Yolo County Biographies – G
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GABLE & BRO. The father of these gentlemen, Solomon Gable, was born May 21, 1796, the seventh son of a seventh son. In the family there were probably nine children, eight sons and one daughter. Frederick, one of these sons and probably the one who became wealthy, was a banker of Little York, Pennsylvania; but after his death the executors appropriated all the property, so that the heirs obtained none. Although married, he died childless. Solomon Gable married Elizabeth Dull, also a Pennsylvanian, and after six children were born in his family he moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where eight of his children were born. He had altogether nine sons and five daughters. The youngest girl of the family died at the age of three years, and there are now living five sons and one daughter. Eleven of the family grew up to years of maturity. Three brothers are in California, one of whom, Aaron Sylvester Gable, is a resident at Soledad, Monterey County, and two - A. W. and H. C. - are the subjects of this sketch. The eldest son, Andrew Gable, was a commissioned officer in the Mexican war, being promoted to that position for great merit and bravery; and he received the title to a large tract of land in Texas, where he made his home, and while a resident there he made two visits to his parents. He died there, willing his property to some friends who took care of him during his sickness. In 1843 Mr. Solomon Gable moved to Van Buren County, in the southeastern part of Iowa, settling upon a rented farm, and afterward, in the spring of 1846 he removed into Appanoose County, near by, where he took Government land and followed farming and stock-raising for the remainder of his life, being prosperous in both vocations. He died in June, 1846, from the breaking of a blood-vessel caused by lifting some logs, in the prime of life. A. W. Gable is a director of the Bank of Yolo, which was incorporated
in January, 1883, with between sixty and seventy stockholders. At the
time of the organization no one was allowed to hold more than $10,000
stock; and it is a stipulation that no additional purchases can be made
except by permission of the board of trustees. At present no stockholder
holds more than $13,000, and only one holds that amount. There are only
three stockholders outside of the county, and the total amount of their
holdings is but $12,000. Paid up capital is $300,000. On the first of
next January it will have a reserve fund of $66,000, which has been
accumulated during the six years of its organization, besides the regular
dividends, - which have been never less than eight per cent per annum,
and for the last two years it have been nine per cent per annum. The
first assistant cashier, Ed. G. Gregg, died at Riverside, San Bernadino
County, in 1888; and Charles L. Richmond succeeded him in the position;
this is the only change in the official board since organization except
as noted below. The directors are Hon. D. N. Hershey, Hon. Charles F.
Reed, H. P. Merritt, W. W. Brownell, Hon. S. N. Mering, E. R. Lowe,
A. W. Gable, Benj. Peart and A. D. Porter. The present officers are,
H. P. Merritt, President; W. W. Brownell, Vice-president; C. W. Bush,
Manager and Cashier; and Charles L. Richmond, Assistant Cashier. Mr.
J. W. Freeman, an original director, disposed of his interests in the
bank soon after its organization, and Mr. A. W. Gable was elected his
successor. Amos W. GABLE Men who were born in Yolo county and who have reached middle life here
cannot recall a time when the name of Amos W. Gable was not familiar
to them or when it did not stand for good citizenship and remarkable
agriculture success. These men grew up believing in Mr. Gable as an
exemplar of unselfish devotion to duty and of material prosperity attained
in the face of early handicaps. Newcomers in the county found prestige
so firmly established that they immediately became cognizant of his
reputation and through their later personal experiences confirmed all
good opinions of him. Gracious and manly qualities adorned his rare
personality. Sincerity of purpose marked his decisions. A natural enthusiasm
was tempered by caution in judgment. Such was his temperament and such
his character that success made no change in his quiet, unostentatious
existence, and his happiest hours were spent with his family and his
intimate friends and in the pleasant task of improving his beautiful
homestead. Harvey C. GABLE The intense activities characteristic of the Californian of the twentieth
century cannot dim the memory of the labors of the pioneers nor will
the luster of their achievements ever fade from the grateful recollections
of later generations. The lives of these early settlers were as varied
as their temperaments, but destiny brought to all of them a common service
for their adopted commonwealth, a common endurance of privation and
a common struggle for success. Some, however, passed away ere yet success
had set its seal upon their brows; some from the nature of their environment
or their erring judgment failed to grasp the coveted measure of prosperity;
but some there were of whom Harvey C. Gable was one, who rose from an
orphaned lad without means and attained a remarkable degree of prominence
and popularity. Edward Everett GADDIS A native of this state and also of Yolo county, Edward E. Gaddis was
born in Zamora February 25, 1865, the son of that well-known and worthy
pioneer, Henry Gaddis, who is represented elsewhere in this volume.
In his childhood and early boyhood Edward E. attended the public school
near his home, and when he was sixteen years old he entered St. Augustine
College, at Benicia, Cal., and graduated therefrom in 1885. Following
graduation he entered the law department of the University of California,
from which he was duly graduated in 1888, with the degree of LL. B.
