PIONEER DAYS.
Another Batch of Oakland Reminiscences
Bull Fighting and Wandering Cattle - The Lumber Business - The Teaming Boom and The Profits Derived Therefrom - Horace Carpentier's Pound - Cattle Thieves and Their Fate - The Tragic Death of George Sheldon.
During 1851, 52 and 53, the town of Oakland was known as Contra Costa, and was surrounded by a dense forest of oak trees. The property of the entire place was owned by four brothers, Vicente, Ignacio, Antonio and Domingo Peralta. Vicente was the eldest and principal owner. He resided where Temescal is now located, in a house built of adobe.
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| from Map of the Ranchos of Vicente & Domingo Peralta, Julius Kellersberger, 1853 |
There were several small houses in the vicinity of the same material, and occupied by vaqueros. Ignacio resided near where the town of San Leandro now stands. The brothers inherited the land from their father, who obtained it by a grant from the Mexican Government. The Peralta brothers were in the cattle business, and thousands of cattle ran wild over the country. In San Antonio (now East Oakland), there stood a large amphitheatre, when, on Sunday, bull fighting and other native Californian sports, delighted hundreds of spectators. After the performance the bulls that had not fought were turned loose to wander at will, and when required were caught again. As there were hundreds of these vicious animals roaming about, it was dangerous for pedestrians to walk in the open places, and the closer they kept to the timber the better for their safety. In those days the population of Oakland and San Antonio was so sparse and scattered that great difficulty was experienced in getting up even an ordinary ball. Of the two places the latter was the largest. There were not many Americans located here during the years mentioned.
THE LEADING MEN
Among them being Horace W. Carpentier, Edson Adams, and Andrew Moore. [Andrew Moon - MF] The two former are still living in this city. These men had formed a partnership, and built a residence at the foot of what is now Broadway, pre-empting nearly the whole lower part of the city. They laid out streets, and managed affairs generally to suit themselves. These proceedings created considerable trouble and strong feeling of opposition, of which more will be said later. There was scarcely a ranch, or any kind of business here then, and cattle-stealing and the redwood lumber business was the only source of revenue open to the settlers. In both of the industries named a large number of our most reputable citizens were interested, and in both, vast amounts of money were accumulated. The large bands of cattle running at large all over the country rendered it an easy matter to shoot them and send the carcasses to San Francisco in Whitehall boats. There they were easily disposed of, as beef was always in demand. It has been hinted that many a rich and respectable citizen of after years secured the nucleus of his fortune in this way. In the redwood canyons there were a number of lumber mills that were kept busy turning out redwood lumber. The Thorn mill was located in Moraga canyon. On Brown creek was located the Spicer mills, owned by Thos. and William Prince. The Tupper and Hamilton mills, afterward known as the Brown and Eagar mills, was the property of Erastus Brown [Erasmus Brown- MF] and Tom Eagar. The teaming was all done with oxen, and there were between thirty and forty teams working all the time. There were four yoke of oxen to each team.
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Daily Alta California, Volume 5, Number 149, 30 May 1854 |
THE MILLS
found a ready market for all they could turn out. The price paid for the hauling alone was $22 a thousand. In after years the price fell to $7. As a trip to Oakland required but one day, $22 per thousand made teaming a very good business. The price paid for the lumber was $50 per thousand. San Antonio was the shipping point to San Francisco, being conveyed across the bay in schooners. About this time the little towns in the interior were building up, and considerable teaming was done in that direction. A trip to Livermore was not a pleasant excursion by any means, and an entire week was required to make the round trip. Ike Baily [perhaps Isaac Lambert Bailey, 1833-1927?- MF] did the most of the teaming at that time. He is still living somewhere in the Valley, and is married to one of "old man" Livermore's daughters. It was in 1852 that teaming was at its hight; times were lively, and fights among the teamsters were of frequent occurrence. Horace Carpentier, who, as has been stated, managed to control the affairs of this section, finally conceived a scheme which proved very profitable to him, but which nearly cost him his life. He established a pound for the purpose of impounding stray animals, and ran all kinds of cattle in, charging the owners an exorbitant fee to regain them. The teamsters, when they arrived, were in the habit of turning their oxen loose after they had unloaded, allowing them to wander where they chose, as at that time; luscious grass grew in abundance in every direction. After they were turned out
THE POUNDMASTER
Would quietly gather them in, and the teamsters were compelled to pay either three or five dollars for pound fees before they could obtain possession of their animals. This aroused the indignation of the teamsters to such an extent that one day, under the leadership of Al. Hastings, they went for the Poundmaster with the expressed determination of hanging him; but their victim, hearing of their intentions, made good his escape by flying to a boat and pulling out into the bay, and waiting until his pursuers had cooled down. Carpentier was backed by what in those days were called "the Government crowd," and they made it so warm for Hastings that a few months after this affair he sold his teams and left the State. He was supposed to have been the leader of the mob who hung three men a few months before for cattle stealing. In July 1854, the mill owned by Chester Tupper was burned to the ground, but was built the same year. All the mills were run by steam. During the busy times the settlement at the canyons was quite large. At this precinct, during elections, the polls were at Eagar's mill. On Sundays Rev. S. B. Bell held divine services at this mill. In 1857, a fire occurred, and burned with great rapidity, the flames fed by the fallen timber. These settlements were environed by an undergrowth so thick that a grizzly bear was hemmed in and burned to death before he could force his way out. He was one of the largest even seen in the county. There was another mill, the Plummer mill, in this colony. It was located two and a half miles east of where the palatial residence of P. H. Finnigan, the capitalist, now stands.
