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Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets
The Negro in California Before 1890 (PH 10-1)(1945) (55 pages)
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Page: of 55
These early immigrants to California included Negroes who,
despite Bancroft’s denial, did come to stay in the country. It is not
conceivable that the Negroes who found their way to the free
country of California should ever return to the hazardous life in the
United States of that day which offered little freedom to
Negroes—free or bond.
Another Negro of this period was Allen Light. All that is known of
Allen Light is recorded by George Nidever who was his companion
for many years. It is thought that Allen Light deserted from a ship
believed to have been the Pilgrim from Boston, which put in at
California. William Henry Ellison, editor of Nidever’s life, says of
Allen Light: “He was one of Graham’s men in 1836-38. In 1839,
being a naturalized resident of Santa Barbara, he was appointed
by the government to prevent illegal otter hunting. He was in Los
Angeles in 1841 and at San Diego in 1846-48, and at the latter
time he was still a hunter.” **
Allen Light who had been hunting on the Pacific Coast for some
years was met by George Nidever, a white hunter. Nidever,
realizing the worth of Light’s experience as an otter hunter, determined to become his partner in a hunting party. Describing
Allen Light, in his memoirs Nidever says: “. . . his proper name
was Allen Light (he was very dark skinned) but he was always
called ‘Black Steward.’ He was quite intelligent, well-behaved,
and mannerly, and a good hunter. . . .””°
Together Black Steward and Nidever made a hunting trip up the
coast going as far as Point Conception collecting 21 otter skins. *°
Later, Light and Nidever were joined by Isaac Sparks, another
otter hunter, and the three agreed to hunt together. They wintered
in the islands, off the coast of Los Angeles, making Santa Rosa
their headquarters, while hunting around San Miguel and Santa
Cruz, where the otter were more plentiful. The hunt netted them
60 skins.
Late in 1835 Black Steward and Nidever made a second trip up
the coast as far as San Luis Obispo. This time they were gone 3 or
4 months, and collected 50 otter skins. Evidently their efforts had
not been financially successful to the point of making them selfsupporting; and they were working under license for a Captain
Denny to whom Nidever says they “paid 40% of our skins; he
furnishing our provisions and paying the wages of one man for
each hunter.”*!
Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel Islands had long been
the hunting grounds of the Northwestern Indians who disapproved
of the intrusion of outsiders. Once while Sparks and Black Steward
were hunting together, these Indians had attacked and driven
328.