RANCHO RIO DE LOS PUTOS
By duane davis - RANCHO RIO DE LOS PUTOS
.>..' DAVIS BOOKS • 8682 Pleasants Valley Road Winters, C3Ufomla 95694
Copyright 1996
Text and compUatlon by Duane Davis,
Primary Illustration Resource Vacaville Heritage Council volunteers; Photographic preparation by Robert ADen and Jerry Bowen. ~ert Historical Resources. Hughes and staff• This material Is Intended for educational usage. Additional Information on 'Rio de los putos' or the Woffsklll Family may be obtained from the Vacaville Heritage CouncB . E. Main Street VacavUIe, California 95638.
Initial printing by Mal Boxes Etc. 965 Alamo Dr. VacavUIe, CA 95687. Special thanks to Logan WUDams. ILLUSTRATIONS·
PLATE
1 SOUTHERN PATWIN BEADS -w Found near and within Rio De Los Putos Land Grant boundaries (Courtesy Solano County Park Collection)
2 OBSIDIAN PROJECTILE POINTS"" Found near and within Rio De Los Putos Land Grant boundaries (Courtesy of Solano County Park Collection)
3 MAP of California Native American Tribes
4 Photocopy of DESENO or map of Ri.o De Los Putos presented by William Wolf skill with PETITION: WILLIAM WOLFSKILL VS UNITED STATES
5 Photocopy of DESENO or map of Rio De Los Putos presented by Willia~ Wolfskill with PETITION: WILLIAM WOLFSKILL VS UNITED STATES
6 Photograph of JOHN REED WOLFSKILL(1804-1897) -w circa 1890 (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage Council)
7 Photograph ofWILLIAM WOLFSKILL(1798-1866) -- aka Guillermo Guisquiel (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage council) '.
8 Photograph ofWOLFSKILL STONEHOUSE(1864-1892) -w John R. Wolfskill and family standing on porch. (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage Council) PLATE
9 Photograph of MATHIAS WOLFSKILL(1810-1876) "W (Courtesy ofVacaville Heritage Council)
10 Photograph of MRS. MATHIAS(Permelia Ashcroft) WOLFSKILL --: (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage Council) "
11 Photograph ofWOLFSKILL FAMILY,.. Left side is Milton(1819-1906) and wife .-_"..: Anna(Sweany) Wolfskill. Right side is John R. and wife Susan(Cooper) Wolf skill. (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage Council)
12 Photograph of STONEHOUSE ~ After earthquake"' of 1892. (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage Council)
13 Photograph of SARSHELL WOLFSKILL HOME(1892-1948) ,.. Built after Earth quake of 1892 and burned down in 1948 by fire. (Courtesy of Vacaville Heri tage Council)
14 Photograph ofWOLFSKILL GRANT PLAQUE ~ State Historical Landmark No. 804. (Courtesy ofVacaville heritage Council)
15 Photocopy ofJOHN R. WOLFSKILL DEATH CERTIFICATE ~ (Solano County Archives)
16 Photocopy of 1996 WOLFSKILL FESTIVAL flyer. An annaul1800's dress-up event held at Lake Solano County Park. (Courtesy of Solano County Regional Parks) PLATE'1 SOUTHERN PATWIN INDIAN BEADS,.., Found near and within Rio De Los utos Land Grant boundaries. (Courtesy Solano County Park Collection) .•"t~'
PLATE 2 OBSIDIAN PROJECTILE POINTS,.. Found near and within Rio De Los Putos Land Grant boundaries. (Courtesy of Solano County Park Collection) THE STORY OF THE RIO DE away. LOS PUTOS LAND GRANT This booklet will mainly focus on their acquisition and settlement of the Rancho De Los On Nov. 17th and 18th 1995, Putos Land Grant It will also show The Lake Solano County Park Wolf some of the accomplishments they skill Festival was organize~ near made and the legacy they left. Winters, California to commemorate the original pioneer family that settled there and the RIO DE LOS . FIRST PEOPLE PUTOS Land Grant. After the festival I felt a need Before I talk about the first to further explore the rich historic European settlers on the land, I legacy of the region and it's people. must briefly mention an earlier Late at night, as I sifted people. These first people lived on through my research material look and around the Land Grant for ing for brief mentions or extended' thousands of years prior to the prose on members of the Wolfskill European influence. family. I often found myself walking The True First People were outside my body and entering into the Native Americans of California. another dimension in time. A time, I As late as 1837, the Southern hate to admit, that looked a hell of a" Patwin Indians of the Wintun Un lot more challenging and rewarding guistic Group i"habited the region. than my own. A time when there "Patwin is the native word for was unexplored and unsettled 'people' and was used by several lands. When one could cross a river tribelets in reference to them or mountain range and enter into a ~elves." (0) lifelong adventurous quest, with the "Southern Patwin in turn promise of free land for crops and were divided into tribelets ~ the houses. Ululatos"(Vacaville), Labaytos The life quests of the pioneer (Putah Creek), Malacas (Lagoon brothers you will read about, went Valley), Tolenas (Upper Suisun beyond the norm. Their mere sur Valley), C!.nd Suisunes ('Suisun vival from birth in the untamed Plain). The actual number of South Kentucky wilderness and their ern Patwin will probably never be emigrant grandparents centered known. The most recent modern their path to greatness. estimates place.them in the range of They grew up with Daniel three to five thousand....The South Boone's sons and Kit Carson. Life ern Patwin congregated in villages was hard and dangerous with un of about 100 people." (1) friendly Indians, wild animals and There was a Lab.aytos village lo disease testing their mere survival. cated near the present day town of And yet they pushed the known Winters, within the Rio De Los limits of their own worlds and Putos Grant Boundaries. reached for a new existence far 'The Patwin had a primitive, 0- "CAUFORNIA : Volume S" (S88 bibliography) 1978, pp "~50.
