Sacramento-Shasta-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Backus, Gurdon 1860 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2005, 4:45 am

Author: Lewis Publishing Co.

GURDON BACKUS. The argonauts of California are a race by themselves, standing up
like giants among the people who have flocked in to profit by their early
trials, hardships and tireless labors, just as the huge redwoods overtop the
smaller trees of the forest. California can never do sufficient justice by her
pioneers, for the reason that without them she would never exist. They came
thousands of miles over sea and land, literally taking their lives in their
hands, and notwithstanding the most incredible difficulties and dangers they
fought their way, and as a result we of a later day are reaping the benefits of
their sufferings, in this, the fairest of all lands.

  Amid the many life-histories of the pioneers that it has been the good fortune
of the writer to pen, he can safely say that none have been so full of incident,
of interest, of indomitable energy, of great accomplishment and of lessons
worthy the reading and remembering as that of Gurdon Backus, which, we here
present.

  He was born in the old Green Mountain State, November 6, 1820, and is
therefore at the time of this writing Hearing the close of the sixties, yet as
active, as energetic and as young in appearance as if he had yet to touch the
half century. Of his earlier days and of his family we present the
following:—His father was a contractor and builder of ships, and built the flag
ship Saratoga at Vergennes, Vermont, which whipped the English at the battle of
Plattsburg; was on board himself as volunteer. He died in Burlington, Vermont,
when Mr. Backus was but eight years old, He was a first-class ship builder and
mechanic, traveling all over the continent in the course of his business. He had
six children, two boys and four girls. The youngest son, brother of Gurdon, left
his home for the battle-fields of Mexico, where he fell in battle. Commodore
McDonough boarded with his grandmother at Vergennes, Vermont, during the
building of the fleet in 1814. The maternal grandfather, Colonel Nichols, was a
pensioner of the Revolutionary war.

  The subject of this sketch was brought up on a farm until fourteen years of
age, and was then engaged in the clothing business in Poughkeepsie, New York,
and Burlington, Vermont, and next in New York city. He was an active worker for
Harrison in 1840, and was a member of a log-cabin club. He entered business for
himself at the age of nineteen years, and was in the clothing trade until he
came to California. He was married twelve days after he reached his majority.

  Mr. Backus was among the first to set out from his Eastern home for the El
Dorado, leav-[sic] Burlington, Vermont, January 13, 1849, and New York in March,
for the long trip across the continent, driving a six-mule team from the city of
St. Louis. He tramped the whole seventy-five miles from Cumberland to
Brownsville, being three days and a half on the old National road. The long
journey was successfully accomplished with the usual hardships and difficulties,
but without serious mishap, and the Golden State was reached August 29, 1849,
the arrival in Sacramento, then the objective point for every one, in the
September following. After a few days in this city, Mr. Backus went up to
Redding's Diggings in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, but did not
remain long after the winter rains came on. He made his way back to Sacramento,
through miseries and difficulties, such as can only be appreciated when heard
from the lips of the men who underwent them. He took a position in the Empire
Hotel, kept by Keefe & Butler, the latter a brother of the celebrated General,
at $195 a month and board, remaining with them until the end of January, 1850.
Then he opened the Anglo-Saxon Hotel on Front street, and continued the business
with good success until the fall of that year.

  The outbreak of cholera, however, induced him to transfer his energies to
another point, and accordingly we find Mr. Backus in San Francisco in November,
1850, homeward bound for the East, with a comfortable little pile of $17,000
worth of gold dust in his sack. He did not get farther than that city, however,
and soon leased the Commercial Hotel, on the corner of Jackson street and Jones
Alley, where Colonel Haraszthy now has his wine depot, paying no less than $800
for his monthly rental. He made the house the best and one of the leading hotels
in the city, for he always does his best, and was patronized by the best class,
and fairly earned money for a while, having bought the house and enlarged it,
when the disastrous conflagration of May 4, 1851, swept the hotel and all its
contents out of existence, and left Mr. Backus with only $50 in his pocket.

