George H. Beach
George H. Beach - Born at New London, Connecticut, October 5, 1817. His father, Chauncey Beach, was born on the fertile banks of the Connecticut River, near Chatham, now changed to Portland. His mother was Mary Holton, born in Winchester, New Hampshire, opposite Brattleboro, Vermont. His parents moved to New London about the year 1800. In the War of 1812 with England, his father being in the mercantile business, received the appointment of sutler to that portion of the army stationed at New London. At a time when there was danger of the landing of the enemy at Light-house Point, he locked up his store, volunteered his services with hundreds of others, and joined the ranks of a company, standing guard on his turn, until such time as the British withdrew to a point nearer New York. Just prior to their withdrawal they threw ball and shell all one night into the American camp, located near the shore, at the junction of Long Island Sound and the Thames River. At a moment when the shell were falling thickest, one volunteer, named Charles Louden, who had never before been under fire, in his fright, slipped unseen out of camp, and jumped a stone wall, dropping one foot into an iron pot of hot soup, which the mess-cook was preparing for a midnight serve-up to those on duty. The moment the cook saw the foot go into his hot soup, he called out, " Take your foot out of that pot!" The man obeyed promptly, leaving a portion of the flesh of his foot in possession of the cook. From that time on, that became a lasting by-word: "Take your foot out of that pot!" When a man stepped where he should not, or sat where he should not, or slipped and fell on the ice, Charlie Louden's memory had to suffer. On the withdrawal of the British from New London, Mr. Beach's father resumed his business as sutler. In the year 1821, when Mr. Beach was four years old, his father died, leaving six children, three daughters and three sons. At the age of sixteen, Mr. Beach left school, accepting a position with Mr. Charles C. Williams as bundle carrier, or youngest clerk, in the dry goods business. After some two years' experience in the business, having become a salesman, he accepted a position with Messrs. William A. Buckingham & Co., Norwich, Connecticut, with whom it may be properly said he finished his business education. This firm were wholesale and retail dry goods' men and carpet manufacturers, sending hundreds of rolls of carpeting to New York annually. Mr. William A. Buckingham will be remembered as Governor Buckingham, and was called in the time of the Rebellion the "Connecticut War Governor." That State had long been Democratic; Governor Buckingham's great popularity elected him at the very outset of the Rebellion; and his great popularity and ardent support of Mr. Lincoln, our President, remodeled the politics of the State, carrying it over to the Republicans. Mr. Buckingham held the Governorship until the close of the Rebellion, when he was elected United States Senator. And at just about this time, Mr. Beach being at the Calaveras Big Trees, named one, the largest and handsomest tree, then unnamed, "Governor Buckingham;" and, on his return to San Francisco, sent up a marble tablet engraved, which was spiked to the tree, and remains now in good condition. It was some two years before Mr. Buckingham learned who his great admirer and friend in this transaction was, when he wrote to Mr. Beach acknowledging his appreciation of the act. Mr. Buckingham is now with Abraham Lincoln, and leaves a name only second to his, except it be that of George Washington, to whose memory all do homage. In 1845, Mr. Beach entered into the dry goods business in Norwich, with Mr. James B. Goddard, son of Calvin Goddard, one of Connecticut's most eminent lawyers, under the firm-name of Goddard & Beach. June 1st, Mr. Beach was married to Miss Elizabeth Tracy Morgan, daughter of Dr. Consider Morgan, of East Windsor, Connecticut, where she was born. Her mother was Miss Lucy Hyde. Dr. Morgan was one of three brothers, all physicians and surgeons and all bearing eccentric names - Dwill, Lot, and Consider. Mr. Beach and wife have had born to them four children, three sons and one daughter, three of whom are now living, and all at home under their paternal roof. The youngest, Carl Morgan, died at the age of sixteen, from injuries received from a fall from his horse, and is buried in the Odd Fellow's Cemetery at St. Helena. Mr. Beach is an Odd Fellow of many years standing, a present member of the Abou Ben Adhem Lodge, No. 112, San Francisco; and is a member of the Pioneer Association, that city. To return to Connecticut: we should say that after some two years connection in business with Mr. Goddard, he purchased his interest and received his brother Chauncey as partner. About the first of January, 1849, he, by long and close confinement to business, had become somewhat impaired in health, which, together with the exciting news of the discovery of gold fields in California, determined him to change his base of action, and try his luck in the new El Dorado. He sold his interest to his brother. He had a