Before the close of that year he had been elected district attorney
of Yolo county, in which office he served with credit and success from
January, 1889 to January, 1891. He took up the practice of his profession
in Woodland, and continued it, with the best results professional and
pecuniary, until in November, 1896, when he was elected on the Republican
ticket superior judge of Yolo county. He was re-elected in 1902, and
served twelve years, from January, 1897, to January, 1909, when he resumed
his practice in Woodland, giving his attention to general law cases
of whatever kind or class. As a lawyer and as a judge he placed the
law and the obligations of the lawyer on a very high plane. Many noted
cases have been tried by him or have come before him for adjudication,
and his conduct at the bar and on the bench has invariably commended
him to the good opinion of high-minded and discriminating men. Edward Everett GADDIS In 1817 the Reverend William Gaddis and his wife, Deborah Blair Gaddis, came from Ireland and settled in Albany, New York, where he had the pastorate of a Methodist Episcopal Church. Henry Gaddis, the eldest son of seven children, was born in 1818. He was the father of Edward Everett Gaddis. In 1840 Reverend Gaddis and his family moved to Illinois and until his death he held a leading position in his church. Meanwhile, Henry Gaddis returned to Albany, New York, where in 1845 he married Anna Campbell, born July 6, 1827. Her parents, Andrew and Marjory (Cornwall) Campbell, were both from County Down, Ireland, but of Scotch and English descent, and strict Presbyterians. After his marriage, he returned to Illinois and settled on his farm near Waukegan. Upon learning of the discovery of gold in the West, he joined the adventurous gold seekers and crossed the plains, arriving in Placerville (Hangtown) in July, and mined. In November, 1853, he was joined by his wife and two children, who came by way of Aspinwall, crossing the Isthmus by rail and on mule back, a native carrying the two children. After a winter in the mines he brought his family to Yolo County where he farmed, taught school, and became County Superintendent of Schools. For eighteen years they prospered and helped built up Yolo County. On April 30, 1870, at the age of fifty-two, this valued citizen met a tragic death in a runaway accident. He died greatly lamented, for he was a leader in education, agricultural, fraternal and social circles. He was a Republican and a member of the I.O.O.F. Several years after her husband’s death, Mrs. Gaddis married Silas P. Barnes, a native of Deering, New Hampshire, who came to California in 1853. After his death, in 1888, Mrs. Barnes moved to her home in Woodland, where she resided until her demise, December 16, 1913. Edward Everett Gaddis, the son of Henry and Anna Gaddis, was a true son of Yolo County, born in Zamora, February 25, 1865. He received his schooling in Yolo County, and at St. Augustine, at Benicia, California, from which he graduated in 1885. He then entered the law department of the University of California and received the degree, Doctor of Law, in 1888. That year he was elected District Attorney of Yolo County, serving from January 18, 1889 to January, 1891. He also served as Trustee of Sutter Fort Commission for years. In November, 1896, he was elected Superior Judge of Yolo county on the Republican ticket. He was re-elected in 1902, serving twelve years , from January, 1897, to January, 1909. During the war he was Chairman of the Exemption Board of Yolo County. October 3, 1900, Mr. Gaddis married Miss Anna Biggs, whose grandfather was the founder of Biggs, Butte County, California, also a Member of Congress, first California District. He died on January 19, 1903, at the age of fifty-two. Her father, Major Biggs, Jr., born April 16, 1850, was a banker and farmer. He died May 9, 1932. Her mother, Sue Hay, of Virginia, born April 26, 1851, married Major Biggs in Missouri and came West with him. She died August 6, 1924. In the history of California jurisprudence Edward Everett Gaddis held a high place. An able, learned and just Judge who loved his fellow men and served them. He was a Mason, Elk and a Native Son, a Republican in politics, an Episcopalian in religion. Mrs. Gaddis resides at the family home, 734 College Street. A sister, Mrs. Bertha Gaddis Wood, lives in Berkeley, California. Transcribed by Peggy B. Perazzo from “History of Yolo County California, Its Resources and Its People,” William O. Russell, Editor, Woodland, 1940, pp. 337-338. Henry GADDIS Varied lines of development received the encouragement and practical
co-operation of the late Henry Gaddis, but he was prominent especially
in the agricultural growth of Yolo county and in its educational expansion.
Himself the recipient of educational advantages in Albany, N.Y., and
later an instructor of the young for a brief period, he possessed a
broad knowledge of educational needs and utilized this information to
the lasting advantage of Yolo county schools. The first school district
in the entire county was organized largely through his intelligent efforts.
As early as 1854 the board of supervisors chose him to serve as county
superintendent of schools and afterward he was elected to the office,
then re-elected, serving altogether for a period of fourteen years.
The present splendid school system of which the county boasts was devised
under his supervision. A high educational standard was established and
first-class instructors were engaged, so that the county stood second
to none in its pioneers struggles for the mental advancement of its
youth. J. W. GAFFORD proprietor of the Gafford Hotel, at Davisville, California, was born June 30, 1834, in Pike County, Missouri, a son of William C. and Nancy G. (Clempson) Gafford, father a native of Virginia and mother of North Carolina. The father was a mechanic and moved from his native place in Virginia to Pike County, Missouri, where he lived about three years, then moved to Randolph County, Missouri, where he lived until 1864, when he came to California, across the plains, with his family, excepting two of the children who had come previously. On arriving in this State he located first at Michigan Bar, and afterward at Santa Cruz, and then returned to El Dorado County, where he died in 1872, at the age of eighty-two years. Mr. J. W. Gafford came to this State in 1850, when he was fifteen years old, and at once began work in the mines in different localities, with moderate success, until 1866. He was then engaged at various employments until 1874, when he went to Davisville and built a large and commodious hotel on Main street. Mr. Gafford is a genial landlord, knowing well how to conduct his well-furnished house in a faithful manner. He is a member of Yolo Lodge, No. 169, I.O.O.F., and also of the K. of P. He was married in 1871, to Miss Hannah J. Benjamin, a native of Canada,
and of their four children three are living. J. Wesley GALLUP Horticultural enterprises have engaged the attention of Mr. Gallup
for a long period of successful activity and by means of his skill in
the occupation, as well as his persevering industry, he has added another
name to the list of prosperous fruit-growers in the county and has furnished
additional evidence as to the adaptability of the soil to such pursuits.
