San Luis Obispo County, CA
Pioneers
Last Updated 3-27-2010
Drury Woodson James
TRIBUTE TO JAMES
Sketch of Prominent Pioneer and Capitalist
by Myron Angel
“Morning Tribune” [San Luis Obispo] Friday, July 8, 1910
SUBMITTED BY KATHIE KLOSS MARYNIK
San Luis Obispo County has been the field and home of many men of extraordinary character who have made and acted important parts in the history of California. The list would be long, and a most interested and philosophic volume could be written of them. A prominent trio of these was the firm of Blackburn Brothers and James; the last of whom recently passed away in San Francisco. Only a few years ago these names were as familiar as “household words.” They are little heard now, so fleeting are the people of the earth; high and low, the rich and the poor, but in farewell to such men there is a duty to pay more than an ordinary obituary notice, and pleasure tinged with sorrow, to write a tribute to men so generous, hospitable, and honorable. In the History of San Luis Obispo County of 1882 are biographical sketches of Blackburn Brothers and James, proprietors of Paso de Robles Hot Springs, supplied by interviews with the gentlemen. The adventures of the pioneers constitute a story of as thrilling interest as the most dramatically conceived romance, partaking of hardships and dangers, exposures and pleasures, the brightest hopes and the severest disappointments; brilliant successes and disastrous reverses; of friendships unexcelled; of tragedies the most sanguinary, and the joys and conflicts of every person. The most of a great army of 1849 have passed away and to the younger citizens the tales of the past are regarded as largely partaking of fables, but to those of the time the remembrances of them are most vivid and interesting.
Drury Woodson James was one of the pioneers of that period. He was born in Logan County, Kentucky, November 14, 1826, son of Jackson and Polly Poor James, natives of Virginia, the parents of both serving in the War of Independence. D. W. was left an orphan while an infant, a sister, wife of John Mimms, taking charge of the family. In 1846 he was in business on the banks of the Ohio River and when volunteers were called for to engage in the war with Mexico, James joined the Louisville Legion, ten companies, under the command of Colonel Ormsby. The Legion joined the army of General Taylor on the Rio Grande and with that small but gallant force fought its way to the stronghold of Monterey and in the fierce battle took that city. Early in 1847 the army marched forward toward the interior, and on the 22d and 23d of February fought the great battle of Buena Vista, the American forces numbering but about 4,000, while the Mexican army commanded by General Santa Ana numbered 22,000. Notwithstanding the great disparity of numbers and in a hostile country far from supplies, the Americans triumphed and set the claim of invincibility. In the forced march and exertions of battle, James burst a vein in one of his legs which affected him through life. The battle of Buena Vista was won and the Legion returned to Monterey which it garrisoned during the remainder of the war, partaking in some skirmishes and losing a number of men killed and wounded.
When the war was over in 1848, James returned to his home in Kentucky. Soon thereafter, the report of the discovery of gold in the newly won land of California aroused the spirit of adventure that had been born in the war in Mexico, and the late soldiers feeling that El Dorado was their inheritance rushed to reap its wealth. James, then in the vigor of early manhood, joined a party for the overland journey to the gold mines. A company was organized of people from different states and left the Missouri River April 1, 1849, following the route up the Platte and through the south [missing line] reaching the gold mines at Hangtown, now Placerville, in August, having had a safe and pleasant journey of less than five months. During the fall and winter, he mined successfully, and in the spring of 1850 engaged in the business of buying and driving cattle to supply the mining localities with beef, buying first in Santa Clara County at $20 a head and selling them in the mines at 60 cents a pound on foot; and beef at $1 a pound in the Hangtown market, all payments being in gold dust at $16 an ounce. After 1851 he extended his trips to Los Angeles, paying from $15 to $20 a head and selling at an average of $40. He usually started from Los Angeles in March, and later in the season would return and buy a drove in Monterey and San Luis Obispo, sometimes making three drives a year of 500 to 1,500 head a trip. This he continued until 1860, when with John D. Thompson he purchased 10,000 acres of government land at La Panza at $1.25 an acre and stocked it with 2,500 head of cattle. In the dry years of 1863-64 he had 500 head on the ranch which he drove to the Tulare and Buena Vista lakes and thus saved them all. At that time his neighbors were Robert G. Flint on the San Juan Capistrano, Briggs on the Comate, and Slaven on the Navajo. Briggs and Slaven were trappers and the former had a Navajo squaw for a wife, and the Navajo Indian being with Slaven, hence the name to the creek. James remained at La Panza until 1869 when he purchased one half interest in the Paso de Robles Hot Springs and the one league of land embracing it, where, in the noted firm of Blackburn Brothers and James, he continued in business as hotel keeper, stock raiser, and farmer for thirty years. His first visit to the Hot Springs was when going south to purchase cattle in 1851, then making the discovery of their pleasant bathing qualities, but water for drinking was obtained from the Salinas River nearby. Mr. James, already a capitalist, increased his wealth in various enterprises, being one of the founders of the Bank of San Luis Obispo and of the Eagle Steam Flouring Mill and owning other properties in the city of San Luis Obispo. He was supervisor for this district ten years, member of the Assembly in the State Legislature one term, and school trustee continuously, and an Odd Fellow and Mason.
The later years of Mr. James’ life were not of the high prosperity his enterprise and great property seemed to assure. With the building of the Coast Division of the Southern Pacific Railroad and Paso de Robles in 1887, there arose the brightest expectations of a most brilliant increase of business. For many years the Hot Springs had been a popular resort for the people of the northern cities and interior country in search of health and pleasure. A fine system of baths, cottages, hotel, store, and other buildings made quite a village; a coast stage line carried the daily mail and other mail routes led from it. The business was large and profitable. A beautiful and fertile country surrounded it, and channels of apparent great trade reached eastward through the Estrella and into the San Joaquin Valley, through the San Juan and Carrisa, and along the Salinas Valley, therefore why should there not be a great trade and prosperous city. A city was laid out, lots sold, and fine buildings erected. Then arose clamor for an elegant hotel and bath houses commensurate with the grandeur of the ideas of the clamorers. Mr. James resisted this appeal for a long time fearing financially embarrassment by the great expenditure demanded, but at last complied; the great brick hotel was built and the finest bath houses in the world took the place of the wooden structures that had served so long and so well. The dreaded financial embarrassment followed with the result that the nobly acquired fortune was swept away and only an equity allowed with which he obtained a house in San Francisco. This home fell victim to the earthquake and fire of 1906, but another acquired to be overtaken by another misfortune of fire from which the brave soldier, the early pioneer, the enterprising citizen, the loved old man was taken to the hospital where he passed to his eternal home.