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Sacramento County
Biographies
1880
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BOTTIMORE,
W. T.; Post Office, Galt; was born in Maryland, in 1838, and lived there until
1848; he removed to Virginia in that year, and remained until 1871, engaged as
a bricklayer; he then came to this State, and settled in Sacramento County; is
engaged in butchering; owns three, acres of land. Mr. Bottimore was married, in
1865, to Miss Louisa Cecil, a native of Virginia; they have six children---two
boys and four girls.
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BREWSTER,
JOHN; Post Office, Galt; was born in New York, in 1830; removed to Ohio in
1839, and lived there until 1841; in that year he moved to Illinois, and
remained there until 1853, engaged in farming; he then came to California
across the plains, by the southern route; was fifteen months on the way; he was
in the mercantile business fourteen years, and followed farming about eleven
years. He was married in 1851, to Miss C. F. Coe, a native of Ohio; they have
eight children---five sons and three daughters.
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BRYANT,
A. B.; Post Office, Galt; was born in Ohio, 1831; removed to Indiana in 1834,
and lived there until 1852; he came to California in that year, and resided in
El Dorado County for awhile; settled in this county in 1855, and engaged in
farming and stock business; owns 40 acres of land, worth, with improvements,
about $3,000. He was married in 1869 to Miss F. M. Ferguson, a native of
Chicago, Illinois.
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CANTRELL,
D. H.; Post Office, Hicksville; lives two miles from that town, and twenty
miles from Sacramento; was born in Tennessee in 1818; removed to Missouri in 1832,
and lived there until 1853, engaged in farming; he came to California in that
year and settled on the ranch where he now lives: owns eight hundred acres of
land, worth, with improvements, about twenty thousand dollars. He was married
in 1844 to Miss H. Kerby, a native of East Tennessee; they have four
children---one son and three daughters.
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CHASE,
HIRAM; Post Office, Galt; lives two and a half miles from that town; was born
in New York in 1824, and lived there until 1852, engaged in farming and
lumbering; he came to California in that year and remained until 1857, when he
returned to the State of New York and resided there until 1869; he then came
back to this State; owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, worth about twenty
dollars per acre. Mr. Chase was married in 1859 to Amanda Frazier, also a
native of New York: they have two children---son and daughter.
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FAWCETT,
WILLIAM; Post Office, Galt; lives one and a half miles from that town; was born
in England in 1828; emigrated to the United States when about four years of
age, with his parents, and lived in Ohio until 1852; he came to California in
that year, and resided in El Dorado County until 1854, being engaged in
teaming; he then settled in this county and continued teaming; he moved to Dry
Creek in 1862, and has since been farming; owns one hundred and twenty acres of
land in this county, and two hundred acres in San Joaquin County.
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FERGUSON,
WM. H.; Post Office, Galt; lives five miles north-west of that town, and
twenty-seven miles from Sacramento; was born in Pennsylvania in 1841, and lived
there until 1853; he came to California in that year, and engaged in teaming;
subsequently he moved to San Joaquin County, and remained there until 1859; he
then settled in this county; owns four hundred and twenty-two acres of land,
worth, with improvements, about $7000. Mr. Ferguson was married in 1875 to Miss
E. J. Uin, a native of this State; they have two children, son and daughter. A
view of his place is given in this work.
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FRANK,
L. H.; Post Office, Galt; lives half a mile from that town; was born in New
York in 1813; removed to Ohio in 1836, lived there until 1854, engaged in tanning
and harness making; he then moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and stopped until 1855,
when he went to Iowa, and remained there until 1863, engaged in farming; in
that year he came to this State, and settled in this county, where he has since
lived; owns eighty acres of land, worth, with improvements, about $3000. He was
married in 1836 to Rebecca M. Cowdery, also a native of New York; they have
three children, a son and two daughters. Mr. Frank held the office of
Postmaster in Ohio nine years. He was the first Postmaster at Omaha.
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FUGITT,
C. C., lives at Galt, his Post Office. He was born three miles from new
territory, at what was called “Platt Purchase,” in 1827, where he remained till
1846, engaged in farming. In 1852 he moved to Fremont County, Iowa. July 4,
1847, Mr. Fugitt enlisted in a battalion of Missouri mounted volunteers, and
was ordered to California. They came to Fort Laramie and then returned. Mr.