Lying on the route of the free delivery No. 2 out from Woodland may
be seen his attractive homestead of forty-seven acres, which, together
with another farm of twenty-seven acres entirely given over to the cultivation
of grapes, forms a possession of considerable value and gratifying annual
returns. A specialty is made of seedless raisin grapes and in this product
he has been successful to an unusual degree. On the home place, in addition
to the vineyard, he has a great variety of apricots, plums, prunes,
pears, peaches, almonds and walnuts, and from the sale of these varied
products he receives an income of considerable dimensions, worthily
won through his own industry and perseverance, supplemented by the intelligent
co-operation of his wife. The co-operation of his wife, a woman of intelligence and energy, whom
he married in this county in 1896 and who was formerly Miss Madge Godsil.
Mrs. Gallup was born at Hong Kong, China, being the daughter of an Englishman
who for years served as a sea captain and meanwhile had his family stationed
first in China, later in Australia and eventually in California. Five
children comprise the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gallup, namely: Edward,
Harold, Lyle, Ellen and Katheryn. In fraternal relations Mr. Gallup
and his wife are identified with the Woodland Lodge of Rebekahs and
in addition he is a prominent worker in and a past noble grand of the
Woodland Lodge, I. O. O. F. The welfare of the order has been promoted
through his wise leadership and he has been active in enlarging its
field of usefulness. As a citizen he favors all movements for the general
good and has been particularly interested in measures for the enlargement
of horticultural enterprises in the county. G. J. GAREY G.J. GAREY, a farmer and stock-raiser on Cache Creek, in Yolo County, is the son of William and Sarah (Glower) Garey. His father was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, in 1801; was a brick-mason by trade; put up the first brick building in St. Louis, Missouri; came to California in 1849, and was engaged in farming most of his life-time on Cache Creek until a few years before his death, which took place in December, 1888. G.J.'s mother, a few years younger than his father, died in the same place. The subject of this sketch was born in Iowa in 1837, and came overland
to California in 1852, stopped at Bidwell's Bar, Butte County, where
he mined for two years. Afterward he came to Yolo County, and in 1870
settled on Cache Creek where he has since remained, raising grain and
stock. His home ranch contains 141 acres of well improved land; and
he also has 500 acres of grazing land, on which he pastures 400 cattle.
He is not yet married; is a member of Woodland Lodge, No. 81, F. &
A.M., and also of Chapter No. 46. Joseph GERMESHAUSEN (#1) JOSEPH GERMESHAUSEN, one of the proprietors of the Yolo Brewery and
an old time-honored citizen, was born March 25, 1836, in Germany, and
came to America in 1854, traveled extensively through the Southern States
and Mexico, and settled in Platte County, Missouri, where he remained
until 1861. He then came by ox team to California, stopping first, however,
until the next year at Virginia City. He then purchased land near Plainfield,
Yolo County, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits there until 1881,
on 320 acres of rich bottom land, which he still owns. In 1881 he purchased
his present interest in the Yolo Brewery, which establishment ranks
among the first in the State. He is an enterprising citizen, and has
a neat and tasteful residence on Court street, which he built in 1887.
He was married in 1868, to Miss Mary Beck, a native of Germany, and
they have five sons and four daughters. Joseph GERMESHAUSEN (#2) More than fifty years have brought their interesting series of progress since first Joseph Germeshausen arrived in Woodland. The city that now spreads its thriving expanse of commerce over the valley held little at that time to arouse the admiration of a newcomer. A few small houses gave homes to the pioneers who, in the midst of primeval surroundings, were endeavoring to earn their livelihoods. On every hand could be seen the great forests with their wealth of timber and their abundance of game. Frequently deer in considerable numbers appeared within the town limits. A skilled marksman was able to keep his family supplied with venison as well as other game during the season. When the environment of that period is contrasted with the improvements characteristic of the twentieth century, an appreciation is aroused in behalf of the early settlers whose rugged self-reliance and keen foresight rendered possible present conditions of prosperity. Not the least important of these pioneers is Joseph Germeshausen, who was born in Prussia, Germany, March 25, 1836, grew to manhood upon the home farm, attended the schools of his native land and in 1856 crossed the ocean to New York City, landing with little money and less knowledge of our language and customs. It was possible, however, for the study young German to secure immediate employment and he continued in the metropolis until 1861, when the opportunities of California attracted him to the west. Associated with his brother, Barney, he went to Leavenworth, Kans., and bought a mule team and wagon, also laid in an abundance of supplies for the long overland journey. It was his good fortune to accompany a train of thirteen wagons that encountered no vexatious delays and no hostility from Indians, but pushed forward with such persistence that they reached Virginia City, Nev., in four months from the time of leaving Leavenworth. A short stop in the western mining town was followed by removal to Yolo county during the fall of 1861, when Woodland was seen for the first time and the surrounding country carefully inspected. It is significant of the favorable impression created in the mind of Mr. Germeshausen by the appearance of Yolo county in its then undeveloped condition that he immediately took up land and started to raise grain. The tract which he selected comprises three hundred and twenty acres and lies in close proximity to Plainfield, its distance from Woodland being about nine miles. From that early period to the present he has continued to own and superintend the same property. For years he occupied the ranch, tilled the soil, sowed the grain, harvested the crops and, indeed, with his own energetic hands managed the entire place, but eventually he removed to Woodland in 