Guager — J. R. Brierly. Deputy Marshal — J. D. Dunlap. U. S. Commission-
er— B. C. Whiting.
Gov. John G. Downey came to Los Angeles in December, 1850. He mar-
ried ^{iss Maria Jesus Guirado, of this city, February 10th, 1852. His dis-
tinguished career belongs to the history of California.
In 1850 this county was represented ia the State Senate by Dr. A. W. Hope;
followed in 1851 and i852 by Stephen C. Foster. The Senators since have been:
18.53, 1854, James P. McFarland; 1855, 185(>, Benjamin D. Wilson; 1857, 1858, Came-
ron E Thom; 1859, 1860, Andre.s Pico; 1861, 1862, John R. Vineyard; 1863, 1864, Hen-
ry Hamilton; 18U5 until 1868, Phineas Banning; 1869 until 1872, B. D. Wilson; 1873
and now, C. W. Bush.
Members of Asseml)ly— 1850, A. P. Crittenden, Montgomery ]\Iartin.
1851, Aliel Stearns, Ignacio del Valle. 1852, James P. ]VIcFarland, Capt.
Jeflerson Hunt. 1853, Charles E. Carr, Edward Hunter. 1854, Francis Mel-
ius, Dr. Wilson W. Jones. 1855, John G. Downey, J. Lancaster Brent. 1856,
J. Lancaster Brent, Edward Hunter. 1857, Andres Pico, Henry Hancock.
1858, Andres Pico, Henry Hancock. 1859, John J. Warner, Andrew J.
King. 1860, Abel Stearns, Murray Morrison. 1861, James A. Watson, Mur-
ray Morrison. 1862, James A. Watson, Edward J. C. Kewen. 1863. 1864,
Ignacio Sepulveda, E. J. C. Kewen. 1865, 1866, William H. Peterson, E. C.
Parrish. 1867, 1868, Asa Ellis, James A. Watson. 1869, 1870, Manuel F.
Coronel, R. C. Fryer. 1871, 1872, Tliomas D. Mott, Asa Ellis. 1873, 1874, J.
W. Venable, A. Higbie. 1875, 1876, John R. McConnell, Frederick Lam-
bourne.
The City of Los Angeles was incorporated by Act of the Legislature,
approved April 4th, 1850. The government was organized July 3d. Mayor,
§8 LOS ANGELEiS COUNTl
A. P. Hodges; Common Council, Da\'id ^Y. Alexander, President; Alexander
Bell, Manuel liiquena, John Temple, Jlorriy L. Goodman, Cristoi)al Aguilar,
Julian Cha%X'z. Recorder, John G. Nichols: Treasurer, Francisco Figueroa;
Assessor, Antonio F^. Coronel; Marshall, Samuel Whiting; Attorney, Ben-
jamin Playes.
The Miiyors since have been, Beujamiu D. Wilson, 1851 ; John G. Nich-
ols, 1S32; Antonio Franco Coronel, 185o; Stephen C. Foster, is.jl; Thomas
Foster, IS.jo; Stephen C. Foster, 4 months— John G. Nichols, residue, 1856;
John G. Nichols, 1857,1858; Damien Marchessault. 1859 ; llenrv Melius,
1860; D. Marchessault, 1861, 1863, 186:3,1864; Jose Mascarel, 1865-'(J6; Cristo-
bal Aguilar, 18G7-'68; Joel Turner, 186[)-'70; Cristobal Aguilar, 1871-'72;
James R. Toberman, 1878-'74; Prudent 15eaudry, 1875—.
Mayors Hodges and Wilson, tliro;ii;h tempestuous times, held the liehn
with lirmuess and foresight. Under the iir.-t term of Nichols Ix'gau Henry
Hancock's survey. August 13th, ll-OJ, is the date of the Donation System
(repealed in 1854), by which thir'iy-ii.e a-ro tracts and other lots were grant-
ed on sole condition of improvemcni, wiih payment of fees. He was Maj'or
again in 1857 and 1858. The uncertainty, apathy, rather, of the public mind
upon the vital question of irrigation may be inferred from a rem;irk in his
message of the former year: 'Tt appears that under the present system of ir-
rigation there is as much land under cultivation as can be supi)lied with
water from the river of the pueblo; but it is believed by our most intelligent
farmers, and by many gentlemen of experience who have visited us, that by
the adoption of !i ditierent system, a suiliciency of water to irrigate the entire
plain l)elow the city could be obtained." But on August 2d, 1858, Zanja No.