Fugitt came to California in 1852, and settled in San Joaquin County where he
remained till 1875, when he moved to Sacramento County. In 1849 he married Miss
Elizabeth M. Williams, a native of Missouri, by whom he has had four children,
one boy and three girls. Mr. Fugitt has held the offices of Postmaster (at
Liberty, California), Notary Public and Deputy Assessor.
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FURNISH,
WILLIAM R.; Post Office, Galt, where he lives; was born in Missouri in 1838,
and lived there until 1859, engaged in farming. He came to California in that
year, and was in the stock business in San Joaquin County until 1869; he then
moved to Solano County, and remained there until 1872, when he came to this
county, and stopped about two and a-half years; then he went to Fresno County,
and resided about two and a half years, when he returned to this county. He was
married in 1867 to Lucy Silvey, also a native of Missouri; they have three
children living, a son and two daughters.
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GATES,
JAMES B., lives five miles from Galt, his Post Office, and twenty-seven miles
from Sacramento. He was born in Onondaga County, New York, in 1817, where he
remained till 1833; he then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and engaged in teaching
school for two years, when he returned to Oneida Institute, where he studied
for two years. In 1849 he moved to Monroe, New York, and followed the livery
business; then came to California and followed mining and farming. In 1862 he
went to England, returning in 1863. Mr. Gates married Levina Thomas, a native
of Devonshire, England, in 1864. Mr. Gates has held the office of Justice of
the Court of Sessions for Sacramento County.
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GEAR,
GEO. T.; Post Office, Hicksville; lives seven miles from Galt, and twenty-one
miles from Sacramento; was born in Wisconsin in 1854, removed to Minnesota in
1858, and lived there until 1870; in that year he went to Oregon, and was in
the wood business there until 1874; he then came to California: rents one
hundred and thirty-three acres of land from his mother. He was married in 1878
to Maria L. Wirts, a native of this county.
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GRAY,
GEORGE N.; Post Office, Galt; was born in New York, in 1827; removed to Ohio in
1845, and lived there until 1850; engaged in farming and teaching; he then
started for California, but was detained about a year in St. Louis on account
of the cholera; he settled in this county in 1852, and was engaged in farming
and carpentering; afterwards he kept a hotel in San Joaquin County for eight
years; owns 160 acres of land. He was married in 1874, to Jennie Dodge, also a
native of New York; they have three children, all boys.
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HARVEY,
C. W.; Post Office, Galt; was born in New York, in 1831; removed to Illinois in
1844, and lived there until 1853, engaged in farming; he then came to
California and settled in this county, engaging in the stock business and
dairying; in 1873 he moved to Galt, where he is now running a hotel. He was
married in 1852, to Miss Martha Sherwood, also a native of New York; they have
three children---two boys and a girl.
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HARVEY,
O., M.D.; post Office, Galt, where he lives; was born in Wayne County., New
York, in 1825, and lived there until 1845; in that year he went to Illinois;
graduated from Rock Island Medical School in 1849, and practiced medicine in
that State until 1850; he then came to California and practiced medicine in El
Dorado County until the spring of 1868, when he settled in Galt; in 1858, he
served as a delegate from the State Medical Society to the National Medical
Association, and, while East, graduated from the Medical Department of New York
University; he was a member of Board of Directors of Insane Asylum for a term
of five years. Dr. Harvey was a member of State Senate, from El Dorado County,
for three sessions; and also a member of the Assembly, from Sacramento County,
for one term. Since his removal to this county he has been engaged in farming;
owns three thousand acres of land. He was married, in 1868, to Miss S. M. Hall,
a native of New Haven, Connecticut; they have two children---son and daughter.
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HAYT,
ANNA; Post Office, Hicksville; lives three miles from that town; was born in
North Carolina in 1829; removed to Texas in 1836, and lived there until 1846;
she then came to California, 1853. Mrs. Hayt was raised a slave, but bought her
freedom in 1858. She married James Hayt, a native of Alabama, in 1858, by whom
she has one son, now living.
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KANE,
J. O.; Post Office, Hicksville; lives one mile from that town and six miles
from Galt; was born in Ireland in 1820; emigrated to the United States in 1830,
and lived in New York until 1845, engaged in farming; in that year he removed
to Illinois, and continued farming until 1850; he then came to California
across the plains, being three months on the way, and settled in Placerville;
he came to this county in 1855; owns two hundred acres of land, worth, with
improvements, about two thousand dollars. Mr. Kane now holds the office of
Justice of the Peace.
