San Diego County
Biographies
S. A. McDOWELL,
Sheriff of San Diego County, was born in Orange County, New York, October 11, 1839, and came to this coast in 1864. He spent the succeeding ten years in different sections of the State, principally in the Sierra valley and Siskiyou County. In 1874 he settled in San Diego, where he has since resided. In 1879 he was elected Supervisor, which office he held several successive terms. In 1884 he was elected Auditor and Recorder, and retained the office, until 1886, when he was elected Sheriff. In 1888 he was re-elected to the office, which he has always filled with faithfulness and ability.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 199
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
ROBERT BAILEY
was born in New York city on the 9th day of September,
1828. He attended the public schools of that city until he was sixteen
years of age and then, being of a restless disposition and wishing to see the
world, he struck out for the Middle Western States, but met with no particular
experience until 1849, when in the gold excitement of California he decided to
visit that great El Dorado of the far West, and to that end joined a large party
in Missouri, and with ox teams set out on
that long journey across the plains, seeing no Indians and meeting with no
particular adventure. They crossed the Rocky Mountains by the South Pass and
around by Fort Hall, came into the Sacramento valley by the Lawson route and
arrived at Lawson's ranch after six months of wearisome traveling. They then
went to Bidwell's bar on the middle fork of the Feather river, when they began
their mining experience. They worked with " rockers" with very good results, but
soon moved to the Corracco bar, where they made about $50 per day. Food was
scarce; damp, hard, worm-eaten flour, costing $2 per pound; but money was plenty
and easily made and little value was put upon it; an ounce of gold was given for
a day's labor. In 1850 he went to San Francisco for a time, as a clerk, then in
September went to Shasta County and began mining on the Sacramento river, but
with poor results: so went into the employ of Bull, Baker & Co., of Shasta,
wholesale and retail grocers, remaining until 1854, when he went up the south
fork of the Salmon river, meeting with very fair success until the freshets came
and mining closed for the winter; then went to Red Bluffs in the employ of J. D.
Dall & Co., general merchandise and liquors, remaining until 1858, when a
company of eighty men was organized under General Kibby to go and suppress the
Pit River Indians, Mr. Bailey being First Lieutenant. They killed many of the
Indians and captured about 1,500, who were taken to San Francisco and from there
sent by steamer to the Mendocino reservation in Mendocino County. He then worked
in the office of General Kibby for about six months, when a company of eighteen
was formed to go and search for the celebrated Gun Sight lead out near Death
valley in Inyo County. Death valley is 150 feet below the level of the sea and
very barren, there being no fresh water and consequently no vegetation. Valley
about thirty miles across and sixty miles long; emigrants suffering great
hardships in crossing and often death for want of water. The company failing to
find the lead disbanded and returned to San Francisco; then in 1861 he went to
the Tahiti Islands in the South Seas, then by Valparaiso, up the South American
coast to Panama, and then taking steamer back to San Francisco. Then prospected
in Idaho during the summer of 1862, meeting with fair success; after working
claim out went into Oregon and located some good claims at Cottonwood gulch,
where he and a partner built a cabin and worked through the winter with good
success. In the spring of 1863 left partner and went to Idaho, prospecting in
California gulch near Placerville and was interested in the Thorn Creek ditch at
Idaho City, which was a very rich claim, and remained about two years. In 1865
he went to Montana, remaining about two years and losing a great deal of money
in running bed rock tunnel at Orifina gulch. In 1867 he joined a company of
seventy-five men under the leadership of Jeff Stanford, to prospect in the Big
Horn mountains in Wyoming. Camping on the Big Horn river they collected and
dried game to the amount of fifty pounds to the man, then crossed the river on
rafts; then, dissatisfaction arising in the company, some wishing to go to Salt
Lake, the company divided and Mr. Bailey was elected captain of the band to
visit the Big Horn mountains. They crossed the mountains but found little gold,
and came out on the Tongue river. The Sioux Indians were very troublesome, and
they killed two of their party while out hunting; their bodies were afterward
found scalped and filled with arrows. Prospecting being unsuccessful the company
disbanded, and being near Fort Phil Kearny, Mr. Bailey secured the position of
mail carrier to Fort Laramie, down near the Platte river, distant about 130
miles. The country being infested with Indians, much riding was done at night
and the round trip took him eight days, and he was thus employed for nine
months.
In 1867 he went with the Eighteenth Regiment under Colonel Carrington, to Fort McPherson, and was then appointed chief of scouts and came to Fort Saunders on Laramie plains with General Gibbon. He there received the appointment and built the company post during the winter of 1867; leaving in the spring of
1868 for Camp Douglas at Salt Lake, and again began prospecting at Bingham cañon, but met with poor success. Then joined a company of six for White Pine mountains, but luck being down, sold some valuables and started for San Diego, arriving in July, 1869; then went prospecting in the Julian mountains, but, finding no placer mines, returned to San Diego and took a position as barkeeper with Mr. Elliott at foot of F street; after five months was appointed Deputy Sheriff, which continued about eight months. Was employed as first barkeeper at the Horton House, then opened a saloon on Fifth street, continuing in business until September, 1888, when he retired until July, 1889, and then opened his present stand on E, between Fourth and Fifth streets.
A man of varied experiences, and one who has suffered many hardships, but still, at the age of sixty-one years, remains in the prime of life.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 199-201
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler