The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-28
What They Did to Build
Up California.
PIONEERS OF PROMINENCE.
Some of the Best Known Names in
the Early History of the
Golden State.

the revolution. September so, 1887, the
ship Columbia. Captain John Kendrick.
and the sloop Washing on, Captain Robert
Gray, sailed from Boston for Nootka.
The vessels changed commanders on
the North Pacific coast and the
Columbia. Captain Gray, sailed for
Canton, China. arriving there with a
cargo of furs. December. 1889. took on
cargo of tea. then sailed for Boston,
where he arrived August 10. 1890, having
thus first OF all navigators carried the flag
Of the United States around the world.
September %. 1890, Captain Gray sailed
from Boston in the shin Columbia for his
second voyage to the North Pacific coast.
He spent the winter of 1892 on the
North Pacific coast. On May IL, 1892, he
discovered the Columbus River aud sailed
UP twenty five miles. He gave the great
river he had first found the name of CO.
lum ba. 1t afterward enabled the United
States to claim and secure the sovereignty
of most of the territory washed by the
Columbia.
In 1928 the schooner Rover of Boston
arrived at Monterey with cargo of mer-
chandise in charge of John Rogers Cooper.
Its captain and owner, and thus started
the American trade upon the Y Orth Pacific
coast.
In 1924 William A. Gale arrived as agent
OF one or more mercantile firms of Boston
and established at Monterey the first
American business house. which became
permanent, and IN the course OF few
years carried on large trade.
In 1926 the first party of Americans tina
went overland arrived in California.
In 1899 Abel Stearns of Massachusetts
settled at Los Angeles, engaged in trade
nd hc0a a.Aff bof nro
If not the very first-fOreigner though he
was-of the pueblo, and was the first
American who obtained a land grant in
California.
In 1929 Alfred Robinson sailed from
Boston and opened mercantile house at
Monterey. At this lime the trade OF Cal
lf0rnia with the Russians amounted to
something. but the trade with the Amer
leans soon overshadowed everything else
OF the kind ever known in the territory.
About this time man named Chapman
arrived from Boston, where he had learned
the trade of shpwright. He built a
schooner of sixty tons, named Guadalupe,
from the nearest timber. thirty miles dis
tant from tidewater. by transporting ma-
terials on carts; this, with the exception
OF little launch put together by an Eng
lishmaD. and such building as was done
by the Russians at Fort Ross. was the first
vessel built in Alta California.
LII loOU w lltldDl w OllSklll, an american.
settled near Los Angeles. turned his atten-
ton TO Embarrassing. and may be almost
called the founder OF the business.
In 1882 Thomas 0. Larkn arrived in
California from Boston. lie went out
with the intention of manufacturing -four.
but found other occupation. He became
United States Consul, and did much
toward bringing the country under the
American flag.
In 1885 Yerba Bnena was founded at the
Instance aud by the direction Of the Mexi-
can Governor Figueroa, which afterward
expanded into the city of San Francisco.
William a. Richardson, an American, was
the first settler. The Governor made him
CAPTAIN of the port.
In 1885 Richard Henry Dana of Boston
arrived in California in the bark Pilgrim
of Boston. He was an undergraduate of
Harvard. He went out as a common
sailor to cure by an entire change of life
an affection of his eyes. He wrote the first
good American book relating to California,
entitled Two Years Before the Mast"
AT this time the export of assorted car
goes from Boston aud New York and the
import of hides and tallow had become a
great trade and constituted the chief COM
MERGE between the countries down TO 1919
In 1912 the Russians abandoned Cali
fornia.
During these years, though California
abounded in grapes, they purchased bad
wine made in Boston.
About March, 1912. gold was first dis
covered in California about thrty-fve
miles northwest Of Los Angeles by Fran
cisco Lopez. ranchero. During the first
year he and his partner, Charles Berec,
with a company Of laborers, took out over
$4,000. In November. 1912. eighteen ounces
of this geld was sent to the United States
mint at Philadelphia by Abel Stearns, for
merly of Massachusetts,
In 1843 Stephen Smith of Massachusetts
brought into California the machinery and
appliances for the first steam grist and saw
mill, which he put in operation about a
mile northwest of B0dega Corners
In 1916 William b. Ide of Massachusetts
emigrated TO California overland. He was
the head of the Bear Flag Revolution of
1916. and author of the declaration of in
dependence at Sonoms.
July Z. 1916. Commander Sloat of the
United States man-of-war Levant took
possession OF Mon terey. hauled down the
Mexican flag, running up the stars and
stripes in its place, and from that moment.
in contemplation Of law. Mexican govern
ment in California ceased and the sove-
reignity of the country passed to the
United States.
January 19. 1S4S, James w. Marshall. a
millwright from New Jersey, having
erected a sawmill in partnership with
John A. Suffer on the North Fork of the
American RIVER, at the place now known
as Coloma, about forty-five miles north
east of Sacramento, in securing out the
millracs with a swift current by opening
the floodgates, washed out great mass of
gravel and sand. Marshall was alone. He
observed shining particles. On examining
them they proved to be geld. Thus was
the gold discovered which attracted the
attention Of the world to California.
In 1049 little iron steam boat, brought
out in pieces from Boston. was put to-
gether, named the Pioneer, and COM
menced trips up the Sacramento River.
This was tie first boat to penetrate The in
terror and may be called the first steam boa I
for inland travel in the country of Cali
fornia.
On January /, 1S49, the population of
California was estimated. from reliable
data, at $4,000, exclusive of Indians and
Africans. On December 81, 1849. the popu-
:atiOn had increased TO upward of 1O7. COO
three-quarters of whom were Americans.
On September 8, 1850 California became a
State. the thirly-frs. in order of date. but
the peer in all other respects of any in the
Union. These people, thus brought to-
gether from the North and the South. the
East and the West, combined to lay the
foundation Of and initiate on its career of
progress-which is yet barely commenced
the State of California, pre-eminently,
In fact as well as In name, the Golden