several years. He identified him
self with the educational interests of the township and county,
and was instrumental in founding Washington College, intending
to establish and incorporate there the main features of the Poly
technic schools. In 1873 he was elected county superintendent
of schools, continued to hold the office until 1877, and was
several years a member of the board of education. Very popular
with the young people of the township, he was often called upon
to perform their marriage ceremonies.
When the Alameda Creek formerly poured down in a flood,
a portion of the stream flowed through "Crandall Slough," a
half mile below Centreville. Near its banks on the Alvarado
road stands a tiny house with doors and windows gone. This
was the residence of the Crandall family, from whom the slough
received its name. Mr. and Mrs. Crandall were people of much
intelligence and of marked character. They were vegetarians in
diet, and believed in dress reform, Mrs. Crandall appearing in the
first "bloomers " ever worn in this section.
This slough was broadened and deepened by the great flood
of 1862, and a deep pond was washed out back of the Hawley
home in George Patterson's field. There was a spring here at
the time, and the waters coming in a rushing torrent enlarged it
into a pond, so deep that it was never fathomed until a few years
ago, after it had filled in, when the depth was found to be twenty -
four feet.
The ranch of E. L. Beard was over-run at that time by so many
gophers that the grain crops were seriously threatened. The
flood destroyed these pests, and also destroyed many large sycamore
trees. The flood was caused by the extremely heavy rains and
the melting of the snow that had fallen to an unusual depth in
the hills that year, the Livermore high ridge having snow on it as
late as May.
About half a mile beyond the Crandall slough was "Pacheco
Lane" (now part of the Decoto-Jarvis Landing road), leading from

74 HIS TOR Y OF WASHING TON TO WNSHIP
the old adobe house on the Alameda Creek, the home of the Pacheco
family, to the main road. Following this lane was a ditch (a part
of which still remains) that marked the boundary between the
Pacheco and Alviso grants. The ditch ran from the creek south
west to the corner of the Antone George property and the Patterson
estate, where it turned westward across the field, and a mile beyond
was lost in the swamp. This willow swamp, covering over one
hundred acres, was fed by fresh water springs that kept the ground
wet and supported a dense undergrowth. Since the establishment
of pumping plants and reservoirs for supplying the bay cities with
water, these springs have disappeared, the trees are dying,
and the swamp will before many years become only a memory.
It was originally a part of the Alviso grant, but is now owned
by the heirs of George Patterson and Samuel F. Brown. Scat
tered through it are many fine sycamore and oak trees, some of
them rivaling in size and beauty any that are to be found in the
valley. In the fifty years of which we write, there has been but one
serious alarm to the inhabitants. This was the earthquake of
October, 1868. The Presbyterian church was so badlv damaged
that it had to be rebuilt. Stevens' store fell, and Milton's hotel slid
from its under-pinnings. All over the valley, chimneys fell or
were twisted completely around. Those on Howard Overacker's
house went through the roof. The back part of Dr. Selfridge's
house, which was built of concrete, was thrown down. The family
then moved to Oakland, where the doctor had preceded them
two years before. The earth continued to quake with more or
less force for several days.
The Washington-Murray Township Water Company was
organized here May 17, 1871. The purpose was to preserve the
water rights of Alameda Creek for the use of the people of the
two townships, but the purpose was afterwards defeated.
The first fraternal order in the township, the "Sons of Temper
ance," called the "Agricola Division," was organized June, 1855,
in Mr. Brier's study. The meetings were held in the Ogden Hotel.
The organization of the "Pioneer Society" was suggested by
Wm. M. Liston and Wm. Barry by a notice published in the " Inde
pendent" of November, 1876, calling for a meeting to be held in
Centreville on November 29. Although there was a meeting on
that day, the organization was not completed until December 23d,
with the following officers: President, Capt. George Bond; first
vice-president, William Liston; second vice-president, C. C. Scott;
treasurer, L. E. Osgood; and secretary, William Barry, who is
the only survivor of these officers. One hundred and two pion
eers signed the constitution, all of whom were residents of the

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 75
township at this time, and who had arrived in California prior
to March 23, 1853. Of these but forty are now living, and but
eight have continued in full membership. These members have
their annual banquets at the Gregory House in Centreville, where
they live over in anecdote and story the halcyon days of the past.
There were nineteen honorary members who were the wives
and daughters of these men. Of these, Mrs. W. W. Brier, Mrs.
Mary Brier Moores, Mrs. James Hawley, Mrs. Clara Hawley Lay-
son, Mrs. Emeline Tyson, Mrs. John Hall, Mrs. Mary Emerson and
Mrs. Laura Walton are the only survivors.
Alameda Lodge No. 167, F and A. M., was organized Septem
ber 9, 1863. Of the first officers only Perry Morrison is living.
The order erected Masonic Hall on the Niles road on a lot given
by Howard Overacker. The lower floor is used for a banquet
room, and above is the pleasant lodge room and different ante
rooms. The fraternity held a great celebration February 22, 1866,
which was pronounced at the time the most brilliant social event
ever given in the valley, some two hundred and fiftypeople par
ticipating in the gaities incident to the ball and supper.
A Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star was organized in
Masonic Hall in 1899, receiving a charter six months later, the
legal time. The Chapter meets once a month, and has nearly
one hundred members.
At one time the Grangers had a large and flourishing society,
which was very active in an industrial and social way.
December 15, 1881, Centreville Council I. O. O. F. was insti
tuted with sixty-five members.
Washington Parlor 169, N. S. G. W., was organized December
13, 1890, and now has a membership of sixty-nine.
Centreville Lodge 170, K. of P., which was organized in Novem
ber, 1890, has a present membership of forty-seven.
Maple Camp No. 146, W. of W., was organized May 19, 1894,
and has now a membership of one hundred and seventeen. In
this time it has paid for death losses $6,000, and erected two monu
ments to departed members.
Central Assembly No. 191, U. A., organized January 22, 1900,
in Hansen's Hall, has a membership of sixty-nine, is a very popular
order, and growing rapidly.
Amor da Patria Conselho No. 5, U. P.E. C, is a very strong
Portuguese society, organized August 12, 1888, having a present
membership of two hundred and eighty-four. It is the largest
of the five lodges in the township, and the fraternal society having
the largest representation in the township.
Freitas No. 27, I. D. E. S., another Portuguese lodge, was
organized February 28, 1900, and its membership is now eighty-

7 1 i HIS TOR Y OF WASHING TON TO I VNSHIP
nine. The object of these societies is mutual protection and
fraternal aid.
? ' There are also two Portuguese women's societies, the S. P. R.S.I. ,
.and the Portuguese Protective. It will be seen from the number
of these societies that the fraternal spirit is strong in the village.
The present township Red Cross Society was organized in
Centreville in 1898, and its ninety-two enrolled members did
efficient work during the Spanish war. A fund still remains in
the bank for future needs.
There is a woman's society connected with each of the Protes
tant churches, and both are in a flourishing condition.
The town hall of Centreville was erected by its citizens in 1868.
When about to be sold to satisfy a mortgage, the ladies of the
town formed an association and purchased the property. It is
now under their control, and they attend to all the business con
nected with it.
An expedition to Alaska for gold left Centreville in June, 1882.
It was organized by John Lowrie and Samuel Marston, and several
members of the company were from this township. They reached
their destination and located their mine, which gave promise of
being very rich. Leaving part of the company there for the winter,
Mr. Lowrie and Mr. Marston started for home with a load of ore,
expecting to return to the mine in the spring. Soon after their
departure from St. Michaels heavy storms arose, and the vessel
was never after heard from. The following year James Hawley
and others, who had remained at the mines through the winter,
returned, but the company was never reorganized.
The town has a unique branch of the S. P. R. R., the freight
and passengers being transported in cars drawn by two or three
horses driven tandem. It breaks the record for speed, (nothing
slower) for safety, and for politeness of conductor. It is said to
pay better than any other three miles of railroad in the state.
1902 was a light year for freight, as most of the fruit in this section
was dried, but over two thousand tons were hauled out, and nearly
two thousand tons brought in. Fifteen hundred dollars' worth
of tickets were sold.
A suburb populated by Portuguese is called Sack Citv. It
will be well to give the different versions of the way it received this
name. Some say the first settlers came from Sacramento. Others
that it is like a sack, with only one road to go in or to come out.
Still others say that all that the residents lived on at first was
what they brought in in sacks. The inhabitants have cozy homes
surrounded by small orchards.
A new industry has lately been established bv the C. C. Morse
Company of the Santa Clara and Gilroy seed gardens. Thev

PEPPER TREE ON THE HUXLEY PLACE

78 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO I VNSHIP
have leased five hundred acres of the Patterson estate, just back
of town, where they raise all kinds of vegetable seeds, and also a
fine variety of sweet pea seeds. The flowers when in bloom present
acres of brilliant blossoms of many different varieties.
Many of the suburban homes about Centreville are interesting
for their fine old trees and shrubs, planted years ago by men coming
from eastern homes who realized the value of ornamental as well
as useful improvements. Unfortunately, many beautiful old
trees have been sacrificed by the thoughtless or over-provident.
On the road toward Niles is the orchard and home lately owned
bv Howard Overacker, Jr., now the property of the Spring Valley
Water Company. The entrance to the driveway is marked by
two sequoia trees. Adjoining is the home of Howard Over
acker, Sr., approached by an avenue of stately pines. In the
yard is a large elm tree, from which the place receives its name.
Out of town, on the Irvington road, one passes the Fair home,
with its beautiful rose garden; the Huxley's, with its immense
pepper trees; and the Norris, Blacow, Eggers, Chadbourne and
Emerson places, all having once been owned bv the first settlers;
many of the old houses are still standing. The Norris, Eggers
and Blacow homes are still owned bv the families of the pioneers.
In 1860, Mr. Blacow, Sr., bought some lately -imported French
merino sheep, which proved a good investment under his manage
ment. The pretty cottage, with handsome grounds, of Mr. Fred Horner
our present supervisor, is also on this road.
On one of the roads leading to Newark is the fine farm of Henry
Dusterberry, who came here in 1854. Also those of Joseph and
Monroe Norris, and the pleasant homes of John Mattos, Sr., and
the Hon. John Mattos, Jr.
On the more direct road to Newark is "Sycamore Farm," the
home of John A. Bunting. The house, grounds and barns are
lighted by electricity manufactured on the place, the first plant
in the township. The engines used for this purpose and for pump
ing water for irrigating, burns crude oil brought from the oil wells
owned by Mr. Bunting in Kern County. A pomegranite hedge
extends across the whole front of the place on the county road.
a large conservatory and an aviary are other attractions of this
hospitable home. Near the house are some fine old sycamores,
which give name to the place.
The home of Mrs. Wales, widow of William Wales, who settled
here in 1854, is further down the road.
On the Alvarado road are situated the homes and large orchards
of Walter Walton, Benj. Mickle, George and Fred Lowrie. Just
beyond is the big ranch of Eugene Stevenson, with its commo-

CENTREVILLE AND VICINITY 79
dious farmhouses. On this ranch near the creek are five of the
largest sycamore trees in the valley, one of them being eighty feet
high, eighty feet from tip to tip of limbs, and twenty-two feet in
circumference at its base.
At the corner of the Decoto road is the Brier homestead, now
passed into the hands of Portuguese, and divided into small hold
ings, upon which are erected attractive cottages. It was notice
able for its fine old maple and walnut trees, but many of them
have recently been cut down.
The large farm of the late Senator John L. Beard is about a
half mile down the road toward Alvarado. It was inherited from
his grandfather, Mr. Jesse Beard, who came here in 1854, and
engaged in farming and fruit culture, which has been
carried on successfully ever since. Some of the pear trees, still
in bearing, are of those brought across the plains in the pioneer
days. Many fine California walnut and elm trees ornament the
grounds. One walnut tree, probably the largest in the country,
measures fifteen feet in circumference four feet from the ground.
Just opposite the Beard place is the home of James Hawley,
one of the forty-niners. The family still occupy the house built
by Mr. Hawley in 1852.
Some of the other early settlers of this locality were the Walker
Bakers, the Saunders, the Whiddens, Curtners, Morrisons, Mc-
Cormicks and Watsons.
The first Portuguese family to settle in the neighborhood was
that of Frank Rogers, whose son now owns the place bought by
his father in 1866. Since then many of that nationality have pur
chased land and built pretty and attractive homes. Their well-
kept grounds and fields speak well for their thrift and industry.
Some distance from the village, yet connected with it by its
extensive farming land, is "Ardenwood," the Patterson estate,
interesting for its fine grove of trees, and its deer park, where, in
the thickly-clustered trees and tangled vines, about forty deer
make their home. Besides the natural growth of willows and
live oaks, there are fine specimens of burr oak, black walnut, wild
plum, hickory, maple and hackberry trees, raised from seeds and
slips brought from the woods of Indiana by Mr. George W. Patter
son. The Centreville public school has the largest attendance of
any in the township. A new primary room with all of the latest
improvements as to lighting, ventilation, etc., has lately been
built, and is presided over by a daughter of an old resident, F. M.
Hilton. H. W. Lynch, a son of the late W. F B. Lynch, has for
several years been the efficient principal, and has three assistants.
The school yard is large, and has a number of fine, big trees. The

80

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Union High school, which ranks among the best in the state, was
located here an account of the central position. There are five
teachers employed. The town has always been one of the business
centers of the valley, and has a population of about 1200. There
are good stores, hotels, and shops of different kinds; artisans and
mechanics are well represented, and in fact nearly all of the crafts
have some followers.
Along the tree-bordered streets are the pleasant homes of the
villagers, varying from modest cottages to large dwellings of citified
appearance. Nearly all have roomy grounds abounding with
fine trees, and beautiful shrubs and flowers.
In selecting this site for a village the early settlers chose wiselv
so far as climatic conditions are concerned. The winds which
suck down through the canons seldom blow here. The fogs which
sometimes visit the valley drifting in along the mountains and the
bay, frequently leave this place in sunshine, or if they do float in,
break away earlier than elsewhere. Near the hills, on very hot
days, the heat is reflected, and then there is often two or three
degrees difference in temperature in favor of Centreville, so that
altogether it is a favored locality.

