Tuolumne
County
Biographies
THE MACOMBER BROTHERS,
GEORGE & HENRY S.
The history of pioneer life has long
rivaled in interest the tales of battles and of life on the tented field. Without the roar of cannon and musketry or
the inspiring notes of fife and drum, hosts no less brave and determined have
gone forth into the wilderness to reclaim it for purposes of civilization and
have fought the hard battle of conquering the wild land, the sturdy forest and
the rocky fastnesses of the earth, making each yield of its treasures such
elements as can be utilized for man.
This is an arduous labor and one to which are due recognition and
commendation; and therefore in preparing a history of California it is with
pleasure that we introduce the life records of such worthy pioneers as the
Macomber brothers, whose identification with the state antedates the formation
of its territorial government.
The Macomber brothers, of Sonora,
California, are actively identified with the industrial interests in their
section of the state, where they are extensively and successfully engaged in
the manufacture of cider from apples.
They also manufacture pickles, champagne cider and vinegar, and deal in
grain and dried fruits. Under their
capable management, owing to executive force and keen discernment, their
business has assumed extensive proportions, bringing to them a very desirable
prosperity.
The Macomber brothers are highly
respected California pioneers, who arrived in Hangtown in April, 1850. They were natives of the Empire state, born
in Utica. George Macomber was born in
May, 1814, and was long associated with his brothers under the firm name which
is still maintained. He was a thoroughly
reliable businessman and a representative California pioneer. His death occurred on June 3, 1900, in the
eighty-sixth year of his age. Henry S.
Macomber was born in December, 1836, and Frederick Macomber in February, 1838,
and since their brother’s death they have continued to conduct the business.
As stated above, they arrived in
California in the year 1850. They left
the Empire state the previous year and secured an outfit in St. Louis,
Missouri. This outfit consisted of
horses, a wagon and mining utensils and a large supply of provisions. They traveled much of the way with Johnson
Lawton’s train, but during the latter part of the journey they came on ahead,
following trails and cut-offs that shortened the distance. On the journey, when in company with the
train, they had much trouble with the Indians.
At Goose Creek a large number of the savages were hidden in the willows
which are abundant along the banks of the stream, and from that retreat they
fired on the emigrants. One of them
received a shot through his head, but the travelers immediately returned the
fire and drove the Indians out of the willows.
Later they could be seen like the shadow of a great cloud on the
mountainside, as they passed over out of range of the guns of the white men. At Green River the Indians succeeded in
stampeding all the stock the emigrants possessed and again the party started
out in pursuit and succeeded in killing four of the Indians, capturing the
stock and securing forty Indian ponies besides.
As they neared California they met supply wagons which had been sent out
to meet the needy emigrants. They were
obliged to pay very high prices for provisions, but the Macomber brothers had
no need to buy, as they had brought plenty with them. They followed the Fremont trail and had no
trouble in getting water or finding their way, for they were guided by a Mr.
Ayres who had previously crossed the plains.
On arriving at Hangtown the Macomber
brothers proceeded to the south mines and engaged in the search of gold at
Angel’s Camp, on Angel’s Creek, where they worked for about six months, meeting
with excellent success. They removed to
Jamestown, Tuolumne County, where they secured a good claim and mined with
rockers on Blackstake Gulch. Success
also attended their efforts at that place, for they took out from forty to two
hundred and fifty dollars per day. The
diggings were very shale, only from a foot to a foot and a half deep. The brothers remained there for about two
years and also mined at Maloney and Murphy before leaving Calaveras
County. They had very rich claims at those
places and their success far surpassed their highest expectations. They also mined at Table Mountain, having one
of the best claims there and taking out what might be considered a fabulous
amount of gold. At Shaw’s Flat and
Wood’s creek they also did well. They
usually worked the claims out pretty close, as they thought, but sold the last
one for one thousand dollars. They mined
in Volcano in Amador County, but did not meet with as good success there as
they had elsewhere.
When they abandoned mining the
Macomber brothers purchased the Bailey & Morgan sawmill and fifteen hundred
acres of heavily timbered land, adding to that property until they were the
owners of twenty-six hundred acres. They
operated the sawmill with excellent success until a fire swept over that
section of the country and destroyed their mill and lumber to the value of
about one and a half millions feet of lumber and eight thousand dollars
invested. Soon afterward they sold the
timber land and the sawmill site and came to Sonora, where they purchased the
Morse orchard, comprising twenty-two acres of land, located in Sonora, and
planted apples, pears, grapes and other fruits.
From that beginning they have developed a very extensive business,
dealing in fruit, cider, vinegar, champagne cider and pickles. In each department they have met with very
gratifying success and their products are shipped all over the country and to
some foreign ports, the superior quality insuring them a ready sale in all
markets. They have a plant well equipped
for carrying on their work and the volume of their business has annually
increased until its magnitude represents a large outlay of capital and a
proportionate income derived from the sale of their goods.
In their political views the
brothers are Republicans, who take a deep interest in the welfare of the party,
doing all in their power to promote its growth and success. They have a wide acquaintance through the
state in which they have so long ranked among the more successful businessmen,
and they belong to that class of honored pioneers to whom California owes her
present progress, prosperity and advanced position. They aided in laying wide and strong the
foundation upon which has been reared the superstructure of the commonwealth
that it is the pride of the entire nation.
Their labors have contributed largely to the growth and upbuilding of
their portion of the state and no history would be complete without mention of
the Macomber brothers.
The above limited biography does not
include their individual enterprises and has been taken from the diary of Henry
S. Macomber.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 188-191. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.