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Marin County, CA Biographies |
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BOLINAS TOWNSHIP PETER L. BOURNE. Was born in Barnstable county, Massachusetts, April 30, 1826, and was the second child of Barnabas and Diadema Ewer Bourne. He remained at home with his parents till he was twelve years of age, when he shipped on board an Atlantic seaboard coaster. He followed this till 1843, when he shipped on board the ship “Rodman,” Captain Alex Newcomb, master for a sperm whaling cruise to the Yellow sea, and was absent about three years and seven months. After spending four months at home, he again shipped, this time on board the bark “Dryade,” bound on a Pacific whaling voyage. After cruising off the coast of Peru for two years the ship put in at Tolquagana, Chili, and the crew broke up. The ship was chartered for San Francisco, and Mr. Bourne reshipped on her, and arrived in that port September 20, 1849. After lying in the harbor for four months, the ship returned to Chili, Mr. Bourne going with her, and another whaling expedition was undertaken. He shipped on her as second officer. After the vessel had been out thirty days all hands refused to do duty, and the ship put into a port of the Tahiti Islands, and the refractory crowd turned loose among the natives. She then went to Pieta and Tom Peru, and took a cargo of vegetables for San Francisco, arriving again in 1851. He then made a three months’ trip to the mines, working at Horse Shoe bar, American river. Being forced by sickness to abandon the mines he returned to San Francisco, and shipped as first officer on the schooner “Excell,” Captain John Corwin, master, bound for Tahiti. He continued in this trade for three years, when he left the vessel and came to Bolinas. This was in November, 1853, and in 1854 he paid his old home a visit, returning to Bolinas in September of that year. Captain Bourne has sailed several vessels from Bolinas to San Francisco, among which may be mentioned, the sloop “Falmouth,” schooner “Alexana,” and in partnership with S. Clark he had the schooner “Convoy,” of which he was master for three or four years. In 1866 he came to his present farm, which now consists of seven hundred and ninety-seven acres. Captain Bourne is a man of sterling traits of character, and a worthy citizen. He was married July 5, 1861, to Miss Mary P. Smith, daughter of William and Josephine Saiz Smith, who was born in Marin County. Their children are: --- Zenas B., born October 30, 1862; Isabella, born October 31, 1864; Ulysses, born August 28, 1868; Frederick, born June 14, 1873; Peter, born August 6, 1873; Henrietta J., born August 8, 1879. [History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] PABLO BRIONES. Is the oldest son of Gregorio and Ramona Garcia Briones, and was born at the Mission Delores, San Francisco, January 15, 1823. He resided with his parents, wherever they were located, until the Fall of 1837, when he went to Bolinas and took charge of that rancho for his father, and erected the necessary buildings upon it. His mother and her other children followed him during the next year, his father remaining in San Francisco, of which place he was Alcalde still another year. He remained with his father for the succeeding several years, having charge of the place. He now resides at Woodville, and is one of the most honorable and respected Spanish-American men in the county. He was married February 2, 1861, to Senorita Rafaela Santilla, daughter of Juan Santilla, born in September, 1840. Their children are: --- Pableto, born November 14, 1861; Fannie, born April 9, 1863; Mary, born April 7, 1865; Teresa, born November 17, 1867, and died at the age of ten months; Clotilda, born April 9, 1871; Juan, born January 14, 1873; Belle, born March 18, 1877; Francisco, born August 19, 1878; Carlota, born September 17, 1879.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] GEORGE BURGE. Was born in Chilcompton, Somersetshire, near Bristol, England, February 7, 1830. He is the son of Richard and Ann Purnell Burge. He remained here till 1854, during which time he received his education. The remainder of his time was spent on a farm. His father having died when he was seven years of age, he was thrown early upon his own resources for a livelihood, and was thus deprived of many educational advantages. In September, 1854, he sailed for America, landing at New York City. After a short sojourn in that city he set out on a tour of inspection, looking for a suitable place to locate. He passed through Cleveland, Toledo (Ohio), and Detroit, Michigan, and finally located in Brant county, Canada West, at a place called Burford. He was engineer of a saw-mill at that place till the Fall of 1856, when he