Deer Park, "Ardenwood

Civil War Not(:

.URING the years of the Civil War, even at this great dis-
^-JJ tance from the scenes of actual conflict, there were prepa
rations made for defence if not for actual assault.
A Union County Convention, held at San Leandro, June 14,
1862, was attended by many of the leading citizens of Washington
Township. At this convention delegates to a State convention,
to convene in Sacramento, were elected, and J. M. Moore, of Cen
treville, was one of them. In 1863, another convention of union
ists was held at the same place, June 13th, and Howard Over
acker was the elected delegate from Washington Township. In
1863 the union feeling was so strong that many patriotic celebra
tions and bazaars were held in aid of the Sanitary Commission.
A somewhat ludicrous event relating to one of these celebrations
was thus chronicled in an Oakland paper: "A grand celebration
was held on the Fourth of July at Alvarado, a cannon was purchased
by means of which no small amount of powder was burned, and
the people in the vicinity complained that they touched the thing
off too often. In point of fact, they did touch it off at a charivari
of a newly married couple, placing it against the house, which
did seem to be once too many times."
The next Fourth of July, at the second discharge, the gun
burst, sending the fragments in every direction, so nearly causing
a serious accident that one of the skirts of Capt. Benson's coat
was taken off as clean as though cut with a knife. Some amusing
incidents occurred in Centreville, although attended by a good
deal of excitement; James Lewis, of the United States Hotel, who
was a rebel sympathizer, hoisted on his flag-pole a Confederate
flag; he was waited upon by a committee of Union men and given
the alternative of hauling down the flag or having the pole cut.
The flag came down.
At another time, someone raised the flag on the pole which
stood where the present one is, with the stars down. The story
runs that "Old Man Harlan" saw it as he came in town and the
insult fired his blood; he went into the store nearby, took an ax,
came out and ordered the offenders to "right that flag in five min
utes time." The order was speedily obeyed.
At an enthusiastic meeting of Union men at San Leandro

82 HIS TOR Y OF 1 VA SUING TON TO I VNSHlP
held October 29, 1863, there was a delegation from Washington
Corners, with J. T. Walker as marshal, one from Centreville, led
by J. M. Moore as marshal, and one from Alvarado, including the
military company of Home Guards in full uniform under the lead
ership of Judge Williams.
During this year the Supervisors imposed a war tax of fifteen
cents ad valorem on each one hundred dollars worth of property,
and a poll-tax of two dollars per capita on each male citizen be
tween the ages of twenty-one and sixty years.
In the latter part of the same year, under a new State law,
Major Thompson, of Oakland, was commissioned to raise a batta
lion for active service in the war, and a company of dragoons was
organized at Centreville, known as the "California One Hundred."
Capt. E. S. Eigenbrodt, of Alvarado, was the commander of this
company, and John R. Sim, a son of Mr. Sim who lived on what
is now the Shinn place, was First Lieutenant.
John Campbell, who lived near what is now Hall's Station, was
a private, and also Hiram Clark, of Alvarado, who afterward com
manded a company of colored troops.
The battalion was subsequently attached to the Massachu
setts 2d Cavalry to fill out the quota of that regiment.
On the 2d of September, 1864, while gallantly leading a charge
at the head of his command in an engagement in the Shenandoah
Valley, Captain Eigenbrodt was killed. The news of his death
was received here^with great sorrow and all who knew him mourned
the untimely death of this generous, warm-hearted man and good
and loval citizen.

LAGOON, IRVINGTON.

Ir'vinsrtoii.

T RVINGTON, situated at the crossing of the roads leading from
(k) the old Mission and diverging to Centreville and Warm Springs,
received its first name of ' ' Nigger Corners' ' from two negroes who
kept a saloon on one corner and who, perhaps, were the first resi
dents of what is now Irvington. Afterwards the residents decided
to change the name to a more fitting one and did so by merely
meeting and agreeing to call their settlement Washington Corners.
Objections were made to "The Corners," as it was commonly
called, so it was determined to again change the name.
A mass meeting was called and it was voted to name the town
Irving. The railroad people had been informed of the contem
plated change and through a misunderstanding got out a quan
tity of printed matter for "Irvington," so to avoid confusion Ir
vington was adopted as the name and post-office. Its proximity
to the old Mission, the richness of the surrounding country, and
the fact of two creeks running through the land were considered
advantages in locating the town.
In 1846, there came to San Francisco the famous ship "Brook
lyn," with her passengers, who formed the earliest permanent
settlers of the State. Among these passengers were John M. Hor
ner, Earl Marshal and his wife, Simeon Stivers (his adopted son),
and Origin Mowry. In 1847 John M. Horner and his bride came
to Washington Corners to live. At this time there was not another
American resident between Mission San Jose and the Contra Costa
line ; and there were not five men of the Anglo-Saxon race north
of San Francisco Bay. His son, William, born in 1848, was the
first white child born in the township.
In 1847, Earl Marshall and Simeon Stivers came to Mission
San Jose, and in 1S50 settled on a large tract of land back of the
Horner place and west of the Tule pond, known now as the Stivers'
place, where Mr. Stivers' widow and children still reside.
Origin Mowry, in 1848, navigated the southern end of San
Francisco Bay, and sailing up the creek, which afterwards became
known as Mowry's Creek, landed at the place now called Mowry's
Landing. In 1849 Timothy Rix arrived in San Francisco and in 1853
settled on what is now known as the Montross ranch. He was
the first postmaster in Washington Corners.

IRVINGTON 85
Among other pioneer settlers were J. T. Walker, who came in
1849; A. B. Montross, in 1850; Richard Threlfall, Nathaniel Babb,
G. M. Walters, and W. Millard, in 1852; L. E. Osgood, John Blacow,
Jas. Emerson and John Proctor, in 1853.
The late Mrs. Hiram Davis, a resident of Irvington, was the
oldest native daughter in the State. Mrs. Abbey, an early settler
near Mowry's Landing, was the first white woman to settle in what
is now Oakland, and her son Robert was the first white child born
in Oakland. Capt. D. S. Tabbutt, a resident of Irvington, came to California
in the early 60's as mate on a vessel which brought the lumber
and machinery for the first saw mill erected on Puget Sound.
None of the early white settlers built dwellings of adobe, but
used instead tents for temporary shelter or a redwood frame cov
ered with blue denim or white canvas. Then split shake houses
were constructed, the shakes having been cut in the San Antonio
redwoods. Nearly all floors were made of Eastern wood. More
substantial buildings were made of the lumber shipped around
Cape Horn, and still other houses were constructed in sections,
numbered and ready to be put together. Of the houses shipped
around the Horn there are two in Irvington. One on the Centre
ville road, on the John Stevenson estate, This house was brought
in 1852, and in the spring of the next year was bought by Timothy
Rix and erected on the spot where it now stands. The roof was
corrugated zinc. The other is now used as a barn by Chris Miller,
near the depot.
In 1851, James Hawley bought a cargo of lumber of Capt.
Taylor in which were three frame buildings, one of which was sold
to J. M. Horner and was used in building a part of his house on
Mission Creek. The floors of this house were made of imported
Australian eucalyptus wood. The old house still stands on the
road between Irvington and Niles, in front of which extends an
old iron fence imported from England. The walls of this old
house now falling to decay with the wear of a half century, echo
to naught but the frisking of mice within the hay and the cooing
of doves beneath the roof. In contrast to this tumbling ruin is
the well-preserved residence of the late O. 0. Slayton, on the moun
tain road between Niles and the Mission San Jose, which was built
in the same year by Gov. Blaisdell, of Nevada.
The first house in Irvington was built where the Palmdale
Winery now stands and was afterwards moved to the corner now
occupied by C. Rasmussen. It was used for a saloon, which was
kept by the two negroes after whom the town received its name
of "Nigger Corners."
The first school in Irvington was a private one taught by M.

86

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

The Old J, M. Horner House, Irvington.

M. Spencer, in a small building (now a granary), owned by G. M.
Walters, situated where Clark's Hall now stands. There were
eight pupils, but as Mr. Spencer received but twenty dollars a
month, without the privilege of boarding round, his position could
scarcely have been considered a very lucrative one.
The first public school house was a small building that had been
moved from Centreville to a lot now owned by Mr. C. Christensen,
near the depot. School was opened in 1862, with Harvey Green,
a Latter Dav Saints' Elder, the first teacher, and Wm. G. Horner,
G. M. Walters and Wm. Hopkins, trustees. School continued
here until 1875. Among the other teachers being J. C. Gilson and
W F B. Lynch, both of whom succeeded to the superintendence'
of Alameda County schools.
In 1875 the present building was erected, and the school has
now an attendance of 110 pupils. The present teachers are F.
Kenneth Reynolds, Minnie G. Galindo and Julia S. Emerson, all
residents of Irvington.
Aside from the library, which is a. good one, the school is well
equipped in all necessary and useful apparatus.
In 1871, Washington College was built by the people of the
township, and in July, 1872, the school was opened by Rev. and
Mrs. S. S. Harmon as a mixed school. Albert Lyser succeeded the
Harmons for one year. In 1883, Rev. J. Durham and Mr. Pollard
opened the school as a sectarian college for boys and girls, under

IRVINGTON 87
the auspices of the Christian Church. The Rev. J. H. McCollough
succeeded Mr. Pollard the following year. In 1896, the school
was converted into a seminary for girls, conducted by Mr. and
Mrs. H. C. Ingram, and called Curtner Seminary. On the morning
of July 4th, 1899, the main building was consumed by fire and
owiig to the illness of Mrs. Ingram the school was abandoned.
In 1900, W. W. Anderson, of Hopkin's Academy, Oakland,
and later of the University Academy, Alameda, liberally assisted
by the residents of Irvington and surrounding towns, erected a
building on the site of the old College for a Military Academy,
which is now a first class accredited school.
The first church in Irvington was built by the Latter Day
Saints, in the early part of 1867. In the early 80's services were
held regularly by the Episcopalians in this same building, conducted
by the Rev. J. H. Babcock; but this building was destroyed bv
fire in 1885.
In 1884, the Christians, liberally assisted by the people of Ir
vington, erected a church on San Jose Avenue on a lot donated
by G. M. Walters. This church is free to all denominations to
use for religious purposes.
Mission Peak Lodge, No. 114, I. O. O. F., which was the second
lodge instituted in the eastern part of Alameda County, was or
ganized in 1863 with ten charter members. The first Noble
Grand was Chester Harris. In 1890, a fine large brick building
was erected by the order. The membership now numbers eighty-
two. Aqua Pura Rebekah Lodge, No. 193, was instituted on
July 19, 1893, with forty-seven charter members. The first
Noble Grand was Mrs. V. A. Rix. The membership at the pres
ent time is over one hundred. The Odd Fellows' Cemetery was
dedicated in 1872.
On May 4, 1870, the I. O. G. T. instituted a Lodge in Irving
ton with six charter members, Wm. .Y Horner was the first Worthy
Chief. The Knights of Pythias was instituted in the early '80s
and existed for about a year and a half.
Buckeye Camp, Woodmen of the World, was instituted May
22, 1897, with fifteen charter members, P. J. Crosby being the
first Consul Commander. Afterward they affiliated with the
Woodmen of the World of Centreville.
Court Irvington, No. 3802, Independent Order of Foresters,
was instituted October 2, 1899, with sixteen charter members;
E. B. Thompson was the Chief Ranger.
Notably among the early local literary societies were the Dram
atic Club of the later 70's, the Lyceum of the early 80's, and the
Irvington Literary and Social Club of the early 90's.