1882, and the ranch is now occupied and operated by his youngest son, Daniel. After he moved into the city he purchased the Yolo brewery from Miller & Schuerle, and later he organized the Yolo Brewing Company, of which he continued to be the president as well as the manager until a few years since, when he retired to private life, relinquishing to others the supervision of the important industry he had fostered and enlarged. He still serves as a director in the First National Bank of Woodland, in which for years he has been a holder of a large amount of stock. Ever since making a study of political questions in this country Mr. Germeshausen has voted with the Republican party and supported its principles with unwavering zeal. He came to this county a young man, unmarried, and it was not until some years later that he established domestic ties, his marriage in 1868 uniting him with Miss Mary Selma Beck, a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, but from early life a resident of Woodland. They are the parents of seven children now living. It was their misfortune to lose two of their sons, Joseph, Jr., and William, when they were about twenty-seven years of age. The surviving sons remain in Yolo county: Beno is clerk at the Pacific house, this city; Edwin is a blacksmith in Woodland, and Daniel is the manager of the old homestead. The eldest daughter, Lena, is the wife of Fred Ewert, of this city; Selma, Mrs. Abele, resides near Cacheville; Katherina is Mrs. Gumbinger, of Woodland, and Minnie married Ben Harling, also of this city. Transcribed by Bea Barton Source: "History of Yolo County California with Biographical
Sketches of The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified
With Its Growth and Development From the Early Days to the Present"
page 249-251 by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company,
1913. Robert J. GIBSON While other occupations may reward their adherents with larger financial
returns or may bestow upon their disciples greater prominence and broader
influence, none surpasses that of agriculture in its relation to the
material welfare of the entire world. To those men who are giving farm
cultivation their best energies and their keenest intelligence (and
in this class none is more intelligent than Mr. Gibson) there has come
a realization of the importance of their work, an appreciation of its
value to the community of which they are a part. He who causes two blades
of grass to grow where one grew before is a public benefactor; how much
more may this be said of a man who brings a large tract of land up to
a point where the returns therefrom are doubled or trebled, who improves
a large farm or turns the first furrows in the virgin soil. Thomas Ballard GIBSON It would be difficult to name any important enterprise associated with
the material upbuilding of Woodland which has lacked the generous co-operation
and enthusiastic support of Mr. Gibson, who indeed stands second to
no citizen in his progressive spirit and devoted loyalty to civic development.
Having spent his entire life in Woodland and Yolo county, he has been
familiar from earliest recollections with movements for the common welfare
and has acquired a thorough knowledge of local possibilities. His faith
in future advancement is surpassed only by his knowledge of past achievements.
Whether commercial affairs are projected or educational progress is
demanded, whether modern improvements are instituted in the city's public
works or fraternal organizations seek adequate quarters for their meetings,
he interests himself in all and has demonstrated the possession of a
broad, rounded citizenship that holds itself aloof from any narrow partisanship. W. B. GIBSON (#1) W. B. Gibson, one of the early settlers of Yolo and an agriculturist near Woodland, was born May 20, 1831 in Louisa County, Virginia, a son of William and Susan (Turner) Gibson, both natives of that State. The grandparents on both sides were in the Revolutionary war. William Gibson moved from Virginia to Missouri in 1837, locating in Howard County, where he remained, a farmer, until his death, which occurred April 10, 1840. He was born July 13, 1799, and learned the brickmaker's trade. His wife died April 23, 1877, in Napa County, California. Mr. Gibson, our subject, was brought up on a farm until 1850, when he came overland with mule teams to the Golden State, the journey occupying four months. Going direct to Yolo County, he preempted 160 acres of land from the Government on Cache Creek, in company with a man named Cooper. Two months afterward he went to Scott's River and followed mining until the following spring. He then went to Oregon, was there three months and returned to Yolo County, Arriving July 15, 1851. He remained on his ranch until the discovery was made that his land was part of a grant. Accordingly, in 1857, he disposed of the same and located upon his present property, consisting then of 160 acres a half mile from what is now the city of Woodland, making it a beautiful and attractive home. He now has some 2,400 acres, all in this county, and he principally raises grain, hay and stock. He was the first to settle in that portion of the county. The plains then were covered with elk, antelope and wolves. Mr. Gibson is justly entitled to the success which he has earned, coming to California without means and having by his industry and economy added to the wealth of the county. December 23, 1857, is the date of Mr. Gibson's marriage to Miss Mary E. Cook, a native of Kentucky, whose people came to California across the plains in 1853, and are now living in Yolo County. Their children are three sons: Robert J., born October 18, 1859; Thomas B., born October 2, 1861, and is now a member of the firm of Gibson & Co., one of the largest hardware firms in the county; and Joseph W., born June 4, 1863. Source: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California,
Lewis Publishing Co., 1891, Pages 730-731 William Byas GIBSON (#2) Among several farmers and stockmen of note lost to the country around
Woodland, Yolo county, Cal., during recent years, was William Byas Gibson,
who passed away at his home February 15, 1906. A man of noble qualities
and exceptional business ability, his generous assistance toward the
