SAl JDAQUIH HISTCltlAH

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1 SAl JDAQUIH HISTCltlAH PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUME XVIII OCTOBER DECEMBER 1982 NUMBER 4 MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - CALIFORNIA Annotations by Robrt Bonta (Continud from th July-Sptmbr 1982 Issu) Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Wdnsday August 18th A.D Prsnt: Hon. Wm. A. Root, Judg J. K. Shaf;?Associats B. G. Wir to Court in Cours. [signd] Wm. A. Root, County Judg J. K. Shafr» Associa t B. G. Wir/' Justics Board of Equalization San Joaquin County Wdnsday August 18th A.D Th Board mt pursuant to adjournmnt. Prsnt: Hon. W. A. Root, Judg J. K. Shaf?Associats B. G. Wir In pursuanc of sction 36 of an act passd 23d April, 1852, ntitld "an act to provid for lvying, assssing, and collcting Public Rvnu, th Board of Equalization of said County dsignat th following tims and placs in said County for th Shriff to attnd and collct th taxs which by th provisions of th said act h is mad collctor of: Th tims and placs hrin-bfor mntiond ar as follows: Stockton Sptmbr 1st to and including th 15th Sptmbr Frnch Camp - 16 do Chalmr's [Ranch] do Huntr's Frry do Clark and Siry's do Cotton's Frry 21 do Knight's Frry - 22 do Orgon Tnt do David O'Nill's Ranch do Gard's [Ranch] 25 do Stapls and Nichols' [Frry] 27 do Bndict's [Frry] 28 do Elk-Horn [Ranch] 29 do Sction 36 of th rvnu act rad in part "Th Shriff, who is hrby dclard to b, x officio, th Collctor of all stat and county taxs, lvid undr this Act, shall rciv from th County Auditor th duplicat of taxs [owd] as soon as h shall hav proposd th sam, and shall at onc procd to collct th taxs...." Thr bing no businss bfor th Board and no businss having bn prsntd, it is ordrd that it adjourn sin di. [signd] Wm. A. Root, Co. Judg J. K. Shafr\.Associat Justics B. G. Wir/ of th Court of Sssions of San Joaquin County This was Judg Root's last mting with th Court of Sssions. Two wks latr th Judg

2 PAGE 306 SAN JOAQUlS HISTORIAS MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con't) was dad, a victim of th dradd cholra at th ag of thirty. William A. Root had bn born in Madison, Nw York, in 1822 and at th ag of twnty-two graduatd from military schoo!. H studid law in th offic of a Rochstr attorny and was adm ittd to th bar in In th spring of 1850 h dcidd to com to California, arriving 011 th 20th of Jun in San Francisco whr h im mdiatly opnd a law offic. H movd to Stockton fiv months latr and took up th practic of law onc mor. In January of 1851 h bcam a partnr with John Whit in th publication of th STOCKTON TIMES. Whit and H. H. Radcliff had foundd th nwspapr in March of th prvious yar, and whn it casd publication in April, Root bcam on of th ditors of th nw Dmocratic Party organ and TIMES' succssor, th SAN JOAQUIN REPUBLICAN. Root was activ in local politics, participating in th organization of th local Dmocratic Party in April of 1851, and srving as a dlgat to th party's first statwid convntion hld in Bnicia a short tim latr. In May, 1851, th California Lgislatur stablishd th Insan Asylum at Stockton and Root was appointd to its first govrning board, srving his on-yar trm as its scrtary-trasurr. H bcam th prsiding judg of th Court of Sssions upon appointmnt by Govrnor Biglr in Fbruary, 1852, to fill th vacancy cratd by th rsignation of Judg O. C. Emory. Root's dath occurrd rathr suddnly. H first complaind of fling ilion Sptm br 2nd, and dspit th bst of mdical car thn availabl in Stockton and his youthfulnss, did th following day. Burial was in th local cmtry on th fourth, with srvics conductd by fllow-mmbrs of th local lodg of th Odd Fllows. Th following tribut to his srvic to th popl of th county appard in his nwspapr, th SAN JOAQUIN REPUBLICAN, on th day of th funral: William A. Root is dad. Our Frind--th Frind of Stockton--a frind of th whol human kind is on his