88 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
Among its most profitable pursuits in early days Washington
Township ranked high in its vegetable productions. In 1850,
potatoes raised in Irvington sold in San Francisco at fourteen cents
per pound, and the profits from one thousand acres, in 1851,
were $160,000! Three-fourths of an acre of tomatoes, the same
year, sold for $10,000; and cabbages sold at $1.50 each.
Dairying also ranked high. Mrs. J. A. Brewer made and sold
$2,500 worth of butter in 1855, making at each churning not less
than $20 worth.
The first blacksmith and wheelwright shops in the county
were built by J. M. Horner at his residence. There was then no
Oakland, no Brooklyn, no San Leandro and no Alvarado, and
people often came fifteen miles to get blacksmithing done. The
first blacksmith shop in the town of Irvington was owned by Mr.
Wm. Sim, who located there in 1850.
Albert E. Lyser and W. W. Theobalds edited the first paper
in the township, the "Independent," at The Corners, in 1S74 or
early in 1875.
Mr. Wm. H. Mack was the first station agent and mail carrier
and second postmaster; the original post-office building is now in
the possession of the Mack family.
In 1853, Earl Marshall obtained some three hundred grafted
fruit trees from New Jersey of different varieties. They came
packed in moss and charcoal and were carried on mule back
across the Isthmus of Panama. The trees were planted by dif-
erent settlers, flourished and paid for themselves many times
over after they began to bear.
A few of the old apple trees that were brought across the Isth
mus in 1862 are still growing and bearing fruit in the orchard at
the Mowry homestead.
As Irvington grew in population and land was taken up and
cultivated, new industries were established and improvements
were made that added much to the appearance and general use
fulness of the town. Here is located the Palmdale Wine Co.,
which has the second largest wine cellar in California. There are
also four smaller cellars owned by different parties. At Chad-
bourne's orchard about $S,000 worth of fruit is dried each year.
Great quantities of peas, potatoes, rhubarb, asparagus and logan
berries are shipped to the markets in their seasons.
In 1887, an iron flag-pole, 110 feet high, was erected.
Mr. H. Crowell, who has just sold out his business to Mr. Tier-
ney and retired, was the "village blacksmith" for over forty years.
His large manufactory of cylinder teeth has made his name well-
known throughout the state; the annual output is from ten to
fifty thousand. Adjoining the blacksmith shop is A. O. Rix's

IRVINGTON 89
wheelwright shop. Mr. Rix is the inventor and manufacturer of
one of the most successful almond hullers on the market. He
also carries on a large industry in cut flowers.
In earlier years the tule pond was a great resort for hunters.
In the fall of '83, F. M. Smith, of Oakland, established a Gun Club
there ; houses were built and tended by keepers, but the pond being
small and not many flocks of ducks flying, it has been abandoned
as a hunter's resort. The tules from this pond are gathered each
year in bales, numbering several thousand, and are sold to the
California and other nurseries, where they are used for the packing
of trees and plants for shipment.
The Irvington Brass Band, which was established in 1901 with
Mr. A. L. Sunderer as director, is a credit to the town. The ser
vices of the band are in demand for parties and dances, picnics,
political campaigns, etc.
The burning of the big warehouse on September 3, 1880. was
one of the most disastrous fires in the township. On Thanksgiving
eve of 1881 the burning of Beard's barn destroyed the first old
landmark. After the burning of the Walker warehouse, a hose
and bucket brigade was organized ; but this did not prove effectual
in checking the big fire of December, 1887, which caught in the
printing office and swept out nearly the whole business portion of
the town.
The Landing, afterwards known as Mowry's and later as Lar-
kins', was first used by the Mission Fathers in the early 40's, for
the shipment of their wines and hides.
In 1850, regular trips were made to and from San Francisco
by the ship "Neptune," owned by Barton and Origin Mowry.
Mowry's Landing was used until 1870 as an active shipping point
for grain from all parts of the township, farmers coming even from
Pleasanton and Sunol, bringing their produce for shipment. The
narrow gauge railroad was completed through the valley about
this time and the bulk of the shipments since then have been made
by rail.
Two Indian mounds have been unearthed in this vicinity ; one
where the station now stands and another near Mowry's Landing.
Many skulls and bones of Indians have been and are still found in
the marshes and pastures of this section. Mastodon teeth have
also been unearthed in this neighborhood.
In early days Mowry's was a flourishing district. Mr. Mack
kept a store at the Landing in the early 50' s and did a thriving
business. The building was afterwards moved to Irvington where
it now stands. The Mowry school house was among the earliest
ones and numbered many pupils. The Camerons, Weeks, Mc-
Davids, Moores, Mowrys, Risers, Morgans, Threlfalls, Proctors,

9(1

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Emmets, Eggers and Marstons all studied the "three R's" at this
little district school house. It was built by John McDavid and
Origin Mowry, assisted financially by other settlers.
Among the natural and unusual resources of Mowry's is a de
posit of peat of a hundred thousand tons. It is spongy, the ground
shaking and quivering under foot. This peat is a good fertilizer
and an excellent fuel, being clean to handle and free from soot.
The following is a list of the early business men and their suc
cessors, which may prove of some value to any interested in the
commercial and political affairs of the town :
Postmasters

Timothy Rix.

R. B. Crowell.

W. H. Mack.

N. L. Babb.

A. S. Clark.

0. N. Hirsch.

N. L. Babb.

E. B. Thompson.
Si
'ation Agents
W. H. Mack.
J. E. Wamsley.
R. L. Brown.
H. Newell.
R. B. Crowell.
J. E. Wamsley.
A. D. Burns.
Merchants
Jacob Salz.
Clark Bros. ('76)
G. M. Walters.
Meyers Bros. ('80)
W. H. Mack. ('61)
Blacow & Weston.
Mr. Levy.
N. L. Babb.
Mr. Lang.
Ellis Bros. ('01)
J. Hirsch ('67).
E. A. Babb & Co. ('02)
Blacksmiths
Wm.
Simms — pioneer.
H. Crowell.
T. Tierney.
Hotels
Union :
McCloud.
Sam Brown.
Mr. Foster.
W. Spellman.
W. Dugan.
Mr. Bemm.
Irvington Hotel:
Mr. Kobault.
Mr. Kobault.
Brownell & Ainsworth
Mr. Haight.
Mr. Wilson.
E. Sullivan.
Newspapers
Albert
Lyser
' and W. W. Theobalds (74)
Mr. Calkins.
E.
Miss Adeline Knapp.
B. Thompson.
Druggists
E. Covert.
Mr. Ford.
Mr. Seaburg.
L. Fitzell.
Mr. Rounds.
F M. Carter.
Doctors
Dr. McKeane.
Dr. Laidlaw.
Dr. Guyberson.
Dr. Walshe.
Dr. Bishop.
Dr. Young.
Dr. Nestelle.
Dr. Nellis.
"W an 1 1 Spin ng^

•-*=3^<-

Old Higuera Adobe, Warm Springs

VHE town of Warm Springs is situated on the Agua Caliente
•^ Ranch, originally owned by Fulgencio and Valentine Higuera,
who received a grant of it in 1836 from Nicolas Gutierrez.
These, and neighboring rancheros, lived in idle ease upon their
broad acres of pasture lands. They were the aristocrats, while
below them was a class of peons, who squatted upon the land, cul
tivated their little patches of watermelons and frijoles, and for
their meat levied upon the myriad herds of the landholders as
they needed it, paying for it in work at the annual rodeo.
In those days the hills were covered with wild Spanish cattle,
so that one's life was endangered if he ventured to roam them
unmounted. It was the custom of the Spanish stock owners to
get their cattle together once a year and brand them. Everyone
attended and claimed his own stock, and after this was attended
to, the remainder of the day and night was given up to feasting
and dancing. Thus the rodeo was the great social event of the
year. It took place at the Fulgencio Higuera ranch, near Willow
Glen, where may still be seen the crumbling traces of the old adobes
which were once resplendent with gay festivities. In 1863, the

92 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
last of the cattle were driven away and the rodeo was a thing of
the past.
The Springs, from which the town derives its name, are situ
ated about two miles east of the railroad, in the foothills, at an
elevation of about 350 feet. Five of them are in one group, the
sixth being a quarter of a mile distant. The flow is about 50,000
gallons daily, with a temperature of about 98 degrees. The water
contains a solution of soda, borax and sulphur. Among its pecu
liarities one finds that iron does not rust in it; neither will it spoil
if left for a year in an open glass. When boiled it deposits no
sediment and requires but little soap when used for cleansing pur
poses. Natives came from miles around to camp here to use the water
for medicinal purposes. Spanish families sent their servants long
distances with the ox-carts loaded with soiled clothing and house
hold linen to be cleansed in the waters by the Indian laborers.
In 1850, Clement Columbet bought the Springs of Higuera,
and from then until the time of the big earthquake the place Was
a gay and fashionable resort. What Del Monte is now for the
people of California, the Warm Springs were then. Guests came
and went, either in their private carriages or by stage. The resort
lost none of its popularity until the earthquake of '68 damaged
the buildings to such an extent that they could not be used.
In 1869, A. A. Cohen, of Alameda, purchased the property
and built the new hotel which is now the men's quarters on the
Josiah Stanford place. The building was never used as an hotel,
as Senator Stanford bought the property the following year and
planted vineyards and orchards. He died before his plans were
all matured, and the place is now the beautiful country home of
his nephew, Mr. Josiah Stanford.
In 1852, came the first great change in the primitive life of the
people, when Jos Scott, Mr. Scribner and Mr. Hathaway bought
3,000 acres of the best of his land from Fulgencio Higuera, at three
dollars an acre. This tract extended from the county line to
where the Reynold's ranch now is, near Irvington. They removed
all squatters and began farming the same year. And now the
land, hitherto but tickled and scratched in small spots by the
primitive wooden plows of the Spaniards, and responding in like
manner, began to yield abundant crops under the energetic man
agement of the Americans, and to reveal a value far beyond the
conception of its original owners.
Mr. Scribner retained the southern portion through which flows
Agua Frio Creek, but sold it to James Johnston about 1856. In
1858, Abram Harris, a lawyer who had been located in Newark,
bought this property of Johnston as a speculation, and the name'

WARM SPRINGS 93
Harrisburg, was given to the settlement. When the Southern
Pacific Railroad came through, the name Warm Springs was given
to the station, and, to avoid confusion, in the early eighties the
name was adopted by the post-office and town.
Later Harris sold his land, the largest purchaser being H. Curt-
ner, who took possession in April, 1868, having been a resident of
Washington Township since 1852.
Among those who settled here in the early fifties were Tom
and Steve Millard, who farmed part of the Hathaway land, south
of Agua Caliente Creek, which rises at the Springs and crosses the
county road near the Warm Springs Hotel. Their grain was
shipped to San Francisco from what is now the Warm Springs
Landing. Here a small platform had been built and was often
piled high with grain awaiting shipment.
In 1857 this platform gave way and the grain fell into the slough
beneath. Fortunately it happened at low tide, and the men at
work heading in the Millard field leaving their work were able to
save a great part of it by working all night. Much of it was dam
aged, however, and some was lost. The same year the Baker
Bros, established a landing there with John Porter as clerk. This
landing flourished and is still prosperous. It is now a part of the
Healey estate.
George Durkee, another pioneer, commenced farming in 1854
and settled at his present home in 1867. This ranch was formerly
occupied by John Wilson, who came to Warm Springs in 1859
and was at one time Assemblyman. On removing from here
Wilson lived in a small house which he built on what is now the
Curtner property.
D. D. Henion, who is a comparatively late comer to Warm
Springs, is, however, an old pioneer of Washington Township. He
arrived in the valley in the fall of 1850, and located on the Chad-
bourne place between Centreville and Irvington. In 1853 he
moved to Niles, where he lived first on the Clough place and later
on the H. G. Ellsworth place until April 4, 1873, when he moved
to Warm Springs.
Several of the pioneers have been so long removed from Warm
Springs as to be most difficult to trace. Among these are Charles
Clark and Mr. Nash.
Capt. Valpey, who left his home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
in '49, in a sailing vessel rounded Cape Horn and arrived in Cali
fornia in 1850. In company with James Sinclair he owned a trad
ing schooner which plied between San Francisco and the embar
cadero at Union City for a few years. After various other ven
tures both finally settled in Warm Springs, Mr. Sinclair on the
present Sinclair property and Capt. Valpey on the Craycroft place

94 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
To this place Capt. Valpey brought his family in 1860, and here
they have always lived upon the main highway, witnessing man)'
interesting events.
One event that is vividly remembered was a thirty-six mile
horse race between Fulgencio Higuero and Salio, another Spaniard.
The Spaniards from the vicinity crowded the roadside upon their
mules and horses. Men, women and children, an excited and
noisy throng, chattering and betting, awaited the passing of the
heroes. Women even tore the jewelry from their persons to wager
upon their favorites. It began to rain, but no one thought of
turning homeward till the race had passed. At last the horses
came into view, laboring and straining, with the mud flying from
their hoofs. The men stationed at the roadside to whip them on,
prepared to do their best, while the crowd waited in anxious ex
pectation. As they drew near Salio's horse was seen to be badly
blown and just opposite Capt. Valpey's place he fell, a victim to
the Spanish love of sport.
Another illustration of the cruelty of Spanish sports occurred
in 1856, when the daughter of Clemente Higuera was married and
a three days' bull-fight was held. The bull was confined in a
corral. During the fight an Indian, who had indulged too freely
in the festivities of the occasion, wandered into the corral. His
red blanket caught the attention of the enraged bull which charged
fiercely and gored him severely before he could be rescued. The
wounded man was removed from the place and laid upon the
ground at a little distance while the sport continued.
In 1861, George W Peacock erected a building on the site of
the present Rural Hotel, which did duty as the only hotel and
store in town, and in 1862, when Mr. Peacock received the first
Postmaster's commission in Warm Springs, it served as Post office
also. Later the property passed into the hands of Mr. Murray
and became known as the Rural Hotel.
Early in 1863 a school was opened in a shed-roofed shanty,
twelve by fourteen feet, on the Wilson place, with Miss Lizzie A.
Valpey, now Mrs. Henry Shaw, as teacher. There were fifteen
pupils in attendance. This school was conducted for three months
in order to organize a district, which was done later in the same
year, and a schoolhouse was commenced but not completed until
1864. In 1879 it was remodelled and continued in use for school
purposes until 1889, when the present commodious school building
was erected at a cost of $6,000 on the property across the street
from the old building. There are at present two teachers with
an enrollment of 108 pupils. The old school building still stands
as the main part of the Christian Church, that organization having
bought it in 1889.

