Yolo County CA Archives History - Books .....Other Early Enterprises 1913
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Book Title: History Of Yolo County

CHAPTER XXIII 
OTHER EARLY ENTERPRISES

    [To get back to contemporaneous matters. Right here the author wishes to
explain that so far as business enterprises are concerned only very brief
mention is to be made in this particular department, because C. W. Bush,
president and manager of the Bank of Yolo, and a man long and prominently
associated with the commercial interests of the city, has contributed to the
work a very interesting chapter on the subject.]

    The Bank of Woodland, the first enterprise of its kind to be established in
Woodland, was incorporated in 1868 and exists to this day, a financial power in
the county. On October 19th of the same year Woodland was connected with the
outside world by telegraph wires and the early historian tells us that
"twenty-one messages were flashed over the wires the first day." In 1869 the
firm of Sibley & Winne started the first planing mill in Woodland and the same
year the California Pacific Railroad Company finished its railroad through
Woodland and as far north as Knights Landing.

TOWN INCORPORATED

    The town began to take on city airs and its inhabitants thought it about
time that some system of government, other than that exercised by the board of
supervisors, be established. Accordingly, on August 4, 1869, a petition,
numerously signed, was presented to the board of supervisors asking that the
town of Woodland be incorporated as provided by law, but Giles E. Sill appeared
with objections and the matter was passed by the board until September. On the
first day of that month the matter of incorporation was pressed again, but
action was indefinitely postponed, it having been discovered that thirty-four
names on the petition were not those of bona fide citizens of the town, which
left the remaining signatures less than a required majority of the residents. It
was not until February 22, 1871, that the matter was brought up again before the
supervisors by petition headed by A. C. Ruggles, R. L. Beamer, J. W. Kelly and
C. P. Sprague, containing in the aggregate about two hundred signatures of the
residents of the town and vicinity.

    But again there appeared opposition. John Hollingsworth and Joseph Wolgamott
objected so strenuously to the petition that a compromise was finally effected
by changing the boundaries of the city so that their respective properties were
not included in the city limits. At the same time the petition was amended to
include the holdings of E. H. Beamer and F. M. Brown, those gentlemen expressing
a desire to be included in the city. With these changes the board of supervisors
passed the necessary resolution of incorporation, ordering the election for
Tuesday, March 14, 1871, the polling place to be at the office of Elias
Petterson, a justice of the peace, and naming the officers of election as
follows: Elias Petterson, inspector; E. Bynum and George D. Fiske, judges. At
this election there were five trustees, a treasurer, assessor and marshal
elected as follows: D. C. Hubbard, president; E. Giddings, clerk; E. B. Lowe, G.
Kauffman and John Schuerly, trustees; J. D. Lawson, marshal; G. W. Greene,
treasurer; and P. C. Robertson, assessor.

OTHER EARLY NEWSPAPERS

    It appears that the early political complexion of Yolo county was decidedly
Democratic; in fact, it remained so until late years. This was perhaps because
most of the pioneer settlers of Yolo county came from Missouri, which state at
that time was swarming with Democrats. At any rate, up to the time of the brief
ownership of the Woodland News by Messrs. Grover and St. Louis, very little of
the principles of Republicanism had been advocated in Yolo county and men of
that political faith were scarce. With the increased population of the city,
however, there appears to have been a considerable reinforcement of the rank and
file of the Republican party and about the time Mr. Henry took over the Woodland
News the Republicans of the town began to feel the necessity of a party organ.
Some of the leading Republicans of the town interested themselves in the matter
and finally induced C. Y. Hammond, a man with previous editorial experience, to
start a Republican paper in the town. The first issue of the newspaper, under
the name of the Yolo Weekly Mail, made its appearance on the first Thursday of
October, 1868.

    O. E. Wagstaff and S. A. Jones, succeeded Mr. Hammond as proprietor of the
Mail, taking over the property on December 25, 1869. The former of these
gentlemen became the sole proprietor of the paper on May 23, 1870, and retained
possession until June 22, 1872, when E. D. Hopkins became a part owner. The
latter sold his interests to Henry Sharp on October 30, 1873. Messrs. Wagstaff
and Sharp remained proprietors until February 20, 1879, when they sold to W. W.
Theobalds.