store 20x50 feet framed, with all the materials for completion, with a small stock of merchandise shipped; part on the bark " Croton," from New York, and the rest on the ship "Mentor," from New London, both vessels sailing the first part of February. At the earliest moment he obtained a through ticket from New York to San Francisco via the Isthmus, for which he paid $300, bid good-bye to his wife and her sister, leaving them in their own pretty home which he had purchased at time of marriage, which has never been parted with to this day, and it is kept in good preservation, yielding a fair interest in rental money. Stopping off one day at New London to make a farewell visit to his mother and sisters he pushed off to New York, sailing from there on, the steamer "Falcon" February 1,1849. Was detained about four weeks at Panama, awaiting the steamer "Oregon," which had started in December via Cape Horn. The first part of March his steamer came into port and was immediately filled to overflowing, many paying $300 from Panama up with no berth accommodations, it being understood on the start that they must even furnish their own blankets. Some who had taken tickets with this understanding, resold at $500 and in two or three instances $700 was obtained, those selling awaiting their chance on the next steamer. Among the list of passengers were clergymen, lawyers, physicians, merchants, sea captains and naval officers - between three and four hundred passengers. The ship's boats were filled nights with lodgers. The company was graced with two lady passengers, the wife of Governor Geary and wife of Captain Bezar Simmons. General Geary and Captain Simmons were passengers also. On the first day of April they entered the bay of San Francisco. - The "Oregon" was the second steamer which entered the port of San Francisco, the "California" being the first, having preceded the "Oregon" just thirty days, which at the time of the arrival of the "Oregon" lay at anchor with but her officers attached to her, the crew all having run away, as did the crew of the "Oregon." One hundred and fifty dollars a month had to be paid to obtain crews to take these steamers to Panama again and back. At this time San Francisco was mainly a town of canvas tents, and governed by an Alcalde, Doctor Leavenworth holding that position succeeded afterwards by Governor Geary. This was John W. Geary, afterwards General Geary, in the Union Army at the time of the Rebellion. On the fourth day after arrival Mr. Beach completed a purchase of a business lot on Sacramento street for $3000, paying $1000 down. On the 7th he started for the southern mines via Stockton, taking a small stock of mining goods with him, and returned to San Francisco last of June, with money sufficient to pay up the balance due on his property, $2000, with sufficient left to pay freights on arrival of his ships. The 4th of July one ship, the "Mentor," with his stores, came in, and on the 10th the bark "Croton," with merchandise, arrived. In addition to merchandising, Mr. Beach had three consignments of vessels to him sailing from different ports of Connecticut. He purchased invoices of goods brought in by adventurers. He purchased interests in small sail vessels and steamers, receiving the agency and directing their business. Was agent for the ship " Glenmore," running to Panama; the brig "Sarah McFarlain," running to Portland, Oregon; the schooner "Alfred," to the Sandwich Islands, and the steamer "West Point," running between San Francisco and Sacramento. After having passed through two heavy conflagrations, in 1850 and 1851, losing store and heavy stocks, each time suffering heavy losses, a little fortune each time, it may be said, he, on the arrival of his wife, in August, 1851, moved to Marysville, Yuba County, where he had a branch store, under the firm of Beach & Brown, and upon investigation Brown was found to be a defaulter in the sum of $10,200. Brown was arrested, but only a small portion recovered. About the last of December, 1849, he purchased the steamer "Lawrence," and put her on the route between Sacramento and Marysville, and invested considerable money in town property at Marysville. In less than one month after disposing of his property in San Francisco and moving to Marysville, his store, as also the whole block, was burned, he saving nothing from it. This was the third conflagration passed through, all within eighteen months, and in those days there was no insurance to be obtained. By this time Mr. Beach had become discouraged about trade. He was a bold operator, made money in almost every transaction, but the fiery element was too much for him. By it he had not only lost much of his courage, but much capital which his vessels had been making for him. Joining John Perry, Jr., and Benjamin P. Smith, of San Francisco, and Henry D. Beach, of Sacramento, he opened an office for the purchase of gold dust, then being brought in large quantity, which he shipped to San Francisco, daily, receiving gold coin in return. In a little over one year he had shipped about one and one-half million dollars in gold dust. This went in lots