Solano County Biography
Isaac Hobbs
Isaac Hobbs deceased - born in Sanford, Summerworth county, State of Maine, 27th November, 1821. In the year 1839 he left his birthplace and went to South Boston, but remained there only a short time. From there he proceeded to Great Falls, New Hampshire, where he worked at his trade, that of millwright, remaining there till 1844, when he went to to Glowchester, New Jersey, being employed in his own trade till the spring of 1847, when he went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and set in operation the machinery of several cotton mills in that place. In March, 1849, he started across the plains to California. On reaching Gila river, he, in company with three others, manufactured a " dug-out," and proceeded down the Pino river, calculating that the jouney would only occupy three days, and laid in provisions accordingly, but they were twenty-one days on the trip, and on getting to their destination, found the rest of tie the party had preceded them by eight days. Continued the journey to San Francisco, where they arrived in October, 1849. Mr. Hobbs, associated with some others, organized a company, and, going to Bodega erected a saw-mill, but at the time, lumber could be secured in San Francisco for the simple freight; the mill was therefore not put in operation. He again returned to San Francisco and embarked in the business of a house-carpenter, at sixteen dollars a day, wages. This was in the summer of 1850; in the fall of that year he visited the southern mines and engaged in prospecting until the spring of 1852, at which time he began farming on the Feather river, but, contracting fever and ague, in the fall of the year he was obliged to abandon agriculture and return to San Francisco. In April 1853, he returned to the Atlantic coast and his native home, and on May 31 of the same year married, at McConnellville, Ohio, Miss Sarah A. Maxwell, at the residence of her sister, Mrs. C. L. Barker; she was born in Chester county, Pa., October 18,1826. With his bride he returned to California via Panama, arriving in San Francisco November 5,1853, when he once more commenced business as a house-builder, which he continued till 1855, when, with his family, he came to Vallejo and engaged as millwright, on Mare Island. In the fall of 1859 he moved to Eel river.Humboldt county,and began farming, and remained there till the summer of 1861, when they returned to Solano county and located 160 acres of land, in section 34, township 4, range 3, on the Suscol ranch, but on March 3, 1863, a bill was passed by Congress giving the land back to its original owner, (who claimed it under the Spanish grant,) when they were removed by the Sheriff of the county. Mr. H. then returned to Vallejo, in 1865, and was elected Sheriff in 1869 for a term of two years. Once more Mr. Hobbs visited (in 1876) the scenes of his youth, as well as the Centennial Exhibition, returning to Vallejo, but never again engaged in active business up to the time of his death, which occurred on February 12,1878. He was a Mason of old and high standing, as also a member of the Vallejo Pioneer Association. Their children are: Mary B., born at Vallejo April 17,1857 ; Ida S., born April 7, 1859; Eunice Esther, born at Eel river, Humboldt county, February 26,1861; Charles B., born in Sulphur Spring valley, Solano couniy, August 22,1863; Heila Grace, born in Vallejo, November 21, 1865, and Maxwell, born May 17, 1872. There are two infants deceased: George, born August 17,1855, and died July 27, 1864; Isacc, born December 21,1865, and died September 27,1869.
History of Solano County, California
Pages 355-356
Transcribed by Julie Appletoft, February 2008
Solano County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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