Amador
County
Biographies
JOSEPH CLAYPOOLE FITHIAN
The history of California as the
state of today began in 1849, when from the central and eastern portions of this country men of enterprise, individuality, and strong
purpose made their way by land or water to the Pacific slope, there laying the
foundation for the present development and advanced position of this
commonwealth. It is now an honor to be
number among the “49ers,” the honor to which Mr. Fithian is entitled. His residence in Amador County dates from
1856, and as one of its pioneers he well deserves representation in this
volume.
He was born in Green Township,
Hamilton County, Ohio, on the 18th of September, 1826. The family is of French origin and was
founded in America by Amos Fithian, the grandfather of our subject who left his
home in France and located in Bridgeton, New Jersey, where he was married to
Miss Sarah Filer of that city, and probably one of the earliest families
there. Their son, Ephraim Fithian, the
father of our subject, was born in New Jersey and was married there to Miss
Nancy Claypoole, also a native of the same state. Removing westward to Ohio they established
their home in Green Township, Hamilton County, where they reared their
children. In 1852 the father came to
California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, accompanied by his wife and their
daughter Matilda. They located at Ione,
and thence moved to Petaluma, bought and settled on a fruit farm, where he
lived for a number of years, but subsequently removed to Anaheim, in the
southern part of the state, where he spent his remaining days, passing away in
his eightieth year. His wife died at
about the same age. They were Baptists
in religious faith and were people of the highest respectability.
Mr. Fithian of this review was the
eldest of their five children. He
enrolled as a volunteer for service in the Mexican War, but the quota was
filled before he was mustered into service and consequently never went to the
front. Like hundreds of other young men,
the discovery of gold in California filled him with a desire to make his
fortune upon the Pacific coast, and in 1849 he crossed the plains with a wagon
and mule team. With two companions he
prepared an outfit and they started with a large company. They had not been long upon the way when one
of the party shot an Indian. They were followed by a band of red men who
demanded the murderer. The man who fired
the shot was given over to them and undoubtedly met his death at the hands of
the savages. Mr. Fithian and his friends
decided it was not best for them to travel with such a large company and
together they came on alone.
After reaching Hangtown they
proceeded to Sacramento, where they arrived on the 7th of August,
having completed the journey in three months.
While the party were on their way to California, as they were one day
riding along they were hailed by two men who were sitting under a bush. One of them was ill and had been left to
die. Mr. Fithian and his companions put
the sick man into their wagon and brought him with them. When they arrived at the south fork of the
Bear River our subject rode one of the leading mules into the stream for the
purpose of finding a fording place, and as soon as the party got into the water
their mules and wagon were carried down the stream and the sick man was thus
upset in the water. It took some time to
secure their things and the man stood in the stream with water almost to his
neck. This involuntary bath, however,
cured him of his fever and he was soon well again. He was William Bolt, and his companion was
Joseph Shepherd. They were from Illinois
and were well off. Mr. Fithian says he
believes this was the beginning of the “water cure!”
Mr. Fithian engaged in mining at
Goodyear Bar, eight miles below Downieville.
While prospecting he got lost and while roaming in search of his company
he met another man who also was lost.
While they were eating supper a third man came to them and offered to
sell his claim and show them how to mine.
They gave him one hundred dollars for the claim and rocker and the
former proprietor showed them how to work it.
He had not worked very far down into the water and was not very
successful in gaining the gold. Mr. Fithian,
however, got into the water and he and his partner made eighty dollars the
first day. They worked there until
fearful that the snows of winter would prevent them from leaving their claim
and accordingly they went to Sacramento, Mr. Fithian taking with him two
thousand dollars as the result of his labor.
In the capital city he purchased a
lot of General Sutter and engaged in the manufacture of brick. He agreed to pay for his lot in brick to be
taken the next spring at market price, and when the time came the price of
brick was ninety dollars per thousand.
The General thought this an enormous price to pay for brick, but he was
compelled to live up to the condition of the bond. That proved a profitable venture of Mr.
Fithian and he was making money rapidly when he was taken ill. Later he returned to the mine which he had
previously worked and aided in the construction of a flume. There he again prospered, but he lost much of
his money in mining speculations, retaining only seven thousand dollars, which
he had buried.
In 1852 Mr. Fithian returned, by way
of the water, to his old home and was married to Miss Leanora Fowler, a native
of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1856 he
again came to California, bringing his wife and three little children, and
again the journey was made by water.
Five children have been born to them in California. Of the family of eight sons and daughters
seven are now living, namely: Ephraim;
Mrs. Ella Gregory; Matilda, the wife of J. M. Hammel; George, Elmer; William
and Edward. Mr. Fithian came with his
family to this state in 1857 and located on what was supposed to be state land,
but after he had made payment thereon and improved the property to a
considerable extent he was ejected and lost all he had made with the exception
of one thousand dollars. He then
borrowed money and purchased a sawmill, after which he
engaged in the manufacture of lumber, and soon after he had completed the
payment on the mill it was destroyed by fire and he again lost all. He then turned his attention to freighting
and farming. He purchased a tract of
land in the edge of town and has since resided there for the purpose of
educating his children. Renting a ranch
of eight hundred acres, he left his family at Ione while he lived on the ranch
and continued its operations for nine years.
His home is a pleasant residence near the banks of Sutter Creek, and
there he and his wife are living.
In early life Mr. Fithian’s love of
liberty was very strong and led him to advocate abolition principles. At the time of the Civil War he was a staunch
Republican, but it was under Republican management that he was dispossessed of
his property and he has since been a Democrat.
He has never been an office-seeker or secret society man. His life has been one of marked industry, and
when many men of ordinary resolution would have been discouraged by the
difficulties and hardships he has met, he has worked on with determined purpose
and at last has secured a comfortable competence for himself and wife in their
declining years.
Of Mr. Fithian’s maternal ancestry
we give the following outline: James
Claypoole, who died October 16, 1599, had two sons: James, who was knighted in 1604, and Adam,
who died in 1634. The children of the
latter were Edward, John, Winfield, Richard, Robert, Henry, Joanna, Dorothy,
Robert (2d), Morton, James, Adam and Jane.
Of these James, born in 1621, immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1683 and
died at Philadelphia in 1687. His
children were John, James, Nathaniel, George, Joseph, Mary, Helen and
Priscilla. Joseph married Edith Ward and
their children were George, Joseph, Rebecca, John, Josiah, Edith and James. George married Mary Morris and their children
were Rebecca, George, Joseph, John, Hannah, Mary and Deborah. Their father died May 19, 1809. Of the children of Joseph, who was born July
15, 1734, married Mary Wilkinson and died May 19, 1809. Their children were Sarah, Hannah, Mary
Morris, Deborah, Ann, Rebecca, Joseph and Elizabeth. Of these, Joseph, born in 1770, married Ann
Woodhouse and died in 1802. Their
children were William, George, Hannah, Rebecca, Joseph, Ann, Harriet, Mary and
Julian (twins) and Elizabeth. Hannah,
born 1803, married Ephraim Fithian and died in 1887. Mr. Fithian was born in 1799 and died in
1878. Their children were Joseph
Claypoole (the subject of the foregoing sketch), Sarah, William, Thomas and
Matilda. Joseph C. Fithian, born in
1826, married Leanora Fowler, who was born in 1833, and their children have
been: Ella, born in 1853; Ephraim, 1855;
Matilda, 1857; George, 1861; Elmer, 1863; Charles, born in 1868 and died in
1870; William, born in 1871; and Edward, 1874.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 98-101. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Amador County Biographies