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. 551 posed of this, purchased an incomplete bridge across the river, completed it, and kept it as a toll bridge for a year, when he sold it. He spent the winter of 1857-58 in Oregon, but returned in the spring and went to clerking in Weaverville. After this he was for a time out of active business. In 1862 he was nominated for the Aesembly by the Union party, and, accepting the nomination against his will, was elected, and served in the following session of the State Legislature. In 1866 he went East again, and traveled from Maine to Georgia, and from New Jersey to Missouri, looking for a location, bat after a year he came back to California. After three months at Eureka, Humboldt County, he returned to Trinity County, and spent the three years following at Douglas City, after which he took charge of a store at Cafion City for a Mr. Lang. He was thus engaged for six years, at the expiration of which period he again went East. A year later he came back, and in January, 1885, he accepted the deputyship in the sheriff's office of Trinity County, which he has since held. He is a Junior Warden of Trinity Lodge, F. & A. M. Mr. Personette is an affable, genial gentleman, and a popular man. eet ode tfe cinema AVID H. ALLEN. of Chico, was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, April 24, 1841. (For the ancestry of his family and a brief account of his father, see the history of his brother, John H. Allen, in this history.) Our subject came to California with his parents in 1859. He has had an eventful career and many frontier experiences, and his recollection of crossing the plains and early life in this State, would fill a whole volume with interesting reminiscences. He is a member of the old Allen family, of Revolutionary fame. His greatgrandfather was a captai) in the colonial army during that war, and was a brother of the now famous Ethan Allen, who took so prominent a part in the struggle for independence. The family originated in the north of Ireland, and are Scotch-Irish people. They have been noted as freethinkers down to the present generation. Our subject's mother, Sarah Allen, the daughter of Henry Lu lewick, came from Hanover, Germany. When ten years of age her mother was stolen by the Indians on Laurel Hills, and was sold by them at Quebec. Mr. and Mrs. Allen had eleven children, and also raised tive others, who were children of a brother and sister. Only two of their own children are deceased. When they arrived in California they all engaged in mining, which they continued until 1867, with few interruptions. During that time they owned two rich claime, and took out a great deal of money. One of their claims, called the Allen claim, was located on Hill Digging:, where they took out many thousand dollars. In 1864 Mr. Allen enlisted in the Union Army, Company I, Second Regiment of Cali. furnia Volunteer Cavalry. They were ordered to Nevada, Idaho and Montana, to subdue the Indians. In Paradise Valley, Nevada, they had their first fight with the Indians, of which there were thirty in number, and only fifteen of their own force. They took twenty-two scalps, and afterward found two dead, and later captured another, who informed them that only two Indians lived who escaped. One civilian and one soldier of their party was killed. In the Fish Creek fight Mr. Allen was with his brother, John H., who received tive arrow shots, but escaped without injury. In this engagement twenty Indians were killed and fourteen captured. They next went into camp at Fort McDermot, where they built barracks and spent the winter. In the spring they were ordered in and honorably discharged. While at Camp McDermot Mr. Allen was detailed with twenty men in the fall to pnt up a stack of hay for their horses during the winter. They put up a large stack, and some of the men, not liking the idea of staying there all winter, conceived that if the feed for the horses was destroyed they would be sent in. Accordingly six men drew cuts to see which one of them would burn the stick. Tie lot fell ona Mr. Julian, and he provided himself with a