San Benito-Monterey-Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Hames, John 1841 - 
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Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

JOHN HAMES, one of the oldest American settlers of California, came to the
State, via Cape Horn, from New York, as a carpenter of the ship "Phoenix." He
remained abroad of his ship one year, leaving her in Peru, South America, and
worked at his trade in Peru, Chili and Equador during the years of 1842-'43.
Coming to California he first located at Monterey, in May, 1843, but visited Los
Angeles and San Francisco, at both of which places he worked at his trade. His
next venture was the taking of mill timber to the Barbadoes for Captain Smith.
Mr. Hames then built the first sawmill at Niles Station, California, in
1844-'45. He located the present town of Soquel, in Santa Cruz county, at which
place he built mills and made the town his home, until 1883, during which time
he ranged sheep in the Salinas Valley. Mr. Hames has seen much of pioneer life
in California, following as he did his trade of carpenter and millwright so many
years. He knew Marshall, to whom credit is given of having discovered gold at
Sutter's mill, in 1848, and was working in the mill race at the time the first
gold nugget was picked up. To quote the words of Mr. Hames: "The Mormon boys
were working at the mills for Sutter, with Marshall as foreman. One of these
brothers found the gold, handed it to Marshall, who in turn gave it to Sutter,
who sent it to San Francisco, where it was pronounced gold." Mr. Hames also
relates the fact of having himself raised the first stars and stripes at San
Jose. It was a small banner, about six feet long. He put it on a little willow
pole that surmounted an old adobe building. "Tom" Fallon has been credited in
historical volumes as having performed this act.

  Mr. Hames is a native of Orange county, New York, having been born there March
22, 1811. His father, Benjamin Hames, was a millwright by trade and a native of
the same State, who came West in the early days of Michigan settlements, located
at Bath Creek, Calhoun county, Michigan, where he built the first mill and
resided until his death, which occurred in 1850. The maiden name of the mother
of our subject was Rebecca Hardin, who was born near the city of Rochester, New
York.

  The subject of this sketch was married to Drusilla Shadden, in 1846, by the
Hon, Thomas O. Larkin, at Monterey. Mrs. Hames was a native of Arkansas, but
came to California in 1843, with her father, Thomas Jefferson Shadden, now a
resident of Oregon. This lady bore her husband eight children, namely: Benjamin
F., born in Santa Cruz county, April 9, 1847, married July 3, 1873; Miss Ella,
daughter of A.J. Copby, and they have four children, namely: Bart, May, Frank
and Eva, the two former are twins. The other children of our subject, are:
George, Susan, Eliza, Martha, Lucrecia, Carrie and Lillie. Our subject makes his
home with his son Benjamin, of Peach Tree valley, San Benito 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.


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