Yolo County CA Archives History - Books .....Through A Slumber Period 1913 ************************************************ 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@gmail.com December 3, 2005, 11:53 am Book Title: History Of Yolo County CHAPTER II THROUGH A SLUMBER PERIOD The last mission—Francisco de Solano at Sonoma—was established at Sonoma July 4, 1823, and that was about the "fartherest north" of the Spanish-Americans, or Californians; the upper portion of the territory being left to the North Americans who for the next fifteen or eighteen years came over the eastern mountains and into the great valley as hunters. It was a slumber time in the land just before the rude awakening in the "Roaring Forties." The Californians did not welcome the strangers—in fact, the people from the states were always considered as worthy of suspicion. "These Anglo-Americans will become troublesome," said a longheaded governor of California, as early as 1805. All English speakers to them were "gringos," and generally dangerous characters. The name has an amusing origin. During that period the old song "Green Grow the Rushes O," was very popular and every North American seemed to be singing it. The Spanish-Americans caught the often-repeated words "Green grow," and turned them into "gringo," a term of derision for the Yankees. But the "Green Grows" kept a-coming. THE HISTORY-MAKING SMITHS The pioneer of those hardy, fearless huntsmen—in fact, the first transcontinental tourist of the countless army that has made its way westward "across the plains"—is Jedediah S. Smith. Wherever there is history to be made there is remarkably often a Smith around "to help." Capt. J. S. Smith was a partner of William H. Ashley, the well-known hunter and trapper who in 1824 discovered the Great Salt Lake in Utah. In 1826 he made his memorable traverse of the continent, coming through Walker's Pass of the Sierras into California with his company of hunters. They were immediately arrested by the Mexican officials, but were finally released. Afterwards, the authorities sought again to capture Smith, but with his band that traveler was hunting along the_ Sacramento and American rivers—out of reach of the Californians. Several years after this he was killed in New Mexico by the Indians. Another great hunter who made the west his game ground was Alexander Roderick McLeod of the Hudson Bay Company. In the winter of 1827-8 he was caught in the snow on the bank of the river he had discovered and the whole band almost starved to death. Even this near-tragedy did not assist in his honor as the river got on the maps as the "McCloud." CACHED THEIR PELTS BY THE CREEK In 1829 Ewing Young, with a company of hunters, worked along the San Joaquin, Sacramento and other streams of the great valley. They remained a considerable time on Cache creek. So numerous was the fur-bearing game by the waters of the central and northern part of the state that the many bands of hunters roving over the country reaped there a rich harvest. Naturally, a land teeming with conditions so favorable for occupancy would be the ideal home for the Indians. With the streams full of fish, woods full of game, the food question was solved for them. This in a measure accounts for their indolence, spiritlessness. They grew fat and lazy. With bow and arrows and other weapons which they skillfully made and used they could kill any animal they met, or could successfully trap birds and fish, but they in general preferred a milder diet, such as acorns, berries, roots, grass seeds and the grass itself. The mild climate made covering of secondary or of no importance, consequently the Indian put in much less time building houses than did the beaver. A few tules or willow-boughs bound together sheltered him, and almost nothing—frequently nothing—clothed him. Some of the chiefs were notable exceptions to the rule, but that is what made them chiefs. CHIEF FRANCISCO SOLANO One of these was Francisco Solano, the head of all the tribes from Bodega bay to the Sacramento river. His original name was Sem Yeto, but the mission fathers at Sonoma caught him, baptized him and gave him the name of their mission. General Vallejo, the comandante of this military division of the territory, treated the chief kindly—something remarkable for a Spaniard, but M. G. Vallejo was a remarkable Spaniard—though he would resent being called a Spaniard. He was just to all men—even-to Indians—and through Solano, whom he made his ally and friend, governed the thousands of irresponsible savages in the district. Solano—originally meaning an east wind blowing across Old Spain; then the name of a young priest toiling among the western Indians; then the mission at Sonoma; also the baptismal title of a native accepting wonderingly and only half understandingly the white man's faith; and finally a rich county of this noble domain. Of course, as Sem Yeto went deeper into civilization he naturally lost much of his kindly savage disposition and adopted the white man's polished faults; and as he tasted of the pleasures engendered by the mission grape, he frequently put away the saintliness of his mission training. Vallejo occasionally had to correct the manners of his red ally, but a night in the guardhouse would bring the usual aching head and the consequent repentance of the morrow. 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] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/history/1913/historyo/througha124ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb