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  

268 head of navigation and first named Leodocia, had too great an advantage and soon distanced it. It is to-day, however, a growing town of considerable business activity and of importance as a railway point. The first house where Red Bluff now is was an adobe put up late in 1849 by John Myers, who conducted it for a short time asahotel. In the following spring Mr. Cooper erected a small adobe there, and Judge Ide built another at the “Adobe” Ferry, one mile north. The town was laid ont in 1850. In 1851 Captain E. G. Reed, still one of the energetic men of Red Bluff, built and started a hotel and conducted it with great success for years. The first brick building was the Empire Stables, erected by Major John Brady. Being at the head of ravigation, Red Bluff soon forged ahead, and during the early mining excitements in the northern n.ines was a great staging town, and did an immense amount of transhipping and teaming of goods. It languished later on with the subsidence of activity in the mines, reviving again in the early 70's on the advent of the Oregon & California Railroad. Since then it has progressed rapidly, and has a promising future. In 1854 Red Bluff had a population of 1,000 people. In 1860 it had twice as many. The railroad made its advent in December, 1872, superseding river travel, and wholly changing the order of affairs. On the organization of the county in 1856, there was a strong attempt to locate the county-seat at Tehama, but in March, 1857, Red Bluff was chosen. One of the characters of the flush early days was “Captain Jane,” a woman of uncertain virtue, who dressed as a sport, flourished a revolver, and could use it too, and who had all the sturdy, independent characteristics of the time. She ran a farm on Thomes Creek for some time, conducting it alone. In early days land was considered as worthless for farming purposes, and nothing was attempted except stock-raising. Early in 1852) however, Nathaniel Merrill and Augustus Eastman began farming on the Moon ranch. In the fall of that year Henry Wilson and James WISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. M. Kendricks located on Thomes Creek and aleo went to farming. At the same time Andy Winemiller settled on Elder Creek, and during the winter kept a public house at the crossing. Robert E. Warren also settled on Thomes Creek. In the same winter Thornelson and Woods settled about four miles north of Tehaina. This was the beginning of farming. In the spring of 1853 J. C. Tyler bought ont Winemiller. From that time on agriculture spread successfully, until it covered the whole county and is now being displaced by fruit-raising, the land being capable of anything that can be raised in a semi-tropical climate. The steamer Orient, in 1850, was the first one to enter Red Bluff. Later on she and the Plumas ran regularly to that point. From that time on till the completion of the railroad regular water communication was held. In May, 1854, the Belle, Captain Pierce, pilot, made her way through the cafon above Red Bluff. Later several other boats went above the town, but it was only an occasional thing. See page 77. The industrial beginning in Tehama County seems to have Leen made in 1845 when W. C. Moon, ‘a hunter named Merritt and Peter Lassen made a canve load of grindstones on Stony Creek, and carried them down the Sacramento. They did not make a financial success of the undertaking, however, and never repeated it. In 1851 the first eaw-mill was erected by a Mr. Payne on the Sacramento River above Mill Creek. The first grist-mill was put up on Mill Creek by Dr. Crosby in the same year. The representative of saw-milling now is the great Sierra Luinber Company, formerly the Sierra Flume and Lumber Company. It has 75,000 acres of timber land, has five saw-mills and a flune thirty-five miles long to carry lumber to Red Bluff, where its cftices and factories are situated, in addition to as long a flume, chiefly in Butte Connty, to its office and yards at Chico. It began operations in 1875. In the flour-milling business there is more detail. In 1854 Bull, Baker & Co. erected a mill on . the left bank of the Sacramento, removing after-