2 was provided for, which led to the buildiugof Aliso Mill, and has brought
a large amount of first rate land into cultivation. The survey was long be-
fore that, of Captain, now General E. O. C. Ord, to ascertain the practicabili-
ty of bringing water for drinking and gene;'al domestic uses from the river
oVer the bencli laud; a project supported by 'the business men, but defeated
at the municipal election by an absurd prejudice and superior influence of
leading viueyardists. To resume: Coronel had his hands full. The bulk
of Donation lots was made by him. Stephen C. Foster managed well
through 1854. In January, 1855,he resigned ; within two weeks was re-elect-
ed without opposition; merely a curious circumstance, or a capricious freak,
it might seem, if left unexplained.
October loth, 1854, one David Brown killed Pinckney Clifl'ord, in this city.
This act created deep excitement. A public meeting on the next day was ap-
peased only by the Mayor's promise that if the laws should fail, he would re-
sign and help to punish the murderer. Brcnvn was tried November 30th.
The District Court — Benj. Hayes, Judge— sentenced him to be executed on
the 12th day of January, 1855. The same day had been fixed by that Court
for the execution of Felipe Alvitre, for the murder of James Ellington, in
El Monte. In Brown's case, his counsel, J. R. Scott and J. A. Watson, had
obtaiaed from the Supreme Court a stay of execution. Public expectation
waited for it, but a like stay did not come for the wretched, friendless Alvi-
tre. This still more inflamed the native Californian and Mexican portion of
tlie population. The fatal day arrived, and with it an early gathering at the
county jail of a great multitude of all classes. Meanwhile, the Mayor had re-
signed. Sheriff B;irton posted within the yard an armed guard of forty men.
Alvitre w^ashung the rope broke, he fell to the ground. Arriba! Arri-
ba! (up! up!) Avas the cry from outside— all was instantly adjusted and the
law's sentence carried into effect. ^Vords fail to describe the demeanor then
of that mass of eager, angry men. Suspense was soon over. Persuaded by
personal friends— and in truth the odds against him seemed too great — Sheriff
Barton withdrew the guard. The gate was crushed with heavy timbers, black-
smiths procured, the iron doors, locked and well barred from within, were
forced. Within the next hour Brown was dragged from his cell to a corral
across the street; where, amidst the shouts of the people, he uttered some
incoherent observations, but quickly was hung from a beam of the corral
gate. It is stated credibly, that a w'eek thereafter was received an order
of the Supreme Court, in favor of Alvitre, which had been delayed partly
by tlie bad mail ai-raugements of that time, and more by reason of his appli
CENTEN1SIA.L HISTOHY. 81
eation liaving been first forwarded to llie Governor. Another cp.11 held a third
person condemned for a later day; him the infuriated crowd did not molest.
He was finally allowed a new trial by the Supreme Court, and at Santa
Barbara acquitted.
Thomas Foster succeeded in May of this year. June lf)th he signed th»
first well matured ordinance for establishing and regulating Common Schools.
The first Public Scliool houses were erected; and measures now were seri-
ously fomented to increase the supply of water for agricultural and industri-
al pursuits in tlip Sonth-western portion of the city. He died on his wi.y to
San Fraiici
1856, Stei-^hcn C. Fo, l-r, after four months, resigned in order to attend to his
executorship of the large estate of Col. Isaac Williams ; the balance of his term
being filled by J. G. Nichols, whose subsequent administration has been al-
ready referred to. Starchessault added the finishing touch to the Market
House— present Court House— Sept. 30th, 1859. Through his subsequent
terras he encouraged plans for a better supply of drinking water by the Sanse-
vaine contract and improvement of tlie city dam ; and also promoted Com-
mon Schools. He was born at Montreal, Canada; died January 20th, 1888,
aged forty-seven years. Henry Mellnsdied, forty-five years ofage, Decem-
ber 27th, IS'iO — liis oiBcial career an image of his own personal suavity and
honor. Mascarel signed the ordinance against carrying concealed weapons,
and a grant of lands'to the Pioneer Oil company. Aguilar approved the am-
ple grant to the Canal and Pvcseiwoir company and opening of the Woolen
Mill ditch, improvements of streets, Wilmington railroad, a new ordinance
for obtaining title to city lands. Turner confirmed the old Mexican pueblo
concession of Don Antonio Ignacio Abila; created the city Board of Educa-
tion April 24th, 1869; provided for Commercial street extension to Alameda,
July 29th ; the three wards, and settlement of controversies with the Canal
and Reservoir company. Toberman reduced the debt $30,000 and left near
that amount in the Treasury"-; brought down taxes from $1.60 to $1.00 upon
each hundred dollars of valuation. Since the charter of 1874,'city legislation
has been fruitful of measures v\-hich we leave, togetlier with many of prior
date omitted above, to take up the thread of travel through labrynths of the
remoter past. '
The discovery of "Tlie Mines " in the year 1S4S, carried away many of
the native population; created a new demand for the horses and cattle which
the rancheros could so amply supply; brought a multitude of emigrants
from Sonora, as w^dl as from the United States ; left the people at home here
in a state of perpetual exaltation and excitement. During the summer of
1849 and winter and spring of 1850, Los Angeles was a thoroughfare of trav-
el. Few could be induced to stop long. Every head was turned toward
El Dorado. Through the summer of 1850 thirty Americans could be count-
ed, and most of these without families. With or without means the in-com-
ers had crowded forward; seldom destitute, for their necessities when known
had met a generous response from the bounty of the 'Lugo family' at San
Bernardino, a Williams at Chino, a Rowdand and a Workman at La Puente.
