Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

92 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. ‘ a public meeting was called to take into consideration the general interests of the new city. At that meeting Captain Edward Power, from St. Louis, proposed to name it after Mrs. Covillaud, who was then the only white woman living on the town plat; her name being Mary, it was then and there determined that the city should be named Marysville. Mrs. Covilland died in that city on September 17, 1867. While Cordua was in possession the place was called New Mecklenburg. The McLeod or McCloud River received its name from an old Scotch trapper, who in 1827 or 1828, led the first party of Hudson Bay Company trappers that penetrated California. His name was Alexander Roderick McLeod. Years later a well-known citizen named Ross McCloud, a surveyor, lived on the stream and the similarity of the pronunciation of the names led to the common error of supposing that his name was the one that the river bore. Meridian was so called because the postoffice is only a quarter of a mile west of the Mount Diablo meridian, United States ‘survey. Michigan Bar was so called from the fact that the first eettlers were two men from Michigan, who discovered gold there in 1849. The Mokelnmne River derives its naine from a powerful tribe of Indians, the Mo-kel-kos, who inhabited its lower banks and the adjacent country. The Spaniards spelled the word differently. Moore’s Flat was named from H. M. Moore, who settled there and built a store in 1851. Mormon Island was so named from the fact that gold washing was commenced there soun after the discovery by Marshall, by a party of Mormons. Natoma is of Indian derivation, and signifies “ clear water.” Needles is so called on account of the epire or needle-like shape of certain rocks which were called “the Needles” in that vicinity. Newark was named by its founders after the New Jersey city, of which they were natives. New York of the Pacific was a wonderful city—on paper—in 1849. At one time it aspired to become the capital of the State. It was located by Colonel J. D. Stevenson, and was named in honor of his regiment, which was called the New York regiment. Nicolans was named after Nicolaus Allgeier, who arrived in this conntry in 1840, and who settled there in 1843. North San Juan acquired its name from this circumstance: In 1853, a miner, named Kentz, who had accompanied General Scott when his expedition landed at Vera Cruz, was engaged in mining near the present site of the town. One evening he was impressed with the fancied resemblance of a bluff hill near by to the castle of San Jnan de Ulloa, which guards the entrance to the port of Vera Cruz. He expressed his opinion, and the bluff was dubbed San Juan. Afterward that name was applied to the town. In 1857, when an application was made for a postottice to be established there, the anthorities at Washington required a new name for the place, as an office had already been established at another town of that title in Monterey County. The citizens thereupon added the prefix “ North” to the name. Nortonville was named after Noah Norton, the locator of the Black Diamond Coal Mine. Oakland was so called from the fact that immense live oaks formerly grew on its site. The region of Owen’s Lake was visited in 1845 by a detachment of Fremont’s expedition under the noted mountaineer, Captain Joe Walker. This party was accompanied by Prof. Richard Owens, who was the first white man to see the lake, and after him the lake, river and valley were named. Pacheco was named after Don Salvio Pacheco, who settled there in 1834, and who died in 1876. Petaluma is an Indian word, said by some to mean * Duck Ponds,” and by others, “Little Hills.” Piedmont is the French for “foothills.” Pigeon Point was so named from the fact thaton May 6, 1853, the clipper ship “ Carrier Pigeon ” from Boston was totally wrecked there, and a large number of passengers drowned. Pit River received its name from a custom of the Indians along its banks of digging pits in which to capture bear, deer, and even intruding warriors of strange