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Sacramento County
Biographies
1880
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ATKINSON,
GEORGE; lives twenty-five miles from Sacramento, and two and a half miles from Michigan
Bar, his Post Office; was born in Maine, in 1830, and lived there until 1857;
he came to California in that year, and settled in this county; he has been
engaged in teaming, mining, and farming; owns eight hundred and twenty acres of
land. Mr. Atkinson was married, in 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Pinkum, also a
native of Maine, and who died in 1857.
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BATES,
C. L.; Post Office, Michigan Bar; lives at Buckeye, thirty miles from
Sacramento; was born in Calaveras County, in 1856; removed with his parents,
when quite small, to this county. Mr. Bates has had only his energy for
capital, and all that he has now around him is the result of his own labor; he
owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, worth, with improvements, about $2,500.
He was married, in September, 1877, to Miss Louisa J. Roden, also a native of this
State; they have one child---a son.
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BREEDING,
WILLIAM, lives twenty-eight miles from Sacramento and one mile from Michigan
Bar, his Post Office; was born in Virginia in 1826, and lived there until 1851;
removed in that year to Missouri and remained until 1853; he then came to
California across the plains, being five months on the way, and settled in this
county; he followed mining for eighteen years; since then he has been engaged
in farming. He owns one hundred and twenty-four acres of land, worth, with
improvements, about $2,300. Mr. Breeding was married in 1866 to Miss Mary A.
Thornbrough, also a native of Virginia; they have four children---two sons and
two daughters.
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BYAM,
H. S., lives at Michigan Bar; was born in New York in 1829, and lived there
until 1835; removed in that year to Michigan, and remained there until 1849; he
then came to California and settled in this county; he started the first line
of stages between Sacramento City and Fiddletown; running time, four hours and
a half. Mr. Byam is now Superintendent of Amador and Sacramento Canal Company.
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GAFFNEY,
JOHN, lives twenty-eight miles from Sacramento and one mile from Michigan Bar,
his Post Office; was born in Ireland in 1826 and lived there until 1848; he
emigrated to the United States in that year, and resided in St. Louis until
1855; he then came to California, and engaged in mining for sixteen years;
since then, he has been farming and stock-raising; owns four hundred and eighty
acres of land, worth about two dollars and fifty cents per acre. Mr. Gaffney
was married in 1854 to Miss Mary Brady, also a native of Ireland; they have
five children---three sons and two daughters.
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HEATH,
JOHN W., lives at Michigan Bar; was born in Indiana in 1846, and lived there
until 1854; he came to California in that year and resided in El Dorado County until
1859; he then went to Amador County and remained a few months, and came to this
county in the fall of the same year; was engaged in clerking until 1877; is now
doing a mercantile business at Michigan Bar under the firm name of West & Heath.
Mr. Heath is Postmaster at the above mentioned place. He was married in 1873 to
Miss E. C. Brown, a native of Arkansas; they have two children---son and
daughter.
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HUTCHISON,
JACOB A., lives twenty-two miles from Sacramento, and four miles from Michigan
Bar, his Post Office; was born in Ohio in 1841; in 1845 removed to Missouri,
and lived there until 1847. He came to California October 5 of the same year.
He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land; his mother owns two hundred and
twenty acres. His land is worth about $5,000; his mother's about $7,000. Mr.
Hutchison was married in 1869 to Miss Mary E. Dunlap, a native of Kansas; they
have three children, two sons and a daughter.
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JORDAN,
JAMES, lives at Michigan Bar; was born in England in 1831; emigrated to the
United States in 1839, and lived in New York until 1841. He removed to Michigan
in that year, and resided there until 1850; he then came to California, and
settled in El Dorado county; he came to this county in 1863. He has followed
mining; now owns a mill at Michigan Bar; also owns the Eagle Ditch, the
original cost of which was over $60,000; he also owns two hundred acres of
mineral land.
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MEISS,
HENRY D., lives in Sacramento, which is his Post Office; was born in Germany,
in 1829; emigrated to the United States in 1841, and lived in Missouri until
1848, engaged in butchering; he moved to Illinois in that year, and resided
there until 1850, when he returned to Missouri and engaged in butchering again;
he came to California in 1851, and followed the business of butchering in Dry
Town, Amador County, for seven years; is now farming and stock raising; owns
680 acres of land, situated about three miles from Clay Station, and worth
about $5 per acre. He was married in 1859, to Sophia Heiseh, also a native of
Germany, and who bore him seven children, five of whom are living---three sons
and two daughters; his wife died in 1876.
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MEISS,
LOUIS; Post Office, Dry Town, Amador County; lives seven miles from Michigan
Bar, and twenty-eight miles east of Sacramento; was born in Germany, in 1823;
emigrated to the United States in 1840, and lived in Missouri until 1850; he
came to California in that year across the plains, and was engaged in
stock-raising until 1853, when he returned to Missouri, and remained there
until 1854; he then came back to this State; he took up his first land in 1852;
now owns forty-four hundred acres, worth about $5 per acre. Mr. Meiss was married
February 23, 1854, to Elizabeth Dorn, also a native of Germany; they have ten
children---eight sons and two daughters.
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MIERHEFER,
KILIAN, lives twenty-four miles from Sacramento, and four miles from Michigan
Bar, his Post Office; was born in Germany in 1833, and lived there until 1849.
He emigrated to the United States in that year, and resided in New York until
1855, engaged in carpentering. He then came to California, and settled in this
county, where he has followed sheep-raising. He owns six hundred acres of land.
