Yuba County
History
Chapter IV: Trappers - transcribed by Craig Hahn, Oct. 2003
California Valleys Occupied by Trappers in 1820—Mr. Wm. H. Ashley—Expeditions of Jedediah S. Smith—A Curious Document—Captain B. L. E. Bonneville—The Ewing Young Party—The Story of Indian Peter—Hudson Bay Company’s Operation in California—Death of Wm. G. Ray and Withdrawal of the Company from the Territory.
The Valleys of California were during the early part of this century, occupied and traversed by bands of trappers in the employ of the many American and foreign fur companies. The stories of the wanderings and experiences are mostly related in the form of sensational novels, whose authenticity and accuracy must be taken with a great degree of allowance. Few records concerning these fur hunters remain which are within the reach of the historian, and the information given has been gleaned in part from personal interview with those whose knowledge of the subject was gained by actual experience or by a personal acquaintance with those who belonged to the parties. In many cases their stories differ widely in regards to facts and names.
As early as 1820, the Tulare, San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys were occupied by trappers who had wandered there while searching for the Columbia river. Capt. Sutter, in 1834, while in New Mexico heard from these California trappers, of the Sacramento valley which afterwards became so reputed as his home. The disputes arising regards to the occupation of the northern part of the Pacific coast trapping region in Oregon, led the American hunter to occupy the territory in and about the Rocky mountains. In 1815, Congress, by the earnest request of the people of the West, passed an act driving out British traders fro the American territory east of the Rocky mountains. Immediately the employees of the North American Fur company, still under the charge of John Jacob Astor, began to trap and hunt in the region of the headwaters of the Mississippi and Upper Missouri. In 1823, Mr. W. H. Ashley, of St. Louis, and old merchant in the fur trade, at the head of a party, explored the Sweetwater, the Platte, the south Pass, and the head waters of the Colorado, turning in the summer. In 1824, he extended his explorations to Great Salt Lake, near which, on a smaller lake named Lake Ashley, he built a fort and trading post, which was occupied for three years by his men. In 1826 (or 1827), Mr. Ashley disposed of his business, including the fort, to the Rocky Mountain Fur Co., under the leadership of Jedediah Smith, David Jackson and William Sublette.
During the spring of 1825, Smith, with a party of forty trappers and Indians, started from his headquarters on Green river traveling westward, crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains, and in July entered the Tulare valley. The country from the Tulare to the American Fork of the Sacramento river was traversed in trapping for beaver. They found at the Fork another party of American trappers encamped, and located their own rendezvous near the present town of Folsom. In October, Smith, leaving the remainder of the party at the camp, returned to the company’s headquarters on Green river. In May, 1826, Smith again set out for the new trapping region, taking a route further south than on the first trip, but when in the Mohave settlements on the Colorado, all the party, except Smith, Galbraith, and Turner, were killed by Indians. These three escaped to San Gabriel Mission, and December 26, 1826, were arrested as spies or filibusters. They were taken to the Presidio at San Diego, where they were detained until the following certificate from Americans then in San Francisco was presented:--
“We, the undersigned, having been requested by Captain Jedediah S. Smith to state or opinion regarding his entering the Province of California, do not hesitate to say that we have no doubt but that he was compelled to, for want of provisions and water, having entered so far into the barren country that lies between the latitudes of forty-two and forty-three west that he found it impossible to return by the route he came, as his horses had most of them perished for want of food and water; he was therefore under the necessity of pushing forward to California—it being the nearest place where he could procure supplies to enable him to return.”
“We further state as our opinion, that the account given by him is circumstantially correct, and that his sole object was the hunting and trapping of beaver and other furs.”
“We have also examined the passports produced by him from the Superintendent of Indian affairs for the Government of the United States of America, and do not hesitate to say we believe them perfectly correct.”
“WE also state that, in our opinion, his motives for wishing to pass by a different route to the Columbia river, on his return, is solely because he feels convinced that he and his companions run great risk of perishing if they return by the route they came.”
“In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand and seal this 20th day of December, 1826.”
WILLIAM G. DANA, Captain of schooner Waverly.
WILLIAM H. CUNNINGHAM, Captain of ship Courier.
WILLIAM HENDERSON, Captain of the brig Olive Branch.
JAMES SCOTT
THOMAS M. ROBBINS, Mate of schooner Waverly.
THOMAS SHAW, Supercargo of ship Courier.
Smith was liberated, and during the summer of 1827 with his party left the Sacramento valley, journeying towards the Columbia river. While encamped at the mouth of the Umpqua river near Cape Arago, the Indians attacked them, and with the exception of Smith, Richard Laughlin, and Daniel Prior, killed the entire party. These three escaped to Fort Vancouver where they received a cordial reception and kind treatment. Some writers state that Smith then went directly to St. Louis, while others claim, that with a party of the Hudson Bay Company’s men, he returned to the scene of his last battle, and meeting no opposition, journeyed on down the Sacramento valley, until he reached the junction of the Sacramento and Feather rivers near which a camp was located. The party under the command of a Scotchman named McLeod, were the first of the Hudson Bay Company to occupy California. If the latter version is correct, then Smith soon after he left the party and returned to the trapping grounds of his own company.
