Settlers

Early Settlers

Most of the information contained in this summary of Anderson Valley’s early settlers comes from the books Grass Roots of Anderson Valley and The History of Mendocino County for Boys and Girls, both written by Blanch Brown. Additional details were gleaned from the 1860 Census, The Valley Argus (1922) and Voices of Anderson Valley, a series of oral histories. We are grateful that so many Valley residents have taken the time throughout the years to write down their memories, allowing us to learn and to share Anderson Valley’s history.

As the story is told, two brothers, Henry and Isaac Beeson, and their stepbrother, William Anderson were probably the first white men to see Anderson Valley. As the story goes, in the fall of 1851 they started from Lake County, where their parents were, on an exploring and hunting trip. They wounded an elk and, following its track, came out on the rocky point (probably Burger Rock) southeast of the place where Boonville is now. The young men made their way down and crossing the level, made camp at the foot of the hills.

It was autumn, and the dry grass lay in a thick turf, so the boys knew the soil would be rich for crops and that there would be ample feed for stock. They were so pleased with the spot that after a few days they hurried back to Lake County and reported that they had found a “big meadow, and it was like a garden of Eden.”

So the Anderson family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, two of her three children by a former marriage, two of his by a former marriage and the couple’s own three children, made their way, with ox teams and saddle horses, into Anderson Valley. They began to build a cabin, but a band of Indians appeared and made it clear that they must leave. It is believed they went south to Dry Creek in Sonoma County and returned in the spring of 1852.

Upon their return, they built a log house, the first house in Anderson Valley, just beyond the spot where Anderson Valley High School now stands, on what is now Mountain View road. Mr. Anderson raised horses and hogs. To sell the stock, the animals were driven to Petaluma, where they were exchanged for flour, salt, brown sugar, matches, ranch tools and seeds for crops. Hardships had taken their toll, and in 1857 Mrs. Anderson died at age 52. The next year her husband sold all his property to Mr. Joseph Rawles.

In the fall of 1852, Mr. J.D. Ball arrived in the valley. His journey began in New York and included stops in Wisconsin and Placerville, CA. Once in the Valley, Ball took up land near Con Creek and set out the region’s first apple orchard. He built a building for his headquarters just across the road from where the Boonville Hotel now stands. On November, 25, 1856, J.D’s wife, Melissa, gave birth to the first white child in Anderson Valley, Julia Flavilla Ball. Julia grew up to marry Joseph Henry Wightman, a respected local architect and contractor. Of the many homes he built, quite a few are still lived in and stand as beautiful monuments to his work.

Mr. & Mrs. John Gschwend arrived in 1855. They were natives of Switzerland. They met and married in Illinois, then traveled to Kansas. From there they crossed the plains with a company of Swiss families. Upon arrival in California, they came directly to Anderson Valley, settling in the northwest portion of the valley, near what is now Gschwend Road. The Gschwends built a house of split timber, which still stands and is now the residence of his great, great granddaughter, Christine Clark. Mr. Gschwend built a sawmill near Mill Creek, and later a gristmill. He built the road to Ukiah, which was a toll road. He also opened the first wagon road to the coast by way of Navarro Ridge. Mr. & Mrs. Gschwend’s daughter, Christine, was born in 1857, just months after Julia Ball, making her the second white child born in the valley. She married Mr. James Reilly.

The Guntleys, Snyders, Reillys, Weists and Gossmans came to the valley about this time, and a little settlement was made in the lower end of the valley. The settlement was named Christine, after Mr. & Mrs. Gschwend’s daughter.

Mr. William Prather arrived in 1855. His journey to California began in 1852 in Iowa. Upon arrival in the valley, he met Mr. Amos Burgess, who had arrived in 1853 from Virginia. They became partners, raising stock and farming. After about five years, Mr. Burgess wrote to his sister, Nancy (Burgess) Ingram and her husband, Daniel Holder Ingram, urging them to come to California. They arrived in 1859, settling land adjacent to the Burgess place.

Other settlers to arrive between 1855 and 1860 included Henry Irish, James Smalley, James McSpadden, James Wallace and many other families as found in the 1860 Anderson Valley Census: Smalley, Conrad, OBarr, Bowen, Nunn, Vines, Buster, Farrel, Counts, Sheilds, Lawson, Williams, Donelly, Plaskett, Leonard, Hawkins, Stephens (the Blacksmith), Robinson, Tift, Perkins, Elliott, Ornbaun, Ponad, Gasklii and Brayton.