THE MILL OF BROWN & EAGAR
Furnished the lumber of which every old school house in the county was built.
"The oldest wooden structure on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay still stands at the entrance of Redwood Regional Park and it is well preserved because it was built from the Redwood lumber milled on the site in 1860."
By degrees the timber in the canyons and on the hills, which at one time seemed an inexhaustible supply, entirely disappeared.
The Red Woods. — Those of our readers who have never roamed through the forests that crown and encircle the coast range directly to the eastward of Oakland, may be pleased to know something of the number and occupations of persons residing in that section. The Red Woods embrace an extent of about three miles square, and are known as the "First, Second, and Third Red Woods" The "First" is comprised in a small tract of land upon the summit of the range, and in a few gulches on either side. This portion has been well thinned by the wood man's axe, and but one mill (Moody's) is now in operation. About fifty men are employed at this point, and ere many months have past, not a single tree will remain to designate its locality. The "Second" is situated about one mile farther east, and contains three mills, Spicer's, Tupper's, and Prince's. These mills are kept in constant operation, and about three hundred persons are directly or indirectly supported by them. The ravines and gulches are dotted here and there with the cabins of the woodmen, and from early dawn to nightfall, the merry ringing of the axe may be heard resounding through the forest. The "Third" is still farther to the eastward, and at present contains a population of about one hundred, the majority of whom find employment at Thorne's Mill. The largest timber is becoming scarce, at least upon the edge of the roads, and in a short time new roads will be cut through the most accessible ravines, and a new settlement formed further back in the woods.— Alameda Express.
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| Daily Alta California, Volume 5, Number 161, 11 June 1854 |
The mills were then torn down and moved. Some were taken to Santa Cruz and others to Washoe. The Brown & Eagar mill went to the latter place, where the owners conducted a very profitable business. The only landmark that now remains in the canyon to remind the old-timers of the olden times is the little cottage that was built and occupied by Tom Eagar. It has withstood the tempests and storms of thirty years, and is now occupied by Portuguese farmer and his family. Not a vestige of the old mills is left, and the ground on which the timber grew is covered with vegetation. Most of the men connected with the mills have also disappeared. Some have gone to their old homes in the Eastern States, and others to that home from whence no traveler returns, and yet there are many who still remain among us. Of those who are left, the majority are in comfortable circumstances, while others after experiencing all the vicissitudes of pioneer life are still poor, and compelled to gain livelihood best they may. Among those who were particularly interested in the redwood lumber business in those olden times, and are still residents. Not far distant from the scenes of those good old days are Erastus Brown, who resides twelve miles beyond Haywards; Tom Prince, a resident of Plumas County; Bill Prince, an honest farmer of Contra Costa; and Tom Eagar, a resident of this city, and a deputy under County Clerk Ryder.
ILLICIT STOCK RAISING.
As has been stated, cattle stealing was quite a lucrative business in this vicinity in early days, and a number of the cattle thieves lost their lives while pursuing their dangerous occupation. During 1853, '54 and '55, there were no less than 40,000 head of cattle running at large in Alameda County. A large number of slaughterhouses were in operation, the principal establishment being located at Hardy's Creek, near the foot of what is now Market street. This establishment alone killed and shipped between thirty and forty beeves daily. They owned a small sloop, and in this the carcasses were shipped to San Francisco. The hides were thrown into the bay to prevent the owners of missing cattle tracing them to this place, most of the cattle having been branded and therefore easily identified. During these years this kind of business was carried on to such an extent that milch cows, oxen, and all kinds of cattle were stolen. The thieves would even go into the redwoods and steal the oxen used in the lumber teams. A milch cow owned by Mathew Rudgedale, and valued at $200, was stolen one night, and the next morning a thorough search was instituted by her owner and a number of his friends, who visited every slaughter house in the county. Among the slaughter houses here at that time was one owned by a Frenchman in San Antonio. At this establishment the searching party found a carcass hanging on the hook that appeared to be about the size of the animal they were in search of, and under the floor of the house they found her hide. This was considered conclusive evidence that the owner of the place was the thief. When the Frenchman saw that he was suspected he fled. He was pursued by an angry mob, caught on the hill above the hollow in East Oakland and
HANGED TO AN OAK TREE
Near where Hemphill's blacksmith shop now stands. It is a question of some dispute among the old timers as to whether the tree is still standing or not, but the majority seem to think that it is, and that the tree in front of which the church on the hill is now located is the tree on which the Frenchman was hanged. The slaughterhouse was burned to the ground. A short time after this occurrence another Frenchman was detected stealing cattle, and in half an hour there was a mob of no less than fifty men in pursuit of him. He was on horseback at the time, and he rode the animal for dear life, but his pursuers gained on him rapidly. When near the bridge he dismounted, and took to his heels, endeavoring to baffle his pursuers by running under the bridge. This ruse nearly succeeded, for when the pursuing party reached the bridge they kept right on until one of their number suggested that it would be a good idea to look under the bridge. No sooner said than done. A number of them dismounted and after searching for some time discovered their man crouched down behind a post. As soon as he saw that he was discovered he opened fire on his enemies, hitting one but doing no serious injury. He continued to shoot until he had emptied his revolver, when the mob commenced shooting at him and succeeded in wounding him so badly that he died before night. This man was supposed to have been the stealing partner of the man they hung a few days before. In those days it did not take long to raise a mob to hang a cattle thief. The leaders of the hangers were, (or if they were not they always got the credit of it), Al Hastings, Stanley, and man named Tom Elder. Very few knew the latter by that name, however, as he always went by the name of Thomas Eldritch. During these times there were two or three men hung in the redwoods for cattle stealing.
