Yolo County, CA History Submited by Peggy Hooper Jun 2009 This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY By Thomas Jefferson Gregory CHAPTER XXI WOODLAND The pioneers who, by accident or choice, founded the town of Woodland, which is now the county-seat of Yolo county, either exer- cised splendid judgment or were unusually favored by chance. Wood- land is splendidly situated, both as regards its geographical relation with the surrounding country and its sanitary condition, as well as its picturesque environment. The city has been built in about the center of the county on the crest of a gentle knoll. Just a short time ago the wisdom of its founders, or their lucky choice, was demonstrated when, after some excessively heavy precipitations of rain, the city was entirely sur- rounded by water, leaving it for the better part of one day, an island. The waters of Cache creek, having overflowed its banks, covered the territory to the north and west of the city. Willow slough contributed enough overflow water to inundate the country lying to the south and west and the overflow in the tule filled the basin to the east of the city. Its topographical situation affords splendid drainage and is in a great measure responsible for the splendid sanitary condition which lias always prevailed here. There have been very few epi- demics of any kind in the city during its existence and it is regarded as a very healthful place of abode. About the time Jonas Spect founded the settlement of Fre- mont the site now occupied by the city of Woodland was a beautiful grove of wide-spreading, majestic oaks, rather thickly interspersed with underbrush peculiar to the climatic and soil conditions. Elk, deer, antelope, coyotes, panthers and other beasts of the fields and woods were plentiful, as were also rabbits, quail, doves and other smaller members of the animal kingdom. The old records tell us that the late Henry Wyckoff was the founder of Woodland. At least it appears that he was the first man to invade the fastness for the purpose of establishing a place of abode. In the winter of 1853 Mr. Wyckoff erected a small box frame building where now is Court street in the city of Wood- land and opened therein a store and thus was born Yolo City, a name which was soon afterward changed for the more euphonious title of Woodland. A. Weaver was probably the second man to establish a busi- ness in Woodland. Soon after Mr. Wyckoff opened his store he started a blacksmith shop in the immediate vicinity, but about three months afterward either sold or gave it to James McClure. The latter afterward disposed of it to E. R. Moses, who conducted the business for several years. What prompted these men to invade the wilderness and estab- lish places of business has not been clearly set forth by the earlier historians, but from other things they wrote it appears that in the meantime the interior of the county had been settled and inhabited by men engaged in the cattle business and no doubt in their migra- tions to and from the town of Washington (the then county-seat, where necessity compelled them to transact most, if not all, of their business) they had beaten a trail through the grove which after- ward became Woodland. Exercising the same sagacious foresight which actuated them in choosing a most favored site for other purposes, they perhaps saw the possibilities of the new town as a business center and future developments proved their wisdom, for the growth of Woodland was rapid. In 1856 Clark Elliott established a carriage factory in Wood- land and ten years later improved the business by the erection of a substantial brick structure. The factory was located about four hundred feet north of what is now Main street, near the old rail- road, which, as will be remembered by many of the older inhabi- tants, intersected the town in about its center, crossing Main street at or near the corner where now stands the Byrns hotel. In the meantime, or to be more exact, in 1856, Mr. Wyckoff erected a larger building about one hundred feet east of where now stands the Main street school house and into the more preten- tious building moved his stock of merchandise. He sold his business to P. S. Freeman in April, 1857, and moved out into the country a few miles east, where he engaged in farming and established an elegant home. Mr. Freeman replaced the old buildings with a larger structure which he occupied as his residence for a number of years and which was afterward occupied many years for the same purpose by Mr. Chandler. Mr. Freeman erected a third building in. 1861 on the northwest corner of what is now Main and First streets. This edifice was a substantial structure of brick and a very commodious building. It was occupied by Mr. Freeman as a general merchandise store until sold by him to A. Nickleshurg & Brother, who also occupied it many years. It has been occupied ever since for business purposes by various men and firms