San Mateo County Gazette Redwood City, San Mateo County, California Saturday Morning, December 8, 1860, Vol. 2 No. 36 THE NEW COUNTY OFFICERS. - The new county officers, with the exception of the County Judge, received certificates and took their seats on Monday last, 3d instant. Three of the five Justices, Messrs. J.W. Turner, S. Tilton and John Johnson, convened as required by law, for the election of Associate Justices of the Court of Sessions, and J.W. Turner and S. Tilton were chosen. The County Judge does not take his seat until May next. TWELFTH DISTRICT COURT - This Court, for the County of San Mateo, will commence the December term on Monday, 17th inst. The following is a list of the trial jurors drawn: John Vanderoef J.P. Ross J.S. Colegrove B.F. Fox, Jr. W.C.R. Smith J.Q.A. Tilton R.S. Eaton J.W. Kisling R.W. Tallant Andrew Teague Albert Dexter H.W. Kerrison A. Woodham Wm. Raynor W.P. Morrison David Jenkins T.G. Phelps Moses Davis Theodore Finger B.A. Rankin S.H. Bowman Patrick Casey Burns John A. Willard Phillip Trainor H.L. White J.P. Edinger Charles Lux Curtis Baird G.F. Maynard FIREMEN'S ELECTION. - The triennial election for Chief Engineer of the San Francisco Fire Department took place Monday last, and resulted in the choice of David Scannell, Foreman of Broderick Engine Company No. 1. COUNTY COURT - This Court meets on Monday next, 10th, to try the contested election case - Bowman vs. Ames. U.S. Land Surveys TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN U.S. Surveyor General's Office San Francisco, Nov. 20, 1860 In compliance with the First Section of an Act of Congress, approved June 14th, 1860, regulating Surveys of private Land Claims, notice is hereby given that the plats of the following private land claims, surveyed in pursuance of the 13th Section of an Act entitled "An Act to ascertain and settle Private Land Claims in the State of California," approved March 3d, 1851, have been examined and approved by me: Name of Rancho: Rincon de San Francisquito Confirmer: Teodoro and Secundino Robles The plats will be retained in this office, subject to inspection, for four weeks from the date of this publication. JAMES W. MANDEVILLE U.S. Surveyor General OUR COUNTY The first house was built in Redwood City in 1851, by Capt. A. Smith, upon the south side of Bridge street, near the creek. In '52 the first vessel, the schooner "redwood," was built by G.M. Burnham. The first store was established in September, '52, by Wm. Shaw, in the building now occupied as a residence by C. Livingston. The hotel now known as the "American," was established in 1853, by Harris, in true early California style. It then consisted of but a small part portion of the present edifice, and possessed a single lodging room, with the well remembered ranges of "bunks" along its sides. This was the year of "incidents" in the neighborhood. In the summer of the year the opinion prevailed that the grant to the Pulgas rancho would not be confirmed by the U.S. Land Commissioners, and in consequence numbers of squatters made their appearance from the surrounding country and from San Francisco to take possession of the supposed public land. There were in all about three hundred of the settlers, most of whom came fully armed, and proceeded to build shanties, measure off one hundred and sixty acres each, and take formal possession of the newly acquired property. The land most coveted was that lying between Redwood City and the San Francisquito creek, which from its being beautifully wooded, seemed peculiarly desirable. Many ludicrous occurrences took place in the neighborhood during this squatter excitement. The favorite time for operations was during the night, and magic itself could not excel the changes wrought by means of tents, shingle houses, splinter fences, etc., during the hours of darkness, and often conducted so silently that no one knew of the changes till daylight developed them. It not unfrequently happened that several parties were attracted by a choice piece of ground and having commenced fencing during the night, would discover the error only when the next morning showed the similarity of intent in their labors. Of course in such a case a fight ensued, when the strongest party took the property. On one occasion a party commenced work fencing a piece of land during the night, and on completing their labors next morning discovered in the centre of their enclosure an occupied dwelling built several days before, but which in their eagerness, they had not observed. Fence-rails were at this time twenty-five cents each, sixteen to twenty of which would be an ordinary armful, the venders of this apparently valuable article grumbling at the exceedingly low prices. Lumber commanded the enormous price of fifty dollars per thousand feet, for common boards, at the mills, only four miles distant. This year the large gang-mill, with twenty six saws, was built by Dennis Martin, at a cost of upwards of $30,000. This mill was burnt down last year. Shingles sold readily at upwards of ten dollars per thousand. The little deserted cabin ten by fifteen feet in dimensions, near the county road, opposite town, and upon Hon. Horace Hawes' farm, was at this time in full operation as the "Pulgas Ranch House," where the traveling community were furnished with "accommodations for man and beast" - which consisted of a soft spot under a tree and a roll