In the spring of 1832, Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, an officer in the U. S. Army on furlough, at the head of a company of one hundred men with wagons, horses, mules, and merchandize, crossed the Rocky mountains, leading parties of men into the Colorado, Humboldt, and Sacramento valleys.
Ewing Young, who had trapped with parties on the upper part of the Del Norte, the eastern part of the Grand and the Colorado rivers, pursing the route formerly traversed by Smith, in the winter of 1829-30 entered the San Joaquin valley and hunted on Tulare lake and adjacent streams. During the last part of 1832 or in early 1833, Young, having again entered the San Joaquin valley and trapped on the streams, finally arrived at the Sacramento river, and about ten miles below the mouth of the American. He followed up the Sacramento to the Feather river, and from there crossed over to the coast. The coast line was traveled till they reached the mouth of the Umpqua, where they crossed the mountains to the inland. Entering the upper portion of the Sacramento valley, they proceeded southerly till they reached the American river. Then they followed down the San Joaquin valley and passed out through the Tejon Pass in the winter of 1833-34.
Indian Peter was a Sioux Indian and came to California with a company of American trappers in 1825 (probably the Jed. S. Smith party). Peter used to relate that they had two great battles with the Indians, in the first of which the trappers were defeated; in the second the Indians were badly whipped. Besides this there was more or less fighting all the time. When the trappers returned Peter remained, because the hunting was better that at any place he had been before; he was for a long time and employee of the Hudson Bay Company. He married a French woman and had three daughters, all being great hunters, the eldest especially, who used to go out with her father. She commonly rode astride, riding down and killing elk and deer. She once saved her father’s life from the paws of a grizzly bear. They were smoking a grizzly out of a cave; the fellow came out sooner than anticipated, and was about to leap from a rock upon Peter, when a well-directed bullet from the girls rifle killed him. The skill in the sports of the field and wood and heroism in the presence of danger exhibited by these girls was a common characteristic among the pioneer women of the State. If these accomplishments were possessed in a degree by the modern belles, they would be more self reliant in troublous times, and better able to cope with an enemy, be it human or brute. One day, in 1849, Peter went to the Buttes to shoot antelope, when he was savagely attacked by a female grizzly, deprived of her cubs a few days previously. She knocked his gun from his hand and seized his head with her paws. While in this position, Peter drew his knife and succeeded after many cuts, in killing her. His head was terribly mangled and the wound never completely healed. He ever after wore a cloth about his head, and died a few years later form the effects of his wound, and whiskey. Besides these parties and leaders mentioned, during this period there were several trappers or “lone traders” who explored and hunted through the valleys.
The attention of the officers of the wealthy and powerful Hudson Bay Company was first specially called to the extent and importance of the fur trade in California by Jedediah Smith in 1827 or 1828. The first expedition sent out by them was that under the command of McLeod. A short time after the departure of this company, a second one was sent out under the leadership of Mr. Ogden, which followed up the Columbia and Lewis rivers, thence southerly over Western Utah, Nevada, and the San Joaquin valley. On their return they trapped on the streams in Sacramento valley and went out at the northern limit in 1830. About the middle of 1832 another band of trappers, under Michael Laframboise, came into the Sacramento valley from the north and until the next spring spent the time trapping on the streams flowing through the great valley. The Hudson Bay Company continued sending out its employees into this region until about the year 1845. Their trappers in California belonged to the “Southern Trapping Party of the Hudson Bay Company,” and were divided into smaller parties composed of Canadians and Indians, with their wives. The trapping was carried on during the winter in order to secure a good class of furs. The free trappers were paid ten shillings sterling for a prime beaver skin, while the Indians received a moderate compensation for their services. The outfits and portions of their food were purchased from the company. The Hudson Bay Company employed about ninety of one hundred men in this State. The greater part of the Indians were fugitives from the Missions, and were honest, and peaceably inclined, from the fact that it was mainly to their interest to be so. From 1832 the chief rendezvous was at French Camp, about five miles south of Stockton. About 1841, the company bought of Jacob P. Leese the building he had erected for a store in San Francisco, and made that their business center for this territory. The agents were J. Alex. Forbes and Wm. G. Ray, both of whom were intelligent, dignified, and courteous gentlemen. Mr. Ray, who was very sensitive, and given slightly to dissipation, when some complaint of a trivial character was made in reference to his acts, committed suicide in 1845. His death, and the scarcity of beaver and otter, caused the company to wind up their agency and business in the territory. Mr. Forbes for a long series of years the British consul at San Francisco, and by his genial manners, superior culture and finished education, mad a record which places him among the noted men of the State. This gentleman now resides in Oakland, and although seventy-five year of age, his faculties are as strong as ever. His memory is wonderful, and his power of retention, with the vast fund of knowledge possessed, has been a great service to the historian.