WARM SPRINGS 95
One of the prominent pioneers of Warm Springs is M. W. Dixon,
who settled here about 1860 and was elected to the Assembly in
1874 and 1876. In 1868 he built the landing at the southern end
of the settlement. In the earthquake of that year one of the
warehouses at the landing collapsed and 5,000 sacks of grain sank
in the slough. Later Capt. Valpey bought a piece of land adjoin
ing Dixon's Landing, built a warehouse and established a second
landing which is still a part of the Valpey estate. In the fall of
1894 a great wind storm blew the old original Dixon warehouse
down, but it was immediately replaced and is now in good con
dition. This landing was once the scene of an amusing incident. When
E. L. Beard left Indiana for California a young lawyer named
Lockwood decided to try his fortunes in the West also, but pre
ferred coming by New Mexico rather than the route selected by
Mr. Beard. Before departing, however, Mr. Lockwood presented
Mr. Beard with a cornet, keeping a companion to it for himself,
saying, "I understand California is a very wooded country and
we may have some trouble finding each other; but take this horn
with you and blow it occasionally. In this wav we can locate
each other."
Mr. Beard had been settled in his Mission home but a few months
when a most bedraggled, mud-besmeared sailor made his appear
ance at his door, bearing the information that a crazy man was
at the embarcadero tooting a horn to find Mr. Beard. Toot he
would, but move he would not. Immediately Mr. Beard saddled
his horse and hastened to the landing. The strains of a cornet
were borne on the breeze that floated up from the marsh before
the boat hove in sight. Lockwood and his parting gift had been
forgotten, but came rushing back on the flood of memory as Mr.
Beard recognized the attorney in the stern of the boat, alternately
sounding his horn and awaiting an answering echo from his friend
from Indiana.
The only traces of the primitive people of this district are the
remains of an Indian village near the landing. Indians, once
numerous here and about the Springs, and commonly employed
by the farmers to bind their grain, are now a rare sight in Warm
Springs. And, indeed, could they look again upon their old homes
there would be little to recall the haunts of their life-time. The
once unfenced pasture lands are now all cultivated, except some
few spots among the hills which are too steep.
On the foothills, fine vegetables are raised in abundance. The
leading industries on the lower lands are fruit, hay, grain raising
and wine making. Many of the vineyards have suffered greatly
from the ravages of the phylloxera, but are being rapidly replanted
with resistant stock.

f3

Nile

¦-<$=S3*-

'HE town of Niles was first known as Vallejo's Mills, taking its
name from the flourishing mills built here in early days and
spoken of more fully later on. When the Central Pacific
Railroad first came through here in 1869 the Company named the
station Niles, after Judge Niles, one of the railroad officials.
This name was naturally adopted by the residents and the town
has since been known as Niles. It is beautifully situated at the
mouth of the Alameda Canyon and lies at the base of gracefully
sloping hills.
In the 40's and early 50's, when the white men first came into
the valley to settle, there were still many Indians living here; the
largest rancheria in this neighborhood was on the banks of the
lagoon on what is now known as the Tilden place.
To-day the wretched remnant of all these villages is gathered
either at the Pleasanton village or in the little cluster of rude houses
just below Niles bridge. Scattered here and there throughout
this neighborhood are still found a few traces of this peculiar peo
ple. On the Meyer's place, back in the small canyon, are portions
of a ditch and a walled spring of stone and cement made by the
Indians. Their adobe huts were in the edge of the hills close to
the mouth of the canyon. Here some fine metates, or grinding
stones, have been found; one in the Meyer's garden is no less than
three feet in circumference ; and in the almond orchard south of
the house was located a temescal, or sweat-house. Piles of stone
on the hills back of the Meyer's and Mosher's ranches are the re
mains of the devil-worship practised by these Indians. Another
very old Indian village was doubtless on the northeast corner of
the Ellsworth place, for metates, stone tools and bones have been
unearthed there.
It was in the year 1850 that Americans commenced coming
with their families to make permanent homes in what is now the
town of Niles. In September, Mr. Wm. Tyson and his young and
timid wife came into the valley (having crossed the plains) and
purchased from Mr. Fallon 200 acres of land, for which he paid the
sum of $2,000. Mr. Perry Morrison, a brother of Mrs. Tysonj
obtained from the same party a similar tract. This included the
land from the old Tyson homestead on the lagoon (which has been
Mrs. Tyson's home for fifty-three years) to the foothills, taking in

98 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
the Thane, Donovan, Jos. Tyson and Chisholm homes, also those
on the opposite side of the county road, between the railroad and
the foothills.
In the early 50's, Capt. Wm. Sim owned the lands which later
came into the hands of Mr. James Shinn, Mr. Barry, Mr. Cham
pion and Judge Tilden. Mr. and Mrs. Loyd, in 1851, owned what
is now known as the Nichols and Clough estates. This property
passed into the hands of Mr. Stark, and in '53 was owned by D. D.
Henion who sold to Wm. Moore, father of A. A. Moore, the Oak
land lawyer. Mr. Clough finally bought the property, and it is
now the home of his widow and daughter.
The land joining the Clough estate on the northeast was owned
bv Thomas Thompkins, who sold to Capt. C. C. Scott from whom,
in 1861, Mr. Daniel Sanborn bought his present home. When
Capt. Scott sold to Mr. Sanborn he moved to his beautiful ranch
in the canyon, which he had called "Mizzen Top"; he afterward
sold it to Mr. Edward Clark, whose widow and children still reside
there. This same Capt. Scott was the victim of the first railroad ac
cident in this vicinity, having his foot crushed so that amputation
was necessary.
Mr. Barnes was a squatter on what is now the Ellsworth place;
he sold to Mr. D. Sanborn and his brother, who in turn sold to
D. D. Henion. Mr. Henion sold to Severance & Peet, who trans
ferred it to the bank from which H. G. Ellsworth purchased it. At
this time, the land joining the Tyson property on the southeast
was owned by Mr. Naile, who built a fine adobe just back of the
present Overacker home. In 1852, the first wedding was celebrated
in this house; the parties were Miss Edna Stuart and Mr. Roy
Stanley; the ceremony was performed by Mr. J. M. Horner, who
frequently held Mormon services at the different ranches. The
year before, Mr. Naile gave a large ball which was considered a
most brilliant affair.
In 1856, Mr. Michael Overacker, with his brother Howard,
bought this property, which is the present home of his widow and
son. The Bonner and Hunt homes were a portion of this estate
and were purchased in 1860; also the Mosher and Jones places
belonded originally to the Overacker estate.
That part of the Vallejo grant which lay between the foothills
and the north bank of the Alameda Creek came into the hands of
Jonas Clark in the early 60's. At that time Mr. Clark was engaged
in the furniture business in San Francisco and the land was rented
to John Hanna ; the valley land was soon sold to actual settlers.
In 1881 or 1882, E. B. Mastick, then acting as Mr. Clark's agent,
received an order from him to survey and sell the entire hill prop-

ORANGE GROVE AT NILES.

100 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
erty. At the time the surveyors were running their lines, Mr.
H. A. Mayhew, hearing the property was for sale, bought his pres
ent home. The remainder of the hill land was soon sold. Mr.
Clark founded and endowed Clark University in Worcester, Mass.
The idea of the early settlers was to build comfortable but not
pretentious houses ; a fence usually surrounded the buildings as
a protection from the numerous bands of wild horses and cattle
that strayed from the hills, as well as from their own cattle.
In the garden plots were found Castilian roses, four-o 'clocks,
bachelor buttons, wall flowers, marigolds and madeira vines. There
were several adobe buildings scattered about on the different
ranches, some portions of which may still be found. At the Mill
an adobe was used as a residence by a relative of J. J. Vallejo;
another of the same family lived in one which stood in the canyon,
and there is still another on the California Nursery property.
These were all built by J. J. Vallejo between 1850 and 1853 for
the use of his overseers and workmen.
In 1863, the last grizzly bear was killed in the grain fields,
which have since been supplanted by the beautiful orchard owned
by Mrs. Pickering.
The first Niles industry dates prior to American occupancy.
In 1841, Don J. J. Vallejo, brother of General Vallejo, built an
adobe flouring mill on the bank of the Alameda Creek ; the grinding
stones for this mill were brought from Spain; one of them was
afterwards broken and the other now serves as a doorstep to the
old adobe building. This mill in the ;early days of the country
was quite famous and widely known. New stones were ordered
from France in 1849, and in '53 or '54 (authorities vary) a new
mill was built. The foundation stones were quarried from the
hills in the canyon and were laid with cement, which was also dug
from the hills near "the slide." The stone aqueduct was about
two and a half feet wide and three feet deep and is now walled over
by brick and forms part of the Spring Valley Water Co.'s pipe
line. After the new flour mill was built, the old mill was still used
for grinding other grains. The old oak rafters were put together
with wooden pegs, which may still be seen. Mr. Athy was the
first miller to run the newly-built mill. As grain-raising declined
and was superseded by other industries, the work at the mill grew
less, and in December, 1884, the last flour was made by Wm.
Gorges and the old mill was closed forever. A few days after the
body of the miller was found in his room in the old mill and by his
side an empty bottle labeled poison.
The chief industry up to the year 1855 was cattle raising, and
thousands found pasturage through our beautiful vallev and the

NILES 101
adjacent hills. These were the days of gorgeous Spanish trappings
and when bull fights furnished the great amusements. The fights
were held in the great corrals used for rodeos. One of these great
stockades was situated in the level at the mouth of the little May
hew canyon, while only a little way from it is the well known sul
phur spring. The last rodeo was held in 1865.
As the settlers increased, the cattle industry was followed
gradually by the raising of grain. In 1852, the first reaper was
introduced by Wm. Tyson and Mr. Morrison, and that year the
farmers sold wheat for from 11 to 15 cents a pound.
The first record we have of fruit-raising in Niles was in 1856,
when Wm. Sim, who owned the Shinn place, had a few peach
trees in bearing. This story is told of the first peaches that ripened :
There was great demand for the fruit and it sold for $1.00 a peach.
Mr. Sim, fearing he might be robbed, set his man to watch the
tree at night, but in the morning the man and peaches were gone.
The nursery business has been most prominent in the history
of Niles, dating its inception back to 1868. In that year, Mr. B.
D. T. Clough and his brother started an almond nursery on the
present Clough estate, renting the adjoining lands, now the Shinn
and Tyson places. Three years later Mr. James Shinn and Dr.
J. W. Clark went into the business more extensively, growing
ornamental and greenhouse plants as well as fruit and nut trees.
They introduced many fruits, nuts and plants from Japan, as the
Japanese plums and oranges, chestnuts, the irises, camphor tree
and others of great interest. Shinn's Rareripe, an early variety
of freestone peach, was originated and introduced by them. The
Nichols orange cling peach, originated by Mr. Joseph Nichols,
was also introduced by Mr. James Shinn. These have both proved
of considerable value and are being planted quite extensively on
this coast.
In 1884, the California Nursery Co. was organized, with John
Rock* as president. The Company bought one square mile of
land in Niles and rented many adjoining acres. At the present
time it is the largest nursery on the Pacific Coast, sending its stock
all over the world.
In 1888, Trumbull & Beebe, of San Francisco, bought the en
tire nursery stock of Mr. James Shinn and opened a packing yard
near the depot, making this their distributing station.
The raising of early vegetables in our foothills for the San
Francisco market commenced in the early 70's, this business be
ing carried on almost entirely by the Portuguese. The first Italian
*John Rock, who became one of the foremost nurserymen of the state and
who was connected with the California Nursery Company for twenty years,
died August 8, 1904.

102 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
vegetable garden was started in 1876 by Mr. Manuel Dominici,
who with his wife and two small sons is still in the business. There
are three or four other Italian vegetable gardens, each sending
its wagons out every morning laden with fresh vegetables to make
the rounds of the township.
The first store for general merchandise was kept by Mr. Victor
Nuttman and Mr. Lowell ; succeeding them were Thomas Scott and
Wm. Insell. In 1858, Mr. Scott brought to Niles its first piano,
manufactured by Miller & Curtis.
Miss Incarnacion Vallejo, daughter of J. J. Vallejo, was the
first teacher of music, Mr. Scott's daughters being among her first
pupils. In the winter of 1862 and 1863, Mr. Scott was sent to
the Legislature as the first representative from this section. In
1898, Mr. James Clark represented the same section as Assembly
man. The birth of Wm. Henry Tyson, on November 2, 1850, is the
first record of a white child born in Niles.
In 1869, Lew McDole came to Niles and established himself
as a cobbler, in the building he now occupies. He declares that
more people in this township owe their soles to him than will now
admit it. Alex. Scott established a warehouse and lumber yard
in the early 70's and later sold the business to Mortimer & Wams
ley. The Farwell stone quarry was opened in 1879 and operated
quite extensively for several years. The stone is light brown and
gray, does not take a polish, but stands all kinds of weather. The
Unitarian Church, of Oakland, and the Rosenthal Building, of
San Francisco, are made of this stone. The property is now in
litigation, consequently the quarry is not worked.
Niles claims the first gravel pit utilized in the State, situ
ated in the creek bottom, on the Shinn property. It is a crop
that never fails, as the rains of each winter replace what has
been excavated during the season. In building the new amphi
theatre on the State University grounds, in Berkeley, one order
was for seventy-five carloads of this gravel.
In the spring of 1894 the Niles Co-Operative Fruit Association
was organized, with Judge Tilden as president; it was run success
fully for several years. A few years later Edward A. Ellsworth
started a dryer in the home orchard, and recently he has bought
the entire plant of the Co-Operative Association and handles a
large portion of the fruit dried in this vicinity.
Niles has three well-conducted general merchandise stores; a
drug store; a meat market, with necessary wagon route, and two
blacksmith and wagon shops.
In May, 1897, the first issue of the Niles Herald appeared, with

OLD ADOBE ALAMEDA CANYON.