Nor only from these — Native Califoruian liberality everywhere opened its
full liand to the way worn-stranger.
With the people of Los Angeles 1850 was a year of enjoyment, rather
than of earnest pursuit of riches. Money w^as abundant. All sought to
make the mo.st of the pleasures of life, as "it seemed.
They were passionately fond of the turf. They might justly boast of
their horses, wdiich liad sometimes drawn applause at the capital of Mexico.
Now and for many successive years they gave full play to this passion.
August 16th, 1851, Don Pio Pico and compadre TeodosioYorba gave their
printed challenge "to the Nortii" with bold defiance — "the glove is thrown
down, let him who will take it up " — for a nine mile race, or four and a half
and repeat, the stake 1,000 head of cattle worth $20 per head, and $3,000 in
money; with a codicil, as it were, for two other races, one of two leagues
out and back, the other of 500 varas— $2,000 and 200 head of full grown
cattle bet on each race. March 21st following the nine mile heat was run
two miles south of the city, between the Sydney mare. Black Swan, uacked
by Don Jose Sepulveda, and the California horse, Sarco, staked by Don Pio
40 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Pico and Don Teodosio, the challengers. The mare won by T.") yards in 19
minutes and 20 seconds. Sarco the i^revious spring had run 9 ]\Iexican miles
in 18 minutes, 46 seconds. Not less than fv50,000 must have changed hands.
More deserves to l^e said of what the Californiaus tell of this exciting race.
April 2nd the American mare, Nubbins, beat tb.e American horse, Bear Meat,
on the Wolfskin track by ten feet- distance 400 yards— for 400 cows. The
year before Don Jose Sepulveda's California horse beat Don Pio's American
horse half a length, for |2,000 in money and 500 head of cattle. Probably
the careru is still talked of, of November 20th, 1851, at Santa Barbara, when
Francisco Noriega's horse, Buey do Tango, beat Alfred Robinson's horse.
Old Breeches, wifh a chanc:e of Sc"20,000 among hands. In SejUember, 1852,
Don Andres Pico and i^'-n '■-■'>•■•• mb/ed:) l-id. two race.^, one for $1,000, the
other for $1,600 and :; ': u]i-. (ht.^brr v;ltli v.as t!ie excitinjj; day
of Don Jose's favorite, ..â– 'â– ;_, 'n Ir,- i),.,i I'd'aaiulo Sejvalveda, and
Alisan, a S:;nt;i Barbar;i u'/ -■, : ,,. u.-d I);,- ly.Jii Andr<-s l^ic<)— for :]00 head of
cattle and :{; 1 ,600 a sid" ; 4U()}:;rds; Ciuielo came out winner half a length.
The New Years Ball at Don XlvA i-(rani.s' "where all the lieauty and elegance
of Uie city," says tlie ediior in raclliduous Spanish, "contributed that night
to give s)>londor to tlie dance," was followed on the tenth by two races.
The end of Lent and all the gr-imder festivals were partly enjoyed in this
way. January 20th, l.sr,3, was to be run tlie race of Ito, brought "seven hun-
dred miles, against Fred. Coy, stake ftb.),flOO. The natives were cautious and
it was forfeited ; but in March ]Moore A' Brady's horse John Smith beat
Powell's mare Sar.'di Jane for $2,100, by about a length. April 12, Buck-
horne, an American horse, ^\-;is ietl through the streets, gaily decked oil' as a
banter; Don Pio Pico otlercd to l)ack him against anj-nag in this i)art of
the State; no takers," cpnilh the Star. Not to be disappointed of s]3ort, on
the 19th, they h;;d Don Jose Scpulveda's horse Muchacho against Moore's
7;iM/!e for $550 a side: the horse won! In February 1857, Don Jose Sepul-
veda'3 horse Pinto easily ijeat J)ou Pio's Dick Johnson at San Gabriel, for
$3000 ;and March 5th, Don Jose beat the Gonzales brothers at San Fernando
for $2,000. Through the later years heavier stakes than any we have men-
tioned were lost and won by Don Juan Abila and others, except, perhaps,
that of Black Swan asid S;irco. Of ;i very early day some of the races
occupy many jiages of the archives. ,Oue tasked the best ability, as Alcalde,
of the venerable Don Manuel Dominguez; one drew out a profound decision
of Don Jose Antonio Carrillo, of the Supreme Court. The Governor did not
disdain to lay dov^-n rules for racing. In his manuscript diary we have the
authority of Mr. Francis Melius, visiting Los Angeles from one of the Boston
ships at San Pedro, for the race of Mose'Carson, brother of Kit Carson, on
January 20th, 1840. Mose had a heavy bet on two races for that day. The
tirst he won, despite the salt that — for luck — Iiad been put in all the holes of
tlie stakes on the course, and of the little bag of salt and wax caudle and
silk cotton astutely concealed in the mane of the opposing horse. But it
ruined ]\Iose's reputation, and mayhap dainaged his purse. He was set
down as an HecJncero (sorcerer) by his Sonoranian antagonist and the
second race fell through.
The first three American families i)ermanently settled in the city, in 1850,
were those of J. G. Nichols, J. S. iMallard, and Louis Granger. Joim Gregg,
son of Mr. Nichols, was the first American boy born — April loth, 1851.
Among the novelties of a strange region, emigrants could not fail to notice
the vivacity and robustness oflhe native-born children, and the large pro-
portion of persons of an advanced age. April 24th, 1858, died at Santa Ana,
Dona Guadalupe Romero, aged 115 years, leaving a son, in the city, upwards
of 75 years. She came here in 1771, wife of a soldier named Moreno. Where
Downey Block stands, we miss the time worn, little old gentleman who was
wont to sit there all day before the humble adobe— cared'for by two faithful
daughters, after the mother had left the scene. A soldier of by-gone days, to
Judge from the antique dress which he delighted to wear; in the same he
was'buried, at the age of 92 years, July 29th, 1859. This was Don Antonio
Valdez, who had served at San Diego, San Gabriel, and Santa Barbara, and
in many an Indian chase or combat. The men appeared to fine advantage,
ia showy old style ranchero attire, on their gay and spirited horses. Of the
CENTENNIAL HISTORY. 41
ladies, few words iniglit ycarce reilect the tru(3 judgmeut of an csryvif;;//';;-!);
certes, it was adiniratioii of cleg;inc.e and naivete and kindness all with good
sense and wit so happily Wended, In' some rare gift of Nature. That vener
able religious [.lih; on the plaza did not have jie\vs. To see them kneeling ic
vari-color(!d . - ilks i.f liiat time — and their nhoHin-: — what gorgeous garden
imaginable of dahlia and tulip of every hue could eharm' half so much?
Then a perpetual bailr — but ISoO is gone, or fashions liave changed, perliajis
Of the one liuiuhed and tliree proprietoi's of town-farms in 184N, befor(
referred to, eight .were foreigners: Abel Stearns, Louis Bouchet, Louis S'iuju.-.
Juan Domingo, ?diguol N. Pryor, Yvilliam Vt^olfskill, Louis Lcmorcaii.
Jo-seph Siioolcs — an Englishman, a German, tliree Frenedi, three "Yankees"- —
so has the city ever been, cosmopolitan. Uudei' the sound policy adopted At
the l)('g!!i;ung. fur the disposition of pueblo lands, the n.:itural course in Imsi-
ness, an;i i'.iiiu'.y clKUiges, the !)ro[)riel.irslui) of real property is mucli altered.
Those of .Spani'sh origin, v;lio numijer ;!,<'!i:)!) s(;uls witliin tii.' city, and ;i!.iou!
an equal nuinber outride in Ih" coui'.l\% j-etain good a- vi' •, :■-: ,: i ,
Within the jiiitent of the city are 17,7.12';tcres. Tiee i.^ :
fruit trees — and ornamental too — is remaikabh;. In iNii^pi- , _ '. o - ;
out two hundred young walnut trees; o;iiy three bearing are remuubercd—
one on the east side of Don Louis Vigne.^' phiee, one larger in the middle of
the Pryor Vineyard, another, very large, (jf Claudio Lopez. Tiie almond was
unknown. San Pernaud(> and San Gabriel had a fev,- olives. Long before
1S4(), tlie Gadifornians had the tig, apricot, peach, pear, and quince. Tlie
Gounty Surveyor's Ileport of January 1st, ISTG, gives fruit trees as follows:
(?/uinee, l,-i.;.l'; ap.ricct, 2,(;!)'>; lig, ^,000; pear, "r),80U ; apple, 8,590; peach,
l^.'-iOO; olive, LMiO; English v.alilut, (i,000 ; plum, 300; there are also idierrics.
h\ ly.jij, there were (Mo walnut trees. Tlie value of the fruit crop of IST."; vv'as
$525,0f»O. Plums were introiliiced by O. \V . GliiMs. Se('ds of the :■,,.<,;:
almond, in 185.5, were first planted iiy Wdliani AVoliVkill, whieb wi...
brought from the Mediterraniean by 11. F. Teschenuikci-, of San Frantiseo.
Last Januarv' this county luid 1,100 trees. Gompared witii tl;e meagre agri-
cultural crops from 1847 to 1855, the return for 1875 is : ]5e;uis, 2 1,400 Vmshcls ;
onions, 28,o50 ; buckwheat l,o50; rye, 11,700; wheat, 20,0i)0; barley. 415,050 ;
corn, 039,000; and a respectable shov.ing of hops, tobacco, e"tc. Hay
amounted to 10,250 tons. The enclosed land was 47,500 acres; total in culti-
vatlou G-1,500 acres, of v.iiich 4,S)50 w(,'re in gra])e vines. Add, of honev.
571,230 pounds. O. ^\. Gliilds, in 185G, introduced bees. lie paid .^100, in
San Fraiicisco, for one hive and swarm. Afterwards, vSlierman & Taylor
brought here hives for sale. In 1850, there was one pepper tree, lofty and
wide-branching, over the adobe house of an old lady living near the liills a
.short distance north of the plaza, the seeds of which 'came from a tree in the
Court of the Mission of San Luis Key. January 31st, 18(il, John Temple
planted a row in front of his Main street" store. 'IJiis tlu! utilitarian woodman
has not spared. But all the city is adorned with this graceful tree; and
■flowers of every name and clime — to rival an undying fragrance of the
solitary Rose of Castile twenty years and more ago.
Of other trees that flourish now splendidly., William Rubottom, of
Spadra, introduced pecans; William Wolfskill, persimmon; O. W. Chikls,
in 1850, black walnut — the seed from New York. About the same time H. P.
Dorsey planted black walnut successfully at Sau Gabriel. In 1855, Solomon
Lazard imported seeds of the Italian chestnut from Bourdeaux, France, which
Wm. Woolfskill planted at his homestead, and afterward gave two of the trees
to Heman C. Cardwell. These trees, now large and productive, may be seen
at O. W. Childs' i)lace. J. L. Sansevaiiie also brouglit chestnut seeds from.
France, about 1855.
As in older times, every full moon in 1850 the counliy was invaded by
the Yutahs, under their famous chief. Walker,- to steal horse stock. E.xpedi
tionsseut after him were in general unsuccessful, now and then unfortunate;
as happened in June, wlien he took off seventy odd of the best horses of Don
Joso Maria Lugo, near the present Colton. One of the pursuing party was
killed by him. Before that the New Mexicans of Agua Mansa had been a
barrier to the incursions ot these Indians, without always preventing them.
In this year a volunteer company was raised by Gen. Bean, owing to liostile
I' CilnillasorR^.uUo",
)'!io
Al> )i t
Jim-^ (h" "Irving
\M u killed ]i_\ the Iml
I h^
. 1 th { 1
â– '^ -f DoniNiv
il_. of the on carina] t\\ 'ji
f
1.0(1, ill
1 !<
Juan xVntonio^thi' T, Jiai
1 thr
boUlnc.
