Mendocino County, CA History

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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History of Mendocino County California - Alley, Bowen & Co., San Francisco, 1880
 
 
POINT ARENA.
 
        This is the only town of any importance in Arena township, and is 
situated about fifteen miles north of the Sonoma county line. The first building 
erected on the town site was constructed by Len. Wilsey in 1859, and he put in a 
full stock of goods, thus being the first business enterprise in the place also. 
The next man to locate on the town site was S. S. Hoyt, who came the same year. 
In the fall of that year Samuel W. McMullen came to the new town and opened a 
saloon, and another store was opened by Peter Lane & G. Linderoos, while a 
blacksmith shop was established by David Beasley. In 1862 S. B. Campbell 
purchased a claim on the land adjoining the port, and for several years he was 
engaged in loading vessels by means of lighters. In February, 1866, a franchise 
was granted by the State to Mart T. Smith, enabling him to maintain a wharf and 
landing at Point Arena for twenty years. He was also entitled to a strip of land 
two hundred feet wide, extending from high tide mark into the ocean far enough 
for the purposes of navigation. In 1870 he sold his interests to Messrs. 
Woodward & Chalfant, and in 1875 it passed into the hands of A. McClure & Co., 
who continued it till January 1, 1880, when the partnership was dissolved and C. 
R. Arthur came into possession of the wharf. To give an adequate idea of the 
importance of the shipping interests of Point Arena we append a statement of the 
shipments made over the wharf during the last year, which was kindly furnished 
us by Mr. Arthur: "Merchandise, two thousand three hundred tons; posts, seventy 
thousand; bark (cords), two hundred and twenty-three; shingles (millions), 
thirteen and one-half; leather (rolls), two hundred and twenty-eight; potatoes 
(bags), one thousand and forty-two; butter (boxes and firkins), nine hundred and 
forty; eggs (cases), two hundred and seventy-four; wool (sacks), one hundred and 
thirty; paper (reams), four thousand. Dr. J. G. Morse was the pioneer physician, 
and it was through his exertions that the first school was established in 1860. 
He secured the establishment of a post-office at this place, and was the first 
postmaster. In 1869 L. G. Morse established the first drug-store. G. S. 
Spaulding established the first photograph gallery, in 1869. The first marriage 
in this vicinity occurred November 30, 1858, and William Oliver and Miss Lavinia 
Shoemake, daughter of William Shoemake, were the contracting parties to this 
pioneer hymenial union. The first death was a son of Mr. Shoemake's, John 
Wesley, who died in February, 1858. The first emigrant from babyland was a child 
born to J. A. Hamilton and wife. The pioneer school was taught by a Mr. Douglas, 
in 1860, and he derived his support from subscription. It was taught in a small 
room, its dimensions being only twelve by twelve. A school was also taught in 
the cabin of a bark which was wrecked near the mouth of the Garcia river.
        The town of to-day is a very beautiful village lying on the southern 
slope of a hill, where it catches whatever of sunshine there is, and is 
sheltered in a great measure from the bleak northwest winds which prevail during 
the summer season. There is only one principal street in the place, which 
extends up and down the hill, and is lined on either side, but principally on 
the western, with the business places of the town. There have evidently been 
days of remarkable prosperity in the place, for the mesa land at the top of the 
hill has many cottages on it which are now deserted, while there are empty 
houses, both business and dwelling, in the body of the village, all of which 
goes to show that the pristine activity of the place has gone from it. It is 
evident, however, that the old residents of the place hope for better things in 
the near future, and are investing money in property with as much avidity as in 
the "flush " days of years agone. The orders of Masonry and Odd Fellowship have 
just completed a handsome structure, at a cost f $2,000, and N. Iverson has just 
completed a magnificent brick building at a cost of $4,000. There are a number 
of industries here, but all on a small scale, the market and source of supply 
being both too far away for any of them to become really successful. It would be 
almost impossible to meet with a more enterprising set of men than the citizens 
of Point Arena have proved themselves to be, and they certainly deserve a better 
fate than to have their undertakings fail in any measure. A fair sample of their 
enterprise may be seen in the paper-mill. It has been "put upon its feet " three 
several times, and several thousand dollars have been invested, and yet to-day 
it stands a monument of miscalculation and misdirected energy and capital, the 
hum of its machinery being dead, presumably beyond the power of human agency to 
resurrect. Individual energy and capital have done much to establish and build 
up various industrial enterprises, as is evidenced by the brewery, tannery and 
carriage factory, which are all located here.
        But we bespeak better times for the place, and that very soon. Just now 
(1880) the entire country is suffering from a state of financial depression 
unprecedented in the annals of the State, and of course this section is no 
exception to the rule. And what is more to their disadvantage, they are 
dependent in a great measure upon the lumber interests for their prosperity, and 
it is a well-known and generally admitted fact that at no time since the days of 
Harry Meigs has there been so great a stagnation in that branch of industry as 
has prevailed for the past three years. But all this must end, and it is to be 
hoped that the day is not far distant when the arteries of industry and trade 
will be again opened by a strong and healthy flow of money into the coffers of 
the citizens of this lovely little village by the sea-shore, lying as it does 
where the dash of the breakers makes a rythmical harmony through the long 
watches of the night, lulling to pleasant slumber the weary people who have 
spent the day in such activity that the voice of. the ocean has not been heard 
by them.
        The distance from the town to the wharf, or port as it is called, 
locally, is about one-fourth of a mile, over a good road. At the port the 
anchorage is good, while a very substantial wharf extends to the requisite depth 
of water for the purposes of navigation. Schooners can get in and out of the 
harbor, which consists of a small bight only, with great ease and safety; while 
the approach for steamers is as good as can be found anywhere. The steamers of 
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company make regular landings at this point, going 
each way. The principal exports are shingles, posts, ties, tan-bark, and stave 
bolts. The stages of Messrs. Allman & Queen pass this place daily, connecting 
very closely with the city and with all points north along the coast. The 
Western Union Telegraph Company has an office here with G. Linderoos as 
operator. He is also Wells, Fargo & Co.'s agent at this place. P. Peters is the 
present postmaster. The town is well supplied with churches, lodges, and 
schools; and if one is acclimated it is really a pleasant little town to reside 
in.
 
