Enter a name, company, place or keywords to search across this item. Then click "Search" (or hit Enter).
Collection: Books and Periodicals
A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) (713 pages)
Go to the Archive Home
Go to Thumbnail View of this Item
Go to Single Page View of this Item
Download the Page Image
Copy the Page Text to the Clipboard
Don't highlight the search terms on the Image
Show the Page Image
Show the Image Page Text
Reset View and Center Image
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Rotate Left
Rotate Right
Toggle Full Page View
Flip Image Horizontally
More Information About this Image
Get a Citation for Page or Image - Copy to the Clipboard
Go to the Previous Page (or Left Arrow key)
Go to the Next Page (or Right Arrow key)
Page: of 713
478 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
built his home and residence near the mission.
Here he established a town and military headquarters, having at one’ time 1,000 soldiers,
white men, besides the Indians, who were
always organized as troops and laborers as well.
No idleness allowed. These white soldiers, or
hijos del pais (native sons), were intended not
only for service in the military capacity, but
also as colonists to settle the country. To this
end they were encouraged to marry and bring
up families, which most of them did. The
General encouraged the marriage of his men to
women of European descent, not encouraging
the mixture of the white race with Indians. It
was supposed that the Mexican government
would support these troops, but it was at times
unable to do so; and as a result General Vallejo himself was obliged to pay them from his
own resources, the government afterward reimbursing him with grants of land, such as the
Soscol, which was not in reality a grant, but a
purchase. His revenues were immense, which
were mainly derived from the products of his
haciendas. The soldiers did also agricultural
and other necessary work for themselves and
families, some of them having received grants
of land. In this way they were to a certain
extent self-supporting, and paid it to the development of the country. There were a number
of ranches (haciendas), each superintended by a
major domo, or overseer, who had charge of
the stock and of the shipping of the products;
and many Indians were employed to assist
them.
Born to the enjoyment of the almost unlimited wealth and resources then belonging to his
father, Dr. Vallejo possesses a highly cultured
mind and polished manner.
SILLIAM H. CRAWFORD has been
ON: stage and insurance agent in Nevada
“soi City since 1877 of the Sierra City,
North Bloomfield, ete., and a resident of the
city since March, 1856. His father, William
Crawford, came to Nevada City in the spring of
1849. The family is an old New England one,
the family seat being in the White Mountains.
Early representatives took an active part in the
Revolutionary war, while William Crawford,
grandfather of the gentleman named at the head
of this article, took an active part in the war of
1812. He was at Mackinaw when it was captured by the British, he himself being carried
as a prisoner to Detroit, along with his little son
William, the latter having been born at Monroe,
Michigan, February 22,1800. Here the vessel
was taken by the Americans, and the Crawfords, father and son, were present at the cowardly surrender of Hull. The British sent their
prisoners on down to Niagara, but during the
voyage the vessel was captured by the Americans, and the people landed at Buffalo. William Crawford, Sr., died at Buffalo, and his son
went to live with Dr. Hitcheock, a German at
Williamsville, a few miles distant. Afterward
he removed to Buffalo, and while young engaged
in merchandising. In 1847 he removed to
Mackinaw and established a mercantile business.
In February, 1849, William Crawford set out
for California, walking in company with J. S.
Dunn, Gardner and others through the snow,
an unparalleled feat, to Saginaw, and thence
going overland via Cincinnati and St. Joseph,
reaching Sacramento in September, 1849. It
should be stated that an uncle, Colonel William
Crawford, was burned at the stake by the Indians at Monroe, Michigan, the horrible deed
being one of the bloodthirsty facts with which
early American history is filled. Several counties are named in hia honor.
William Crawford’s family removed to Buffalo in the fall of 1849, where they continued to
reside for some time. In 1850 Mr. Crawford,
in partnership with J. S. Dunn, opened a general merchandise establishment in Nevada City,
on the site now occupied by the Union Hotel,
being burnt out, however, in 1851. Meantime
Mr. Crawford conceived the idea of bringing in
a ditch along the top of the hill to supply the
miners with water, and thus save the carting of