1- "SOLA'NO: The Crossroads Count~H (See blbllo~ra~h~'! 1989,' pp9. \ -J \ i '-.... \ " \ \
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PLATE 3
MAP of California Native Arnerlcan. Tribes 2 simple and natural relation to the unmissionized Patwins remained in land, vegetation and animal found the region. there. Living South of Cache Creek (in what was later 'to be Yolo County), the Southern Patwin gath JOHN REED WOLFSKILL ered in small villages along valley floors of the foothills and valleys John Wolfskill (1804 - 1897) extending south to Suisun Bay. was born in Boonesborough, Madi These villages were permanent son County, Kentucky with seven concentrations of perhaps two other children of Joseph and Sarah hundred or more men, women and Wolfskill. They were William (first children and they typically grew up born), Mathus, Margaret, Stephen, around buildings designed to sat EI~abeth~Suzanna,Joshua,and isfy two different needs: shelter and then John Reed. society.' (2) Later Joseph and Sarah The Patwin were hunters and moved to Boone's Lick, Howard's gatherers. The staple of their diet County, Missouri where four more was acorns. Deer, antelope, elk, children; Sarchet, Mary, Milton and bears, small mammals, birds and Smith, were born. Boone's Lick was insects were hunted. A variety of a small, area on the border of the roots, fruits, nuts, berries and seeds frontier. It was named after natural were gathered in their natural salt springs(licks) and settled by kitchen per the season. Fish were , Daniel Boone. taken from Putah Creek. Joseph Wolfskill and neigh The European Influence bors Benjamin Cooper and Lindsey around Putah Creek started with the Carson were fully convinced that Patwins first contact with Spaniards the surrounding Indians were mak around 1810. The Spanish removed ing preparations to attack the settle and relocated the Patwins from the ments along the Missouri River. Putah Creek area to various mis~ The believed their best defense was sions, including Mission Sonoma. in the construction Cooper's Fort. The influence ended with a The Wolfskill children grew Small Pox epidemic lasting from up in Coopers Fort and survived the 1837 to 1839. The disease killed off Indian Wars of 1812 alongside large amounts of unvaccinated Daniel Boone's children, Kit Carson, Patwins living outside the Missions George Yount and other frontier from Sonoma to Putah Creek (Putah families. They were taught well Creek is the prehistoric creek that what was needed to survive in the runs through the land grant area). wilderness. They learned all the The epidemic was the last basic skills; farming, hunting, trap European influence on the Patwins ping, carpentry an~ were even sent +0 rt-"'h""'~ "rF hi,.har IA~rni",. ~~ which nearly eliminated all of the It ~"I UUI~ UI I "Y'I~' I~al 11I1\f a~ Patwins. By the 1840's and 1850's they got older. From the oversettled when the first European settlers lands of the North Eastern United arrived, only a handful of States, these families struggled to 2- "VACAVILLE: The heritage of a California Community" (See blbHography) pp 5-6. .. " : • ~ -.,-_ ... . _.- ---_. ---r-----~-·--- 1 --.-- - -=::-.:.-- J- ---- ._ j' .~~. . , .
