California Biographies

Source:
History of Napa and Lake Counties
San Francisco, Slocum, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1881

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011

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


MILO BUSHNELL POND M.D..  Third son of Ananias Rogers Fond, of Revolutionary stock, of Vermont, 
and his wife, Frances Mann Bushnell, of the same State, was born February 22, 1836, in Dearborn 
County, Indiana, and emigrated to Wisconsin in 1840. Early in life he showed a love and aptitude for 
learning, evinced by "spelling down " an entire school, and then two lawyers:.  who volunteered to 
spell against him.  one of them Alien Barber, District Attorney of Grant County, Wisconsin, in the spring 
of 1842, when but six years old. He immigrated to California in 1853, driving a team of cattle across the 
continent, which took six months. For several years he worked upon his father's farm, clearing and 
improving, with but little time for school, but carrying a book at all times in his pocket, and studying 
each while the team rested. Thus algebra and other studies were mastered without a teacher. He is by 
nature a Republican, believing in free and equal human rights, and the duty of all to protect them. This 
was made manifest in 1856, at a public school exhibition, in a Democratic stronghold district, where as a 
pupil he took part, as orator of the occasion, by making an anti-slavery speech, which called forth 
threats of "tar and feathers" from some Missourians, one of whom was trustee of the school He was 
elected a delegate to the first Republican County Convention of Solano County, and was secretary of 
the first meeting organizing the Union League of that county, at Suisun, when the news of the firing 
upon Fort Sumter was first received, and ever took an earnest, bold part in keeping California in the 
folds of the Union. At that time, having secured a first-grade certificate, he was teaching, alone, the 
Fairfield public school, of over sixty pupils, which embraced, at that time, all grades from the alphabet 
to trigonometry and Latin; the two latter branches, however, were taught as a special favor to some 
bright young men' in attendance, outside of regular school hours.  which, by the way, then embraced 
from eight A. M. to six P. M. Here he organized a literary society and library, which flourished for three 
years, but failed during his absence for want of public spirit among the people.  the books, some 
hundred of them, being divided between a few of the old pupils. He was a member of the Board of 
Teachers' Examiners until he moved out of the county, and always took an active interest in the public 
schools. Examinations at that day were principally oral, and the superintendent a political officer, as 
now.  a bad system, which ought to be abolished, as trades in conventions often result in nominating 
the poorest qualified applicant The Rev. Mr. H__, when, as president, he was organizing the Board, 
"wanted it distinctly understood that we are here to ask questions and not to answer them for any of 
the teachers." In his case it was a bold, clever, and necessary protective measure. He graduated in 
medicine from the Toland Medical College, San Francisco, March 7, 1865, being one of a class of seven 
who first graduated from the college. He held the position of resident physician in the City and County 
Hospital of San Francisco for some time, leaving there to locate in Napa City, in the fall of 1866, where 
he still resides. He, with Dr. Frisbie, of Vallejo, and Dr. Campbell, of Suisun, (now dead, but an earnest, 
worthy member of the profession,) worked long and earnestly to organize a District Medical Society 
for Solano and Napa Counties, and finally succeeded; but it languished for a year and a half, and died 
for the want of a quorum of seven, though the above organizers were never absent from a meeting 
during all that time, though never meeting a quorum. He received an addendum diploma from the 
Medical College of the Pacific December 7,1870. Has always been an active member of the California 
State Medical Society. He is the inventor of the split canula, for tracheotomy, and a double curved 
needle for introducing sutures in the operation of staphyloraphy, or cleft palate, and presented them 
to the fraternity at the meeting of the State Medical Society held in 1873, and read a paper describing 
them and their use as used by himi which appears in the published transactions of the society for 1873, 
both instruments being illustrated by engravings, and are valuable additions to surgery. Dr. Pond has 
performed most of the major operations in surgery with marked success, including ovariotomy, 
tracheotomy, staphyloraphy, enterotomy, perineoraphy, vesico-vaginal fistula, recto-vaginal fistula, 
for strangulated hernia, extraction of the hip and knee joints, etc., and enjoys an enviable reputation 
for the treatment of women. March 25 ,1881, like a true surgeon, he submitted himself to the knife for 
the radical cure of ventral hernia, under the hand of Dr. L. C. Lane, and was rewarded by a perfect 
cure. He has always taken an active part in local societies for culture and refinement, as well as manly 
and social clubs, and is an active citizen in all respects.