Collection: Books and Periodicals

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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  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN OALIFORNIA. 127 stock. The name “Contra Costa” signifies opposite coast, meaning the coast opposite to San Francisco. It was at first proposed to name it Mount Diablo County, but the present name was adopted after a warm debate in the Legislature. Mount Diablo is about in the center of the county. Many stories are connected with the mountain, and several are told as the origin of its diabolical name. Its height is 3,400 feet. Very seldom is enow seen upon its summit. “ Diablo” is Spanish for devil, and the mount was so named in Jesuitic times on account of some Spaniards, among whom were Catholic priests, employing a cannon and other fire-arms there to keep off hostiles. The highest summit of this mountain is made the initial point of land survey toward all directions by the United States Government for Northern California. The geologist, Whitney, has declared that from its summit a grander and more extended view is probably obtained than from any other peak in the world, covering an area that can hardly be less than 40,000 square miles and commanding an uninterrupted view for over 300 miles. In 1863 a great excitement was occasioned by the report of the discovery of copper in the cafions of Mount Diablo. Clayton was the center of the mining operations, and town lots sold at high prices. All at once the bubble burst, the specimens supposed to be copper being found to be only a worthlesss rock. Similar excitement, but less intense, has been occasioned by the alleged discovery of silver, petroleum, salt, etc., about that mountain. As to its coal, see under head of “ Modern Times” a few pages further on. In April, 1874, a stage route was established to the suminit of Mount Diablo, but some time afterward it was discontinued. The heaviest earthquake in the county occurrek October 21, 1868, when several houses were damaged. The Indians have an interesting legend concerning the opening of the Golden Gate, by earthquake action. The San Joaquin River, gently flowing through a level plain on the northern borderline of this county, is remarkable for its “crookedness.” It is regularly reliable for steamboat navigation from its mouth, near the middle of the northern boundary of the county ap for a hundred miles or more, namely, to Stockton. In early days rafts of lumber were “tided” up to that point, that is, they were permitted to be carried up a distance by the inflowing tide, and then held fast until the next influx, and so on; and only a week or two was required to make the trip. A very low-grade of Indians used to inhabit this region. Dr. Marsh described them as being very hairy and full-bearded, with short, broad faces, wide noses and mouths, thick lips, extremely low foreheads, the hair of the head nearly meeting the eyebrows, and a few having a strikingly Mongolian eye. They wore no clothing and lived like the Diggers. Epidemic diseases decimated them, and civilization completed their destruction. Their music was described by a graphic writer thus: “A thousand cross-cut saws filed by steam power, a multitude of tom-cate lashed together and flung over a clothes-line, innumerable pigs under a gate, all combined, would produce a heavenly music compared to it!” Of their filth he says: “Talk of the thonsand stinks of the city of Cologne! here are at least 40,000 combined in one grand overwhelming stench, and yet every particular odor definable;” and oh, such convulsions as they would have in their dances, with the sweat streaming from every pore! The first white American settler of Contra Costa County was Dr. John Marsh, a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard, who resided for a time in Wisconsin and Missouri, and in 18387 arrived in California, settling soon _after upon his ranch, Los Medanos, at the eastern base of Mount Diablo, near the modern Antioch. Here he built a rude hut and spent the rest of his life, somewhat hermit-like, gradually accumulating wealth in live-stoek. In 1841 he received the first immigration party,—