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y .,.....~.J . - -., -~~ . J . . t·"": __-.r_-=--:r=-:- ....- . r---r----pt.ATE-4· .... Photocopy of "Desefio" or map of Rio De Los Putos presented by William Wolfskill with his "Petition:" WILLIAM WOLFSKILL vs. UNITED STATES 3
exist on the 0 rims of their civilized RIO DE LOS PUlOS worlds. A few brave ones like John and William Wolfskill (1798 • 1866), A promise to California, left their civilized worlds and adven Or inland to the greatpastoral Plains, and tured far into the untamed frontier. onto Puget Sound and Oregon; Sojourning east a while longer, soon I travel Some, as the family I've been towardyou, to remain, to teach robust tracking, excel into proprietors of American love, vast land masses for brief ticks of For I know very well that I and robust love the historic time clock. I can leave belong among you, inland, and along the these white and black pages of Western sea; For these States tend inland and toward the squiggly lines and leap into my Western sea, and I will also. mind's eye. I try to shadow behind these few great persons with the Walt Whitman(4) bits and pieces of historic data of their lives. Most impressive to me is By 1840 William Wolfskill's rancho when John, as a young person, left had become a center of agricultural everything he knew in Boones Lick, activity, but John did not want to Missouri and ventured into the devote all of his time to his unknown for his future like his brother's ever expanding fields. brother William had done some Himself an able agriculturist, he years ahead of him. He followed his yearned for land he could call his brother's footsteps along the Santa own to experiment with different Fe Trail to Los Angeles in 1838. varieties of plants and develop new
His brother, William, had I methods of cultivation. In Southern done well. William had taken Mexi California large tracts of choice lanri can citizenship under [he name with access to water had already "Esten Gillmo Wolfskill" (aka: been granted to early Spanish fami Guillermo Guisquiel) and a com lies. They were settled-or assigned mon-law spouse named Maria "Luz" to retiring soldiers after seculariza Valencia. He had acquired land with tion of the missions. vineyards and built the "Old Adobe" One day Juan Jose Warner, house with John's help. William was who knew most of California's well known for his varieties of terrain from travels with Ewing fruits, nuts and citrus that he was Young, told John that there was pioneering in California. much choice land in northern Cali John helped his brother with his fornia that had not been granted yet. endeavors and agricultural experi Ewing told him about a place he had ments. He was later quoted as been in the spring of 1833, "Had saying he was working for a "mere wallowed out of the flooded lands of pittance,"(3) John sought his own the Sacramento Valley and' reached land in this new frontier. the Dry land near the banks of the Putah Creek." (5) Warner described the vast fertile lands that lay between the coast ranges and (3) Vacaville Reporter, 8/13/95, "Wolfsklll (5) Warner, J.J., "Reminiscences of Early Family•.• • (See bibliography) Callfornla- 1831 to 1846," pp 176-193.
(4) WALT WITMAN IIA promleo to California" " ':,:.- '., j •.
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PLATE 5 PhotocoPY of DESENO or map of Rio De Los Putos presented by William Wolf skill with PETITION: WILLIAM WOLFSKILL VS UNITED STATES 4 the Sacramento River marshes. to persuade General Vallejo one Putah Creek running through more time at the Sonoma Mission. the fertile lands m~de a ready irriga However, before Sonoma, John tion source, an area ripe for the wanted to make a final decision of planting. John saw the possibilities the grant's position and went to the to quench his thirst for land and area. He saw the entire area and rode northward in 1840. He decided selected four square leagues along to go the Sonoma Mission and Putah Creek called Rio De Los' discuss his plans with General Don Putos. Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. While in Sonoma John asked Vallejo was the military com Mark West, an Englishman, to go to mander of the northern district of Vallejo in his place and request the California and would have to recom land, but the answer was still the mend John for a grant of land to the same. John was disgusted and governor. The mission of San Fran ready to leave when'he met Jacob P. cisco de Solano, located today in Leese, son-in-law of Mariano the town ofSonoma, had a large Vallejo. Leese, who knew William plaza, church, soldiers barracks Wolfskill from Los Angeles, offered and various outbuildings. (The to help John. Leese was able to get Mission is currently managed by the Vallejo's recommendation for a California Parks and Recreation grant of Four Square Leagues Department and is open for viewing (17,754.73 acres) (7), with the under in the town of Sonoma.) standing that it was under William When John told Vallejo about Wolfskill's name, a citizen of his plans, Vallejo told him to look Mexico. around as much as he wanted, but Sometime in 1841 William he would not recommend any grant visited the site and had Juan of land for him. Probably his refusal Warner, who was living at the Wolf was based on the fact that John skill home to draw up a map, or a was not a citizen of Mexico. John Diseno as they are called, of the returned to Los Angeles to his land. On February 6, 1842 Jacob brother's home. (6) Leese drew up a petition, or In 1841 William married expediente, to the commandante Magdelena Lugo. She gave birth to gene"rat, formally requesting his a child named Juana Josefa, who recommendation for the grant In was the first of six children to be the spring of 1842 Warner took the born to her and William during their Diseno, expediante and other pa marriage. The children's names pers to Monterey and left them for were Juana Josefa, Luis Maria, Governor Juan Bautista de Avarado, Maria Francisca, Maria Magdelena, nephew of Mariano Vallejo, to sign. Jose Guillermo and Maria Rafaela, Because of a defect, the Governor who died at age four. r~fIJ~~d------tn..- ~nn~id~r--..-. __.....th~- -rr··----··&lnnli~~tinn William bought into John's uniii the defects Wefe corrected. plan, since he needed more land for Later in Los Angeles, Warner acting his own cattle, he asked him to try as William's attorney, drew up the (6) Barrows, Henry D. "a Pioneer of Sacra (7) A square league contains 4,428.402 acres, mento Valley,~; 1897, 13·;4. equal to about 3 mUes•• PLATE 6 Photograph of JOHN REED WOLFSKILL(1804-1897) - circa 1890 {Courtesy ofVacaville Heritaae Council} " _. 5 final expediente and forwarded it to John set out for the new Larken in Monterey. rancho. He had agreed with William, that William owned the land, but he THE GRANT would live on it and take care of his brother's cattle. On the way to the John left Los Angeles with a new rancho, John left the cattle at herd of 96 cattle and horses. The Mission Dolores and took the Wolfskill cattle brand became "96" horses with him to George Yount's named for the drive. He arrived in rancho in Napa Valley. Monterey and picked up the papers ' George Yount did some work from Larken. John hired George for Mariano Vallejo in 1835. Vallejo Allen, a competent interpreter, to liked his shingle building capabili present the petition, a map, his ties and granted him two square brother's naturalization papers and leagues of land. That was more than other papers to the governor. Gov he wanted, but the fewest amounts ernor Alvarado officially signed the Vallejo would grant him. Yount built grant on May 24, 1842 in the name a flour mill, sawmill and cultivated of 'Guillermo Guisquiel' aka William the land. George Yount died !n 1~~~ Woifskiii. in his i~apa Vaiiey home at age 71. There were certain conditions The present day town of Yountville listed for William to follow: was erected on his land. FIRST, he could fence his land and John remained on Yount's grow on it as he saw fit, but within rancho in the summer 1842 and one year he was to erect a house worked for him. In July of 1842 John and have someone living in it. went. to the Rancho Rio De Los SECOND, he was to plant fruit or Putos. He crossed the mountains forest trees on the boundary lines of East of Napa, passing through the grant Green and Suisun Valleys and THIRD, the land was to be four Vacaville, then northward to the square leagues located per the rancho with a band of his horses. (8) deseno and measured by the local When John arrived he found . magistrate. the area deserted, except for wild FOURTH, if these conditions were life. And as often told "direct from not met, William would loose his the lips of John R. Wolfskill himself' right to the land. A translated copy he spend his first night on his prop of the grant is included in the rear of erty high up in a fork in a tree "away this booklet. from· the possible hug of prowling William intended on using the grizzlies and the presence ofcreep name rancho Lihuaytos, after the ing things." (9) Indian rancheria located on the John built a waddle hut out of land, but his neighbor Manuel Vaca lule, willow brush and .mud. He had already taken that name. So the lived there until after the goldrush Wolfskill's Rancho became known boom days.