Statewide County CA Archives History - Books .....Prominent Early Visitors 1891
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California

PROMINENT EARLY VISITORS.

  Ewing Young, who had trapped with parties on the upper part of the Del Norte,
the eastern part of the Grand and the Colorado rivers, pursuing the route
formerly traversed by Capt. Jedediah S. Smith, in 1829-'30, entered the San
Joaquin Valley and hunted on Tulare Lake and the adjacent streams. During the
last part of 1832, or early in 1833, Young, having again entered the San Joaquin
valley and trapped on the streams, finally arrived at the Sacramento River about
ten miles below the mouth of the American. He followed up the Sacramento to the
Feather River, and from there crossed over to the coast. The coast line was
traveled till they reached the mouth of the Umpqua, where they crossed the
mountains to the inland. Entering the upper portion of the Sacramento Valley,
they proceeded southerly till they reached the American River. Then they
followed down the San Joaquin Valley and passed out through the Tejon Pass, in
the winter of 1833-'34. Besides these parties, there were several trappers, or
"lone traders," in this region during the same period.

  The attention of the officers of the wealthy and powerful Hudson Bay Company
was first specially called to the extent and importance of the fur trade in
California by Captain Smith, in 1827 or '8. The first expedition sent out by
them was that under the command of McLeod. A short time after the departure of
this company a second one was sent out under the leadership of Mr. Ogden, which
followed up the Columbia and Lewis rivers, thence southerly over western Utah,
Nevada, and into the San Joaquin Valley. On their return they trapped on the
streams in Sacramento Valley, and went out at the northern limit in 1830.
Thereafter the Hudson Bay Company continued to send trappers into all this
region, for a time employing about ninety or one hundred men in the State. 

  During the months of January and February, 1844, John C. Fremont, then brevet
captain of topographical engineers, on his return from his first exploring
expedition to Oregon, passed down the west side of the Sierras, and crossed the
snow-covered summit to Helvetia (Sacramento), suffering many privations and
hardships. To reach this point they followed down the south fork of the American
River. Fremont has published a journal of his trip, describing the experiences
of himself and of his men with the Indians and with the usual vicissitudes of
western travel, and also of the beauty of the lull and valley scenery and the
primeval streams of pure water.

  The next winter another party, of hardy pioneers, worked their laborious way
through the drifting snow of the mountains and entered the beautiful valley, one
of them remaining in his snow-bound camp at Donner Lake until returning spring
made his rescue possible. The party consisted of twenty-three men, viz.: John
Flomboy; Captain Stevens, recently a resident of Kern County, California; Joseph
E. Foster; Dr. John Townsend; Allen Montgomery; Moses Schallenberger, now a
resident of San Jose, California; C. Greenwood and his two sons, John and Brit;
James Miller, of San Rafael, California; Mr. Calvin; William Martin; Patrick
Martin; Dennis Martin; Martin Murphy and his five sons; Mr. Hitchcock and son,
and others.

  William Sublette came overland in 1845 with a party of fifteen men, probably
by way of the famous "cut-off" named after him. He went East with Clyman and
Hastings.

  James Alexander Forbes, a native of Scotland, lived some years in South
America, and came thence to San Francisco about 1830. In 1832 he was acting as a
kind of clerk or major-domo for a Mexican at Santa Clara. A year or two
afterward he was naturalized. In July, 1834, he married Ana Maria, daughter of
Juan C. Galindo, being then twenty-seven years old. In 1836 he was agent for the
Hudson Bay Company; elector in 1838; sindico in 1839; and in 1842 he was
appointed British vice-consul at Monterey, which office he filled for a few
years, but without moving to Monterey, as there was little to do. In 1844 he was
the grantee of the Potrero de Santa Clara; in 1845-'46 he was at San Francisco
in charge of the Hudson Bay Company's property, after Rae's death, having
apparently used his influence against Sutter and Micheltorena, being involved in
a controversy with Leidesdorff, and obtaining for himself and wife some beach
lots in that place. He disclaimed taking any part in procuring a British
protectorate over California, and in the troubles of 1846-'47 he took but slight
part. Governor Mason declined to permit him as British vice-consul to import
goods free of duties. Mr. Forbes died in Oakland, in 1881, at the age of
seventy-seven, retaining to the last much bitterness of feeling against many
American peculiarities. His children have been Carlos H., residing at Los
Angeles, in 1885, with ten children: Martha (deceased), James Alexander, Jr.,
Michael, Frederick, James Alonzo, Luis Felipe (deceased), Maria Clara, Juan
Telesforo, Margaret, Francis H. and Alfred O.


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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