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KREEGER,
S.; Post Office, Galt; lives three and a half miles from that town, and twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; was born in North Carolina in 1829, and lived there
until 1849; he came to California in that year and lived in El Dorado County
until 1853; he then moved to this county, and kept a feed store in Sacramento
City for five years; previous to that, though, he followed mining; settled on
his present location in 1863. He was married in 1863 to Miss Jane Cunningham, a
native of Belvidere, Illinois; they have seven children---three boys and four
girls. He owns four hundred and fifty-one and a half acres of land, worth, with
improvements, about $6500. A view of his place is given on another page.
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McFARLAND,
JOHN; Post Office, Galt; lives four miles from that town and twenty-eight miles
from Sacramento; was born in Scotland in 1824; emigrated to the United States
in 1834, and lived several years in New York; he then went to Canada, and was
engaged there as a carpenter and cabinet-maker until 1847, when he moved to
Illinois and worked at his trade until 1850; he came to California in that
year, and made Placerville his home until 1856; engaged in mining the first
year in the State; he built the first flume that was built in El Dorado County,
and continued the business at Mokelumne Hill. Mr. McFarland bought his ranch in
1853, but did not settle on it until 1856, since when, he has followed farming
and stock-raising; owns two thousand one hundred and eighty acres of land,
worth about twenty-five dollars per acre; he has a very fine house, and other
improvements. A view of his place may he seen on another page.
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MORONEY,
DENIS; Post Office, Hicksville, lives six miles from that town and twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; was born in Ireland in 1829, and lived there until 1848;
emigrated to the United States in that year, and resided in the City of New
York until 1858, engaged in draying; he then came to this State and county;
owns five hundred and forty-six acres of land, worth, with improvements, about
$12,000. Mr. Maroney was married in 1855 to Bridget Sexton, also a native of
Ireland; they have four children---a son and three daughters. A view of his
place may be seen on another page.
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NEED,
GEORGE; Post Office, Galt; lives five miles from that town, and twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1836; emigrated to the
United States with his parents in 1840, and lived in Indiana until 1857,
engaged in farming. He then came to California, and settled in this county; he
subsequently moved to Fresno County, and was engaged in stock-raising there
until 1867, when he returned to this county, and has since been farming; owns
six hundred and thirteen acres of land. He was married in 1867 to Miss S. J.
Ehler, a native of Indiana; they have four children, two boys and two girls. A
view of his place appears in this work.
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<PLANALP,
PETER; Post Office, Hicksville; lives six miles from Galt and twenty-two miles
from Sacramento; was born in Switzerland in 1828; emigrated with his parents to
the United States in 1834, and lived in Indiana until 1852. He then came to
California, and settled in this county; subsequently he moved to Fresno County,
and was in the stock business there for about five years. Since his return to
this county he has been farming and stock-raising; owns twelve hundred and
thirty acres of land. He was married in 1870 to Miss R. M. Need, a native of
Indiana; they have four children, a son and three daughters. Views of Mr. Planalp's
property may be seen elsewhere.
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PUTNEY,
GEORGE S.; Post Office, Elk Grove; lives five miles from that town, and twenty
miles from Sacramento; was born in New York in 1830, and lived there until
1851. He came to California in that year, and settled in this county, where he
has since lived, engaged in farming; owns three hundred acres of land. Mr.
Putney was married in 1870 to Miss J. M. Dixon, a native of Vermont; she died
in 1875; he was married again in 1878 to Helen Larkin, a native of
Pennsylvania; he has three children, a boy and two girls.
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PUTNEY,
HENRY S.; born in State of New York, May 13, 1828, where he remained until
February, 1849, when he started for California, via the Isthmus route. When he
arrived at Panama, his money was exhausted, and he engaged in ship-building,
mining, water-selling, and hotel-keeping to replenish his purse. On arriving in
California, July 28, 1849, he went at once to the mines at Lay's Bar, on the
American River. In the Spring of 1850 Mr. Putney went to the mines on
Murderer's Bar. His mining enterprises proved very successful. During the Fall
of 1850 he went on a ranch near San Jose, which he abandoned for the present
home, six miles east of Elk Grove; he has resided here since, and has been
engaged in farming, stock-raising and threshing. To him belongs the honor of
running the first thresher ever run in the valley, and he has continued the
business for twenty-eight years. In pioneer days he got twenty cents a bushel for
threshing grain; six hundred bushels was a fair day's work. The farm on which
he now lives is well located, and is very productive; it contains six hundred
and fifty acres of land, and is valued at $8,700. November 27, 1862, Mr. Putney married Miss Rhoda A. Bates. They
have five children, named respectively Melvina E., George S., Julia M., Eliza
C., and Frank M., all of whom are now living. A view of Mr. Putney's house is
given elsewhere.