(10) as Rio De Los Putos. A pioneer, John hunted for food and l1is days were filled with (8) Dispositions of US VS WILLIAM WOLFSKILL Case# 23V· 5/17/1852 (II)· Raprlnt "ThA J.Udary af SatanG Caunty 1 Sl7g" PLATE 7 Photograph ofWILLIAM WOLFSKILL(1798-18661 ~- aka Guillermo Guisquiel. (courtesy or vacaville Heritage counclIJ 6 clearing the land and shooting and found the cultivated area had grizzly bears. He- often retold a story enlarged and several houses of of shooting five gr~zzlies in the Adobe and wood had been built. space of a mile and a half along the Corn, barley a-nd wheat covered. creek. . forty acres. There was also a vine- By September, a matter of a yard and an orchard with various few months later, he had built an trees.(18) adobe with the help of a wandering Mexican or Indian....Wolfskill is on record as the first American, white VACA DISPUTE settler in Solano County. (11) Later in the fall of 1842 he In early June 1944 Manuel Vaca, retrieved his cattle from Mission through Governor Manuel Dolores and drove them by way of Micheltorena, took John's land.(19) San Jose, Livermore. He bought In 1842 Manuel Vaca and Juan more cattle in San Jose (12) and Felipe Pena settled on the Rio Los swam them across the Sacramento Putos grant of ten square leagues, River at Sutter's Fort. (13) which bordered the Rio De los In 1843 two emigrants Putos. Vaca and Pena coveted the Samuel Green McMahan and "Doc valley covered by the Wolfskill tor" William Wiggins, sought shelter grant, and by force drove John at Rio De Los Putos and for a while Wolfskill from it".(20) worked for John.(14) They helped "Vaca then claimed that "Volfskill's John set out fruit trees. John . grant was for land that was a por planted barley in January and in tion of a grant made to him. April, corn and beans. By summer a Through a series of some obviously small vineyard of mission grapes underhanded legal dealings, Vaca were planted.(15) . succeeded in getting an order Stock was allowed to range signed by Micheltorena which along both sides of Putah Creek for forced John Wolfskill to leave his five or six miles below the house land and take up residence with a and two above.(16) A constant vigil neighbor..." (21) was necessary to guard against In July 1845 in the Pri~ary thieving Indians and roaming Mexi Court of Claims in Los Angeles, a cans but the greatest danger was temporary agreement was made . from 'fire. The dry wild oats, if once and Vaca was to withdraw from RIO ignited, burned with great rapid De Los Putos. However, by Novem ity.(11) ber they were battling in court . John Bidwell, the famous again. On November 17, 1845 the pioneer that led a party from Mis land was to be measured and souri to California in 1841, visited bought by William Wolfskill.(22) Rio De- Los Putos in March of 1843. On November 18! 1846 Gover He found that the ranch had a corrai nor Pica who replaced f.1icheltor and two dwelling places. The next ena, ordered William to apply with year he returned for another visit (10) Ibid (8) (15) Disposition ofJohn. (16) Disposition of Bidwell.
(11) Vacaville Reporter, 8/13/95, ·'WolfskJlI...II ContI. (17) IBID (9j -History Solano Counti, p58. (12) Dlspo. ofJJ Warner (18) Dispo. of Bidwell. (19) Dlspo. of JJ Warner. (13) Barrows, "Pioneer of Sac Valley" 15. (20) Vallejo News Chronicle SUNDAY NOTEBOO~~r ii4) Samuei Green iwicMahan~ Ca Hisi Soc. {2i) iris Wiison ~~miiiam Woiiskiii i i9ij·i ijb6~~, i ~b~. PLATE 8 Photograph ofWOLFSKILL STONEHOUSE(1864-18921 ~ John R. Wolfskill and family standin~ on ~orch. (Courtesy ofVacaville Herltage Council} 7 the judge in Sonoma and be put in discovery. Sutter swore him and his possession of the land.(23) co-workers to silence. In the spring of 1846 William On March 15, 1848 the silence headed North, then on July 7, 1846, was broken when the CALIFORNIA a few days before he reached newspaper at Monterey reported Sonoma, the Americans "hoisted the find and the rush was on. At the the flag at Monterey" and there was time of the discovery of gold, o~ly no way he could complete any about 2,000 Americans were living Judicious tr~nsactions.With Ameri in California. By 1953, an estimated can occupation, the whole area was :- 300,000 people were scattered thrown into turmoil and William across the mother lode. never was able to get his legal Always on his trips south he possession of his lands under the brought back with him seeds and Mexican regime. (24) cuttings of new varieties of fruits, John had the ownership nuts and vines. John's early papers with him and