Contra Costa-Napa-Plumas County CA Archives Biographies.....Rice, William 1814 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 29, 2005, 12:45 am

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

WILLIAM RICE.—The subject of this narrative, whose portrait finds a place in the
History of Contra Costa county, is the son of Archibald Rice and his third wife,
Sally (Richmond) Rice, he being the first-born of this union, and first saw the
light in Caswell county, North Carolina, May 2, 1814. At the age of six years
Mr. Rice commenced going to school in his native place, and so continued,
attending during the Summer months, until October, 1826. In that Fall Mr. Rice,
Senior, disposed of his property in North Carolina and emigrated to Howard
county, Missouri, where he rented a farm for one year. In this place our subject
resumed his studies for one Summer, and then completed his education, so far as
school is concerned. In the Spring of 1828 he accompanied the family to Rolls
(now Monroe) county, Missouri, where they settled in the midst of the forest,
and in the latter part of the Fall became assistant in a little school there,
taught by James Dickey. During the Summer and Fall of the year 1829 an outbreak
among the Indians occurred which caused considerable annoyance to the residents,
but the erection of a fort soon acted as a peacemaker among the redskins. In the
Fall of 1831 their lands in Monroe county were sold, and the following Spring
the family located near Independence. On May 19, 1833, our subject was
dispatched to North Carolina, armed with a power of attorney, to wind up the
estate of his maternal grandfather, who had died during the Fall of the previous
year, and left considerable property to his daughter and son-in-law. Even at
this day of railroads and steamboats the journey is a long one; what then must
it have been when Mr. Rice undertook it in the pre-staging days, in a two-horse
wagon and acting as his own coachman! Matters being settled, he returned to
Missouri, arriving September 25th, with a family of eight negroes, the property
of his parents. In this year (1833), at the same time as did his father and
mother, he joined the Baptist church, the three being admitted by baptism at the
same time and place. In the years 1831 and 1832, Mormons first commenced to
settle in Jackson county, Missouri; in 1833, during his absence in North
Carolina, they began to give trouble, therefore the citizens of the county,
after meeting in council, demolished their printing office, with the press, the
only one then in the district, and wound up their vengeance by tarring and
feathering their Bishop, Patridge. This tended to exasperate them still farther
and caused more violence, while, in October, so desperate had they become, they
gave battle to the Gentiles near Big Blue Brazil, when a lawyer of Independence
was killed, and Harvey Wilson wounded. On the following day the Mormons made a
demonstration against Independence, when the citizens of the county turned out
en masse, met them when within a mile and a half of the town, held them at bay
until they surrendered and finally agreed to leave the county. In the Summer of
1834, they once more arrived to get a foot-hold in the district, but as soon as
intelligence of their intentions went abroad a general meeting of the community
was convened; volunteer military companies were speedily organized; Samuel C.
Owens was appointed commander-in-chief of the forces, who were immediately
marched to the different crossings of the Missouri river, where they guarded
these until the venture was abandoned. In these stirring events Mr. Rice was an
active participator, and stood guard for several days and nights. The next
important event in the life of our subject was his marriage, February 26, 1840,
to Louisa, daughter of William and Martha Ish, a native of La Fayette county,
Missouri. He now settled about five miles from Independence, on the road to
Lexington, where he engaged in farming, stock-raising, and buying and selling
horses and mules. His health not being good at this time, he undertook a journey
into the Southern States with horses, which he disposed of to advantage, indeed,
so great benefit did he derive from these journeys that he continued in the
business of stock-driving for several years, in the course of his peregrinations
visiting every State in the South, except South Carolina. While resident in
Missouri, Mr. Rice became the father of seven children, and perceiving the
necessity of providing them with an education that might be of benefit in after
life, he felt dissatisfied with the common school system then in vogue. To
rectify this, in a measure, he obtained permission to open a private school in
the Baptist church for a few months, and hired a teacher to conduct it upon his
(Mr. Rice's) responsibility. So well pleased was he with the experiment thus
made, that Mr. Rice built a substantial structure of his own, for the purpose,
on his own land, and kept up his own private school so long as he lived in
Missouri. He also took in a few select scholars, some of them as boarders, into
his own family, while every grade of instruction to be found in a common school
was taught in his— nay more, arrangements were made for tuition in the musical
art, and in classic latin as well.