  Nothing daunted he stepped aboard the Sacramento boat the next day, determined
to go back to the mines and retrieve his fortune. On reaching that city, he was
accosted by a Jewish merchant, J. Pinchover, on the levee, and offered a
position with him as clerk at $150 a month and board. This position he retained
until the end of December, 1851, and then, receiving a Government clerkship, he
went to Vallejo, then the State capital, and with this begins another and more
prominent chapter in the eventful life of the worthy pioneer. At this time, too,
begins the literary activities of Mr. Backus, letters from him giving the best
resume of matters, political and general, of all published, appearing in the
Eastern and other papers. Fortunately he kept a diary of those early days,—a
perfect ireasure house of facts and circumstances used for this article. He took
an active part in the great struggle over the State capital, working
energetically in the interests of Sacramento. He went one night through the rain
and darkness, up the Sacramento River for State Senator Henry E. Robinson, to
assure his vote for the final test.

  Mr. Backus clerked in the Legislature until May, 1852, when he began business
in Sacramento for himself on J street, in the clothing trade, gradually
enlarging his business and launching out into new departments of enterprise
until he was one of the most extensive dealers in central California. In April,
1853, he was made Harbor-master of Sacramento, holding the office for two years,
being then and afterward largely interested in Sacramento schooners and
shipping. In 1851 he built for himself the fine mansion at the corner of Tenth
and E streets, then one of the finest residences in the city, and still ranking
with any for beauty and comfort, surrounded by trees, shrubs and flowers, and
bringing out his family from the East to occupy it.

  In March, 1852, Mr. Backus became the Sacramento agent for Charles Crocker,
who was then carrying on a store at Negro Bar, and later on he admitted Mr.
Crocker as a partner. November 2, midnight, 1852, occurred the great fire, which
destroyed almost the whole city, his store among others. His house and one other
were the only houses left north of J street on Tenth street, and he fed and
housed his friends for some time to the number of sixteen or more, among them E.
B. Crocker and wife, whom he was instrumental in saying from the horror of that
fearful night. There was great suffering at this time, and the price of
provisions went up to fabulous rates, yet through all Mr. Backus went
unflinchingly and nobly, helping his friends, although himself one of the
greatest losers. The general election had just taken place, and the ballots,
etc., had been carried to his house and were thus saved. In February, 1854, he
went into business in partnership with W. R. Strong, of Sacramento, now so well
known, and was again extensively launched into business, only to lose everything
again by fire, July 12, 1854, at midday. In 1855 he was elected Public
Administrator, holdidg the office for two years.

  The war feeling that resulted later in the desperate civil struggle was
already rising high. In all this Mr. Backus was for the Union, "first, last and
all the time;" and when Lincoln's call for volunteers was made, he at his own
expense published a notice calling for volunteers, organized three companies,
and at great expense and difficulty outfitted them, through the Union Club of
Sacramento, and kept them together until the war department sent out an officer,
Colonel Kellogg, to take command. He aided in organizing the Union Club of
Sacramento, formed of men whose united action did more than almost any other
cause to keep California in the Union, and stifle the hot Southern desire for
secession and war, although, the leaders of this element were his close personal
friends. The money raised by Mr. Backus and the Union Club was the means of
arousing the movement that placed this State among the loyal commonwealths and
steadied the feelings of all. His son, General Samuel W. Backus, so well known
for his many public positions and his great worth of character, now Postmaster
of San Francisco, was his father's right-hand man in all of this, and he himself
went East and served honorably and well throughout the civil struggle.

  For seven years Mr. Backus was in the internal revenue service in San
Francisco, going to that city in 1861. Sixteen yeara ago he accepted the agency
of the Southern Pacific at the important station of St. Helena, the wine center
of California, a position which he still holds with Satisfaction to the business
public. His beautiful cottage home in the eastern part of the town is the
picture of home-like comfort, being surrounded by trees and veritably embowered
in flowers and flowering shrubs. He was a member of the common council of
Sacramento (sitting with Mark Hopkins) in 1853, which built up the city,
improved its streets, etc., and was active in railroad matters.

  Mr. Backus has always been a clear-sighted and acute observer of the events of
which he has made a part. He is a powerful writer, an exact and careful business
man, a good conversationalist, and a most genial host. His popularity is shown
by his long occupancy of his present position, where he has to meet and adjust
affairs with all classes of people, not less than by the majorities which he has
received when a candidate for public office. He is an honored member of the
Pioneer Society of San Francisco, and of Washington Lodge, No. 20, F. & A. M. of
Sacramento. His motto through life has been, "Duty: results take care of
themselves."


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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