        BUSINESS DIRECTORY.�To give an adequate idea of the business interests 
of Point Arena the following list is appended: Brewery, one; blacksmith and 
carriage shops, two; hotels, two; barber shop, one; meat market, one; shoe 
shops, two; drug store, one; harness shop, one; livery stables, two; saloons, 
four; general merchandise stores five; tin store, one; jeweler, one; tailor, 
one; and millinery, one. From the foregoing it will be seen that the place is a 
genuine business location, and that almost all branches of trade are 
represented. The business places in town number twenty-six, which will certainly 
compare favorably with any village of its size in the State.
 
        SECRET ORGANIZATIONS.�Free and Accepted Masons.�Claiborne Lodge, No. 
185, F. & A. M., was organized, under dispensation, June 14, 1867, with the 
following charter members: R. D. Handy, S. W. Randolph, Niels Iverson, N. De 
Witt, ----- Cushings, Charles Lyman, Alpheus Harris, and F. W. Watrous. The 
first officers under dispenation were: N. De Witt, W. M. ; and S. W. Randolph, 
S. W. The charter was granted to the lodge October 10, 1867, and the first 
officers thereunder were : R. D. Handy, W. M. ; S. W. Randolph. S. W.; and N. 
Iverson, J. W. The following named members have had the honor of filling the 
Master's chair: R. D. Handy, N. Iverson, A. Chalfant, George S. Spaulding, James 
A. Reynolds, and L. Gerlock. The following named officers are filling their 
respective positions during the present year: J. B. Warren, W. M.; George S. 
Spaulding, S. W.; K. Lancaster, J. W.; N. Iverson, Treasurer ; and R. D. Handy, 
Secretary. The present membership is twenty-five. The lodge is in a very 
prosperous condition, and its meetings are held in a hall which has but lately 
been erected, conjointly with the Odd Fellows, at a cost of $2,000. The hall is 
not yet furnished, fully; but when it is it will be one of the handsomest and 
cosiest places of meeting to be found in the State.
 
