San Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM FRANKLIN FREEMAN
W. F. FREEMAN, a pioneer, was
born August 29, 1830, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His father, a native of
Yorkshire, England, is of the old family of Freemans and Caswells, and his
mother was from Essex, England, of the Gages and Bairds, who were among the
first settlers of the Massachusetts colonies. At the age of sixteen years Mr.
Freeman was apprenticed to the trade of painter in the Boston navy yard, where
three years were passed pleasantly and profitably, until the discovery of gold
in California. January 12, 1849, he embarked on the Edward Everett for the long
journey amid the exciting scenes of leaving many dear friends with only a hope
of ever seeing them again. Indeed, upon that vessel there were but few who had
not left good situations environed by social and family ties that had made life
happy. The vessel stopped ten days at Valparaiso for supplies and arrived at
San Francisco July 5, all the passengers having had a prosperous voyage. On
arriving here the Edward Everett company began to work together as one body. At
length they found it impracticable, and Mr. Freeman sold his share of stock to
one of the directors for $112, the original price being $300. The dividend
after the sale of the ship and cargo was $138 to the share, which was a
creditable showing considering that the ship was sold for $20,500 less than
they paid for it in Boston.
Mr. Freeman’s first independent work in
California was in the employment of the Government of Benicia, where barracks
and cottages were in process of erection for troops and officers: his pay was
$11 per day. With tent, camp outfits, and soldiers’ rations, the workmen formed
themselves into messes and did their own cooking. They were paid in Mexican
dollars, which they invested in gold dust at thirteen to sixteen dollars an
ounce, the silver dollars being in special demand at the gambling tables. It
was here that Mr. Freeman cast his first vote for the constitution which freed
all slaves within the State: he was yet under the voting age. On the 8th
of October, in company with Mr. Pickering, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he
started for the southern mines, in a boat which they had constructed on
Sundays. They had a good tent and provisions for several months. At Stockton
they transferred to the ox prairie schooner, and with guns on their shoulders
took up their slow but not uninteresting line of march toward Jacksonville, on
the Tuolumne river, where they built a snug log cabin with a stone and mud
chimney and the tent was used for a roof: thus they had a most comfortable
dwelling. The winter was wet, but they worked rain or shine, and their big
fires by night were doubly appreciated. Their average workings were two ounces
per day of fine gold. If they could have saved all the gold that passed through
their rocker their earnings would have been double. They had altogether a
pleasant time, amid picturesque scences (sic), etc., until February 12, 1850,
when, having heard of richer diggings beyond the river in Mariposa County, they
stripped the canvass from their cabin with the same feeling which prompted the
words “Woodman, spare that tree,” etc., and struck out for new and unknown
fields, pitching their tent on Maxwell’s creek near the Blue Tents: the place
is since known as Coulterville. They were fortunate in prospecting and were
making money until the year following, June 1, 1851. By this time they had
about ninety pounds of gold-dust hidden here and there about the camps in
bottles, cans and old shoes; as there were very little if any thieving during
those times, every miner could leave his possessions exposed without fear of
losing them. The miners were proverbially hospitable with their rough fare:
“the beans would stand the longest division known in arithmetic.” At his time
Mr. Pickering returned to his wife and children, while Mr. Freeman
unfortunately joined two companies for the purpose of damming and draining the
Tuolumne river at Line Bar, and also the Merced river at Split Rock Bar, the
general idea at that time being that the beds of the rivers on high bars were
exceedingly rich; but they demonstrated its fallacy, while it completely
emptied the pockets of the investors. Mr. Freeman however had one consolation,
namely, that he had a saving of $846, which he had sent home from Benicia
before starting for the mines.
