The record-union., 1897-06-03
THE PIONEER OF PIONEERS.
Uncle Tom Dunbar Pays The Capital City
a Visit.
He and Sam Brannan Assisted In
Laying Out This City
in 1S4S.

A sprightly little man, who looked as
If he might be somewhere in the neigh
borhood of go years of age, called at
the Record Union" office last evening
and introduced himself as Uncle Tom
Dunbar, the old pioneer whose name
was known to every white man IN the
upper half of California before gold
was discovered at Coloma.
Uncle Tom was prominent figure
in this part Of the world at that time
He came to California in 1874 in COM
pany with Dan, Martin, Jim and John
Murphy. known as "the Santa Clara
Murphys" They could not get their
wagons over the mountains, so they
came to Suffers Fort on horseback.
They were weary and hungry when
they got here on the 10Th of October,
IA, and General Sutter gave them food
and shelter.
The place where this city now stands
was then a wilderness, and yet Uncle
Dunbar says it was a perfect paradise
and beauty spot Coming from the
dreary deserts and rugged mountains,
the sight Of the Sacramento Valley,
with its luxuriant vegetation, made the
hearts of the sturdy pioneers leap with
joy
Uncle Tom Dunbar was then a young
man of but % years, while now he is
past 81, but even yet he becomes en-
thusiastic when relating his first emo
tions on reaching this beautiful valley
fifty-three years ago. He is just re-
turning to his home at Union City,
near Coloma, from visit to old friends
at Tomales Bay, Sonoma County. While
in Santa Rosa the Press" Of that
place published the following sketch Of
the old pioneer:
Santa Rosa is receiving a visit from
an old gentleman who, on account OF
heroic deeds done by him in the past.
has been made the subject of many
interesting stories and sketches by
Western journalists. The old gentle
nan is Uncle Tom Dunbar, one of
the earliest California pioneers, who
came here across the plains from Mis-
souri, in 1914, and went to work in the
building of Suffers Fort. In the fail
of 1916, Uncle Tom was one of the
noble party of seven who went from
Suffers Fort to rescue the Donner
party at Donner Lake. The party had
10 accomplish a great deal of the jour-
ney on rawhide snowshoes.
The old mans eye frightened and
a smile illumined his cOuntenance as
he related some of the incidents of that
awful experience. Old Baptiste Trau-
vico, who was in Santa Rosa last sum-
mer, was also a member of that party.
Mr. Dunbar was present with Fre-
mont and Captain Swift at Monterey
when the Spanish flag was torn down
and the Bear flag run up by Captain
Swift He was also at SonOma when
the Bear flag was planted there. 1t
was Dunbar who climbed the fagpole
and passed through the block at the
top, and then sat on the cross beam
while the flag was raised by Captain
Swift.
In company with Sam Brannan and
old man Rhoads, in 1S4S, Mr.. Dunbar
surveyed much of the site where the
city Of Sacramento now stands.
For over f1fty-five years Mr.. Dunbar
has mined in Amador and Ell Dorado
Counties, and left FL Dorado County
Wednesday afternoon. His old cabin
was on exhibition in the '49 mining
camp at the Midwinter Fair, and was
known as Uncle Toms Cabin
Being in need of a little help, the
Santa Rosa ParIor of Native Sons sent
him ON his way rejoicing, and the old
mans last words as he left the South
ern Pacific depot were, God bless the
Native Sons