journy to a bttr world. May th Etrnal Fathr, who knows our most inmost thoughts, who trith us, and as w ar told, tmprs mrcy with justic, dal with his grat soul mrcifully. Wr w to attmpt to xprss th sntimnt of stm w fl for him, th stm and brothrly affction which hav grown out of th daily intrcours and confidnc of yars, from our knowldg of his singlnss of purpos, his nobling and holy aspirations, his daily charitis, his slf-dnial, nay, vn his uttr forgtfulnss of slf whn his frinds rquird him to act--w say, wr w to attmpt to xprss all ths and our hartflt motion at his loss, w might possibly b accusd of xaggration. 'Tis tru his grat virtus did not srv to blazon his nam as a public man, but his good actions wr only known to himslf and th objcts of thm: "Full m any a flowr is born to blush unsn." W can say no mor now than that h was takn sick on Thursday at two o'clock. H first complaind of diarrha which ndd in th form of simpl cholra which has provd so fatal in California. W tak this opportunity of rturning our prsonal thanks to Dr. Walkr and Dr. Cowan, who scarcly lft his room from th timp of th attack {inti! that of his dath. W hav also to acknowldg th kind considration of Drs. Rd, Gratton, Langdon. Shurtlff, Krr, and othrs. Nothing lss could b xpctd from a nwspapr that rprsntd his political viwpoint and in which h had an intrst; what is of gratr valu, in judging th tru charactr of th man, is th oppositions' assssmnt of his virtus and his faults. Th following articl appard on th sam day in th rival nwspapr and Whig Party organ, th STOCKTON JOURNAL: Dath of Judg Root--Th Community of Stockton has lost a valuabl mmbr in th prson of th lat Judg of th Court of Sssions of San Joaquin County, To supply his plac with an abl and fficint succssor, whos nrgy and talnt will b so unrmittingly dvotd to th advancmnt of th grat intrsts of th county, will b a mattr of difficulty, if not impossibility. As all mn hav, Judg Root possssd many warm prsonal frinds, and many strong nmis; but now that h is dad, th mrits that livd with him may b xtolld as worthy of imitation, and his faults intrrd in th mmory, nvr to b rpatd. Such should b th fat of mn who di whil standing in th sunlight of fortun, for thir foibls ar apparnt to all ys, whil thir many virtus shrink from th public gaz. That h actd conscintiously for th public good will not b dnid by thos who knw him intimatly; but h rrd somtims as mortals ar fatd to do. W cannot claim

3 SA;\I JOAQLIJI> HISTORIAN PAGE 307 MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con't) On August 22, 1946, th San Joaquin County Honor Farm on Mathws Road was opnd with th accptanc of approximatly 120 prisonrs transfrrd from th condmnd and ovrcrowdd jail in downtown Stockton. Th barracks buildings in th two photographs abov alrady xistd. having bn rcntly convrtd for tmporary us as a jail facility. Thy had prviously srvd as housing for th county's indignt singl mn. In January, 1947, Liutnant Louis G. Sala was assignd to th nw facility by th nwly-lctd shriff of San Joaquin County, Carlos A. Sousa.

4 PAGE 308 SA:\, JOAQt:IN HISTORIAN MINUTE BOOK A COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con't) prfction for his brathing dust as h was actuatd always by a strong will and a dvotd frindship; but as h has lft thos h srvd with dvotion to b his impartial judgs, lt us rndr to him prais for his many nobl qualifications both of th had and hart. Court of Sssions San Joaquin County Octobr Trm 1852 B it rmmbrd that hrtofor to wit, on Monday th fourth day of Octobr in th yar of our Lord on thousand ight hundrd and fifty-two (it bing th first Monday of said month), a rgular trm of th Court of Sssions in and for th County of San Joaquin was hld pursuant to law for th transaction of of court mattrs. Prsnt: Hon. O. C. Emory Judg J. K. Shafr, Associat 4(Y7 It is ordrd by th Court that S. Dan, Justic, b allowd th sum of twntynin dollars