had joined plantings proved fruitful indeed. Fremont's forces in the North. He During the Gold Rush: when all was not able to get it approved sorts of goods brought top dollar, under Pico's term. (25) The WoJfskilis fresh fruit sold for a dollar a pound regained actual possession and use in Sacramento. He was also able to of the land. capitalize on his cattle as dried beef In late 1846 Samuel Green was in high demand in the gold . McMahan, a member of the Bidwell fields. (26) expedition of 1841, had worked for William and John decided to John, bought one hundred and sixty divide the land between them. By a acres of land on Putah Creek from deed dated August 27, 1849, John him. With John's closest neighbors was given the portion lying south of being John Sutter on Sacramento Putah Creek. river, John Marsh near Mt. Diablo, By the faii of 1950 California George Yount in Napa Valley and gained statehood. Also during the Chief Solano's Indians in the Suisun Goldrush, three other -brothers Valley, McMahan was a welcome made their way to the Sacramento resident. Valley. They were Mathus, Sarchel In 1847 John"'Sutter, an and Milton; influential Swiss emigrant, hired a Mathus (ias) Wolfskill carpenter named James W. Marshall (1810- 1876) had married. to build a sawmill on a site later to Pamela Ashcraft of Howard be named Coloma. County, Missouri. They On January 24, 1848, just ten crossed the plains and ar days before- the signing of the rived on September 3.0, Treaty of Hidalgo ending the Mexi 1850.(27) can-American War, Marshall picked Mathias first hom'e was an up a piece of metal he believed to adobe on the soulh side oj be gold in the tailrace of the mill. He Putah Creek, a half mile east raced back and told Sutter of his -ofWinters. Mathias Wolfskill moved to a rOg acre ranch
(22) u.s. VS WoIfsklll, PP :01-100. (23) ibid, p78. (26) Vacaville Roporter, "Wolfsklll Family.•.·'. (24)- US VS WolfskW, p6. (27) Bancroft, History of California, p779. (25) Dispo. of JJ WARNER, US VS Wolfsklll, P 12. PLATE 9 Photograph of MATHIAS WOLFSKILL(1810-18761 (Courtesy of Vacaville Heritage council) PLATE 10 Pho~ograph of MRS~ MATHIAS(Permelia Ashcroft) WOLFSKILL (Courtesy of Vacaville Herltage Council.) 8 near Mankas Corner in Nellie and Ruth. 1866.(28) Milton Wolfskill (1819-1906) Their oldest son John'W. was the youngest brother. He attended the Benicia Colle left Howard County in 1848 giate Institute until 1854, and and eventually settled on the then moved Los Angeles and Putah Creek after purchasing lived with his Uncle William. a large track of land. Milton's His brother Joseph C., also house was seven miles west went to live with his Uncle of Winters and was actually William at the 'OLD ADOBE' outside the rancho grant. and remained there until Milton married Anna 1860. (Sweany), in Solano County Later John W. bought and in 1860. They planted a vine sold land with his brother yard, and raised grain until Joseph C.. John W. served a 1885, when they sold the land term as State Senator from and moved to Los Angeles. San Diego and San Bernar Milton became a flagman for dino Counties. John W. is Southern Pacific until his credited with having intro death in 1906. duced large-scale lima bean culture into Los Angeles. On May 14, 1852 William Sarchet C. Wolfskill (1818 presented the grant for confirmation 1878) had married another of the "Board of Commissions Howard County neighbor, Appointed to Ascertain and Settle Margaret Ann Cooper, and Private Land Claims in the State of remained at home in Missouri California" and a survey was or until he was encouraged to dered. (29) come West after the discov _ Proceedings in 1853 and 1854 ery of gold in California. They in $an Francisco, ended up with came West via the Isthmus of William Wolfskill's original Grant to Panama and arrived on June Rancho Rio De Los Putos being 1, 1852. John Reid Wolf- confirmed by the commission on skill gave them a gift of 1200 November 7, 1854. (30) acres of land. .~. On July 5, 1856, William sol~ The brothers proceeded to his half of Rancho Rio De Los Putos enlarge on John's begin to Andrew Stevenson, G. B. nings, planting commercial Stevenson, Mathus Wolfskill and orchards and raising cattle. Edward McGary for $71 ,000. In Sarchel remained on the 1858 all the land except the 870 land until his death in 1878. acres retained by Mathus, was sold He and Margaret were the to John Reid WoifsKiii. parents of twelve children The next house John built Milton, Stephan, Elizabeth, was a frame dwelling in a modern Joseph, John, William, style. He had the wood hauled from Barnett, Mattie, Sallie, Mollie, Benicia.