of three, four, five, and even as high as ten thousand dollars some days. Here again Mr. Beach was doomed to loss as well as profit. Having been admonished by physicians that he must desist from blowing dust (the only process known then of separating the sand from the gold), he employed a competent clerk - a well-educated young man, a good book-keeper, and son of a Presbyterian clergyman in Ohio. A part of his duty was to sleep in the office, partly as a matter of safety against burglars. This young gentleman, by name Frank Morse, proved too great an expert. He absconded when Mr. Beach was absent, attendant upon his wife's illness in San Francisco, robbing the safe of about $4000. This loss fell upon Mr. Beach, as he managed his end of the line upon a special contract of salary, and percentage on amount of purchases, he (Mr. Beach) defraying all the expenses at his end of the line. Some three months prior to this loss he had inaugurated the business of Wells, Fargo & Co., taking the business into his dust office. This was in the spring of 1852. Prior to this his dust all went down in the express of Adams & Co., but none through his own agency (Wells, Fargo & Co.) He retained the business of Wells, Fargo & Co. until a Mr. Frank Rumrill offered to do the company's business at a much less price than Mr. Beach was receiving. A compromise was offered to Mr. Beach, but he refused to do the business at any less rate, and the business was transferred to Mr. Rumrill, and the result was that in less than two years Mr. Rumrill became a defaulter to the company of about $50.000. All these facts above are provable, and matters of record. Mr. Beach owned a section of land on the Feather River, which he had taken of General John A. Sutter in payment for money loaned him, $5000. In the winter of 1853, gold dust having run up to so high a price in the mines, from $16 to $18, leaving little or no margin to the purchaser, and finding the business of cleansing the gold a positive injury to his health, he gave up the business and moved upon his farm. A year previous he had imported fruit trees of every variety, grapevines and nursery stock on a large scale, laying the foundation for the orchard, vineyard and nursery business, and putting men in charge of the work. This place he named the "New England Garden," and was popularly known all over the State, especially with nurserymen and San Francisco fruit dealers. His first importation of foreign grapevines numbered about fifty varieties, and the second in 1853, twenty-five more, and from this stock he set his vineyard and grape nursery. The following season he was able to supply the country about him, and even filled orders from San Jose nurserymen. From this stock came most of the foreign vineyards in the northern portion of this State. His sales of vines and trees extended into all the neighboring counties, even into Plumas, Trinity and Siskiyou. In this business Mr. Beach found his search after happiness satisfied, as he thought. He is a great lover of nature. He had got away from fires and dishonest partners and thieving clerks, and he could see no enemy in his path. In this he had to contend with inexperience in the line of business, as also in the nature of the soil and seasons. It was a pioneering undertaking; but Mr. Beach was not one to hunt difficulties; he was much more apt to brush them to one side. All seemed a probable success. Mr. Beach studied all the horticultural works he could obtain; was bold in experimenting, solving problems only to be obtained by experiments. Hundreds profited by Mr. Beach's work. As we have said, his labors seemed to prosper and give the fairest promise, until in 1855, when grasshoppers in myriads for a whole month covered his entire grounds, as did they his neighbors' small grain fields, leaving him not a vestige of fruit for market, and doing thousands of dollars damage to his nursery. In 1856 he harvested a handsome income from his orchard; 1857 saw him again perfectly devastated by the same pests. These two years of pests entailed a large outgo, with no income; 1858 gave him a crop of $20,000, but yet he was behind; 1859 caught him again, with the same result nearly as in 1855 and 1857. This scourge, together with the floods in his low lands depositing millions of tons of the miners' debris, discouraged him beyond endurance, and he sold out for $17,500, leaving him without a dollar to his name in California, as he devoted the last dollar in liquidation of obligations entailed through these many reverses. In 1857 Mr. Beach was elected a Vice President of the State Agricultural Society; in 1858 he was the Recording Secretary of the same, which constituted him one of the Board of Directors. All the funds of the Society, about $30,000, which came into the Society that year, were received and disbursed by him; he received and deposited with the Treasurer, and no money could be paid out by the Treasurer without the order of the Recording Secretary, countersigned by the President. That year, 1858, the Rev. O. C. Wheeler was Corresponding Secretary. The Society published statistics in book form, of