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RANDOLPH,
ALFRED ; Post Office, Hicksville; lives six miles from Galt, and one and
a-quarter miles from Hicksville; was born in Illinois in 1832, and lived there
until 1850. He came to California in that year, and engaged in mining in
Placerville until 1860; he then settled in this county, and has since been
farming; owns two hundred and fifty acres of land, worth, with improvements,
about $5,000. He was married in 1876 to Miss Emma McFadden, a native of Ohio;
they have two children, a son and daughter.
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RANDOLPH,
S. T.; Post Office, Galt; lives five miles from that town, and twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; was born in Illinois in 1828, and lived there until
1850, engaged in farming. He came to California in that year and was engaged in
mining at Placerville until 1852; he then settled in this county, and has since
been farming and stock-raising; owns four hundred acres of land, worth, with
improvements, about $7,500.
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RANDOLPH,
THOMAS, Post Office, Hicksville; lives one and a half miles from that town, and
six and a half miles from Galt; was born in McLean County, Illinois, in 1826,
and lived there until 1855, engaged in farming; he moved to Kansas in that year
and remained there until 1860, continuing in the business of farming; he then
came to California, and settled in this county, where he has been farming; owns
one hundred acres of land, worth, with improvements, about three thousand
dollars. Mr. Randolph was married in 1878 to Mary Cooley.
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RILEY,
MARGARET T. ; Post Office, Hicksville; lives four miles from Galt, and
twenty-two miles from Sacramento; was born in New York City in 1824, and lived
there until 1852; she came to California in that year, and resided in Sacramento
City until 1854, being there through the flood and fire; she then (1854) moved
to the place where she now resides: owns four hundred and fifty-six acres of
land, worth, with improvements, about nine thousand dollars. She was married in
1851 to Peter Riley, a native of Ireland, and whom she had five children; one
son and two daughters are deceased; she has two sons living. Mr. Riley died
June 2, 1873.
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RUSSELL,
W. H., lives five miles from Galt, his Post Office, and thirty miles from
Sacramento; he was born in California in May, 1859. In 1871 removed to Sacramento City and continued at school till
1878. He then went to El Dorado County and engaged in the dairy business for
one year. In 1879 he moved to the present home of eleven hundred acres (one
half of which Mr. Russell owns), and engaged in the dairy business. The ranch
is known as the Garden Valley Dairy Ranch, and is worth about twenty thousand
dollars. This property was left Mr. Russell, by his father, who settled on the
place in 1850, and whose decease took place in 1861.
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SAWYER,
JAMES C., Post Office, Galt; was born in Maine in 1832; removed to New
Hampshire in 1837, and lived there until 1848, working in a cotton factory; in
that year he went to Boston, and resided there until 1851, when he moved to New
York and worked at carpentering until 1852; he then went to Wisconsin, and, in
the spring of 1853, he crossed the plains to California, arriving in
Placerville May 8, and came to this county in same year. Mr. Sawyer was in the
war with the Klamath Indians in 1855; he was with Mullan's expedition when
building wagon road from Walla Walla to Fort Benton; was at the Northern mines
when first discovered, and followed mining in Siskiyou County ten years; was
also at the Salmon River mines. Since he settled permanently in this county, he
has followed stock-raising and dairying: owns twelve hundred acres in the
county; he was the first Master of Galt Grange. Married in 1871, to Miss
Augusta Rane, a native of Hamburg, Germany; they have two children son and
daughter.
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SAWYER,
J. H.; Post Office, Galt; was born in New Hampshire, in 1830; removed to
Massachusetts in 1846, and lived there until 1850, engaged in carpentering; he
then moved to New York, and worked at his trade until 1852, when he went to
Wisconsin, and continued working at his trade until 1853; he came across the
plains to California in that year, and stopped a short time in El Dorado
County; in the fall of the same year he came to this county; in 1856, he
returned to Wisconsin, and resided there until 1859, when he crossed the plains
again, and came to this State; he owns nine hundred and forty acres of land. He
was married, in 1856, to Jennie C. Newcomb, a native of New York; they have
four children two sons and two daughters.