development of the county will be long remembered by his co-workers. John Georg Brauch GOEPPERT JOHN GEORG BRAUCH GOEPPERT, one of the proprietors of the Yolo Brewery and the general manager and correspondent, is a native of Hamburg, Germany, born in June, 1859; received a fine education, and in 1879 sailed for the United States and California, but came around Cape Horn and arrived in San Francisco in the fall of 1880. He first engaged as clerk in a grocery store, then started a bottling establishment for Bavarian beer and continued to conduct the same until 1887, when he established the United States Beer Bottling Company and remained there until 1883. In March of this year he returned to Germany and in October came again to San Francisco and in a short time to Woodland, where he purchased his present interest. At first here he was in partnership for four months with a man, and then a stock company was formed, comprising Otto Schluer, Chris Seiber, Joseph Genneshausen, A. Niclas, Richard Alge and John G. Goeppert. Mr. Goeppert was made manager and correspondent. The brewery is a magnificent brick structure on west Main street, and equipped with all the modern improvements for the manufacture of first-class beer. Under the present able management the establishment is a complete success and one of which the city of Woodland is proud. Mr. Goeppert was married in 1887, to Miss Clara C. Myer, a native of
Germany, and they have one son, John G. by name. G. W. GOULD G.W. GOULD, one of the prominent agriculturists of Yolo County, was born in that county, in 1858. His parents were Samuel and Mary Ann (O'Conners) Gould, early settlers of this State. His father was born in the State of Maine and lost his life in 1877, possibly in being drowned in the Sacramento River. He was a well and favorably known citizen of Sacramento Valley. Mrs. Gould, the mother, was born in Ireland, and she is still living in Woodland, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr. Gould, whose name commences this paragraph, has a farm of 160 acres four miles from Woodland, where he raises wheat, barley, live-stock, etc. His wife, nee Hattie Griffith, was born also in this county, and they
were married in Cacheville. Their two children are: Mabel and Abraham. Charles E. GREENE (#1) Among the leading citizens of Yolo county is Charles E. Greene, the
owner of El Nido ranch, comprising two hundred acres eight miles southwest
of Woodland, which ranks among the finest and most highly developed
ranches in that section. Representing the type of man well fitted for
the labor of building up a community, Mr. Greene's executive ability
and tenacity of purpose, united with unquestioned honor and good judgment
have enables him to control with ease the many problems which are inevitable
in his work. Charles E. GREENE (#2) Charles E. Greene, deceased, formerly a prominent farmer of Yolo County,
was born in Shelburne, Vermont, May 24, 1825, his parents being Rufus
and Betsey (Weed) Greene. His ancestry is traceable to the De Gras family
of France, and later to the family in Rhode Island named Greene, with
whom the famous Revolutionary General Nathaniel Greene was connected.
When the subject of this sketch was twelve years of age his parents
removed to Hopkinton, New York, resided there seven years, where Charles
attended the Hopkinton Academy, and then removed to Southport (now Kenosha),
Wisconsin. There Mr. Greene taught school awhile and then clerked in
the drug store of this brother, Pliny P., a practicing physician. March
13, 1849, he started for California with an ox team, and arrived in
Sacramento, October 13, after a comparatively pleasant trip. "At the close of the second day we reached a place called Stony Point, and as usual one of our number was sent forward to choose our camping grounds; my sister and myself accompanying him to the place selected, we went down to the river to get a drink and wash our faces. The gentleman with us stooped down to get some water and was in the act of putting it to his lips when he discovered an Indian on the opposite bank just raising his gun. Simultaneously a report sounded from both sides, and our escort called to us to run as the Indians were upon us. This we die crying 'Indians!' 'Indians!' at every step. Our cry was heard just as the wagons were forming the camp. Immediately our captain ordered a retreat from the willows, and we barely reached a place where the Indians could not fire on us from ambush, when we were surrounded by between seventy-five and 100 yelling, dancing Indians. The wounded man had managed to reach the camp in a short time; two others were disabled, thus reducing our defenders to seven men. We made breastworks of bed and pillows, thus affording a slight protection from which our men could return the fire of the enemy. "The sun went down on a seemingly doomed company, surrounded by overwhelming numbers. Our death, or worse, our capture, seemed inevitable. Within our camp there was a death-like stillness, each one realizing that the next moment might be our last on earth. The firing from both sides continued until midnight, when we could see that some sort of a council was being held. We were not left long in suspense as to their intentions, for suddenly the sky grew red and we were inclosed <sic> in a wall of fire. The grass was about eighteen inches high and very dry, and as we saw the flames advancing toward us we felt that there was no longer any hope. Surely God was our defense; for when the fire had reached within twenty yards of the camp it went out. They did not dare relight it, as any attempt to do so would have brought them within range of our guns; so they continued shooting at us until about eight o'clock the next morning. Then, seemingly discouraged, they disappeared. After a consultation among our company it was deemed advisable to proceed, but as the traveled road was for the greater part of the way among the willows we decided to abandon that, taking our way across the hills with only the sun for our guide. Each man carried his gun in one hand, a whip in the other, the women and children always carrying weapons. The wisdom of our course was soon manifest, for the Indians once more swarmed from their hiding places and commenced firing upon us. "For three days and nights we were without water, excepting such
as we found in the stagnant pools, and this so foul that we could only
drink it with vinegar or make it into coffee. The stock was watered
by women and children passing buckets from hand to hand, while every
man with gun in hand stood ready to fire in case of emergency. For a
week we dared not stop to rest, making a fire once a day, and then only
enough to make our coffee, lest the smoke should reveal us to the enemy.
