Butte County
Biographies
GEORGE ADAMS SMITH
Of the election of Judge Sherwood’s successor, Judge Sexton says: “In 1852 came on the first popular election for district judge. George Adams Smith presented himself as a candidate for the position from Butte, and William P. Daingerfield as a candidate from Shasta. The convention met at the town of Tehama. J.E.N. Lewis marshaled the forces of Mr. Smith, and Mr. Watson (the immortal Col. Jack, of legislative memory) those of Mr. Daingerfield. The rooms of the hotel where the convention was held were separated by cloth partitions, and the several caucuses were held under the shade of the spreading oaks. The convention came to a deadlock, and neither candidate would give way, or their friends would not let them; and finally Watson, with the friends of Mr. Daingerfield, withdrew, formed a convention of their own and unanimously nominated Mr. Daingerfield. The other portion of the convention unanimously nominated Mr. Smith. A third party came into the field from Colusa, as a Whig—Col. G.W. Bowie. George Adams Smith was elected by a fair majority. * * * In 1853, he died of consumption. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and learned the trade of his father, a brick-mason. He was too weak physically to labor at that, and, quitting it, commenced the study of law. With only an ordinary common-school education, he made rapid advances in his profession and, had he lived, would have attained eminence in it. He was an indefatigable student, a clear and logical thinker, and exulted in the acquisition of knowledge, especially in that of his profession. He was a good, pure, honest and high-minded man. The people of Butte lost one of their brightest ornaments, and every member of the bar a friend, when they were compelled to murmur their farewell over his grave.”
The vacancy was filled by the appointment of Hon. Joseph W. McCorkle by the governor. He was succeeded by William P. Daingerfield, elected the following year for the unexpired term. In 1857, the legislature created a new judicial district, called the fifteenth, with Butte, Colusa, Tehama and Plumas counties, and Hon. C. E. Williams was
appointed judge until the election that fall. This was a hard-fought struggle between Hon. Warren T. Sexton and Hon. J.E.N. Lewis. They were both democrats, but Mr. Sexton had been successful in securing the nomination, and Mr. Lewis ran independently. It is said that $15,000 were spent in conducting this exciting contest, which resulted in the election of Judge Sexton. In 1863, Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Lassen were formed into the second judicial district, and Mr. Sexton was again chosen judge. In 1869, Hon. Charles F. Lott was elected judge. J.E.N. Lewis, who had received the nomination of the democratic party, died of heart disease the night after securing it. Of his death Mr. Sexton says: “He died sitting in his chair, enjoying a beautiful summer eve, in front of the house, so quietly, so noiselessly, that a lady, sitting near enough to touch him, continued her conversation to him a few minutes after his death, until finding he did not answer some question, she touched him and discovered that life was extinct.” Judge Lott held the position until 1875, when he was again succeeded by Mr. Sexton, who presided until his death, August 11, 1878. Hon. P. O. Hundley, the present superior judge, was appointed to succeed to the vacancy, and held the position until the abolition of the court, January 1, 1880.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
SMITH H. HURLES
Smith H. Hurles, proprietor of the Boston ranch and hotel, is of Irish ancestry, and was born in the town of Enniskillen, May 1, 1827. He was educated in Portora Royal College, Ireland; and when twenty years of age came to the United States and located in Boston, where he remained for seven years. He was there married to Miss Hattie Herring, a native of Portland, Maine, and shortly after they came to California. In 1857, Mr. Hurles settled on the Boston ranch, and opened a public house, which has, from that time to the present, sustained its high reputation of treating guests to the best of everything.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
PENCE’S RANCH AND PENTZ P.O.
In 1850, Mr. M. Pence, in company with William Lyon, Robert Bounds, Alfred Kagy, and John Slocum, located what was then known as the Lyon ranch, in the Messila valley (an arm of the Sacramento valley), so named by Mrs. Burnham. Here they opened a store and eating-place in a tent. The bar was kept on a small board taken from the broken wagon-box. The interests of his partners changed hands frequently, but Mr. Pence retained his, and in 1866 bought out Thomas Harrison and became sole owner of the property. A blacksmith-shop and post-office are kept by Mr. Pence. The latter was established in 1864, with M. Pence as post-master. The department spells it Pentz. At first the mail brought to the office could be placed in a cigar-box; now the different publications taken at the office number a hundred. It is on the old emigrant road, twelve miles from Oroville, and has a daily mail.
The ranch consists of four hundred acres, and is one of the most valuable as well as beautifully-located ranches in the county. All kinds of fruit trees and shrubs grown and bear abundantly. The vineyard contains about 12,000 vines. In the orchard are about sixty orange and lemon-trees, together with a good collection of peaches, apples, pears, nectarines, apricots, and both black and California walnuts. The grapes are grown without irrigation, and command the highest price in the market.
Manoah Pence, the proprietor of the ranch, was born in Perry county, Ohio, on the sixth day of April, 1819. He was the son of Isaac and Catherine (Heck) Pence. Manoah was the second son of seven children. His boyhood days were spent in labor on the farm, mingled with a limited attendance at public school, so that his facilities for an education were not large. When twenty-one years of age he left the parental roof, and for eight years resided in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. On the second day of April, 1849, he started for California, and came overland via the Sublette cut-off, landing on the Lassen ranch October 2, 1849. His party being out of supplies, Mr. Pence and Dr. Chandler were selected to go to Sacramento for them. On their return, while at a point near Hamilton, the storms set in, and they could proceed no further. The other members of the party were sent for, and they all began mining on the river. Mr. Pence took out with pick and pan thirty-seven dollars daily. He afterwards mined on the east branch at Ohio bar, and at Rich gulch, near Yankee Hill. In 1850, he abandoned mining and settled on his ranch. On December 16, 1857, Mr. Pence was married to Mrs. Sophia (Chase) Finn, a native of Maine, and widow of the late Nemiah Finn. By her first marriage she had two children: Laura Helen, born September 20, 1848, and died April 11, 1849; Charles E., born September 20, 1850, and died August 12, 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Pence have also had two children: Watt M., born September 10, 1858; Layton, born October 16, 1860, and died January 5, 1863. Mr. Pence is a member of Table Mountain Lodge, F. & A.M., at Cherokee. He is widely known throughout Butte county, and highly esteemed by all.
Near Pence’s ranch is the lumber-dump of the Oroville Lumber Company’s flume. The Sugar Pine Lumber, Flume and Mining Company was incorporated in 1874. In 1875-6 the flume was built. It heads in Concow township at Flea valley, where are two large saw-mills. Two thousand inches of water are conveyed in the flume a distance of twenty-five miles to the dump, in the course of which there is a fall of 3,500 feet. On the nineteenth of February, 1879, a new company, called the Oroville Lumber Company, was formed, with a capital stock of $200,000. Mr. Daniel Hilton was the first superintendent, and still holds the positio8n. At the dump there is a large planning-mill, where lumber is made to suit the trade. Three million feet of lumber are cut annually by this company, and the amount will be greatly increased hereafter, because of projected improvements to be made the coming year. Near the dump is a good store, kept by J. R. Buffington.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson