San Diego County Biographies
 
MARTIN TRIMMER

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


farmer and stock‑raiser on the Japatul ranch, was born in Vemvied on the Rhine, 
kingdom of Prussia, August 28, 1826, and emigrated with his father's parents and 
his aunt Philipina Weiland, to the United States in April, 1838, embarking on 
the ship New Scotland at Havre de Grace, France, and landing at Baltimore about 
the last of May. His father had emigrated to this country five years previously 
and settled on a farm in Tazewell County, Illinois, two and a half miles from 
Washington and ten miles from Peoria, and was joined by this party July 15, 
1838. At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Trimmer left home and worked in a 
harness shop in St. Louis until the last day of January, 1849, when he enlisted 
in the First Regiment of Mounted Rifles as bugler, and was assigned at Jefferson 
barracks near that city to Company F, commanded by Captain and Brevet 
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew J. Porter. As the Asiatic cholera was raging fearfully 
among the troops, they were transferred in March to Fort Leavenworth, and were 
stationed at Camp Sumner there until May 1, 1849. The troops began their long 
journey across the plains to Oregon Territory and reached their destination, 
Oregon City, in October. The next spring they went to Vancouver, belonging to 
the Hudson Bay Company and built the barracks there named Fort Vancouver.
        The next year the troops were ordered back to the States. Leaving 
Vancouver May 10, 1851, on the United States transport propeller Massachusetts, 
they arrived May 15 at Benicia, where six companies were transferred to the 
dragoons and infantry under the command of Major Phil Kearny. After crossing the 
isthmus they were transported on the mail steamer Falcon to Cuba, arriving there 
July 1. This island they left on the 3d, on the mail steamer Cherokee for New 
Orleans, and after spending a week at the barracks there they finally returned 
to Jefferson barracks near St. Louis.
        The following October the regiment was again reorganized and they went 
by way of New Orleans to Indianola, Texas, and thence to Fort Merrill on the 
Nueces river, where Lieutenant Stockton was relieved, with a detail of twelve 
men. In 1852 they built Fort Ewell, on the Nueces river, and Fort Judge on the 
Lyon river. From this post two companies were out in active service against the 
hostile Apaches, who had made depredations in Texas from the Mexican side. Of 
this scouting party Mr. Trimmer was the bugler. In September, while they were in 
camp at Redman's ranch on the Rio Grande, they were informed by the Mexicans 
that about 100 Indians had crossed from Mexico to the Texas side to steal 
horses. The company under the command of the celebrated Captain Gordon Granger 
(afterward General in the last war), started at once in pursuit, and on the 
third day, early in the morning, they overtook the marauders at their crossing 
place about twenty miles above Redman's ranch, where they had all their plunder 
already done up in raw hides to take across the river. They had already got 
twenty-five horses across. The Indians immediately plunged into the Rio Grande 
and were all dispatched to the happy hunting grounds: not one was left to tell 
the tale. Two brothers from the company, named John and William Wright, swam the 
river and recovered the horses.
        Mr. Trimmer was discharged from military service in San Antonio, Texas, 
February 1, 1854, and was employed by Major Belger at the Alamo for three 
months, when, in company with Dr. Edwards (formerly surgeon in the army) and 
Colonel Charles Pyron, of Texas Ranger fame, he left for California, May 1. 
Taking the southern route they arrived at Tucson in June, and at Fort Yuma in 
July, where Mr. Trimmer worked a few months for Captain Rowley and George F. 
Hooper. In September he left Yuma with the intention of going to Oregon; but on 
arriving at Carisa he met William Bettiger, who persuaded hint to go on the 
Lieutenant Derby survey, under Charles H. Poole, deputy, to divide the great 
American desert into townships. In this work he was engaged in 1855; and the 
next two years he was on the Dr. Madison survey, under Robert W. Troom, deputy, 
sectionizing the great desert. Mr. Trimmer therefore has traveled over that vast 
area from one end to the other.
        From 1857 to 1863 he was engaged in different occupations, and then was 
maliciously taken as a political prisoner to Fort Alcatraz, where he was 
confined about ten days, under Captain William A. Winder, being released 
December 15, 1863. Returning then to San Diego, with Captain Morton, on the brig 
Boston, he arrived about December 28. For three or four years he was with E. W. 
Morse in his store in Old Town; and in 1868 he kept the American Hotel in Old 
San Diego, in company with Benjamin F. Jones, until 1870. He then rented the 
Gabino Aguilar place near Guetay, called San Gertrudes, and followed farming 
there until November, 1873. Then he purchased the possessory right of Mrs. 
Perfecta Ames to the Japatul ranch, where he still resides engaged in farming 
and stock-raising.
        Mr. Trimmer was married in July, 1864, in San Diego, to Miss Martha 
Murillo, granddaughter of Thomas Warner, from Lower California. Their four sons 
and four daughters are all living.
 
SOURCE:  An Illustrated History of Southern California:  Embracing the Counties 
of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California� Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890.  p.-  125-127