Day and night we journeyed on until it seemed as though death was better
than the terrible suspense. Gradually our fears lessened, though it
was weary traveling. As my father had lost all his stock, and only by
dividing the teams belonging to others were we able to bring one wagon,
which contained all we possessed in the world. After we met a company
of prospectors from California we felt comparatively safe, experiencing
no farther trouble from the enemy." Charles E. GREENE, Sr. Among the wave of emigrants who left the east to answer the call of the Southern California gold fields in 1849 was C. E. Greene, who passed away July 10, 1886, at his home near Davis, after laboring with other brave pioneers nearly thirty years to bring to a state of beauty and production the vast tracts of virgin land in Yolo county, which awaited the touch of the homesteader. Born in Sherburne, Vt., in 1824, he received his education in the local schools of Vermont and New York state. During the excitement occasioned by the discovery of gold in California in 1849 he left his boyhood home in company with others, making the journey by ox-teams, and after a trying and hazardous trip finally reached Sacramento. For a year thereafter he worked in the mines with success, and later was engaged in the mercantile business in Sacramento. In 1852 he settled on Putah creek, where he carried on farming on an extensive scale, later purchasing a tract of twelve hundred and eighty acres of valuable land located five miles from Davis, upon which he made a specialty of grain raising. Mr. Green was united in marriage in Sacramento in 1855, with Miss
Bertha L. Bennett, who was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, and whose
parents, Milo and Mary (Gibson) Bennett, were among the first settlers
of Sacramento in 1851, having crossed the plains that year. Mr. and
Mrs. Greene were blessed with three children: Mrs. B. B. Tuttle, Mrs.
Col. James Jackson, and Charles E., Jr. Identified with all public movements
of merit, Mr. Greene was known throughout the county as a man of the
highest worth and to those who had the privilege of knowing him best,
the memory of his life will ever remain an encouragement and a blessing. Source: "History of Yolo County California with Biographical
Sketches of The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified
With Its Growth and Development From the Early Days to the Present"
page 244-247 by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company,
1913. Mrs. Jakie GREIVE For half a century and more the Deck family, to which Mrs. Jakie Greive
belongs, has been identified with the progress of the west, her father,
H. S. G. Deck, having come to California by way of Cape Horn in 1849.
He was a native of Virginia, and was among those fortunate prospectors
who acquired wealth in the mines at that period. There were no railroads
then, and as Mr. Deck had erected a grain warehouse at Maine Prairie
it was necessary to haul the grain across the country and ship by boat
to San Francisco. He finally disposed of this, however, and became proprietor
of a mercantile house in old Silverville, which he successfully conducted
until his return to the grain business, which he followed for a time.
His later life was passed in Davis, Yolo county, Cal., where he served
two terms as justice of the peace, and here his death occurred in 1907.
James B. GRIFFIN a prosperous farmer near Winters, Yolo County, was born in Ralls County, Missouri, August 12, 1852, the son of Joseph and Nancy (Ely) Griffin. His father, born in Virginia, February 6, 1818, crossed the plains to this State in 1850; in 1852 returned to Missouri and in 1857 came again to California, bringing with him his family of wife and five children: T.D., George W., Annie E., Margaret J. and James B.; and he lived until 1885. The mother, who was born February 6, 1828, in Missouri, is still living, on the home ranch, where she is spending the remainder of her days. James B. was but five years of age when he was brought to the Golden State. He lived and worked for the interests of his parents until 1877; then until 1880 he was engaged in Colusa County, when he bought land. In 1889 he came to Yolo County and purchased 320 acres north of Winters, and during the same year he and his brother, John F., bought of Levi Morris one of the finest ranches in the county, situated about three miles north of Winters, toward Madison. It contains 500 acres, of which 100 are in fruit. On the premises is a magnificent residence. James' interest is 170 acres, while the rest belongs to his brother. The subject of this sketch was married November 19, 1874, to Miss Minerva C. Miller, who was born in California September 17, 1854. Their three children are: Emma G., born February 9, 1879; Bennie, October 21, 1881; and Joseph R., December 27, 1883. JOHN F. GRIFFIN was born in Yolo County October 25, 1859, and was
married November 8, 1887, to Miss Alice Martin, at her home in Ralls
County, Missouri. She was born in that State, April 14, 1862. Immediately
after marriage they came to California, and they are now making their
home with his widowed mother. The farm is both useful and beautiful,
being well kept by its intelligent proprietors. James B. GRIFFIN a prosperous farmer near Winters, Yolo County, was born in Ralls County, Missouri, August 12, 1852, the son of Joseph and Nancy (Ely) Griffin. His father, born in Virginia, February 6, 1818, crossed the plains to this State in 1850; in 1852 returned to Missouri and in 1857 came again to California, bringing with him his family of wife and five children: T.D., George W., Annie E., Margaret J. and James B.; and he lived until 1885. The mother, who was born February 6, 1828, in Missouri, is still living, on the home ranch, where she is spending the remainder of her days. James B. was but five years of age when he was brought to the Golden State. He lived and worked for the interests of his parents until 1877; then until 1880 he was engaged in Colusa County, when he bought land. In 1889 he came to Yolo County and purchased 320 acres north of Winters, and during the same year he and his brother, John F., bought of Levi Morris one of the finest ranches in the county, situated about three miles north of Winters, toward Madison. It contains 500 acres, of which 100 are in fruit. On the premises is a magnificent residence. James' interest is 170 acres, while the rest belongs to his brother. The subject of this sketch was married November 19, 1874, to Miss Minerva C. Miller, who was born in California September 17, 1854. Their three children are: Emma G., born February 9, 1879; Bennie, October 21, 1881; and Joseph R., December 27, 1883. JOHN F. GRIFFIN was born in Yolo County October 25, 1859, and was