  Kansas was admitted for settlement in 1852-53, and an election ordered. To
this new region what was known as an Emigrant Aid Society was dispatched from
the Eastern States to control affairs; but at the first election the citizens
rose to checkmate their movements, and thus carried the first, second and third
elections. At the time politics ran high; and being somewhat mixed in the Kansas
Troubles, our subject, thinking "discretion to be the better part of valor,"
determined to leave for California; therefore he sold his property to Dr.
Alexander Marshall, during the early part of the year 1859, and commenced making
preparations for moving to the Pacific shores in the Spring. Save six favorite
negroes, whom he brought with his family to California. Mr. Rice disposed of all
his possessions, and on April 28, 1859, left Independence, his train consisting
of eight hundred and ninety head of cattle (mostly heifers), six wagons with
four yoke of oxen to each, one ambulance for his family, thirty head of horses
and mules, seventeen hired men and the six negroes. During the first part of
their journey our voyagers began to make the acquaintance of the unfriendly
elements, high waters and muddy trails being their companions. Near Lawrence,
Kansas, some of the cattle were stolen; on the North Platte, the cattle
commenced to die; they continued to drop off throughout the distance. At the
last-named place, five men from Michigan, travel-stained, foot-sore and weary,
were added to the band by Mr. Rice, under contract. Time was given them to
recuperate, and such is the gratitude of human nature, so soon as these ingrates
had recruited, they stole away and have not been seen since. After the Thousand
Springs valley was left, the journey was pleasant though arduous. The following
curious circumstance Mr. Rice relates as having happened on the 6th July. The
day was particularly hot as they entered Ice valley, a small vale coated with
thick, luxuriant grass. On digging down about a foot, a layer of pure ice was
found, some five inches in thickness, a beneficent provision of nature that was
quickly garnered and stored for several days in blankets. Our party, it should
be mentioned, came by the Honey Lake route, where they learned that the previous
season in California had been a dry one, and that therefore it would be
expedient to leave all cattle on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, which,
after branding was done, those remaining (one hundred and ninety head and two
valuable mules had died on the plains) were driven to Willow creek, and left in
charge of Archibald Rice, the eldest son of our subject. While there, Mrs. Rice,
their son Thomas, and two of the hired men, were prostrated from sickness, which
caused a detention of twelve days, while, it may be remarked, that from this
place Mr. Rice assisted several people to cross the plains, with the promise of
payment in California, but he has never seen the borrowers nor their money
since. Here he parted with several of his hired men. Our hero now started to
cross the mountains. What a flood of recollections must these few words bring to
the mind of he who has traveled this route! With but four wagons and the "family
coach," some cattle, and a man or two, the difficulty of climbing the Sierras
was surmounted; the descent on the western side was soon made, and the declining
hours of the month of September found them in the valley of the Sacramento. He
proceeded to Napa, and for one year rented and cultivated a farm belonging to
Ex-Governor Boggs, of Missouri, while, with his family, he resided in the house
of John Seawell. His son, Archibald, who, it may be recollected, was left at
Willow creek with the cattle, had had some difficulty with Indians, who drove
off a portion of the stock; these he recovered, however, and moved them to Honey
Lake, where they remained until the month of May. After putting in his crop at
Napa, and placing three daughters and a son at school, Mr. Rice traveled for the
remainder of that season in quest of a place whereon to permanently locate,
while he received intimation of depredations among his cattle on the east side
of the Sierra Nevada. Notwithstanding severe impediments from snow and other
causes, he quickly proceeded to Honey Lake, arriving during the last days of
April, where he found his stock much reduced in quality and quantity; therefore
he drove the remainder to Big Meadows, Plumas county, his son being left behind
to collect stragglers. In August they were all transferred to Fresno county, to
a pasturage that had been selected for them. In April, five of the six negroes
that Mr. Rice had brought across the plains with him, left him, and afterwards,
the last, with his son, wished also to sever his connection with his benefactor.
The son being detained, Mr. Rice was served with a writ of habeas corpus calling
upon him to show cause; he was brought to trial at once, the case was dismissed,
and the negro mulcted in costs. October 11, 1860, our subject purchased the San
Miguel Homestead, in Contra Costa county, near the village of Walnut Creek, from
Ygnacio Sibrian, whither he moved his family on the 18th of October, 1860. In
1862, he built a school-house, hired a teacher, took in a few scholars, and
opened a private family school—just such an one as he had started in Missouri.
It was kept open until his family had received a sound training. One he sent to
the Golden Gate Academy, where he graduated. For the first two years our subject
leased his farm—afterwards he took possession himself, and farmed it until the
Fall of 1880. Henceforward Mr. Rice's life has been that of a good father and
right-thinking man. He has seen all his children placed above want, in different
portions of the State, and in 1871, with the partner of his joys and sorrows,
and youngest daughter, he paid a visit to Missouri, on their return halting at
Salt Lake, en route to their home in Contra Costa. Another journey was
undertaken in 1880, when a grand reunion of his friends and relatives was had,
to the intense satisfaction of all. On his return in the same year, to his
ranch, he gave up farming, rented a portion of his land, and at present keeps
enough to raise a few cattle to "keep his hand in," as it were. Of what nature
of man Mr. Rice is, his history informs us. After an active life of more than
ordinary length, he is now enjoying well-earned quietude in one of the most
beautiful homes of Contra Costa. He married, February 26, 1840, Louisa Ish, a
native of Missouri, by whom he has had: Archibald, born March 30, 1841, died
December 24, 1879; William Ish, born July 4, 1842, residing in Ventura county;
Xarrissa, (now Mrs. Wm. G. Hill); Arnetta, (now Mrs. John G. Hill);  Thomas
Alexander, born January 30, 1849, residing in Ventura county; Octavia, (now Mrs.
Thomas W. Sturges); Coffee Adams, born March 25, 1855, residing in Ventura county.


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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