        Independent Order of Odd Fellows.�Garcia Lodge, No. 240, I. O. O. F., 
was organized January 4, 1876, with the following charter members: P. Peters, W. 
H. Cureton, L. F. Spaulding, D. M. Ketchum, N. Iverson, and J. B. N. Warren. The 
first officers were: W. H. Cureton, N. G.; N. Iverson, V. G.; J. B. M. Warren, 
Secretary ; and L. F. Spaulding, Treasurer. The following named gentlemen have 
filled the Noble Grand's chair : W. H. Cureton, P. Peters, L. F. Spaulding (two 
terms), W. Peters (two terms), N. Iverson, J. B. M. Warren, M. Newfield, and O. 
A. Oleson. The present officers are: O. A. Oleson, N. G.; K. Lancaster, V. G.; 
R. Caughey, Secretary; and N. Iverson, Treasurer. The present membership is 
thirty-three, and the lodge is flourishing nicely. Its meetings are held in the 
new hall erected this year (1880) conjointly with the Masons, and dedicated May 
29, 1880. The building is two-story, having a wall twenty-four feet high. The 
size of the building is twenty-four by sixty, and the lower story is used as a 
public hall.
 
        Independent Order of Good Templars.�Mount Nebo Lodge, No. 344, I. O. G. 
T., was organized December 19, 1868, and was the first lodge of Good Templars 
ever established in Mendocino county, and what is a more remarkable fact, the 
charter has never been surrendered from that day to this, and it has always been 
in a flourishing condition, and the lamp of the great temperance cause has been 
always kept burning brightly at this place. The organizing members were Rev. 
----- Overton, J. M. Rodgers, W. A. Jackson, George Yeoman, N. Watrous, Minnie 
Mattox, Joseph Jackson, L. Beebee, Mary Jackson, A. Frazier, J. L. Jackson, M. 
H. Antrim, H. Mattox, William King, H. Peters, D. Haskins, M. Iverson, and Mrs. 
Harrison. The first officers were: George Yeoman, W. C. T.; Mary Jackson, W. V. 
T.; H. Peters, Secretary; L. Beebee, W. F. Secretary; and Joseph Jackson, 
Treasurer. The present officers are: W. W. Fowler, W. C. T.; Miss Maggie Arthur, 
W. V. T.; W. F. Goodwin, Secretary; W. Fowler, W. F. Secretary; and Rev. E. A. 
Hazen, Treasurer. The present membership is seventeen.
 
        Hook and Ladder Company.�The Wide Awake Hook and Ladder Company of Point 
Arena was organized April 20, 1877, with the following as the organizing 
members: L. G. Morse, G. S. Spaulding, B. F. McClure, N. Iverson, D. S. Quimby, 
F. M. Spaulding, G. P. Manley, John Kester, G. Linderoos, J. C. Holiday, R. D. 
Handy, A. Chalfant, W. F. McClure, and Charles Hoffman. The first officers were: 
F. M. Spaulding, Foreman; and G. P. Manley, Secretary. The succeeding foremen 
have been N. Iverson, W. T, Tomlinson, C. R. Arthur, R. D. Handy, B. F. McClure, 
J. A. Reynolds. The present officers are: J. A. Reynolds, Foreman; D. S. Quimby, 
First Assistant Foreman; J. C. Holiday, Second Assistant Foreman; C. G. 
Sullivan, Secretary; and G. Linderoos, Treasurer. The present membership is 
nineteen. The apparatus of the company consists of three hundred feet of 
two-inch hose, with the necessary hooks, ladders, ropes, buckets, etc. The 
company has a building which was erected at a cost of $150.
 
