Calaveras
County
Biographies
BENJAMIN HODGE LEWIS
Among those who have been
distinctively conspicuous in connection with the substantial upbuilding and
legitimate progress of the attractive little city of Vallicita, Calaveras
County, very definite recognition must be given to him whose name initiates
this paragraph. It has been his fortune
to be identified with the town from the days of its early establishment and
with every advance movement he has been connected, being recognized as one of
the leading and enterprising businessmen of the place and as one who has
contributed liberally and with enthusiasm to every cause which has had as its
object the growth and prosperity of Vallicita.
Mr. Lewis arrived in the Golden state
in 1853. He was born in Nashville,
Tennessee, in the vicinity of the birthplace of James K. Polk, his grandfather
having been one of the first settlers of that portion of the state. The natal day of our subject is August 28,
1834. He is descended from Virginian
ancestry, related to the Lee’s, Washington’s, Green’s, Houston’s, and other
prominent families of the Old Dominion who bore an active part in shaping the
policy of that state in colonial days and were participants in the war of the
Revolution. The ancestry may be traced
back to Earl Lewis, an English nobleman, who was the progenitor of the family
in the south. The father of our subject
was married in Tennessee in 1826 to Miss Eliza J. Shaw, also a native of that
state and a daughter of Rev. Shaw, a Presbyterian minister of Tennessee, who
owned extensive property interests and many negroes,
whose services were utilized in the operation of the plantation. Three children were born unto them in
Tennessee. In 1849 the father came to
California, crossing the plains to this state, after which he began mining in
Volcano, Amador County. Subsequently he
went to Sacramento and conducted a race track at Brighton. In 1850 he removed to Sonoma County and
founded the town of Petaluma, but the title was faulty because of a Spanish
land grant and he removed to Carson Valley, where he purchased a large drove of
cattle from emigrants. He then put them
out to pasture in the valley, and when they were in good marketable condition
brought them to California, where he sold them at a fair profit. Later Mr. Lewis engaged in mining at
Vallicita, successfully continuing his search for the precious metal for a
number of years. His prominence as a
citizen and his fitness for public office led to his election as one of the
supervisors of the county, in which capacity he served for four years.
When the Civil War broke out he was
a strong Union man and enlisted in a company of which he was elected
captain. He joined General Connor’s
regiment, which was stationed at the fort southeast of Salt Lake City for the
purpose of quelling any insurrection among the Mormons. He was thus made chief of the staff of
General Patrick Connor, with the rank of adjutant general, and while stationed
there formed the acquaintance of Brigham Young and was a potent factor in
keeping peace among the peculiar band of religious people there. Mr. Lewis continued in the service of the
government until the close of the war, after which he returned to Vallicita and
was again elected supervisor of his district, serving four years. Being now well advanced in the evening of
life he retired from active business, and in 1891 he was called to his final
rest, when eighty-nine years of age. His
wife’s interest in her father’s estate caused her to remain in the south for
several years after her husband came to California, and she spent only a
portion of her time in this state, her death occurring in Texas in the
eightieth year of her age.
Benjamin H. Lewis, whose name
introduces this review, is now the only survivor of the family. He was educated in the old Jackson College,
in Columbia, Tennessee, pursuing the law course there, after which he was
licensed to practice. The year 1853
witnessed his arrival on the Pacific coast.
He made the journey with William T. Lewis, a relative, sailing from New
Orleans and arriving safely in San Francisco, where our subject secured the
position of delivery clerk in the San Francisco post office. Later he obtained a clerical position in the
customhouse of that city. In 1855 he
came to Vallicita, where he engaged in mining at Kelly’s gulch, taking out
considerable gold. He found one nugget
worth one hundred and six dollars, and he and his companion took out on an
average about two ounces of gold each day.
In 1857 he was appointed tax collector, in which capacity he served for
some time, collecting all the different taxes on licensed money. Subsequently he was elected justice of the
peace, filling that office for eight years, and through his fair and impartial
administration he “won golden opinions from all sorts of people.” Since that time Mr. Lewis has engaged in the
practice of law. He was associated with
John Reddick in all appeal cases from justice courts
in which he was interested, and later with Frank Solonski.
During the past forty years he has been
recognized as a leading member of the bar in his section and has maintained his
high position by reason of his continued study and his comprehensive
familiarity with the principles of jurisprudence. He has improved three fine homes in
California and came to his present place of residence in 1870. Here he has one hundred and sixty acres of
land, on which he is raising fruit and stock, and is spending the evening of a
very active, useful and honorable life under the shade of the trees which his
own hands have planted.
In 1859 Mr. Lewis was united in
marriage to Miss Mary Isabell, a native of Missouri and a daughter of Ewin Isabell, one of California’s
early settlers. Ten children have been
born unto them, namely: Green Hampton;
Mary Auhaline, now the wife of Charles McPort; Ewin; Sarah, the wife of
Dennis Burns; Eliza, the wife of Clay Hallock; Robert E.; Martha, the wife of
Albin Lumbers; Hall, Ellen and Benjamin H.
Mrs. Lewis is a valued member of the
Methodist Church and the family is one of prominence in the community. Mr. Lewis gives his political support to the
Democracy and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, thus being able to
support his position by intelligent argument.
The record of Mr. Lewis is that of a man who has by his own efforts
worked his way upward to a position of affluence. His life has been one of industry and
perseverance, and the systematic and honorable business methods which he has
followed, together with his diligence and ability in his profession, have won
him the support and confidence of many.
Without the aid of wealth he has risen to a position among the most
prominent men of the state, and his native genius and acquired ability are the
stepping stones on which he mounted.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 574-576. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Calaveras County Biographies