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SAYLES,
JAMES T. ; Post Office, Hicksville; lives three and a half miles from that town;
was born in Iowa, in 1848, and lived there until 1854; he came to California in
that year, and lived in El Dorado County until 1858; he then moved to this
county; owns two hundred and twenty-two acres of land, worth about ten dollars
per acre. He was married, in 1871, to Miss J. Williamson, a native of this
State; they have four children three sons and a daughter. [Found them in 1880 Sacramento County, Dry Creek Census. Name is spelled Sales.]
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SMITH,
I. M., was born on the 18th day of January, 1839, in Kentucky, where he
remained till 1852, when his parents moved to Illinois. In 1857 he went to
Missouri, and worked in a saw mill. Joined the “Shepherd Brothers” train for
California in 1859; the party consisted of twelve men, three women and five
children; the train was attacked by Indians, about forty miles east of Rfft
River, and Mr. Smith, among others, was wounded; five men were killed. The
party was obliged to retreat, leaving property, till they met another train.
After the new train was formed, they pushed forward, and arrived at lone City,
Amador County, September 10, 1859. Since his arrival Mr. Smith has lived in
Buena Vista Camp, lone City, Susanville, Woodland, Acampo, McConnell's Station,
and is now living at Galt. He has engaged in mining, farming, teaming,
blacksmithing, mail contracting, and is now engaged in the wood business, both
wholesale and retail. Mr. S. has held the offices of Justice of the Peace two
years, Constable two years; is now Justice of the Peace at Galt. On the 10th of
March, 1870, he married Mrs. E. Packard; they have had two girls, one of whom
is now living, aged eight years.
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STOCK,
A. G.; Post Office, Galt; lives three miles from that town, and twenty-five
miles from Sacramento; was born in England in 1833, and lived there until 1852,
engaged in farming; emigrated to the United States in that year, stopping a
short time in New York; came to California in the same year, and lived in
Placer County until 1856, when he moved to this county; has been engaged in
teaming, farming and sheep raising; owns four hundred and twenty-six acres of
land, worth, with improvements, about $4400. He was married in 1862 to Miss
Martha E. Cantrell, a native of Illinois; they have seven children, lour suns
and three daughters.
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VALENSIN,
G., lives at Hicksville, twenty-one miles from Sacramento. He owns two thousand
five hundred acres of land. He was born in Italy in 1852. A view of his place
is given on another page.
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WEST,
C. M. ; Post Office, Elliott, San Joaquin County; lives eight miles from Galt
and thirty from Sacramento. He owns five hundred and sixty acres of land,
valued at $10,000. He was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1831, and moved
to Pike County, Illinois, in 1839. Here he remained, engaged in farming, until
1852, when he came to California. Since living in this State he has been
variously engaged in mining, butchering, merchandising, stock-raising and
farming. He married Miss America Baker, a native of Missouri, in 1870. They have
one son and two daughters.
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WISER,
HIRAM; Post Office, Galt; lives two miles from that town and twenty-seven and a
half miles from Sacramento; was born in Pennsylvania, in 1824; removed to
Illinois in 1836, and lived there until 1858, engaged in farming; he moved to
Kansas in that year, and leaving his family there, he spent about two years in
the Rocky Mountains; he left Kansas in 1861 and went to Iowa, where he followed
farming until 1863; he then came to California; owns three hundred and
fifty-five acres of land, worth, with improvements, about 25,000. The house Mr.
Wiser lives in was built in Maine and shipped here by way of the Horn. He was
married in 1853, to Miss Delia Gray, a native of Ohio; they have five children
a son and four daughters.
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WRISTON,
S. E.; Post Office, Galt; lives in that town; was born in Illinois in 1833, and
lived there until 1852; he came to California in that year across the plains,
and settled in this county, engaging in stock-raising and dairying; owns four
hundred and twenty-seven and a half acres of land, worth about twenty dollars
per acre. Mr. Wriston was married in 1870 to J. V. Ferguson, a native of
Illinois; they have two children son and daughter.
Source: History of Sacramento County, California With Illustrations 1880 by Thompson & West.
.