        CHURCHES.�Presbyterian.�A church organization under the auspices of the 
Presbyterian denomination was effected at Point Arena by Rev. F. M. Dimmock, on 
the 23d day of June, 1873. The organizing members were: B. F. McClure, Rhoda 
McClure, S. C. Stewart, Sarah Stewart, Robert Cuthbertson, Grace Cuthbertson, 
William Munroe, Mary Chalfant, Margaret Galoway, and Melinda O'Neil. There were 
no regular services until October, 1874, when Rev. Thomas Kirkland began filling 
the pulpit at this place and at Brush creek, remaining till October, 1877. In 
May, 1879, Rev. C. H. Crawford came here, and has since remained in charge of 
that pulpit. The present membership is twenty-seven. The services are held in 
the building known as the "Court-house," which was erected by the citizens of 
the town for public purposes, such as courts, religious services, and public 
gatherings in general. There is a flourishing Sunday-school in connection with 
the church, consisting of fifty-five members, under the superintendancy of Dr. 
Bacon.
        Methodist Episcopal Church.�Rev. E. A. Hazen, the present pastor of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, at Point Arena, has kindly furnished us the 
following sketch of the church work at that place:‑
        "In the year 1867 Rev. David H. Haskins was sent to the Point Arena 
charge and remained for two years; Wm. J. Mackey, Presiding Elder. A class was 
organized November 10, 1867, consisting of C. B. Pease and Betsey P. Pease, in 
full communion and Adam Antrim, Mary Antrim and Isaac Hemlock, probationers. He 
received a large number into the church on probation, but just how many 
continued faithful, we cannot learn. The first official board consisted of 
Cornelius B. Pease, class leader and steward, and the following stewards: Isaac 
Heylock, Adam Antrim, Joseph Jackson, J. G. Morse, E. F. Mathews, Joseph 
Ainsley, -- Cook. He left in full connection in the church twenty-three members. 
He was succeeded in the charge by Wm. B. Davis, a local deacon, employed by the 
Presiding Elder, George Clifford, who remained until the conference of 1870. Of 
his pastorate we have but little recorded, except that he held a camp-meeting, 
and that J. Kearns, J. Hamilton, J. Jackson, J. Sheppard, J. Heylock, --- 
Andrews Wm. King and J. G. Morse were his official Board. In September, 1870, N. 
N. Vernerton was appointed to the charge, and did good work; but his health 
failing during the year, he was helped out by Jacob Miller, a local preacher. 
During his pastorate a large tract of land in Point Arena, now occupied by the 
church property, was secured to the church, and a parsonage started thereon. 
Jacob Miller, Joseph Sheppard, Dr. J. G. Morse, H. O. Triplet, J. Jackson and A. 
J. Andrews, were the official Board. In September, 1871, Jesse Green was 
appointed to the charge, and served until September, 1872. Of his pastorate very 
little is recorded. In September, 1872, M. Woodward was appointed pastor, and 
remained for two years. He received one on probation, six by satisfactory 
statement, and two from the list of probationers. W. S. Turner was the Presiding 
Elder. In September, 1874, Rev. John Appleton was appointed pastor and served 
for three years, and during his pastorate the church building at Point Arena was 
erected, also the one at Brush Creek. In September, 1877, J. W. Bluett was 
appointed to the charge and served one year; W. S. Turner, Presiding Elder. He 
received ten on probation, and nine by letter. Just how many he dismissed does 
not appear, nor does it how many each of his predecessors dismissed; but at the 
close of his pastorate there were only forty, in full connection and on 
probation, to be found. In September, 1878, E. A. Hazen, the present incumbent, 
was appointed to the charge; Rev. George Clifford, Presiding Elder. During his 
pastorate, up to this date (July 9, 1880), he has received six on probation, 
five from the probationer's list into full connection, and twenty by letter. 
Three from the list of probationers have gone to other churches. Eight removed 
without letter and four by letter. We have now a membership of fifty-seven. 
During the present pastorate there has been collected and paid $247 on improving 
and furnishing parsonage, and $127 for an organ at Point Arena and $125 for one 
at Manchester (Brush Creek). The charge, during all this time, has consisted of 
preaching places at Point Arena and Manchester, with regular appointments every 
alternate Sabbath at each, with occasional appointments at other places, 
extending from Russian River to Cuffey's Cove. The church building at Point 
Arena is certainly a hand�some structure and is a great credit to the town, and 
speaks volumes for the liberality and enterprise of the worthy citizens of that 
place.
 