each year, giving the full details of all its doings. That year Mr. Beach received a vote of thanks, and the Society voted him $500 for his services, but the money Mr. Beach did not accept, as the Society really needed it more than he thought he did. In March, 1864, Mr. Beach left Marysville and entered the large commercial house of N. J. Brittan & Co., wholesale stove and iron merchants, San Francisco, (now Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson), as salesman. Towards the close of the year a friend requested him to call on a large tobacco and cigar firm, who felt anxious to make his acquaintance. He did so, and the result was an engagement with them as commercial traveler, and at much increased salary. But a primary object then was a change from an encaged life to one mostly in the open air. The orchard and vineyard business had about spoiled him for an indoor life. He pursued that business for some twelve years, until in the fall of 1876, when by accident he was thrown from a buggy, breaking his leg, the femur bone, which laid him up some months, bidding fair to leave him a cripple for life; but with good counsel, a good constitution, a system in the very best of condition, and an iron will within him, he came out of his bed apparently as sound a man as ever, and now, four years after, shows no signs of ever having met with such an accident. On getting out of his bed he determined to travel no more; and in the spring of 1877 built a store on his property, alongside his residence in St. Helena, Napa County, and filled it with goods which pertain to a stationery, fancy variety store, miscellaneous reading, periodicals, keeping a handsomely assorted stock of between three and four thousand dollars. Arthur B. Beach, his eldest son, is manager of the business. In July, 1877, Mr. Beach took a trip into Puget Sound, Eastern Washington, and Oregon, which restored his impaired health and strength, caused by his long confinement from his accident. His trip was a complete success; he still makes this trip annually. Mr. Beach tells us that he took a lively interest in the organization of the Republican party in his county in 1856, and of the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, organising clubs in his county, Yuba, and the counties adjoining north of him. He inherited his Whig principles from his rather. Was a Whig from the time he had any thought in politics, and so continued until the formation of the Republican party. His first presidential vote was cast for William Henry Harrison in 1840, and with his dub sang their popular campaign songs through the canvass. He was one of the seven to organize the Fust Congregational Church in San Francisco. He organized the first two church choirs that ever sung in this State: that of the First Congregational and First Baptist, both of San Francisco. Also, organized the first choir in Marysville, Yuba County, California: that of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Beach never played a game of cards or a game of billiards in his life. Has been, and is, a great lover of music. Had the honor of leading a large choir at the age of twenty. Is a great lover of boating. Being brought up on the Thames River, near Long Island Sound, Connecticut, had the opportunity, and did become an expert both in sailing and rowing a boat He, when a child, had a perfect mania for the water. Has fallen overboard a dozen times, and was virtually drowned twice. Says he believes drowning must be the easiest death one can die; but that it is no agreeable time when being brought to. We copy herein from the published history, in book form, of the First Congregational Church, San Francisco, his letter to the trustees on the occasion of the celebration of the golden wedding - the twenty-fifth anniversary of the church. It will be found full of interest and amusing. We also publish a letter from Mr. H. T. Hntchinson to the St. Helena Star, naming Mr. Beach's identity with the early steamboating on the California waters. These seem to be of interest, and in making up his biography, we feel it our duty to bring them in. fie could give us items of interest of the pioneer days that would half fill our book, were he disposed to do so. Mr. Beach moved from San Francisco to St. Helena in May, 1872, having purchased a residence on Main street, but a hundred feet from the post-office. His store adjoins bis residence. He intends, the coming year, moving his house back, fronting it on Oak avenue, and erecting a building for business purposes on Main Street. This will be the result of a plan laid by him when he first made his purchase; and all his efforts - his tree planting, etc. - on the Oak avenue end of his property, have been with this result in view. It is said by his friends that he is rather self-confident; that the law of his. being is to conclude whatever he undertakes; that let him engage in any task, no matter how difficult or how small its worth, he cannot quit it till he has mastered its whole secret, finished it, and made the result of it his own.The following letter of reminiscences was read from George H. Beach, of Napa, one of the original founders of the First Congregational Church, though never connecting himself with its covenant:
"STOCKTON, July 15,1874. - Rev. A. L. Stone and others: Your note of the 25th ult., extending to me an invitation to be present at your twenty-fifth Anniversary, was duly received, but business engagements will prevent my being present. Allow me to state a few incidents of the pioneer days, perhaps worth treasuring: On leaving New York on the 1st of February, 1849, in the steamer "Falcon," there being on board two ladies, Mis. John W. Geary and Mrs. Bezar Simmons, sister of Mr. Frederick Billings, I organized a choir composed of those ladies and two or three gentlemen. Judge Geary officiated on the Sabbath, reading the Episcopal Service on the steamer. Rev. Albert Williams, who arrived by the steamer "Crescent City" at Chagres about the same time, officiated while we were at Panama, about three weeks. Our choir held together all the time. We came up from Panama on the steamer "Oregon," and came to an anchorage off Saucelito on Sunday, April 1st. The same evening we steamed over to San Francisco, a number of the passengers landing that evening, and the rest next day. We found it mostly a canvas town, but there were some adobe and wooden buildings. The white canvas tents from the previous steamer of the 1st of March were dotted here and there; and when the tents from our steamer were set up next day, to accommodate about four hundred passengers, it had the appearance of an army having arrived and encamped in the town. There were but very few women there, and, to use the expression of an old schoolmate whom I met for the first time in many years, 'The very ground on which a refined lady trod in San Francisco was almost worshiped.' You may judge that all were anxious to get a sight of the newcomers by our steamer. On the second or third day oil shore, while standing with Mr. Charles L. Boss, then a merchant, near his door, we noticed a general rush from the various buildings on the opposite side of the street. We ran out also, and found this exodus had taken place all along the line from both sides of the street I asked the cause of the alarm from the first man I met, supposing a fire had broken out somewhere. 'Alarm!' said he; ' I guess you've just arrived.' ' Yes, that's so,' said L ' Well, those two ladies with that gentleman just turning the corner above caused all this excitement. It's a very rare thing, sir, to see a white woman on the streets here. ' Fifty men or more were then running in the direction the ladies had taken, that they might get another sight at them. The party so curiously observed were John W. Geary, his wife, and Mrs. Simmons. We learned that the Rev. T. Dwight Hunt was holding Divine service in the little 20x30-foot schoolhouse on the public plaza. Having made Mr. Hunt's acquaintance, Mrs. Simmons and the gentlemen of the choir agreed to go in and aid him on the following Sabbath. On that day, the 8th of April, we took our seats as a choir, with our three or four notebooks, which we had the thoughtfulness to put in our trunks, and two of which I have at this day. Soon after the singing commenced, the little room being filled, a living girdle began to form around the building, until, when the service had closed, the people - men in all sorts of attire, pants in boots and over boots, with red, blue, white and checkered shirts - had thickened around us to a depth perhaps of twenty to thirty feet. On emerging from the building, I asked if that was a common occurrence, and was told that it was not, but an entirely new feature; that as soon as the lady's voice had been heard on the outside the news spread like wildfire, and its effect was not lost until it completely broke up, for the time being, the gambling circles around the tables in the famous Parker House, then situated on the east side of the Plaza, where the Hall of Records is now. Even Robert Parker himself, the proprietor, followed the retreating crowd to the schoolhouse. This living mass had been drawn there to get a sight of the newly-arrived lady and to hear the sweet tones of her voice. When told that she was the center of attraction, Mrs. Simmons laughed heartily, and said she would stick to the little schoolhouse as long as her presence proved an auxiliary to Mr. Hunt's labors. But it was not so to be. She was suddenly attacked by typhoid fever, and lived but two weeks, leaving a husband, brother and many fellow passengers to mourn her loss. Here, in justice to every '49er, I will add that never since, in the history of California, has a lady been more safe from the possibility of hearing an offensive word than in those days of chaos - of red shirts and miners' boots. The least insult to a lady then would have brought down a thunderstorm on the perpetrator's head. The roughest seemed to vie with the most refined in striving to do her homage. When I look back through the quarter-century to that little schoolhouse, t hat sentry-box, that dim speck in the horizon, and contrast it with the now effulgent light, shining to all the world, it seems but a dream."
