Colusa County
Biographies
THOMAS BEDFORD
Thomas Bedford, who resides three miles from Newville, is a California pioneer of 1850. He was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, January, 1817, his parents removing with him to Greene County, Missouri, in 1844. He was married to Miss Rebecca F., daughter of Colonel Samuel Clay, of Bedford County, Tennessee. They have four children. On the 15th of May, 1849, accompanied by his family, he set out from Greene County, Missouri, on the long journey across the plains, arriving in the Sacramento Valley, in the October following. Between 1850 and 1854 he resided first in Nevada City and afterwards in Kentucky Flat, and in the fall of the latter year moved to Colusa County, on the east side of the Sacramento, two miles below Grizzly Bend. Here he remained for twelve years, when he removed to the Coast Range, near where he now lives. It was in 1861 that he located permanently on his present home place, where he farms and raises stock on his ranch of five hundred and twenty acres. As a judge of stock and a successful promoter of stock-breeding, of the best grades, he ranks high. He has a hundred head of the best Durham cattle, either thoroughbreds or of a high grade, and has carried away several premiums for his stock exhibited at various fairs.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 384-385
RUFUS G. BURROWS
Rufus G. Burrows, and early pioneer of the State and county, was born in La Porte, Indiana, April 8, 1834. In his infancy his parents immigrated to Atchison County, Missouri, where he remained till the spring of 1848, when he set out with his parents to cross the plains to California. They came by the Truckee route and it was while resting in camp between Truckee and the sink of the Humboldt that they first heard from some Mormons returning to Salt Lake of the discovery of gold in California. This news was received with intense excitement by the emigrants. Mr. Burrows relates an incident that conveys some idea of the eagerness of the emigrants to stumble on a fortune. Three or four days after the news of the finding of gold had been imparted to the train, they came to a very steep hill where it became necessary for several men to pilot each wagon to its base. At the foot of this hell was a clear running brook in which some women, who had gone ahead of the train, were busy picking up from its bed bright, shining particles which they pronounced to be gold. Word was soon carried the entire length of the train that gold had been found, in fact, was only a few yards ahead of them, when everyone went wild with excitement and a general stampede was made to get down the hill, resulting in the upsetting of several wagons and a fight among the teamsters. Arriving at the creek, breathless, panting and in an ecstasy of expectation; they soon filled several of their tin camp plates with sand, which glittered temptingly with anything but the precious metal, for it was soon pronounced to be mica, the “fool gold” of the placers, as pyrites of iron is the “fool gold, to the tyro in quartz mining. The train again wended on and in a few days came to the camp of the ill-fated Donner party, and here they had the mournful satisfaction of interring the remaining skeletons of those who had perished there.
The party next arrived at Sutter’s Fort, on September 10, where Mr. Hitchcock, the step-father of Mr. Burrows, rented the old adobe building (which the society of California Pioneers is now seeking to preserve) and kept a hotel there till the spring of 1849, when they moved to Green Springs, El Dorado County. The step-father and mother of Mr. Burrows died at this place, in 1853. Mr. Burrows went to Oregon, and on May 24, 1854, was married to Miss Charlotte T. Hull, who was a native of Illinois. One son, Orlando A., was born during his parents’ residence in Oregon. Mr. Burrows returned to California and settled down on his present place, known as Burrows Hollow, five miles southeast of Newville, in July, 1857. He owns here over two thousand acres of land and is engaged in mixed farming and stock-raising. He possesses a fine orchard of choice fruits. In this is a fig-tree, one of the larges in the State, being forty-five inches through at the butt.
Mr. Burrows is the father of nine children, of whom seven are living. They are: Orlando A.; Mary C., wife of Wm. Millsaps; Elo E., wife of J. W. Millsaps; Annie, wife of Wm. H. Markham; Ida, wife of James F. Ellis; and Ira A. and Aura C. Burrows.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 385-386
JUBAL WESTON
This gentleman was born November 13, 1824, at East Adams, Connecticut. He comes of a family of manufacturers and inventors. His father built the first cotton mill at Taunton, Massachusetts, ever erected in the United States. His uncle, Herman Weston, invented the first machine for making pins, rolls for pressing shoe leather and devised about a dozen other useful inventions. Young Weston passed the early years of his life at Hopkinton, Massachusetts, but on leaving home he first found employment in a shoe-maker’s shop. Then he was engaged in a clock factory, drifting soon into the jewelry business. He was very proficient as a workman in all these branches. He was determined to visit California, then a land where fortunes could be so quickly acquired by the industrious and saving. For this purpose he left New Orleans on January 16, 1849, and, coming by way of the Isthmus, he was seized with an attack of cholera, which almost proved fatal; in fact, bets were made by his fellow-passengers that they would never see him again, as he could not survive the journey. But Mr. Weston pushed on, with great nerve and pluck, and arrived in San Francisco April 30 following.
Here he took hold of the first employment presented, which was driving a mule team, in the winter of 1849-50. In the fall of the latter year he purchased the schooner “Julius Springle” and with it sailed for the Sandwich Islands. Here he laid in a cargo of oranges, and, returning with them to San Francisco, disposed of them at prices so gratifying to the seller in those days. After making another trip to the Sandwich Islands, he disposed of cargo and vessel and bought the bark “Harmony,” loaded with whalebone and oil. This he took to New London, Connecticut, arriving there in the spring of 1852. Remaining in the East for one year, he again set out for California. Most of his leisure time he now passed in San Francisco, and was married here, February 5, 1854, to Miss Sarah Frances Richardson, who had come from New England to be united in matrimony. The bride was the daughter of Captain Wm. B. Richardson, of the U. S. Navy. Three months afterward, with his young wife, he arrived in Monroeville, Colusa County. Monroeville at that period consisted of a hotel and the inseparable bar-room attachment.
Pleased with the prospects in his new abode, he concluded to make this locality his home. At first Mr. Weston conducted the hotel of Charles Horner. In 1868 he purchased a strip of land one-quarter of a mile wide running east and west on the south of the Walsh rancho, or Capay grant, containing seven hundred and ten acres. This land, which at that period was considered almost worthless, but which has since grown so highly in agricultural esteem, was purchased by Mr. Weston merely as a drive-way for stock crossing from the plains to the river. Mr. Weston has lived on this land for a long time and sows it to wheat, and it is most productive and valuable now.
Mr. Weston is the father of five boys and three girls, four of whom are living; their names are: Mrs. Althea Cook, now living in New York City; Joshua Frank, civil engineer at Coos Bay, Oregon; Essie M. Weston and Hugh E. Weston, both of whom reside in Boston with their aunt. Mr. Weston lost his wife in the spring of 1876. Arthur Weston, deceased, was a civil engineer of much promise, but who, unfortunately for the fond hopes of his family, was drowned, September 25, 1887, in the Sacramento River, near his father’s home.
Mr. Weston goes East frequently to visit his two children and relatives residing there. He is an esteemed member of the Pioneers, and a Republican in politics. He is a gentleman of means and both generous and hospitable.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 386-387