Santa Cruz County Biographies

CHARLES H. LINCOLN

Submitted by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
        Was born in the town of Washington, in the county of Lincoln, in the 
State of Maine, on the sixth day of December, 1839. On attaining the age of 
thirteen years his mind had become impressed to such an extent with the tales of 
life in California, and visions of boundless wealth to be acquired in the gold 
fields of the far-off Pacific Coast, that he left the scenes of his early 
childhood to seek adventure and fortune amid the hardship and privations of the 
new El Dorado. He arrived in San Francisco early in the '50's, with but ten 
cents in his pocket, and proceeded at once to the mines. He located at Columbia, 
in Tuolumne County, and engaged in mining with varied success until the year 
1856, when he migrated to the redwoods of Santa Cruz, where he spent three years 
filling contracts for material at the limekilns of Davis & Jordon. In 1859 he 
embarked in the livery business in the then village of Santa Cruz, on Mission 
Street, opposite to the place where now stands the St. Charles Hotel. In 1867, 
at the age of twenty-seven years, he was elected to the prominent office of 
sheriff of Santa Cruz County, and remained in that office for the term of four 
years, being designated throughout the State as the "boy sheriff," from the fact 
that he was the youngest man ever elected to that office in the State of 
California. He filled this office with credit to himself and to his county, and 
is still recognized as the most efficient officer that has yet served Santa Cruz 
County in the capacity of sheriff. His many acts of personal bravery, well 
performing his official duties among the bandits and outlaws of those early 
days, have made for him a reputation that extends not only throughout Santa Cruz 
County, but have made him favorably known in every part of California. On 
retiring from that office he again established himself in the livery business, 
and is now the moving spirit in the leading firm of Lincoln & Miller, doing 
business on Pacific Avenue, in the city of Santa Cruz, and enjoys the 
distinction of having followed his present occupation longer than any other man 
in Santa Cruz County.
        Mr. Lincoln, through all his long years of residence in Santa Cruz and 
his close business relations with its people, has been possessed of the entire 
confidence and respect of the community, and from all present appearances he has 
yet before him many long years of usefulness and prosperity.
 
HISTORY OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.-  E. S. Harrison, 
Pacific Press Publ. Co., San Francisco, 1891