104 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
Mr. F. G. Vivian as editor. The following year the Waters Bros.
(A. R. and H. J.) bought the paper and edited it until February,
1904, when it was sold to F. E. Adams, of Pleasanton, who consoli
dated it with the Washington Press, E. B. Thompson, editor.
The flood of '61 and '62 is well remembered by the old resi
dents. The rains commenced the last of December and continued
for six weeks, with heavy falls of snow in the hills. The creek
was booming and continued to rise rapidly. In February the peo
ple became so anxious that they considered it necessary for the
safety of the residents to set a watch at night. An alarm came
early in the morning and people awoke to find themselves surround
ed by water as if in the middle of a lake. What few cellars there
were had filled with water, which gradually came up over the door
sills, and people took to the second stories, tearing up carpets and
moving up what furniture they could. One family, named Phelps,
left their house and took refuge on an island and soon saw their
house with all their belongings swept down the stream. A Mr.
Smith removed his family to a place of safety only the day before,
but stayed himself in the house. Before morning he was obliged
by the rising waters to leave the house ; he climbed a tree and
lighted a lantern, and when his wife saw the light she said he was
all right, he had "gone to roost."
The roar of the waters as they came rushing down the canyon
was deafening and could be heard for miles as the flood swept on
through the valley on its errand of destruction, washing away
houses, fences, trees and everything in its path. The water
stood three and four feet deep on the lower parts of the
Ellsworth, Sanborn, Clough and Nichols places. As far as the
eye could see, "water, water everywhere." A remarkable feature
of this severe flood was that there was no loss of life.
The first hotel in Niles was located on the site now occupied
by the Congregational parsonage and was run by a man named
Sam Bonner.
L. M. Hinckley had a blacksmith shop on the Mayhew place.
Mr. Robert Beeching also had a blacksmith shop in the north
corner of the property now owned by Ed. A. Ellsworth.
In 1869, the first express office was established in the old Scott
store and Wm. Snyder was appointed agent, at a salary of $25.00
per month. After two years the express office was moved to the
railway depot.
The first through railway train to Oakland was on November
8, 1869. The year before this, however, the trains came down
through the canyon and ran to San Jose.
In 1872, the Supervisors succeeded in getting an Act passed by
the legislature to bridge Alameda Creek at Niles. The bridge was

NILES 105
built and accepted in October of the same year. The cost was
$12,000; county bonds being secured through the personal efforts
of Mr. H. Overacker, who was supervisor at that time from this
district. The first Sunday School was held during the summer of 1873
in the wareroom of the old mill, with Mrs. Sarah E. King as super
intendent, assisted by Mesdames Snyder, Woodward, Clough,
Henion and Plummer.
In November, 1873, the first post office was opened in Niles,
with Wm. Snyder as postmaster; there were two mails a day and
the salary was $12.00 per year.
In 1890, with a change of administration, W T. Dickey was
appointed postmaster and the office was moved to his store near
the depot. J. E. Briscoe succeeded Mr. Dickey, and in '98 Mr.
Snyder again received the appointment and has held the office up
to the present time. From two mails a day the office has increased
to eleven, and is now a money order office. Rural free delivery
was established early in 1904.
In 1852, Mr. Harvey Green taught school for a few months in
the adobe on the Overacker place, and the same year Miss Sarah
Scott taught a private school for a short time in her father's house.
After this the nearest school was at Centreville, which for years
the children were obliged to attend. The need of a public school
in Niles was greatly felt, therefore, people clubbed together and
gave a great ball in the old mill's warehouse, and all worked to
make it a success. They realized from the ball $320.00; the school
house was built and the balance needed was raised by subscription.
In October, 1875, the first public school opened with Miss Wat-
kins as teacher. Mr. B. D. T. Clough, M. J. Overacker and Wm.
Snyder acting as trustees; the first two held office until removed
by death. Mr. Snyder is still a trustee, having been a member of
the board since the school district was formed. In 1889, it was
found that a new school house was necessary, so the present build-
was erected, and school opened in October of the same year in
the new building. Mrs. J. E. Thane, Mr. Snyder and H. A. May
hew constituted the Board of Trustees. The Hon. Eli Dennison
presented the school with a flag, which is the largest school flag
in the county. This flag has the distinction and the honor of
having been unfurled at two of the Presidential nominating
conventions held at Chicago.
The old school building was sold to the Congregational Society,
and was moved and remodeled into a very pretty little church ; The
railway company kindly donated the lot where the church now
stands. Regular church services commenced on June 16, 1889,
with Mr. Frederic Maar as pastor. The first church wedding was

106 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
solemnized on February 4, 1891, when the pastor, Mr. Frederic
Maar, was married to Miss May Tyler; Rev. J. K. McLean, of Oak
land, officiating.
The Roman Catholic Church was established January 25, 1892;
and the Episcopal Church the same year.
The first May Day picnic was held in '54, on Ellsworth's Island,
then owned by Daniel and Osmond Sanborn and planted to grain;
they cut a few acres and, after the picnic, regretted that the en
tire field had not been cut. Invitations were sent out to every
body in the township. It is estimated that there were present
fifty women, one hundred and fifty men and about fifty boys and
girls. The Rev. Mr. Brier and Noble Hamilton, afterwards made
judge, were the speakers of the day. These picnics sometimes
lasted for several days and preparations were commenced months
before for these great social events. A May Queen was always
chosen. They were continued until the floods of 1861 and 1862;
but after that they were usually held at Dry Creek.
The first public picnic grounds in Niles canyon were conducted
by John Meyer.
In March, 1891. L. H. Cutler opened the first drug store. Dr.
Ray was the first resident physician.
The first hall was built and owned by Solomon Easterday and
was opened March, 1888.
About the year 1890, a Parmelee Circulating Library, of 145
volumes, was selected, bought, by the citizens of Niles, and placed
in Mr. Dickey's store. In 1895, these books were moved to the
"Open Door," reading room which was then under the management
of the Christian Endeavor Society. From time to time additions
were made to the original library until there were 500 volumes, and
in January, 1900, the Niles Free Library was incorporated. A
lot was purchased and the railroad company presented the cor
poration with a building.
On March 17, 1893, Niles Lodge of Odd Fellows was organized.
On November 1 5 of the same year the Court of Foresters of America
was organized.
In 1894 the Niles Band came into existence, numbering twelve
members. They practiced faithfully for some months and appeared
in public on several occasions, but on account of the removal of
several of the members the interest died out and the organization
ceased. In 1896, the Athletic Club was organized. Considerable work
and some little expense was put into a bicycle track, which was
never used.
On January 6, 1897, the Social Assembly of the United Arti
sans was organized. The Niles Improvement Club was formed in

NILES

107

April, 1898, with Mr. Jos. Shinn as president. On March 20, 1900,
the Niles Camp of Modern Woodmen of America was organized.
On March 16, 1901, the Niles Encampment of I. O. 0. F was
organized. In June, 1901, the Suburban Electric Company brought their
lines through Niles.
There are living in our midst two ladies who have the distinc
tion of having "crossed the plains," Mrs. Emmeline Tyson and
Mrs. Kate Overacker.
There are a few Niles people of whom the citizens should be
justly proud as having acquired prominence in different circles:
Dr. Millicent Shinn and Mr. Charles Shinn, in the literary world;
Miss Ida Curtis, in the ministry ; Miss Sybil Easterday, in sculpture ;
Miss Estelle Heartt, in vocal music.

k
Si

Decoto, Town and District.

VHIS part of the township was originally a portion of the Val
lejo grant and was later owned by J. G. Clark.
Evidences of residence by the Indians have been found on the
farms around by J. C. Whipple and on the I. B. Haines estate.
Mortars and human bones having been exhumed in several places
on their lands.
A squatter known by the name of "Euchre John," who lived
on the land now owned by Mr. Reese, planted the first fruit trees
in the district, which bore fruit in 1862.
The first storehouse was built in 1850 by Vallejo. It stood on
the right bank of Segunda Creek, commonly called Dry Creek, on
the land owned in 1853 by Frank Frietas and was not entirely
destroyed until a few years since.
Previous to July 2, 1868, the Decoto School District was a
part of the Alvarado, Alviso and Centreville districts. At that
time this district was formed and called Cosmopolitan School Dis
trict. The first school house was built on land donated for school
purposes by J. G. Clark, who then owned the land. The buildings
and furnishings when ready for use had cost the district $1,307.92,
all of which was raised by subscription. The first term of the
school was taught by J. T. James, in 1869. The total number of
pupils enrolled was twenty, with an average daily attendance of
seventeen. The district has been taken from several times till
now the area is not more than half what it was originally. Parts
of the Niles and Valle Vista districts having been formed by the
divisions. The present enrollment of pupils is 168, with a good
daily attendance; four teachers are employed. A new schoolhouse
was erected in 1883 within the town limits. The old building was
sold and is now a part of the residence of H. May. The land was
returned to the present owners of the Clark estate.
The Dry Creek picnic grounds, so well known to all old residents
of the township, are in this district. The grounds were first used
as a pleasure resort in 1854 or 1855. The season usually opened
on the 26th of April, the Odd Fellows having charge of the festiv-
vities. May-day was considered the great holiday and was looked
forward to with the livliest pleasure from one season to another,
and elaborate preparations were made in the way of dress and en
tertainment. Refreshments were planned many weeks in advance.

110

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

A Glimpse of Dry Creek Picnic Grounds
As the years advanced and the county became more thickly
settled, one day was not enough to satisfy the ardor of the pleas
ure seekers, and for several years the festivities of the May season
were kept up for three days. A good floor was laid and excellent
music was in attendance, dancing being the principal amusement.
During the early '70's pleasure seekers came from the city to
enjoy the day, but this continued only for a few years, the distance
from the station being too great for the convenience of pedestrians.
For more than twelve years the grounds have not been used
as a public pleasure resort.
During the years 1851-53, about 300 acres of land on the Ala
meda Creek was farmed by Don J. J. de Vallejo and Mr. James
Hawley (who is now living in the Alviso district). This tract was
called the Bell Ranch, from the fact that a large bell, given bv
J. J. Vallejo, was hung by Mr. Hawley in 1852 in a sycamore tree
which stood on the bank of the creek. The original tree was washed
away by the floods; but another has grown in the same place
Later the bell was hung on a frame erected for it nearer the house
and it remained there for many years. It was used as a signal
for calling the laborers to and from their work. It is reported

DECOTO, TOWN AND DISTRICT 111
on pretty good authority that the bell was one of the five Mission
church bells, and that some time in the late '60's it was returned
to its place in the old church.
The ranch house, which is still standing and used as a residence,
was built in 1852. The bridge which now spans the Alameda
Creek is called the "Bell Ranch Bridge," from the name given
the ranch.
In 1870, 284 acres of land were purchased from the three De
coto brothers by the railroad company and the Decoto Land Com
pany was formed; the town was surveyed and called Decoto.
Streets were laid out, named, and during the winter of 1870 and
1871, 27,000 trees of various kinds were set out, eucalyptus being
the most prominent. Several large warehouses have been built
in which great quantities of grain and hay are stored every year
and from thence shipped to the markets. During the year 1902,
9187 tons of freight were shipped from the Decoto Station, for
which the railroad company received as freight charges, $S682.99.
Molders' sand is found on the land owned by E. A. Bush, and
many carloads are shipped annually to the Union Iron Works in
San Francisco.
In 1873, quite a large tract of land was set out in hops on the
property owned by J. B. Shirk. For several years the crops were
quite profitable; but about 1885 the yield began to decrease, and
a few years later this industry was given up entirely.
Fruits, grain, and sugar-beets are successfully raised in the
valley, while the hill land produces good crops of grapes and is
famed for the production of early vegetables for home and eastern
markets. There are but three houses of the early days remaining in the
district, all of them still serving as residences.
Mr. Gresel, who is a successful farmer in this district, worked
for Mr. James Hawley on the Bell Ranch as early as 1851, and
has made his home in the vicinity since that time.
Decoto was separated from Alvarado as a voting precinct in
1896. The number oLregistered voters in 1902 was 116; therefore
the population of the district is about 580.
In 1873, the Cypress Cemetery Association was formed with
the following named trustees: J. C. Whipple, F. B. Granger, Sr.,
E. Dyer, John Hall, Wm. Hayes and J. M. Ingalls, all of whom,
except the last named, were pioneers. The first officers were : Wm.
Hayes, Pres. ; J. C. Whipple, Vice-Pres. ; J. M. Ingalls, Sec. and
Treas. Ten acres of land were purchased from Sanford Taylor.
The Itract was fenced and soon after Mr. Whipple, at his own
expense, set cypress trees on three sides of the grounds, many of
which are still standing.