. t:i oti> 1 1 cht to
^'â– 'i LOS ANGP]LES COUNTY
demo' 'i I iv 1 , h^
p!Ul\ I "• 1 i
ria A i < >,
ter ofs n,(_ !ir-,Iic
Bean. The ii-,intj; of Autonio Cnrra, ( liief of Agua Cnlicnte, in the 1 ill of
1851, '"1)1 ( ad f' i: tiirough Lo^ An j,elc-, ot a general in^iirreclion, fn m San
'' '> I ' T'li ' â– The d inger ^oi>D pa scd awa/ The regulai^ and S m Die
â– re iinc'ei C .[ihiin Gcoi^e Fii7gerald G'n J IT I>'in
'I 1 'I'll, Los Auiitles \(>luntei-, >L ron NoVton, Colonel and Chi. t of
Stati,,- I'olrwir Cox a-! 1 B S Ealou, CoVporalb. Hon. II. C R'jlfe, V^in
K'ordholdt — and many .Uio iie dead — v ere in fecrvice ou the ocei'^ion E'-ti
mable lor m my \iuue-,, Gen Va n nut an untimely end, at San Gabriel
Scjit i'tii, I'-")] Our expo-.c'l ]' - In i 1 'i a long time thereafter, in tlie Kcm
n\(i I'.il "'l'.;a\c V. r.^, and nV
! , L< pt amoin^t n<^ officers of the U.
S aim ', and ne.t seldom in ai ti,( sci'.n^ TIrn j o >- - d lb" i'^"ard of the
people— Col B Beall, :Majors Ldwaid II Fit/gl'i M a 1 ■"■.i _ > R Blake.
Caplains Da\idson andLo\cll, ' " Geui'i d \\ inh 1 ' Seod Hancock,
^ ^ -. Lively recollections then :e of the .splendid ])aud of tlic 2d
Dragoons, Fort Tejon, that made m-v- j.you^ the "Fourth of July, 1855,"
with General Banning as orator of the '1 .y ;"agai:i, when Hon. Myron ISTorton,
in 1857, stirred up patriotic feelings. Tlie day bad been kept from the besrin-
aiag. Maj. Edward H. Fitzgerald lies in tlie'Catholic Cemetery, Los Ange-
les. He died JanU'iry 0th, 1360, of eonsmnption.
A quarter of a century, whereof reminiscences come involunlarily,is wor
i by of review. A record of crime mu.st have attended this progress ' in man-
ni.-rs nml government. For one reason or another the people felt compelled
often to "take the huv into their own hands." Those morad tempests which
agitated the eommunity to its depths, slumber, v* e trust, to rise no more, iu
this better social condition.
For physicians, 1850 had Wm. B. Osborne, A. P. Hodges, W. W. Jones.
A. W. Hope and Overstreet; in 1851, John BrinckerhotI', Thom.is Foster and
James P. McFarland ; 1852, James B. Winston, and others. Dr. John S.
Griffin returned to reside here in August, 1854. Dr. Richard S. Den ^vas a
physician esteemed highly, prior to 1843. Dr. Osborne was a native of New
York,camc to California in 1847, in Col. Stevenson's regiment. He put up the
first drng store in 1850, wdiich was followed by that of McFarland and Down-
ey in 1851. Our first daguerreotypes were taken by him and Moses Searles,
August 9th, 1851. He often acted as Deputy Sherili— impossible to recount
Ills various functions ; a most useful man anywhere — friendly among his
neighbors, of intelligence and public spirit. He was the pre>jector of the
famed artesian well near the hills on the wTSt side of the city. It reached
the depth of 780 feet, June 7th, 1856, but was abandoned by the company for
want of funds. In 1852, fruit grafts had been introduced from New York by
J. G. Nichols. In 1855 Dr. O. imported from Rochester a grand collection
of roses and other choice shrubbery, as well as fruit trees. "lie was the first,
too, in October, 1854, to .«hip fresh Los Angeles grapes, which were exhibi-
!ed with admiration at a meeting of the business committee of the New York
Agricultural Society at Albany. As late as November 17th, 1856, when Mat-
thew Keller sent a like specimen. It was almost doubted at the U. S. Patent
Office— "if such products are common in California." Thetiiird drug store
war that of A. W. Hope, September, 1854; the fourth of Dr. Henry R.'Myles,
in 1860 ; then Winston & Welch— Dr. James C. AVelch ; then Dr. Theodore
Wollweber, 1863. The first dentist was J. W. Gay lord. Dr. J. C. Welch died
August 1st, 1869; he was a native of South Carolina. Dr. Heipe was
born m Virginia; died in the year 1855.
Let us make a diary of a j'ear or two : 1851, 3Iay 24th, came news of the