Solano County Biographies

JAMES O. SAUNDERS

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
born in Gottenburg, Sweden, on December 13, 1819, remaining there till he was 
bound apprentice to Captain James Nye, on board the brig �Fornax,� in which he 
sailed for New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he arrived on November 10,1830. Was 
with Captain Nye for two years, when he left, but still continued to follow the 
mercantile marine till 1837, when he returned to Sweden to visit his mother, and 
in that year brought her out to America.  In 1843 he first shipped in �the 
service,� and served in the �Falmouth,� sloop-of-war, one year, afterward in the 
�Constitution� for thirty months, during which he sailed round the world, having 
visited China and other countries, arriving on the Pacific coast on January 1, 
1846, off Monterey.  Immediately after proceeded with the squadron, under 
Commodore John P. Sloat, to Mazatlan, where they anchored for three months; 
after which he sailed, calling at Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro, convoying eight 
vessels from the latter port to Boston, where they were paid off in 1846.  In 
the Fall of the same year he reshipped in the �Edith,� belonging to the 
Quartermasters� Department, and sailed for the coast of Mexico, acting as a 
transport, and remaining there until the cessation of hostilities, when he 
returned to New York, in June, 1847.  Mr. Saunders next purchased a sloop, and 
sailed out of New York for six months; and having reshipped, ultimately came 
back to New York, and remained there till 1849, when, on March 2d, he sailed in 
the ship �Loo Choo,� of Boston, for California, and arrived in San Francisco on 
September 8th of that year.  He lost no time in going to work, first as a 
lighterman, but, only remaining at this occupation for two weeks, he went to 
Hangtown, now Placerville, and stayed there a week, and finally left in disgust. 
 He then moved to Sacramento, and there bought a lighter, and started for San 
Francisco.  On the way he and his partner chopped four cords of wood, which they 
sold on the journey for twenty-five dollars per cord.  On arrival at San 
Francisco, went to chopping wood on Mission Bay, and, bringing it round to the 
city, he sold the four cords at fifty dollars each.  He now employed himself 
with lightering until the end of June, 1850, when he returned to the mines, 
going to the Yuba River, at a place called Indian Valley.  Stayed there two 
months, and returned to San Francisco, and again engaged at lightering till 
November, when he went to the southern mines in Garota, Big Oak Flat, where he 
settled down for the Winter, having built himself a log cabin and made all snug. 
 In the Spring of the following year proceeded to Maxwell�s Creek, remaining 
there six weeks; then returned to San Francisco, where he arrived on May 4, 
1851, two or three days after the big fire, when the whole city was in ashes.  
Mr. Saunders now shipped on the �Northerner,� for New York, arriving there in 
June, and after two months he removed to Detroit, Michigan, where he lived two 
years, and once more sailed for California, arriving on April 1, 1854.  After 
sojourning in San Francisco for three months we again find Mr. S. on the Feather 
River, where he worked till the month of November, when he again sought San 
Francisco and recommenced boat-work, which he continued till March 1, 1855, when 
he came to Vallejo and got employed in the Navy Yard on Mare Island, where he 
has been ever since.  Is one of the directors of the Vallejo Pioneer�s 
Association.  Mr. Saunders married, in Boston, July 26, 1851, Miss Josephine 
Gunnison, by whom he has living:  John O., born August 17, 1853; James H., born 
August 1, 1856; Charles F., born March 8, 1857; Annie, born October ---, 1864; 
and Maria E., born December 25, 1869.
 
History of Solano County � San Francisco, Cal. - Wood, Alley  & Co., East 
Oakland, pub 1879, pp 388-389