1 1 2 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
In 1874 or 1875, W. M. Moserve organized the first Sabbath
School; Miss Alvena Meyer (now Mrs. C. C. Crane) was chosen
superintendent. The school was presented with a small library,
some bibles and song books by one of the Presbyterian churches
of Oakland. This school was abandoned after a time and it was
not till after the new public school house was built that another
Sunday school, with Alvina Decoto in charge, was regularly or
ganized by Rev. Mr. Wirt in the early 80's. From this grew the
organization of the Congregational Church on December 9, 1893,
through the efforts of Rev. F. H. Maar; and through his efforts
also the Christian Endeavor societies of the State raised the funds
for erecting a neat building on a lot loaned for church purposes.
This, the only "Christian Endeavor Church" in the state, was
dedicated September 23, 1898.
The corner stone of the Masonic Home was laid October 14,
1896. The main building was dedicated October 12, 1898, and
opened to inmates March 1, 1899. The property consists of 267.46
acres of land, all under cultivation. The principal building is an
imposing brick structure (the bricks being made on the grounds
as needed), four stories in height, situated on an eminence com
manding a magnificent view of the southern end of Alameda County
of the Bay and of the mountains of the Coast range both on the
east and west. At the present time there are more than 125 in
mates, and forty children are attending the grammar and high
schools. The Home is supported by a per capita tax of $1.00 paid each
year by the subordinate lodges of the State to the Grand Lodge.
Seminoff Temple, the corner stone of which was laid April 22,
1903, is the gift of S. Seminoff, of San Francisco, and is a very
handsome and commodious building, with lodge rooms, library
and offices, which are to be devoted to the uses of those Free Masons
who are inmates of the Home.
A new enterprise on rather a large scale has lately been launched
just west of the town of Decoto. Here a model dairy is being
conducted by D. Jackson and F. B. Granger, two well known
business men of Alvarado. The business is being conducted under
the name of the Jackson-Granger Dairy Co.
The ranch of 340 acres has been fenced and cross fenced, al
lowing of the pasturing of their 240 milch cows and the raising of
hay. Fourteen men are employed at the dairy, each having his
special work to do.
The buildings, which are very large, contain eight "strings" of
thirty-three cows each and are models of neatness, as one of the
main rules is "Keep the place clean to the utmost degree." The
buildings are all lighted by electricity, as are the wash-room, grist
mill, and all out buildings.
The full output of this model dairy is sent to Oakland, the
milk bringing the highest price paid in that market.
Several new improvements are about to be commenced, and
when completed will make this plant equal to anv in the State.

VI R.ST RAD. ROAD TRAIN IN NEWARK

jSTewark.

>HE town of Newark is situated near the northern border of
the Rancho Mission, San Jose, the branch of the Alameda
Creek (called by the Spaniards the Big Ditch), on the Mun-
yan place, at present the property of Mr. F. Brown, being the
boundary. On the other side of the creek, now owned by Mr. Andrew
Ross, stood the homestead of Don Augustine Alviso, owner of the
Rancho Potrero de Los Cerritos (pasture of the low hills).
In 1852 the valley was crowded with herds of wild cattle in
charge of Indian vaqueros. Portions of the ranchos were enclosed
with willow and raw-rride fencing, and some wheat, barley, and
oats were grown. There were usually a few fruit trees near the
houses. Each rancho had a great many Indian and half breed
retainers who did the work and for whom a steer was killed every
few days.
From 1850 on," numerous Americans arrived and obtained pos
session of land in various ways, by squatting and by purchase.
Messrs. E. Lyman Beard and John M. Horner bought a large part
of the Mission tract. Titles were unsettled until 1866, when the
government at Washington granted a patent on payment of $1.25
per acre by each holder. Mr. Beard was instrumental in getting
the farmers to assess themselves sixty cents per acre and to send
Judge A. M. Crane on to Washington to have the matter settled.
To adjust the affair an Act of Congress was necessary and as the
hour for the adjournment of the House approached, on the night
of March 3, 1866, two bills of great moment to the settlers of this
valley remained to be disposed of. One was to confirm the owners
in their holdings, and the other gave to the Western Pacific Rail
way Company every alternate section within twenty miles of its
road from San Jose to Sacramento.
Through the efforts of Senator John Conners, of California,
the bill giving the land to those in possession was passed first,
thus saving endless litigation with the railroad, and perhaps a
tragedy like that of Mussel Slough, of which Mr. Norris wrote in
the "Octopus."
The first settlers of what is now the town of Newark were two
farmers, named Clarke and Thomas, who took possession of 160
acres, fenced it and built a house where the ranch-house of the
Fair property stands. Lumber for fencing was very scarce and

NEWARK 115
expensive, so they dug a ditch, and throwing up the earth, built
the fence on the top of the embankment thus made. Traces of
this ditch still remain. The next owner was Capt. Joseph May
hew, who built the present house, one of the finest in the county
at that time, and who had a stock-ranch of more than a thousand
acres. He was a most enterprising, popular man, who after a
time moved to San Leandro and was elected Sheriff of the
County in 1861 and 1853. A. B. Forbes, of San Francisco, was
the next owner of the place; he spent many thousands in improv
ing it, but, after a few years, sold to Perrin Bros., who established
the Green Point Dairy and laid out a town which they called New
ark; half way between the present town and the bay. They ad
vertised extensively, built a road across the marsh at great ex
pense and chartered a steamer to bring excursionists from San
Francisco to Alviso Slough. The town project was not a success,
although they sold some lots, and in 1876 they disposed of their
holdings to the Pacific Land Improvement Co who carried on the
dairy business for a time. On coming into possession the Com
pany, consisting of Flood & O'Brien, A. E. Davis and others, built
a railroad to Dumbarton Point, connecting there with the steamer
"Newark" for San Francisco. San Jose was the terminus of the
road. The line to Dumbarton Point was abandoned when the
Company acquired the right of way through Alameda. In March,
1878, trains ran from Alameda to Los Gatos, and on May 15, 1880,
the first passenger train for Santa Cruz went over the road. On
May 23d there was an excursion on the new road, flat-cars being
crowded with people, and when rounding a curve overlooking the
powder mill in the Santa Cruz mountains one was overturned and
seventeen persons killed. On the completion of the road the round
house and repair shops were located here, and Carter Bros.' car
shops gave employment to many. The Company built houses
for its employees and two stores were opened, one by Mr. Albert
Falk and one by Mr. George Thorn. A post office was established,
Mr. Martin Carter being the first postmaster, who soon resigned
in favor of Mr. Thorn. For several years before this the nearest
postoffice was at Centreville. In 1852, settlers of this valley had
to go to San Jose for the monthly mail, letter postage being thirty
cents. After a time there was a semi-monthly mail and an office
was established at Mission San Jose, then one at Alvarado and
later at Centreville. We have had rural delivery in this neigh
borhood since September, 1903.
The first salt works in this vicinty were owned by Isaac Long,
who came here from Philadelphia in 1852. He and his brother
had the largest chicken ranch in the State on what is now called
the Thompson place. They made a fortune in the business, eggs

116 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
selling for $2.00 per dozen and young chickens for $25.00 per doz.
Mr. Long did not make a success of the salt business and sold to
Mr. J. A. Plummer, who in 1863 introduced modern methods in
its manufacture. Up to this time the mode of making salt had been
extremely primitive and the product so impregnated with brom
ines as to be unsafe for family use. In 1864, the first salt from
wooden floors was shipped by Mr. Plummer to San Francisco and
the quality of the product won immediate recognition. Mr. C. A.
Plummer still carries on an extensive business at the Crystal Salt
Works, near Newark, with a branch at Alvarado.
Another industry at Newark is the James Graham Manufac
turing Co., whose iron foundry was established in 1882 with but
two men employed. There are now 87 men on the pay-roll, who
turn out every working day forty-five ranges, and their buildings
cover an acre of ground. There is a smaller foundry at Newark
under the management of the Dunn Bros, and it will be seen that
the money received monthly for wages in the town amounts to a
large sum.
The school house and Roman Catholic church were built in
1879, and the Presbyterian church was dedicated on September
10, 1895.
When the railroad was completed a park was laid out with
a pavilion and dancing-floor for picnics, but after a time this was
abandoned. Two hotels were built, one by the railway company and one
by Mr. John Dugan, who also conducted a coursing park.
In 1876, the property of the railway company was bought by
Senator Fair and others; the Pacific Land Improvement Company
was incorporated and the present town of Newark laid out. The
Fair estate has a large property in the neighborhood.
On the refusal of the city of Oakland to allow the railway the
right of way through its streets, Senator Fair sold to the Southern
Pacific. This was July 1, 1887. But for this sale the Narrow
Gauge, as it is called, might be part of another transcontinental
road. In "Five Years Before the Mast," Richard Henry Dana, who
visited the coast in 1835, speaks of coming up the Bay of San
Francisco to the embarcaderos of the Missions for hides and tallow.
There is no doubt that he came to what was afterwards known as
Beard's, now Jarvis' Landing, as the flocks and herds of the Mis
sion San Jose were among the largest in California. Mr. Dana
also speaks of Russian vessels which came from Fort Ross and
from Alaska to trade with the Missions for grain, hides and tallow.
At the beginning of 1853, Beard's Landing was owned by Capt.
Oscar Pease, and the rate of shipping from that point to San Fran-

COYOTE HILLS (LOS CERRITOS}, NEWARK

118 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
cisco was $5.00 per ton. Capt. Pease was a son of Attorney Pease
who, with his family, lived in Centreville for a time and afterwards
returned to his home in Michigan. A few years ago Capt. Pease
visited Newark and was astonished at the changes he saw. He
built the first house at Jarvis' Landing, but his name, like those
of many of the early settlers, has almost passed into oblivion.
Capt. Pease sold the Landing to Capt. Joseph Mayhew who
sold it to his uncle, Capt. Jonathan Mayhew, who established the
lumber yards about 1855. He disposed of his holdings to his
nephew, Wm. Butler, who in 1864 sold to Mr. George Tait, of San
Francisco. In 1865, the property was bought by Jarvis and Com
pany, the firm consisting of Howard and F. C. Jarvis and two
brothers named Ray, who soon retired.
The Landing was called Beard's Landing because the late E. L.
Beard was the largest farmer in the neighborhood shipping from
this point. Mr. John M. Horner shipped from Union City. A
part of the land called Beard's Landing was on the Mission tract
and part on the Alviso property, the two connected by a plank
walk for many years. About 1853, a man had a contract for
several thousand tons of cobble stones for the San Francisco streets,
they were hauled to this Landing and then condemned as unsuit
able. After some years these stones were thrown into the slough
which divided the two tracts, and thus a permanent road was
made which is still of private ownership. Mr. Tait, one of the
owners of the Landing, came into the country for his health from
San Francisco, where he had been Superintendent of Schools when
the Lincoln school was built in that city. He was one of the first
school trustees in this neighborhood and named Lincoln district
after the President, of whom he was a great admirer although a
Virginian educated at William and Mary College, and whose fam
ily had all been on the Southern side during the Civil War.
Mr. Tait took his three sons to Europe where they were edu
cated. Dr. Dudley Tait, connected with the French Hospital in
San Francisco, is one of the sons.
The first trustees of Lincoln School District in this township
were: George W. Tait, who died in 1888; Emory Munyan, who
died in 1899; and Abijah Baker, who died in 1903. Mr. Baker
gave the lot on which the school house stands.
A small vessel of about thirty tons was built at the Landing
in 1865 by Barney Mullen and Edwood Ross, who intended to
make a new landing back of the hills and nearer the bay. After
spending considerable money in making a road across the marsh
and a cut through the hills the project was abandoned for want
of funds and the vessel, named the "Valentine Alviso," was sold
to the Messrs. Jarvis.

