Sonoma-Sacramento-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Gregson, James 1822 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 27, 2006, 5:23 pm

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880)

Gregson, James. A representative man of Sonoma county, and whose portrait is in
this history; was born in Little Bolton, Lancashire, England, September 14,
1822. When nearly twelve years old, he with his parents, emigrated to the United
States, settling in Philadelphia, where, in 1837, James was bound to James
Brooks as an apprentice to the blacksmith and machinists' trade, serving till
twenty-one years of age. Here, on October 20, 1843, he married Miss Eliza
Marshall, who was born in the city of Manchester, England, on March 15, 1824.
They moved to Rock Island county, Illinois, in 1844, sojourning there until
April, 1845; then, in company with Mrs. Gregson's two brothers, Henry and John
Marshall, her sister, Mary A., and mother, Mrs. Ann Marshall, crossed the plains
with ox teams to California. While on the road, and passing through Humboldt
canon, they were attacked by Indians, who killed all their stock, except one
yoke of cattle, which compelled our little party to make a two-wheeled vehicle
out of their wagon, on which their baggage was transported, together with those
persons who were unable to walk. All the men, also Mrs. Gregson and her mother,
traveled on foot the entire distance from Humboldt to Johnston's ranch on Bear
creek, the party arriving there on October 20, 1845. Mr. Marshall did not walk
over twenty miles. The hardships and sufferings which these two women endured on
this journey can better be imagined by those who have passed through a like
experience than described by us. All honor to these ladies, who braved all the
dangers of an overland trip to this State, and at a time when few had dared to
make the journey in order to become permanent settlers, and who have lived to
see the then wilderness of California subdued to a garden of beauty. Mr. Gregson
at once proceeded to Sutter's Fort, where he was employed by Captain John A.
Sutter to work at blacksmithing. During his stay here he enlisted in a company,
to join General Fremont at Monterey, taking with them a drove of horses. In
1846, while at the fort, Mr. Gregson was guard over General Vallejo, who was at
that time a prisoner of the Bear Flag party. He was also engaged in a battle at
Salinas, and followed the movements of Fremont to Los Angeles, when he, together
with other members of his company, were honorably discharged; after which, Mr.
Gregson returned to Sutter's Fort, where he remained till February, 1848, when
he was sent by Captain Sutter to Coloma to assist in erecting the mill which
that gentleman was building at that place. It was while the subject of this
sketch was working on the mill that gold was discovered. Mrs. Gregson has now a
small nugget of the precious metal, which was given her by some Indians in
exchange for a shirt. While this family were residents of Sutter's Fort, their
daughter Anna was born on September 3, 1846. After their arrival in Coloma, the
Indians would come a distance of forty miles to see the baby, and could not be
induced to believe it a real child until they had pinched it, or in some other
way made it cry. In October, 1848, Mr. Gregson came to Sonoma, having moved
there partly to regain his health, which had become impaired while living at
Coloma, but, on recovering which, he returned to Coloma in 1849; thence to the
middle fork of the American river, but was again compelled to leave the mines on
account of ill-health; going to Sacramento, there engaging in house-building in
Sutterville, which he continued till late in the Fall of 1849; thence to Sonoma,
and in January, 1850, settled on his present farm of one hundred and sixty
acres, situated in Green Valley, Analy township, and was the first to break land
and raise grain in the valley. We will here note that Mrs. Gregson's mother and
sisters settled in Sonoma in 1846. No man in this State is more respected than
Mr. Gregson, and his name is everywhere the synonym of probity, honor and
business integrity. Uniting to the frankness and generosity of an Englshman
[sic] the intelligence and polish of the highest type of a gentleman, his name
and pioneer career will ever be associated with all that is most agreeable in
the early settlement of Sonoma county. The names and births of his children are
as follows: Annie, the first white child born in Sutter's Fort, as above. She is
now Mrs. Reid of San Luis Obispo county, this State; Mary Ellen born at Coloma,
September 25, 1848, now Mrs. McChristian; William F., a resident of Stanislaus
county, California, born September 24, 1850; John N., born September 1, 1852,
and resides in San Luis Obispo county; Eliza Jane, now Mrs. Butler, of Mark
West, born May 31, 1854; Henry M., born October 5, 1856; Adelia J., born March
28, 1858, now Mrs. George Fraits, of San Luis Obispo county ; Caroline, born
October 29, 1862, and Luke B., born March 27, 1868.

Additional Comments:
Analy Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY
—OF-
SONOMA COUNTY,
-INCLUDING ITS—
Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams;
—TOGETHER WITH—
A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original
Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular
Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County;
Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain
 Growing Interests, and Pisciculture;
ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
—AND OF ITS—
Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO:
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by ALLEY, BOWEN & Co.,
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

PACIFIC PRESS,
Oakland, Cal. Printers., Stereotypers and Binders.


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