Calvin Ichabod Foss By Marjorie Joan Oughton Green September 6, 00 Revised April 00 Fortune lies upon e surface of e ear as plentiful as e mud in our streets. We look for an addition wiin e next four years equal to at least one ousand million of dollars to e gold in circulation. Horace Greeley, New York Tribune The accounts of e abundance of gold in at territory are of such extraordinary character as would scarcely Command belief were ey not corroborated by auentic reports of officers in e public service. President James Polk The Fosses were by tradition people wi big dreams who acted to achieve ose dreams. The first Foss to leave his home, Johann Foss, arrived in e Colonies in 67 from Ribe, Denmark. The Family lore advises at John worked as a caulker on a British War ship and when he came into e Boston Harbor he jumped overboard and swam ashore. Oer Fosses dreamed of a free county where ey could live and worship as ey pleased and fought hard to make it at way. Some were known to have battled Indians; some supported e Glorious Cause in e Revolutionary War. One of ose was Zachariah Foss who spent at miserable winter in Valley Forge wi General Washington. It is written at his expertise came in handy for building cabins for e troops. Oer ancestors of Calvin, e Bracketts, Carters, Fabyans, and Thompsons took up residence in e New World during e early to mid -600's. Several of ese ancestors, Anony Brackett, Thomas Brackett and his wife, Mary Milton, were killed by Indians. At least two oers, Ezra Carter and Joshua Fabyan served in e Revolutionary War; Ezra was probably a Minute Man, Joshua a judge. Appointed by Sir Fernando Gorges, David Thompson was considered by some to be e founder and first governor of New Hampshire. It is rumored at Squanto was aboard ship on David s first trip across e Atlantic Ocean in 607 well before e Pilgrims landed at Plymou Rock. Six generations after e arrival of Johann and David, Calvin Ichabod Foss was born on 0 January 86, in Saco, Maine, to Calvin Foss and Sarah Brackett Carter Foss. He was born in a house built by grandfaer Ezra Carter. Calvin Ichabod s faer, Calvin Foss, died 8 February 8, and nine year old Calvin I. learned about e sorrows of dea at an early age. His moer, a widow wi seven children, found work as a teacher in order to support her family, and she took e time to teach her own children to read and write. Calvin s bir certificate stated his name was Ichabod Foss. But at some time in his life he chose to add his faer s name. Hepreferred being called by his faer s name. Sarah Brackett Foss Elliott, Biography sketch of Sarah Brackett Carter Foss. http://www.geocities.com/cyancey/sbchist.htm /9/0 Elliot.
In 86 Wilford Woodruff and John Boynton made a missionary trip to Maine where ey taught e gospel to e Carter and Foss families, among oers. Calvin I. was baptized eier en or in e next few years. The next time we hear of Calvin I. is in late 88. The home he had been living in had burned down. He found his way to his moer s place. On February 89, Wilford Woodruff went to Boston wi him to secure his passage ticket to e California gold fields on e ship Areatus. His grandfaer, Ezra Carter Jr. had sent $00 of e passage money wi Wilford. The Bay State and California & Trading & Mining Company had hired e Areatus for e trip and was selling shares for passage and an equal right to e Ship and all its contents and to all e income after ey got ere. On e 9 of March, his Uncle Wilford and Grandfaer Carter went into Boston to help him secure e outfit he would need for e trip. They took e opportunity at at time of visiting e Areatus and of seeing common areas of e ship. During e rest of March, Calvin spent time wi e family and his Uncle Wilford. The Areatus finally sailed out of Boston s port on April 89. For e next 70 days he learned about sea sickness, sea legs,he experienced gale storms on e seas, and what life in some of e Sou American coastal ports. The ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro between - May. Slaves did e manual labor ere and were everywhere. The housing was poor, and e native people were somewhat fearful of e Californians. Apparently ere were six or seven ships from e states in port all headed to California around e Cape at at time. They experienced some big storms sailing around e Falkland Islands. The Areatus reached Valparaiso, Chili, on of July where ey remained until st e. There were no slaves ere; but e rest of e town was much e same as Rio de Janeiro. When ey arrived in San Francisco Bay on September 89, ere were 0 vessels in port and as many more strung out along e coastline for 60 miles nor. 6 In San Francisco e majority of dwellings were tents, but lumber was being shipped into California for building purposes. The lumber cost from $00 - $0 per ousand; but e cost was dropping daily. Carpenters made $ - $ a day for building. Board was from $- $ a week, and gambling was rampant among men and women everywhere. 