and is today still the scene of business activ- ity, its present occupant being R. B. Cranston, one of the prominent hardware merchants of the city. Hyman & Brother erected a store on Main street tlie same year and Benjamin Hotchkiss opened a saloon, the first in the city, on the same thoroughfare. Whether by accident or design it does not appear, but in after years the Good Templars hall was erected on Main street directly opposite the first saloon. It may also lie pertinent to state in passing that the first homicide in the city took place in this saloon, when W. C. Harbin killed Francis Wright on May 25, 1861. Among the other pioneer business men of the city were Samuel McDonald, who opened a shoe and harness repair shop on Main street; James W. Stotenberg and E. Dollarhide, who established boarding houses, and James Asberry, who opened a meat market opposite the site of the future Exchange Hotel. The refining influences of education and religion had also made their appearance in Woodland. The afterward widely known Hesperian College was finished in 1860. It was located on what is now Bush street and for many years was the principal seat of learning not only in Yolo county but throughout the northern part of the state. After the establishment of the high school in Wood- land it was abandoned and eventually the building was torn down to make room for the splendid new armory of Company F, National Guard of California. A church had also been erected on the same premises and a district school house was built near the spot where afterward was erected the railroad depot. NAMING THE TOWN The naming of the town came authoritatively with the establish- ment of its postoffice in 1859. The settlement having become a place of recognized importance, Mr. Freeman circulated a petition among its inhabitants asking the federal government to establish a postoffice at "Woodland," Cal. This is the first time in the records that the present name of the city appears. The name was suggested by Mr. Freeman's wife and a more appropriate one could not have been chosen. The postoffice department in due time granted the petition and Mr. Freeman was named as the first postmaster. There appears in this connection the first evidence of sectional dissention in Woodland. Willard Johnson, perhaps because he coveted the emoluments and prestige which are bestowed with the title of "nasby," also circulated a petition for a postoffice in the town to be called "Yolo Center," with himself as postmaster, and the department, through ignorance of the situation no doubt, acceded to his desires, with the result that there were two post- offices, with as many names in the new settlement. This very naturally led to complications and corresponding confusion and eventually to disaster so far as Mr. Johnson's ambitions were con- cerned, for soon afterward the department revoked the order and "Yolo Center" died an official death along with the "nasby" in- clinations of Mr. Johnson. Since that time the name of "Wood- land" has remained the recognized title of this fair city. THE FIRST INHABITANTS Having briefly outlined the business growth of the town it may be interesting also to give a list of the first inhabitants of the city and its environs. These names, while not having appeared in the foregoing business recapitulation, are nevertheless prominently identified with the history of Woodland and Yolo county, for it was their steadfastness of purpose, their integrity and sound judg- ment, which contributed in a large measure to the growth and de- velopment of the community. Among those who resided in the town just before the advent of the railroad and the acquisition of the county seat were F. S. Freeman, Rev. J. N. Pendegast, Rev. Joshua Lawson, R. G. Lawson, J. D. Lawson, Prof. A. L. Mathews, C. S. Frost, J. W. Stotenberg, Benjamin Hotchkiss, Henry Bates, E. G. Hall, J. W. Tilley, William Skinner, W. S. Emery, E. Dollarhide, and McElhaney. Those who lived outside of the village but in close proximity were Thomas Marston, Jason Watkins, C. Nelson, Charles Coil, Daniel High, F. C. Ruggles, R. L. Beamer, James Morris, Dr. H. M. Fiske, David Cole, William Gibson, William Fowler, J. M. Clanton, Walter Hulin, Russell Day, Col. Charles W. Lewis, Nicholas Wyckoff, Daniel Fisher, Judge J. J. Deming, T. J. Dexter, Joseph Woigamott, S. P. Pond, J. S. Cook, Thomas Baird, G. D. Fiske, J. Hollingsworth, J. I. S. Wyckoff, Samuel Shyrock and B. F. Hawley. THE SOLE SURVIVOR Of all these names there appears only one on the present roll of membership of the city of Woodland. It is that of J. D. Lawson, who, though well along in years, is still actively engaged in busi- ness, being associated with his son, R. G. Lawson, in one of the leading real estate and insurance offices in this city. He has had an active business and political career in Woodland and Yolo county and his name has been prominently associated with the history of both commonwealths.