(28) Vacaville Reporter, "WolkskUI Famlly~ ..". (29) Petition of William Wolfskll~ US VS Wolfskill. (30) US VS Wolfsklll, pp113-115.119. PLATE 11 WOLFSKlll FAMILY,.., Left is Milton(1819-1906) and wife Anna(Sweany) Wolfskill. Right Is John R. and wife Susan(Cooper) Wolfskili. (Courtesy VV Heritage OOUnCII) 9 In 1859 McMahan purchased set foot in Susan Cooper an adjoining track of slightly more Wolfskill's home. (32) than 1366 acres from John for In 1892 John's stone $10,933. (31) house was destroyed by an In 1860 John Wolfskill and earthquake. Wolfskill sent a mountain man Green McMahan built telegram to Arizona to inform a . twenty-one miles of fence in a friend. The message read "no single year at a cost of ten thousand one hurt by earthquake; house dollars. John married Susan 'Coo total wreck." At the time Wolf per, daughter of the Wolfskill's skill was 88 years of age. Madison County Neighbor, Major His daughter Francis Stephan Cooper. John and Susan built a 17 room mansion de became parents of son Edward and signed to resemble the Palace three daughters Melinda, Francis, Hotel in San Francisco. It had and Jennie. All children remained in an interior courtyard and the Solano County. "96" brand was placed over the In 1864 John built his second entrance. house of native stone and planted On the site where John olive trees along the entrance to the slept in a tree to avoid grizzly house. John and Susan would live bears, Wolfskill founded the there for twenty-eight years. present day town of Winters, Sarchel occupied the frame house. California. John Reid Wolfskill William Wolfskill, ex-trapper died in 1897 and the majority of from kentucky, saloon owner and the Rancho was handed down cattle rancher died Oct. 3, 1866 of a to his descendants. heart attack. His major contribu John was the first white tions to California were in the field settler in Solano County. He set of agriculture. He pioneered the out the first oranges and commercial wille industry in Califor grapes in this part of state. He nia and in 1856 he won an award for built the first board fence in Best Vineyard in California. Also Solano County and had a hand famous were his orange grooves in building the first school containing sev~ral thousand trees. house in his district. He raised The largest in the United States at many varieties of fruits and that time. nuts on the Rancho Rio De Los Also in 1866 Mathias moved Putos and to this day his tall to a 700 acre ranch near Mankas olive trees surround the old Corners in Solano County, then house site on Putah Creek known as the Suisun Township. Road West of Winters, Califor It has been recorded that nia. John was named the "Fa John's son, Edward, was given a ther of Agriculture" in Solano CnlJntv_ . homestead on the property and --_• • ",1- 1 __ .. ftA....__ .. _ became his father's business man .n ·'~~/, Mrs. .-ranees ager. It has also been noted that his Wolfskill Taylor Wilson be mother, Carmalita, Was forbidden to queathed 107.28 acres and the
(31) Wood, nSamual Green McMahan"& VviisonJs, (32) Vacaviiie Reporter, :=Woikskiii Famii~ .. r:. "William Wolfskl,-I". PLATE 12 Photograph of STONEHOUSE,.. After earthquake of 1892. (Courtesy of Vacaviiie Heritage Councii) 10 .Wolfskill mansion to the University of California, Davis to be used as an experimental farm. The land is still in use today by the University for various orchard and vineyard ex periments, which have enriched the state's horticultural industry. In 1948 the third Wolfskill house was destroyed by fire. On May 30,1966 a bronze plaque was placed at the entrance to the experi mental farm by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Solano County Historical Society. It marks the site as "Cali fornia Registered Historical Land mark No. 804." This is located 1.6 miles West of the town of Winters, California on Putah Creek Road. In November of 1995 the first Wolfskill Holiday Festival was held at Lake Solano County Park and attracted around 1,500 people. Present day Wolfskill family descen dants also visited the festival. An other is planned for 1996. PLATE 13 Photograph of SARSHELL WOLFSKILL HOME(1892-19481-w Built after Earth quake or 1892 and burned down In 1948 by tire. (Courtesy Vacaville Heritage CoUncil) BIBLIOGRAPHY
(0) Heizer, R. Handbook of North American Indians - CALIFORNIA: Volume 8. Washington. Smithsonian Institution, 1978. (1) Keegan, Frank. SOLANO: The Crossroads County. Win~sor Publications,1989. (2) Limbaugh, Ronaldand and Payne, Walter. VACAVILLE: The heritage of a Calitor nia Community. Vacaville, California. Vacaville City Council, 1978. (3) Conti, Kris D. Wolfskill Family set tone for Solano's future. Vacaville, California. Reporter Newspaper, 8/13/95. PP·2C. (4) WALT WITMAN "A promise to California" Complete Poetry and Selected Prose by Walt Whitman Edited by James E. Miller, Jr., 1959. (5) Warner, J.J., "Reminiscences of Early California-1831 to 1846," In ANNUAL PUBLICATIONS, HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VII (1908), pp 176-193. (6) Barrows, Henry D. "a Pioneer of Sacramento Valley," in ANNUAL PUBLICATIONS, HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, IV (1897), pp13-14. (7) A square league contains 4,428.402 acres. "A unit of measurement equal to about 3 miles," Webster's Dictionary. (8) Various dispositions of United States VS William Wolfskill in William Wolfskill's Petition to the US Land Commission in San Francisco, California Case #23V May 17, 1852 to uphold ownership of Mexican Rancho Land Grant "Los Putos". (Cour tesy Vacaville Heritage Archives)- (9) James Stevenson Publisher, "The History Of Solano County 1879",1994 in Fairfield, California, reprint of original by Fraser, J.P. by Wood, Alley & Co., East Oakland, 1879. (10) 1810 (8). (11) Kris Delaplane Conti,"Wolfskili Family set Tone for Solano's future", Vacaville Reporter (Newspaper), section 2C, 8/13/95. (12) (8) IBID Disposition of JJ Warner. (13) (6) IBID pp15. (14) "Samuel Green McMahan" Ca HistSoc. Quart. 12/1944 p289. (15) (8) IBID Disposition of John. (16) (8) IBID Disposition of Bidwell, p23. (17) (9) IBID History Solano County, p58. (18) (8) IBID Disposition of Bidwell, p22-23. (19) (8) IBID Disposition of JJ Warner, p35. (20) Vallejo News Chronicle SUNDAY NOTEBOOK 12/19/1958 Wyman; Riley. (21) Iris Higbie Wilson "William WolfskiI11798-1866", 1965 p131. (22) (8) IBID pp 91-100. (23) (8) IBID p78. (24) (8) IBID p61 (25) (8) iBiD Disposition ojJJ v·vARNER, p12. (26) (3) IBID (27) Bancroft, Hubert Howe "History of California", p779, The History Company, 1886 (28) (3) IBID (29) (8) IBID Petition of William Wolfskill, US VS Wolfskill, p5-6.. (30) (8) IBID,pp113-115,119. (31) Wood, "Samual Green McMahan", p 295 & (21) Wilson's "William Wolfskill ". (32) (3) IBID PLATE ;4 Photograph ofWOLFSKILL GRANT PLAQUE -. State Historical Landmark No. 804. {Courtesy of Vacaville heritaae Council} ------\ ------" ------..,------, RIO DE LOS PUTOS GRANT OF LAND TO DON GUILLERMOsWOLFSKILL .,"III (Transalted from Spanish)
Monterey,24 of May, 1842 ", "In view of the petition with which this expediente commenced the foregoing report with all the rest which he has borne in mind and was conveniant to attend to in conformity with the laws and regula tions concerning the matter, I declare William Wolfskill owner of the pl.ace called Rio de los Putos, situated between the Tulares and the hills.
II Let the coresponding title be issued and refer this expediante to the most excellant Junta.
"His excellancy the governor did thus command, decree, and sign.
"Juan 8. Alvarado, constitutional governor of the Department of the Californias
"Whereas, William Wolfskill, a naturalized Mexican for his benefit and that of his family has made application for a tract of land bounded on the East by the Bullrush Swamp and on the West by the hills and located on the banks of the River called Los Putos, having previously taken the legal steps and made the proper investigations agreeably to the provisions of the laws and regulations by virtue of the powers conferred to me in the name of the Mexican Nation I have granted him the above mentioned land declaring him the owner of it by these present letters, sUbject to the approbation of the rv10st Excellant Departmental Junta and subject to the following conditions:
"First, He may fence the same without injury to the crossings, roads, and servitudes; he will freely and exclusively enjoy the same, dirst it to such use and cultivation as may best suit him but within one year he will erect a house and it will be inhabited.
"Second, He willapply to the respective JUdge that he give him judicial possesion in virtue of this title by whom the boundaries shall be marked out at the limits of which besides the bounds we will also plant sorne fruit or forest trees of some utility.
"Third, The land which is here mentioned is fo the extent of four square leagues (sitio qe ganado mayor) as expressed by the map which accompanies the respective expediente. The magistrate who may give the possession will have it measured agreeably to ordinance, over plus which may result remaining to the nation for convenient purposes.
"Fourth, If he should contravene to those conditions he will lose his right to the land and it will be SUbject to denouncement by any other person - accordingly I command that this title being held as firm and valid be entered in the corresponding book and delivered to the· grantee for his security and other ends. Given in Monterey, this t\Yenty-fourth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty-tHo'"
The land was granted by GovernorJuan 8. Alvarado. eERTIFlejITE 0F BEATH. · -;:f- ...... :..'-... L , 187';::"
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PHYSI
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The law re-quirrs this to be filled out in {ull by • gTaduate in medicine, or by the Coroner in cases which properly come within his jurisdiction, and this certificate must. be preacnted to the proper officer (Health Officer or Coroner), before a permit {or burial can be granted.
PLATE 15 Photocopy of JOHN R. WOLFSKILL DEATH CERTIFICATE. (~OlanO ~ounty Arcnlves, ifili.·.'.,
. PLATE 16 ,-.' ," Photocopy of 1996 WOLFSKILL FESTIVAL flyer. An annaul 1800's :dress-up event held at Lake Solano County Park. (Courtesy of Solano County Regional Parks)