7 The BSCTM Company Association broke up about is time. All of e goods on board were 8 sold, and e proceeds were divided among e 0 in e Association. The individuals on e ship formed eir own little companies wi eir own by-laws. Did Calvin join one of ese smaller associations? We don t know. Wilford Woodruff was married to Phebe Carter, Sarah s sister. He took a faerly interest in Sarah s family. He brought her and five of her children across e plains wi his own family. He became e four Prophet of e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wilford Woodruff, personal diary, dates February 89, and 8-9 March 89. Charles Warren Haskins, The Argonauts of California (New York: Fords, Howard, & Hulbert,890, republished by Kessinger Publishing, 008), 0. Nancy Pratt Melton, Transcriber, of e Arugonauts of California lists of ose who sailed from Boston.This file is part of e California Genealogy & History Archives http://calarchivesu.com. Index of names. Ship Areatus from Boxton April 89....W. H. Wilson #7, C. J. Foss #. Maritime Heritage Project said e Areatus sailed from Boston port on April 89, wi James Wooley as Master. 6 Horace Wilson Letter written to Mr. James C. Steel of Andover, Massachusetts from e Areatus. 7 8
Calvin went up into Amador and El Dorado counties where he mainly did sluice mining for about five years. Calvin never lost any gold in his cabin from e mines. He made a fortune clearing $800 to $900 at a whack. Anyone could go into his cabin and cook a meal if ey washed up e dishes afterwards. Later, when he wished to cash in his gold, he drove his wagon to Sacramento, leaving it across e street from where e Scottish Rites Temple was first located. He left all his possessions and $0,000 in gold in e wagon. He left it ere for two weeks while he went to San Francisco to arrange 9 to cash in e gold. When he returned, he found his possessions and e gold safe. Calvin s moer and most of his siblings, except his broer Ira, traveled across e plains to Utah in 80 in e Wilford Woodruff Company. It is believed, at his Uncle Ilas F. Carter from Maine visited him in California in August of 8. In 8 his broer, Ezra, visited him in Sacramento. Calvin must have been influenced by his family. He had been successful in e gold fields. Perhaps it was time to go home. to Utah. On 9 May 8, Calvin bought 0 acres in Lot Block in Salt Lake City for $0.00. 0 Today at is located near e corner of Main and 600 Sou Street. The Grand America, a huge - story luxury hotel, now stands on is and adjacent properties. Calvin began to show more of his softer side. He helped his moer and sisters in times of need. Patty Sessions, a very good friend of Calvin s moer, often times needed a little help. He cut her hay, cut her grass, and he would go over to her place to pick up his sisters. Calvin became acquainted wi her sons and ere were times he ate dinner at her home. One of his sisters married Patty s son David. When and where Calvin married Nancy Jane Roundy is not exactly known. She had been a single moer since e end of May of 8 when she was abandoned by Henry D. Lindsay. She received her divorce on February 87. Could she have married Calvin before she sought e divorce? Perhaps e divorce was one of ose ings done after having a nightmare of her first husband, Henry D. Lindsay walking back into her life after she and Calvin had married. Their first daughter, Betsey Sophia, was born in 87 before he made a return trip to California on 8 November 87. Perhaps is is when he started his freighting business between Sacramento and Utah. Calvin served on Petit Juries in Salt Lake on August 88, and on November 88. On April 89, Nancy Jane gave bir to Calvin in Salt Lake. After Johnston s Army got settled in Utah, ey sold off surplus goods at very low prices. Sales began in July of 89 wi e army selling 000 mules at $60 to $0 each. At anoer sale 9 Burt & William C. Beck History of Calvin Foss, Unpublished. Copy in auor s possession. 0 Deed. Great Salt Lake County Recorder, John W. Nor of Great Salt Lake City to Calvin I. Foss 9 May 8. Donna Toland Smart, editor, Mormon Midwife, The 86-888, Diaries of Patty Bartlett Sessions (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 997), Entries for May 8, 86, June, 86, December 7, 86, October, 87. Divorce. Nancy Jane Lindsay vs. Henry D. Lindsay, Probate Court, Territory of Utah, Great Salt Lake County, & February, 87. Third District Court, Territory of Utah Record for August 88. Also District Court, Deseret News, November, 88. 860 Federal Census of Sacramento, California. Calvin I. Foss Family.
