San Benito-Monterey-Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Hames, John 1841 - ************************************************ 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 25, 2007, 4:51 am 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. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanbenito/bios/hames1127nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb