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  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, 609 Melvin, a resident of Paralise; [da M., Helen C., Harry W. and Fred W. While he was a resident of Maine Mr. Skilen connected himself with the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 62, of which he is still an honored member. — LRH B OSEPH SPENCER CONE.—Certain types of our American civilization as develuped in California have been selected for this volume, the stndy of which should quicken the patriotism of a people, proud not only of the country’s marvelous development, but also of the phenomenally large proportion of her citizens whose lives are worthy to enter into the permanent archives of vur time and our national history. Joseph Spencer Cone, of Tehama County, California, is one of the representative men of his time, and of his region, and of his occupation. Althongh vice-president of a large bavking corporation and the head of a large mercantile tirm, he is essentially an American farmer, and proudly registers himself as such wherever called upon to state his occupation. The farm has always been generous and kind to him. Natural selection brought them together early in his life, and neither money changing, merchandising, pclitics, or other allurements have ever shaken his love for the simple yet noble oceupation of tilling the soil. The lineage of Mr. Cone is traced back to the days of the Norman conquest, embracing eight and twenty generations, among the last of whom were many families which cast their lot in what was then the British-American colonies. He is the son of Timothy Cone, a native of Eas, Haddam, Massachusetts, who was the eon of Joseph Cone, a naval officer in the Revolutionary war. Joseph Spencer was the seventh of Timothy’s ten children, and was born on the 26th day of August, 1822, near Marietta, Ohio. Of noble lineage, reaching by connected historical records to the invasion of England by William I, a more 39 unaffected and thoronghgoing American, despising cant and humbng and modern snobbery, cannot be found anywhere. Until reaching his twenty-second year Joseph worked on his father’s farm, making the best of such scanty edacational facilities as the neighborhood afforded. His choice inclined toward a profession, especially to that of the law; and had he selected this eareer, he wculd, beyond a doubt, have achieved success, for he possessed a full share of the qualities required for this calling—soundness of judgment and a ready wit, coupled with a remarkable force of character and an alinost unlimited capacity four work. But this was not to be, and fortunate it proved for his adopted State, and perhaps fur himself, that while losing a good lawyer his country gained the assistance of one whose later services in developing the resources of Northern Caliturnia it is impossible to overestimate. But Mr. Cone was resolved to make his own way in the world, and as a beginning set forth in 1843, upon obtaining his majority, on a trading expedition among the Cherokee Indians, with the results of which he had no reason to be dissatisfied. Fron that date until 1850 the incidents of his career contained nothing calling for special mention. In the spring of this year the excitement that followed the discovery of gold being at its height, he joined a company of adventurous spirits like himself bound for California, starting from Jasper County, Missouri, and following the banks of the North Platte to the neighborhoud of Fort Laramie. Here he becamne wearied with the sluw and tedious travel of the wagon trains, and with four others, packing their effects on horseback, made their way to Green River, where, as he supposed, a settlemen was near at hand. Meanwhile their animals had been stolen by the Piutes, and now provisions ran short, so that fora fortnight they ~ were compelled to live on crow soup, to which were added « few teaspoonfuls of flour. At length, however, all arrived in safety at Nevada City, following exactly the route afterward selected by the Central Pacific Railroad.