He formed a partnership with a young man
and commenced prospecting and mining on the first principles which had proved
so successful before. Coming to his old camp upon Maxwell’s creek, he found his
old claim occupied. The season was dry and good diggings and water were
scarcely ever found together; the miners also were more plentiful than the year
before. Life’s stern realities for the first time in his life resolved
themselves into clouds without the famous “silver lining.” However, he worked
away with indifferent success, until about the first of June, 1851, when he
joined the regiment of mounted volunteers raised by the State for the purpose
of suppressing Indian insurrections among the southern mines, the famous James
Savage being in command of the battalion, Captain Kuykendall having command of
Company B, of which Mr. Freeman was a member. This agreeable service lasted
about three months, and left him with the “habits of a Bedouin” with $113 in
pocket and also subsequently a land warrant. Fifteen of the men went to the
Four Creek country, built a stockade for protection at Woodford, near where now
the town of Visalia is located, and where seventeen men had been killed by the
Indians the autumn previous. They blazed out a section of land for themselves,
to which probably none of them ever returned. Returning to Mariposa County late
in the summer, Mr. Freeman commenced herding and driving cattle for Fremont and
Savage, who had a fat contract for supplying the Indians and soldiers at Fort
Miller: the cattle, however, were not so “fat.”
Mr. Freeman tried mining again during the
fall and early winter, but without any of the encouraging results of
“The days of old,
The days of gold,
The days of ‘49.”
Therefore,
early in January, 1852, he bid farewell to the mines forever, mounted his
faithful mule, and took the down grade and sought employment among the cattle
ranches. In this capacity he was first employed by the Neil Brothers on the
Merced river, and with one exception formed the first lasting friendship among
strangers, dissolved only by death. For them and for Montgomery & Scott he
worked till about January, 1853, and, as he had no expensive habits, he was
able to save nearly all of his wages. By pooling with a partner, Burrill
Brewer, they began to herd and drive cattle, in a small way, from the nearest
coast ranches to the mines in Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. In early spring
of 1854, in company with A. and Thomas Stevenson,--father and son,--ranchers
near the mouth of the Merced river, he drove a band of cows and young cattle
from Los Angeles, and returning settled with his portion of the cattle upon
Bear creek, the ranch being known as the Robla. He followed the cattle business
until 1858. In the meantime, in the summer of 1856, he made a short visit to his
relatives in Massachusetts, and on returning he happened to be in San Francisco
during the reign of terror under the regime of the famous Vigilance Committee.
On his return to this city he brought with him from Kentucky a fine jack and
started the business of raising mules, and he afterward made similar and larger
importations by steamer in 1860, 1862, 1864, and by railroad in 1879, 1880,
1882, and in a small way he has continued in this business to date.
He moved from Merced County to Stockton in
1861, and engaged a short time in the livery stable business. He built a steam
tug--the “Rival”--and a barge, in 1867: he ran them one season to the Bay, and
also did towing, but without profit. Then, in company with E. J. Hamlet, he
conducted the soap business and the soap manufactory for about ten years, and
was fairly successful considering the capital engaged. In the meantime he was
secretary of the San Joaquin Valley Society of California Pioneers; and he
still carries an elegant gold watch and chain which was presented to him by
that society as a testimonial in appreciation of his service. As a citizen he
voted against the issue of subsidizing bonds to the so called Stockton &
Visalia Railroad Company; also subsequently, as councilman he voted against any
compromise or the surrender of any portion of the said bonds to the assignees
of said corporation. As a member of the council for six years, upon all
questions where debts were to be created above the limits prescribed by the
charter, he always voted No. As a citizen he has always opposed all subsidies,
and the issue of interest bonds for public improvement. He also has always
opposed the granting of special or exclusive privileges to private individuals
or corporations upon the streets, water front and public square. In politics
Mr. Freeman has always tried to be Jeffersonian, and upon all national and
international questions he has been a follower of Wendell Phillips, and like
him has been usually in the minority.
In 1862 Mr. Freeman married Miss Martha
Drake, of Flint, Michigan, and they have brought up four children: Arthur,
Frona, Laura and Maurice. In 1885-’86 Mr. and Mrs. Freeman made a trip around
the world, going East. They visited Scotland, England, traveling extensively
upon the continent, in Palestine, Egypt, India two months, China via Rangoon,
Penang and Singapore, Shanghai, in Japan two months, and then embarked from
Yokohama, having been absent about thirteen months. All of their travel except
upon steamers was done by day-light, leaving a panorama upon their memory
effaceable only by death.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 537-539. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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