    During the campaign of 1879 a strictly party campaign paper was issued from
the Mail office under the title The Daily Republican. It was edited by A. A.
DeLong, an ardent and enthusiastic Republican, and with the close of the
campaign, ceased to exist.

    Allan T. Bird succeeded Mr. Theobalds as editor and publisher of the Mail,
he taking over the paper in the early '80s. His successor was Ralph Ellis, who
was in turn succeeded by his son, W. F. Ellis, who is now secretary of the State
Highway Commission. J. H. Dungan purchased the paper from the latter and after
several years of ownership sold a half interest to his brother-in-law, W. T.
Mixon of St. Helena, who is now the sole proprietor. During the management of
the latter the paper has been enlarged to a four-page, seven-column sheet and a
semi-weekly paper is also issued from the office.

    The paper has remained true to the principles of the Republican party on
national issues, although the present efficient and able editor has shown an
independent spirit on matters of local interest. Mr. Mixon has stood for local
reforms and has wielded a big influence in shaping the destinies of the community.

    A newspaper called the Woodland Standard was published in Woodland for a
period of seven months under the editorship of D. H. Hackett, its first issue
appearing in March, 1879, and its final issue January 10, 1880. This paper was
bought at a sheriff's sale in December, 1878, in Winters, where it had been
published under the name of the Winters Advocate, by L. Walker, who was then
postmaster of Woodland. Mr. Hackett obtained possession of the paper through a
lease from Mr. Walker.

WOODLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT

    On the 30th of August, 1870, the Woodland Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1,
was organized. Monroe Snyder was elected foreman and William Thompson,
secretary. The trucks and other paraphernalia were made by Henry Perry, who then
had a wagon and carriage factory in Woodland. The entire expense of apparatus
was borne by the members of the company.

    The first record of municipal ownership or direction of the fire department
appears about March 5, 1875, when, under authority of the trustees of Woodland,
Woodland Engine Company No. 1 was organized with W. F. Moses, president; J. D.
Lawson, vice-president; Martin Steinmitz, foreman; Otto Schluer, first
assistant; C. Barr, second assistant; R. H. Beamer, secretary; and D. M. Burns,
treasurer. This company was equipped with a second-grade Clapp & Jones fire
engine, which the city purchased on May 4, 1876, at a cost of $5,000, two hose
carts, about 1,000 feet of hose and the old single truck of the original
company. The company exists today and is splendidly equipped with up-to-date
apparatus.

PIONEER FRATERNAL BODIES

    The first fraternal lodge organized in Woodland was Woodland Lodge No. 156,
F. & A. M., which organization was effected August 16, 1862. For a number of
years the members of this lodge met in the second story of a building situated
in the northern part of town, the lower story of which was used as a school room
in the day time. About 1894 the Masonic lodge joined with the Farmers &
Merchants Bank in the erection of the very handsome stone and brick building at
the corner of Main and First streets, which is now the home of the lodge, it
owning the entire third floor which is used exclusively by the various branches
of the Masonic fraternity.

    The next oldest lodge in Woodland is Woodland Lodge No. Ill, I. O. O. F.,
which was instituted January 17, 1863, with five charter members. This lodge
owned the third floor of the building-occupied by the Bank of Woodland for many
years and held its meetings there until a few years ago. The members sold their
property to the bank and erected a handsome three-story brick building of the
old mission style of architecture at the corner of Third and Main streets, which
is now the home of the lodge, the members numbering in the neighborhood of 230.

    Pythia Lodge No. 43, K. of P., was organized May 3, 1877, with twenty-six
charter members. The lodge is still actively engaged in the work of fraternity.

    In the fall of 1854 there was instituted in Woodland a division of the order
known as the Sons of Temperance in a school house close to and just north of
where Woodland now stands. It was a contemporaneous movement with that of the
organization of the Christian church and considerable feeling was aroused among
the people because of the stand taken by the denomination against the temperance
order, because of its being a secret order. However, it appears that the order
withstood the antagonism and it spread rapidly throughout the county. The
division erected an addition to the school house near Woodland, to enable them
to hold their meetings, and two years afterward they were joined by the Masons
and put a second story on the new school house erected that year. In this they
held their meetings until the division was disbanded, it eventually being
absorbed by the newer order of the same faith, the Good Templars.

