Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Howard, Nathaniel S. 1819 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 4, 2007, 9:41 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

NATHANIEL S. HOWARD, a retired farmer of Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, was
born January 19, 1819, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, and at the early age
of ten years he went to sea and followed life thereon until he was sixteen years
of age; he then went to Fairhaven, Bristol County, Massachusetts, and served an
apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, which he followed for fifteen years. At
the age of twenty-five he married Miss Elizabeth Hitch. August 1, 1849, he
joined a party of forty-one and sailed on the ship Florida from New Bedford to
San Francisco, arriving January 1 following. Soon they sold their cago [sic] for
$60,000, sent the ship back and the company disbanded in April. Then Mr. Howard
worked at his trade in San Francisco until the first of May, when he went with
five others to the Southern mines on the Merced River, where provisions were
scarce and privations plentiful. They had to pay 25 cents a pound freight to get
their provisions in camp. The river was high and they could not commence work
until a month had elapsed. Three of the company were taken sick and had to quit
that region. Mr. Howard and two others of the company remained during the
summer, and, not being satisfied with making $16 to $20 a day, went thirty miles
down the river to a place where they thought they could shovel the gold out by
the bucketful. They started afoot, with their beds on their back, and got lost
in the hills, without provisions or water. They suffered intensely with the
heat, the thermometer standing 120 degrees in the shade. They all gave out
except Mr. Howard, who started for the nearest white settlement, which was at a
ferry on the Merced River, ten miles distant, and on his arrival there found
himself unable to speak. He was given a drink of brandy and soon was able to
tell his story. He offered $500 to any one who would go and bring his comrades
in. Finally a Spaniard agreed to go, providing Mr. Howard would go with him.
Although unable to travel, Mr. Howard, with the Spaniard and three mules,
started out upon the exhausting journey, arriving at their destination at half
past ten o'clock at night; Mr. Howard found his friends were rolled in their
blankets. He had taken the precaution to carry along with him a bottle of
whisky; and he held this out to them, telling them to throw up their hands; they
did so, but only for the bottle; and after pulling at the bottle's neck freely
they were able to sit upon a mule and start upon their journey. The next morning
they started again for their diggings on foot, excepting Mr. Howard, whose feet
were so swollen that he rode a mule and did not walk for sixteen days.

  On arriving at the mines, they dug a canal and turned the river bed September
5, but the very next day a heavy rain washed away their works. Mr. Howard lost
$1,500, and thus the company was broken up. Mr. Howard and another man went up
the river again, four miles, to another mine, and the very first day they dug
out $85 apiece, and in the next ten days over $500 apiece Thence they came by
freight wagon to Stockton, where he remained a short time, and then went to San
Francisco, where he worked at his trade until the spring of 1851, at $12 a day.
For the next five years he was a contractor. His health then failed, and he was
advised to go upon a ranch; and accordingly he bought one near Mt. Diablo, where
he regained his health. In 1887 he disposed of that place and moved to Walnut
Creek, where he purchased a line home, comprising an acre of ground. In 1889 he
returned to his native place in Massachusetts, after an absence of forty years,
and spent five months there, with great pleasure.

  He has three daughters, two of whom are married, viz.: Elizabeth A. Smith and
Millie S. Ridgway; the name of the unmarried one is Kate F. The mother died in
June, 1877.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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