for fs in criminal cass as pr bill fild. It is ordrd that Court adjourn until tomorrow morning twlv o'clock. Emory was appointd by th Govrnor to rplac Judg Root on th Court within a wk of th lattr's dath in Sptmbr. H had first joind th Court as an Associat Justic at th tim of th formation of county govrnmnt in Jun of Emory's trm ndd th following summr, and Justic Jacob Shafr was slctd in his plac with th opning of th nw Court trm that fall. But thn with th rsignation of Judg Bnjamin Williams soon aftr th trm opnd, th Govrnor appointd Emory to fill that vacancy, and h r-joind th Court on Octobr 15 (1851). This was followd by Emory's rsignation, in turn, th following Fbruary--only to b r-appointd at this tim. Tusday Octobr 5th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Associat R. P. Ash, Shff [sic] It is ordrd that Court adjourn until tomorrow morning tn o'clock Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Wdnsday Octobr 6th 1852 until tomorrow morning tn o'clock. Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Thursday Octobr 7th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Associat until tomorrow morning tn o'clock Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Friday Octobr 8th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Associat until Monday morning tn o'clock. Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Monday Octobr 11th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Associat until Tusday morning tn o'clock Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Tusday Octobr 12th 1852 J. K. Shaf!) Asso. B. G. Wir until tomorrow morning tn o'clock. Civil Mattrs Wdnsday Octobr 13th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Asso. R. P. Ash, Shff. [sic]

5 SAN JOAQt:Il\ HISTORIAl\ PAGE 309 MINUTE BOOK A. COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con'!) d until tomorrow morning tn o'clock Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Thursday Octobr 14th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Asso. A. C. Bradford. Clrk until tomorrow morning tn o'clock. Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Friday Octobr 15th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Associat until tomorrow morning tn o'clock Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Saturday Octobr 16th 1852 J. K. Shafr, Asso. until Monday morning tn o'clock. Court of Sssions Civil Mattrs Monday Octobr 18th 1852 J. K. Shafr Asso. B. G. Wir Justics 408 It is ordrd by th Court that John Kritznr b allowd th sum of on hundrd and twnty-six dollars for work don in th offic of th County Clrk as pr bill fild. 409 It is ordrd by th Court that Nobl and Stvnson b allowd th sum of on hundrd and forty-thr dollars for xpnss incurrd by thm in th burial of on Jol W. Haws as pr thir bib fild. Colonl R. W. Nobl and Archibald Stvnson opnd a stor and a hotlrstaurant of a sort at Frnch Camp circa August of Thy wr th fir.c;t sttlrs at th old Frnch-Canadian fur-trapping hadquartrs along th Frnch Camp Slough. Within a fw months othrs bgan to sttl at th sam sit, a natural stopping plac along th old rout from Stockton to San Jos as wll as to th southrn mins. Travlrs crossd th San Joaquin at Doak and Bonsll's Frry at that tim, but along th Stanislaus to th south of Frnch Camp thy alrady had a choic of a numbr of crossings in No doubt th dcasd was an indignt passing through Frnch Camp whn dath bfll him. 410 It is ordrd by th Court that John MacNish b allowd th sum of fiv hundrd and fifty dollars for rnt of County offics as pr his bill fild. On of th county's largst monthly xpnditurs in its first svral yars of xistnc was th cost of rnting offic and court spac as wll as jail facilitis. An act authorizing countis to construct courthouss was passd by th first stat lgislatur in April, 1850, and th first ordr of businss of th San Joaquin County Court of Sssions was to authoriz th shriff to contact