        POINT ARENA TANNERY.�This industry was put on foot by Daniel Gillis in 
1867. The building was thirty by fifty feet, and had only a few vats in it, and 
everything connected with it was on a small scale. In 1871 J. A. Reynolds and R. 
D. Handy purchased the business from Gillis, and they proceeded at once to make 
improvements and to enlarge the premises and the facilities. They erected two 
buildings for tanning purposes, and two sheds for bark; also twenty new and 
larger vats, making a total of twenty-eight vats, with a capacity of one hundred 
and forty sides per week. In 1875 Mr. Reynolds purchased Mr. Handy's interest, 
and he has since conducted the business himself. This is one of the several 
business ventures embarked in by the enterprising citizens of the place, and 
when the finances of the State are in a healthy condition it proves adequately 
successful.
 
        EAGLE PAPER-MILL COMPANY.�In 1868 Thomas Nugent began an enterprise 
which promised well indeed, but which, unfortunately, has proved a "sinking 
fund" of a decided character to all who have had any money invested in it, and 
is at present standing idle. This industry was nothing more or less than a 
paper-mill, which, although the building is located near Manchester on Mill or 
Brush creek, we place under the head of Point Arena, from the fact that the most 
of the capital which has been invested in it has come from the citizens of that 
place. This was the first and only enterprise of this character which ever 
ventured upon the sea of industry in Mendocino county. After Mr. Nugent had 
demonstrated to his entire satisfaction that it was a failure financially, he 
managed to induce L. W. Pollard to invest his spare shekels in the sinking ship. 
But he did not propose to go down without a struggle, and in a short time he had 
convinced the leading moneyed men of Point Arena that it was a most wonderful 
venture, and that capital was all that was necessary to make it such a success, 
as no other venture had ever been in that section, and the fish nibbled at the 
bait awhile and finally swallowed it whole, to the amount of $20,000. This money 
was secured by the organization of a joint stock company and the sale of shares 
of the capital stock, the entire stock being sold. This company proceeded to 
demonstrate that the enterprise was an all-absorbant, yielding handsome returns, 
on paper only, and dividends on the wrong side of the ledger. Finally the wheels 
of the machinery ceased to sing the merry chant of busy occupation, and began to 
rust from sheer disuse. Matters remained thus statu quo till July 11, 1876, when 
a new stock company was organized, with a nominal capital of $50,000, of which 
amount $25,000 was paid up. Once more the hum of industry was heard, and the 
journals were bright again. The business was kept in operation till February, 
1879, when the mill was closed down, having absorbed the last cent of the 
subscribed stock into its capacious maw, making a total of $45,000 outside of 
the amounts invested by the first two individual owners, which had been used up 
in trying to make it a success. Since the last-named date there has been nothing 
done, nor is there likely to be again at any time in the near future. There were 
several factors which entered into the failure of the enterprise, such as the 
price of labor, the distance from the supply of the raw material, and the lack 
of transportation facilities to the market, and the state of the market itself 
when the manufactured article arrived upon it. It is quite possible that the 
time may come when the manufacture of paper will be profitable, even in a remote 
locality like this, but to watch and wait for it will try the patience of a 
thorough-going, pushing business man, and he will be apt to let it all go by the 
board before that time.
        As this is the only enterprise of the kind in Mendocino county we 
subjoin the following description of the modus operandi of the manufacture of 
paper at this mill, hoping that it may prove of interest to the readers of our 
work:
        Paper is made at this place from old scraps of paper, cotton and linen 
rags, old rope and burlaps, which articles come to the mill in great bales. It 
is carefully sorted and the proper material for the various kinds of paper 
segregated. In this establishment book, news, brown wrapping (hardware) and 