made up his mind to come to California, and on October 6th of that year sailed for San Francisco via the Nicaragua route, at which place he arrived November 1, 1856. He proceeded in a short time to the mines in Tuolumne county, where he remained for about four months, when he returned to San Francisco, and set out for Oregon. He followed mining at Starve-out creek and other localities till July, 1858, and on the 4th of that month started for the Frazer River country, walking as far as Seattle, Bellingham bay, Washington Territory, where he learned that the mines were a failure. He then took passage on the old “Columbia” for Victoria, then for San Francisco, working his way. Arriving here he proceeded to Petaluma, where he was engaged in working on a ranch till 1860, when he came to Bolinas and stayed a short time; from there to the city and worked in a hotel until the 2d of February, 1861; came to Bolinas again and engaged in wood chopping. That Fall he purchased a ranch in what is known as Pine Gulch, and continued on it till 1872, when he disposed of his farm and purchased the Bolinas hotel property from Mrs. Jesus Gifford. He has since conducted that business, having enlarged the house and made a tip-top caravansary of it. In May, 1867, Mr. Burge returned to his native heath in “Merry England,” and, winning the heart of a “bonnie lass” named Emma Davis, they were married November 12, 1867. She was born in Stourton, Somersetshire, England, March 7, 1845. Their children are: --- Ada F., born October 26, 1868; Minnie P., born March 4, 1870; Emma C., born August 19, 1873; George D., born February 29, 1876; James W., born October 28, 1878.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] SAMUEL CLARK. This worthy gentleman and pioneer was born in Eric county, Pennsylvania, Sept. 9, 1827, and is the son of D. A. and Mary Clark. When about fourteen years of age he left home, went to New York and shipped on board a vessel bound for Liverpool. He continued to follow a seafaring life till the Fall of 1852, at which time he arrived in San Francisco. At the time of his arrival he was very ill with the Panama fever, and he went to Washington, Yolo county, to a hospital, where he was finally cured by an old-fashioned Arkansas doctor. In the Spring of 1853 he came to Bolinas, and began boating and hunting. In 1855 he went to Arizona, and followed steamboating on the Colorado river for one year, when he returned to Bolinas and located permanently. Mr. Clark has always been a public-spirited and enterprising gentleman, and has been honored with more than one position of trust, by the suffrages of his neighbors. In 1856 he was elected constable, and in 1867 he was chosen to represent his district as Supervisor, which position he filled to the great satisfaction of his constituents. In 1873 he was again elected to the same position. He has also been Justice of the Peace for Bolinas township. In 1863 the “Pike County Gulch Copper Mining Company” was organized and Mr. Clark was chosen as President, and when, in 1874, the “Bolinas Steam Navigation Company” was organized, he was honored with the chief position in the corporation. He has held the office of school trustee for a number of years, and takes great interest in the advancement of education, recognizing in it one of the great civilizing agents in the world. In Capt. Samuel Clark is to be found one of Nature’s true noblemen, plain, unassuming, honest, truthful – in truth a very gentleman. He was married June 22, 1867, to Miss Frances Nott, who was born at Bolinas in 1851. Their children are Colfax, born April 14, 1869; Marcia, born June 27, 1870; Gordon, born July 24, 1874; Helena, born December 25, 1875; Frances, born April 25, 1877; Ellis, born August 16, 1878.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] JOSEPH CODONI. Born in Switzerland, September 20, 1847. In 1867 he emigrated to this country, arriving in San Francisco January 2, 1868, and soon after came to this county, and has been engaged in dairying most of the time since. Purchased the ranch where he now resides, containing six hundred and nineteen acres, on August 15, 1870. Married October 29, 1873, Rosa Silacci. She is a native of Switzerland. Ida, Silvio and James are the names of his children.