Sierra County
Biographies
James Miller
He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Cowan) Miller, and was born near Montreal, Canada, August 19, 1835. His father was one of the leading and influential farmers of that section. James worked on the farm at home until he was seventeen years old. In 1852 the gold excitement caused him to emigrate to Australia. He landed at Melbourne, and started at once for the mines, seventy-five miles inland, with his entire outfit on his back. He worked about eighteen months with fair success, and then went to Van Dieman’s land in Tasmania, and engaged in lumbering for a year. Through the failure of others with whom he was connected, he lost his all, after which he went to Sidney, and followed the lumbering business fifteen years. In the summer of 1868 he came to California, arriving in September, and went direct to Sierra valley, where he bought the Keyes ranch of 600 acres, three miles west of Sierraville, on which he built a fine house and extensive outbuildings, a view of which may be seen on another page. He was married September 25, 1854 to Agnes Harvey, born in London, July 26, 1837, then of Australia. By her he had ten children, as follows: Elizabeth C., born August 28, 1855; Agnes, August 24, 1857; Jeannette, November 9, 1859; Nellie, September 10, 1861; Maggie C., September 5, 1864; James John, May 8, 1866; David, September 26, 1868; Eva M., August 21, 1870; Amy L., November 4, 1872; Henry Harvey, May 4, 1875. Elizabeth was married to James Wiggins of Downieville in August, 1875; Agnes was wedded to S. M. York, in October, 1876; and Jeannette was united in marriage to Fred Olsen, in July, 1880.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 271
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
Joel E. Freeman
This gentleman is a native of Jefferson county, Tennessee, where he was born January 9, 1836. In 1855 he went to Iowa, and engaged in farming until the spring of 1859, then starting overland to California, arriving in the fall, and settling in Sierra valley in the spring of 1860 on a farm of 640 acres, eight miles north of Sierraville. May 1, 1859 he was married to Miss Virginia Cooksey of Franklin county, Indiana, by whom he has had six children, as follows: Willis, born January 22, 1860; William, July 19, 1862; John, October 13, 1863; Sarah, March 17, 1865; Thomas E., January 21, 1870; Charles H., July 23, 1877. The eldest son, Willis was married November 29, 1881, to Miss Mary McElvoy of Sierra valley.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 271-272
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
Marshall Hughes
He was born November 22, 1858, in Whitley county, Indiana. In 1874 he left home and traveled for two years through the western states, and then came to California, settling in Sierra valley, where he bought a half-interest in the Carroll farm of 480 acres, twelve miles north of Sierraville, on which he has since resided. He was married February 22, 1880, to Miss Mary A. Carroll of Sierra valley, who was born at Forest City, California, September 29, 1862. Their son, Marshall, Jr., was born December 5, 1881.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 272
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
Theophilus Maddux
was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, December 5, 1815. In 1838 he left home and settled at Indianapolis, where he engaged in the confectionery business with a partner. In the spring of 1852 he started overland to California, arriving in Sierra valley in September. He settled on the ranch now owned by James Miller, and lived there two years, when he abandoned the claim without proving upon it. He remained in this section until 1874, engaged in various pursuits, when he bought the Wood ranch of 1860 acres. His wife was the first white women in the head of the valley, and his daughter, Laura O., was the first white child born in this section. Her birth occurred in February, 1853, in a log house which stood near the present residence of James Miller.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 272
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
William C. Lemmon
Judge Lemmon was born in Seneca county, New York, March 3, 1822. When William was eight years old his father removed to Washtenaw county, Michigan, and settled on a farm which he had located for his son in 1825, the patent for the land being signed by John Quincy Adams, and still in the possession of our subject. Six years after, his father died, and the management of the farm, together with the support of the family, devolved upon William, which duties he discharged until the other children were grown up. He attended school at Albion, Michigan, and from there went to Ann Arbor, where he read law with Wilson & Hubbard, and was admitted to the supreme court of the state in December, 1849. In the spring of 1850 he came to California, via Panama, arriving in June and going direct to Nevada City. He soon began mining on the islands below Goodyear’s bar, and in the fall settled at Downieville, engaging in general merchandising. In 1851 he was elected the second justice of the peace of Downieville, and served two years. From the summer of 1852 until 1856 he dealt in stock, spending his summers in Sierra valley, and his winters near the buttes in the Sacramento valley. Then he made the latter place his home until the floods of 1861-62, when he returned to Sierra valley, and has since lived there. In 1853 he was elected a justice of Sierra township, and served two years. He is a past master of Sierra Valley Lodge No. 184, F. & A. M.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 272-273
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004