    Sixteen men of Woodland constituted the charter membership of Yolo Lodge No.
22, Ancient Order of Chosen Friends, which for a number of years was one of the
prominent fraternal societies of the city. The members held their meetings in
the Odd Fellows' hall and prospered until the grand lodge became involved in
financial troubles, which eventually culminated with the dissolution of the
local branch.

    Woodland Lodge No. 237, Independent Order of Good Templars, was organized
under the most favorable auspices, there being ninety-three charter member when
the lodge was instituted on October 13, 1866. This number was soon swelled to
119 and the lodge erected a building, afterward called Good Templars' hall, at a
cost of $4,000, but to accomplish that end contracted debts which proved too
much for the organization, with the result that they finally lost their property
and the lodge passed into oblivion. The building they constructed, however, was
used for years afterward as a place of amusement for the people of the town and
it became a landmark.

    The order, however, of which Woodland lodge was a branch, did not expire in
Yolo county with the demise of its offspring and in 1878, on the 20th of March,
another lodge of the same order, called Chrysopolis Lodge No. 210, was
organized. This lodge continued in existence, meeting in the Odd Fellows' hall,
until the later and more effective temperance organization known as the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union took up the work they had prosecuted, and the older
organization gave way to the new.

    The German population in Woodland vicinity, following the example set by
their countrymen all over the United States, on February 8, 1871, organized a
Turn Verein Society and erected a hall building south of and facing the
courthouse. This building afterward became the armory of Company F, N. G. C.

COMPANY F, NATIONAL GUARD OF CALIFORNIA

    One of the important organizations of the city is Company F of the Second
Regiment of Infantry, N. G. C. Not so much because of its protection to the
people of the city is this organization recognized as one of the substantial
bodies of Woodland, but because it brings revenue into the city, being supported
wholly by the state, and because during all the years of its existence it has
helped in various entertainments and lent pomp and splendor to such parades as
have been held from time to time.

    Company F was organized in March, 1881, by some of the leading business men
of the city. Its ranks were recruited with the substantial men of the community,
including merchants, lawyers, doctors and men of other professions and
vocations. The first meetings were held in old Washington hall, which was
afterward destroyed by fire, and C. M. Gassier was elected the first captain,
with G. W. Myrick and Dave Tobias as his first and second officers,
respectively. The company was then a part of the First Artillery Regiment of the
state militia.

    After the destruction of Washington hall by fire the company moved its
effects into the old Turner hall opposite the present hall of records, which
also suffered destruction by fire, but not until the company had again moved
into the building now known as the Old Armory, which was built for the now
defunct Olympic Club. In the meantime the company had been changed from an
artillery organization into a company of infantry and new uniforms and equipment
were issued.

   W. T. Spencer was elected captain in 1883 and served two years. He was
succeeded by Captain Gassier, who was again elected commander in 1885. After one
year of service Major W. H. Curson was elected to the captaincy and served for
nine years continuously. It was under his command that the company found such
comfortable and commodious quarters in the old Armory building. That occurred in
the year 1888.

   Robert Warren, a lieutenant under Curson, was elected captain and after one
year was succeeded by his first lieutenant, H. U. Prindle. Under the reign of
the latter the company was called to Dunsmuir during the memorable railroad
strike of 1894. Captain Prindle was also instrumental in securing the
construction of the elegant new armory hall built expressly for the company by
local capitalists in the early '90s.

    J. J. Ward was elected to succeed Prindle and was commanding the company
when the call came for volunteers in the Spanish-American war. Company F was
recruited up to full fighting strength and the volunteers in due time went to
Oakland, where because of trouble over the commander of the company, the
authorities seeking to displace Ward and put Barnes in command of the
organization, a big majority of the members refused to be mustered in and the
company was disbanded by the state authorities.

   Woodland was without a military organization until 1898, when some prominent
men of business interested themselves in the matter and under Governor Gage
obtained permission for the organization of another company in Woodland, to be
known under the old title. W. H. Curson, who after his retirement as commander
of the company had been elected major of the Second Battalion of the Second
Infantry regiment, was again prevailed upon to accept the captaincy of the local
organization and it was due principally to his untiring efforts that the present
company was recruited.

   The commanders since Major Curson's second term have been Majors J. C. Lee
and C. W. Thomas and Captain C. B. Nichols. The company is now in a flourishing
condition and is recognized throughout the state as one of the most efficient
military organizations connected with the National Guard.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
TOM GREGORY
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913]


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