Monterey-San Luis Obispo County CA Archives Biographies.....Leese, Jacob R. 1839 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 20, 2007, 8:36 pm

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

JACOB R. LEESE, the present efficient Postmaster of Monterey, is an only son of
Jacob Primer Leese, Esq., one of the earliest American settlers of California,
who for many years figured conspicuously in the civil and political history of
the State. He came to California in 1833. He is a native of Ohio and was born in
1809. He came from New Mexico to California, where he was for a time engaged in
trade at Santa Fe. He first located for a brief time at Los Angeles, and in 1836
came to Monterey, with Governor Chico, whose confidence and good will he
possessed, accompanying him from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara by sailing vessel,
thence overland to Monterey with a military escort of eighteen soldiers,
arriving May 1. This was Chico's first visit to the capital of California, where
he assumed his official duties. Mr. Leese was consulted by the new Governor
touching various matters incidental to the shaping of the policy of his
administration, and was by the Governor's influence granted permission to lay
out the town of Yerba Buena (San Francisco). Mr. Leese soon formed a partnership
with Nathan Spear and W. S. Henkley, and with them erected the first substantial
structure in San Francisco. Bancroft, in speaking of the pioneers of 1836-'40,
mentions Leese as being one of the three men who were quietly "developing the
latent glories " of San Francisco while others were distributed along the coast
between that point and San Diego. In the first named year he built the first
dwelling-house in the town, at the corner of Dupont and Clay streets. The
following year he married Rosalie, a sister of General Vallejo, and April 15,
1838, a daughter was born to them and given her mother's name. Rosalie Leese was
the first white child born in San Francisco. She lived, however, only a short
time, and a younger daughter was given the name.

  Mr. Leese did an extensive mercantile business at Yerba Buena. He owned boats
and traded on the bay and rivers until 1841, when he was made the grantee of the
Canada de Guadalupe, and Visitacion Rodeo Viego ranches at San Francisco, and of
the Huichica rancho at Sonoma. He sold his store and dwelling to the Hudson Bay
Company and removed to Sonoma, still retaining interests in two boats, one of
which was the Rosalia. In 1844-'45 he was Alcalde at Sonoma. In 1846 he was
associated as agent with Hon. Thomas O. Larkin in executing his plans of
annexation to the United States. He figured somewhat conspicuously in the
historic Bear Flag revolt as interpreter for the contending forces. Bancroft in
his published works on California acknowledges the receipt of a valuable
manuscript, reciting the story of the event, from the pen of Jacob P. Leese.
pronouncing it the best written manuscript on the subject, extant. Yet, in
another paragraph in his same work, he speaks of Leese as an uneducated and not
very intelligent man. This affords an example of the many instances wherein H.
H. Bancroft diverges from the path of historical accuracy and for reasons
mysterious to the reader, but doubtless known to himself, makes contradictory
statements and does a worthy subject an injustice. Enough, however, is given of
Jacob Leese's life in the Brancroft works to prove him a man of more than
average intelligence, keen business foresight, and by no means lacking in
courage, even though he may have been deficient in scholarly attainments, as
many of the foremost early pioneers were. In 1847 he was a member of Sonoma Town
Council. In 1848-'49 he mined extensively and was very successful. In 1849 he
made a voyage to China on the Eveline, associated in the enterprise with Hon.
Thomas O. Larkin. In 1855 he was elected Vice-President of the Society of
California Pioneers. He took up his residence in Monterey in 1850. In 1863 he,
with others, was conceded valuable lands for colonization purposes in Alta
California. The enterprise however, failed, and through various unfortunate
turns in the tide of his affairs he lost his property.

  Of Mrs. Rosalia Vallejo de Leese's family in California, the historical annals
of the State are replete with glowing and most interesting facts. Few, if any,
were more prominent in the most important social and political occurrences of
their day.

  Jacob R. Leese, the subject of this sketch, was born April 15, 1839, in
Monterey. There he spent his boyhood and youth, was educated in the Spanish and
English languages, closing his studies at Santa Clara College, and since the age
of twenty-one has been almost continuously in public office. He was Deputy
United States Marshal for the Second District, under Henry D. Barrows, Esq. He
was for years Under Sheriff of Monterey county, from 1870 to 1874. He was Deputy
County Recorder two years, 1875 to 1877, under Mr. H. Mills, and was elected
Recorder for the succeeding term. In 1878 he received the Republican nomination
for Sheriff of Monterey county, and lacked fourteen votes only of an election in
a strongly Democratic dstrict. [sic] He followed ranching in San Luis Obispo
county from 1879 to 1881. He received the appointment of Postmaster at Salinas
from President Garfield, which position he filled with much credit to himself,
and upon the expiration of his term of office he resumed farming. He
subsequently relinquished farming to assume the postmaster-ship of Monterey.
This was in 1890. A man of executive and natural clerical ability, he has
systematized and materially improved the service.

  In 1873 Mr. Leese married, at San Luis Obispo, Miss Caroline Estrada, a
daughter of Don Joaquin Estrada, a leading Californian. Her father was the
grantee of the Santa Margarita rancho in 1841. He removed to San Luis Obispo,
where he figured in public affairs, being Juez de Paz (Justice of the Peace) in
1845, and in 1853 County Judge. Of his family of ten children all are living
except two daughters and one son. The four daughters are in Monterey. One son is
in Mexico and one in Monterey county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/monterey/bios/leese1078nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/

File size: 7.3 Kb