e army disposed of,00 large freight wagons for $0.00 each. Harnesses were rown in if entire teams of mules were purchased. Calvin did have eighteen freight wagons wi teams of eighteen mules 6 each. Could he have bought ese wagons and mules from e army at one of eir auctions? Calvin must have decided it was time to move back to California. On August 89, he served on a jury wi his broer-in-law, Matias Cowley, and five days later he sold his property to Matias 7 for $0.00. Before Nancy Jane and Calvin left Salt Lake, ey went over to her parents home and gave Henrietta to em to raise. This is e last we hear of em in Salt Lake City. When ey arrived back in Sacramento, ey found e fort had been abandoned. They lived on Thirteen and K 8 Streets. Calvin owned a freighting business, Foss & Adams, on e souwest corner of Eleven 9 and J Streets. All of e financial investment in e business was Calvin s. He ran e store and John Q. Adams, his partner, a single man, did e long-haul driving between Sacramento and Salt Lake 0 City. Calvin would give e money to Mr. Adams to pay for e goods when ey purchased em. However, on e last trip Mr. Adams made, he pocketed e payment for goods money, and he lead Calvin to believe at he had paid for e goods. He en drove east and not only sold all e goods, but e freight wagons and mules, too. He pocketed all e money and fled to Canada. Calvin was left wi e bill for goods and no means of making a living. This happened between 86 and 868. In 868 and 869 Calvin was listed as a farmer in e Sacramento Directory on 6 K Street. According to his sons, ey ranched for awhile near Willow Slough on Freeport Road on Mrs. Rideout s ranch. This is just west of Sacramento in Yolo County. In 870 he was listed as bo e proprietor and butcher of Union Market on e corner of Twelf K & I Streets. He must have been doing better. On of February he purchased Lot #8 in e block between L and M for $000.00. In 87 he sold at same lot for $00.00, and e 87 Directory, reported at he had a partner at his Union Market, by e name of Rudolf Or. He must have fallen on hard times again. On 0 January 87, Calvin was listed aboard a west-bound Overland Train in Carlin, Nevada. Had he been to visit his family in Salt Lake? And could Nancy Jane have been wi him? Later in 87 e directory reported e Rudolph Or Meat Market at e corner of Twel & I Street. Calvin is only listed as a butcher. Did he sell out his partnership to Rudolph? In e 87 Directory bo Mr. Or and Calvin are only listed as Butchers. It appears as ough Rudolph sold e market. In 87, e city directory lists C I Foss Meat Market, NE Corner of and L, Res. between J & K. 87 certainly looked better for him. Calvin s luck turned around, and he was listed as e owner of anoer meat market. However, by 876 he is only listed as Foss, Calvin I, Butcher, W S between J & K again. About is time a large fire broke out at Bryer s Warehouse in and L Streets a short distance William G. Hartley, My Best for e Kingdom, History and Autobiography of John Lowe Butler, a Mormon Frontiersman (Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 99), 6 7 Deed, Great Salt Lake City County Recorder Calvin I. Foss to Matias Cowley. 8 of August, 89. 8 9 0 Sacramento City Directory: 86: Calvin I. Foss, teamster. 86: C. I. Foss, teamster, SS K between and. Next directory found 868: Calvin was a farmer. Overland Routes
from his meat market located on e noreast corner of and L Street. Calvin went to help fight e fire. Climbing onto e roof wi a hose, he fell rough e roof and injured his back so badly, he had to give up e butcher business. For many years Calvin was unable to work. The family lived at e corner of 0 and O Street. On 6 July 88, Nancy Jane lost her battle wi tuberculosis. She was only 0 years old. In 890 Calvin appeared in e Great Register of voters Index. Finally e 89 directory listed Calvin as working for Souern Pacific Railroad. On 8 February 89, Calvin was in Utah to see his moer one more time before her dea. She died on e of March, and Calvin acted as a poll bearer at her funeral on e 8. Calvin returned to California. He worked for e Souern Pacific Railroad until he retired of 6 old age. He lived until May 908, when he passed away at age 8 of chronic cystitis. (inflammation of e bladder). Before we close Calvin s history, we must comment on his love and hobby of fine trotter horses. About 869 he came into ownership of a 6-year-old horse named Charley. Charley was very defiant because of e abusive treatment he had received up to at point in his life. Calvin s gentleness in working wi him completely changed his personality. Calvin said he could trot faster an oer horses could run. He ended up selling Charley to Sydney Eldred, an owner/trainer of racing trotters, sometime between 87 and 87, during a low point in Calvin s life when ings were not going too well for him. Former Governor Leland Stanford of California saw Mr. Eldred training Charlie. He paid him $,00.00 for e horse. He renamed e horse Occidental. In 87 Occidental became e trotting champion of e world. 7 Calvin owned Occidental s half broer who he registered as Foss. He was much more excitable an Occidental. So it took many years before Foss won a race. Calvin also owned eir moer at one time. According to his sons, Calvin did not gamble at e tables, but he did bet on e horses. 8 Sacramento City Record of Deas and Interments. 88, July 6, Foss, Nancy J. Journal of Ezra Foss Richards, The Ezra Carter Family of Scarboro, Maine. In e possession of Robert Foss Hansen. 6 Calvin Ichabod Foss (86-908) - Find A Grave Memorial http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page= gr&gscid-79 //008 8: p.m. 7 Muybridge meets Occident Sacramento Business & Technology News www.prospermag.com/article/7- - Cached //00 8