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] WILLIAM O. L. CRANDELL. Was born in Charleston, South Carolina, January 7, 1829, and when ten months old accompanied his parents to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was educated and resided until he attained the age of eleven years, when he moved to Cooperstown, Otsego county, New York, and there completed his schooling. At the age of seventeen he began school-teaching, an occupation he followed for five consecutive Winters. At eighteen he entered upon the study of medicine, receiving his diploma and being admitted to practice at the age of twenty-two. In January 1853, started for California via Panama, and arrived in San Francisco February 5th of that year. He at once proceeded to the mines in Shasta county and there sojourned for a year, when, returning to San Francisco, he engaged for a year in clerking in a store after which he went back to the mines, on this occasion to Siskiyou county, and there tarried for two years. In 1857 he commenced merchandizing at Hamburg Bar, on Klamath river, an occupation he pursued for two years; he then returned to San Francisco, and after a short time proceeded to Alameda county, where he engaged in farming and fruit raising. In 1865 he paid a visit to the Eastern States of two years’ duration, and then came back for a like period to Alameda county. In 1870 he settled in Marin county at Olema, where he held the office of Justice of the Peace and Notary Public until 1880. In 1872 was elected a Trustee of the Garcia School District, since when he has been clerk of the Board. Married Dolly Maria Wecks October 19, 1848.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] ALFRED DERBY EASKOOT. This old and highly respected citizen of Bolinas township was born in Manchester, Massachusetts, February 3, 1820. At the age of nine he began going to sea on coasters during the Summer season; at the age of thirteen he burnt his hand and face, and stopped on shore one year. At the age of twenty he shipped on board the brig “Perseverance,” Captain Leach, master, running in the West India trade, and continued in this trade on various vessels till 1846, being master of the brig “Retrieve” from 1845 to 1846. During the last-named year he went to Philadelphia and engaged in boating on the Raritan canal, from Philadelphia to New York, and continued in that business for two years. At the end of that time Robert Packer, of Philadelphia, built a barque called the “Esther Frances,” and put her in his charge. He continued as master of this vessel for one year in the South American trade. In 1851 he set out for San Francisco to join the barque “Asa Packer,” but when he arrived in San Francisco, in July, 1851, he was so ill with the Panama fever that he was unable to take charge of her. August 16, 1851, he came to Bolinas. In 1852 put in a crop on the Belvidere ranch. In 1853 he was elected County Surveyor, to which office he was re-elected for four other terms as follows: 1853-’55; ’57-’59; ’65-’67; ’69-’71. He was married July 4, 1861, to Miss Amelia L. Dumas, who was born at Philadelphia on the 24th day of July, 1820.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] JOHN GARCIA. Was born on the rancho Corte Madera del Presidio in Marin county, in 1838. He is the son of Rafael and Loreta Garcia. His life has been spent on the old homestead, the ranch Tomales y Baulinas, and in that vicinity, where he has conducted a general farming business. He resides at present in Olema, and is engaged in the butcher business. He was married July 4, 1864, to Guadelupe Higera, who was born in Sonoma in 1845. Their children are: Mary, born August 4, 1864; Maud, born June 15, 1866; Loreta, born May 6, 1872; Rafael, born November 12, 1875; John, born February 16, 1879.[History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.] J. C. GIBSON. Was born in Upper Canada in the year 1829, his parents being natives of Sackett’s Harbor, N. Y. In 1836 he accompanied them to Belvidere, Boone county, Illinois, and there received his early education, and resided until the Fall of 1843, when he moved to Yankee settlement, Clayton county, Iowa. In January, 1852, he left Iowa for California via Cape Horn, in the ship “Racehound,” the voyage occupying one hundred and fifty-two days. In the month of July, having arrived in San Francisco, Mr. Gibson essayed to try his luck in the mines, going first to Forbestown, Butte county, where he sojourned for six months, but as there were no paying diggings there he proceeded to Strawberry valley, Yuba county, where he mined for a year without making anything. We next find Mr. Gibson engaged in merchandising, a business he followed until 1869, when, finding the mines being gradually exhausted, he moved his family to Bolinas, Marin county and commenced merchandising there in the Spring of 1870, which business he still follows. In 1875 he was elected a Supervisor of Marin County; in 1876 was appointed postmaster at Bolinas. Married, in the year 1859, at Strawberry valley, Sarah Adelaide Gasherie, by whom he has four children, George Lewis, Ida, Carrie, and Richard. [History of Marin County, California ,Alley & Bowen, 1880. Transcribed by Darlene Anderson.]
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