up in his own blankets, if he had any, for the man, while the beast was turned out on the plain. At this time a very singular means for crossing the creek was in use, the present bridge not being in existence. This ferrying was done by foot-passengers, with the assistance of a huge pair of boots, rivaling in size the famous seven-leagurers of the giant of the nursery tale. In these enormous boots the passenger encases his extremities and waded through the mire and water safely to the desired shore. Tradition of the time tells of a diminutive individual who essayed the passage, but lost his balance when midway, and was nearly drowned, but was drawn out, half dead, by the humane inhabitants who came to his rescue. Near by, in rear of the Engert tract, about this period, the great Col. Harazthy, of mint chimney notoriety, possessed a camp, and was engaged in herding cattle. Upon confirmation of the Pulgas rancho to the claimants and present possessors, much difficulty was experienced in ousting the squatters, and for many months affairs in the neighborhood were in a sad condition, many of the "settler," as they termed themselves, threatening death to the confirmees of the grant and any others who dated molest them. Many riots were the consequence, but no blood was shed, though why it was not, under the circumstances, and considering the desperate character of many of the contestants, is very remarkable. Gradually, however, they were one by one reconciled, and left, or purchased from the grantees. But little change or progress was perceptible in the shape of improvements, etc., in Redwood City from the time of the above events until 1856, in which year the Consolidation Act, forming a single Government for the City and County of San Francisco, and circumscribing the latter within its present limits, went into operation. The organic act of our county provided for an election in May 1856, at which the usual county officials were to be chosen and a county seat selected. As thought the new county of San Mateo had become their legitimate prey, a crowd of the colleagues of Billy Mulligan, Chris Lilly, and John McDougal, immediately pounced down from San Francisco to take possession. The election took place on the day appointed, but such an election was never seen before that time, and never will be again. At the "Grange," Lilly's head-quarters, five hundred voters appeared upon the returns, when there were really not more than fifty adult male residents in the precinct; two hundred and ninety-seven names were upon the list from the Crystal Spring precinct, to represent less than twenty-five voters. So it was in every precinct where the operation of these men were carried on. Several days after the election, the returns were presented to the Commissioners appointed, two of whom proceeded to canvas them in the parlor of the American Hotel, in Redwood City. While they were thus engaged, the door was broken open, and Billy Mulligan, accompanied, as an eye-witness informs us, by about twelve to fifteen of as villainous a crew, in appearance, as ever graced the State's prison, rushed in and proceeded to destroy whatever papers they could lay their hands on. The most important documents, however, were preserved by the forethought of the clerk. Being told that the candidate for sheriff was elected, whose supposed defeat was the ground of the assault, they desisted, but in the meantime Lilly, with a similar gang had made his appearance. The parties were all armed, the cocking of pistols and other hostile demonstrations were made, but after much tumult they all retired, leaving the Commissioners to complete their duties, which resulted in furnishing with certificates of election the following persons: Benj. F. Fox, County Judge; W.T. Gough, District Attorney; B. Mulligan, Sheriff; Robert Gray (Lilly's barkeeper,) County Clerk; Wm. Rogers, Treasurer; John Johnson, Chas. Clark, and Benj. Fenwick, (John McDougal's barkeeper,) Supervisors; C. Fair, Assessor; A.T. McClure, Coroner. The minor county offices appeared to attract no attention, perhaps for the reason that they promised no revenue of consequence to the incumbent. It must be said, here, that but few of the persons above named were actively or directly supported by the ballot-box stuffers. They aimed only at the lucrative offices for their colleagues. At the first session of the County Court, held at Belmont, the election was contested. The proceedings had in the case, which develops the richest state of things ever know at an election, will be found in full in our issued of the 22d instant - next Saturday week. The decision of the Court located the county seat at Redwood City, and the warehouse of J.V. Diller, Esq., was used as a courthouse until the winter of 1858, when the new brick edifice for that purpose was completed - cost, $10,000. The town has improved more rapidly since the winter of 1858, than during the whole previous time. New buildings are making their appearance in all directions, and, taken altogether, Redwood City is improving more rapidly, and with a greater appearance of permanence, than nine-tenths of the agricultural towns of California. New Advertisements. WELLS & CO., Wholesale and Retail Dealers in GROCERIES, Provisions and Ship Stores No. 11 Clay Street, Wharf Near East St., San Francisco To see other old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php