Charls Wbr and to ngotiat with him th transfr of a parcl of land for th purpos of constructing a county govrnmnt building (s Vol. XIV, No.2, p ). Following th incorporation of Stockton in July (1850) Wbr quitly ddd th courthous squar to th city instad of to th county (s Vol. XVI, No. 2, p. 226 and 228). Both lgal ntitis bing in nd of public facilitis, th city and county finally agrd to th construction of a joint "courthous" building in Originally th intntion was to includ a county jail in th building, but upon th advic of th Grand Jury it was dcidd to build th jail on Markt Strt, btwn Huntr and San Joaquin and thr blocks distant from th courthous. Th courthous structur, a two-story brick building masuring 60 by 80 ft, was first occupid in th spring of It was rplacd in 1890 by a bautiful, massiv brick and granit structur which in turn was rplacd by th prsnt structur in Th county jail, constructd at th sam tim as th original courthous, was a two-story brick building, 30 by 40 ft, with walls that wr two ft thick. Brokn glass bottls partially imbddd in mortar atop a fiftn-foot-high wall prvntd prisonrs from scaping from th prmiss and providd thm with an xrcis yard. This facility was rplacd by a

6 PAGE 310 SAN JOAQUIN HISTORIAN MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con'!) Construction of th first phas of th prmannt kitchn and mss hall facility of th Honor Farm commncd in th summr of It opnd on Thanksgiving Day of th sam yar. Shown abov ar til foundation forms bing laid. Womn wr first assignd to th Honor Farm--prviously an all-mal facility--in March of 1955 upon compltion of a spcial facility to hous thm. nw jail, nicknamd "Cunningham's Castl," on th northast cornr of San Joaquin an Channl strts in May of This building was in turn rplacd in 1959 by th prsnt jail facilitis in th Frnch Camp ara. 411 It is ordrd by th Court that A. C. Bradford, County Clrk, b allowd th sum of on hundrd and twlv dollars for attndanc upon th Court of Sssions and fs in criminal cass as pr his bill fild. 412 It is ordrd by th Court that Samul Langdon b allowd th sum of svntysix dollars and fifty cnts for mdical a ttndanc upon th prisonrs of th county as pr his bill fild. 413 It is ordrd by th Court that R. P Ash, Shriff, b allowd th sum of thr hundrd dollars for th srvics of E. Canavan as assistant jailor as pr his bill fild. 414 It is ordrd by th Court tha t R. P. Ash, Shriff, b allowd th sum of thr hundrd and forty-on dollars for board of county prisonrs as pr his bill fild. (To B Continud in Nxt Issu)

7 y r. n r it s rt d rt s n d SA~ JOAQt:l~ HISTORIA~ PAGE 311 MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con't) r L I I. a 1. Frontal viw of th nw San Joaquin County jail on concrt roon, th offic complx (with slanting roof n Mathws Road southwst of Stockton. takn just and brick vnr front), and th massiv concrt prior to its opning in April of This first unit maximum scurity facility. Th ntir jail complx lis includd (from lft to right) th booking room (lowst to th ast of th Honor Farm buildings. roof, bhind fnc), th rciving ara (low, flat / / y INDEX TO VOLUME XVIII! NUMBERS 1. 4, VOL. XVIII, NO.1 JANUARY-MARCH pp Court of SSSions, Book A VOL. XVIII, NO, 2 APRIL JUNE, 1982 pp Court of Sssions, Book A VOl. XVIII, NO.3 JULY SEPTEMBER,1982 pp Court of Sssions, Book A n VOl. XVIII, NO.4 OCTOBER DECEMBER pp Court of Sssions, Book A A. Litch & Co.. 285, 298 Ash, (Shriff), R.P, 282 4, , t 298, 300 1, 305, / Bakr & Hickman (firm). 285, 298 Bndict, C.L, 298 d Bndict's Frry. 305 Bnicia (Cali!.). 306 g Biglr, (Gov.) John, 306 s Blair, Mary J. 298 y Bookr. Samul A Bradford, AG., d 300 1, BrookS, A.H.. 284, 298 Brooks, Samul. 290 S Brown. B.H. 298 Brown. HW., 298 Bucknll. Gorg, 292 Busalacch i Fish MarK California National Guard Canavan, (Gn.) Edward Cappo C.S. 301 Casto ria (Frnch Camp), 304 Cha'mr's Ranch. 305 Claiborn. Gilbrt B., Clark & Siry's Frry, 305 Clmnts (Calif.) Cotton's Frry, 305 Courthous (S.J.Co.) ; photos, Cowan, (Dr.) _~. 306 Cunningham. (Shriff) Thomas. 299 "Cunningham's Castl" (CO jail), 299, 310 Dan. (Judg) Snca. 300, 308 Doak & Bonsll's Frry, 309 EA Thompson & Co Eastman. R.K Elk Horn RanCh, 305 Ely, Alxandr. 298 Emory (Judg) a.c., Evans, John S, 298 Frry, John A. 298 Flming, Gorg, 298 Franks, Gorg. 285 Frazr. William. 298 Frnch Camp (Calif.), 288, 302 5, Gard's Ranch. 305 Gillingham, H.W., 298 Gough, (D.A) C.C.. 290

