Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Hammitt, Austin Wesley 1822 - 
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Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

HON. AUSTIN WESLEY HAMMITT.—Was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, April 27, 1824,
and is the son of Benjamin and Margaret (Masten) Hammitt, and resided there
until he attained the age of nine; then his father's family moved to Northfield,
in Portage county, residing there five years, and then to Circleville, Pickaway
county; at the age of twenty our subject and a younger brother went to Wapello
county, Iowa, and soon after his father with his family followed. He resided
there until 1846, when he went to Ottumwa, in the same county, where he worked
at the carpenter's trade until 1847. He next proceeded to Louisville, where he
followed the same occupation for two months, after which he was engaged as
carpenter by the Government in the Quartermaster's Department, and thence to
Brazos Island, Texas, and to the mouth of the Rio Grande. After an absence of
fifteen months he returned to Ottumwa. On April 20, 1849, he started with
ox-teams across the Plains for California, passing up the North side of the
Platte river, up the Sweetwater, through South Platte, across Greene river and
on to Fort Hall, and entered the State through the Lassen road. Mr. Hammitt
arrived at Sacramento, October 13th, the day of the election for law and order
against the gamblers, and he voted for the former. On arrival there, he went to
the mines and followed mining on the South Fork of the Middle river, and at
Birdsville opened a store, which he carried on for some months. He then
proceeded to Nevada city, and commenced mining on the Coyote diggings in April,
1850, remaining till December, when he went to San Francisco, and on January 1,
1851, passed through the Golden Gate on his way home to Iowa. He arrived at
Ottumwa February 25th, of that year, and in the latter part of April he again
started across the plains for Oregon, this time accompanied by his wife and
younger brother. On reaching Elk Horn river they found it so swollen that all
the ferries had been taken off, so they proceeded up the stream a distance of
about fifteen miles and built a boat and went across. On reaching the other
side, Mr. Hammitt was made Captain of the train. Continuing their trip they came
to a bridge, where they found that some Pawnee Indians had taken possession of
it and were charging toll. Mr. Hammitt asked to see the chief of the tribe and
told him lie was not prepared to pay toll. The chief replied that they could
cross if he would give him a bag of sugar, but to his surprise when they started
over the bridge each one wanted a bag of sugar. He called on his men and told
them to be ready to make an attack if necessary. They, however, went across
without any difficulty. Continuing the journey, they arrived in Lane county,
Oregon, eight miles from Eugene City, where our subject obtained a half section
of land from the Government, and erected the first Court House in that county.
He was engaged in the carpentering business there until April, 1857. On June 15,
1857, he arrived in Contra Costa county and settled near Walnut Creek. In 1858,
he purchased the "old David Glass place," about two miles from Walnut Creek, and
resided there until the Fall of 1881. He then went to San Francisco, and after a
period of nine months returned to Walnut Creek, where he engaged in mercantile
business and which he is now prosecuting. Mr. Hammitt served a term in the
Assembly in 1873-74, for the county of Contra Costa, being elected on an
independent ticket. He also served as Justice of the Peace from 1865 to 1867.
Married April 10, 1849, Samantha Shaffer, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
(Heddinger) Shaffer. Mrs. Hammitt was born in Harrison county, Ohio, June 28,
1827. The children by this union are Millard, Samantha Malicia, Wesley H., and
John C.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.

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