Manilla paper is manufactured. For making book and news paper only white cotton 
or linen rags and white paper are used. Manilla paper is made of old rope and 
burlaps, while the heavy wrapping paper is made of the coarse material which 
will not work into Manilla. The rope and burlaps are first passed through a 
chopping machine, which cuts them into pieces about two inches square. This 
process is gone through with twice, when the material is passed through a coarse 
bolter for the purpose of freeing it from dirt. It is then placed in a large vat 
and covered with lime water, which is kept hot and moving about by a jet of 
steam passed into it. The object of this is to bleach the material. After 
remaining in. this vat fifteen hours it is put into a vat in which there is a 
beater, which is so arranged that all the matter in the vat must is through the 
machine, which consists of a cylinder, under which there is a plate, both of 
which are corrugated; water is added to the mass and the cylinder set in motion. 
As the material gets ground up finer the cylinder is allowed to work closer and 
closer to the plate until they touch. Muriatic and sulphuric acids are now added 
to further bleach the pulp, which it has now become. After the rope and burlap 
material has been triturated for six hours a certain proportion of paper pulp is 
added and the process continued three hours longer. It is then passed into a vat 
called a "stuff chest," in which there is kept revolving an "agitator," so that 
the pulp may be kept evenly distributed through the water. It is pumped from 
this into a box-like receptacle to which there is a gauge to regulate the 
outward flow of the pulp according to the desired weight or quality of the paper 
to be made. From this it passes through a strainer or screen, so that only 
particles of a given fineness can pass into the composition of the paper. It is 
now deposited into a vat in which there is a gauze cylinder revolving, arranged 
so that the water is drawn from the inside of it. This causes the pulp to float 
on the current of the water passing through the screen, against it, and to 
adhere to and pass up on it. It is taken from this cylinder by a felt belt and 
passed through a press-roll, when it is taken up by a coarser felt belt and 
passed through another press-roll, during which process all the water has been 
extracted. It is then passed over four consecutive cylinders through which a 
current of steam is passing for the purpose of thoroughly drying it. The 
pressure of steam in these cylinders varies from forty to sixty pounds, 
according to the quality of the paper. It then passes through two series of 
calender presses of three cylinders each, whence it passes to the reels. From 
these it is placed under the knife and cut into sheets of the requisite size. It 
is then folded and put into quires and pressed, and then bundled, when it is 
ready for the market.
 
        BREWERY.�The Point Arena brewery was put in operation in 1870, by J. 
Schlachter, and has since been continued by him. It has a capacity of three 
hundred gallons at a brewing. Owing to the fogs which are so prevalent on the 
coast the barley raised there is unfit for brewing, and hence all grain used for 
that purpose has to be shipped from the city. The market for the product is 
purely local, supplying all the section lying between Gualala and Nevarra.
 
        THE POINT ARENA NEWS.�This newspaper venture, proved, as does many 
another in the State of California, a sad failure, after a short period of 
usefulness. We say period of usefulness, for no paper was ever issued for three 
consecutive editions that did not prove useful to some body, or serve to advance 
some cause or interest. Volume 1, number 1, of the News was issued March 22, 
1877, under the proprietorship of John Kester. It was a neat looking folio 
devoted to the local interests of the section. November 29, 1877, George S. 
Affolter and W. P. McClure, became the owners and publishers of the paper, and 
this management continued in control of it till May 31, 1878, when Mr. Affolter 
purchased Mr. McClure's interest, and became sole proprietor. September 13, 
1878, he found that the depression of the financial condition of affairs would 
not admit of pursuing the business farther, and the paper was suspended.