8 PAGE 312 SAN JOAQUIN HISTORIAN MINUTE BOOK A - COURT OF SESSIONS (Civil) (con't) INDEX TO VOLUME XVIII, NUMBERS 1 4 (con't) Grattan, (Dr.) Christophr, 306 Guadalup Hidalgo, Traty of, 293 Haggin Musum (Stockton), 284 Hammond, Richard P., 304 Haws, Jol, 309 Hrron, John, 285 Hotl Stockton, Howison, E.M., 298 Hudson Bay Co., 288, 304 Huntr's Frry, 305 J.B. Lach & Co., 298 Krr, Gorg, 290, 301, 306 Ktchum, (Lt.) Thomas E., 286 Knight's Frry (Calif.), 305 Kritzr, John, 309 La Paz (Baja Calif.), 286 Langdon, (Dr.) Samul, 283, 298, 306, 310 L, B.F., 298 Lon Star (flour) Mill (Clmnts), MacNish Building, 297 MacNish, John, 285, 292, , 309 Mansfild, John, 290 McLod, Alxandr, 288 McLod's Lak (Stockton). 288 Mndocino Co., 288 Mxico, 293 Mix, Alfrd A., 300 Moklumn Rivr (photo), 289, 291 Montry (Calif.), 286 Nobl & Stvnson (firm), 304, 309 Nobl, (Col.) R.W., 309 Nuttman, Jams E., 285-7, 290 O'Nill's Ranch, 305 Orgon Country. 288 Orgon Tnt (Farmington), 305 Pck, Isaac G., 298 Prly, D.W., 298 Powll, H.M.F., 298 Proclamation of Jun (Gov, B, Rily), 293, Radcliff, H,H" 306 Rd, (Dr,), Robrt K., 306 Rily, (Gn.) Bnntt. 293, 296 Root. (Judg) W.A , 290 3, , 305 6,308 Sala, (Ll.) Louis G" 307 San Francisco, 286, 306 San Joaquin Co, Honor Farm, 311; photos San Joaquin Co, Jail (photos), 297, 299, 302,311 San Joaquin Rpublican, 290, 299, 306 San Joaquin Rivr, 309 San Quntin (Calif.). 297 Sandrs, E,J" 285 Sdgwick, Charls, 298 Sdgwick, Thomas, 298 Shafr, (Judg) J.K., 282 3, 290 3, , 301, 305, Shurtlff, (Dr.) Gorg A" 306 Simpson, David, 298 Sousa, (Shriff) Carlos A, 307 Stanislaus Rivr, 309 Stapls & Nichols' Frry, 305 Stamboat Lv (Stockton), 288 Stvnson, Archibald, 309 Stvnson's Nw York Voluntrs, 286 Stockton (Calif,), 281 2, 284 6, 288, 304, 306 7, 309 Stockton Evning Mail, 303 Stockton Invstmnt Co" 287 Stockton Journal, 290, 292, 306 Stockton Tims, 286, 290, 306 Stonman, (Gov,), Gorg, 303 T. R. Bours & Co" 298 Tabor, John, 290 Taylor, O,B., 298 Trry & Prly (law firm), 298 Trry, (Judg) David S., 289 Thomas H. Prkins (ship), 286 Tinkham, Gorg, 290 Walkr, (Dr,) 306 Wall, J,B" 298 Ward, Charls A" 292, 301 Wbr, (Captain) Charls M" 284, 304, 309 Wbr Engin Hous (Stockton), photos Wir. (Judg) B.G., 282 4, 290-2, 298 9, 300 1, 305, Whit, John. 306 Williams, (Judg) Bnjamin, 298, 308 Wolf, Andrw, 295 Wynn, Richard, 301 Prsons intrstd in doing rsarch on local history, whthr mmbrs of th Socity or not, ar invitd to submit thir manuscripts for publication in th Historian. Th ditor must, howvr, rsrv th right to accpt or rjct and/or dit all matrial and photographs submittd. Whil non of th original matrial printd in th quartrly is copyrightd, w would apprciat acknowldgmnt of th sourc by anyon using any portion throf. Th Quartrly of th SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. INC, PUblishd Four Tims Each Yar P. O. Box 21. LodL California Editor: Robrt Bonta Th San Joaquin County Historical Socity, a non-profit corporation, mts th fourth Monday of ach month xcpt for July, August and Dcmbr. Mmbrship includs a subscription to th San Joaquin Historian. Officrs of th SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ( ) Mrs. Oliv Davis... Prsidnt Jams H. Bardsly... _.. 1st Vic Prsidnt Mrs. Naomi Cary nd Vic Prsidnt Mrs. Sylvia Minnick... Rcording Scrtary Mrs. Sandra Bars... Corrsponding Scrtary Mrs. Vivian Hughs... _... Trasurr DIRECTORS Robrt Bonta William Own Thomas Shphard Mrs. Elinor Wakfild