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 CALIFORNIA. 17 remonstrances with the occupants of Ross, in 1840 Vallejo seems to have made quite a show of calling Rotchet, the then superintendent at Ross, to accountability for having allowed théAmerican ship Lausanne to land and discharge ‘passengers at Bodega as though it were a free port. Some of these passengers, who went to Sonoma, were incarcerated by the irate Vallejo, and he even sent a file of soldiers to Bodega to give warning that such infractions would lead to serious consequences if persisted in. This ‘was the nearest to an open rupture of amicable relations that ever occurred between Spaniard and Muscovite on this coast that we find any record of: and this could not have been of a very sanguinary natore, for it seems that Vallejo and Rotchet’ were on social good terms atterward. The proposed acquisition of territory by Governor Wrangell met with no encouragement from the Mexican Government. In reference to thia matter Baucrott says: “* The intention ot the Russians to abandon Ross and their wish to sell their property there, had, as we have seen, been announced to Alvarado, and by him to the Mexican government, before the end of 1840. In January, 1841, Vallejo, in reporting to the minister of war his controversy with Rotchef and Krupicurof, mentioned the proposed abandonment, taking more credit to himself than the facts could justify, as a result of that controversy. The Russians had consulted him as to their power to sell the buildings as well as livestock to a private pereon, and he had been told that ‘the nation had the first right,’ and would have to be consulted. The fear that impelled him at that time to answer thus cautiously was that come foreigners from the Columbia or elsewhere might outbid any citizen of California, and thus raise a question of sovereignty, which might prove troublesome in the future to Mexican interests. Vallejo also urged the government to furnish a garrison, and authorize the planting of a colony at the abandoned post. In February, however, Kostromitinof, representing the company, proposed to sell the property to Vallejo himself for $30,000, payable half in money or bills of the Hudson Bay Company, and half in produce delivered at Yerba Buena. The General expressed a willingness to make the purchase, but could not promise a definite decision on the subject before July or August. Pending the decision, the Russian agent seems to have entered, perhaps secretly, into negotiations with John A. Sutter, who at that time was not disposed to buy anything but movable property. Meanwhile a reply came from Mexico, though by nu means a satisfactory one; since the government—evidently with some kind of an idea that the Russian officials had been frightened away, leaving a flourishing settlement to be taken possession of by the Californians—sim ply sent useless instructions about the details of occupation and form of government to be established. .In July Kostromitinof returned trom Sitka, and negotiations were recommended. Alvarado was urged to cume to Sonoma, but declined, though he advised Vallejo that in the absence of instructions from Mexico the Russians had no right to dispose of the real estate. An elaborate inventory of the property offered for sale at-$30,000 was made out, but Vallejo’s best offer seems to have been $9,000 for the live stock alone.” In a foot note Bancroft gives the inventory of property offered for sale which is as follows: «Square fort of logs, 1,088 feet in circumference, twelve feet high, with two towers; commandant’s house of logs (old), 36x48 feet, donble boarded roof, six rooms with corridor and kitchen; ditto (new) of logs, 24x48 feet, six rooms and corridor; house for revenue officers, 22x60 feet, ten rooms; barracks, 24x66 feet, eight rooms; three warehonses; new kitchen; jail; chapel, 24x36 feet, with a belfry, and a well fifteen feet deep. Outside of the fort: blacksmith shop, tannery, bath-honse, cooper’s shop, bakery, carpenter’s shop, two windmills for grinding, one mill moved by animals, three threshing floors, a well, a stable, sheep-cote, hog-pen, dairy house, two cow stables, corral, ten sheds, eight baths, ten kitchens, and twenty-four houses, nearly every