married November 8, 1887, to Miss Alice Martin, at her home in Ralls
County, Missouri. She was born in that State, April 14, 1862. Immediately
after marriage they came to California, and they are now making their
home with his widowed mother. The farm is both useful and beautiful,
being well kept by its intelligent proprietors. John F. GRIFFIN See: James B. GRIFFIN entry above near the end of the entry. Joseph GRIFFIN deceased, formerly a farmer of Yolo County, was born February 6, 1818,
in Frederick County, Virginia, a son of George and Nancy (Johnston)
Griffin, natives of Virginia. As he grew up he learned the carpenter
and joiner's trade and followed it up to within the last thirty years
of his life. He left Virginia at an early age, spent a short time at
Cincinnati, and then a period in Ralls County, Missouri, and then purchased
a farm in that State, upon which he continued to reside until the spring
of 1850, when he came overland to California with ox teams, in company
with Mr. Ely, a brother of Mrs. Griffin. After spending a short time
in the mines, he returned to Missouri, with the intention of remaining
there; but in 1857, the thoughts of the excellent features of the Golden
State had wrought him up to such a pitch that he had to come again,
to remain; and he came as before, with ox teams, with Mr. Ely, and this
time had serious encounters with Indians, losing some of their stock
and many times narrowly escaping with their lives. Stopping in Yolo
County, Mr. Griffin purchased land on Cache Creek near Knight's Landing,
where he was engaged about ten years. He then bought near Winters, Yolo
County, and lived there until his death, making all the improvements
on the place. The tasteful residence was built in the fall of 1877.
At the time of his death he owned about 1,000 acres in Yolo County,
and about 180 in Lake County. He was a man marked by traits of energy
and perseverance. He was married, in 1844, to Miss Nancy Ely, a native
of Missouri; they had twelve children, seven of whom are living, namely:
Thomas D.; George W.; Annie E., wife of J. Spencer; James B.; Mary J.,
deceased; Margaret, deceased; John F.; Amanda B., wife of J. D. Rice;
Mary A., deceased; Robert E. Lee, deceased; Emma, deceased, and Joseph.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Masonic fraternity at Winters, and is
remembered by all who knew him as a worthy and upright citizen. Mrs.
Griffin still survives, and is enjoying a degree of health that promises
long life. A. GRIFFITH a retired merchant of Cacheville, Yolo County, was born in Newcastle, Staffordshire, England, September 17, 1822, a son of Aaron and Sarah Griffith, who had six sons but no daughter. The father was one of five brothers, four of whom came to the United States in 1813. Three of them settled in Elizabethtown and engaged in the manufacture of stone crockery; the fourth went West and all trace of him was lost. The eldest son, Edward, acted in a father's place for his younger brothers, by furnishing a home and keeping them together for a number of years. Before he was five years of age the subject of this sketch lost both his parents, and he, being the youngest, was place in the care of a grandmother. He worked in the crockery business in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. After he had passed into his twenty-first year he left home for Liverpool, with only about sixpence in money, and walked the entire distance, fifty-two miles, and found a home with John Lancaster, a barber. To obtain a little cash he first pawned his flute and then his silk hat; the flute he redeemed. Soon afterward he pawned his coat, while he borrowed another from Mr. Lancaster. In the meantime he was going the rounds of the docks endeavoring to obtain a berth on some ship in order to leave England. At length Messrs. Lord & Co. desired a few apprentices on their barque Miracle, and young Griffith bound himself to them for a term of seven years, wages to be one pound the first year and to be raised a pound each year. His first voyage was to Quebec, Canada, for lumber; second, to St. John, New Brunswick; third, to Savanna, Georgia, in the spring of 1844. At this time he was coxswain of his captain's "gig," as his boat was called, and it was his business to keep it clean and ready for use. He was a favorite of the captain's and was learning some points of navigation from him; but more confidence was placed in him then he desired, as he with others were planning to run away from the ship. With only twenty-five cents and a few miscellaneous articles he struck out for Charleston, South Carolina, which point he fortunately gained the next day, as a stage-driver took him through for a little china tea-set he had with him. The same evening he was on a steamer working his passage to New York city. The mate of the steamer gave him twenty-five cents in money, as balance due him besides his passage, and so he had fifty cents when he landed in New York. He directly but by accident found distant relatives there, and found his way to his uncle, Robert Griffin, at Elizabethtown, one of the four brothers, and after stopping with him a short time returned to New York and got a situation as clerk. The California gold excitement broke out in 1848 and Peter Stuyvesant, a grandson of old Governor Stuyvesant, introduced Mr. Griffith to one of the Aspinwalls, who gave him a position as stoker on the steamship Panama. Leaving New York December 1, 1848, they were out but five days when the cylinder-head of the engine burst off and they were obliged to put back to New York, by sail, arriving Thursday. During the ensuing winter Mr. Griffith was a clerk in a store and until July 15, 1849, he again obtained an opportunity to work for his passage to California, this time on the steamer Empire City to the Isthmus, and thence on the steamer Oregon, Captain Robert Pearson, to San Francisco, arriving September 16. On the night of October 2 he camped on the bank of Cache Creek, at the point where Cacheville is now situated. He and his companion helped an old man named Cochran to build a rude sort of hut for a country