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MIERS,
CHRISTIAN, lives twenty-five miles from Sacramento, and eight miles from
Michigan Bar, his Post Office; was born in Germany in 1834; emigrated to the
United States in 1840, and lived in Missouri until 1852, engaged in butchering
and farming. He then came to California, across the Plains, and followed
farming and stock-raising; owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, worth
about $5 per acre. Mr. Miers went back to Missouri in 1863, but returned to
this State in 1864. He was married in 1864 to Miss Elizabeth Snyder, a native
of Missouri, and who has borne him seven children, six of whom are living,
three sons and three daughters.
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MISER,
SPENCER A., lives twenty-five miles from Sacramento, and five miles from
Cosumnes, his Post Office; was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1848, and lived
there until 1851; he removed, with his parents, in that year to California, and
settled in this county; he is now engaged in the sheep-raising business and
farming; owns eighty acres of land. He was married in 1879, to Miss M. E. Hale.
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MOORE,
SETH B.; Post Office, Cosumnes; lives twenty miles south-east from Sacramento;
was born in New York in 1826, and lived there until 1847; he then removed to
Canada West, and remained there until 1852; he came to California in that year,
and engaged in mining in El Dorado County about a year, when he went to San
Joaquin County and resided until 1856; then he settled in this county, and
engaged in farming; owns nine hundred and fifty acres of land, worth, with
improvements, about $15,000. Mr. Moore was elected Supervisor in 1871, and held
the office until October, 1878. He was married in 1872 to Miss Ellen Shaw, a
native of Indiana. A view of his place is given on another page.
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NICHOLS,
MRS. M. C. ; lives twenty-eight miles from Sacramento, and five miles from
Michigan Bar, her Post Office; was born in Illinois in 1841; she crossed the
plains with her parents in 1850, being four months on the way, and lived a
short time in Nevada City this State; they removed to Amador County in 1852.
She was married in 1855 to Edwin Nichols, a native of New York; they settled in
this county in 1861 and located on the place where she now lives. Mr. Nichols
died in 1875; she has six children, three sons and three daughters; owns two
hundred and forty acres of land, worth about $3000.
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NOTT,
SAMUEL A.; Post Office, Cosumnes, and Woodford's, Alpine County; lives twenty
miles from Sacramento; was born in Ohio in 1838; removed to Illinois in 1845,
and lived there until 1864; he came to California in that year, and was engaged
as a telegraph operator in El Dorado County until 1870; he then settled in this
county; and engaged in stock raising; owns two hundred and fifteen acres of
land, worth, with improvements, $8000. Mr. Nott has been a member of the last
two sessions of the Legislature. He was married in 1869 to Miss Azelia Vantras,
a native of Ohio.
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POLLOCK,
MRS. PRISCILLA, lives twenty-five miles from Sacramento, and four miles from
Michigan Bar, her Post Office; was born in Pennsylvania in 1826; moved with her
parents in 1835 to Iowa, and lived there until 1845. She was married in 1846 to
James Pollock, a native of Ireland; they were about three years crossing the
plains,---spent one winter in Council Bluffs, and the winter following in Salt
Lake City; after their arrival in this State, they lived a short time in
Placerville; moved to the Cosumnes river in 1851, and settled on the place
where she now lives in 1855. Mr. Pollock died February, 1876, aged sixty-three
years; she has six children living---three sons and three daughters; owns four
hundred acres of land.
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POLLOCK,
ROBERT, lives twenty-two miles from Sacramento and five miles from Michigan
Bar, his Post Office; was born in Sacramento in 1851; is engaged in farming.
Mr. Pollock was married in 1877 to Miss Alice Goodwin, a native of Oregon; she
has borne him one child---a son.
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RUMAN,
CHARLES A.; lives at Michigan Bar; was born in Germany, in 1839; emigrated to
the United States in 1853, and settled in this county in the same year;
followed mining for fifteen years; since then he has been engaged in teaming,
hotel-keeping, and running a saloon; he built the Aitken Bridge. Mr. Ruman has
held the office of Constable. He was married, in 1868, to Miss L. M. Yager, a
native of Delaware, Ohio; they have three children---all boys. He owns forty
acres of land.
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SHERWOOD,
J.O., farmer and stock-raiser; lives on the Sacramento and Dry Town road, twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; owns seven hundred and thirty five acres of land,
valued, with improvements, at $10,000; Post Office, Michigan Bar; born in South
Richland, Oswego County, New York, in 1825; engaged in farming and teaching
school until 1846 then went to New York City, and entered the mercantile house
of J. O. & D. S. Bennett; in the fall of 1847 went to Wisconsin, where he
remained until he crossed the plains to California, in 1850; followed mining in
El Dorado County for a short time; moved to Michigan Bar, this county, in
November, 1850; moved to present location in February, 1851, where he has since
continued to reside. Mr. Sherwood has been engaged in mining, farming,
stock-raising, fruit-growing, and keeping public house; married Miss Kate V.
Bell, from Winchester, Scott County, Illinois, November 13, 1854; she died
November 27, 1866; they had two sons, and three daughters; one daughter has
since died. Married Miss Susan E. Woods, July 5, 1869; she was born in Barry,
Pike County, Illinois; they have two daughters. Mr. Sherwood is Justice of the
Peace; has occupied the office for about eight years; has also been School
Trustee for several years.
Source: History of Sacramento County, California With Illustrations 1880 by Thompson & West.