Volume 029-2 - April 1975 (6 pages)

WILLIAM BULL MEEK CAMPTONVILLE (Yuba Co) Jan 24William Bull Meek, 79 pioneer stage driver, former Yuba County assessor, and authority on California history, is dead at his home here. Death came last night as the result of a long illness and age. He occupied a prominent place in the history and development of this section during the last sixty years.Forty years ago he was elected assessor and he had been Justice of the Peace several times. For years he conducted the Meek Mercantile Company store here. It was founded by his father and now is eae by his grandson, Action Cleveand, He had been a Mason for fifty five years, serving in the capacity of Worshipful Master ofhis lodge for twentyeight consecutive years. In 1929, atthe Grand Lodge of California in Los Angeles, he was installed as Grand Bible bearer of the order. Many of the foremost historical authors and writers of California hist(Cont’d. on Page 3, col. 1) iS] WM. MORRIS STEWART William Morris Stewart was born August 9, 1827 on the family farm near Lyons, Wayne County, New York the oldest of seven children of Frederick Augustus and Miranda Morris Stewart. In 1835 the family moved to the virgin wilderness of Trumbull County, Ohio and began farming along the banks of the Grand River. Stewart’s early education was in a small rural school house in Ohio. He then returned to and attended high school classes in Lyons, New York, after whichhe taught school while preparing himself for college. Money from a family friend allowed him to enter Yale in 1848. He completed his Sophomore year in the fall of 1849 and with the loan of $500 set out for the California gold fields via Panama arriving in San Francisco in April 1850. He headed for Nevada (City) but was struck down by fever and almost died while lying in the woods near town, His great physical strength and determination pulled him through and (Cont’d. on Page 3, col. 1) (Cont’d. from Page 2, col. 1) ory have made -acknowledgement to Meek for data furnished by him. He ~ was picturesque’ in appearance and speech and was widely known for his « philosophy and_ story-telling ability. He was born on the Overland Trail at the Empire Ranch; near Downieville. He spent his boyhood in the Indian Valley section and in his earlier life was a packer and miner, Meek and Cleveland in 1922 presented a valuable collection of oldtime relics to the Stanford University. He was a leader in the revival of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, a fun-making lodge of pioneer days. He was a prominent member in the original order. He was a member of the Royal Arch Masons and Commandery, and Knights Templar at Marysville and a life member of Islam Temple, Mystic Order of the Shrine, in San Francisco. He married Mary Ellen Robbins of Browns Valley, the daughter of a well known California early day stage driver, and to this union was born four children, three girls and one boy, the boy dying when an infant. He: leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Ellen Meek; three daughters, Mrs. Martha Joubert of this place, Mrs. Lottie A. Cleveland of Sacramento, and Mrs. Virginia M. Lord of Decoto; a brother, Jason R. Meek of Marysville; two grandsons, Acton M. Cleveland of Camptonville, and John F. Lord of Berkeley and a granddaughter, Miss Lesta H. Joubert of Camptonville. The funeral will be arranged by W. R. Jefford & Son of Grass Valley. The date is not expected to be set for a few days because of anillness in the family. CAMPTONVILLE GENERAL STORE WM BULL MEEX’ S PLACE (Cont’d. from Page 2, col. 2) by fall, with pick and pan, hadamassed a ‘‘young fortune’’ from the rich gravel of the Eureka Diggins. In November 1850, in partnership with Charles Marsh and George Pettibone, Stewart built the Grizzly Creek ditch to carry water to the diggins for mining uses. This was the forerunner of the vast network of ditches and flumes in Nevada County which by 1852 had reached an aggregate of more more than 800 miles. Stewart was elected chairman of the local committee which wrote the mining laws of the Nevada Mining District. He was the principal contributor and author of these laws some of which served as basis for much of the mining still in use today. Stewart studied law with John R. McConnell, the district attorney, with offices in the Bicknell Block (now the National Hotel, andbecame his partner. McConnell was elected State Attorney General and Stewart was appointed to fill out McConnell’s term as District Attorney. In April 1854, McConnel was granted a six months leave of absence from his post by the state legislature and Governor John Bigler appointed William Morris Stewart acting Attorney General. During his tenure Stewart successfully argued that the state cap-