NEWARK 119
In 1876, Jarvis & Co. built at the Landing a large schooner
called "The 76," and in 1882 Mr. John Lowrie built the steamer
"Lady Anne," for the Alaska river trade. It was taken north
on the deck of a schooner named the "Alaska," and used to bring
ore from the mines to tide-water. Mr. Lowrie and all on board
were lost in the "Alaska" on the return trip with a load of silver
and lead ore from his mine. Samuel Marston and Charles Babb
were lost at the same time, October, 1883.
Dumbarton Point is destined to be on the line of a railroad
into San Francisco; the bay at that place is only three-fourths of
a mile in width and it can be bridged without difficulty. It is
the only place on the bay between Oakland and San Jose where
the depth of water will permit the approach of large vessels.
The marshes about the bay afford good duck-hunting and many
gun clubs have preserves in this neighborhood. Mr. F. M. Smith,
of borax fame, has rented the shooting privilege of the Brigg's
ranch for fifteen years and has built a commodious shooting-box.
Some years ago Eastern oysters were planted in the bay on
the San Mateo shore where an extensive industry is carried on.
The oysters in some cases have drifted to the Alameda side and
occasionally the hunter finds a colony of them.
The death of Mr. Emory Munyan, which occurred June 9,
1899, was a great loss to the community. He was a generous,
kindly man of wonderful memory and intelligence and had a vast
store of information concerning the early days of the country.
He was a good linguist, and his services had often been employed
by the Spaniards in translating important documents, for which
he would never take compensation. He was trustee of Lincoln
school from its organization till his death, and he gave to it a val
uable collection of mineral and Indian relics. He had a fine or
chard and every Friday, during the season, the school children
received a basket of fruit from his hands. Mr. Munyan came to
California from Connecticut, in 1852; he never married, but of
him it may be written "that he loved his fellow men."
From the Munyan place to the bay there is an extensive In
dian mound, the site of a populous village many hundreds of years
ago. They buried their dead close to their houses, which were
built of willow bound together with twigs, plastered with mud,
and the roof covered with tules. The farmers of this locality
still turn up with the plow human bones, shells, fishing implements,
stone mortars and pestles, etc. They seem to have been a peace
ful people of a low order of intelligence, living on fish and acorns.
When the railroad was built through the Wm. Haley place
seven layers of bodies were unearthed. There are other mounds
in the vicinity, but this was the largest. An old Indian who lived

120 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
here in 1852, and who declared that he was then 100 years old,
said that he was born on this mound and that he had seen all the
adjoining ranches covered with driftwood brought down by the
freshets. The truth of this is proved by the logs and roots still
brought to light in the course of excavations here. He also told of
years of drought and floods and earthquakes, the greatest of which
occurred about 176S, or one hundred years before the "great"
earthquake of California.
There is no doubt that this valley was once an arm of the bay
and has been filled up by erosion from the hills. When boring
for water, sea sand and shells are found at a depth of seventy-five
feet or more, and, near Irvington, bones of mastodons have been
found at a great depth. The process of filling up is still going on,
for near Alvarado within living memory three fences, one above
another, have been covered with soil brought from the hills by
the rains, and in some places the marsh has been transformed into
fertile soil.
About '51 or '52, the Portuguese began to settle in this neigh
borhood; they were sailors from the Azores who sent for their
kindred ; they are an industrious race and have almost taken pos
session of this fair valley. The season of '50-'51 was a dry year,
when only about four inches of rain fell. In that year Mr. Beard
raised a crop of vegetables on what is now the Halev place; these
are some of the prices he received: potatoes, 12 and 15 cents per
lb., cabbages (some of which weighed 50 lbs.) and onions (weigh
ing three or four pounds.) 15 and 20 cents per lb. Mr. Beard told
the present owner of this place that in that year he made $80,000
from fifty acres — which sounds like a California story, but it is
true. The next year everybody raised potatoes (there were forty
inches of rain), thousands of tons rotted on the ground and there
were many bankrupts.
Throughout the valley remains of iron fencing may still be
seen, made of panels about eight feet long; used in England for
park fencing. An English ship loaded with it reached San Fran
cisco, leaking badly, her cargo was sold at auction and bought by
Mr. Horner for a song. During the Civil War when it was impos
sible to obtain iron most of this fence was used by the blacksmiths
and sold for a large price.
The pioneers who survive, and they are not many, have seen
great changes. Mr. C. S. Haley has, perhaps, the unusual dis
tinction in California of having lived on one place for fifty years.
Early writers on California speak of the extravagance of the Span
ish Californians. Whatever the Yankee trader offered for sale
they bought, and, when pay-day came, settled the account with
a piece of land. When Don Alviso sold the last of his possessions
and went to end his days with his son in Livermore, there were
but seventy acres left of his once magnificent property of nearly
eleven thousand acres, extending from Newark to Alvarado and
bounded by the hills and the bay.

Rosedale Silver Maples

122

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

NAMES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PIONEER SOCIETY.
Eligibility to membership in this society demanded settlement
in the State of California prior to March 26, 1S53, and a residence
in the township at the time of organization. Sons of pioneers
twenty-one years of age were also eligible. (Deceased marked *)

*Caleb Scott
*David Coleman Bane
*Rufus Denmark
*George Massy Walters
*Chas. Kelsey
*Wm. Alexander More
Thos. W. Millard
*Daniel Haller
John J. Riser
John Miers Horner
*George Forbes
*John McBurnie
*George Simpson
*Farley Benjamin Granger
*John Buchanan
Chas. Albert Plummer
* Samuel Ingersol Marston
*Jared Tuttle Walker
* Augustus M. Church
*Wm. Yeats Horner
*Abijab Baker
Frank Joseph Manham
F. N. Hilton
*John Lyman Beard
*Leonard Stone
*James Stokes
*Wm. Powell Abbey
*Ebenezer Haley
James Leyman Hollis
John C. Whipple
E. Powell
David S. Small ey
A. B. Montross
* Barclay D. Tulley Clough
*Wm. Ryan
John E. Perry
*Wm. Morrison
Michael Rogan
John Ryan
Antone J. Garcia
Max Seigrist
*Osman Slayton
*Simeon Stivers
* Addison M. Crane
Sebastian Franz
*Wm. Hayes
Wm. Wallace
Valentine Alviso

* George W Bond
James Allen Trefry
* Emery Munyan
*Edwood Ross
Wm. Barry
*Luther Edward Osgood
Nathaniel Lockling Babb
* Henry G. Ellsworth
Howard Overacker
Frank Rose Constant
*Michael Overacker
*Wm. Morris Liston
Wm. Henry Cockefair
* George Emerson
Lewis Cass Smith
* Edward Neihaus
James Hawley
*Elias Lyman Beard
*John Hall
* August May
Ozias Buddington Simpson
C. C. Chase
Wm. Andrew Yates
Robt. Gannin Abbev
^Liberty Perham
Frank R. Stokes
*Mahlon Beach Sturgis
*Ivan James Tifoche
* Henry Smith
Augustus Moore
Timm Hauschildt
Joseph M. Harlev
*Peter J. Campbell
*Hiram Davis
*Geo. W. Peacock
* Calvin J. Stevens
Frank Rowane
Daniel Moody Sanborn
Frank C. Jarvis
Louis Cammerin
M. W. Dixon
*Chris Jessen
Manuel Lewis Vierrs
Manuel Fereira
*George M. Smith
* Andrew Beck
Wm. Buchanan

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

123

ARGONAUT CLUB OF WASHINGTON, MURRAY AND EDEN TOWNSHIPS.
To be a niember of this club it was necessary that a man should
be a resident of one of the townships prior to January 1 , 1853.
The last general meeting was held March 13, 1893.
The list of members follows:

William Barry, secretary

George W. Bond, president

John Buchanan

Henry Dusterberry

Geo. Forbes

Sebastian Franz

F. B. Granger, Sr.

Wm. Hayes

August May

A. B. Montross

Augustus Moore

E. Munyon

E. Neihaus

L. E. Osgood

H. Overacker, Sr.

W. T Ralph

C. C. Scott

D. S. Smallev

Henry L. Smith

W. B. Sturgis

Ivan James Tifoche

J. T. Walker

PIONEERS OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Pioneers of Washington Township prior to 1854, so far as
their names can be ascertained. (Deceased marked *)

John M. Horner
?Henry C. Smith
*Earl Marshall
James Hawley
*Wm. Tyson
*Wm. Morrison
* Addison M. Crane
>=Wm. M. Liston
*C. J. Stevens
J. J. Riser
Stephen W. Millard
*Chas. Kelsey
*Caleb Cook Scott
D. D. Hennion
?J. T. Walker
*Rufus Denmark
?James Beazell
?Origen Mowrv
?W W. Brier '
Chas. Valpey
E. Dyer
Socrates Huff
John Huff
?John L. Wilson
?Garrett Norris
*Wm. Ogden
?Edwood Ross
?Osman Sanborn
?Ebenezer Haley, Sr.
John M. English

*Redman Horner
*E. L. Beard
?Simeon Stivers
?Wm. Sim
Perry Morrison
*Wm. Y. Horner
*A. M. Church
Richard Threlf all
?Henry Ellsworth
*  Kempster (teacherl
Thos. W. Millard
James A. Trefry
?Geo. W. Bond
?Joseph Nichols
*S. M. Marston
N. L. Babb
W. H. Cockefair
?Timothy Rix
*E. Neihaus
?Wm. Threlf all
*Geo. W. Pattersoi
Ed. Huff
?Wm. Hayes
?Robt. Blacow
*C. C. Breyfogle
?Joseph Ralph
D. M. Sanborn
Chas. Sanborn
?Chas. Hadsell
?Don J. J. Vallejo

124

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

?John R. Sim
?Joseph F. Black
?Dr. B. F. Bucknall
?Hiram Eggers
?John Blacon
?Joshua Wauhab
?L. E. Osgood
C. S. Haley
?Joseph Newsom
?Johnston Horner
Jacob Morgan
?Isaac Horner
?Chas. Hilton
?Abijab Baker :
?James Seal
?Stephen Larkins
?W. W. Moore
Silas Baker
?Fred Lucas
?Dr. Bacon
Dr. McKinstrv
F. P. Dann
Dr. Murdock
?  Chamberlain
?J. W. Musser
?Joseph Mayhew
?Calvin Valpey, Sr.
H. C. Valpey
?John Bergman
Benjamin Marston
Geo. Marston
?F. W. Redding
Comfort Y. Haley

?Hiram Davis
Wm. Barry
?Wm. Poinsett
?James Emerson
?Stacy Horner
Howard Overacker, Sr.
?Emery Munyan
?Wm. Wales
?Thos. Newsom
Otho Morgan
?  Johnston (teacher)
Geo. A. Lloyd
James Torrey
?Reuben Clemens
Joseph H. Cann
?Hon. J. M. Moore
?Robt. Hilton
Francisco Cataldo Pepe
?James Johnston
?Dr. Goucher
Augustin Alviso
Dr. J. M. Selfridge
A. W Harris
?R. McClure
?Jonathan Mavhew
Allen H. Mayhew
Calvin Valpey, Jr.
 Lasell
?  Laumeister
Chas. Marston
?Henry Marston
?Edwin Haley
W W. Halev
E. H. Haley, Jr.

FIRST ASSESSMENT ROLL WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, 1854.

Name.
C. M. Abbott .. .
Francisco Arricocu.
David Ash
J. M. Amador
E. S. Allen .. ..
Augustine Alviso.
J. A. Amador.. .
Wm. Ackerman
E. L. Beard.. . .
Jesse Beard . . .
Jane L. W. Beard
J. Brown 

Acres.

.2182

600850200 300

Personal
and Real Estate
Total Value.
$100.00 750.00
250.00475.00500.00
55,880.00 825.00 100.00
47,200.0047,500.0023,500.0036,000.00 100.00

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 125
Name. Acres. Total Value.
J. Blacow  1,500.00
Wm. Baker  - 700 . 00
J. Bagley  200.00
J. B. Bollo  1,600.00
Mulbino Bider  . 75 . 00
G. W. Bond  ... 225 . 00
Richard Binson  1,200.00
Beard & Hawthorne   1,600.00
J. F. Black  200.00
Martha E. Bucknell  100.00
E.Barnes  1,000.00
W. W. Brier  40 3,065.00
Broder & Edmonson  2,100.00
A. H. Broder  450.00
Broder & Smith  . 500.00
Robert Blacow  8,065.00
C. C. Bray 2,600.00
I. Coombs  350.00
J. G Chipman  350.00
Wm. H. Coombs  1,500.00
N. W. Coles  400.00
P. J. Campbell  950.00
Z. Cheney  2,340. 00
J. Cheney 
D.I.Cheney  200.00
P. Columbet  1,775.00
G. Carr  275.00
H. N. Cowell  350.00
J. W. Carrick  350.00
Clark, Crane & Co  5,650.00
A. M. Church  400.00
T. M. Coombs  3,200.00
Edw. Chauncey  1,700.00
Chauncey. & Wise  1,800.00
R. Clements  400.00
Clemente Columbet  45 49,500.00
R. Denmark  1,400.00
G.Denmark  500.00
R.B.Donovan  655.00
A. Day  '. . 600.00
J.W.Dougherty  350.00
G. Dennis  2,900.00
R. Dairs  475.00
D.S.Donaldson  350.00
H. Davis   1,025.00
R. S. Dorr  100.00
F. Duff  200.00
F Higuera  9026 98,883.00
G. Higuera  160 1,610.00
J.Edmonds  1,210.00
T. Higuera  300.00
J. Everetta  „, 600.00
Eckler & Sheperd  ± 2,400.00

126

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Name.
A. Higuera 
P. Edsall 
P. E. Edmonson.
P. Fay 
E. Flint. . .
U. Felix . . .
Forbes & Co.
J. Foxall ....
C. Folwell . .
J. Ferris
A. Forbes . .
J. Grammer. .
N. Galindo ..
C. C. Gage
H . Gaskins . .
S. Griffin... .
J. Gragg. . .
W. R. Graham 
F. B. Granger . .
A. Gildersleeve
E. W. Goucher 
J. Hartram & C. Staffer.
D. D. Henion 
J. Hawley & Co 
A. W. Harris. ...
A. W. & E. Harris
H. Harris 
C. Hilton 
Hilton & Beazell . .
Wm. H. Hawthorn
Chas. Hadsell..
S. Hance 
H. Hissa . .
I. Harrison . . .
Wm. Hopkins
LB. Horner. .
G. W. Hopkins
I. G. Hansen 
Howard & Chamberlain 
H. Hojan 
Wm. Incell 
J. Ingram 
C. Ira 
J. M. Horner & Wm. Y. Horner.
T. M. & Wm. Y. Horner 
I. L. James & Co 
Wm. Jones
F. Johnson . .
C. Johnson . .
H. Kelsey  ....
I. B. King & D. Ecles
Kreis & French .... ....
E. J. Knowles 

Acres.

