Santa Cruz-Alameda-Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....Anthony, Elihu 1818 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 16, 2007, 1:44 am

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

ELIHU ANTHONY, one of the first settlers of Santa Cruz, California, was born in
Saratoga county, New York, November 30, 1818. His parents were Asa and Sarah
(O'Dell) Anthony; the former of Welsh descent, the latter of English. Their
family consisted of six children, the subject of this sketch being the second.
From the age of five years till he was thirteen he attended the district schools
during the winter months. His father was a mechanic, and started the first
scythe factory in Saratoga county. With him Elihu learned the blacksmith trade.
In 1831 they moved to Allegany county, New York, and ten years later to Indiana.
In the meantime our subject went to Michigan, remaining a few months, after
which he joined his father at Fort Wayne. There they worked at their trade till
1841, when Elihu was married and set out for himself. The lady of his choice was
Frances Clark.

  Soon after their marriage they went to Wolf Lake, thirty miles from Fort
Wayne, where he engaged at work at his trade. About this time he became
interested in the salvation of his soul, was converted and joined the Methodist
Episcopal Church. One month later he received a license to exhort, and three
months after this was licensed to preach, and sent to Warsaw Circuit, North
Indiana Conference. After serving as pastor on this charge for one year, he was
sent to La Grange Circuit. While there his wife contracted a severe cold, which
turned into hasty consumption, and caused her death. They had three children,
all of whom died in infancy.

  He was married the second time in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1845, to Miss Sarah
A. Van Anda, and their union has been blessed with the following children:
Louisa, wife of Wilbur Huntington; Bascom F., Alman, Gilbert and Frank, all
citizens of Santa Cruz except Alman, who lives in Tulare county, and who is one
of the leading horticulturists of that county.

  In the fall of 1846 Mr. Anthony, wife and one child went to Oskaloosa, Iowa,
on his way to Oregon, as a missionary. He left Oskaloosa May 1, 1847, as a
member of a company composed of one hundred wagons and some four hundred men,
women and children. They were on their way six months. At Fort Hall they met Mr.
Apple-gate and two men who had gone to Oregon on a new route. Mr. Anthony left
the company near the sink of the Humboldt, and, on account of his wife's
sickness, came to California, arriving at San Jose Mission, and two weeks later
at San Jose, where he lived three months. In January, 1848, he came to Santa
Cruz and took up an alcalde grant of land, and put up a shop on what is now
Front street. Subsequently, he laid out the first town lots in what is now the
most beautiful city on the coast. While in San Jose he preached the first Sunday
to twelve men and women, and this is said to have been the first protestant
sermon ever preached in the State of California. For several years he rode
horseback from Santa Cruz to San Francisco and San Jose every four weeks, doing
missionary work. He organized the first society in Santa Cruz with seven
members. In 1854 he asked to resign, since which time he has not preached, but
he has ever been a faithful attendant upon the services of the church, and has,
by his large means, aided the good work, helping to build churches, support the
gospel, etc.

 Mr. Anthony followed mining a little in 1884, and in his shop he made seven
dozen picks, which sold for three ounces of gold each. They were made of iron
bolts with the points made of old files. After he came back from the mines he
opened a stock of goods with A. A. Hecox, with whom he continued one year. In
January, 1848, he laid out the first town lots in Santa Cruz. In 1851 he tore
down his old shop and built a better one. It was a story and a half high, and
was used for a store, offices and the post office. He was the first Postmaster
and received the first mail ever delivered to Sauta Cruz in December, 1849,
which was two letters and one newspaper from San Jose. The mail carrier brought
them in his pocket, sealed. For thirteen years he was Postmaster, and also kept
a store. In 1871 he built a fine block on the old site. In the upper story is
Anthony's hall, and the lower story is used for store-rooms. Mr. Anthony owns
some very valuable property in Santa Cruz and vicinity, from which he realizes a
handsome income in the way of rents, etc. He has always taken an active interest
in the county, nd [sic] was one of its first Supervisors. He served one year as
County Treasurer, and was the choice of the people for the Assembly in 1880. He
has led a very active life, and has identified himself with everything that has
been for the proper -development of the county's resources.

  This is, in brief, an outline of the life of one of the pioneers and leading
citizens of Santa Cruz, and, although only an outline, it will serve to show
something of his long, successful and useful life.


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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