In 1862, William Prather's brother, Cornelius, arrived with his family, settling in the area known today as Philo. Cornelius donated land for the first school in this district, which stood on the west side of the road in Philo. He also deeded land for the Methodist Church, which is still in use. In June 1888, he succeeded in getting the first post office in the valley established. He named the post office Philo in honor of a special friend of his in Iowa, and he became the postmaster.

Alderson and Porter McGimsey were the oldest sons of John Cox McGimsey. They had an established stock business in Napa County near Calistoga and came to Anderson Valley seeking good pasture. They built enclosures for their livestock east of Anderson Creek and to the right of the present Ukiah Road. It is said that they brought the first sheep to Anderson Valley. Mr. John McGimsey and family arrived in 1856 and settled across from Hutsell Lane. This place, one mile south of Boonville, was known as the Corners. In 1862, Mr. John Burgot built a hotel at the Corners, which was known as Anderson House. By 1864, there was also a blacksmith shop and a general store at the Corners.

In the early 1860s, Mr. Alonzo Kendall opened a hotel where the present town of Boonville stands and called the place Kendall City. The store at the Corners was moved to the new spot and sold to Mr. W. W. Boone, who named the town after himself. Mr. Kendall moved on to Manchester in 1867.

Mr. Joseph Rawles and his family arrived in Anderson Valley in 1857. Their journey began in Ohio. From there they lived in Indiana, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, and then back to Iowa, where they finally made the decision to go to California. They resided at both Grand Island on the Sacramento River and Rincon Valley near Santa Rosa before moving to Anderson Valley. Mr. Rawles took up a claim near what was later named Peachland on Lone Tree Ridge. In 1858, Mr. Rawles purchased the land and home of Mr. Walter Anderson. Records show that by 1880 he owned 1600 acres of farming and grazing land, stocked with 3,160 head of sheep.

Mr. Charles Wintzer arrived in 1858 and built a house, and a store and established a post office. He was a stockman and later sold all his property to Mr. Robert Rawles, the son of Joseph Rawles.

Mr. Cleve Murray and his wife, Susan, came to California from Missouri in 1856. With them were his children from a previous marriage, Cleve, Polly and Ike; her children by a previous marriage, Mary Ann and Rollet Williams; and a stepson from her first marriage. They first settled in Marysville and then traveled on to Anderson Valley. The family settled across Rancheria Creek near what is now Yorkville. When they arrived they found an Indian rancheria with friendly inhabitants. The Murrays built a home nearby where the soil was rich and there was a beautiful spring of water. About three years later, John Wesley McAbee and family arrived and settled on 700 acres across the creek from the Murrays.

The Stubblefield party arrived in 1865. The party included Mr. Robert Stubblefield, daughter Isaphene, her husband Patric Adams, daughter Mary Ann and her husband Richard York. Mr. York chose a home on 700 acres, building a home on the west side of Rancheria Creek, about one mile from the Murray ranch. Mr. Patrick Adams settled on land adjoining the Murray place. Mr. Stubblefield and Mr. Adams may have formed a partnership, as years later the Adams land was known as the Stubblefield Place. Later, following Mr. Murrays’ death, his wife Susan married Mr. Stubblefield. Stubblefield purchased land on Camp Creek (about three miles above Rancheria Bridge on Manchester Road), where he and his new wife lived.

Settlers continued to flow into Anderson Valley, including Charles Bradway, who made a business of hunting to furnish meat for the mills on the coast, Robert Tarwater, a trader, the Clows, Tom Hiatt who built a mill on Mill Creek and Dr. Brown. Angelo Fratti, one of the first homesteaders to settle on “Vinegar" Ridge," arrived during this time as well.

Given how beautiful and fertile Anderson Valley was (and still is), it is not surprising that word continued to spread, bringing newcomers, many being the families of these early settlers, to this place that was called "a big meadow, like a Garden of Eden" by the first to arrive in Anderson Valley.

Books Note: Grass Roots of Anderson Valley shares many more details and stories about these early settlers. Other books about the early settlers include Clem Heryford’s Diary, Grandma Stubblefield Rose, The Henry Beeson Story, Indian Summer, The McAbee Family, Soft Shelled Eggs, Recollections of “Sharkey" Rawles, and Reflections of Delcina McAbee Rawles. All are available through the Anderson Valley Historical Society and at the Anderson Valley History Museum.