WILLIAM BULL MEEK CAMPTONVILLE (Yuba Co) Jan 24William Bull Meek, 79 pioneer stage driver, former Yuba County assessor, and authority on California history, is dead at his home here. Death came last night as the result of a long illness and age. He occupied a prominent place in the history and development of this section during the last sixty years.Forty years ago he was elected assessor and he had been Justice of the Peace several times. For years he conducted the Meek Mercantile Company store here. It was founded by his father and now is eae by his grandson, Action Cleveand, He had been a Mason for fifty five years, serving in the capacity of Worshipful Master ofhis lodge for twentyeight consecutive years. In 1929, atthe Grand Lodge of California in Los Angeles, he was installed as Grand Bible bearer of the order. Many of the foremost historical authors and writers of California hist(Cont’d. on Page 3, col. 1) iS] WM. MORRIS STEWART William Morris Stewart was born August 9, 1827 on the family farm near Lyons, Wayne County, New York the oldest of seven children of Frederick Augustus and Miranda Morris Stewart. In 1835 the family moved to the virgin wilderness of Trumbull County, Ohio and began farming along the banks of the Grand River. Stewart’s early education was in a small rural school house in Ohio. He then returned to and attended high school classes in Lyons, New York, after whichhe taught school while preparing himself for college. Money from a family friend allowed him to enter Yale in 1848. He completed his Sophomore year in the fall of 1849 and with the loan of $500 set out for the California gold fields via Panama arriving in San Francisco in April 1850. He headed for Nevada (City) but was struck down by fever and almost died while lying in the woods near town, His great physical strength and determination pulled him through and (Cont’d. on Page 3, col. 1) (Cont’d. from Page 2, col. 1) ory have made -acknowledgement to Meek for data furnished by him. He ~ was picturesque’ in appearance and speech and was widely known for his « philosophy and_ story-telling ability. He was born on the Overland Trail at the Empire Ranch; near Downieville. He spent his boyhood in the Indian Valley section and in his earlier life was a packer and miner, Meek and Cleveland in 1922 presented a valuable collection of oldtime relics to the Stanford University. He was a leader in the revival of

the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, a fun-making lodge of pioneer days. He was a prominent member in the original order. He was a member of the Royal Arch Masons and Commandery, and Knights Templar at Marysville and a life member of Islam Temple, Mystic Order of the Shrine, in San Francisco. He married Mary Ellen Robbins of Browns Valley, the daughter of a well known California early day stage driver, and to this union was born four children, three girls and one boy, the boy dying when an infant. He: leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Ellen Meek; three daughters, Mrs. Martha Joubert of this place, Mrs. Lottie A. Cleveland of Sacramento, and Mrs. Virginia M. Lord of Decoto; a brother, Jason R. Meek of Marysville; two grandsons, Acton M. Cleveland of Camptonville, and John F. Lord of Berkeley and a granddaughter, Miss Lesta H. Joubert of Camptonville. The funeral will be arranged by W. R. Jefford & Son of Grass Valley. The date is not expected to be set for a few days because of anillness in the family. CAMPTONVILLE GENERAL STORE WM BULL MEEX’ S PLACE (Cont’d. from Page 2, col. 2) by fall, with pick and pan, hadamassed a ‘‘young fortune’’ from the rich gravel of the Eureka Diggins. In November 1850, in partnership with Charles Marsh and George Pettibone, Stewart built the Grizzly Creek ditch to carry water to the diggins for mining uses. This was the forerunner of the vast network of ditches and flumes in Nevada County which by 1852 had reached an aggregate of more more than 800 miles. Stewart was elected chairman of the local committee which wrote the mining laws of the Nevada Mining District. He was the principal contributor and author of these laws some of which served as basis for much of the mining still in use today. Stewart studied law with John R. McConnell, the district attorney, with offices in the Bicknell Block (now the National Hotel, andbecame his partner. McConnell was elected State Attorney General and Stewart was appointed to fill out McConnell’s term as District Attorney. In April 1854, McConnel was granted a six months leave of absence from his post by the state legislature and Governor John Bigler appointed William Morris Stewart acting Attorney General. During his tenure Stewart successfully argued that the state cap-