Amador
County
Biographies
JOHN D. PERKINS
John D. Perkins, who is engaged in
the drug business at Ione, Amador County, dates his residence in California
from 1850 and is numbered among the best pioneer citizens. He was born in Virginia, at Henry Court
House, on the 14th of March, 1831, and is of English and French
descent, his ancestors having been early settlers of the Old Dominion. His grandfather and his father were both born
in that state. The latter, William Perkins,
was reared and educated in Virginia and entered the Methodist ministry. He was a very talented man and his influence
and ability in church work led to his selection for the presiding eldership. He married Miss Martha Henry Fontaine, who
was of French Huguenot descent and a representative of one of the honored and
distinguished families of Virginia. Her
great-grandfather was Patrick Henry, the celebrated statesman, orator and
patriot, whose eloquence probably did more to arouse the American colonies at
the time of the Revolution than the words of any other one man. In 1840 William Perkins and his wife removed
to Missouri, spending their remaining days in that state. They had eight children, five sons and three
daughters. The father attained the age
of seventy-six years and the mother reached the age of eighty-five, both dying
in the triumph of the Christian faith in which they had so long believed. All of the family except
the youngest son survive. He was
a member of the Confederate army during the Civil War and was killed at the
battle of Wilson’s Creek.
John D. Perkins, their fourth child,
accompanied his parents on their removal to Missouri, and in the public schools
of that state acquired his education. In
his nineteenth year he crossed the plains to California. His uncle, David Perkins, outfitted a train
of three ox teams and eighteen mules, carrying fifteen hundred pounds of Peach
brand tobacco. They also took with them
twelve cows, and to each man in charge of a wagon was
given two suits of clothing. The train
was in charge of a Mr. Mussett, a Presbyterian minister. Mr. Perkins had an ox team and was
accompanied by William Armstrong, a friend, with whom he entered into
partnership. They remained for a month
at Lexington, Missouri, and then started on the long journey across the
plains. After they had passed Fort
Laramie the train suffered from the cholera plague and two of the men died; but
Mr. Mussett had a very effective remedy and succeeded in saving the lives of
the others who were stricken with the disease.
During the period when the disease was raging Mr. Perkins and his cousin
became frightened, and he sold his share of the team for two thousand dollars
to a Mr. Gibbs and took a note to be paid when the man returned from California. Mr. Mussett, however, ridiculed the young man
out of doing that and Mr. Gibbs returned the note. Twelve hours afterward he died of cholera! Upon the wagons in large letters were painted
the words “Howard County, Missouri,” thus indicating the section from which
they hailed.
When they reached the Salt Lake
country they camped on the Jordan River, twelve miles from the city of Salt
Lake, and the Mormons drove their cattle into the stray pond; but the travelers
took them out by force at the point of their revolvers, whereupon Mr. Mussett
was arrested and fined seventy-five dollars and costs.
The party proceeded south of Salt
Lake and crossed the one hundred and five mile desert, where great suffering
was endured on account of lack of water.
Mr. Perkins, through the bright moonlight saw a range of mountains about
five miles ahead of him and supposing this to be where the springs were
located, he rode ahead alone on horseback to locate the water supply and thus
relieve the perishing thirst of their party.
With such confidence had he of finding water in the near distance that
after refreshing himself from his canteen he gave the balance of the water he
had to his horse. Upon reaching the
mountains, the anticipated source of water, much to his surprise and
disappointment, he found instead a big sign tacked on a wrecked wagon on which
it was printed “twenty-five miles to water.”
He found the settlement almost a city of the dead. There were many dead cattle along the way and
emigrants also died from thirst. Both
Mr. Perkins and his horse were almost exhausted, but there was no alternative
but to press on. After going five miles
further he found two kegs of water by the side of the trail, in one of which
was a faucet, and he and his horse were thus refreshed. When he reached the source of the water
supply he learned that a benevolent society had been formed and sent the water
back, and many a life was thus saved.
Here he served with the society a day or two after which he sold his
team and he and his partner with three horses came on alone. They would build a fire in the evening and
prepare their supper and afterward extinguish the fire for fear the Indians
would discover it and attack them.
They reached Nevada City on the 23d
of September, after a very long and arduous journey. His brother, Patrick Henry Perkins, had come
to California the year previously, but our subject did not know where to find
him. He engaged in mining for a little
time at Nevada City, but with little success; and as he had scarcely anything
left he packed his blankets and came on foot to Sacramento, where he learned
that his brother was at Murphy’s Diggings, buying cattle and butchering. Accordingly he proceeded to that place and
made his way to the second crossing of the Calaveras River, where he took
charge of the cattle for his brother. In
connection with his brother he also engaged in mining on Chili Gulch, meeting
with excellent success in his undertaking.
His best day’s work was that on which he took out three hundred dollars
worth of gold from the Long Pine mine. Subsequently Mr. Perkins went to
Stockton and purchased a six-mule team, after which he engaged in hauling
supplies to the miners. The winter,
however, was a very hard one and the venture was unprofitable. He sold his team and engaged in draying in
Stockton, but that undertaking was not attended with success, and accordingly
he proceeded to San Francisco, where he worked at draying, for one hundred
dollars per month. He spent the year
1854 in that city and on the 1st of January, 1855, arrived at Live
Oak, Sacramento County, where for twenty years he engaged in mining with fair
success.
In 1859 Mr. Perkins was happily
married to Miss Julia F. Brown, a native of Madison County, Tennessee, and a
daughter of J. Brown, who came to California in 1856. Two children have been born to them: Elbert West, a jeweler and druggist who is
now associated in business with his father; and Martha, the wife of A. E.
Smith, who is engaged in merchandising in Carbondale.
In 1873 Mr. Perkins returned to
Missouri to visit relatives and friends, making the journey by rail across the
country which he had formerly traversed with a wagon train. He spent three months at his old home, from
which he had been absent twenty-three years. He then again went to California, but with his
family returned once more to Missouri, there purchasing a drug store, which he
conducted until the failing health of his wife caused him to return to the
“land of sunshine.” He then engaged in
mining on Michigan Bar until May, 1876, when he came to Ione, where he
manufactured three hundred thousand brick.
Later he sold out his brickyard and secured a clerkship in a general
mercantile store. By President Cleveland
he was appointed postmaster at Ione and served in that capacity for four years,
after which he purchased the drug and variety store of which he is now the
proprietor. He has since successfully
conducted this enterprise, the public according him a liberal patronage, for
his reliable business methods are well known.
His political support has ever been given to the Democracy.
In 1863 he was made a Master Mason
at Michigan Bar, and served as the master of Nebraska Lodge, No. 71, for three
consecutive terms. He has also long been
a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all of
its offices and represented both branches in the grand lodge of the state. He and his wife are consistent members of the
Methodist Church, in which he has served as a trustee, while she is the superintendent
of the Sunday school. They are held in
the highest regard throughout the county which is their home and where they
have so long resided, and their circle of friends is extensive.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern California”,
Pages 538-541. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Amador County Biographies