HANGING OF GEORGE SHELDON.
The hanging that put a stop to cattle stealing for some time and scared the thieves so badly that many left town and never returned, was that of George Sheldon. George was a young man not over twenty-eight or nine years of age. He owned one hundred and sixty acres of land, extending from the intersection of Twenty-seventh street and San Pablo avenue to Twenty-second street. On the property was the race tract, of which he was also the proprietor. He became involved in a business dispute with one of the Kelsey brothers about a note for $500. The exact particulars of the matter are not known, but the payment of the note was repudiated, and a bitter feeling existed between the men. Kelsey was the owner of a fine horse, which he valued at $500; and, one evening, this horse disappeared. The Kelseys, with Constable Kellogg, instituted a search for the horse, and, as may be supposed, the first place investigated was Sheldon's property, where, in a little barn by the lake, the horse was found. At the time of the discovery, Sheldon was grooming the horse. A boy in the employ of Sheldon had been posted as a lookout, but the Kelsey party had come upon them so suddenly that the boy had no opportunity to give the alarm, and so Sheldon was caught in flagrante delictu, as it were, with the stolen property in his possession. He was arrested and taken to the calaboose, as the jail was then called. This, the only place for holding prisoners in the town, was located on Second street, just off of Broadway, back of where the American House now stands. It was built of two-inch redwood planks; was about 12 feet by 20 feet and 8 feet in hight. A petition ran through the center, thus forming two rooms or cells, the doors of which were fastened with common pad-locks. Into this jail Sheldon was put. Knowing that should the Redwoods men hear of the arrest they would attempt to do him an injury a number of citizens went to Constable Kellogg and begged him to take the prisoner to San Francisco where he would be safe until he was tried. This the Constable refused to do. The citizens then placed
A GUARD OVER THE JAIL.
The following acted alternately as guard: Sylvester Taylor, A. D. Eames, Alfred Burrell and S. E. Kelley. These gentlemen did the best they could to protect the prisoner, but the redwoods' men got wind of the arrest, and a gang of from forty to fifty of them came to town and took the prisoner out of the jail. They then started with their man for Clinton. George M. Blake was at that time a lawyer in this city. In after years he held several prominent positions. He went to the men who had Sheldon in charge to expostulate with them, and begged them to give the man a show for life. This so exasperated the mob that they turned their attention to the Judge, and would have given him a prominent position in the exercises had he not thought discretion the better part of valor, and retired as rapidly as possible to his ranch, where he ensconced himself in his house, which stood about where the University is now. He took with him his rifle and shotgun, but had no occasion to use them, as in the excitement of the hanging he was forgotten. Sheldon protested his innocence as to his intention of stealing the horse, and said that he only wanted to keep the animal until the money owed to him was paid, but in spite of his protestations his captors proceeded with their business. George met his fate like a man, removed his coat and allowed them to adjust the rope. He was hung to an oak tree that grew where the first building on the right hand side of the Twelfth-street bridge on the eastern side now stands A large number of citizens witnessed the hanging. Among them were Judge Sam. Robinson, Judge Maereya, A. W Burrell, S. Taylor, Sam. Clark, John Scott, and many others. This hanging proved too much for the cattle thieves, and many left town. George Sheldon was not the man's proper name, and he refused to give it, as he did not want his mother to hear of his fate. A good many thought that this hanging was wrong, as George had many friends, and had never been mixed up in the cattle-stealing scrapes, and had always borne a good character.
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| Oakland Tribune, July 22, 1882, Page 4. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-pioneer-days-another-ba/160089900/ : accessed February 27, 2026), clip page for PIONEER DAYS. Another Batch of Oakland Reminiscences by user morganfletcher |
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| Oakland Tribune, May 3, 1932, Page 3. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-oaklands-bare-hills-pla/81853243/ : accessed February 27, 2026), clip page for OAKLAND'S BARE HILLS PLANTED BY MAN Joaquin Miller photo by user morganfletcher |
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