123

200 160

100100

3319

Total Value.
2,925.00 200 . 00
500.00 75.00
870.00
610.00
4,850.00 200.00 240.00
300.00 450.00
250.00
650.00 50.00
5,790.00 400.00
1,600.00 100.00
200.00 100.00
650.00
1,175.00
1,590.00
7,180.00
2,100.00 3,640.00 100.00 70.00
725 . 00
650.00965.00
800.00200.00
. 200.00
3,645.003,887.001,000.00 805.00
14,600.00 100.00 80.00
275.00
400.00
125,075.00 30,700.00 957.00
1,500.00 300.00 100.00
1,420.00 175.00
609.00
1,300.00

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

127

Name.
L. N. Kerr 
D. Lewis ... 
H. A. & J. G. Lynch . .
D. B. Lynch 
J. Lewelling 
J. Lamson 
G. Leland 
H. S. & E. S. Long ..
A. J. Sewell 
G. A. Loyd 
E. Marshall
S. Maxwell 
J. Mesquita 
S. W. & T. W. Millard, . . .
A. & E. McWilliams 
S. Murphy 
Wm. Meyers 
J. A. Mavhew 
L. J., I. S. & Benj. Marston
I. S. Marston 
J. McCrea 
F. Michael 
G. Moore 
E. & A. C. Morton 
S. Murdoch 
J. R. Mason 
J. Marshall 
B. Mowry  . . .
J. M. & S. Moore 
J. Morgan  . .
M. E. & A. Marshall 
J. C. Nail 
J. Newsom 
E. Neihaus & Gates 
J. Nichols  .
C. Noler ....
J. B. Nash 
H. Norton
L. Newman 
J. H. Overstrand 
J. E. Patterson ....
T. Presidio  ....
J Parsons 
A. Phillips 
G. W. Patterson 
Francesco Cataldo Pepe 
T. Pacheco 
Wm. Pointsett 
J. D. Parker 
R. A. Potter 
M. Powell 
Pico, Beard & Horner . .
J. J. Riser.

Acres.

100

335

Total Value.

325

.00

1,550

.00

400

.00

400

.00

115

.00

790

.00

1,500

.00

2,700

00

1,225

00

4,225

00

6,150

00

983

00

500

00

120

00

400

00

807

00

100

00

9,495

00

2,775

00

2,780

00

250

00

225

00

1,100

00

1,175

00

200

00

1,400

00

175

00

3,780

00

3,300

00

700

00

600

00

4,030

00

1,200

00

2,390

00

984

00

400

00

550

00

250

00

300.

00

450.

00

1,000.

00

50.

00

450.

00

2,680.

00

3,000.

00

570.

00

8,400

00

400.

00

700.

00

420.

00

100.

00

223,705.

00

1,875.

00

128

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Name. Acres.
L. Ride 
A. W. Richardson  100
I. Remmick. .  
S. A. Rise 
J. Ralph ..  100
C. Rowe 
Remey & Dubois 
F. Rocco 
T. Rix 
J. B. Sweetzer . . 
T. H. Scribner 
Wm. Sisson 
E. Sisson 
C. C. Scott  .... .
Scott & Larkin 
S. Stivers 
J. F. Storer 
M. Sigrist 
C. J. Stevens . . 
C. Swensey .... 
N. Slusser 
C. A. Sigmond . . 
H. Southworth 
J. M. Selfridge 
J. Sanders  
A. Siloner 
S. Stearn. . . 
H. C. Sill 
H. C. Smith 
H. C. Smith 
S. C. Smith 
Tyson & Morrison .... ....
J. S. Terrvl 
J. Threlfall & J. Bamber 
M. A. Torry 
R. & J. Threlfall 
E. S. Tabbitt, Smith & Griffiths. .
J. Travis 
J. A. Trefry 
J. Thompson 
M. Tompkins 
Wm. C. Jones .... 
C. Valpey ....
H. A. Vanhquin  ...
H. M. Vesey 
J. J. Vallejo 
R. Wolcott 
M. W. Wheeler 
J.R.Wilson. .. 
J. Wauhab 
H. Webster 
H. Watson  100
B. Williams 

100160
200 150

137
1775

17724

Total Value. 100.00
2,200.00 1,500.00 625.00
8,565.00 600.00
1,000.00
3,400.003,575.00 5,802.00
1,765.00 4,700.00 1,510.00
3,400.00 1,000.00 750.00
400.00 500.00
3,100.00 880.00275.00 40.00
429.00
1,195.00 750.00675.00 100.00
100.00
500.00
4,600.00
20,450.00 11,860.00 625.00
2,020.00 375.00
1,815.00
1,000.00 1,565.00 450.00 100.00
4,410.00
16,425.00 1,020.00 500.00
600.00
242,020.00 75.
1,374. 336.
750.380.
4,424. 150.

.00.00.00.00 .00
.00
.00

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 129
Name. Acres. Total Value.
John L. Wilson. ... 8 450.00
C. W. Wandell  110.00
L.D.Warren  500.00
F. J. Whalev  1,750.00
M. Watts  200.00
S.L.Wilson  1,275.00
Unknown owners ..... 100 5,700.00
Total acreage  4 1286 $1 ,343,015 00
(The above table shows that the assessments of seven firms
and individuals covered about three-fourths of the property of
the township.) Signed, Mr. A. M. Crane, Co. Judge
Mr. S. H. Robinson,
Mr. A. Marshall, Associates.
For the year 1903: Total acreage assessed, 108.316; total
valuation, $6,612,424.
Thanks are due for the above data to Mr. Myron Whidden,
Deputy County Auditor, Hon. John G Mattos. Jr., and Mr. Ar
thur Biddle.

PRODUCTIONS AND ACREAGK, 1903.
No. of Fruit Trees
Apple  8,153
Apricot  48,908
Cherrv  20,776
Fig...'  175
Pear  11,760
Peach  24,471
Prune  88,703
Plum   5,052
Quince  . . . . 225
Lemon  468
Orange  667
Olive   1.K03
Almond  45,445
Chestnut  94
Walnut  3,251

Total trees  259,971
No. of acres in fruit trees  2,600
No. of acres in grapes  2,299
No. of acres in berries and small fruits 87

Total acres in fruit  4,986

130

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Hay and Grain.
Hay ...
Wheat Barley 
Corn Oats. Total  Vegetables.
Sugar Beets 
Potatoes . .
Tomatoes. . .
Other Vegetables . . .
Rhubarb ... . . . .
Total ....

No. of Acres.
7,262 312
13,860 423 141

21,998 Acres. 3,853 1,262 481 901 82

6,579

Total number of acres in fruit .... 4,986
Total number of acres in hay and grain 21,998
Total number of acres in vegetables. . . 6,579
Total number of acres marsh and pasture 74,653
Total number of acres of land in Township, 108,216 11-100
Value of stock, horses, cattle, etc., $106,606.
Total valuation of all property, real and personal, $6,612,494

first school cfnsus. (Verbatim copy.)
Report of the Common School Marshal to the County Super
intendent of Santa Clara County, for the school year ending Octo
ber 31, A. D., 1852: District of San Jose Mission.
Names of Parents and Names of Children, bet.
Guardians. 4 and IS years of age.
E. L. Beard and Jane Beard  Henry G. Ellsworth
John Beard.

Chanev Cornell and Charlotte Cornell

Robert Cornell.
Wm. Cornell.
A. Fisk Cornell.

James Hawley and Hetty Hawley .. .Charlotte Hawley.
Emma Hawley.
Jose Jesus Vallejo and Soebad Vallejo . Maria Vallejo
Encarnacion Vallejo.
General Vallejo.
Guadalupe Vallejo.

Thomas Wright and Lucy Wright

.Amanda E. Ray.
James T. Ray.

HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP 1 3 1

H. C. Smith and Marv A. Smith

Isaac Goodwin.

Flugencio Higera and Julia Higera

Wm. Bell and Elizabeth Bell
Juan Ireas 

Juan J. Bornel and Yulupa Riesgo

Augustine Ruis.

Julia Ann Smith.
Jerome Van Gorden.
George Van Gorden.
.Lewis Goodwin.
Edwin A. Goodwin.
Nancy E. Goodwin.
Lucinda A. Goodwin.
.Leandro Higera.
Salio Higera.
. E. James Hoyt.
.Theadore Carrovna.
Jose Carrovna.
Sabata Carrovna.
.Maria Riesgo.
Jesus Riesgo.
.Jose Doleres.

P I. Camble and Crista Camble  John T. Camble.
Nancy Jane Camble.
Juana Misquite  Jose Falis.
Frankeline Falis.
Alvena Higera.
Lotala Higera.
. . .Gavalo Tromaro.
Manwel Romero.
. . .James Forbs.
. Amelia Ann Scott.

Marea Gaisea and Jose Romero.
T. W. Gaskins 
Caleb C. Scott and Mary Scott .

Joseph Nicols and Jerusha S. Nicols  Enos Nicols.
Martin Nicols.

Horace Skinner and ?Lora Skinner .
Clement Beateie and Hanah Beateie

. Horace Skinner.
Joseph Skinner.
Wm. H. A. Beateie.
Spenser Beateie.
Jane Beateie.
Wm. Horner.

John M. Horner 
?Possibly Leva.
As will be seen by the date, the above report was made before
Alameda County or Washington Township was organized.

1 32 HIS TOR Y OF WA SHING TON TO WNSHIP
SCHOOL EXPENDITURES.
The total amount of money expended for school purposes, the
first year after the organization of the County, in 1854, was $4,765.
It is impossible to ascertain what part of this amount was expended
in this township.
The total amount of moneys apportioned to the several school
districts in the township, in 1903, was:
Alvarado...  $3,168.00
Alviso  2,000.20
Centreville  4,632.60
Decoto 4,317.25
Lincoln .... 702.55
Mission  .... 2,963.95
Mowry's 814.05
Newark .. 3,017.85
Niles ...  3,790.30
Rosedale  759 . 20
Stony Brook  676 . 05
Sheridan  702.51
Warm Springs  2.298.00
Washington (Irvington)  3,223.60
Union High School, No. 2 (Centreville):
County Fund (approximately) . 5,000.00
State Fund (approximately) .. 1,248.68

Total  $39,714.79

RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE.
Thanks are due Mr. Wm. Barry for statistics in the following
tables :
Mean temperature for 18 years, 1886-1903 inclusive, 64°. 9.
Lowest annual mean for 18 years was in 1902, 60°. 3.
Lowest monthly mean for 18 years was in January, 1888, 47°. 0.
Lowest daily temperature for 18 years was in January 14, 1888,
26°. 0.
Highest monthly mean for 18 years was in June, 1891, 85°. 5.
1898, highest monthly mean, consecutively, June, 81°; July,
82°. 5; August, 80°
Highest temperature in 18 years was May 28, 1887, 112°.0.
Mean temperature for 16 years prior to 1902, 67°. 2.
Average rainfall for 15 seasons, 20.306 inches.
Snow fell in the township for 5 hours, 5 minutes, on February
5, 1887. The thermometer fell 18° in 30 minutes on May 7, 1893; W
wind, 3 p. m.
There were 18 earthquake shocks, 1886 to 1897 inclusive.
There was a killing frost on May 1 1 . 1887.

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 133
Senorita Grriadalupe de Jesns Vallejo.
Senorita Guadalupe de Jesus Vallejo, who was born in the
Mission of San Jose in 1844, died in San Francisco August 8, 1904.
after a brief illness.
She was the fourth child of Don Jose de Jesus Vallejo and
Dona Soledad Sanchez y de Ortego. It was a matter of much
pride with her, that she had been a subject of Spain, of Mexico
and of the United States.
Don Jose de Vallejo was the son of Ignacio Vallejo, and his wife
was the granddaughter of Gov. Don Gasper de Portsla; both of
these families were among the very first Spanish settlers to enter
California, at the invitation and direction of the Spanish King, and
both have the proud distinction of having their names inscribed,
for many generations, in the old Spanish archives.
Don Jose Vallejo was appointed administrator of the Mission of
San Jose in 1836; here he brought his young wife that same year,
and here all of his children were born, and grew to manhood and
womanhood. Their home was a center of refinement, of culture
and hospitality, for over forty years in the Mission town.
Miss Vallejo, never married, and removed to San Francisco in
the early 90's where she became a teacher of languages, a writer
of prose and verse, a literary critique, and a translator of no
mean ability.
After her death the following pathetic verses were found wrap
ped around the key to their old home in the Mission of San Jose.
What heart aches were silently endured by this gentle woman
as she saw her loved ones scattered, the home of her childhood
given over to strangers and herself a sojourner.
The Key To My Old Home.
Whence came it here, this quaint old fashioned key ?
But Oh ! How dear and precious a thing to me.
I would not change it into purest gold,
Nor would I shape it in the latest mold.
And the door you belong to, is it open or shut?
How did you leave it, or have you forgot?
So long ago since you abandoned your post ;
Were you displeased with and left your next host ?
Perhaps, sorry to see me wander and roam,
You invite me to rest in my childhood's home.
Or, have you chosen to dwell where're I'll be?
Then you and I shall ne'er part company.
Your duty now, is to guard with great care,
The thousand fond memories I hold as so Jair.
'Twill be a duty of pleasure and rest,
And I trust you with it, as a friend I love best.
Guadalupe Vallejo.

from the press of the
"Washington Press"
niles, California.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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