tavern, and then proceeded on their way to the northern mines, arriving at Shasta after prospecting and finding nothing. The rainy season setting in, they returned to Cochran's, a distance from Shasta of 200 miles, and spent the winter there, Mr. Griffith acting as cook. Only two or three other settlers were then within the compass of several miles, -- William Gordon, seven miles southwest; Knight's, twelve miles northeast, and Mat. Harbin, four miles east. During the next summer he worked in the Trinity mines, saving up about $500, which was soon stolen from him by a treacherous fellow traveler. He returned disgusted with mining, and worked as cook again for Mr. Cochran for a while, and in the fall of 1851 Cochran left for Australia, being greatly in debt, and owing Mr. Griffith with others considerable money, and he has never since been heard from, except that he wrote a letter shortly afterward from San Francisco to Mr. Griffith, making a request that he remain with Mr. Hammack in the management of the "hotel," sell his stock and pay his debts; which was done. This arrangement was followed until the autumn of 1852, when J. A. Hutton, who owned land near and had a wife, came with her and they and Hammack became proprietors. In the fall of 1853 they opened a store and employed Mr. Griffith to clerk for them, at a salary of $75 a month and board. In December, 1854, Mr. Griffith married his present wife, Mary Rush, who had crossed the plains that year, and he continued as employe' in the store. In 1855 Mr. Griffith bought out Mr. Hammack and the firm became Hutton & Griffith. In 1857, when the county-seat was removed from Washington to Cacheville, Hutton & Griffith sold out, and in 1859 Griffith bought out the store of White & Weaver, at Cacheville; there were then several mercantile establishments in the place. In 1861 Mr. Griffith purchased the store of H. C. Yerby, the first brick store in the town, if not in the county, and he succeeded J. A. Hutton (who had been county judge of Yolo many years) as Postmaster, and he also became agent for the Wells-Fargo Express Company, which agency he held for about sixteen years. He retired from active business about 1880. He has a ranch of 2,320 acres in the foothills of Colusa County, and he raises sheep, hogs, cattle and horses, and wheat and barley. His home place consists of fourteen acres, whereon is a comfortable residence. In September, 1885, while in San Francisco with his wife and four youngest boys, his house burned down, at a loss of about $10,000. There was no insurance. Thus Mr. Griffith is able to contrast with a peculiar vividness the original wild condition of the country here with the present state of affairs; and he considers the valley one of the most fertile in the world. In 1855 the first camp-meeting in the county was held, by the Methodists,
and the next year Mr. and Mrs. Griffith joined that church. In September,
1857, he was selected as superintendent of the first Sunday-school there,
a position which he holds to-day. Mr. and Mrs. Griffith have eight children
living, with one gone to the other world. Their names are: Olive M.,
William H., Jessie E., Hattie M., Jenny P. (who died at the age of four
years), George L., J. Scott, Aaron S. and Edward R. Christian GUMBINGER The proprietor of the Pacific House at Woodland represents the German-American
element that has contributed powerfully to the development of the west
and has formed a desirable accession to the citizenship. Himself a descendant
of unnumbered generations of sturdy Teutonic ancestry, he is the son
of John and Theresa (Schuerle) Gumbinger, lifelong residents of Germany,
and the third in their family of five children; he was born on the home
farm near Dyrkheim, Rheinfalz, December 14, 1866. The environment of
his boyhood was such as to develop within him a love of nature and a
fondness for outdoor occupations. Those tastes remain with him to the
present, notwithstanding that much of his business life has been devoted
to other pursuits. The excellent educational system for which Germany
is famous gave to him fair opportunities for acquiring a knowledge of
the common branches, so that, although he left school at fourteen, already
he had gained a comprehensive fund of information. Jacob GUYSI JACOB GUYSI, a Yolo County farmer, is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio born November 26, 1827. His parents were natives of Switzerland. His father was born in 1774 and his mother in 1784. They came to the United States when young and were married in Philadelphia about 1819, and raised a family of seven children. Jacob, the fourth, received his education in the public schools of Cincinnati. He left home March 7, 1849, and went to New York city, where he took passage on the bark Rising Sun for San Francisco via Cape Horn. The bark was fitted out by a company of 100 men to come to California to engage in mining. They took about twenty passengers, who paid $250 each for their tickets. They landed at San Francisco September 10th, having been 165 days on the ocean. Mr. Guysi remained a few days at San Francisco, then went to Auburn, Placer County, where he engaged in mining for the winter. In the spring of 1850 he went to Sacramento, where he worked at putting up iron buildings for a time. He also brought an interest in a sloop, which was used for carrying freight and passengers between Sacramento and Marysville. In the fall of 1850 he returned to Auburn and resumed work in the mines on the same ground that he had left in the spring. In March, 1851, he sold his mining interests at Auburn and went to the east branch of the north fork of Feather River, where he mined on Rich Bar till about the first of July. He then came to Yolo County and bought out a squatter, who had settled on land nine miles southwest of Sacramento. He now owns 320 acres of good land, and is engaged in raising grain and stock. He was married in 1878 to Mrs. Morgan, a native of Ireland. They have five children: Charles, George, Henry, Robert and William. Mrs. Guysi is the mother of one child, resulting from her first marriage, Frederick Morgan. Mr. Guysi has a fine property, with good improvements, which is rapidly increasing in value. In politics he has always been identified with the Republican party. Source: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California,
Lewis Publishing Co. , 1891 |
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