The letter in the "Star" concerning Mr. Beach's connections with the steamboats alluded to above, is as follows:
" THE SECOND STEAMBOAT. SAN FRANCISCO, July 26,1880. - Editor St. Edema " Star," St. Helena: Dear Sir - Friends at intervals send me your spicy little paper, in the last issue of which I read an account of the first steamboat which plied on the waters of California. And now I will tell you of the second, especially as it relates to an especial friend of mine who is a resident of your town. The news of the great gold excitement reached the East in the fall of 1848. In the spring of 1849, there being a pretty little steamer named 'Lawrence,' measuring about seventy-five tons, plying on the Merrimac River, Massachusetts, it was purchased by a company numbering sixty-four. They had her taken to pieces; each piece of wood and every bolt was numbered. They chartered the ship 'Mayflower,' of Boston, in which was shipped all the parts of the little steamer 'Lawrence,' boilers and everything. They shipped their provisions, advertised for and obtained a goodly number of passengers, and sailed for San Francisco, which port they reached in September. After three or four days' investigation, anchor was raised, sail set, and with a fair wind went up to what was then called New York of the Pacific, a town laid out on Suisuin Bay by Colonel Jonathan Stephenson. Here the material, provisioas, etc., were all landed, and the steamer set up. About the 15th of December she was ready for a trial trip. She was run up to Stockton. On returning she encountered a heavy blow and came near foundering. Discontent immediately took possession of a majority of the company, most of them desiring to give up this enterprise and try their luck in the mines. Captain Oliver Alien and Captain Merrihue, old acquaintances of Mr. George H. Beach in the East, immediately took the steamer's small boat, reinforcing themselves with two or three others of the company, paddled and sailed to San Francisco, where on arrival they immediately called on Mr. Beach at his store on Sacramento street and stated all the facts to him, informing him that they were empowered to make sale of the steamer for $30,000. Mr. Beach, after an evening's reflection, informed them that he would send sufficient freight by sailing vessel to the'steamer which would warrant her making a trip to Marysville, and if everything pleased him as regards to the good working order of the steamer, he would likely purchase her. The proposition was accepted. The next day Mr. Beach sent the sloop 'Alfred' off with fifty tons of freight, more or less. This being transferred at New Tork of the Pacific, tiie little steamer pushed out for Sacramento, Mr. Beach, himself, on board. The little 'Lawrence' had some narrow escapes before she reached Marysville, much alarming many of the company. Mr. Beach made money by the charter, as he took on board at Sacramento a hundred passengers at twenty, five dollars each, to be landed at Marysville. On the way down, and before reaching Sacramento, Mr. Beach had completed the purchase at $27,000 or $27,500. As soon as he had the papers perfected, he raised the guard of the steamer and added twenty-five feet in length to the bow, making her faster, safe against the rapid currents, and enabling her to carry twenty-five tons more freight. Mr. Beach retained Captain Crosby as her master, and as many others as he desired to remain by her. I was given the position of clerk at a salary of $250 per month. We made our first trip to Marysville from Sacramento, about the 25th day of December, 1849. The business was a great success for so small a craft. Mr. Beach disposed of three-eighths of her while she was being added to, he retaining the controling interest. He must have made $50,000 out of her earnings before heavy competition made it his interest to sell. But while this pretty little steamer was coining money for him, the conflagration of San Francisco had leveled his building and stock of goods twice, perhaps amounting to $75,000, and in those days no insurance to be obtained. H. T. HUTCHINSON.
" P. S. - Captain Oliver Alien, who was the originator of the whale gun, and one of the projectors in this enterprise, was a neighbor of Mr. Beach's in Norwich, Connecticut, and now has one of the largest dairy ranches in California, and is located a little south of Tomales, Marin County, and has made a number of valuable inventions since that of the whale gun.
H. T. H."
"Since receiving the above we have submitted it to Mr. Beach for his approval Mr. Beach says the letter is a very correct report, and does not underrate his profits in the steamer or losses by fires; and adds that the third steamer which went into the Sacramento and Yuba River waters was of his purchase - the steamer 'Phoenix.' Then the fourth, the ' Martha Jane,' also purchased by the Lawrence Steamer Company. The last two were too small for profit - were purchased simply to prevent competition. The 'Phoenix' was afterwards sold to an association called the Linda Company, as a dredging boat - dredging for gold in the Yuba River - and the 'Martha Jane' to parties living on the San Joaquin River, near Stockton, for a tow-boat. Judge E. D. Wheeler, now of San Francisco, then a mere lad, was employed as a fireman on the first little steamer, 'Pioneer', the little steamer preceding those purchased by Mr. Beach. Captain Cornelius Storms, now living in San Francisco, is conversant with all these facts, as well as Judge Wheeler. Storms was one of the company to bring out the steamer 'Linda,' which, with the splendid steamer 'Governor Dana,' knocked the little steamers off the line."
History of Napa and Lake Counties,: San Francisco, Cal.: Slocum, Bowen & Co., Publishers, 1881
Transcribed by Julie Appletoft, February, 2007 Pages 408-418
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